Chapter 27

Tarzan woke to the sound of an accordion, he was in bed; a hospital bed. The smell of blood, detergent, chloroform and other medical fluids flooded his nostrils. A few soft words in German reached his ears: Tarzan's vision was slowly unblurring, but he heard the Hun words and feared the worst. Had he survived a nightmare battle only to have the enemy seize the hard defended ground and take him prisoner?

"Your'e awake." Said a voice in English. "Look at me."

A hand grabbed his jaw and directed the blurry eyes towards the voice. "Look at me."

Bright light shone in his unfocused eyes.

"I am Doctor Philip Carey. You must re-orient your senses. Look at the light."

Amidst an accordion melody and hospital smells and a hand moving his jaw, Tarzan directed his eyes into the bright light which then faded out as the doctor's face faded in and smiled.

"There you go." Said Philip Carey while while moving his finger around and analysing the patients visual receptiveness. "Your'e doing well and be right as rain soon."

"Where am I?" Tarzan mumbled."

"In a field hospital. You took a shock to the system while in the field."

Doctor Carey took the jungle lord's pulse and temperature. Tarzan noticed the German accordian player; he had a bandage on his head.

"He's a friendly POW." Said the doctor. "His name is Hans Hubermann, means no harm to anyone. So you just relax."

Philip Carey moved off to check on other patients. Tarzan observed his footsteps and figured that the doctor either had or once had a clubbed foot.

Two beds to his right had American soldiers with leg injuries. James Darmody had screws placed in his bone after copping some grenade shrapnel. Next to him James Apperson had his wounded limb amputated. Both had a level of depression but drew Tarzan's attention to the curtained bed on his left; in it was Private Joe Bonham.

"If we are unfortunate." Said Jim Apperson. "He got the worst injuries imaginable."

The doughboy who new morse code was blasted by the fierce artillery fire; his arms and legs were torn off, his face destroyed, eyes and ears smashed. An emergency tracheotomy allows him to breath.

"They should not have given him the means to breathe." Said James Darmody. "It would be best if he dies before he realises the extent of his bodily damage."

A bed curtain whipped open at that moment and a bespectacled young doctor wielding a syringe with bright green fluid in it, left Joe Bonham's bed and berated James for his attitude.

"Doctor Herbert West, your'e not supposed to be here." Yelled Apperson. "You should not meddle with Joe's fate; we must let him die peacfully."

"You ingrates fail to appreciate that which is most precious." Berated Herbert. Tarzan could see that the bespectacled doctor was driven to achieve some challenging purpose. "Private Joe Bonham is extremely blessed to have me watching over him. I didn't meddle with him."

Herbert West put extra force behind his next words. "I gave him life!"

This argument was about to get heated when Doctor Carey came back, demanded a cessation and ordered Herbert West to a different ward. The driven life advocate left immediately.

Philip Carey quickly checked on Joe Bonham then moved away to attend other patients.

Hans Hubermann was taken prisoner after American soldiers sneaked into the length of trench he was manning; as soon as he noticed them, they slammed a rifle butt into his head knocking him out. When he came to he was in an American dugout with other German captives: his head had been bandaged. An officer was interrogating the group about the homunculi.

Although Hans said nothing he was singled out by an aide who fixed a stare on him. The interrogator asked him his name, rank and serial number: Hans provided them then resolved to say nothing more. There were questions about the homunculi; though Hans feigned complete ignorance he could tell from the satisfied look of the staring aide that somehow they were gleaning facts derived from his observations of the synthetic horrors.

Soon the questioning ended and most POWs were dispatched to camps while Hans and a few wounded were sent to hospital. On the way out Hans was presented with his accordian by the aide. Astonishment took the prisoner: the Americans had bothered seizing his accordion along with him; and the aide knew it belonged to him.

At the hospital, his head wound was treated by Dr Philip Carey who allowed him to sit and play his accordian while he recuperates.

It took several days for the swelling in his head to go down. He could here battles raging on the front while he played somber music.

The time came when MPs came to collect him for the POW camps, but they stood aside while three Americans questioned him further. They were Intelligence agent Clayton Andrews, communications technician Jason Gridley and that all staring aide, his name was Ted Brautigan. The interrogation was brief and Ted's stare intense; in the end they seemed to reach agreement that there was nothing more they can glean from him.

Hans was handed over to the MPs. Jason Gridley was about to leave with the others when he cast a glance towards Tarzan in his bed. Both sets of eyes locked in a mutual stare. Neither Tarzan nor Jason could tell what possible affinity the two had with each other. Clayton placed his hand on the technicians shoulder; this snapped Jason's out of his stare and he left the hospital with the others.

Korak paid a brief visit to his father, bringing with him Lt James Gatz who informed the jungle lord that the American line held and the freaky homunculi were annihlated. Tarzan was told that he had made a legend of himself on the front line. All soldiers who witnessed his bravado will praise him over campfires and mess hall talks where his legend will spread throughout the allied military.

After the visit Tarzan wondered how many James' must there be; there was James Gatz, then there was James Darmody and James {Jim} Apperson next to him, and now here comes James Bigglesworth. The pilot had a brief word with Dr Carey then told the jungle lord it was time to leave, he was being discharged.

Biggles took Tarzan to a car with Lindo at the driver's seat. The Indian crewman drove the two League members to an airfield where the Luftpirat was moored. He steered the vehicle up the access ramp into the airship which lifted immediately into the sky.

Captain Mors, Irma Vep and Gregor Samsa were on the bridge, they greeted Biggles and Tarzan.

"I apologise for the rush gentlemen." Said Mors. "The super zeppelin has just lifted off and is leaving a chemical trail that we must move fast to follow before it goes cold.

"I hear we have had various experiences while on the front, we can talk of those on the way."

Gregor indicated to the helmsman to go south. The chemical attractant was remaining stable in mid air, the wind was light and would not disturb the trail. The man insect was sensing the chemical droplets from the dispenser quite well.

M called in on the radio. "So our breadcrumb plan seems to be working. You should soon find the source of this military madness and I pray you all work together to put an end to it. This is a dangerous and necessary mission, but also a grand and thrilling adventure. If it plays out well you can all take pride in that together you have saved the world, and that all people will soon see an end to this all consuming war. When the doves of peace flutter into the skies and the sweet melodies of a harp resonate among the silent battlefields; it will be due to the efforts you all are about to impart as the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Goodbye and good luck."

All League members looked at each other as if their lives depended on one another. Gregor maintained his directional senses. The super zeppelin was faster and getting further away but the trail remained sound. Mors. Irma, Biggles and Tarzan sat down in the lounge to share their frontline stories.

The Luftpirat was crossing the Mediterranean sea when Izzy Buttons stormed into the lounge dragging someone with him.

"Look here Captain." He Said. "We have a stowaway."

All League members recognised the young man dragged before them.

He was Tom Swift.