THE ULTIMATUM
The sun was streaming through the windows when Lawrence awoke the next
morning. The valet had come in shortly before to throw back the
curtains with a slam, and by moving about the room, slapping up shades
and dropping boots, make the usual noises of a well-trained valet at
that time of the morning.
“Mr. Edestone is already up, sir,” he said when he saw that he had
succeeded in waking Lawrence, “and is having his breakfast in his own
apartments. Will you have yours here or will you go to the breakfast
room?”
“Breakfast room,” elected Lawrence sleepily. “What time is it?”
“Eight o’clock, sir. What will you have for breakfast, sir?”
“Anything and eggs,” said Lawrence, and was about to turn over and go to
sleep again when he realized where he was, and leaping out of bed to the
window in one bound stepped out into the _loggia_.
The Little Peace Maker had dropped down and was now only about a
thousand feet up; and when he looked down from his balcony, he could see
that she had changed her position so as to float exactly over the
Palace. It almost seemed to him as if he could step off and onto the
roof of this great pile of masonry. The airship, too, must have just
moved into this position, as was shown by the excited way in which the
little people below him were running away in every direction.
He had his bath, and hurriedly dressing went into the breakfast room,
where he found Edestone, who had finished his breakfast and was waiting
for him, while reading from a lot of slips of paper which he was turning
over in his hand. The master of the ship was dressed all in white and
looked refreshed after a good night’s rest.
“Good-morning, Lawrence,” he greeted him. “Did you sleep well?”
“Like a top.”
“And how is your hand?”
“I had almost forgotten it, only I did get the dressings wet while
taking my bath, but that will give me an excuse for passing the time of
day with the doctors. How is your head?”
“Oh, that does not amount to anything,” said Edestone. “It will be well
in a week. Have you seen the morning papers?” With a smile he handed him
a sheet on which was printed all the news of the day which the wireless
man had picked up during the night.
“The United States has not been heard from,” he commented as he glanced
it over. “I wonder what the Southern Baptist Union School Children will
think of me now? You know the Secretary of State thought I was a
Baptist. And as for him, why he will leave the State Department and stay
away until it gets too hot in Florida, or the lecturing season is all
over, while the President will write a most scholarly note to all of the
Powers telling them how much he loves them, and what a glorious thing it
is to be an American. He will then give an unqualified invitation to all
of the dark-skinned downtrodden criminals of Europe to come over and be
sprinkled with the holy water of citizenship, after they have made their
mark to their naturalization papers which have been read to them by
their interpreter.
“London reports that the news from Germany has filled the entire country
with new confidence,” he went on, “and that the Londoners have given
themselves over to the most un-English and thoroughly Latin
demonstrations by parading the streets and singing songs and indulging
in another Mafeking. I see, too, that Lord Rockstone is reported to have
said that he thought now the war would not last as long as he had
expected. The King has called a special meeting of the Cabinet for today
at 4 o’clock.
“Reports come from Rome that Italy will enter the war immediately, and
the papers point out the fact that now since her friend America has
joined the Allies it is high time that Italy should take her position.
“Petrograd reports that they have lost 100,000 men but have captured
250,000 Austrians.
“Constantinople,” he went on reading, “declares that the Dardanelles are
impregnable and that the city is perfectly quiet, but the Sultan and
half of his harem have moved to his summer residence.”
He laid down the printed sheet. “I have had no communication yet from
down there,” he said as he pointed down in the direction of the Palace.
“My international law department is drawing up a proclamation which I
will send as soon as it is finished. It will be along the lines that I
spoke of to you last night, but framed in more diplomatic
language. These are the latest bulletins I was just reading over when
you came in.”
Then while Lawrence sat eating his breakfast, Edestone continued to read
now and then bits of the different press notices.
“Listen to this,” he said with a laugh. “‘The twenty Taubes sent up to
make a night attack on the American airship inflicted great
injury. After using up all their ammunition and bombs they were forced
to retire before the large guns of the enemy. They all reached the
ground in safety. The tremendous explosion that was heard in the city
is thought to have been caused by the exploding of one of the large
magazines.’”
“What’s that from?” Lawrence glanced up from his “anything and eggs.”
“_Die Fliegende Blatter?_”
But Edestone did not smile, he was glancing at another of the slips.
“Ah,” he said in a sad voice, “I seem to have killed about one thousand
people last night.”
“Still,” argued Lawrence, “that was not as large a percentage of the
German Empire as they killed of your little kingdom.”
“No,” granted Edestone; “and as long as they insist upon treating me as
an outlaw I will be one so far as they are concerned. I will now go and
see if my ultimatum is prepared. I am undecided as to whether I will
send it by wireless or by a messenger.”
Lawrence finished his breakfast and while he sat in the _loggia_ smoking
his cigar and looking down over the city, he decided to ask permission
to carry the message to the Emperor himself. The idea delighted him,
and he pictured exactly how he would walk and speak his lines like the
prince in the story book. He only regretted that he was not to be
dressed up in spangles, like the heralds of old, and have the triumphal
march from _Aïda_ played by trumpeters from the Metropolitan Opera
House who would precede him in their brand-new Cammeyer sandals and
badly fitting tights but he decided that if said trumpeters were obliged
to read sheet music he would not allow them to wear glasses. He was just
making up his mind what he would say to the Emperor when Wilhelm fell on
his knees and begged him to intercede for him, as Edestone came in, and
blasted all these glowing dreams with a word.
“Well, it is done,” he said, “and I have given them until one o’clock to
answer.”
Lawrence was then formally introduced to “Specs” under his title of
Admiral Page, to Captain Lee, and the officers, and he spent one of the
most delightful days of his life, so much interested in what he saw that
he entirely forgot that he was a pirate, waiting to destroy a peaceable
city if it did not do his bidding.
Edestone had settled himself down for a quiet day of waiting, and
Lawrence amused himself by inspecting every part of the ship and talking
with all on board from the oil men to the Admiral.
“Admiral Page,” he inquired, “where do you keep the Deionizer?”
At which “Specs” peeped at him with a suspicious glance through his
thick glasses. “Has Mr. Edestone spoken to you of that?” he asked.
“Yes,” replied Lawrence, “but he did not explain to me its working.”
“Specs” hesitated to take even Lawrence into the holy of holies until he
had obtained permission from Edestone to do so. Having by telephone
communicated with him, and receiving his permission, he conducted
Lawrence up into the bow of the ship. After passing through several
heavy doors, which “Specs” unlocked, saluting the sentries at each, they
came to a great iron grille and he motioned to Lawrence to look through,
saying, “This is as far as I can take you.”
Lawrence looked through, and he saw what appeared to be the door of an
enormous safe-deposit k vault. “That,” nodded “Specs,” “is the door to
the safe in which the Deionizer is kept. No one on earth excepting
Mr. Edestone knows the combination that will open those doors. That is
run by a one hundred H. P. motor in the engine room, and from it run the
deionizing cables which run down the port and starboard sides of the
vessel.”
“Do you mean to say,” said Lawrence, “that I have no weight?” as he felt
his large biceps with an expression of pride.
This caused “Specs” to laugh, and in response to the numberless
questions put to him by the young man, he explained the different
mechanisms by which the weight of the ship and its contents was kept at
the weight of the amount of air displaced by it.
“So,” said Lawrence, “we are floating not by virtue of gas bags filled
with gas lighter than air, but by the amount of air displaced by all
metallic substances on this vessel, which for all practical purposes are
rendered lighter than air?”
“Yes,” replied “Specs,” with a look of pity for the other man’s
ignorance, “I suppose that is the way you would express it. If you
really want to understand, and are willing to give the time to it, come
to my quarters, and I will give you the scientific explanation.”
“No, thank you,” said Lawrence; “I’ll take your word for it, but I am
glad to know that when I get back to earth I’m not liable at any time to
be blown away like a thistledown.”
At lunch Edestone appeared very thoughtful and seemed to feel great
anxiety about the outcome of his note. They had observed that soon after
the message had been sent automobiles were coming and going from the
Palace in great numbers, and gathered that the Emperor apparently was
holding a council of war. They had also seen with powerful glasses that,
in certain parts of the city there was great activity of some kind, but
they were unable to ascertain exactly what it was.
“I cannot understand,” frowned Edestone, “how they can possibly decline
a proposition _pour parler_. I asked them to agree to nothing. I
assured them that I would use my influence in favour of a just
settlement of all the claims arising out of the war and of the incidents
leading up to it. I appealed to their humanity, and guaranteed as far
as lay within my power to protect the lives and property of Germans all
over the world if they would only stop all actual fighting until I could
make an exactly similar appeal to the other Governments that are
involved.”
Just then an officer came in and handed Edestone a wireless message
which had just been received.
Edestone read it hurriedly, but as he glanced up it was easy to see from
the expression on his face that he was pleased.
“Well,” he exclaimed elatedly, “these Germans are not so bad after all,
and if they will only give up the idea that they are the only people on
the face of the earth, the sooner will they get what they want. That is,
if they are telling the truth when they state they are fighting only to
bring religion, science, and culture to the entire world. They do
sincerely and honestly believe, I think, that this can be obtained only
under the German form of government, and many of the other nations would
be willing to admit this in part were they absolutely convinced of their
sincerity and did not suspect them of greed on the part of the merchant
class and ambition on the part of the war party.
“They have apparently received my note in the spirit in which it was
sent,” he explained, “and have agreed to consider carefully the
proposition which I have made. They only ask to be given until five
o’clock this afternoon to draw up in proper form their reply to me and
their message to the other countries. I am expecting every minute now to
see a white flag displayed somewhere on or around the Palace, which was
the signal agreed upon and is to be acknowledged by a similar flag
displayed by me. This is not to be considered as an indication of any
weakness on their part, or any surrendering of their rights or the
acknowledgment of my power, but as a truce which will last only until
five o’clock, or until such earlier time as I shall answer them. They
stipulate that I, as an indication of good faith, withdraw to some point
outside of the city, where it will be well out of range of my largest
guns, and in order to fix some location which will be perfectly
satisfactory they have suggested that I lie over the Gotzen See and have
established my exact position by the ruins of an old castle on its
north-eastern bank. There I am to remain until I receive their answer,
which if not satisfactory terminates the truce. They have indicated very
justly that they do not think they should be called upon to open
negotiations for an amicable settlement with me while the Little Peace
Maker is lying so close to the Emperor’s Palace and threatening it with
instant destruction.”
As it was impossible for them from where they were to see the Palace,
Edestone suggested that they go up on the upper deck.
“I hope that by the time we arrive on deck,” Edestone said as they
hurried along, “the white flag will be flying, and I sincerely hope that
this will mark the beginning of the end of this cruel war and the
realization of my hopes, the accomplishment of my life’s work.
“Ah,” he exclaimed as they arrived and looked down, “there she is! You
can see it on the large flagpole out in front of the Palace, while the
Imperial standard is still floating over His Majesty’s residence.” He
called an officer to him and gave him his orders:
“Dip my colours and then run them up to the peak again. Display a white
flag. Tell Captain Lee to call all hands, and get under way at once.
Drop to within four hundred feet, man the rail, and circle the
Palace. Haul down my colours and run up the German Imperial Ensign and
fire a national salute of twenty-one guns, and then run at top speed and
take a position over the Gotzen See at a point which I shall indicate.”
The ceremony was executed faultlessly, as he directed, and when the
Little Peace Maker, just skirting the tops of the buildings, cast the
shadow of its nine hundred feet of steel as it came between the sun and
the Imperial city, its big guns booming the national salute, the people
of Berlin must have been impressed, for when she circled at about four
knots they cheered. But when she changed her speed, and at one hundred
and eighty knots disappeared from sight, they must have been relieved.
At such speed it was only a few minutes before they were hovering
quietly over the old ruin on the banks of the lake, and they settled
down to spend the afternoon as they would have, had they been anchored
in Frenchman’s Bay off of Bar Harbour in the month of August on board
the _Storm Queen_.
It was a beautiful and quiet summer scene, and like a big trout in a
limpid pool the Little Peace Maker lay perfectly still basking in the
warm sunshine. Most of the ports were open and the men were lying around
enjoying the relaxation of the first dog-watch.
Although it was with difficulty that Edestone could keep Lawrence still
long enough, he forced him to join in a game of chess, which was
Edestone’s favourite form of relaxation. Lawrence, however, kept
continually breaking in with the suggestion that they go below and take
a walk among the ruins of the home of one of the ancient Barons of
Prussia.
From time to time, while waiting for Lawrence to move, Edestone would
consult his watch, and as the fatal hour of five approached, although
perfectly calm he was anxious.
With the finish of the game, Lawrence, who had chafed under the
confinement, insisted upon going on deck and talking with the officers
and men.
When next he saw his friend, Edestone was walking up and down the
general living-room with an expression of great anxiety on his face. It
was half-past five o’clock, and although Lawrence had entirely forgotten
it, he suddenly thought of the ultimatum.
“Well what did they answer?” he asked.
“Nothing,” said Edestone.
“And what are you going to do?”
“I am going to Kiel to sink one of their largest battleships, and see if
that will wake them up. We shall be under way in ten minutes and should
be there by eight-thirty o’clock. I have ordered ‘Specs’ to get under
way as soon as possible.”
Lawrence was delighted; this was the best yachting that he had ever had,
and he wanted to be in so many places at the same time that he ran about
like a boy on his first ocean trip. He was just going up the
companionway to the pilot house, where he knew he would find Edestone,
when he was almost knocked off his feet by the impact of something
against the side of the ship which felt as if it would tear out every
rivet and buckle every beam. At the same instant there was an explosion
which was worse than the black-powder explosion of the night before, and
he was just thinking how unkind it was of Edestone not to have warned
him before indulging in another one of his pyrotechnical demonstrations,
when it was followed by another and another.
He had managed by this time to get into the pilot house, where he saw
Edestone with an expression of rage on his face giving sharp peremptory
orders while the life was being pounded out of the Little Peace
Maker. In response to these orders, the ship suddenly shot up with such
rapidity that it seemed to Lawrence as if his legs would be driven
through the floor.
He was suffering great pain in his head and his nose was bleeding. He
could scarcely hear what Edestone was saying to him, but finally he
caught these words:
“So that is their answer, the liars! They have taken advantage of my
willingness to remain here quietly, and with their thoroughness in all
matters and their usual method of working in the dark, they have placed
me where they have carefully worked out the range of their
forty-two-centimetre guns. They hoped to be able to capture us, but
seeing our smoke, and realizing that I was going to move, they took this
unspeakable method of putting an end to the Little Peace Maker.”