Read Online EMPIRE by Clifford D. Simak - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Clifford D. Simak
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“This thing we’ve got can take anything any place. I could reach out there, grab you up and have you down here in a split second.”
Ben sucked his breath in between his teeth. “I’m not doubting anything any more. You sent me half a billion two days ago. It’s more than doubled now.”
He picked up the phone again and spoke to his broker on the other end.
“Unload Ranthoor Dome when she reaches 79.”
* * * *
The real furor came on the Ranthoor floor when Wrail cornered Titan Copper. Striking swiftly, he purchased the stock in huge blocks. The shares rocketed as the exchanges throughout the System were thrown into an uproar. Under the cover of the excitement he proceeded to corner Spacesuits Ltd. Spacesuits zoomed.
For two days the main exchanges on four worlds were in a frenzy as traders watched the shares climb swiftly. Operators representing Interplanetary Power made offerings. No takers were reported. The shares climbed.
Within one hour, however, the entire Wrail holdings in both stocks were dumped on the market. The Interplanetary Power traders, frantic over the prospect of losing control of the two important issues, bought heavily. The price plummeted.
Spencer Chambers lost three billion or more on the deal. Overnight Ben Wrail had become a billionaire many times over. Greg Manning added to his own fortune.
“We have enough,” said Greg. “We’ve given Chambers what he had coming to him. Let’s call it off.”
“Glad to,” agreed Ben. “It was just too damned easy.”
“Be seeing you, Ben.”
“I’ll get down to Earth some day. Come see me when you have a minute. Drop in for an evening.”
“That’s an invitation,” said Greg. “It’s easy with this three-dimension stuff.”
He reached out a hand, snapped a control. The screens in Wrail’s office went dead.
Wrail reached for a cigar, lit it carefully. He leaned back in his chair, put his feet on the desk.
“By Heaven,” he said satisfiedly, “I’ve never enjoyed anything so much in all my life.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
A giant cylindrical hull of finest beryl steel, the ship loomed in the screen. A mighty ship, braced into absolute rigidity by monster cross beams of shining steel. Glowing under the blazing lamps that lighted the scene, it towered into the shadows of the factory, dwarfing the scurrying workmen who swarmed over it.
“She’s a beauty,” said Russ, puffing at his pipe.
Greg nodded agreement. “They’re working on her day and night to get her finished. We may need it some day and need it in a hurry. If Chambers really gets that machine of his to rolling, space will be the only place big enough to hide in.”
He chuckled, a grim chuckle, deep in his throat.
“But we won’t have to hide long. Just until we get organized and then will come the time when we’ll call for the showdown. Chambers will have to spread his cards.”
Russ snapped the television switch and the screen went blank. The laboratory suddenly was a place of queer lights and shadows, bulging with grotesque machines, with sprawling apparatus, a place that hinted darkly of vast power and mighty forces.
The scientist sat up in his chair. “We’ve come a long way, Greg. A long, long way. We have the greatest power man has ever known; we have an almost incomprehensible space drive; we have three-dimensional television.”
“And,” said Greg dryly, “we took Chambers to the cleaners on the market.”
They sat in silence. Greg smelled the smoke from Russ’s pipe, mixed with the taint of lubricant and the faint lingering scent of ionized air.
“We mustn’t underrate Chambers, however,” he declared. “The man made one mistake. He underrated us. We can’t repeat his mistake. He is dangerous all the time. He will stop at nothing. Not even murder.”
“He’s going easy now,” said Russ. “He’s hoping Craven can find something that will either equal our stuff or beat it. But Craven isn’t having any luck. He’s still driving
Ben sucked his breath in between his teeth. “I’m not doubting anything any more. You sent me half a billion two days ago. It’s more than doubled now.”
He picked up the phone again and spoke to his broker on the other end.
“Unload Ranthoor Dome when she reaches 79.”
* * * *
The real furor came on the Ranthoor floor when Wrail cornered Titan Copper. Striking swiftly, he purchased the stock in huge blocks. The shares rocketed as the exchanges throughout the System were thrown into an uproar. Under the cover of the excitement he proceeded to corner Spacesuits Ltd. Spacesuits zoomed.
For two days the main exchanges on four worlds were in a frenzy as traders watched the shares climb swiftly. Operators representing Interplanetary Power made offerings. No takers were reported. The shares climbed.
Within one hour, however, the entire Wrail holdings in both stocks were dumped on the market. The Interplanetary Power traders, frantic over the prospect of losing control of the two important issues, bought heavily. The price plummeted.
Spencer Chambers lost three billion or more on the deal. Overnight Ben Wrail had become a billionaire many times over. Greg Manning added to his own fortune.
“We have enough,” said Greg. “We’ve given Chambers what he had coming to him. Let’s call it off.”
“Glad to,” agreed Ben. “It was just too damned easy.”
“Be seeing you, Ben.”
“I’ll get down to Earth some day. Come see me when you have a minute. Drop in for an evening.”
“That’s an invitation,” said Greg. “It’s easy with this three-dimension stuff.”
He reached out a hand, snapped a control. The screens in Wrail’s office went dead.
Wrail reached for a cigar, lit it carefully. He leaned back in his chair, put his feet on the desk.
“By Heaven,” he said satisfiedly, “I’ve never enjoyed anything so much in all my life.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
A giant cylindrical hull of finest beryl steel, the ship loomed in the screen. A mighty ship, braced into absolute rigidity by monster cross beams of shining steel. Glowing under the blazing lamps that lighted the scene, it towered into the shadows of the factory, dwarfing the scurrying workmen who swarmed over it.
“She’s a beauty,” said Russ, puffing at his pipe.
Greg nodded agreement. “They’re working on her day and night to get her finished. We may need it some day and need it in a hurry. If Chambers really gets that machine of his to rolling, space will be the only place big enough to hide in.”
He chuckled, a grim chuckle, deep in his throat.
“But we won’t have to hide long. Just until we get organized and then will come the time when we’ll call for the showdown. Chambers will have to spread his cards.”
Russ snapped the television switch and the screen went blank. The laboratory suddenly was a place of queer lights and shadows, bulging with grotesque machines, with sprawling apparatus, a place that hinted darkly of vast power and mighty forces.
The scientist sat up in his chair. “We’ve come a long way, Greg. A long, long way. We have the greatest power man has ever known; we have an almost incomprehensible space drive; we have three-dimensional television.”
“And,” said Greg dryly, “we took Chambers to the cleaners on the market.”
They sat in silence. Greg smelled the smoke from Russ’s pipe, mixed with the taint of lubricant and the faint lingering scent of ionized air.
“We mustn’t underrate Chambers, however,” he declared. “The man made one mistake. He underrated us. We can’t repeat his mistake. He is dangerous all the time. He will stop at nothing. Not even murder.”
“He’s going easy now,” said Russ. “He’s hoping Craven can find something that will either equal our stuff or beat it. But Craven isn’t having any luck. He’s still driving
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