Smith nodded grimly and attempted to pull at the lobe of his ear, but part of the headpiece foiled him. Marriot Doughty seemed to hesitate, and then: “There is one feature of our present situation,” he said, “which contains elements of great danger.”
‘What is that?” asked Smith.
“Expressed simply, it is a certain affinity which exists between Ericksen waves and lightning. You cannot have failed to notice that the electric storm, which had passed to the east, is now concentrated directly above us.One of the Doctor’s own precepts—which he would seem to have overlooked . . . . ”
The sentence was never finished.
A veil of blinding light—I cannot otherwise describe it—descended between me and the farther end of the laboratory. The rubber-covered floor heaved like the deck of a ship; fragments of masonry fell all about! The Ferris Globe crashed from the roof into a cavity which suddenly yawned in the centre of the long room. The whole of one glass wall fell in!
Somewhere, a loud voice was shouting: “This way! This way! All the floor’s going!”
I remember joining in a panic rush. Who ran beside me I cannot say—nor where we ran. The earth heaved beneath my feet; the night was torn by spears of lightning which seemed to strike down directly upon us. Through a hell beyond my powers to depict I ran—and ran—and ran . . . .
* * *
“That’s better. Mr. Kerrigan!”
I stared up into the speaker’s face, a sunbrowned, bearded face, not comprehending. Then, aware of an unpleasant nausea, I looked about me. I was in bed; the speaker was a doctor. A dreadful suspicion came—and I sat up.
“Where amI?”
“You are in my house in Cap Haitien. My name isDr. Ralph——”
“You are not—”
“I am a United States citizen, Mr. Kerrigan,” he said cheerily. “But there is no English physician here, so Mr. Finlay ran you in to me.”
I dropped back, with a long sigh of relief.
“Smith—”
“Sir Denis Nayland Smith is here. His recovery was a quicker business than yours.”
“His recovery?” I sat up again. “What happened to us? Was I struck by something?”
“No, no—fumes. The earth tremor which partially destroyed the San Damien Sisal Works released fumes to which you both succumbed. What were you doing there last night with so large a body of men is none of my business. But, you see”—he tapped me on the chest—”there had been passive congestion in the left lung, and you were more seriously affected than the others. However”—he stood up—”you will be all right now, and I know you would wish to see your friend.”
Dr. Ralph went out; and a moment later Nayland Smith came in.
“Thank God we’re alive Kerrigan!” he said. “We lose the triumph, but we were the instruments of retribution!”
“Smith! What happened? What hellish thing happened?”
He began to walk up and down the small room.
“So far as I can make out—I have been over there all this morning—lightning struck the laboratory and was conducted (possibly down the lift cable) into the great cavern! At any rate, a new gorge has appeared, a gorge of extraordinary depth. It has swallowed up part of the sisal works and the whole of one plantation: in fact, the side of a mountain has moved!”
“Good God!”
“The first blast split the laboratory in half. That was when Doughty went—”
“Then he—”
“Fell into the pit which yawned not five feet from where you were standing! I hauled you back and we all ran out through the gap in the wall. We were half way across the quadrangle when the second blast—which seemed to come from underground—threw us off our feet. The fumes were appalling; but we all managed to struggle on for another hundred yards or so. I don’t remember much more.”
“Good God!” I said again. “Can you picture what happened below-ground!”
“Yes!” he snapped. “I can . . , and Fu Manchu was below-ground!”
“What news of Barton?”
“Did the job. But they had to put out to sea and make for Port au Prince. All’s well with Barton; and I think, Kerrigan, my long fight is won. Now—I am going to send your nurse to see you.” Before I could utter any word of protest, he went out, but left the door open.
Ardatha came in . . .
The End