The Black Star Passes

drawn away by the efficient ventilating system. The taller of the two seemed to be doing most of the talking. In the positions they had assumed it would have been rather difficult to be s

st. Arcot junior was probably one of the most brilliant men the world had ever seen, and he was aided in all his work by two men who could help him in a way that amplified his powers a thousand fold. His father and his best friend, Morey, were the complimentary and balancing minds to his great intelligence. His father had learned through years of work the easiest and best ways of performing the man

lus, many new ramifications of old theories had been

ice over. Instead he had made contracts on the basis that the laboratories he owned be kept in condition, and that he be paid a salary that should be whatever he happened to need. Since he had sold all his inventions to Transcontinental Airways, he had been able to devote all his time to scienc

anions. They worked, played,

n Francisco Flyer that went on without a pilot, sometimes the New York-St. Louis expresses that would come over the field broadcasting the emergency signal. But always the people were revived with little difficulty, and each time more o

gs he does right under the eyes of those Air Guardsm

the next liner carrying any money. I understand the insurance rates have been boosted so high that they don't dare

t they wanted to hire the ship so they could be robbed! A large group of medical men and cancer victims were going for the 'treatment'. Each one of the twenty-five hundred going was to bring along one hundred dollars. That meant a total of a quarter of a million dollars, which is to be left on the table.

in stopping this ultra-modern pirate. If you go down to see him in the

you know more about this than I do. Did

on a dog and he went to sleep forever. But do y

has been known for some three hundred years now, and I have to hand it to this Pirate for making use of it. Even in the war of 2075 they didn't find any practical application for

g two or more constituents to react. It might well be simple enough to store them separately, and the air-stream blowing

ings I want to do when I go with that Invalid Spe

Dick? How are you going to handle it

later with a large aluminum bottle, tightly closed. "This bottle has been pumped out to a very good vacuum. I then swept it out with helium gas. Then it was pumped out again. I hope to take t

uld help if we knew w

anscontinental Airways shops, entered them, and went to the office of the Designing Engineer, John Fuller, an old schoolmate. They had been able to help each other before, for Fuller had not paid as much attention to theoretical physics as he might have, and though he was probably one of the outstanding aeronautical designers, he often consulted Arcot on the few the

an hour, then returned to the roof and thence to h

e over here. I got your note and I have the things fixed up here. The plan

them aboard the huge plane. It was right next to the mail-room, and through the wall between the two a small hole had been cut.

mple bottles did you br

ht those. I think that will be enough. H

I believe. Nothing

t be. There was a larger pump attached similarly to each of the engines to supply it with the necessary oxygen. Any loss in power by pumping the air in was made up by the lower back pressure on the exhaust. Now the engines

tch. "One o'clock. The

have a nice long wait till we get to San Francisco and b

ish you'd go right to your father's office and ask him over to our place for supper, and see if Fuller can come too. I think we'll be able to use that molecu

s a slight start, the roaring bark of the engine took on a deeper tone, the rocking stopped and the ground dropped away. Like some mighty wild bird, the plane was in the air, a graceful, sentient thing, wheeling in a great circ

like streams of nigh invisible individuals, creeping black lines among the buildings of the city. The towering buildings sho

auty now. It was one of the thing

n blazed high in the nigh-black heavens, and in the rarefied air, there was so little diffusion that the corona was readily visible with the aid of a

spectacle which had never been visible before the development of these super-planes. Whole flying observatories had been made that had taken photo

recreation and food. Ships were no longer needed. Planes were faster and more economical; hence seacoast cities had declined in importance. With its already great start toward ascendancy, Chicago had rapidly forged ahead, as the air lines developed with the great super-planes. The European planes docked here, and it was the starting point of the South Ame

e first sign of abnormal drowsiness. They sat quietly, not talking, listening intently for some new note, but knowing all the while

wn. He found it a tremendous effort of the will to make himself reach up and close the switch that started

him as he opened his eyes. To one side

I thought you were going to

ficient watchman! It didn't go

here else. It wasn't found in our room when we woke up. I think the Pirate found i

e took care of the luggage so that no member of the pirate's gang could steal it. There might have been some of them in the gr

hour or so you take it easy to let your heart get used to beating again.