Page 5 - Unlikely Stories 5

The Forteana Suppressor

been thrown up into it? That’s a lot to swallow, even for readers of
the Beacon.”
“Oh, it gets better,” said Spiro airily. “Femilius is convinced the
suppression of ballistic displacement is only temporary, that the
effects of Tesla’s burst of electricity will be wearing off, just about
now. That means the return of animals, minerals and vegetables
dropping out of the heavens. Then the world will have to pay
attention to Femilius, and give him credit. But first he has to
demonstrate the truth of his theory.”
“Good luck with that!”
“Well, obviously there wouldn’t be a story or anything worth
photographing if he hadn’t been busy devising a way to show people
what he found. So he looked around for a place where the
suppression was already beginning to weaken. And he found one—
right over there.”
Larry realized that they were about to stop in what looked like the
middle of nowhere. Keith pulled up next to a battered old Airstream
trailer. They got out, stretched, and looked around. Tools of their
trade were deployed: Larry took out his notebook and made a few
preliminary observations; Keith removed the lens cap from his
camera.
“Hello! Anybody home?”
No reply. Nothing could heard but the uneven popping of a
gasoline-powered generator somewhere nearby. Whatever vehicle the
trailer had been hitched to was gone. A sheet of paper was taped to
the door. Larry read it.
“’Have gone to town for fuel. Back soon. Don’t touch anything.’
Maybe we passed him on the highway. No matter. We can take a look
around without interfering; maybe get enough for an article even if
he kicks us out when he shows up.” He mopped his brow. “Sure
would be nice if that generator were running a refrigerator full of
cold beer.”
Keith was already taking pictures.
“Right. Let’s go find that generator. I think old Salvator Monella
mentioned something about it. Maybe he said it was part of this
crackpot scheme. It will come back to me.”

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