CHAPTER XXVII
The news of the coming of the expeditions was allowed to spreadwithout comment through the works, and, to the intense surprise of thethree involuntary guests of the Trust, no apparent precautions weretaken to protect the works or the harbour in which the _Nadine_ andthe _Washington_ were now lying against the coming of what everyoneknew could be nothing but a hostile force. The two vessels having madetheir report, filled their bunkers and steamed out of the harbouragain to the southward and westward. The great engines purred on,still draining Europe and Asia of their vital essence. An aerographmessage was sent to King Edward and the President of the UnitedStates. The one to King Edward informed his Majesty that the presidentand board of trust, while insisting upon the terms of the circularthey had addressed to the Powers of Europe, and giving fair warning ofwhat would happen if those terms were ignored, were perfectly contentto leave everything else in His Majesty's hands.
The message to the President gave him all the news that there was togive, and informed him that as soon as the King's decision wasannounced the engines would be stopped, the insulators removed, andthe electrical and magnetic currents allowed to flow back over theirnatural courses, the result of which would be that, in fromtwenty-four to thirty-six hours, normal conditions would bere-established, and the business of the world could go on as usual.All fighting, however, save under a war-tax of a dollar per head perweek of men engaged in armies and fleets would be prohibited. If thiscondition, which the London manager of the Trust had been instructedto lay before His Majesty and the foreign Ministers in London, wereviolated, the engines would be started again, with the same results asbefore.
It was about eight o'clock in the evening of the same day, to put itin conventional terms, for the long summer twilight of Boothia Landknew no morning and no evening, that the huge shape of the Russianice-breaker, followed by her three consorts, one a genuinewooden-built exploring ship and the others, to a nautical eye,unmistakably steel cruisers disguised with wooden sheathings, roundedCape Adelaide into the bay. A couple of miles behind them came thethree ships of the French expedition, an antiquated cruiser fittedwith the best modern guns, and two obsolete coast-defence ships, slowbut strong, and also armed with formidable guns.
"So your friends have come at last," said Miss Chrysie to Adelaide andSophie as they were taking their evening promenade along one of thebroad parapeted walls which formed the quadrangle of the works."Somehow I always thought it was this pole they were going to lookfor, not the other one. I reckon they allowed there was a lot more tobe found here than up north yonder."
"Of course they did," said Adelaide, with a low laugh that had awicked ring in it. "There is no need for diplomacy now. Here is theworld-throne, the seat of such power as man never wielded before.Here, within these four great walls, are contained the destinies ofall the nations on earth. Here is everything; anywhere else nothing.Pah! is it not worth fighting for?"
"My dear marquise," said Sophie, "do you not think that you areletting your feelings run away with you? I grant you they are natural,but----"
"But I guess that's what she means all the same," said Chrysie; "and Idon't like her any the less for saying it. Those scientificexpeditions of yours have just come out here to take the works bystorm, if they can, and run the show on their own. Well, that's war,and we're not going to grumble at it. We've made war on Europe, andEurope's feeling pretty sick over it; but I'll tell you honestly thatthe sickness of Europe just now isn't a circumstance to what thoseexpeditions are going to experience if they try to rush these works byforce, and they won't get them any other way. Well, now I see thatsome of the people are going down to the steam launch. Shouldn'twonder if Lord Orrel and poppa were sending your friends an invitationto supper, or breakfast, or whatever you'd call it in this everlastingdaylight. I reckon that would be quite an interesting littlesurprise-party, wouldn't it?"
"Delightful!" said Sophie, her quick wits already at work on theproblem of how to turn such a surprise-party to the advantage ofRussia. After all, when the supreme moment came, it might be possible.Victor Fargeau would be there on the French expedition, with all theinformation required to keep the works in operation, or to give thesoul which they had stolen from the world back to it. Even at the lastmoment it was still possible to triumph.
Almost at the same instant similar thoughts were passing throughAdelaide's brain. Here were both expeditions. They had arrived at thepsychological moment. She knew that the ships were armed with thefinest weapons that modern science could create. There were hundredsof trained sailors, gunners, and marines on board. The works werewithin easy range of the bay, where the Russian ships were even nowcoming to an anchor. Surely in the face of such a force--a force whichcould wreck even these tremendous works--the Masters of the Worldcould do nothing but surrender. At the same time, she would have givena good deal to have had in her pocket the dainty little revolver whichshe knew Miss Chrysie had in hers.
While they were talking, the French expedition, of which one of theships had broken down and been compelled to refit at Halifax, delayingboth expeditions over a week, in addition to the coaling, rounded CapeAdelaide and proceeded to anchor. There were now six armed vessels inthe bay, at a distance of about four miles from the works.
A glance through a pair of field-glasses from the walls made it plainthat all disguise had now been thrown aside. The joint Polarexpeditions were now frankly hostile squadrons. The great ice-breakermounted two six-inch guns forward, one aft, and six twelve-poundquick-firers on each broadside. The wooden exploring ship carried noheavy metal, but the disguised cruisers had mounted all their guns;the French vessels, too, frankly bristled with weapons, from gunscapable of throwing a 100-lb. shell down to one-pound quick-firers andMaxims. In short, if the works had been a hostile fortress no moreunmistakable demonstration could have been made against them by abeleaguering squadron.
But although there was no mistaking the errand of the ships, andthough it was plain that they had been expected, the guest-prisonerswere astounded to find that, so far as they could see, not theslightest preparations were taken for defence. There was not a gunvisible, and everyone, chiefs and workmen, went about their businesswithout the slightest show of concern. The vast quadrangle stoodamidst the rocks and sand of the wilderness, dark, silent, andinscrutable, and the huge engines purred on unceasingly, and AustinVandel sat at his instruments in the telegraph-room, awaiting the wordfrom the King of England, which alone could stop them.
"They are inscrutable, these people," said Sophie to Adelaide whenChrysie had left them on the wall to answer a message from her father."They know that the guns on those ships could level even these hugewalls with the ground in a few hours, wreck their machinery--thoughour friend Victor would scarcely allow them to do that if he couldhelp it--and bring them to the choice between surrender and death; buthere they are, going on with their work as usual, and not even takingany notice of the arrival of the fleet. Mr Vandel told papa that theyhave 100-lb. dynamite guns, but where are they?--there's not a weaponof any kind to be seen."
"That doesn't say that they are not here, my dear Sophie," repliedAdelaide. "In fact, I confess that this very silence and apparentcarelessness may hide some terrible possibilities. You know what aneasy prey we thought we should find the _Nadine_, and you saw whathappened to the _Vlodoya_. Frankly, I tell you I do not think that thesuccess of the expeditions is at all certain. You never know whatthese diabolical people with their new inventions are going to donext. Look how that hateful American girl has outwitted us all along;and yet she's as friendly as possible all the time."
"Except when she was firing on the _Vlodoya_ with that horrible gun ofhers," added Sophie. "Don't you wish you had that revolver of hers?"
"I would give my soul for it," replied Adelaide, between her clenchedteeth.
"And if you had it, what would you do with it?"
"Kill her first, and then him," came from between the marquise'sclenched teeth.
"What!" said Sop
hie, with a vicious little laugh, "kill the man forwhose sake you were willing to betray all our plans and perhaps loseus the control of the world? Why, your first condition was that noharm should come to him."
"I had hopes then, I have none now," she replied, in a tone thatsounded like a snarl. "He has found me out, and I have lost him; andwhen you have lost a man, why should he go on living? I have lovedhim; yes, perhaps I love him still in some strange way; but you arewoman enough and Russian enough, Sophie, to know that I would ratherbe a mourner at their funeral than a bridesmaid at their wedding."
"My dear Adelaide," said Sophie, slipping her arm through hers, "thatis an excellent sentiment excellently expressed. Now I see that youare with us entirely. We are really true allies now, and it rests withus and papa to make the success of the expedition a certainty. Willyou promise me that if matters come to an extremity, as they certainlywill do in a few hours, you really will shoot Ma'm'selle Chrysie andthis absurd Englishman who has preferred an American hoyden to themost beautiful woman in Europe?"
"Yes; if I could, I would do it. I would swear that to you on acrucifix," replied Adelaide de Conde, in a low tone that had a hissrunning through it.
"Then come down to my room and I will show you something," saidSophie. "I dare not do it here, for you never know what eyes arewatching you."
When they reached Sophie's apartment she put her hand into theside-pocket of a long fur-trimmed cloak that she was wearing, and tookout Miss Chrysie's revolver.
"There it is," she said, handing it to the marquise. "You have told methat you are a good shot, so you can use it better that I can. I hopeyou will use it at the right time and won't miss."
"But how?" exclaimed Adelaide, staring at her in amazement as she putout her hand for the dainty little weapon.
"How!" laughed Sophie. "My dearest Adelaide, we have to learn manythings in such a service as ours. Miss Chrysie did not know that shewas walking and talking just now with one of the most expertpickpockets in Europe. Why, I once stole an ambassador's letter-casewhile I was waltzing with him. He was terribly upset, poor man, and ofcourse I sympathised with him; but it was never found, and thecontents proved very useful."
"You are wonderful, Sophie!" exclaimed Adelaide, as she put therevolver into her pocket. "And, of course, all things are fair inlove, war, and diplomacy. Well, you have no need to fear that I shallnot use this."
At this moment there was a knock at the door, and the count came in.
"Well, papa," said Sophie, "have you any news? What are these peoplegoing to do? Have you been able to persuade them to surrender to theexpedition?"
"On the contrary, my dear Sophie," he replied, "they are moreinexplicable than ever. Would you believe it that Lord Orrel hasactually asked me to go down with him to the port and ask the Frenchand Russian leaders of the expedition to dinner, the invitation toinclude our excellent friend Victor Fargeau?"
"That is only a plot!" exclaimed the marquise; "a shallow plot to getthem into the works and make them prisoners. Of course they will notbe so idiotic as to come."
"It is difficult," said the count, "to see how they could refuse sucha hospitable offer without at once declaring hostilities. We do notknow how the works are defended, or what unknown means of destructionthese people may possess, and, to be quite candid, I do not think thatour hosts would be guilty of an act of treachery. You know theseAnglo-Saxons are always chivalrous to the verge of imbecility. Forinstance, if the tables had been turned, should we have treated themas they have treated us? I think you will agree with me that we shouldnot. No; I have no fears whatever on that score, and I shall supportLord Orrel's invitation with the most perfect confidence."