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Title of Story
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Mr. Austin's Airships and Professor Paff's Paralyser
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Story Summary
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Sequel to The Silver Ball and The Blue Bolt. Similar in style. The professor creates another invention to fight off invaders.
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Attributed Author
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"J. B. C."
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First Published Date of Last Installment
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1908
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Year For Sorting
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1908
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Length
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Flash Fiction
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OCR from TBC and Trove
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MR. AUSTIN'S AIRSHIPSAND, PROFESSOR. PAFF'S PARALYSER.By J. B. C. Of course, there was nothing very original in Mr. Austin's proposal that the Commonwealth should rely for defence upon arrned airships. Jules Verne and H. G. Wells - have exploited the idea in fiction, while France and Germany have experimented in fact. Moreover, the problem of frustrating an attack ^of airships had already occupied the mind of Professor Pafi as soon by means of the Silver Ball and the Blue Bolt, he had made ' Australia impregnable by land and sea. . Of course, the essentials of the Faff methods are preserved as profound State secrets. It was for this reason that an alarming attack upon Australia bv airships was passed over lightly, although had it not been for the. Professor, the enemy would have triumphed. The circumstance proftably escaped the notice of Mr. Austin, who, being in England busy with , the War Office, would not be. aware that his airship notion had, in a way, been anticipated. It was on a sunny spring morning in September that the people of Melbourne were amazed to see fifteen gigantic forms hovering over the city like big birds. In a little while one detached itself from the group, and dived down direct to the door of Government House. A person in Ad-miral's uniform, and accompanied by an aide-decamp, alishted from the airship, and asked if he could interview the Governor-General. Upon his card was inscribed'his name and the title— ''ADMIRAL OF THE AIR." He was immediately admitted, while the Governor-General telephoned to the Prime Minister, who in his turn telephoned to Prof. Paff. Within half an hour all these persons v. ere in solemn conclave, and the Commonwealth authorities were listening to the Admiral's dictation of terms. "You are entire!v at my mercy, gentlemen," he explained, verv politely. . "Those airships are supplied with sufficient ammunition to destroy all your capitals ; but sign this document and we will depart good friends." The Governor-General looked at the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister looked ;.t Professor Paff. "May we go ouUi 'i ' ' w vour forces, Admiral ?" asked the Professor. " Certainly," was the reply, and the' distinguished party moved out to 1'ie terrace, and gazed ; up at the formidable fleet '>f the .iir. " Yes," remarked the Professor, rettc'tively, "it looks hopeless." Then glancing up at the tower of Government House, he added significantly, "I think Your Excellency may with propriety order the, flag to be hauled down."" - The "Governor-General, a little disconcerted, sought the Prime Minister's eye, and, in a short, nod, received approval of the Professor's strange suggestion. The order was given, and in a few minutes the flag fluttered down the pole. Almost simultaneously the fourteen airships commenced to move in a slow scoop downward to +he bav. "Why—what—how ?" gasped the Admiral, as he gesticulated wildly with a telescope. But the descent continued, and it looked as : if all the airships had with common consent made a dive and buried themselves in the waters of Hobson's Bav. "You do not'understand, gentlemen?" quietly remarked Professor Paff, beaming through his' horn-rimmed spectacles. "Let us go inside and I shall exnlain." "You see, gentlemen," he said, "this attack: of airships has not escaped my consideration inmy capacity of Director of -Defence, and when the Silver Ball made our navy unnecessary for other purposes, I adapted it for use against airships." "Yes, yes," said the disgusted Admiral of the Air testilv, "but what have you done with my fleet ?" "If you will ascend to the tower you will find it quite affectionately attached in section to eight cruisers which "are lying in the bay," explained the Professor. "Come and sec!"When the party reached the tower and applied their telescopes they could plainly descry all the airships clinging to the hulls of the cruisers, like boats slung in davits. "It is very simple, gentlemen," said Professor Paff. "You see, all those cruisers are equipped with mammoth magnets of illimitable power. They had only to be turned upon the airships to immediately draw themi like so many needles to so many toy magnets." The Admiral's' sigh of defeat was received in sympathetic but exultant silence, which was broken bv the Prime Minister, who remarked : "With "Your Excellency's permission I shall prepare another document, which perhaps the Admiral will not object to s gn on condition that he is allowed to carry out his original intention." So once more Australia was saved by Professor Paff. and the Commonwealth was insured against attack bv land or sea or air.
