III

_Mortenson Explains_

Entangled in the net of the law, Mortenson, despite his high social

standing and fame as a scientist, was taken to police headquarters and

summarily booked on suspicion. He went through the process of being

finger-printed and "mugged" like a man in a trance. All the while his

head ached violently, sending sharp, stabbing pains through his brain.

The reaction of the blow was telling on him now and his hands shook.

But he submitted to the rigid rules of the police department without

protest, for he had little fear of failure in proving his innocence, if

given the chance.

Finally Police Surgeon Wagner removed the bandage from his head and

appraised the scientist's scalp. Already the edges of the gash were

beginning to heal. A soft scab was forming at the ends of the cut.

"Lucky for you, Mortenson," Wagner said with a grin as he began to

re-bandage the scientist's head, "that you have a thick skull. The blow

might have killed a man less fortunate."

Mortenson nodded. "The devil hit me without warning," he mumbled,

"with the barrel of his gun. Barton hinted that I bashed my head in to

establish an alibi!"

"You'd have to be a contortionist to do that," laughed Wagner. "I get a

huge kick out of some of the flat-feet we have on the detective force.

You've been slugged and no mistake, Mortenson."

"Thanks, Wagner," said Mortenson warmly. "Doubtless you'll put that in

your report."

"Of course," the surgeon replied, ripping some adhesive tape from a

roll. "I couldn't do anything else in this case."

"Then I'll be turned loose," said Mortenson grimly, "on my own

recognizance. If I can get help from the Police Department, I'll make

it mighty hot for a certain bank robber ... that is, if he hasn't

already jumped into the fire. Time alone will tell."

Mortenson could not know that at that very moment the Phantom Bandit

was again making his appearance in the heart of the city's banking

district. This time the daring crook chose the Inter-State Bank for the

scene of his activities. But as the scientist sat in Wagner's office

waiting for the final cessation of police procedure, he heard the

flying squad suddenly tear out of the adjoining station amid a riot of

screaming sirens.

He could not help but conclude that something serious was taking place

somewhere in the city. The scream of the sirens gradually subsided as

the speeding police cars put distance between them and headquarters.

Mortenson glanced at the surgeon as the telephone on his desk jingled.

Wagner pressed a button quickly and the ambulance roared out of the

receiving hospital driveway. The surgeon then glanced at Mortenson.

"The vanishing bandit robbed the Inter-State Bank, Mortenson," he said

crisply. "Killed a watchman and shot up another teller. I guess that

lets you out entirely, old man. You couldn't be the Phantom Bandit and

a _fish_ at the same time."

"Fish?" Mortenson queried blankly. "What do you mean?"

Wagner laughed at the other's questioning expression. "Fish," he said

quickly, "is what we call prisoners."

"Oh," mused Mortenson. "Teller hurt bad?"

"Dunno!" said Wagner. "They usually are when they're sent here." He

turned to the officer into whose custody Mortenson had been placed

for his visit to the receiving room. "Take Mr. Mortenson to the desk,

Tully," said Wagner. "They'll want to release him and apologize. That's

all! And good luck, Mortenson. Hope you catch the phantom bandit."

"Much obliged, Wagner," the scientist replied, rising. "I trust you'll

be ready to receive his corpse."

Wagner chuckled. "In that case, send it next door," he grinned. "The

morgue handles the remains. Think you'll catch him?"

The surgeon's attention was diverted by a sudden screech of brakes

outside. He gave Mortenson a passing glance and went out. Officer Tully

escorted the scientist to the desk-sergeant.

"Heard the news, Mortenson?" the sergeant inquired, grinning.

"About the new robbery--phantom bandit?" the scientist grunted.

The sergeant nodded. "Robbed the Inter-State Bank in broad daylight and

got away like a ghost," he responded talkatively. "By the way, what

kind of an outfit was that he got from you?"

"Rather complicated to explain here, sergeant," Mortenson said,

impatient to obtain his release.

"Yeah?" the other replied slowly. "One of those things, huh?"

"One of those things, sergeant," Mortenson repeated restlessly. "I

suppose now the law is convinced that I am not the phantom bandit. If

that is the case, I'd like to get back to work."

"Right you are, professor," the sergeant boomed. "Moreover, the chief

requested a moment ago to have your fingerprints, picture and all

personal records destroyed. He wants to have a talk with you, if you

don't mind."

Mortenson's features brightened. "Of course," he nodded. "I wanted to

talk with him. How soon can I see him?"

"Right away, sir!" the sergeant stated, turning to Tully who had

wandered off. "Tully!"--he called aloud. The officer came up quickly.

"Take Mr. Mortenson up to the chief's office. He's waiting!"

Newspapermen thronged the office of Chief of Police Steckel. Mortenson

was mobbed until the chief interfered with the eager reporters and

ordered them to the press room. The scientist had a keen dislike for

notoriety and displayed it at the onset by refusing to answer any of

the questions put to him by the zealous reporters. Chief Steckel,

seeing this, went immediately to his rescue. The office was cleared

quickly. Mortenson was invited to a chair.

"Professor Mortenson," the executive began without hesitation, "just

what is the apparatus you report was stolen from you, presumably by

this so-called phantom bandit?"

The scientist settled back in his chair, frowning.

"I'm afraid you would not understand, chief," he said complacently, "as

it is very complicated. But if you like, I'll explain it just as simply

as I can."

Steckel shook his head eagerly, handed a cigar to the scientist and lit

one himself. Immersed in a cloud of blue, fragrant smoke, Mortenson

explained the principle of his invention, its use to science and,

unfortunately, to crime. He told what lay behind the veil of the Fifth

Dimension, that invisible world beyond the vision of man, yet which

existed on every human hand; there in the office, up on the roof and

out on the streets. He went further to say that even within the world

of the Fifth Dimension others existed--the Sixth, the Seventh and so on

probably without limit!

But of them all, Mortenson had succeeded in neutralizing the curtain,

behind which existed the Fifth Dimension. Steckel was astounded as he

grasped the magnitude of the facts. He pressed the scientist for more

information and got it.

"You see, chief," Mortenson said finally, "our visionary organs behold

only the colors of the spectrum. Below and above each individual color

is a deeper shade which our eyes cannot perceive because of the high

or low vibrations of light, whichever the case may be. Now the Fifth

Dimension lies above the violet shade. Physical science calls this

'color' the ultra-violet. It is a vast, invisible realm in itself,

as invisible to us as our own world is to the creatures who inhabit

the Fifth Dimension. It is invisible because of the rapid vibratory

oscillation of its light scale. Color or rather ether waves have high

light scales of vibration, too rapid or too slow to be perceived by the

naked human eye. On each of these scales lie vast realms, some teeming

with life of primitive or advanced state, others absolutely blank

because of adverse electronic conditions.

"Taking the scale of light offered by the ultra-violet as my field

of study and experiment, I succeeded in neutralizing the veil of

invisibility, that enshrouds the Fifth Dimension. In doing this I

overcome the vibrations of light and electrical current. By applying

these oscillations to the physical body through the instrument I

devised, and which, incidentally, was stolen from me last night, I

was able to transfer my own body from our world to the realm of the

Fifth Dimension. These vibrations and electronic movements, when

applied to the physical body, cause it to become invisible at once and

automatically transfer it to the particular scale to which they are

aligned.

"By adapting certain prismatic lenses to my eyes, I was able to visit

and to perceive this ultra-violet world and all that exists in it

within range of vision. You can imagine my amazement when I beheld a

world of solids, that was tinted with a pale violet shade, as the earth

is with gold at times of sunset. And my apparatus had placed me right

in the midst of death and destruction! The Fifth Dimension teems with

primitive life; is inhabited by strange creatures, armed with primitive

but deadly weapons.

"That was my first venture into the realm of the Fifth Dimension, my

dear Chief. And in my horror and fear I transferred myself back to

our own world before the creatures recovered sufficiently from their

surprise at seeing me to attack. I was afraid to venture there again,

alone, and was working on a new form of weapon for defense, when I

was held up and robbed of the instrument that made my visit to the

ultra-violet realm possible. This phantom bandit is undoubtedly the

very man who stole my apparatus, but for the life of me, I cannot

understand how he manages to enter the Fifth Dimension and remain for

any length of time, without being destroyed by the creatures who live

there!"

Chief Steckel eyed him strangely, perhaps a trifle incredulous in his

expression.

"You really mean then, Mortenson," he said softly and in a baffled

tone, "that this vanishing killer-bandit can rob and murder and hide

behind a curtain of invisibility beyond the reach of the law?"

"That gives us exactly his reason for taking my apparatus," said the

scientist, "and obviously for what he is doing now, hiding somewhere

in the Fifth Dimension, safe from human apprehension!"

"Good Lord, man!" Steckel exploded suddenly. "Does that mean we'll

never have a chance to grab him?"

Professor Mortenson smiled shrewdly. "You'll never lay hands on him,

Steckel," he said flatly. "Unless you give me your aid in carrying out

a plan I have already devised. Even then it may be impossible, but we

can try. Meanwhile this criminal is going to go about his way killing

and robbing at will and may, at this very moment, be in this room!"

Steckel's face paled and his eyes flashed. Mechanically he glanced

around as though searching for some imaginary eavesdropper. But

Mortenson quickly placed him at ease.

"He could not hear a thing from this world if he is hiding in the

other," he said. "Sound is similar to light in that respect. There are

sounds too high or too low in pitch to be heard by our limited auditory

capacities. The desperado would have to be right here and visible to

hear what we say. He may watch every move I make now, for he warned me

that I would be a dead man, the first attempt I made to follow him into

the Fifth Dimension."

Steckel's eyes continued to flash apprehensively. "Why, the devil might

have designs on _my_ life," he said. "He might pop up at any moment,

kill me for the good of the underworld, and vanish again! Or he might

kill you if he thought you could duplicate the apparatus!"

Mortenson scrutinized the chief thoughtfully.

"He doesn't, chief," he said seriously. "At least that is my

impression. I told him I had no plans of the instrument; that I could

not duplicate them. Had he believed otherwise, I'd have gotten his

bullet instead of a crack on the skull."

"But you can duplicate them, Mortenson?" the chief asked eagerly.

Mortenson laughed shrewdly. "Of course," he replied. "I have a complete

set of plans. I merely lied to save my neck!"

"You intend to use them, then?" Steckel inquired, leaning forward.

The scientist nodded. Without hesitation he explained his scheme.

Steckel listened intently, his eyes narrowed.

"So you see," Mortenson finally concluded, "we can make it mighty hot

for the killer if I get the support of your department. It will be an

exceptionally dangerous adventure, but worth...."

"Then count me in personally!" Steckel injected quickly. "If we can

lay our hands on the phantom bandit by going into the Fifth Dimension

after him, it will be worth the chance we take. When you are ready I'll

detail eight men to your services. Moreover, the department will stand

the expense of duplicating your apparatus ... ten complete sets. I

think it would be well to start immediately, don't you?"

"Right!" ejaculated Mortenson, rising. "But it will take ten days or

more to build the instruments."

Steckel groaned. "Meanwhile the crook will keep on operating!" he said

grimly. "The city will be at his mercy until the sets are finished. But

I guess it can't be helped."

"No," said the scientist slowly, "it can't be helped."