CHAPTER XXIX.
AN EMBASSY FROM THE SKY.
By the time the captured war-balloons had been formed in order, andthe voyage fairly commenced, the eastern sky was bright with theforeglow of the coming dawn, and, as the flotilla was only floatingbetween eight and nine hundred feet above the earth, it was not longbefore the light was sufficiently strong to render the landscapecompletely visible.
Far and wide it was a scene of desolation and destruction, of wasted,blackened fields trampled into wildernesses by the tread of countlessfeet, of forests of trees broken, scorched, and splintered by theiron hail of artillery, and of towns and villages, reduced to heapsof ruins, still smouldering with the fires that had destroyed them.
No more eloquent object-lesson in the horrors of what is calledcivilised warfare could well have been found than the scene which wasvisible from the decks of the air-ships. The promised fruits of awhole year of patient industry had been withered in a few hours underthe storm-blast of war; homes which but a few days before hadsheltered stalwart, well-fed peasants and citizens, were now mereheaps of blackened brick and stone and smoking thatches.
Streets which had been the thoroughfares of peaceful industriousfolk, who had no quarrel with the Powers of the earth, or with any oftheir kind, were now strewn with corpses and encumbered with ruins,and the few survivors, more miserable than those who had died, werecrawling, haggard and starving, amidst the wrecks of their vanishedprosperity, seeking for some scanty morsels of food to prolong lifeif only for a few more days of misery and nights of sleeplessanxiety.
As the sun rose and shed its midsummer splendour, as if in sublimemockery, over the scene of suffering and desolation, hideous featuresof the landscape were brought into stronger and more horrifyingrelief; the scorched and trampled fields were seen to be strewn withunburied corpses of men and horses, and ploughed up with cannon shotand torn into great irregular gashes by shells that had buriedthemselves in the earth and then exploded.
It was evident that some frightful tragedy must have taken place inthis region not many hours before the air-ships had arrived upon thescene. And this, in fact, had been the case. Barely three dayspreviously the advance guard of the Russian army of the North hadbeen met and stubbornly but unsuccessfully opposed by the remnants ofthe German army of the East, which, driven back from the frontier,was retreating in good order to join the main force which hadconcentrated about Berlin, under the command of the Emperor, there tofight out the supreme struggle, on the issue of which depended theexistence of that German Empire which fifty years before had been sotriumphantly built up by the master-geniuses of the last generation.
After a flight of a little over two hours the flotilla came in sightof the Russian army lying between Cuestrin on the right andFrankfort-on-Spree on the left. The distance between these two townsis nearly twelve English miles, and yet the wings of the vast hostunder the command of the Tsar spread for a couple of miles on eitherside to north and south of each of them.
In spite of the colossal iniquity which it concealed, the spectaclewas one of indescribable grandeur. Almost as far as the eye couldreach the beams of the early morning sun were gleaming uponinnumerable white tents, and flashing over a sea of glittering metal,of bare bayonets and sword scabbards, of spear points and helmets, ofgold-laced uniforms and the polished accoutrements of countlessbatteries of field artillery.
Far away to the westward the stately city of Berlin could be seenlying upon its intersecting waters, and encircled by itsfortifications bristling with guns, and in advance of it were thelong serried lines of its defenders gathered to do desperate battlefor home and fatherland.
As soon as the Russian army was fairly in sight the _Ithuriel_ shotahead, sank to the level of the flotilla, and then stopped until shewas overtaken by the _Orion_. Tremayne was on deck, and Arnold assoon as he came alongside said--
"You must stop here for the present. I want the aerostat commanded byColonel Alexandrovitch to come with me; meanwhile you and the _Ariel_will rise with the rest of the balloons to a height of four thousandfeet; you will keep strict guard over the balloons, and permit nomovement to be made until my return. We are going to bring hisMajesty the Tsar to book, or else make things pretty lively for himif he won't listen to reason."
"Very well," replied Tremayne. "I will do as you say, and awaitdevelopments with considerable interest. If there is going to be afight, I hope you're not going to leave us out in the cold."
"Oh no," replied Arnold. "You needn't be afraid of that. If hisMajesty won't come to terms, you will smash up the war-balloons andthen come and join us in the general bombardment. I see, by the way,that there are ten or a dozen more of these unwieldy monsters withthe Russian force moored to the ground yonder on the outskirts ofCuestrin. It will be a little amusement for us if we have to come toblows to knock them to pieces before we smash up the Tsar'sheadquarters.
So saying, Arnold increased the speed of the _Ithuriel_, swept roundin front of the line, and communicated the same instructions to thecaptain of the _Ariel_.
A few minutes later the _Ariel_ and the _Orion_ began to rise withtheir charges to the higher regions of the air, leaving the_Ithuriel_ and the one aerostat to carry out the plan which had beenarranged by Natas and Arnold an hour previously.
As the speed of the aerostat was only about twenty miles an houragainst the wind, a rope was passed from the stern of the _Ithuriel_to the cordage connecting the car with the gas-holder, and so theaerostat was taken in tow by the air-ship, and dragged through theair at a speed of about forty miles an hour, as a wind-bound sailingvessel might have been towed by a steamer.
On the journey the elevation was increased to more than four thousandfeet,--an elevation at which both the _Ithuriel_ and her captive, andespecially the former, presented practically impossible marks for theRussian riflemen. Almost immediately over Cuestrin they came to astandstill, and then Colonel Alexandrovitch and Professor Volnow weresummoned by Natas into the deck saloon.
He explained to them the mission which he desired them to undertake,that is to say, the conveyance of a letter from himself to the Tsaroffering terms for the surrender of the _Lucifer_. They accepted themission; and in order that they might fully understand the gravity ofit, Natas read them the letter, which ran as follows:--
ALEXANDER ROMANOFF,--
Three days ago one of my fleet of air-ships, named the _Lucifer_, was delivered into your hands by traitors and deserters, whose lives are forfeit in virtue of the oaths which they took of their own free will. I have already taken measures to render abortive the analysis which you ordered to be performed in the chemical department of your Arsenal at St. Petersburg, and I have now come to make terms, if possible, for the restoration of the air-ship. Those terms are as follows--
An hour before daybreak this morning I captured nine of your war-balloons, after destroying three others which attempted to escape. I have no desire to take any present part in the war which you are now carrying on with the Anglo-Teutonic Alliance, and if you will tell me where the _Lucifer_ is now to be found, and will despatch orders both by land and through Professor Volnow, who brings this letter to you, and will return with your answer, for her to be given up to me forthwith with everything she has on board, and will surrender with her the four traitors who delivered her into your hands, I will restore the nine war-balloons to you intact, and when I have recovered the _Lucifer_ I will take no further part in the war unless either you or your opponents proceed to unjustifiable extremities.
If you reject these terms, or if I do not receive an answer to this letter within two hours of the time that the bearer of it descends in the aerostat, I shall give orders for the immediate destruction of the war-balloons now in my hands, and I shall then proceed to destroy Cuestrin and the other aerostats which are moored near the town. That done I shall, for the time being, devote the force at my disposal to the defence of Berlin, and do
my utmost to bring about the defeat and dispersal of the army which will then no longer be commanded by yourself.
In case you may doubt what I say as to the capture of the fleet of war-balloons, Professor Volnow will be accompanied by Colonel Alexei Alexandrovitch, late in command of the squadron, and now my prisoner of war.
NATAS.
The ambassadors were at once transferred to the aerostat, and with awhite flag hoisted on the after stays of the balloon she began tosink rapidly towards the earth, and at the same time Natas gaveorders for the _Ithuriel_ to ascend to a height of eight thousandfeet in order to frustrate any attempts that might be made, whetherwith or without the orders of the Tsar, to injure her by means of avolley from the earth.
Even from that elevation, those on board the _Ithuriel_ were ablewith the aid of their field-glasses to see with perfect ease thecommotion which the appearance of the air-ship with the capturedaerostat had produced in the Russian camp. The whole of the vasthost, numbering more than four millions of men, turned out into theopen to watch their aerial visitors, and everywhere throughout thewhole extent of the huge camp the plainest signs of the utmostexcitement were visible.
In less than half an hour they saw the aerostat touch the earth nearto a large building, above which floated the imperial standard ofRussia. An hour had been allowed for the interview and for the Tsarto give his decision, and half an hour for the aerostat to return andmeet the air-ship.
In all the history of the world there had probably never been an hourso pregnant with tremendous consequences, not only to Europe, but tothe whole civilised world, as that was; and though apparently aperfect calm reigned throughout the air-ship, the issue of theembassy was awaited with the most intense anxiety.
Another half hour passed, and hardly a word was spoken on the deck ofthe _Ithuriel_, hanging there in mid-air over the mighty Russianhost, and in range of the field-glasses of the outposts of the Germanarmy of Berlin lying some ten or twelve miles away to the westward.
It was the calm before the threatening storm,--a storm which in lessthan an hour might break in a hail of death and destruction from thesky, and turn the fields of earth into a volcano of shot and flame.Certainly the fate of an empire, and perhaps of Europe, or indeed theworld, hung in the balance over that field of possible carnage.
If the Russians regained their war-balloons and were left tothemselves, nothing that the heroic Germans could do would be likelyto save Berlin from the fate that had overwhelmed Strassburg andMetz, Breslau and Thorn.
On the other hand, should the aerostat not return in time with asatisfactory answer, the victorious career of the Tsar would be cutshort by such a bolt from the skies as had wrecked his fortress atKronstadt,--a blow which he could neither guard against nor return,for it would come from an unassailable vantage point, a little vessela hundred feet long floating in the air six thousand feet from theearth, and looking a mere bright speck amidst the sunlight. Sheformed a mark that the most skilful rifle-shot in his army could nothit once in a thousand shots, and against whose hull of hardenedaluminium, bullets, even if they struck, would simply splash andscatter, like raindrops on a rock.
The remaining minutes of the last half hour were slipping away one byone, and still no sign came from the earth. The aerostat remainedmoored near the building surmounted by the Russian standard, and thewhite flag, which, according to arrangement, had been hauled down tobe re-hoisted if the answer of the Tsar was favourable, was stillinvisible. When only ten minutes of the allotted time were left,Arnold, moving his glass from his eyes, and looking at his watch,said to Natas--
"Ten minutes more; shall I prepare?"
"Yes," said Natas. "And let the first gun be fired with the firstsecond of the eleventh minute. Destroy the aerostats first and thenthe batteries of artillery. After that send a shell into Frankfort,if you have a gun that will carry the distance, so that they may seeour range of operations; but spare the Tsar's headquarters for thepresent."
"Very good," replied Arnold. Then, turning to his lieutenant, hesaid--
"You have the guns loaded with No. 3, I presume, Mr. Marston, and theprojectile stands are filled, I see. Very good. Now descend to sixthousand feet and go a mile to the westward. Train one broadside gunon that patch of ground where you see those balloons, another tostrike in the midst of those field-guns yonder by theammunition-waggons, and train the starboard after-gun to throw ashell into Frankfort. The distance is a little over twelve miles, sogive sufficient elevation."
By the time these orders had been executed, swiftly as the necessaryevolution had been performed, only four minutes of the allotted timewere left. Arnold took his stand by the broadside gun trained on theaerostats, and, with one hand on the breech of the gun and the otherholding his watch, he waited for the appointed moment. Natasha stoodby him with her eyes fastened to the eye-pieces of the glasseswatching for the white flag in breathless suspense.
"One minute more!" said Arnold.
"Stop, there it goes!" cried Natasha as the words left his lips. "HisMajesty has yielded to circumstances!"
Arnold took the glasses from her, and through them saw a tiny whitespeck shining against the black surface of the gas-holder of theballoon. He handed the glasses back to her, saying--
"We must not be too sure of that. His message may be one ofdefiance."
"True," said Natasha. "We shall see."
Ten minutes later the aerostat was released from her moorings androse swiftly and vertically into the air. As soon as it reached herown altitude the _Ithuriel_ shot forward to meet it, and stoppedwithin a couple of hundred yards, a gun ready trained upon the car incase of treachery. In the car stood Professor Volnow and ColonelAlexandrovitch. The former held something white in his hand, andacross the intervening space came the reassuring hail: "All well!"
In five minutes he was standing on the deck of the _Ithuriel_presenting a folded paper to Natas. He was pale to the lips, and hiswhole body trembled with violent emotion. As he handed him the paper,he said to Natas in a low, husky voice that was barely recognisableas his--
"Here is the answer of the Tsar. Whether you are man or fiend, I knownot, but his Majesty has yielded and accepted your terms. May I neveragain witness such anger as was his when I presented your letter. Itwas not till the last moment that he yielded to my entreaties andthose of his staff, and ordered the white flag to be hoisted."
"Yes," replied Natas. "He tempted his fate to the last moment. Theguns were already trained upon Cuestrin, and thirty seconds more wouldhave seen his headquarters in ruins. He did wisely, if he actedtardily."
So saying, Natas broke the imperial seal. On a sheet of paper bearingthe imperial arms were scrawled three or four lines in the Autocrat'sown handwriting--
I accept your main terms. The air-ship has joined the Baltic fleet. She will be delivered to you with all on board. The four men are my subjects, and I feel bound to protect them; they will therefore not be delivered up. Do as you like.
ALEXANDER.
"A Royal answer, though it comes from a despot," said Natas as herefolded the paper. "I will waive that point, and let him protect thetraitors, if he can. Colonel Alexandrovitch," he continued, turningto the Russian, who had also boarded the air-ship, "you are free. Youmay return to your war-balloon, and accompany us to give the orderfor the release of your squadron."
"Free!" suddenly screamed the Russian, his face livid and distortedwith passion. "Free, yes, but disgraced! Ruined for life, anddegraded to the ranks! I want no freedom from you. I will not evenhave my life at your hands, but I will have yours, and rid the earthof you if I die a thousand deaths!"
As he spoke he wrenched his sword from its scabbard, thrust theProfessor aside, and rushed at Natas with the uplifted blade. Beforeit had time to descend a stream of pale flame flashed over the backof the Master's chair, accompanied by a long, sharp rattle, and theRussian's body dropped instantly to the deck riddled by a hail ofbullets.
"I saw murder in th
at man's eyes when he began to speak," saidNatasha, putting back into her pocket the magazine pistol that shehad used with such terrible effect.
"I saw it too, daughter," quietly replied Natas. "But you need nothave been afraid; the blow would never have reached me, for I wouldhave paralysed him before he could have made the stroke."
"Impossible! No man could have done it!"
The exclamation burst involuntarily from the lips of ProfessorVolnow, who had stood by, an amazed and horrified spectator of therapidly enacted tragedy.
"Professor," said Natas, in quick, stern tones, "I am not accustomedto say what is not true, nor yet to be contradicted by any one inhuman shape. Stand there till I tell you to move."
As he spoke these last words Natas made a swift, sweeping downwardmovement with one of his hands, and fixed his eyes upon those of theProfessor. In an instant Volnow's muscles stiffened into immovablerigidity, and he stood rooted to the deck powerless to move so muchas a finger.
"Captain Arnold," continued Natas, as though nothing had happened."We will rejoin our consorts, please, and release the aerostats inaccordance with the terms. This man's body will be returned in one ofthem to his master, and the Professor here will write an account ofhis death in order that it may not be believed that we have murderedhim. Konstantin Volnow, go into the saloon and write that letter, andbring it to me when it is done."
Like an automaton the Professor turned and walked mechanically intothe deck-saloon. Meanwhile the _Ithuriel_ started on her way towardsthe captive squadron. Before she reached it Volnow returned with asheet of paper in his hand filled with fresh writing, and signed withhis name.
Natas took it from him, read it, and then fixing his eyes on hisagain, said--
"That will do. I give you back your will. Now, do you believe?"
The Professor's body was suddenly shaken with such a violenttrembling that he almost fell to the deck. Then he recovered himselfwith a violent effort, and cried through his chattering teeth--
"Believe! How can I help it? Whoever and whatever you are, you arewell named the Master of the Terror."
The Angel of the Revolution: A Tale of the Coming Terror Page 30