Chapter 17 Chapter 17 In the Name of the Law

What more problems would my extraordinary adventure or adventure encounter?Can I finally close this matter?Is it only Roble who holds the initiative? Perhaps, I will never have a chance to escape, just like Mr. Prudent and Mr. Evans were imprisoned by Roble on a small island in the Pacific Ocean. I can only wait, and this kind of When will the wait be! True, my curiosity has been partially satisfied, but even so, I only know a few secrets about the giant peak of Aili.I finally had a better understanding of the environment around the giant peak of Airi.I figured out the context of all the phenomena observed by the people of the Blue Ridge Mountains.I am reassured that neither the people of this area nor the inhabitants of Pleasant Fields and Morganton are under threat of volcanic eruptions or earthquakes; nor is there any strong subterranean activity gathering within the mountains.In this corner of the Alakali Mountains.In the later period of the Agrarian Revolutionary War and the Anti-Japanese War, it was systematically summarized and many, and there were no craters.The Mount of Airi was nothing more than the hideout of Roble the Conqueror.Doubtless he must have discovered this inaccessible hideaway where he stored his supplies, materials, and supplies during one of the Albatross voyages.Perhaps this refuge is even safer than the hitherto unknown island X in the Pacific.

That's all I know; yet, what do I really know about his mysterious machine, its construction, and the secrets of its propulsion system?It can be concluded tentatively that this machine with multiple functions is driven by electricity and senses the heavens through religious rituals, prompting the heavens to change their original arrangements.And this electricity, as we know it, is stored on the Albatross, by means of some new process of production, directly from the surrounding air. I have not been given permission to observe the engine, and no doubt they will never let me There is such an opportunity.

My opinion of my freedom was that Roble was clearly reluctant to expose himself.As to what purpose he has in using his invention, I think, in connection with his letter, that what will result from it will not be any good, but disaster and misfortune.In any case, the fact that he was so careful to keep his past secret must mean that he would not let anyone know about it in the future.Only one person can now prove that the "master of the world" is the man of Roble the Conqueror.This man is I - his prisoner, I have the right to arrest him, I should put my hand on his shoulder and say "In the name of the law -"

On the other hand, can I count on someone from outside to rescue me?Obviously not, the police must know what happened in Heishi Bay.Mr. Ward must have drawn the following conclusion from what he had received from the parties concerned: that when the Terror took me while she was away, I had either been drowned in their activities and their material conditions of life, it was not speculative The nature of the matter, may, or since my body was not found, I must have been imprisoned on board the Terror, deprived of my liberty. In the first case, the only thing to do is to write "deceased" after the name of Washington Federal Police Chief Inspector John Strucker.

As for the second scenario, would my colleagues believe that I would still survive?When the two destroyers chased the Terror onto the Niagara River, they had to stop their pursuit for fear of being swept away by the falls.It was dark then, and did those on the destroyer think that the Terror was swallowed up in the depths of the falls, for in the darkness it was impossible to see the Terror--as she passed the Horseshoe Falls or flew over the mountains towards Love? When Li Jufeng was sailing. As far as my fate is concerned, should I muster up the courage to question Roble?Will he be willing to come forward and listen to my statement?Was he content with merely revealing his name to me?Does he think this name is the answer to all my questions?

The day passed like this, and the situation did not turn around.Rob and his companions continued to be busy on board the Terror.Obviously, it needs some repairs.From this I concluded that the Terror would soon be taking off with me.Of course, it's also possible to leave me at the bottom of the summit of Airi, where I can't find any escape route at all, and there are enough supplies to keep me alive for a while. During this time I was particularly interested in studying Roble's mental state.It seemed to me that he was in a constant state of restlessness; what the hell was his restless brain thinking at the moment?What is his plan for the future?Where is he likely to go?Could it be that he really wants to carry out the madman-like threat in his threatening letter!

On this day, I spent the night sleeping on hay in a cave in the giant peak of Airi. After that, food was delivered to me on time every day, and I was asked to eat here.On August 2 and 3, Roble and his two companions continued to repair the "Terror".Even when they were working, they rarely spoke to each other.The engine was finally fixed, and Roble seemed satisfied.The three of them started loading the hoard into the ship, as if they were going to be away for a long time.Maybe the "Terror" will take a long-distance flight, maybe the captain even wants to return to X Island in the Pacific Ocean again.

Sometimes I saw the captain wandering thoughtfully about the cave.Sometimes he stopped and stretched out his arms toward the sky, as if in defiance of the God with whom he and no one else would divide the world.Was his irrepressible pride going to drive him insane?And this insanity was beyond the control of his two far less excited companions!Had he realized that he was stronger than anything he'd ever so blatantly dismissed, even when he only had the Albatross?And now he is stronger than ever, when the trinity of land, sky, and sea offered him a field infinitely wide and untraceable by anyone.

Therefore, I am extremely worried about everything that will happen in the future, even the most terrible disaster that may occur.There was no way I would escape before being compelled to go on another voyage with them.If so, how could I have a chance of getting out while the Terror was racing through the sky or the sea?I had to look for the only chance when the Terror was on land, and not too fast.Of course, this hope now seems so far away, so slim! It cannot fail to be mentioned that, after arriving at Airi-Korea, I tried to hope for an answer as to what he would do with me; but I could not.On this last day, I have to try again.

In the afternoon, I walked back and forth in front of the big cave where they talked.Roble stood at the entrance of the cave, staring at me all the time.Does he want to talk to me?I went up, "Captain," I said, "I asked you a question, and you didn't answer. I want to know, what on earth do you want to do with me?" We were only two steps away from each other face to face. His arms intersected and he glared at me, making me shiver.exactly!A sane person learns to gaze at you with such a gaze. I repeat my words in a challenging tone.At the time, I thought that Roble would break the silence.

"What on earth do you want to do with me? Are you going to set me free?" Evidently, Rob was preoccupied with other things at the moment, and my question merely interrupted his train of thought temporarily.He raised his arms towards the sky, this posture is already familiar to me, the air of arrogance, even this posture seems to me to be some kind of irresistible force that brought him to this place that is closer to the sky The mountain, he no longer belongs to the earth, he is destined to live in space, to live forever in the clouds. Roble went back into the cave and didn't answer at all, as if he didn't understand what I said at all. I don't know how long the "Terror" will stay or rest at Airi Kyofeng?I saw that on this afternoon, August 3rd, the repairs and stockpiles had been completed. One of Roble's two assistants, whom I now know as John Teller, had flown with Roble aboard the Albatross.I saw him now begin another task: with the help of another, he made his way to the center of the cave, where supplies, empty racks, fragments of wood, and specially crafted wood apparently originally intended for the Albatross were stacked. blocks, which are now used in the more powerful engine installations on the "Terror" spacecraft.These things were stacked on a large patch of dry grass.It dawned on me that Roble was planning to leave this hiding place for good! In fact, he couldn't have been unaware that the public's attention was now overwhelmingly focused on Airi Kyoho.Did he fear that one day the Mount of Airi would be conquered, and its hiding place occupied.Would he want people to find any evidence of its hiding place? The sun fades over the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains.The afterglow reflects the towering peaks in the northwest.Perhaps, in order to set sail, the Terror had to wait until dark.It was not known that the car-boat Terror could transform into a flying machine.No one has seen such an aircraft fly in the sky.Does Roble want his invention of transforming into a fourth machine to be known to the world?No way.Unless the master of the world uses it to make crazy provocations to humans. By nine o'clock, the surroundings of the cave were enveloped in darkness.There was not a single star in the sky; dark clouds, driven by a strong wind from the east, had covered the sky. The Terror's course would not be visible not only from the immediate vicinity, but perhaps from the entire territory of the United States, and even from the adjacent seas. At this moment, Teller came to the center of the cave and set fire to the haystack on the ground. The haystack immediately ignited a raging fire, and from the thick smoke, flames rose, rushing all the way to the wall of the giant peak of Airi.This will convince the people of the rural villages of Morganton and Huandong that the crater has reopened.These flames are tantamount to announcing the impending eruption of the volcano to them. I watched the conflagration, and heard the loud noise of the flames as they rose, reflecting the sky as if it were day.Roble also stood on the "Terror" to observe. Teller and his companions scattered the fire, and slowly the fire grew smaller and smaller, and the flames gradually died out and reduced to ashes; all was silent again, and all was swallowed up by darkness again. Suddenly, I felt someone grab my arm.Teller pushed and pulled me toward the Terror.It would be of no avail if I resisted, and it would be much worse if I were left here without any provisions and no means of climbing out. I entered the cabin of the spaceship, and Teller followed.His companion stood on the observation deck, and Teller then entered the engine room, which was lit by electric lights, but no light could be seen from the outside. Roble was at the helm himself, and the regulator was within easy reach, so he could control speed and direction.And I was forced into the cabin and the hatch was closed.On this night, as on the night of leaving the Niagara, I could not observe the direction in which the Terror was sailing. But, if I knew nothing of what was going on on the Terror, I heard the sound of machinery.My first feeling was that the Terror, or her bow, was slightly up, out of contact with the ground, and at first seemed to wobble a little as she turned, then moved smoothly through the air.I heard the turbines on the "Terror" spin at a rapid speed; then, its huge wings fluttered regularly in the air. Thus the Terror left the Mount of Airi, and may never return; like a ship in the water, it is now flying in the air, and the captain with the Terror has now flown high above the Arles. Gerry Mountains.Doubtless the Terror would remain high in the sky, unless she had flown out of the whole area guarded by the mountains. However, where does Roble plan to drive the "Terror"?Was he going to cross the plains of North Carolina, with the Atlantic Ocean as his destination?Or did he turn west and fly to the Pacific?Perhaps he would sail south into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.On the day it reaches its destination, how can I tell which ocean we are in if we are surrounded by horizons where water meets sky? Hours went by and it was so long for me!I can’t regret the negligence during sleep, and my messy thoughts hit me one after another. When a flying monster hijacked me and flew in space, I felt that I was also caught by whimsical thoughts and couldn’t help myself.At the speed of the Terror, where shall I be taken in this seemingly infinite night?I think of that incredible voyage of the Albatross, for which the Wilton Institution published a report by Mr. Prudent and Mr. Evans.What Roble the Conqueror had done in his first ship must be done in this quadruple function ship. Will they allow me to go out now, at last, when the first light of day is in my cabin, and let me stand on the deck for a while when the Terror lay anchored on Lake Erie? I pushed open the hatch and onto the deck. Surrounded by sky and sea.I estimated that the Terror was flying about a thousand or twelve hundred feet above the sea.I didn't see Rob, maybe, he was in the engine room.Now Teller was at the helm instead of Roble, and his partner was still on the observation deck.As I was on deck, I could now see what I could not see when sailing by night, and the great, powerful wings of the Terror soared on both sides at the same time, while the propellers under her flanks were constantly turning. From the position of the sun slowly rising on the horizon, I judged that the Terror was heading south.So if you're flying south at night, you've got the Gulf of Mexico down there. Thick, bluish-gray clouds gathered on the horizon meant it was going to be a scorching hot day.This sign of an impending storm did not escape Roble, and it was eight o'clock when he came on deck to take Teller's place.Perhaps the clouds reminded him of the time when the Albatross was nearly destroyed by a tornado, or the time when the Albatross was miraculously survived a powerful hurricane in the Antarctic Ocean. Yes, the forces of nature were so irresistible to the "Albatross", but the "Terror", a lighter and more agile ship, could easily escape the attack of natural forces. The Terror could ride over the billowing clouds of smoke that were sinking to the surface, and, if the waves came at her violently, she could sail safely under the calm waters. Undoubtedly, Roble, who is rich in sailing experience, must have seen certain signs at this time, and he judged from this that the storm may not appear until tomorrow. He continued to fly the Terror.In the afternoon, it sailed close to the surface of the sea, without any sign of sudden weather changes. The Terror is a seabird, an albatross, or a frigate bird, able to ride the waves with ease.Only it has this advantage: driven by inexhaustible electricity, this metal body never knows what fatigue is. The "Terror" was in the middle of nowhere, with no ships in sight.Not even a trace of smoke could be seen on the horizon as far as the eye could see.Therefore, the "Terror" must have been undetected when it passed through the clouds. The afternoon was uneventful. The Terror sailed at normal speed.I cannot deduce what the captain intends; if she continues on this course, we shall reach some small island in the West Indies, or sail farther, to the end of the Gulf of Mexico, on the coast of Venezuela or Colombia.However, when night comes, the "Terror" may take to the sky again, flying over the obstacles of the mountains of Guatemala and Nicaragua, heading for the small island of X in the unknown waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Dusk fell, and the sun sank on a blood-red horizon. The water shimmered around the Terror, as if curling waves were rising in its course.The storm looked like it was coming.Evidently the captain must have thought so.At this point I was forced to leave the deck.I had to go back into the cabin, and the hatch closed. From the noises that followed, I knew that the Terror was going to dive under the sea.In fact, five minutes later, the "Terror" was already moving peacefully and steadily under the sea. Exhausted, not so much from weariness as from agitation and anxiety, I soon fell asleep.This time, I slept very soundly, although I didn't take sleeping pills.I don't know how long I slept. When I woke up, the "Terror" still hadn't dived out of the sea. After a while, the "Terror" rose to the surface of the sea.The moonlight streamed into my cabin through the hatch; and just then, because of the rough sea, I felt the ship shake. I was allowed to go up to the deck.My first thought was to know what the weather was like.A storm is approaching from the northwest.Bright lightning pierced the dense dark clouds, and we could already hear the rumble of thunder in the sky.I was amazed--not just amazed, I should say horrified! ——The storm gathers and sweeps to its peak at such a speed.Hardly any ship would have had time to furl its sails to escape the gale, and disaster was at hand!It came so fast, and so terrifying. Suddenly, there was a strong wind, and its momentum was extremely fierce, as if it suddenly rushed out of the confinement of the clouds.In an instant, the sea roared, and its shape was extremely terrifying.The waves rolled, rolled up layers of spray, and rushed towards the "Terror" with its thunderous force.If I hadn't held on tight to the rail, I would have been thrown off the deck! There was no other way, and the "Terror" had to transform into a submarine again, and it would be safe and sound under dozens of feet of water.It is obviously impossible to continue to march in the furious sea waves. Roble was still on deck, and I was waiting for the order to get back into the cabin—but the order never came.Didn't even make any dive preparations at all.Rob's eyes were facing the sea, and he had never been so radiant. He stared at the sea as if he didn't see it at all. He knew that nothing could make him afraid. The situation was so urgent that if the Terror was not submerged immediately, she would be overwhelmed by the raging waves in no time; but Roble did not seem to have such a thought at all.He will never give in!He remains inviolable, a man of unrivaled pride, uncompromisingly composed, still retains his arrogance, and he also believes that he is unique, or rather, he believes that he is not extraordinary. Seeing this, I could not help asking myself, almost with superstitious awe, if he was really a diabolical being fled from some supernatural world. Amid the howling of the storm and the howling of thunder and lightning, he was heard shouting sharply: "I, Roble! Roble! — Ruler of the World!" He made a gesture that Teller and his companions understood.It was an order, and without hesitation these two men, who were as irrational as their masters, obeyed immediately. I saw the two huge wings of the "Terror" stretched to both sides; the spaceship was rising from the waves to the sky as it passed through Niagara Falls.But if that day, if it had escaped from the power of the falls; it would be incomprehensible that the Terror should try to take to the sky this time, amidst the rage of the storm. The Terror flew up into the sky, surrounded by rumbling thunder, in the lightning that swept across the sky, and stood at its onslaught.It travels through blinding lightning flashes, threatening to be destroyed at any moment. Roble's position and momentum have not changed.He held the rudder with one hand; he pressed the speed regulator with the other hand, and the wings trembled violently in the air. He steered the "Terror" to rush towards the most violent center of the storm, and saw electric sparks in the chaotic clouds. Keep jumping. I should rush to this madman and prevent him from flying the "Terror" to the center of this melting furnace in the sky!I have to force him to descend and seek safety under the sea, because at this time, it is dangerous both on the sea and in the sky!Under the sea, we can wait until the terrible storm and thunder have subsided before resuming sea or air navigation. At this time, in the uncontrollable anger, I strongly felt that I must fulfill my responsibility!Otherwise, my conscience will never be at peace!Yes, this is crazy.Shouldn't I arrest this criminal who disregards the laws of my country?Because he threatens the world with his terrifying invention!Shouldn't I put my hand on his shoulder and bid him surrender to justice!Am I not Strucker, Inspector General of the Federal Police?Even though I was on the "Terror", facing three madmen alone, the "Terror" was bumping non-stop along with the "Terror" on the waves of the sea.I strode aft, and standing before Roble, said aloud: "In the name of the law, I—" Suddenly, the "Terror" was shaking, as if it had been violently shocked.Every part of its hull, like a human body, was shaken by the shock of the narrow current.Lightning struck the central part of its powerful batteries, and the hull disintegrated, flying in all directions. Its wings had fallen off, its propeller had been shattered, and lightning kept shooting back and forth at its wreckage. The Terror fell from a height of more than a thousand feet and sank into the sea.