The Argo Goes West

120, Apple of Discord, part 2

The roar of the sea crashing against the breakwater played a brooding minor melody. The streets of the city facing the North Atlantic, densely lined with mansard roofs and pointed gable roofs, were deserted even though it was midday. The top of one of the three tall spiers was crumbling, leaving a huge dark hole gaping where the dial should have been.

"Is this a ghost town?" asked Dorothy Abbott, who was looking down on the town from the back of a flying Pegasus.

"No," replied Clifford Kent, right behind Dorothy.

"What town is it called?"

"It's Innsmouth."

They were now heading north along the East Coast of the United States. The destination was Arkham, Massachusetts.

Clifford Kent found that soon after Giles, the mysterious goat boy, disappeared from a hospital in the Washington Arsenal, Roderick Jarrod, a professor of theology at Miskatonic University, left Washington with a large coffin. He immediately told Dorothy and Mark Twain about it.

"The coffin... was Giles killed?"

Mark Twain said to a worried Dorothy. "If that man killed Giles, he would leave the body behind and run away. He wouldn't go to the trouble of putting Giles in a coffin and carrying him out. "

"Yes. But why did he take Giles away?"

Mark Twain frowned at the memory of Jarrod's verbal abuse of Giles at the hearing. "I don't know why, but it's not going to be a good thing for Giles."

"Oh..."

"You guys hurry to Arkham and rescue Giles. If you ride Pegasus, you might get there before him. "

Clay Roberts, returning from the Jackson residence to Sacramento's west city gate, noticed that the screams outside of town have stopped.

"What's wrong?" Roberts asked Sergeant Romolo.

"The execution was interrupted. I don't know why."

"I guess they're delaying because if they kill all the hostages, they won't be able to negotiate."

"I see."

John Carter really wants to hand over Helen. thought Roberts. In other words, if Helen is handed over to him, the hostage men can be recovered.

"By the way, what was the conclusion?"

"It doesn't make sense," said Roberts spitting it out.

"Are we going to hand her over or not?"

Clay Roberts shrugged and went to Argo No. 6 with Doc Morton and Cassandra Wilson.

Cassandra was still wrapped in bandages around her face. That way, no matter when the townspeople came, they wouldn't find out who she was.

"How was it?" asked Doc Morton.

Roberts gave a brief history.

"You should hand her over!" cried Cassandra.

"I agree," Roberts nodded. "But Harris is against it. It's not just Harris. So is Mr. Vice President, and your brother."

"I'm surprised Roosevelt is against it," Doc Morton looked unconvinced. "Does he still love Helen, too?"

"No, he doesn't want to give in to blackmail because he's proud."

"Hector loves her," said Cassandra. "That's why they put me in the mad house for hurting Helen. But if things continue like this, the town will be in big trouble. I can see it. The whole town will be engulfed in flames..."

Roberts did not believe in Cassandra's precognitive abilities. But the vision, evoking Hellfire, was more persuasive than words and appealed strongly to Roberts' mind.

"Cassandra," said Roberts. "I guess the people of Sacramento will listen to you now. How about convincing the townspeople? "

"I will."

Cassandra stood up and unwrapped the bandages around her head.

"What about you?" Roberts asked Morton.

"Perhaps you're asking me which is more important, Helen's life or the Argo crew?"

"Yes."

"I can't answer. I'm just a doctor."

"You, the doctor, know that Helen is not human, right?"

"I didn't say she wasn't human. I said she had an abnormally high red blood cell count."

"You are a humanitarian."

Doc Morton knew Roberts was being sarcastic, but answered calmly. "Rather so."

"You don't have to agree with me," said Roberts. "You can do what you want" Then he walked out of Car 6 with Cassandra.