The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Vortex Blaster, by Edward Elmer Smith

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Title: The Vortex Blaster

Author: Edward Elmer Smith

Release Date: September 16, 2007 [EBook #22629]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: _The Lensman and the observer helped
Storm into his heavily padded armor. Their movements
were automatic--the ointment, the devices--_]

_INTRODUCING "Storm" Cloud, who, through tragedy, is
destined to become the most noted figure in the
galaxy--THE_

VORTEX BLASTER

(_Complete in this issue!_)

by
E. E. SMITH, Ph.D.

_Author of "The Skylark," "Skylark Three," "The Skylark
of Valeron," the Lensman stories, etc._

Safety devices that do not protect.

The "unsinkable" ships that, before the days of Bergenholm and of atomic
and cosmic energy, sank into the waters of the earth.

More particularly, safety devices which, while protecting against one
agent of destruction, attract magnet-like another and worse. Such as the
armored cable within the walls of a wooden house. It protects the
electrical conductors within against accidental external shorts; but,
inadequately grounded as it must of necessity be, it may attract and
upon occasion has attracted the stupendous force of lightning. Then,
fused, volatilized, flaming incandescent throughout the length, breadth,
and height of a dwelling, that dwelling's existence thereafter is to be
measured in minutes.

Specifically, four lightning rods. The lightning rods protecting the
chromium, glass, and plastic home of Neal Cloud. Those rods were
adequately grounded, grounded with copper-silver cables the bigness of a
strong man's arm; for Neal Cloud, atomic physicist, knew his lightning
and he was taking no chances whatever with the safety of his lovely wife
and their three wonderful kids.

He did not know, he did not even suspect, that under certain cond