George O. Smith

“ Then one of them said:
"Then, of course, Jim Tennis is the real crook, and Governor Morris is as low a criminal as he is. How on earth did he coerce you? Blackmail?"
"Might be," Blackman nodded. "But what of Hendy?"
"Charles Hendy thinks only of the people. How could he possibly have known that he was being bilked. He is a great philanthropist, not a scientist. Besides, the machine rightfully belongs to James Tennis, you know. It is his—and he can have it!"
"I think I know what you mean. Mind if my friend Howardson is told of the later developments?" ”

“ His reply was made in such a manner that everybody present knew that what he meant was that he merely lacked proof.
"Offering a political rival a weapon with which he can commit political suicide is not a new idea," said the reporter, operating on a well-laid plan.
"No?"
"I understand that there is to be a grand jury investigation," said Moran.
"It will find me blameless," said Hendy. "But perhaps it will fix the responsibility. I feel like a helpless pawn, or perhaps an unwilling and ignorant executioner. I think perhaps Howardson and Blackman should be questioned." ”

“ If the machine is used very carefully, and with considerable planning, it can accomplish the one thing that mankind has always wanted done: Saving some of August's intolerable heat to diminish the rigors of January's bitter cold. We—Your Honor—are the victims of our own avarice in wanting perfect summer all winter. Moderation is the answer."
"You are a lucky young man," said the judge. "I give you a sharp judicial warning not to let dynamite lying around loose for felons to steal, and I hereby permanently dismiss the indictment returned against you eight days ago." ”

“ As they left the office, Jim envisioned selling his idea to the earth and felt that losing one machine was small enough loss, since he had not paid for it.
After they left the office, Charles Hendy began cursing Howardson and Blackman for their stupidity in losing for him the makings of a fortune, but then he was planning to control it anyway. After all, a machine of that potency could and would control countries. He who controlled the Tennis Climate Machine would control the earth! ”

“ Disabled Car
Patricia Morris drove through the countryside idly, but too fast for the time of year. It was late winter, and the road was slippery. Snow still lay damply on the ground and there were ice floes on the lakes.
But Patricia was not driving for fun. She was driving in anger and sheer boredom. She was sick and tired of the surroundings of her home. Another person might have liked them—and Patricia had liked them once but, like her life, they now seemed entirely too artificial. ”

“ The grand jury investigation started. The word of a felon is not too well accepted. Yet there was the suspicion of a doubt, and they worked at it thoroughly.
In the grand jury room, Jim Tennis fumed and swore at their damning testimony even though it was based on the word of felons. The trouble was that Howardson and Blackman had been convicted of felony carried out by them. To have them point out someone high up who had aided the plot gave their story an aura of truth. ”

“ Patricia's car skidded on a slippery spot on the road and spun completely around twice. The car careened into the ditch, against a light fence-post, and was still.
A man, clad in a heavy overcoat, muffler, and overshoes, emerged from the woods, approached the car and opened the door. Patricia, unconscious, fell from the car seat into the man's waiting arms.
He shook her gently, rubbed her cheek with his hand, and murmured soothing words to her.
She opened her eyes and looked up at him.
"What happened?"
"You had an accident," he told her. "You should not drive so fast on slippery roads. ”

“ Being no scientists nor directly involved in politics, there had been some question as to why a pair of felons would take the time and the trouble to steal an invention when there were banks and other places to burglarize. The slightly fish aroma cleared—even though it left a bad taste in the mouth.
Finally the grand jury retired to consider the evidence. After an hour or so, they returned to the box and the foreman gave a folded paper to the bailiff who carried it to the judge. After reading the verdict of the jury to himself, the judge cleared his throat. ”

“ Patricia began to explain....
Bright and early, Jim Tennis appeared in the Grand Jury Room to address the judge. Seated up front in one of the chairs was Charles Hendy who had gone there to witness the discomfiture of his political rivals. He was positive the indictment would be returned against Tennis.
"Your Honor," said Tennis, "this is a case of the misuse of a scientific principle. The discoverer of electricity is not responsible for the deaths each year by electrocution. The inventor of the airplane cannot be held responsible for the deaths there, either. ”

“ Or do we assume that James Tennis and the Governor's Family are more closely attached to one another than most persons are aware?
"Um," said Jim.
"Oh, Pop!" cried Patricia. "It's so unjust!"
"That's it, kids," said Governor Morris. "And it ain't good. If they see you two together tonight, everybody is going to be over-sensitive about this editorial. I hate to ask you, but this is not only a game I'm playing; I'm running a life's work, and I believe that I am protecting the State of Minnesota against a very clever politician. If Charles Hendy runs for election, we'll know it." ”

“ The first very few volts causes a chill, after which it gets normal and behaves as the rest of them did. I'm stumped, Patricia."
Governor Morris came in with a wan smile. "Jim, lad. Any hope?"
"None," he said. "I'm licked."
"Sorry, kids. Dead sorry. But I've just decided that the ambitions of an old man aren't worth ruining several young lives for."
"What do you mean?" asked Jim.
"I've prepared a statement and a complete pardon for you, Jim, absolving you from all guilt as an innocent victim of circumstances. Hendy will leap onto that with both feet. But I'll not see you sacrificed." ”

“ It is improper to say that immigration set in. Immigration had been high ever since the announcement of tropical heat. People who ordinarily went to Florida for the winter went to Minnesota. In fact, people who lived in Florida and California and Bermuda all the year around went across ice-strewn fields of winterland to visit the oasis of warmth.
Scientists came by droves, scientists who came to measure and calculate and predict, and scientists who came to enjoy a vacation. ”

“ She went forward and dangled one big toe into the lake. It was pleasant, and so Patricia stepped full into the water. There was a screech and she retreated swiftly.
"Migawsh!" she spluttered, hopping around on the other foot. "What's in there?"
"That lake is stream-fed from the hills," he told her. "This isn't really mid-August. This is still April in the rest of the country around here."
"Makes one forget, doesn't it?" she said dropping to the blanket again.
Jim nodded. From his pocket he took a large linen handkerchief and dried her foot. Patricia slipped back into shoes and stockings. ”

“ Patricia entered his car, saying, "There will be a next time, you know."
He laughed happily as he climbed in beside her. They drove away chatting animatedly.
Blackman turned to Howardson. "So?" he asked.
"So this may turn into something. I'm a bit scared, though."
"Why?" demanded Blackman.
"Look," said Howardson, "supposing it gets out that Patricia Morris, the Governor's daughter, is Number One girl friend of a scientist who has what it takes to create a summer resort out of a hunk of midwinter Minnesota?"
Blackman grunted. "It wouldn't do Morris's chances for re-election any harm, would it?" ”

“ All you need is some evidence that they stole their ideas from you?"
Jim looked around. He shook his head. "This notebook is meaningless," he said. "There's a lot of listings and questions in it, but nothing that points to anything crooked. Nothing, anyway, that would show conspiracy and they'd probably assert they were my own questions and scribblings. The camera and film mean nothing, since anyone can expose film. ”

“ So we ramble too."
"Waste of time."
"Waste of time it may be, but we're making a living by following Patricia Morris for Hendy. And Charles Hendy pays well. He'll pay even better when we can come up with something that will get Joseph Morris a political black eye."
"That's going to be hard."
"We know it. Morris is a clever, wise man. But Patricia is a young, headstrong woman. She'll slip sooner or later and then the newspapers will take off on the entire Morris Family. So now we follow her."
Parking the car, Blackman followed the footprints through the woods. ”

“ Hendy said with a smile. "No one knows whether they took the idea, but they were stealing something from your place and they were selling something to me that sounds very much like it came from your place. Officer, take them away!"
Tennis looked askance at Morris. The Governor shrugged.
"There remains only a matter of the settlement of honor between Mr. Tennis and myself," said Hendy. "Surely Mr. Tennis must admit that I have been operating in good faith."
Attorney General Jones cleared his throat. "I doubt very much that any evidence could show that you have not," he said drily. ”

“ The man on the road flagged the car down and climbed into the seat beside the driver as it came to a stop.
"That's her car, all right," he said.
Blackman nodded. "It is."
Howardson smiled wrily. "So what?"
"So we follow," said Blackman.
"Now look," grumbled Howardson. "No dame wrecks a car on purpose." ”

“ That'll fix Morris."
"What are we doing?" asked Howardson.
"We are going to hustle," said Hendy.
Out in the central part of Minnesota, a few weeks later a vast tower reared skyward. Men swarmed the girders, riveting and welding. Up and up the tower went, reaching skyward as the weeks went by. A special high-tension line snaked across the countryside heading for the location, and construction workers built a medium-sized building at the foot of the tower.
Skyward it went, and then at the top they started to weld together the segments that were the lower circle of a sphere. ”

“ Joe's that chef at the Governmental mansion and he never heard of packing a picnic basket in April. Now," she finished, "you're going to relax!"
"I am?" he blurted.
"You are. You seldom do, I bet."
"We relax," he said with a final laugh. The doberman came bounding up, and Patricia leaned back into the coupe and produced a large and juicy bone. She tossed it, and Doby watched the bone arch through the air, backed out of the way as it landed, and then flopped down with his chin on the top of the bone and looked at Jim. ”

“ Now I must leave because I gotta make a deadline," said Moran.
"You other gentlemen may remain if you wish," smiled Hendy. "If you wish to cover Mr. Moran's deadline to prevent a news scoop, you may use the telephones here." ”

“ People seldom come through here, and those that do set off the photoalarm and I intercept them long before they get to the warm circle. If they insist on walking through, I walk along with them chatting furiously. ”

“ The judge's voice grew thoughtful. "But before the court is dismissed, may I ask how you proved that the machine actually drains 'Next Summer's' heat to warm 'Last Winter' and so forth?"
"The Climate Machine is actually a time machine," said Jim Tennis promptly.
"Time Machine?" exploded Hendy scornfully.
Jim Tennis turned and pointed to Hendy. "The same means of proving my point indicts you, Mr. Charles Hendy. Your Honor, I have here a series of pictures taken by myself. It shows Miss Patricia Morris in her car, wrecked. It shows the path she took through the woods. It shows—ultimately—Messrs. ”