Air Wonder Stories, December 1929 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

FREEDOM OF THE SKIES Singapore. The old man could now remember several instances when he had left Los Ange’es with a feeling that he would never return ; but by sticking close to the controls, he had managed to avert the disasters his in- tuition foretold, and-had flown his ship through. And, if-his grandfather had accomplished that with all the worry entailed by gasoline engines and the possibility of.dead motors; the distractions of navigation and such details, he himself could=certainly fly a modern per- fected plane to Guayaquil, however heavy his heart. But he was not long given to such reflections. For, two hours after his leaving the terminal, a pursuit-plane drew alongside and nosed up-to attract his attention. He looked her over ;- for a moment he wondered why the plane should be so close. Then a hand shot out from the forward cockpit and waved to-him. He banked his ship over to get a better view. When he did so, he saw Nadia, her face pale and frantic, making terrified gestures to him! It looked-as though she were telling him:to stay on his course and not- follow. But he knew he must follow; one look at the face of the pilot whose. shifting, steely-eyes glared in his direction, and Fred: Brettner made his decision, The pursuit ship climbed steadily, and Fred followed. Sixteen, eighteen, twenty thousand feet—and-still up into the clouds:they sailed. He wondered:why the pilot of the little plane should want such altitude. But-it was not long before he was_to know.. When the pursuit plane leveled: off, its pilot shut off his motor and:mo- tioned for Fred to do likewise. Then the pilot yelled to-him: “If you want this -girl to live, you'd. better follow me!” That was all he said. He did not give Nadia a chance to talk; instead; he turned about and-headed westward over the Pacific. Whereupon Fred Brettner gave his five motors: full throttle, and stayed close behind: the other plane. : : He searched his mind for possible reasons for this strange manner of abducting Nadia. What could this sinister pilot want of him? He-could not pay ransom, for he was not a moneyed man, but only one of the masses, Why, inthe name of Heaven, should anyone resort to this method, to any method: of breaking up-the happiness of a-young couple who in this advanced day were clinging to conservatism, to the traditions-of finer, higher-minded: people? It had-all come:so suddenly that he had not thought of his radio transmitter. He reached for the switch and turned on. the air-driven generator. His first thought was an “SOS” message; but when he clamped down on the key it was dead. No vacuum tube glowed. He was helpless to tell the world of Nadia’s: plight. Captured! FTER three hours of flight, during which: time Brettner’s mind had been considering-a hundred possibilities of what was happening, the pursuit ship throttled down. slowly and nosed downwards, Fred following -her with his heavy cargo plane. He looked below, bit saw no sign of a landing place-in the limit- less:expanse of water. However, the pilot of the smaller ship contifued to spiral and: lose -altitude, ‘until she leveled off for a moment, and then silently slid toward a flat surface that was almost level with the sea, He saw the plane make a perfect landing, and then himself circled for position to do likewise. Then he realized that he was approaching what seemed to be a great floor, floating upon the surface of the Pacific. He slid the big cargo carrier down upon it, and taxied up be- hind the pursuit ship, at-the side of which were now waiting Nadia and the pilot. When he had cut his motors and hurried out-of the cabin to join them, he ‘was-met by-two men who, it seemed, had suddenly ap- peared. from nowhere, They took positions on either side of him, each seizing one of ‘his arms in a tight grasp. “Any discussion myst be with the Grand Master,” said the one on his left. “You are ordered not. to ask: questions: concerning your presence here until you-are before him,” said the one on his right. Brettner’s only concern was for Nadia. “Can I see the girl first?” he asked. - His escort on the left nodded and turned with him. The pilot of the pursuit-plane had pressed a button which opened_a-huge trapdoor, into which his craft was wheeled. Nadia was left to join Fred and-the two men. She hurried:to-him, her Jarge eyes filled with tears. The guards permitted: their embraces. : “Fred, what: can all this mean?” she asked. “They came to my apartment-and forced me to write that awful message to you—it wasn’t true!” “We'll have to make the best of it,” he whispered. “It Jooks like a big kettleful of devilment to me. I suppose they took you in order to make me follow. They couldn’t steal our planes from the hangar—they want the cargo, you see. It’s: been hinted about that a cargo plane is always in danger—especially when it carries ae electrical and: chemical apparatus, as mine oes. “But isn’t it -dangerous—will they let us live?” “Please don’t think of that. They won't harm you, or me,” he said with assurance, “But they: won't Jet: us go back home; they will be afraid we will reveal their rendezvous.” Fred looked around the island-like structure: “Apparently they can move it, Itvhas the color of the sea, when you look at it-from above, and it would be hard to locate.” One-of the men stepped between them: “The Grand. Master will receive you below in three minutes,” he said, almost pleasantly. They. followed.the guards down through a hatchway and into an enormous compartment. “This thing cost enough to build to keep a thousand people in luxury for the rest of their lives,” commented Brettner: “The ‘Grand Master’ must have fabulous. riches.” “That need not be true,”. Nadia reminded him: “There may be a thousand of them in partnership.” “TF think-your deductions will not be borne out,” said Fred-and. stopped, They-were soon following the guards through a hallway and into a reception room. They looked: for an- instant down :another aisle which ex- tended for what appeared to be the length of a city block. ~The ship, or whatever. it was, appeared to have the deck surface of-five of the large battleships of fifty years before, but whatever went on within-it was still - a mystery to them. Presently-a door: was opened before them, and before them stood a fall, well-built young man, apparently about twenty-five, dressed in a one-piece suit of bla velvet with a sash about his waist. His face was ex- pressionless, and its paleness gave it a waxen appear- ance; but there was_a ringing quality in his well-modu- lated voice: “Tt is my duty to warn you to speak the whole truth in all matters -pertaining to yourselves, Then, only, will you be allowed the freedom of the decks, and avoid font to yourselves.” “He’s just the man I want to see,” said Fred. “If there’s: anything personal about this I want an oppor- us PEP ess comicbooks.com