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Show 999999999999Q 999999999999Qf . . . . . . . . . . . .0 0 .Q Q . .QWhen .0I .0When f ' I Worlds WhenWorlds WhesaWorldsCollide When WhesaWorldsCollideBy WorldsCollide Collide CollideBy By EDWIN BALl\IER BALl IER BALMER BALlIERand BALMERand BALMERand \ and PHILIP JTOJE WYLIE JTOJECopyright WYLIECopyrlsht Copyright Copyrlsht by Edwin Calmer Balmer Dalrner Dalrnerand Balmer&nd Calmer.nd &nd nd and & .nd nd . Philip PMllp nIllp Wylie WYlle WylieWNU WYlleWNU VyIl * WNU Sorsice Son Ice 9999999999999 . . . . . ee . . . . . . . . 9999999999999CHAPTER CHAPTER X-Continued X Continued X - Continued XContinued18 -18- 18 -18-- - 181he 181 18 18I - - - . ' -I I - " 1 1he : he English Dngllsh7 ? " ' returned Duqt1 Duquesne Duquesne"They Duquesne"They DuquesneThey ne ne"They "They They " will w111 get away . . Wb Whit Wbt What \t t ' \ then . , who whoknows ' \ whoknows ho holnows7 lnows7 knows ? . Can c\n c n ' \ you } ou 'n1t1 n1t1 'muddle muddle ' ddl 0 through through'space throughspace ' ' space , . , CoJ Cole 'Endron Endron 'Cndron Cndron ' ? I ask it It . . But tht the theEnglish tlieEnglish . " Cngllsh English ara are sound ; they have a good goodshIp goodship goodslilp shIp But as to them , I have haye made m my myanswer noanswer nnswer answer . I am nm herc.1t herc1t herc.1t"The here . . " The "The " " Germans ' ) " demanded dem'lnded demlnded dem'tnded demtnded ' ' Hen Hendron Hendron Hendron HendronThe dron dronThe The Frenchman rrenchmnn rrenchman gestured 'Too Too * ' Too arl ad arlI adTancedl advnnced I "anced anced vnnced " r ! 'they they 'I I .1 1 ' . hey have h tiled led to tile tileevery t tikeevery ike ikeevery every contingency Into nccount-too nccount too account-too account accounttoomany account - toomany : many contingency 1 I ! They \ will m m"11.e m11.e m11e make makethe mikethe " . : the most beiutlful be\utlful be utlful beautiful ' \ vovnge voyage vo age of ot all-or all or allorr allorby all - - orbv r bv by ' fir 'lr lr far the \ worst orst As to nil aU all the othel other othcingiln , , ng'1ln ng1ln ng ' tln I observe , I h has hive J\e J e < . \ a preferred tc to tobe tobe , be hereII here II " : Plerre PIerre Duquesne , . France's Frances rrancc's rranccs ' grcatest greatest grcatestphysIcIst greatestphysicist greatestphysicist physIcIst , , , went oft ort with Hcndron Hendron tothe to tothe totlie the control room , talking talhlng volubly volubly.Tony volublyTony . . Tony superintended the closing of thelock the thelock thelock lock He lie went 'vent vent ' up the spiral staircaseto stnlrcaseto stnlrcase staircase to the first passenger deck FHty Fifty FHtypeople Fiftypeople Fiftypeople people liy I'1Y I1Y Iiy ' there on the pidded p'1dded p1dded Padded ' sur surfoce surface surface foce face focelth \ with \\lth lth tlie the broad belts alreadystrapped already alreadystrapped alreadystrapped strapped around their legs and tor torsos torsos torsos sos Most of ot them had not yet at- at athched attached at-tiched at tiched - hched tached the straps strnps Intended to hold holdtheIr holdtheir holdtheir theIr heads In place Their eves ees e es 'acre acre 'acredirected \ ' weredirected ere eredirected directed toward the glass SCI screen scieenwhere een , 'ahere ahere \ ' here altermtely aItern'1tely aItern1tely alternately ' vIe\\ vIe views vIe8 vies \ 8 of ot tlie tllC the heav heav- hea heavens heavens v- v vens - ens overheid overhe\d overhe d overhead ' \ and of or tlie the ndlant r\dlant r dlant radlant ' \ land landscape landscope landscape scape scope outside the Space Ship 'aere aere 'aerebeing \ ' werebeing erE ' being shown'lony shown sho\\n sho n shownTony \ ' Tony 'lony lony ony looked 100J.ed 100Jed . at his number nnd and nndfound andfound andfound found his place E\ E Eve Ee \ e was near by byhim byhim byhim him , with the two children beside besldc herShe her herShe herShe She had sat up to \ welcome elcome him "I.e I.e Ie "I've Ive "I'vebeen "I.ebeen "I'vebeen Ivebeen " ' ' . been terribly nervous ner.ous nerous . Of or cour course coure \e e < \ I Iknew Iknew Iknew knew you'd youd ' come , but It has been hard hardsmiting hard.waiting hardwaiting hard3valting smiting 3valting . here " "We We "Were Were " re . all .1111 1111 set set , , " Tony said , as headjusted he headjusted headjusted adjusted himself on the floor harness . . Below , In the control room , the men mentool mentook mentook tool took their posts ' Hendron strapped strappedhImself strappedhimself strappedhimself hImself under under the glass screen He Hetled HeGeed Henved tled Geed " , his eves eyes e , } es to ac al an : optical Instru lnstru Instrument lnstrumeat Instrument ment meat , across \ ' which 'ahich ahich hlch were two hair hairhnes hairtines hairlines hnes tines Very close clo c1o < : ; e to the point of in inte inter inter&ection interection te ter & ectIon was a small star . The Inctrument In Inctrument Initrument ctrument : had been set so that when whenthe whenthe whentlie the star reached the center of ot the thedoss thetoss toss ( , oss the discharge \ was as to be started startedAhout startedAbout startedAbout Ahout About him was a battery of switches switches\ switches switchesv switcheshich v \ hich hlcb hlch \ weie were el e controlled by a master masterS'itch mastersvitch S'itch Sitch \ ' I tch , , and a le\ le lever leer \ er tba that t worked wor1.ed wor1ed . not notlIlIlI1.e notunlike notunlike lIlIlI1.e lIlIlI1e unlike . a rheostat rlJeostat over oyer a series of re- re res res re-s re s - - s winces 't'1nces t1nces rances " ' ' . . His control room crew"t crew crew'at jwire "t t 'at at " ' ra re fastened In their places withtill withtits with \ till tits < r arms free to manipulate arious various variouslestrs \ variouslevins variouslevinsCHAPTER ariousle le\ le leLrs lestrs lestrsCHAPTER \ Lrs CHAPTER XIHendron XI XIHpndron : Hpndron lfplJdron Hendron turned to tha thJ crossed haIrs haIrson hairson hairson on llip tIll tike ' optical instrument and be6an began beganto be6anto beaanto to ( cimnt llunt unint . . E\ery E ery C\ery C Every \ \ man in the room roomsUUelled roomstllleiied roomstiflencd sUUelled stllleiied . to attention.Oue attentionOne attention ] .Oue Oue One One , two , , three , four , fhoe- fhoe five- five fhoeHis fiveHis five - - ' His Hisband Hishand Hisband band hand went 'vent vent ' to the S\\ S switch SItch \ Itch The room room'aas roomwas 'aas aas \ ' as tilled hUed with a vibrating vlbraUnt , hum " " - bis Six Ix : , , se\ se se\en se en seen seven \ en , eight , , nine , ten- ten tenThe ten - - " The Thesound Thesound Thesound sound of the hum rose now to a fellne feline fellneshriek felineshriek felineshriek shriek shriekEleven " * ' -Eleven Eleven - Eleven leven , , tweh twehe twelve e , thIrteen thirteenfourteen , , fourteen , fifteen-ready fifteen ready fifteen - ready I 1 ! Sb.teen Sbteen Sl Sixteenseventeen . teen , se\ se see seenteen \ enteen twentyIlls , eighteen , nineteen twenty - " Ills HIs hand mo\ed mo ed moed moved mo\ mo \ ed to the Instru Instru- Instrument Instrument Instrument - - ment that was like llJ.e llJe . a rheostat . . HIs HIsother Hisother Hisother other hand was 'ass ass \ ' as clenched , white whiteL.nuckled whiteknuckled whiteknuckled . L.nuckled Lnuckled knuckled . , on his straps "Twent Twent "Twenty Twenty " , } one onetwent , , twenty twenti-four twenti four twent ; t\\ t t two t0 \ % 0 , twenty three , twent twenty- twenty twentyfour ) - . four , twent twenty , } five " " Simultaneously the thecrew thecrew thecrew crew sho\ed sho ed 8hoed shoved 8ho\ 8ho \ ed levers , . and the rheostatmoved rheostat rheostatI rheostatmo rheostatmo I mo\ mo moed moved \ ed up an inch As he counted countedsignals , ! signals flashed to the other ship They Theymust Theymust Theymust must lea\ lea lea\e lea e leae lease \ e at the same moment momentA A roar , , redoubling that \ ' which 'ahich ahich hlch had hadI hadresounded hadresounded hadresounded resounded below the ship on the night nightot nightof nightof I ot of the tbe attack attac1 . , , deafened all other othersound othersound othersound sound Tony thought thought- thought"We're - ' . "We're Were " ' leav leav- leavIng leaving leaving - ing the earth t 1 I ' A quivering of ot the theship theship thechip ship that tbat jirred j'1rred j1rred jarred ' the soul An up thrust upthrust on the feet . Hendron's Hendrons ' ' Ups lips lipsmoving Upsmoving llp3moving moving ! in n counting that could no long longer longer er be heard The eyes e , } es of the men ot of otthe ofthe ofthe the crew \ watching atching svatchtng those lips so that thatwhen thatwhen thatwhen when they reached rcached fifty a second secondswitch secondswitch secondswitch switch was touched , , and the room roomwas roomwas was \ as plunged Into darkness relIe\ relIe relIeed rellesed rellesedonly relievedonly \ ed edonly only by the dim rays ra s of tiny bulbs bulbsoer bulbsover bulbsover o\er o er over \ the Instruments themselves themsehes Aslight A Aslight Aslight slight change In the feeling feellng of air airpressure al alpressure airpressure r pressure against the eardrums Another An Another Another other forn forward for'aard foraard ' ard motion of or the steady steadyhand hand on the rheostat rbeostat . . . An Au Increasp increase ot otthe o othe ofthe f the thatthe iliathe thrust against the feet feet , , so that ilia t the Augmentatlon " ' whole 'ahole ahole hole body felt leiden le'lden lelden leaden ' Augmen tatlon tation of the hideous lJldeous din outside . felther feltber felher Tony readied reached to\\ to toward toard to'aard toaard \ ' ard Eve Cve . , acJ ael ant felt fel t ber her hand stretching to meet hIsThe his hisThe The fiery trail of ot the second Ar Arrising Ark Arkrising k risIng ArkrisIng s1.y s1y skyward . " nrd on Its ape ape\ ape apeof ' \ ' ! : of scln scflh t1l1'1tlng t1l11tlng tillattng scintllliting sclnt1l1'1tlng ' vapor alread alreadas already \ was \\as as mlles mllesaway male maleaway milesaway s away . . Below , , on the earth eartb , , flies files broke brohe outa ou oua out t -a a - a blaze that denoted a forest bU1U buts ieg tug bumIng bU1Uieg butstug hadbeen . In the placehele place \ wheie \\hele hele where \ the ship had d been , the two 1\\0 1 0 \ gigantic blocl blocks of con concrete conCrete concrete crete must hive have h ' ! \ e crumbled and col col- - lapsed collapsed lapsedFar lapsedrar Far rar Par a\\ a away any \ ny to the south and west 'vest vest ' , Statessurrounded the westthe President 1'resldent 1resldent ' of the United States , surrounaed surrounded by his cabInet cabinet , , , looked up u p from upfrom tho the new toll engendered engendercd by the therecommencing th therecommencing e recommencing earthquakes c.lrthquahes clrthquahes . , and saw sawfceparated , beparated by an Immeasurable dls dis distance dlstance tance fromthe Cromthe fronthe , , two comets moving away a\\ay a ay a'aay aaay \ ' Crom fron h the earth The President looked 1001.ed 1001ed . rev rev- revrently - reverently revFrently erently rently Frently at the phenomenon ; then he h hLaid e heUd Laid Ud d ; : "My My "Y1 Y1 " friends , the , greatest rea test Uv liv llv- llv - . - bla hl8 his hishomriand hl8hompland blaI , Ing log . ? American Amerlcun has but aow 10\\ 10 nova 10leCt ! \ left leCt I homeland hompland homriand " . chamber the LIDenduMble unendnrlble un LID unendnnble In the tbe passenger pn'lscnger pnlscnger ' endnnble enduMble endnrlble noise Dolse rose In IL a & . ste\dy ste dy steady steadycrescendo stedycrescendo ' \ ' crescendo until ntII all nIl thobe those tho e who .stc'luycrescendo .stcluycrescendo stcluycrescendo 11Y IIY 11Ythere IIYthere iythere there were pressed with li 1r it cre'1slng cre1slng creasing cre'1slngtorce creasingtorte creisingtorce ' torce torte upon Ihe the deck . Nauseated , , tel tet tetrifled telrdied tcintied rdied rifled , . 0\ 0 0erwh overwhelmed oserwlhclmed \ erwh .lD.lCd lD.lCd lDlCd < . . , their senses sensesfoundered sensesfoundered sensesfoundered foundered , and nnd man mani many of or them lapsedinto lapsed lapsedInto lapsedInto Into unconsciousness unconscJou1.ncss unconscJou1ncss unconsciousness'Ion unconsciousness'lonv : . 'Ion Ion 'lonv lonv ' 1 on ; ) , , whoas who was \\as as \ still stm able to thInk think.despite thinkdespite . , despite the awful acceleration ncceleration of theship the theship theship ship , ' rcall/od rcall od rca1l1cd realised / presently that the din dinwas din'ass 'ass ass \ ' ns diminishing dlminishIng , . From rrom his r\thcr r thcr rather ratherscanty rthcrSC'1nty nthcrscinty ' \ SC'1nty SC1nty scanty ' knowledge Imowledge of or physics , he be lie tried triedto triedto triedto to dedu deduce .e e < . what "hat hat " wis W'1S W1S wgs ' h'11penlng h11penlng happening h'11penlngrailer happeningTither hippeningEither ' [ railer Tither the Ark Arl , had reached air so thinthat thin thinthnt thinthat thnt that it did not carry cnrry sound \ waves a \ es , or orelse orelse orelse else It W'1 W1 wii waq ' ' ! tra\ tra traveling traellng \ ellng so ra fast fact t that itssound Its Itssound itssound sound could not catch up with It IL It . . Thespeed The Thespeed Thespeed speed of or that diminution seemed to In Incrense increase increase crense crease . The 'he he ' dumber chmber chamber ' ! becime bec'tme bectme became ' QuIeter QuIeterand quieterand quieterand and quieter . Tony reflected , . , In spite spiteor spiteof spiteof or of the fearful torment he was under undergoIng undergoing undergoing goIng , that eventuilly eventu\lly eventu lly eventually ' \ the only sound soundwhich soundwhich soundwhich which would "ould ould " afTlIct afflict it would come comefrom comefrom comefrom from the breeches of the tubes In the thecontrol thecontrol thecontrol control rooms , and tlie the rooms themselves them themI themselves themselves I selves would Insulate that Presently Presentlyhe PresentlyI I he realized that the ringing rlnginJ : In his hisears hisears : ears wai waq wag louder than the noise made madeI madeby madeby I by the pissage pssage p'issage ' ! of the tbe ship C\ C Eve Ce lJve \ e had hadrehxed hadrelaxed hadrelixed rehxed relaxed the gilp gllp grip on his hand . , but at atthat atthat atthat that moment he felt a pres pressure presllre pressureIt \llre llre < \ llreIt It \ was ns Impossible Impocslble ; to turn his he head headlie headHe d dIe Ie lie [ said , Hello 'Hello ' , ' ' In an ordln\lY ordln lY ordinary ordlnlYyolce ordinaryvoice ordlnnyvoice ' \ yolce voice , , and found he be had been so def- def tleaf- tleaf defened tleafcoed deif-cned deif cned ' ! - ened coed that It was In Iniudlble Inaudible J.udlble Judlble < . . He De Lie tried triedto triedto triedto to lift his hondo hondobut hand , but the accelentlonof acceler'1tfonot accelerationof acceler'1tfon acceler1tfon acceleration ' ot of the ship was so great thit th\t th t that ' \ it lt re- re required required re required - - quired more effort than he wis w\s w s was ' \ nble able ableyet ableict yet , } et to e exert eert ' " , ert ' Then 'rhen rhen he heird he'1rd he1rd heard ' C\ C Ce Evesvoice Eses Esessolce \ e s solce \ olce and realized that she was "as as " talk talkIng talklag talkIng Ing lag very loudly : ; "Are Are " you all right rightTon , Ton Tony ) ? Speak SpeaJ . to me " He Ile shouted bick b'1ck b1ck back ' ' . "I'm Im " ' ' all rIght rIghtHow rightHow rightHow How are the children chlldrcn7 ? " He lIe could see seethem seethem seethem them lying stupefied , with eyes wide wideopen wideopen wideopen open . ' It's Its ' ' horrible , , Isn't Isnt ' It IP ' ) " E\ E Eve Ee \ e crIed'Yes cried'Yes cried 'Yes Yes ' Yes , but the \ worst orst is over . We'll Well We'llbe We'llbe We'llbe Wellbe ' ' be accelerating for some time timethough , , though " . Energy .energy returned tt to tc , , him hun hhm He sh stiug stiuggled stiugglcd ug uggled gled |
