When Worlds Collide (When Worlds Collide 1)

“Mr. Drake. I can’t understand why on earth Hendron would want me. If he’s planning to take a group of people to some safe spot in order to preserve scientific knowledge during the next year, he can find hundreds of people, thousands of people, that have more knowledge to save, and a better memory to save it in, than I have.”

Tony looked at the good-humored blue eyes and liked the young man. He felt instinctively that here was one person whom Cole Hendron and the committee would surely accept. The name of the man before him, he recalled, was Jack Taylor—his record for a man of twenty-five was startling. He grinned at the youth’s speculation. “You’re a physicist, Taylor. If you were in Cole Hendron’s shoes, and were trying to take a group of people to a place of safety, just where, under the circumstances we anticipate, would you take them?”

The other man was thoughtful for an instant. “That’s just what worried me. I can’t think of any place on earth that would offer a refuge essentially satisfactory.”

“Exactly. No place on earth.” Tony emphasized the last two words.

Jack Taylor frowned quickly, and suddenly the freckles on his face stood out because his color had departed.

“God Almighty! You don’t mean to suggest—”

Tony lifted his hand and dropped it. “I’m offering you a letter than will give you an interview with Cole Hendron. Do you want to go and see him?”

For a minute Taylor did not answer. Then he said disjointedly: “Marvelous! My God—Hendron’s just the man—the only man! To think that anybody would come around to give me a shot at such a thing!” Tears suddenly filled his eyes, and he stood up and walked in two mighty strides to the window.

Tony slapped his back. “See you in New York. Better get going right away. So long, old man.”

Deeply moved, proud that any race, any civilization should produce human beings of the temper and fineness of young Taylor, Tony walked out onto the university campus and hurried to keep an appointment with an obscure but talented assistant professor of chemistry whose investigations of colloids had placed his name on the long list furnished to Tony by Hendron and his associates.

Tony, having applied himself for months to acquisition of the primitive proficiencies in growing things and in the manual arts, had found himself appointed by Cole Hendron as his personnel officer. Tony possessed, decidedly, a knack with people; and so Hendron was sending him about to recruit young men for the extraordinary duties of the crew of the Space Ship.

Her father had asked Eve to suggest, provisionally, the women who must go along; and Tony had met some whom Eve had selected.

Strange to think of them standing with you—and with a few other men out of all our world’s creation—on the soil of an empty planet! What would they be to each other there?

Stranger still, to gaze at night into the sky, and see a spot of light beside a brighter orb and realize that you might—you might become a visitor to that spot in the sky!

Tony returned, three weeks later, to New York City, where Hendron now spent most of his time. He had workshops and laboratories started in several places, but the advantage of conveniences in New York was so great that he had decided not to abandon his work there until later.

Upon his arrival in the city, late on a July afternoon, Tony went at once to see Hendron and Eve. He had business with Hendron—none with Eve; he merely longed to see her and be with her, more than he dared display. Not much change was observable in the city. The station was a sea of people, as it had been on the day of his departure. The streets were more than normally crowded, and his taxicab made slow progress.

There were three policemen in the front offices of the laboratories, and he was admitted only after a wait. Eve came into the reception-room first, and shook hands with him coolly. That is, outwardly it was coolly; but inwardly, Tony felt sure, she was trembling, even as was he.

“Oh, Tony,” she said, her voice almost giving way, “I’m so glad to have you back! I’ve read all your reports.”

“I’ve read all your acknowledgments of them,” said Tony hoarsely. It was all that had passed between them. Reports and acknowledgments, in lieu of love-letters!

“Father will be right out. We’ve been working steadily ever since you left. You and Dad and I are going to have dinner together to-night.”

“Any one else?” asked Tony jealously.

“No; who would there be?”

“Your South African, I thought probably.”

“Not mine, Tony!”

“Your father’s, then. He keeps him in the laboratory—for you.”

Hendron, wearing his laboratory apron, walked briskly into the front office. “Hello, there, Drake! Delighted to see you back. Your candidates have been arriving daily, and we’ve put them all to work. Dodson and Smith and Greve are enthusiastic about them.” He looked at his watch. “Five-fifty. I’ve got a little work to do here. Then we want you to come up to the house for dinner.”

As Tony unlocked his apartment door, Kyto sprang to his feet.

“I take your presence,” Kyto said, “with extravagant gratitude.”

Tony laughed. “A bath, Kyto, a dinner jacket, something in the way of a highball—I haven’t had a drink since I left. Good Lord! It’s refreshing to see this digging again. You’ve missed me, eh?”

The little Jap ducked his head. “I have indulged my person in continual melancholy, which is now raised in the manner of a siege-gun.”