Part 33 (2/2)

I held it with a trembling hand as I glanced over the fateful words that commissioned me to go at once to the Arctic.

My smouldering jealousy of the oily von Kufner now flamed into expression. ”You have done this thing from personal motives,” I cried.

”You have revoked your previous decision because you want me out of your way. You know I will be gone for six months at least. You hope in your cowardly heart that I will never come back.”

Von Kufner's lips curled. ”You see fit,” he answered, ”to impugn my motives in suggesting that the order be issued, although it is the granting of your own request. But the commission you hold in your hand bears the Imperial signature, and the Emperor of the Germans never revokes his orders.”

”Very well,” I said, controlling my rage, ”I will go.”

~2~

Upon leaving the Admiral's office my first thought was to go at once to Marguerite. Whatever might be the nature of her quarrel with me I was now sure that von Kufner was at the bottom of it, and that it was in some way connected with this sudden determination of his to send me to the Arctic, hoping that I would never return.

But before I had gone far I began to consider other matters. I was commissioned to leave Berlin by submarine and that too by the vessel in command of Captain Grauble, whom I knew to be nursing rebellion and mutiny in his heart. If deliverance from Berlin was ever to come, it had come now. To refuse to embrace it would mean to lose for ever this fortunate chance to escape from this sunless Babylon.

I would therefore go first to Grauble and determine without delay if he could be relied on to make the attempt to reach the outer world. Once I knew that, I could go then to Marguerite with an invitation for her to join me in flight--if such a thing were humanly possible.

But recalling the men who had done so much to fill me with hope and faith in the righteousness of my mission, I again changed my plan and sought out Dr. Zimmern and Col. h.e.l.lar and arranged for them to meet me that evening at Grauble's quarters.

At the hour appointed I, who had first arrived at the apartment, sat waiting for the arrival of Zimmern. When he came, to my surprise and bewildered joy he was not alone, for Marguerite was with him.

She greeted me with distress and penitence in her eyes and I exulted in the belief that whatever her quarrel with me might be it meant no irretrievable loss of her devotion and love.

We sat about the room, a very solemn conclave, for I had already informed Grauble of my commission to go to the Arctic, and he had sensed at once the revolutionary nature of the meeting. I now gave him a brief statement of the faith of the older men, who from the fulness of their lives had reached the belief that the true patriotism for their race was to be expressed in an effort to regain for the Germans the citizens.h.i.+p of the world.

The young Captain gravely nodded. ”I have not lived so long,” he said, ”but my life has been bitter and full of fear. I am not out of sympathy with your argument, but before we go further,” and he turned to Marguerite, ”may I not ask why a Princess of the House of Hohenzollern is included in such a meeting as this?”

I turned expectantly to Zimmern, who now gave Grauble an account of the tragedy and romance of Marguerite's life.

”Very well,” said Grauble; ”she has earned her place with us; now that I understand her part, let us proceed.”

For some hours h.e.l.lar and Zimmern explained their reasons for believing the life of the isolated German race was evil and defended their faith in the hope of salvation through an appeal to the mercy and justice of the World State.

”Of all this I am easily convinced,” said Grauble, ”for it is but a logically thought-out conclusion of the feeling I have nourished in my blind rebellion. I am ready to go with Herr von Armstadt and surrender my vessel to the enemy; but the practical question is, will our risk avail anything? What hope can we have that we will even be able to deliver the message you wish to send? How are we to know that we will not immediately be killed?”

The hour had come. ”I will answer that question,” I said, and there was a tenseness in my tone that caused my hearers to look at me with eager, questioning eyes.

”Barring,” I said, ”the possibility of destruction before I can gain opportunity to speak to some one in authority, there is nothing to fear in the way of our ungracious reception in the outer world--” As I paused and looked about me I saw Marguerite's eyes s.h.i.+ning with the same wors.h.i.+pful wonder as when I had visioned for her the sunlight and the storms of the world outside Berlin--”because I am of that world. I speak their language. I know their people. I never saw the inside of Berlin until I was brought here from the potash mines of Sta.s.sfurt, wearing the clothes and carrying the identification papers of one Karl Armstadt who was killed by gas bombs which I myself had ordered dropped into those mines.”

At these startling statements the older men could only gasp in incredulous astonishment, but Captain Grauble nodded wisely--”I half expected as much,” he said.

I turned to Marguerite. Her eyes were swimming in a mist of tears.

”Then your visions were real memories,” she cried,--”and not miracles. I knew you had seen other worlds, but I thought it was in some spirit life.” She reached out a trembling hand toward me and then shrinkingly drew it back. ”But you are not Karl Armstadt,” she stammered, as she realized that I was a nameless stranger.

”No,” I said, going to her and placing a rea.s.suring arm about her shoulder, ”I am not Karl Armstadt. My name is Lyman de Forrest. I am an American, a chemical engineer from the city of Chicago, and if Captain Grauble does not alter his purpose, I am going back there and will take you with me.”

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