Presents a summary of:

MESS MEND
or
A YANKEE IN PETROGRAD
by
Marietta Shaginyan
(1923 - 1925)

---

Please forgive my crocodiles. They couldn't wait for you and have already dined.

1. JACK KRESSLING HEARS THE NEWS
American millionaire Jack Kressling is forty years old and, contrary to the habit of most American millionaires to know nothing and study nothing, he graduated from Oxford. He can read Greek poets in the original, and even wrote a book entitled "Capital as the Substrate of Psychoenergy."

Among Kressling's many holdings is a secret factory wherein, rumor has it, he is working on something that will allow him to rule the world. No one knows exactly what this project is, but supposedly it makes use of a mineral which a French company was mining in Russia. Unfortunately, after the Russian Revolution, the French company lost its concession.

Kressling's chief engineer and director of the secret factory, inventor Jeremy Morelander, shared Kressling's hatred of Russia and the Russian Revolution. He also shared Kressling's view that capital stores up or accumulates human energy. Capital, he and Kressling believe, is the potential energy that can be unleashed as so many daring acts, desires, passions, and power.

Jeremy goes on a secret mission to Russian. Upon his return, however, Jeremy is a changed man. He tells Kressling that, even without capital, the Bolsheviks have practically limitless resources of human energy--the energy of individual workers. He suggests to Kressling that they abandon their evil plan.

Kressling surreptitiously drugs Jeremy, who lapses into unconsciousness. Kressling calls in his beautiful secretary, Elizabeth Wesson and tells her that she is to pose as Jeremy's grieving widow, pretending that they were secretly married some time ago.

2. ARTHUR MORELANDER MEETS HIS FATHER
Arthur Morelander, Jeremy's son, is speeding to New York Harbor along with an old friend of the family, Dr. Lepsius. For the life of him, Arthur cannot understand why a telegram concerning his father's return from Russia was sent to that "cobra", Elizabeth Wesson, and not to him, Arthur.

When Arthur and Lepsius arrive at the port, passengers are already disembarking from the ship "Torpedo". Among them, to Lepsius' surprise, are a certain General Gibgeld and Viscount Monmoransie, the head of the French concern which recently lost its concession in Russia.

Then comes a greater surprise. A coffin is brought off the ship. Accompanying the coffin is Elizabeth Wesson, seemingly overcome with grief. Elizabeth comes up to Arthur and tells him to be brave and that his father was killed in Russian.

Coming off the "Torpedo", two sailors--(Dan and Dip)--overhear Elizabeth and smirk to themselves, because they know that the coffin was loaded onto the ship in the dead of night during an unscheduled stop in Halifax.

The sailors head off to a seedy bar. They are followed by a mysterious stranger.

3. DOCTOR LEPSIUS ALONE AT HOME
Lepsius returns home and starts to go to his private laboratory. But a stranger suddenly calls, urgently in need of a doctor. Reluctantly, Lepsius follows the stranger to the janitor's quarters of the Mexican Credit Bank. There lies an accident victim. The stranger says a slab of concrete fell on the victim in a viaduct.

Lepsius says that the man is beyond help. The stranger--who has a swelling of the joints on his hands--insistently asks if the victim will be able to say anything if he regains consciousness. Lepsius gravely says no. The stranger quickly leaves without saying a word.

Lepsius notices an insignia on the victim's sleeve, identifying him as a sailor from the "Torpedo". It is Dip, the same sailor who spoke aloud about the ship's stop in Halifax.

Lepsius returns home. Waiting for him is an invitation to call on General Gibgeld immediately.

4. CHAPTER BEGINNING WITH EXCLAIMATIONS
At the Morelander home, the servants gasp with shock as a closed casket with their master's body arrives.

Elizabeth moves into the former room of Arthur's deceased mother. The room had been sealed for years, and only Jeremy had the key.

Arthur is shocked to see that the room has been completely redecorated--apparently by Jeremy in anticipation of the arrival of a new wife.

Elizabeth shows Arthur her marriage certificate. She then shocks Arthur with the news that Jeremy wrote a new will in Russia, leaving everything to Elizabeth, including his technical drawings and inventions. Arthur doesn't believe this, and immediately calls Jeremy's lawyer, Kraft. However, Kraft, Jeremy's oldest and best friend, has just been killed in an auto accident.

Lepsius drops in and is also surprised to hear about the will. He is doubly surprised and suspicious when informed of Kraft's death.

Arthur and Lepsius read the will, which begins with a dire warning about Communism. The will in fact does leave everything to Elizabeth and contains instructions that his inventions are to be put to work in the fight against Communism.

Arthur vows to avenge himself on his father's murderers or to die trying. Lepsius wishes Arthur luck and departs.

Lepsisus thinks to himself that the signature on Jeremy's will is a forgery.

As Lepsius heads to his car, he is stopped by Jeremy's old Negro servant, Polly. She mysteriously tells Lepsius that Jeremy's coffin should be opened.

5. THE HOTEL PATRICIAN
The owner and manager of the Hotel Patrician is an Armenian immigrant named Setto. How he came to run the hotel is like this:

While sailing to American with his wife and family, their ship sank. However, Setto and his family survived by clinging to a bunch of floating pumpkins. A fellow passenger, with lots of epaulets on his shoulders, was drowning and begged assistance. Setto tossed him a pumpkin, saving him. It turned out that this drowning man was the ex-President of some tiny country, recently deposed by his people. In gratitude to Setto, this ex-President built Setto a hotel and gave it to him, on the condition that he call it the "Patrician" and accept as guests not ordinary riff-raff, but only ex-Presidents, ex-royalty, ex-generals, etc., etc.

Setto didn't make much money with the hotel. In fact, the patricians often asked Setto for a loan.

Every spring, Setto hires the Workers' Union for Completion of Repairs in New York City to undertake repairs and remodeling in the hotel. Unknown to Setto, the workers belong to a secret organization called "Mess-Mend". They install secret panels and passageways as well as other secret devices in the hotel so they can spy on their class enemies.

6. MEETING CHAIRED BY THE ABSENT
General Gibgeld and the Viscount Monmoransie are in their room at the Patrician Hotel. Monmoransie mumbles that he doesn't care for any ideology, including Kressling's...but he is interested in the money which accompanies Kressling's ideas. But both Gibgeld and Monmoransie support Kressling's plan to establish iron-fisted rule over all the planet.

Russia and Samovar ! Visit the Tula Samovar Museum

They are joined by a Russian with a monocle and red nose--Prince Feofan Ivanovich Obolonkin. He brings news of the celebrations concernting the name's day of his Highness, the Autocrat of the Tula Guberniya, who is the leader of the imporbably named organization Russia and Samovar.

Lepsius arrives to give a regular check-up to the patricians. Although no one notices, he reacts excitedly when he notices a small bump on Monmoransie's spine. He asks the Frenchman if he recently had a bad scare. Monmoransie says yes--when he lost his concession in Russia and had to flee to Persia.

More big-wigs arrive: Lord Hardston and an Asian known as No-Home. Although Kressling is still absent, they call the meeting to order.

Lepsius leaves, looking excited. Setto shakes his head, thinking that Lepsius is happy for the honor of treating all these ex-personages. Setto tells his wife he'd be happy to trade all his distinguished guests for a tomato salad. "With onions," his wife adds.

7. MEETING BEHIND THE WALLS
Coming to join the meeting at the Patrician Hotel are Baron Westinghouse and Rockefeller Jr., who makes apologies for Rockefeller, Sr. The elder Rockefeller suffered a shock and has been feeling poorly ever since the interventionist forces--some of whom Rockefeller personally financed--were defeated in Russia.

The group discusses their plans to establish a coordinated world government, with them in charge, of course.

Unbeknownst to the conspirators, they are being spied on by a young worker--Tom the chimneysweep--who is hanging upside down in the chimney.

For more secret consultations, the group decides to adjourn to the room of a mysterious Italian named Signor Gregorio Chiche

Using secret passageways, Tom tries to get to Gregorio's room--the room with no number--so he can hide in the chimney there. He is too late, however. He returns to the secret passageways and reports to his superior, another Mess-Mender named Van Gop. They call their leader, Mick Tingmaster, who works in Kressling's secret factory in Middleton.

Mick hurries over to the Patrician Hotel. With Van Gop and Tom, he crawls through the secret passageways. He pauses as he notices something strange. Taking a few measurements and soundings, he concludes that besides the Mess Mend secret tunnels, there is another secret passageway in the hotel, perhaps built during the hotel's original construction. What's more, Mick can tell that this hitherto unknown passageway has recently been used.

8. MIRROR-ASSISTANTS
After the meeting of the Patricians breaks up, Mick, Van Gop, and Tom sneak into the room with no number. There are three mirrors in the room, and behind each of them, Mess Mend has a hidden movie camera. Mick extracts the film from the cameras and watches it.

The film shows that the upper-class pretenders were visited by a mysterious figure who rose up into the through though a hidden hatch. The figure apparently read out some instructions, which caused much excitement among the assembled group. The figure then handed out enormous stacks of cash to everyone present.

9. THE PECULIARITIES OF BANKER WESTINGHOUSE
The banker Westinghouse starts running around with a mysterious masked woman, which sets all of high society atwitter. Young men swoon over her. She has a powerful effect on young women, too, many of whom attempt to copy her style. One young woman--Grace, the daughter of Senator Notabit, manages to waylay the masked woman and declare her love for her. But the masked woman shakes off Grace and disappears in a carriage.

Grace is now at home, taking her piano lesson from an odd-looking, lame hunchback named Miss Vivian Orton. One of Grace's friends comes to visit. It is Claire Wesson, the niece of Elizabeth Wesson.

Claire is attracted to Arthur, but, as Claire complains, Arthur is only concerned with getting revenge on the Bolsheviks.

As Vivian leaves, Claire makes disparaging remarks about her looks.

10. THE MUSIC TEACHER AND THE LAWYER
Vivian Orton goes to see Kraft, and is surprised to learn of his death. Nevertheless she enters his offices, which have been taken over by Signor Gregorio and a band of new secretaries. Glancing about the bustling room, Vivian instinctively goes over to Robert Druck, who was Kraft's assistant. She tells him that she would very much like to see the contents of Jeremy Morelander's old will. Druck writes something on a piece of paper and puts it in her hand, while simultaneously telling her to go see Signor Gregorio. Some of the new staff members try to see what is written on the paper, but Vivian hides it from them.

Vivian is led in to see Signor Gregorio. She asks if she could see Jeremy's old will. Gregorio is punctiliously polite, but informs her that the old will cannot be found and was probably destroyed. She then asks if Gregorio has found the name Orton mentioned anywhere among Kraft's papers. Alas, Gregorio answers, no.

As Vivian leaves Gregorio's office, one of his assistants picks up the telephone and relays a coded message.

When she gets back onto the street, Miss Orton reads the note from Druck. It is his address along with instructions to visit him at 4 o'clock P.M.

To pass the time until then, Vivian strolls along the Hudson River. Unbeknownst to her, she is being followed by a mysterious figure. When no one is looking, the figure rushes up to Miss Orton, plunges a knife in her back, and shoves her over the railing into the river.

11. NOBLE BARGE
Three Mess-Menders--Larry, Willings, and Ned--happen to be alongside the river and see Vivian's body fall into the water. They dive in and pull her back up onto nearby barge. Seeing the knife in her back they react with shock, assuming she is dead. But then they notice that there is no blood around the knife. Further examination reveals that the knife was plunged into a false hunchback hump. What's more, Vivian is wearing special shoes and leg wrappings which only make her seem lame and dumpy. And when they wipe the heavy theatrical makeup off her face, they can see that she is a real beauty.

When Vivian regains consciousness, she pleads with the men to keep her survival a secret, saying that she is in grave danger. Larry takes off his clothes and gives them to Miss Orton to wear. They then toss all Vivian's old clothes into the river, to hide any evidence that she survived. Willings and Ned say they will escort Vivian to a place of safety. They promise to send someone back with clothes for Larry. Vivian asks that Larry, once he's clothed, call at Druck's and find out what Druck wanted to tell her.

12. MICK TINGSMASTER AFTER WORK
Some five years ago, Mick Tingmaster gave his first inspirational, workers rights speech at a Kressling factory. That speech was heard by an inventor and mechanic named Sorrow, who was Jeremy Morelander's trusted assistant. Sorrow immediately called on Mick and told him about various secret inventions he'd been working on. Together, they formed Mess Mend. And now, among the products produced in Kressling's factories, many have the tiny, microscopic letters "MM" imprinted or engraved on them; and a growing number of workers across the globe are learning the meaning of those letters.

Sorrow comes to visit Mick in his shack. First of all, Sorrow says that he's just received a letter written by Jeremy in Russia before his death. The letter urgently tells Sorrow that the evil Russian Communists plan to destroy America, and that Sorrow must increase the pace of work on their special project: exploding clocks with a range of 500 meters.

Sorrow also informs Mick that he, Sorrow, has just been named the new chief engineer. This will, of course, make Sorrow's work for Mess Mend more difficult, leaving him little time for meeting with Mick.

EMIL GABORIO (1832-1873). The grandfather of the French detective story. In his day, he was considered to be the French Edgar Allen Poe. The hero of almost all his stories is Police Inspector Lecoc.

13. THE ADVENTURES OF DRUCK
Druck was a fan of Conan-Doyle and Emil Gaborio and hoped that one day he would get to be involved in an detective adventure. And now he gets his chance.

As Druck leaves work, he is aware that someone is following him. At home, he double-checks an envelope which he has hidden under a floor-board. The envelope is labeled "The Secret of Jeremy Morelander".

Druck composes a letter to the General Prosecutor of Illinois, who has a reputation for honesty and good investigative work. In the letter, Druck says he has information about a criminal conspiracy and gives directions on how to find the envelope in case of his death or disappearance.

He puts the envelope on the window sill.

Four of Gregorio's assistants come to see Druck. Druck expects that they will offer him money to get involved in their scheme. Instead, they accuse Druck of stealing money from Kraft's safe. Insulted and indignant about the accusation, Druck goes with the men, intending to return to Kraft's office and prove his innocence. But once in the car, Druck is knocked unconscious.

When Druck regains consciousness, he is bound and gagged. The car arrives at some secretive sanitarium in the countryside. Burly orderlies drag Druck to room and lock him inside.

Back in the city, a crow, looking for material for a nest, comes upon the letter to the Illinois prosecutor that is lying on Druck's windowsill. The crow takes the letter to use as the floor of its nest.

14. THE ADVENTURES OF THE NAKED LARRY
Larry, wearing only a shirt, is walking up and down on the barge trying to keep warm. He finds Vivian's false hump, which the guys forgot to dump in the river with the rest of her clothes. He examines the knife impaled in the hump and sees that it is a foreign knife. He decides to keep the hump and knife as clues.

He goes down in to the hold of the barge and there discovers a secret room, well furnished with fine furniture and with fancy men's clothing hanging in a closet.

A mysterious figure, apparently the owner of the barge, approaches. So Larry, clutching the hump and knife, slips into the water and swims away.

Using a series of Mess Mend secret tunnels, Larry makes his way to a hidden entrance into a subway station. So as not to attract attention to his naked self, Larry slides his legs into the sleeves of his shirt, making the shirt serve as pants. Then he blackens himself all over with tar and grease. This way, he thinks, people will assume that he's merely a Negro and not give him a second glance.

Larry emerges onto the street and goes to Druck's apartment. There, Druck's wife is sobbing in near hysteria. She tells Larry about Druck's disappearance in a car with four men and how later police showed up, claiming that Druck stole money from Kraft's office.

15. THE CONFESSION OF MISS ORTON
Willings and Ned take Vivian Orton (dressed as a man in Larry's clothing) to a train station. They tell her they will take her to someone who can help. When they buy tickets to Middleton, Vivian becomes frighten and refuses to go. They reassure her, and she finally agrees, but says they can only go at night...otherwise someone might recognize her.

They bring her to Mick and she tells her story. Her mother was a typist in Kressling's secret factory. Her mother and Jeremy Morelander fell in love, and her mother became pregnant. Jeremy promised to marry her. While he was in Russia, Jeremy sent a letter and a package. The letter reaffirmed his love and promise to marry. In the package were some candies. Her mother put one in her mouth and immediately keeled over, dead.

Mysteriously, a doctor rushed in right away, and Vivian realized that there were enemies everywhere and that she should keep quiet. So she told the doctor that her mother died of a heart attach. The doctor merely nodded and wrote this down in his book.

During her mother's funeral, someone ransacked the Orton house, stealing everything Jeremy ever sent them.

Vivian was consumed with one desire: to get revenge on Jeremy Morelander, her mother's murderer. To infiltrate the upper strata of society, Vivian began giving music lessons in rich households. There she met the banker Westinghouse, who seemed a decent sort, so she allowed him to court her. In fact, it was Vivian who put on the mask and caused the sensation in New York.

Then, much to her dismay, she learned that Jeremy Morelander was already dead. Then came her visit to Kraft's office, where one thing puzzled her: Jeremy supposedly married Elizabeth Wesson on the same day that he came to see Vivian's mother, promising to marry and take care of her.

We don't fight because we hate individual people, and we don't want any personal vengeance. ...We want to establish justice in the world and a bright future for each and every person.

Now, Vivian says, robbed of her chance to take revenge on Jeremy, she will seek vengence on his son, Arthur. Mick tells Vivian that their organization fights not only against the Morelanders of the world, but those who control the Morlanders like puppets. Theirs is not a struggle for settling personal scores. Vivian says she wishes she could be so noble, but is unable to see past her personal hatred at the moment.

Larry, covered in soot and tar, bursts in. He reports that he had the knife from Vivian's hump analyzed and discovered that it was coated with a strange African poison. He also tells Vivian that Druck, apparently, was just a crook.

Larry is also worried that whoever was sent to bring him clothes on the barge, might run into the mysterious barge owner. Willings says that the Mess-Mender they sent with the clothes report that the barge has disappeared.

16. LEPSIUS SEES THE HAND
Lepsius studies his notes on how sudden fear has been effectively exclusived the rich and deposed princes, dictators, etc.

Lepsius then goes to the secret clinic attached to his house. There he has only one patient--Rockefeller, Sr., whose been suffering ever since the Bolshevik victory in Russia. Rockefeller's presence here, however, is kept secret. The rest of the world thinks he's on a cruise, and Lepsius' servants have been told that he is some Indian prince.

Lepsius examines the lump on Rockefeller's spine. Then Lepsius goes to se a Dr. Bentrovato, who operates an x-ray clinic. While waiting, Lepsius notices the hand of a patient undergoing treatment. The hand, with swollen joints, is familiar, but Lepsius just can't place it.

Lepsius arranges with Bentrovato to bring a patient for treatment on 28 August. On the way out, Lepsius gets the doormen to give him the names of Bentrovato's patients that day: the fruitseller Bear, a Professor Khizderton, and the midshipman Kovalkovsky.

17. MEETING AT THE VILLA "EFEMERIDA".
Kressling calls a meeting of the conspirators at his lavish villa, Efemerida. At the villa, he keeps two crocodiles in a golden pool.

The host tells his guests that their scheme requires the participation of rich capitalists (himself, Krupp, Rockefeller, Rothschild) as well as deposed princes, dicators, etc., willing to actually enforce the new order.

Get Hypnotized ! Be a Puppet ! Visit the House of Grigori Rasputin History, Photos, and a Mutilate Rasputin game!

In addition, Kressling says, they need mesmerists and hypnotists. Prince Obolonkin agrees with Kressling on this point, recalling that autocracy held firm while Rasputin was alive.

Kressling goes on to say that they will stop the spread of Communism by arrests, prisons, hangings--in short, Terror! As for Russia itself, Kressling has planned a surprise. On the anniversary of the Revolution, the Communists are staging a celebration in Petersburg. All the top Soviet leaders will be there. A certain Russian-American worker named Vasilov is being sent to the celebration by the American Communist Party. Fortunately, Arthur Morelander looks like this Vasilov and will take his place. Once in Russia, Arthur will deliver a package which is really bomb to his hosts. The effect will be the assassination of all top Communist leaders!

Mick Tingsmaster and his Mess-Menders are spying on Kressling's meeting, via their hidden cameras and microphones.

18. VASILOV AND HIS WIFE
The Party has instructed Vasilov to travel to Russia aboard the "Torpedo". His wife, Katya, however, has decided that she will travel aboard the "Amelia" with her friend Mrs. Debucher and goes off to buy her own ticket.

19. A PLEASANT ACQUAINTANCE
Katya arranges for a messenger named Jones to buy her a ticket for the "Amelia", but immediately after she leaves the ticket office, she feels a strange weariness come over her. She sits on a bench and--wouldn't you know it--Gregorio sits next to her. They strike up a conversation. Gregorio touches Katya, and she feels an electric current flow through her. Her head spins.

Without knowing why, Katya agrees to Gregorio's suggesting that they take a ferry out of the city to the woods. Once they arrive, Katya is helpless to resist as Gregorio gives her two poison pills. She keels over dead.

20. THE DEPARTURE OF THE "AMELIA"
Kressling calls in Sorrow to assess his skills. Sorrow pretends to be stupid, claiming that he has created a perpetual motion machine out of a pair of shoes and a water pipe. Much vexed, Kressling fires Sorrow.

Kressling consults with Gregorio, reaffirming the instructions that Gregorio is to sail on the "Torpedo". Kressling also plans to send Willings on the "Amelia". (Willings is a double agent. Kressling thinks he can rely on him, but Willings is really working for the good guys--Mess Mend).

The newly unemployed Sorrow gets a job as an electrician on the "Amelia". Two hours before the ship is to sail, Jones is in a tizzy because he can't find Katya. He consults with Mick, who immediately suspects foul play. He convinces Vivian to take the tickets and sail on the "Amelia", pretending to be Katya. When she arrives in Russia, she should whisper to Vasilov that she has come in place of Katya for safety's sake. Mick warns Katya, however, that the bad guys might succeed in substituting Arthur for Vasilov. If that happens, Vivian is to pretend she doesn't notice the substitution, and then she should find a way to inform Soviet authorities.

21. BEAUTY'S RISKY TRIP
Tom the chimney sweep reports to Mick that he keeps hearing strange noises in the walls and underground the Patrician Hotel. Mick takes his dog, Beauty, to the room with no number. Along with Tom and Van-Gop, Mick manages to open the secret hatch. As Mick gazes into the tunnel underneath, he suddenly feels a wave of weariness sweep over him. He searches around and finds, hidden near the window, a piece of, Fabionite, an artificial stone, which has the power to induce sleep when exposed to sunlight.

Taking the Fabionite out of the sunlight, Mick sends Beauty down into the tunnel with instructions to find the exit.

22. KHARVEISKY DOCKS
On board the "Torpedo", the new chief engineer is a Scotsman named Bisk, who's a Mess-Mender. He writes a note to Mick reporting that among the passengers on the ship are the banker Westinghouse (who's sad over the mysterious disappearance of his "Mask"), Senator Notabit and his daughter Grace. What's strange, however, is that Arthur Morelander is not on the ship, as expected.

Bisk uses a carrier pigeon to send the message to Mick.

23. DEPARTURE OF THE "TORPEDO".
Lepsius reads in the paper that the authorities were planning to open the coffin of Jeremy Morelander. But before they could do this, someone broke into the family crypt and stole the body.

Soviet Interference in American Affairs ? Read V.I. Lenin's Letter to American Workers

At the docks, the American Communists give Vasilov a rousing farewell, telling him to say hi to Lenin for them.

24. BISK'S DIARY
Things are initially quiet aboard the "Torpedo" as it sets sail. Sailor Dan, however, starts acting strangely. He claims he hears some type of inhuman wail coming from beneath the deck where he sleeps, although no one else hear it. Dan then has some sort of attack, during which he begins howling and foaming at the mouth

Later, Bisk goes to check on Vasilov. He finds Vasilov, looking frightened, sitting on his bunk, with his revolver out, and staring at the door. It seems Vasilov has received an anonymous note promising that he will be killed if he steps out of his room. Bisk convinces Vasilov to show the note to a ship's officer and get a cot in the ship's infirmary where, presumably, he'll be safer.

Dan gets so sick he is carted off to the hospital.

Orders come for full speed ahead, supposedly because the mysterious, red-haired Captain Gregoir wants to outrun an approaching storm.

Bisk writes a note for Mick and goes to the ship's post officer where, Miss Totter, a Mess-Mender, works. When he gets there, however, he finds Miss Totter lying unconscious on the floor, and all the carrier pigeons which were intended for sending messages back to Mick are gone.

25. CONTINUATION OF BISK'S DIARY
After his shift, Bisk goes to sleep in the sailors' quarters. However, the sailors are awakened by the mysterious, inhuman wailing. The sailors say it is the wailing of the ship's dead dog. When the dog was alive, if it wailed, the sailors knew someone was doomed to die. The dog took a dislike to the new captain, Gregoir, and howled at him. In response, Gregoir smashed the dog's skull, killing it.

After his sleep, Bisk learns that Miss Totter died at exactly the moment he and the others heard the straing wailing.

On deck, Bisk sees Vasilov moving around free and easy, seemingly without a care in the world, chatting with various other passengers. Bisk goes to ask him what's going on. When Bisk looks into Vasilov's eyes, he senses that while this person is in all outward manifestations Vasilov, he is in fact not Vasilov.

Bisk gets scared and hurries below deck. He feels that he is being pursued by someone with red hair, Captain Gregoir, presumably.

Bisk makes it to his secret compartment and writes down everything that has happened. Suddenly, sea water starts leaking into the compartment through a small crack. Bisk tries the exit, but it is jammed shut. He is doomed to drown. He puts his diary into a bottle marked "MM" and manages to shove it out the crack into the sea.

26. THE SENATOR'S DAUGHTER
The banker Westinghouse is lounging in his stateroom, pining over his lost Mask. Grace bursts in, with a revolver drawn. She demands to know what Westinghouse did with the Mask, suspecting some sort of foul play. Westinghouse pleads that it was he who was abandonded, not the other way round. He would do anything to find the Mask again. As proof, he shows Grace some announcements he's printed in the most recent newspapers, promising riches and marriage to the Mask if she would return to him. Then why is Westinghouse traveling to Europe, Grace asks. To take Dr. Shteinach's youthifying treatments, he responds.

Grace looks again at the newspaper and sees an announcement of a party at Kressling's mansion to celebrate the engagement of Arthur Morelander and Claire Wesson.

27. PART ON LAND, AND PART AT SEA
Grace is much vexed at the news of Arthur and Claire's engagement. As is Dr. Lepsius back in New York. How could such a confirmed bachelor and woman-hater like Arthur marry this red-haired woman? And why wasn't Lepsius, such an old friend of the family, invited to the party?

Annoyed, Lepsius buys a bouquet of flowers and marches over the to Morelander house. Lepsius is told that no one is at home; but he uses his intimate knowledge of the aliments of the house servants to breeze on in anyway.

He startles Elizabeth and Claire, who are lounging in the living room. Lepsius congratulates Claire, and asks to see Arthur. Somewhat flustered, Elizabeth says Arthur is ill. Lepsius whips out his stethoscope and says, "Take me to him." Claire says it's nothing that Lepsius can deal with. In fact, she says, Arthur is under the care of Dr. Bentrovato. This is too much for Lepsius to take, so he turns and marches out.

Lepsius is waylaid by the servants, who bring him to see Polly, lying in a bed near death. Polly reminds him that she knows it was not Jeremy Morelander's body in his coffin. And why she asks, was absolutely no one invited to Arthur's engagement party? The only guests were one German, one Russian, one Frenchman, and a priest which nobody knows. And ever since the party, Arthur has been missing!

When he gets home, Lepsius writes a letter to the General Prosecutor of Illinois, who, Lepsius believes, is a greater investigator than Nat Pinkerton, Nick Carter, and Sherlock Holmes. Lepsius lays out the facts of the case with Jeremy and Arthur and asks the General Prosecutor to look into the matter.

Lepsius gives the letter to his mullato servant, Toby, telling him to have his bookkeeper, Miss Small, mail it. When Toby brings it to Miss Small, however, she is angry that everyone keeps calling her Miss Small despite the fact she was recently married and is now Mrs. Nathaniel Epiderm. So instead of mailing the letter, she tosses it out the window. Toby runs outside to retrieve the letter, but is too late. The letter landed on a cart transporting some prize-winning rabbits from the New York state fair.

28. ALL ON LAND
Returning home from work, Mick finds one of his carrier pigeons has come back. But its little pouch for messages is empty. Then all the pigeons come flocking back...all with empty pouches. Mick is immediately suspicious and wires Sorrow aboard the "Amelia", telling him to watch out for doubles.

29. THE "AMELIA" FULL STEAM AHEAD
On board the "Amelia", Vivian, who's disguised as Katya Vasilova, is turning heads with her beauty. An American maize merchant, Pell, is particularly taken with her.

Sorrow informs Vivian of Mick's message, warning her that Vasilov may be dead and replaced by Arthur.

30. ARTHUR MORELANDER FACES THE AUDIENCE
Arthur Morelander is indeed aboard the "Torpedo", wearing special makeup which makes him look exactly like Vasilov. The League of Imperialists has armed him with money, poison, and weapons. His assignment is to blow up the chief Soviet metallurgical factory as well as several other important productions points. In addition, he is to insinuate himself among the Communist leaders in order to prepare for their mass assassination.

Better a pretend wife than a real one....

The only thing that worries Arthur--in fact horrifies him--is that Vasilov has a wife who is going to meet him in Russia.

The "Torpedo" docks in Kronstadt. The motley crew of the "Torpedo"--Americans, Frenchmen, Brazillians, Portuguese, etc.--gather on deck and shout greetings to the Russian comrades. But the officers, glowering, chase the sailors below deck, forbidding them to disembark.

Arthur--the pseudo-Vasilov--is met by some Soviet Communists, who speak perfect English. They inform him that his wife has already arrived and is waiting for him.

31. A YANKEE IN PETROGRAD
The pseudo-Vasilov fully expected to detest his wife--after all, he hates all women. But he found the pseudo-Katya (played by Vivian Orton, remember?) beautiful, intelligent, and charming, acting with grace and decorum.

One of their hosts, Evgeny Barfus, rides with them into Petrograd. Pseudo-Vasilov and pseudo-Katya are quite surprised to see all the beautiful buildings and palaces, not at all like the squalor the American press claims is Russia's lot.

Barfus points out some electric wires. He says they have invented a type of electrical force field with which they protect all Soviet cities and borders. Any bombs dropped by imperialist airplanes would be destroyed in the force field, leaving the city below unharmed.

They Americans are brought to a comfortable, well-furnished room in a palace on the Moika. Pseudo-Vasilov and pseudo-Katya look at each other and realize that for a whole hour, astounded with the city, they have thought neither of themselves nor of the lust for vengeance which brought them here.

32. HUSBAND, WIFE, AND DOG
Pseudo-Vasilov tells pseudo-Katya that the voyage has changed him and that while he will still have comradely concern for her, their marital relationship is ended. He divides the room in two halves and tells pseudo-Katya to stay on her half.

Pseudo-Katya disguises her revulsion and hatred and puts on a sweet and alluring demeanor. She says the voyage has changed her, too. She realizes that her behavior has been bad and she will change. She then whispers into pseudo-Vasilov's ear that she is pregnant with his child.

As if hit with an electric shock, pseudo-Vasilov jumps up immediately. He denies any paternity, and storms out of the room.

Alone in the room, pseudo-Katya hears a scratching at the door. The door then opens and in bounds Beauty, Mick's dog, looking extremely dirty and scraggly. On the dog's paw, pseudo-Katya finds a small piece of rag with letters traced out, seemingly in blood. The letters spell out: "Bisk. Torpedo."

Hidden in Beauty's collar, pseudo-Katya finds a note addressed to the Illinois General Prosecutor. It is from Robert Druck, saying he is behind held captive in an insane asylum, where he has gathered more valuable information about the chief criminal.

33.
Aboard the "Amelia", Sorrow is supervising the unloading of cargo when he is surprised to hear a muffled "Mess Mend" coming from a barrel. He opens it up and finds Larry hidden inside. Larry says he has come to work for Soviet Russia and--he says as he blushes slightly--to make sure that Vivian (pseudo-Katya) is all right.

A sound comes from a box. They open it up and inside is Willings. He says he's been sent by Kressling to keep an eye on things and report...although, Vivian is quite a beauty.

A sack of flour agrees with Willings's opinion of Vivian. They open the sack and find Ned inside.

Just then, pseudo-Katya and Beauty show up at the docks. Seeing Sorrow and the others, pseudo-Katya waves and rushes to them. Sorrow immediately recognizes Beauty and hugs her.

34. MR. VASILOV IN WONDERLAND
Pseudo-Vasilov wanders around the streets of Petrograd. He is astounded to see a former princess now reduced to begging. Even more astounding is a group of old peasants and workers who are attending a class to learn how to read. At their age! Imagine!

A Comrade Rebrov then shows up and takes pseudo-Vasilov to the Putilov Factory. The American is again astounded. It's not just a factory...it's a whole scientific and educational complex. There are vast fields growing everything imaginable...rice, bamboo, Icelandic moss, coconuts. The exact temperature, humidity, etc., etc., of each plot is controlled through advanced scientific methods. There are also test pits mining coal, salt, peat, clay, etc., etc.

No longer is creation and production kept separate, pseudo-Vasilov is told. Workers now are instructed in all aspects of the product they are producing. How the raw material is mined, what its chemical composition is, and how it is eventually used by the consumer. It is like a gigantic orchestra. Each worker plays his individual part, but is informed of and a full participant in the entire process...just as a flutist or or violinist plays his or her own part, but is aware of and listens to the entire symphony, not just their own part.

35. THE VASILOVS' FIRST NIGHT AS HUSBAND AND WIFE.
Pseudo-Vasilov spends a day at the Putilov Factory working. He is thrilled and excited, not only by the work, but also by the workers, who are all happy and intelligent.

On his way back to his hotel, pseudo-Vasilov realizes that every drop of hatred he had for Russia and its people has disappeared. And he feels sure that his father would have felt the same, so Jeremy's final denunciations of Communism are puzzling.

When pseudo-Vasilof arrives at his room, pseudo-Katya is asleep. But she has left a meal and slippers for him. Pseudo-Vasilov gazes at his "wife" with new interest and tenderness. She wakes up, and they begin kissing. Suddenly, however, pseudo-Vasilov gazes into pseudo-Katya's eyes and see hatred in them. He pulls away, realizing that this woman is as much Katya as he is Vasilov.

36. THE THEORY OF SELF-DIFFUSING
In the morning, Arthur confesses to Vivian that he is not Vasilov. He also knows that she is not Katya. He assumes that she has been sent by Kressling to keep an eye on him. He firmly tells her that she can relay to Kressling that he, Arthur, has changed his mind and will not fulfill his mission of sabotage and murder. Vivian, distraught, runs out.

The next morning, Rebrov drives pseud-Vasilov out to a large field were hundreds or workers are engaged in their morning calisthenics. They're not doing push-ups or knee-bends; rather they are, in unison, mowing hay with scythes. Rebrov says that Soviet scientists have discovered that the exercise involved with productive work is highly more efficient that non-productive exercise. So, 5 minutes of mowing hay gives a person more useful exercise than two hours of playing football. Pseudo-Vasilov tries some of the mowing exercise and in fact feels greatly invigorated.

The Soviet people are surrounded by enemies. If we wasted our time on defending ourselves from attack and developing our own methods of attack, we would have neither the strength nor resources to devote to the great tasks of creation.

Rebrov then takes pseudo-Vasilov to a lab and shows him another wonder of Soviet science--a device which, when placed next to a bomb, causes the bomb to diffuse itself. Pseudo-Vasilov is amazed by the device and says that his father, Jeremy Morelander, would no doubt been just as amazed. Arthur realizes that he has inadvertenly revealed his true identity. He is arrested.

37. THE SECRET OF THE CHEKA
Arthur had read many stories about the Cheka--about how their prisoners were subjected to horrible tortures and starved. Yet, here Arthur now sits at Cheka headquarters in a comfortable chair, drinking tea and eating ham sandwiches.

Arthur reveals everything about his mission to the investigator. He says he was drawn into the scheme when he was told that his father was killed by the Bolsheviks. But now Arthur doubts that claim.

The investigator calls in a Comrade Serezhkina, who was the translator assigned to accompany Jeremy during his time in the USSR. Serezhkina reports on all the positive meetings Jeremy had with industrial, scientific, and government leaders. Jeremy publicly spoke in support of increased scientific exchange between the USA and the USSR. He even discussed with Soviet scientists his “secret invention”--a completely new form of energy.

Jeremy was supposed to leave the Soviet Union aboard the “Torpedo”, but instead, Jack Kressling's private plane arrived to whisk Jeremy away a day before his scheduled departure.

Arthur expects to be lead away to prison. Instead, the investigator lets him go, telling him to continue his mascarade, so that his fascist bosses will suspect nothing.

38. THE CADRES OF PRINCE OBOLOKIN.
Arthur now knows that Kressling had his father killed. And he misses Vivian.

After fleeing from Arthur, Vivian wanders around Petrograd, looking for an address Sorrow gave her. She gets lost and becomes desperate. In a rather seedy part of town, overhearing some people speaking English, she rushes to them for help. Unfortunately for Vivian, the English speakers, looking like beggars, are actually an old princess and an old chamberlain. They grab Vivian and drag her into a basement, where they bind and gag her. They talk among themselves, revealing that they are members of Prince Obolokin's gang. It was fortunate for them that that they stumbled upon Vivian, because Obolokin has just sent them instructions to abduct her, seeing as Arthur has gone over to the Bolsheviks.

39. MRS. DRUCK'S CAT
In New York, Mrs. Druck's cat leaps out the window and lands right on the head of Miss Small, who happens to be walking by with her new husband, Nathaniel Epiderm. The cat gets tangled up in Miss Small's wig and yanks it off her head. This comes as a great surprise to Epiderm, who didn't know that Miss Small was bald.

Through a bizarre series of events, the cat ends up in a tree where it gets into a life-and-death struggle with the very crow who, in an earlier chapter, took Druck's letter about Kresslling's shenanigans and used it to help build his nest. The nest is destroyed, but the letter survives intact, so the crow takes the letter and sets off to build another nest elsewhere.

40. LEPSIUS MEETS THE FRUTSELLER.
Miss Small, bald, returns to Dr. Lepsius's home. She shocks Toby the servant first of all by her appearance, and second of all by rubbing ashes all over her bald pate. She then goes to Lepsisus, announces that her marriage is over, and that she will henceforth dedicate all her energies to serving Lepsisus.

A fruitseller named Bear calls on Lepsius to receive some minor medical treatment. Lepsius recognizes him as someone who was at the x-ray clinic at the same time as the mysterious man with the swollen hand. Lepsisus strikes up a friendship with Bear and gets him drunk, hoping to get information about the mysterious stranger. But all Bear reveals before passing out is a name...Professor Khizerton.

41. A TRADE AGREEMENT
Wall Street is in a panic because of the shocking news that Kressling has reached a trade agreement with the Soviet Union.

Behind the scenes, Kressling is orchestrating mass demonstrations in opposition to the trade agreement. He also directs Harvard University to issue a resolution in protest. As Kressling describes it, all of America is in mourning over the trade deal...except for a certain segment of the intelligentsia and workers, who approve of it and are taking up a collection to buy a present to give to the Soviet leaders. But it is Kressling himself who is financing the present...a large clock in a mahogany box.

As the box is prepared for shipment to the Soviet Union, a customs official wants to check its contents, but he is prevented from doing so by Gregorio and his hypnotism.

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42. READ ALL ABOUT IT!
The New York Illustrated News is putting out a special edition on the Soviet Union, in connection with the new trade agreement and the Congress of Psychiatrists, which is also scheduled to take place in Petrograd. But they have no photos. So the photographer whips up a bunch of phony photos. One is of a group of people bent over a table, very much in the pose of Repin's panting of the Cossacks writing a letter to the Sultan...except that the photo is taken from the rear, with no faces scene. This photo has the caption, "Residents of Tula Write a Letter to Jack Kressling".

Another photo shows a group of supposed Bolsheviks (actually US homeless men) greeting an arriving American ship...again this photo is taken from the rear. A third photo some a Bolshevik leader (from the rear) shaking hands with the American photographer, whose face is clearly seen.

This edition of the Illustrated News sells out quickly. And the reaction is equally quick. A group of clerics protest the insult the Bolsheviks have given to the USA by only showing their rear ends in the photos.

Back in Middelton, a Mess-Mender named McKinley returns Beauty to Mick, along with the news that everything seems to be going well in Petrograd.

But Mick then receives bad news. Some boys report that a mysterious figure spent over an hour alone with the gift clock which is meant for Soviet Russia. Mick takes Beauty and goes to investigate, feeling certain that Gregorio is involved in this.

43. MORLANDER IN ACTION
The "Torpedo" is scheduled to arrive in Petrograd again. Arthur intends to go aboard and ask the captain a few questions about his father.

As Arthur leaves his building, the Asiatic shoeshine man outside accosts him and begins shining Arthur's shoes without being asked to. It turns out the shoeshine man is really Willings in disguise. Speaking quietly, Willings assures that he's working for the good guys and is keeping an eye on Arthur. Then Willings asks if Arthur knows where Vivian is. Willings is distressed when Arthur says he does not.

Arthur goes to the "Torpedo" and asks the red-haired Captain Gregoir when Jeremey's coffin was loaded on board. Gregorio uses hypnotism to immediately put Arthur to sleep. The old count is there. But the old count isn't really old...it's just makeup.

Gregoir tells the count to disguise himself as Arthur/Vasilov and go to the city's Aero-Electrical defense station and poke around to see what he can find out.

Gregoir plans to use hypnotism to make Arthur deviler the clock-bomb to the Soviet leaders.

44. IN THE BEAST'S LAIR
Gregoir and midshipman Kovalkovsky strip Arthur and shove him into a crate. The count, disguised as Arthur/Vasilov, puts on Arthur's clothes. Arthur's shoes, however, don't fit, so the count finds another pair somewhere.

When the phony Arthur comes off the ship, the disguised Willings is there waiting. Willings immediately sees that those are not Arthur's shoes and knows that it is an imposter.

Arthur, inside a crate and still hypnotized, is transported to a wherehouse. There, he is tied to a table and wrapped up in canvas. After the bad guys leave, Vivian, who is also bound and gagged there, manages to squirm over to Arthur and remove the canvas from his face. The fresh air and sunshine on his face revives Arthur, freeing him from the hypnotic spell. With difficulty, Arthur and Vivian manage to untie one another. Vivian tells Arthur who she really is and says that now she knows that Jeremey did not really kill her mother.

45. THE CHIEF ELECTRICIAN OF THE AERO-ELECTRICAL STATION
Ned, Willings, and Larry report the bad news to Sorrow: They can't find Vivian, and Arthur has been replaced by another Vasilov imposter. What's more, Kovalkovsky/Vasilov has gone to the factory and gotten permission to visit the Aero-Electrical Station.

Could you, for a cool million dollars, unscrew a couple screws? A friendly power wants to drop a few bombs here.

Sorrow disguises Ned, Willings, and Larry, turning them into three more phony Vasilovs. The next morning, one by one, Ned/Vasilov, Willings/Vasilov, and Larry/Vasilov show up at the Aero-Electrical Station. They offer first a million dollars, then a billion dollars, then a trillion dollars to the Chief Electrician if he will sabotage the station for a "friendly power." The Electrician refuses each Vasilov and has them tossed in jail. The Electrician then calls the guard at the front gate and says that, apparently, some mental disease is spreading rapidly through Petrograd. If anymore "Vasilovs" show up, there are to be immediately detained. And, indeed, when Kovalovsky/Vasilov arrives, he's tossed in jail without getting a chance to set foot in the station. (This was Sorrow's plan all along.)

46. & 47. A NEIGHBOR'S GRATEFUL ASS
The elderly chief prosecutor of Illinois, Mr. Milky, is relaxing at his country cottage. His adult daughter, Miss Winona Milky, complains to a visitor that Milky's superiors value him so much, they refuse to let him retire. She also complains about all the letters her father receives, asking for assistance. When asked why she doesn't hire a secretary, Winona it is impossible to find workers in Illinois.

Just then, an out-of-control ass comes racing toward the cottage, with an immigrant named Pavel Tusk on board. The ass races up to Mr. Milky and stops. Before Pavel can even get off the ass, Winona hires him as a secretary.

48. WALRUS FROM SAN FRANCISCO
Tusk sets to work, reading Milky's correspondence. He finds Druck's second letter, written from the insane asylum. Tusk immediately asks Winona if she has Druck's first letter. Winona is uninterested, and merely directs Tusk to a large trunk filled with letters to her father. Tusk searches through the trunk but, of course, doesn't find Druck's first letter. (The bird from New York has it, remember?)

Disgusted at how Milky and his daughter have ignored important matters, Tusk commands Winona to write a letter in her father's name, giving him power to act on Milky's behalf.

Old man Milky buys a walrus which he read about that came ashore in San Francisco. The walrus seems to be ailing, so the ever-so-clever-and-talented Tusk prepares some medicine which he gives to the walrus. The animal vomits up a bottle. Inside the bottle is Bisk's final diary.

49. THE USEFULNESS OF RABBITS BREEDING.
Tusk stays up late, studying Bisk's diary and Druck's letter. The Negro servants in the house, so impressed with Tusk, think he is the President in disguise. Others insist he is George Washington come back to life. One of the maids comes to pinch Tusk, to see if he's a ghost or not. Tusk tells her, "Yes, I am a ghost." Terrified by this declaration, the servants all flee, abandoning Milky and Winona.

Tusk gets a list of all the insane asylums in New York. Through deductive reasoning and the process of elimination, he is able to figure out which one holds Druck.

Tusk goes into town to take care of some important court matters. Everyone is so impressed with him that they decide to allow Milky to retire and appoint Tusk as his successor. Tusk agrees, but only on condition that they give him a month's vacation first, so he can investigate a crime.

Returning to the cottage, Tusk finds a delivery man trying to get Milky to accept a shipment of rabbits from the New York state fair. Milky insists he never ordered any rabbits, but right on top of the cart of rabbits is an envelope addressed to Milky. As Milky's successor, Tusk takes the envelope and reads the letter inside. It is Lepsius's letter, asking Milky to investigate the death of Jeremy and the mysterious disappearance of Arthur.

50. THE EMIGRATION OF CROWS, OR WHAT CAN YOU ACHIEVE STAYING IN ONE PLACE?
Tusk calls on a neighbor, Mr. Dot, asking to borrow half his servants, to help Milky and Winona. Dot obliges, and joins Tusk, Milky, and Winona for breakfast. Suddenly, the sky blackens as a giant horde of crows begins to descend. Fearing that the crows, like locusts, will ravage the countryside, Dot begins hurling plates, cups, hats, chairs, and umbrellas at the birds. Still the birds of death come. Tusk gets a gun and fires it into the air. This scares away the crows, who continue on in the direction of Chicago. Floating down from the sky comes a letter addressed to the Illinois general prosecutor. It is Druck's first letter, giving the location in his apartment of where he hid the incriminating documents.

51. THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR OF ILLINOIS SEARCHES FOR DRUCK
Tusk visits Druck's house and finds the hidden documents. They describe Jeremy's will, which he wrote just before leaving for Russia. In the will, Jeremy bequeaths half of his estate to Arthur, and half to Vivian's mother. In addition, Jeremey leaves his scientific drawings and inventions to Arthur along with instructions that they be used to benefit mankind. In the papers, Druck also indicates that Kraft became nervous and paranoid following Jeremy's death. Druck describes Kraft's suspicious death, the appearance of Jeremy's "other" will, and the arrival of Gregorio and Vivian at Kraft's office.

After reviewing the documents, Tusk drives out to the insane asylum. Under the pretext of an official inspection, Tusk finds and liberates Druck, much to the consternation of the chief orderly.

52. DOCTOR LEPSIUS SEARCHES FOR PROFESSOR KHIZERTON
After much cogitation on the matter, Lepsius goes to the university and asks to see "Professor Khizerton". He is told that Khizerton has gone to Petrograd for the conference of psychiatrists. But they give Lepsius Khizerton's home address...it happens to be the address of the very same insane asylum where Druck was being held.

Lepsius goes to the insane asylum and, pretending to be Khizerton's best friend, he is taken to Khizerton's office. There he meets Khizerton's secretary, a Miss Croce, who seems to bear a family resemblance to Elizabeth Wesson-Morelander. Miss Croce acts obligingly, but then commands the orderly to seize Lepsius and lock him in the very same hell-hole from which Druck was just liberated.

Lepsius looks around his cell and finds a note carved on the wall. It is a message from Druck to any future prisoners. It gives instructions to lift up a certain floor stone. Lepsius does this and discovers a dark passageway, into which he slides.

53. MICK SEARCHES FOR GREGORIO CHICHE
At the Patrician Hotel, Mick and Beauty pop down the secret hatch in the room with no number, hoping to track down Gregorio. They find a tunnel with a small-gauge rail track in it. They walk on and on for hours in the narrow darkness. Suddenly, Beauty notices something and starts whining and scratching on the wall. There is a small opening, through which the not-at-all-thin Lepsius is trying to squeeze.

Mick helps extricate Lepsius, who tells Mick about his escape from the insane asylum.

They continue on along the tunnel, and after several more hours, they discover a pneumatic chamber which shoots them into a secret hold aboard the ship "Torpedo." Trapped in the hold, they find Bisk, who is still alive. He is recovering from injuries, but was kept alive by Beauty (whose howling in the secret hold, was mistaken by the "Torpedo" crewmen as coming from the ship's dead dog).

Mick is sure that the chief villain in all this is Gregorio Chiche. Bisk says it's Captain Gregoir. Lepsisus is equally sure that Professor Khizerton is the evil mastermind.

The "Torpedo" sets sail. On board in one of the staterooms, is Tusk.

54. THE CLOCK-PRESENT
In Petrograd, Larry finds Sorrow and bring him to Rebrov's place. Arthur and Vivian, who chewed through their ropes and escaped from the Imperialist League, are also there. Soviet workers bring Kressling's booby-trapped clock. They find the bomb inside and disarm it.

55. CONGRESS OF PSYCHIATRISTS.
The "Torpedo" lands in Petrograd. Mick gives Beauty something of Gregorio's to smell, and tells the dog to find him. Beauty leads Mick, Bisk, and Lepsius right to the Congress of Psychiatrists, where, according to the program, Professor Khizerton is scheduled to give an address.

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Lepsius talks their way into the Congress. At first, the administrators don't want to allow Beauty in. But Lepsius claims that Beauty is a direct descent of Pavlov's dog, so the authorites relent.

Professor Khizerton, seemingly a harmless-looking old man, takes the stage to deliver a speech on hypnotism. Senator Notabit, his daughter Grace, Westinghouse, and other western industrialist enter. They react with consternation at seeing Arthur and Vivian in the audience. Khizerton faints in shock.

Lepsius leaps onto the stage, proclaiming he has a discovery to announce. He tells the assembly that he has been treating pretenders--deposed princes, prime minsters, etc.,--as well as the industrialists, financiers, etc., backing them. All of them have the same symptoms: a swelling on the spine and a small bump between the third and fourth ribs. In advanced cases, this leads to an increasing curvature of the spine. Also, all patients so afflicted begin to have a thickening of the hands. Lepsius defines this condition as a type of degeneration. These symptoms befall only those who suffer a particular type of shock: shock at the inevitiability of communism!.

56. THE SECRET OF DR. LEPSIUS.
Lepsius picks up the gloved hand of the dazed Professor Khizerton. He removes the glove, revealing that Khizerton's hand is grossly swollen and deformed. This is the most advanced case of the condition Lepsius has ever seen.

Lepsius grabs Khizerton's mane of white hair and yanks it off, revealing a middle-aged red-haired man, whom Bisk immediately recognizes as Captain Gregoir. Lepsius then yanks off this red-haired disguise, revealing a brown-haired phisigomy, which Mick recognizes as Gregorio.

The unmasked Gregorio regains consciousness and tries to bolt, but he is restrained by burly guards.

Lepsius, in anticipation of finding a bump on Gregorio's spine, makes a point of recalling the difference between the vertical spine of humans and the horizontal spine of animals.

When the guards pull up Gregorio's undershirt, they discover that his spine is encased in some type of metal brace. Lepsius unlocks the brace. Immediately, Gregorio snaps into a horizontal posture, standing on all fours and growling like a beast.

Panic ensues. The Gregorio-beast leaps through the audience, but no one is able to catch him. Mick sics Beauty on the beast, but even Beauty is too frightened and backs away. The Gregorio-beast is about to leap through the door out into the Petrograd night. But a cool-headed Red Army soldier fells the creature with a single shot to the skull.

Tusk steps up onto stage. Senator Notabit, Westinghouse, and other imperialists disappear. Arthur and Vivian faint.

Tusk tells the assembly what he knows about the crimes of Gregorio. In conclusion, Tusk notes that, as horrible as Gregorio was, even more dangerous and frightening are those who employed Gregorio, using him for their own evil purposes. And those more dangerous criminals are still at large.

57. THE CONVERTED WOMAN-HATER
Lepsius and Tusk bring Arthur and Vivian back to Tusk's hotel room. Lepsius revives the young couple, who stare at Tusk in shock--because Tusk is really Jeremy Morelander, who somehow escaped Kressling's clutches.

Jeremy says they should return to New York. Arthur, however, says that he has found himself and important work for himself here in the Soviet Union and wishes to say. This news at first vexes Jeremy, but in the end he hugs Arthur and Vivian, who share a first kiss.

58. SETTO GETS PAID WITH INTEREST
In New York, an angry mob, having heard about Lepsius's discovery, pelts the Hotel Patrician with rotten eggs, potatoes, etc.

Setto reads a newspaper editorial which denounces the millionaires wasting money, not on improving the situation of ordinary Americans, but on propping up crumbling thrones, falling epaulets, and tumbling portfolios, who are all intent on greedily filling their own pockets.

Summing up Lepsius's findings, the newspaper writes:

The proteges of our millionaires are doomed, in the nearest future, to jumping around on all fours and eating, not while sitting at the table, but by licking a bowl. And what's more, this disease has infected the millionaires themselves. Down with the ex-beggars! Away with the ex-thrones and ex-titles! The same with bishops and cardinals!

Setto and his wife dance a happy dance.

THE END

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See also: Biography of Marietta Shaginyan

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