The Euclidean submarine carrying Mrs. Gregory, Tex Bradford, Jerry and Joan is within a hundred miles of Los Angeles. Less than a hundred miles from home and a new danger threatens them. They are losing speed. Joan has figured out that another submarine directly behind them is holding them back with magnets. This makes the end of their journey more hopeless than the beginning, as it would certainly be too bad if the Euclideans captured Mrs. Gregory and her party so near home. Jerry and Joan, the captain and Mrs. Gregory, are in the central control section of the submarine, watching the speed indicator. Well, I guess you're right, Joan. We can't make over 30 knots anymore. I know I am right. But are you sure it's another submarine that's holding us back, Joan? Well, we're certainly being held back. I don't know what else it could be. It is another Euclidean submarine. And as all other boats are much slower than this one, it must be well commanded. Hey, Joan, our girlfriend. Girlfriend? Yeah, you know. That Euclidean girl submarine commander? I think not. But it might be, dear. You said she was the finest submarine commander on the Magic Island. Yes, and they'd send their best out on a job like this, wouldn't they? Yes, except for the fact that the commander who befriended us may be under suspicion. You mean suspicion of having helped us? Exactly. Gee, I'm sorry for her. If old G-47 got any ideas, she'd try to help us a little. Is there any way of finding out who is in command of that submarine? Only radio communication, Mother, and it would do us no good. No, nothing to be gained there, unless we could find out how many of their scientists are on board. You mean so we could have a better idea of what we're going to be up against when we get to Los Angeles? Well, something like that, Jerry. I thought I might get an idea as to what they're most likely to do if I could find out who's on that boat. That would make very little, if any, difference. The Euclideans are so well-versed in all sciences that any of them could perform what tasks might be necessary to interfere with our landing. And now, with that submarine so near at hand, we're not at all sure of landing. We will land, but it will not be as simple a process as I had thought. I don't see any chance of landing at all. Well, but we can figure out some way, Jerry. We haven't come over 4,000 miles in this submarine to give up that easy until we get to the end of our trip. I don't see any hope of doing anything. We will think of some plan before we approach the harbor. But those men, though, whoever is back there in that other submarine, aren't just sitting around idly. They're planning, too. Naturally, but we have an advantage over them. I can't see it. We may plan to do as we please, and may execute our plans on the spur of the moment. Our pursuers will find it necessary to forestall our plans, and that is most difficult. You're right there, Joan. It's always a lot easier to think when your whole job is getting away from something than when you have to figure what the other fellow is going to do and stop you. But if that submarine behind us can follow us right into the harbor by simply hanging onto us with magnets, we haven't even room for a plan. You must not be too sure of that, Mother. Isn't there some way we can lose that guy back there? Not as long as his current holds out. I have one possible way to halt the progress of that boat, but I do not want to use it except as a last resort. It seems to me that we're not far from a last resort. Yeah, and if you know any way to get rid of that fellow, this looks like a swell time to do it. I do not think the emergency is great enough. Well, you know best about this equipment, Joan, but I'd say we didn't have any great amount of time to waste. We're nearly to Los Angeles, Joan. We'll have to act very rapidly to get away from that boat with any margin of safety. That is true, but it might be very dangerous to lose them too quickly. I don't see why. If you're trying to get away from somebody, the sooner the better. What if you escaped from them early enough to afford them the opportunity of making additional plans to recapture you? Huh? You mean that if we succeeded in losing our pursuers now, it would only give them another chance to capture us? Precisely. Well, I can understand that all right. Your idea is correct, Joan, providing we can stop them at the proper time. That is, of course, our problem. What do you propose to do, Joan? Use our magnetic bombs on that other submarine and hold it motionless for a period of time sufficient to allow us to escape from this boat to the surface. Magnetic bombs? The same kind of bombs the Euclidean plane dropped on us? Exactly the same type of bombs. But Joan, do we have any of those bombs? To be sure, Mother. I have told you this submarine is fully equipped. Well, I certainly don't see anything that looks like a supply of bombs. Oh, never mind, Tex. They're probably just a lot of little pills like those big dinners we've been eating. How large are those magnetic bombs, Joan? Approximately one cubic inch. One inch? Gee whiz. A bomb one inch square will hold a submarine still in the water? If the bomb is placed near enough to the boat, certainly. Golly, where are all those things? I will show you when the time comes to use them. And how will we know when that time has come, dear? Yes, Joan. We'd better know exactly what your plan is. And if we have to act quickly, we won't be in the dark as to what we're supposed to be doing. That submarine will not gain on us. They must remain at a distance of approximately one mile. That will give us ample protection when we enter the harbor. You're going to wait till we get into the harbor to turn those bombs loose? That might be dangerous to other shipping, Joan. We don't want to excite a lot of suspicion as to our movement. In that event, we will release our bombs at an appointed place outside the harbor. That other submarine will be held powerless at that point for a sufficient length of time to permit us to escape. I think you're right, Joan. The longer we wait, the more chance we'll have of holding that boat powerless at the time. Our safety will depend on the fact that it is powerless. I guess that part of it's all right. But how about the men on the other boat having a little sense of their own? What do you mean, Jerry? Those fellows back there in that other boat aren't asleep. They'll soon figure out what we're going to do. Naturally they will. All right then. What's going to stop them? Stop them? What do you refer to? Well, they've got some of those magnetic bombs, haven't they? Naturally. Then why can't they hold our boat powerless? Just as easy as we can hold theirs. I wanted to ask that same thing, Jerry, but the rest of you have left me so far behind in all these technicalities that I was ashamed to ask. Well, you needn't be, Pat. I can't see it any better than Jerry does. Those bombs will work both ways, won't they? To be sure, the action of the bombs is identical from either ship. But the fact that those bombs are magnetic, that their contact is strongly magnetic, is our best protection. Well, I still don't see it. That other submarine is now sending out a magnetic beam, which is retarding our speed and allowing them to cling to our course. That is understood? Oh, sure. We know that. It's the action of the bombs that puzzles us, Jones. The action of the bombs, as bombs, has nothing to do with it. They are merely small cubes of a highly compressed substance which will form a powerful magnetic field when released in salt water. But those bombs cannot be fired through the water for any appreciable distance. Oh, now I'm beginning to get it. They couldn't possibly shoot those bombs far enough ahead to catch us. But we could drop them on our course for the other boat to run into. Gee, that's simple, isn't it? Most things are very simple, Jerry, after we understand them. That is not all. Once we release a bomb, their magnetic beam will pull it directly to them at a terrific speed, and they will be held motionless almost instantly. Well, you're right. That beam would pull the bomb to them. And more than that, it would prevent them sending a bomb after us. Then let's turn one of those bombs loose right now. No, Jerry. Why not, Jones? We're getting closer to Los Angeles all the time. I should think our best move would be to lose that other submarine as soon as possible. It would seem so, Mother, but for one thing. Well, what's that? The effects of the bomb would hardly last until we reach the harbor. Oh, and that sub could take right out after us again, huh? That's it, son, and Jones right. The thing to do is to wait until we're nearly ready to anchor, then release one of the bombs, and the magnetism is sure to hold the other boat powerless long enough to give us a chance to land. Precisely, Captain Bradford. I can understand that all right, but it seems as if we're taking the enemy dangerously near our camp. Well, I guess that's about the best thing to do, though, Mrs. Gregory. At least we're going to be sure where he is if we've got him pinned down in the water with one of those bombs. Yes, in the meantime, though, we'd better be making some plans to get out of our own submarine and safely onto the land. What would you suggest, Joan? I think the captain should take charge of that. You are all more familiar with your resources than I am. You're right, Joan. It's up to us on this end. We sure used you enough on that island. We'll get us sure if Joan knows how to get to the surface from this thing. I will attend to that. Well, what can you do about landing us, Tex? Well, I don't know yet. Joan, is there any objection to our using the radio now? I think we could do no harm by using it, though the submarine following us will receive all messages we send. But can we use it with that magnetic beam hanging on to us? Transmission will be difficult. We'll have to try it. There's no other way we can reach Johnson. What can we tell Johnson after we do reach him? You said you didn't want the story about this sub and the one following us to get nosed around yet. I think I can do it with a coup de messie. Remember, Captain Bradford, that it will be dangerous to stay at a meeting place with Johnson. Your arrangements will undoubtedly be overheard by the other submarine and by Thales or some other Euclidean agent on the mainland. Tex, how about one of our old courses? The airline charts we made when we were training pigeons and testing directional radio beams. Just what I had in mind, Pat. You mean Johnson knows those courses so well you wouldn't have to give out any information to tell him where to meet us? Right, Jerry. That would be the solution to our problem. How far out do you think we should anchor jump? At least five miles. Boy, that's a long swim. We're not going to swim and you know it, Jerry. I hope not. But maybe there's something I thought of the rest of you forgot all about. What's that, son? We're going to have to toss magnetic bombs around outside the harbor to hold this other boat still, aren't we? I know of no other way to ensure our safety. Then it looks to me like we're going to get caught by that same magnetism when a rescue boat comes out to meet us. Tex, Jerry's right. That had occurred to me. It occurred to me too, and I think I know the answer. What, Tex? We'll tell Johnson to bring out a sailboat and to leave everything metallic off of it. Is it possible to get that information to Mr. Johnson without informing the scientists in the other submarine of your plan? We'll have to try it, Joan. We haven't many choices left. Hey, Joan, is it all right to use the radio now? I will make the necessary adjustments and use a narrow directional beam. If your code is difficult enough, Captain, we may have a period of comparative safety while the Euclideans decipher it. Though they are masters of that art also. Those guys didn't miss a thing, did they? Well, this code is really so simple that it isn't a code at all, just a prearranged set of signals. I doubt if anyone could ever figure them out. That is well. Is the radio ready, now, Joan? The transmission beam is set on three meters. You may proceed. J-24Y to J-12C. J-24Y to J-12C. J-24Y to J-12C. I hope we can raise Johnson quickly. Oh, he might be taking time out for something to eat. I would not be too impatient about your arrangements. Why not? It is daylight now. We may find it advisable to cruise outside the harbor until after dark. Why, George, Joan, you're right. It would be a lot more simple for Johnson to pick us up safely after dark. But if we cruise around waiting for darkness, what is to prevent that other submarine sending radio messages to Thales and interfering with our plans? Yeah, say, that wouldn't be so good. They will not be able to use their radio from the other boat and hold us with their magnetic beam at the same time. It is possible for them to receive, but not to transmit messages. Good. We'll get out of this yet. J-24Y to J-12C. J-24Y to J-12C. Say, Joan, were we discussing our plans with this microphone open? No, Captain. I have kept it closed except for your actual signals to Johnson. You sure think of everything, Joan. Now everybody keep quiet and I'll settle down to a long session of trying to raise Johnson. J-24Y to J-12C. J-24Y to J-12C. J-24Y to J-12C.
