Великий военный синдикат

           EverynewspaperurgedthatiftherepellercarriedgunscapableofthrowingthebombswhichtheSyndicateprofessedtouse,therewasnoreasonwhyeveryshipintheBritishfleetshouldnothavebeendestroyed.Butastherepellerhadnotfiredasingleshotatthefleet,andasthebattlehadbeenfoughtentirelybythecrabs,therewaseveryreasontobelievethatifthereweresuchthingsasmotor-guns,theirrangewasveryshort,notasgreatasthatoftheordinarydynamitecannon.Thegreatriskrunbyoneofthecrabsinordertodisableadynamitegun-boatseemedanadditionalproofofthis.Itwasurgedthattheexplosionsinthewatermighthavebeenproducedbytorpedoes;thatthetorpedo-boatwhichhadbeendestroyedwassoneartherepellerthatanordinaryshellwassufficienttoaccomplishthedamagethathadbeendone.TogainsaytheseassumptionswasimperativeontheSyndicate’sforces.Tofirmlyestablishtheprestigeoftheinstantaneousmotorwastheobjectofthewar.Crabswereofbuttemporaryservice.Anynationcouldbuildvesselslikethem,andthereweremanymeansofdestroyingthem.Thespringarmourwasacompletedefenceagainstordinaryartillery,butitwasnotadefenceagainstsubmarinetorpedoes.TheclaimsoftheSyndicatecouldbefirmlybasedonnothingbutthepowersofabsoluteannihilationpossessedbytheinstantaneousmotor-bomb.Aboutnineo’clockontheappointedmorning,RepellerNo.11,muchtothesurpriseofthespectatorsonthehighgroundswithfield-glassesandtelescopes,steamedawayfromCaerdaff.