Invitae is a leader in medical genetic testing, driving genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people

Invitae

This story was originally published by . ProPublica’s Charles Ornstein Following the Supreme Court’s overturning Roe v. Wade, advocates for privacy and reproductive health that data from period-tracking apps to find people who’ve had abortions. decision have expressed fears could be used They have a point. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the federal patient privacy law known as HIPAA, does not apply to most apps that track menstrual cycles, just as it doesn’t apply to many health care apps and at-home test kits. In 2015, ProPublica how HIPAA, passed in 1996, has not kept up with changes in technology and does not cover at-home paternity tests, fitness trackers or health apps. reported The story featured a woman who purchased an at-home paternity test at a local pharmacy and went online to get the results. A part of the lab’s website address caught her attention as a cybersecurity consultant. When she tweaked the URL slightly, a long list of test results of some 6,000 other people appeared. She complained on Twitter and the site was taken down. But when she alerted the Office for Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees HIPAA compliance, officials told her they couldn’t do anything about it. That’s because HIPAA kept by health providers, insurers and data clearinghouses, as well as their business partners. only covers patient information Deven McGraw is the former deputy director for health information privacy at the HHS Office for Civil Rights. She said the decision overturning Roe, called Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, should spark a broader conversation about the limits of HIPAA. “All of a sudden, people are waking up to the idea that there’s a lot of sensitive data being collected outside of HIPAA and asking, ‘What are we going to do?’” said McGraw, who is now the lead for data stewardship and data sharing at Invitae, a medical genetics company. “It’s been that way for a while, but now it’s in sharper relief.” McGraw noted how that’s not just the case for period-tracking apps but also some apps that store COVID-19 vaccine records. Because Congress wrote HIPAA, lawmakers would have to update it to cover those cases. “Our health data protections are badly out of date,” she said. “But the agencies can’t fix this. This is on Congress.” Consumer Reports’ this spring and found that four allowed third-party tracking by companies other than the maker of the app. Four apps stored data remotely, not just on the user’s device. That makes the information potentially subject to a data breach or a subpoena from law enforcement agencies, though one of the companies surveyed by Consumer Reports has said it would shut down rather than turn over users’ data. digital lab evaluated eight period-tracking apps In a , HHS sought to allay worries with some advice that sounds reassuring. press release last week “According to recent reports, many patients are concerned that period trackers and other health information apps on smartphones may threaten their right to privacy by disclosing geolocation data which may be misused by those seeking to deny care,” HHS said in the release. The document quoted HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra about the protections provided by HIPAA: “HHS stands with patients and providers in protecting HIPAA privacy rights and reproductive health care information,” Becerra said. He urged anyone who thinks their privacy rights have been violated to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights. The release later acknowledged that, in most cases, HIPAA rules do not protect the privacy or security of individuals’ health information when they access or store it on personal cellphones or tablets. It offered on steps people can take to protect their information. guidance Since the court’s decision overturning Roe, some period-tracking apps have taken steps to minimize the risk of personal information being shared. One such company called Flo said that would not require users to provide their name or email address. it is developing an “anonymous mode” “Flo does not share or sell any health data with any other company, but wanted to take this additional step to reassure users who are living in states affected by an abortion ban,” the company said in a press release. “It is important to note that once this mode is activated, users will no longer be able to recover data when the device is lost, changed, or stolen and there may be limitations to using the app’s full personalization benefits. This is why Flo is offering Anonymous Mode as an option for concerned users instead of activating it by default.” Privacy Not Included: Federal Law Lags Behind New Tech In a after the Supreme Court decision, the digital civil liberties group Electronic Frontier Foundation said consumers should pay attention to “privacy settings on the services they use, turn off location services on apps that don’t need them, and use encrypted messaging services. statement “Companies should protect users by allowing anonymous access, stopping behavioral tracking, strengthening data deletion policies, encrypting data in transit, enabling end-to-end message encryption by default, preventing location tracking, and ensuring that users get notice when their data is being sought,” the EFF statement said. “And state and federal policymakers must pass meaningful privacy legislation. All of these steps are needed to protect privacy, and all are long overdue.”

HIPAA Does Not Prevent Period-Tracking Apps From Selling Location Data

TEL AVIV, Israel, April 10th, 2024/Chainwire/--Web3 platform for startups, Permissionless Capital has invited web3 startups to apply for its Permissionless Opportunities Event. The program will provide eligible web3 startups with access to the resources they need to successfully build out their concept and bring their product to market. Permissionless Opportunities provides outstanding web3 startups with the tools, funds, and connections to navigate the blockchain industry and launch their product. Applications for the Permissionless event can be made in just 90 seconds, with no fees or pitches required. Dozens of startups are expected to apply for the inaugural Permissionless Opportunities Event, with the best applicants subsequently being invited to take part in the program. The largest event of its kind for web3 and blockchain startups, Permissionless Opportunities gamifies the fundraising process and empowers outstanding companies to fulfill their potential. The event has secured partnerships with the likes of Solana, Polygon, ImmutableX, Chainlink, Arweave and many others. Permissionless Opportunities was designed in the manner of a gameshow, complete with an audience participation component. The winners of the contest will be determined equally by expert judges and community consensus. Winners of Permissionless Opportunities Event will have the opportunity to pitch to more than 50 leading VCs and to partner with ecosystems that will help to advance their concept and provide mentoring and technical support. Other perks include 1:1 access to expert advisors, credits, discounts, and extensive coverage in media outlets to raise their profile.The program is targeted at web3 startups in the Defi, infrastructure, security, Gaming and RWAs categories and encompasses both B2B and B2C applications. Applications can be registered with Permissionless Opportunities from April 10-May 1. The program promises to shine a light on the next generation of web3 companies while giving the best applicants everything they require to optimize their prospects of success. About Permissionless Opportunities Event Permissionless Opportunities is the first online event hosted by Permissionless Capital. The startup and investor network believes in equal opportunities, regardless of a startup’s connections, background or country. Permissionless Opportunities takes the form of an online contest that’s free for web3 startups to apply to and attend. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to receive grants, credits, 1:1 mentorship and exposure to the biggest media outlets.Learn more: https://event.permissionlesscapital.io Contact Nir Naamani nir@permissionlesscapital.io This story was distributed as a release by Chainwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. TEL AVIV, Israel, April 10th, 2024/Chainwire/--Web3 platform for startups, Permissionless Capital has invited web3 startups to apply for its Permissionless Opportunities Event. The program will provide eligible web3 startups with access to the resources they need to successfully build out their concept and bring their product to market. Permissionless Opportunities provides outstanding web3 startups with the tools, funds, and connections to navigate the blockchain industry and launch their product. Applications for the Permissionless event can be made in just 90 seconds, with no fees or pitches required. Dozens of startups are expected to apply for the inaugural Permissionless Opportunities Event, with the best applicants subsequently being invited to take part in the program. The largest event of its kind for web3 and blockchain startups, Permissionless Opportunities gamifies the fundraising process and empowers outstanding companies to fulfill their potential. The event has secured partnerships with the likes of Solana, Polygon, ImmutableX, Chainlink, Arweave and many others. Permissionless Opportunities was designed in the manner of a gameshow, complete with an audience participation component. The winners of the contest will be determined equally by expert judges and community consensus. Winners of Permissionless Opportunities Event will have the opportunity to pitch to more than 50 leading VCs and to partner with ecosystems that will help to advance their concept and provide mentoring and technical support. Other perks include 1:1 access to expert advisors, credits, discounts, and extensive coverage in media outlets to raise their profile.The program is targeted at web3 startups in the Defi, infrastructure, security, Gaming and RWAs categories and encompasses both B2B and B2C applications. Applications can be registered with Permissionless Opportunities from April 10-May 1. The program promises to shine a light on the next generation of web3 companies while giving the best applicants everything they require to optimize their prospects of success. About Permissionless Opportunities Event Permissionless Opportunities is the first online event hosted by Permissionless Capital. The startup and investor network believes in equal opportunities, regardless of a startup’s connections, background or country. Permissionless Opportunities takes the form of an online contest that’s free for web3 startups to apply to and attend. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to receive grants, credits, 1:1 mentorship and exposure to the biggest media outlets.Learn more: https://event.permissionlesscapital.io Contact Nir Naamani nir@permissionlesscapital.io This story was distributed as a release by Chainwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. This story was distributed as a release by Chainwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here . here

Permissionless Capital Invites Web3 Startups To Apply For Its Competition

অনুমতিহীন ক্যাপিটাল তার প্রতিযোগিতার জন্য আবেদন করার জন্য Web3 স্টার্টআপকে আমন্ত্রণ জানায়

Permissionless Capital lädt Web3-Startups ein, sich für seinen Wettbewerb zu bewerben

Permissionless Capital invita a las empresas emergentes de Web3 a postularse para su competencia

Permissionless Capital invite les startups Web3 à postuler à son concours

परमिशनलेस कैपिटल ने वेब3 स्टार्टअप्स को अपनी प्रतिस्पर्धा के लिए आवेदन करने के लिए आमंत्रित किया

パーミッションレス・キャピタルがWeb3スタートアップにコンペティションへの応募を呼びかけ

Permissionless Capital, Web3 스타트업에 경쟁 신청 요청

Permissionless Capital convida startups da Web3 a se inscreverem em sua competição

Permissionless Capital приглашает стартапы Web3 подать заявку на участие в конкурсе

İzinsiz Sermaye, Web3 Startup'larını Rekabetine Başvurmaya Davet Ediyor

Vốn không được phép mời các công ty khởi nghiệp Web3 đăng ký tham gia cuộc thi

Permissionless Capital 邀请 Web3 初创公司申请参加其竞赛

USA v. Google LLC Court Filing, retrieved on January 24, 2023 is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This is part 10 of 44. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here IV. GOOGLE’S SCHEME TO DOMINATE THE AD TECH STACK A. Google Buys Control of the Key Tools that Link Publishers and Advertisers 76. Google entered display advertising on the back of its early strength in search and search advertising. In 2000, Google launched Google Ads (then called “AdWords”), a selfservice buying tool for advertisers. At the time, advertisers could use Google Ads to purchase advertising on the webpage displaying Google search results. 77. As Google’s search engine dominance grew, it attracted large numbers of small and large businesses that considered advertising on Google’s search results page to be critical to reaching customers searching for their products or services. After amassing this pool of advertisers, Google realized it could not only sell them advertising space on Google’s search results page, but also step in as an intermediary to sell them advertising space on non-Google websites as well. Thus in 2003, Google changed the default setting on Google Ads so that businesses were automatically opted into using Google Ads to advertise on third-party websites through what became known as or “ .” Today, Google Ads has grown to represent over two million advertisers, spending about $11 billion worldwide on open web display inventory per year. Google Ads is a substantial, unique source of advertising demand and revenue for publishers. Google Display Network, GDN 78. In 2006, Google found itself without sufficient access to non-Google premium advertising inventory to meet its advertisers’ demand. Effectively integrating Google Ads with existing publisher-facing platforms would have benefited both Google Ads advertisers—by increasing their access to inventory—and Google—by increasing advertising sales, and in turn Google’s total revenues as a percentage of those sales. Instead, Google sought to maintain more control over advertising purchases made by its Google Ads’ advertisers. In particular, it limited the ability of its Google Ads’ advertisers to buy inventory from Google’s rivals. Google recognized that if it could secure access to its own pool of publisher inventory, it could control the entire transaction, end-to-end, and become the “the be-all, and end-all location for all ad serving.” To that end, Google built and launched its own publisher ad server, but the product failed to gain traction. 79. Rather than innovate and compete, Google found a shortcut. In 2007, Google announced that it would buy DoubleClick for $3.1 billion. DoubleClick offered the industryleading publisher ad server, called DoubleClick for Publishers or “DFP”, which at the time had an estimated 60% market share. DoubleClick also was developing a nascent ad exchange, called AdX. 80. The DoubleClick acquisition was a pivotal moment for Google’s display advertising technology business and its strategy to dominate the ad tech stack. The deal provided Google with direct access to website publishers (and their inventory) on DoubleClick’s publisher ad server and, for the first time, a significant presence on both the advertiser and publisher sides of the ad tech stack. Google feared that if a rival acquired DoubleClick, Google would not control all the tools that link Google’s advertisers with publisher inventory; in short, a rival could “disintermediate” Google. Disintermediation risked allowing another company to control how and where publishers sell impressions to advertisers, something Google would not tolerate because it would limit Google’s ability to generate monopoly profits. Setting the stage for what was to come, the DoubleClick acquisition provided Google the unilateral power to implement a series of anticompetitive restraints, using its dominance on both the publisher and advertiser sides of the market to inhibit competition across the entire ad tech stack. 81. The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) investigated Google’s proposed acquisition of DoubleClick. The FTC considered “the possibility that Google could leverage DoubleClick’s leading position in third party ad serving to its advantage in the ad intermediation market” and whether Google could “exclusively bundle AdWords [advertiser demand] with [its publisher-side platforms] AdSense and DFP.” 82. The FTC ultimately declined to challenge Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick for the reasons set out in its public closing statement. The FTC concluded that “DoubleClick does not have market power despite its high market share”—over 60% at the time—and that “firms can and do switch ad serving firms when it is in their self-interest to do so.” Based on these assumptions, the FTC believed any anticompetitive conduct by Google “would likely be defeated by customers switching to one of the other third-party ad serving products.” 83. Google’s contemporaneous business documents paint a very different picture, however. Six months after the FTC closed its investigation without taking action, one senior Google executive wrote about the importance of controlling access to publisher inventory through the DFP publisher ad server, stating “the thing we want ‘secured’ is the DFP platform adoption” because “if we have this” then Google would “have a +20% monetization advantage.” In other words, Google believed it could sustainably charge a higher price on advertising transactions than its competitors because it controlled the process and rules by which publisher inventory could be sold. 84. Google knew the emerging ad tech market better, and acknowledged in internal documents that “due to [the publisher ad server’s] position as the operating system for ad sales, switching costs are very high.” Because of this “stickiness” of publisher ad servers, Google knew it could manipulate the system in its favor—and to the detriment of competition—without fear that publishers would switch to other publisher ad servers. After the acquisition was completed, the former DoubleClick CEO explained at an internal Google strategy meeting, “My view is nothing really matters but the platform [publisher ad server]. Nothing has such high switching costs. If there’s a better network or exchange, you can just switch to it. Switching platforms is a nightmare. Takes an act of God to do it.” 85. Following the DoubleClick purchase, Google cemented its position as the dominant intermediary between advertisers and publishers through a series of additional acquisitions that eliminated potential competitors and further bolstered Google’s position in open digital advertising. For example, in 2009, Google paid $750 million to purchase AdMob, a technology system that allowed publishers of mobile apps to sell ads as well. While Google’s conduct in the distinct market for mobile app advertising is outside the scope of this Complaint, Google’s anticompetitive conduct in the mobile apps market is consistent with the conduct alleged in the market for display advertising. 86. In 2010, Google acquired Invite Media for approximately $81 million. Invite Media offered a demand side platform. Google subsumed Invite Media into a demand side platform it was developing, Display & Video 360 (at the time, known as “DoubleClick Bid Manager”). By capturing an increasingly large share of bigger, more sophisticated advertisers and advertising agencies, Display & Video 360 complemented Google Ads and expanded Google’s control over advertiser demand. 87. In 2011, Google bought AdMeld for approximately $400 million. As discussed further below, AdMeld had developed technology to provide “yield management” functionality to publishers. Yield managers like AdMeld helped publishers manage inventory and optimize revenue by comparing offers from multiple advertiser demand sources at the same time. This comparison feature made it easier for new ad exchanges and advertiser demand sources to enter the ad tech industry because it gave publishers the incentive and ability to switch between ad exchanges and advertiser demand sources in response to better prices and service. 88. The DoubleClick, Invite Media, and AdMeld acquisitions helped Google achieve dominant positions at each level of the open web ad tech stack and set the stage for Google to control and manipulate the process by which publishers sell and advertisers buy open web display inventory. Continue Reading . Here About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case 1:23-cv-00108 retrieved on September 8, 2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. justice.gov

Google Achieved Market Dominance by Acquiring DoubleClick, Invite Media, & AdMeld, to name a few 

Google logró el dominio del mercado al adquirir DoubleClick, Invite Media y AdMeld, por nombrar algunos

Google a atteint sa domination sur le marché en acquérant DoubleClick, Invite Media et AdMeld, pour n'en nommer que quelques-uns

Google ने कुछ नाम रखने के लिए डबलक्लिक, इनवाइट मीडिया और एडमेल्ड का अधिग्रहण करके बाज़ार प्रभुत्व हासिल किया

Google は、数例を挙げると DoubleClick、Invite Media、AdMeld を買収することで市場の優位性を達成しました

O Google alcançou domínio de mercado ao adquirir DoubleClick, Invitation Media e AdMeld, para citar alguns

Google đã đạt được sự thống trị thị trường bằng cách mua lại DoubleClick, Mời truyền thông và AdMeld, cùng một số tên tuổi khác

Google 通过收购 DoubleClick、Invite Media 和 AdMeld 等公司实现了市场主导地位

Marget announced a party, and invited forty people;

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . A NOTE OF INVITATION here CHAPTER XIV: A NOTE OF INVITATION The next day was the 9th of November. I awoke after a long sleep of twelve hours. Conseil came, according to custom, to know “how I had passed the night,” and to offer his services. He had left his friend the Canadian sleeping like a man who had never done anything else all his life. I let the worthy fellow chatter as he pleased, without caring to answer him. I was pre-occupied by the absence of the Captain during our sitting of the day before, and hoping to see him to-day. As soon as I was dressed I went into the saloon. It was deserted. I plunged into the study of the shell treasures hidden behind the glasses. I revelled also in great herbals filled with the rarest marine plants, which, although dried up, retained their lovely colours. Amongst these precious hydrophytes I remarked some vorticellæ, pavonariæ, delicate ceramies with scarlet tints, some fan-shaped agari, and some natabuli like flat mushrooms, which at one time used to be classed as zoophytes; in short, a perfect series of algæ. The whole day passed without my being honoured by a visit from Captain Nemo. The panels of the saloon did not open. Perhaps they did not wish us to tire of these beautiful things. The course of the was E.N.E., her speed twelve knots, the depth below the surface between twenty-five and thirty fathoms. Nautilus The next day, 10th of November, the same desertion, the same solitude. I did not see one of the ship’s crew: Ned and Conseil spent the greater part of the day with me. They were astonished at the inexplicable absence of the Captain. Was this singular man ill?—had he altered his intentions with regard to us? After all, as Conseil said, we enjoyed perfect liberty, we were delicately and abundantly fed. Our host kept to his terms of the treaty. We could not complain, and, indeed, the singularity of our fate reserved such wonderful compensation for us, that we had no right to accuse it as yet. That day I commenced the journal of these adventures which has enabled me to relate them with more scrupulous exactitude and minute detail. I wrote it on paper made from the zostera marina. 11th November, early in the morning. The fresh air spreading over the interior of the told me that we had come to the surface of the ocean to renew our supply of oxygen. I directed my steps to the central staircase, and mounted the platform. Nautilus It was six o’clock, the weather was cloudy, the sea grey but calm. Scarcely a billow. Captain Nemo, whom I hoped to meet, would he be there? I saw no one but the steersman imprisoned in his glass cage. Seated upon the projection formed by the hull of the pinnace, I inhaled the salt breeze with delight. By degrees the fog disappeared under the action of the sun’s rays, the radiant orb rose from behind the eastern horizon. The sea flamed under its glance like a train of gunpowder. The clouds scattered in the heights were coloured with lively tints of beautiful shades, and numerous “mare’s tails,” which betokened wind for that day. But what was wind to this which tempests could not frighten! Nautilus I was admiring this joyous rising of the sun, so gay, and so lifegiving, when I heard steps approaching the platform. I was prepared to salute Captain Nemo, but it was his second (whom I had already seen on the Captain’s first visit) who appeared. He advanced on the platform, not seeming to see me. With his powerful glass to his eye he scanned every point of the horizon with great attention. This examination over, he approached the panel and pronounced a sentence in exactly these terms. I have remembered it, for every morning it was repeated under exactly the same conditions. It was thus worded— “Nautron respoc lorni virch.” What it meant I could not say. These words pronounced, the second descended. I thought that the was about to return to its submarine navigation. I regained the panel and returned to my chamber. Nautilus Five days sped thus, without any change in our situation. Every morning I mounted the platform. The same phrase was pronounced by the same individual. But Captain Nemo did not appear. I had made up my mind that I should never see him again, when, on the 16th November, on returning to my room with Ned and Conseil, I found upon my table a note addressed to me. I opened it impatiently. It was written in a bold, clear hand, the characters rather pointed, recalling the German type. The note was worded as follows— 16th of , 1867. November TO PROFESSOR ARONNAX, On board the . Nautilus Captain Nemo invites Professor Aronnax to a hunting-party, which will take place to-morrow morning in the forests of the island of Crespo. He hopes that nothing will prevent the Professor from being present, and he will with pleasure see him joined by his companions. CAPTAIN NEMO, Commander of the . Nautilus “A hunt!” exclaimed Ned. “And in the forests of the island of Crespo!” added Conseil. “Oh! then the gentleman is going on ” replied Ned Land. terra firma? “That seems to me to be clearly indicated,” said I, reading the letter once more. “Well, we must accept,” said the Canadian. “But once more on dry ground, we shall know what to do. Indeed, I shall not be sorry to eat a piece of fresh venison.” Without seeking to reconcile what was contradictory between Captain Nemo’s manifest aversion to islands and continents, and his invitation to hunt in a forest, I contented myself with replying— “Let us first see where the island of Crespo is.” I consulted the planisphere, and in 32° 40′ north lat. and 157° 50′ west long., I found a small island, recognised in 1801 by Captain Crespo, and marked in the ancient Spanish maps as Rocca de la Plata, the meaning of which is “The Silver Rock.” We were then about eighteen hundred miles from our starting-point, and the course of the , a little changed, was bringing it back towards the south-east. Nautilus I showed this little rock lost in the midst of the North Pacific to my companions. “If Captain Nemo does sometimes go on dry ground,” said I, “he at least chooses desert islands.” Ned Land shrugged his shoulders without speaking, and Conseil and he left me. After supper, which was served by the steward mute and impassive, I went to bed, not without some anxiety. The next morning, the 17th of November, on awakening, I felt that the was perfectly still. I dressed quickly and entered the saloon. Nautilus Captain Nemo was there, waiting for me. He rose, bowed, and asked me if it was convenient for me to accompany him. As he made no allusion to his absence during the last eight days, I did not mention it, and simply answered that my companions and myself were ready to follow him. We entered the dining-room, where breakfast was served. “M. Aronnax,” said the Captain, “pray, share my breakfast without ceremony; we will chat as we eat. For though I promised you a walk in the forest, I did not undertake to find hotels there. So breakfast as a man who will most likely not have his dinner till very late.” I did honour to the repast. It was composed of several kinds of fish, and slices of holothuridæ (excellent zoophytes), and different sorts of sea-weed. Our drink consisted of pure water, to which the Captain added some drops of a fermented liquor, extracted by the Kamschatcha method from a sea-weed known under the name of . Captain Nemo ate at first without saying a word. Then he began— Rhodomenia palmata “Sir, when I proposed to you to hunt in my submarine forest of Crespo, you evidently thought me mad. Sir, you should never judge lightly of any man.” “But Captain, believe me——” “Be kind enough to listen, and you will then see whether you have any cause to accuse me of folly and contradiction.” “I listen.” “You know as well as I do, Professor, that man can live under water, providing he carries with him a sufficient supply of breathable air. In submarine works, the workman, clad in an impervious dress, with his head in a metal helmet, receives air from above by means of forcing pumps and regulators.” “That is a diving apparatus,” said I. “Just so, but under these conditions the man is not at liberty; he is attached to the pump which sends him air through an india-rubber tube, and if we were obliged to be thus held to the , we could not go far.” Nautilus “And the means of getting free?” I asked. “It is to use the Rouquayrol apparatus, invented by two of your own countrymen, which I have brought to perfection for my own use, and which will allow you to risk yourself under these new physiological conditions without any organ whatever suffering. It consists of a reservoir of thick iron plates, in which I store the air under a pressure of fifty atmospheres. This reservoir is fixed on the back by means of braces, like a soldier’s knapsack. Its upper part forms a box in which the air is kept by means of a bellows, and therefore cannot escape unless at its normal tension. In the Rouquayrol apparatus such as we use, two india-rubber pipes leave this box and join a sort of tent which holds the nose and mouth; one is to introduce fresh air, the other to let out the foul, and the tongue closes one or the other according to the wants of the respirator. But I, in encountering great pressures at the bottom of the sea, was obliged to shut my head, like that of a diver in a ball of copper; and it is to this ball of copper that the two pipes, the inspirator and the expirator, open.” “Perfectly, Captain Nemo; but the air that you carry with you must soon be used; when it only contains fifteen per cent. of oxygen it is no longer fit to breathe.” “Right! But I told you, M. Aronnax, that the pumps of the allow me to store the air under considerable pressure, and on those conditions the reservoir of the apparatus can furnish breathable air for nine or ten hours.” Nautilus “I have no further objections to make,” I answered; “I will only ask you one thing, Captain—how can you light your road at the bottom of the sea?” “With the Ruhmkorff apparatus, M. Aronnax; one is carried on the back, the other is fastened to the waist. It is composed of a Bunsen pile, which I do not work with bichromate of potash, but with sodium. A wire is introduced which collects the electricity produced, and directs it towards a particularly made lantern. In this lantern is a spiral glass which contains a small quantity of carbonic gas. When the apparatus is at work this gas becomes luminous, giving out a white and continuous light. Thus provided, I can breathe and I can see.” “Captain Nemo, to all my objections you make such crushing answers, that I dare no longer doubt. But if I am forced to admit the Rouquayrol and Ruhmkorff apparatus, I must be allowed some reservations with regard to the gun I am to carry.” “But it is not a gun for powder,” answered the Captain. “Then it is an air-gun.” “Doubtless! How would you have me manufacture gunpowder on board, without either saltpetre, sulphur, or charcoal?” “Besides,” I added, “to fire under water in a medium eight hundred and fifty-five times denser than the air, we must conquer very considerable resistance.” “That would be no difficulty. There exist guns, according to Fulton, perfected in England by Philip Coles and Burley, in France by Furcy, and in Italy by Landi, which are furnished with a peculiar system of closing, which can fire under these conditions. But I repeat, having no powder, I use air under great pressure, which the pumps of the furnish abundantly.” Nautilus “But this air must be rapidly used?” “Well, have I not my Rouquayrol reservoir, which can furnish it at need? A tap is all that is required. Besides, M. Aronnax, you must see yourself that, during our submarine hunt, we can spend but little air and but few balls.” “But it seems to me that in this twilight, and in the midst of this fluid, which is very dense compared with the atmosphere, shots could not go far, nor easily prove mortal.” “Sir, on the contrary, with this gun every blow is mortal; and however lightly the animal is touched, it falls as if struck by a thunderbolt.” “Why?” “Because the balls sent by this gun are not ordinary balls, but little cases of glass (invented by Leniebroek, an Austrian chemist), of which I have a large supply. These glass cases are covered with a case of steel, and weighted with a pellet of lead; they are real Leyden bottles, into which the electricity is forced to a very high tension. With the slightest shock they are discharged, and the animal, however strong it may be, falls dead. I must tell you that these cases are size number four, and that the charge for an ordinary gun would be ten.” “I will argue no longer,” I replied, rising from the table; “I have nothing left me but to take my gun. At all events, I will go where you go.” Captain Nemo then led me aft; and in passing before Ned’s and Conseil’s cabin, I called my two companions, who followed immediately. We then came to a kind of cell near the machinery-room, in which we were to put on our walking-dress. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1994). Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/164/164-h/164-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

A NOTE OF INVITATION

The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . Mr. McGrath Refuses an Invitation VII. Mr. McGrath Refuses an Invitation The letters were gone! Having once made up his mind to the fact of their disappearance, there was nothing to do but accept it. Anthony realized very well that he could not pursue Giuseppe through the corridors of the Blitz Hotel. To do so was to court undesired publicity, and in all probability to fail in his object all the same. He came to the conclusion that Giuseppe had mistaken the packet of letters, enclosed as they were in the other wrappings, for the Memoirs themselves. It was likely therefore that when he discovered his mistake he would make another attempt to get hold of the Memoirs. For this attempt Anthony intended to be fully prepared. Another plan that occurred to him was to advertize discreetly for the return of the package of letters. Supposing Giuseppe to be an emissary of the Comrades of the Red Hand, or, which seemed to Anthony more probable, to be employed by the Loyalist party, the letters could have no possible interest for either employer and he would probably jump at the chance of obtaining a small sum of money for their return. Having thought out all this, Anthony returned to bed and slept peacefully until morning. He did not fancy that Giuseppe would be anxious for a second encounter that night. Anthony got up with his plan of campaign fully thought out. He had a good breakfast, glanced at the papers which were full of the new discoveries of oil in Herzoslovakia, and then demanded an interview with the manager, and, being Anthony Cade, with a gift for getting his own way by means of quiet determination, he obtained what he asked for. The manager, a Frenchman with an exquisitely suave manner, received him in his private office. “You wished to see me, I understand, Mr.—er—McGrath?” “I did. I arrived at your hotel yesterday afternoon, and I had dinner served to me in my own rooms by a waiter whose name was Giuseppe.” He paused. “I dare say we have a waiter of that name,” agreed the manager indifferently. “I was struck by something unusual in the waiter’s manner, but thought nothing more of it at the time. Later, in the night, I was awakened by the sound of some one moving softly about the room. I switched on the light, and found this same Giuseppe in the act of rifling my leather suit-case.” The manager’s indifference had completely disappeared now. “But I have heard nothing of this,” he exclaimed. “Why was I not informed sooner?” “The man and I had a brief struggle—he was armed with a knife by the way. In the end he succeeded in making off by way of the window.” “What did you do then, Mr. McGrath?” “I examined the contents of my suit-case.” “Had anything been taken?” “Nothing of—importance,” said Anthony slowly. The manager leaned back with a sigh. “I am glad of that,” he remarked. “But you will allow me to say, Mr. McGrath, that I do not quite understand your attitude in the matter. You made no attempt to arouse the hotel? To pursue the thief?” Anthony shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing of value had been taken, as I tell you. I am aware, of course, that strictly speaking it is a case for the police——” He paused, and the manager murmured without any particular enthusiasm: “For the police—of course——” “In any case, I was fairly certain that the man would manage to make good his escape, and since nothing was taken why bother with the police?” The manager smiled a little. “I see that you realize, Mr. McGrath, that I am not at all anxious to have the police called in. From my point of view it is always disastrous. If the newspapers can get hold of anything connected with a big fashionable hotel such as this, they always run it for all it is worth, no matter how insignificant the real subject matter may be.” “Quite so,” agreed Anthony. “Now I told you that nothing of value had been taken, and that was perfectly true in a sense. Nothing of any value to the thief was taken, but he got hold of something which is of considerable value to me.” “Ah?” “Letters, you understand.” An expression of superhuman discretion, only to be achieved by a Frenchman, settled down upon the manager’s face. “I comprehend,” he murmured. “But perfectly. Naturally, it is not a matter for the police.” “We are quite agreed upon that point. But you will understand that I have every intention of recovering these letters. In the part of the world where I come from, people are used to doing things for themselves. What I require from you therefore is the fullest possible information you can give me about this waiter, Giuseppe.” “I see no objection to that,” said the manager after a moment or two’s pause. “I cannot give you the information offhand, of course, but if you will return in half an hour’s time I will have everything ready to lay before you.” “Thank you very much. That will suit me admirably.” In half an hour’s time, Anthony returned to the office again to find that the manager had been as good as his word. Jotted down upon a piece of paper were all the relevant facts known about Giuseppe Manelli. “He came to us, you see, about three months ago. A skilled and experienced waiter. Has given complete satisfaction. He has been in England about five years.” Together the two men ran over a list of the hotels and restaurants where the Italian had worked. One fact struck Anthony as being possibly of significance. At two of the hotels in question there had been serious robberies during the time that Giuseppe was employed there, though no suspicion of any kind had attached to him in either case. Still, the fact was significant. Was Giuseppe merely a clever hotel thief? Had his search of Anthony’s suit-case been merely part of his habitual professional tactics? He might just possibly have had the packet of letters in his hand at the moment when Anthony switched on the light, and have shoved it into his pocket mechanically so as to have his hands free. In that case, the thing was mere plain or garden robbery. Against that, there was to be put the man’s excitement of the evening before when he had caught sight of the papers lying on the table. There had been no money or object of value there such as would excite the cupidity of an ordinary thief. No, Anthony felt convinced that Giuseppe had been acting as a tool for some outside agency. With the information supplied to him by the manager, it might be possible to learn something about Giuseppe’s private life, and so finally track him down. He gathered up the sheet of paper and rose. “Thank you very much indeed. It’s quite unnecessary to ask, I suppose, whether Giuseppe is still in the hotel?” The manager smiled. “His bed was not slept in, and all his things have been left behind. He must have rushed straight out after his attack upon you. I don’t think there is much chance of our seeing him again.” “I imagine not. Well, thank you very much indeed. I shall be staying on here for the present.” “I hope you will be successful in your task, but I confess that I am rather doubtful.” “I always hope for the best.” One of Anthony’s first proceedings was to question some of the other waiters who had been friendly with Giuseppe, but he obtained very little to go upon. He wrote out an advertisement on the lines he had planned, and had it sent to five of the most widely read newspapers. He was just about to go out and visit the restaurant at which Giuseppe had been previously employed when the telephone rang. Anthony took up the receiver. “Hullo, what is it?” A toneless voice replied. “Am I speaking to Mr. McGrath?” “You are. Who are you?” “This is Messrs. Balderson and Hodgkins. Just a minute, please. I will put you through to Mr. Balderson.” “Our worthy publishers,” thought Anthony. “So they are getting worried too, are they? They needn’t. There’s a week to run still.” A hearty voice struck suddenly upon his ear. “Hullo! That Mr. McGrath?” “Speaking.” “I’m Mr. Balderson of Balderson and Hodgkins. What about that manuscript, Mr. McGrath?” “Well,” said Anthony, “what about it?” “Everything about it. I understand, Mr. McGrath, that you have just arrived in this country from South Africa. That being so, you can’t possibly understand the position. There’s going to be trouble about that manuscript, Mr. McGrath, big trouble. Sometimes I wish we’d never said we’d handle it.” “Indeed?” “I assure you it’s so. At present I’m anxious to get it into my possession as quickly as possible, so as to have a couple of copies made. Then, if the original is destroyed—well, no harm will be done.” “Dear me,” said Anthony. “Yes, I expect it sounds absurd to you, Mr. McGrath. But, I assure you, you don’t appreciate the situation. There’s a determined effort being made to prevent its ever reaching this office. I say to you quite frankly and without humbug that if you attempt to bring it yourself it’s ten to one that you’ll never get here.” “I doubt that,” said Anthony. “When I want to get anywhere, I usually do.” “You’re up against a very dangerous lot of people. I wouldn’t have believed it myself a month ago. I tell you, Mr. McGrath, we’ve been bribed and threatened and cajoled by one lot and another until we don’t know whether we’re on our heads or our heels. My suggestion is that you do not attempt to bring the manuscript here. One of our people will call upon you at the hotel and take possession of it.” “And supposing the gang does him in?” asked Anthony. “The responsibility would then be ours—not yours. You would have delivered it to our representative and obtained a written discharge. The cheque for—er—a thousand pounds which we are instructed to hand to you will not be available until Wednesday next by the terms of our agreement with the executors of the late—er—author—you know whom I mean, but if you insist I will send my own cheque for that amount by the messenger.” Anthony reflected for a minute or two. He had intended to keep the Memoirs until the last day of grace, because he was anxious to see for himself what all the fuss was about. Nevertheless, he realized the force of the publisher’s arguments. “All right,” he said, with a little sigh. “Have it your own way. Send your man along. And if you don’t mind sending that cheque as well I’d rather have it now, as I may be going out of England before next Wednesday.” “Certainly, Mr. McGrath. Our representative will call upon you first thing to-morrow morning. It will be wiser not to send anyone direct from the office. Our Mr. Holmes lives in South London. He will call in on his way to us, and will give you a receipt for the package. I suggest that to-night you should place a dummy packet in the manager’s safe. Your enemies will get to hear of this, and it will prevent any attack being made upon your apartments to-night.” “Very well, I will do as you direct.” Anthony hung up the receiver with a thoughtful face. Then he went on with his interrupted plan of seeking news of the slippery Giuseppe. He drew a complete blank, however. Giuseppe had worked at the restaurant in question, but nobody seemed to know anything of his private life or associates. “But I’ll get you, my lad,” murmured Anthony, between his teeth. “I’ll get you yet. It’s only a matter of time.” His second night in London was entirely peaceful. At nine o’clock the following morning, the card of Mr. Holmes from Messrs. Balderson and Hodgkins was sent up, and Mr. Holmes followed it. A small, fair man with a quiet manner. Anthony handed over the manuscript, and received in exchange a cheque for a thousand pounds. Mr. Holmes packed up the manuscript in the small brown bag he carried, wished Anthony good morning, and departed. The whole thing seemed very tame. “But perhaps he’ll be murdered on the way there,” Anthony murmured aloud, as he stared idly out of the window. “I wonder now—I very much wonder.” He put the cheque in an envelope, enclosed a few lines of writing with it, and sealed it up carefully. Jimmy, who had been more or less in funds at the time of his encounter with Anthony at Bulawayo, had advanced him a substantial sum of money which was, as yet, practically untouched. “If one’s job’s done with, the other isn’t,” said Anthony to himself. “Up to now, I’ve bungled it. But never say die. I think that, suitably disguised, I shall go and have a look at 487, Pont Street.” He packed his belongings, went down and paid his bill, and ordered his luggage to be put on a taxi. Suitably rewarding those who stood in his path, most of whom had done nothing whatever materially to add to his comfort, he was on the point of being driven off, when a small boy rushed down the steps with a letter. “Just come for you, this very minute, sir.” With a sigh, Anthony produced yet another shilling. The taxi groaned heavily and jumped forward with a hideous crashing of gears, and Anthony opened the letter. It was rather a curious document. He had to read it four times before he could be sure of what it was all about. Put in plain English (the letter was not in plain English, but in the peculiar involved style common to missives issued by Government officials) it presumed that Mr. McGrath was arriving in England from South Africa to-day—Thursday, it referred obliquely to the Memoirs of Count Stylptitch, and begged Mr. McGrath to do nothing in the matter until he had had a confidential conversation with Mr. George Lomax, and certain other parties whose magnificence was vaguely hinted at. It also contained a definite invitation to go down to Chimneys as the guest of Lord Caterham, on the following day, Friday. A mysterious and thoroughly obscure communication. Anthony enjoyed it very much. “Dear old England,” he murmured affectionately. “Two days behind the times, as usual. Rather a pity. Still, I can’t go down to Chimneys under false pretences. I wonder, though, if there’s an inn handy? Mr. Anthony Cade might stay at the inn without anyone being the wiser.” He leaned out of the window, and gave new directions to the taxi driver, who acknowledged them with a snort of contempt. The taxi drew up before one of London’s more obscure hostelries. The fare, however, was paid on a scale befitting its point of departure. Having booked a room in the name of Anthony Cade, Anthony passed into a dingy writing-room, took out a sheet of notepaper stamped with the legend Hotel Blitz, and wrote rapidly. He explained that he had arrived on the preceding Tuesday, that he had handed over the manuscript in question to Messrs. Balderson and Hodgkins, and he regretfully declined the kind invitation of Lord Caterham as he was leaving England almost immediately. He signed the letter “Yours faithfully, James McGrath.” “And now,” said Anthony, as he affixed the stamp to the envelope. “To business. Exit James McGrath, and Enter Anthony Cade.” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Agatha Christie (1998). The Secret of Chimneys. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65238/pg65238-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

Mr. McGrath Refuses an Invitation

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