BIGGLES’ CHINESE PUZZLE

AND OTHER BIGGLES’ ADVENTURES

by Captain W. E. Johns

III. THE ADVENTURE OF THE LUMINOUS CLAY (Pages 88 – 100)

This story was originally published in the EAGLE ANNUAL – NUMBER FOUR in 1954 by Hulton Press Limited.

“Bigglesworth, I want you to meet Sir James Randal and Professor Lovejoy,” said Air Commodore Raymond, as his chief operational pilot entered the Special Air Section Office at Scotland Yard. Biggles acknowledged the introductions. Sir James was an austere, distinguished looking man, but it was with difficulty that he restrained a smile when shaking hands with the Professor, whose untidy dress and horn-rimmed spectacles recalled inevitably the proverbial absent-minded professor of funny stories. “As you are probably aware,” went on the Air Commodore, “Sir James is one of our leading atomic research specialists. He is now engaged in the adaption of that power for commercial uses. Professor Lovejoy is, of course, the celebrated naturalist and explorer”. Sir James explains the country is in a race to be first with a practical atomic power unit. There is a “certain highly complex substance vitally essential to the progress of our experiments. Let us call it Blue Clay. The manufacture of it, even a few grammes, is a long and costly process”, he continues. It hasn’t occurred to anyone that it might exist in natural form but Professor Lovejoy has found some in an almost unlimited quantity, waiting to be collected. Biggles asks where and he is told that the Professor was cruising in the Pacific with a friend who had a deep sea yacht. Studying the eggs of gulls on a certain islet, they found some where the shells were luminous. They were found to contain Blue Clay. “The gulls that nest on this particular islet must swallow minute quantities of blue clay in the grit which they eat either for purposes of digestion or to form the shells of their eggs”. Sir James says that one container of Blue Clay would be sufficient to put us years ahead of any possible competitor. The islet is in the mid-Pacific. “One of a small archipelago that lies some seven or eight hundred miles from the west coast of Central South America. Geographically, it might be regarded as a distant offshoot of the Galapagos group”. The main island of the group is inhabited. “The natives, thought to be of Polynesian extraction, are backward – to put it nicely – and have a reputation for discouraging visitors”. The Professor has named the islet “Gull Rock”. He says it is a volcanic pimple, like a hollow tooth and not on any chart, so may be a recent formation and “may disappear at any moment”. There is a snag and the snag is the question of ownership. Several countries lay claim to ownership of the group of islands. “I would have said that the people who have most right to the islands are those who live there,” asserted Biggles. The Professor asks to go with Biggles and says he can assist as he has some knowledge of Polynesian. “The arrangements for Operation Gull Rock presented no difficulty to Biggles and his pilots, to whom long-distance flights had, from experience, become a matter of routine. Lists of everything likely to be needed were ready to hand. Everyone had his own particular job and did it, from the laying on of stores and spares to the investigation of probable weather conditions and the plotting of courses. Consequently, within a fortnight, the flying-boat selected for the assignment, the old Sunderland that had served them so well, was within striking distance of its objective”. Biggles struggles to find the islet as its appearance, as described by the Professor, has altered and when they do find it, they are surprised to find nearly a hundred natives and their canoes there. Biggles lands the flying boat about half a mile offshore. The Professor advises them to wait for the natives to leave. He is of the opinion they are not in a friendly mood as they haven’t paddled out to welcome them. Soon dead fish float by; evidence of volcanic activity. In due course, some natives do canoe out to them and speaking to the Professor, tell them to leave. “The fire god has almost destroyed their island, so they’ve come here to placate him with sacrifices”. Biggles says “In other words there’s been an eruption”. The Professor replies “That’s about the English of it”. They continue to wait for the natives to leave. “On the rock appeared a starling phenomenon. Up and down the spire-like shape glowed a tongue of unearthly fire, like a vivid neon sign”. The Professor says the islet has been split by internal convulsion exposing the inner core of Blue Clay. Later, they are all startled by a long low rumble like distant thunder. “Ginger could not recall a more uncomfortable night than the one that followed”. The first grey patches of dawn reveal grey patches in the water and little whirlpools and the islet is noticeably lower in the water. Importantly, the natives have gone. Biggles tells Ginger to launch the dingy. The Professor lets out a yell. “It’s going!” and they see the Rock sinking slowly. Biggles taxies the Sunderland to within a hundred yards, then snatches up the metal container brought to hold the Blue Clay. He gets into the dingy and paddles to the rock. He is away less than half an hour. As he returns the Rock resumes its slow slide to oblivion. Bertie throws Biggles a line and Biggles scrambled aboard. (“Biggles scrambled aboard” - is the illustration opposite page 96). They abandon the dingy and Algy takes off. Looking back, Gingers sees the islet has now gone. “The Sunderland droned on, its bows toward the mainland”.