Air Wonder Stories, May 1930 — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

F man could learn to. control the laws of gravity My) he would find himself master of the universe! He ee would find himself on the threshold of the last frontier—space |” = Ga) Bu Dr. Mars Jorgstedt, noted astronomer, finished, and: as he sat back-in his big roomy chair in the lounge of.the Scientists’ Club, he gazed at his friend- defiantly, His feelings concerning such a possible achievement must have been really deep, for his gray eyes glittered with a peculiar light. To Professor Markleson, head of the American Institute of Physics, sitting opposite, Dr. Jorstedt’s eyes. seemed like smolder- ing catldrons in which intense fires burned. For a long time Professor Markleson: studied the deep-set features of his friend, pondering over’the words just uttered. Not for two-years had these two old ‘friends come together, for Dr. “Jorgstedt ‘had ‘secluded’ himself “with the huge telescopes: of his observatory, lo- cated at the mouth of the Grand Canyon, Now they were together again and the famous. physicist noted the appearance of many new lines prominently stamped upon the features’ of his friend. Markleson leaned forward, apparently to guard some- thing he had to say from unwanted ears. “Suppose, my: deat doctor,” he said, casually, “that stich an achievement” has been realized?” Dr. Jorgstedt regarded “him quizzically as though trying the impossible—to read what lay behind the smiling, dancing ‘brown ae of the man before him, He shrugged his shoulders, “Tt would create a world-wide sensation, professor!” he said, moving a hand from his chin to toy with a delicate watch-chain. Professor Markleson glanced around him and then appeared to edge close to his friend, “And if I, of all men, should have learned that secret, what wottld you say, doctor?” The noted astronomer gave him a startled look, his lips twitching oddly as he pondered the strange, cryptic words, They ~ impinged upon his senses over - and over again like the clanging of a great tower clock tolling off the hours, “Then; my friend,” he replied, admiringly, “you would be even a greater genius than you have already proved yourself to bel Have you been holding: something back from-the world, profes- sor?” Professor Marllegon settled back in-his chair and smiled, a red. flush mounting ‘above his spotless collar and spreading be- hind his ears. He nodded. ‘ "T hold the secret of gravitational repulsion, doctor,” he said, the story. _ -softly, vaguely aware of the flush that had mounted -his face at the compliment ‘his friend-had handed-him, “The problem of nullification has been mastered, although I have kept the news strictly to myself until now!” Dr. Jorgstedt sat for.a long time staring at the physicist. The revelation had dumbfounded him, Had such a statement come from the lips of anyone but Professor Markleson he would have quit his presence at once without further ado. And since ED EARL REPP 8 a writer of adventure tales that carry you along breathlessly from page to page, Mr, Repp has few. equats., The present story ts one of his best. It combines not only excellent imagination and~ stirring. drama, but also an ending that ts ao surprising-that no one will suspect it until he has finished “Who is the mysterious Sky Ruler?” you will ask. Who ts this self-styled dictator of the air who.with his strangé powers can fold the world at bay? The secret miystifies the world and the answer is known only when the last lines of the story have been read, ‘THE SKY RULER > _ By the Author of “Beyond Gravity,’ “Radium Pool,” “Flight of the Eastern Star,” etc. his friend had informally announced the results of his research in the field of gravitational nullification, it awed him a little, “Under those circumstances; professor,” he said, “how do you- propose’ to utilize your wonderful discovery fe Professor Markleson Jeaned: forward ‘again. “Not how I am going to utilize it doctor,” his reply came, clear and convincing, “but how I have already embodied the principles in the greatest airship ‘ever built!” ‘AD Doctor Jorgstedt been subjected to a charge of high potential electricity he could not have been more startled than he was now at: the rapid-fire occurrence. of important achievements in-the-life of his old friend during the past two years, Then his brows clouded in disappointment, for he re- called Professor Marldeson’s old vow that if he should ever solve the mystery. of gravitation the first thing he would do would be to construct an interplanetary ship to carry both of. them. to distant planets for explorations. “Then you have altered your plans to build a space flyer, professor?” he asked, seeing his hopes of visiting Mars and other worlds of the solar system go waning, tem- porarily: at least. “T have fot the present, doctor,!’ the physicist replied, nodding. “But not my vows.to make it possible someday for you rto place a foot on the worlds of your tele- scopes, I have built an airship embodying the principles of -gravitational repulsion to illustrate the .possibilities of craft capable of rising from the earth’s surface without expensive propulsion. In my opinion, man needs cheaper and more rapid transporta- tion more than he needs knowledge of the universe at this time when the old type of airctaft are becoming too slow for his increasing demands for speed with the maximum of safety. We shall therefore have to forego our personal hopes to navigate infinite space tntil- our fellow beings have first been given the benefits of my dis- coveries in a way that will do them the most good: In the mean- while, Mars, Venus, Uranus: and the other's. will- not. disappear !” Doctor Jorgstedt laughed a tense, deep-throated langh that caused the éminent physicist to stare at-him curiously. “T- guess you are right, my friend,” he said, “but I confess I’m a trifle disappointed, For an instant my imagination pictured us-as the first-human beings ever to set foot upon the soil of a-distant world. However, let me be the first'to congratulate you upon your discovery! Then if- you don’t object, you might enlighten me with some of the high lights concerning the manner or methods with which you achieved such an important step. Your propulsion principles, of course, must depart from the present principles of the air- screw?” = Professor Markleson nodded and settled back in his chair, resting his elbows upon the arms and pyramiding his fingers, tip to tip. “After it was done, doctor,” he said, simply, “T was aston- ished at the simplicity of the whole thing. I merely grasped a 1015 -