And bustling all over the place, barking excited commands in German, pushing and pulling and pointing to emphasize his directions, was the strange figure of Professor Zukor Androka!
"The professor's in his glory!" Nelson remarked to Kommander Brandt.
"Funny thing about him," Bradford put in, "is that his inventions work. That zone of silence cut us off completely."
Kommander Brandt nodded. "Goodt! But you got your message giving your bearings—the wrong ones?"
"Yes," Nelson said. "That came through all right. And won't Curtis have a time explaining it!"
"Hereafter," Brandt said solemnly, "the zone of silence vill be projected from the Comerford; and ve have another invention of Androka's vich vill be even more useful vhen ve come to cut the Carethusia out of her convoy."
"The Carethusia?" Nelson asked, in a puzzled tone.
Brandt said: "She's a freighter in a convoy out of St. Johns—twelve thousand tons. The orders are to take her; not sink her."
"What's the idea?"
"Her cargo," Brandt explained. "It iss more precious than rubies. It includes a large shipment of boarts."