OCR Text |
Show l . ; . jjiii.i jjiiii . . . . . . . . . . . Worlds WhenWorlds WorldsCollide WheisWorldsCollide WheisWorldsCollideBy Collide CollideBy When By EDWIN BALMERand BALl\IER BALl IER BALMER BALlIERand BALMERand \ and PHILIP WYLIECoPTr WYLIECopyright WYLIE WYLIECopyrltht CoPTr Copyrltht by Edwin Balmer Balmerad o.lmer olmer . wy11Baimer wy11BaimerWNU CoPTrJ Copyright CopyrightPhllEp -ad ad - J PhllEp Philip l1fpd yll I1 I1o.lmer * WNCT WNU 6ervlc Servlco service , . - . . . . . . . , . , . . @ . * . . CHAPTER VIII-Contmued VIII Contmued VIII-Continued Continued VIIIContmued12 VIIIContinued12 VIII - Continued -12- 12 - 12"We 12"We 12 - "We We " obsen obsened ed a few tew areas which whichlike , , Ut.e Ute like . our own , were relatively relatlvely undls undis undlsturbed undisCurbed undistnrhcd turbed Curbed This district , , as you know know.1 know1 . , 11 1a sparsely settled I will wlll completo completomy completomy completomy my . ' wholly v.holly vholly ] lolly Inadequate report to you youby youby youby by satisfying what must be your major majorcuriosity majorcuriosity majorcuriosity curiosity . ' we saw In the course of our ourlIylng ourflying ourflying lIylng flying a number of human beIngs beIngsSome beingsSome beingsSome Some of them tbem wandered over o\"er o "er er \ " this thisnude thisnude thisnude nude , tumultuous country countrv alone nnd and nndoLvlously andobviously andobviously oLvlously obviously . ' without v.Ithout vIthout 'Ithout Ithout resources for their theirsusten1nCf theirsustenlnct theirsusremncr susten1nCf sustenlnct ' Others Other ' were gathered toogether to- to too together to together - gether In small communities In the thesheltered thesheltered thesheltered sheltered places They had fires flres go golng golog goIng lng log , and they were ' ipparently 'lpparently lpparently apparently secure secureat secureat secureat at least for the time hme being belDg All of ofthem ofthem ofthem them attempted to attract our attenUon attention attenUonto attentionto attentionto to themseh themselves themselses es , , and it Is v . with Ith regret regretthat regretthat regretthat that I must sav say that not only is thelr their thelrrescue theirrescue theirrescue rescue Inadvisable Inad\lsable Inad lsable inadsisable \ from the sheer sheernceessity sheernecessity sheernecessity nceessity necessity of our on own n self presen preservation preservation.but preservationbut atIOn , . but that In most cases it would be bedlfficult bedifficult bedifficult dlfficult difficult if not impossibles impossible , , ' \ is \s s qs n we e found foundno foundno foundno no place in which we might mlght have land landed landed landcd ed a plane , it if tho the surface of the slater slaterthat " , waterthat atcr atcrthat that remains in Lake Lahe Superior Supenor be e ex- ex excepted ex-cepted ex cepted - - cepted , and a few other ponds and and1akes andlakes andlakes 1akes lakes " After tlie the speech , , people cron cross crowdedaround ded dedaround dedaround around . James .Tames Tames Peter Vandcrbllt Vanderbilt , mov movIng movfag movIng Ing fag through the crowd , , glimpsed ghmpsed R\ns R ns Rnsdell R Ronsdell ' \ ins insdell dell as he was walking walhmg thiough thlongh through the thefront thefront thefront front doors of the hall Ihe 'lhe lhe the ' New NewYorher NewYorker NewYorker Yorher Yorker stepped out on the porch be- be beside beside be beside - - side the pilot ; the sophisticated sophl'3tlcated sophl3tlcated ' Man Manhattan Mmhattan hn hnhnttan hnttan hattan dilettante dllettante with his smooth , , gr\v gr v gr'tv grtv grvIng gr'tving griving ' \ ' Ing hair , his v . worldly orldly n wise ise and weary wearyeyes \ wearye cary carye e eyes ) es , his hlS S\ S svelte Selte sselte \ elte accent , beside beslde the therugged therugged therugged rugged , tan bm faced , , blue eved e\"ed e "ed ed eyed \ " PO\\ PO POerCul powerful powerfuladsenturer powerfuladventurer powerfuladventurer"I \ erCul erCulad ad\ ad adenturer adsenturer \ enturer enturer"I adsenturer"I "I I " wonted w\nted w nted wanted ' \ to ask asle you something something"VanderbIIt somethingVanderbIIt , " Vanderbilt said Ransdell tm tuincd turned ned , , and andas andas andas as usual he did not speak spe\h spe h ' \ but simply simplyalted simplywaited simplywaited \\alted alted waited \ 'Do Do ' y ; } ou think thln1 . it would be bepossible bepossible bepossible possible to hop bop around the country countrydurmg countryduring countryduring durmg during the next nest few months ? ' ' ' "With With " a n good ship-an ship an ship - - an amphibian " Vander Vanderbilt 1lt tipped t\pped t pped tripped ' \ his cigarette clg'lrette clglrette cig'rrette cigrrette ' ' hold holder holder holder er against one of ot the posts on the theporch theporch theporch porch "lou lou " and I both oth are super supcr- supcr super- supcrnumerarles supernumerarles supernumeraries - numeraries numerarles around here , , in a sense Iwas Iwas I was wondering wOl1derlng If it might not be a agood agood agood good idea to make an expedition expeditionaround expeditionaround expeditionaround around the country and see for forourselves forourselves forourselves ourselves just what Ins h'1s h1s his ' happened " Ransdell thought inarticulitely InarUcul1tely inarticulately of ofDe oflire ofEve D\e D e lire \ Heas He \ was \\as as diawn to her as never * " 0 o 0any oany oany any girl before , but , , be he reckoned reclconed , , she shemust shemust shemust must remain remfilD here Not only that , , but butunder butunder butunder under the discipline w \ which hlch hich was clamped clampedupon clampedupon clampedupon upon the settlement no rival rl\"al rl "al al \ " could claim claimher claimher claimher her while he would be gone And the theadventure theadventure theadventure adventure that Vandcrbllt Vanderbilt o1Tered offered o1Teredtremendously offeredtremendously offeredtremendously tremendously allured him , ' ' I d like h1.e h1e . to try it , , . " Rinsdell R\nsdell R nsdell lFmnsdell ' \ replied replied61mply repliedsimply repliedsimply 61mply simply 61mply'Then 'Then Then ' Then I 111 11 see Hendron Hcndron"Ransdell HcndronRansdell " Ransdell was struck by a thought thought"Shall thought"Shall thought"Shall thoughtShall "Shall Shall " " we e take ta1.e ta1e . James .T\mes .Tmes .T T mes Jqmes . ' \ , too ? He IIe 11 join , , 7I oI 7 o , I think " " "I I "Excellent Excellent " > { cellent ; , " Vanderbilt VanderblIt accepted'I acceptedf accepted 'I I f ' ' "He He "lie lie " could write wr1te up the trip It would wouldbe wouldbe wouldbe be ignominious , if any of us got to toBronson toBronson toBronson Bronson Beta with no record of thereal the thereal thereal r lastr real " ? history of this old earth's earths ' ' lastdays last lastdays days Together they broached the subject subjectto subjectto to Hendron He considered for sevcral revs revoral sev- sev rev- rev several - - s , eral cral oral minutes mlnute , \ without ithout replying , andi and i > ) then said : ' 'You You ' You realize , of course course,1 course1 , that such an e expedition pedlt1on v . will m be e'C- e'C eC er- er e'CJ ertremely e\-j e j \ ' - J carryi carryfuel tremely hazardous ha7'1rdous ha71rdous harirdous ' ? You could carry ; fuel and pro\ pro provisions proIslons prosisions \ Islons for a long flight , , flightH but nothing like lI1.e lI1e . what you d need needa need\ need needYou'd \ everym } " a You'd Youd ' have ha\"e ha "e e \ " to take pot luck every everyi everyiwhere m : w were where " ere you } ou \ went ent ; : and whene\ whene whenever wheneer wheneser \ er you 4 set the ship down , you would be a at af af t f target for any and e\ e every eery \ ery person lurk lurh . : . , . ing In theIcinlty the \ vicinity \Icinlty Icinlty sicinity The conditionsprevailing conditions prevailing prevalllng , pliyslcally physically , , socially andmorally and \ morally , , must be wholly \ without Ithout prece preee preeedent prece-i prece i I preeeI 1 " - dent . " ' lbat Zhat " , " replied Vandcrbllt Vanderbilt calmly , ! ? "is is " precisely why \ we e cannot be menand men it menit itand and fear tear to study them them\ them them"Exactly " \ "Exactly Exactly "I\H.tl IH.tl "I I H.tl Htl "L\actly "L L actly " ; ' \ . % . ) , , " jerked Hendron Ilendron ; : and be he hegazed he5 ; gazed at nt Ransdell Uansdell The gr'1 gr1 gr'i gri griv ' ' \ blue eyes e ) esof es ' of . > ' fixed 1hed flxed : < : ; steadily teadlly on Hcndron's Hcndrons Hendron's Hendrons ' ' , , and thescientsbt the 8c1ent1 Bcicntlbt scientsbt t abruptly decided"Verv decided"Very decided- decided . - - "Verv Verv "Very Very "Verywell " ; well , , 111 III I11 sanction sanchon It " ' Ransdell and Vanderbilt knocked hnocked oni on i the door of ot : Eliot LlIot .Tame Tame . James < ; ' room , frot trots froLiwhich ! ] froLi\ froLi \ which issued issucd the sound of typewrit typewrlt typewriti i ing 1ng The poet swung wide the doorThey doorThey door They told him tliclr their plans 1 ' Go ? ' ' . James .Tames Tames rcpeitcd repe'lted repelted repeated ' , , hl3 his facealight facealight face , courseIk courseh . alight with ( ' excitement 'xcitement xcitement 'Of Of * ' Of course course111 Ik h [ III Ill go What a record to write- write writetether \ write rite- rite rite"hether - - ' whether "hether hether " tether or not anyone anyono lives lines 11\ 11 11e \ e to readIt readiti read readItl Itl It iti ! ' * ' ; Tony realized reJlIzed that hl his position po)1tlon po1tlon ' ) 13 19 as asvice 19vIce ' ; vice to Hendron In command of thecantonment thecantonment the fort ' cantonment did not leive le\\e le e lease ' \ \ him froe frog foradventure for t | adventure advcnture , yet it was almost with shame that ho lie assisted In the take ot off offof offof ! ot of the big plane two day dn daisjater ; ) s Jater slater sslater . . Dye Eve Dyeemerged Eveemerged Eveemerged emerged from the crowd at the edge edgeof edgeof edgeof of the landing field and walked to toR'tnsdell toRansdell toRinsdell R'tnsdell Rtnsdell Ransdell ' ; : and Tony saw the light In Inber Inher loher ber her eyes which comes to a voman woman womanwatching , womanwatching atchlng watching \ a man mlln embark embar1 . on high ad adsenture adventure enture senture . Tony walked around to t11C the t11Cother theother theother other sido sldo 81(10 8110 ( of ot the piano and Btayed stayed Btayedthere stayedthere stayedthere there until untll Eve Dve had said snld good by to tothe tothe tothe the pilotMany pilot plIot pilotMany . Many of the more prominent mem members members memberg bers of the colony v . were 're re ( ' shaking hands handswith handswith handswith with Vanderbilt and Eliot Dliot Jimes J\mes J mes J'tmes Jtmes ' \ ' Van Vanderbllt's Vanderbilt's Vanderbllt's Vanderbllts derbllt's derbllts derbilt's derbilts ' farewells fareweIIs were debonair and andlight andlight andlight light . . , "We We "Well Well " 11 send you posfcards poscards postcards ( picluring pic plc picturing plcturfing turing turfing latest developments " DUot Eliot DUot.Tames EliotJames EliotJames .Tames Tames James . vis was \ , 1S ' receiving last minute ad- ad advIce advice ad advice - vice from the scientists , wlio who had bur bur- burdened bur- bur burdened burdened - - dened him with questions , the answers answersof answersof answersof of \ which hlch they ' wished 'Wlshed Wlshed him to discover discoverby discoverby discoverby by observation obsenatlon Ransdell RnnsdeII came around aroundthe aroundthe aroundthe the fuselage of the Ule plane . , Eve ET'e ETe ' behind behindhim behindhim behindhim behindhimHe him himHe He cast one look lool at the sky , and one oneat oneat oneat at the niilable U'tUahle available U\ U \ ( 'tUahle tUahle ' half hall of ot the landing landingfield landingfield landingfield field ' ' Let's Lets ' go , " he saidThe saidThe said saidThe The plane made a long bumpy run runacross runacross runacross across the field , ro"c roc roce rove " : slowly , circledonce circled circledonce circledonce once over o\"er o "er er \ " the heads beads of the waving wavingtbrong wavingthrong wavingthrong tbrong throng , and gradually graduaIIy disappeared disappearedtoward disappearedtoward disappearedtoward toward tho t110 the southr"e southEve south southEve . Eve r\"e r "e e \ " signaled Tony . "Aren't Arent " ' they theyfine theyfine theyfine fine , those tho'3e tho3e ' three men ? Going ofT off into intonowhere intonowhere Intonowhere nowhere like Uke that . . . I l11 like e Dave Rans- Rans Ransdell Ransdell Bans-dell Bans dell - dell " "No No " one could help liking lIhlng him him"Toni himToni , " Ton Tony ; ) agreed"He's agreed"He's agreed agreed"He's "He's Hes " ' so interested In everything everything.and everythingand . , t1.nd t1nd and . j iet yet ct BO so aloof , " went on E\ E Eve Ee Ere \ e , sUI1 still sUI1watching stillwatching stillwatching watching "In In " spite of all he's hes ' been beenthrough beenthrough beenthrough through with us , he's hes ' still stm absolutely absolutelyterrified absolutelyterrified absolutelyterrified terrified of me " "I I " can understand that that , " said Tony TonygrImly Tonygrimly Tonygrimly grImly . "But But " you youve ve ne never , er been that way wayabout wayabout wayabout about me " "I I " didn't didnt ' show It that \ way ay ; no But ButI I kno\\-and kno and know-and know know \ \ - and you 1.now-wh\t 1.nowwht 1.now 1now wh t know-whit know whit . know - whit ' \ It Itmeans itmeans itmeans " means 'les les 'Ies Ies ' les , I know , " Eve Dve replied simpb slmpl simply ; ) . The sun , which had been shielded shieldedhy shieldedby shieldedby hy by a cloud , suddenly shone on them themand , and both glinced ghnced glanced toward It . OfT Off there thereto thereto thereto to the side of the sun , and hidden by byIts byits byits Its glare , mo moved mosed . ed the Bronson BodIes Bodieson on their paths whichould which \ would \\ould ould C'luse Cluse c'tuse ctuse C'lusethem c'tusethem cinsethem ' ' them to circle the sun and return returnone return- return returnone returnone - one to pass close to the earth and the theother theother theother other to shatter the orld-In orld In world-n world n \ world - ! in llttle little llttlemdre littlemdre littlemore mdre than seven se\"cn se "cn cn \ " months more more'If ' 'If If ' If they arc are away aoray ; only thirty tlnrty day da ) S swere , "e e w " e re not to count them missing , " Dve Eve Dvewas Evewas Evewas was sa saying-of saying of sating ) lng-of lng of - of the crew of the air airplane airplane airplane plane , , of course "If If " they're theyre ' not back backIn backin backIn In tlurt-\\e're tlurt e're ere thirty-we're thirty we're were thirtv ) - \ we're were ' to foigct fOlget forget them Es Especially Especially Especlally pecially we're were ' not to send any an anvone ) one to tose1rch tosearch toscirch se1rch search for them " "w w " " ho said sot so ' ' ' ' "D D "D'l Dl "Divid Divid " ' t ' id It's Its ' the last thing he lie heasl lieasked heasked asl asked ed " . . . . . . . The thirty days raced by . Under Underthe Underthe Underthe the circumstances , time could not drag dragtine dragMne tine Ine tenths of the people at Hendron's Hendrons Hendron'senc'1mpment Hendron'senc'impment Hendron'sencimpment Hendronsencimpment ' enc'1mpment enc1mpment enc'impment encimpment ' ' spent their tllelr n waking slaking akIng and andsleepmg andsleeping andsleeping sleepmg sleeping houis hOUlS bouts under a deatli death sentence sentence.No sentenceNo . No one could be sure of a plice phce place on the theSpace theSpace theSpace Space Ship No one , in fict hct fact , , was waspositlse \ waspositive as asposlth poslth positlse e that the colossal rocket rochet would wouldbe \ wouldbe ould ouldbe be able to leave the earthHendron earthHendron earth earthHendron Hendron spent most of his time In Inthe inthe Inthe |