Air Wonder Stories, December 1929 — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

~ o AT eT ig ee Baek TNT Oe tee. oF ta ATi ee aa Re 4 ~" =i 4 A ; 3 E Li at AeA NS ER PL eee me 2. Pind | CD eee) ele 4 re ee Se ‘. e i 528 AIR WONDER STORIES tuned in on you today as you flew this way. May I ask why. you wanted him:to meet you, in your room.at the hotel?” Brettner could only tell the truth, astonished as he was. He knew that, if this mental science had been so developed as to reveal what-was upon his mind at a given hour, they were likely to know the rest of his message, “T wanted to have him help me obtain the release of Miss Deneen,” he admitted. “You are an honest man,”. said the Grand. Master with cynicism, He leaned: backward in his chair and looked toward the:ceiling, then straightened with deter- mination: “Go ashore with your pilot—No.-313, this time. Return-to your room in the hotel. The pilot will there meet’ Gastro, whom. you perhaps have already suspected as my agent. You are not.to return until after you have obtained from Metter a few pounds of those explosive tablets. You are to telephone, as soon as instructions to do so are. given you, and make an ap- pointment to meet him, You will tell him you- require this explosive to bombard a shoal out in the Pacific, and thus create an island where you can have a little place of your own. It sounds like a weird. story; but it-has been done. I am confident that he will let you have the explosive. It is the only one which will serve the purpose of the great mission; the particulars of which you-are to know when you ‘have returned and reported tome. I am going to give ’you-five thousand pieces of International gold with:which to pay Metter. You may depart within an hour. Remember, if anything tran- spires which shows you to be a traitor to us—and to your sweetheart—it will mean: death to both of you.” Brettner rose quickly from his lounge, feeling much stronger. Apparently not in the least concerned by the last. words of the Grand- Master, he was inwardly troubled, however; for. with Professor Ray following his mental trail he-dared not make a tangible plan. It seemed that his-fate was:sealed. But he-then remem- bered how the professor had told him of the art of placing his mind, out of focus, so that none save him- self could know his thoughts. And, if he could accom- plish that, then Professor Ray who had chosen to join the: “Conquerors of the World” might prove his own undoing. “This: Grand Master-is a resourceful character,” he thought, while he was being helped: outside, and into the room where-a white-shitted physiciai--was to ex- amine him and fit him for.“‘the great mission.” Knowing that.not:only the fate.of Nadia and himself depended on his ability. to conquer Marino, Captain. Brettner was at a loss to steady himself for the great ordeal which he must soon face.- However, in -the depths of his mind, there lay a message that vaguely conveyed: some: hope. -The thing was not definite, but his intuitions were strong; as were the intuitions of all educated-and refined people of his day. And he knew this plan that was= still incubating beneath his con- sciousness would come to sticcess, in Some manner. That evening found: Fred Brettner again: in-his hotel room, where he waited, more or less anxiously, for the return of pilot No. 313. ‘The latter: had ‘brought him to the airport near Los Angeles, and escorted him all the way-to his-room; then left with the assurance that he would return as soon as Gastro.had taken possession: of the room next to his: own. When Fred opened the door fora peep: down the aisle, and saw Gastro enter the room next to: his own, a sudden inspiration seized him. He remembered the orders which had been given him—to converse with no one. He-imagined this applied ‘to ‘such individuals as Gastro, as well as to those not associated with the Order,- So he suppressed his desire to spring at the traitor’s throat, and stepped quickly back into his own room. He did not close the door tightly, though, but: stood there waiting for the appearance of the pilot who was to-return and give him the word to telephone Metter. He had a conviction that the pilot would first talk with Gastro—and. so. overhearing any: conversation between them-would be of benefit. So he was. waiting close to the door, when-he heard footsteps come-past'to Gastro’s room, anda soft knock, Fred heard Gastro open: the door, and-heard it close again: He opened -his-own door softly to see if the pilot had entered Gastro’s room. Concluding that he had, Fred stepped softly to the door of the other room and bent down to listen. He heard the pilot ask Gastro to get something from the dresser. The latter turned around apparently to obey and in that moment, through the keyhole, Fred saw the pilot whip something from ‘his: pocket. It was-a strangely-shaped weapon—"“the Raditm-Ray pistol which kills instantly without loss-of-blood,” Brettner thought. horrified. Be- fore he could open the door and spring upon the assassin the latter had- turned the weapon upon Gastro. There was_a Silent, bluish flash and the dispatcher wilted to the floor and Jay still, Then reason left Brettner. At the sight of this atrocious act he forgot the danger that menaced himself, Nadia and the world. He swung-open the door, threw. himself-11pon the back of the murderer, and gave his arm a-sudden wrench which sent the gun spinning into the corner. The big pilot turned tpon him and showered a rain*of blows with his free hand squarely on Fred’s face. But. the latter, in his fury, drove his own_fist into the body and face of the pilot as fast and hard as he could strike, Round and round they struggled. Once, in the tur- moil of:it.all, Fred felt himself weakening. But a pic- ture of Nadia came to him, with all the radiance of her smileé-and, again, all the bitterness in her look the last time he had seen her, These “Conquerors:of the World,” were ruthless pirates. His-own pal, Joe Blaine, innocent of all-intrigue, had been murdered by them. He must overcome this man. Yet the pilot was crowding him, and working him around, in order to get at thepistol which lay near Gastto’s body. Brettner- realized the fact and himself struggled: for the position which the pilot had tried-to gain; And, when once he had forced his opponent's back against the wall, the grim determina- tion-of the unbeatable fighter filled him. He continued to exchange: blows now: with a renewed-fierceness. An unconquerable soul dominated him. Yet an unexpected blow unbalanced him, and he-found himself on his hands and knees on the floor, the pilot leaped to pet the pistol. -A prayer ran through Fred’s: mind; he himself was willing to die, but now in his hands might lie the fate of the world. He hurled himself in a flying leap toward the knees of-his antagonist; it was the perfect tackle, not forgotten since his college days, and the big man. crushed to the floor, His-head-struck the side of the bed and. he lay still, an ugly wound in-his temple. The blow had been fatal. Fred bent down, felt of his heart; it was still. There was no time to lose; ‘he-hurriedly closed the door, locked it, and rettirned to his own room. Quickly, he washed the blood from his hands and face, hurriedly changed his-suit and was ready for further action. He opened the door and then looked down the hallway; fab ui