Toplinsky Grinned Slyly to Himself
Without speaking his thoughts, Michael stepped to the side of the
room, and shoved a hidden panel aside, exposing to the view of his
companions a small room containing a lavatory and supplies. Thrusting
a plug in the white bowl he turned on a faucet and filled the bowl
with water.
“I did that,” he explained, “as a precaution in case the general turns
the water supply off of this apartment. It would necessitate
considerable work and a general overhauling but it is possible to stop
the water. With this bowl full we will have enough to drink until we
get to the moon—provided, of course, Toplinsky gets there in the time
he has allowed for the trip. But as for eats I am afraid that we will
have to get outside occasionally. My brother is the cook, and if I
could get out to the kitchen we could get a supply of edibles without
Toplinsky getting much too wise.”
Epworth tiptoed to the door of the companionway, opened it slyly, and
peeped out. A guard was standing in front of the entrance with a gun
in his hand. Toplinsky had disappeared.
“We will be watched constantly,” he explained, as he closed the door
softly. “There is a man out there with a gun on the door.”
He spoke despondently.
“Not so bad,” Michael said thoughtfully. “Probably he does not know
that Michael Strauss is in bad with the general. If I step out there
he may think that I have been placed inside as a guard, and I can get
a chance to knock him out.”
Epworth gave this idea consideration for some time. Finally he smiled.
“Did Toplinsky know that you were guarding us in the storeroom?”
“If he did it was an accident. He seldom pays attention to such small
details. I was sent in by Kosloff.”
“Fine. I see how we can eel out of this. You can go out, and talk to
the guard. While you are talking Billy and I will slip out and help
you knock him out; then we will drag him in here, put him in the
closet, and you can take his place. Toplinsky will not know that there
has been a change of guards, and will think that he is the man we
knocked out in the beginning.”
“Sounds easy.”
Michael nonchalantly opened the door, and slid out into the
companionway. Immediately the guard threw a gun down on him.
“You can’t come out here,” the guard snarled in a surly way. “The
general instructed me to let no one pass.”
“I’m not trying to pass,” Michael protested carelessly, “but I’m fed
up with guarding that bunch inside. How would you like to exchange
places?”
“Not me. I’m staying where the general put me.”
Michael carelessly stepped up to the guard.
“Got a cigarette?”
“Cigarette.” The guard smacked his lips. “I’m crazy for one but you’ve
got your crust asking for one. The general says that we are liable to
blow up the ship, as it is full of hydrogen gas. In fact, if he should
catch you smoking I’d hate to be in your shoes.”
Michael leaned negligently against the wall, and the guard lowered his
gun and turned half around. He was startled by a noise at the door. He
whirled but was too late. Epworth and Billy landed on his back like a
pile of brick, and Epworth’s hand closed over his mouth and throat.
Struggling fiercely the guard dropped his gun. Michael picked it up
with a chuckle, and slammed him on the head. The blow partially
stunned him and Epworth and Billy dragged him into Joan’s room, and
with a bedspread stripped into cords bound him. The second they
released his throat he sent up a loud shout for help.
“Take it easy,” Epworth advised, shoving the gun against his side. “If
there is any talking to be done Michael will do it.”
Michael did. Toplinsky heard the shouts and came running. When he got
to Joan’s room he found Michael on the outside acting as the guard.
“What is the matter here?” the general demanded harshly.
Michael saluted.
“They must be killing our comrade in there,” he responded somewhat
indifferently. “He has been howling loud enough to raise the dead.”
“Why do you not look inside?”
“You told me to stay here, and let no one come out,” Michael answered
stupidly. “I’m doing it.”
“Pig! All of you are pigs,” Toplinsky blustered. “I meant, of course,
for you to exercise some judgment.”
The giant turned the door knob and pushed. The door was fastened
tightly on the inside with a bolt but he heard a loud sputtering that
Epworth choked off quickly.
“Shut up!” Epworth roared. “I’ll choke the life out of you.”
“What are you doing to my comrade in there?” Toplinsky demanded. “I——”
“Just choking him a little,” Epworth responded amiably. “Of course you
do not mind a little thing like that. It hasn’t been two hours since
you left him in the storeroom to die. However, if he obeys me he will
not be hurt. I am only making a good fellow out of him.”
“Ah, ha, let it be so.” Toplinsky turned away. “He deserves some
punishment for falling into your hands.”
“Shall we leave our comrade in there without anything to eat?” Michael
asked innocently.
Toplinsky stopped short.
“We will have to feed them,” he replied thoughtfully. “I could not
think of leaving him there without food—or the girl either. As for the
two Americans—well we cannot feed our comrade and the girl without
feeding them, so when the dinner hour arrives you may instruct the
cook to bring them something to eat.”
Michael saluted and turned his face away to grin. Toplinsky strode
away angrily. He would fix the two Americans, he promised himself—fix
them plenty—when he got to the moon. They were prisoners aboard the
Aerolite, and he would find some method of disposing of them if they
undertook to leave the ship.
He grinned slyly to himself.
But he would have to dispose of them carefully. It would not do to
break his promise. No indeed. He must stand by his promises or his men
would go back on him. He couldn’t afford to allow this.
His method of eliminating that upstart Epworth must necessarily be
unique. But he mentally promised himself that it would be certain.