Read Online Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell - Free Book Online
Authors: Eric Frank Russell
Tags: Science-Fiction
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Harriman, I can’t tell you anything just yet. Yes, six times the average is something that calls for an explanation, and that’s what I’m out to get—if it can be got!”
He ceased speaking while Sangster put down the other phone and whispered, “Doctor Curtis, for you.”
“Listen, Harriman,” he continued hurriedly, “all these scientists are people of different nationalities, ages and types. The conclusion is that nothing is being aimed at any one country—unless someone is clever enough and ruthless enough to bump some of his own in order to avert suspicion. I doubt that.”
Harriman said, “There’s nothing political about this, any more than there is about a new disease.”
“Exactly! Different as they may be, these scientists must have shared one thing in common—the thing that directly or indirectly brought about their deaths. I want to find that common denominator. Rake me up every detail you can discover about the persons on your list and any earlier cases you may see fit to add. Phone them to”—he looked inquiringly at Leamington, was given a number, and finished—“to Colonel Leamington at Boro 8-19638.”
Ringing off, he took up the other phone, spoke rapidly. The others studied his changing expression as he talked.
Finishing, he told them, “Doctor Curtis has received a long-distance call from Professor Edward Beach. He said that he had just read the accounts of Webb’s and Mayo’s deaths. He expressed much sorrow, but Doctor Curtis thought him unusually curious about the details of the tragedies.”
“Well?” prompted Leamington.
“This Beach is an old friend of Webb’s, according to Doctor Curtis. I know him, too. He’s the man who designed the stereoscopic owl-eye camera which the police use in conjunction with Dakin’s vernier. He is employed by the National Camera Company, at their Silver City plant, in Idaho. Beach is precisely the sort of scientist likely to have valuable information concerning Mayo, Webb and Dakin.” He paused a moment, to lend impressiveness to what he was about to say, then added, “Especially since he made a point of asking Doctor Curtis whether she knew if Webb, like Mayo and Dakin, had been working on Bjornsen’s formula prior to his end.”
“Bjornsen!” ejaculated Sangster.
“You can see the implication,” Graham went on. “Beach is linked to these others exactly as they were linked to each other—by correspondence based on mutual interests. He’s got a place in this death-chain, but death hasn’t reached him yet! He’s a prospective victim still in condition to talk. I’ve got to see him and make him talk before he becomes body number twenty.” He consulted his watch. “With luck, I can catch the 10:30 strat-plane for Boise.”
Wohl said, “Do I come, or are you on your own?”
“I’ll take this by myself. While I’m on my way, phone Battery Park Stratosphere Station, Art, and book me a seat on the 10:30.”
Reaching for the phone, Wohl asked, “And after that, I do what? Give me something to follow—I hate wasting time.”
“You can make a cross-check on the data Harriman’s getting. See if you can make contact with the police authorities in all the places where these scientists died, ask them for full and complete details of the deaths. Get them to check thoroughly on every item no matter how minute or seemingly unimportant. Bully, cajole or do whatever else you can to persuade them to obtain exhumation orders and conduct autopsies.” He looked at Leamington. “Is all this okay with you, Colonel?”
“I’m satisfied to let you run this your own way,” Leamington approved. “I’m taking it for granted that the man who starts something is best fitted to finish it.”
“We’re worrying about quite a lot of people who started something that none of them finished,” Graham pointed out. “This thing—whatever it is—has a remarkable aptitude for finishing the starters before they get anywhere.” He
He ceased speaking while Sangster put down the other phone and whispered, “Doctor Curtis, for you.”
“Listen, Harriman,” he continued hurriedly, “all these scientists are people of different nationalities, ages and types. The conclusion is that nothing is being aimed at any one country—unless someone is clever enough and ruthless enough to bump some of his own in order to avert suspicion. I doubt that.”
Harriman said, “There’s nothing political about this, any more than there is about a new disease.”
“Exactly! Different as they may be, these scientists must have shared one thing in common—the thing that directly or indirectly brought about their deaths. I want to find that common denominator. Rake me up every detail you can discover about the persons on your list and any earlier cases you may see fit to add. Phone them to”—he looked inquiringly at Leamington, was given a number, and finished—“to Colonel Leamington at Boro 8-19638.”
Ringing off, he took up the other phone, spoke rapidly. The others studied his changing expression as he talked.
Finishing, he told them, “Doctor Curtis has received a long-distance call from Professor Edward Beach. He said that he had just read the accounts of Webb’s and Mayo’s deaths. He expressed much sorrow, but Doctor Curtis thought him unusually curious about the details of the tragedies.”
“Well?” prompted Leamington.
“This Beach is an old friend of Webb’s, according to Doctor Curtis. I know him, too. He’s the man who designed the stereoscopic owl-eye camera which the police use in conjunction with Dakin’s vernier. He is employed by the National Camera Company, at their Silver City plant, in Idaho. Beach is precisely the sort of scientist likely to have valuable information concerning Mayo, Webb and Dakin.” He paused a moment, to lend impressiveness to what he was about to say, then added, “Especially since he made a point of asking Doctor Curtis whether she knew if Webb, like Mayo and Dakin, had been working on Bjornsen’s formula prior to his end.”
“Bjornsen!” ejaculated Sangster.
“You can see the implication,” Graham went on. “Beach is linked to these others exactly as they were linked to each other—by correspondence based on mutual interests. He’s got a place in this death-chain, but death hasn’t reached him yet! He’s a prospective victim still in condition to talk. I’ve got to see him and make him talk before he becomes body number twenty.” He consulted his watch. “With luck, I can catch the 10:30 strat-plane for Boise.”
Wohl said, “Do I come, or are you on your own?”
“I’ll take this by myself. While I’m on my way, phone Battery Park Stratosphere Station, Art, and book me a seat on the 10:30.”
Reaching for the phone, Wohl asked, “And after that, I do what? Give me something to follow—I hate wasting time.”
“You can make a cross-check on the data Harriman’s getting. See if you can make contact with the police authorities in all the places where these scientists died, ask them for full and complete details of the deaths. Get them to check thoroughly on every item no matter how minute or seemingly unimportant. Bully, cajole or do whatever else you can to persuade them to obtain exhumation orders and conduct autopsies.” He looked at Leamington. “Is all this okay with you, Colonel?”
“I’m satisfied to let you run this your own way,” Leamington approved. “I’m taking it for granted that the man who starts something is best fitted to finish it.”
“We’re worrying about quite a lot of people who started something that none of them finished,” Graham pointed out. “This thing—whatever it is—has a remarkable aptitude for finishing the starters before they get anywhere.” He
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