Air Wonder Stories, July 1929 — page 37: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ISLANDS IN THE AIR 35 understood the complete working principle save the professor himself, although McCann, being canny and deep, I credited with understanding more than he let on. Certain it is that the professor was in love with him and trusted him implicitly, The professor was everywhere, tireless, secretive and often provoking, Sometimes he worked far into the night when all others had sought their beds. As for myself I wandered about from one section to another in a maze of doubt and wonder. The whole thing was too deep for me, and I thought so much on the subject that it began to rob me of my sleep. Besides, the Professor’s taciturnity final- ly began to irritate me. Although I was furnishing all the money he did not offer to divulge the inner secrets of his scheme. My wonder was intensified as the sky islands, two in number and located one near each end of the enclosure, began to take form. These islands were fashioned out of structural steel, were sqtiare in form and about one hundred yards from rim to rim. Although their superstructure was built of light-weight materials, each must have weighed many thousands of tons burdened as they were with machinery of many kinds—oscillators, condensers, motors and divers other machines whose names and offices were known only to the Professor. Besides the machines on the islands, others were sheltered by small buildings on the ground. At three corners of each island were short mastheads with powerful lights and at the fourth rose a taller mast- head bearing a revolving airplane beacon. I knew that the Professor proposed to raise this great mass into the air by wireless control, to suspend it there and raise and lower it at will. Having had the theory dinned into my ears for many days I natural- ly absorbed some of the faith of its inventor, but as the work progressed I began to have misgivings and to fear that, after all, his mind was unbalanced. Of course the public was not admitted to the grounds. I began to suspect that many doubted the iron machinery story, for several reporters and photographers finally came to visit us and were turned away with a sharp rebuke. One of our first tasks consisted of clearing a landing field, after which Greta always brought the Professor and me over in her plane—a remarkable machine in its way. Although she did not under- stand these air islands any more than I, she criti- cized the Professor for evolving them and was sceptical of their success. We heard and saw little of Van Beck, but Greta saw him often—as I afterward learned. Then one day she swooped down suddenly out of the sky, climbed from the cabin of the plane and was followed by Van Beck. Professor Stiener glared, but Van Beck grinned amiably through his black, bushy beard. “Sir, you must know that you are not wanted here,” fumed the Professor. He turned savagely to Greta. “What is the meaning of this, Greta?” “Why Professor Van Beck is an old friend,” she said innocently. “I just landed here without think- ing. I beg your pardon, Gustave. We will be going.” Greta made for the plane. Just then McCann ran up with a blue print and asked the Professor a question. “Certainly, certainly,” chimed in Van Beck. “We do not wish to trespass.” The professor had been poring over a large blue print spread open in the sun when he rose to rebuke his Dutch friend. Now he walked away with McCann and I followed. We were absent but a few minutes, and when we turned back instead of seeing Van Beck getting into the plane I observed him turning away from the blue print and I thought I saw him hastily thrust a black object into the capacious pocket of his long black duster. There were fio workmen near at the time and as I had no witnesses and could not be sure I resolved to say nothing about it, Smiling graciously Van Beck ambled to the plane, took his seat by Greta’s side and they were off with a wave of the hand. The Professor was furious over the unexpected visit. “What is Greta thinking about?” he stormed. “Has she no respect for her brother and his work? Please God he didn’t learn anything—but maybe he did,” he added fearfully. “He has a devilish way of learning things. What do you think?” I assured him I did not think it likely any of our secrets had leaked out in so short a space of time. And I was in no amiable mood, Van Beck seemed to be exercising an hypnotic influence over Greta and I resented it bitterly. However, shortly after- ward I had reason to be thankful for the episode and the resultant lecture which the Professor gave Greta. She was seen less often in Van Beck’s company and devoted herself closer to me and the work of her eccentric brother. Nor did we see any more of Van Beck nosing around. He was seen but little about town and seemed to keep pretty close to the class room. Near mid-summer we heard he had obtained a vacation and had gone abroad for a time. The Professor breathed a sigh of relief. We are rid of him for a time,” he said gratefully. “Before he returns the danger will be past.” A Disappearance, WEEK after week rolled away, the mellow days of September were at hand and the islands were nearing completion. Then one morning as the Professor and I stepped from the plane we were met by McCann with the startling intelligence that the office had been entered during the night, but a cursory examination had revealed nothing disturbed. The Professor stared blankly a moment, then rushed away to the office. We followed breathlessly. The outer door had been forced, its lock being broken, but beyond this no damage had been done so far as we could discover. Anxiously we ran over the papers—not a print was missing. “Nothing gone,” said the Professor. “Yet the place has been entered. What for?” “Perhaps the thief was frightened away before he could grab anything,” I suggested. “T don’t see how he got in,” said McCann. “I have made sure that every guard was at his post throughout the night.” “I hold you personally responsible, McCann,” said the Professor severely. “See that it doesn’t happen again.” And with that he turned and walked away leaving McCann with a crestfallen air. I felt sorry for the Scotchman. He seemed de- voted to the Professor, and I. believed the rebuke to be undeserved. comnliclooolks.com