The Purple Wizard by John Russell Fearn & Volsted Gridban

Author:John Russell Fearn & Volsted Gridban [Fearn, John Russell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 9781473209862
Publisher: Orion Publishing Group
Published: 2015-09-30T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

Back in the laboratory in 1967, Professor Addison made the final touches to the copper coupler which he intended to take the place of the fuse removed by the Chief Electrical Engineer. It was exactly twelve-thirty, two hours and a half behind the time that Addison had promised he would recall Arthur and his daughter. With him in the laboratory was his wife, helping him as best she could, accepting his tirades and ravings in silence, for by this time she had arrived at the conclusion that they were fully justified. She had stepped out of line in an endeavour to justify herself, and had precipitated the most extraordinary scientific crisis imaginable.

“There,” Addison said finally, holding the coupler up in his fingers and studying it in the bright light. “I think this ought to do the trick, providing that they haven’t cut out the circuit at the power house. We’ll soon find out, anyway.”

He crossed to the fuse box and pushed the coupler into position between the clamps, then lifted the main switch. This done he hurried across to the generator and moved the starting control. But nothing happened! The generator failed to respond in the slightest, which could only mean that the power was not coming through.

“Isn’t it—working?” Edith asked worriedly, coming forward.

“Obviously it isn’t working!” Addison nearly snarled at her. “That blasted fool of a Chief Engineer has cut out the circuit, just as I thought he would do! This sort of thing can’t go on, Edith. The situation’s desperate! I’ll have to phone the Chief Engineer right away and get him to see sense!”

Weary, his eyes smarting with so much close work, Addison left the laboratory and hurried back across the garden and into the hall of the house. In a few moments he had discovered the Chief Engineer’s private residence number and lifted the telephone.

The mumbling, sleepy voice of the engineer presently replied.

“Now you listen to me,” Addison said deliberately. “You had the impudence to remove the main fuse from my laboratory this evening, and in doing so you have endangered the lives of two people, just as I told you at the time. Unless that fuse is returned to position immediately, or alternatively the circuit is resumed on my cable—I’ve made a fuse myself which will act just as the original coupler did—I shall have to call on the authorities to get some action. This is a matter of life and death and the sooner you understand that the better!”

“Frankly,” came the sleepy voice of the engineer, “I just don’t understand your attitude to all this, Professor Addison. I know that you told me some cock-and-bull story about two people being in danger because I had taken away the fuse, but there being no two people in sight I just don’t believe it. And I don’t believe it now! Call the authorities if you wish, but don’t bother me, especially not at this hour of night!”

With that the line became dead. Addison compressed his lips then slammed down the telephone, breathing hard.

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