The End of Time Read online

reeled into theliving room. For a fleeting moment Jack saw June sitting rigidly atthe instruments. Her eyes were starting from their sockets but herhands were steady.

  "I warned you to kill yourself," Solinski's voice rose in a screamingwhisper through the respirator. "Now I will do it." Displaying thestrength of madness he hurled Jack from him. Losing all control of hislimbs, the younger man flew across the room and demolished the divanin his fall. But the thought of what Solinski would do to Junebrought him back to the attack.

  * * * * *

  The fury of their struggle wrecked the living room. Both bled fromnumerous wounds. One of the Russian's bleak eyes closed under awell-directed blow, but otherwise he seemed unaffected. Jack grappledagain and realized his mistake as he was caught in a bone-crackinggrip and forced into the laboratory.

  Baron felt a rib snap. A sweat of agony broke out over his body.Holding his enemy helpless the invader worked his way toward the worktable. They bumped against it, making the equipment totter perilously.Solinski released his grip, snatched a bottle of distilled water andswung.

  Jack felt his head explode. The room went dark. But in hissemi-consciousness he remembered he must not let the Russian reachthat switch. As he slid slowly to the floor, he grasped the other'slegs.

  The drug fiend tried to kick free, stumbled, struck the table with hiships. Throwing out his arms to regain his balance he plunged one handamong the naked cables which led from the generator to thetransformers and tubes.

  A blinding flash of light and the scream of a soul in tormentfollowed. As a nauseating odor of burning flesh filled the room, theRussian was hurled backward like a rubber ball. He struck the windowwhich overlooked the park, crashed through the large panel and fell!

  June sat as though hypnotised, forcing herself to manipulate thosedials.

  Jack crawled to the window and watched the black body swoop downwardlike a wounded bird, the coat flapping like crippled wings. After whatseemed an eon it struck the edge of the subway kiosk, bounced like arag doll and sprawled across the pavement.

  Still Jack did not move. Through a haze of his own blood he stared,the fate of his enemy forgotten. All about the kiosk bodies which hadlaid so still for the past week were moving. The little figures, notmuch larger than ants from that height, yawned, sat up and stretchedas though it was the commonest thing in the world to take a nap in themidst of Fifth Avenue. It was as if the last swoop of that batlikefigure had returned them to consciousness.

  "The world is alive! The world is alive!" Baron croaked wildly as hefelt his senses slipping from him. "We have won, June! We have won!"

  * * * * *