The Caves of Fear: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  Heavy Water

  Hartson Brant walked swiftly to the telephone and picked it up.

  "What's the matter, Dad?" Rick asked quickly. The scientist had astrange look on his face.

  "Give me the telegraph office," Hartson Brant said. He put his hand overthe mouthpiece. "I'll tell you in a moment. I want to get a wire offimmediately." He spoke into the phone again. "Western Union? This isSpindrift, Brant speaking. I want to send a straight telegram. Yes. ToSteven Ames."

  Rick gasped. Steve Ames was the young intelligence officer of JANIG, thesecret Army-Navy group charged with protecting the security of Americangovernment secrets. The Spindrift group of scientists had worked withSteve in solving _The Whispering Box Mystery_.

  Scotty's fingers bit into Rick's arm.

  Hartson Brant gave the address. "Here's the message. 'Have reconsideredyour request basis of new information just received here. Urge you comeor phone at once.' That's it. Sign it 'Brant, Spindrift.' Yes. Charge tothis number."

  He waited until the telegraph office had read back the message, thenhung up and turned to the waiting group.

  "Three days ago I had a phone call from Steve Ames. He asked if I couldundertake a special job for the government that would require me to gooverseas at once for an indefinite time. I was forced to decline becauseobviously I can't leave now with these staff changes about to takeplace."

  The scientist knocked the ashes out of his pipe, his face thoughtful.

  "Steve wouldn't take no for an answer. He insisted that the job was ofthe utmost importance, and he added that it concerned an old collegechum of mine." He paused. "His name is Carl Bradley."

  Rick's eyes met Scotty's.

  "He said it was an urgent job, but that he would give me a few days tothink it over, to see if I couldn't rearrange my affairs in some way. Iassured him it was no use, that I couldn't possibly leave, but he saidto take until Saturday to consider it. That's tomorrow."

  Rick whistled. "Some timing."

  "It's a lot more than mere coincidence," Hartson Brant said. "But Idon't know any more about it than what I've told you."

  "Who is Carl Bradley?" Weiss asked.

  "I'm surprised you haven't heard of him, Julius. He has a considerablereputation as an ethnologist. He and Paul Warren and I were in schooltogether. We lost track of him for a while, then he wrote from China. Hehad spent several years inland, living with the Chinese, as one of them.He produced some immensely valuable studies. Those, and his ratherremarkable ability to speak and act like a Chinese earned him thenickname of 'Chinese Bradley.' He had lived most of his life sinceschool in one part of Asia or another. But I'm sure I can't guess whathis connection is with this special job of Steve's, or how he happenedto become Chahda's boss."

  "Or why he's missing," Barby added.

  The cable had created a mystery that demanded a solution, but no amountof discussion answered the questions it raised. Finally, Mrs. Brantbroke up the debate by pointedly remarking on the lateness of the hour.Reluctantly, the family started for bed.

  As Rick undressed, he continued the discussion through the doorconnecting his room and Scotty's. "Chahda's pretty sure we'll hurry toHong Kong."

  "Is he wrong?" Scotty demanded.

  "I don't know," Rick said. "It depends on a lot of things. We can't gounless we get jobs, and Steve evidently didn't say anything to Dad aboutthe rest of the staff, including us."

  "Dad hasn't even said he'll go," Scotty reminded.

  "Doesn't saying he has reconsidered mean that he'll go?"

  "Could be. Or maybe it just means he's willing to talk some more aboutit. We should have pinned him down."

  "We will," Rick said. "In the morning."

  He lay awake for long hours, staring into the darkness and trying topiece together Chahda's references to a golden mouse, a Chinese with aglass eye, and a long shadow. It was no use. But there was no mistakingthe urgency of his friend's plea.

  Where was Chahda now? At a guess, somewhere between Singapore and HongKong. But whether by land or sea or air, Rick couldn't imagine. Norcould he even venture a wild guess at what kind of danger Chahda faced.

  After a long time he fell asleep, but it was fitful sleep broken byfrequent awakenings.

  In the morning, the discussion resumed over breakfast, bringing forthwild speculations from Barby. Rick had to grin at her flights of fancy.

  "One thing seems sure," Scotty offered. "Chahda was in a big hurry."

  "What makes you think so?" Mrs. Brant asked. "Barby! Please stop feedingDismal at the table."

  Dismal turned beseeching eyes to Rick in a plea for moral support, buthis young master was listening to Scotty.

  "The words he used. Like putting together an atomic symbol and Russianmoney to make 'troubles,' and using 'umbra' instead of shadow. I'm surein a big book like _The World Almanac_ troubles and shadows arementioned somewhere. But he didn't have time to search. He took thefirst possibilities that came along."

  Rick nodded approval. "That figures. But why didn't he have time?"

  Scotty shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe better."

  Julius Weiss, who had tired of the discussion and started to the lab,ran back into the house. "There's a plane heading this way," heannounced. "I'm sure it's coming here, because it's down pretty low."

  The conversation ended abruptly. Rick and Scotty were first out on thelawn. The engine noise of the plane was loud.

  Rick saw it first, a sleek, four-place cabin job, circling wide out overthe water, losing altitude. In a few moments it banked sharply behindthe lab building, straightened out, and cut the gun. Rick was runningtoward the end of the grass strip even before the plane settled smoothlyto the ground.

  "Steve Ames," he said to himself. "I'll bet it is." The JANIG officerhad wasted no time!

  Sure enough, Steve was the first out of the plane. Rick saw that he wasthe only passenger. The pilot got out then, and Rick recognized him asone of the JANIG operatives who had chased the Whispering Box gangacross Washington.

  Steve and Rick shook hands, grinning at each other, then Rick greetedMike, the pilot.

  "Didn't think we'd be needing Spindrift again so soon," Steve said. Hewalked to meet the others and shook hands all around. "Let's get busy,"he said to Hartson Brant.

  Rick, Scotty, and Barby followed the two into the library. Mrs. Branttook the pilot into the dining room for coffee while Professor Weissexcused himself and went on to the laboratory. His apparent lack ofinterest would have amazed anyone who didn't know him, but Rick knewthat when Julius Weiss was wrapped up in one of his theoretical mathproblems, nothing else on earth could find room in his mind.

  Steve looked at the scientist. "What caused you to reconsider?"

  "This." Hartson Brant handed him the translation of Chahda's cable, thenthe original. "We broke the code last night. It was a book code, using_The World Almanac_. Chahda knew we'd be able to puzzle it out."

  Steve scanned the number groups briefly. "Clever," he commented. He readthrough the clear copy twice, and his jaw tightened. "This explainssomething that has puzzled me."

  "A good thing," Rick said. "Because all we got was the puzzlement. Noexplanations."

  Steve tapped the cable thoughtfully. "I hate to ask you to tackle thisjob, but you must have some ideas about it or you wouldn't have sentthat wire."

  Hartson Brant nodded. "I explained my situation to you on the phone whenyou called a few days ago. The situation hasn't changed, but I mustadmit this cable from Chahda puts a new light on the matter. That boy isa member of the family."

  "Then you'll go?"

  "I don't want to, quite frankly. I will if there is no alternative. Ilost a lot of sleep last night making that decision. But first, I wantto propose that some member of my staff go in my stead."

  Steve walked to the desk and perched on its edge. "Which one?"

  "You know them all. You also know their specialties. Which of them wouldfit your requirements best?"


  "Zircon. He's a nuclear physicist."

  Rick held his breath. Steve was continuing:

  "Chahda urges Rick and Scotty to get jobs, too. I hadn't consideredthat, but it's not a bad idea."

  Rick closed his eyes and let out his breath in a sigh of relief. Scottynudged him.

  Hartson Brant asked, "Then you will consider Zircon as my substitute?Always on condition that he will go, of course."

  Steve nodded. "I'd prefer you, but I'll take Zircon, if I can make acondition of my own, and that is that you'll fly to the Far East on amoment's notice if he and the boys can't handle it."

  Rick looked at his father anxiously. Hartson Brant had not given hispermission for them to make a trip, but evidently it was all right. Thescientist nodded.

  "I'll agree to that." He went to the telephone and picked up theinstrument. "Operator, I want to place a long-distance call."

  Steve winked at the boys. Then, as Hartson Brant placed the call toZircon in New Haven, Connecticut, the JANIG man said, "Going to be acouple of tourists at government expense, huh? Pretty soft."

  "Maybe," Rick said, grinning. "That cable doesn't sound like anythingsoft."

  Steve got serious. "You two proved yourselves in Washington, so far asI'm concerned. You can make yourselves useful, and you'll provide a goodcover for Zircon."

  "What kind of cover?" Barby asked.

  Steve smiled at her. "Women can't keep secrets, I'm told."

  "I can," Barby retorted swiftly.

  Steve held up his hand for silence. Hartson Brant had Zircon on theline. The scientist outlined Steve's proposal in a few words, and gaveZircon the contents of Chahda's cable. Then he listened to Zircon whileRick fidgeted anxiously. Finally, Hartson Brant said, "All right,Hobart. Tell your people up there that I'll take your lectures. We'llsee you later today." He hung up and nodded at Steve.

  "Hobart had lectures scheduled for next week, but I can take them forhim. He'll be down this afternoon, and, he says, he'll be ready to leavein the morning if necessary."

  "Good!" Steve nodded at Barby. "Even if you can't go on the trip, youcan make yourself useful. Want to place a call to Washington for me?"

  "Yes," Barby said eagerly. "Where to?"

  Steve gave her the number. Then, while she was placing the call, hesaid, "Now, I'll tell you what I know."

  Rick's heart beat faster. Now he would learn what was behind Chahda'scable!

  "The day before I phoned here," Steve began, "my office received amessage from Carl Bradley. It was a top secret message sent to us viathe American consulate general's channels from Singapore. I'd betterexplain first that Carl is a JANIG man. His knowledge of that part ofthe world has made him invaluable, and he works for us secretly whiledoing his routine work as an ethnologist. That is top secret informationthat must never be repeated outside this room."

  "You can depend on us," Hartson Brant assured him.

  "I know it. To go on. His job is gathering information about persons whoshow too much interest in operations within our embassies andconsulates. However, the cable we got from him wasn't quite in thatline."

  Steve paused to see how Barby was getting along. She was trying tolisten to him and the operator at the same time.

  "This cable," Steve continued, "said he had accidentally made adiscovery of something potentially dangerous to America. He asked for acompetent nuclear physicist, and he named you, Hartson, to be sent toSingapore at once to check on his finding, and to locate, if possible,the source of the stuff he had discovered. We haven't heard from himsince. From Chahda's cable, it's evident something has happened to him.And on the basis of the cable, I think we'll send Zircon and you boys toHong Kong first."

  Scotty put into words the question that was in Rick's mind. "What was itthat he discovered?"

  Steve's lips tightened, then he said: "_Heavy water!_"