Page:Amazing Stories Volume 01 Number 06.djvu/53

miral Benson showed the greatest impatience, and, as the nature of the subject became apparent to him, interrupted more than once. McFaden sat silent and inscrutable, slowly twirling his thumbs, his eyes on the floor. The Home Secretary seemed interested, but did not volunteer any remark.

"And now gentlemen,” Mr. Mansfield concluded, "you know as much of it as I do. I have called this informal meeting because something has to be done at once. The simple question is, whether a cruiser is to be despatched to Sation X, or other precautionary measures taken pending further news. I ask you, Professor McFaden, after hearing Professor Rudge's report and knowing the silence that has so strangely ensued, if you think it desirable to do so."

"I see no reason,” said McFaden, "for not doing so."

"And I say the boat ought to have been hundreds of miles on her course by now," said Admiral Benson.

"And you?" said Mansfield, turning to the Home Secretary.

"You see," said Sir John Sarkby, with his peculiar smile, "I do not know anything about naval matters!"

"You know precisely as much about them as I do!" said Mansfield.

Admiral Benson's look gave clear expression to his own view of civilian heads of service departments.

"Well, sending another cruiser," said Sir John, "seems the obvious thing to do. I am sorry about poor Rudge."

The meeting broke up with the decision to send a fast cruiser, and it was left in the hands of Admiral Benson to say from where she should be sent.

He detached the powerful battle cruiser Sea Lion from the China fleet for the purpose. Whether on account of her armament or her tremendous speed he did not say.

Many of the thousands who passed threw a glance at the building, and above it at the aerials of the mysterious radio. Fortunately none knew that from that installation a fateful message had just flown, or the terrible consequences that were destined to result from it.

Mr. Mansfield left the Admiralty with Professor McFaden. "I don't know why," he said, "but in my heart I am not really quite easy about this. Why are you in favour of sending this cruiser?"

"Partly because I do not see in any case why a cruiser should not be sent. And I also fear there can be little doubt that Rudge is quite insane on this subject. He always had a weakness for the metaphysical, and this Macrae business hit him on his vulnerable spot. He is now as mad as a hatter, but may not appear so. I know him. He may be quite capable of getting over the naval captain of that cruiser. It looks to me as if he has done so."

"Do you think then," said Mr. Mansfield, "that Captain Evered's silence as well as that of Station X is simply attributable to Rudge's insane influence? What about Macrae's experience?"

"With respect to Macrae," said McFaden, "you were not very clear, but I came to the conclusion that investigation would show that everything could be traced to Rudge. From your first question, I do think so. For with all working parts in duplicate, a radio station is practically immune from such long interruption to the service, as far as the installation is concerned. We have therefore to deal with the personnel, friend or foe. In the absence of war, the foe is eliminated. This brings us to the resident staff, Rudge and his companion, and the cruiser. If you ask who of these is responsible for the interruption, I say, without hesitation, Rudge."

"Your logic," said Mr. Mansfield, "seems unanswerable. Only now be equally convincing as to his insanity, and I shall be eternally grateful to you."

"That," said McFaden, "can only be a matter of opinion."

"Is it not possible," said Mr. Mansfield, "that, though sane, he is being in some way himself deceived?"

"Deceive! Yes," said McFaden, "but only because he is a monomaniac on this subject. On any other he is possibly still sane enough. I will say this for him, although we have not always agreed: there is not a cleverer investigator, or, leaving out his one weakness, a man more difficult to deceive than Rudge."

"Good!" said Mansfield. "Your position is now clear to me. You believe that Station X, together with the Sagitta, is now in the hands of a monomaniac, and for that reason advised the despatch of another cruiser."

"Precisely," said McFaden; "and now I will ask you to lend me the whole dossier of the Macrae affair. Your exposition of it could not always be quite followed. I have already said what I expect to find."

"And if you do not find it?"

"Then," said McFaden, "I will recall what I have said of friend Rudge."

"But," said Mr. Mansfield, "it will be too late to recall the cruiser!"

"Not at all," said the cool Scot. "It will be a good few hours before she is beyond the radio."

"I could not contemplate the cruiser's recall now she is well under way," said Mr. Mansfield.

"And burning coal, no doubt, at a great rate," said McFaden, quite coolly. "A thousand to one she is right. But I have it in mind to study the papers, which I shall do at once, and see you again if my opinion of it is changed."

"Would it not have been better," said Mr. Mansfield, rather stiffly, "to have studied the documents before the order was given?"

"The chance is so very small," said McFaden. "There is just a point or two that wants clearing up. No doubt they will be clear enough when I can give the matter quiet attention. It difficult to give anything quiet attention with that stormy petrel Benson within hail."

Mr. Mansfield thought that perhaps McFaden was a little frightened of Admiral Benson, as he was himself. He assumed that the recall of the Sea Lion was very unlikely. He knew that warships of that