The Master Key

by L. Frank Baum

  Presently an elderly gentleman with a reserved and dignified appearanceand dressed in black took a seat next to the boy and drew a magazinefrom his pocket. Rob saw that he opened it to an article on "TheProgress of Modern Science," in which he seemed greatly interested.

  After a time the boy remembered that he was hungry, not having eaten atablet in more than twenty-four hours. So he took out the silver boxand ate one of the small, round disks it contained.

  "What are those?" inquired the old gentleman in a soft voice. "You aretoo young to be taking patent medicines."

  "These are not medicines, exactly," answered the boy, with a smile."They are Concentrated Food Tablets, stored with nourishment by meansof electricity. One of them furnishes a person with food for an entireday."

  The old gentleman stared at Rob a moment and then laid down hismagazine and took the box in his hands, examining the tablets curiously.

  "Are these patented?" he asked.

  "No," said Rob; "they are unknown to any one but myself."

  "I will give you a half million dollars for the recipe to make them,"said the gentleman.

  "I fear I must refuse your offer," returned Rob, with a laugh.

  "I'll make it a million," said the gentleman, coolly.

  Rob shook his head.

  "Money can't buy the recipe," he said; "for I don't know it myself."

  "Couldn't the tablets be chemically analyzed, and the secretdiscovered?" inquired the other.

  "I don't know; but I'm not going to give any one the chance to try,"declared the boy, firmly.

  The old gentleman picked up his magazine without another word, andresumed his reading.

  For amusement Rob took the Record of Events from his pocket and beganlooking at the scenes reflected from its polished plate.

  Presently he became aware that the old gentleman was peering over hisshoulder with intense interest. General Funston was just then engagedin capturing the rebel chief, Aguinaldo, and for a few moments both manand boy observed the occurrence with rapt attention. As the scene wasreplaced by one showing a secret tunnel of the Russian Nihilists, withthe conspirators carrying dynamite to a recess underneath the palaceof the Czar, the gentleman uttered a long sigh and asked:

  "Will you sell that box?"

  "No," answered Rob, shortly, and put it back into his pocket.

  "I'll give you a million dollars to control the sale in Chicago alone,"continued the gentleman, with an eager inflection in his smooth voice.

  "You seem quite anxious to get rid of money," remarked Rob, carelessly."How much are you worth?"

  "Personally?"

  "Yes."

  "Nothing at all, young man. I am not offering you my own money. Butwith such inventions as you have exhibited I could easily securemillions of capital. Suppose we form a trust, and place them upon themarket. We'll capitalize it for a hundred millions, and you can have aquarter of the stock--twenty-five millions. That would keep you fromworrying about grocery bills."

  "But I wouldn't need groceries if I had the tablets," said Rob,laughing.

  "True enough! But you could take life easily and read your newspaperin comfort, without being in any hurry to get down town to business.Twenty-five millions would bring you a cozy little income, if properlyinvested."

  "I don't see why one should read newspapers when the Record of Eventsshows all that is going on in the world," objected Rob.

  "True, true! But what do you say to the proposition?"

  "I must decline, with thanks. These inventions are not for sale."

  The gentleman sighed and resumed his magazine, in which he became muchabsorbed.

  Rob put on the Character Marking Spectacles and looked at him. Theletters "E", "W" and "C" were plainly visible upon the composed,respectable looking brow of his companion.

  "Evil, wise and cruel," reflected Rob, as he restored the spectacles tohis pocket. "How easily such a man could impose upon people. To look athim one would think that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth!"

  He decided to part company with this chance acquaintance and, risingfrom his seat, strolled leisurely up the walk. A moment later, onlooking back, he discovered that the old gentleman had disappeared.

  He walked down State Street to the river and back again, amused by theactivity displayed in this busy section of the city. But the time hehad allowed himself in Chicago had now expired, so he began lookingaround for some high building from the roof of which he could departunnoticed.

  This was not at all difficult, and selecting one of many stores heascended by an elevator to the top floor and from there mounted aniron stairway leading to the flat roof. As he climbed this stairway hefound himself followed by a pleasant looking young man, who also seemeddesirous of viewing the city from the roof.

  Annoyed at the inopportune intrusion, Rob's first thought was to goback to the street and try another building; but, upon reflecting thatthe young man was not likely to remain long and he would soon be alone,he decided to wait. So he walked to the edge of the roof and appearedto be interested in the scenery spread out below him.

  "Fine view from here, ain't it?" said the young man, coming up to himand placing his hand carelessly upon the boy's shoulder.

  "It is, indeed," replied Rob, leaning over the edge to look into thestreet.

  As he spoke he felt himself gently but firmly pushed from behind and,losing his balance, he plunged headforemost from the roof and whirledthrough the intervening space toward the sidewalk far below.

  Terrified though he was by the sudden disaster, the boy had still witenough remaining to reach out his right hand and move the indicatorof the machine upon his left wrist to the zero mark. Immediately hepaused in his fearful flight and presently came to a stop at a distanceof less than fifteen feet from the flagstones which had threatened tocrush out his life.

  As he stared downward, trying to recover his self-possession, he sawthe old gentleman he had met on the Lake Front standing just below andlooking at him with a half frightened, half curious expression in hiseyes.

  At once Rob saw through the whole plot to kill him and thus securepossession of his electrical devices. The young man upon the roofwho had attempted to push him to his death was a confederate of theinnocent appearing old gentleman, it seemed, and the latter had calmlyawaited his fall to the pavement to seize the coveted treasures fromhis dead body. It was an awful idea, and Rob was more frightened thanhe had ever been before in his life--or ever has been since.

  But now the shouts of a vast concourse of amazed spectators reached theboy's ears. He remembered that he was suspended in mid-air over thecrowded street of a great city, while thousands of wondering eyes werefixed upon him.

  So he quickly set the indicator to the word "up," and mounted sky-warduntil the watchers below could scarcely see him. Then he fled away intothe east, even yet shuddering with the horror of his recent escape fromdeath and filled with disgust at the knowledge that there were peoplewho held human life so lightly that they were willing to destroy it tofurther their own selfish ends.

  "And the Demon wants such people as these to possess his electricaldevices, which are as powerful to accomplish evil when in wrong handsas they are good!" thought the boy, resentfully. "This would be a fineworld if Electric Tubes and Records of Events and Traveling Machinescould be acquired by selfish and unprincipled persons!"

  So unnerved was Rob by his recent experiences that he determined tomake no more stops. However, he alighted at nightfall in the country,and slept upon the sweet hay in a farmer's barn.

  But, early the next morning, before any one else was astir, he resumedhis journey, and at precisely ten o'clock of this day, which wasSaturday, he completed his flying trip around the world by alightingunobserved upon the well-trimmed lawn of his own home.

  _CHAPTER NINETEEN_

  ROB MAKES A RESOLUTION

  When Rob opened the front door he came face to face with Nell, who gavean exclamation of joy and threw herself into his arms.

  "Oh, Rob!" she crie
d, "I'm so glad you've come. We have all beendreadfully worried about you, and mother--"

  "Well, what about mother?" inquired the boy, anxiously, as she paused.

  "She's been very ill, Rob; and the doctor said to-day that unlesswe heard from you soon he would not be able to save her life. Theuncertainty about you is killing her."

  Rob stood stock still, all the eager joy of his return frozen intohorror at the thought that he had caused his dear mother so muchsuffering.

  "Where is she, Nell?" he asked, brokenly.

  "In her room. Come; I'll take you to her."

  Rob followed with beating heart, and soon was clasped close to hismother's breast.

  "Oh, my boy--my dear boy!" she murmured, and then for very joy and loveshe was unable to say more, but held him tight and stroked his hairgently and kissed him again and again.

  Rob said little, except to promise that he would never again leave homewithout her full consent and knowledge. But in his mind he contrastedthe love and comfort that now surrounded him with the lonely andunnatural life he had been leading and, boy though he was in years, amighty resolution that would have been creditable to an experienced mantook firm root in his heart.

  He was obliged to recount all his adventures to his mother and,although he made light of the dangers he had passed through, the storydrew many sighs and shudders from her.

  When luncheon time arrived he met his father, and Mr. Joslyn tookoccasion to reprove his son in strong language for running away fromhome and leaving them filled with anxiety as to his fate. However, whenhe saw how happy and improved in health his dear wife was at her boy'sreturn, and when he had listened to Rob's manly confession of error andexpressions of repentance, he speedily forgave the culprit and treatedhim as genially as ever.

  Of course the whole story had to be repeated, his sisters listeningthis time with open eyes and ears and admiring their adventurousbrother immensely. Even Mr. Joslyn could not help becoming profoundlyinterested, but he took care not to show any pride he might feel in hisson's achievements.

  When his father returned to his office Rob went to his own bed-chamberand sat for a long time by the window in deep thought. When at last hearoused himself, he found it was nearly four o'clock.

  "The Demon will be here presently," he said, with a thrill of aversion,"and I must be in the workshop to receive him."

  Silently he stole to the foot of the attic stairs and then paused tolisten. The house seemed very quiet, but he could hear his mother'svoice softly humming a cradle-song that she had sung to him when he wasa baby.

  He had been nervous and unsettled and a little fearful until then,but perhaps the sound of his mother's voice gave him courage, forhe boldly ascended the stairs and entered the workshop, closing andlocking the door behind him.

  _CHAPTER TWENTY_

  THE UNHAPPY FATE OF THE DEMON

  Again the atmosphere quickened and pulsed with accumulating vibrations.Again the boy found himself aroused to eager expectancy. There wasa whirl in the air; a crackling like distant musketry; a flash ofdazzling light--and the Demon stood before him for the third time.

  "I give you greetings!" said he, in a voice not unkindly.

  "Good afternoon, Mr. Demon," answered the boy, bowing gravely.

  "I see you have returned safely from your trip," continued theApparition, cheerfully, "although at one time I thought you wouldbe unable to escape. Indeed, unless I had knocked that tube from therascally Turk's hand as he clambered to the top of the wall, I believeyou would have been at the Yarkand oasis yet--either dead or alive, aschance might determine."

  "Were you there?" asked Rob.

  "To be sure. And I recovered the tube for you, without which you wouldhave been helpless. But that is the only time I saw fit to interfere inany way."

  "I'm afraid I did not get a chance to give many hints to inventors orscientists," said Rob.

  "True, and I have deeply regretted it," replied the Demon. "But yourunusual powers caused more astonishment and consternation than you,perhaps, imagined; for many saw you whom you were too busy to notice.As a result several able electricians are now thinking new thoughtsalong new lines, and some of them may soon give these or similarinventions to the world."

  "You are satisfied, then?" asked Rob.

  "As to that," returned the Demon, composedly, "I am not. But I havehopes that with the addition of the three marvelous devices I shallpresent you with to-day you will succeed in arousing so much popularinterest in electrical inventions as to render me wholly satisfied withthe result of this experiment."

  Rob regarded the brilliant apparition with a solemn face, but made noanswer.

  "No living person," continued the Demon, "has ever before been favoredwith such comforting devices for the preservation and extension ofhuman life as yourself. You seem quite unappreciative, it is true;but since our connection I have come to realize that you are but anordinary boy, with many boyish limitations; so I do not condemn yourfoolish actions too harshly."

  "That is kind of you," said Rob.

  "To prove my friendliness," pursued the Demon, "I have brought, as thefirst of to-day's offerings, this Electro-Magnetic Restorer. You seeit is shaped like a thin metal band, and is to be worn upon the brow,clasping at the back of the head. Its virtues surpass those of eitherthe fabulous 'Fountain of Youth,' or the 'Elixir of Life,' so vainlysought for in past ages. For its wearer will instantly become free fromany bodily disease or pain and will enjoy perfect health and vigor. Intruth, so great are its powers that even the dead may be restored tolife, provided the blood has not yet chilled. In presenting you withthis appliance, I feel I am bestowing upon you the greatest blessingand most longed-for boon ever bequeathed to suffering humanity."

  Here he held the slender, dull-colored metallic band toward the boy.

  "Keep it," said Rob.

  The Demon started, and gave him an odd look.

  "What did you say?" he asked.

  "I told you to keep it," answered Rob. "I don't want it."

  The Demon staggered back as if he had been struck.

  "Don't want it!" he gasped.

  "No; I've had enough of your infernal inventions!" cried the boy, withsudden anger.

  He unclasped the traveling machine from his wrist and laid it on thetable beside the Demon.

  "There's the thing that's responsible for most of my troubles," saidhe, bitterly. "What right has one person to fly through the air whileall his fellow-creatures crawl over the earth's surface? And why shouldI be cut off from all the rest of the world because you have given methis confounded traveling machine? I didn't ask for it, and I won'tkeep it a moment longer. Give it to some one you hate more than you dome!"

  The Demon stared aghast and turned his glittering eyes wonderingly fromRob to the traveling machine and back again, as if to be sure he hadheard and seen aright.

  "And here are your food tablets," continued the boy, placing the boxupon the table. "I've only enjoyed one square meal since you gavethem to me. They're all right to preserve life, of course, and answerthe purpose for which they were made; but I don't believe nature everintended us to exist upon such things, or we wouldn't have the sense oftaste, which enables us to enjoy natural food. As long as I'm a humanbeing I'm going to eat like a human being, so I've consumed my lastElectrical Concentrated Food Tablet--and don't you forget it!"

  The Demon sank into a chair, nerveless and limp, but still staringfearfully at the boy.

  "And there's another of your unnatural devices," said Rob, putting theAutomatic Record of Events upon the table beside the other things."What right have you to capture vibrations that radiate from privateand secret actions and discover them to others who have no business toknow them? This would be a fine world if every body could peep intoevery one else's affairs, wouldn't it? And here is your CharacterMarker. Nice thing for a decent person to own, isn't it? Any one whowould take advantage of such a sneaking invention as that would beworse than a thief! Oh, I've used them, of course, and I ought to be
spanked for having been so mean and underhanded; but I'll never beguilty of looking through them again."

  The Demon's face was frowning and indignant. He made a motion to rise,but thought better of it and sank back in his chair.

  "As for the Garment of Protection," resumed the boy, after a pause,"I've worn it for the last time, and here it is, at your service. I'llput the Electric Tube with it. Not that these are such very bad thingsin themselves, but I'll have none of your magical contrivances. I'llsay this, however: if all armies were equipped with Electrical Tubesinstead of guns and swords the world would be spared a lot of miseryand unnecessary bloodshed. Perhaps they will be, in time; but that timehasn't arrived yet."

  "You might have hastened it," said the Demon, sternly, "if you had beenwise enough to use your powers properly."

  "That's just it," answered Rob. "I'm _not_ wise enough. Nor is themajority of mankind wise enough to use such inventions as yoursunselfishly and for the good of the world. If people were better, andevery one had an equal show, it would be different."

  For some moments the Demon sat quietly thinking. Finally the frown lefthis face and he said, with animation:

  "I have other inventions, which you may use without any such qualmsof conscience. The Electro-Magnetic Restorer I offered you would be agreat boon to your race, and could not possibly do harm. And, besidesthis, I have brought you what I call the Illimitable Communicator. Itis a simple electric device which will enable you, wherever you may be,to converse with people in any part of the world, without the use ofsuch crude connections as wires. In fact, you may"----