The Heat Ray by O Read online

  had fooled Crawford completely. When as

  “Humph!” said Mr. Crawford, who Anton Babel he had been discharged had read in some book that great executives

  following his desertion of the plane carrying talked like that.

  the Associated Mining’s pay checks, he had

  “I agree with you,” said the young

  found it necessary to bury his past and get a man.

  new job, establishing his identity as “Carl

  “Eh—what’s that?” gasped Mr. Thompson.” On the basis of this identity of Crawford.

  “Carl Thompson—first class pilot” he now

  “I said, did you want to see me?”

  pillowed his head on a brief case, and was

  Mr. Crawford consulted a card on his

  soon asleep.... Two hours later, by dint of

  desk, said “humph” again, and then much shaking and jerking, the driver of the condescended to talk with the young man.

  taxi got him awake, bundled him into the cab,

  “Yes,” he said. “I did. Your name’s

  and drove him down to the airport in time to Thompson? You came to us from California?

  have him change to flying togs before two

  Recommended?”

  o’clock.

  “Answering your questions in proper

  The Heat Ray

  11

  THE five-ton Langley left Chicago on Anton rose to the “ceiling” of his

  schedule time, with a merry-eyed youth in the plane—twenty thousand feet. He had no wish

  pilot’s seat and fifty passengers in the cabin.

  to be sighted from below.

  The trip to New Orleans had never

  Down on the ground “Slick” Nethers, a

  been accounted a difficult one, for the region fine pilot and a man high in favor with John over which the route lay was well settled, and Merton Graves, looked at his wrist-watch and the broad Mississippi was nearly always in

  cocked an ear inquiringly toward the north.

  sight in case the compasses went wrong. But

  “That route-ship should be comin’

  all this had changed with the establishment of over about now,” he said, dropping his feet to the bandit headquarters at Amberton, which

  the floor from the window sill where they had was well in the southwestern part of Illinois.

  been resting. “Wonder if we scared ’em out—

  Ships passing along the trail to New Orleans I don’t hear it.”

  had been the most frequently robbed; in fact, it Lan Higby, interestedly scanning the

  had become an afternoon’s pastime for the

  beauties of a lady on a magazine cover, said bandits to stop passenger planes in order to out of the corner of his mouth, “Get the

  replenish their pocket-money. Travel to New

  binocs.”

  Orleans had become actually dangerous, and

  Nethers removed the binoculars from a

  in consequence the number of paid fares had

  shelf, walked outside, and surveyed the

  diminished. Whereas formerly three ships a

  northern sky.

  day had been sent over the route, the number

  “Got ’im,” he said, with a smile; “he’s

  had now fallen to one, and that one was more way up! Must be carryin’ somethin’ valuable.”

  than likely to carry a light load. People went

  “Don’t seem as though he would,” said

  to New Orleans only when necessary; and

  Higby, “he’s certainly been stuck up enough.

  even the pilots began to complain of the He may have, though. Les’ go up and get danger to their lives.

  him.”

  Such was the situation that Anton

  Babel faced. He was a good pilot. Upon the

  JOHN MERTON GRAVES, passing by the

  death of his father he had refused the aid of door, heard the last sentence. “What’s this?”

  condescending relatives, and had entered an

  he asked, stopping. Nethers explained.

  aviation school. After two years of study and

  “Good,” said the other, “I say—wait a second work he had graduated, had immediately and I’ll go up with you. It’s confoundedly hot found a position with a Los Angeles firm, and down here.”

  had been sent by it to the Middlewest when

  They moved a plane from the hangar,

  the two companies merged. He was now clambered in and set it in motion. Once off the twenty-three, and as nearly happy as any man ground they shut down the helicopter vanes,

  can be who has seen his father killed before turned on the tractor motor, and rose in great, his eyes. He had one love—for aviation; one

  sweeping circles. Five minutes brought them

  aim in life—to find his father’s murderer.

  slightly behind and above the Langley. Graves A half-hour out of Chicago he sighted

  opened their radio circuit and tapped out,

  Amberton. He knew the town by the “Land at once,” the conventional opening numerous newspaper photographs that he, like threat of the air bandits. Anton, who, for the all the rest of America, had seen. One might sake of comfort, had removed his radio

  have thought, by the number of features and

  headphones, did not hear the signal. The big articles that had been written about the town, ship drove steadily on.

  that the country was proud of it.

  Graves pressed a button on the

  Air Wonder Stories

  12

  instrument board of his plane. In the Langley Good Book say, ‘Give one-tenth of your

  Anton suddenly saw a vivid beam shoot once,

  fortune to the poor?’”

  twice, thrice across his line of vision. He

  “Don’t get fresh!” jerked Nethers.

  started, and turned his head to the rear. Then—“Where’s the rest of the stuff?”

  Through the thick glass port-hole he saw a

  “This,” remarked Anton, bowing, “is

  small plane hovering, saw again the thrust of all.”

  that yellow beam.

  Anton’s blood raced in his veins. For

  NETHERS scowled again, but he said

  one brief moment he pulled his throttle wide, nothing. He went over to the Langley, thrust and then, looking up, he saw a little placard his head inside the doorway and ran his eyes pasted on the edge of the wind-shield glass. It down the long rows of leather seats. But he

  read, succinctly, “The Passenger Always saw no suspicious parcels, and so, after Comes First. ” Anton shut off power and put another prolonged scowl at the restless

  his ship into a glide. ... He landed on a gently-passengers, walked again to his own plane.

  rolling meadow.

  “That’s all,” he said, dumping an arm-

  After a moment the bandit plane load of assorted trinkets and money-containers floated down beside him. It swung around so

  on the runway. He clambered in after them.

  that Anton could see the queer box-like The bandit chief, changing to the pilot’s chair, apparatus under one wing; he noticed that it looked over at the Langley a moment before pointed directly toward himself. One of the

  starting the engine. And then, as it happened, bandits leaped to the earth and ran over to the the sun was reflected from the shimmering

  Langley.

  tail-surface of the passenger plane in such a

  “Snap into it,” he called crisply. manner that it shone straight on the window of

  “Everybody out. Line up here under the the bandit ship; and in that momentary glare wing.” He waved an automatic, suggestively.

  the head of John Merton Graves seemed, to an The passengers, in various stages of

  onlooker, to be suspended alone in the air.

  fright and amusement, lined up quiet
ly. And in that moment Anton Babel, turning to Nethers went down the line. “Shell out.” look once again at the robbers, saw a picture Wallets and pocket-books were handed over

  that was the duplicate of one that had met his without question; now and then Nethers would eyes three years before! Only for an instant see a ring or a dully gleaming necklace did the resemblance hold, but that instant left disappear, but a quick motion of his revolver him weak and shaking.

  was sufficient to bring the object to his hand.

  Without an instant’s hesitation he

  It was, on the whole, a rather dull and knew what he would do. He ran across the uninspired robbery.

  sward and caught the landing gear of the

  Anton was the end man, and when

  rising plane. Swinging his feet up, he twisted Nethers came to him he handed him them around the trusses and supports; he something very quickly. The other scowled at gripped the axle of the two wheels with his

  the object in his hand.

  strong fingers and hung on.

  “What’s this?” he asked.

  The wind howled in his ears, tore at his

  “A

  nickel,”

  said

  the pilot, coolly.

  hair, slashed at his raw face with cruel claws Nethers handed it back. “Keep it,” he

  time and again. The ground swam beneath

  said.

  him; the sky toppled and swayed above. He

  With an airy gesture Anton waved the

  was sick, dizzy, breathless, dying! He saw

  coin away. “Oh, no,” he said, “does not the

  mountains swing beneath him, forests leaped

  The Heat Ray

  13

  up and then a clearing. Then he saw buildings No one questioned him as he walked slowly

  rushing to meet him; and the little plane, as past the edge of the hangar and into the yard.

  lightly as a feather, came down on the landing He met no one as he crossed over to the tiny field. Forward it rolled for a few yards—with house, strode up the steps, and entered the

  the spinning wheels inches from Anton’s porch. There he halted, tense, as he heard face—until it came to rest in the darkness of voices proceeding from the door in front of

  the hangar.

  him....

  Voices sounded, and he saw three pairs

  ... “But really, Graves,” a cultured

  of flying boots strike the floor, one after voice came out to the listener, “It’s much another, and stride off. He dared not move.

  more serious than you think. I’m sure I don’t Greasy overalls came and pushed the plane

  know what’s become of the paper—it was

  farther on in a corner; finally dusk and quiet sheer carelessness of us not to make copies of reigned.

  everything before this— but the fact is that it He dropped to the floor and lay there,

  is gone. And it must be found.”

  exhausted. At last he summoned strength to

  “But why?” said another voice, curtly.

  crawl out and stood weakly, clinging to the

  “What’s so important in it?”

  strut of an airplane, while he oriented himself.

  The first voice went on patiently. “It’s

  The hangar was a place of shadows,

  a formula, one of the few that Babel devised.

  out of which the edges of the giant doors

  It explains the casting of the mirror glass

  showed as arched lines of white. A smaller

  without which the whole ray-projector is

  arch marked a side door. Anton moved to it

  useless. It has to be found. There’s nothing and opened it a trifle.

  else that can be of any avail.”

  “Come, come! Can’t you copy the

  HE saw three hangars stretching away from

  mirror glasses that you made for the first

  him in a long line. They were strangely quiet.

  projectors?”

  Not a motor sounded; only a few footfalls

  “No,” said the other, firmly, “we must

  struck now and then, as mechanics went out of have that formula. I know.”

  the buildings, locking doors behind them; the Graves flung his hand down on the

  whole scene was buried in the deep quiet of a desk and swore fluently until the other broke hot summer afternoon. Out of the corner of his in:

  eye he saw three figures enter a small house

  “For a leader of crime, Graves, you’re

  far to the left, and recognized one of them as singularly infantile! Profanity won’t do any the man who had held up the Langley five good.”

  minutes—or was it, five years!— before.

  “Well, then, what will? Can’t you do

  Anton looked down at himself. He was

  anything? Gawd knows I’m paying you

  dressed in the ordinary costume of the pilot: enough.”

  flying boots, moleskin riding breeches, white

  “I told you, it’s being searched for all

  shirt, helmet—with the leather coat removed

  over the shop now. If human efforts can find out of respect to the weather. A sudden it, we will. Just be patient—by the way, I impulse seized him: he stooped down, picked

  brought over all the rest of his papers. Have up a daub of grease, and smeared it lavishly copies made of them at once, will you? We

  on his shirt. He pulled down his helmet a little certainly don’t want anything like this to

  over his eyes, and stepped out into the happen again. There are two other formulas sunshine.

  here that are invaluable, and that couldn’t be It was even easier than he had thought.

  replaced if lost.”

  Air Wonder Stories

  14

  Anton heard the scrape of leather as a

  the hard steel of the gun in his hand; jerked battered portfolio was pushed across the desk around and halted Winston’s rush in mid-air.

  to Graves. He tiptoed nearer to the open He caught up the brief-case that had fallen to doorway.

  the floor and backed swiftly away, squeezing

  “All right, Winton,” said John Merton,

  with desperate abandon on the trigger. Bullets caustically. “But get busy and find that other began to spray from the blunt end of the pistol paper, or it won’t be so pleasant for you!

  and bore holes in the flimsy walls and floor.

  Besides, you’ve been taking altogether too

  The door handle turned in his fingers and he much of a high hand with me. Watch yourself, was outside.

  or I’ll show you mighty quick where you get

  There were figures running all around

  off!”

  him, and he turned the still spouting muzzle on them; watched them fade and vanish like

  MATTHEW WINTON laughed. Then he mist before a wind. He was running himself looked at his companion with amazement, for

  before he knew it, running back and forth,

  John Merton had straightened up and was

  wildly, like a trapped rat. Far off on the edge staring at something behind Winton’s back.

  of the flying-field he caught sight of a plane

  “Say, where d’you think you are?” standing with propeller turning idly, and he came from Grave’s lips. “Didn’t I tell you

  rushed blindly in that direction. Shouts arose; men not to get soused till Saturday? You somewhere revolvers cracked, and lead know you’re not supposed to come in here.”

  smacked on the concrete all about him. But he Swinging around in his chair, Winton

  was in the plane, and he raced the motor with saw a pale-faced, flaming-eyed man standing

  a roar like the fabled Minotaur. Down the

  in the doorway. The man was looking straight field, up, up, and still up! He was free!

  at Graves, and ther
e was neither respect nor Back in the ruined room, Graves had

  apology in that look.

  leaped to his feet the moment Anton was

  “I’m not drunk,” said the man, “and I

  gone. He dragged Winton to his feet, shrieking know very well where I am. I’m looking at a

  madly, “He’s got those papers!” and the two

  dirty murderer and a miserable, dastardly men stumbled out in the open air.

  coward!”

  “Get a plane!” shouted Graves. “For

  John Merton leaped to his feet. “What

  God’s sake get a plane! Don’t let him get

  the hell do you mean by that?”

  away! It’s life and death to us!”

  “Just this. Three years ago you shot

  A new ship was hauled out of the

  and killed an unarmed man, and robbed him

  hangar immediately, and Graves and Winton

  afterward. Then you shot his son and thought sprang into it. Again the beat of a motor was you killed him. You didn’t! I’m that son. My heard on the field, and again a plane took off.

  father was Anton Babel!”

  Watching the ship rise stood a motley mass of Blue flame spurted from the desk, and

  the bandits, and more than one of them shook Anton’s cheek burned as the powder stung it.

  his head uneasily.

  Then he had jumped to Winton, sent him

  staggering across the room, and shoved the

  WITH eyes on the compass and engine

  desk hard into John Merton’s stomach, as the opened wide, Anton kept just below the level latter fired again. He knew in that moment