Read Online Murray Leinster (Duke Classic SiFi) by The Runaway Skyscraper - Free Book Online
Authors: The Runaway Skyscraper
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altogether.
In a very little while there was light again, and the sun was
speeding across the sky. It sank hastily, and returned almost
immediately,
via
the east. Its pace became a breakneck rush. Down
behind the hills and up in the east. Down in the west, up in the
east. Down and up— The flickering began. The race back toward modern
times had started.
Arthur and Estelle stood at the window and looked out as the sun
rushed more and more rapidly across the sky until it became but a
streak of light, shifting first to the right and then to the left
as the seasons passed in their turn.
With Arthur's arms about her shoulders, Estelle stared out across
the unbelievable landscape, while the nights and days, the winters
and summers, and the storms and calms of a thousand years swept
past them into the irrevocable past.
Presently Arthur drew her to him and kissed her. While he kissed
her, so swiftly did the days and years flee by, three generations
were born, grew and begot children, and died again!
Estelle, held fast in Arthur's arms, thought nothing of such trivial
things. She put her arms about his neck and kissed him, while the
years passed them unheeded.
*
Of course you know that the building landed safely, in the exact
hour, minute, and second from which it started, so that when the
frightened and excited people poured out of it to stand in Madison
Square and feel that the world was once more right side up, their
hilarious and incomprehensible conduct made such of the world as
was passing by think a contagious madness had broken out.
Days passed before the story of the two thousand was believed, but
at last it was accepted as truth, and eminent scientists studied
the matter exhaustively.
There has been one rather queer result of the journey of the
runaway sky-scraper. A certain Isidore Eckstein, a dealer in jewelry
novelties, whose office was in the tower when it disappeared into the
past, has entered suit in the courts of the United States against
all the holders of land on Manhattan Island. It seems that during
the two weeks in which the tower rested in the wilderness he traded
independently with one of the Indian chiefs, and in exchange for
two near-pearl necklaces, sixteen finger-rings, and one dollar in
money, received a title-deed to the entire island.—He claims that
his deed is a conveyance made previous to all other sales whatever.
Strictly speaking, he is undoubtedly right, as his deed was
signed before the discovery of America. The courts, however, are
deliberating the question with a great deal of perplexity.
Eckstein is quite confident that in the end his claim will be
allowed and he will be admitted as the sole owner of real-estate
on Manhattan Island, with all occupiers of buildings and territory
paying him ground rent at a rate he will fix himself. In the mean
time, though the foundations are being reinforced so the catastrophe
cannot occur again, his entire office is packed full of articles
suitable for trading with the Indians. If the tower makes another
trip back through time, Eckstein hopes to become a landholder of
some importance.
No less than eighty-seven books have been written by members of
the memorable two thousand in description of their trip to the
hinterland of time, but Arthur, who could write more intelligently
about the matter than any one else, is so extremely busy that
he cannot bother with such things. He has two very important
matters to look after. One is, of course, the reenforcement of the
foundations of the building so that a repetition of the catastrophe
cannot occur, and the other is to convince his wife—who is Estelle,
naturally—that she is the most adorable person in the universe. He
finds the latter task the more difficult, because she insists that
he
is the most adorable person—
* * *
In a very little while there was light again, and the sun was
speeding across the sky. It sank hastily, and returned almost
immediately,
via
the east. Its pace became a breakneck rush. Down
behind the hills and up in the east. Down in the west, up in the
east. Down and up— The flickering began. The race back toward modern
times had started.
Arthur and Estelle stood at the window and looked out as the sun
rushed more and more rapidly across the sky until it became but a
streak of light, shifting first to the right and then to the left
as the seasons passed in their turn.
With Arthur's arms about her shoulders, Estelle stared out across
the unbelievable landscape, while the nights and days, the winters
and summers, and the storms and calms of a thousand years swept
past them into the irrevocable past.
Presently Arthur drew her to him and kissed her. While he kissed
her, so swiftly did the days and years flee by, three generations
were born, grew and begot children, and died again!
Estelle, held fast in Arthur's arms, thought nothing of such trivial
things. She put her arms about his neck and kissed him, while the
years passed them unheeded.
*
Of course you know that the building landed safely, in the exact
hour, minute, and second from which it started, so that when the
frightened and excited people poured out of it to stand in Madison
Square and feel that the world was once more right side up, their
hilarious and incomprehensible conduct made such of the world as
was passing by think a contagious madness had broken out.
Days passed before the story of the two thousand was believed, but
at last it was accepted as truth, and eminent scientists studied
the matter exhaustively.
There has been one rather queer result of the journey of the
runaway sky-scraper. A certain Isidore Eckstein, a dealer in jewelry
novelties, whose office was in the tower when it disappeared into the
past, has entered suit in the courts of the United States against
all the holders of land on Manhattan Island. It seems that during
the two weeks in which the tower rested in the wilderness he traded
independently with one of the Indian chiefs, and in exchange for
two near-pearl necklaces, sixteen finger-rings, and one dollar in
money, received a title-deed to the entire island.—He claims that
his deed is a conveyance made previous to all other sales whatever.
Strictly speaking, he is undoubtedly right, as his deed was
signed before the discovery of America. The courts, however, are
deliberating the question with a great deal of perplexity.
Eckstein is quite confident that in the end his claim will be
allowed and he will be admitted as the sole owner of real-estate
on Manhattan Island, with all occupiers of buildings and territory
paying him ground rent at a rate he will fix himself. In the mean
time, though the foundations are being reinforced so the catastrophe
cannot occur again, his entire office is packed full of articles
suitable for trading with the Indians. If the tower makes another
trip back through time, Eckstein hopes to become a landholder of
some importance.
No less than eighty-seven books have been written by members of
the memorable two thousand in description of their trip to the
hinterland of time, but Arthur, who could write more intelligently
about the matter than any one else, is so extremely busy that
he cannot bother with such things. He has two very important
matters to look after. One is, of course, the reenforcement of the
foundations of the building so that a repetition of the catastrophe
cannot occur, and the other is to convince his wife—who is Estelle,
naturally—that she is the most adorable person in the universe. He
finds the latter task the more difficult, because she insists that
he
is the most adorable person—
* * *
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