The Black Star Passes | Page 6

impossible for his friend even to
follow the steps he suggested.
Since Arcot junior's invention of the multiple calculus, many new
ramifications of old theories had been attained, and many developments
had become possible.
But the factor that made Arcot so amazingly successful in his line of
work was his ability to see practical uses for things, an ability that is
unfortunately lacking in so many great physicists. Had he collected the
royalties his inventions merited, he would have been a billionaire twice

or thrice over. Instead he had made contracts on the basis that the
laboratories he owned be kept in condition, and that he be paid a salary
that should be whatever he happened to need. Since he had sold all his
inventions to Transcontinental Airways, he had been able to devote all
his time to science, leaving them to manage his finances. Perhaps it was
the fact that he did sell these inventions to Transcontinental that made
these lines so successful; but at any rate, President Arthur Morey was
duly grateful, and when his son was able to enter the laboratories he
was as delighted as Arcot.
The two had become boon companions. They worked, played, lived,
and thought together.
Just now they were talking about the Pirate. This was the seventh day
of his discovery, and he had been growing steadily more menacing. It
was the great Transcontinental Airways that had suffered most
repeatedly. Sometimes it was the San Francisco Flyer that went on
without a pilot, sometimes the New York-St. Louis expresses that
would come over the field broadcasting the emergency signal. But
always the people were revived with little difficulty, and each time
more of the stock of "Piracy, Inc." was accumulated. The Air Guard
seemed helpless. Time and time again the Pirate slipped in undetected.
Each time he convinced them that it was an outside job, for the door
was always sealed from the outside.
"Dick, how do you suppose he gets away with the things he does right
under the eyes of those Air Guardsmen? He must have some system; he
does it every time."
"I have a vague idea," Arcot answered. "I was going to ask you today,
if your father would let us take passage on the next liner carrying any
money. I understand the insurance rates have been boosted so high that
they don't dare to send any cash by air any more. They've resorted to
the slow land routes. Is there any money shipment in sight?"
Morey shook his head. "No, but I have something that's just as good, if
not better, for our purpose. The other day several men came into Dad's
office, to charter a plane to San Francisco, and Dad naturally wondered

why they had been referred to the president of the company. It seems
the difficulty was that they wanted to hire the ship so they could be
robbed! A large group of medical men and cancer victims were going
for the 'treatment'. Each one of the twenty-five hundred going was to
bring along one hundred dollars. That meant a total of a quarter of a
million dollars, which is to be left on the table. They hoped the Pirate
would gas them and thus cure them! Dad couldn't officially do this, but
told them that if there were too many people for the San Francisco
express, two sections would be necessary. I believe they are going on
that second section. Only one hundred dollars! A low price for cancer
cure!
"Another thing: Dad asked me to tell you that he'd appreciate your help
in stopping this ultra-modern pirate. If you go down to see him in the
morning, you'll doubtless be able to make the necessary arrangements."
"I'll do so gladly. I wonder, though, if you know more about this than I
do. Did they try that C-32L mask on an animal?"
"The Pirate was telling the truth. They tried it on a dog and he went to
sleep forever. But do you have any idea how that gas does all it does?"
Now Arcot shook his head. "I don't know what the gas is, but have a
lead on how it works. You may know that carbon monoxide will seep
through a solid plate of red-hot steel. That has been known for some
three hundred years now, and I have to hand it to this Pirate for making
use of it. Even in the war of 2075 they didn't find any practical
application for the principle. He has just found some gas that induces
sleep in very low concentrations, and at the same time is able to
penetrate to an even greater extent than carbon monoxide."
"I was wondering how he stores that stuff," Morey commented. "But I
suppose he makes it as fast