The Earth-Tube Read Online Free

chairs for the entire party before an alcove in the laboratory, which had been screened off in anticipation of the interview.
    “You have met my associate. “ began Dr. Scott warmly. “To his help and ingenuity I owe the success of most of my recent experiments. “
    “I can well imagine,” returned the Secretary dryly.
    “He paid me a visit at my office the other day.” He glanced airily about the room and continued, “In case he feels like repeating his forced entry, I might say that my attendants have all been instructed to shoot first and ask questions afterward.”
    King smiled and gripped the Secretary’s hand. “It won’t be necessary to repeat the visit,” he said. “Dr. Scott will make clear to you to-day what we have to show you.”
    “And this is my daughter,” said Dr. Scott.
    Dr. Angell saw that Anna was a beautiful girl, quiet and poised. He glanced at her appreciatively as he acknowledged the introduction.
    Anna returned his smile.
    “I’m glad you came,” she said.
    “We are all eager to place this information as soon as possible in the hands of the Government,” Dr. Scott continued quickly. “My letter,” he went on, “explained in general the reason for calling you here.”
    The Secretary accepted the proffered chair suspiciously. “If you will pardon me,” he replied, “your letter not only mentioned the subject of this interview, but contained statements which convinced me, my dear Professor, that you are perhaps. a little unbalanced.”
    The scientist smiled.
    “I thought you would say that,” he returned evenly. “That’s why I asked you to come to my laboratory. Here we can give you demonstrations, Mr. Secretary. We can back our theories up with ample proof!”
    King swung the alcove screen aside. In the brightly lighted space beyond there was a model of the earth, a huge globe more than fifteen feet in diameter, made apparently of day and stone, with jellylike masses to represent water and rough approximations of the continents and mountain chains. At the turn of a switch the model moved upon its axis, slowly at first, then with gathering speed. Tiny and intricate seismographic units, 3 situated at various places upon the surface, made accurate records whenever this even motion was disturbed. It was a complete instrument for studying the phenomena of the earth.
    “You will permit us, I hope, to show you exactly what we mean,” Dr. Scott continued, glancing briefly at his model to observe its turning. The Secretary, who was staring at the huge object with ill-concealed amazement and surprise, slowly nodded.
    “Yes,” he replied, “though I haven’t the slightest notion what you are trying to prove.”
    “I’ll try to make that clear,” said Dr. Scott.
    He took a short pointer from a rack near by and moved it about the sphere, indicating features as he mentioned them, in an absent-minded manner he had acquired through years of teaching in his lean middle life.
    “You will remember,” he began, “that these peculiar manifestations were first noticed about four years ago. At the beginning they were irregular, of small importance, and appeared to be located near the surface, somewhere in the northern part of the Eastern Hemisphere.
    “They grew steadily in intensity throughout the following two years, and began to attract attention among scientists, at first more because they were difficult to locate exactly than because they were considered dangerous. They were still attributed vaguely to the Eastern Hemisphere, perhaps in the general region of southern Japan.
    “But if you will remember, no careful check was possible, because of the conquering hordes which had poured out of central Asia five years earlier, overwhelming both Japan and China. Triumphant, they had closed these ancient lands once again to Western visitors and forbidden all communication between the West and that particular portion of the East.
    “Until a year ago it was generally thought that some