Chapter 44

Stalhein seized Tom Swift by the shoulder and pressed him against the wall. The boy knew the treatment would get worse if he tried to struggle, he stayed put to receive the vicious whispers.

"It's true; Totenkopf is ceasing all aid to the war effort. The bad things started happening shortly after you, Biggles and that abomination show up. I don't know who else is in your bizarre lot, but they have ruined all hope for Germany. If the Fatherland loses this war, its people will get dirt kicked in their faces throughout the following years."

He turned from Tom's ear to face him.

"You're young Tom. You will see my country rise out of the oncoming despair and it will not be with friendly attitudes. You think about that."

Stalhein released Tom then moved to join the German military personell who were leaving the island. Most Navy men were leaving. The ships in port would get them as close to the Fatherland as the allied blockade will allow.

Only a fraction of the industrial workers were leaving. Most were staying after the promise of vast financial remuneration.

All scientists were told to remain and work on the super rocket. Several took advantage of the mass exit and lost themselves in the departing crowd: among them: Hans Zarkoff, Cuthbert Calculus, Mitslav Los, Mannfelt, Rossum and Vergerus. Tom considered doing likewise but The League were not finished yet. He knew Mors and the others were behind the Super Zeppelin's destruction and the Homunculi massacre. They would try to close this place down for good, once that is achieved they will take him home.

All wranglers were leaving; they were not needed anymore. A good deal of technicians and maintenance workers joined the departing crowd.

Professor Kokintz passed Tom. "Totenkopf will see you now."

Tom moved to the little secondary office where Totenkopf was taking interest in a small gas cylinder.

"Greetings Tom." He said as he put down the cylinder. "I hope my recent announcement makes you happy. There will be less of those synthesized horrors on the Western Front.

"Less?" Asked Tom as he sat down.

All that is left of the homunculi and the tanks are being shipped off to France on the secondary Zeppelins. That will be the last of them. This facility will now concentrate its scientific advancement on rockets, industrial automation and biological reconstruction. What do you think of that?"

"And these mechanical man projects?" Asked Tom.

There will be resources directed towards them. One day they will walk the Earth and fly in the sky."

"I am glad you have desisted sending these horrors to the battlefields. I wasn't expecting this beautiful decision to come from you."

"Tom, I may be a Bosch and a patriot, but I don't like seeing this world tear itself apart. The people of Earth have lost too much innocence. I cannot in all conscience facilitate their fetid evil and self-destruction."

Several seconds were spent staring at the genius doctor clearly overcome with a bitter misanthropy.

"Won't the Kaiser and the top brass be severely disappointed?" Asked Tom.

"It doesn't matter. I don't need them. My resources can come from other sources."

Tom noticed that a map of the Himalayas behind Totenkopf had a small area marked out, it was called Shang-Ri-La.

"And your country." Inquired Tom. "Are you prepared to turn your back on it?"

"From now on, I'm in it for The World of Tomorrow. You Tom; you and the other scientists must make this sweet concept a reality. The rockets. You must perfect the rockets, so we can proceed with the Ark rocket and leave this doomed Earth."

"I'm with you Doctor." Assured Tom as he offered his hand.

Totenkopf moved his arm to do the handshake and knocked over a framed picture on his desk. The boy and the doctor shook hands as the former noticed the now flat photo facing up from the desk.

"My long lost daughter." Said Totenkopf.

What Tom noted was that the daughter was a dead ringer for Irma Vep.