by Unknown
"Where am I?" he demanded. His gaze roved the cave and fell on thePresident. "Hello, Robert," he exclaimed. "What has happened?"
With a cry of joy the President sprang forward and wrung the hand ofthe man.
"Are you all right, William?" he asked anxiously. "Do you feelperfectly normal?"
"Of course I do. My neck feels a little stiff. What are you talkingabout? Why shouldn't I feel normal? How did I get here?"
"Take him outside, Admiral, and explain to him," said the President.
Admiral Clay led the puzzled man outside and the President turned toDr. Bird.
"Doctor," he said, "I need not tell you that I again add my personalgratitude to the gratitude of a nation which would be yours, could themiracles you work be told off. If there is ever any way that can serveyou, either personally or officially, do not hesitate to ask. Theother victims will be brought here to-day. Will you be able to restorethem?"
"I will, Mr. President. From Slavatsky's records I find that I willhave enough if I reduce all of his men to a state of imbecility exceptWillis. In view of his assistance, I propose to leave him with enoughmenthium to give him the intelligence of an ordinary schoolboy."
"I quite approve of that," said the President as Willis humblyexpressed his gratitude. "Have you had time to make an examination ofthat ship of Slavatsky's, yet?"
"I have not. As soon as the work of restoration is completed, I willgo over it, and when I master the principles I will be glad to takethem up with the Army-Navy General Board."
"Thank you, Doctor," said the President. He shook hands heartily andleft the cave. Carnes turned and looked at the Doctor.
"Will you answer a question, Doctor?" he asked. "Ever since this casestarted, I have been wondering at your extraordinary powers. You haveordered the army, the navy, the department of justice and everyoneelse around as though you were an absolute monarch. I know thePresident was behind you, but what puzzles me is how he came to be sovitally interested in the case."
Dr. Bird smiled quizzically at the detective.
"Even the secret service doesn't know everything," he said. "Evidentlyyou didn't recognize the man whose memory I restored. Besides beingone of the most brilliant corporation executives in the country, hehas another unique distinction. He happens to be the only brother ofthe President of the United States."
The Invisible Death
A COMPLETE NOVELETTE
By Victor Rousseau
[Sidenote: With night-rays and darkness-antidote America strikes backat the terrific and destructive Invisible Empire.]
CHAPTER I - Out of the Hangman's Hands
"You speak," said Von Kettler, jeering, "as if you really believedthat you had the power of life and death over me."
The Superintendent of the penitentiary frowned, yet there wassomething of perplexity in the look he gave the prisoner. "VonKettler, I think it is time that you dropped this absurd pose ofyours," he said, "in view of the fact that you are scheduled to die byhanging at eight o'clock to-morrow night. Your life and death are inyour own hands."
Von Kettler bowed ironically. Standing in the Superintendent'spresence in the uniform of the condemned cell, collarless,bare-headed, he yet seemed to dominate the other by a certain poise,breeding, nonchalance.
"Your life is offered you in consideration of your making a completewritten confession of the whole ramifications of the plot against theFederal Government," the Superintendent continued.
"Rather a confession of weakness, my dear Superintendent," jeered theprisoner.
* * * * *
"Oh don't worry about that! The Government has unravelled a good dealof the conspiracy. It knows that you and your international associatesare planning to strike at civilized government throughout the world,in the effort to restore the days of autocracy. It knows you areplanning a world federation of states, based on the principles ofabsolutism and aristocracy. It is aware of the immense financialresources behind the movement. Also that you have obtained the use ofcertain scientific discoveries which you believe will aid you in yourschemes."
"I was wondering," jeered the prisoner, "how soon you were coming tothat."
"They didn't help you in your murderous scheme," the Superintendentthundered. "You were found in the War Office by the night watchman,rifling a safe of valuable documents. You shot him with a pistolequipped with a silencer. You shot down two more who, hearing hiscries, rushed to his aid. And you attempted to stroll out of thebuilding, apparently under the belief that you possessed mysteriouspower which would afford you security."
"A little lapse of judgment such as may happen with the best laidplans," smiled Von Kettler. "No, Superintendent, I'll be franker withyou than that. My capture was designed. It was decided to give theGovernment an object lesson in our power. It was resolved that Ishould permit myself to be captured, in order to demonstrate that youcannot hang me, that I have merely to open the door of my cell, thegates of this penitentiary, and walk out to freedom."
"Have you quite finished?" rasped the Superintendent.
"At your disposal," smiled the other.
"Here's your last chance, Von Kettler. Your persistence in this absurdclaim has actually shaken the expressed conviction of some of themedical examiners that you are sane. If you will make that completewritten confession that the Government asks of you, I pledge you thatyou shall be declared insane to-night, and sent to a sanitarium fromwhich you will be permitted to escape as soon as this affair has blownover."
* * * * *
"The United States Government has sunk pretty low, to involve itselfin a deal of this character, don't you think, my dear Superintendent?"jeered Von Kettler.
"The Government is prepared to act as it thinks best in the interestsof humanity. It knows that the death of one wretched murderer such asyourself is not worth the lives of thousands of innocent men!"
"And there," smiled Von Kettler, without abating an atom of hisnonchalance, "there, my dear Superintendent, you hit the nail on thehead. Only, instead of thousands, you might have said millions."
Von Kettler's aspect changed. Suddenly his eyes blazed, his voiceshook with excitement, his face was the face of a fanatic, of aprophet.
"Yes, millions, Superintendent," he thundered. "It it a holy causethat inspires us. We know that it is our sacred mission to save theworld from the drabness of modern democracy. The people--always thepeople! Bah! what are the lives of these swarming millions worth whencompared with a Caesar, a Napoleon, an Alexander, a Charlemagne?Nothing can stop us or defeat us. And you, with your confession ofdefeat, your petty bargaining--I laugh at you!"
"You'll laugh on the gallows to-morrow night!" the Superintendentshouted.
Again Von Kettler was the calm, superior, arrogant prisoner of before."I shall never stand on the gallows trap, my dear Superintendent, as Ihave told you many times," he replied. "And, since we have reachedwhat diplomacy calls a deadlock, permit me to return to my cell."
The Superintendent pressed a button on his desk; the guards, who hadbeen waiting outside the office, entered hastily. "Take this manback," he commanded, and Von Kettler, head held high, and smiling,left the room between them.
* * * * *
The Superintendent pressed another button, and his assistant entered,a rugged, red-haired man of forty--Anstruther, familiarly known as"Bull" Anstruther, the man who had in three weeks reduced thepenitentiary from a place of undisciplined chaos to a model of lawand order. Anstruther knew nothing of the Superintendent's offer toVon Kettler, but he knew that the latter had powerful friends outside.
"Anstruther, I'm worried about Von Kettler," said the Superintendent."He actually laughed at me when I spoke of the possibility of anothermedical examination. He seemed confident that he could not be hanged.Swore that he will never stand on the gallows trap. How about yourprecautions for to-morrow night?"
"We've taken all possible precautions," answered Anstruther. "Specialarmed guards have been posted at every entrance to the building.Detectives are patroll
ing all streets leading up to it. Every car thatpasses is being scrutinized, its plate numbers taken, and forwarded tothe Motor Bureau. There's no chance of even an attempt atrescue--literally none."
"He's insane," said the Superintendent, with conviction, and the wordsfilled him with new confidence. It had been less Von Kettler'sstatements than the man's cool confidence and arrogant superioritythat had made him doubt. "But he's not too insane to have known whathe was doing. He'll hang."
"He certainly will," replied Anstruther. "He's just a big bluff, sir."
"Have him searched rigorously again to-morrow morning, and his celltoo--every inch of it, Anstruther. And don't relax an iota of yourprecautions. I'll be glad when it's all over."
He proceeded to hold a long-distance conversation with Washington overa special wire.
* * * * *
In his cell, Von Kettler could be seen reading a book. It wasNietzsche's "Thus Spake Zarathusta," that compendium of aristocraticinsolence that once took the world by storm, until the author'smentality was revealed by his commitment to a mad-house. Von Kettlerread till midnight, closely observed by the guard at the trap, thenlaid the word aside with a yawn, lay down on his cot, and appeared tofall instantly asleep.
Dawn broke. Von Kettler rose, breakfasted, smoked the perfecto thatcame with his ham and eggs, resumed his book. At ten o'clock BullAnstruther came with a guard and stripped him to the skin, examiningevery inch of his prison garments. The bedding followed; the cell wasgone over microscopically. Von Kettler, permitted to dress again,smiled ironically. That smile stirred Anstruther's gall.
"We know you're just a big bluff, Von Kettler," snarled the big man."Don't think you've got us going. We're just taking the usualprecautions, that's all."
"So unnecessary," smiled Von Kettler. "To-night I shall dine at theAmbassador grill. Watch for me there. I'll leave a memento."
Anstruther went out, choking. Early in the afternoon two guards camefor Von Kettler.
"Your sister's come to say good-by to you," he was told, as he wastaken to the visitors' cell.
This was a large and fairly comfortable cell in a corridor leading offthe death house, designed to impress visitors with the belief that itwas the condemned man's permanent abode; and, by a sort of convention,it was understood that prisoners were not to disabuse their visitors'minds of the idea. The convention had been honorably kept. Thevisitor's approach was checked by a grill, with a two-yards spacebetween it and the bars of the cell. Within this space a guard wasseated: it was his duty to see that nothing passed.
* * * * *
As soon as Von Kettler had been temporarily established in his newquarters, a pretty, fair-haired young woman came along the corridor,conducted by the Superintendent himself. She walked with dignity, herbearing was proud, she smiled at her brother through the grill, andthere was no trace of weeping about her eyes.
She bowed with pretty formality, and Von Kettler saluted her with anairy wave of the hand. Then they began to speak, and the German guardwho had been selected for the purpose of interpreting to theSuperintendent afterward, was baffled.
It was not German--neither was it French, Italian, or any of theRomance languages. As a matter of fact, it was Hungarian.
Not until the half-hour was up did they lapse into English, and allthe while they might have been conversing on art, literature, orsport. There was no hint of tragedy in this last meeting.
"Good-by, Rudy," smiled his sister, "I'll see you soon."
"To-night or to-morrow," replied Von Kettler indifferently.
The girl blew him a kiss. She seemed to detach it from her mouth andextend it through the grill with a graceful gesture of the hand, andVon Kettler caught it with a romantic wave of the fingers and strainedit to his heart. But it was only one of those queer foreign ways.Nothing was passed. The alert guard, sitting under the electric light,was sure of that.
They searched Von Kettler again after he was back in the death house.The other cells were empty. In three of them detectives were placed.In the yard beyond the hangman was experimenting with the trap. Hehimself was under close observation. Nothing was being left to chance.
* * * * *
At seven o'clock two men collided in the death-house entrance. One wasa guard, carrying Von Kettler's last meal on a tray. He had demandedPerigord truffles and paté de foie gras, cold lobster, endive salad,and near-beer, and he had got them. The other was the chaplain, in astate of visible agitation.
"If he was an atheist and mocked at me it wouldn't be so bad," thegood man declared. "I've had plenty of that kind. But he says he's notgoing to be hanged. He's mad, mad as a March hare. The Government hasno right to send an insane man to the gallows."
"All bluff, my dear Mr. Wright," answered the Superintendent, when thechaplain voiced his protest. "He thinks he can get away with it. Thecommission has pronounced him sane, and he must pay the penalty of hiscrime."
By that mysterious process of telegraphy that exists in all penalinstitutions, Von Kettler's boast that he would beat the hangman hadbecome the common information of the inmates. Bets were being laid,and the odds against Von Kettler ranged from ten to fifteen to one. Itwas generally agreed, however, that Von Kettler would die game to thelast.
"You all ready, Mr. Squires?" the prowling Superintendent asked thehangman.
"Everything's O. K., sir."
The Superintendent glanced at the group of newspaper men gatheredabout the gallows. They, too, had heard of the prisoner's boast. Oneof them asked him a question. He silenced him with an angry look.
"The prisoner is in his cell, and will be led out in ten minutes. Youshall see for yourselves how much truth there it in this absurdity,"he said.
* * * * *
He looked at his watch. It lacked five minutes of eight. Thepreparations for an execution had been reduced almost to a formula.One minute in the cell, twenty seconds to the trap, forty seconds forthe hangman to complete his arrangements: two minutes, and then thethud of the false floor.
Four minutes of eight. The little group had fallen silent. The hangmanfurtively took a drink from his hip-pocket flask. Three minutes! TheSuperintendent walked back to the door of the death house and noddedto the guard.
"Bring him out quick!" he said.
The guard shot the bolt of Von Kettler's cell. The Superintendent sawhim enter, heard a loud exclamation, and hurried to his side. Oneglance told him that the prisoner had made good his boast.
Von Kettler's cell was empty!
CHAPTER II - Conference
Captain Richard Rennell, of the U. S. Air Service, but temporarilydetached to Intelligence, thought that Fredegonde Valmy had neverlooked so lovely as when he helped her out of the cockpit.
Her dark hair fell in disorder over her flushed cheeks, and her eyeswere sparkling with pleasure.
"A thousand thanks, M'sieur Rennell," she said, in her low voice withits slight foreign intonation. "Never have I enjoyed a ride more thanto-day. And I shall see you at Mrs. Wansleigh's ball to-night?"
"I hope so--if I'm not wanted at Headquarters," answered Dick, lookingat the girl in undisguised admiration.
"Ah, that Headquarters of yours! It claims so much of your time!" shepouted. "But these are times when the Intelligence Service demandsmuch of its men, is it not so?"
"Who told you I was attached to Intelligence?" demanded Dick bluntly.
She laughed mockingly. "Do you think that is not known all overWashington?" she asked. "It is strange that Intelligence should actlike the--the ostrich, who buries his head in the sand and thinks thatno one sees him because it is hidden."
Dick looked at the girl in perplexity. During the past month he hadcompletely lost his head and heart over her, and he was trying to viewher with the dispassionate judgment that his position demanded.
As the niece of the Slovakian Ambassador, Mademoiselle Valmy had theentry to Washington society. The Ambassador was away on leave, and shehad appeared during his absence, but she had been acceptedunquestionably at the E
mbassy, where she had taken up her quarters,explaining--as the Ambassador confirmed by cable--that she had sailedunder a misconception as to the date of his leave.
* * * * *
Brunette, beautiful, charming, she had a score of hearts to play with,and yet Dick flattered himself that he stood first. Perhaps the othersdid too.
"Of course," the girl went on, "with the Invisible Emperor threateningorganized society, you gentlemen find yourselves extremely busy. Well,let us hope that you locate him and bring him to book."
"Sometimes," said Dick slowly, "I almost think that you know somethingabout the Invisible Emperor."
Again she laughed merrily. "Now, if you had said that my sympathieswere with the Invisible Emperor, I might have been surprised into anacknowledgment," she answered. "After all, he does stand for thataristocracy that has disappeared from the modern world, does he not?For refinement of manners, for beauty of life, for all those thingsmen used to prize."
"Likewise for the existence of the vast body of the nation inignorance and poverty, in filth and squalor," answered Dick. "No, mysympathies are with law and order and democracy, and your InvisibleEmperor and his crowd are simply a gang of thieves and hold-up men."
"Be careful!" A warning fire burned in the girl's eyes. "At least, itis known that the Emperor's ears are long."
"So are a jackass's," retorted Dick.
He was sorry next moment, for the girl received his answer in icysilence. In his car, which conveyed them from the tarmac to theEmbassy, she received all his overtures in the same silence. A frigidlittle bow was her farewell to him, while Dick, struggling betweenresentment and humiliation, sat dumb and wretched at the wheel.
Yet the idea that Fredegonde Valmy had any knowledge of the conspiracyor its leaders never entered Dick's head. He was only miserable thathe had offended her, and he would have done anything to havestraightened out the trouble.