"The Ghost Counts Ten"

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 257, 31 October 1939, Page 11

"The Ghost Counts Ten"

Serial Story

(By

RALPH TREVOR)

“Not a scintilla of evidence, as our legal friends would say. On Hie other hand, Ferring, I have information that an attempt is about to be launched against Secret 732.” Sir Mark stretched out an arm and took a folder from the wire basket on his desk. “I will explain. Secret 732,’’

he went on. thumbing the documents in the folder as if to refresh his memory, “is an invention—a very important invention, Ferring—concerning an invisible ray apparatus intended for use against enemy aircraft. I have spent some considerable time with the Air Minister on this matter, and I am satisfied in my own mind that this invisible ray is of the utmost importance from a national defence point of view.

“As you know, Ferring, every big Power throughout the world has spent the last ten years in trying to perfect such a device, and, while some success has been achieved—notably in Herman laboratories—the machine has lacked that touch of perfection that makes all the difference between a brilliant, idea and its accomplishment. Now a certain young scientist, by name Conrad Quest, has succeeded in dis-

covering an automatically energised ray of such power that it can melt metal at a height of seven thousand feet. More than that, a machine travelling at the greatest known height for any type of aircraft cannot escape its lethal effects. As you may know, or even guessed, Ferring. 1 am not a scientist. I am a soldier. I am content to leave the scientific side of this invention to those to those best qualified to understand it. NVhr.t I do know is that the Invisible Bay, or Death Bay, which ever you care Io name it, means that Britain is safe from aerial invasion so long as the secret of the Bay’s composition remains in the hands of the Government. I had a chat yesterday with the Prime Minister, and I laid before him information which proves that the efficacy of the new Bay is already known to Germany, Italy, Soviet. Russia, France and Japan. Any one of these Powers would be willing to give almost any sum of money the m’nd of man can conceive to possess “The nation that holds the secret of this remarkable Invention can hold the world at bay not. only in the air. but, at sea and on the land. While experiments have not been concluded against the armourplate of a battleship. the Air Minister tells me that, there is nn question about its success. Think what it means. For- | ring! Try. if you can. to visualise, nn! : only a fleet of bombers literally melt- > ing in thin air. but- also a battleship slowly being reduced to molten metal before your very eyes. I tell you it, is the most, powerful destructive agent the world has ever known. I am telling you this so that you can’ appreciate the importance of the world that lies ahead of you. To allow anyone to become apprised of this valuable secret would mean disaster , Io the nation and to lhe Empire.” Sir Mark replaced the folder in the wire basket, and carefully lighted a cigarette. Dick Ferring sat. thoughtful for a moment. “How about this fellow Quest?" he asked. “Is there any chance of his weakening? It must be a terrible temptation Io a fellow.” “’[ have seen Quest. 1 met him at lhe Air Ministry. He's a young, rather impressionable, yet likeable young fellow. A brilliant scientist, and British to his finger-tips. I-f I'm any judge of character at all. young Quest, would never for one moment, think of double-crossing his country. He's a patriot to the core.” “What chance is there of any other scientist stumbling across his formula?” was Ferring’s next question. “I'm told that the possibility has been considered, but if the law of averages means anything at all. it might, be another fifty years before a similar set. of circumstances arose which were present when young Quest obtained his basic idea. Don’t ask me what they wore: they’re too technical for my mediocre brain to understand. What it amounts to is this: if any other Power succeeds in producing a similar machine, that machine must have been constructed from Quest’s formula.” “And you think that Ferdinand Bolz ” “I do! You know Bolz better than I do. You’ve been on hand tn watch, some of his work in the Balkans. Bolz will go to any lengths to get his fingers on the formula and. Ferring, mv boy. I’m giving you the job of seeing that he. dies of disappointment. H's no light task. It's going to be the biggest job of your career, and. as in other jobs you’ve tackled, you’ve got to work alone until you reach that point when Bolz comes out into the open and you can lay your information before the Special Branch.” Dick Ferring pulled his coal, with an instinctive gesture, closer around him. “And now 1 suppose you don’t mind telling me, just where this precious formula is to be found.” “That is easy,” smiled Sir Mark. “One half of the formula reposes in a Government safe in Whitehall: the other is in the possession of Conrad Quest. Neither portion is of the remotest, value, without the other. It was the Air Minister’s suggestion, and I don’t propose, at the moment, to make, any comment on the. arrangement.” “That's good enough for me,” grinned Ferring. “And now. I suppose. Fd better find out where friend Bolz is to be found.” “You will find Ferdinand Bolz somewhere in the vicinity of Brcardon Manor in Sussex,” Sir Mark surprised him by saying. “H’s a fashionable countrv club under the direction of the Honourable Michael Trelarp. Bolz was seen there three days ago. After that he vanished, but I’ve an idea that vou’ll find him hanging around somewhere. That’s your starling point. Ferring. Here’s wishing you Inis of luck. l‘vc an idea you’ll need it.”

CHAPTER 111. Breardon Manor was ideally placed for a country club. ]t was situated about a quarter of a mile away ironthe main London-Hastings road—e house designed in Elizabeth’s day am where, according to accredited loca records she had stayed, not once bu many times, as the honoured guest o her old friend Sir Roger Kynass. The house itself, even in these modern days of ribbon building am red tiles, was in a remarkably goostate of preservation. From the da; when Sir Roger Kynass had brough. Sir Stafford de Haye down from I.ondon to survey the original site and t< prepare the plans, the old place ha< never been permitted to fall into an; sort of disrepair. For two hundred years there had always been : Kynass there—a representative of theancient family who had a suitable regard for ancient monuments within I Infamily heritage, and even when I Inline .became extinct through the thoughtless intermediary of a cann inball in the. Peninsula Wars, others I 'd been impressed by Breardon Manor's old-world loveliness, and success:’. <■ owners had had that respect for old age’s due. Twelve months ago Breardon Manoi uite unexpectedly came into the property market. It was suitably advertised, replete with photograph, by a firm of auctioneers, but before Hie day appointed for the auction Breardon Manor was withdrawn as having been sold privately. Many folk, especially in the neighbourhood, who heard the tidings, were patently glad. It wasn’t nice to think of the old place under the auctioneer’s hammer. But when they heard- that Breardon Manor was to bo modernised and to be transformed info a country club, there was almost immediately an unanimous reversal of opinion. T > think that the old Manor had cm.:'' to this—to be made into a dance hall and be equipped with a swimming poo; —it just./didn't make sense to those who believed they had the artistic, ami historic welfare of Breardon Marmr close, to their hearts. Rut, despite all the letters of protest that appeared In the local and the national newspapers a hoard of workmen appeared on the scene, and inside three months Breardon Manor, while appearing externally architecturally the same, was considerably changed internally. many of the rooms had been enlarged. In what, had been the lounge, opening from the old library, an up-to-date bar had been installed in black glass and chromium fittings. The dining-hall, with the gallery running around three sides, had been fitted with a modern spring dance floor, and served also the needs of the digestion as occasion demanded. I-t was designed for a residential club. 100. Hot and cold running waler was installed into the thirtyfive bedrooms, and central heating h id replaced the. open hearths of other days. Out. in the grounds—not tno far away from the house—a swimming pool had appeared. It, was a shining, shimmering affair built from an opalescent stone that reflected, rather artistically many had to admit, the myriads of coloured lights tin' were cunningly concealed around the Xa \\ J !ien P 'the task was completed, opinion in the neighbouring village of Harnett was divided. The old people of course, felt it th'eir duly to comment unfavourably on what they were pleased to call this “Modern vandalism”: this ‘‘Commercialising of build ings of historic interest.” They would have, had the Manor remain as it, always had been, and they had exon gone to the length—unheard of previously in ‘Carne.lt—of petitioning the Member of Parliament, for the Division to have the old place taken under the sheltering wing of the Office of Works and preserved for the nation. The younger fry. not. only in Carnett. but for a ten mile radius, thought otherwise. The of Breardon Manor as a country club was both intriguing and savoured of adventure. Unlike their elders, they had no respect at all for ago. They had no doubt that Breardon Manor had served a highly desirable purpose in the days gone by: they had no doubt, too. that the various lords of the Manor had held high jinks on feast days and holidays. Some of them ventured the remark, that Good Queen Boss might even have considered it convenient to forget, her title on occasions when she visited there, but that, was no valid reason for preserving the old place ns a national museum. Now a country club was something they could undersfand. It meant trr them dancing and frivolity more in keeping with their modern ideas. The landlord of “The Goat and Kitten” preserved a tactful silence regarding his own opinions. The hostelry in Garnett could not claim equal antiquity with the Manor, but it, was. nevertheless, one of the ancient, places of the neighbourhood. When George Border, the worthy landlord, had first heard about the new venture, ho. had wrinkled his small snub nose and expectorated with more than usual ’vehemence into the receptacle provided for the purpose. To Mrs Border ho had remarked that it was a shame the. local licensing authority should permit such competition with himself. But the Breardon Manor Country Club had been in existence less than a month before, the worthy Mr Border began to realise, that perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea after all. More and more people seemed to be coming into Garnett, and the majority of them would half, their cars outside “The Goat and Kitten’’ and pop inside to inquire the way to the country club. Almost invariably they partook of liquor, and in doing so commented favourably on the nice little tavern they had encountered—many of them for the first, time. So that Mr Border discovered that business was, if not booming, considerably increased (To be continued.)