The Flaming Mountain: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story

  CHAPTER VIII

  The Governor Vanishes

  Far below the surface of San Luz, white-hot rock, flowing likeincandescent molasses, forced its way upward under enormous pressure.Sometimes the magma remained quiet for hours, pulsing slightly like aliving thing. Then it would melt its way through to a weakness in theearth's structure, creating a new channel for its upward flow.

  In one new channel was basaltic rock with a higher moisture content thanthe magma had encountered before. As the moisture turned instantly tosteam, it expanded with sudden violence, and the earth shook with theforce of the explosion.

  Far above the pocket, Rick Brant felt the earth tremble, and shook hishead. The temblors were increasing in frequency, although none had beenas violent as that first day's earthquake. The boy looked at Scotty. Hispal's face was grim.

  The scientists around the worktable had paused, too, as they felt theearth tremble.

  Esteben Balgos said quietly, "El Viejo is getting ready. If we are goingto act, it must be soon."

  "Act?" Connel demanded. "How?"

  Balgos shrugged. "That is what we are here to decide."

  Rick watched the geologist's face. He was sure that Connel, for reasonsunknown, was trying to slow down the project. He was satisfied that theman had stolen both the initial tracings and the dynamite. He also knewthat Connel lied. On their return from trailing him to Casa Guevara, theboys had found Connel having a cup of coffee in the dining room and hadasked casually where he had gone. He had muttered something about goinginto Calor for a supply of cigars.

  Hartson Brant asked, "What do you make of this series of tracings? Myown opinion is that we have found a structural weakness through whichthe magma will move. But the weakness does not extend far enough upwardto give any idea of the channel the magma will take to the surface."

  The scientist pointed to a series of blue lines as he spoke. Dr.Williams examined the lines, then took his pencil and began to sketchrapidly on his cross-section drawing of the volcano and the earth underit. Rick watched as the sketch took shape. From the upper lens-shapedmagma front Williams was drawing a series of lines that changeddirection, moving toward the western side of the island. Then, acrossthe top of the upward-moving lines Williams drew a horizontal line.

  "Those upward strokes are the fissures shown by the tracings," he said."Notice that they stop at the horizontal line. My guess is that thehorizontal line represents an unbroken stratum that will probably stopthe magma temporarily. We may even have another one of those lens-shapedpools develop."

  Big Hobart Zircon poked at the sketch with a huge finger. "Jeff, how farbelow the surface is this stratum?"

  "Slightly over a quarter of a mile, I'd guess. It's hard to be accuratewithin a few feet. On that side of the mountain the ocean bottom is afew hundred feet below sea level, and I'd say the hard rock is probablya thousand feet below that."

  Zircon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If we could somehow breach thathard rock and allow room for the magma to flow upward, what wouldhappen?" he inquired.

  Esteben Balgos exclaimed excitedly, "Once through the layer of hardrock, the magma would encounter plenty of surface water. Look at Jeff'ssketch. Above the hard rock there are many fissures, which must have ahigh water content. If the magma reaches those, we will have violenteruption through the western side of the mountain, probably right aboutsea level."

  Rick could see instantly what Balgos meant. "Dad, an eruption on thewest side would be perfect! The mountain itself would protect Calor andthe rest of the island!"

  "That's true, Rick," Hartson Brant agreed. "The problem is, how can wepossibly create a break in a layer of hard rock so far underground?"

  David Riddle answered him. "There's one way. Drive a tunnel down throughit."

  All eyes looked at him.

  "Can it be done?" Julius Weiss demanded.

  "Yes. If there's enough time, enough machinery, and enough manpower. Butlook at the problem. Once the magma starts to move upward through thosefaults Jeff has drawn, it will move fast. The tunnel would have to bedone before the magma started to move. Otherwise, the heat would be toogreat for men to work, and even if they could work they'd be drillingright into magma."

  "This stuff is beyond me," Connel said. "Let me know what you decide,will you?" He turned and walked from the room.

  Rick's eyes met Scotty's. The ex-Marine nodded, and in a moment quietlyslipped out of the room.

  Julius Weiss demanded, "Are you seriously proposing that we drive atunnel for over a quarter mile, almost straight down, through solidrock?"

  Riddle shrugged. "Do you know any other way of releasing the magmasafely? I don't."

  "Perhaps it could be done," Hartson Brant said thoughtfully. "But, asDave says, we'd need time, machinery, and manpower. I'm sure we can getthe machinery and the manpower from the governor. But do we have time?"

  Balgos and Williams looked at each other. They were the experts. It wasup to them to say.

  "How long, Jeff?" Balgos asked.

  "I don't know. If we assume the magma will continue rising at roughlythe same rate we've measured during the past few days, I'd guess perhapstwo or three weeks. On the other hand, the magma could find weaknesseswe haven't detected. We may have only a few days."

  "We'll have to try," Hartson Brant stated. "If the governor can give usthe entire labor force of the island, and all available earth-movingmachinery, we have a chance at least. If we do nothing, there's nochance at all. I think we should pay a visit to the governor right now."

  Scotty came back into the room. "Connel's in his room," he reported. "Ithink he made a telephone call, but I can't be sure without checkingwith the switchboard. Shall I?"

  "It doesn't matter," Rick told him. "We're on our way to see thegovernor. Connel can't stop things now."

  The scientists were already moving through the door and to the jeeps.Within a few moments the small convoy was moving down the mountainsidetoward Calor and the executive offices.

  Inside the cool, white stone building the group waited while EstebenBalgos went to see if the governor was available. He came out of theexecutive suite with a look of concern on his face.

  "The governor is not in," he reported. "His secretary does not knowwhere he is. The secretary's worried. Montoya didn't show up at all thismorning and his residence says he left at the usual time. I think we'dbetter see the lieutenant governor."

  Rick started to speak, but thought better of it. Connel had not comewith them, and his visit to Guevara could mean nothing.

  Jaime Guevara was a tall, thin man with a hawk face and a tiny goatee.Hartson Brant, as spokesman, got to the point right away. He describedthe reason for their coming, and their findings to date. He stressed theneed for fast action. In the governor's absence, he stated, they wouldneed the active support of Senor Guevara. If he would issue orders atonce, the scientific group would be happy to organize and supervise thework.

  Guevara listened until the scientists had finished, then he smiled. "Astrange tale," he said. "It is difficult to believe El Viejo is gettingready to erupt. Surely your imaginations have run away with you."

  "We do not depend on imagination," Balgos said curtly. "We depend onscientific investigation. The situation is precisely as Dr. Brantoutlined it."

  "No doubt," Guevara said soothingly. "But surely you realize I cannotdisrupt the economy of the entire island simply to dig a hole. Why, thepeople would laugh their heads off. No, senores, I am helpless. You hadbetter see the governor."

  "The governor isn't here and there is no time to lose," Hartson Brantsaid flatly. "You must act immediately if the island is to be saved. Thelives of your people are in your own hands."

  "Perhaps the governor will return soon," Guevara said. "He willdoubtless believe your story and take action. I regret that I cannot.And now, if you will excuse me?"

  "Then you will not move even to save the island?"

  "I do not believe the island is in danger, Dr. Brant," Guevara saidcoldly. "Convince the g
overnor--if you can find him. Meanwhile, have thefavor to cease bothering me with your silly tales!"