36xxxx 029 A Woman Commander

Down in a submarine lock, fifty feet below the surface of the Magic Island, Jerry and Joan are waiting for their orders to go aboard the Euclidean submarine, which will go out to capture Johnson on Mrs. Gregory's other boat.

G-47, powerful leader of the group of scientists on the island, has demanded that Jerry and Joan go with a submarine as a guarantee that Captain Bradford will not attempt anything to interfere with the safety of the underwater vessel.

Jerry and Joan are standing near the entrance to the submarine lock. Now you must be patient, Jerry. She was patient. Do you know we've been standing here for a half an hour? Isn't that better, Jerry?

Better than what? Better than having spent the half hour in the submarine and being a half hour nearer to capturing your friend Johnson's boat. Yeah, John, you're right. Oh, you're always right. And it gets my goat to have a girl be always right.

I will try to be wrong, Jerry, if it will make you feel any better. But it will be very hard for me to be wrong about anything. Oh, is that so? You sure hate yourself, don't you?

No, Jerry, I do not hate myself. Why should I? Forget it. Just act like I didn't start it. Now then, we've been standing here a half hour and nothing happened. Can't we even look into the lock and see what it's all about?

No, Jerry. We must just stand here and wait. We will be told when we may enter. Oh, golly whiskers, Joan. This thing's getting on my nerves. And I'll bet your mother and Captain Bradford are plenty nervous down there in the yacht, too, worrying about us.