The Black Star Passes | Page 7

as he uses it, by allowing two or more
constituents to react. It might well be simple enough to store them
separately, and the air-stream blowing past him would carry the gas
behind him, permitting him to lay a stream of it in front of the big plane.
Is that about it?"

"That was about what I had figured. One of the things I want to do
when I go with that Invalid Special tomorrow is to get some samples
for analysis."
"That's a pretty big order, isn't it, Dick? How are you going to handle it,
or even get it into your apparatus?"
"Easily enough as far as getting the sample goes. I have already had
some sample bottles made. I have one of them in the lab--excuse me a
moment." Arcot left the room, to return a few minutes later with a large
aluminum bottle, tightly closed. "This bottle has been pumped out to a
very good vacuum. I then swept it out with helium gas. Then it was
pumped out again. I hope to take this into some gas-filled region, where
the gas will be able to leak in, but the air won't. When it comes to going
out again, the gas will have to fight air pressure, and will probably stay
in."
"Hope it works. It would help if we knew what we were bucking."
* * * * *
The next morning Arcot had a long conference with President Morey.
At the end of it, he left the office, ascended to the roof, and climbed
into his small helicopter. He rose to the local traffic level, and waiting
his chance, broke into the stream of planes bound for the great airfields
over in the Jersey district. A few minutes later he landed on the roof of
the Transcontinental Airways shops, entered them, and went to the
office of the Designing Engineer, John Fuller, an old schoolmate. They
had been able to help each other before, for Fuller had not paid as much
attention to theoretical physics as he might have, and though he was
probably one of the outstanding aeronautical designers, he often
consulted Arcot on the few theoretical details that he needed. Probably
it was Arcot who derived the greatest benefit from this association, for
the ability of the designer had many times brought his theoretical
successes to practical commercial production. Now, however, he was
consulting Fuller, because the plane he was to take that afternoon for
San Francisco was to be slightly changed for him.

He stayed in Fuller's office for the better part of an hour, then returned
to the roof and thence to his own roof, where Morey junior was waiting
for him.
"Hello, Dick! I heard from Dad that you were going this afternoon, and
came over here. I got your note and I have the things fixed up here. The
plane leaves at one, and it's ten-thirty now. Let's eat lunch and then
start."
It was half-past eleven when they reached the flying field. They went
directly to the private office which had been assigned to them aboard
the huge plane. It was right next to the mail-room, and through the wall
between the two a small hole had been cut. Directly beneath this hole
was a table, on which the two men now set up a small moving picture
camera they had brought with them.
"How many of the gas sample bottles did you bring, Bob?" asked
Arcot.
"Jackson had only four ready, so I brought those. I think that will be
enough. Have we got that camera properly placed?"
"Everything's O.K., I believe. Nothing to do now but wait."
Time passed--then they heard a faint whir; the ventilator machinery had
started. This drew air in from outside, and pumped it up to the
necessary pressure for breathing in the ship, no matter what the external
pressure might be. There was a larger pump attached similarly to each
of the engines to supply it with the necessary oxygen. Any loss in
power by pumping the air in was made up by the lower back pressure
on the exhaust. Now the engines were starting--they could feel the
momentary vibration--vibration that would cease as they got under way.
They could visualize the airtight door being closed; the portable
elevator backing off, returning to the field house.
Arcot glanced at his watch. "One o'clock. The starting signal is due."
Morey sank back into a comfortable chair. "Well, now we have a nice

long wait till we get to San Francisco and back, Dick, but you'll have
something to talk about then!"
"I hope so, Bob, and I hope we can return on the midnight plane from
San Francisco, which will get us in at nine o'clock tomorrow morning,
New York time. I wish you'd