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THE COSMIC DEFLECTOR
By STANTON A. COBLENTZ
[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January1943. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[Sidenote: It's one thing to force the Earth out of its orbit, andanother to force it back in again!]
His face red with haste, and his blue eyes glittering, Dan Holcomb burstinto the laboratory.
"Just look at this, Lucile!" he cried, flinging his hat halfway acrossthe room, and almost dancing in his joy. "Lord! Look at this, will you!"
Lucile Travers glanced up from her Bunsen burner, and stared in surpriseat Dan's six-foot bulk. She was used to her lover's flaming enthusiasms;but never had she seen him so beside himself. How boyish he seemed, withhis lean, keen, studious face, and eyes that were all a blaze ofyouthful delight!
"There! Take a peep at that, old girl!" he rushed on, as he snapped outhis wallet and displayed a handsomely embossed letter.
Her eyes popped half out of her head as she glanced at the sheet."Twenty-five--twenty-five thousand dollars, Dan!" she gasped. "Why,it--it can't be real!"
"But it _is_ real! Boy! this isn't any pipe dream, believe me! A neattwenty-five thousand--that's what I'm offered for my Deflector!"
While she stared at him dazedly, he did an impromptu hop, skip and jump.She did not need to be told about the Cosmic Deflector--had she not beenat Dan's side during these many months when he had worked at it? Had shenot shared his enthusiasm at the Gravitational Ray Theory?--the ideathat gravity was due to an invisible ray shot out by the electrons andhence was akin to electricity in its origin? Had she not believed, withhim, that this ray formed a current, which, like electricity, could bebent, or twisted from its course? Had she not glowed at the discovery ofthe telurium compound--telurox, they called it--which, on burning, wouldsend out beams that diverted the rays of gravity? And had they not,poring together over his plans, decided that it would be possible toalter the movements of the very planets?
All this was in the girl's mind as her eyes raced along the lines ofthat incredible letter. It was from Hogarth, Wiley and Malvine, a wellknown firm of construction engineers. And there was no doubt that itactually did offer $25,000!--$25,000 for all rights in the Deflector,along with Dan's services for a year!
"Who'd have thought it?" enthused the inventor. "Why, Bert Wilcox--youknow, my old college chum--introduced me to Wiley only last Tuesday, andtold about the Deflector. When Wiley asked me to lay the plans beforehim, I didn't imagine--"
He rambled on for a minute, then broke short. "But good heavens, Lucy,let's forget all that! It's not the Deflector I want to think about!It's you! You, Lucy! Don't you see? Our waiting--it's over now!"
She did indeed see. For three years they had been engaged, almost sincethe day when they had met as laboratory assistants here at ColumbiaChemicals. But Dan, saddled with the care of his aged parents, had seenno way out of a financial morass that might mean further years ofwaiting.
Down from her vivid brown eyes and over her lovely face the tears werestreaming as his strong arms gathered about her and she pressed close tohim in confidence and love.
Yet why was it that, even in this moment of their triumph, a gnawingsuspicion crept over her, chilling her joy with a dull clutchinguneasiness?
* * * * *
There was a look of steel-and-granite on Dan's ordinarily cheerful faceas he came striding home. He had only a wan smile for his bride of threemonths as she greeted him at the door of their little apartment.
"Don't mind me, Lucy, if I act like a man with his last penny gone," heexplained, after a moment. "It's those damned fellows Hogarth, Wiley andMalvine. Well, you know I've suspected they weren't all above board."
"What's the trouble now?"
He came close to her, and she noticed how red his face was, and how hisarms trembled.
"They're worse than Hitler, that's what the trouble is! Want to make metheir stooge, the crawling worms!"
He took a turn or two about the room, then went on, more composedly.
"Remember how I agreed to use the Deflector to pull the earth a fewthousand miles off its course--only a few thousand, for experimentalpurposes! Well, now it's more than that distance off, and gettingfurther every minute. This afternoon I put it up to them that we'dbetter send things into reverse. What do you think they did? Laughed atme!"
"I don't call it exactly a laughing matter."
"Believe me, it's not! That fellow Wiley came up, with his horse-likeface and black eyes that seemed to drill right into me. 'Listen here,old boy,' he said. 'I'll let you into a secret. We haven't any idea ofputting the earth back on its orbit--not just yet! We'll let thedistance widen a few million miles. We're going to raise hell on thisplanet--simply hell!'"
"My glory, is he crazy?"
"Not by a long shot! That's the terrible part of it. They outlined theirscheme to me--enough, anyhow, to show it's the most diabolical plot everhatched. Thought I would work with them. 'Never fear, you'll get yourshare of the swag, old fellow!' Wiley promised. What does he take mefor--a louse?"
The vivid blue flames of his anger seemed to leap straight out of Dan'seyes.
"Well, what is their plot?"
"To steal the planet--make themselves a World Triumvirate, the dirtycutthroats! Their scheme is clever too, clever as the devil!"
* * * * *
By degrees he explained the conspiracy, so far as he knew it. Wiley andhis colleagues intended to deflect five or ten per cent of the sun'sgravity, so sending the earth several million miles farther into space.This would not be fatal, but would cause great climatic inconveniences,and would so alarm the whole world that it would pay any price to getback on its orbit. By that time the agents of the Triumvirate would beplanted in every country--Quislings of the sort that can always bebribed by the prospect of a little power, a little notoriety. When thepresent national leaders had been frightened out of their wits, theywould be willing, even eager to turn over the reins to the Triumvirate"for the duration of the emergency," in the belief that Hogarth and hisfellows would save the earth. Meanwhile the Triumvirs would establish asecret police. They would demand control of the armies, navies and airfleets of the earth. And they would win reputations as wizards who hadrescued the globe--and so would gain popular support everywhere. By thetime the planet was back in its proper orbit they would have it,literally, in the palms of their hands.
"Even if they didn't tell me all the details," Dan finished, "I couldguess what they left unsaid. Fact is, they're nothing but a gang ofhijackers, saying 'Your money or your life!' to the whole world. Theworst of it is, they'll have us all in such an infernal hole that it'llbe too late unless we act darned soon!"
"What surprises me," meditated Lucile, "is that they should take youinto their confidence."
"Probably they didn't doubt my loyalty, after the way I've worked withthem all these months. Besides, that fellow Hogarth made a remark Ididn't like. Turning that beefy red face of his toward me, with a wickedtwinkle in his racoon-like eyes, he said, 'The man who works with us,Holcomb, will have power and glory. But the man who works against uswill be--underground!"
* * * * *
There was a look of terror on Lucile's face as Dan went on, "Naturally,I made out to be on their side. Hope to heaven they weren't able to seethrough me!"
* * * * *
The smell of burning, from the direction of the kitchen, offered L
uciletemporary diversion. And when she had returned from her scorched dinnerpots, Dan had come to his decision.
"Only one thing to do, Lucy! I'll go to the police at once. If they actin time--well, maybe they'll still save the world."
Already he had seized his hat, and was halfway to the door.
"For mercy's sake, be careful!" she pleaded, distracted.
"Don't you worry, I'll do my best. Wait here for me, Lucy. I'll be backin half an hour."
Despite her appeals, he was already halfway into the outer hall. She wasnever to forget the brave, tragical look of his grimly set face. Sheknew that she
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