"053 (B054) - He Could Stop The World (1937-07) - Laurence Donovan" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

Johnny had informed Doc they were twenty-five miles up, and had started to tell something of what he had observed. At that instant, a tall man appeared in the door of the radio room. His hand flicked a command.
The operator moved a switch. For several seconds, Johnny continued speaking, unaware he had been cut off. Then he saw the tall, blue-eyed man standing in the doorway.
Professor Homer Randolph was smiling. Though young, his face held many tiny wrinkles. But these seemed to be the marks of thought and humor.
"I deeply regret, Professor Littlejohn, but I had meant to announce no messages were to be sent at this time," he remarked. "Please don't be offended at being cut off."
"You will observe, Professor Randolph, by the continuing convolutions of my risibilities, that I am not suffering with the slightest frustration," stated Johnny solemnly, a twinkle in his eyes and a grin across a face that looked like skin drawn over the skull of a skeleton. "I was conversing with Doc."
Johnny never used simple words when more complicated language would serve.
Randolph continued smiling.
"I know of no one I would rather communicate with myself," he said. "Doc Savage, I believe, is the best friend I have on earth. I only hope he will understand something of what I am about to undertake."
"There isn't much of your experimentation that has eluded Doc's attention," said Johnny. "I would not be surprised if he could now describe about what we will encounter fifty miles up."
"Neither would I," instantly agreed Randolph. "But I imagine you will be surprised by something else later. For example, right now, I have given the word to descend."
"Well, I'll be superamalgamated!" exclaimed Johnny. "And I judge, from your attitude, you are not contemplating more extensive enlightenment?"
"I am keeping it somewhat of a secret," said Professor Randolph. "Some of my guests know of it and others do not. However, I am convinced all will be pleased."
WHETHER Randolph's scholarly guests would or would not be pleased, the professor was descending the great Silver Cylinder toward the earth.
The stratosphere ship, under perfect control, bumped to a stop in the midst of an uninhabited area. Randolph ordered his guests to disembark for a short time.
"Unless I am suffering with olfactory illusion, we are in the midst of the wide-open spaces, and I would judge, in Arizona," said Johnny to one of his companion scientists.
Tang of alkali and mesquite permeated the air. The Silver Cylinder rested easily on a vast plain. Gaunt-armed cactus reared like stripped ghosts against the night horizon.
Randolph came directly to Johnny.
"I want you, first of all, to know of my new plans," he said pleasantly. "Because very soon I hope to have Doc Savage know and understand, and perhaps join with me in this venture."
Professor Randolph talked rapidly, for perhaps five minutes. Until he had finished, Johnny made no comment. Now he spoke.
"Frankly, Professor Randolph, all this is the height of impossible fantasy. I could not coЎperate to any degree. Should such an experiment be carried forward, you make it incumbent upon me to inform Doc. Perhaps some of your friends have deluded you into thinking such an absurdity may be possible."
Randolph's blue eyes still smiled pleasantly at Johnny.
"Think it over for a few minutes," he advised, "while we are busy about our preparations."
A few moments later, Johnny managed to separate himself from the others. Randolph and his own group of aids were clustered near the tail of the Silver Cylinder. Johnny observed that the radio operator was in the group.
Moving with infinite caution, Johnny slid into the stratosphere ship. In the radio room, he discovered the power was now on. He could only hope that the crackling of the shortwave band might not reach the ears of Randolph and his men too soon.
Johnny's skeleton face wore a scornful grin. Privately, he believed Randolph's successes must have gone to his head. Perhaps his overtaxed brain needed rest.
Anyway, this was something Doc Savage should know. Johnny had decided then he would slip away into the darkness. Even the wilderness of the Arizona desert must have trails he could follow. He believed several others would join him.
The shortwave tubes glowed with purple light. Johnny became intent on attempting to tune in on Doc's special shortwave set.
"I feared as much," came the quiet voice of Randolph behind him.
Chapter II. ASHES AT UNION SQUARE
BEFORE Johnny could turn or reply, he was enveloped in the shrouding folds of a black cloth. No doubt, the mild Professor Randolph knew something of the geologist's prowess.
Johnny's bony, elongated figure doubled and straightened. Both his knuckled fists found instant marks. Though he could not see, the geologist sensed the presence of half a dozen misguided persons who possibly had imagined he would be easily overpowered.
Somehow, he got a neck-and-leg hold on the nearest man. His bony arms tightened. The man howled. Tubes, condensers and other parts of the intricate radio splintered and crashed. The man Johnny had thrown from him swore in a most unscientific manner. He was picking bits of glass and wire out of his ears.
"It is to be regretted," came the still cool voice of Randolph, "but we must use other means, Professor Littlejohn."
The other means used was a blackjack. It hit the bony Johnny on the head. Johnny shuddered and sank down.
WHEN Johnny recovered, he was free of the shrouding cloth. His head buzzed abominably. His first thought was it had resulted from the stiff blow on the skull. His brain seemed to be aching from that.
But the buzzing was something else. Johnny noticed he was now in a compartment of the Silver Cylinder into which he had not before been admitted. Also, he found he was seated in a chair not greatly different from the execution spot in some States.
Close to Johnny's head two shining, coppery discs gave off a whirring buzz. They were whirling at incredible speed. Johnny made out several others of his companions in similar chairs. He noted they were those who had not been directly in Randolph's group of aids.
Randolph was standing close by. He was glancing at his watch and observing Johnny. Johnny passed up his long words this time.
"Perhaps before the electrocution, you will inform the prisoner what it is all about?" said Johnny sarcastically.
Randolph's mild, blue eyes smiled at him. He glanced again at his watch.
"The venture I was speaking about, Professor Littlejohn?" he said interrogatively. "Do you not now believe it would meet with amazing results?"
"Certainly," replied Johnny promptly. "I am in thorough agreement with your infinitely astounding promulgation. You can count on me for thorough coЎperation. The possibilities are unlimited. When do we embark upon this enterprise?"
Apparently, the abrupt reversal of his attitude was no ruse on the part of Johnny. Nor did Professor Randolph indicate he suspected it might be such.
Randolph walked along, speaking with others who had opposed his announced experiment. All must have given the same agreement as Johnny. They were being released from the weird chairs.
The coppery discs beside each chair ceased to whirr.
"All along," stated Johnny, "I have believed in a universal and supreme ebullition of power."
No one replied. None was listening at the moment. Professor Randolph was snapping out orders. The explosive force of the Silver Cylinder was being turned on.
Within a few minutes, the stratosphere ship was again in the air. Its course was on an upward angle, which would carry it back from the Arizona desert toward the Texas sky from which it had detoured.
As the silver airship rose rapidly into the sky, Professor Randolph looked around him.
"This time," he announced solemnly, "we shall remain on top of the world."