Darrow heard his heels clattering on the
cement of the corridors. He smiled.
"And now the deluge!" he remarked.
The crowds, terrified, inquisitive, sceptical, and speculative, gathered.
Officials swept them out and took possession. Hallowell and Darrow
conferred earnestly together.
"He has the power to stop heat vibrations, you see," Darrow said. "That
makes him really dangerous. His activities here are in line with his other
warnings; but he is not ready to go to extremes yet. The city is yet
safe."
"Why?" asked Hallowell.
"I know it. But he has the power. If he gets dangerous we must stop him."
"You are sure you can do it?"
"Sure."
"Then, for God's sake, do it! Don't you realize what will happen when news
of this gets out, and people understand what it means? Don't you feel your
guilt at those men's deaths?" He struck his hand in the direction of the
City Hall.
"The people will buy a lot of experience, at cost of a little fright and
annoyance," replied Percy Darrow carelessly. "It'll do them good. When
it's over, they'll come back again and be good. As for that bunch in
there--when you look over those papers I think you'll be inclined to agree
with what the religious fanatics will say--that it was a visitation of
God."
"But the old, the sick--there'll be deaths among them--the responsibility
is something fearful--"
"Never knew a battle fought yet without some loss," observed Darrow.
Pages:
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130