Islands in the Air | Page 8

the plan to me. "Think of an airplane
without any motive power. I am not thinking of gliders," he added with

a deprecatory wave of the hand. "I am thinking of an airplane sailing
through the air without any motor or other visible means of locomotion,
controlled by power stations on earth which can be fifty miles or more
apart, through the medium of my device located on the plane. The
future plane, disabled in the air, will not fall like a plummet and crash,
or have to glide down and make a forced landing for repairs," he went
on eagerly. "It simply will radio to the nearest hangar island, a repair
plane will then slip off through the air, hitch to the nose of the disabled
plane and tow it to the island just 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