A Matter of Ethics by Harl Vincent Read online

  “Atta boy!” exclaimed Van Brunt.

  more like a problem of the eternal triangle,

  “Afraid you’ll be disappointed in your

  than one requiring the attention of a scientist, partner,” said Bret, as Robeson retrieved his with a flair for investigating the unusual. He wooden tee.

  was treading on dangerous ground. Probably

  “Don’t let that worry you,” laughed the

  had no business at all messing into this. But doctor. “We’ll trim ’em anyway. Avery isn’t

  Dudley Cowan had asked him—there was the

  so hot either.”

  suggestion of an effect similar to that of an And again there came that flash of

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  antagonism from the black eyes of Hobart

  Brunt. A high steel fence skirted the fairway Avery. Bret was puzzled. He could not and this fence enclosed the grounds determine whether the feeling was directed

  surrounding a squat building beside a steel

  against Robeson or Van Brunt. It might be—

  tower on which there were a number of

  and more logically so—that he himself was

  shining rods of varying lengths, arranged like the target for the engineer’s animosity.

  the pipes of an organ.

  It was a perfect day for golf; not too

  “One of your television transmitters,

  hot, nor yet too cool. Bret surprised himself by Hobart?” asked Bret, when Avery had made

  shooting even fives for the first seven holes.

  his drive, which was a hook this time, but on Doctor Van Brunt had one over fours. the fairway and a good two hundred yards out.

  Robeson one under fours and Avery two over

  “Yes. Multiple frequency. The shortest

  fives. Bret and Robeson had won four of the

  wave length is two and a half meters and the seven holes and halved three with their longest seventeen. It handles the transatlantic opponents.

  press stuff.”

  At the eighth tee Frank Robeson

  Bret did not reply, for Doctor Van

  looked up startled from his crouching position Brunt had teed up and was about to drive.

  when he had teed up his ball.

  Smack! Another beauty! On the green, too.

  He rose with a gesture of pain.

  These husky doctors were good!

  “Matter, Frank?” asked Van Brunt

  Bret dubbed his own drive, of

  solicitously. “A twinge of the old sciatica?”

  course—topped it. He was too anxious after

  “No,” grinned his friend, “not a sign of

  those good ones. He followed the others

  it since you fixed up that old back of mine. It’s disconsolately, entirely forgetting the reason something else. I can’t quite get it myself.

  for his presence on this course.

  Something like—in the operating room——”

  He paled, and Doctor Van Brunt TAKING three to the green, Bret was gasped his astonishment, shooting a quick thoroughly disgusted with himself. Even glance in Avery’s direction. Something passed Avery, with a brilliant mashie-niblick shot, between the two which Bret could not fathom.

  was on in two. But the others awaited him

  Frank Robeson squared his patiently.

  magnificent shoulders and addressed the ball.

  Doctor Robeson had a long putt to

  Crack! The prettiest drive of the day!

  make. His ball lay fully twenty-five feet from He had driven the green—two hundred and

  the pin, but the green was level and smooth.

  eighty-five yards.

  He had sunk a couple like this before. Bret

  “Wow!” said Bret. “You should have

  was watching closely as Robeson addressed

  those pains all the time.”

  his ball, crouching in his peculiar putting

  Doctor Robeson grinned engagingly.

  stance. Then a strange thing happened. The

  He seemed immediately to forget the doctor’s face went white once more and the experience of a few moments previously.

  perspiration oozed from his forehead in great Avery was next and Bret saw that he

  beads. The cords of his neck stretched taut and was nervous.

  his jaws worked spasmodically. His kunckles

  “Watch your slice on this one, showed white from his grip on the shaft of the Hobart,” called Van Brunt. “It’s out of bounds putter and he swung like a woodchopper,

  over in the back yard of your station there.”

  cutting a huge divot from the green and

  Hobart Avery did not reply and Bret

  missing the ball entirely.

  glanced in the direction indicated by Van

  “Lord!” groaned the afflicted man.

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  7

  “It’s on me again.” He straightened up and

  hard to convince.”

  looked piteously at his friends.

  “Sure he will. But I’ll bet you can do it

  Bret was at his side in a moment, but

  somehow. You can be on the job yourself and

  was shoved away unceremoniously. The have a couple of other surgeons there to take it stricken golfer called for his caddy and handed out of his hands if he fails. But I believe I can him his putter. He could scarcely unbend his prevent another failure.”

  fingers from the shaft as the boy took it from

  “Great! I don’t know how in the devil

  him. Without a word of farewell he stalked

  you dope these things out, Bret, but I’ve got to from the green and started for the clubhouse.

  hand it to you. And I’ll work on Frank

  Doctor Van Brunt seemed utterly immediately. But why do you want Natalie astounded and Bret noticed that he cast and Hobart?”

  suspicious eyes in the direction of the radio

  “Not just sure myself. Anyway, it’s all

  transmitting station. Avery’s expression was to be a big surprise for everyone concerned.”

  one of baffled indecision. He stared at the

  “Who’s the villain in the piece, if

  dejected figure of Frank Robeson where it was any?”

  vanishing over the hill on the adjacent

  Bret laughed. “If I told you, you’d

  fairway. He stared moodily at Van Brunt and

  know as much as I,” he said, “No, Dudley, I

  then turned to Garrison. But he was unable to can’t open up yet. You arrange this party and I meet Bret’s questioning eyes. It was evident promise it’ll be a good one.”

  he did not want to talk.

  “I believe you. But I could crown you

  The game was over.

  for holding out on me. Glad I roped you in on THAT evening Bret spent more than two it?”

  hours in his laboratory before telephoning to

  “You bet. But say! Don’t tell anything

  Doctor Cowan. When eventually he did make

  to the police or the newspapers.”

  the call he spoke crisply, confidently. A

  “Think I’m crazy? There’s such a

  sprouting idea had taken root and was thing as professional ethics you know.”

  maturing rapidly.

  “Yeah,” Bret agreed thoughtfully,

  “Dudley,” he said to his friend, “the

  “there may be a matter of ethics involved at golf game was a corker. Gave me the clue to

  that.”

  the whole thing.”

  “You don’t say! And what is it?”

  AS Doctor Cowan anticipated, it required his

  “Don’t ask me now, Dudley. It’s not

  utmost persuasive effort with Frank Robeson

  entirely clear yet—all of it. But I want you to to bring him again into the ope
rating room at set the stage for a showdown.”

  the Medical Center. He had pleaded with tears

  “How? What do you mean?”

  in his eyes, and it was only as a personal favor

  “Want you to argue Robeson into to his old friend and advisor that Frank finally trying another operation. And I want Natalie consented.

  Robeson and Hobart Avery there at the time,

  The stage was set carefully. Hobart

  unbeknownst to Frank Robeson and to each

  Avery, much mystified by Cowan’s request,

  other. Have them in separate waiting rooms or was on hand early and had been taken to the

  somewhere. Also I want permission to prowl

  reading room on the ninth floor. Natalie

  around in the hospital during the operation.

  Robeson, knowing only that her husband was

  Will you fix it?”

  to try once more and intensely excited over

  “Pretty

  big

  order,

  Bret. And I don’t get

  the fact, was in a waiting room on the eleventh your idea. But I’ll do my best. Frank’11 be

  floor. Bret Garrison kept out of sight until the

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  wheel-table had borne the patient through the bacteriological laboratory, Bret paused at

  white doors of the tenth floor operating room.

  another door and produced the key.

  Then he might have been observed wandering

  “Van Brunt’s private workroom!”

  in the corridors with a small black box in his gasped Cowan.

  hands, a box that strangely resembled a radio

  “Yes,” said Bret drily, “and you’ll find

  receiver with a miniature loop antenna on its your friend in a vile humor. He was intractable cover.

  and I had to use a little rough stuff with him.”

  Thirty minutes later he waited at the

  “Ha!” chuckled Dudley Cowan,

  door of the operating room, his clothing “Hence the blue eye.”

  disarranged and a large welt appearing

  Bret grunted but did not reply. The

  beneath his right eye. The black box was no

  door was open and they saw that Van Brunt’s

  longer in his hands.

  laboratory was a scene of the wildest

  There came the sound of voices from

  confusion. Bound securely to a chair with

  within and the door burst open. Doctor strips of gauze bandage and with a gag of the Robeson, quietly jubilant, emerged arm in arm same material in his mouth sat Peter Van

  with Doctor Cowan. They conversed in Brunt, his usually immaculate clothing torn excited undertones.

  and soiled beyond belief. Frank swore.

  “Oh, there you are,” said Dudley “H-hm,” whispered Cowan Cowan, glimpsing Bret, “Want to tell you the admiringly, “and just see the other fellow. But operation was a success. One of his best.”

  what’s the idea?”

  “I expected as much.”

  “Good Lord!” exclaimed Robeson, in

  “Hello, Mr. Garrison,” Frank Robeson

  amazement, “what have you done to my

  greeted him, “Dudley’s been telling me you

  friend?”

  wanted to see me after I finished.”

  He was on his knees tugging at the

  “I do,” said Bret solemnly, “and I’m

  knots which held Van Brunt a helpless

  afraid you’ll not like what you’re going to

  prisoner.

  see.”

  “Friend?” growled Bret, “You’ll learn

  Robeson stared from one to the other

  how much his friendship amounts to. He’s the uncomprehendingly. He knew only that his

  bird who’s been putting you into all this

  affliction had passed from him.

  trouble, and if I hadn’t tied him up he’d have

  “What on earth happened to you?” done it again tonight.”

  asked Dudley suddenly, obtaining his first

  “Peter Van Brunt?” exclaimed Cowan

  good look at Bret’s rapidly swelling eye.

  incredulously, “Why he’s been Frank’s chum

  “Bumped into something I didn’t see

  since they were boys! Are you sure?”

  in time,” replied Bret sourly, “Never mind

  “You bet I’m sure! Here—watch this!”

  that. I wish you’d both come with me. And

  Van Brunt was free and he pulled

  Dudley,” he continued in an aside, “send for himself erect, facing his accuser with a

  the others.”

  sardonic grin.

  He led the way along the corridor to

  “Well, Mr. Sherlock Holmes,” he

  the private lift which carried them to the grated, “now that you’ve got the goods on me, laboratory floor. Doctor Robeson was seething I suppose I may as well confess.”

  with questions, but Dudley Cowan nudged

  Frank Robeson stared in amazement

  him into silence. He had seen Bret’s work

  from one to the other—at the chaos of the

  before.

  disordered room. He still could not understand Passing by the open doors of the and was boiling with indignation. At that

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  9

  moment Natalie entered the room. In a trice

  saw by his glance in its direction.”

  she was in her husband’s arms.

  “But how? How can this be? I’m not a

  “Oh Frank,” she breathed, “you’ve robot who can be controlled electrically.”

  succeeded. I’m so glad.” She turned and faced Frank Robeson was still unconvinced.

  the others. “But Peter; Dudley; Mr. Garrison,”

  “That’s exactly what you are, through

  she said, “what does this mean?” She no fault of your own. That’s another thing I surveyed the excited group.

  learned, or was led to suspect, out there on the

  “It means, my dear,” replied Dudley

  Kilgore golf course. When Peter Van Brunt

  Cowan, “that Van Brunt has been exposed by

  performed that simple operation on your spine Garrison. He’s the skunk who’s caused the

  several months ago he buried in one of the

  trouble.”

  nerve ganglia a tiny silver capsule. This

  “Peter!” Natalie’s voice was panicky

  capsule incorporated a miniature radio

  and she flushed to the tips of her shell-like receiver capable of picking up short wave

  ears.

  energy and conveying definite electrical

  “Is this true?” thundered Frank, facing

  impulses to your brain over that marvelous

  his former friend.

  network of telegraph lines that is your nervous

  “It must be,” replied Van Brunt, system. As you know from your laboratory unabashed, “since this detective friend of work with the oscillograph, the nerve impulses yours says it is.” He scowled darkly at Bret.

  are electrical; you have analyzed them

  “He knows dam’ well it’s true,” yourself by means of the electro-neurographs.

  growled Bret, who was itching to mix it again I found that Van Brunt had specialized in such with the oily-tongued doctor who now stood

  work. He knows all about it. And in sending

  brazenly defiant with arms folded over his

  his impulses to your brain through his cleverly chest.

  conceived radio means, he duplicated such

  “I’ll have to be shown before I’ll impulses as he knew would produce the believe it of him.” Frank Robeson was effects which proved so disastrous to you. It stubbornly loyal.


  was mere coincidence that the powerful short wave radiations from that television

  BRET picked his little black box from a transmitter produced results so very similar.”

  nearby shelf. “This,” he said, “is a short wave The listeners were awed to silence by

  radio receiver with a direction-finding loop these amazing revelations. Yet they could not antenna. With it I located the powerful refuse to believe.

  transmitter you see on that table. Van Brunt Hobart Avery had entered the room

  already had started it to queer the operation and now listened, white-faced. Natalie

  and I was just in time to stop him.”

  Robeson twisted her fingers in extreme

  “What,” asked Robeson, “has radio to

  nervousness. Her husband hung on Bret’s

  do with my failures?”

  words as if his very life depended on them. It

  “Everything. I tumbled to it when your

  was hard to have his idol thus brought

  spell came on at the eighth green out there at crashing from his pedestal. Peter Van Brunt

  Kilgore. You’ll remember we were very close

  was the coolest person in the room. He lighted to the transmitter operated by Avery’s a cigarette and inhaled its smoke with corporation. Van Brunt’s reaction led me to

  nonchalant satisfaction.

  suspect him at the same time. Though puzzled

  “Why, in God’s name, did he do it?”

  by the phenomenon, he at once connected the

  Doctor Frank’s voice was pleading:

  occurrence with the nearby transmitter, as I

  “That is one thing I have been unable