Air Wonder Stories, December 1929 — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

———— ee at it seemed, fortunately, that no one had heard the fight, So he again opened the door of Gastro’s room and entered. The killing of the dispatcher puzzled him afd he wished to discover its meaning. Searching the man’s clothes he‘came upon a curious little badge; it was that of the United States Secret Service! So that was it! Gastro, in the employ of the government; -had_been out- witted, decoyed: to this room, and. put out-of the way. But he could not waste time. over that. He hada mission—to. telephone for Metter. In the telephoto- phone he saw the face of a Japanese servant, and asked for the scientist: “He is out of the couritry, Sir,” spoke the servant. “T do not expect him back here for a week.” “Are any of his colleagues here?”’ asked Fred, std- denly frightened... He was thinking of what would happen to: Nadia if he could not promptly return with the: pills:of explosive to the Grand Master: “They have accompanied him,” answered the servant: “Can I help you?” “Yes,” said Fred: “I am going to ask you to do something for-me,”” The face of the Japanese was expectant and pleasant. Whereupon Brettner. outlined his needs. The face of the servant was. wreathed-in a smile. He hesitated a moment. Brettner smiled and added: “And there’s five thousand pieces-of International gold for you if you arrive here within thirty minutes.” The:servant agreed: instantly. While waiting for the man’s arrival Fred-examined the. weapon, making certain that he could-operate it. Then he put it into the carton-in which-he had carried the gold, placing the money:on the. bed. When the Japanese arrived, Fred greeted him with enthusiasm and an apparently light heart, exchanged the money for the package of tiny white pills -which had cost-many lives, and might cost so many more; and bade the man adiew with a feeling of relief. No: words of explanation had been necessary, Only there had been in the eyes of the Jap a strange light of humor—a thing for which Fred could not account until he looked into the mirror and saw how his face was swollen. Perhaps ‘he could offer-an-excuse to the Grand Master, he thought. So he switched off the lights and hurried fromthe hotel. He wondered where to go fiext, what to do. Perhaps he could find:the course by. com- pass. But, if he could get a plane through the Order, the automatic coursé-indicator would take him there. Reentering Gastro’s room, he walked over to the pilot’s body and tipped-from the inside of thé man’s blouse a green and white ribbon; that was evidently-the sign of the Order. So he drove out hastily to the tiny field, whiere the ships of the Order had always landed, and on displaying the ribbon was give a choice of planes. The one in which he had arrived was waiting there, headed into the wind, so Brettner chose that: Ten seconds later, he was: off to Marino. Four hours later, while dawn was.tising in the East, he saw the indicator settle to zero, and knew he was again over ‘the: floating nation. He nosed down and searched the ocean about him until finally he discovered the deck of the great submarine, Then‘he leveled off, circling a mile away, while he contemplated his next move. Suddenly he thought again of Professor Ray. He wondered if the mental expert had discovered what had happened. By means of what he had learned, he be- lieved that he had closed his mind to the professor. But what if he had failed? Vo FREEDOM OF THE SKIES 529 The brightening sky had surely revealed his plane to those below. He dared not wait longer. He nosed down and Jet out the pontoons. until the. little plane settled quietly in: the water near the edge of the sub- matine,. Her pontoons‘held her there until Fred cleared her and found himself on-deck, He looked -about-him, but: discovered no one. Guards-always waited at the landing places. on.deck; it would seem that an amphibian never landed in the water. Apparently, too, the Grand Master~ was ready- to move the great:structure upon a minute's notice; And suddenly this seemed to-happen, in an unexpected way. A great stream-of men suddenly emerged through a hatchway, perhaps.a quarter of a mile away, and stood waiting, Then the elevators brought up: plane after plane, and into each of these-clinibed two men. The planes took their positions in line-at the further-end of the deck, “The silence: of the motors. was weird, and the whirr of the propellers was fantastic to Fred. He was frozen in his-tracks for a moment, until he recalled all the ordeal-through-which the had passed. And then he’slid down a hatch and hurried toward the-room of the Grand: Master. When he arrived, and convinced the orderly at the door that the packages contained what the Grand Master had been waiting for, he-was ushered into the antechamber ; where he.had to wait for only a short time. He listened to-the voices in the Grand Master’s: office. When the orderly announced him, he heard the Grand Master say, “Yes, yes—Bring him in.” Fred laughed silently, A flash of intuition revealed to him, thatthe Grand Master was in immediate need of sympathy and assurance; that the agony of a troubled conscience for having sent a hundred: or more of the world’s - finest citizens to a terrible death, was eating at the-vitals of the super-criminal, Captain Brettner steeled himself: It was the first time in his life when he felt the desirability of a stimu- lant;-for he was, by nature, almost totally incapable of deception. But -his:plans-were made and he must follow them. He was surprised at his own-resolution when the orderly. escorted him again into the presence ofthe Grand_ Master. A coolness born of desperation had come over him-and he faced the great pirate with his boyish: smile. The Grand Master was grave. “I am glad you have reported on time,” he said: “You~have been in a struggle?” he added as he stirveyed Fred’s features, Fred saluted: “To execute your orders, Your Ex- cellency, I was forced to defend the explosives which you ordered. Gastro had turned: traitor and killed pilot 313, and in turn I_-killed Gastro with-the pilot's Radium-Ray gun. On Gastro’s body I found the badge of the United States Secret-Service. The bodies are awaiting discovery at the hotel. Of course I cannot return forI will be accused of their murder. I trust Tam safe in your protection.” The Grand- Master studied Fred’s face a moment, and-then directed a series of searching questions at our hero. Whereupon Fred related an ingenious tale of his_suspecting Gastro, and the Jatter’s attempt to gain possession of the explosives; the ensuing struggle and the killings. “I had your orders to bring them here, and here:they are.” He placed the dangerous packages on the desk and stood at attention, The Grand Master-smiled again, reassuringly ; “You have proved yourself,” he said. He pressed a button, and his orderly entered the room. Then he turned _back to Brettner. (Continued on page 557) comicbo tas be encom