the message quietly, once or twice barking a question. At length he laid the receiver down.
“It was from South America,” he said slowly. “Rio has fallen.”
This announcement was greeted with silence except from Senor Garcia, who uttered a sharp exclamation of sorrow. Expected as the fall of Rio had been, he alone of the five persons in the room had felt it as a personal loss. It was his native city and the erstwhile seat of the government of which he was the head.
“The news was particularly unpleasant,” the President continued gravely. “The Asians for the first time at Rio used a new weapon, a kind of air vibrator which so rocked the atmosphere that the ear-drums of every one within range of the tanks were split. So powerful were the concussions, according to witnesses, that the effect was similar to that upon fish in a dynamited pool. Fortunately, the range was short, but buildings and bridges toppled under the beating of the vibration. 16 The Asian tanks stalked like demons through the beauties of Rio. The city is a smoking ruin now.”
Dr. Scott was suddenly on his feet. So they have a third and deadlier weapon!” he exclaimed. “I was afraid of that! In the center of this old earth what may they not have found to burn and torture us with?”
“There is more to be feared from the weapons they have not yet demonstrated than from those we have had experience with,” the old scientist went on more calmly. “Fortunately their rays, vibrations, and vapor jets are of short range; they affect only persons in the immediate vicinity of their attack. But unless I am mistaken, these fellows have something up their sleeves more deadly and demoralizing than any of these relatively puny forces. It is against these other weapons that we must also prepare; weapons which at present we know nothing of!”
It was at that point that King Henderson arose and addressed the President. In the atmosphere of despair and frustration which had settled not only over the members of the War Council, but over the entire American continent, his courage was like a ray of light.
“In my opinion,” he began, “we are only wasting time talking and speculating about these things. There is only one way to beat these people, and that is to send a spy to learn their secrets. He might have to go as far as the mouth of the earth-tunnel itself. He might have to travel through to Asia before he found what he was looking for. But only when we have knowledge of this new metal, how it is made, and more important, how it is destroyed, will we be able to tackle the Asians man to man.”
A silence followed his remarks. The President and Dr. Scott agreed.
“Your suggestion is hardly a new one,” the President commented. “In the regular course of military affairs it is usual to send spies into the enemy camp, and this has already been done. More than a hundred men trained in military espionage have already gone; most of them never came back, and those who did return knew nothing more than when they departed.”
“Exactly,” said King, “but their failure in a case like this should most surely have been expected. A spy who would learn what we must know would not only have to be brave and clever; he would have to be a scientist as well. Otherwise, how could he recognize and understand the processes he bad been sent to investigate? A young man trained in science must be your spy.”
The President nodded. “It’s what I’ve been thinking,” he replied. “But who? Whom could we send?”
“How about some of my technical experts?” asked the Secretary of War. “There are some fine young men there who could do the job.”
The President appeared to be considering the proposal. “Perhaps they could,” he returned slowly, “and perhaps it would be only a useless sacrifice. Like your officers, Dr. Angell, your technicians are bitten with the military virus. Their minds retain, but their heads are thick.”
“But surely. “ began the
“It was from South America,” he said slowly. “Rio has fallen.”
This announcement was greeted with silence except from Senor Garcia, who uttered a sharp exclamation of sorrow. Expected as the fall of Rio had been, he alone of the five persons in the room had felt it as a personal loss. It was his native city and the erstwhile seat of the government of which he was the head.
“The news was particularly unpleasant,” the President continued gravely. “The Asians for the first time at Rio used a new weapon, a kind of air vibrator which so rocked the atmosphere that the ear-drums of every one within range of the tanks were split. So powerful were the concussions, according to witnesses, that the effect was similar to that upon fish in a dynamited pool. Fortunately, the range was short, but buildings and bridges toppled under the beating of the vibration. 16 The Asian tanks stalked like demons through the beauties of Rio. The city is a smoking ruin now.”
Dr. Scott was suddenly on his feet. So they have a third and deadlier weapon!” he exclaimed. “I was afraid of that! In the center of this old earth what may they not have found to burn and torture us with?”
“There is more to be feared from the weapons they have not yet demonstrated than from those we have had experience with,” the old scientist went on more calmly. “Fortunately their rays, vibrations, and vapor jets are of short range; they affect only persons in the immediate vicinity of their attack. But unless I am mistaken, these fellows have something up their sleeves more deadly and demoralizing than any of these relatively puny forces. It is against these other weapons that we must also prepare; weapons which at present we know nothing of!”
It was at that point that King Henderson arose and addressed the President. In the atmosphere of despair and frustration which had settled not only over the members of the War Council, but over the entire American continent, his courage was like a ray of light.
“In my opinion,” he began, “we are only wasting time talking and speculating about these things. There is only one way to beat these people, and that is to send a spy to learn their secrets. He might have to go as far as the mouth of the earth-tunnel itself. He might have to travel through to Asia before he found what he was looking for. But only when we have knowledge of this new metal, how it is made, and more important, how it is destroyed, will we be able to tackle the Asians man to man.”
A silence followed his remarks. The President and Dr. Scott agreed.
“Your suggestion is hardly a new one,” the President commented. “In the regular course of military affairs it is usual to send spies into the enemy camp, and this has already been done. More than a hundred men trained in military espionage have already gone; most of them never came back, and those who did return knew nothing more than when they departed.”
“Exactly,” said King, “but their failure in a case like this should most surely have been expected. A spy who would learn what we must know would not only have to be brave and clever; he would have to be a scientist as well. Otherwise, how could he recognize and understand the processes he bad been sent to investigate? A young man trained in science must be your spy.”
The President nodded. “It’s what I’ve been thinking,” he replied. “But who? Whom could we send?”
“How about some of my technical experts?” asked the Secretary of War. “There are some fine young men there who could do the job.”
The President appeared to be considering the proposal. “Perhaps they could,” he returned slowly, “and perhaps it would be only a useless sacrifice. Like your officers, Dr. Angell, your technicians are bitten with the military virus. Their minds retain, but their heads are thick.”
“But surely. “ began the
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