Islands in the Air | Page 8

the same as crippled autos are now towed to a garage."
Accustomed as I was to listening to the wonderful plans of my friend I could only sit and stare dumbly over this new scheme. Where would that mighty brain finally lead this man? And for the first time I began to fear the final results of his work. If he were able to perform such miracles they might lead him on and on to new fields and triumphs until grasping unseen and undreamed of forces he might innocently usher in a planetary catastrophe.
CHAPTER IV
Evil Premonitions
THE stock of our company--known as the Stiener, Bookman Airways Inc.--took the market by storm. In less than two weeks every share of both common and preferred was sold, and had I not been in on the ground floor with a large block of stock I would have considered I had lost a great investment.
Although Van Beck, whenever we ran across him--which was not often--continued to voice his praise of the Professor's latest invention, he took no stock in the company so far as we were able to learn. Although the Professor made no complaint I saw that his pride was hurt.
During the next week we were head-over-heels in work. What with perfecting the plans of the new organization and daily trips out to what the Professor termed the mother plant we often worked twenty hours at a stretch without rest. I had put my whole soul in the venture, as well as most of my fortune, but the closer I became associated with the Professor the more secretive and mysterious he became. I thought I had earned the right to know the innermost secrets of his plan which was to revolutionize the world, and Greta agreed with me. At last I faced his reticence with open rebellion.
"Tut, tut, my boy," he said soothingly. "Of course you have a right to know and you shall know. I will explain all."
"When?" I demanded harshly.
"Have patience. I have postponed my revelations to you that I might give you other and greater surprises. I will carry out other experiments soon and then I will make you master of all."
"Do you not realize that your delay to give me all details might easily wreck the whole enterprise? Suppose you were to die who would carry on?"
The Professor stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Perhaps you are right, my boy," he said at last. "Something might happen to me and then with my secret unrevealed posterity would lose a priceless heritage. Have the plane made ready, Greta," he continued turning to his sister. "We will go out to the plant, and then after I try out another idea of mine you shall know all, my boy, you shall know all."
I was athrill with joyous anticipation as we stepped from the plane beside one of the islands. Soon the Professor would draw aside the veil and allow me to view the pulsing heart of this marvel. And then I confidently told myself I would ask Greta the question which long I had wanted to ask. But there was to be another delay.
"I don't know whether it will work or not," suddenly said the Professor as if to himself. He began to act queer, jumping about from one thing to another muttering and shaking his head affirmatively. "Maybe I'll smash it" he said finally. "But we shall see--we shall see. Come, my boy," he added turning to me and eyeing me oddly.
He led the way aboard the island, and Greta soared into the air. In a few minutes we had risen to a height of two thousand feet. Then Greta gave another exhibition of the unique braking system of her plane by landing on the little field by our side.
"I am going over to the other island," announced the Professor. "I shall send it into the air and maneuver it horizontally. I will even come over to visit you, my boy. I shall step from that island onto this one. But if anything should happen to me--" he went on while I gazed at him in astonishment, "you must descend. Just pull this lever down and forward and press this--" He paused with his hand on the lever and looked at me steadily. "But I believe I'll have you meet me" he continued, his eyes burning and boring into mine. "It will make the test complete. Come, Greta, let's be going." He turned and clambered into the plane.
"Hold on--you have not told me how to meet you," I reminded unable to understand the sudden changes of his mind.
"Never mind," he said. "I'll try out my island first, then I'll send directions by Greta."
In another moment they had zoomed into the air leaving me alone aboard this strange contrivance of the sky.
As they winged away a sudden