Captain Future 10 - Outlaws of the Moon (Spring 1942) Read Online Free PDF Page A

muttered Ezra Gurney. “He’s been out at the Moon mine with Wissler.”
    Captain Future paid neither Strike nor the sneaking scientist any attention. He had stepped forward to confront King.
    Larsen King coolly returned Curt’s gaze. He was a big, aggressive man of forty, broad shouldered and bullet-headed. His black brows and coldly challenging eyes lent his brusque face a hard strength. He radiated self-confidence and consciousness of power.
    “So you didn’t die out there, Captain Future,” he sneered. “I wonder that you had the nerve to come back to the System, after your selfish trickery had been exposed.”
    “Why, you lying four-flusher —” Grag exploded, his huge metal arms reaching as he plunged toward the promoter.
    Albert Wissler recoiled with a squeak of terror, and Gil Strike snatched for a concealed weapon in his jacket. But King did not flinch.
    “Hold it, Grag!”Curt ordered sharply. His voice was slow and bitter as his gray eyes bored into King’s face. “I know your type, King. It’s a type that would squander the life of the System itself for a filthy profit. I’ve dealt with men of your kind before.”
    “You seem to think you’re still a hero to the System,” Larsen King taunted. “You’ll find out that’s all over. Furthermore —”
    Curt coldly brushed past him and entered the office of the President. He stood silent for a moment after he had closed the door.
    “Captain Future!”
    James Carthew, venerated President of the Solar System Government, rose to his feet behind his desk. He came across the room to Curt Newton.
    Carthew’s figure was stooped, his shoulders sagging, his hair gray. Crushing responsibility had aged him before his time. But in his fine face and tired eves, there was warm understanding as he gripped Curt’s hand.
    “We feared you were dead, my boy. But I never quite believed it, any more than I believed the malicious slanders spread about you.”
     
    THE tautness went out of Curt Newton’s face.
    “Thanks, sir. That means a lot to me,” he said unsteadily.
    Carthew led him over to a chair by the desk. It was a small, austerely simple room. It was hard to believe that from it was guided the destiny of nine worlds. But though bare of ornament, its windows that were open to the summer night gave it a background of New York’s splendor.
    “Tell me where you have been all these months, my boy,” Carthew insisted. We’ll talk later about this Moon radium business.”
    Carthew sat, listening intently and nodding quietly now and then as Curt Newton told of their long quest in outer space. At one point, the President straightened in astonishment.
    “Do you mean to tell me you discovered on your trip the secret of creating matter out of cosmic radiation?”
    “Yes, sir, we have,” Curt replied. “The formula can create only small amounts of the heavier elements — there’s too much distortion of cosmic radiation if you try to create heavy elements in quantity. But an unlimited supply of the lighter elements of air and water is available.”
    Incredulous relief shone in Carthew’s eyes.
    “Unlimited atmosphere can now be produced? Why, that means new life for fading Mercury!”
    Curt’s voice was earnest.
    “But that radium deposit inside the Moon is even more important, sir. A day may come when the System will face a dire emergency, which could be solved only by use of that radium as a source of super-power. It must be conserved for such an emergency. It mustn’t be squandered by exploiters.
    “That’s why, when we discovered its existence, we didn’t try to dig down to it but kept it an utter secret.”
    “I thought that might be your reason,” Carthew nodded. “But I couldn’t convince the Council members. King’s propaganda campaign had turned them against you. They insisted on granting the concession.”
    “But will you try to get the Council to revoke that concession?” Curt asked tensely.
    “I’ll try, and I feel sure that I