Chapter 21 Johnny's Clue

Doc Savage, upon learning of Medusa's disappearance, rapidly instructed his aides and the natives to search the island. Medusa's surviving gunsels were rounded up, and taken to the encampment. Several uneventful hours passed--during which the sun rose--but no trace of the diabolic mastermind was found. "Holy Cow!" boomed big Renny. "Medusa's plane is still here, and we've searched everywhere, Doc," he concluded. "He's not this island. I'll stake my reputation on it." "I assent to that prenotion zealously," agreed long Johnny. "Me, too," added Lucky Loo, somewhat querulously. He hoped he was agreeing that he believed Medusa was no longer on the island. Doc Savage was thoughtfully silent for some moments, then his trilling blared into existence like a triumphant trumpet blast. "There's only one place he could be," the bronze man announced calmly. He moved rapidly. The others followed, soon realizing that Doc Savage was going to the cavern of the stone death. The bronze man quickly outdistanced them, and by the time they arrived at the cavern, Doc was setting the glassy figure of Medusa down upon the ground. "An equitable peroration for Medusa," the lean geologist observed. "I'll say," added big-fisted Renny. "He got what was coming to him. He must have thought the stuff had run dry, since Doc wasn't affected. He didn't know Doc was wearing a chemical salve to counteract the stuff." Renny paused for a moment after this deduction, then asked, "So who is he?" "Hey, I recognize him," exclaimed Lucky Loo, in a surprised tone. The man of bronze spoke up. "The so-called Medusa is--" "Turner Maitland," came Johnny's voice suddenly, unable to keep the knowledge to himself any longer. "I recognized him at Treasure Island. That's what my message said, not 'Treasure Island'," Johnny explained, scowling at Lucky Loo. "How was I to know?" said the worthy, defensively. "I had surmised as much," Doc said, matter of factly. "Doc, you said you knew Medusa's identity long before we got here," Renny wondered aloud in his booming voice. "First, there was Johnny's clue. 'Treasure Island' was too obvious a clue to leave, considering its location near the island. We would have followed up on that idea, without such a message, because of the powder trail from Johnny's car, so it must have said something else," explained the bronze man. "I formed the theory that Maitland was 'Medusa' when Maitland's whereabouts in the city could not be found. The other geologists had all made sleeping arrangements for their time in the city, but not Maitland." "Because he already had a place to stay--as Medusa," Lucky said, finishing the bronze man's line of thought. "Good thinking, boss." "And, finally, I recognized his voice when I met 'Medusa' aboard his ship," Doc finished. "Maitland had substituted a look-a-like for himself at the geology meeting," the lanky geologist interrupted, using small words. "He turned the double to stone to throw suspicion off himself. Doc and I were supposed to be included in that death trap, which was set off prematurely for some reason. That much I learned while I was a prisoner of Maitland." "We can only surmise that the double had little or no knowledge of geology," said Doc, "or there was some similar reason for causing suspicion among the others attending the meeting, causing Medusa's men to release the stone death early, before Johnny and I arrived." "When I recognized Maitland, he decided to eliminate those of his gang--his geological assistants--who knew his identity," Johnny elaborated. "The boss already knew that," Lucky said proudly. "Okay, knowing Medusa was Maitland would make it easy to find out his last expedition was here on Easter Island," big Renny rumbled, "but how did you know he would return here?" "It became obvious to me that Maitland was running low on his supply of 'the stuff', as he called it," explained the bronze man. "He had to get more of it. It was logical to conclude that he had found it during his last expedition, which, as we know, was here. Long Tom dug up that fact for me, actually." "How did you know Medusa was almost out of the stuff, boss?" asked Lucky. "He never used it outdoors--only in a confined space, indoors," explained Doc. "Two attempts were made on my life by more conventional methods. Why--if using the stone death element was a certain proposition? Because there wasn't enough of it left to use in a large area. And, everyone handling it seemed to be aware of the idea of not wasting it. When it was spilled on the steamer, there was little danger of the stuff petrifying anyone because of the open space on the deck, yet Shanks was upset by the spill, disproportionately so." "When you say it that way, boss, it all makes sense," Lucky Loo said. "What are we going to do with the stuff?" the big-fisted engineer. "I can think of some practical applications for it, but it'll be hard to handle. Never mind the temptation to use it for the wrong purposes, like Medusa." "We won't have to worry about that, Renny," Doc told his giant aide. "The last of the stone death element was used up turning Maitland to stone." The bony geologist's face screwed up in disgust at this news. "What an opportunity missed. No one will ever know the secret of the stone death substance." "Isn't that something?" observed Lucky Loo. "He thought there wasn't anymore of the stuff, and because he acted on that idea, it became true." "Doc's enemies have a bad habit of becoming the victim of their own trap," Renny explained to the worthy. THE END

The Stone Death Written By: Jeff Deischer Dedicated to "Kenneth Robeson X" for his encouragement. The Stone Man is a work of fan fiction. Doc Savage is © Conde Nast Back to: Top of Page Index Page Home Page