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Show " . . . . . . . . . e . . . . Wheli WSa WSaBy 'he he 'heWorlds ' WheliWOl1llds WOl1llds Worlds WOl1lldsCollide WorldsCollide Collide CollideBJ CollideBy By BJ EDWIN BALl\fER BALl fER BALMER BALlfERand BALMERand BALMERand \ and PHILIP WYLIBCopydfiht WYLIE WYLIB WYLIECopyriKbt Cop"r1 Copr1 CopyriKbt Copydfiht ) " ht by Edwin D:1.lmcr D1.lmcr D1lmcr Burner D:1.lmcrand Burnerand Balmcrmd : . and . Philip Pblh ! ) wyrleWNtl W'U8WNU Wyir W'U8 WU8 wyrle WyirCHAPTER ) ' WNU WNtl Servlc Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER IX-Continued IX Continued IX - - Continued IXContinued14 -14- 14 - 14"We 14"We 14 - - "We We " now come , " Hendron said , Uta "to to Utathe "tothe "tothe tothe " the last stage stsle : of ot this remarhable remarkable remarhable1Ught remarkableflight remarkableflight 1Ught flight . . . They Tbpy had bad been teen flying for three threeWCChS threeweeks throeweeks WCChS weeks , , Bleeping sleepIng little and living on onbad onbad onbad bad food . They decided declded to go back by byway byway byway way of ot St . . Paul and Milwaukee . . "On On " thevay the \ way \vay vay to St St . . Paul they were weretorced wereforced wereforced torced forced down on a small lake 181.e 181e . , and It Itwas itwas Itwas was there that Ransdell noticed the thel1nmelted theunmelted theunmeltcd l1nmelted unmelted metal In a flow fiow of ot magma magma.They magmaThey . , They Investigated a tongue of at molten moltenmetal moltenmetal moltenmetal metal after an arduous nrduous and perilous perilousjourney perilousjourney perilousJourney journey to reach It It . . . When they were weresure weresure wereeure collected sam sam- samples samples - . sure of ot Its nature they ples pIes and brought them back to theplane the theplane theplane plane . . Repairs to the oil 011 feeding sys sys- system system - tem tern were required ; they took oft off on onthe onthe onthe the day before their return , and andrcached andreached andreached rcached reached the vicinity of St Paul sately safely safely.It safelyIt . It was In St St . . . Paul , , less tlian than two hun hun- hundred hundred . - dred miles from here , . that they re re- received re received . - ceived celved the Injuries \ with ith which they theyreturned theyreturned theyreturned returned St . . Paul was In much the thesarno thesame thesame sarno same condition condltion as Pittsburgh , except exceptthat exceptthat exceptthat that It had bad undergone the further de- de decay de decay - cay occasioned by t\\ t two t0 \ 0 addlttonal additional addlttonalwceI.s additionalweeks additionalweeks wceI.s wceIs weeks . of ot famine and pestilence pcst11ence They Theylanded Theylanded Theylanded landed on the Mississippi river nenr near nenrthe nearthe nearthe the shore sbore , , late that night . . Almost Im- Im Immediately immediately Im Immediately - - mediately they ' \ were ere attacked , , doubt doubt- doubtless doubtless doubtless - less beciuse bec'luse becluse because ' It was believed beHeved they pos pos- possessed possessed possessed - - sessed food The last words In James James'diary Jamesdiary ' dIary are theseBoats these : 'Boats Boats -Boats ' - have put out outtoward outtoward outtoward toward us as . . One of them has a machine machinegun machinegun machinegun gun mounted In the bow . Ransdell hns has hassucceeded hassucceeded succeeded In starting the motors , , but butthe butthe buttho the plane Is listing hstlng I believe beltee beltese belte\ belte \ e that thatbu11etJ thatbullets thatbullets bu11etJ bullets ! have perforated one of the pon pon- pontoons pon- pon pontoons pontoons - - ' toons and tint th'1t th1t that ' It'ls Itls It It'ls Itls Is filling filUng We may maynever maynever maynever never leave the water Vanderbllt Vnnderbnt Vanderbilt Is Isthrowlnr isthrowing Isthrowing throwlnr throwing ; out e\ e every eery \ ery object that thnt can cnn be beremoved beremoved beremoved removed to ll lighten hten the ship It may be bethat bethat bethat that It will win be he necessary necesqary to repulse repulsethe repulsethe repulsetlie the first flrst boatload before we can C1.n C1n . tal.e tale take tal.eoft takeoff takeoff . . . oft off . . . . . . . . . ' " . Hendron Ilendron dropped the seventh note notebook notebook notebook book on the table "You You " may recon reconBuuct reconstruct reconstruct Buuct struct \ what hat followed , my friends The Theband Thehand Thehand band hand to hand hnnd fight on the plane with a aboatload aboatload aboatload boatload of ot hunger driven maniacsa manlacsa manfacsa manlacs- manlacs manfacs- manfacs maniacs - a fight ! In n which all three heroic mem mew members . bers hers of or the airplane nlrplane company were werehurt werehurt werehurt hurt We may Ima Imagine lne them at last lastbe1Ung lastbeating lastbeating be1Ung beating . ' back their assailants ascmhnts ; , , and with withtheir withtheir withtheir their floundering ship taking t'l1"lng tl1lng ' " off orr be- be before be be- beiore before - - fore iore a second boatload \ ' was as upon them themWe themWe themWe We may Imagine Ransdell guiding hIs hIsship hisship hisship ship through the night with gritted grittedteeth grittedteeth grittedteeth teeth , while whHe his occasional Occ'lconal Occlconal ' ; ! b1lh'lrd backward backwardglances b1lh\\ b1lh backwardglances \ 'lrd lrd 'lrdglances ' glances offered him little uttle re'lSSUrance relSSUrance reassurance reassuranceo"t reassuranceot re'lSSUranceot reassuranceof ' ot of " the safety of his comrades The Therest Therest Therest rest we know . " . " , - Autumn had set In , , but It \ was as lIke lIkeno likeno likeno no autumn the woild wOlld world had ever e\er e er eser \ hnown known hnownbefore knownbefore knownbefore before . . The weather rem remained 'lIned lIned ' unnatu unuatu- unuatu unuaturally unnaturally - . rally rnlly hot hot . . The sides slles skies , were still hazy hazy.An hazyAn . An enormous amount of fine olcanlc solcanic solcanicdust \ volcanicdust olcanlcdust dust remained suspended In the upper upperair upperair upperair air currentsVulcanlsts currentsVulcanists currents currentsVulcanlsts Vulcanlsts Vulcanists had enumerated , , before beforethe beforethe beforethe the disturbance of tlie the First rlrst Passage Passagesome , , some four hundred and Ilnd thirty thlrt achve active achvevolcanIc activevolcanic activevolcanic volcanIc vents Counting Counttng the cones coneswhich coneswhich coneswhich which had been considered dormant dormantthere , there had been several thousand All Allthese Allthese Allthese these . , It now was calculated c'1lculated c1lculated ' . , had bp be- be become bp-come bp come - . come active actl\"c actl "c c \ " Tropical rains , tawny tawnywith tawnywith tawnywith with Toicanic YOlcanlc volcanic dust dust . , fell feU In torrents torrentsStenm torrentsSteam torrentsEteam Stenm Steam and vapors , , as well weU as lavas lavasand lavasand lavasand and dust'rere dust , . \ ' were \'rere 'rere rere pouring from Innu innu- innumerable Innumerable - merable vents out from under the thecracL.ed thecracked thecracked cracL.ed cracLed cracked . and fissured crust of the theworld theworld theworld world . . . ' The 'fhe fhe neighboring vent , . opened in the thevlctnlty thevicinity thevicinity vlctnlty vicinity of or St St . . Paul , supplied supplted Hendron HendronwIth Hendronwith Hendronwith wIth more than the necessary necessnry amount amountor amountof amountof or of the new metal , , which could be ma ma- machlned machined . - chined chlned but which withstood even the theheat thebeat theheat heat beat of or the atomic blast . , . Hendron Hendronhad Hendronhad Hendronhad had not walled waited for his explorers to torecover torecover torecover recover . On the day after the rendIng reading readingof rendIngof of the tho diaries he 11e bad flown \ with Uh an another another another other pilot pHot , found a n source of or o1 the thestrange thestrange thestrange strange material from the center of the earth , and he hid h'ld hld ' loaded the plnne plane . . plane.Repeated planeRepeated Repeated trips had provided more than thanenou thanenough thanenough enou enough h metal for the tubes of the theatomIc theatomic theatomic atomIc enginesThe enginesThe engines enginesThe The en engine lne makers malwrs could not melt meltthe meltthe meltthe the metal by any heat they applied appUed ; they could not fuse It ; but they could couldcut couldcut couldcut shapeIt cut It and by patient machining mnchlnlng shape It Into lining of tubes v . which shish hlch , , at last last.endured lastendured . , endured the tile frightful temperatures of ofthe ofthe the atom releasing Its po power " . er erThe The powerThe problem of the engine for the SIl3ce Siiace theSpace theSIl3ce theSiiace fclilp bhlp Ihip , was wns solved This ThLS trans tormed formed transformed transtormed the psychology vsychology of the camp campAnd And now there ensued rnsued a perIodor periodof period or of orfranttc offrantic offrantic franttc frantic Impatience for f'lr flr ( ' the return of the Bronson theBronson Bodies I ! For ror tho the camp , in Its novr ncW new ' hysteria , had bad become tecome perfectI perfectly perfectlyconfident perfectlyconfident , . confident that the tbe Space Ship must must8ucceed mustsucceed mustsucceed 8ucceed succeed In 10 making Its desperate Jour jour- journey Journey . - nc ney ) . . . Tlie The camp was wns resolved-that resolved that resolved - that part partor partof partof or of It which should be chosen-to chosen to chosen - to go . Tony kept on at his bis work , , tormented tormentedby by a torture of his 0\\ 0 own 0n \ n Together with withEliot \ withEliot Ith IthDlIot DlIot Eliot James and Vanderbllt Vanderbilt , . , Rans Ransdell Ransdellhad Ransdellhad ell ellhad had now recovered from his woundsror woundstor wounds woundsFor For ror tor his bls part In the great ndventure ndventurethe ndventurethe adventurethe the pilot \ would oulll lla have ve become populnr popular popular.even populareven . , even If It he had not also proved the dls dlscoverer dlscoverer discoverer coverer of ot the mctil met'll metll metal ' that would not notmelt notmelt notmelt melt . . . That by Itself would have ha\o ha o base \ lIfted lIftedhim liftedhim liftedhim him above every other man In the C'1mpNot campNot camp C'1mp C1mp campNot ' Not above Hendron In authority nuthorlty ; : for forthe forthe forthe the fler flyer fl . } er never ne.er neer . In the slightest at- at attempted at attempted . - tempted temptcd to assert nscert ; authority . nnnsdell Ransdell nnnsdellbecame Ransdellbecame Ransdellbecame became , Indeed , even more retirIng retirIngI1nd retiringtint retiringand I1nd tint reserved than before ; ; and so the thewomen thewomen thewomen women of the camp , , and nnd especlally especially especlallythe especiallythe especiallythe the younger ones , , wcishlped w01shlped worshiped himWhen himWhen him himWhen When Eve walked \ with Ith Ransdell , , as asshe asshe asshe she often did . , Tony became a potential potentialhtl1er potentialkiller potentialkiller htl1er killer . In reaction he could laugh at athlmsell athimself athimself hlmsell himself ; he knew It was the hysteria hysteriaworL.lng hysteriaworking hysteriaworking worL.lng worLlng working . In him-hIs him hIs him - his fear and terrors terrorsat terrorsat terrorsat at facing fac1Dg almost nlmost Inevitable and nnd terrl terri- terri terrible ferri-ble ferri ble - . ble death , , and at knowing that eve evenlso Evealso Hvealso nlso also must be annihilated nnnlhtlated It was these theseemotions theseemotions theseemotions emotions that at moments almost almostbroke almostbroke almostbroke broke out In a demonstration against againstRansdell againstRansdell againstRansdell Ransdell . When Tony was with Eve Dve , she sheseemed sheseemed sheseemed seemed to him less the civilized c1v1l1zed crea- crea creature crea creature - . ture of cultured and sophisticated so soc1ety soclety soclety c1ety clety , , and more an Impulsive Impulsl\"e Impulsl "e e \ " and andprImltlve andprimitive andprimitive prImltlve primitive womanHer womanHer woman womanHer Her very features fentures semed altered alteredbolder , , bolder , , her eyes darker and larger , her herUps herlips herlips Ups lips softer , her hair filled with a abrIghter abrighter abrighter brIghter fire . She was stronger , also alsoand , and more taut taut"We're . . "We're Were "Wc're Wcre " ' going to get over , " , " she said saidto saidto saidto to him one day . "Yes Yes "Yesigrecd " , , " . ! -igrecd igrecd grecd igreed - Tony . . No one now nowopenly nowopenly nowopenly openly doubted It It . . , whatever he hid In Inhis inhis Inhis his head "How How " do you- you youhe . ) vou ou- ou ouhe - - " he began beganand , , and then made his challenge less di- di directly di dl directly . - rectly personal by adding , "How How " do you yougirls yougirls yougirls girls now like the Idea of ceasing to tobe tobe tobe be Individuals and becoming 'biological biological 'biologicalrepresentattves 'biologicalrepresentatives 'biologicalrepresentatives biologicalrepresentatives ' representattves representatives of the human race- race raceafter raceafter race * ' - after we get across7 across ? " He lie saw Eve IJve flush , , and the warmth warmthIn warmthIn In her stirred him . . "We We " talk about It Itof , , at of course , , " she replied "And-I "And And I "And And " - I sup suppose suppose suppose pose we'll well we'U weU ' do it It . . " "Breed Breed " the race , you mean , " Tony Tonycontinued Tonycontinued Tonycontinued continued mercilessly mercllessly . "Reproduce Reproduce " thp the thetypemating thptypemating thptype type-mating type mating - - mating with whoever Is best to toInsure toinsure toInsure Insure the strongest , and best chil- chil children chil chtl children - . I dren for the place , , and nnd to establish estabhsh a anew anew anew new generation generatton of the tbe greatest pos- pos possible pos possible - . sible variety from the few Indlvldu'lls Indlvldulls individuals Indlvldu'llswhIch individualswhich Indlvlduilswhich ' whIch we can cnn hope to land safely safely.That's safely.Thats safelyThats . That's Thats ' the program . " 'Yes Yes ' Yes , " said Eve , "that's thats " ' the pur pur- purpose purpose . - pose " For ror a minute he did not speah speak speakthinking , thmt.ing thmting thinking . , , his hands clenched ; ; then : "Would Would " you care7 care ? ' ' 'Care Care ' Care , , Tony7 Tony ? " ' she begin beg'ln begln ' , , her fnce face fnceflooded faceflooded faceHooded flooded with color . She Slle checked ched.ed cheded . her her- herselt herself herself - self selt . "No No " one must care ; we have havesworn havesworn havesworn sworn not to care-to care to care - - to conquer car carlng carlag carIng lng lag And we must train ourselves to toIt toit toIt It now , you ou . know 1.now 1now We can't cant ' suddenlv suddenly suddenlvstop suddenlystop suddenlystop stop caring about such things , , when whenwe whenwe whenwe we find ourselves on Bronson Beta Betaunless , , unless we've weve ' ' at lea least t made a start startat startat startat at downing selfishness here " "You You " call c'll1 cll1 ' It selfishness 7 ? " "Ilcnow Ilcnow "I I " know lcnow It's Its ' not the word . , Tony ; ; : hut but hutI butIse butIve Ise I . e no word for It Morals Isn't Isnt ' thp the thpword theword thpword word , cither Clther either Whit Wh'lt Whlt What ' are morals , lunda funda lundament'llly fundamentally fundamentally ment'llly mentllly mentally ' , , Tony Tony7 ? Morals are nothing nothingbut nothingbut nothingbut but the core ot of conduct required of an anIndivIdual anindividual anIndividual IndivIdual In the best Interests of the thegroup thegroup thegroup group of \ which hlch he's hes ' ' a member . . So So"hat's Sowhat's Sothat's Sothats "hat's hats |