[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
an ether-wall around you the beads are dead now. If you feel anything like that under the wrist-watch,
breathe deeply, twice. If you don t feel anything there, it s safe for you to talk, as loud as you please.
I don t feel anything, Conway! she rejoiced. Tears forgotten, she was her old, buoyant self again. So
that wall is real, after all? I only about half believed it.
Don t trust it too much, because he can cut it off from the outside any time he wants to. Remember
what I told you: that necklace will warn you of any spy-ray in the ether, and the watch will detect
anything below the level of the ether. It s dead now, of course, since our three phones are
direct-connected; I m in touch with Bradley, too.
Don t be too scared; we ve got a lot better chance than I thought we had.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
What? You don t mean it!
Absolutely. I m beginning to think that maybe we ve got something he doesn t know exists - our
ultra-wave. Of course I wasn t surprised when his searchers failed to find our instruments, but it never
occurred to me that I might have a clear field to use them in! I can t quite believe it yet, but I haven t
been able to find any indication that he can even detect the bands we are using. I m going to look around
over there with my spy-ray . . . I m looking at you now - feel it?
Yes, the watch feels that way, now.
Fine! Not a sign of interference over here, either. I can t find a trace of ultra-wave - anything below
ether-level, you know - anywhere in the whole place. He s got so much stuff that we ve never heard of
that I supposed of course he d have ultra-wave, too; but if he hasn t, that gives us the edge. Well,
Bradley and I ve got a lot of work to do . . .
Wait a minute, I just had a thought. I ll be back in about a second.
There was a brief pause, then the soundless, but clear voice went on: Good hunting! That woman that
gave you the blue willies isn t alive - she s full of the prettiest machinery and circuits you ever saw!
Oh, Conway! and the girl s voice broke in an engulfing wave of thanksgiving and relief. It was so
unutterably horrible, thinking of what must have happened to her and to others like her!
He s running a colossal bluff, I think. He s good, all right, but he lacks quite a lot of being omnipotent.
But don t get too cocky, either. Plenty has happened to plenty of women here, and men too - and plenty
may happen to us unless we put out a few jets.
Keep a stiff upper lip, and if you want us, yell. Bye! The silent voice ceased, the watch upon Clio s
wrist again became an unobtrusive timepiece, and Costigan, in his solitary cell far below her tower room,
turned his peculiarly goggled eyes toward other scenes. His hands, apparently idle in his pockets,
manipulated tiny controls; his keen, highly-trained eyes studied every concealed detail of mechanism of
the great globe. Finally, he took off the goggles and spoke in a low voice to Bradley, confined in another
windowless room across the hall.
I think I ve got dope enough, Captain. I ve found out where he put our armor and guns, and I ve
located all the main leads, controls, and generators. There are no etherwalls around us here, but every
door is shielded, and there are guards outside our doors - one to each of us. They re robots, not men.
That makes it harder, since they re undoubtedly connected direct to Roger s desk and will give an alarm
at the first hint of abnormal performance. We can t do a thing until he leaves his desk. See that black
panel, a little below the cord-switch to the right of your door? That s the conduit cover.
When I give you the word, tear that off and you ll see one red wire in the cable. It feeds the shield
generator of your door. Break that wire and join me out in the hall. Sorry I had only one of these
ultra-wave spies, but once we re together it won t be so bad. Here s what I thought we could do, and
he went over in detail the only course of action which his survey had shown to be possible.
There, he s left his desk! Costigan exclaimed after the conversation had continued for almost an hour.
Now as soon as we find out where he s going, we ll start something . . . he s going to see Clio, the
swine! This changes things, Bradley! His hard voice was a curse.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]