Free Murray Leinster (Duke Classic SiFi) by The Runaway Skyscraper Page A

you know what that means?"
    She looked at him mutely, polite inquiry in her eyes.
    "It means," he said gravely, "that I'm going broke. Unless something
turns up in the next three weeks, or a month at the latest, I'll
have to get a job."
    "And that means—" she asked.
    "All this will go to pot," he explained with a sweeping gesture. "I
thought I'd better tell you as much in advance as I could."
    "You mean you're going to give up your office—and me?" she asked,
a little alarmed.
    "Giving up you will be the harder of the two," he said with a smile,
"but that's what it means. You'll have no difficulty finding a new
place, with three weeks in which to look for one, but I'm sorry."
    "I'm sorry, too, Mr. Chamberlain," she said, her brow puckered.
    She was not really frightened, because she knew she could get
another position, but she became aware of rather more regret than
she had expected.
    There was silence for a moment.
    "Jove!" said Arthur, suddenly. "It's getting dark, isn't it?"
    It was. It was growing dark with unusual rapidity. Arthur went to
his window, and looked out.
    "Funny," he remarked in a moment or two. "Things don't look just
right, down there, somehow. There are very few people about."
    He watched in growing amazement. Lights came on in the streets
below, but none of the buildings lighted up. It grew darker and
darker.
    "It shouldn't be dark at this hour!" Arthur exclaimed.
    Estelle went to the window by his side.
    "It looks awfully queer," she agreed. "It must be an eclipse
or something."
    They heard doors open in the hall outside, and Arthur ran out. The
halls were beginning to fill with excited people.
    "What on earth's the matter?" asked a worried stenographer.
    "Probably an eclipse," replied Arthur. "Only it's odd we didn't
read about it in the papers."
    He glanced along the corridor. No one else seemed better informed
than he, and he went back into his office.
    Estelle turned from the window as he appeared.
    "The streets are deserted," she said in a puzzled tone. "What's
the matter? Did you hear?"
    Arthur shook his head and reached for the telephone.
    "I'll call up and find out," he said confidently. He held the
receiver to his ear. "What the—" he exclaimed. "Listen to this!"
    A small-sized roar was coming from the receiver. Arthur hung up
and turned a blank face upon Estelle.
    "Look!" she said suddenly, and pointed out of the window.
    All the city was now lighted up, and such of the signs as they
could see were brilliantly illumined. They watched in silence.
The streets once more seemed filled with vehicles. They darted along,
their headlamps lighting up the roadway brilliantly. There was,
however, something strange even about their motion. Arthur and
Estelle watched in growing amazement and perplexity.
    "Are—are you seeing what I am seeing?" asked Estelle
breathlessly. "
I
see them
going backward
!"
    Arthur watched, and collapsed into a chair.
    "For the love of Mike!" he exclaimed softly.

II
*
    He was roused by another exclamation from Estelle.
    "It's getting light again," she said.
    Arthur rose and went eagerly to the window. The darkness was
becoming less intense, but in a way Arthur could hardly credit.
    Far to the west, over beyond the Jersey hills—easily visible from
the height at which Arthur's office was located—a faint light
appeared in the sky, grew stronger and then took on a reddish
tint. That, in turn, grew deeper, and at last the sun appeared,
rising unconcernedly
in the west
.
    Arthur gasped. The streets below continued to be thronged with
people and motor-cars. The sun was traveling with extraordinary
rapidity. It rose overhead, and as if by magic the streets
were thronged with people. Every one seemed to be running
at top-speed. The few teams they saw moved at a breakneck
pace—backward! In spite of the suddenly topsyturvy state of
affairs there seemed to be no accidents.
    Arthur put his hands to his head.
    "Miss Woodward," he said pathetically, "I'm afraid I've gone
crazy. Do