The Magic Island is going to be submerged. The Gregory Yacht is slowly sinking below the surface of the island, as the water is pumped out of the lock in which the yacht has been held. G-47 has just left the radio cabin after assuring Mrs. Gregory and Jerry and Joan that they were quite safe on board the yacht. Captain Tex Bradford left half an hour ago to swim outside the rings of fog and gas surrounding the island and release a pigeon to Johnson's boat. The yacht is ready to be drawn into the island's submarine lock. The giant pumps have lowered the water in the lock to the level of that within the island and the boat rides easily. But in the radio cabin, Mrs. Gregory, Joan and Jerry are terrified. I'm going out on that deck, Jerry. Orders are new orders. I'm going out there. But Mother, Captain Bradford said you were not to do that. Oh, might as well go now, I guess. We didn't fool anybody. You think G-47 knew Tex was out there swimming when he came into the cabin just now? Yes, Mother. G-47 was smiling and quite pleased with himself. And when he looks and acts like that, it is only because he has done something particularly mean or terrible to someone. That's what I thought too. No one the old guy said wouldn't even worry if we were all on board. He knew we weren't all on board. So we might as well go out on deck and watch how this thing is done. G-47 must have known we would be going out. He didn't even close the door. G-47 knows nearly everything that everyone is going to do, almost before they know it themselves. But if Tex is out there somewhere swimming beyond the end of the pier, he'll be helpless. What can we do about it? Nothing right now. But Tex has probably got some ideas of his own. And I'll bet this island don't do any sinking without his getting on it. But that would do him no good, Jerry. If he were not admitted to one of the chambers, he would only drown when the island was completely submerged. Oh, I can't stand this any longer. Come on, I'm going out on deck. Gee, Mrs. Gregory, look at that. Why, we're way below the top of the island. Yes, Jerry. This lock between the piers is like a great steel aqueduct. Are these piers solid to the ocean floor, Jones? Oh, no, Mother. Only to the fifth level, and only two of them have locks between them as this one has. So the water may be pumped out. The false bottom is steel. From the fifth to the tenth level, the main part of the island is round and smooth, so that it may all be submerged. You really mean the whole island will go down till the top of it is 40 or 50 feet below the ocean? Yes. Large ships pass over it easily, and the island is so smooth and tapering toward the top and center that when a ship tries to anchor here, the anchor merely slides over the top of the island. Gee whiz. And we can do nothing. Just stand here and wait until we're taken into that lock. Hey, listen. The pumps have stopped. We must be down. Yes, Jerry. The water in this lock is now at the level of the water in the lock inside the island. The gate will open into the island now. There is a locked gate in that smooth wall ahead? Yes, Mother. See, it is opening now. Golly. It's opening just as easy and as quiet as everything else on this island works. Not a sound from it. No, but for the water rushing through it to even up the levels, we shouldn't have noticed it. And how light it is back in there. The Euclideans use a great deal of light where it will not be seen from outside. All the subterranean chambers are brilliantly lighted. We're moving. The boat's starting to slide into the lock. Are we being pulled by magnets, Joan? Yes. The floor of this lock is covered with a series of magnets. The boat is perfectly controlled. But from where? I see no one. Not even on that ramp along the inside of the lock. It is all controlled from the central chambers. The position of the boat is clearly indicated by the action of the magnets. Boy, what a place this is. And when we are inside, what can we do then? Hey, wait a minute. The mast is sitting at the top of the lock. It's going to crack. Can't we stop it? I'll gladly unstep the mast rather than break it. No, Mother. There is no time. The yacht is being put in here because of some emergency. They will just break the mast off. It has happened to other boats here. Gee, there goes the radio spars. Now we have much of an area left. The mast is nearly broken now. I hope the strain doesn't start the seams in the hull. Will we be safe standing here? Sure we will. Those deck plates will hold all right. The whole thing is going to fall on the after cabin there. Oh, there it goes. Look out for flying splinters. Gee, that's too bad, Mrs. Gregory. It did a lot of damage. Oh, Mother. Your beautiful boat. Oh, never mind that. I can get another boat, but Tex, Tex. Quiet, Mrs. Gregory. Mother, you must be careful. I know, and I suppose G-47 can hear all we say, but I've reached the point where I don't care. Tex is out there somewhere, and nothing else matters to me. It all seems so hopeless, doesn't it? And you love the captain so dearly. I am very sad for you, Mother. Oh, me too, Mrs. Gregory. But don't give up, Hope. Tex is a smart guy. Don't tell him what he's done. You're just saying that to cheer me up, Jerry. You know there isn't one chance in a million Tex could be safe. Well, I got a hunch, and when I get a hunch, everything's going to come out slick. Look, Mother, the stern of the boat is nearly inside the lock now. Yes, dear. Soon the gate will close, and Tex will be safe. The gate will close, and Tex will be outside in the water. He can't swim forever. So many things might have happened to him. Take it easy. Please, Mrs. Gregory. You're so swell, and I'm so sorry for you. I could bust right out and ball like a girl, but it wouldn't do any good. Oh, you're right, Jerry. You're a sweet boy. Tex would want me to keep my chin up. Why do you say that, Mother? Keep your chin up? Your chin has not fallen down. Oh, Joan, my dear. You and Jerry would almost make anything possible. We're pretty swell, ain't we? Jerry, I have told you that ain't is not correct. Well, I know it ain't. Then why do you insist on saying it? Yeah, the gate's closing. The yacht's inside. And out there in that cold water, in the dark. Now steady, Mrs. Gregory. Don't say any more now. Someone is coming along this ramp, coming toward us. Not a word about how we really feel. You too, Joan. Keep a stiff upper lip. But how will it help anyone for me to keep my upper lip stiff? Oh, forget it. Just say nothing. Let me do the talking. I think you might well be trusted to do it better than the rest of us, Jerry. There's someone is coming and making no sound, of course. It is G-47, and that is very strange. Why do you say that, Joan? That's what I like to know. I don't think anything that guy does is strange anymore. It is strange that G-47 would come down into the submarine locks. He always stays in the main control chamber when submerging and leaves these locks to his assistants. He's certainly looking the yacht over carefully. I wonder what he wants. We should come over here and get it over with. That guy makes me feel like I had some porcupine soup with the needles in it. I do not understand what you mean. Never mind, Jerry, dear. Hush now. Here he comes. Hey there, G-47. What's the idea of breaking up Mrs. Gregory's boat? You will make him angry, Jerry. I don't want him to think we're worried about anything else. I must say that you've treated us rather roughly. Might we inquire G-47 what caused the sudden decision to run us into this lock? You might, and you have. A little later you will witness an interesting demonstration. If you care to come to the neptascope control chamber, you will see... No, no. I shall not tell you. It will be more pleasant to surprise you. We will be glad to come and witness any demonstration you care to give us. Sure. Want us to come right now? I think not until we are submerged. Is that not so, G-47? Precisely, Cleostre. It will have no value until we are submerged. You will bring the dear captain, of course? Why, yes, of course. Ah, sure. We'll bring him if he wants to come. I feel reasonably certain Captain Bradford would be very happy indeed... to have the opportunity of witnessing the demonstration from within the island. You will be notified when to appear. Then you may tell the captain if you can find him. Gee, he's gone! Right through that wall! Yes, Jerry. There are many automatic doors along the walls of these locks. There is nothing about it that cannot be explained, although if you were not watching closely... Yes, yes, Joan dear, but never mind that now. Do you hear what G-47 said? We might bring the captain if we could find him. He knows Tex isn't aboard. He knows we can't find him. He's taunting us. Tex is lost. Lost, do you hear? Here now, Mrs. Gregory. You've got to quit that. Come on, in the cabin. Yes, Mother. Someone will be watching us and we must not let them see how we feel. You take your mother's arm on that side, Joan. I'll open the door when we get to it. No, Jerry. I'm going to stay right out on this deck. Stay where I can see, where I can watch for Tex. But there is nothing to see, Mother. We are inside the lock. Walls of steel all about us. We could see nothing, not even the water of the ocean. Of course, Joan, you're right, but I feel so helpless. Just a minute, Mrs. Gregory, and we'll be fixed up all nice inside the cabin. Then we can plan quietly what we can try to do and you'll feel better. Here we go now. Go right in, Mrs. Gregory. Come, Mother. Yes, dear, yes. I'm all right. Now, just a second. I'll find the light switch. That's strange, Jerry. We left the lights on when we went out of the cabin. So we did, Mother. Yeah, that's right. I guess that falling mast must have put them out. I put them out. Tex, the captain. Yes, I put the lights out just as the mast fell. So G-47 would think the falling mast direct the wiring and I could move in here unnoticed. Oh, Tex, Tex, dear. There, they're now packed. Don't cry, darling. Oh, I'm so happy. I have found the light switch. Well, don't turn them on yet. Why not, Jerry? Oh, just because. But why not, Jerry? I will turn them on. Oh, Mother. Oh, boy. Now, Jerry, now Joan did perfectly right in turning on the lights. Yes, dear, you did quite right. Well, anyhow, I think they ought to be off on account of G-47 seeing in here. He thinks you're drowned, Tex, or still trying to swim around out there. This cloth will keep anyone from seeing in here. And I've got to tell you the news. Yes, Tex, what happened? You can see what happened to us. You know why the yacht has been pulled into this lock? Why the island is going to submerge? Yes, but one thing at a time. In the first place, the pigeon got away safely. He's been gone nearly an hour now. That means he's 30 or 40 miles from here on his way to Johnson's boat. That's wonderful, Tex. And he ought to make it all right. Gee, that's swell, sir. You did a slick job of it. But Captain Bradford, G-47 knows you were swimming around out there. He must know it. And he would also know that you had released the other pigeon. Yes, that's true. And they'll send airplanes or ray guns or something out to fly the pigeon down or kill it. No, G-47 doesn't dare send out a plane or a submarine or anything else. Why not? I see no reason, Captain, why... Because there's a large fleet of battleships coming. I heard guards talking on the pier about it. Some large fleet converging on this position to hold battle practice. And the island has to submerge. Then they can't do anything to stop the pigeon? Not a thing, son. That pigeon will get to Johnson's boat.
