Tom Swift and the Mystery Comet (12 page)

"Ohhh...!" murmured Sandy, horrified.

The listeners shared silent looks. Then Tom’s father broke the silence. "Your investigations clearly have great historical significance, Karl. What of this space mystery—the UFO business?"

"Yes," nodded the German, "the mysterious UFO’s, what Jung called ‘a modern myth of things seen in the skies’. He thought their circular form purely symbolic, a symbol of the mind’s transcendent quest for unity projected upon the sky by the collective unconscious."

"Okay, but
what about the UFO’s?
" demanded Bud impatiently.

"Allow me my lazy scholarly ways, young man," reproved Feng with a smile. "You good people may not realize that unidentified flying objects have been seen long before their official debut in 1947. Many sightings were recorded in documents from centuries ago—one at Nuremburg, Germany, in 1561, is well-known among the well-knowing. And indeed, one finds hints of similar things in the Old Testament."

"Yes—in
Ezekial
, for example," noted Mr. Swift.

"A famous instance, Damon." Dr. Feng paused. "What I am asking you to believe may sound very strange—yet the manuscript, interpreted according to the rules of the Hermetic language, speaks of a definite knowledge of UFO’s. Certain passages suggest that some form of actual contact was made."

"Is that what you mean by those ‘messengers of light,’ Dr. Feng?" interrupted Tom in surprise. "I thought it had to do with alchemical practices."

"So I thought when I first wrote-up my researches," replied the man. "But these parchments suggest something both more concrete—and more incredible.
I’m sure the messengers referred to were luminous objects seen in the skies—UFO’s—whose occupants somehow imparted secret knowledge to the Brothers of Hermes!
"

"J-
jetz
!" breathed Bud.

"‘Jetz’ indeed!"

Mr. Swift shook his head doubtfully. "You must admit that it all sounds rather far-fetched."

"Our own contact with space beings would have sounded pretty unbelievable not long ago," Tom said. And he thought:
To people like Dr. Sarcophagus—it still does!

Karl Feng leaned forward and regarded Tom with great intensity. "Think of the old manuscripts and laboratory records the Sanctum must contain—a priceless historical find! But also, there is another reason to seek it."

"That space mystery?" Tom queried.

"Quite so. What if I were to tell you that part of the knowledge given the Brothers of Hermes by the Messengers of Light, whatever they might turn out to have been, concerned what we see in our skies even as we speak?—Comet Tarski, the destination of the space mission you are about to launch!"

"With all apology, Karl, such a notion is absurd!" pronounced Tom’s father in disbelief. "It’s quite clear that this comet originated in interstellar space. It has never passed through the solar system. No human eye has ever seen it."

Sandy raised a timid hand. "D-Daddy," she gulped, "Dr. Feng isn’t talking about
human
eyes."

Feng shrugged. "I am only reporting the facts as I find them. These manuscripts, quite definitely more than a thousand years old, provide very precise data applying to one celestial body only—Tarski. Even the year of its entry into our system is stated!

"Listen now. Permit me to read my translation, into English, from the Green Language as rendered originally in Latin.

"
Behold, what eye shall gaze upon the White Queen, who comes veiled as a bride, whose procession lies among the stars, whose shining diadem bears gems of all colors? What eye shall see the bridal train, white as snow, delicate as cloud, that trails behind her? What eye shall read the message she bears? Who shall heed her warning; for indeed her consort is the Dead Hand, Daemon Diabolicus, the Fallen Servant, Lo! the Serpent Who Strikes, who tears with fangs all of the seed of Adam, who hides behind her beauty
."

"Good gosh!" murmured Tom Swift.

"That is what it says," asserted the scientist calmly. "And immediately beneath are the various dates and figures I have mentioned, making entirely definite my conclusion: that this White Queen is in truth our Comet Tarski. And my friends, this section bears a heading—
This is What the Divine Messengers of Light Have Taught Us From the Sky
. I regard the entire matter as certain!"

No one quite knew what to say. For a time the only comment came from the ticking grandfather clock in the foyer.

"I can sure understand why you wanted to respond to that phony letter and tell us of this," said Tom quietly. "It may be fantastic, but it really does seem this brotherhood from centuries ago had some kind of source of accurate information about present-day events."

"The thing I, er, especially noticed," said Bud hesitantly, "was that ‘dead hand’ deal. What does it mean? It’s almost like the saucer guys were giving a warning that the comet would cause some kind of catastrophe!"

"Mm, yes, Bud, I
suppose
a serpent sinking fangs into the whole human race does sound just a
little
negative," Sandy gibed with the weighty irony innate in youger sisters.

Feng nodded. "I’ve wanted to find a way to tell you, ever since reading of your planned expedition, that some horrific danger may confront you. I regret having held back, like a timid academic. The phrase ‘dead hand’ is my own translation, merely the gist of what is being said. The actual wording speaks of dead flesh blackened by rot, the hand of a corpse."

Bud snorted. "Great. I feel
much
better."

"The comet nucleus is black," Tom declared, his words coming slowly. "And the passage you read speaks of multicolored ‘gems.’ Dr. Feng, the surface of the body is covered with streaks and patches of chemical ices with all sorts of different colors!"

"Further evidence, quite unexpected, that my interpretation is correct," said the older man. "And I urge you, I
beg
you, consider that if these messengers possessed such knowledge of a comet still far off in space, surely their warnings must also be taken seriously."

Damon Swift spoke gravely, as a scientist—and a father. "Tarski may hold some kind of hidden danger for your mission, Tom, something we’ve been unable to detect."

"I’m afraid it’s a lot worse than that," Tom replied. "Remember that what Dr. Feng has quoted describes a threat not just to the
Challenger
flyby, but to ‘
all the seed of Adam
’—the whole human race!"

"But how
could
such a thing be true, Karl?" asked Tom’s mother skeptically. "I understood the comet would be tens of millions of miles distant even at its closest approach to the earth."

"My dear Mrs. Swift, how should I know?" retorted Dr. Feng politely. "That is a matter for the physical sciences, is it not?"

With a glance at his father, Tom decided to say a little more. "Doctor, we may be dealing with the comet danger already. We’ve had some problems with our repelatron technology—a kind of interference—and the effect seems to be coming from space. I’ve wondered all along if Comet Tarski might have something to do with it."

"Well then!" exclaimed Feng with what almost resembled delight. "Have your instruments pinpointed the actual source, Tom?"

"We’ve been unable to do so," explained Mr. Swift. "We don’t understand the nature of the phenomenon. But as further incidents occur, perhaps the timing and location will give us a clue."

"It—um—seems like it’s getting a little worse," Bud put in. "At least it’s starting to mess up other kinds of repelatrons."

Tom was grim. "We have to complete the comet probe before it starts affecting our space-propulsion repelatrons. Fortunately we’ve seen no sign that it’s going in that direction. The phenomenon may only target the repelatrons that have ‘dedicated’ tuning—for example, those that interact only with water or air. The
Challenger
’s super-repelatrons have a much broader scope of reaction."

After Doctor Feng had passed around his parchments fragments, everyone tried earnestly to move the living-room conversation toward lighter subjects. But the mystery of the White Queen—and the Dead Hand—lingered like a fog. It’s wasn’t hard to guess what was on Tom Swift’s mind.

Should he attempt to solve the mystery of the Sanctum Never Seen before embarking for Comet Tarski?
Did lives depend on his decision?

The following morning, with telesampler work and mission planning in other hands for the moment, Tom gave Dr. Feng a tour of Swift Enterprises. He introduced the scholar to Lethal Monica during a break in the astronaut’s space training. "Aha! Another foreign spy!" joked Lett, which triggered a look of perplexity on Feng’s face. "No no, Doc, just a spot of fun. Tom enjoys the breezy approach to life. Just read the—oh, sorry, Tom."

But it seemed the breeze was about to become an ill wind. A figure was striding across the manicured lawn between buildings, a figure clad in a rumpled white shirt and a perpetually sour expression. Sarkiewski evidently didn’t recognize his habitual "foe" from behind. Tom anticipated a big reaction in a moment’s time. He had expected it all along, and wondered what the confrontation would reveal about Sarcophagus—away from microphone and stage, Randolph Sarkiewski—and his motives.

Tom’s instincts underestimated the chemistry’s volatility. As Sarkiewski’s gaze met Karl Feng’s face, the professional skeptic turned white with emotion—and charged forward like a commando on the attack!

STARTLED, Tom held back—but only for a split second. Then he shoved Feng behind him and jumped in front of Dr. Sarcophagus. "Good night!—
stop
!" he shouted. "What in
space
is wrong with you!—?"

"I fear—this man—is quite out of his mind!" gasped Karl Feng. "He stalks me everywhere!—even here!"

Sarcophagus seemed to be struggling to bring his anger under control. Standing with clenched fists, the color slowly returned to his face. "I—I apologize, Tom," he rasped. "This man―"

"
Is my guest!
" snapped Tom. "Don’t think I won’t set aside your ‘challenge’ and have you thrown off the grounds if you try to harass Dr. Feng!"

The skeptic appeared abashed. "In this case, it appears I’m not a very good example of my principles," he admitted quietly. "I was taken by surprise."

"Should I apologize for the fact that my face enrages you, Sarcophagus?—if
that
is what we are to call you," Feng demanded.

Tom permitted a time-out of a few moments duration, for inarticulate heavy breathing. Then he said: "Maybe I’m the one who should apologize. I should have alerted you both." He explained to each why the other was present at Swift Enterprises. "You’re both here by invitation," he concluded. "As your host I don’t wish to be rude, but I have to insist that you two guys act more
grown-up
than I
look
! Is that reasonable?"

"Eminently," nodded Dr. Feng with great dignity.

"I won’t cause a problem," Sarkiewski promised with a hint of snarl. "But it would be in everyone’s best interest if this high priest of the paranormal were kept clear of me."

The man known to the airwaves as Dr. Sarcophagus turned and stalked away. "Holy Mope!" gulped Lett Monica. "Off what wall did
that
come from? What exactly does Sarc have against you, Doctor? Did you steal his girlfriend?"

"I fear my wife would not approve such adventures," replied Feng dryly. Tom knew his family lived in Heidelberg, pursuing their lives as the academic pursued his theories around the world.

"This has to do with philosophy," was Tom’s terse comment. "And I’m afraid the war of the philosophers will be heating up again very soon."

"Oh really?" Feng reacted in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Tom explained that he had decided to spend a few days in Germany prior to the start of the comet probe. "I’m not delaying the departure of the
Challenger
," he said. "But my personal involvement isn’t necessary at this point—Enterprises has a lot of experience planning space missions. Dad and I agree that we need to try to find out more about your Brothers of Hermes and its secret school. Our instruments may help uncover the Sanctum, and getting more of the warning given by the Messengers of Light may be absolutely critical to our safe completion of the Tarski probe." His mind added:
And keeping the Swift repelatrons up and running!
He felt certain of a connection.

He gave Lett a concise account of Feng’s findings and conjectures. The astronaut whistled in astonishment. "Good night! And all the while I’m just floating around in the zero-G chamber."

"Lett... take a few days off and come along," Tom urged. "Doc Simpson mentioned that you needed a break from the training regimen before the trip begins. You might as well tell Brungaria what it’s
really
like to work at Swift Enterprises."

"And of course
I
shall accompany you," nodded Dr. Feng. "But—but surely―"

"I’m afraid so, sir," Tom confirmed apologetically. "I’ll have Sarcophagus coming along as well. I don’t want him running wild here at the plant, and I’m trying to keep my commitment to him and his ‘investigation’—as long as he behaves himself."

"Such a simple matter," grinned Lett. "All he has to do is dial back on the obnoxiousness, just a bit."

"For
him
, a difficult challenge," Feng observed.

The travel plans were made with professional dispatch. Dr. Sarcophagus responded genially, even when Tom noted that Feng would be part of the trip. "Naturally. Germany is his natural habitat. I’m looking forward to seeing what you make of his ‘inspired’ theories and occult alchemical nonsense."

"In other words," said Tom with a stony smile, "whether I’m taken in by it."

"Nice way to put it. Don’t be overly disappointed if this ‘Sanctum’ mysteriously evades all attempts at capture. It’s just more of the popular idiocy exploited in books and movies—secret codes in the Mona Lisa, hidden message from the Bible. You might consider a stop along the way back to say hello to the Shroud of Turin."

The young inventor shook his head. "I’ll limit myself to comet-predicting medieval UFO’s, I think."