Even in the short time they had been away the crews had put on the finishing touches. The great silver hull3 gleamed in the softened4 light of the hangar. The main gondola5 had been completed, the observation cockpits on top of the big bag were in place and hundreds of helium tanks were piled along the walls of the hangar—empty. That meant that the gas cells had been filled with the precious gas. The Goliath was almost ready to take the air.
Charles High and Captain Harkins hurried up to them.
“How does the Goliath look today?” Andy’s father asked.
“Wonderful, Dad, simply wonderful,” replied Andy. “When will you make the first test?”
“We may walk it out of the hangar tomorrow but we won’t make a real flight for several days,” replied the vice6 president in charge of operations for the National Airways7. “The army has a finger in the pie and when we actually take the air several members of the general staff and a dozen air corps8 experts will want to be aboard to see if it behaves to specifications9.”
“I’m sure it will,” put in Blatz. “I’ve seen a good many of Doctor Eckener’s ships at Friedrichshafen and with all due respect to the Herr Doctor, the Goliath is the finest, most carefully designed and built aircraft I have ever seen.”
“That’s a real compliment,” chuckled10 Bert. “It isn’t very often a European will concede superiority to an American in anything.”
“Blatz is right,” said Captain Harkins quietly. “There is no question about the Goliath being the finest airship ever built. I expect it to live up to our every hope in its performance in the air.”
“We were surprised when Gilbert Mathews informed Harry11 of the advance in sailing plans,” Andy told his father.
“I was a trifle surprised, too,” admitted the vice president of National Airways. “Mathews wired me the same day of the change in plans and I replied that the Goliath would be able to advance its air tests and keep the date to meet him at the pole even with the earlier sailing. I can’t blame him, though, for wanting to take advantage of the favorable ice conditions which are reported in the north now.”
“The Neptune12 is a great submarine,” said Bert, “as far as subs go but I’ll take an airplane or dirigible any day. Being shut up in one of those things is like sailing around in a tub. I wouldn’t trade my radio cubby on the Goliath for a dozen jobs on the Neptune.”
“Someone had to go on the Neptune and we’ll give Harry plenty of credit for his nerve,” said Andy. “Will you be able to pick up his message tonight?”
“I promised him I’d tune13 in every night at eight,” replied Bert. “We ought to hear him plainly.”
Captain Harkins asked Andy to accompany him to the main office to check over the final construction reports on the Goliath while Andy’s father took Blatz on an inspection14 trip over the big bag. They entered the luxuriously15 furnished gondola with its lounge and radio room, the dining salon16 and the glass enclosed promenade17. Then to the upper deck of the gondola where the passenger cabins were located. The interior finish was in a cool, pleasing gray, a favorable contrast to the silver of the metalized hull.
After leaving the gondola, they walked down the main runway which was built lengthwise down the middle of the Goliath. In the earlier dirigibles this had been little more than a catwalk and none too safe. A plunge18 off would have meant crashing through the outer fabric19 and a fall to earth. In the Goliath the main runway was a substantial affair six feet wide. Made of duralumin, it was strong but light and guard rails proved ample protection for members of the crew or passengers who might be permitted to view the interior of the big airship.
The gas bags were inflated20 with, helium and held rigidly21 in place, six of them in the forward part of the ship and six of them in the after section. The transverse rings built of girders of duralumin separated each bag and there was a narrow catwalk between each large gas cell to facilitate the stopping of any possible leaks.
The motor gondolas22 were built inside the hull with the flexible propeller23 shafts24 sticking through the side. There were six of the motor gondolas on each side and each car was carefully insulated so that fire could be confined to one section of the dirigible.
The mid-section of the Goliath was forbidden ground to Blatz for it was here that space had been provided for the storing of airplanes in time of war. A special device which hooked onto the planes while they were in flight and lifted them into the hold in the center of the airship had been perfected by Captain Harkins and Blatz was anxious to see this. He was in for a disappointment that afternoon for Charles High did not take him back that far. Instead, they stopped at the fourth transverse girder where a stairway led to the top of the dirigible. There were six of these stairs all told, each running to the top and giving access to the observation cockpits. There was a runway on top of the Goliath with strong cables stretched along the side but it would be almost worth a man’s life to attempt to walk on it while the dirigible was in motion and especially if the air happened to be the least bit rough. A fine place, thought Blatz, for anyone who was inclined to be seasick25.
They walked along the outer runway toward the rear of the Goliath and from this elevation26 Blatz had a real opportunity to realize the size of the new king of the air—the craft which Reikoff had termed an “air monster.” When they reached the after part of the dirigible with its great fin2 and elevators, they descended27 into the interior. Motor crews were busy tuning28 up the engines and the air was filled with the tenseness of preparation.
At dinner that night Captain Harkins announced that he had received word from the army air corps that the officers who would report on the trial flights of the Goliath would be at Bellevue before noon the next day.
“That means we’ll walk the Goliath out at one o’clock if the wind and weather are favorable.”
The words came to Blatz through a daze29. He had seen Andy and Merritt Timms of the secret service conferring before dinner and from the look Timms had shot his way he knew that he had been the object of their discussion. The Goliath would be out of its hangar tomorrow. Army officers would arrive and from then on there would be little opportunity to damage the big ship. Tonight was the time! Even though Andy might be suspicious, he would hardly believe him capable of so daring an attempt on the Goliath. Blatz set his jaw30 firmly. It was going to be a task he did not fancy for his love for the Goliath had grown until he quailed31 at the thought of its destruction. But he was a Rubanian, a member of the Gerka. He could not escape from his duty.
Andy found an item of interest in the evening paper which he showed Blatz. It was another bulletin from Rubania. Revolution was threatening. Reikoff’s power was tottering32.
Blatz read it eagerly. Perhaps he would not be forced to destroy the Goliath after all. If he could only wait a few more days. But the one big opportunity was at hand. Tonight was the logical one for his task.
Andy noticed the European’s hands shook as he read the item, but Blatz’s face showed no change of emotion.
“Come on, you two,” called Bert. “Let’s get over to my radio shack33 and we’ll see if we can pick up Harry somewhere off Long Island in his tin fish.”
It was nearly eight o’clock when they reached the radio shack just outside the main hangar and it took Bert some time to time up his apparatus34. He plugged in on the main transmitter and a minute later turned around with a grin.
“Harry is burning up the air,” chuckled Bert. “I was late coming in and wants to know what I’d been doing. Accuses me of over-eating. Imagine.”
The stream of dots and dashes which had been flickering35 through the air ceased.
“We’re going to try the radiophone now,” explained Bert, “and we’ll be able to talk back and forth36.”
When Bert completed the proper adjustments Andy almost fell out of his chair as Harry’s voice echoed in the little room.
“Hello Bert. Hello Andy,” said Harry, eight hundred miles away and under water in the radio room of the Neptune. “Tell Blatz hello, too, if he’s with you,” added Harry.
“The three of us are in the radio shack,” replied Bert, “and I resent your implication that I overate tonight. I over-talked.”
“Which is just as bad,” came back the voice over the ether waves.
Andy picked up the microphone and spoke37 to Harry.
“How is the trip going?” he asked, “and where are you?”
“We’re about 130 miles out of New York harbor,” replied Harry. “The sea is a little choppy but nothing to write home about. Everything is running smoothly38 so far and we ought to put in at Plymouth in about 12 days.”
“How’s the air in your tin fish?” Bert wanted to know.
“Fine,” replied Harry. “The main hatch has been open all of the time and I haven’t a thing to complain about. I’ll have to sign off now and send some messages for Mr. Mathews. I’ll buzz you again at eight in the morning.”
“Be sure you make it at eight o’clock our time,” warned Bert as he signed off.
Bert had some work to do on his reserve radio equipment and Andy went to his own office to look over the correspondence which had accumulated during his absence in New York.
Blatz, professing39 to be tired after the flight down from New York, said he would go to the hotel and retire early. Andy watched until the German civilian40 observer bad crossed the track and was well on his way to the hotel. He had told Timms of his experience in New York but the secret service man was still inclined not to doubt Blatz’s right to be at Bellevue. Whatever watching of the observer was done would have to be by Andy.
The assistant pilot of the Goliath was busy half an hour reading and sorting the mail. It was unusually quiet around the hangar that night so the scuffing41 of something against a stick caught Andy’s attention. Someone was walking cautiously toward the hangar!
Andy remained in his chair, fingering through the pile of letters before him. The guarded sound came again. At the end of a minute he turned out the light and slipped out of his office. A small door which led into the main hangar was open.
Andy returned to his office to get his flashlight. Remembering that he had left it at the hotel, he found some matches beside a half dozen red lanterns which were used to mark danger places on the field. Since the Goliath used helium there was no danger of an explosion from striking a match in the hangar or, for that matter, aboard the Goliath itself.
The assistant pilot of the dirigible stepped quickly through the door and paused to accustom42 his eyes to the heavy darkness of the interior. He slipped off his shoes and then moved slowly toward the lighter43 outline of the silvered hull of the Goliath.
Andy paused. Someone was moving slowly just ahead of him. The young airman groped his way ahead, hands outstretched. The next second he was clutching someone’s coat.
They came to grips, but only for a second. The unknown invader44 of the hangar slipped out of his coat and Andy heard him running out of the hangar.
Muttering to himself in disgust, Andy stooped to strike a match and look at the coat he had seized. As he struck a match, he slipped and stumbled headlong. The match dropped into a chunk45 of oily waste. It flared46 and burst into flame but Andy remained motionless on the floor, his head resting against a heavy wood block it had struck.
The fire in the waste glowed brightly and leaped higher as it fed on the oil which saturated47 the waste. Unless help reached Andy soon the fire would spread to other parts of the hangar and the Goliath itself would be in danger of destruction!
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1
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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fin
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| n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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gondola
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| n.威尼斯的平底轻舟；飞船的吊船 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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7
AIRWAYS
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| 航空公司 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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9
specifications
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| n.规格；载明；详述；（产品等的）说明书；说明书( specification的名词复数 )；详细的计划书；载明；详述 | |
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10
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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12
Neptune
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| n.海王星 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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14
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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salon
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| n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室 | |
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promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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rigidly
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| adv.刻板地，僵化地 | |
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gondolas
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| n.狭长小船( gondola的名词复数 )；货架（一般指商店，例如化妆品店）；吊船工作台 | |
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propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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seasick
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| adj.晕船的 | |
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elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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28
tuning
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| n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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29
daze
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| v.(使)茫然，(使)发昏 | |
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30
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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31
quailed
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| 害怕，发抖，畏缩( quail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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33
shack
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| adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚 | |
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apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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professing
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| 声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
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40
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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41
scuffing
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| n.刮[磨，擦，划]伤v.使磨损( scuff的现在分词 )；拖着脚走 | |
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42
accustom
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| vt.使适应，使习惯 | |
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43
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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44
invader
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| n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者 | |
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45
chunk
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| n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量） | |
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46
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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47
saturated
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| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
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