The Veiled Lady Read Free

pipe when Sergeant Barnum knocked and stepped in. "Is that a rubber band around your forefinger, Sergeant?" asked the colonel.

    "Oops." The squat Sergeant Barnum frowned at his forefinger, and put his hand behind his back.
    "That's right, sir, and you have suggested I refrain from practicing my marksmanship out in my cubbyhole. Sorry, sir."

    The colonel nodded, waiting for the sergeant to get to the business which had brought him.

    "They're here," announced Sergeant Barnum.

    Exhaling pipe smoke, the gray-haired colonel asked, "Who would they be, Sergeant?"

    "That Doctor Love who wants to jump into the volcano," explained the chunky sergeant. "And, Colonel, you ought to see the terrific blonde he's got with-"

    "If you'll show them in, I can get a look at both of them."

    "Oh, sure, right. Yes, sir."

    The colonel stood, resting his pipe in the dark stone ashtray at the side of his desk, as the slim blonde and her tall, bearded companion entered his office, "Good afternoon," he said. After smiling at both of them, Colonel Weeks crossed to the rear window of his office. He ran a finger along the bamboo slats of the curtain. The sound of rifle fire drifted from the target range. "Let me get to the point at once. No one has ever survived an attempt to climb down into that volcano." He turned to face the two. "The sides are much too steep and-"

    "We know that," said the bearded young man. "We plan to fly down by copter. We've already made arrangements to hire-"

    "Suicide. With the quirky air currents inside and lord knows what other dangers...its suicide." Colonel Weeks strode up to the young man. "I think, Doctor Love, you're a fool to think of risking not only your neck but that of this fragile young woman here."

    The girl laughed. "I'm Doctor Love, Colonel."

    "Good Lord! You mean this expedition is being headed by a..." began the surprised colonel. He got hold of himself and removed the stunned look from his weathered face.

    "Yes, Colonel-by a woman." The girl was sitting in one of the rattan visitors' chairs, her long slim legs crossed, her black notebook resting on one knee. "Doctor Jan Love, professor of biology at Boston University. This is Doctor Karl Waagener, an associate professor in our department."

    7

    From the outer office, from the vicinity of Sergeant Barnum's desk, came a sound that was somewhere between an exclamation and a snort. "A lady boss," the sergeant muttered to himself.

    Before he said anything further, the colonel went back behind his desk. He picked up his pipe and bit down on the stem. "I see," he said finally. He opened a crisp manila folder, thumbed through the papers inside. "You say you wish to explore the volcano because-?"

    "From what we've heard there may be many interesting life forms down there," said Doctor Jan Love. "The odd conditions that exist within the volcano, the continual steam, and the complete isolation from the outside world for centuries, perhaps for thousands of years." The slender girl had uncrossed her legs and was leaning forward in her chair, her eyes glowing. "Going down there is like, well, like going back to the dawn of time, to the beginning of things. In a way, Colonel, I feel like Darwin must have felt when he came near the Galapagos archipelago. You know, the United States and Russia have been exploring the moon and even Mars. To me, well, your Veiled Lady is as big a challenge as the moon or Mars and she may provide us with more answers as to what life is all about than all the space probes put-" The pretty scientist stopped, laughed. "Excuse me, Colonel, for giving you a biology lecture. I simply want to convince you that, as a biologist, I'm dying to explore . On top of which I really think it would be a heck of a lot of fun."

    The colonel went back to studying the papers in the folder for a moment. "I should have done my homework on you, Doctor. I see by these letters that you have a considerable reputation in your field." He leaned back in his