The Black Star Passes | Page 4

bullet-proof glass made
his outlines a little blurred, and the color of his face was green--but
they knew there too must be that same pallor they had seen on the other
faces. The delicate instruments had brought in the great ship perfectly,
but it was freighted with a cargo of dead!
They entered the room and proceeded to the safe, but it was opened as
they had expected. The six-inch tungsto-iridium wall had been melted
through. Even this unbelievable fact no longer surprised them. They
only glanced at the metal, still too hot to touch, and looked about the
room. The bonds had been taken. But now they noticed that over the
mail-clerk's desk there had been fastened a small envelope. On it was
printed:
To the Officials of the San Francisco Airport
Inside was a short message, printed in the same sharp, black letters:
Gentlemen:
This plane should land safely. If it doesn't, it is your fault, not mine, for
the instruments that it carries should permit it. The passengers are NOT
dead! They have been put in a temporary state of suspended animation.
Any doctor can readily revive them by the injection of seven c.c. of
decinormal potassium iodide solution for every 100 pounds of weight.
Do NOT use higher concentrations. Lower concentrations will act more
slowly.
You will find that any tendency toward leprosy or cancer will have
been destroyed. It will kill any existing cancer, and cure it in about one
week. I have not experimented with leprosy beyond knowing that it is
cured very quickly.
This is an outside job. Don't annoy the passengers with questions.
The gas used cannot be stopped by any material I know of. You can try
it with any mask--but don't use the C-32L. It will react with the gas to
kill. I would advise that you try it on an animal to convince yourselves.

I have left stock in my new company to replace the bonds I have taken.
Piracy Incorporated is incorporated under my own laws.
The Pirate
On the desk beneath the note was a small package which contained a
number of stock certificates. They totalled $900,000 face value of
"Piracy Preferred", the preferred stock of a corporation, "Piracy, Inc."
"Piracy! Pirates in the air!" The field manager forced an unnatural
laugh. "In 2126 we have pirates attacking our air lines. Piracy
Preferred! I think I'd prefer the bonds myself. But thank God he did not
kill all those people. Doctor, you look worried! Cheer up. If what this
pirate says is true, we can resuscitate them, and they'll be better off for
the experience!"
The doctor shook his head. "I've been examining your passengers. I'm
afraid that you'll never be able to bring these people back to life again,
sir. I can't detect any heart action even with the amplifier. Ordinary
heart action sounds like a cataract through this instrument. I can see
nothing wrong with the blood; it has not coagulated as I expected, nor
is there any pronounced hydrolysis as yet. But I'm afraid I'll have to
write out the death warrants for all these men and women. One of the
people on that ship was coming to see me. That's how I happened to be
on the field. For her, at least, it may be better so. The poor woman was
suffering from an incurable cancer."
"In this case, Doctor, I hope and believe you are wrong. Read this
note!"
* * * * *
It was two hours before the work of reviving the passengers could be
started. Despite all the laws of physics, their body temperature had
remained constant after it had reached seventy-four, showing that some
form of very slow metabolism was going on. One by one they were put
into large electric blankets, and each was given the correct dose of the

salt. The men waited anxiously for results--and within ten minutes of
the injection the first had regained consciousness!
The work went forward steadily and successfully. Every one of the
passengers and crew was revived. And the Pirate had spoken the truth.
The woman who had been suffering from cancer was free from pain for
the first time in many months. Later, careful examination proved she
was cured!
The papers were issuing extras within five minutes of the time the great
plane had landed, and the radio news service was broadcasting the first
"break" in a particularly dead month. During all of June the news had
been dead, and now July had begun with a bang!
With time to think and investigate, the airport officials went over the
ship with the Air Guard, using a fine-tooth comb. It was soon evident
that the job had been done from the outside, as the Pirate had said. The
emergency pilot testified that