Now, as Dr. Gresham reached the door, the President lifted a hand in a commanding gesture and cried: “Wait!”
The astronomer turned back into the room.
For a minute, perhaps, the President listened at the telephone; and as he did so the expression of his face underwent a grave change. Then, telling the person at the other end of the wire to wait, he addressed the gathering:
“The naval observatory at Georgetown is on the ’phone. There has just been another communication from ‘KWO.’ It says—”
The executive again spoke into the telephone: “Read the message once more, please!”
After a few seconds, speaking slowly, he repeated:
“‘To the President Officer of the International Scientific Congress:
“‘I hereby set the hour of noon, on the twenty-fifth day of the next month, September, as the time when I shall require compliance with the first three demands of my last communication. The fulfillment of the fourth demand—the resignation of all the existing governments—therefore, will take place on the twenty-eighth day of September.
“‘In order to facilitate the execution of my plans, I shall require an answer by midnight next Saturday, one week from today, from the governments of the world as to whether they will comply with my terms of surrender. In the absence of a favorable reply by that time, I shall terminate, absolutely and forever, all negotiations with the human race, and shall cause the earthquakes to resume and continue with increasing violence until the earth is shattered.
“‘KWO.’”