Air Wonder Stories, August 1929 — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

v¢ -_ = = aes > 7 ——. darker background of the plane. It was a remarkable contrast to the view of the through lane above, show- ing only the green lights of the lower sides of the wings. The sky was cloudless but no moon was visible to flood with its light the landscape. But a plain view of the land below was not essential to safe air travel, for the altitude indicators told the flier what lane he was in, while the aerial traffic signals which were to be seen. everywhere miade it easy to. find one’s position. - The direction signs located near the “A” and “D” lane signals, were plainly: visible from the highest traffic lane by day, and well illuminated by night. As the taxiplane continued to. the west, the sea of lights in the city below gradually thinned out, and soon they were over the suburbs. “Better drop down to the landing level atthe next ‘D? lane,” Riel informed the driver through the taxi- hone, : The “D” lane signal was not far ahead, and they were soon down onthe landing level again. Here in the suburbs ‘the traffic in the lower lane was not at all congested, arid the taxi proceeded along at a good pace. They had not gone far along the lower lane when the detective again used the taxiphone. “A half mile to the northeast; three white, four green and red in the square, south entrance,” he di- rected the chatiffeur, The plane was slowed down as it approached. the sleuth’s landing. place which could be seen plainly as they approached, Three white lights formed a small triangle, surrounded by a square of four green lights. This- was the exact center of the landing space, and the four red lights marked: the four corners of the area. Approaching from the south the plane slipped to the ground: between the first two red lights and stopped just beyond the center lights. “You have a nice location,” Wallace remarked, step- ing from-the plane and looking the place over, “That is, what I can-make out in the dark. looks favorable. ~ What is the long building to the west of the house?’ “That is my garage,” the host explained. “I keep two cars and a plane and have a reserve space for one of each. I have barely enough ground to provide my- self with air landing privileges. It’s fortunate that planes can descend slower and stop quicker than: they used to, or I’d need a ten-acre tract for my landing. But even-at that everyone cannot afford an individual landing. Most of my neighbors use community fields. A group of neighbors maintain one landing field and air shed, which serves them all. It’s a very economical way and quite efficient too.” The conversation was here interrupted by the ap- proach of a policeman from the shadows of the house. “Any orders, sir?” he asked, addressing the detective. “Yes, Lester, I have a little job that you will have to do carefully,” Riel instructed the man, with a side glance at the wrist indicator. “I am expecting a visitor soon, and I watt you! to be sure to get himt for it is important that he doesn’t get away. Is Simpson on the job?” “Veg sir, he’s on the other side of the house,” “Very good, then both of you keep in the shadows until you spot him.” : With this the detective approached the illuminated entrance to the house. Pausing at the door he turned around to the police officer: “And it's equally important that the ray doesn’t catch you in the act, uriderstand Lester?” “Yes sir, the job will be done quickly.” AIR WONDER STORIES "Since I’ve been on this case,” the Englishman ex- plained to his companion as they entered the hall, “I’ve had my house under‘ constant guard with two men on each shift, for I can’t be too careful when dealing witha clever crook as our master criminal undoubt- edly is.” . Entering a large room off the hall, he invited Wallace in, explaining, “This is my combination room; part library, part laboratory and the rest designed for comfort,” CHAPTER IV Riel’s Story HE room indeed was a combination room, the American thought, ashe looked about. ‘The thick carpets and easy chairs with their well-stocked smoking stands, gave an air of comfort to the room. Along the wall opposite, from the hall entrance, stood a well-filled: book-case, and to the left at the far end of the room was a mass. of electrical equipment, neatly mounted on. mahogany-colored panels, forming a switchboard ‘about ‘six feet high and eight feet long. “My mechanical assistant,” smiled the host, noticing his guest’s interest in the apparatus. “Such equipment is necessary to fight- modern crime, The. scientific criminal employs all possible scientific methods to ac- complish his work; and to fight them, the law must be equipped with suitable weapons. My secret radio equipment is mounted on that board and also my ray deflector.” a hen you have a device that will deflect the vision ray?” : “This house is sttrrounded by a strong! magnetic field, which deflects the vision ray. and prevents it from penetrating the walls of the house. Also the voice wave detector is rendered-useless, for the voice pulsa- tions, when picked up, are carried on the vision beam in some manner, so inside the house we are free to talk and move without fear of detection. I have a tay detector outside the house at a safe distance from the magnetic field, similar to the wrist watch indicator, It consists of two. large-coils of wire with a sensitive magnetic needle balanced between them. When the ray energizes the coils and swings the needle out of position, a meter on my board registers it and a red light at the top of the center panel lights up. This. is arranged: so that I will know when he has the ray on my house. There have been many attempts to see through my walls with the ray for I have papers that the man_is after.” Opening a wall safe, Riel drew out a bundle of papers. “Here is the only existing set of plans of the Skubic Light Wave Receiver, the papers that I am ‘sure the criminal is after. - This. device is said to record the oscillations of light waves, and pulsations-of a certain nature contained in these waves can. at times be de- tected on the chart or recording strip, A study of these markings seems to have proven beyond a doubt that some one of intelligence must have produced them and that they were not just freaks of nature, A Get- man produced the invention in America and wanted to return to Europe with drawings of it. But fearing that an atten might be made to rob him, he asked Scotland Yard for protection and I was sent over. I was working on your case, at the time, trying to de- termine how your liners were brought down. I had, by then, discovered that a vision ray was being used, and had built my protecting field around the house, also = comicbooks:com