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Here he is," and there appeared upon the screen the face of the Commissioner of Public Safety, the commander of Triplanetary's every armed force whether of land or of water, of air or of empty space. "They've come back, Samms!" the Commissioner rapped out, without preliminary or greeting. "Four vessels gone a freighter and a passenger liner, with her escort of two heavy cruisers.
"Can't you get it into your skull what you'll be letting yourself in for if you marry me? Assume that we get back, which isn't sure, by any means. But even if we do, some day and maybe soon, too, you can't tell somebody is going to collect fifty grams of radium for my head." "Fifty grams and everybody knows that Samms himself is rated at only sixty? I knew that you were somebody, Conway!"
There was much to study, many improvements to be made in his comparatively crude first ultra-camera. Then, too, there were long conferences with Samms, and particularly with Rodebush, the mathematical physicist, whose was the task of solving the riddles of the energies and weapons of the Nevians. Thus it did not seem long before green Terra grew large beneath the flying sphere of the Chicago.
Chains and cables were made fast and, mighty steel rails groaning under the load, the space-ship upon her rolling ways was dragged out of the Hill and far out upon the level floor of the surface before the tractors cast off and returned to the fortress. "Everybody is under cover." Samms informed Rodebush.
Costigan cut the other two phones out of circuit and spoke, his attention fixed upon some extremely distant point. "Samms!" he called, sharply. "Costigan. We're out ... all right ... yes ... sure ... absolutely ... you tell 'em, Sammy; I've got company here." Through the sound-disks of their helmets the girl and the captain had heard Costigan's share of the conversation.
And yet, had not the physicist dimly foreseen the possibility of such an actual velocity or had he? However, individuals could came and could go, but Triplanetary went on. Samms squared his shoulders unconsciously, and slowly, grimly, made his way back to his private office. He had scant time to mourn.
No need of asking how you feel, is there?" "No I feel hungry," he answered cheerfully. "I'm going to see what we can do about it or say, guess I'll see whether they're still interfering on Samms' wave." He took out a small, insulated case and touched the contact stud lightly with his fingers. His arm jerked away powerfully. "Still at it," he gave the necessary explanation.
Rodebush cut off his power, and through the deafening roar of tube-noise an almost inaudible voice made itself heard. " ... all the help you can give us. Samms Cleveland Rodebush anybody of Triplanetary who can hear me, listen!
We all honor the Service, Conway dearest it is only you men who have made and are keeping the Three Planets fit places to live in and I know that Virgil Samms' chief lieutenant would have to be a man in four thousand million...." "What makes you think that?" he demanded sharply. "You told me so yourself, indirectly.
Bradley stared at his erstwhile first officer in amazement, and even Clio had often heard that mighty, half-mythical name. Surely that bewildering young man must rank high, to speak so familiarly to Virgil Samms, the all-powerful head of the space-pervading Secret Service of the Triplanetary League! "You've turned in a general call-out," Bradley stated, rather than asked.
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