Doc Savage: Phantom Lagoon (The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage) by Kenneth Robeson, Lester Dent, Will Murray

coincidences,” Hornetta said slowly.
    “Not really,” returned Doc Savage, “After your visit, I did some research on you. Operatives in my employ discovered your seaplane adrift in the Caribbean, many miles from the cay upon which you were marooned. Far too many for you to have put down and ended up on that remote isle. You will be interested to know that it was flown back to Teeterboro Airport, and is in airworthy condition.”
    An intrigued light came into Hornetta’s blue eyes.
    “My interest was naturally aroused by these circumstances,” continued Doc. “Since you seemed so set upon hiring us, and your pursuers equally determined to locate you, I thought a quiet drive in the country might draw one or the other of you out. Instead, it drew both.”
    Battering sounds came from without.
    Hornetta cocked an eye at Doc. “If there’s shooting to be done, how about handing me my fair share of bullets?” she said fiercely.
    “Not a chance,” returned Doc.
    “Yeah,” chimed in Monk. “No tellin’ who you’d perforate once you got started.”
    “A pal you are!” Hornetta flared, looking about wildly. “Is there a back way out of his mausoleum?”
    Before anyone could reply, a thunderous explosion sounded from the reception room area.
    The connecting door jumped off its hinges and catapulted across the library jamb, knocking over a ponderous bookshelf, which struck another and created the effect of fantastic falling dominos. Glass shattered unmusically.
    “Ye-e-o-w!” Monk howled and began firing into the cloud of evil black smoke that rolled in like a boiling fog bank of doom.

Chapter VI
    DEVIL GRAB DEVIL
    PANDEMONIUM BROKE LOOSE in the magnificent library of Doc Savage. It sounded like a succession of earthquakes rolling across the spacious room. More bookcases toppled. The ceiling cracked in three places.
    Monk and Ham were firing blind into the oncoming smoke. They wielded intricate machine pistols which produced a deafening thunder. That was just the commencement of the vigorous proceedings.
    Quickly, they reached into their coats and drew on compact gas masks. Doc Savage did the same.
    From another pocket, Doc also pulled a flat silver object, which he flipped open in the manner of a cigarette case. Inside, carefully nested in cotton, were tiny clear globules.
    Doc began pitching these into the oncoming smoke. Glass tinkled.
    “Retreat!” rapped the bronze man.
    They retreated from the paneled library, which resembled a jumbled profusion of giant fallen dominos, closing the substantial door as a barricade. The great globe of the earth which dominated the room had become dislodged from its bronze mounting and rolled off into a corner of the room like a titanic blue and green marble.
    Hornetta Hale came along, but not by choice. Doc Savage picked her up bodily and slung her over one shoulder. He dropped her onto a stool and swung to a wall. Depressing a stud caused a woodgrain panel to hoist up.
    Exposed was a large glass plate—an experimental television device. It displayed the interior of the laboratory with its glittering forest of test tubes and glass piping, and other complicated scientific apparatus.
    Men were emerging from the smoke. They, too, wore gas masks. These were of the type that made men resemble goggle-eyed elephants.
    Seeing this, Doc’s hands flew to a switch. In the other room large exhaust fans began whirring.
    The choking smoke was rapidly drawn into ceiling vents and the laboratory began to clear. The invaders seemed surprised by this.
    Doc Savage scrutinized them momentarily, his flake-gold eyes intent.
    They wore ordinary coats and ties. That was where the outward semblance of the ordinary ceased. Some carried spike-snouted pistols of a foreign manufacture. Quite a number wore unusual shirts of a dark hue.
    From Doc’s surprise-parted lips, emerged a peculiar sound. A trilling, so low it was at first a vague thing, but then escalating into a tuneless melody that permeated