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Show e i . S : | Afl After 2lf er r : . 2 : Worlds WorldsS : Collide . . . . By Edwin Balmer Balmerand : and Philip Wylie WylieCopyright . Copyright , , 1934 , by byDdwin . Ddwln edwin Balmer&Phllip BalmerPhllip BiUnier Ba.lmer Balmer . & . Philip Wyllft Wylie WyllftWNU WNU WN'U ' Sei-Tic Sei Tic Service - * . $ . . . . . . . . . .C C . . . CHAPTER VIII VIII-ContInued VIII ContInued - Continued VIIIContInued13 _ -13- 13 - 13Vanderbilt 13Vanderbilt 13 - Vandcrbllt Vanderbilt scowled 'Funnv Funnv Funny ' "Funnvl Funnvl " I 1 Quar Quarter Quarter Quarter ter of ail au an hour Llbo ago BO { , I 1 saw him n a fewstreets fewstreets few | streets from the square qllare here Ue He Ueason was wason \ \\ason ason \ \ as ason on his wa wai way ) to tell yuu you something abollt about abolltthe aboutthe aboutthe the power POere PO\\ PO \ \ ere ereHe . He tuined turned tm ned a corner Ithought Ithought I 'thought thought ' thought I heard the first faint pin p'1rt p1rt part ' ot of ota ofa ofn a yell-choked yell choked 3 ell-choked ell choked ell - - choked ofr off 1 I hu&tlcd hutlcd hllbtled hustled & "lrollnd lrollnd around "lrollndthe aroundthe " iroiindthe the same corner , but he hens \ \\ns ns was \ \ ns out of ofsight ofsight ofsight sight . . It seemed odd-be odd be odd-hed odd hed odd - bed d Inive lune have had hadto hadto hadto to run pretty fast to make mnh.e mnhe . tlie the ne next nextcorner nextcorner t tcorner corner . &o o So & o I j imnied LDulled ininied alon along ! ; lookln looking . , for forhim forhim forhim him No sign of him 'thought thought r ' 1 ! nought hought he "as as was "asI wasreporting " asreporting I reporting to you But I went b tck tckNothing lc1 ickNothing Nothing to see at the spot \ where here he'd hed he'dleft he'dleft he'dleft hedleft ' ' left me 1- 1 I-- I ITony 1.rony I - " ' Tony .rony rony Tonyns .ronyas . \\ns ns \\as as was \ \ calling calUng 'la310r-WlllIam 'la310r la310r WlllIam la3lor-\Vilifam la3lor Vilifam 'la310rWlllIamconSmlthAle.nndelIool ' la3lorVilifamsonSmithAiesanderlook la lor - \ Williamson con-Smlth-Ale\.nndel-Iool conSmlthAle.nndelIool con Smlth Ale .nndel nndel Iool son-Smith-Aiesander-look son Smith Aiesander look : ; - Smith - Ale\andei Ale andei \ . - look for'on for \'on 'on on Von 'onBeltz VonBeitz \ ' VonBeltz Beltz Beitz Al Aim m yourseh yourseheb yourselves e : , . . . " ButO But t\\o t o \\O two \ \ \ \ hours hOllrs later " Von "on on Belt ? had hadnot hadnot hadnot not been foundDa3 foundDa3 found foundDai Dai Da3 broke brohe with Its long c1ehber'1te c1ehber1te deliberate deliberatedawn c1ehber'1tednu deliberatedawn ' dn\\u dn u dawn \ , , while the strnn.e strnne strange stron . e , eerie glow glowof glowof glowof of the night Dlght light that Illumined the thecity thecity thecity city faded There \ was ab no sound In the thestreets thestreets thestreets streets but the sending scufill1g scufimg feet of the sentinels sen sentlnels sentinels tlnels tinels " whom "horn horn Tony had postedow postedhow posted postedF \ow ow how ! \ F ow the night \ watch atch was relieved relievedand , and searching parties set out ag agiinunder tin tinunder tinunder under strict order not to separate Into Intosqunds intosquads Intosquads squnds squads of less than six , , and to mahe make mahecommunication makecommunication makecommunication communication , at regular Intervals Intervalswith , , with he .he . e Central AuthorityThis AuthorityThis Authority AuthorityThis This was set up In tlie the offices near nearthe nearthe nearthe the great hall In which Hendron lay laydeadthe laydeadthe laydead dead-the dead the - the hall of sciences of the Other OtherPeople OtherPeople OtnerPeople People . . Maltby , , the electrical engineer , to- to together together to together - exploringi gether with four othel olheis others s , . was exploring exploringbehind exploringbehind exploringbehind i behind the " walls .alls alls . of the building Power Pow Pow- Power Power - er was * ' on . . . " Impulses , , electrical in incharacter incharacter Incharacter character , w \ were ere perceptible ; and Malt Maltby Maltby Maltby by was studying stud31ng the problem of them theni them"I them"I theni"I "I I " belle\ belle belle\e belle e bellee believe \ e , " Maltby said , " "that that " the theBronson theBronson theBronson Bronson Betans etans undoubtedly solved the theproblem theproblem theproblem problem of obtaining power poer po\\ po \ er from the theInner theInner theInner Inner heat beat of the planet , and probably probablylearned probablylearned probablylearned learned to utilize the radium be\rlng be rlng bearing berlngstrata bearingstrata beiringstrata ' \ strata under 'be be 'he he ' outer crust . . . They Theymust Theymust Theymust must hive h'lve hlve have ' perfected some app'1ratus app1ratus apparatus apparatusto app'1ratusto ' to make maho practical use uce : ; of that th'1t th1t ' power powerIt powerIt powerIt It Is possible , but highly Improbablethat Improbable , , that the apparatus came through the thepass'1ge thepassage thepassige pass'1ge pass1ge passage ' of or cold and dirkness d'1rkness d1rkness darkness ' In space spaceIn spacein spaceIn In such state that \ when hen the air airthaed airthawed airthawed tha\\ed tha ed thawed \ out and the crust conditions conditionsapproached conditionsapproached conditionsapproached approached normal , , It set et Itself In operation oper oper- operation operation - ation automatlcilly automatlc'111y automatlc111y automatically automatlc'111y"What automatically"What automatlcilly"What ' "What What " Is far more probable is that thatthe thatthe thatthe the MIdIanltes Midlanites Mldianl tes have discovered dIscoered dIsco\ dIsco \ ered one Instnilatlon In Instnllatlon installation stnllatlon stallation of the apparatus . . We know knowfrom knowfrom knowfrom from Ladv Lndv Lady Cnthla Cynthia C ; ) nthla that they are aremonths aremonths aremonths months ahead of us In e\perlmentlng e perlmentlng experimenting eperlmentlngith experimentingwith experimentingwith . ' ' \ : \\ith ith with \ Bronson Betan machinery I be belIeve behere belleve lIeve here that they have put In order and andset andset andset set going the PO\\ PO pow power POer \ er Impulse machinery machineryconnected machineryconnected machineryconnected connected \ with Ith the city which they theyha theyhave theyhave ha\ ha hae have \ e occupied . . . "The The " Impulses from that Installationmay Installation Installationmay installationmay may be carried by cables under the theground theground theground ground ; more probablv probabl probably , , howe\ howe however howeer \ er , , they theyare theyare theyare are disseminated as some sort of radio- radio radioaves radio-waves radio waves - - . waves \ , aves . . Consequently , they reach this thiscity thiscity thiscity city , ag a'3 a3 as ' they reached the citv cltv city th'1t th1t that th'1tTony thatTony tintTony ' Tony and aud James entered , , and ande \ \\e e we \ \ e bene benefit benefit bencfit fit from them " CHAPTER IXDown IX IXDown Down the sunlit sunht streets of the city citythe citythe citythe the children of the Earth , Dan and andDorothy andDorothy andDorothy Dorothy , walked hand In hand . , staring staringat staringat at the wonders about them , crying out outpointing , pointing , and flattening tlattenlng their noces noses nocesagainst nosesagainst nosesagainst : ; against the show panesThough panesThough panes panesThough Though they plainly remembered the thethrills thethrills thethrills thrills and terrors of the flight . , , they theycould theycould theycould could not completely understand that thatthe thatthe thatthe "that that " the \ world orld was gone . , that that they had hadI hadleft hadleft hadleft I left It forever Tills This was to them mere mere- merely merely . - . ly another , more magic domain-an domain an domain - an en enthramn enthralling enthralling thramn thralling land of Oz , with especially especiallySplendid especiallysplendid especiallysplendid Splendid sights , \ with Ith nil all the buildings buildingsstrange buildingsstrange buildingsstrange strange In shape and resplendent resplcndent Incolors In Incolors incolors colors , with tiers of strcet streets & and breath breathtahlng breathtaking breathtaking tahlng taking bridges . . . Behind the children childrenShirley childrenShirley cliildrenShirley Shirley Cotton and Lady Cynthiastrolled Cynthia Cynthiastrolled Cynthiastrolled strolled and stared ; and along nlong with withthem \ withthem Ith Iththem them \ went ent Eliot lIot James , , wlio who could notand notand not -and and - and who did not attempt-to attempt to attempt - to conceal concealhis concealhis concealhis his continued astonishments"Where astonishments"Where astonishments astonishments"Where "Where Where " , , " demanded Dnn Dan , turning to tohis tohis tohis his older companions , , 'where where ' w \ here are all allthe allthe allthe the people ? ? " ' "Where Where " ? ' ' echoed CIIot Eliot lIot to hllnselt himself himselfbelow , , below his bls breath , , while Shirley an anseeed answered 8\\ 8 8ered seeed \ ered the child : 'The3 The3 "They They ' "The The " ' ; \ went \ ent 1\\ 1 1ay assay " \ ay , , Danny iwayDanny . " "Where Where " did they go ? . . . . . Are they theycoming theycoming theycoming coming bacI"l bacIl back . ? " . , . . . . Why did they go goa goaway goaway a\\ a any1 away \ ny1 ? . . . . What for tor ? " The questions of ot the child \ were ere the theperplexities theperplexities theperplexities perplexities also of tho the scientists , , which no one yet could resolve resohe . "Don't Dont " ' run too far ahead of or us us"Shirley usShirley , " Shirley bade the children chlldr'n chlldrn chlldre'n chlldren ( ' ' In a tone toneto toneto toneto dingerdangled d1ngerdangled dangerdangled to avoid frightening them for lor d1nger danger dangled over these splendid Sllendld ) silent thor thoroughfans thoroughfares thoroughfarts oughfans oughfares apparently untennnted untenanted . , yetcapable yetcapable yet yetcapable capable keepingVon of or snatching snutchlng aw-iy aw iy aw'1Y aw1Y away ' - and keel'in keelin keeping ' Von Beltz Belts . . Was It conceivable concehable concetsahle that thatsurvlvr thatsurvivors thatsurvivors survlvr survivors ( ) of . the bullders-tbe bullders tbe builders-the builders the builders - - the Other OtherPeople OtherPeoplehaunted OtherPeoplehutinted People-haunted People haunted People-hutinted hutinted - - haunted these una uniulned untulnecl IIlned re- re remains re- re remains re remains - - mains of their own 0n 0\\ 0 \ n creation ? Or was \ as wasIt asIt It that the ruthless men from larth- larth rarth- rarth lartht.he rarththe rarth rarththe - the t.he . 'Midlnnltes Midlnnltes Mldlnnltes ' Mldlnnltesas Midinnltes-as Midinnltes as ' -as as - as Hendron h'1d h1d had h'1dcalled hadcalled hidcalled ' called thl.m-hnd thl.mhnd thl.m thlm hnd them-had them had thtm . - hnd < : . sent .ent ent their thLir tlielr spies spiesntH'111 spies"hcul spieshcul ntH'111 ntH111 1111ad 1111/ 1111 " / ad ' to hide In this metropolis tie Ie be Ie1t'i bewt's tieIM , IM 1t'i 1ti wt's wts ' ' occupation by Hendron lIendron s pcopie IllO peo IllOPiC peopie PiC pie ? Tony called callcl } n a council cOllncll cnuncll of or the Central CentralAuthority CentralAuthority CentralAuthority Authority to consider , , . ' especially l'Ipeclnlly lIpeclnlly ' , , this thisproblem thisproblem thisproblem problem . . problemTen Ten men chosen more or less arbl arbltrarHy arbltrarily arbltrarily trarHy trarily by . ' Tony 1.ony 1ony 'lony lony himself hlmcclt : ; composed compu'Ied compuIed ' the theCommittee theCommittee theCommittee Committee of the Central Authorlty- Authorlty Authority- Authority AuthorltyfOllr Authorityfour Authority Authorityfour - four fOllr from the sun survivors Ivors of the hundred hundredwho hundredwho hundredwho who had come from Hendron's Hendrons Hendron'a Hendrona ' campsix camp amp , , six fiom flom from Ransdell's Ransdells nansdell's nansdells Rnnsdeli's Rnnsdelis ' ' gmtcr greater gn 1 ' ter group ; and andthese andthese andthese these , of course . . Included nansdell Ransdell nansdellI nansdellhlmselC Ransdellhimself Ransdellhimself RansdellhimselfSuch I hlmselC himself hlmselCI himselfSuch I Such was the Central Authority Authorlt 1m im improsised 1mprovlsed ! pro\ pro proIsed prosised \ Ised by Tony and accepted by his hisfollowers hisfollowers ! ollo\\ers ollo ers followers ( \ \ to deal with the strange and andImmediate andimmediate andImmediate Immediate emergencies emergl.llcles emerglllcles . arising flOm from flOmthe fromthe fiomthe the occupation of this great elllpty empty elllptycIty emptycity emptycity cIty by less than four fOllr hundred bllndred peopJe people peopleIgnorant , , Ignorant of itthe It ItIhe 1 ' Ihe the he searching pirties p'1rtles p1rtles parties ' as they re returned returned returned turned or sent back balk courIers.lth couriers \ with \.lth .lth . re reports reports reports ports , appeared nppenrcd before this committeeJacl committeeJack committee committeeJack Jack Jacl . 1 ' ' laylor 'laylor aylor . , nnggnrd haggard and nnd hungry hungry.made hungrymade . , made the t first rst report flport . . ' 'I'm Im ' ' ' back onl only onlyto onlvto ) to su suggest gest n a better search senrch orjunlm organf7a orjunlmI organf7atlon orgnnhatlon ; I tlon . , " Tavlor Taylor Tn ) lor said cicltpdiv CcltNlI eecitedl " ( ) "I I " " 1 took a atruck ntruck ! truck and toured ttie the \ widest ldeSI streets at atthe atthe atthe the 10\\ 10 lower 10er \ er levels , and some of thE them > m at atthe atthe atthe the upper le\ le levels leels \ els At e\ e every ecry \ cry COI coiner corner ner my mydriver m mvdriver ) driver and I stopped and YE yelled > lIed for forVon forVon forVon Von Belt Beit7 Beity " We 1Ve didn dldn t see sec n sign of Ufe life Ufeor lifeor lifeor or get an any nnv ) repJ repiv reply ) " 'Old Old 'Did Did * ' Did } ion you on see qee nnv 11m nns e\ e evidence ehlenc \ hlenc ( ' of reclntoccuJatlon recentoccupation recent reclnt recentoccupation ' occupation -occuJatlon occuJatlon -occupation - - [ ? Higgius ilrgguis HI n l11q of or thellthol the tine theuthoiItv -llthol llthol 4uthor 4uthorit3 \uthoiItv uthoiItv \ " - lltholt3 t3 it3 [ , asked asked"Nothing asked"Nothing asked"Nothing " " "Nothing Nothing Kyto brought food to rnvlor faslor rm lor , . and he hetalked hetalked hetalked talked n a ao & : , lie he ate ' 'I've Ive ' I've Ive ' ' ' been blen over miles milesof milesof milesof of streets and covered coverE'd ' only a little of ofthe ofthe ofthe the central section sectlun The city's citys ' too d-d d ddbig d - - dbig I big If three or four hundred peOIle people peOIleh'1d peoplehad peopletnd ) h'1d h1d had ' 010\ 010 moved 010ed mosed \ ed Into - . New t-.ew t.ew t .ew ew Aew \ Icik Irik (1 1 ( k \ when \ hen It Itas itwas Itwas \\as as was \ ernptlend ernptled-and ernptled and emptied ernptle -\nd nd - ' \ ind nnbodv nobodv nohodv else was wasthere wasthere wasthere there e\ e e\eept e eept e.ellt except \ . .ellt ellt < . m'1\ m'1 m1 m'i\bc m'i mi bc m'1be masbc ' ' \ be . three or four fOUf peo peopie peopie peopie pie or a do/en do en dnien / \ who ho \ wnnted wanted nnted to keep In Inhldln inhidingwhat Inhiding hldln hiding-what hiding what - \ wlinl hnt clinnce chance \ would ould tlie the three threeor threeor threeor or four fOllr hundred ba\ ba have bae base \ e of fll1dm finding the thed07en thedozen thedozen d07en dozen ? I 'Of Of ' Of course there mn nray mav be no dozen dozenor dozenor ozen ozenor or even e\en e en \ four or Ovo n\C n C five \ biding hiding people leople ( to tofind tofind tofind find " Tony responded "We We "IVe IVe " can't cant ' be besure besure besure sure tint th'lt thlt that ' Vou Von Vontz Beltz \tz tz ( . \ falls to icturnbecause leturn |