Page:Amazing Stories Volume 15 Number 12.djvu/51

Rh arm them.

Dane frowned as he stood watching, conscious that the others were waiting for him to decide what to do next. They, even his father, were as foreign to this city as he was to lo. If order came out of the chaos about them, he must be the one to stimulate it,

"We could use that sleeping army now," he said softly, "We've got the biggest clean-up job in history ahead of us. Every soldier and policeman in this city must be disarmed, and there are probably a million of them. There have been rumors that The Hundred have established scores of 'sleeping armies' about the country, taking a tip from us. The Hundred, themselves, as many as we can find, must be imprisoned. I want the Vedette rolls found and every secret policeman in New York City put under guard. When all that's done, we will broadcast to the people and the whole world what we intend to do. I don't expect trouble from the people themselves, but if they're stirred up they may band against us. They're putty in a good propagandist's hands."

"We'll start our own propaganda machine tomorrow," his father broke in. "EeveryEvery [sic] man and woman in the nation will be hanging on his radio trying to learn what has happened. We'll have plenty to tell them!"

EW YORK CITY awoke, a frightened and bewildered chunk of humanity. The millions knew they were a conquered nation—there were squads of strange, lanky soldiers in every street—but the most pessimistic could see that the invaders weren't the brutal militarists their own Vedette men had been. They were everywhere, helping with the injured and sick, bringing supplies to the homeless. They talked a strange gibberish, but their helpfulness was universal.

The morning of the following day, a strange fleet of ships darkened the sun as it sought a landing across the river. The terrified populace ran for cover from the expected aerial bombardment. Their surprise was boundless when the ships landed peacefully and hordes of men, women and children trooped out, to begin the orderly construction of tent cities.

In Government House, the Ionian staff leaders breathed a collective sigh of relief. The first convoy was in without a ship lost! Now there was the return trip to be made, a trip that might find tragedy at its culmination.

Of The Hundred, seventy-five were found and jailed. One of these was Marcus Baring. He was found in the basement, where apparently he had been abandoned by the person or persons who kidnaped the others. But Baring could tell them nothing of the escape. The Vedette chief was useful, however, after some of his own rigorous grilling methods were put to him. He was persuaded to produce secret police rolls and aid in the capture of most of the four thousand agents in the city.

On the morning of the second day after New York was taken, Samuel Cabot made his announcement to the world from which he had been driven so long before. Dane's eyes were on his glowing features as he spoke into the microphone.

"You have been told by your Leaders that when we came, bloodshed, violence and slavery would ride the skies with us," he reminded his vast audience. "By this time you must know that we come in peace. The autocracy has been overthrown; but it is not slavery we offer you. As soon as it is practical, you will be restored the right of electing your own ruling bodies.

"You have been told a race of savages