rom the
lips of every person in the Secret Room.

For super-monsters of Moyen were moving to the attack.

CHAPTER IX

_Flowers of Martyrdom_

For a minute the Secret Agents were appalled by the air of might of the
deep-sea monsters of Moyen, brought bodily, almost into the Secret Room
by the activities of General Munson at the Sound-and-Vision apparatus.

Off the coast, miles away, yet looming moment by moment larger,
indicating the deceptively swift speed of the monsters, were scores of
the great under-water fortresses, traveling toward the coast of the
United Americas in a far-flung formation, each submarine separated from
its neighbor to right and left by something like a hundred miles, easy
cruising radius for the little aero-subs carried inside the monsters.

That each submarine did carry such spawn of Satan was plainly seen, for
as the great submarines moved landward, scores of aero-subs sported
gleefully about the mother ships. There was no counting the number of
them.

Two hours Maniel needed for his labors, which meant that for two hours
the flower of the country's manhood must try to hold in check the mighty
hordes of Moyen.

"Somewhere there," stated Prester Kleig, "in one or the other of those
monsters, is Moyen himself. I know that since he wished Charmion saved
for his attentions! Do your work with your apparatus, Munson, while I go
out to the radio tower to broadcast an appeal for volunteers.
Charmion--Carlos...."

But Prester Kleig found that he could not continue. Not that it was
necessary, for Charmion and Carlos knew what was in his mind. Charmion
was a lady of vast intelligence, from whom life's little ironies had not
been hidden--and Kane and Kleig had already discussed the activities of
Moyen where women were concerned.

* * * * *

Prester Kleig hurried to the Central Radio Tower, and as he passed
through each of the many doors leading out to the roof of the new
Capitol Building the guards at the doors left to form a guard for him,
at this moment the most precious man in the country, because he knew
best the terrible trials which faced her.

The country was in turmoil. It seemed almost impossible that a whole day
had passed since Prester Kleig had returned and entered the Secret Room.
In the meantime a fleet of battleships had been drawn by some mysterious
agency out to sea from Hampton Roads, and a fleet of fighting planes
which had followed t