Terror in the Stars
Ellen Lynn
The men in our observatory called us the "three musketeers." Karl Manley, Russ Fenway and I had been buddies since boyhood—but the bond between Karl and me was especially close. We had always been interested in the same things, and as we grew older our interest in astronomy became an enthusiasm. I was even in love with the same girl, Lucy Tremont, but I knew she loved Karl—and I kept my frustrated emotions to myself.
Our
new research laboratory was in the middle west, Lucy lived in the
East. Often I would hear the low-voiced love-making of Karl as he
spoke to her over the telephone. Although he was a scientist—perhaps
because of it—Karl had the soul of a poet and the sentiments of
love he expressed to Lucy (which I couldn't help overhearing since I
was usually seated right next to him) were worthy of a Browning.
The
hardest thing for Karl and Lucy was their separation—he in the
west, she in the east. "I can't stand her being so far away from
me," Karl once blurted out after one of his long-distance phone
calls. "It's getting so I can hardly concentrate on my work. And
Lucy is unhappy, too. We've decided to get married after this next
field trip; she'll have to give up her job and come to live here."
By
a lucky chance, Karl, Russ and I had been assigned together to a
field trip to our new laboratory on the top of Mt. Crenshaw. The
largest, newest, most powerful telescope in the world based on
nuclear theories had been recently completed there and we were to
spend a month observing the heavens and writing papers on our
findings. Russ rushed over to the both of us and boyishly placed an
arm around each of our shoulders, bent over our desks. "We're
going together, boys," he exclaimed happily. "That's really
a break for us! We'll explore the heavens—far beyond what men have
seen before. It's our big chance."
I
grinned up at Russ, just as pleased as he was that the three of us
were to be together on the job. But Karl seemed not to have heard.
The pencil in his fingers was not writing, his eyes had a far-away
look. Russ, in his jovial way, slapped Karl on the back. "Brace
up, fella, Lucy'll be waiting for you—and you'll be back in four
weeks." Without answering, Karl had gone to the telephone to
speak to Lucy in the East.
The
day before our departure, Karl had a wonderful surprise: Lucy had
come out, just to say goodbye. The pang I felt at seeing the two
dreamy-eyed lovers fall into each other's arms was equaled by the
relief that at last Karl could ease up in his tension. The visit from
Lucy was just what he needed, so that he could once again put his
brilliant mind to work.
I
drove Karl and Lucy to the airport to catch her plane back East. As
though I weren't even there, they spoke endearing words of farewell
before she got into the plane. "Really, kids," I tried to
jest, "this isn't the last goodbye—only four weeks and you two
will never be parted again. Remember?"
Lucy
stared intently into Karl's eyes, and remained silent a moment. Then
she said, rather solemnly, "You are right, Steve, Karl and I
will never be parted. I swear it. No matter what happens, he and I
will always be together."
"Spoken
like a true lover," I declared, trying to break the spell of
seriousness that had been cast.
Karl
insisted on our waiting at the airfield till the plane disappeared
like a bird into the heavens.
Back
at the lab we put the finishing touches to our packing, and Russ's
gay spirits somewhat lifted the cloud of gloom that had previously
settled over Karl. He actually smiled a few times and by the time we
started on our trip he was as good as his old self. He was even able
to speak of Lucy without going into a spell. "Come to think of
it," he said with a grin, "we'll be so busy the next few
weeks, time ought to fly—and then Lucy and I will be married. I've
been in a terrible mood lately, boys. It's been rough on you, I know,
trying to get me to do my share of the work. But it'll all be
different once Lucy and I are together for good."
Russ
and I sighed with relief. It was good to have Karl act like a normal
human being again. And when we reached the isolated hilltop, where
the marvelous telescope was situated he set to his observations and
notes with renewed enthusiasm and zest—perhaps even greater than
the zeal Russ and I felt. The three of us looked through the powerful
lens and felt an awesome thrill at the panorama of heavenly bodies
sparkling brilliantly in the infinite space beyond. Karl worked
tirelessly, long through the night—even after Russ and I had
retired. For we were able to see far beyond the distances men's sight
had traveled before.
One
night I stirred uneasily in my sleep and woke up. I looked at the
clock: it was three in the morning. Then I was startled by the sight
of Karl standing in my room in the dim shadows. What on earth is he
doing in here? I thought. Could he be walking in his sleep? His eyes
were opened and he was staring at me with a strange expression. Then
he whispered: "Steve—Steve—are you awake? I—I must talk to
you."
I
sat bolt upright. "What is it, Karl?" I asked, considerably
disturbed by this apparition in the wee hours of the morning. "Is
anything wrong?"
He
came close to my bedside and I put on the lamp. His face looked
ghastly and I was filled with a foreboding. Had he been working too
hard? Was he suffering more from his separation from Lucy than we had
realized?
Finally
he spoke, in a queer voice. "Karl—I've seen Lucy! Now—don't
say I'm mad! I've checked and double-checked."
"What
do you mean?" I interrupted. "Is she here? Checked what?"
"I
have been experimenting with the new mirror we developed and it's
unbelievable. Then a few nights ago, Saturday, at 11:30 I saw her for
the first time. It was so vague, I wasn't sure. I thought I was just
imagining it. Last night I looked again—and there she was, plainly.
My new nuclear sights were trained on Saturn. There she was—beckoning
me. She wants me to come to her. She was beyond, even the stars."
I
was flabbergasted. I didn't know how to handle this situation. My
dear friend, my close buddy, had become deranged. Of that I was
convinced. I did the best I could to reassure him, to humor him.
"Tomorrow we'll telephone Lucy. That should ease your mind,
Karl."
"No,
no! I mustn't keep her waiting. She insists I join her at once,"
he declared.
"Well,
get some sleep, Karl," I advised him. "And if you must, you
can return after breakfast."
He
left my room and I tried, not too successfully, to go back to sleep.
A half hour later I was beginning to doze off when a sound outside
made me leap from my bed and rush to the window. There was Karl, a
knapsack on his shoulders, setting out to climb to the utmost peak of
Mt. Crenshaw. I yelled after him. Russ came dashing in and together
we called to Karl, but he continued his rapid ascent without looking
back. We stood there helplessly watching. Knowing Karl, we both
realized it would be useless to try to stop him, even if we could
possibly reach him at the pace he was going.
"But
what is he after?" Russ asked in bewilderment.
I
told him the incident in my room and of Karl's hallucination that he
saw Lucy beckoning him to come to her into space. In spite of our
anxiety, I understood Russ's outburst of laughter. It was a nervous
reaction, true, but it was also ludicrous to think of Karl marching
off into space to find his lady-love.
There
was no more sleep for either of us. We dressed and kept our eyes on
the figure of Karl gradually growing smaller as he mounted higher and
higher toward the peak hidden in clouds. Then, when our naked eyes
could no longer see more than a dot we each picked up small
telescopes and continued to follow our friend's fantastic climb.
Just
before Karl disappeared into the mists, he turned around and we saw
his face clearly in the lens. He was smiling joyously, and raised an
arm to wave a friendly farewell. Somehow, this gesture depressed us
and we gave up our vigil. That was the last we ever saw of Karl. He
had gone, he said, to join his Lucy in space. How were we going to
break the awful news to the real Lucy who would be waiting, waiting
for Karl's return—expecting to be married the next day!
When
we knew for certain that we saw the end of Karl, we returned to our
headquarters. A telegram was waiting for him. We decided to open it.
The message stunned us both. It was from Lucy's father. It read:
Mr.
Karl Manley
Baldwin Observatory
Mt. Crenshaw
Shocking
news. Just learned Lucy killed in accident Saturday 11:30 P.M.
Benjamin
Troll.
"Saturday—11:30!"
I exclaimed involuntarily. That was the exact date and time Karl
first saw the vision of Lucy through the new nuclear telescope! They
had sworn never to be apart. He had gone to join her! Can we believe
that? We are scientists.
But
what do you believe?
