CHAPTER XXI
IN THE FACE OF ETERNITY
Hell popped just as soon as the newspapers could get out their extras.Monsieur X had at last struck, and both interest and belief urged themanaging editors at last to give publicity to all the theories, the facts,and the latest message from the fanatic Unknown.
The latter came about three o'clock:
"TO THE PEOPLE: You have defied me, and you have doubted my power. There is no good in you. I, who would have saved you, now must bring about your death as a stubborn and a stiff-necked generation. In humanity is no more good, and of this world I desire nothing more. Prepare within the next three hours to appear before a mightier throne than mine."
Percy Darrow, reading this, said to Jack Warford, "It is time to act,"and, accompanied by the younger man, quietly left the room.
The reader of imagination--and no other will read this tale--must figureto himself the island of Manhattan during the next two hours. The entirepopulation, nearly, tried to leave it at once. When only the suburbandwellers, urged simply by the desire for a hot dinner, attempt to returnhome between five and six, the ways are congested enough. Now, strickenwith the fear of death, the human cattle fought frantically to reach theinadequate exits of the great theater of tragedy.
There was fighting in the streets, and panic, and stark rumor, of course;and there was heroism, and coolness, and the taking of thought. To thelittle group of men in the top floor of the Atlas Building the roar ofriot came up like the thunder of the orchestra before the rise of thecurtain. Most of the people in the streets fled from a danger they did notunderstand. This little group in the wireless office realized clearly whatstill and frozen dissolution the rising of the curtain would disclose.They were not many; and they did not know what they were to do, ifanything; but they had not run away.
Eldridge was there, looking somewhat flustered for the first time in hislife, and four of the large committee that had employed him. Simmons satcalmly at his post, and of all the reporters Hallowell alone had stood by.He had faith in Darrow, and he knew that in the _Despatch_ office a littlehandful of men stood in the shadow of death on the off chance of thebiggest scoop since Noah's flood.
The four solid citizens looked at one another. The oldest turned toEldridge.
"Then your opinion is that the city is doomed?"
"I can offer no other solution, sir," said the scientist. "It is at lastevident that this man's power over ethereal vibrations extends to thoseforming heat-rays. If this is so, it follows that he can cut off all lifeby stopping all heat. If his threat is carried out, we can but lookforward to a repetition on a large scale of the City Hall affair."
The aged financier now spoke to Simmons.
"And the last report from the searchers?" he asked formally.
"The search is being pushed, sir," replied the operator, "by twentythousand men. There remain some fifty miles of country to go over, Mr.Lyons."
Lyons turned his shaggy head toward a younger, slim, keen-eyed man offifty.
"And the city will, in your judgment, Mr. Perkins, take how long toempty?"
"Days--in the present confusion," said Perkins shortly. "We can move onlya limited percentage. Thank God, most of our men are standing by. I thinkall our rolling stock is moving."
Lyons nodded twice.
"And you?" he asked the third of the party, a stout young man ofthirty-eight or so.
"How many stations are on the job, Simmons?" asked this man.
"All but two, sir," replied the operator. "D and P don't answer. I guessthey beat it."
"How do they report the bulletin men?"
"On the job," replied the wireless man.
The stout young man turned to Lyons.
"Well, sir," said he, "I don't know whether we or the hand of death willbe called on to quiet them"--he paused for an instant with uplifted hand;the roar and crash and wail of the city-wide riot surged into the gap ofhis silence--"but if it is we," he went on, "our little arrangements aremade. My men know what to do, and my men are on the job," he concludedproudly.
Lyons nodded again.
"We have all done our best," said he. "Now, gentlemen, I do not see how wecan possibly accomplish anything more by remaining here. My automobile isin concealment in the old stable in the rear of 127. My yacht is standingoff the Battery awaiting signal to come in. We have," he glanced at hiswatch, "over an hour before the threatened catastrophe."
He looked up expectantly. The men all glanced uneasily at one another,except Simmons, who stared at his batteries stolidly.
"Come, gentlemen," urged Lyons, after a moment. "There is really not muchtime to lose, for you know the yacht must steam beyond the danger zone."
"Beat it," spoke up Simmons, at last. "There ain't any good of you here.If anything comes in, I can handle it. It's just a case of send out ordersto your bulletin men."
"I think I'd better stay," observed Paige, the stout young man, with anair of apology. "I know I'm not much use; but I've placed men, and they'llstick; and if this freeze-out proposition goes through--why, they're init, and--"
"That's how I feel," broke in Perkins. "But you have done your full duty,Mr. Lyons, and you have no reason to stay. Let me get your car around toyou--"
"Oh, I'm going to stay," said Lyons. "If you gentlemen feel it your duty,how much more is it mine! Professor Eldridge"--he bowed to thescientist--"you have done your best, which is more than any other mortalman could have done, I am sure; and you, sir--" he said to Hallowell.
Eldridge and Hallowell shook their heads.
"I have failed," said Eldridge.
"I am a reporter," said Hallowell.
"We are in the hands of God," announced Lyons with great solemnity, andfolded his hands over his white waistcoat.
At that moment the door slowly swung open and Percy Darrow entered. He wassmoking a cigarette, his hands were thrust deep in his trousers pockets;he was hatless, and his usually smooth hair was rumpled. A tiny woundshowed just above the middle of his forehead, from which a thin stream ofblood had run down to his eyebrows. He surveyed the room with a humoroustwinkle shining behind his long lashes.
"Well, well, well, well!" he remarked in a cheerful tone of voice. "Thisis a nice, jolly, Quaker meeting! Why don't you get out and make a noiseand celebrate, like your friends outside?"
"Thought you'd ducked," remarked Hallowell. The others said nothing, butlooked a grave disapproval.
Darrow laughed.
"No, I had to come back to see how Eldridge is getting on." He cast aglance at the scientist. "How goes it, old socks?" he inquired.
The man's manner, the tone of his voice, seemed as much out of place inthis atmosphere of solemnity as a penny whistle in a death chamber. Darrowrefused to notice the general attitude of disapproval, but planted himselfin front of Eldridge.
"All in?" he challenged. "Or do you still cherish any delusions that youwill get your man inside of"--he looked at his watch--"eleven minutes?"
A visible stir ran through the room at these words. "Eleven minutes!"murmured Lyons, and held his watch to his ear. "It has stopped," he saidaloud. "It seems, gentlemen, that the only possible hope for us lies inthe doubt as to whether or not this Unknown will carry out this threat."
"He's a first-rate hand to carry out threats," observed Darrow.
"We have done our best," said Lyons calmly. "Let us compose ourselves tomeet everything--or nothing--as the fates may have decided."
"That's all right," agreed Darrow, with unabated cheerfulness. "ButEldridge and I had a little agreement, or bet. He bragged he'd get thisMonsieur X before I did. I'd like to know how he feels about his end ofit. Give it up?"
Eldridge looked at him rebukingly.
"I have failed," he acknowledged formally, "from lack of time to carry outmy investigation."
"From lack of brains," said Darrow brutally, "as I believe you once saidin private conversation about my old master, Doctor Schermerhorn. Thosethings are remembered. I am delighted
to hand this back to you." He eyedEldridge, the brilliant smile still curving his lips.
"Enough of this!" cried Lyons with authority. "This is unseemly in theface of eternity."
Darrow looked again at his watch.
"We have still six minutes, sir; and this is an affair of long standing,and on which I feel deeply. The score is settled," he said with entirerespect. "I am now at your command. I had intended," he went on in afrivolous tone again, "to kick to you on my gas bill. It is too large.You, as responsible head, know it is. But somehow, you know, the presencehere of you gentlemen has disarmed me. You don't need to be here; you allhave the facilities to get away. Here you are! I guess you can charge adollar and a quarter for gas if you want to." He looked from one to theother, while he carefully wiped back the blood that was flowing from thelittle wound in his forehead. "Eldridge acknowledges he has failed," herepeated.
"I fail to see how you have improved upon that failure," snapped Eldridge,stung.
"No?" queried Darrow. "I call Hallowell to witness that the game has beenfair. We had an even start; the data have been open to both." He raisedhis voice a little. "Jack!" he called.
Immediately through the open door from the hall outside came Jack Warford,leading by the arm a strange and nondescript figure. It was that of asmall, bent, old-looking man, dressed in a faded suit of brown. His hairwas thin, and long, and white; his face sharp and lean. His gaze was fixedstraight before him, so that every one in the room at the same instantcaught the glare of his eyes.
They were fixed, those eyes, like an owl's; or, better, a wildcat's, asthough they never winked. From the pupils, which were very small, thelittle light-colored lines radiated across very large blue irises. Therewas something baleful and compelling in their glare, so that evenHallowell, cool customer as he was, forgot immediately all about the man'slittleness and shabbiness and bent figure, and was conscious only of thecruel, clever, watchful, unrelenting, hostile spirit. As Jack dragged himforward, the others could see that one foot shambled along the floor.
"Gentlemen," observed Darrow in his most casual tones, "let me presentMonsieur X!"
Every one exclaimed at once. Above the hubbub came Lyons' voice, clear andcommanding.
"The proof!" he thundered. "This is too serious a matter for buffoonery.The proof!"
Percy Darrow raised his hand. Through the roar of the maddened city thebell of the Metropolitan tower was beginning its chimes. By the thirdstroke the uproar had died almost away. The people were standing still,awaiting what might come.
The sweet-toned chimes ceased. There succeeded the pause. Then the greatbell began to boom.
_One--two--three--four--five--six_ came its spaced and measured strokes.The last reverberations sank away. Nothing happened. Percy Darrow let hishand fall.
"The proof," he repeated, "is that you are still here."
From the night outside rose a wild shriek of rejoicing, stupendous,overwhelming, passionate. Paige sprang across the room. "Release!" heshouted fairly in Simmons' ear. The spark crashed. And at a dozen placessimultaneously bulletins flashed; at a dozen other points placardedballoons arose, on which the search-lights played; so that the people,hesitating in their flight in thankfulness over finding themselves stillalive, raised their eyes and read:
Monsieur X is captured. You are safe.
At that a tumult arose, a tumult of rejoicing.
Darrow had sauntered to the window, and was looking out. From the greatheight of the Atlas Building he could see abroad over much of the city.Here and there, like glowing planets, hung the balloons.
"Clever idea," he observed. "I'm glad you thought of it."
Hallowell was on his feet, his eyes shining.
"I've got the only paper on the job!" he fairly shouted. "Darrow, as youlove me, give me the story. Where was he? Where did you get him?"
Darrow turned from the window, and sardonically surveyed Eldridge.
"He was in the office next door," said he, after a moment.