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Show - AFTER WORLDS COLLIDE COLLIDEby by 6 EDWIN BALMER BALMERand and PHILIP WYLE WNU wNtl ServlcoEdwin ServiceCopyright gerrlee Servlco Service Copyrlcht Copyright , . . 193f 1934 193 < . , by byWNU byEdwin byEdwin . . . Edwin Balmer Baimer and Philip Phntp WyU Wylie Wylie * I CHAPTER XII-Continued XII Continued XIIContinued19 XII - - Continued -19- 19 - 19"They 19"Tbey 19 - - "They They "Tbey Tbey " stayed with them as wIlllnglIttle willinglittle willing wIlllng willingUttle Uttle lIttle wIves wives"No wivesNo . . . " ? UNo "No No " stabbing after they t found . > und theway theway the theway way In and ouU out ? " "No No " , " said Shirley Sltirley . . "There's Theres " ' where wherethe wherethe wherethe the S'lblne Slblne Sabine S'lblnevomen S ' blne \ women \vomen vomen were different " Jack Taylor whistled whlst1ed softly . uSo "So So uSothat's "Sothat's "Sothat's Sothats " that's thats ' what you little girls were up upto upto upto to ? ' ' be he said "Perhaps Perhaps " It's Its U's Us ' ju&t jut jmt just & , as aswell aswell aswell well we cime C'1me C1me came ' along But they rathershow rather rathershow rathershow show us up , , eh , Eliot ? " Dinner was a moody meal In tht the theevening theevening ! evening of that prolonged da day ) ? . . After Afterdark Afterdark Afterdark dark , there were long , , restless periods ; an and tonight Eliot James , Jick J'1cl J1cl Jack ' . Tavlor Taylor Tavlorand Taylorand Tavlorand and Peter VanderbIltith Vanderbllt VanderbIlt , , - with -ith ith two mort more moreof moreof ! of the younger men-Crosby men Crosby men - Crosby and Whit Whittlngtonmet Whittingtonmet Whittington tlngton-met tlngton met tington-met tington - met for a midnight discus discussion discussion discussion sion sionTony Tony was not cilled C'lIled ClIled called ' to this Informal InformalcouncIl informalcouncil Informalcouncil councIl of his friends ; : nor was Rans Bans Ransde1I Bansdell Bansdell de1I dell ; ; for Tony , though personally the thesame thesame thesame same " - with Ith all of them , yet ) vet et was wns Chief Chiefof Chiefof Chiefof of the Central Authority AuthorUy ; be he bore the theresponslblhty theresponsibility theresponsibility responslblhty responsibility ; and If It he be forbade the theenterprise theenterprise theenterprise enterprise on foot foot . . , his friends could couldscarcely couldscarcely couldscarcely scarcely proceed So It was agreed agreednot agreednot agreednot not to let ler him know hnow . And nd Ran Ransdell Ran&delltoo Randelltoo & delI , too-being too being - - being charged " with "Itll Itll the securitynf securityof security of the tho city-had city had nftv - - hid better learn about the plan . The five had gathered In VanderbIlt's VanderbIlts Vanderbilt'squarters Vanderbilt'squarters Vanderbiltsquarters Vanderbilt'squartersThe ' ' quarters quartersThe The place delighted Peter ; ; it was on ona ona ona a roof but near an edge of the citywhere city citywhere ' where the shield sloped steeply do down " n ; I so the root roof there was not high , and andwas andwas andwas was easily easl1y reached bv by footAlso footAlso foot footAlso Also it v\ v " vas "as as was \ as especially especl'1lly especl1lly ' well weIl adaptedfor adapted adaptedfor adaptedfor for habitation In the tbe present emer emer- emergency emergency emergency - - gency when the heating apparatus pre pre- prepared prepared prepared - - pared for ' ' the 'the cit3 cit ; ) had bad failed or rat1ICr rater ratherhad , , had been cut off For ror Far the originalbuilders origlDal original origlDalbUIlders originalbuilders bUIlders had allowed for no such sucheDlergenc suchemergency suchemergenci eDlergenc emergency ; they had been deal1ng dealing deal1ngwith dealingwith dealingwith with elements respecting which they theyhall theyhad hall hail hallno no reason to allow for that factor factorof factorof factorof of f'lilure-tlie f'lilure flilure tlie filure-tire filure tire ' fillure - - the internal heit he'lt helt hest ' and radio radioncUnty radioactivity radioactivity ncUnty activity of the core of the plane plant . . . Stop Stop- Stoppage Stoppage Stoppage - page of that was unthlnL.able unthlnLable unthinkable . ; ; and so soto , , to them , " was "as as the tbe cutting cutt11lg of the po power powerconduits powerconduits " er erconduits , conduits to any any ' of the cities clUes Zhere Zherefore Iherefore here fore they had 'supphed supphed supplied no aItern'1Uve aItern1Uve alternative aItern'1Uveheating alternativeheating alternativeheating ' heating arrangement arrangementAs As a n consequence the present ten'lnts tenlnts tenants ten'lntshad tenantshad tenintsbad ' had to employ the most primlth primitise primitisemethods primitivemethods e emethods methods of keepln keeping heepin , themseh themselves themselses es warm warmIn warmIn warmIn In these tbese lovely lovelv lovel ) superch supercivllized supercisilized Ihzed cb'lm cblm cham cb'lmbers chamherss chimbers ' bers herss . . They w were re driven to build bon bonfires bonfires bonfires fires In some of the great halls ; butthey but butthey butthey they spared those of exceptional esceptlonal : splen splen- splendor splendor splendor - dor . Peter Vanderbllt VanderbIlt , being on the roof roofIn roofIn roofIn In his "penthouse penthouse " , , " had contrived contnved achimney a achImney achimney chImney and a fireplace firephce " which "bleh bleh gave gavehim gavebim gavehim him bim heat without much smoke smoL.e smoLe . or soot'Wonderful soot Wonderful 'Wonderful ' place you have hne hale : , Peter Peter"said Petersaid , " said Whittington Whlttmgton , looking 100L.lng 100Llng . around Hehad ITe He ITehad Hehad had not nor visited It before , and he went wentabout wentabout wentabout about e examining amlnmg the metal panels of ofmountain ofmountain ofmountain mountain , woodland , , marsh m\rsh m rsh ' \ and sea seaall , . all splendid In the colors of enamel enamelpaInts enamelpaints enamelpaints paInts bal baked ed onVanderbIlt onVanderbilt on onVanderbllt Vanderbllt VanderbIlt asked ashed him : "Are Are " you youcomphmenUng youcomplimenting youcomplimenting comphmenUng complimenting me1 me ? All AIl ' Pve I've Ive ' done Is Isto isto Isto to choose It it . . . . . Do you know , not notn nota notn n a thing was flecked flec1.ed flec1ed . or rubbed , , not a athIng athing athing thIng was worn The man who made madeIt madeIt madeit It never used it it . . " "It It " seems so " with "Ith Ith most ot of the build buildIngs buildlags buildIngs Ings lags , . " said Whittington "It It " seems they theymust theymust theymust must have gone on building bulIdlng them to tocomplete tocomplete tocomplete complete their plan , , after thev they L.new Lnew knew L.newthey knewthey . knewthey they themselves w " would ould never nevcr fill them " asL.edDIlot askedEliot "What What " else could they do , , ' askedEliot asL.ed asLed asked . DIlot Eliot James , who svho hid h'ld hld had ' thought much muchabout muchabout muchabout about thi this this < : , "while while " they waited "alted1 alted1 " ? Could Couldthe Couldthey Couldthev the\ the they thejust \ ' just walt-for walt for wait-for wait wait - for slo slow , . annihilation annlhllatIon l ? ' Nobody spoke spoL.e spoLe . after'that afterthat after-that after that ' - , until Jach Jack JackTavlor JachTa JackTaylor Taylor Ta ior put wood on the fire"Did fire fire"Did fire"Did "Did Did " you heir he'lr helr ' . , Peter , " he questioned , questioned"what questionedwhat "what what " those glrls- glrls glrlsIaf1an girls-Marian girls Marian girls - Marian Iaf1an and Shirleywere Shirleywere Shirley Shirleywere -were were - were out to dos do ? ' hI "Yes Yes " ' es , , " said Vanderbilt ; ; and the five fivegot fivegot fivegot got Immediately at th the-problem the problem theproblem - problem of ho- ho how hoto howto howto " - to gain entrance and control of Gor Gorfulu Gorlulu fulu lulu . Seldel 'Seidel Seidel ' ' Is In command , Von Beitz Beltz Is Issure issure Issure sure thatIs , " Eliot DUot said "C C " "Cynthia Cynthia " nthla agrees that Is most probable He " was as pushing pushingaside aside lorkev Morkes orhe\ orhe orhe"ho \ , , " who "ho ho was nominally chlcf chief chlcfcommissarhe chiefcommissarbe chiefcommissar commissar-he commissar he commissar-be be - he called himself tbat- tbat that- that tbatwhen thatwhen that thatwhen - when Lidv L\dv L dv Ladv ' \ Cynthia escaped Belthas Cynthli 'Cynth1'1 Cynth11 escaped'Cynth1'1 ' ' ' has told us , , and nnd Von Belt ? has bas confirmed It tlut th.1t th1t that . . , the mL mixture ture on onrop ontop onfop rop top is constantly constantb afiald afrald all aid of ofh'1t whit \\h'1t h'1t h1t \ \ ' they theycall call 'a a ' rlsIn rising of t the ' ' e serfs-th'lt serfs th'lt thlt serfs-tliat tliat serfs - tint ' Is . , the EngIlsh English theEnglish theEngIlsh They TlJey guard against It The DngIIsh English TheEnglish TheDngIIsh eventor gatherevenfor are all allowed owed to gather-even gather even gather - for work workonly worL-only worL only work-only work . - In only groupsand very small groups , , nnd and always al\\ays al ays \ under super\ super supers supervision superIsion \ Ision islon " " observedWblttlngton observedWhittington 'It It ' ' It looks IooL.s IooLs . like Ille , a set up ; , " observed Whittington , optimistically "if if " once oncewe oncewe oncewe we get In " "There There " Is a building bulIding which rhey they call callthe the Hheld 'Itheld Itheld Citadel , , " Jack Taylor Ta.ylor . said . 'It It ' It held the offices of administration of the Old tinOld theOld \vMbla vMbla ItvMbla withbis withhis People Seldel Seidel occupies It with \ bis his Inner ring If three of us could couldget couldget couirget get In-or In or In - or two of us-and us and us - and kill hlII ten of olthem ofthemthe them-the them the - - the ten top men , Including IncludlneSeldel IncludingSeldelwe'd includingSeidelwe'd Seldel-we'd- Seldel we'd wed Seidel-we'd Seidel - we'd wed ' - = " * Seldelwe'd"Whati "What What "Whati Whati " " ? ' "We'd Wed " ' at nt least be able to start some thing something , " " Jick J'lcL JlcL Jack ' . ended sorne\\ sorne somewhat sornehat somewliat \ hat weald weakly v weakly"But v"But " tkill tohill tokill "But But the two of you \ would ould have to ( hill kill ten-before ten before tenbefore the ten ren of them them-and them and - and the top ten- ten ten- ten - - - . salePeter saidPeter before you ; ou could really begin , , " said Peter Vanderbllt VanderbIlt quietly . "How How " slm sim pIe simpie slmpIe you make It seem 1 I ' Jack Taylor swore , , and then laughed laughed"We laughedWe "We We " don't dont ' 1 1 I nowh'lt now no\\ no \ whit wh'lt whlt what ' \ we t\e t e could do , or 01what orwhat what we'd wed ' have base hn : e to do But dknow doknow " we e do d < know this some of ot us somehow somehnvv have liav < liavgot havegot thaiCitadel thatCitadel got to get Into that city . , and that Citadel of that city . Then we can cnn trust to trusto trustto o God and Dnd what whut chinccs ch'lnces chlnces chances ' he may offer offe ; us But first , and nnd wliatever'B wliateverB "hatever's hatevers whatever's whatevers " ' before beforeus I us , we're were ' ' going to get er In ! n I ! Agreed 7 ? " "Agreed Agreed l'Agreed lAgreed " ' 1 I " sild s\ld s ld sold ' \ all voices , and Van Van- Vanderbilt's Vanderbilt's Vanderbilt's - derbilt's derbilts ' was distinct among them them"Now them"Now ! "Now Now " how ? We've Weve ' no chance to ad advance advance advance vance against them by air or on the theground theground theground ground , or under the ground from the thedIrection thedirection thedirection dIrection of this city . We know knowthe knowthey've knowthey've knowtheyve the they've theyve ) 've ve ' ' got guarded nil all the conduIts conduItsand conduitsand conduitsand and passiges pasS'lges pasSlges Passages ' " which "hlch hlch we've weve ' discovered ; and probably some we don't dont ' know knowabout knowabout knowabout about But " would ould they guard the con condults conduits condults dults duits from the other cities ? " "That's Thats " ' ' ' something . , , Jack I ' Say- Say Say"See Say Say"See - " "See See " here There's Theres There.s ' . Danot-on Danot on Danot - on the theother theother theother other side of them from us They\ They They've Theyve Theye They'se Theyse ' \ e n a nguard aguard aguard guard in there ; we've weve ' nobody . , They'dnever Theydnever They'd Theyd They'dnevcr They'dnever ' nevcr never look lool for us to come from that thatqu'uter thatquarter thatquirter qu'uter quuter quarter ' We get Into Danot and go gounderground gounderground gounderground underground I 1 I We- We We-- WeThat WeThat We - - - " That night was long but not longenough long longenough longenough enough for the five bye uve conspirators conspiratorsRansdell . * . * . * . . * . * . * Ransdell , , on the e\ e et evening eenlng \ enlng ening of the third thirdday thirdday thirdday day later , , reported to Tony : "Five Five " men have not returned-three returned three returnedthreeof returned - threeof of our best friends . , Tony , " he saId saiddropping , , droppIng formality . . "Eliot Eliot "Lhot Lhot " , Jack Tay Taylor Tayfor Taylor lor for and Peter Vanderbllt Vanderbilt and Whitting Whitting- Whittington Whittington - . ton and Crosby \ with \ ith them They left left-you left you - , . you know , In two 'larks larks ' ' about twohours twohours two twot hours t n-e- n e nehafnva - - hafnva before dusk 1iit-lr 1iit lr - yesterday voctorilnv- voctorilnv voctorilnvTheV . - TheV They said s aid they were only going to have alook a alootk 1001 lootk . around I thought it \ was as a good goodIdea goodIdea goodIdea Idea ; I told them to go " 'No No ' No word from them at all since since'Tony sinceTony ? ' Tony asked ashed asked"Not ashed"Not asked"Not "Not Not " a syllable Marian Jackson JacL.son JacLson . Is IsmIssing Ismissing ismissing mIssing , too roo " "She She " went with them 1 ? " "No No " Entirely rntlrely rntirely separately ; and shewent she she"ent shewent "ent ent went " on the ground , not in the aIr aIrThe airThe airThe The gate bate watch who let her go out-it out it out-St St outitwas outStwas out - - Itwas was Cluett-"as Cluett "as as Cluett-was was Cluett - " was ashimed ash'lmed ashlmed ashamed ' of hImself hImselfand himselfand himselfand and did not report it promptly . . It ap appe'lr appeer"a appeir pe'lr pelr peer"a peera ' " & that she drove dro\"c dro "c c \ " to the gate In to one oneof oneof oneof of the smill 5m'lll 5mlll small ' cars , and " wheedled heedIed Cluett CluettInto Cluettnto CluettInto Into i nto letting her take tahe a n turn outside outsideIt outsideIt outsideIt It " was "as as near noon , and the sun was shin shinIng shinIng shinIng Ing He saw no harm barm and let ler her p'lSS plSS piss p'lSSThen pissThen pissThen ' Then she turned the battery on full fulland , and streaked streaL.ed streaLed . a away way " "Which Which " gate1 gate ? " asked Tony Ton ) briefly . , " "The The " nOl noithern northern thern gate . . , Duquesne's Duquesnes Duquesne'sPorte Duquesne'sPorte Duquesne'sPorte DuquesnesPorte ' Porte de Gorfulu " 'She She ' She disappeared di dl < : appcired appe'1red appe1red ' down tint th'lt thlt that ' road ? ' ' 'Yes Yes ' Yes And the only word she left leftbehInd leftbehind leftbehind behInd with "lth lth " the girls she knew hnew was wasthat wasthat wasthat that she was tired of being cold ; she shethought shethought shethought thought she'd shed ' try being bemg " warm "arm arm agatn again agatnShe againShe againShe She commented , further , that she sees seesnow seesnow seesnow now she pried herself Into the wrong wrongparty wron wrongparty party . " Tony nodded ; he knew what that thatmeant thatmeant thatmeant meant Marian frequently reminded remindede reminded0er3body remindedever e\ e eer 0\er3body 0 |