THE COUNTERPLOT
“Tell me, Professor,” said Kearns to Dean at fourteen o’clock on the
following day, “I’ve reason to believe I’ll need you badly in clearing
up matters here. Will you help me?”
“I’m a little hurt at the question,” replied the Professor. “I should
have hoped you would have taken the answer as a matter of course. How
long will you need me? I’m at your service regardless of the length of
time; but I ask because the last thing General Mainwarren did before
leaving for Pennsylvania this morning was to request me to communicate
with him speedily regarding the offer which he made me.”
“How long shall I need you?” repeated Kearns reflectively. “I can’t
say. That depends, I imagine, largely upon you.”
“Very well,” answered Professor Dean, “General Mainwarren will have to
wait. Suppose you begin by telling me how I can be of use to you.”
“I have already explained to you the nature of the case,” said Kearns.
“I had another interview with His Nibs--that is--ah--His Majesty, I
mean--this morning, but it did not result in my ascertaining anything
of value beyond that which I already knew.”
“Indeed!” commented the Professor.
“No. It seems,” continued Kearns, “that after returning from the ball,
the King immediately disrobed, retired, and was soon sound asleep. He
was awakened by a sharp bark from the dog and sprang up just in time to
see the animal fall in its death agony. At the same moment he noticed
the flutter of the white paper on the floor.”
“Was there no sound of a shot--no smoke?” asked the Professor.
“No,” answered Kearns, “but there’s nothing wonderful in that, because
I’ve found that to-day there exists not only a smokeless powder, but
also one that’s noiseless. Moreover, they have powerful compressed-air
guns from which such a shot could have been noiselessly fired.”
“Quite so,” assented the Professor. “And what is your theory as to how
that paper came there?”
“Gently, Professor,” exclaimed Kearns. “Let’s take up matters in
their regular order. We’ll put off the discussion of that point for
the moment. I’ve told you what the paper contained. It was simply a
warning, accompanied by the threat that the next warning received would
be the last. It was a brief document compared to others the King has
received.”
“Indeed!”
“Yes; the visit of last night was the fourth. Upon the first occasion,
the King found beside his couch a lengthy document embodying demands
and threats.”
“And what was the nature of these demands?”
“Oh, they were quite lengthy and detailed,” answered Kearns, “and were
in the nature of demands that he should bring about certain industrial
and economic changes, after which he was to abdicate and restore the
country to a Republic, with either a President elected for a term
of years, or at most a life President. Failing to comply with these
demands, he was threatened with death as a usurper and an enemy of the
people.”
“From whom is this document supposed to have emanated?” asked Professor
Dean.
“To find that out,” answered Kearns, “is the very mission upon which I
am employed. I’ve learned that there exists, as might be expected, a
strong body among the people who are opposed to the new order of things
and want to restore the Republic upon substantially its original lines.
They are what we would call revolutionists, but the term given to them
at the Court is ‘Reactionists.’ They are a secret body, much like the
Nihilists of Russia, and all efforts to discover and uproot them have
so far proved unavailing. Here and there certain conspiracies have been
from time to time unearthed and the conspirators either executed or
imprisoned, under High Treason laws which are now in full force. The
captured men have always suffered like martyrs and have gone to their
doom resisting all temptations to make disclosures. It’s known that the
Reactionists are divided into bodies governed by presidents and that
over them all is one supreme, able and powerful head known as the High
President. Beyond this, practically nothing has been discovered by the
spies of the King.”
“You’ve raised a very serious question,” said the Professor gravely.
“As true Americans, with whom ought our lot to be cast? With the
monarchy, or with these--these Reactionists?”
“I’ve thought of that,” answered Kearns, “but what are we to do?
We’ve tumbled into this state of affairs, and it seems to me we
must take things as we find them. The monarchy to us is a visible
and tangible fact, whereas if we started out to-morrow to find the
Reactionists we wouldn’t know where to look for them, nor whether they
would want anything to do with us if we found them. Remember, too,
that here we are, pitchforked into this new world, without visible
means of support, and the first thing for a man to do is to find a
sphere of occupation and employment. I’m retained to make certain
discoveries in my particular line of professional usefulness. I’m
like a scientist employed to analyze the contents of a particular
stomach, or an advocate retained to present a certain line of facts
favorable to a given side. I disclose the results of that analysis,
or I present that particular line of facts regardless of those who
may be affected thereby. It’s strictly in the line of my professional
activity--entirely within the scope of my professional work and
entirely conventional and proper. It doesn’t seem to me that it would
be wise, though, for us to plunge into the troubled sea of politics--at
least for the present.”
“There is much truth in what you say,” replied the Professor. “Such
discussion is, I suppose, fruitless. What more did you discover?”
“First let me ask you a few questions,” retorted Kearns. “How about
that steering balloon--that air-ship--of yours? How near was it to
completion when you went to sleep?”
“My air-ship!” repeated the Professor with astonishment. “The
invention, as far as related to all the main points of discovery, was
practically completed at the time this misfortune befell us.”
“Misfortune!” repeated Kearns. “I really don’t know whether that’s the
right way to put it. Remember if it hadn’t been for that misfortune,
you and I would be shades, playing harps upon some damp cloud, for
perhaps the last quarter of a century. A live scientist is worth a
dozen dead geniuses any time. However, never mind about that. Let’s
come back to the balloon.”
“The air-ship!” corrected the Professor.
“Well, then, the air-ship,” continued Kearns. “Tell me about it.”
“Ah,” exclaimed the Professor with enthusiasm, “that involves quite an
explanation on the subject of aëro-mechanics.”
“Is it like a balloon?” questioned Kearns.
“My dear sir,” exclaimed the Professor, “my air-ship differs as much
from a balloon as a modern steamship from a mediæval caravel. Drifting
aimlessly about between earth and sky in a balloon at the mercy of the
air currents is one thing; to travel rapidly through space and navigate
the air at will is an entirely different proposition. This latter is
what my air-ship does.”
“Ah!”
“Yes; not only are you enabled in my air-ship,” continued the
Professor, “to travel through space at a rate of speed exceeding
that of the fastest steam engines of our time, but you can navigate
absolutely at will. The motive power is stored electricity, joined
to a new force which I discovered, and which is one of the important
features of my invention. I’ll not touch upon the suspensory power,”
continued the Professor, launching forth upon his theme with the
enthusiasm of the scientist, “for that is too simple. Let me explain
to you the combined motor and atmospheric counter resistant forces by
which the aërial guidance is ensured. Imagine a central turret--we
owe the basic invention on this point to the distinguished scientist
Roowalter--a central turret, I say, furnished with powerful concentric
screws connected with a number of lateral phalanxes, or----”
“Merciful powers, Professor!” cried Kearns, “you make my head swim.
Why, man alive, you might as well explain all this to a stone wall as
to me, for all I understand of it. Your thing floats and travels fast
and can be steered, eh?”
“Precisely,” answered the Professor indulgently.
“And how big is it?”
“You can build it any size you please,” replied the Professor. “It can
be built so large as to----”
“What is the smallest practical size?”
“About as small as an ordinary row-boat, only somewhat deeper and more
pointed at the prow.”
“It can be made to stand absolutely still in space?” continued Kearns.
“Again, I will compare it to a row-boat,” replied the Professor.
“If the motor power be shut off it will remain practically still,
drifting more or less lightly in the air currents, just as a row-boat,
unpropelled by the oars, drifts in the water according as the currents
are more or less strong.”
“But suppose you could grapple with an anchor or other attachment, to
the trunk of a tree, or the side of some structure, would it take much
force to hold your machine perfectly still?” questioned Kearns.
“Very little,” answered the Professor, “in fact, I can again best
illustrate by suggesting a row-boat held steady by a boat-hook.”
“Just so,” answered Kearns slowly and with a thoughtful air; “I think I
understand. And how long,” he continued, after a moment’s reflection,
“would it take you to build a machine of this character?”
“Of what size?”
“Oh, the smallest size.”
“That would depend,” answered the Professor, “upon the facilities at
my command. Given a shop fully and efficiently equipped, I could turn
out my air-ship in a remarkably short time. Like most good things, it
presents the merit of much simplicity after once the right principles
have been discovered. You see----”
“What do you call a short time,” interrupted Kearns, “assuming you had
the highest facilities?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t like to specify exactly----”
“Tell me,” broke in Kearns impetuously; “would it be a day--a month--a
year?”
“Since you insist,” replied the Professor, “under pressure and assuming
that I was furnished with the highest facilities, my invention is so
well advanced and the practical details are so clearly outlined in my
mind that I could produce an air-ship of the smaller type in from two
to three weeks.”
Kearns sprang forward with a joyous exclamation.
“Professor,” he cried, “you shall build that machine. You shall have
the highest facilities--the very highest facilities--I promise you, but
it must be ready within a month at latest!”
“Why--why--what do you mean?” exclaimed the Professor with mingled joy
and astonishment.
“Never mind!” retorted Kearns. “Suffice it that the King will refuse me
nothing I need to assist me in my investigations. And now, I have one
other question to ask. Does your machine leak at times?”
“Leak!” repeated the Professor, bewildered.
“Well, I mean,” explained Kearns, “does it ever exude, drop, drip, let
fall--or whatever you like to call it--a liquid of any kind?”
“Oh, I see what you mean!” exclaimed the Professor, his face lighting
up. “Why, yes. To the right side and below the level of the main
turret, there is a secondary storage box. The decomposition of the
chemicals in this box produces the power to----”
“Now, Professor,” interrupted Kearns, “please don’t wax technical.
Remember, as I told you, a stone wall is a light and airy thing
compared to my density as to matters mechanical.”
“Very well, O marvel of density!” retorted the Professor with light
sarcasm; “I will endeavor to explain so that even your benighted brain
may grasp and understand. What would you do if you had a grate full of
coals and the coals had burned out and you wanted more fire?”
“I suppose,” replied Kearns mischievously, “that I should ring the bell
and tell the servant to make up the fire.”
“And how would the servant do it?”
“I suppose by putting on more coals,” answered Kearns cautiously.
“Indeed!” sniffed the Professor contemptuously, “does it not occur to
you--O man of self-vaunted thickness!--that the servant might indulge
in some operation prior to putting on those fresh coals?”
“Huh!” exclaimed Kearns, with a puzzled expression; “I suppose you mean
that there would first be a raking out of the ashes.”
“Good!” exclaimed the Professor; “you are beginning to betray an
intelligence which is almost human. Now, so it is in the case of the
air-ship. In that secondary storage box to which I have referred
are certain chemicals which furnish power. When a portion of these
chemicals have exhausted their activity, a residuum gradually forms,
corresponding to the ashes in your grate, only it is in liquid form
instead of solid. This residuum is allowed to escape through a valve
and is thus carried away and, of course, the storage box is fed
from time to time, as may be required, with fresh energy-producing
chemicals.”
“Let me see if I understand it,” persisted Kearns with obstinacy. “This
liquid residuum, as you call it, leaks away through the bottom of the
air-ship, doesn’t it?”
“You may put it that way,” said the Professor, smiling.
“And that blamed old dripping liquid residuum would either burn into,
or else make a deep brown stain upon any fairly soft material it
touched, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, yes,” exclaimed the Professor excitedly; “a dark brown stain. But
how--how did you know this?”
“Not bad, eh?” retorted Kearns, “for a marvel of density! In course of
time--O sage of a century of Wisdom!--and under your able direction,
you’ll find that almost human intelligence of mine gradually developing
itself.”
“But how did you know this?” persisted the Professor.
“Patience! O Aged Wise Man of the decomposing chemicals, main turrets
and cylindrical tubes,” retorted Kearns; “patience, I say! Didn’t I
tell you that under my methods everything must come in its proper
order? Listen, then, and you’ll learn.”
“I’m all attention,” said the Professor.
“I commenced my operations this morning,” began Kearns, “by making a
thorough examination of the _locus_. I’ll not weary you with a long
description of the preliminary details of my investigation--how I
extracted and took possession of the bullet which had been fired and
thoroughly examined the apartment, its surroundings--everything.”
“I think we may trust you for that,” remarked the Professor, with a
smile.
“The King’s sleeping apartment,” continued Kearns, “is in the extreme
western wing of the palace. It is a spacious apartment, with two
alcoves. One of these alcoves contains the royal couch; the other,
the royal bath. There are four windows and two doors. One of these
doors--that leading out on the passage--is securely sealed from the
inside; the other leads into the antechamber. In this antechamber there
is on duty every night a Captain of the Guard, and the outer corridor
is watched by three sentinels. At the extreme end of the corridor is
another apartment also at the disposal of the Captain of the Guard.
Should anyone appear at the end of the corridor, the sentinel would
signal to his comrade, who would in turn signal to the third sentinel
and the officer on duty would come forth and receive the visitor in the
apartment at the extreme end of the corridor. This is done to prevent
any sound in the antechamber disturbing the King.”
“Quite elaborate precautions, I see,” commented the Professor.
“Just so,” resumed Kearns. “Now, last night, Captain Bingham, of the
Guard, was on duty and I’m satisfied from what he tells me that no
one visited the corridor after the King had retired. In fact, nothing
happened until the sharp ring of the electric signal in the King’s
chamber caused Captain Bingham to rush in and we know what he found
there.”
“Yes, yes,” assented the Professor.
“I said I wouldn’t weary you by going into unnecessary details,”
continued Kearns, “so I’ll omit the further investigations pursued by
me and come to the point at once by telling you that I’m satisfied that
no attack came from either the corridor or the antechamber. It came
from without.”
“From the windows?”
“Exactly. There are four windows to the apartment. Two of these were
closed last night and two open. All were shaded by heavy blinds
which had been drawn fully down. The windows are forty-five feet from
the ground and fifty-five feet below the palace roof. The grounds
immediately beneath are patrolled by two sentinels, and on the roof
immediately above are two other sentinels. The windows look out upon
the park and the nearest tree to any of the four windows is sixty-five
feet away.”
“It would seem a safe enough retreat and one certainly very difficult
of approach by an enemy,” remarked the Professor.
“And yet,” replied Kearns, “that was the point from which the attack
came. The King is extremely fond of air. He experiences a sense
of suffocation whenever he is closed in an apartment which is not
sufficiently airy. Confident in the sentinels above and below and in
the inaccessibility of his chamber, it has been his custom to sleep
with two of the windows open. I examined these windows carefully,
inside and out. I discovered only one thing. It was not much and
yet--yet--I think it means something.”
“What was it?” inquired the Professor eagerly.
“On the under side of the stone ledge under one of the windows, I
discovered three sharp scratches and four small but rather deep
indentations.”
“Ah! is that all?” exclaimed the Professor with an air of
disappointment.
“That was all,” replied Kearns calmly, “yet to me it means something.”
“What do you think?”
“That by gripping onto the under part of that window ledge, something
was held in place there--moored, if you so like to call it.”
“I fail to follow you,” remarked the Professor.
“Very well, then,” said Kearns, “if that’s the case, we’ll leave the
window and maybe you can follow me into the grounds. But before doing
that, let me tell you one other fact I discovered. It was this: I
inquired into the exact dates on which the three previous attacks had
taken place and made another little discovery.”
“What was it?”
“Was there any moon last night?” asked Kearns, suddenly breaking off.
“No,” answered the Professor, after a moment’s reflection; “the last
quarter went out three nights ago.”
“And last night was quite a dark night, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” replied the Professor; “slightly hazy and overcast.”
“Any heavy wind?”
“No,” answered the Professor.
“Just so,” continued Kearns, “and it was the same on the occasions of
the other three attacks. I’ve consulted the weather records and in each
case found a night following shortly after the wane of the moon’s last
quarter--a dark, starless night, with light winds. Do you begin to
scent an African in the woodpile?”
“I fear I must have a cold,” retorted the Professor, “for so far my
sense of smell detects nothing.”
“Very well,” answered Kearns, “follow me into the grounds. I carefully
examined the trees there--not merely the trunks, but also the tops.
And among the leaves and branches of some of the tops I discovered
something more.”
“Yes.”
“That a number--quite a large number--of the leaves had great blotches
where they had been eaten away and a number of the twigs and boughs
had big brown splashes. I followed these marks in a westerly direction
until I came to the river. There I lost them and all efforts failed to
discover where they resumed on the bank. Now, do you begin to discover
anything?”
“Speak out,” cried the Professor in ill-restrained excitement; “say
what you mean!”
“I’ll endeavor to make it plain to your intelligence, O man of
self-convicted density!” retorted Kearns triumphantly. “What do you
think was the something which could come, in dead of night, under
the window, forty-five feet above the ground, and be unseen by the
sentinels above and below; the something which put a mark upon the
stone ledge as if it had been moored there by the sharp prongs of a
boat-hook; the something that leaves behind it burns and dark brown
stains upon the leaves and branches of the trees?”
“What--what--can be the meaning of this?” stammered the Professor, his
face working with excitement.
“That there are,” rejoined Kearns, “other distinguished scientists and
inventors besides Professor Dean--that the work he dropped fifty years
ago has been taken up by others and secretly perfected.”
“An air-ship--an air-ship!” gasped the Professor.
“Yes,” retorted Kearns, “yes, O man of cranks and cog-wheels, an
air-ship. An air-ship coming on dark and windless nights, between
moons, passing unseen the sentinels on turret and in grounds, and
mooring under the windows of the King to deliver its attack. So will it
come again! And it is with an air-ship, designed and built by you, that
we must and can alone meet the attack.”