"Lowell Howard Morrow - Islands in the Air" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morrow Lowell Howard)

"Of course, but that is where we want to start--away from everybody. You see I have not been idle since
coming to America. While you were away on business I was out looking the ridge over. I would buy and
fence a section of the west end of the ridge perhaps a half mile in length by a quarter of a mile in width.
There would be machinery to install, you understand, and an island to manufacture--perhaps many of
them."

Again I stared at my friend, and he smiled back in his inscrutable, confident way.

"And the islands--what will you do with them?"

"I shall place them in the sky and anchor them."
This was too much for my sense of humor and I laughed in spite of myself. Manufacturing islands and
anchoring them in the sky was such a ridiculous proposition that I treated it as a big joke. But now the
professor was frowning and a cold light flamed in his eyes.

"You think me joking," he said with quiet dignity, "but I am not. Already I have proved my theory."

"Forgive me," I said contritely. "But my God, man," I added, "your proposition fairly stuns me. It will
revolutionize aviation, astronomy--everything pertaining to the heaven above us. Have you worked it out
alone and does no one know your secret?"

A shadow came over Professor Stiener's fair face. For a long minute he looked down at the floor, then
raised his head with a jerk.

"I believe that no one has stumbled onto this thing but me. However, there is Van Beck. You know
something about that confounded Dutchman, how that while I have worked with him and discovered
much for the benefit of our fellowmen, he also has pestered me, often garnering the fruits of my toil. You
know how he has disputed my claims on several occasions while posing as my friend. The devil take him.
I wish I was sure."

Professor Van Beck, a small, wiry man with a bristling black beard, was Professor Stiener's closest rival
in the realms of science. The men, differing widely, still had much in common and had been closely
associated in Europe before Van Beck took up his residence in the United States. But always Van Beck
had managed to gather most of the rewards to himself. And now that I had invited Professor Stiener and
his sister to make me a long visit, the irony of fate had guided him to the faculty of the university where
the great Dutchman labored.

"You haven't said anything about this to Van Beck?"

"Not a word. But he is always trying to worm something out of me. You know what a persistent way he
has--his strange personality--you like him and yet you hate him. And last week while I was conducting
my experiments out on the ridge I spied a fellow far across the valley looking in my direction through a
field glass."

I certainly sympathized with Professor Stiener's efforts to stop his rival. The little Dutch scientist seemed
to exercise some sort of an influence over Greta. She was often seen in his company and always took his
part whenever he was held up to scorn by her celebrated brother.

"Your words imply that there is much still to be done; that you have proved only that the theory is
feasible."