TARRANO

 THE CONQUEROR

 BY RAY CUMMINGS

COPYRIGHT, 1930, BYA. C. McCLURG & CO. CHICAGO

IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND THE PAN AMERICANUNION. 

Printed in the United States of America

To Hugo Gernsback, scientist, author and publisher, whose constantefforts in behalf of scientific fiction have contributed so largelyto its present popularity, this tale is gratefully dedicated. 

FOREWORD

_In "Tarrano the Conqueror" is presented a tale of the year 2430 A. D. --atime somewhat farther beyond our present-day era than we are beyondColumbus' discovery of America. My desire has been to create for you theimpression that you have suddenly been plunged forward into thattime--to give you the feeling Columbus might have had could he have reada novel of our present-day life. 

To this end I have conceived myself a writer of that future time, addressing his contemporary public. You are to imagine yourself readinga present day translation of my original text--a translation so freethat a thousand little colloquialisms will have crept into it that couldnot possibly have their counterparts in the year 2430. 

Apart from the text, you will occasionally find brief explanatoryfootnotes. Conceive them as having been put there by the translator. 

If you find parts of this tale unusual or bizarre, please remember thatwe are living now in a comparatively ignorant day. The tale is notintended to be fantastic or full of new and strange ideas. I have usednothing but those developments of our present-day civilization to whichwe are all looking forward as logical probabilities--woven them into apicture of what life in America very probably will be five hundred yearsfrom now. To that extent, the tale itself is intended to be only a lovestory of adventure and romance--written, not for you, but for thatfuture audience. _

RAY CUMMINGS. 

CONTENTS

 I. The New Murders

 II. Warning

 III. Spy in the House

 IV. To the North Pole

 V. Outlawed Flight

 VI. Man of Destiny

 VII. Prisoners

 VIII. Unknown Friend

 IX. Paralyzed!

 X. Georg Escapes

 XI. Recaptured

 XII. Tara

 XIII. Love--and Hate

 XIV. Defying Worlds

 XV. Escape

 XVI. Playground of Venus

 XVII. Violet Beam of Death

 XVIII. Passing of a Friend

 XIX. Waters of Eternal Peace

 XX. Unseen Menace

 XXI. Love, Music--and a Warning

 XXII. Revolution!

 XXIII. First Retreat

 XXIV. Attack on the Palace

 XXV. Immortal Terror

 XXVI. Black Cloud of Death

 XXVII. Tarrano The Man

 XXVIII. Thing in the Forest

 XXIX. A Woman's Scream

 XXX. The Monster

 XXXI. Industriana

 XXXII. Departure

 XXXIII. First Assault

 XXXIV. Invisible Assailants

 XXXV. Attack on the Power House

 XXXVI. City of Ice Besieged

 XXXVII. Battle

TARRANO THE CONQUEROR

CHAPTER I

_The New Murders_

I was standing fairly close to the President of the Anglo-Saxon Republicwhen the first of the new murders was committed. The President fellalmost at my feet. I was quite certain then that the Venus man at myelbow was the murderer. I don't know why, call it intuition if you will. The Venus man did not make a move; he merely stood beside me in thepress of the throng, seemingly as absorbed as all of us in what thePresident was saying. 

It was late afternoon. The sun was setting behind the cliffs across theriver. There were perhaps a hundred and fifty thousand people withinsight of the President, listening raptly to his words. It was at ParkSixty, and I was standing on the Tenth Level. [1] The crowd packed alltwelve of the levels; the park was black with people. The Presidentstood on a balcony of the park tower. He was no more than a few hundredfeet above me, well within direct earshot. Around him on all sides werethe electric megaphones which carried his voice to all parts of theaudience. Behind me, a thousand feet overhead, the main aerials werescattering it throughout the city, I suppose five million people werelistening to the voice of the President at that moment. He had just saidthat we must remain friendly with Venus; that in our enlightened agecontroversies were inevitable, but that they should be settled withsober thought--around the council table. This talk of war wasridiculous. He was denouncing the public news-broadcasters; moulders ofpublic opinion, who every day--every hour--must offer a new sensation totheir millions of subscribers. 

[Footnote 1: New York City, about where Yonkers now stands. ]

He had reached this point when without warning his body pitched forward. The balcony rail caught it; and it hung there inert. The slanting raysof the sun fell full upon the ruffled white shirt; white, but turningpink, then red, with the crimson stain welling out from beneath. 

For an instant the crowd was stunned into silence. Then a murmur arose, and swelled into shouts of horror. A surge of people swept me forward. Icould not see clearly what was happening on the balcony. The form of themurdered President was hanging there against the rail; a score ofgovernment officials were rushing toward it; but the body, toppling overthe low support, came hurtling downward into the crowd, quite near me;but I could not reach it--the throng was too dense. 

The shouts everywhere were deafening. I was shoved along the Tenth Levelby the press of people coming up the stairway. Shouts, excitedquestions; the wail of children almost trampled under foot; the screamsof women. And over it all, the electrically magnified voice of thetraffic director-general in the peak of the main tower roaring hisorders to the crowd. 

It was a panic until the traffic-directors descended upon us. We werepushed up on the moving sidewalks. North or south, whichever directioncame handiest, we were herded upon the sidewalks and whirled away. Witha hundred other spectators near me I was shoved to a sidewalk movingsouth along the Tenth Level. It was going some four miles an hour. Butthey would not let me stay there. From behind, the crowd was shoving;and from one parallel strip of moving pavement to the other I was pushedalong--until at last I reached the seats of the forty mile an hourinside section. 

The scene at Park Sixty was far out of direct sight and hearing. Thepark there had already been cleared of spectators, I knew; and they weredoubtless bearing the President's body away. 

"Murdered!" said a man beside me. "Murdered! Look there!"

We were across the river, into Manhattan. The Tenth Level here runsabout four hundred feet above the ground-street of the city. The manbeside me was pointing to a steel tower we were passing. It was severalhundreds yards away; on its side abreast of us was a forty-foot squarenews-mirror, brightly illumined. On all the stairways and balconies herea local crowd had gathered, watching the mirror. It was reporting thepresent scene at Park Sixty. As we sped past the tower I could see inthe silver surface of the mirror the image of the now empty park fromwhich we had been so summarily ejected. They were carrying off thePresident's body; a little group of officials bearing it away; red, broken, gruesome, with the dying rays of the sun still upon it. Carryingit slowly along to where an aero-car was waiting on the side landingstage. 

We were past the mirror in a moment. 

"Murdered, " the man next to me repeated. "The President murdered. "

He seemed stunned, as indeed everyone was. Then he eyed me--my cap, which had on it the insignia of my calling. 

"You are one of them, " he said bitterly. "The last word he said--thelurid news-gatherers. "

But I shook my head. "We are necessary. It was unfortunate that heshould have said that. "

I had no opportunity to talk further. The man moved away toward the footof a landing stage near us. A south-bound flyer had overtaken us and waslanding. I boarded it also, and ten minutes later was in my office inSouth-Manhattan. 

I was at this time employed by one of the most enterprisingnews-organizations in Greater New York. There was pandemonium in therethat evening. My supper came up in the pneumatic tube from the publiccookery nearby, but I had hardly time to taste it. 

This, the evening of May 12, 2430, was for me--and for all theEarth--the most stirring evening of history. Events of inter-planetaryimportance tumbled over each other as they came to us through the airfrom the Official Information Stations. And we--myself and a thousandlike me in our office--retold them for our twenty million subscribersthroughout the Anglo-Saxon Nation. 

The President of the Anglo-Saxon Republic was murdered at 5:10. It wasthe first of the new murders. I say new murders, for not in two hundredyears had the life of so high an official been wilfully taken. But itwas only the first. At 6:15 word came from Tokyohama, [2] that the rulerof Allied Mongolia was dead--murdered under similar circumstances. Andten minutes later from Mombozo, Africa, the blacks reported their leaderkilled while asleep in his official residence. 

[Footnote 2: Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan. ]

The Earth momentarily was without leadership!

I was struggling to get accounts of these successive disasters out overour audiophones. Above my desk, in a duplicating mirror fromHeadquarters, I could see that at the palace of Mombozo a throng ofterrified blacks were gathered. It was night there--a blurred scene offlashing lights and frightened, milling people. 

Greys--next to me--had a mirror tuned to Tokyohama. The sun there wasshining upon almost a similar scene of panic. Black and yellow men--onopposite sides of the Earth. And between them our white races inturmoil. Outside my own window I could hear the shouts of the crowd thatjammed the Twentieth Level. 

Greys leaned toward me. "Seven o'clock, Jac. You've got the arrival ofthe Venus mail. Don't overlook it ... By the code, man, your hands areshaking! You're white as a ghost!"

The Venus mail; I had forgotten it completely. 

"Greys, I wonder if it'll get in. "

He stared at me strangely. "You're thinking that, too. I told theBritish National Announcer it was a Venus plot. He laughed at me. ThoseGreat Londoners can't see their fingers before them. He said, 'That'syour lurid sense of newscasting. '"

Venus plot! I remembered my impressions of the Venus man who was besideme when our President fell. 

Greys was back at his work. I swept the south shore of Eastern Island[3]with my finder, and picked up the image of the inter-planetary landingstage, at which the Venus mail was due to arrive. I could see the blazeof lights plainly; and with another, closer focus I caught the hugelanding platform itself. It was empty. 

[Footnote 3: Now Long Island. ]

The station-master there answered my call. He had no word of the mail. 

"Try the lookout at Table Mountain, " he advised me. "They may be comingdown that way.... Sure I'll let you know.... What a night! They say thatin Mediterrania--"

But I cut off; it was no time to chat with him. Table Mountain, Capetown, had no word of the mail. Then I caught the Yukon Station. Themail flyer had come down on the North Polar side--was already crossingHudson Bay. 

At 8:26 it landed on Eastern Island. A deluge of Venus despatchesoverwhelmed me. But the mail news, before I could even begin to handlemy section of it, was far overshadowed. Venus, now at 8:44 was callingus by helio. The message came in the inter-planetary code, was decodedat National Headquarters, and from there flashed to us. 

The ruler of the Venus Central State was murdered! An almost incoherentmessage. The murder of the ruler, at a time co-incident with 6:30 inGreater New York. Then the words:

_"City being attacked ... Tarrano, beware Tarrano ... You are in dangerof ... "_

In danger of what? The message broke off. The observers, behind theirhuge telescopes at the Potomac Headquarters, saw the helio-lights of theVenus Central State go dark suddenly. Our own station flashed its call, but there was no answer. Venus--evening star on that date--was sinkingto the horizon. But our Observatory in Texas could see the planetclearly; and gave the same report. 

Communication was broken. The authorities of the Venus CentralState--friendly to us in spite of the recent immigrationcontroversy--had tried to warn us. 

Of what?

CHAPTER II

_Warning_

It must have been nearly nine o'clock when a personal message came forme. Not through the ordinary open airways, but in the National Length, and coded. It came to my desk by official messenger, decoded, printedand sealed. 

 _Jac Hallen, Inter-Allied News_. Come to me, North-east Island at once, if they can spare you. Important. Answer. 

 Dr. Brende. 

Our Division Manager scanned the message curiously and told me I couldgo. I got off my answer. I did not dare call Dr. Brende openly, since hehad used the code, but sent it the same way. I would be up at once. 

With a word of good-bye to Greys, I shoved aside my work, caught up aheavy jacket and cap and left the office. The levels outside ourbuilding were still jammed with an excited throng. I pushed my waythrough it, up to the entrance to the Staten Bridge. The waters of theharbor beneath me had a broad band of moonlight upon them, dim in theglare of the city lights. I glanced upward with satisfaction. A goodnight for air-traveling. 

My small personal air-car was on the stage near the bridge entrance. Theattendant was there, staring at me as I dashed up in such haste. Hehanded me my key from the rack. 

"Going far, Jac? What a night! They'll be ordering them off if many morego up.... Going north?"

"No, " I said shortly. 

I was away, rising with my helicopters until the city was a yellow hazebeneath me. I _was_ going north--to Dr. Brende's little private islandoff the coast of Maine. The lower lanes were pretty well crowded. Itried one of the north-bound at 8, 000 feet; but the going was awkward. Then I went to 16, 000. 

But Grille, the attendant back at the bridge, evidently had his finderon me, out of plain curiosity. He called me. 

"They'll chase you out of there, " came his voice. "Nothing doing upthere tonight. That's reserved. Didn't you know it?"

I grinned at him. In the glow of my pitlight I hoped he could see myface and the grin. 

"They'll never catch me, " I said. "I'm traveling fast tonight. "

"Chase you out, " he persisted. "The patrol's keeping them low. GeneralOrders, an hour ago. Didn't you know it?"

"No. "

"Well, you ought to. You ought to know everything in your business. Besides, the lights are up. "

They were indeed; I could see them in all the towers underneath me. Iwas flying north-east; and at the moment, with a following wind, I wasdoing something over three-fifty. 

"But they'll shut off your power, " Grille warned. "You'll come down soonenough then. "

Which was also true enough. The evening local-express for Boston andbeyond was overhauling me. And when the green beam of a traffic towercame up and picked me out, I decided I had better obey. Dutifully Idescended until the beam, satisfied, swung away from me. 

At 8, 000 feet, I went on. There was too much traffic for decent speedand the directors in every pilot bag and tower I passed seemed watchingme closely. At the latitude of Boston, I swung out to sea, off the mainarteries of travel. The early night mail for Eurasia, [4] with GreatLondon its first stop, went by me far overhead. I could make out itsgreen and purple lights, and the spreading silver beam that preceded it. 

[Footnote 4: Now Europe and Asia. ]

Alone in my pit, with the dull whir of my propellers alone breaking thesilence of the night, I pondered the startling events of the past fewhours. Above me the stars and planets gleamed in the deep purple of analmost cloudless sky. Venus had long since dropped below the horizon. But Mars was up there--approaching the zenith. I wondered what theMartian helio might be saying. I could have asked Greys back at theoffice. But Greys, I knew, would be too busy to bother with me. 

What could Dr. Brende want of me? I was glad he had sent for me--therewas nowhere I would rather have gone this particular evening. And itwould give me a chance to see Elza again. 

I could tell by the light-numerals below, that I was now over Maine. Idid not need to consult my charts; I had been up this way many times, for, the Brendes--the doctor, his daughter Elza, and her twin brotherGeorg--I counted my best friends. 

I was over the sea, with the coast of Maine to my left. The traffic, since I left the line of Boston, had been far less. The patrols flashedby me at intervals, but they did not molest me. 

I descended presently, and located the small two-mile island which Dr. Brende owned and upon which he lived. 

It was 10:20 when I came down to find them waiting for me on the runway. 

The doctor held out both his hands. "Good enough, Jac. I got yourcode--we've been waiting for you. "

"It's crowded, " I said. "Heavy up to Boston. And they wouldn't let me gohigh. "

He nodded. And then Elza put her cool little hand in mine. 

"We're glad to see you, Jac. Very glad. "

They took me to the house. Dr. Brende was a small, dark man ofsixty-odd, smooth-shaven, a thin face, with a mop of iron-grey hairabove it, and keen dark eyes beneath bushy white brows. He was usuallykindly and gentle of manner--at times a little abstracted; at othertimes he could be more forceful and direct than anyone with whom I hadever had contact. 

At the house we were joined by the doctor's son, Georg. My best friend, I should say; certainly, for my part, I treasured his friendship veryhighly. He and Elza were twins--twenty-three years old at this time. Iam two years older; and I had been a room-mate with Georg at the CommonUniversity of the Potomac. 

Our friendship had, if anything, grown closer since my promotion intothe business world. Yet we were as unlike as two individuals couldpossibly be. I am dark-haired, slim, and of comparatively slightmuscular strength. Restless--full of nervous energy--and, they tell me, somewhat short of temper. Georg was a blond, powerful young giant. Ahead taller than I--blue-eyed, from his mother, now dead--square-jawed, and a complexion pink and white. He was slow to anger. He seldom spokeimpulsively; and usually with a slow, quiet drawl. Always he seemedlooking at life and people with a half-humorous smile--looking at thehuman pageant with its foibles, follies and frailties--tolerantly. Yetthere was nothing conceited about him. Quite the reverse. He wasgenerally wholly deprecating in manner, as though he himself were ofleast importance. Until aroused. In our days of learning, I saw Georgonce--just once--thoroughly angered. 

"... Came up promptly, didn't you?" Georg was saying. He was leading meto the house doorway, but I stopped him. 

"Let's go to the grove, " I suggested. We turned down from the smallviaduct, passed the house, and went into the heavy grove of treesnearby. 

"He's hungry, " Elza declared. "Jac, did you eat at the office tonight?"

"Yes, " I said. 

"Did you really?"

"Some, " I admitted. In truth the run up here had brought me a thoroughlyhearty appetite, which I just realized. 

"I was pretty busy, you know, " I added. "Such a night--but don't youbother. "

But she had already scurried away toward the house. Dear little Elza! Iwished then, for the hundredth time, that I was a man of wealth--or atleast, not as poor as a tower timekeeper. True, I made fair money--butthe urge to spend it recklessly dominated me. I decided in that moment, to reform for good; and lay by enough to justify asking a woman to be mywife. 

We reclined on a mossy bank in the grove of trees, so thick a grove thatit hid the house from our sight. 

The doctor extinguished the glowing lights with which the tree-brancheswere dotted. We were in the semi-darkness of a beautiful, moonlit night. 

"Don't go to sleep, Jac!"

I became aware that Georg and his father were smiling at me. 

I sat up, snapping my wits into alertness. "No. Of course not. I guessI'm tired. You've no idea what the office was like tonight. Roaring. "

"I can imagine, " Georg said. "You were at Park Sixty when the Presidentfell, weren't you?"

"Yes. But I wasn't supposed to be. I wasn't assigned to that. How didyou guess?"

"Elza saw you. She had our finder on you--I couldn't push her away fromit. " His slow smile was quizzical. 

"On me? In all that crowd. She must have searched about very carefullyto----"

I stopped; I could feel my cheeks burning, and was glad of the dimnessthere under the trees. 

"She did, " said Georg. 

"I sent for you, Jac, " Dr. Brende interjected abstractedly, "because----"

But Georg checked him. "Not now, father. Someone--anyone--might pick youup. Your words--or read your lips--there's light enough here to registeron a finder. "

The doctor nodded. "He's afraid--you see, Jac, it's these Venus----"

"Father--please. It's a long chance--but why take any? We can insulatein the house. "

The chance that someone who shouldn't be, was tuned to us as we satthere in that lonely grove! With the doctor's widespread reputation--hismore than national prominence--it did not seem to me to be such a longchance either, on this, of all nights. 

"As you say, no use in putting private things into the public air, " Iremarked; and I felt then as though a thousand hostile eyes and earswere watching and listening. "We can talk of what everybody knows, "Georg commented. "The Martian Ruler of the Little People wasassassinated an hour ago. You heard that coming up?"

"No, " I said; but I had imagined as much. "Did they say--"

"They said nothing, " Dr. Brende put in. "The flash of a dozen helioedwords--no more. "

"It went dark, like Venus?"

"No. Just discontinued. I judge they're excited up there--the Bureaudisorganized perhaps--I don't know. That was the last we got at thehouse, just before you came down. There may be something in therenow--you Inter-Allied people are pretty reliable. "

The ruler of the Venus Central State, the leading monarch of Mars, andour three chief executives of Earth--murdered almost simultaneously! Itwas incredible--any one of the murders would have been incredible--yetit was true. 

There had been times--in the Inter-Allied Office, particularly--when Ihad been insulated from aerial eavesdropping. But never had I felt theneed of it more than now. A constraint fell over me; I seemed afraid tosay anything. I think we all three felt very much like that; and it wasa relief when Elza arrived with my dainty little meal. 

"Any word from Mars, Elza?" her father asked. 

She sat down beside me, helping me to the food. 

"I did not look, " she answered. 

She did not look, because she was busy preparing my meal! Dear littleElza! And because of my accursed extravagance--my poverty--no word oflove had ever passed between us!

I thought I had never seen Elza so beautiful as this moment. A slimlittle thing, perfectly formed and matured, and inches shorter than I. Thick brown hair braided, and hanging below her waist. A face--pretty asher mother's must have been--yet intellectual as her father's. 

I had taken Elza to the great music festivals of the city, and countedher the best dressed girl in all the vast throng. Tonight she wasdressed simply. A grey-blue, tubular sort of skirt, clinging close tothe lines of her figure and split at the side for walking; atight-fitting bodice, light in color (a man knows little of thetechnicalities of such things); throat bare, with a flaring rolledcollar behind--a throat like a rose-petal with the moonlight on it; armsbare, save for the upper, triangular sleeves. 

It must suffice; I can only say she was adorable. Almost in silence Iate my meal, with her beside me. 

Georg went into the house once, to consult the news-tape. It was crowdedwith Earth events--excitement, confusion everywhere--inconsequentialreports, they seemed, by comparison with what had gone before. But ofhelios from Mars, or Venus, there were none reported. Of Venus, the tapesaid nothing save that each of our westward stations was vainly callingin turn, as the planet dropped toward its horizon. 

I finished my meal--too leisurely for Georg and the doctor; and then weall went into the house, to the insulated room where at last we couldtalk openly. 

As we entered the main corridor, we heard the low voice of theInter-Allied news-announcer, coming from the disc in a room nearby. 

_"And Venus----"_

The words caught our attention. We hurried in, and stood by theInter-Allied equipment. Georg picked up the pile of tape whereon theannouncer's words were being printed. He ran back over it. 

"Another helio from Venus!" he exclaimed. "Ten minutes ago. "

And then I saw his lips go tight together. He made no move to hide thetape from Elza, but she was beside him and already reading it. Herfingers switched off the announcer's droning voice. 

_"Pacific Coastal Station, "_ Elza read. In the sudden silence of theroom her voice was low, clear, and steady, though her hands weretrembling. _"P. C. S. 10. 42 Venus helio. 'Defeat! Beware Tarrano! Notifyyour Dr. Brende in Eurasia, danger. '"_

We men stared at each other. But Elza went on reading. 

_"P. C. S. 10. 44 Venus helio. 'Lost! No more! Smashing apparatus!' TheVenus sending station went dark at 10. 44. 30. Hawaiian station will calllater, but have little hope of re-establishing connection. Tokyohama10. 46 Official, via Potomac National Headquarters. Excitement herecontinues. Levels crowded----"_

Elza dropped the tape. "That's all of importance. Venus Central Stationwarning _you_, father. "

A buzz across the room called the doctor to his personal receiver. Itwas a message in code from Potomac National Headquarters. We watched thequeer-looking characters printing on the tape. Very softly, in a voicehardly above a whisper, Georg decoded it. 

_"Dr. Brende, see P. C. S. 10. 42, warning you, probably of Venusimmigrants now here. Do you need guard? Or will you come to Washingtonat once for personal safety?"_

"Father!" cried Elza. 

Georg burst out. "Enough of this. We cannot--dare not talk in here. Father, come----"

We went out into the corridor again, across which was the small roominsulated from all aerial vibrations. In the corridor a figure wasstanding--the one other member of the Brende household--themaid-servant, a girl about Elza's age. I knew her well, of course, butthis evening I had forgotten her existence. She was standing in thecorridor. Did I imagine it, or had she been gazing up at the mechanismten feet above the floor--the mechanism controlling the insulated room?

"You wish me, Miss Elza? I thought I heard you call. "

"No, Ahla, not 'til later. "

With a gesture of respect, the girl withdrew, passing from our sightdown the incline which led to the lower part of the house. 

It was a very small incident, but in view of what was transpiring, itgave me a shock nevertheless. 

For Elza's maid was a Venus girl!

CHAPTER III

_Spy in the House_

The insulated room was small, with a dome-shaped ceiling, no windows, and but one small, heavy door through which we entered, closing itcarefully behind us. 

"At last, " Dr. Brende exclaimed. "Now we can talk freely. "

But I was not satisfied. "That girl, Ahla--can you trust her?"

They all looked at me in surprise. When one is close to danger, sometimes one recognizes it least; with Ahla in this household for overa year now, they could not imagine her an enemy. 

"I saw her looking up at the insulator, " I added swiftly. "Out there inthe corridor. Am I talking wild? Perhaps I am. But she seemed startled;and she was standing just under the insulator, wasn't she?"

"But--" began Elza. 

"Wait, " I exclaimed. "When I first saw the President fall, at ParkSixty, I felt that a Venus man had done it. These other murders--they'reall the same. Done by Venus men of the Cold Country. "

"Ahla's country, " Elza murmured. 

"Yes. Exactly. And the Venus Central State has been attacked and hasfallen. An assassination on Mars, and three here on Earth--allsimultaneously. It's one gigantic plot, I tell you--and the Cold Countryof Venus is at the bottom of it. "

Georg jumped to his feet. "I'll see if the room has been tampered with. "

He was back presently. "The insulator is intact. I set the alarm bell. If she touches it--"

"Where is she?"

"In the cookery, where she should be. I told her we would eat in anhour. That ought to keep her busy. "

Dr. Brende made an attempt at a smile. "I think we are all a littleoverwrought--though with reason, no doubt. Sit down, Jac. Elza, comehere by me. Don't look so solemn, child. "

He drew Elza to him, with his arm about her. I would have spoken, buthis gesture checked me. "I have much to say, Jac. I think I understandthese events, perhaps better than any of you. Let me go back twoyears--when I was in the Venus Central State. "

I nodded my remembrance; and he went on:

"At that time the authorities there were greatly perturbed. They weremenaced by rebellion in the Cold Country. They would not let the ColdCountry people into the Central State, for it is already overcrowded. You did not know that, did you?"

"You mean the threatened rebellion?" I asked. "They were trying to keepit secret, but we heard rumors. "

"Just so. And Jac, I will tell you why they kept it secret. The CentralState was encouraging emigration to the Earth. The Venus Cold Country isa poor place to live in--and on a whole its inhabitants are miserablepeople. Villainous, too, I should say. The Central State did not wantthem within its borders; and so it kept secret its troubles withthem--and encouraged emigration to the Earth. 

"We--as you know--make no distinction between Venus people. We arefriendly with the Central State, and the Cold Country is governed byit--or was until tonight. Thus, you see, we have been in the position ofhaving to receive these renegade immigrants. Shut out from all the goodland and decent climate of Venus, they began coming here. 

"But we did not want them, and of late we have been holding them off, cutting the quota allowed very materially. Last week, as you also know, in Triple Conference, our three races decided to allow at each InferiorConjunction of the Earth and Venus, so small a quota that the CentralState protested vigorously. 

"The controversy has been hot; but the Central State--trying to foistoff its undesirables on us--knows it is in the wrong. And fundamentally, it is friendly to us--I think it has proven that in the last two hours. "

Again I would have spoken, but he went on at once. 

"I know you're familiar with most of this, Jac. But you news-gathererssometimes reason in too lurid a fashion. Let me go on. Mars was drawninto the affair. To extricate ourselves, we offered to admit--undertemporary guard--all Venus immigrants who would pass on at once--at thefirst astronomical opportunity--to Mars. This would have been very nicefor us--but not for Mars. "

"They are hot-headed, in Mars, " Georg commented. 

"Quite so, " said the doctor. "But very direct and forceful, nevertheless. They met our suggestion with a law excluding Venusimmigrants entirely. It was this, I think, that precipitated tonight'sevents--though of course they must have been brewing for a long time. "

"This Tarrano--" I began. 

"I heard of him when I was in Venus, " said Dr. Brende. "He was at thattime a lower official in the Cold Country. Evidently he has risen in hisworld. 

"I come now to conjecture--but I think it must be fairly close to truth. Tarrano, leading the Cold Country, has risen to open rebellion. Hisattack upon the Central State must have come suddenly--"

"You mean, just this evening?" Elza asked. 

"No, of course not. But hoping to quell the rebellion, the Central Statehas suppressed news of it. At such a time--with this controversy goingon--such reports would only injure the Central State's inter-planetaryposition. That's obvious, isn't it? Then tonight, when things weredesperate, the Central State gave out its call. Tarrano has conqueredVenus, I'm sure. And at the last, before destroying its helio, theCentral State tried to warn us. "

"Of what?" I demanded. "And what about these murders?"

"Done by emissaries of Tarrano, no doubt. For revenge, because of theMartian and Earth legislation--or for--"

"I think we should not speculate too much, " said Georg. "At least, noton that line. They warned you personally, father. We were so careful tokeep everything secret--"

Dr. Brende mopped his forehead. He was trying to appear calm--I knew hedid not want unduly to alarm Elza; but I could see that he was laboringunder great emotion nevertheless. 

"Things get out, Georg, " he said. "We have been careful--yes. But twoyears ago, when I visited the Central State, I told them there what Ihoped to accomplish. There were no grave inter-planetary problemsthen--I thought I had no need of great secrecy. And since then, though, we have been very careful--"

Careful! With a Venus girl from the Cold Country living in theirhousehold! Truly, humans are a strange mixture of sagacity and folly!

"The Central State has heard something concerning you, " Georg said. "That could easily happen--prisoners captured from Tarrano's forces, forinstance. With dispatches--or perhaps some intercepted aerial message. "

What was this secret they were discussing? I was the only one in theroom who did not know it. And why had Dr. Brende sent for me tonight?

I asked him both questions. His face went even more solemn than it hadbeen before. 

"I sent for you, Jac, because in a measure I anticipated what has nowbefallen. Danger specifically to us Brendes, I mean. We count you as ourfriend--"

How it warmed my heart to hear him say that; and to see the glance thatElza cast me!

"--Our friend. I am an old man--you are young. Yet you are wise, too. Weneed you tonight. "

He raised his hand when I would have told him how glad I was to be withthem. 

"You know something of my work, " he said, as a statement, rather than aquestion. "I should say, mine and Georg's and Elza's, for they have bothhelped me materially. "

I knew that Dr. Brende had for years been one of the Earth's mosteminent research physicians. It was he who discovered the lightvibrations which had banished forever the dread germs of several of themajor diseases. He did not practice; his work was research only. 

He went on: "Jac, I have found what for years I have been striving tofind--a vibration of light, though it is invisible--which so far as Ican determine, kills every bacillus harmful to man. There is nothing newin the idea--I have been working at it all my life. Sunlight! Alteredand modified in several particulars, yet sunlight nevertheless. Howstrange that for countless centuries, man never realized the blessedboon of sunlight--the greatest enemy of all disease!

"Each year, as you know, I have conquered some of what we call the majordiseases. A few of them--cancer[5], for instance--persisted in eludingme. Its bacilli--you can easily recognize the tiny purplish, horned rodswhich cause what we popularly call cancer--just would not die. No formof light or other vibration I could devise, seemed to hurt them--unlessI used a vibration harmful, even fatal, to the blood-contents itself: Ikilled the cancer--in the words of you news-gatherers--but I also killedthe patient. "

[Footnote 5: A medical word, translated here as _cancer_, thoughpossibly not that. ]

His eyes smiled at the jest, but his face remained intensely serious. 

"Then, Jac, I solved that problem--just a few months ago. And upon theheels of it I solved another, of infinitely more importance. " He pausedslightly. "I have learned how to kill, or at least arrest, the bacillusof old age. It is a bacillus, you know. We grow old because every day welive beyond the age of thirty--the bacillus of old age is attacking us. I call them the Brende-bacilli--these tiny, frayed discs that make usgrow old. I have seen them--and killed them!"

It dawned on me slowly, the import of what he was saying. 

"You mean----"

"He means, " said Georg, "that at present we cannot only banishdisease--all disease--but we can keep your body from aging. Notpermanently, doubtless--but with the span of life lengthened threefoldat least. Only by violence now need you die prematurely. "

This then was the secret the existence of which Tarrano had learned. Hehad.... 

But Dr. Brende was quietly voicing my thoughts. 

"It seems obvious, Jac, that this Tarrano at least suspects that I havemade some such discovery as this. That he would withhold it frommankind, for the benefit of his own race, seems also obvious. That he isabout to make an attempt to get it from me, I am convinced. "

I remembered the wording of the message of warning from the CentralState. _"Your Dr. Brende, in Eurasia. "_ I mentioned it. 

"Our main laboratory is there, " Georg said. "In NorthernSiberia--isolated from people so far as possible, and in a climateadvantageous for the work. "

Elza spoke for the first time in many minutes. 

"We have guards there, Jac--eight of our assistants.... Father, I calledRobins a while ago. He said everything was all right. But don't youthink we should call him again?"

The doctor had drifted into deep thought. "What? Oh, yes, Elza. I wasthinking we should go there. My notes--descriptions of how to build alarger apparatus--larger than the small model I have installed there--mynotes are all there, and I want them. And I don't think, at such a time, I should trust Robins to bring them. "

"What shall I send to Headquarters?" Georg asked. "They wanted ananswer, you remember. "

"I'm going there to the Potomac--tell them that. Tell them we will comethere for safety. But first I must get my notes, and the model. "

As Georg went to the door, something in his attitude made us all startto our feet and follow him. No alarm from the insulator had come, yetfor myself I had not forgotten that Venus girl outside. 

Georg was at the door, tense as though to spring forward as soon as heopened it. I was close behind him. 

"What----"

"Wait, Jac! Quiet! I just want to see--in case she _is_ doingsomething. "

He jerked open the door suddenly and bounded through, with me after him. 

The corridor was empty. But there was a whirring coming from theinstrument room. 

We leaped across the padded corridor. In the instrument room, Ahla themaid sat at the table with a head-piece clasped to her ears. She wastalking softly but swiftly into the transmitter. In the mirror besideher I caught a glimpse of the place to which she was talking. A sort ofcave--flickering lights--a crowd of dark figures of Venus men, seeminglyarmed. 

She must have heard us coming. A sweep of her white arm dashed themirror to the floor, smashing it. Then she cast off the head-piece, andleaping to her feet, faced us, blazing and defiant. 

CHAPTER IV

_To the North Pole_

"You stand back! You do not touch me!"

The Venus girl fairly hissed the words. Her eyes were dilated; her whitehair hung in a tumbling, wavy mass over her shoulders. She stoodtense--a frail, girlish figure in a short, grey-cloth mantle, with longgrey stockings beneath. 

We were startled. Georg stopped momentarily; then he jumped at her. Itwas a false move, for before we could reach her, with a piercing cry, she was tearing at the instruments on the table; her fingers, with burnsunheeded, ripping the delicate wires, smashing the small mirrors, flinging everything to the floor. 

A few seconds only, but it was enough. She was panting when Georg caughther by the wrists, and we others gathered around them. 

"Ahla!" Elza cried in horror. 

I can appreciate the shock to Elza, who had trusted, even loved thisgirl. 

Dr. Brende stood in confused astonishment, staring at the wreck of theinstrument table. From a naked wire a little black coil of smoke wascoming up. I fumbled about and switched the current out of everything. 

We were cut off from all communication with the world. It gave me aqueer feeling--made the small island we were on seem so remote. 

Georg was shaking the girl, demanding with whom she had been talking andwhy. But she fell into sullen silence, and nothing we could do wouldmake her break it. It infuriated me, that stubbornness; it was all Icould do to keep from harming her in my efforts to make her talk. 

Georg, at last, pulled me away; he led the girl to a couch and sternlybade her sit there without moving. She seemed willing enough to do that;she still had not spoken, but her eyes were watching us closely. 

Dr. Brende was examining the smashed instruments. "Ruined. We cannot usethem. Those messages--we must send them. I must talk to Robins----"

We went into the corridor, out of earshot of the girl, but where wecould watch her. That we were in immediate danger was obvious, and weall realized it. Ahla had told some of her people that we were here onthe island; doubtless was planning to have them come here at once andseize us. 

How far away from us were they? I had seen in the mirror the interior ofa cave-like room. Where was it? Might it not be near at hand--over onthe mainland? Might not these enemies arrive on the island at anymoment?

Georg suggested that we send our messages from the aeros. We had my owncar--and a larger car of the Brendes. More than ever now, Dr. Brende wasworried over the safety of his Siberian laboratory; but from the aero wecould talk to Robins. 

We went to the landing stage. I wanted to tie up Ahla, but as Georgsaid, she could do nothing now that the instrument room was out ofcommission. We admonished her sternly to stay where she was, and leftthe house. 

On the open landing stage my small aero was lying where I had left it;but a moment's glance showed us it was wrecked--its instruments and itsdriving mechanism demolished!

There was no doubt about it now; Ahla had planned to keep us on theisland while her people came and seized us. Fortunately the Brende carwas well housed and barred. We saw that the gates had been tamperedwith, but with the limited time Ahla had to work in, she had been unableto force them. We swung them wide, and to our infinite relief found thecar unharmed. 

At once Dr. Brende called Robins. But the laboratory did not answer!

"It may be your sending apparatus, " I suggested. "Send your message downto Headquarters--with their high power they'll get Robins quicklyenough. "

He tried that--sending also his answer to the previous coded messageHeadquarters had sent him. It was now 11:45. We waited some eightminutes, during which time I rushed back to the house. Ahla was sittingobediently where I had left her. 

"You stay there, " I told her. "If you move, I'll break every bone inyour rotten little body. "

Back at the landing stage I found Dr. Brende in despair. Headquarterscould not raise Robins. They had relayed the message to Wrangel andSpitzbergen Islands--but the stations there reported similarly. Dr. Brende's laboratory did not answer its call. 

This decided us. We had no wish to remain where we were. The Brende car, far larger than the small one of mine, was fully equipped andprovisioned. We rolled it out, and in a moment were flying in the air. 

Dr. Brende's car was large, commodious, and smooth-riding. A pleasure tofly in such a car! Georg was at the controls. I sat close beside Elza inthe semi-darkness, gazing down through the pit-rail window to where theisland was dropping away beneath us. It was a perfect night; the moonhad set; the stars and planets gleamed in an almost cloudless sky. RedMars, I saw, very nearly over our heads. 

It was now midnight, and for the moment we chanced to have the air toourselves. We rose to the 10, 000-foot level, then headed directly North. It carried us inland; soon the sea was out of sight behind. Lightsdotted the landscape--a town or city here and there, and occasionally atower. 

Dr. Brende was poring over charts, illumined by a dim glow-light besidehim. "Can we get power all the way, Georg?... Elza child, hadn't youbetter lie down? A long trip--you'll be tired out. "

"Call Royal Mountain[6], " Georg suggested. "Ask them about serving uspower; I'll stay 10, 000 or below. Under one thousand, when we getfurther north. Ask them if they can guarantee us power all the way. "

[Footnote 6: Now Montreal. ]

The station at Royal Mountain would guarantee us nothing on this night;they advised us to keep low. Their own power-sending station was workingas usual. But this night--who could tell what General Orders might come?Everyone's nerves were frayed; this Director demanded gruffly to knowwho we were. 

"Tell him none of his business, " I put in. My own nerves were frayed, too. 

"Quiet!" warned Georg. "He'll hear you--and it _is_ his business if hewants to make it so. Tell him we are the Inter-Allied News, father. Thatis true enough, and no use putting into the air that Dr. Brende isflying north. "

Royal Mountain let us through. We passed well to the east of it about12:45--too far away to sight its lights. The cross-traffic was somewhatheavier here. Beneath it, at 5, 000 and 6, 000 feet, a steady stream ofcars was passing east and west. 

We were riding easily--little wind, almost none--and were doing 390miles an hour. You cannot bank or turn very well at such a speed; it isinjurious to the human body. But our course was straight north. Dr. Brende showed it to me on his chart--north, following the 70th WestMeridian. Compass corrections as we got further north--and astronomicalreadings, these would take us direct to the Pole. I could never fathomthis air navigation; I flew by tower lights, and landmarks--but to Dr. Brende and Georg, the mathematics of it were simple. 

At two o'clock we had crossed the route of the Chicago-Great London Mailflyer. But we did not see the vessel. The temperature was growingsteadily colder. The pit was inclosed, and I switched on the heaters. Elza had fallen asleep on the side couch, with my promise to awaken herat the first sign of dawn. 

At two-thirty, the Greater New York-East Indian Express overhauled usand passed overhead. It was flying almost north, bound for Bombay andCeylon via Novaya Zemlya. It was in the 18, 000-foot lane. The air upthere was clear, but beneath us a fog obscured the land. 

At intervals all this time Dr. Brende had been trying to raiseRobins--but there was still no answer. We did not discuss what might bethe trouble. Of what use could such talk be?

But it perturbed us, for imagination can picture almost anything. Georgeven felt the strain of it, for he said almost gruffly:

"Stop it, father. I don't think you should call attention to us so much. Get the meteorological reports from the Pole--we need them. If they tellus this weather will hold at 10, 000 and below, we'll make good time. "

Soon after three o'clock we swept over Hudson Strait into Baffinland. Wewere down to 4, 000 feet, but the fog still lay under us like a blanket. It clung low; we were well above it, in a cloudless night, with no windsave the rush of our forward flight. 

Then came the pink flush of dawn. True to my promise I awakened Elza. But there was nothing for her to see; the stars growing pale, pinkspreading into orange, and then the sun. But the fog under us still laythick. 

We were holding our speed very nearly at 380 an hour. By daylight--aboutfive o'clock, after a light meal--we were over Baffin Bay. I hadrelieved Georg at the controls. The headlands of North Greenland laybefore us. Then the fog lifted a little, broke away in places. The waterbecame visible--drift and slush-ice of the Spring, with lines of openwater here and there. 

And then the fog closed down again, lifting momentarily at six o'clockwhen we passed over the north-western tip of Greenland. The tower theregave us its routine signal, which we answered in kind. There was littletraffic along here; a few local cars in the lowest lanes. 

Shortly after six, when we were above Grantland, another of the greattrans-Arctic passenger liners went over us. The San Francisco Nightline, for Mid-Eurasia and points South. It was crossing Greenland, fromSan Francisco, Vancouver, Edmonton, to the North Cape, the Russias, andAfrican points south of Suez. 

At seven o'clock, with the sun circling the lower sky, the fog under ussuddenly dissipated completely. We were over the Polar ocean. Masses ofdrift ice and slush, but for the most part surprisingly clear. At eighto'clock, flying low--no more than a thousand feet--we sighted the steeltower with foundations sunk into the ocean's depths which marks the topof our little Earth. 

We flashed by the tower in a moment, answering the director's signalperfunctorily. Southward now, on the 110th East Meridian, withoutdeviating from the straight course we had held. 

It was truly a beautiful sight, this Polar ocean. Masses of ice, glittering in the morning sunlight. A fog-bank to the left; buteverywhere else patches of green water and floes that gleamed likemillions of precious stones as they flung back the light to us. Oragain, a mass of low, solid ice, flushed pink in the morning light. Andbehind us, just above the horizon, a segment of purple sky where a stormwas gathering--a deep purple which was mirrored in the placid patches ofopen water, and darkened the ice-floes to a solemn, sombre hue. 

Elza was entranced, though she had made many trans-Polar trips. ButGeorg, now again at the controls, kept his eyes on the instruments; andthe doctor, trying vainly once more to talk with his laboratory, now soclose ahead of us, sat in moody silence. 

It was 9:38 when we sighted, well off to the right, the rocky headlandof Cape Chelusin[7]--the most northerly point of Eurasia. A long, lowcliff of grey rock, ridged white with snow in its clefts. We swungtoward it, at greatly decreased speed, and at an altitude of only a fewhundred feet. 

[Footnote 7: Now Cape Chelyuskin, Laimur Peninsula, Siberia. ]

This was all a bleak, desolate region--curiously so--and I think, one ofthe very few so desolate on Earth. As we advanced, the Siberian coastspread out before us. Mountains behind, and a strip of rocky lowlandalong the sea. There were patches of snow--the mountains were white withit; but on the lowlands, for the most part the Spring sun had alreadymelted it. The Spring was well advanced; there were many open channelsin the water over which we were skimming--drift-ice, and slush-ice whichsoon would be gone. 

Cape Chelusin! It was here that Dr. Brende had placed his Arcticlaboratory--as far from the haunts of man as he could find--a hundredmiles from the nearest person, so he told me. And as I gazed about me Irealized how isolated we were. Not a car in the whole circular panoramaof sky; no sign of vessel on the water; no towns on the land. 

It was just after ten in the morning when we dropped silently to thesmall landing stage a hundred yards or so from the shore. We disembarkedin the sunlight of what would have been a pleasant December morning inGreater New York; and I gazed about me curiously. A level lowland ofcrags with the white of snow in their hollows; a collection of broad, low buildings nearby, with a narrow steel viaduct running down to themfrom the landing stage. And behind everything, the frowning headland ofthe Cape. 

The buildings stood silent, without sign of life. There was no one insight anywhere. No one out to greet us; I thought it a little strangebut I said nothing. 

We started down the viaduct. Under us, in patches of soil, I could seethe vivid colors of the little Arctic flowers already rearing theirheads to the Spring sunlight. I called Elza's attention to them. A vagueapprehension was within me; my heart was pounding unreasonably. But thiswas Dr. Brende's affair, not mine; and I wanted to hide my perturbationfrom Elza. 

The viaduct reached the ground; a path led on to the houses. 

Suddenly Dr. Brende called out:

"Robins! Robins! Grantley! Where are you!"

The words seemed to echo back faintly to us; but the buildings remainedsilent. 

"You'd better wait here with Elza, " Georg said. 

"I'll go on--see what----"

He checked his words, and started forward. But Dr. Brende was with him, and in doubt what to do I followed with Elza. 

We entered the nearest building, into a low, dim room, with doors on thesides. In the silence I seemed to hear my heart pounding my ribs. Elza'sface was pale and perturbed, but she smiled very courageously at me. 

"Wait!" said Georg. "You wait here. "

He turned into a side door leading to another room, and in an instantwas back with a face from which the color had departed. 

"They're not in there, " he said unsteadily. "Elza--you go outside withfather.... They must be around somewhere, Jac. Come, look. "

There was a rustle behind us. Arms came around me, pinning me. I heardElza scream, saw Georg fighting two dark forms which had leaped uponhim. 

I was flung to the ground, but I fought--three men, it seemed to be, whowere upon me. Then Georg's voice:

"Jac! Stop--they'll kill you. "

I yielded suddenly, and my assailants jerked me to my feet. A group ofVenus men were surrounding us. Georg, his jacket torn to ribbons, wasbacked up against the wall with three or four Venus men holding him. 

And on the floor nearby Dr. Brende lay prone, with a crimson stainspreading on his white ruffled shirt, and Elza sobbing over him. 

CHAPTER V

_Outlawed Flight_

Dr. Brende was dead. We knew it in the moment that followed our suddenassault and capture. Elza knelt there sobbing. Then she stood up, hertears checked; and on her face a look of pathetic determination torepress her grief. Now that we had yielded, the Venus men, searching usfor our weapons, cast us loose. We bent over Dr. Brende, Georg and I. Dead. No power in this universe could bring him back to us. 

Georg pressed his lips tightly together. His face, red from the exertionof his fight, went pale. But he showed no other emotion. And, as heleaned toward me, he whispered:

"Got us, Jac! Say nothing. Don't put up any show of fight. "

Elza now was standing against the wall, a hand before her eyes. I wentto her. 

"Elza, dear----"

Her hand pressed mine. 

Our captors stood curiously watching us. There seemed to be at least tenof them--men as tall as myself, though not so tall as Georg. Swarthy, gray-skinned fellows--one or two of them squat, ape-like with theirheavy shoulders and dangling arms. Men of the Venus Cold Country. Theywere talking together in their queer, soft language. One of them I tookto be the leader. Argo was his name, I afterward learned. He wassomewhat taller than the rest, and slim. A man perhaps thirty. Paler ofskin than most of his companions--gray skin with a bronze cast. Dressedlike the others in fur. But his heavy jacket was open, disclosing aruffled white shirt, with a low black stock about his throat. 

A shifty-eyed fellow, this Argo. Smooth-shaven, with a mouthslack-lipped, and small black eyes. But his features were finelychiseled; and with that bronze cast to his skin, I guessed that he wasfrom the Venus Central State. He seemed much perturbed that Dr. Brendewas dead. Occasionally he burst into English as he rebuked one of theothers for the killing. 

No more than a moment had passed. Georg joined Elza and me. We stoodwaiting. Georg whispered: "They killed Robins and his helpers. Inthere----" He gestured. "I saw them lying in there. If only I had--"

Argo was standing before us. "This is a very pleasant surprise--" Hespoke the careful English of the educated foreigner. His tone wasironical. "Very pleasant--"

Abruptly he turned away again. But in that instant, his eyes had rovedElza in a way that turned me cold. 

They led us away, down a padded hallway into the instrument room. It wasin full operation; our Inter-Allied news-tape was clicking; the lowvoice of the announcer droned through the silence. I started toward thetape, but Argo waved me away. He had volunteered us nothing, and againGeorg advised silence. 

Argo had given his orders. Through a window I saw men carrying apparatusfrom the house. A small metal frame of sun-mirrors, prisms and vacuumtubes. Georg whispered: "Father's model. "

The man with it passed beyond my sight. Others came along, carrying thecylinders of books--Dr. Brende's notes--and a variety of otherparaphernalia. Carrying it back from the shore toward the headlands ofthe Cape, where I realized now they had an aero secreted. 

Argo was at a mirror; he had a head-piece on; he was talking into adisc--talking in a private code. I could see the surface of the smallmirror. A room, with windows. Through one of the windows, by daylight, palms and huge banana leaves were visible. A room seemingly in thetropics of our own hemisphere. 

Argo was triumphant--explaining, doubtless, that he had captured us. Mingled with his voice, the Inter-Allied announcer was saying:

_"Greater-New York 10. 32 Martian Helio, via Tokyohama: Little PeopleProclamation----"_

A man standing near the tape switched off the droning voice. At thereceiving table, every few seconds came the buzz of the laboratory'scall. Wrangel Island again calling Robins; but no one paid any heed. Argo finished at the mirror. He glanced over the tape, smilingsardonically. Then, methodically, deliberately, he swept the instrumentsto the floor, jerked out the connections, turned out thecurrent--wrecked it all with a few strokes. A moment later we were takenaway. 

Outside, from back by the low reaches of the Cape, we saw an aerorising. They had loaded it with Dr. Brende's effects, and in it half ofthe men were departing. It rose vertically until we could see it only asa speck in the blue of the morning sky--a speck vanishing to the northover the Pole. 

With four or five of the men--all those remaining--Argo took us three tothe Brende car. We did not pass Dr. Brende's body, lying there in theouter room. Elza and Georg gazed that way involuntarily; but they saidnothing. The greatest grief is that which is hidden, and never onceafterward did either of them show it by more than an affectionate wordfor that father whom they had loved so dearly. 

Soon we were back in the Brende car in which we had landed no more thanan hour before. It was a standard Byctin model--evidently Argo and hismen knew how to operate it perfectly. We were herded into the pit, andin a moment more were in the air. 

Argo seemed now rather anxious to make friends with us. He was in a highgood humor. His eyes flashed at me sharply when I questioned him once ortwice; but he offered us no indignities. To Elza he spoke commandingly, but with that deference to which every woman of birth and breeding isentitled from a man. 

We rose straight up and, at 18, 000 feet, headed northward by a point ortwo west. We would pass the Pole on our right--too far to sight it withthe naked eye, I realized; but I knew, too, that the Director therewould see the distant image of us on his finder, even though we refusedconnection should he call us. And we had no right to be up here in the18, 000-foot lane. They'd order us down--shut off our power, ifnecessary. 

We could not escape observation on this daylight flight. Heading thisway, it would take us past the Pole and on southward, down the WesternHemisphere over the Americas. We could not refuse connection for long. We would be challenged, then brought down. Or, if Argo answered a call, some Director would examine our pit with his finder--would see Elza, Georg and me as prisoners. We could gesture surreptitiously to him.... 

My thoughts ran on. Argo's soft, ironic voice brought me out of them. 

"We will answer the first call that comes, " he said smilingly. "Youunderstand? We are the Inter-Allied News on Official Dispatch. " He wasaddressing me, his glance going to the insignia on my cap. "_You_ are ofthe Inter-Allied?"

"Yes, " I said. 

"What's your name?"

I did not like his tone. "None of your--"

"Quiet, Jac, " Georg warned. 

"Jac Hallen, " I amended. 

"Yes. Division 8, Manhattan, " he read from my cap. "Well, when the firstDirector calls--from the Pole perhaps--you will tell him we areInter-Allied Officials. He will see us here--I do not believe, the waywe are sitting, that he will think anything is wrong. He will see us ofVenus. There are Venus men employed by the Inter-Allied. Is it not so?"

I had to admit that it was. He nodded. "You will fool the Directors, JacHallen. You understand? You will get the reports on weather today downthe 67th Meridian West. And ask if we can have power to the Equator andbelow. " His eyes flashed. "And if you attempt any trickery--you willdie. You understand?"

I did, indeed. And I knew that his plans were well laid--that I would behelpless to give us over without paying for it with my life--with thelives of Elza and Georg as well. 

From up here in the 18th lane, the Polar ocean lay a glittering whiteand purple expanse beneath us. Then, again, a fog rolled out down therelike a blanket. We passed the Pole, a hundred miles or more to one side, and headed Southward. No challenge. Under us, occasional local carsswept by; but up here we were clear of traffic. 

Elza prepared our lunch, in the little electric galley forward of theobservation pit. The Great London-East Indies Mail Flyer crossed us, coming along this same level. It was headed toward the Pole from theBritish Isles. Its pilot challenged us before it had come up over thehorizon. A crusty fellow. His face in the mirror glared at me as Iaccepted connection. He ordered me down, Inter-Allied or no. 

Argo was at my elbow. His pencil-ray dug into my ribs. Had I made afalse move it would have drilled me clean with its tiny burning light. Itold the pilot we would descend. It placated him; but he saw Argo'sface, mumbled something about damned foreigners--general orders probablycoming tomorrow to clean out Venia--damned well rid of the traitors. Then he disconnected. Venia, Georg and I were sure, was where Argo wasnow taking us. But the rest of his comments I did not clearly understanduntil later. 

We descended, and the flyer came up over the horizon and passed usoverhead. We were pointing southward now, had picked up the 67th WestMeridian and were following it down. The Hays station[8] challenged us;but they were satisfied with my explanation. Argo had us up in speedaround four hundred miles per hour. We went down Davis Strait, overNewfoundland, avoiding the congested cross-traffic of mid-afternoon inthe lowest lanes, and out over the main Atlantic. Night closed down uponus. It was safer for Argo now. We flew without lights. Outlawed. Hadthey caught us at it, we would have been brought down, captured by thepatrol and imprisoned. Yet Argo doubtless considered the chance of thatless dangerous than a reliance upon my ability to trick the succeedingdirectors. 

[Footnote 8: Hayes Peninsula, Northwest Greenland, near the present siteof Etah. ]

With darkness we ascended again to the upper mail lanes. Over the mainEastern Atlantic now, and out here this night, there was little localtraffic. The mail and passenger liners went by at intervals--thespreading beams of their lurid headlights giving us warning enough sothat we could dive down and avoid being caught in their light. I prayedthat one of their lights might pick us up, but none did. 

North of Bermuda, a division of the North Atlantic patrol circled overus. The ocean was calm. Argo dropped us to the surface. We floated therelike a derelict--dark, silent, save for the lapping of the water againstour aluminite pontoons. The patrol's searching beams swept within ahundred feet of us--missed us by a miracle. And as the patrol passed on, we rose again to our course. 

Argo gave us one of the small cabins to ourselves that night. He wasstill deferential to Elza, but in his manner and in the glitter of thoselittle black eyes, there was irony, and an open, though unexpressed, admiration for her beauty. 

We slept little. Georg and I--one or the other of us--was awake allnight. We talked occasionally--not much, for speculation was of noavail. We wondered what could be transpiring abroad through all thesehours. Hours of unprecedented turmoil on Earth, and on our neighboringworlds. We wondered how the Central State of Venus might be faring withthe revolution. Would they ask aid of the Earth? This Tarrano--merely aname to us as yet, but a name already full of dread. Where was he? Hadhe been responsible for all this? Dr. Brende's secret was in his handsnow, we were sure. What would he do next?

About three o'clock in the morning--a fair, calm night--our power diedabruptly. We were in the Caribbean Sea not far above the Northern coastof South America, at 15° North latitude, 67° West longitude. Our powerdied. Elza was fast asleep, but the sudden quiet brought Georg and me toalertness. We joined Argo in the pit. He was perturbed, and cursing. Wedropped, gliding down, for there was no need of picking a landing withthe emergency heliocopter batteries--glided down to the calm surface. For a moment we lay there, rocking--a dark blob on the water. I heard asudden sharp swish. An under-surface freight vessel, plowing fromVenezuelan ports to the West Indian Islands, came suddenly to thesurface. Its headlight flashed on, but missed us. It sped past. I couldsee the sleek black outline of its wet back, and the lines of foam as itsheered the water. We lay rocking in its wake as it disappearednorthward. 

Then, without warning, our power came on again. An inadvertent breakperhaps; or maybe some local or general orders. We did not know. Argowas picking from the air occasional news, but he said nothing of it tous; and he was sending out nothing, of course. 

Dawn found us over the mountains. The Director at Caracas challenged us. Argo kept me by his side constantly now. Dutifully we answered everycall. The local morning traffic was beginning to pick up; but we mingledwith it, at 8, 000 feet and more, to clear the mountains comfortably. 

Elza again cooked and, with Argo joining us, we had breakfast. Argo'sgood nature continued, as we successfully approached the end of ourflight. But still he volunteered nothing to us. We asked him noquestions. Elza was grave-faced, solemn. But she did not bother Georgand me with woman's fears. Bravely she kept her own counsel, anxiousonly to be of help to us. 

We passed over the Venezuelan Province, over the mountains and intoAmazonia, headwaters of the great river--still on the 67th MeridianWest. The jungles here were sparsely settled; there were, I knew, nomore than a dozen standard cities of a million population, or over, inthe whole region of Western Brazilana. As we advanced, I noticed anunusual number of the armed government flyers above us. Many werehovering, almost motionless, as though waiting for orders. But none ofthem molested us. 

Near the 10th parallel South latitude, we passed under a fleet of thewhite official vessels, with a division of the Brazilana patrol joinedwith them. A hundred vessels hovering up there in an east and westline--a line a hundred miles long it must have been. 

Hovering there, for what? We did not know; but Argo, leering up at theminsolently, may have guessed. They challenged us, but let us through. 

"You are the last one in, " this sub-director of the patrol told us. Icould see him in our mirror as his gaze examined our pit--a dapper, jaunty fellow with the up-tilted mustache affected in Latina. "Last onein--you Inter-Allied are a nuisance. "

He was more particular than those directors we had passed before. Mybadge and my verbal explanation were not enough. He made me show him theInter-Allied seal which I always carried, and I gave him the pass-codeof the current week. 

"Last one in, " he reiterated. "And you wouldn't get in now without thoserefugees with you. Venia's closed after noon of today. Didn't you knowit?"

"No, " I said. 

"Well, it is. They shut off the power early this morning for all lowvibrations--yours and under. Brought 'em all down for a general trafficinspection. Then changed their minds and threw it on again. But ifyou're coming out north again, you've got to get out by noon. And you goin at your own peril. "

He assumed that Argo and his men were Venus refugees going with me intoVenia! I only vaguely understood what might be afoot, but I did not darequestion him. Argo's side glance at me was menacing. I agreed with thisdirector obediently and broke connection. 

We seemed now to have passed within the patrol line. There were no moreofficial vessels to be seen. We clung low, and at 12° South, 60° 2O'West, at 10:16 that morning we descended in Venia, capital of theCentral Latina Province, largest immigrant colony of the WesternHemisphere. [9]

[Footnote 9: Now Matto Grosso State, Brazil. ]

We landed on a stage of one of the upper crescent terraces. A crowd ofVenus people surrounded us. Even in the turmoil of our debarkation, Iwondered where the official landing director might be. None of thegoverning officials were in sight. The place was in confusion. Crowdswere on the spider bridges; the terraces and the sloping steps werejammed. Milling, excited people. The foreign police, pompous Venus menin gaudy uniforms, were herding the people about. 

But none of our Earth officials! Where were they, who should have beenin charge of all this confusion?

My heart sank. Something drastic, sinister, had occurred. We had no timeto guess what it might be. Argo drove us forward, with scant courtesynow, down in a vertical car, through a tunnel on foot to what theycalled here in Venia the Lower Plaza. We crossed it, and entered one oftheir queerly flat buildings at the ground level; entered through anarchway, passed through several rooms and came at last into a roomwhirring with instruments. 

Argo said triumphantly, yet humbly: "Tarrano, Master--we are here. "

A man at a table of helio-sending instruments turned and faced us. Wewere in the presence of the dread Tarrano!

CHAPTER VI

_Man of Destiny_

Tarrano! He rose slowly to his feet, his gaze on us for an instant, thenturning to Argo. 

"So! You took them? Well done, Argo!"

His gesture dismissed his subordinate; Argo backed from the room. From adisc, an announcer was detailing dispatches. Tarrano frowned slightly. He advanced to us as we three stood together. I had heard Elza give alow, surprised cry as we entered. She stood with a hand upon my arm. Icould feel her trembling, but her face now was impassive. 

Georg whispered to me: "This Tarrano----"

But our captor's voice checked him. "Come this way, please. " Hesignalled, and three men came forward. To them he issued short commands;they took their places at the instrument tables. Then he led us from theroom through an arch, over a small trestle, into a tiny inner courtyard. A tropical garden, surrounded by blank circular walls of the building. Apatch of blue sky showed above it. A garden secluded from prying eyes, with only a single spider bridge crossing overhead. Vivid flowers andfoliage made it a bower. Brown bark paths laced it; a tiny fountainsplashed in the center. 

Tarrano sat on the rim of the fountain; he gestured to a white stonebench where we three sat in a row, Elza between us. It made me feel likea child. 

"Your father is dead. " He was addressing Elza; and then Georg. "That isunfortunate. He was a good man. I'm sorry. "

His voice was soft and musical. He sat there on the fountain rim, anelbow on his crossed knees, chin resting in his hand, his eyes studyingus. A small, slight figure of a man, no more than thirty-five. Simplydressed; white trousers of the tropics, with a strip of narrow blackdown the leg-fronts; a girdle of gold; ruffled white shirt, with sleevesthat flared a trifle, and a neck-piece of black. From his belt dangled afew instruments and several personal weapons--beautifully wrought, small--almost miniatures--yet deadly-looking for all that. 

He was bareheaded; black hair closely clipped. A face smooth-shaven. Thin, with a nose hawk-like, and black eyes and heavy brows. His mouthwas thin-lipped, though smiling now, disclosing even, white teeth. Yet acruel mouth, with the firm jaw of determination and power under it. Thefamiliar gray Venus skin, but with that bronze cast of the people of theCentral State. 

At first glance, not an unusual or particularly commanding figure. Yetthe man's power of personality, the sheer dominant force of him, radiated like a tower code-beam. No one could be in his presence aninstant without feeling it. A power that enwrapped you; made you feellike a child. Helpless. Anxious to placate a possible wrath that wouldbe devastating; anxious--absurdly--for a smile. It was a radiation ofgenius, humbling every mediocre mortal it touched. 

I felt it--felt all this from the moment I came into his presence. Feltlike a child, sitting there on that bench. Vaguely frightened; sullen, with childish resentment at my superior. And over it all, my man'smentality made me angry at myself for such emotions; angry at theconsciousness of my own inferiority, forced upon me now more stronglythan ever anything or any one had made me feel it before. 

Tarrano was smiling gently. "... Killed your father. I would not havehad it so. Yet--perhaps it was necessary. The Lady Elza----"

I could feel Elza trembling again. Georg burst out: "What do you want ofus? Who are you?"

Tarrano's slim gray-brown hand came up. 

"The Lady Elza remembers me----" He seemed waiting with his gentle smilefor her to speak. 

"They called you Taro then, " she said. Her voice was the small, scared, diffident voice of a child. 

"Yes. Taro. A mere sub-officer of the Central State. But destined forbigger things than that, as you see. They did not like what they calledmy ambitious ways--and so they sent me to the Cold Country. That wassoon after I had met you and your father, Lady Elza. You hardly remarkedme then--I was so insignificant a personage. But you--I rememberedyou----"

Still there was in his voice and on his face nothing but kindness and aqueer whimsical look of reminiscence. He broke off at the buzz of a discthat hung from his belt by a golden chain. He jerked it loose from itssnap, and to his ear clasped a small receiver. Like a mask hisgentleness dropped from him. His voice rasped:

"Yes?... " The receiver murmured into his ear. He said: "Connecthim--I'll listen to what he has to say. "

A moment; then on the tiny mirror fastened to his wrist with a strap, Isaw a face appear--a face known throughout our Earth--the face of theWar-Director of Great London. Tarrano listened impassively. When thevoice ceased, he said without an instant's hesitation: "No!"

A decision irrevocable; the power almost of a deity seemed behind itsfinality. "No! I--will--not--do--it!" Careful, slow enunciation asthough to make sure an inferior mentality could not mistake his words. And with a click, Tarrano broke connection. The mirror went dark; hehung his little disc and ear-piece back on his belt. Again he wassmiling at us gently, the incident forgotten already--dismissed from hismind until the need to consider it should again arise. 

"I remember you, Lady Elza, very well. " A vague wistfulness came intohis voice. "I wish to speak with you alone--now--for a moment. " Hetouched two of the metal buttons of his shirt-front together. A manappeared in the narrow tunnel-entrance to the garden. A small man, nomore than four and a half feet tall; a trim, but powerfully made littlefigure, in the black and white linen uniform worn also by Tarrano. Yetmore pretentiously dressed than his superior. A broad belt of danglingweapons; under it, a sash of red, encircling his waist and flowing downone side. Over his white ruffled shirt, a short sleeveless vest of blacksilk. A circular hat, with a vivid plume. A smooth-shaven face; blackhair long to the base of the neck; a deep, red-brown complexion. Anative of the Little People of Mars, here in the service of Tarrano. Hestood stiff and respectful in the tunnel entrance. 

Tarrano said crisply: "Wolfgar, take these two men to the fourth tower. Make them comfortable. "

I met Georg's eyes. Leave Elza here alone with this man? Georg burstout: "My sister goes with me!"

"So?" Tarrano's heavy brows went up inquiringly. A quizzical smileplucked at his lips. "You need have no fear. The Lady Elza----" He swungto her. "Not--afraid, are you?"

"I--no, " she stammered. 

"She'll come with us, " I declared; but the stoutness of my words couldnot hide my fear. Tarrano was still smiling; but as I took a protectingstep toward Elza, his smile died. 

"You--will go--with Wolfgar--both of you. " That same slow finality. Hisface was impassive; but under his frowning bushy brows, his eyestransfixed me. It was as though with his paralyzing ray he had rooted meto the spot. And Georg beside me. Yet he had not moved from his carelessattitude of ease on the fountain-rim; the little conical golden weapondangled untouched at his belt. 

Elza was frightened. "Jac! You must do what he says. I'm--not afraid. "

Again Tarrano was smiling. "No--of course not. " His gaze went to Georg. "You are her brother--your fear is very natural. So I give you myword--the honorable word of Tarrano--that she shall come to no harm. "

Elza murmured: "Go, Georg. " Afraid for us, and doubtless she had goodreason to be. It struck me then as queer that Tarrano should waste thesewords with us; but I realized, as did Elza and Georg, that we weretreading very dangerous ground. Georg said, with a sudden dignity atwhich I marveled:

"Your word is quite enough. " He gestured to me. With a last glance atElza, standing there frightened, but for our sakes striving not to showit, we let this Wolfgar lead us away. 

Elza later told us what occurred. With her father, she had been twice tothe Venus Central State--the visit of two years ago Dr. Brende hadmentioned to me, and a former one. It was upon this first trip Elza hadmet Tarrano. He was an under-officer then, in the Army of the CentralState--his name then was Taro. She--herself no more than a slip of agirl at that time--remembered him as a queerly silent youngman--insignificant in physique and manner. He had escorted her once to aVenus festival; in a strange, brooding, humble, yet dignified fashion, he had spoken of love. She had laughed, and soon forgot the incident. But Tarrano had not forgotten. The daughter of the great Dr. Brende hadfired his youthful imagination. Who knows what dreams even then--born ofthe genius as yet merely latent--were within him? He had never crossedElza's mind from that time, until today she saw and recognized him. 

When they were alone, still without moving from his seat, he signed herto come to him, to sit on the carpet of grass at his feet. She wasfrightened, but she would not show it. He made no move to touch her; hegazed down to meet her upturned, fascinated stare, still with hisgentle, whimsical smile. 

"Queer that I should meet you again, Lady Elza. Yet, I must admit, itcomes not by chance, for I contrived it. My prisoner! Dr. Brende'sdaughter, held captive by little Taro!"

It seemed to amuse him, this whimsical reminiscence of those days whenhe was struggling unknown. "I want to confess something to you, LadyElza. You were so far above me then--daughter of the famous Dr. Brende. Yet, as you remember, I aspired to you. And now--I have not changed. Inever change. I still--aspire to you. "

He said it very softly, slowly. She flushed; but for that moment fear ofhim dropped from her. 

"Oh, " she said. "I--I thank you for such a compliment----"

"A compliment? Yes, I suppose it is that now. You wondered, didn't you, why I was so lenient with your brother and that Jac Hallen when theywould have refused me obedience? That is not my way--to be lenient. " Hesaid it with a sudden snap of crispness, but his eyes were twinkling. "It was because of you, Lady Elza. "

"Me?" she murmured. 

"You--of course. Because I--want you to like me. " His fingersinvoluntarily touched a stray lock of her hair as she sat there at hisfeet, but when she moved her head away he withdrew his hand. His slowvoice went on:

"Back in those other days, Lady Elza, the little Taro had strangedreams. A power within him--he could feel it--here----" His gaze was faraway; his fist struck his breast. "He could feel it--the urge to fulfillhis destiny--feel it within him, and no one else knew it was there. 

"Then--you came. A shy, rather pretty little girl, he realizes now, isall you were. But then--you seemed a goddess. A new dream arose--a dreamof you ... I frighten you, child?" His tone was contrite. "I do not meanto do that. I am too hasty. Queer, isn't it, that I can make men, nations, worlds, obey me--but I have to bide my time with a fragilelittle woman?"

His mood changed; he stirred. "I could bend you to my will--breakyou--like that!" His lean fingers snapped. Then his hand dropped, andagain he relaxed. "But of what use?... Your respect? I have it now. Respect and fear come to me from everyone. It is something more thanthat I want from you. "

She would have spoken, but his gesture stopped her. "Queer that I shouldwant it? Yes, I think perhaps it is. The little Taro was very queer, perhaps very impressionable. He knew he had nations and worlds toconquer--a destiny to fulfill. Not alone because of you, little Elza. Iwould not make you think that. But for you to share. The great Tarrano, master of the universe, and his Lady Elza! Worlds for you to toy with, like gems on a thread adorning your white throat----"

He must have swayed her, the sheer power of him. Impulsively she touchedhis knee. "I am not worth----"

His face clouded with a frown. "I would not try to buy your love----"

"Oh, " she said. "No, I did not mean----"

"I would not try to buy you. I want to share with you--these worlds--asyour due. To make myself master of everything, so that you will look tome and say, 'He is the greatest of all men--I love him'.... Soon I willbe the greatest of all men throughout the ages. And very gentle always, with you, Lady Elza----"

A buzz came from the disc at his belt. He answered the call--listened toa voice. 

"So? Bring him here. " He disconnected. "... Very gentle with you, myElza----"

His voice drifted away. He seemed waiting; and Elza, her head whirlingwith the confusion of it all, sat silent. A moment; then Argo appeared, driving a half-nude man before him. A native official of Venia, strippedof his uniform. Argo flung him down in the garden path, where hecowered, his face ashen, his eyes wild, lips mumbling with terror. 

Tarrano barely moved. "So? You tell me he was asleep at the mirrors, Argo?"

"Master, I could not help it! Since first you made your move in GreaterNew York at Park Sixty, I have sat there. Two nights and a day----"

"And you fell asleep without asking for a relief?"

"Master, I----"

"Did you?"

"Yes. I did not realize I was sleeping----"

A gesture to Argo, and the man was flung closer to Tarrano's feet. Elzashrank away. 

"Left a mirror unattended. So?... The wire, Argo. " He took the lengthof wire, gleaming white-hot, as the leering, gloating Argo turned thecurrent into it--Tarrano took it, lashed it upon the poor wretch's nakedback and legs. Welts arose, and the stench of burning flesh. A measuredscore of the passionless strokes made him writhe and scream in agony. 

It turned Elza sick and faint. Shuddering, she crouched there, hidingher face until the punishment was over and the half-unconscious culpritwas carried away. 

"Very gentle with you, my Elza.... "

She looked up to find Tarrano smiling at her; looked up and stared, andwondered what might be her fate with such a man as this. 

CHAPTER VII

_Prisoners_

From the garden where Tarrano was talking with Elza, the Mars manWolfgar led us to the tower in which we were to be imprisoned. Quiteevidently it had been placed in readiness for us. A tower of severalrooms, comfortably equipped. As we crossed the lower bridge and reachedthe main doorway, Wolfgar unsealed a black fuse-box which stood there, and pulled the relief-switch. The current, barring passage through everydoor and window of the tower, was thrown off. We entered. My mind wasalert. This man of the Little People could not again turn on thatcurrent without going outside. Once it was on, like an invisible wall itwould prevent our escape. But now--could not Georg and I with oursuperior strength overpower this smaller man?

I caught Georg's glance as our captor led us into the lower room--anapartment cut into the half-segment of a circle. Georg, at my elbow, whispered: "No use! Where could we go? Could not get out of thecity----"

The hearing of the Little People is sharp. Wolfgar turned his head andsmiled. "You will be quite secure here--do not think of escape. " Hisbronzed fingers toyed with a cone at his belt. "Do not think of it. "

Soon he left us, with the parting words: "You may use the upper circleof balcony. The current rises only from its rail. " He smiled and leftus. A pleasant smile; I felt myself liking this jailer of ours. 

We took a turn of the tower. There were three bedrooms; a cookery, withfood and equipment wherein evidently it was intended that Elza couldprepare our meals; and two bath-apartments, one of them fairlyluxurious, with a pool almost large enough for a little swimming; tubesof scent for the water and the usual temperature rods. 

"Well, " I remarked. "Obviously we are to be comfortable. " I was tryingto be cheerful, but my heart was heavy with foreboding nevertheless. "How long do you suppose they'll keep us here, Georg? And what----"

His impatient gesture stopped me. His mind was on Elza--alone down therein the garden with Tarrano--as was mine, though I had not wanted tospeak of her. 

There was an instrument room, up the circular incline in the peak of thetower! We heard the hum of it; and when we went up there, the firstthing we saw was a mirror tuned in readiness for us to view the gardenwe had just left. This strange Tarrano, giving Georg the visible proofthat he would keep his word and not harm Elza. We could see in thismirror the image of the scene down there--Elza and Tarrano talking. Butcould not hear the words--those were denied us. We saw the culpritbrought in; the punishment with the white-hot wire-lash, and a fewmoments later Elza was with us. 

During the hours which followed, we made no attempt to escape. Such aneffort would have been absurd. The current controls were outside, beyondour reach. Visibly, we were free, with open, unbarred arches andcasements. But to pass through one of them, the barring current struckyou like a wall, with darting sparks when it was touched. As Wolfgar hadsaid, we had access to the upper balcony; the waist-high rail there, with its needle-points of electrodes, sent up a visible stream of theNth Electrons--a dull glow by daylight; at night a riot of colors andsnapping sparks. 

Through this barrage an inner vista of the city was visible; towers, arcades, landing-stages and spider bridges a hundred feet or so aboveus; the lower levels beneath, and through a canyon of walls we couldjust make out a corner of the ground-plaza, with its trees and beds offlowers. 

A queerly flat little city--tropical with banana trees and vivid foliagein every corner plot of the viaducts. At night it was beautiful with itsromantic spreading lights of soft rose and violet tubes, and there was afair patch of open sky above us--a deep purple at night, star-strewn. 

Under other circumstances our imprisonment would not have been irksome. But these hours, most critical of any in the history of the nations ofEarth, Venus and Mars, unfolded their momentous events while we wereforced there to helpless idleness. All sending apparatus of ourinstrument room was permanently disconnected. But the news came in to usfrom a hundred sources--rolled out for us in the announcer's droningwords; printed for permanent record upon the tapes and visible images ofit all constantly were flashing upon the mirrors. 

We spent hours in that instrument room--one or the other of us wasalmost always there. Save that we were ourselves isolated fromcommunication, we were in touch with everything. A whim of this Tarrano;perhaps a strain of vanity that Elza should see and hear of theseevents. 

So much had occurred already during those hours of our trip over thePolar ocean and back that we scarce could fathom it. But gradually wepieced it together. Underlying it all, Tarrano's dream of universalconquest was plain. In the Venus Cold Country he had started hiswide-flung plans. Years of planning, with plans maturing slowly, secretly, and bursting now like a spreading ray-bomb upon the threeworlds at once. 

In Venus, the Cold Country had conquered its governing Central State. Tarrano's army there was in full control. The helio station in the GreatCity was now reinstated. The Tarrano officials had already set up theirnew government. With notification to the Earth and Mars that theydemanded recognition, they were sending the usual routine heliodispatches and reports, quite as though nothing had occurred. The mailswould proceed as before, they announced; the one due to leave thisafternoon for the Earth was off on time. 

It was all very clever propaganda for our Earth public consumption. Tarrano--who was visiting our Earth at present, they said--had beenchosen Master of Venus. His government desired Earth's officialrecognition, and asked for our proclamation of friendliness in answer totheir own. The present Ambassadors of the Venus Central State to theEarth--there were three of them, one each in Great London, Tokyohama andMombozo--this new government requested that we send them back to theGreat City as prisoners of the Tarrano forces. Other Ambassadors, representing the new government, would be sent to the Earth. 

All this occurred during the first few hours of our imprisonment in thetower. And during the day previous, at 7 P. M. This night--70° WestMeridian Time--the governments of our Earth met in Triple Conference inGreat London. Three rulers pro tem--White, Yellow and Black--to replacethe three who had been assassinated. The responsibility for theassassinations was placed by the Council upon Tarrano. But this--fromhis headquarters here in Venia--he blandly refused to accept, denyingall knowledge of the murders. Venia was the principal Venus immigrantcolony of Earth's Western Hemisphere. It had already been closed by ourEarth Council; its inhabitants interned as possible alien enemies, pending diplomatic developments. This was the meaning of that line ofofficial vessels lying there to the north on guard. No one could leaveVenia, and for a day Venus refugees had been ordered into it fromeverywhere. 

At 8:40 this evening came from Great London our ultimatum to Tarrano. Aduplicate of it went to the Great City of Venus via the HawaiianStation. The Earth would not recognize the Tarrano government of Venus. We would hold to our treaty of friendship with the Central State. Wewould remain neutral for a time. But Tarrano himself we declared anoutlaw. His presence was required in Washington to stand trial for theassassinations, and the delivery in Washington of Dr. Brende's notes andmodel was demanded. 

The ultimatum carried a day of grace; the alternate was a declaration ofwar by the Earth, and our immediate attack upon Venia. It was the sameproposition which our War Director had previously made unofficially toTarrano while he was there in the garden with Elza and which Tarrano sosummarily had rejected. 

The ultimatum came to us in the tower as we sat listening to theannouncer's measured tones. Elza exclaimed:

"But why do they wait? Father's model must be here. Tarrano, the leaderof all this--is here. Within the hour those vessels of war could sweepin here--capture Tarrano--recover father's model----"

Georg interrupted quietly: "No one knows if the model is here. Thatother car from the laboratory--we don't know where it went. Theplundered laboratory has been found, of course. No station up there isnear enough to have eavesdropped upon our capture, but the whole thingmust have come out by now. But that aero with the model may have met aninter-planetary vessel--the model may be on the way to Venus by now. "

"Georg, " I exclaimed, "do _you_ know the workings of that model? Couldyou build another without the notes?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yes. And they know that, in Washington. I couldbuild another. But they know by now, that I, too, am in Tarrano'shands----"

"And he will kill you, of course, to destroy that knowledge and keep thesecret for himself----" I did not say it aloud, for Elza's sake; but Ithought it, and I realized that Georg was thinking it also. 

Dr. Brende's secret of longevity was the crux of all this turmoil--thelever by which Tarrano was raising himself. Scores of facts amid thetumultuous news of these hours showed us that. For months, throughoutVenus, Tarrano had spread the insidious propaganda that he alone had thesecret of immortality--that when he was made ruler, he would use it forthe benefit of his followers. 

Converts to Tarrano's cause were everywhere. In the Central State manywelcomed the coming of his army. And now from the Great City hispropaganda was being sent to the Earth. Murmurs from our own Earthpublic were beginning to be heard. The ignorant lower classes seemedready to swallow anything. A new beneficent ruler who guaranteedeverlasting life! Throughout the ages people have flocked to that samestandard!

In Mars, much the same was transpiring. At almost her closest point tothe Earth these days, Red Mars sent us constant helios from the midnightsky. The Little People had appointed a new ruler to take the place ofhim who had been assassinated. The Council there put the assassinationto unknown causes. Tarrano was held blameless. The Little Peopledeclared themselves neutral. But they gave prompt official recognitionto the Tarrano government of Venus. And everywhere throughout Mars thepublic was stirred by the thought of everlasting life. 

"Fools!" muttered Georg. "That Little People government--they'll have arevolution of their own to fight at this rate. Can't you see whatTarrano is doing? Working everywhere with propaganda--working on thepublic--the gullible public ready always to swallow anything----"

On Earth, lay the crisis. Our own governments only had taken a firmstand. What could Tarrano do with this ultimatum? Either he must yieldhimself and the Brende secret, or a war in which he would be immediatelyoverwhelmed here in Venia would follow. 

It was nearly ten o'clock that first night. Elza had gone to thebalcony. We heard her call us softly, but with obvious tenseness. Outthere we found her pointing excitedly. A few hundred feet away andsomewhat below us was a tower similar to our own. In one of its oblongcasements a glow of rose-light showed. And within the glow was thefull-length figure of a girl. We could see her plainly, though a smallimage at that distance with the naked eye, and our personal visioninstruments had been taken from us. A slender, imperial figure--a younggirl seemingly about Elza's age. Dressed in a shimmering blue kirtle, short after the Venus fashion, with long grey stockings beneath. A girlwith flowing waves of pure white hair to her waist--a girl of the VenusCentral State. She seemed, like ourselves, a prisoner. An aura orbarrage was around her tower. She stood there, back in the tower room, full in the rose-light as though surreptitiously trying to attract ourattention. 

As we gathered on our balcony, behind the glow of our own barrage, shegestured to us vehemently. And then, with one white arm, she began tosemaphore. One arm, and then with both. Georg and I recognized it--theSecondary Code of the Anglo-Saxon Army. We murmured the letters aloud asshe gave them:

"_I am----_" Abruptly she stopped. A violent gesture, and shedisappeared; her rose-glow went out; her tower casement was dark. On alower spider bridge Tarrano had appeared. He was crossing it on foottoward our tower, his small erect form advancing hastelessly, with thefigure of Argo behind him. 

He reached our lower entrance, cut off the barrage there, and entered. Argo replaced the barrage, lingered an instant, gazing upward at us withhis habitual leer. Then he retraced his steps across the bridge anddisappeared. 

A moment more, and in our lounging apartment Tarrano faced us. 

CHAPTER VIII

_Unknown Friend_

"Sit down. " Tarrano motioned us to feather hassocks and stretchedhimself indolently upon our pillowed divan. With an elbow and handsupporting his head he regarded us with his sombre black eyes, his faceimpassive, an inscrutable smile playing about his thin lips. 

"I wish to speak with you three. The Lady Elza----" His glance went toher briefly, then to Georg. "She has told you, perhaps, what I had tosay to her?"

"Yes, " said Georg shortly. 

Elza had indeed told us. And with sinking heart I had listened, for itdid not seem to me that any maiden could resist so dominant a man asthis. But I had made no comment, nor had Georg. Elza had seemedunwilling to discuss it, had flushed when her brother's eyes had keenlysearched her face. 

And she flushed now, but Tarrano dismissed the subject with a gesture. "That--is between her and me.... You have been following the generalnews, I assume? I provided you with it. " He rolled a little cylinder ofthe arrant-leaf, and lighted it. 

"Yes, " said Georg. 

Georg was waiting for our captor to lay his cards before us. Tarranoknew it; his smile broadened. "I shall not mince words, Georg Brende. Between men, that is not necessary. And we are isolated here--no onebeyond Venia can listen. As you know, I am already Master of Venus. InMars--that will shortly come. They will hand themselves over to me--or Ishall conquer them. " He shrugged. "It is quite immaterial. " He addedcontemptuously: "People are fools--almost everyone--it is no great featto dominate them. "

"You'll find our Earth leaders are not fools, " Georg said quietly. 

Tarrano's heavy brows went up. "So?" He chuckled. "That remains to beseen. Well, you heard the ultimatum they sent me? What do you think ofit?"

"I think you'd best obey it, " I burst out impulsively. 

"I was not speaking to you. " He did not change the level intonation ofhis voice, nor even look my way. "You are to die tomorrow, JacHallen----"

Elza gave a low cry; instantly his gaze swung to her. "So? That strikesat _you_, Lady Elza?"

She flushed even deeper than before, and the flush, with her instinctivelook to me that accompanied it, made my heart leap. Tarrano's face haddarkened. "You would not have me put him to death, Lady Elza?"

She was struggling to guard from him her emotions; struggling to matchher woman's wit against him. 

"I--why no, " she stammered. 

"No? Because he is--your friend?"

"Yes. I--I would not let you do that. "

"Not let me?" Incredulous amusement swept over his face. 

"No. I would not--let you do that. " Her gaze now held level with his. Astrength came to her voice. Georg and I watched her--and watchedTarrano--fascinated. She repeated once more: "No. I would not let you. "

"How could you stop me?"

"I would--tell you not to do it. "

"So?" Admiration leaped into his eyes to mingle with the amusementthere. "You would tell me not to do it?"

"Yes. " She did not flinch before him. 

"And you think then--I would spare him?"

"Yes. I know you would. "

"And why?"

"Because--if you did a thing like that--I should--hate you. "

"Hate----"

"Yes. Hate you--always. "

He turned suddenly away from her, sitting up with a snap of alertness. "Enough of this. " Did he realize he was defeated in this passage with agirl? Was he trying to cover from us the knowledge of his defeat? Andthen again the bigness of him made itself manifest. He acknowledgedsoberly:

"You have bested me, Lady Elza. And you've made me realize thatI--Tarrano--have almost lowered myself to admit this Jac Hallen myrival. " He laughed harshly. "Not so! A rival? Pah! He shall live if youwish it--live close by you and me--as an insect might live on a twig bythe rim of the eagle's nest.... Enough!... I was asking you, GeorgBrende, of this ultimatum. Should I yield to it?" He had suppressed hisother emotions; he was amusing himself with us again. 

"Yes, " said Georg. 

"But I have already refused--today in the garden. Would you have mechange? I am not one lightly to change a decision already reached. "

"You'll have to. "

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Of one thing I am sure. I cannot let them declarewar against me just now. I have no defense, here in Venia. Scarce thearmament for my handful of men. Your vessels of war would sweep downhere and overpower me in a breath--trap me here helpless----"

"Of course, " said Georg. 

"And so I must not let them do that. They want me to come to Washingtonwith the Brende model--deliver it over to them. Yet--that does notappeal to me. Tomorrow I shall have to bargain with them further. Icould not deliver to them the Brende model. " He was chuckling at his ownphrasing. "No--no, I could not do that. "

"Why?" demanded Georg. "Isn't the model here?"

"It is--where it is, " said Tarrano. He became more serious. "You, Georg--you could build one of those models?"

Georg did not answer. 

"You could, of course, " Tarrano insisted. "My spy, Ahla--you rememberher, the Lady Elza's maid for so long? She is here in Venia; she tellsme of your knowledge and skill with your father's apparatus. So you see, I realize I have two to guard--the model itself, and you, who know itssecret. "

He now became more openly alert and earnest than I had ever seen him. The light from the tube along the side wall edged his lean, serious facewith its silver glow. "I've a proposition for you, Georg Brende. Betweenmen, such things can be put bruskly. Your sister--her personal decisionwill take time. I would not force it. But meanwhile--I do not like tohold you and her as captives. "

The shadow of a smile crossed Georg's face. "We shall be glad to haveyou set us free. "

Tarrano remained grave. "You are a humorist. And a clever young fellow, Georg Brende. You--as Elza's brother--and as your father's son with yourmedical knowledge--you can be of great use to me. Suppose I offer you aplace by my side always? To share with me--and with the Lady Elza--theseconquests.... Wait! It is not the part of wisdom to decide until youhave all the facts. I shall confide in you one of my plans. The publicsof Venus, Mars and the Earth--they think this everlasting life, as theycall it, is to be shared with them. "

His chuckle was the rasp of a file on a block of adamant. "Sharedwith them! That is the bait I dangle before their noses. In reality, I shall share it only with the Lady Elza. And with you--her brother, and the mate you some day will take for yourself. Indeed, I havea maiden already at hand, picked out for you.... But that can comelater.... Everlasting life? Nonsense! Your father's discovery cannotconfer that. But we shall live two centuries or more. Four of us. Tosee the generations come and go--frail mortals, while we live on toconquer and to rule the worlds.... Come, what do you say?"

"I say no. "

Tarrano showed no emotion, save perhaps a flicker of admiration. "Youare decisive. You have many good qualities, Georg Brende. I wonder ifyou have any good reasons?"

"Because you are an enemy of my world, " Georg declared, with more heatthan he had yet displayed. 

"Ah! Patriotism! A good lure for the ignorant masses, that thing theycall patriotism. For rulers, a good mask with which to hide theirunscrupulous schemes. That's all it is, Georg Brende. Cannot you give mea better reason? You think perhaps I am not sincere? You think I wouldnot share longevity with you--that I would play you false?"

"No, " Georg declared. "But my father's work was for the people. I'm nottalking patriotism--only humanitarianism. The strife, suffering in ourworlds--you would avoid it yourself--and gloat while others bore it. You----"

"Youth!" Tarrano interrupted. "Altruism! It is very pretty intheory--but quite nonsensical. Man lifts himself--the individual mustlook out for himself--not for others. Each man to his destiny--and theweak go down and the strong go up. It is the way of all life--animal andhuman. It always has been--and it always will be. The way of theuniverse. You are very young, Georg Brende. "

"Perhaps, " Georg said, and fell silent. 

Tarrano abruptly rose to his feet. "Calm thought is better thanargument. You have imagination--you can picture what I offer. Think itover. And if youth is your trouble----" His eyes were twinkling. "Ishall have to wait until you grow up. We have a long road totravel--empires cannot be built in a day. "

He paused before Elza with a grave, dignified bow. "Goodnight, LadyElza. "

"Goodnight, " she said. 

He left us. We stood listening to his footsteps as he quietly descendedthe tower incline. At his summons, the barrage was lifted. He went out. From the balcony we saw him cross the spider bridge, with Argo at hisheels. As they vanished into the yawning mouth of an arcade beyond thebridge, again came that rose-glow in the other tower. We saw again thegirl with flowing white hair standing there. And now she was waving usback. 

"She wants us inside, where we can't be seen, " Georg murmured. We drewback into the room, standing where we still could see the girl. Iwondered then--and we had discussed it several times these lasthours--if the interior of our tower were under observation by somedistant guard. We felt that probably it was, visibly and audibly; and wehad been very careful of what we said aloud. 

But now, if we were watched, we could not help it; we would have to takethe chance. The figure of the girl showed plainly down there through theother casement. And again, with slow-moving white arms she began tosemaphore. A queer application of the Secondary Code, which always isused officially with coral-light beams over considerable distances. Butit sufficed in this emergency. Slowly she spelled out the letters, words, phrases. 

_"I am Princess Maida----"_

Georg whispered to us: "Hereditary ruler of the Central State----"

I nodded. "Watch, Georg----"

_"Prisoner----"_ came next: _"Like yourselves, and we must escape. "_

She paused a moment, letting her arms drop to her sides, shaking theglorious waves of her white hair with a toss of her head. Then, at agesture from Georg that he understood, she began again:

_"Escape tonight----"_

I half expected that any moment Tarrano or one of his men would burst into stop this. But the signals continued. 

_"I am sending you a friend--tonight--soon--he will come to you. Withplans for our escape. A good friend----"_

Her tower abruptly went dark. Cautiously I gazed down from our balcony. Argo had appeared on the spider bridge; he was pacing back and forth. Did he suspect anything? We could not tell, but it seemed not. It wasthe midnight hour; a brilliant white flash swept the city to mark it. 

In a low corner of the balcony, behind the glow of our barrage, wecrouched together, whispering excitedly. But cautiously, for weknew that the microphonic ears of a jailor might be upon us. ThePrincess Maida--here in Tarrano's hands! She was sending us afriend--tonight--soon; a friend who would help us all to escape. 

"By the code!" Georg exclaimed. "If we could get to Washington--if Icould be there now in this crisis--with my knowledge of the Brendelight----"

Far above our personal safety, our lives, lay the importance of Georg'sknowledge. With the Brende secret--through him--in the hands of theEarth Council, Tarrano's greatest lever to power would be broken. OurEarth public would sway back to patriotic loyalty. The Little People ofMars unquestionably would remain friendly with us, with the Brende lightto be developed on Earth and shared with them. They would see Tarranoperhaps, for what he was--a dangerous, unscrupulous enemy.... If onlyGeorg could escape.... 

An hour went by with murmured thoughts like these. A friend coming tohelp us? How could he reach us? And how help us to escape?

We crouched there, waiting. Argo--obviously on night guard--still pacedthe bridge. The city was comparatively dark and silent; yet even so, there seemed more activity than we felt was normal. Occasional beamsflashed across the narrow segment of our sky. The crescent terraces, visible through a shallow canyon of buildings to the left, were a blazeof colored lights with the dark figures of people thronging them. Themingled hum of instruments was in the night air; sometimes the snap ofan aerial; and the steady, clicking whir of the night escalators on thecity street levels and inclines. 

It seemed hours that we waited. The green flash of the second hour pastmidnight bathed the city in its split-second lurid glare. Elza hadfallen asleep, beside us on the feathered hassock of our balcony corner. But Georg and I were fully alert--waiting for this unknown friend. Georghad smoked innumerable arrant-leaf cylinders. Through the insulatedtube, from a public cookery occasional hot dishes were passing ourdining room for us to take if we wished. But we had touched none ofthem. From the food stock on hand, Elza had cooked our two simple meals. But now, with Elza asleep, Georg left me and returned in a moment withsteaming cups of taro. We drank it silently, still waiting. Argo stillpaced the bridge on guard. Presently we saw the figure of Wolfgar joinhim. The two spoke together a moment; then Argo disappeared; Wolfgarpaced back and forth on guard in his place. 

At 2:30 the Inter-Allied announcer--for half an hour past quitesilent--brought us to our feet, his monotone droning from the disc inour instrument room:

_"Greater New York, Inter-Allied Unofficial 2:27 A. M. Tarrano repliesto the Earth Council Ultimatum.... "_

Our start woke up Elza. Together we rushed into the instrument room. 

_"With many hours yet before the Earth Council Ultimatum expires, it isunofficially reported that Tarrano has sent his note in answer. Itstext, we are reliably informed, is now in the hands of our Governmentsat Great London, Greater New York, Tokyohama and Mombozo. Helios of italso have been sent to Tarrano's own government of Venus and to theLittle People of Mars. We have as yet no further details.... "_

A buzz came as he ended, with only the click of the tape continuing asit printed his words. A period of silence, then again his voice:

_"Official 2:32 A. M. Inter-Allied News: Tarrano rejects Ultimatum. Hisnote to Earth Council complete defiance. Official text follows.... "_

We listened, dumb with amazement and awe. Tarrano's note was indeed, complete defiance. He would not yield up the Brende light. Nor would hedeliver himself in Washington for trial. In the suave, courteouslanguage of diplomacy, he deplored the unreasonable attitude of theEarth leaders. Ironically, he suggested that they declare war. He wouldbe overwhelmed in Venia, of course. He had no means of defending himselfagainst their aggression. But at the first flash of hostile rays, theBrende model would be destroyed forever. And Georg Brende--the onlyliving person who had the knowledge to replace the model--would dieinstantly. The Brende secret would be lost irrevocably. It wasunfortunate that humanity on Earth, Venus and Mars, should be deniedtheir chance for immortality. Unfortunate that the Earth leaders were soheadstrong. They were enemies, in reality, of their own people--andenemies of the peoples of Venus and Mars. But if the Earth Councilwished war with Tarrano--then war let it be. 

"A bluff, " I exclaimed. "He would lose everything himself. It'ssuicide--"

"Not suicide, " Georg said soberly. "Propaganda. Can't you see it? Heknows the Earth Council will make no move until the ultimatum time hasexpired. Hours yet. And in those hours, he is working upon the publicsof the three worlds. "

The announcer was silent again. Below us, in our tower, we heard afootstep. The barrage had been lifted to admit someone, then thrown onagain. Measured footsteps were coming up our incline. We stoodmotionless, breathless. A moment; then into the room came Wolfgar. Hedid not speak. Advancing close to us as we stood transfixed, he jerkedan instrument from his belt. It whirred and hummed in his hand. The roomaround us went black--a barrage of blackness and silence, with ourselvesand Wolfgar in a pale glow standing within it as in a cylinder. Theisolation-barrage. I had never been within one before, though upondrastic occasion they were in official use. 

Wolfgar said swiftly: "We cannot be seen or heard. I have been in chargeof the mirror observing you--I have thrown it out of use. The PrincessMaida--"

"You are--the friend?" Georg whispered tensely. Elza was trembling and Iput my arm about her. 

Wolfgar's face lightened with a brief smile; then went intenselyserious. "Yes. A spy, trusted by Tarrano for years--but my heart is withthe Princess Maida. We must escape--all of us--now, or it will be toolate. "

He stopped abruptly, and a look of consternation came to him. The blacksilence enveloping us had without warning begun to crackle. The metalcone in Wolfgar's hand glowed red with interference-heat--but he clungto it, though it burned him. Sparks were snapping in the blacknessaround us. Our isolation was dissolving. Someone--something--wasbreaking it down, struggling to get at us!

CHAPTER IX

_Paralyzed!_

The isolation barrage which Wolfgar had flung around us was dissolving. Someone--something--was in the room, breaking down the barrage, struggling to get at us. We stood huddled together; Elza clinging to me, Georg beside us, and Wolfgar, gripping the small cylinder which wasglowing red in his hand from intense heat. 

Georg muttered something; the snapping sparks of the barrage blurred hiswords. But I heard Wolfgar say swiftly:

"We're trapped! _You_, of all of us--you Georg Brende, must escape. "

The rest of his words to Georg I did not catch. He was thrusting aweapon into Georg's hands; and giving hurried advice and explanations. 

"Princess Maida ... She ... In that other tower ... You, so much moreimportant than the rest of us.... " Phrases I heard; but only phrases, for in those few seconds I stood dumbly confused, fascinated by watchingthe blackness in which we had enveloped ourselves now breaking intolurid, angry sparks. 

A distant corner of the room became visible; outlines of the wall-beams;the growing glare of a wall-light in a tube over there. And through thebrightening gloom--the figure of a lone man standing. Tarrano!

I heard Georg mutter: "Jac! Make a show of fight! Hold him! Butcareful--careful of Elza!"

Behind me there came an electrical flash; the pungent smell of burningcloth. Georg was no longer beside us!

Elza was still clinging to me in fright. I shook her off. Wolfgar flunghis smoking, useless cylinder to the floor. The blackness at once spranginto light; the sparks died. Tarrano was standing in the room, quietly, before us. Standing with a grim, cynical smile, regarding us. 

But only for an instant did he stand quiet. Across the room, creepingfor the balcony doorway, I was aware of the figure of Georg. Tarrano sawhim also; and with a swift gesture snapped back to his belt theinterference cylinder with which he had uncovered us; then plucked atanother weapon, gripped it to turn it upon Georg. 

Everything was happening too swiftly for coherent thought. I leapedtoward Tarrano, with Wolfgar rushing beside me. Elza screamed. Tarrano'shand was leaving his belt. I reached him; flung out my fist for hisface. 

But in that instant the weapon in Tarrano's hand was brought upon me. Myparalyzed muscles made my arm and fist go wide. My blow missed him; hestepped aside; and like a man drunk with baro-wine, I stumbled past him, halted, swayed and struggled to keep my footing. 

Wolfgar had felt it also; he was reeling near me, holding himself fromfalling with difficulty. I was unarmed; but there were weapons hangingfrom Wolfgar's belt. His numbed fingers were groping for them. But theeffort was too great. The blood, driven back from his arms, left thempowerless; they fell dangling to his sides. 

A few seconds; but we had occupied Tarrano during them. Georg wasthrough the balcony doorway and beyond our sight. Elza was standingmotionless, too frightened to move. I felt myself growing numb, weightedto the floor as though my feet had taken root. My arms were hanging likewood; fingers tingling, then growing cold, dead to sensation. And anumbness creeping up my legs; and spreading inward from my arms andshoulders. In a few moments more, I knew the numbness would reach myheart. 

Tarrano had not moved, save that single step side-wise to avoid myonslaught. As I stood there now with my face like fire and my brainwhirling with the blood congested in it, I heard his quiet voice:

"Do not fear, Lady Elza. This Jac Hallen--as I promised you--is quitesafe with me. "

His gesture waved her aside, that she should not come within thosedeadly vibrations he was flinging at us. And I saw his other hand lift atiny mouthpiece from his belt; heard his voice say into it: "Argo? Argo!That Georg Brende----"

He stopped; a look of annoyance came over his face. Argo did not answer!Dimly to my fading senses came the triumphant thought, the realizationthat Argo outside, upon whom Tarrano depended to seize Georg--hadfailed. 

Action had come to Tarrano. He snapped off his weapon. Released from it, Wolfgar and I wilted to the floor--lay inert. The returning blood in mylimbs made them prick as with a million needles. To my sight andhearing, the room was whirling and roaring. I felt Tarrano bendingswiftly over me; felt the forcible insertion of a branched metal tube inmy nostrils; a hand over my mouth. I struggled to hold mybreath--failed. Then inhaled with a gasp, a pungent, sickening-sweetgas. Roaring, clanging gongs sounded in my ears--roaring and clatteringlouder, then fading into silence. A wild, tumbling phantasmagoria ofdreams. Then complete unconsciousness. 

CHAPTER X

_Georg Escapes_

I come now to recount events at which I was not present, and the detailsof which I did not learn until later. Fronted by Tarrano, in those fewseconds of confusion, Georg made his decision to escape even at the costof leaving Elza and me. He murmured his hurried good-bye. The moment hadarrived. He could see Tarrano dimly through the sparks. He leapedbackward, through that wall of electrical disturbance which surroundedus. The sparks tore at him; burned his clothing and flesh; the shock ofit gripped his heart. But he went through; crept for the balcony. It wasdark out there. He would have rushed for Tarrano instead of the balcony, but as he came through the sparks he had seen that the barriersurrounding our tower was momentarily lifted. Argo had cut it off toadmit Tarrano a few moments before. He had not yet replacedit--absorbed, doubtless, in watching in his finder what Tarrano wasdoing with us. He must have seen Georg reach the balcony; and jumpedthen to replace the barrier. But too late. Georg was over the balconyrail with a leap. The insulated tubes were there--upright gleaming tubesof metal extending downward to the platform below. Tubes smooth, and asthick as a woman's waist. 

Georg slid down them. The barrage, above him on the balcony, had beenreplaced. He saw below him the figure of Argo come running out. A weaponin each hand. The burning pencil-ray swung at Georg, but missed him ashe came down. Had it struck, it would have drilled him clean with itstiny hole of fire. Then Argo must have realized that Georg should betaken alive. He ran forward, swung up at Georg the paralyzing vibrationswhich Tarrano at that instant was using upon Wolfgar and me. 

Georg felt them. He was ten feet, perhaps, above the lower platform; andas he felt the numbness strike him, he lost his hold upon the tube-pipe. But he had presence of mind enough to kick himself outward with a lasteffort. His body fell upon the onrushing Argo. They went down together. 

Argo lay inert. The impact had knocked him senseless, and had struck hisweapon from his hand. Georg sat up, and for a moment chafed histingling, prickling arms and legs. He was bruised and shaken by thefall, but uninjured. 

Within our tower, Tarrano was still occupied with us. Georg leaped tohis feet. He left Argo lying there--ran over the spider-bridge; down aspiral metal stairway, across another bridge, and came upon the smallpark-like platform which stood at the bottom of the other tower. He hadpassed within sight of a few pedestrians. One of them shouted at him;another had tried mildly to stop him. A crowd on a distant terrace sawhim. A few of their personal flashes were turned his way. Murmurs arose. Someone at the head of one of the escalators, in a panic pulled analarm-switch. It flared green into the sky, flashing its warning. 

The interior-guards--seated at their instrument tables in the lowerrooms of the official buildings--had seen Georg in their finders. Thealarm was spreading. Lights were appearing everywhere.... The murmurs ofgathering people ... Excited crowds ... An absurd woman leaning downover a far-away parapet and screaming ... An ignorant, flusteredstreet-guard on a nearby upper terrace swinging his pencil-ray down atGeorg.... Fortunately it fell short. 

For a moment Georg stood there, with the gathering tumult aroundhim--stood there gazing up at that small tower. The tower wherein thePrincess Maida was confined. It was dark and silent. Black rectangles ofdoors and casements, all open--but barred by the glow of the electricalbarrage surrounding it. 

Georg jerked from his belt the cylinder Wolfgar had given him. Metallic. Short, squat and ugly, with a thick, insulated handle. He feared to useit. Yet Wolfgar had assured him the Princess Maida was prepared. Hehesitated, with his finger upon the switch-button of the weapon. But heknew that in a moment he would be too late. A searchlight from an aerialmast high overhead swung down upon him, bathing him in its glare ofwhite. 

His finger pressed the trigger. A soundless flash of purple envelopedthe tower. Sparks mounted into the air--a cloud of vivid electricalsparks; but mingled with them in a moment were sparks also of burningwood and fibre. Smoke began to roll upward; the purple flash was gone, and dull red took its place. The hum and angry buzz of outragedelectricity was stilled. Flames appeared at all the tower casements--redflames, then yellow with their greater heat. 

The trim and interior of the tower was burning. The protons Georg hadflung at it with his weapon had broken the electrical barrage. Theinterference heat had burned out the connections and fired everythingcombustible within the tower. A terrific heat. It began to melt and burnthe _blenite_. [10] The upper portion of the tower walls began tocrumble. Huge blocks of stone were shifting, tottering; and they beganto fall through the glare of mounting flames and the thick black smoke. 

[Footnote 10: A cement or mortar used in stone constructions--evidentlypartially combustible. ]

Georg had tossed away his now useless weapon--emptied of its charge. Hewas crouching in the shadow of a parapet. The city was now in turmoil. Alarm lights everywhere. The shrilling of sirens; roaring of megaphonedcommands ... Women screaming hysterically.... 

A chaos, out of which, for a few moments, Georg knew no order couldcome. But his heart was in his mouth. The Princess Maida, within thatburning building.... 

He had located the tiny postern gate at the bottom of the tower whereWolfgar had told him she would appear. The barrage was gone; and in amoment she came--a white figure appearing there amid the smoke that wasrolling out. 

He rushed to her. A figure wholly encased in white _itan_[11] fabricwith head-mask, and tubes from its generator to supply her with air. Wolfgar had smuggled the equipment in to her for just this emergency. She stood awkwardly beside Georg--a grotesque figure hampered by theheavy costume. Its crescent panes of _itanoid_ begoggled her. 

[Footnote 11: A universal insulating fabric, as rubber insulateselectricity and asbestos bars heat. ]

Behind him, Georg could hear people advancing. A guard picked them outwith a white flash. The mounting flames of the tower bathed everythingin red. A block of stone fell near at hand, crashing through themetallic platform upon which they were standing. Broken, it saggedbeneath their feet. 

Georg tore at the girl's head-piece, lifted it off. Her face was pale, frightened, yet she seemed calm. Her glorious white hair tumbled down inwaves over her shoulders. 

"Wolfgar--he----" She choked a little in the smoke that swirled aroundthem. Georg cut in: "He sent me--Georg Brende. Don't talk now--get thisoff. "

He pulled the heavy costume from her. She emerged from it--slim andbeautiful in the shimmering blue kirtle, with long grey stockingsbeneath. 

A spider incline was nearby. But a dozen guards were coming up it at arun. With the girl's hand in his, Georg turned the other way. Peoplewere closing in all around them--an excited crowd held back by the heatof the burning tower, the smoke and the falling blocks of stone. Someoneswung a pencil-ray wildly. It seared Georg like a branding-iron on theflesh of his arm as it swung past. He pulled Maida toward the head of anescalator a dozen feet away. Its steps were coming upward from the plazaat the ground level. Half way up, the first of an up-coming throng weremounting it. 

But Georg again turned aside. He found Maida quick of wit to catch hisplans; and agile of body to follow him. They climbed down the metalframe-work of the escalator sides; down under it to where the invertedsteps were passing downward on the endless belts. Maida slid into one ofthem, with Georg after her, his arms holding her in place. 

They huddled there. No one had seen them enter. Smoothly the escalatordrew them downward. Above them in a moment the tramp of feet soundedclose above their heads as the crowd rushed upward. 

They approached the bottom, slid out upon a swinging bridge whichchanced at the moment to be empty of people. Down it at a run; into thepalm-lined plaza at the bottom of the city. 

Down here it was comparatively dim and silent. The alarm lights of theplaza section had not yet come on; the excitement was concentrated uponthe burning tower above. The crowd, rushing up there, left the plazamomentarily deserted. Georg and Maida crossed it at a run, scurried likefrightened rabbits through a tunnel arcade, down a lower cross-street, and came at last unmolested to the outskirts of the city. 

The buildings here were almost all at the ground level. Georg and Maidaran onward, hardly noticed, for everyone was gazing upward at thedistant, burning tower. Georg was heading for where Wolfgar had an aerosecreted. A mile or more. They reached the spot--but the aero was notthere. They were in the open country now--Venia is small. Plantations--an agricultural region. Most of the houses were deserted, the occupants having fled into the city as refugees when threats andorders came from Washington the day before. Georg and Maida came upon alittle conical house; it lay silent, heavy-shadowed in the starlightwith the glow of the city edging its side and circular roof. Beside itwas an incline with a helicopter standing up there on a private landingstage.... Georg and Maida rushed up the incline. 

A small helicopter; its dangling basket was barely large enough fortwo--a basket with a tiny safety 'plane fastened to its outrigger. 

In a moment Georg and the girl had boarded the helicopter. She wassilent; she had hardly said a word throughout it all.... The helicoptermounted straight up; its whirling propellers above sent a rush of airdownward. 

"These batteries, " said Georg. "The guards in Venia can't stop us. Anaero--even if we had it--I doubt if we could get power for it. They'veshut off general power by now, I'm sure. "

She nodded. "Yes--no doubt. "

As they mounted upward, the city dwindled beneath them--dwindled to anarea of red and green and purple lights. It was silent up here in thestarlight; a calm, windless night--cloudless, save for a gray bank whichobscured the moon. 

Ten thousand feet up. Then fifteen. The city was a tiny patch of blendedcolors. Light rockets occasionally mounted now. But their glare fellshort. Georg's mind was busy with his plans. Had the helicopter beenseen? It seemed not. No rocket-light had reached it; and there was nosign of pursuit from below. 

Maida crouched beside him. He felt her hand timidly upon his arm; felther shy, sidelong glance upon him. And suddenly he was conscious of herbeauty. His heart leaped, and as he turned to her, she smiled--a smileof eager trust which lighted her face like a torch of faith in the spireof a house of worship. 

"You are planning?" she said. "You know what it is we must do?"

He said: "I think so. The _volan_[12] out there is large enough for two. You'll trust yourself to it with me? You're not afraid, are you?"

[Footnote 12: A small winged board without power, used for emergencydescents by volplaning down from disabled aeros. ]

"Oh, no, " she said. "What you say we must do, we will do. "

"We must go higher, Maida. Then, you see.... "

He told her his plans. And mounting up there into the silent canopy ofstars, his fingers wound themselves into the soft strands of her hairwhich lay upon him; and his heart beat fast with the nearness ofher.... Told her his plans, and she acquiesced. 

Twenty thousand feet. The cold was upon them. Shivering himself, hewrapped her in a fur which the basket contained. At 25, 000, they took tothe _vol plan_. It was a padded board a dozen feet long and half aswide. Released, it shot downward; a hundred feet or more, with theheavens whirling soundlessly. Then Georg got the wings open; the descentwas checked; the stars righted themselves above, and once again theearth was beneath. 

They had strapped themselves to the board, and now Georg undid thethongs. Together they lay prone, side by side, with the narrow, double-banked wings beneath the line of their shoulders, and therudder-tail behind them. Flexible 'planes and tail, responding toGeorg's grip on the controls. 

Fluttering, uncertain at first, like a huge bird of quivering wings, they began their incline descent. A spiral, then Georg opened it to astraight glide northward--rushing downward and onward through thestarlight, in a wind of their own making which fluttered the lightfabric of Maida's robe and tossed her waves of hair about her. 

A long, silent glide, with only the rush of wind. It seemed hours, whilethe girl did not speak and Georg anxiously searched the sky ahead. Underneath them, the dark forests were slipping past; but inexorablycoming upward. They were down to 5, 000 feet; then Georg saw at last whathe had hoped, prayed for, but almost despaired of. A beam of light tothe northward--the spreading beam of an oncoming patrol. It was highoverhead; but it came forward fast. A sweeping, keenly searching beam, and finally it struck them. Clung to them. 

And presently the big patrol vessel was almost above them. It hungthere, a dark winged shape dotted with colored lights. A signal flash--asharp command to Georg, but, of course, he could not answer. Then theDirector's finder picked him out. The _volan_ was fluttering, spirallingslowly as Georg struggled to hold his place. 

And then the patrol launched its tender. It came darting down like awasp. A moment more, and Georg and Maida were taken aboard it. The_volan_ fluttered to the forest unguided and was lost in the blacktreetops, now no more than a thousand feet below. 

Surrounded by amazed officials, Maida and Georg entered the patrolvessel. Georg Brende, escaped safely from Tarrano! The Brende secretreleased from Tarrano's control! The Director flashed the news toWashington and to Great London. Orders came back. A score of othervessels of this Patrol-Division came dashing up--a convoy which soon wasspeeding northward to Washington with its precious messenger. 

CHAPTER XI

_Recaptured_

In Washington during those next few days, events of the Earth, Venus andMars swirled and raged around Georg as though he were engulfed in theIguazu or Niagara. Passive himself at first--a spectator merely; yet hewas the keystone of the Earth Council's strength. The Brende secret wasdesired by the publics of all three worlds. Even greater than its realvalue as a medical discovery, it swayed the popular mind. 

Tarrano possessed the Brende secret. The only model, and Dr. Brende'snotes were in his hands. Washington had ordered him to give them up, andhe had refused. But now the status was changed. Georg held the secretalso--and Georg was in Washington. It left the Earth Council free todeal with Tarrano. 

During those days Georg was housed in official apartments, with Maidavery often near him. Inactive, they were much together, discussing theirrespective worlds. The Princess Maida was hereditary ruler of the VenusCentral State--the only living heir to the throne. When Tarrano's forcesthreatened revolution from the Cold Country she had been seized byspies, brought to Earth, to Tarrano in Venia, and imprisoned in thetower from which Georg had so lately rescued her. Wolfgar for years hadbeen her friend and loyal retainer, though he had pretended service toTarrano. 

In the Central State, Maida, too young to rule, had been represented bya Council. The public loved her--but a majority of it had gone astraywhen she disappeared--lured by Tarrano's glowing promises. 

Maida told Georg all this with a sweet, gentle sadness that waspathetic. And with an earnest, patriotic fervor--the love of her countryand her people for whom she would give her life. 

She added: "If only I could get back there, Georg--I could make themrealize the right course. I could win them again. Tarrano will play themfalse--_you_ know it, and so do I. "

Pathetic earnestness in this girl still no more than seventeen! AndGeorg, sitting beside her, gazing into her solemn, beautiful face, feltthat indeed she could win them, with those limpid blue eyes and herwords which rang with sincerity and truth. 

They sat generally in an unofficial instrument room adjoining thegovernment offices. A room high in a spire above the upper levels of thecity. And around them rolled the momentous events of which they were thecenter. 

The time limit of the Earth Council's ultimatum to Tarrano expired. Already Tarrano had answered it with defiance. But on the stroke of itsexpiration, came another note from him. Georg read it from the tape toMaida:

_"To the Earth Council from Tarrano, its loyal subject----"_

A grimly ironical note, yet so worded that the ignorant masses would notsee its irony. It stated that Tarrano could not comply with the demandthat he deliver himself and the Brende model to Washington because hedid not have the model. It was on its way to Venus. He now proposed torecall it. He had already recalled it, in fact. He assured the Councilthat it was now on its way back, direct to Washington. He had done thisbecause he felt that the Earth leaders were making a mistake--a gravemistake in the interests of their own people. Georg Brende was inWashington--that was true. But Georg Brende was a silly, conceited youngman, flattered by his prominence in the public eye, his head turned byhis own importance. Dr. Brende had been a genius. The son was a mereupstart, pretending to a scientific knowledge he did not have. 

"Trickery!" exclaimed Georg. "But he knows the people may believe it. Some of them undoubtedly will. "

"And you cannot thwart your public, " Maida said. "Even your EarthCouncil, secure in its power, cannot do that. "

"Exactly, " Georg rejoined. He was indignant, as well he might have been. "Tarrano is trying to avoid being attacked. Time--any delay--is what hewants. "

The note went on. Tarrano--seeking only the welfare of the people--couldnot stand by and see the Earth Council wreck its public. Tarrano hadreconsidered his former note. The Brende model was vital, and since theEarth Council demanded the model (for the benefit of its people) thepeople should have it. In a few days it would be in Washington. Tarranohimself would not come to Washington. His doing that could not help thepublic welfare, and he was but human. The Earth Council had made itselfhis enemy; he could not be expected to trust his life in enemy hands. 

The note closed with the suggestion that the Council withdraw its patrolfrom Venia. This talk of war was childish. Withdraw the patrol, andTarrano himself might go back to Venus. He would wait a day for answerto this request; and if it were not granted--if the patrol were notentirely removed--then the Brende model would be destroyed. And if thepublics of three worlds wished to depend upon a conceited, ignorantyoung man like Georg Brende for the everlasting life, they were welcometo do so. 

A clever piece of trickery, and it was awkward to deal with. One hadonly to watch its effect upon the public to realize how insidious itwas. Tarrano had told us--in the tower in Venia: "I shall have tobargain with them. " And chuckled as he said it. 

A series of notes from the Earth Council and back again, followed duringthe next few days. But the patrol was not withdrawn; nor was wardeclared. The Earth Council knew that Tarrano had not ordered the modelback--nor would he destroy it. Yet if the Earth forces were to overwhelmTarrano, and the model were lost, a revolution upon Earth could easilytake place before Georg could convince the people that he was able tobuild them another model. 

This delay--while Tarrano was held virtually a prisoner in Venia--wasdecided upon at the instigation of Georg himself. He--Georg--wouldaddress the publics of the three worlds. With Maida beside him toinfluence her own public in Venus, they would convince everyone thatGeorg had the secret--and that he alone would use it for the publicgood. 

Youthful plans! Youthful enthusiasm! The belief that they could winconfidence to their cause by the very truthfulness in their hearts! Thebelief that right makes might--which Tarrano would have told them wasuntrue!

Yet it was a good plan, and the Earth Council approved it, since itcould do no harm to try. And it perhaps would have been successful butfor one thing, of which even at that moment I--in Venia--was aware. Tarrano's trickery was not all on the surface. He had written into thatnote--by a code of diabolically ingenious wording--a secret message tohis own spies in Washington. Commands for them to obey. A dozen of hisspies were in the Earth government's most trusted, highest service--andsome of them were there in Washington, close around Georg and Maida asthey made their altruistic plan. 

The attempt was to be made from the high-power sending station in themountains of West North America. [13] Our observatory was there; and theonly one of its kind on the Earth. It was equipped to send a radio voiceaudibly to every part of the Earth; and by helio, also to Mars andVenus, there to be re-transformed from light to sound and heardthroughout those other worlds. And moving images of the speakers, seenon the finders all over the Earth, Venus and Mars simultaneously. Thepower, the generating equipment was at this station; and no matter wherein the sky Venus or Mars might be, from the Mountain Station thevibrations of mingled light and sound were relayed elsewhere on Earth toother stations from which the helios could be flashed direct. 

[Footnote 13: The Rocky Mountains, in the United States or possiblyAlberta. ]

To Skylan, as the Mountain Station was popularly called, Georg and Maidawere taken in official aero under heavy convoy. Yet, even then, at theirvery elbows, spies of Tarrano must have been lurking. 

The official flyer landed them on the broad stage amid deep, soft snow. It was night--a brief trip from the late afternoon, through dinner andthey were there. A night of clear shining stars--brilliant gems in deeppurple. Clear, crisp, rarefied air; a tumbling expanse of white, withthe stars stretched over it like a close-hung canopy. 

They were ushered into the low, rambling building. The attempt was to bemade at once. Mars was mounting the eastern sky; and to the west, Venuswas setting. Both visible from direct helios at that moment--Red Mars, from this mountain top, glowing like the tip of an arrant-cylinder upthere. 

In the brief time since the party had left Washington, the worlds hadbeen notified. The eyes and ears of the millions of three planets werewaiting to see and hear this Georg Brende and this Princess Maida. 

The sending room was small, circular, and crowded with apparatus. Andabove its dome, opened to the sky, wherein the intensified helios shadedso that no ray of them might blind the operators, were sputtering asthough eager to be away with their messages. 

With a dozen officials around him, Georg prepared to enter the sendingroom. He had parted from Maida a few moments before, when she had lefthim to be shown to her apartment by the women attendants. 

As she moved away, on impulse he had stopped her. "We shall succeed, Maida. "

Her hand touched his arm. A brave smile, a nod, and she had passed on, leaving him standing there gazing after her with pounding heart. Pounding, not with excitement at the task before him in that sendingroom; pounding with the sudden knowledge that the welfare of this fraillittle woman meant more to him than the safety of all these worlds. 

At last Georg stood in the sending room. The officials sat groupedaround him. Maida had not yet arrived from her apartment. There was asmall platform, upon which she and Georg were to stand together. He tookhis place upon it, waiting for her. 

Before him was the sending disc; it glowed red as they turned thecurrent into it. Then they illumined the mirrors; a circle of them, eachwith its image of Georg upon the platform. The white lights above himflashed on, beating down upon him with their hot, dazzling glare. Thereflected beams from the mirrors, struck upward into the dome overhead. The helios up there were humming and sputtering loudly. 

Beyond the circle of intense white light in which Georg was standing, the spectators sat in gloom behind the mirrors. Maida had not come. TheSkylan Director, impatient ordered a woman to go for her. 

Then, suddenly, Georg said to this Director:

"I--these lights--this heat. It makes me feel faint--standing here. "

Georg had stumbled from the platform. Between two of the mirrors, shadedfrom the glare, the perturbed Director met him. Moisture beaded Georg'sforehead. 

"I'll--be quite all right in a moment. I'm going over there. " He smiledweakly. A dozen feet away there was an opened outer casement. It lookeddown twenty feet, perhaps, to the deep snow that covered the station'sgrounds. The Director started with Georg; but Georg pushed him violentlyaway. 

"No! No! You let me alone!" His accents were those of a spoiled child. The Director hesitated, and Georg, with a hand to his forehead, waveredtoward the casement. The Director saw him standing there; saw him sway, then fall or jump forward, and disappear. 

They rushed outside. The snow was trampled all about with heavyfootprints, but Georg had vanished. From the women's apartment, theattendant came back. The Princess Maida could not be found!

And in those moments of confusion, from outside across the starlit snow, an aero was rising. Silent, black--and no one saw it as it winged awayinto the night. 

CHAPTER XII

_Tara_

I must revert now to those moments in the tower room when Tarranodissolved the isolation barrage which Wolfgar had thrown around us. Georg escaped, as I have recounted. Tarrano--there in the towerroom--rendered me unconscious. I came to myself on the broad divan andfound Elza bending over me. 

I sat up, dizzily, with the room reeling. 

"Jac! Jac, dear----" She made me lie back, until I could feel the bloodreturning to my clammy face; and the room steadied, and the clanging ofthe gongs in my ears died away. 

"I--why, I'm--all right, " I gasped. And I lay there, clinging to herhand. Dear little Elza! In that moment of relief that I had come to mysenses, she could not hide the love which even now was unspoken betweenus. Tarrano! I lay there weak and faint; but with the pressure of Elza'shand, I did not fear that this Tarrano could win her from me. 

Wolfgar was standing across the room from us. He came forward. 

"You did not die, " he said; and smiled. "I told her you would not die. "

It was now morning. Wolfgar and Elza told me I had been unconscious somehours. We were still imprisoned as before in the tower. Georg hadescaped with Maida, they said; or at least, they hoped so. And theydescribed the burning of the other tower. The city had been in aturmoil. It still was; I could hear now the shouts of the crowd outside. And turning as I lay there, through the casement I could see theblackened, still smoking ruins of Maida's tower; the broken ironterrace; the spider bridge melted away, hanging loose and dangling likean aimless pendulum. 

The latest news, Elza and Wolfgar could not give me. The instrument roomof our tower had been disconnected by Tarrano when he left some hoursbefore. As they said it, we heard a familiar buzz; then the drone of anannouncer's voice. Tarrano's guard had doubtless observed my recoveryand had had orders to throw current into our instruments. Strange man, this Tarrano! He wished the news spread before us again. Confident ofhis own dominance over every crisis, he wanted Elza and me to hear it asit came from the discs. 

We went to the instrument room. I found myself weak, but quiteuninjured. Elza left us there, and went to prepare food which I neededto strengthen me. 

The public events of those hours and days following, I have recounted asGeorg saw them and took part in them in Washington. We observed them, here in the tower, with alternate hopes and fears. Our life ofimprisonment went on much as before. Occasionally, Tarrano visited us, always making us sit like children before him, while at his ease hereclined on our divan. 

But he would never give us much real information; the man always was anenigma. 

"Your friend Georg has a wonderful plan, " he announced to us ironicallyearly one evening. He smiled his caustic smile. "You have seen thetape?"

"Yes, " I said. It was Georg's plan to address with Maida, the publics ofEarth, Venus and Mars. 

Tarrano nodded. "He and the Princess are going to convince everyone thatI am an impostor. "

I did not answer that; and abruptly he chuckled. "That would beunfortunate for me--if they could do that. Do you think they'll be ableto?"

"I hope so, " I said. 

He laughed openly. "Of course. But they will not. That long note of mineto your government--you read it, naturally. But you didn't read in it mysecret instructions to my agents in Washington, did you? Well, they werethere in it--my commands--the letters ending its words made anothermessage. "

He was amused at our discomfiture. "Simple enough? Yet really anintricate code in itself. It made the phrasing of the main note a littledifficult to compose, that was all. " He sat up with his accustomed snapof alertness, and his face turned grim. "Georg will never address hisaudience. Nor the Princess--she will never appear before those sendingmirrors. I have seen to that. " Again he was chuckling. "No, no, I couldnot let them do a thing like that. They might turn people against me. "

Elza began indignantly: "You--you are----"

His gesture checked her. "Your brother is quite safe, Lady Elza. And thePrincess Maida also. Indeed, they are on the point of falling in lovewith each other. Natural! And perfectly right. It is as I would haveit. "

His strong brown fingers were rubbing each other with his satisfaction. "Curious, Lady Elza--how fortunate I am in all my plans. "

"I don't think you are, " I said. "Our government has you a prisonerhere. They didn't withdraw the patrol as you demanded, did they?"

He frowned a trifle. "No. That was too bad. I rather hoped they would. It would have been a stupid thing for them to do--but still, I almostthought they'd do it. "

I shook my head. "What they will do is sweep down here and overwhelmyou. "

"You think so?"

"Yes. "

He shifted himself to a more comfortable position. "They are playing fortime--so that when I fail to produce the model as I agreed, then thepublic will realize I am not to be trusted. "

"Exactly, " I said. 

"Well, I am playing for time, also. "

He seemed so willing to discuss the thing that I grew bolder. 

"What have you to gain by playing for time?" I demanded. 

He stared. "You would question me, Jac Hallen? How absurd!" He looked atElza, as though to share with her his amazement at my temerity. 

Wolfgar said suddenly to Tarrano: "You will gain nothing. "

Tarrano's face went impassive. I understood him better now; that cold, inscrutable look often concealed his strongest emotions. He said evenly:

"I should prefer you not to address me, Wolfgar. A traitor such asyou--the sound of your voice offends me. "

It struck me then as very strange--as it had for days before--thatTarrano should have failed to punish Wolfgar. I would have expecteddeath; least of all, that Tarrano would have allowed Wolfgar to livehere in the tower, in comparative ease and comfort. Tarrano's words nowanswered my unspoken questions. He was not looking at Wolfgar, but atElza. 

"You, Wolfgar--deserve death. You know why I cannot kill you? Why I letyou stay here in the tower?" A faint, almost wistful smile parted histhin lips; he did not take his eyes from Elza. 

"I am greatly handicapped, Wolfgar. The Lady Elza here would not like tohave me put you to death. She would not even care to have me mistreatyou. She is very tender hearted. " He raised a deprecating hand. "Ah, Lady Elza, does that surprise you? You never told me I must be lenientwith this traitor? Of course not. "

"I----" Elza began, but he stopped her. 

"You see, Lady Elza, I have already learned to obey you. " He was smilingvery gently. "Learned to obey even your unspoken commands. "

I wondered how much of this attitude might be sincere, and how muchcalculated trickery. Could Elza, indeed, control him?

She must have had much the same thought, for she said with a forcedsmile: "You give me a great deal of power. If you--wish to obey me, you'll set us free--send us all to Washington. "

That amused him. "Ah, but I cannot do that. "

She gained confidence. "You are willing to be very gracious in thingswhich do not inconvenience you, Tarrano. It is not very impressive. "

He looked hurt. "You misinterpret. I will do for you anything I can. Butyou must remember, Lady Elza, that my judgment is better than yours. Iwould not let you lead us into disaster. You are a gentle little woman. Your instincts are toward humane treatment of everyone--toward mercyrather than justice. In all such things, I shall be guided by you. Justice--tempered with mercy. A union very, very beautiful, LadyElza ... But, you see, beyond that--you are wrong. I am a man, and inthe big things I must dominate. It is I who guide, and you who follow. You see that, don't you?"

The sincerity in his voice was unmistakable. And my heart sank as Iwatched Elza. Her gaze fell, and a flush mantled her cheeks. Tarranoadded quietly: "We shall have no difficulty, you and I, Lady Elza. Eachof us a place, and a duty. A destiny together.... "

He broke off and rose quickly to his feet. "Enough. I have been weak tosay so much as this. "

He turned to leave us, and I became aware of a woman's figure standingin the shadows of the archway across the room. She started forward asTarrano glanced her way. A Venus woman of the Cold Country. Yet, obviously, one of good birth and breeding. A woman of perhaps 30 years, beautiful in the Venus cast; dressed in the conventional bodicebreast-plates and short skirt, with grey stockings and sandals. 

Within the room, she regarded Tarrano silently. There was about her aquiet dignity; she stood with her tall, slim figure drawn to its fullheight. Her pure white hair was coiled upon her head, with a rich metalornament to fasten it. And from it, a mantle of shimmering blue fabrichung down her back. 

Tarrano said: "What are you doing up here? I told you to wait below. "

Her face showed no emotion. But there was a glitter to her eyes, a glowin their grey depths like _alumite_ in the hydro-flame of a torch. 

She said slowly: "Master, I think it would be very correct if you wouldlet me stay here and serve the Lady Elza. I told you that before, butyou would not listen. "

Tarrano, with sudden decision, swung toward Elza. "This is the Elta[14]Tara. She was concerned that I should allow you to dwell here alone withthis Jac Hallen, and this traitor from Mars. " His tone conveyed infinitecontempt for us. 

[Footnote 14: Elta--a term or title denoting rank by birth. ]

The woman said quickly: "The Lady Elza would be glad of mycompanionship. " She shot a swift glance to Elza. What it was meant toconvey, I could not have said. Perhaps Elza understood it, or thoughtshe did. She spoke up. 

"I would like to have you very much, indeed. " She added to Tarrano, andthere was on her face a look of feminine guile:

"You, of course, could not refuse me so small a favor? After all yourprotestations----"

He gestured impatiently. "Very well. " And he added to Tara: "You willserve the Lady Elza as she directs. "

He stalked away into the darkened passage. In the gloom there, hestopped and again faced us; the light from a small blue tube in thereillumined him dimly. He was smiling ironically. 

"I shall maintain the instruments for you. The mirrors will show youGeorg and Maida. They are just about arriving at the Mountain Station. Watch them! You will see how far they progress with their wonderfulspeeches. "

He left us. We heard his measured tread as he stalked down the towerincline. The barrage about the tower was lifted momentarily as he wentout. Then it came on again, with its glow beyond our casements, and itslow electrical whine. 

I was just turning back to the room when a sound behind me made me facesharply about. My heart leaped into my throat. The woman Tara hadproduced from about her person a weapon of some kind. She thought shewas unobserved, but from the angle at which I stood, I saw her. Agleaming metal object was in her hand. And then she launched it--a smallflat disc of metal, thin, and with its circular edge keen as aknife-blade. 

Whirling with a very soft hum hardly audible, it left her hand andfloated upward across the room. Circling the casements up near theceiling, and then heading downward straight for Elza! And I saw, too, that the woman was guiding it by a tiny radio-control. 

The thing was so unexpected that I stood gaping. But only for aninstant. I saw the deadly whirling knife-disc sailing for Elza.... Itwould strike her ... Shear her white throat.... 

With a shout of horror and anger, I leaped for the woman. But Wolfgar, too, had seen the disc and he went into action quicker than I. The divanwas beside him. He snatched up a pillow; flung it upward at the disc. The soft pillow struck the disc; together, entangled, they fellharmlessly to the floor. 

I was upon the woman, snatching the handle of the control-wire from herhand, wrenching its connection loose from her robe. Under my onslaught, she fell; and I kneeled beside her, gripping her while she tore at meand screamed with hysterical, murderous frenzy. 

CHAPTER XIII

_Love--and Hate_

I did not harm this Tara, though I was sorely tempted to; and after amoment we quieted her. She was crying and laughing by turns; but when weseated her on the divan she controlled herself and fell into a sullensilence. Elza, pale and frightened at her escape, faced the woman, andwaved Wolfgar and me aside. Strange little Elza! Resolute, she stoodthere, and would brook no interference with her purpose. Wolfgar and Iwithdrew a pace or two and stood watching them. 

Tara's breast was heaving with her pent emotion. She sat drooping on thedivan, her face buried in her hands. 

Elza said gently: "Why did you do that, Tara?"

There was no answer; only the woman's catching breath as she struggledwith her sobs. Across the background of my consciousness came thethought that Tarrano or one of his guards would doubtless momentarilyappear to investigate all this turmoil. And I was vaguely conscious alsothat from our instrument room the sounds of an unusual activity werecoming. But I did not heed them. Elza was insisting:

"Why did you do that, Tara? Why should you want to harm me?"

Tara looked up. "You have stolen the man I love. "

"I?"

"Yes. Tarrano----"

She broke off, set her lips firmly together as though to repress furtherwords; and her fine grey eyes, filled with unbidden tears, weresmoldering to their depths with hate. 

Impulsively Elza sank to the floor beside the woman. But Tara drew away. 

Elza said: "Tarrano--he is a wonderful man, Tara. A genius--the greatestfigure of these three worlds.... "

My heart sank to hear her say it!

"... A genius, Tara. You should be proud to love him.... "

"You----" The woman's writhing fingers seemed about to reach for Elza. Itook a sudden step forward, then relaxed. Elza added quickly:

"But I would not steal Tarrano from you. Don't you realize that?"

"No!"

"But it's true. "

"No! No! You have stolen him! With your queer Earth beauty--that coloredhair of yours--those rounded limbs--you've bewitched him! I can see it. You can't lie to me! I made him angry once and he admitted it. "

"No, I tell you!"

"I say yes. You've stolen him from me. He loves you--and he mocks andlaughs at me----"

"Tara, wait. I do not love Tarrano, I tell you. I would not havehim----" How my heart leaped to hear her say it so convincingly. Sheadded:

"He loves me, perhaps--but I can't help that. He has me prisoner here. Iam forced----"

"You lie! You are playing to win him! What girl would refuse? You sayyourself he is the greatest man of the ages. You lie when you tell meyou do not want him!"

Elza had taken the woman by the shoulders. "Tara, listen--you _must_listen! Are you mated with Tarrano?"

"No! But years ago he promised me. I took his name then, as we do in theCold Country. They still call me Tara! Years I have waited, true to mypromise--with even my name of maidenhood relinquished. _His_ name--Tara!And now he tosses me aside--because _you_, only an Earth woman, havebewitched him. "

"I didn't want to bewitch him, Tara. " Elza's voice was very gentle; anda whimsical smile was plucking at her lips. "You think I want himbecause he is a genius--the greatest man of our time?"

"Yes!"

"Is that why _you_ want him?"

"No, I love him. "

"You loved him before he was very great, didn't you?"

"Yes. Back in the Cold Country. When he was only a boy--and I was nomore than a girl half grown. I love him for himself, I tell you----"

Elza interrupted; and her voice risen to greater firmness, held aquality of earnest pleading. 

"Wait, Tara! You love Tarrano for himself--because you are a womancapable of love. It is the man you love--not his deeds, or his fame orhis destiny. Isn't that so?"

"Yes. I----"

"Then won't you give me credit for being a woman with instincts as fineas your own? The love of a good woman goes unbidden. You can't win it byconquering worlds and flinging them at her feet. Tarrano thinks you can. He thinks to dazzle me with his feats of prowess. He wants to buy mylove with thrones for me to grace as queen. He thinks my awe and fear ofhim are love. He thinks a woman's love is born of respect, andadmiration, and promises of wealth. But you and I, Tara--we know itisn't. We know it's born of a glance--born in poverty andsickness--adversity--every ill circumstance--born without reason--for noreason at all. Just born! And if anything else gives it birth--it is nota true woman's love. You and I know that, Tara. Don't you see?"

Tara was sobbing unrestrainedly now, and Elza, with arms around her, went on:

"You should be proud to love Tarrano. If I loved him, I would be proudof him, too. But I do not----"

A step sounded near at hand. Tarrano stood in the archway, with armsfolded, regarding us sardonically. 

CHAPTER XIV

_Defying Worlds_

"So?" Tarrano eyed us, evidently in no hurry to speak further, seeminglyamused at our confusion. Had he heard much of what the two women hadsaid? All of it, or most of it, doubtless, with his instruments as heapproached. But, even with the knowledge of Elza's vehement appraisal ofhim, he seemed now quite imperturbable. His gaze touched me and Wolfgar, then returned to the women. 

"So? It would seem, Tara, that your plan to wait upon the Lady Elza wasnot very successful. " He dropped the irony, adding crisply: "Tara, comehere!"

She rose to her feet obediently, and stood facing him. Humble, fearful, yet a trifle defiant. For a moment he frowned upon her thoughtfully;then he said to Elza:

"Your policy of mercy is very embarrassing, Lady Elza. " He made adeprecating gesture, and again his eyes were twinkling. "This womanthreatened your life. My guards were lax--though I must admit they hadgood excuse, with the other tasks which I thrust upon them.... Your lifewas threatened--you escaped by the merest chance of fortune. You know, of course, what justice would bid me do to this would-be murderess?"

Elza was on her feet, standing beside Tara. She did not answer. 

Tarrano now was smiling. "I must let her go unpunished? Embarrassing, this merciful policy to which you have committed me! Yet--your will ismy law as you know--though I feel that some day it will involve us indisaster.... You, Tara, will not be punished, much as you deserve it. "He paused, then said as an afterthought: "You, Jac Hallen, I thank youfor what you tried to do in thwarting the attack. You acted in veryclumsy fashion--but, at least, you doubtless did your best. " Gravely heturned to Wolfgar. "I shall not forget, Wolfgar, that, in an emergency, you saved the life of Lady Elza.... Enough! These are busy moments. Youchose an awkward time to raise this turmoil. Come with me--all of you. "

He summoned Argo and two other guards. Unceremoniously, and with morehaste than I had ever seen in Tarrano, he led us from the building. Ahint of his purpose came to me, as he bade Elza gather up her fewpersonal belongings, and gave them to a guard to carry. 

In a group, he herded us across the spider bridge. It was early evening, but night had fully fallen. The city was ablaze with its colored lights. We crossed the bridge, passed through a tunnel-arcade, and came out to aplatform which was at the base of a skeleton tower. Its naked girdersrose some seven hundred feet above us. The highest structure in thecity. A waiting lifting-car was there. We entered, and it shot usupward. 

At the top, the narrowed structure was enclosed into a single room somethirty feet square. A many-windowed room, with a small metal balconysurrounding it outside. Immediately above the room, at the very peak ofthe tower, was a single, powerful light-beam; its silver searching rayswept the cloudless, starry sky in a slow circle. 

The room was crowded with instruments. Unlighted, save by the reflectedglow of its many image-mirrors, all of which seemed in full operation. Adozen intent men sat at the tables; a silent room, but for the hum andclick of the instruments. 

Tarrano said softly: "We have been very busy while you below wereengaged with your petty hates. "

He seated himself at a table apart, upon which was a single mirror, andhe gathered us around him. The mirror was dark. He called:

"Rax--let me see Mars--you have them by relay? The Hill City?"

The mirror flashed on. From an aperture overhead, a tiny beam of theblue helio-transformer came down to it. In the mirror I saw an image ofthe familiar Hill City. A terraced slope, dotted with the cubicalbuildings, spires and tunnel mouths. An empty channel[15] curved downacross the landscape from the north. 

[Footnote 15: Canal, as it now is thought to be. ]

A distant scene, empty and lifeless save for black puffs which rose inthe air above the city. 

Tarrano called impatiently: "Closer, Rax!"

The image dissolved, blurred; turned red, violet, then white. We seemednow upon a height close above the city. It was seething with confusion. Fighting going on in the streets. Animals and men, fighting; a crowd ofthe Little People thronging a public square, with beasts of war chargingthem. 

The Hairless Men; I had heard of them, with their animals trained tofight, while they--the humans--lurked behind. A mysterious, almostgrewsome race, to us who live on Earth--these hairless dwellers of theunderground Mars. Dead-white of skin; sleek and hairless; heavilymuscled from the work of their world; and almost blind from living inthe dark. 

They were swarming now into the Hill City of the ruling Little People. The beasts, at their commands, were running wild through thestreets ... Dripping jaws, tearing at the women ... The children.... 

I felt Elza turn away, shuddering. 

Tarrano chuckled. "The revolt. It came, of course, as I planned. ThisLittle People government--it was annoying ... Colley!"

"Master?"

"Send the message, Colley. Fling it audibly over Mars! Tell the rulersof the Little People that if they send up the green bomb ofsurrender--Tarrano will spare them further bloodshed. Tell them that Iam not giving the Brende secret to Earth. In a moment I shall defy theEarth Council. Promise them that the Brende secret is going to Mars. Assure them they will have everlasting life for everyone.... Wohl!"

"Master?"

"Give me the Cave Station. "

The mirror went dark. Then it turned a dazzling yellow. A cavern in theinterior of Mars. A dark scene of wavering yellow torches. Around atable of instruments sat a score of hairless men. Tarrano snatched up amouthpiece--murmured slowly into it. I could see the leader of thehairless men nod after a time, as the message reached him. And I saw himturn away to issue swift orders as Tarrano had commanded. 

Tarrano said brusquely: "Enough!... Wohl!"

The mirror went dark. A voice called: "Master, the green bomb has goneup from the Hill City! Do you wish to see?"

"No.... Give me Venus. Olgan! Are they quiet on Venus?"

"Yes, Master. "

"Congratulate them that we have conquered the Little People. Tell themMars is ours now! Tell them I am coming to Venus at once--with theBrende model.... "

"Master, you wish to see Venus? I have direct communication----"

Another voice interrupted. "The Earth Council, Master! They demand anexplanation of why you say the Brende model is going to Mars. You havepromised it to Earth. They demand----"

Tarrano rasped: "Tell them to wait ... I don't want Venus, Olgan.... Megar! Give me the Earth Mountain Station. "

He turned to me, and his voice dropped again to that characteristicsardonic drawl:

"We must see how your friend Georg Brende is faring. "

The mirror showed Georg, standing irresolute on the platform before thesending discs. 

Tarrano called: "The Princess Maida--can't you locate her?"

The scene blurred momentarily, then showed us the outside of theStation. A white expanse of snow, with purple starlit sky above. From aside door of the building, as we watched, the figures of two womenappeared. A woman leading Maida. As they came out, with Maida allunsuspecting, from the shadows a group of men pounced upon them--draggedMaida away. 

Tarrano laughed. "Enough!... Show me Georg Brende again.... Hurry!"

We saw Georg waver and leap through the window, fall into the snow, where, from the shadows of the building, other men rushed out uponhim ... Hurried him away after the captive Maida.... 

Tarrano's laugh was grim and triumphant. "Ha! We win there, also!Enough! Nunz? Nunz--now you can give me the Earth Council! Where is itsitting? Washington, or Great London?"

"Washington, Master. "

"Very well.... No, never mind connecting me. You speak for me. Tell themI've changed my mind. The Brende model is not coming to Washington. Tellthem Georg Brende is lost to them, also. Tell them I declare war!_Tarrano the Conqueror_ declares war on the Earth! Tell them that, withmy compliments. Tell them to come down here and overwhelm me--it oughtto be very easy!"

CHAPTER XV

_Escape_

That _Tarrano_ should thus defy the Earth, when by every law of rationalcircumstance the move seemed to spell only his own disaster, wascharacteristic of the man. He stood there in the instrument room at thepeak of the skeleton tower in Venia and rasped out to the Earth Councilhis defiance. Silence followed--silence unbroken save by the hiss andclick of the instruments as the message was sent. 

And then Tarrano ordered thrown upon himself the lights and sendingmirrors so that his own image might be available to all of the publicand Earth officials who cared to look upon it. Within the circle ofmirrors he stood drawn to his full height; his eyes flashing, heavybrows lowered, and a sardonic smile--almost a leer--pulling at his thinlips. The embodiment of defiance. Yet to those who knew him well--as Iwas beginning to know him--there was in his eyes a gleam of irony, asthough even in this situation he saw humor. A game, with worlds andnations as his pawns--a game wherein, though he had apparently lost, with the confidence of his genius he knew that the hidden move he wasabout to make would extricate him. 

"Enough, " he rasped. 

The mirrors went dark. He turned away; and still without appearance ofhaste he drew Wolfgar, Elza and me to the balcony. Together we stoodgazing over the lights of the city below us. 

A cloudless, starry sky. Empty of air-craft; but to the north just belowthe horizon, we knew that the line of war vessels was hovering. Evennow, doubtless, they had their orders to descend upon us. Tarrano seemedwaiting, and I suppose we stood there half an hour. Occasionally hewould sight an instrument toward the north; and by the orders he gave atintervals I knew that preparations for action on his part were underway. 

Half an hour. Then abruptly from below the northern horizon lights cameup--spreading colored beams. The Earth war vessels! A line of them asfar as we could see from left to right, mounting up into the sky as theywinged their way toward us--a line spreading out in a broad arc. Andthen, behind us, I saw others appear. We were surrounded. 

It was a magnificent, awe-inspiring sight, that vast ring of approachingcolored lights. Red, green and purple--slowly moving eyes. Light-rocketssometimes mounting above them, to burst with a soundless glare of whitelight in the sky; and underneath, the spreading white search-beams, sweeping down to the dark forest that lay all about us. 

Soon, in the white glare of the bombs, we could distinguish the actualshapes of the vessels. Still Tarrano did not move from his place by thebalcony rail. He stood there, with a hand contemplatively under hischin, as though absorbed by an interest in the scene purely impersonal. Was he going to give himself up? Stand there inactive while these armedforces of the most powerful world in the Solar System swept down uponhim?

Abruptly he snapped his instrument back to his belt. He had not used itsince the hostile lights had appeared. Previously, I knew, he had beenwatching those lights, with the curved ray of the instrument when thelights themselves had been below the horizon. 

He turned now to me. "They are here, Jac Hallen. Almost here. And I amat their mercy. " His tone was ironic; then it hardened into grimness. Hewas addressing me, but I knew it was for Elza's benefit he spoke. 

"I came here to Earth, Jac Hallen, for certain things. I find them nowaccomplished. I belong here no longer. " He laughed. "I would not forcemyself into a war prematurely. That would be very unwise. I think--weshall have to avoid this--engagement. I am--slightly outnumbered. "

He called an order, quite calmly over his shoulder. I suppose, at thatmoment, the Earth war vessels were no more than five miles away. Thewhole sky was a kaleidoscope of darting lights. In answer to his order, from the peak of our tower a light bomb mounted--a vertical ray of greenlight. The bomb of surrender!

Tarrano chuckled. "That should halt them. Come! We must start. "

He held a brief colloquy with a Venus man who appeared beside him. Theman nodded and hastened back into the instrument room. The green lightof our bomb had died away. The lights in the sky began fading--the wholesky fading, turning to blackness! I became aware that Tarrano had thrownaround our tower a temporary isolation barrage. For a few moments--whilethe current he had at his command could hold it--we could not be seen onthe image finders of the advancing vessels. 

Tarrano repeated: "That should hold them--I have surrendered! Theyshould be triumphant. And outside our barrage, our men will bargain withthem. Ten minutes! We should be able to hold them off that long atleast. Come, Lady Elza. We must start now. "

With a scant ceremony in sharp contrast to his courteous words to Elza, he hurried us off. Three of us--Elza, Wolfgar and myself, with oneattendant who still carried Elza's personal belongings. Hurried us intothe vertical car which had brought us up into the tower. It descendednow, down the iron skeleton shaft. Outside the girders I could see onlythe blackness of the barrage, with faint snapping sparks. 

Silently we descended. It seemed very far down. And suddenly I realizedthat we were going lower than the ground level. The barrage sparks hadvanished. The blackness now was a normal darkness; and in it I could seeslipping upward the smooth black sides of the vertical shaft into whichwe were dropping. And the sulphuric smell of the barrage was gone. Theair now smelt of earth--the heavy, close air of underground. 

I do not know how far down we went. A thousand feet perhaps. The thingsurprised me. Yet in those moments my mind encompassed it; and many ofTarrano's motives which I had not reasoned out before now seemed plain. He had come from Venus to the Earth, possibly several months ago. Hadcome directly here to Venia and set up his headquarters. His purpose onEarth--as he had just told me--did not lie with warfare. While he washere his forces had conquered the Great City of Venus, and just now, theHill City of Mars. He controlled Venus and Mars--but he was still farfrom ready to attack the Earth. 

He had come to the Earth in person for several important purposes. Forone--he desired the Brende model and Dr. Brende's notes. He had themnow; they were, in reality, at this present moment in the Great City ofVenus. Also, with the Brende secret--to control it absolutely--he had tohave Georg Brende. Well, as I was soon to realize, Georg was now hiscaptive. And the Princess Maida? His purpose in holding her wastwo-fold. She had, now as always in the Venus Central State, atremendous sentimental sway upon her people. Tarrano had abducted her, forcibly to remove her from the scene of action, so that during herunexplained absence his propaganda would have more influence. He hadbrought her here to Earth; and now his plan was to have Georg Brende andher fall in love with each other. He still hoped to win Georg to hiscause, by giving him the Princess Maida, if for no other reason. Andwith Maida married to Georg--and Georg in Tarrano's service--Maidaherself would turn her influence in Venus to consolidate her people toTarrano. 

These, in part, were Tarrano's present plans and motives. They wereworking out well. And--as he had said--the Earth did not concern him nowas a battle-ground. Later ... But even with this sudden insight whichseemed to come to me, I was inadequate to grasp what later he was toattempt. 

While thus occupied with my thoughts, we were steadily descending intothe ground under Venia--dropping out of sight while above us, perhaps bynow, the eager warcraft of Earth were overwhelming the city. Tarrano hadnot spoken; but when at last our little car bumped gently at the bottom, he said smilingly: "We are here, Lady Elza. "

We left the car, and passed into a dim-lighted cavern. I saw a lateralblack tunnel-mouth yawning nearby, with a shining rail at its top andbottom, one above the other. And between the rails was a metal vehicle. A long, narrow car; yet with its turtle-back and its propelling gas-tubeat the rear, with a rudder on each side of the tube, I realized that itwas designed also for sub-sea travel. A small affair. Ten feet at itsgreatest width, and fifty or sixty feet long. 

There was nothing startling in this evidence of underground and sub-seatransportation. But that it should be here in primitive Venia surprisedme. Then I realized that Tarrano had been here perhaps many months. Quietly, secretly he had constructed this underground road. For hisescape, I could not doubt it. Indeed, I did not doubt but that the manhad anticipated practically every event which had occurred. 

We found in the car, or boat if you will, a variety of attendants andpersonal belongings. Tara was there; I saw her sitting alone on one ofthe distant rings of seats. And Argo was among us--and others whom I hadlearned to know by sight and name. It was the party and equipment whichTarrano had probably originally brought with him from Venus. We, thelast arrivals in the car, took our places. The doors slid closed. Thecar vibrated slightly; purred with its forward motors. We were started. 

It was not a long trip. How far we went I have no means of knowing. Butafter a time, by the changed motion and sounds, I realized that we weretraversing water. Then above us after another interval, they opened ahatchway. The pure fresh air of night streamed in upon us. Every lightin the boat had been extinguished. At Tarrano's command I followed himup the small spider incline and through the hatchway. We stood on alittle circular space of the turtle-deck, well aft--an observation spaceenclosed by a low metal rail. A few feet below us dark glossy water wasslipping past. 

At a lazy hasteless pace, we were passing along what I saw to be a broadriver. The Riola Amazonia[16] I afterward learned it to be. Heavy banksof luxurious foliage, dark and silent. Inundated in places. And after afew moments we slackened, turned sharply into one of the inundated covesand nosed slowly amid a tangle of the jungle bank. 

[Footnote 16: Evidently the upper Amazon. ]

And then I saw, hidden here in the recesses of this pathless forest, asmall inter-planetary flyer, painted a hazy grey-blue. Around and overit the vegetation had been carefully, cunningly trained. A few cautiouslights illumined it now; but without them, and even in daylight, I knewthat from above it could never be seen. 

Our party entered it--a small but surprisingly luxurious vessel. Thefoliage from above it was cut away by ready workmen; and in half an hourmore we were rising from the forest. Straight up, into that cloudlesssky. The land dropped away beneath us; visually concave at first as thecircular horizon seemed to rise with us. The sky overhead fortunatelywas empty--nothing in sight to bar our outward flight. And we carried nolights. 

In a moment or two, so swiftly did we gather velocity, the lights ofVenia--a distant patch of them--were visible. Then, further away, Ipresently saw the grey expanse of open sea. And as we mounted, thesimulated concavity of the Earth turned convex. I had never seen itthus--had never been so far above its surface before. A huge grey balldown there which was our Earth. Outlines of sea and land. Thencontinents and oceans, enveloped by patches of cloud area. Agrey ball, changing to a glowing, vaguely dull red; then silver. Dwindling--gleaming brighter silver on one side where the sunlightstruck it. 

We were in the realms of outer, inter-planetary space!

CHAPTER XVI

_Playground of Venus_

After a trip uneventful--save that to me, taking it for the first time, it was an experience never to be forgotten in a lifetime--we landed atthe Great City of Venus. We had sent no messages during the trip, andwith our grey-blue color, I think we escaped telescopic and even radioobservation by the Earth. Into our vessel's small instrument room, whereTarrano spent most of his time, reports of the news occasionally driftedin. But his connection--small and inadequate--was often broken. Nor didTarrano this time seem interested in having Wolfgar, Elza and me learnthe news. Yet it was not unfavorable to him. I gathered that the Earthformally had accepted his declaration of war. Relations with Venus--andwith Mars also, had been discontinued. The mails no longer left. Thehelios were stopped. But, so far as I could learn, the Earth wasundertaking no offensive action. For the present, certainly. 

Soon we were beyond reach of all messages save helios, which were not inoperation. And in another day news began reaching us from Venus. Butfrom this Tarrano barred us. 

I saw Venus, as we dropped upon it, first as a tremendous lovelycrescent of silver beneath us. A crescent first, and, as hours passed, the darkened area took shape. A ball hanging there in space. Growingalmost momentarily larger. Soon we could distinguish cloud areas. Thenthe land--the water. A ball filling half our lower segment of sky. Thenall of it. 

We reached the Venus atmosphere, passed through cloud masses, and outagain into the brilliant sunshine. Below us, glowing with the glory ofmid-day, lay the Venus Central State. Rolling hills with distantmountain peaks, the highest of them far-away, glittering white with thesunlight on their snow-caps. 

A land of warmth and beauty. Dazzling green, with a luxuriantvegetation, tropical yet strange. 

As we dropped lower, I sat alone, gazing downward. We were passing overthe land now, at an altitude of no more than twenty thousand feet. Avivid land. Vivid sunlight; inky shadows; a green to everything--asolid, brilliant green. Amid it, spots of other colors; splashes ofyellow; patches of scarlet as though some huge field were massed withscarlet blossoms. And trailing silver threads--rivers and streams. Oragain glittering silver lakes nestling in the hills. 

A fairyland of beauty. Yet as I gazed, it seemed not the fairyland of achild. Not childish, but mature; for I could not miss in its aspect, awarmth, a quality of sensuousness. A land of dalliance and pleasure ofthe senses. And I realized then why the Venus people derived all theiradvancement of science and industry from Earthly and Martian sources. Ahand of luxury and physical ease. People, not primitive--but decadent. 

I became aware of Wolfgar at my elbow. "It is very beautiful, eh, JacHallen?"

"Beautiful--yes. You've been here before, Wolfgar?"

He nodded. "Oh yes. Soon we will reach the Great City. That too isstrange and beautiful. "

Elza saw us together and joined us. The Great City presently came intodistant view. Wolfgar, with that gentle voice and smile characteristicof him began to describe to us what we should see. Abruptly Elza said:

"I have never really thanked you, Wolfgar. You saved my life--there whenTara attacked me. "

He gestured. "Your thanks are more than such a service deserves. "

As though the subject had suggested Georg and Maida to him, he added, "I am wondering where Georg Brende and the Princess Maida may be. "

I fancied then that I saw a quality of wistfulness in his eyes. A gentlelittle fellow, this Mars man. Queer and brooding, with strange thoughtsnot to be fathomed. He added as though to himself: "I have oftenwondered--" Then stopped. 

Elza and I had discussed it. We felt sure that Georg and Maida had beentaken to Venus. They could have had only a few hours' start ofourselves. Yet this vessel we were in was unusually slow. We feltconvinced that they had already arrived on Venus--had been there perhapsalready for a day. 

We discussed it now with Wolfgar as the Great City came under us; butsoon we fell silent, gazing down into this beautiful capital of theCentral State. 

It lay in a broad hollow, a large, irregular circular bowl surrounded bygently sloping hillsides. The bowl was entirely filled by water--a broadflat lake of silver which from this height showed us its pearly bottom. On the water--seen from above--the houses seemed floating--clusters oflily pads on a placid shining pool. They were, in reality, flat cubicalbuildings solidly built of rectangular blocks of stone, standing justabove the water level on solid stone foundations. Always green andwhite--stones like blocks of smooth, polished marble, set in green andwhite patterns. Balconies and cornices of what might have been gleaming, beaten copper. Flat roofs, edged with scarlet flowers. 

Some of the buildings were low and small. Others of several stories, pretentious and ornate. One very large, like a palace, standing alone onits verdant island. 

The houses were mostly gathered in clusters of various shapes and sizes. Yet a semblance of order prevailed. Winding streets of open water laybetween the groups. There were trellised walks and arching spiderbridges, sometimes over the streets, sometimes joining one house toanother. 

Here and there I saw lagoons of open water, dotted with small greenislands like parks--islands on which the vegetation grew far higher andmore luxuriant than any even in the tropics of our Earth. Vegetationalways under careful training and control. Profuse with flowers, vividand gigantic. The houses too, were roofed with gardens--sometimeswith pergolas and trellises of the aerial scarlet blossoms. Occasionally--these latter details I observed as we descended close uponthe city--I saw houses with a tiny swimming pool on the roof--a privatepool hidden in masses of colored flowers. 

A playground--the playground of Venus. It seemed verybackward--uncivilized. And then Wolfgar pointed out the surroundinghillsides. On them, cleared of their vegetation, our modern civilizationstood gaunt and efficient. Towers, aerials, landing stages, aerialtrams, factories, tall stacks over the dynamo houses belching thickblack smoke, which artificial wind-generators carefully blew away fromthe city. 

In the midst of their hillside ring of necessary modernity, the peopleof the Great City had kept their playground inviolate. Work, science, industry--all necessary. But the real business of life was pleasure. Art, music, beauty.... And I am not far from thinking that unlessabused, their formula is better than ours. 

CHAPTER XVII

_Violet Beam of Death_

We landed on a stage at the summit of one of the nearer hillsides. Ourcoming--unheralded since we had carried no sending instruments--createda furor. The workers rested to watch us as we disembarked. It was not sodifferent a scene, here on the hill, than might have occurred on Earth. We took a moving platform, down the hill, to the water's edge. A bargewas awaiting us--a broad flat vessel with gaudy trappings. A score ofattendants lined its sides, each with a pole to thrust it through theshallow water. And on its high-raised stern, beneath a canopy was acouch upon which Tarrano reclined, with us of his party at his feet. 

A royal barge, queerly ancient, barbaric--reminding me of the flat, motionless pictures of Earth's early history. Yet it was a symbol hereon Venus, not of barbarism, but of decadence. 

We started off. I may have given a false idea of the size of the GreatCity. Its lake, indeed, was fully fifteen miles or more in diameter. Half a million people lived on or close around that placid stretch ofwater. 

The news of Tarrano's arrival had instantly spread. Graceful boats, allpropelled by hand, thronged our course. From them, and from everyhouse-window, balcony and roof-top, a waving multitude cheered thecoming of the Master. The new Master, to whom so recently they had giventheir allegiance--the Master who in return was to endow them with lifeeverlasting. 

It was a gay, holiday throng--cheering us, tossing flower-petals downupon us as we passed majestically beneath the bridges. Yet among thesegaudily dressed women and men with the luster of wealth and ease uponthem, others mingled. Others of a lower class, poorly dressed, with thebadge of servitude upon them, enthralled in a social peonage which I didnot yet understand. 

"_Slaans_, " Wolfgar called them. A term half of derision, half contempt. And Wolfgar pointed one out to me. A huge grey, surly-looking fellowpassing in a one-man shell or boat of tree-fibre. He gazed up at us ashe went by--a furtive glance of cold, sullen fury. Unmistakable. And Isaw it again on others of his kind--men, women, even children who gazedat us with big, round eyes. A dumb, sullen resentment, with asmouldering fury beneath it. 

During the trip, which may have taken an hour, I remarked somethingalso, which did not at the time seem significant but very soon I was torecall it and understand its import. Argo, of course, was still with us. As we embarked upon the barge, a man evidently an official of the GreatCity had paid his humble respects to Tarrano and then withdrawn to afurther part of the vessel, drawing Argo with him. I saw the two inclose conversation. The official evidently was telling Argo something ofimportance. I could see Argo growing indignant and then his eyesgleaming, a leer upon his cruel lips. 

During the trip Tarrano sat calm, half reclining on his couch--satwatching with his keen expressionless eyes the applause of themultitude. It was, I think, and I believe he felt it also, the height ofhis career up to that time--this triumphant entry into the greatest cityof Venus. He did not speak, just sat watching and listening, with a halfsmile of triumph pulling at his mouth. Yet I know too, that those keeneyes of his did not miss the sullen glances of the _slaans_. 

The weather, as always in the Venus Central State, was warm--a luxurioustropic warmth. And now I felt--as I had seen from above--the languorous, sensuous quality of it all. Music, mingled with the ripple of girlishlaughter and cheers, came from the houses as we passed. Soft, fragrantflower-petals deluged us. The very air was laden heavy with exoticperfumes from the flowers which were everywhere. 

We arrived at last at what appeared to be a palace--a broad, lowbuilding of polished stone, on an island of its own. It was the buildingI had noticed when first we saw the Great City from above. Gardens wereabout the building, and on its roof. Flowers lined its many balconies. 

We drew up to a stone landing-place. 

"The palace of the Princess Maida, " Wolfgar whispered. 

But I had no time to question him. Attendants appeared. A queer mixture. Incongruous men of science, armed with belts of instruments. Theygreeted Tarrano humbly; escorted him away. 

Other attendants. Natives of the city, in the flowing, bright-coloredrobes we had seen everywhere. A group of them--laughing younggirls--descended upon us. 

"The Princess Maida bids you welcome. "

They hurried us into the building. I was surprised. Tarrano hadseemingly ignored us. It was quite as though we were honored guests, arriving in the Central State when Maida was its ruler. 

Led by the girls, we passed upward into the building past splashingfountains, cascades of perfumed water with tubes of silver lightgleaming in its midst; and were thrust at last into a room. 

The girls withdrew. Across the floor-polished stone, with heavy wovenrugs upon it--Georg and the Princess Maida advanced upon us. 

Our greetings were brief. I could have talked to them both for a day, questioning them; and they, no doubt, had as much to ask of us. But theywere solemn, grave and anxious. 

"Not now, Jac, " Georg said to check me. "Elza dear--I have been soworried over you. "

"But----" I demanded. 

"Jac--the situation here--our own cause--the safety of our Earthitself--this Tarrano--"

But Maida stopped him. "The very air has ears. Not now. " Her glanceturned to Wolfgar; her slim hands went out to greet him. "Wolfgar, myfriend. It is good to see you here. "

Wolfgar knelt before her, gazed for one instant into her eyes, and thenwith head bowed, brushed the hem of her robe to his face. 

She laughed gently. "Stand up, Wolfgar. I would not be the PrincessMaida to you now. Only--your friend. Your grateful friend. "

There was a sudden soundless flash. From across the room a beam ofviolet flame darted at us. It struck just between Maida and Wolfgar, ashe rose from his knee. Both of them involuntarily stepped backward, apart from each other. And between them, breast high, the flame hunglevel across the room. Maida was on one side of it; all the rest of us, on the other. 

I turned. At the door, Argo had appeared. From a black object in hishand, the beam was streaming. He rested the black thing on a wall ledgeso that the beam hung level. 

"Stand where you are, all of you. " He started toward Maida, behind thebeam from the rest of us. 

Georg made as though to leap forward, but Wolfgar restrained him. "Wait!You don't understand--that's death!"

I saw now that the violet light had encircled us. Only Maida and Argowere outside it. He was approaching her, with a cylinder in his hand. The ray from it struck her without power of movement or speech. Hereyes, terrified, turned to us. Again Georg would have leaped, butWolfgar shouted, "Wait! That's death! Don't you understand?"

Argo was leering. "Death? Yes! If you touch that violet light! Death, ofcourse. But you won't touch it! You will stand and watch--stand silentlyfor you know that if you shout, the vibrations will bring the beam uponyou. You won't move--you'll stand and watch me kill your PrincessMaida--not quickly--she is too beautiful for that. You, GeorgBrende--you, Wolfgar, traitor from Mars. You shall see your PrincessMaida die--this would-be traitoress to my Master Tarrano!"

With all the strength of his puny body Wolfgar flung Georgbackward--safely away from the deadly violet beam. And then, withoutwarning, without a cry which would endanger us, the little Mars mansprang headlong, into and through the violet beam of death. 

CHAPTER XVIII

_Passing of a Friend_

Wolfgar was not dead; but when we picked him up it was obvious that hewas dying. The violet beam vanished as his body struck it--vanished witha hiss and splutter, and a puff of sulphuric smoke that mingled with thesmell of burning garments and flesh. 

Georg and I leaped forward. Argo was standing transfixed by surprise atwhat Wolfgar had done; and as the beam died, Georg was upon him. 

"One moment!"

The quiet, commanding voice of Tarrano. He must have come quickly, wheninformed by the finders of Argo's treachery. Yet he stood now at thearcade entrance, drawn to his full height, frowning with lowered brows, but wholly without appearance of haste. 

"One moment--stand aside, all of you. "

Argo cowered. The rest of us moved aside. Elza came toward me, and I putmy arm around her. Poor little Elza! She was shivering with fright. 

Tarrano seemed not to need information as to what had transpired. Hiseyes, roving over us, saw the lifeless, seared body of Wolfgar lying onthe floor. 

"Too bad, " he said. Then his gaze swung to Argo. 

"Master----"

"Silence!"

There was on Tarrano's face and in his voice an expression, a tone quitenew to me. A quiet grimness. More than that. A quality of deadliness--ofinexorable deadliness which could well have chilled the stoutest heartthat fronted it. 

"Come here, Argo. " Tarrano stood quite motionless. "Argo!"

"Master! Master, you----"

"Come!"

Argo was on the floor. Shaking with terror--for he, probably better thanany of us, understood what was coming--dragged himself to Tarrano'sfeet. 

"Stand up!"

"Master, have mercy----"

"Stand up! Are you a man?"

Argo's legs would barely support him, but he struggled to get himselferect. With a wrench, Tarrano tore the robe from Argo's chest. 

"Master! Master! Have mercy!"

In Tarrano's hand I saw a needle-like piece of steel. A dagger, yet itwas more like a needle. 

"Master--Oh----"

Tarrano had stabbed it gently into the man's chest. A mere prick intothe flesh, and a tiny drop of blood oozed out. 

For a moment Argo stood swaying. Eyes white-rimmed with mortal terror ashe stupidly looked down at the drop of blood. A moment, then theinjected poison took effect. He tottered, flung his arms above his headand fell. Lay writhing an instant; then twitching; and then quite still. 

Tarrano turned away, his face impassive. "Unfortunate. He was a good manin many ways--I shall be sorry to lose his services. " He saw me with myarm around Elza, and he frowned. 

"So?"

Instinctively, involuntarily--and I hated myself for it--I dropped myarm. 

Georg exclaimed: "Wolfgar--he----"

Tarrano turned from me. "He is not dead--but he will die. There isnothing we can do. I'm very sorry--very sorry indeed. "

A sincere regret was in his tone. We lifted Wolfgar up, carried him to adepression in the floor by the wall--a shallow, couch-like bowlhalf-filled with down. 

On the floor we gathered, seated on cushions; and presently Wolfgarregained consciousness. His face was not burned. It lighted with a dazedsmile; and his eyes, searching us, picked out Maida. 

"You are safe--I'm--so glad. "

His voice was low and labored; and at once his eyes closed again asthough the effort of speaking were too great. 

Maida was sitting near me at Wolfgar's head, bending over him. She hadrecovered from her terror of Argo; and as she leaned down, gazing at thedying Wolfgar, I think I have never seen so gentle, so compassionate anexpression upon the face of any woman. 

Elza whispered: "There must be something we can do. The men ofmedicine--the lights--the healing lights! Georg! Cannot you usefather's----"

They were only an overwrought girl's excited ideas, of course. Wolfgar'slungs were seared; even as Elza spoke, he coughed, and blood welled fromhis mouth--blood which Georg quickly wiped away. 

Tarrano was on his feet behind us, with folded arms; and as he lookeddown, I saw on his face also--the face which a few moments before hadbeen grim with deadly menace--a look now of gentle compassion very muchlike Maida's. 

"No use, " he said softly. "We can do nothing. He will die. "

Again Wolfgar's eyes opened. "Die--of course. " He tried to raise one ofhis burned hands, but dropped it back. "Die? Yes--of course. In just amoment.... " His eyes, already dulled, swung about. "Who is that--crying?There's no need--to cry. "

It was little Elza beside me, struggling to suppress her sobs. 

Wolfgar's slow, labored voice demanded: "That isn't--my Princess Maidacrying--is it? I don't want--her to cry----"

"No, " said Georg gently. "Maida is here--right here by you. She isn'tcrying. "

His gaze found Maida's face. "Oh, yes--I can see you--Princess Maida. You're not crying--that's good. There's nothing to--cry about. "

He seemed for a moment to gather a little strength; he moved his headand saw Tarrano standing there behind us. 

"Master?" He used the old term with a whimsical smile. "I--called youthat--for a long time, didn't I? You have a right to consider me atraitor----"

"A spy, " said Tarrano very gently. "Not a traitor. That you would havebeen had you served me--a traitor to your Princess. "

Wolfgar's head tried to nod; relief was on his face. "I'm--glad youunderstand. I would not want to die--having you think harshly of me----"

"You are a man--I honor you. " Abruptly Tarrano turned away and strodeacross the room. And always since I have wondered if he left that sceneof death because of the emotion he could not hide. 

Georg said: "You should not talk, Wolfgar. "

"But I--want to talk. I have--only a few minutes. Just these--last fewminutes--I want to talk to my--Princess Maida. You'll--excuse us--thePrincess Maida and me--won't you? Just for these last--few minutes?"

We withdrew beyond his fading sight. 

"My--Princess Maida----"

His voice still reached us. She leaned closer over him. Her tears werefalling now, but as she spoke she strove for calmness. 

"Wolfgar----"

His eyes were glazing, but they dung to her. "Princess----"

"No, " she said. "Just Maida--your friend. The woman you have given yourlife for. " Her voice almost broke. "Oh, Wolfgar! Never shall I forgetthat. To give your life----"

"It is--a great honor. " The gesture he made to check her words of thanksexhausted him. His eyes closed; for a moment he seemed not to breathe. As Maida leaned down in alarm, her beautiful white hair tumbled forwardover her shoulders. A lock of it brushed Wolfgar. He could not lift hishands, but they groped for the tresses, found them and clung. Her whitewaves of hair, with his fingers, shriveled, burned black, entwined inthem. 

Again his eyelids came up. "You won't leave me--Princess Maida. Not forthese--last few minutes?"

"No, " she half whispered. 

"You--cannot--if you would. " His whimsical smile returned. "You see? Iam--holding you. "

For a moment he was silent. His eyes stayed open, staring dully at her. His face and lips were drained now of their blood. 

"You're--still there?"

"Yes, Wolfgar. "

"Yes--of course I know you are. But I--cannot see you very well--now. You look--so far away. "

She put her face down quite close to him. Her eyes were brimming withtears. 

"Oh--yes, " he said. "That's better--much better. Now I can--seeyou--very plainly. I was thinking--I wanted to--tell you something. It--wouldn't be right to tell you--except that I'll soon--be gone whereit won't make any difference. "

He gathered all his last remaining strength. "I--love you--PrincessMaida. "

She forced a gentle smile through her tears. "Yes, Wolfgar. "

"I mean, " he persisted, "not as my Princess--just as--a woman. The--woman I've always loved. That's been my secret. You see? Itwould--always have been--my secret--the little Mars man Wolfgar--in lovewith his Princess Maida. You--don't think it too impertinent of me--doyou? I mean--confessing it now--just at--the end?"

"No, " she whispered. "No, Wolfgar. "

"Thank you--very much. " His breath exhaled with a faint sigh. "Thankyou--very much. I wanted to tell you that--before I--go. And--if youwouldn't mind--I want to--call you--just Maida. "

"Just Maida, Wolfgar. Yes, of course, I want you to call me that. " Hervoice was broken. She brushed away her tears that he might not noticethem. 

"Yes, " he agreed. His staring eyes were trying to see her. "My Maida. You're--very beautiful--my Maida. I--wonder--you see, I'm takingadvantage of you--I wonder if you'd say you--love me? I'd be sohappy--just to hear you say it. "

As I sat there behind them, I prayed then that she might say it. 

"I love you, Wolfgar. "

"Oh, " he whispered. "You _did_ say it! My Maida says that she loves me!"Happiness transfigured his livid face. But his smile was whimsicalstill. "You're--very kind to me. Please--say it again. "

"I love you, Wolfgar. "

"Yes--that's how I always dreamed it would sound. I--love--you--Wolfgar. "

His voice trailed away; a film was settling over his staring eyes. Thenagain his lips moved. "Maida says--'I love you, Wolfgar' ... I'm--sohappy.... "

Quite suddenly she realized that he was gone. Her pent-up emotion camewith a sob. 

"Wolfgar! My friend--my wonderful, loyal friend--don't die, Wolfgar!Don't die!"

CHAPTER XIX

_Waters of Eternal Peace_

Little Wolfgar was gone. It seemed at first very strange, unreal. It laya shadow of grief upon our spirits, for many hours a deeper shadow thanall those grave events impending upon which hung the fate of threeworlds. 

Tarrano ordered for Wolfgar a public burial of ceremony and honor in thewaters of eternal peace--ordered it for that same evening. Once againTarrano demonstrated the strangeness of his nature. His arrival to takepossession of Venus had been made the occasion of a great festival. "TheWater Festival, " they called it, which was held only at times ofuniversal public rejoicing. It was planned now to do honor toTarrano--planned for this same evening. But he postponed it a night;tonight was for Wolfgar. 

We were still captives in Tarrano's hands, as we had been on Earth inVenia. Yet here in the Great City of Venus a curious situation arose. Tarrano himself explained it to us that afternoon. An embarrassingsituation for him, he termed it. 

"Very embarrassing, " he said, with eyes that smiled at us quizzically. "Just for your ears alone, you understand, I am willing to admit that Imust handle these Great City people very carefully. You, PrincessMaida--you are greatly beloved of your people. "

"Yes, " she said. 

He nodded. "For that reason they would not like to know you arevirtually a captive. And you, Georg Brende--really, they are beginningto look on you as a savior--to save them from disease and death. It israther unflattering to me----"

He broke off, then with sudden decision added:

"Soon you two will realize that to join me will be your best course. Andbest for all the worlds, for it will bring to them all peace and healthand happiness.... No, I ask no decision from you now. Nor from you, LadyElza. " His gaze softened as he regarded her--softened almost to aquantity of wistfulness. "_You_ know, Lady Elza, for what I am striving. I may--indeed I shall--conquer the worlds. But you hold in the palm ofyour little white hand, my real reward.... Enough!"

And then he offered us a sort of pseudo-liberty. We might all come andgo about the Great City at will. Apparently--to the public eye--alliedto Tarrano. The Princess Maida--as before--hereditary honored ruler;with Tarrano guiding the business affairs of State, as on Earth ourPresidents and their Councils rule the legendary Kings and Queens. Theone ruling in fact; the other, an affair of pretty sentiment. 

It was this condition which Tarrano now desired to bring about. WithGeorg already beloved for his medical knowledge; and flying rumors(started no doubt by Tarrano) that the handsome Earth man would some daymarry their Princess. 

Myself--the irony of it!--I was appointed a sort of bodyguard to theLady Elza--the little Earth girl whose presence in the Great City wouldhelp conciliate the Earth and bring about universal peace--with Venus incontrol. 

So ran the popular fancy, guided by Tarrano. We were given ourpseudo-liberty, watched always by the unseen eyes of Tarrano's guards. And there was nothing we could do but accept our status. Tarrano wasguiding his destiny cleverly. Yet underneath it all, unseen forces wereat work. We sensed them. The _slaans_--submissive at their menial tasks, but everywhere with sullen, resentful glances. Perhaps Tarrano realizedhis danger; but I do not think that he, any more than the rest of us, realized what the Water Festival was to bring forth. 

That night--our first night on Venus--midway between the darkness ofsunset and the dawn--we buried Wolfgar. The air was soft and warm, witha gentle breeze that riffled the placid waters of the lake. Overhead, the sky gleamed with a myriad stars--reddish stars, all of them like RedMars himself as seen through the heavy Venus atmosphere. Largest ofthem, the Earth. My birthplace! Save Elza here with me on Venus, thattiny red spot in the heavens, red like the tip of a lightedarrant-cylinder, held all that was dear to me!

The funeral cortege--a solemn line of panoplied boats, started from thepalace. Boats hung with purple fabric. In single file they wended theirway through the city streets. From every landing, balcony, window androof-top, the people stared down at us. The street corners were hungwith shaded tubes of light, shining down with spots of color to thewater. 

As we passed, the people bowed their heads, hands to their foreheads, palms outward. The gesture of grief. From one building came a lowmusical chant. 

"Honor to Wolfgar! The man who gave his life for our Princess. Honor toWolfgar!"

We came to the edge of the city. The lake here narrowed to a river--alength of winding river opening to the pond which was the burial placeof Eternal Peace. On Tarrano's barge, with Elza and Georg, we led theway. Maida was not with us. I asked Tarrano where she was, but solemnlyhe denied me. 

At the burial waters--on the sloping banks of which a silent throng hadgathered--we landed. And following us, the other vessels of the cortegecame along and stopped beside us. The pond was dotted with white markersfor the graves. The whole scene unlighted, save for the stars, and thered and purple aural lights of the Venus heavens, which mounted the skyat this midnight hour. A great, glowing arc--the reflected glow from amyriad cluster of tiny moons and moon-dust, encircling Venus. The softlight from it flooded the water and the tombs with a flush of red andpurple. 

As we lay there against the bank, with that silent throng breathlesslywatching, from down the river came the last vessel of our cortege. Itmade a scene I shall never forget. The bier. Draped in purple. A single, half-naked _slaan_ propelling it with a sweep from its stern. The bodyof Wolfgar lying on its raised prow--his dead, white face, with peaceupon it. Beside the body, the lone figure of Maida, kneeling atWolfgar's head, with her white, braided hair falling down over hershoulders. Kneeling and staring, almost expressionless; but I knew thatwith her whole heart she was speeding the soul of Wolfgar to its eternalpeace. 

CHAPTER XX

_Unseen Menace_

That day following the burial of Wolfgar, there was nothing ofimportance occurred. No news from the Earth could get in. I felt thatthe Earth might be planning an attack. Probably was, since war had beendeclared. Yet that of course was months away. 

Tarrano apparently was engaged in the pleasurable triumph of the comingWater Festival. All day he seemed engaged in planning it. But I knewthat he was engaged secretly with far sterner things concerning the ColdCountry, which lay a day's journey from us. But what they were, I didnot know. 

The Water Festival was all we talked of. That afternoon, Tarranodescribing it, said smilingly:

"They say it is for me. But, Lady Elza--it is _I_ who plan it--for you. You have not seen the Red Woman. " A gleam of amusement played upon hislips; but as he regarded Elza, I saw another look--of speculation, asthough he were gauging her. 

"The Red Woman, Lady Elza. She will preside tonight. You will findher--very interesting. We will watch her together, you and I. "

I did not know then what he meant; but I remembered the words later, andunderstood only too well. 

Just after sundown, when I chanced to be in a small boat alone, near thepalace, the first of two significant incidents occurred. From theshadows beneath a house, the head of a swimming man emerged. A _slaan_, and he gripped the sides of my boat as I drifted. 

"Wait, Earth man. " He spoke in the quaint universal language, which Iunderstood, though imperfectly. 

I gazed at him. A bullet-like head, with sullen, blazing eyes. He added:"We do not blame you--or your woman, Elza--or the Princess Maida. Haveno fear, but guard yourself well tonight. "

Before I could speak he had sunk into the water, swimming beneath it. Icould see the phosphorescence of his moving body as he swam away intothe shadows beyond my line of vision. 

The other incident came a moment later. As I was gazing down into thewater I saw a moving metal shape. A triangular metal head, as of adiver's cap. More than that, it turned upward; and behind its pane was aman's face. Unfamiliar to me--yet the face of an Anglo-Saxon man ofEarth! Unmistakable! It stared at me a moment--no more than three orfour feet below my boat. And then it moved away and vanished. 

I had no opportunity to speak alone with Elza, or Georg or Maida thatentire evening. Always Tarrano was with us. We sat upon the palacebalcony, we men smoking our arrant-cylinders. Tarrano talked and jokedlike a care-free youth. He was very courteous to Elza, with a holidayspirit upon him. But his eyes never relaxed; and often I could see himmeasuring her. 

The aural lights mounted the sky. The holiday spirit which was onTarrano was spreading everywhere throughout the city. Boats gaylybedecked--in such contrast to the funeral cortege of poor Wolfgar justthe night before--began passing the palace on their way to the festivalwaters. Men and laughing girls thronged them. All with red maskscovering their faces. The men in grey tight-fitting garments, withconical caps and flowing plumes; the girls in bright-colored, flowingrobes, and tresses dangling with flowers entwined in them. 

The balcony upon which we sat was close above the water level. Thebarges, of every size and kind, glided past. Sometimes the girls wouldshower us with flower petals. One small boat paused before us. A girlstood up to wave at me. Her hand, held up with the loose robe fallingback from her slim white arm, offered me a huge scarlet blossom. Thelove offering. As I hesitated, her laughter rippled out. She tore themask from her face. Her red mouth was smiling; her eyes, provocative, were dancing with mischief. She tossed the flower into my face as herescort, with a shout of mock anger, pulled her back to him. 

Their boats glided on. 

Other boats passed; some with girls gayly strumming instruments ofmusic. One boat with a man strumming, and a girl on a small dais, dancing with a whirl of black veils. As they came opposite to us anotherman in the boat reached up and pushed the girl overboard. She fell intothe water with a scream of laughter; came up like a mermaid and theypulled her aboard, the veils and her hair clinging to her. 

At last Tarrano signified that we must go. It was upon me then to makean effort to draw back, to keep Elza and Maida at the palace with Georgand me. My heart was heavy with foreboding. Amid all this laughter andmusic--pleasure of the senses reigning supreme here in the Great Citytonight--I could not miss a sense of impending evil. The _slaans_propelling the boats were stolid and grim. Not for them, this dalliance. Not for their women, this music and laughter, these daring costumes todisplay their beauty. The _slaan_ women, drab with work, were slinkingabout unnoticed. Often I would see a boat of them slip by, furtively, inthe shadows. Drab women, watching these beauties, resentful, sullen--andwith what purpose smouldering in their hearts I could only guess. 

The very air--to me at least--seemed pregnant with impending evil. Iknow that Georg felt it too. Often I had caught his eye as he regardedme. Once he started to whisper to me aside, but like a flash, Tarranowith his microphonic ear, turned to interrupt us. 

I wanted to stay with Elza at the palace. Suddenly I was afraid ofTarrano, more afraid for Elza than I had ever been. And who, and whatwas this Red Woman? Maida knew, of course. Maida had been very solemnfor hours; thoughtful, almost grim. 

And the _slaan_ in the water who said he did not blame us. He had warnedus to guard ourselves. But how? There were no weapons. On this night ofpleasure nothing would have been more incongruous. 

And that metal cap in the water with a man's face behind it? An Earthman of my own race! What did it mean?

I was perturbed--frightened. But I did not demur when Tarrano led us tohis flower-bedecked barge. Of what use?

We were paired. Georg with Maida; Elza with Tarrano. And I? Tarrano toldme curtly--and with a smile of ironic amusement--that when we reachedthe festival so handsome a man as I would have no trouble engaging theattention of some Venus maiden. 

On cushions in the barge we reclined while our _slaans_ poled us alongthe streets. Tarrano was feeding sweets to Elza as though they were gayyoung lovers. Poor little Elza! She was frightened. Her face was atrifle pale, her lips set. But she, too, knew that we were wholly inTarrano's power, and she made the best of the situation. Sometimes shewould laugh gayly; but I could not miss the note of fear in it. 

The progress of our barge was slow. Boats clustered around us, theiroccupants pelting us with flowers. A deluge spray of perfume was turnedon us--a heavy, exotic scent, almost cloying. It lay redolent on ourgarments for hours. 

Presently Tarrano gave us masks. And long robes for Maida and Elza tocover the gay holiday dresses they were wearing. 

At the edge of the city a canal had been dug through the hillside. Wepassed slowly through it, under archways of dangling colored lights, around a sharp bend and came upon the Water Festival. And--withimpending tragedy for the moment forgotten--I gazed for this first timeat such a scene of pleasure and beauty as I had never even imagined. 

CHAPTER XXI

_Love, Music--and a Warning_

The Water Festival! As our barge rounded a bend in the canal, under thearchways of dangling colored lights, the festival spread before us. Involuntarily I stood up to gaze. The canal opened into an artificiallake--a broad circular sheet of water some 800 _helans_[17] in diameter. Sloping hillsides enclosed the lake--hillsides which I saw were terracedwith huge banks of seats in tiers one above the other. 

[Footnote 17: About 4, 000 feet. ]

The seats were crowded with people. White ribbons of roads gave accessfrom the neighboring countryside for land-surface vehicles, and therewere stages for the accommodation of air-craft. The rural populace, andpeople from the nearby smaller cities, had gathered to view thisnational spectacle--a million or more of them probably, with theirindividual electrical telescopes for direct distant vision, and smallpocket mirrors for that which otherwise would be hidden. A millionpeople at least, seated here on these gigantic spreading tiers. 

The lake itself was thus the stage as it were, of a tremendous arena. Tiny artificial islands dotted the lake--a hundred of them. Islands, some no more than a few feet broad; some larger, and in the center ofthe lake, one quite large. All the islands were covered with luxuriantvegetation. The tiny ones were no more than shadowed nooks of leaves andflowers. 

Between the islands, crooked lanes of the placid water wended their wayin and out, broadening into occasional lagoons. Bridges crossed thelanes; archways of lights spanned them at intervals. 

From this distance the whole scene was a riot of color and great red andpurple auroral lights of Venus, which at this midnight hour rode theupper sky, tinged everything vividly. The archway lights were soft rose, silver and gold. Some of the tiny islands, from sources hidden werebathed in bright silver. Others darker, in deep purple and red; stillothers, quite unlighted, dim and shadowed, touched only by the reflectedglow from those near them. 

From the main island lights were flashing into the sky; occasional colorbombs mounted and burst, painting the heavens. 

A riot of color. And then as we approached, I became aware of sound andmovement as well. Music from scores of unseen sources. Music from singleisolated instruments floating softly over the water--lovers playingaccompaniment to their pleading voices; or again, groups of voices--thecuriously mellow voices of young girls--and, on an island apart, musicfrom an aerial carrying strains from the public _concelan_. [18]

[Footnote 18: Orchestra. ]

It was all music of a type unfamiliar to me of Earth. Theintellectuality of our Earth music was missing. This music of Venus wasbuilt upon queer minor strains; unfinished cadences; a rhythm of thesort we of Earth could never encompass. I listened, and felt the appealof my senses. The lavish, abandoned music of barbarism? I had almostthought it that. Yet it was not. Rather was it decadent. This wholescene; the color, the music, the heavy cloying scents with which thenight air was redolent; the warm, sensuous abandonment, felt rather thanmade obvious--it was not barbarism, but decadence. And I realized thenhow close are the two extremes. A reversion to type, merely. And I knew, then, that from the pinnacle of civilization which we of Earth hadreached, naught lay before us but this. 

Music everywhere throughout the festival. And movement. As we floatedout of the canal, passing slowly along one of the broader waterways, boats and barges slipped past us. Barges crowded with revelers. And thesmall boats, generally with but a man and a girl--fugitive couples withthe holiday spirit upon them, seeking the shadowed nooks of islands fortheir love-making. 

In one lagoon we came upon such a boat. The man in it--a gay youth inred and black motley, with the mask fallen from his laughing, perspiringface--was in its stern, manipulating it with a long, thin paddle. Thegirl was lying face down on cushions in its prow. She was facingforward, with her long white hair tumbling about her. Around the boatwere clustered a number of other boats. Each was small, with only a manin it. A ring of boats, besieging the girl. Our barge paused to watch. Aboat would dash forward, its occupant standing up to thrust it on. Butthe girl, swung to meet it by the efforts of her escort, would turn hercylinder of _alcholite_[19] upon the attacker. Befuddled, her adversarywould retreat; or another, momentarily drunk, would fall into the waterto be sobered. 

[Footnote 19: A scent or perfume, highly intoxicating. ]

All with gay shouts of laughter; until at last the couple werevictorious and scurried away to their island. 

We passed on. There were mimic battles often on the islands. A hiddencouple found out and dragged back. A lone man attacked and pelted withflowers by a band of marauding girls. A diving platform at one end of anoval lagoon. Girls mounting it to dive into the red-shimmering water, where waiting youths were swimming, and by their prowess in downingother contenders would seize upon the girls and carry them off to wherea barge was loading its passengers for the main island. 

To this main island we came at last. It was heavily wooded, and indentedwith shallow, placid waterways. In one of them we landed; and amid asudden quiet and awe at the presence of Tarrano, we went ashore. Georgwalking with Maida; Tarrano forcing Elza to hold his arm; and I, besideElza until Tarrano sternly bade me walk behind. 

We were masked, but the revelers knew us. Amid the throng with which theisland was packed, we moved slowly forward toward a gay pavilion whichwas in the center of the grove. Music came from it--a broad, roofed-overpavilion with a dancing floor in the depression of its center space, andtiers of balconies above it. 

Within the pavilion, where the air was heavy with the smell of wine, arrant-smoke, intoxicating whiffs of surreptitiously usedalcholite-cylinders and sensuous perfumes upon the garments of thewomen--in here, the throng pressed around us; the dancers stopped togaze; the music momentarily hushed; the spectators on thebalconies--girls reclining on cushions with young gallants seated besidethem with trays of food and drink--all turned to crane down at us. 

"Honor to the Master Tarrano!"

A girl shouted it. A murmur of applause swept about us. 

Abruptly Tarrano removed his mask. His face, which had been concealed, showed with the flush of pleasure and his lips were parted with a smileof gratification and triumph. But, as the red silk mask was doffed, another took its place--the mask of imperturbability--that grave, inscrutable look with which he always masked his real emotions. 

"Honor to the Master Tarrano!"

Tarrano raised his hand; his quiet, calm voice carried throughout thesilent room. 

"There is no Master here tonight. No Master--only the Mistress of Love. Let us honor her. Let _her_ rule us all--tonight. "

For just an instant his gaze seemed to linger upon Elza; then he gravelyreplaced his red mask. Applause swept the room; the music started again. The lights overhead began whirling their kaleidoscope of colors downupon the dancers. 

We took our places in a canopied enclosure upon the first balcony, sometwenty feet above the dance floor. Tarrano refused the cushions; heplaced Elza deferentially upon them, and spread food and drink andsweet-meats before her. Near them sat Georg and Maida. I would have satbetween Elza and Georg, but Tarrano pulled me away from them. 

"You are wanted below. " He said it very softly, for my ears alone; butthrough his mask I could see his eyes blazing at me. 

"They are diving into the pool outside--cannot you hear them, JacHallen?" Impatience came to his voice; in truth, I must have beenstaring at him witless. "Maidens out there, Jac Hallen, who are seekinghandsome youths like yourself for escort. Must I speak plainly? You arenot wanted here. Go!"

"I----"

"Another word will be your last. " His voice was still almostemotionless, but I did not miss the gesture of his hand to his belt. "You had best obey, Jac Hallen. "

I was hardly so witless as not to realize the truth of his admonition. Iturned away; and with all the laughter and movement around us, I thinkthat Georg, Maida and Elza did not see me go. 

For the space of an hour or more, I stood alone on the lower floor ofthe pavilion, watching the balcony where Tarrano and the others sat. Stood there alone, feeling helpless and with my heart heavy withforeboding. Beneath my grey robe I was dressed in holiday fashion of theGreat City--beribboned and gartered, with feathers at my scarletshoulders for all the world like a male _nada_. [20] My red mask I kepton, and folded my cloak around me. 

[Footnote 20: A popinjay--fop. ]

The dance floor was crowded. I saw now that it was cut into smallcircles marked with black--circles in diameter about the length of aman. At intervals--perhaps five minutes apart--a signal in the musiccaused each of the dancing couples to select a circle and to dancewholly within it. And then one of the circles, by mechanical device, wasraised into the air above all the others. The couple on it, thusprominent, danced at their best, to be judged by Tarrano for a prize. 

For an hour I stood there. I could see Elza plainly. She had removed hermask. Her face was flushed, her lips laughing. Once, in a chancesilence, her shout of applause rang out. The quality of abandonment init turned me cold. Did I see Tarrano's hand move back to his belt? Washe intoxicating her? Then I saw Maida make a gesture--wave somethingfrom beneath her cloak at Elza. A scent to sober her? It seemed so, forElza looked confused; and I saw Maida flash her a look of warning. 

Abruptly, from an alcove near me, a group of girls rushed out. Theircloaks and white veils fell from them as they came my way--laughing asthey ran for the doorway leading outside to the pool. I was in their wayand they bumped into me; one of them gripped me. I tried to jerk loose, but she clung. A slim girl, enveloped in her long, white tresses. Hereyes laughed at me; her red mouth went up alluringly to my face. 

"I love you--_you_, Jac Hallen. " Her arms wound about my neck as sheclung. I was trying to cast her off when her fingers lifted a corner ofmy mask. 

"I was afraid you were _not_ Jac Hallen. " Her whisper was relieved, andit had suddenly turned swift and vehement. "I am sister to Maida--myname, Alda. I am to warn you. When Tarrano dances with the RedWoman--when they go up on the raised circle--_you drop to the floor_!You understand? Keep down, or the rays might strike you! But be here, inside, and watch. And _afterward_, go quickly to join the Princess andyour Elza. You understand?"

She clung to me, with her slim, white body pressed against my cloak. Toanyone watching us, she would have seemed merely making love. Her eyeswere provocative; her lips mocking me. But she was whispering, _"Drop tothe floor when Tarrano dances with the Red Woman--drop or the rays mightstrike you!"_

Another girl was plucking at me from behind. Alda shouted: "You shallnot have him!" and cast me off. But I heard her whisper, _"Come outsidefor a moment--then come back!"_--and then, aloud, she cried to the othergirl, "You shall not have him! He is coming to watch me dive and swim! Iam more beautiful than you--you could not win him from me!"

I let them drag me out into the grove by the scented pool. 

CHAPTER XXII

_Revolution!_

I realize that I am, by nature, not overly observant; and in thosemoments, when I stood out there beside the pool, I think I came mostforcibly to appreciate how little I habitually observe that which is notreadily apparent. An incident now occurred to bring it home to me; and, quite suddenly, a score of things which I had seen during the past twohours at the festival were made plain. 

Music, feasting, merry-making, love! In the midst of it all, anundercurrent of events was flowing. Unseen events--but I had partly seensome of them, and now, at last, I began to understand. 

In the main hall of the pavilion, midway to its roof, a line of mirrorswas placed along the wall facing Tarrano. A hundred small mirrors, sideby side. On them were moving images of what was taking place indifferent parts of the festival--so that Tarrano and the others mightsee the merry-making, not only in the pavilion, but elsewhere, as well. It was interesting to watch the mirrors--and sometimes amusing. Thescene of a gay battle of boats in a nearby lagoon; the diving girls inthe pools; a view from the sky above of the whole scene; another, looking upward at the color bombs bursting overhead; a bridge on which adozen girls were besieged by as many men, who sought to climb upwardfrom their boats underneath, flowers for missiles, and the alcholitefumes which held off the attackers, or, perchance, caused a girl to fallinto the water, to be instantly captured. 

Other mirrors, eavesdropping upon the secluded islands, making public, for the amusement of the spectators in the pavilion, the furtivelove-making of couples who fancied themselves alone. 

All this I had seen. And now I remembered that, occasionally, a mirrorhad gone dark, and then turned suddenly to a scene somewhere else. Iunderstood now. Quiet incidents against Tarrano were in progress. Themirrors were being tampered with, that none of these events should beshown. 

There were, scattered throughout the festival, fully a hundred men ofTarrano's guard. Some of them I knew by their uniforms; others wereconcealed by red masks and robes like myself. When first we entered thepavilion, some twenty or thirty of them had been there with us. But manyof them did not stay; and now I remembered that, one by one, I had seenthem slip away, lured by the slim, white shapes of girls who came fromthe pool to beguile them. 

I realized now that these girls of the scented pool were very possiblyall working for Maida. Most daring of all at the festival, these fiftygirls who now disported themselves in the water at my feet. Allbeautiful, none beyond the first flush of earliest maturity. Slight, grey-white nymphs, laughing as they discarded their hampering veils, tossing their white hair as they plunged into the shimmering pool. Seemingly the most seductive, most abandoned of everyone. 

Yet, as I stood there, I saw three of them climb from the water and, with gay shouts, rush into the pavilion. Back in a moment; and with thema flushed man--one of Tarrano's guards--flushed and flattered at theirattention. His hat was gone, his robe disheveled, as the girls foughtfor him. They stopped quite close to me; and I saw that one of them wasAlda. 

"You shall not have him!" she shouted to her companions. "He is mine! Heloves me--none of you!"

From her thick hair I saw her draw a tiny cylinder, wave it in the man'sface. And, with another laugh, she flung her arms around his neck andfell with him into the water. I watched the splash and the ripples wherethey went down. In a moment, the girl came up--_but the man did not_. Inall the confusion of the crowded pool, it was not very obvious. 

A dozen, perhaps, of such incidents, which now, that I was alert tounderstand, were apparent. The mirrors might have shown some ofthem--but the mirrors always went dark just in time. 

Tarrano's guards were disappearing. And now I saw a _slaan_ skulking inthe shadows of the shrubbery nearby. And I noticed, too, that this poolat my feet had a stream flowing outward from it--a waterway connectingit with the main lake. And I remembered the Earth man in sub-sea garbwhom I had seen. Were there many Earth men down here in the water?

_"When Tarrano dances with the Red Woman, you drop to the floor. "_

I remembered Alda's words and her admonition, "Be inside the pavilion. "And presently I caught her glance as she was poised for a dive--and itseemed directing me to leave. 

Wrapped in my drab cloak, I went back inside. The merry-making hadincreased; the place was more crowded than ever. I had been there but amoment when a gong sounded. The music stopped. In the hush Tarrano, onthe balcony, rose to his feet. 

"The tri-night hour[21] is here. " He removed his mask; his face wasgrave, but a slight smile curved his thin lips. "Let us see ourselvesnow as we really are. "

[Footnote 21: Half-way between midnight and dawn. ]

He slipped his robe from his shoulders and stood in his festive costume. For so slight a man, I was surprised at the strength of him. Bands ofgold-metal encircled his naked torso; a broad girdle of purple clothhung from his waist. His bare limbs were lean and straight; sandals ofred were on his feet. And a band about his forehead with a singlefeather in it. 

Yet, for it all, he was no male _nada_, but every inch a man. Gravelysmiling, as, with a gesture, he bade them all discard their masks androbes. From overhead the colored lights turned white. And in the glare, the robes and masks were dropped. Costumes grotesque, some of them;others symbolic; others merely beautiful. Vivid colors. Dancers daringlygarbed, with whom the girls from the pool now mingled. 

A moment of breathless silence; then ripples of applause from thespectators. And then the music and the dancing went on. 

Barbaric costumes? Some frankly imitated the bygone ages of Venus, Marsand Earth. But the spirit that prompted them was decadence--nothingmore. 

Presently, as I stood unmasked in my effeminate garb, holding myselfaloof from the girls who would have carried me off to the dancing floor, I saw the roof of the pavilion roll back. The open sky spread above us. And from it came down an effulgence of silver light, from a source highoverhead. It bathed us all in its soft radiance; and, simultaneously, the lights in the pavilion went out. A single golden shaft rested onTarrano. Elza, Georg and Maida were still there. In the golden light Icould see them quite plainly--could see that Elza was flushed withsuppressed excitement. Not the alcholite fumes now. Georg, too, seemedvery alert. And Maida. There was, indeed, a tenseness about them all--anair of vague expectancy which made my heart beat faster as I realizedit. 

Was Tarrano totally unaware of what was about to happen? Was he unawareof this hidden, lurking menace to him, which now, to me, was so obvious?I could not believe that; yet, he was imperturbable, solemn as ever. 

A shaft of golden light upon Tarrano. The darkened chamber. The silverradiance coming down upon us in a shaft from the sky. A hush lay uponthe room. The music had ceased; now it began again, very soft, ethereal. Everyone in the room was gazing upward. From high overhead in the silvershaft a shape appeared, slowly floating downward. A woman's figure. Itcame down, supported by what mechanical or scientific device I neverknew. It seemed floating unsupported. 

Within the pavilion, suspended in mid-air, I saw that it was a woman infilmy red veils. Poised on tip-toe in the air. Arms outstretched, withthe red veils hanging from them like wings. A woman fully matured. Whitehair piled in coils on her head, with a huge, scarlet blossom in it. Aface, somewhat heavy of feature, powdered white; with glowing eyes, darklidded; and a scarlet mouth. A face, an expression in the smoulderingeyes, the full lips half parted--a face and an expression that seemedthe very incarnation of all that is sensuous in humans. The Red Woman!The living symbol of all that lay beneath this festive merry-making. 

The Red Woman! For a moment she hovered there before us. A shaft of redlight now came down from above. It caught her, bathed her in its luridglow. On her face came a look of triumph, and a leer almost insolent, asslowly she began fluttering through the air toward Tarrano. He rose tomeet her. Whispered something aside to Elza. 

Close before him, the Red Woman hovered. And now a circle-dais from thefloor came up to her. She rested upon it; began a slow, sinuous dance;one by one loosening the veils; the red light deepening until it paintedher body red in lieu of the draperies. 

No frivolous mockery here. Intense, smouldering eyes as she held hergaze on Tarrano's face and slowly raised her arms in invitation to him. At her gesture, he rose to his feet. Yet I knew he was not under herspell, for his lips were smiling, bantering. 

But he rose obediently, and stepped from the balcony to the upraiseddais. Around his neck the Red Woman wound her arms--white arms stainedred by the lurid light. 

A flash! I did not see from whence it came; but within me somesubconscious impulse made me drop to the floor. The light from overheadwas out. Momentary darkness. A woman's scream of terror. Then others. The sound of running feet; bodies falling. Panic in the crowd. Confusioneverywhere. 

Then light from somewhere came on. People were tramping me. I foughtthem off, climbed to my feet. On the dais the Red Woman lay dead. Huddled in a heap, with a brand of black searing her forehead. _Slaans_were leaping about the room--huge, half-naked men--brandishing primitiveknives. Flashing steel, buried in the backs of the fleeing merry-makers. Other figures--Earth men they seemed--gripping the _slaans_, stayingtheir murderous fury. 

Tarrano? I did not see him at first. The air above the floor of thepavilion was full of snapping sparks--a battle of some unknown rays. Themirrors were shattered: glass from them was falling about me. Then, inthe semi-gloom on the balcony, Tarrano's figure materialized. Invisiblebefore, the hostile rays upon it now made it apparent. But Tarranoseemed proof against the rays. I could see he was unharmed; and as hestood there, no doubt using a curved, duplicating beam, the like ofwhich I have seen used in warfare, the image of him seemed to shift. Then it doubled--two images, one here, one further down the balcony. Then still others--appearing and disappearing, always in differentplaces, until no one could have said where the man himself really was. Adozen Tarranos, each enveloped in hostile sparks, each with his facegrinning at us in mockery. 

Abruptly, I heard Georg's voice shout above the din: "Elza! Elza isgone!"

The images of Tarrano faded. He, too, was gone. 

And then I saw Maida on the balcony, standing with upraised arms. Hervoice rang out. 

"Down with Tarrano! Death to Tarrano!" And then her pleading command:

"_Slaans_, no more bloodshed! Be loyal, _slaans_, to your PrincessMaida!"

And Georg calling: "Loyalty, everyone, to your Princess Maida. Loyalty!Loyalty!"

CHAPTER XXIII

_First Retreat_

I must recount now what Elza later told me, going back to those momentswhen Elza sat upon the balcony watching Tarrano and the Red Woman. Thesignificance of what had been transpiring at the Water Festival was notclear to Elza; she did not know what was impending, but as she sat therewith Tarrano beside her, a sense of danger oppressed her. Danger whichlay like a weight upon her heart. Yet several times she found herselflaughing--hilarious; and from Maida's warning glance, and the steadyingodor which Maida wafted to her, she knew that Tarrano was using thealcholite fumes to intoxicate her. 

The Red Woman and Tarrano were upon the dais. There came a flash; thendarkness. Elza went cold with terror. She sat stiff and silent, whilearound her surged that turmoil of confusion. The smell of chemicals wasin the air; her skin prickled as with a million tiny needles wheresparks now began to snap against it. 

How long she crouched there, or what was happening, Elza did not know. But presently she heard Tarrano's voice in her ear. 

"Come, Lady Elza, I must get you out of this. " In the darkness his faceglowed wraith-like. Then she felt his hand upon her arm. 

"Come, we must leave here. I would not have you endangered. "

With a haste and roughness that belied the calm solicitude of his words, he pulled her to her feet. There was light in the pavilion now. Elza sawdimly the turmoil of struggling figures; and then she saw the sceneduplicated--saw it shift and sway in crazy fashion. Though she did notknow it, she was looking out along the curved rays which Tarrano wassending from them. Sparks were snapping everywhere. A second image ofTarrano appeared to the left of her--she saw it in a mirror nearby--yethe was at her right, gripping her arm. 

"Hurry, Lady Elza. "

She found herself being dragged along the balcony; stumbling over a bodylying there; feeling a surge of heat and electric disturbance beatagainst her face. Then Tarrano had her in his arms, carrying her. Sheheard him curse as a sudden wave of fire seemed to strike them--hostilerays bringing a numbness to muscles and brain. Tarrano was fumbling athis belt; and through a shower of sparks he stumbled onward with hisburden. 

Elza's senses were fading. Vaguely she was conscious that Tarrano wascarrying her down an incline to the ground. Grateful, cool air. Starsoverhead. Trees; foliage; shimmering water. The screams and confusion ofthe pavilion growing fainter.... 

When Elza regained consciousness, she was lying in the bottom of alittle boat, Tarrano beside her. 

"So? You have awakened? We are quite safe, Lady Elza. "

She and Tarrano were alone in the boat. It was long and very narrow, with its sides no more than a foot above the water. Tarrano sat at itschemical mechanism. A boat familiar to us of Earth. A smallchemical-electric generator. The explosion of water in a little tank, with the resultant gases ejected through a small pipe projecting underthe surface at its stern. The boat swept forward smoothly, rapidly andalmost silently, with a stream of the gas bubbles coming to the surfacein its wake. 

"Quite safe, Lady Elza. "

She saw that Tarrano's face was blackened with grime. His garments wereburned, and hers were also. He was disheveled, but his manner was asimperturbable as ever. He made her comfortable on the cushions in theboat; drew a robe closer around her against the rush of the night air. 

Elza was unhurt. She saw now, with clarifying senses, that they wereplying along a narrow river. Banks of foliage on each side; the aurorallights in the sky; occasionally on the hillsides along the river, thedim outlines of a house. 

It was all a trifle unreal--like looking through a sunglass that wasdarkened--for around the boat hung always a vague pall of gloom. Tarranospoke of it. 

"Our isolation barrage. It is very weak, but the best I cancontrive. From these hills the naked eye, now at night could hardlypenetrate it.... A precaution, for they will be searching for usperhaps.... Ah!... "

A white search-ray sprang from a house at the top of a hill nearby. Itleaped across the dark countryside, swept the water--which at that pointhad broadened into a lagoon--and landed upon the boat. It was a lightstrong enough to penetrate the barrage--the boat was disclosed toobservers in the house. But Tarrano raised a small metal projector. Adull-red beam sprang from it and mingled with the other. A surge ofsparks; then Tarrano's red beam conquered. It absorbed the white light. And Tarrano's beam was curved. It lay over the lake in a huge bow, bending far out to one side. Yet its other end fell upon the hostilehouse. The white search-ray from the house was submerged, bent outwardwith Tarrano's beam. From the house, the observer could only gaze alongthis curved light. He saw the image of the boat--not where the boatreally was--but as though the ray were straight. 

Elza, staring with her heart in her throat, saw a ball of yellow firemount from the house. It swung into the air in a slow, lazy parabola, came down and dropped into the lake. But it fell where the marksman sawthe boat, a safe distance to one side. A ball of fire dropping into thewater, exploding the water all around it for a distance of a dozen feet. Like a cascade, the water mounted. 

Tarrano chuckled. "A very bad marksman. "

Other bombs came. It turns me cold when I think how orders like thiscould have come from the Great City--these bombs which had they foundtheir mark would have killed Tarrano, but at the expense of the life ofElza. They did not find their mark. Tarrano continually changed thecurve of his beam. The image of the boat shifted. A few moments only;and riding the waves of the bomb-tossed water, they rounded a bend, backinto the narrow river and were beyond range. 

Tarrano snapped off his ray. "Quite safe, Lady Elza. Do not be alarmed. I doubt if they will locate us again. They should be very busy now inthe Great City. I'm surprised they could even think to notify thisStation we have just passed. "

We were indeed very busy in the Great City during those hours, as youshall presently hear. 

Tarrano and Elza were not again disturbed. How far they went in the boatshe does not know, but at last they landed in a sheltered cove. An airvehicle was there. Tarrano transferred Elza to it, and in a moment morethey were aloft. 

The vehicle was little more than an oblong platform, with a low railing. A platform of a substance resembling _glascite-transparent_; and with a_glascite_ shield V-shaped in front to break the rush of wind and yetgive vision. A mechanism, not of radio-power, but of gravity like thespace-flyers. Such platforms had been, but were no longer in use onEarth. Elza had never seen one. It was a new experience for her, thisflying with nothing above one, nothing to the side, or underneath savethat transparent substance. To her it was like floating, and at timesfalling headlong through the air. 

They rose no more than a thousand feet at first, and then swept parallelwith the ground. At a tremendous speed; even at this height the forestsseemed moving backward as the ground moves beneath a surface vehicle. 

Dark, somber forests of luxuriant tropical vegetation. It was nownearing dawn; the auroral lights were dropping low in the sky; the greatVenus Cross of Dawn was rising, its first two stars already above theline of hills to one side. 

Then the sky out there flushed red; a limb of the glorious Sun of Venuscame up. A new day. And even though the air was warm, within Elza wasashiver. 

"It is very wonderful to me, my Elza, this being alone with you. "

He sat beside her, gazing at her with his calm, impenetrable eyes. Itwas near noon of that day following their escape from the WaterFestival. They had flown possibly two thousand miles. The Sun had risen, but after a time--since their enormous speed and change of latitude hadaffected the angle at which they viewed it--the Sun now was hangingalmost level, not far above the horizon. 

Beneath the platform--a mile below now--lay a tumbled waste of nakedcrags. The borders of the Cold Country! Tarrano's stronghold! Thebirthplace of his dreams of universal conquest. 

Elza was staring downward. A barren waste. Rocks bare of verdure. Grey, with red ore staining them. A desolation of empty rock, with grey flatshadows. And far ahead, the broken, serrated ranks of mountains withrocky peaks, white-hooded with the snow upon their summits. The ColdCountry. Bleak; forbidding. 

This brittle air was cold; yet Elza and Tarrano were warm. Before theplatform, a ray darted--a low-powered ray of a type that was to be sogreat a factor in the warfare into which we were all so soon to beplunged. It heated the air, so that the platform rushed always through awind that was balmy. 

"What did you say?" Elza looked up to meet Tarrano's steady gaze. 

"I said it is wonderful to be thus alone with you, my Elza. "

"Oh. " She looked away. 

He persisted; but his voice was gentle and earnest. "Soon we will be atmy home, Lady Elza. And now--there are some things I would like to saywhile I have the opportunity.... You will listen?"

"Yes, " she said; and tried to keep from him the trembling within her. "I'll listen, of course. "

He nodded. "Thank you.... My Elza, you have heard me talk of conqueringthe world. My dream--my destiny. It will come to pass, of course. Yet--"A smile pulled at his lips. "Do you know, my Elza, what you and I aredoing now?"

She stared, and he did not wait for her to answer. 

"We're making my first retreat. I wonder if you can realize how I feel, having to admit that? Tarrano in retreat!... Our escape from Venia?Pouf! That was a jest. I was there on Earth merely to get you, and theBrende model. I had no thought of conquering the Earth just then. Iaccomplished my two purposes--and left.... It was not a retreat, merelya planned departure. 

"But this, my Elza, is very different. I did not wish to do what I amdoing now. I had planned--I had thought, had actually hoped, that Imight maintain myself in the Great City. You see, I tell you this, little girl, because--well I am a lonely man. I walk alone--and becauseI am human--it does me good to have someone to talk to. I had hoped Imight maintain myself in the Great City. Last night--at the start of theWater Festival--I began to realize it was impossible. I should haveenlisted the _Rhaals_--the men of science, Elza. But I had no time, andthey are very aloof. I could have won them to me had I tried. " Heshrugged. "I must confess I was over-confident of my strength--thestrength of my position. The _Rhaals_ stayed out of the affair--stayedin their own city, which has always been their policy. That was what Iexpected, but now I see I should have had their aid. I did--well what Idid to guard against the unhappy outcome you witnessed--what I did waswrongly planned. You see, I take all the blame. I alone am responsiblefor my destiny. There are some who in defeat cry bitterly, 'Luck! Thatcursed luck was against me!' Not so! Leadership is not a matter of luck. Destiny is what you make it. You see?

"And so now I am making my first retreat. A set-back, nothing more. Ishall launch my forces from the City of Ice, instead of marshalling themfrom the Central State as I had planned. And Mars is still mine. I stillcontrol Mars, little Elza.... A set-back just now--and it bothers me. Ithurts my pride--and as you know, my Elza, Tarrano is very proud. "

She had been listening to him, her fingers plucking idly at her robe. Hebent closer to her; his voice turned tender. "I was thinking thatperhaps--just perhaps you would scorn Tarrano in his triumphs, you mightfeel differently toward him now--in his first retreat. Do you?"

She forced her eyes up to his again. "I'm--sorry--from your viewpoint, Imean--that things are going wrong. "

He smiled gently. "You are very conservative, Lady Elza. You want verymuch to avoid hypocrisy, don't you?"

"Yes, " she said frankly. "You could hardly expect me to be sorry at yourdefeat. "

"Defeat?" He rasped out the word, and his laugh was harsh. "You are toooptimistic. Defeat? Things going wrong? That is not so. A slightset-back. A strategic retreat--and in a week I will have regained morethan I have lost.... Oh, Lady Elza! I who would now--and always--be sogentle with you--why we are almost quarreling! That is not right. Forthe lives of a thousand of my servants, I would not have used that toneto you just now. Forgive me.... 

"I was saying, my Elza--could not you feel more kindly to me now. Alittle hope from those gentle eyes of yours--a little word from thosered lips--a word of hope for what some day might be for us--you andme--"

She dared to try and turn the subject. "You mentioned the Brendemodel--where is it? Have you it in the Cold Country?"

He frowned. "Yes. And I will use it--for you and me alone. You've alwaysknown that, haven't you? Just for you and me, my Elza. " He took herhand. "Won't you try and love me--just a trifle?"

She did not move. "I--don't know. " Then she faced him squarely. "I donot love you, Tarrano. " Something in his eyes--a quality of pleading; awistful smile upon his lips--suddenly struck her as pathetic. Strangeand queerly pathetic that such a man as he should be reduced towistfulness. Emotion swept her. Not love. A feeling of sympathy; awomanly desire to lighten his sorrow; to sympathize and yet to withholdfrom him the happiness he sought. 

"I do not love you, Tarrano. But I do respect you. And I am sorry--"

"Respect! I have told you I can command that from everyone. Butlove--your love--"

"I would give it if I could, Tarrano. "

"You mean--you're trying to love me--and cannot?"

"I mean--Oh, I don't know what I mean, save that I do not love you yet. "

He smiled. "I think you speak the truth when you say you do not knowwhat you mean. Your love! If I had it, I should know that I would haveit always. But--having it not--" He was very sincere, but his smilebroadened. "Having it not, my Elza, there is no power in all the heavensthat can tell me how to get it. It may be born in a moment from now--ornever. Who can tell?"

She was silent; and after a moment, he added: "Enough of this. I wouldask you just one thing. You are not afraid of me, are you?"

"No, " she said; and at that moment she meant it. 

"I would not have you ever be afraid, Lady Elza. Love is not conceivedby fear. And you must know I could never force my love upon you. For ifI did--I should withhold forever the birth of this love of yours whichis all I seek--this love I am trying to breathe into life.... Enough!"

He did not mention the subject again. For hours--eating what meagerstock of tabloid food with which their vehicle was provisioned--theyflew onward. Rising now to top the line of jagged mountains. Over themthe platform swept. In the crisp air the snow down there gleamedblue-white; the ice with an age-old look filled the valleys between thepeaks. 

The arctic! It was nothing like the Polar regions of Earth. Starkdesolation. A naked land seemingly upheaved by some gigantic cataclysmof nature, lying tumbled and broken where it had fallen in convulsiveagony; and then congealed forever in a grip of ice. 

The Sun hung level as the vehicle advanced. In these latitudes it wouldswing side-wise in a slow, low arc, to dip again below the horizon andvanish. Here in the Cold Country it was morning of the Long Day. Summer!

On over the crags and glaciers Tarrano guided their frail flyingplatform. Houses occasionally showed now--huts of ice, congealeddwellings, blue-white in the flat sunlight. 

And then at last, over the horizon came the ramparts of a city. The Cityof Ice! The size of it--the evidences of civilization here in thisbrittle land of deadly cold--made Elza gasp with wonderment. 

CHAPTER XXIV

_Attack on the Palace_

I must take you back now to the Water Festival and the events in theGreat City which followed it. _Slaans_ in murderous frenzy were plungingthrough the throng of erstwhile revelers. Maida could not quell them. The revolt which she had started against Tarrano seemed now aself-created monster to destroy us all. 

But there were Earth men among us. A hundred of them, no more. They hadcome from Washington that same day; had landed, I learned later, secretly near the Great City, sent with our Earth Council's plans tocommunicate with Maida. Beneath the water, coming individually, they hadentered the festival; and helping Maida's girls (the diving girls whom Ihad encountered) they had made away with most of Tarrano's guards. 

In those first moments of frenzy, I got to the balcony--joined Maida andGeorg. Elza was gone! My heart went cold, but in those hurried, franticmoments, grave disaster as it was, I did not dwell upon it. 

"We must get away--back to the palace!" Georg exclaimed as I joinedthem. 

The Earth men on the main floor were holding the _slaans_ partially incheck. Bodies were lying in a welter--I shall not describe it. Thenabruptly, upon a table a huge _slaan_ leaped--his garments blood-stainedfrom his victims, a blade of dripping steel in his hands. He shoutedabove the tumult--words not in the universal language, but in thedialect of the _slaans_. His command carried throughout the building. Other _slaans_ took it up; we could hear it echoed outside as othersshouted it over the waters. 

The bloodshed abruptly ceased. The _slaans_ leaped away from the Earthmen, who were glad enough to let them go--rushed for the archways of thepavilion. Outside, we could hear the water splashing. Swimmers--andboats scurrying off. Then comparative silence. The scream of a _slaan_woman in the grove nearby, still desiring vengeance; the groans of thedying at our feet; the hiss and splutter of weapons discarded, withcircuits still connected. And over it all, the great whine of a dangerwhistle, which some distant official had plugged.... A lull. And aroundus lay strewn stark tragedy where a few moments before had been festivemerry-making. A crimson scene, with the body of the Red Woman lying likea symbol in its midst.... 

Within an hour we were back at the palace. The whole city was seething. Boats and lights were everywhere. Control of everything seemed lost. Warning signals shrilled in crazy fashion. Public mirrors were dark, orturned to places and time wholly irrelevant. 

In the palace itself we soon secured a semblance of order. Maida's girlswere here, with wet veils and long dank tresses clinging to their sleekbodies. Lips painted alluring red. But eyes which now were solemn andgrim. Their demeanor alert and business-like. Unconscious of themselvesthey moved about the palace, executing Maida's orders. 

A dozen or so of Maida's personal retainers were here--and most of theEarth men. Keen-eyed young men of the Washington Headquarters Staff. Oneof them--Tomm Aften by name, a ruddy, blue-eyed fellow--was in command. He stayed close by Georg and me. 

The city was seething. But out of the chaos was coming a comparativelyorderly menace. We could sense it at first; and then in a few briefminutes so swift that we had no time to prepare--the menace becameobvious and was at hand. 

The _slaans_ had withdrawn from the festival for a greater, moreorganized effort. Their revolt against Tarrano in which Maida hadjoined, was bigger, more deep-rooted than a mere revolt. It was againstMaida herself. Trickery of the downtrodden _slaans_ against the rulingclass. Against the old order of government. Even against the _Rhaals_, who in their distant city were all-powerful, but who obeyed the laws andtook no part in anything. 

Revolution! From down the waterways of streets which converged into thebroad lagoon before the palace, boats began arriving. Boats crowded with_slaans_. Disheveled, unkempt men and women with primitive weapons ofsteel and wire brandished aloft. They surged into the lagoon. Amurderous, frenzied mob--thoughtless of itself, suicidal to attack us, yet daring everything in its frenzy. 

Soon the lagoon was crowded--a chaos of pushing, shoving boats. Then theboats began landing, disgorging their occupants, wild-eyed _slaans_ eacha potential murderer. The gardens of the palace were presently jammedwith them. They did not at first come within our threshholds; they stoodmilling about under the palms, trampling the tropic flowers, screamingthreats and epithets at us. But waiting--as a mob always does--for someleader to advance, that they might follow him upon us. 

We stood on the palace roof-top. I must confess that we were in a flurryfor the moment. There were undoubtedly weapons at hand, but I at leastdid not have them, nor did I know where they were. Excusable flurrypossibly for the thing had come so quickly, and most of us werestrangers here of but a few hours. 

The roof had a low railing waist-high, but broad. We stood clusteredbehind it. In the garden beneath, the mob was shouting up at us. And, before I could stop her, Maida had leaped to the top of the rail. Georgand I clutched at her, then steadied her. 

_"Slaans--"_

But they would not hear her. Shouts went up; a roar of threats. Thepress of additions to the mob landing from other boats, forced the frontranks forward. They were now on the palace steps, jammed there wavingtheir weapons yet still hesitating to advance. 

"_Slaans_--my people--"

Maida's frail voice was lost in the uproar. Then a missle was thrownupward--a portion of a broken generator--a heavy chunk of metal. Itbarely missed Maida, and fell with a thump to the roof behind us. Thencame others--a rain of them about us. I tried to pull Maida back, butshe fought me, her voice still calling out its appeal. 

With a bound, Georg was up on the rail beside her. Aften--the youngEarth man--had quietly handed him a cylinder. Georg waved it at the mob. 

"_Slaans_--" His stronger voice caught their attention. A sudden hushfell. 

"_Slaans_--it is I, Georg Brende. Your Princess Maida rules you now onlyunder me. A new ruler, _slaans_--the man of Earth--Georg Brende who mustbe obeyed--Georg Brende, soon to be husband of your Princess--"

But they would not hear him out. The din from them submerged his voice. His lips snapped tight as abruptly he ceased talking; his brows loweredgrimly and I saw his finger press upon the cylinder. 

Maida's voice screamed: "Georg! Have mercy! Do not kill them!"

She spoke barely in time. His cylinder swept upward. The rays from itcaught only the upper portions of the palms and the tree tops. Thefoliage withered, shriveled before that soundless, invisible blast. 

Not a blast of heat. The mob, surprised, then frightened, stared upward. The soft tropical foliage in a great wide swath was dead, with nakedsticks of limbs. Black, then turning white. Not with heat--but cold. Icewas forming from the moisture in the humid air. And then the suddencondensation brought snow--a thick white fall of it sifting down intothe palm-laden garden; falling gently, then swirling in a sudden windwhich had begun. 

As though itself stiffened by the cold just overhead, the mob stoodtransfixed. Then a murmur of horror came. And I saw through the veil ofwhirling snow, that into some of the trees _slaans_ had climbed. Theirbodies, frozen now, slid and fell--black plummets hurtling downwardthrough the swirling snow-flakes. 

CHAPTER XXV

_Immortal Terror_

To Elza, approaching with Tarrano on the tiny flying platform the Cityof Ice, the place seemed truly like a child's dream of Fairyland. Therude snow huts of the Arctic of our Earth were all that she had everconceived could be built of frozen water. Here, in the outskirts of thecity, she saw indeed, quite similar huts. But further in--ornatebuildings several stories high. She caught a vague glimpse of them only, as the platform flew above them and descended in the center of the city. 

They had passed over great outer encircling ramparts--a huge wall many_helans_ long--built entirely of ice blocks--fortifications like thatfabled wall which in the dim history of our Earth had once encircled aportion of the domain of the Yellow Race. 

The platform came down before a central building--the Palace of Ice. Even in this dim daylight of the Cold Country summer, the great buildinggleamed and glittered resplendent. A building of many levels, storiedand winged, with spider bridges and aerial arcades connecting the wings. Frescoed everywhere! ornate with carved design chipped in ice blockshard as marble. Rolling terraces of snow and ice surrounded it--lawns ofsmooth white, with winding paths of ice. A many balconied building;towers, spires and minarets crowning it. All blue-white. Glittering. Seemingly fragile; from a distance, a toy--a sample of the ultra-skillof some master confectioner, as though the whole thing were a toy ofsugar for children to admire. But at close range--solid; in the cold ofthis terrible region, as solid as though constructed of blocks of stone. 

With the flying platform landed, and its warming rays cut off, attendants rushed forward. Tarrano and Elza were wrapped in furs atonce--heavy furs which covered them from head to foot. 

"Well! Well, Graten!" Tarrano greeted his subordinate smilingly. "Thingsare in condition here? You got my message?"

"Yes, Master. All is in good fashion here. We welcome you. "

In his furs, with face almost hidden, Elza could not see what manner ofman this was. 

They entered the palace. Frescoed; carved everywhere, within as without. The main doorway led into a palatial hall, carpeted with furs. It waswarm. Tarrano discarded his fur, and helped Elza out of hers. 

"You like my home, Lady Elza?"

"It's--beautiful, " she answered. 

His smile showed amusement at the wonder and awe which stamped herexpression. He added very gently:

"I had in mind when I built it, the hope that you would be pleased. "

A comfortable interior warmth. Elza noticed little blurs of red lightbehind wire cages here and there. The warmth came from them; and a glowof pale white light from the tubes along the wall. 

A woman hurried to them. Tara! Elza recognized her at once. Tara, looking very pretty in a pale blue robe, with her hair done high uponher head. The woman who loved Tarrano; he had sent her on here to be ridof her, when he went to the Great City. She came forward. Pleasure wason her face at seeing Tarrano; but her glance as she turned itmomentarily toward Elza, held again that smouldering jealousy. 

Tarrano was evidently in a mood of high good humor. 

"You welcome me prettily, Tara. " She had flung her arms about him. "Tara, my dear is----"

"Master--you come but in time. They are working the Brende instrument. Already they have----"

"They? Who?" He frowned. His words were hard and cold as the ice-blocksaround him. 

"Woolff. And the son of Cretar. Many of them--using it now!"

Tarrano drew Elza with him. Tara led the way. Through glowing whitehallways, an arcade; down steps and an incline--to burst at last througha tunnel-like passage into a room. 

"So? What is this, Cretar?"

A room littered with apparatus. A dozen men were about. Men scantilydressed in this interior heat. Short, squat men of the Cold Country;flat-nosed, heavy faces; hair long to the base of the neck. In a cornerstood the Brende instrument, fully erected. A light from it seemedpenetrating the bared chest of a man who was at that moment standing inits curative rays. 

He whom Tarrano called Cretar, took a step forward. 

"Master, we----"

"Making yourselves immortal?" The anger had left Tarrano's voice; ironywas there instead. 

"Master----"

"Have you done that?"

"Master--yes! Yes! We did! Forgive us, Master. "

The man before the instrument had retreated from it. Elza saw now thatall the men were shrinking back in terror. All save Cretar, who hadfallen tremblingly to his knees. Yet Tarrano showed no anger. Helaughed. 

"I would not hurt you, Cretar! Get up, man! I am not angry--not evenannoyed. Why, your skin is turning orange. See the mottles!"

On the flesh of all the men--save the one who had been checked in theact of using the instrument--a bright orange mottling was apparent. Cretar exclaimed:

"The immunity to all diseases, master. It is itself adisease--harmless--and it combats every other. " He laughed a littlewildly. "We cannot get sick now. We cannot die--we are immortal. Come, Master--let us make you so!"

Tarrano whispered: "You see, Lady Elza? The orange spots! These men ofmedicine here have used the Brende secret to its full. Immune fromdisease!"

"Let us treat _you_, Master. This immortality----"

On Cretar's face was a triumphant smile, but in his eyes lay a terror. The man who had not been treated stood against the wall watching withinterest and curiosity. But the others! They crouched; wary; alert eyeslike animals at bay. 

Tarrano laughed. "Treat me! Cretar, you know not with what you have beentrifling. Immortal? You are indeed. Disease cannot touch you! You cannotdie--save by violence!"

He swung to Elza. "These men, Lady Elza--they are strong-muscled. Inhealth now more perfect than any other humans. _You_ are frail--a fraillittle woman. And unarmed. I bid you--strike one of them!"

She stared; but as she suddenly faced about, she caught in part hismeaning. Before her Cretar shrank back, his face gone white, his teethchattering. 

"What's that behind you?" Tarrano's voice simulated sudden alarm; hescuffled his feet on the floor. The men jumped with fright; nervesunstrung, they cowered. 

"What manner of men!" Tarrano's laugh was contemptuous. "Oh, Lady Elza, let this be a lesson to all of us! To cure disease is well. To preventit--that too is good. But immortality--Dr. Brende never intended it, _you_ know he did not, Lady Elza--the belief that we have everlastinglife here on this plane--the Creator never intended that. With alldanger of death gone--save violence--these immortals here fear violenceso greatly that they are men no longer!

"Immortal terror! God forbid _I_ should ever feel it! Or you, Lady Elza. A lesson for us all, who would be so un-Godly as to seek and think wehave found what only the Creator Himself can bestow!"

CHAPTER XXVI

_Black Cloud of Death_

I must revert now to that time in the gardens of Maida's palace at theGreat City when we stood upon its roof-top, threatened below by that mobof _slaans_. Georg stood with the cylinder in his hand, waving it. Thepalm foliage was freezing. Down through the swirling snow fell thefrozen bodies of the _slaans_ who had climbed into the gigantic palmfronds. The thuds as the bodies struck the ground sounded horribly plainin the stillness. Georg was still waving his cylinder. Snow and ice weregathering everywhere. Incautiously he lowered the weapon; a brief, momentary chill--the congealing breath of the Arctic in this warmpalm-laden garden--swept the horror-stricken crowd. 

"Georg, have mercy!"

Maida's frightened, pleading words brought Georg to his senses. Hesnapped off the cylinder and dropped it behind him to the palaceroof-top. He was trembling and white as he stood with his arm aroundMaida. Weapons so drastic as this one were seldom used. Indeed, it waslaw throughout both Venus and the Earth that no civilian should possessthem. The power for wholesale death in his hand, and which withoutwholly meaning to, he had so nearly used to its full effect, hadunnerved him. 

Without the ray, the wind soon died. The warmer air mounting, melted theice; the snow ceased falling. But the swath of shriveled foliageremained--a hideous scar cut into the luxuriant tropical growth. 

The mob had forgotten its threats, its evil intent. Silent for a moment, it now burst into outcries. Motionless: then milling about, strugglingaimlessly with itself--struggling to retreat. A panic of terror. Theboats in the lagoon were retreating. The _slaans_ along the fringe ofshore began hurriedly to embark. The groups huddled at the palace stepswere trying to shove the others back. In a rout they tumbled into theirboats and scurried away. Maida's voice, striving to reassure them, wasunheard. 

And presently the scarred, trampled garden was empty and silent. 

The rebellion, checked thus at its start, was quelled. Throughout thecity that night--for the _slaans_ to hear whether they would or no--thebroadcast stations flung their stentorian tones to the people; a speechby Maida; her promise of better things to come for the _slaans_; the endof Tarrano's brief rule; a reorganization of past conditions. Maidaherself had never been in control in the Central State. The luxury--thelicense-of the ruling class had been no fault of hers. She promised fairtreatment now to the _slaans_. She was to marry Georg Brende, the Earthman. 

Maida did marry Georg. With the many stirring events--a time whendisaster and death threatened us all--so soon to follow, I shall notpause to describe the wedding. A quaint, yet magnificent spectacle. Maida in her regal robe; Georg looking every inch a ruler. Their bargeof white leading the procession--a barge of white flowers, its sideslined with maidens to fend off the deluge of blossoms with which theonlookers assailed the bridal couple. The arrival at the marriageisland, where on an altar the quaintly garbed holy man immersed them;and the solemn men of law united them as one. 

It was a night of rejoicing throughout the Great City; and on everymirror in the Empire it was pictured for those who could not be present. 

A time of rejoicing. Yet then--as always those days--my heart was heavy. Elza was held by Tarrano. We knew he had taken her to the City of Ice. There was of course, no radio communication with the Cold Country. Wehad tried eavesdropping upon it, but to no avail. Tarrano's close-flungbarrage checked every wave we could send against it. 

Time passed--a month or more. We were worried over Elza naturally. Yetthe saving grace was that we knew Tarrano would treat her kindly; thatfor the present at least, she was in no danger. 

Georg and Maida took possession of the Central State. Their rule startedauspiciously, for by a series of speeches--a reorganization of moneypayments--the _slaans_ seemed well satisfied. Loyal, and with a growingpatriotism, an eagerness to help in the coming war with Tarrano. Georg--without actually saying so--made them believe that the only hopeof everlasting life was the recovery from Tarrano of the Brende model. The model was in the City of Ice; it must be captured. 

As a matter of fact, to us of the government, the Brende model was notindispensable. The greatest factor was that the threat of Tarrano'suniversal conquest must be forever removed. Like a rocket-bomb, this manof genius had risen from obscurity--had all but conquered the threegreatest worlds of the universe. 

I think that the height of Tarrano's power was reached that day on theeve of the Water Festival when he made his triumphant entry into theGreat City. Venus was his at that moment; all of Venus. Mars was his;the Hairless Men--savages who had fallen readily to his wiles, hadconquered the civilized, ruling Little People. And the Earth, over-runby his spies, deluged by his propaganda which, insidiously as rust willeat away a metal, was eating into the loyalty of our Earth-public--ourown great Earth was in a dangerous position. The Earth Council realizedit. The Almighty only could know how many of our officials, our men intrusted positions, were at heart loyal to Tarrano!

The thing was obvious. The assassination of our three rulers--leaders ofthe white, yellow and black races--with which Tarrano's campaign in theopen had begun--those assassinations could never have taken place hadnot our military organization been diseased. 

Facts like these were constantly coming to us now, here in the GreatCity. A brief time of physical inactivity. Yet underneath the calm, werealized there was a struggle going on everywhere; a struggle ofsentiment, of propaganda, of public opinion. 

Warfare, with modern weapons by which a man single-handed might destroya city--is no longer a matter of men. The citizen--unarmed--united insentiment and desire with a million of his kind--becomes the real ruler. You cannot--because you have a weapon--destroy a million of yourbrothers. 

We realized this. And in the ultimate decision--the popular fancyalmost--of our publics--lay our real success or downfall. 

Tarrano in the popular mind had a tremendous hold. Dispatches from Earthmade it plain that upon every street level the people were discussinghim. From the Great City daily we sent bulletins of our progress towardchecking--destroying--the menace of him. But bulletins also wereemanating from the City of Ice. We could not stop them. Cut off at everyofficial Earth station--and with all unofficial stations unable toreceive them--nevertheless at some secret station which could not befound, they were received. And from there, circulated throughout theEarth. The air was full of them. Mysteriously, scenes showing the greatTarrano appeared upon the official news-mirrors; a speech of Tarrano'swas once officially broadcasted before its source could be located andstopped. 

Like a smothered fire smouldering, lacking only a breath of vital gas toexplode it into flame, the sentiment for Tarrano spread about the Earth. 

Public opinion is fickle. It sways instinctively--not always, butoften--to the winning side. Here in Venus we knew we must defeatTarrano. Destroy him personally and thus put an end to it all forever, since his dominion hung wholly upon the genius of his own personality. 

Our spies, some of them, got to the City of Ice, and back. A few flyingmen were able to hover about the city, and with instruments peer downinto it. We knew that Tarrano was mobilizing for a move upon the Earth, where with a war-like demonstration he hoped to be accepted, yielded to, without a severe struggle. But, within a month now, we learned he hadabandoned that idea. He knew, of course, our own preparations to attackhim; and he began concentrating everything upon his own defense in theCity of Ice. 

His last stand. We officials knew it. And we knew he felt it also. Andthough on Earth our public felt differently, the Little Peoplerecognized it. A stirring, wonderful time--that day when on our mirrorswas pictured the revolt of the Little People against the Tarrano rule ofthe Hairless Men. Grim scenes of tragedy; and over the carnage, theLittle People triumphed. Tarrano's rule--with all the excesses of theHairless Men who proved themselves mere rapacious plunderers in the nameof warfare--was at an end on Mars. 

The effect on Earth of this Martian reversal was beneficial to us. Agood omen. We on Venus, redoubled our efforts to attack successfully theCity of Ice. 

Mars could send us no aid, though now in full sympathy with us. Theplanet was daily at a greater distance from us; and the Little People, not recovered from the effects of their own bloody strife, were in noposition to help us. 

Nor did the Earth Council deem it wise to send men additional to thosefew we already had. The Earth was rapidly being left behind by theswifter flight of Venus through her orbit. The official season for themail-flyers was closed. The opposition of the two planets was long sincepassed; millions of additional miles were adding to the space separatingthem. 

And the Earth Council was not sure of its men! Any one of them mightsecretly be in Tarrano's service--and do us infinitely more harm ifbrought to Venus, than if left at home. 

We seemed of solid strength in the Central State. For the first time ingenerations the _Rhaals_--the men of science from whom all the progressof civilization on Venus came--departed from their attitude ofaloofness. Their work--always before industrial--now turned to thesterner demands of war. 

The Rhaal City[22] lay a brief flight from us. A grave sort ofpeople, these _Rhaals_. Men of square-cut, sober-colored garments; womenof sober grey flowing robes--white hair coiled upon their heads. Intelligent women, dignified of demeanor; many of them learned as werethe men. 

[Footnote 22: An awkward, unpronounceable word which for the purposes ofthis narrative may be termed Industriana. ]

Their city, teeming now with the preparations for war, was intenselyinteresting to me. We spent most of our days in it, flying back atnightfall to Maida's palace. Yet I shall not describe it, nor ourpreparations, our days of activity--but hasten on to the first of theextraordinary incidents impending. 

It came--this first incident--through my thoughts of Elza. I wasworried--more than worried, sometimes almost terrified about her. Myinstinct would have been to take a handful of men and dash to herrescue--which of course would have been absurd. I tried to reassuremyself. Tarrano would treat her kindly. Soon, in full force, our armywould descend upon the City of Ice, capture it, destroy Tarrano--rescueElza. 

Rescue Elza! Ah, there lay the difficulty which I never daredcontemplate in detail. How would we rescue her? Tarrano would treat herkindly, now during his own security. But if, at the last, he saw his owndefeat, his death perhaps impending--would he treat her kindly then?

I loved Elza very deeply. A new torture came from it now. Did she loveme--or Tarrano? I remembered the gentleness of the man with her. Hisdignity, his power--his undoubted genius. And who, what was I? A merenews-gatherer. A man of no force, and little personality. A nonentity. Sometimes as in my jealousy I contemplated Elza with Tarrano now, I feltthat he was everything a young girl would fancy. How could she helploving him?

At night, when sleep would not come to me, I would lie tossing, thinkingof it. Did Elza love me--or Tarrano? Once I had thought she loved me. But she had never said so. 

It was out of this constant thinking of Elza that the first of theincidents I have mentioned, arose. There came to me one night thefeeling that Elza was near me. I awoke from half sleep to fullwakefulness. In my bedroom, upon the low couch on which I lay, the aurallights of Venus spread their vivid tints. The palace was silent; I satup, pressing my palms to my throbbing temples. 

_Elza was coming nearer to me!_

I knew it. Not by any of my bodily senses. A knowledge, which suddenly Irealized that I had. A moment, and then I was conscious of her voice! Nosound; my ears heard nothing. Yet my brain was aware of familiar tones. I recognized them, as one can remember how a loved voice sounded whenlast it was heard. 

But this was no memory. A present actuality; it rang soundless in mybrain. Elza's voice. Anxious! Frightened!

At first only the confused _tone_ of it. Then the consciousness ofwords. Two reiterated words:

_"Danger! Jac! Danger! Jac!"_

I waited no longer, but rushed to Georg and Maida--beautiful Maida inher robe of sleep with her white hair tumbling about her. Georg halfawake--yet almost at once he could understand me, and explain. 

Natural, instinctive telepathy! It had not occurred to me. I had neverbothered to develop telepathy; and indeed with any degree of fluency--oreven of surety of reception--the phenomenon is difficult to perfect. Yet, as I knew, with a loved one absent upon whom one's thoughts dwellconstantly--in time of stress telepathy is occasionally automaticallyestablished. 

It was so in Georg and Maida's case, back there in the Mountain Stationon Earth. Telepathy was the explanation of Georg's mysterious actions ashe stood there before the sending mirrors, crossed the room inconfusion, and like one in a dream leaped from the window to be seizedby Tarrano's spies. Maida had been abducted a moment before. Georg'sbrain became aware of it. Her danger, the appeal she sent to him. 

So it now seemed to be from Elza to me. Georg, out of bed now beside me, urged me to greater efforts of concentration, that I might understandwhat message Elza was sending. 

_"Elza! Elza dear! Where are you? What is it?"_

I murmured the words to myself as with all my power, I thought them overand over, flinging out the thoughts like radio waves into the night. Mysterious vibrations! In an instant, from here--everywhere in theuniverse. Who knows their character? Their speed? The speed of light alaggard perhaps beside the flash of a thought! Waves of my thoughts, speeding through the night, with only one receiving station in all theuniverse! Would Elza's brain capture them?

_"Elza dear! Where are you? What is it?"_

_"Jac! Danger! Jac! Danger!"_

It was very clear. The words rang in my head. But always only those two. And then at last--it may have been an hour later--other words:

_"Death! The black cloud of death! You can see it coming! See it coming!Death! To you Jac! To all of you in the city!"_

We rushed to the casement. The broad lagoon before the palace lay like amirror tinted red and purple. Beyond it, palms and the outlines ofhouses lay dark against the star-strewn sky. 

But out there, over the city, in the distance a dark patch obscured thestars. We watched it breathless. A dark patch which soon took shape. Acloud! A black cloud--unnatural of aspect somehow--a rolling, low-lyingblack cloud. Growing larger; spreading out side-wise; sweeping towardthe city on a wind which had not reached us. 

_"Jac! Jac dear! Danger! Death to all the city!"_

Elza's words were still beating in my brain. Soundless words of terrorand warning!

_"Death, Jac! Death to all the city! The black cloud of death!"_

CHAPTER XXVII

_Tarrano the Man_

"Wake up, Lady Elza. "

A silence. His hand touched her white shoulder. "Wake up, Lady Elza. Itis I--Tarrano. "

Elza opened her eyes, struggling to confused wakefulness. The whitewalls of her sleeping room in Tarrano's palace of the City of Ice werestained with the dim red radiance of her night light. She opened hereyes to meet Tarrano's inscrutable face as he bent over her couch;became conscious of his low, insistent, "Wake up, Lady Elza;" and hisfingers half caressing the filmy scarf that covered her shoulders. 

Terror flooded Elza; that time she had always feared, had come. Yet shehad the presence of mind to smile, drawing away from him and sitting up, with the fur bed-covering pulled to her chin. 

"Tarrano? Why--"

He straightened, and into his expression came apology. 

"I frightened you, Lady Elza? I'm sorry. I would not do that for all theworlds. "

Her terror receded. The old Tarrano over whom she still held sway. Shesummoned a look of haughty questioning. 

"You are bold, Tarrano--"

His gesture was deprecating; he seated himself on the edge of her couch. She saw now that he was fully dressed and armed with a belt of manyinstruments. 

At this time Elza had been in the City of Ice for a considerable period. Irksome, worried days of semi-imprisonment; and through them, Tarrano'sattitude toward her was unchanged. She saw little of him; he seemed verybusy, though to what end, and what his activities, she could not learn. 

Within the palace, half as guard, half as maid-servant, Tara wasgenerally Elza's only companion. And then, one evening when Tara'ssmouldering jealousy broke forth in Tarrano's presence and Elza utteredan involuntary cry of fear, Tara was summarily removed. 

Elza was left practically alone; until at length came this night wheninvading the privacy of her sleeping room, Tarrano awakened her. He satnow upon the edge of her couch. 

"I have a confession to make to you, Lady Elza. " He smiled slightly. "Asyou know, there is no one else in our habitable universe to whom I wouldspeak thus frankly. "

"I am honored, Tarrano. But here, at this hour of sleep--"

He waved away the words. "I have asked your pardon for that. Myconfession--as once before, Lady Elza, I come to you most humbly, confessing that my affairs are not going as I would like. You do notknow, of course, that Mars--"

"I know nothing, " she interrupted. "You have kept me from thenews-mirrors, if indeed there are any here--"

"Mars revolted against me, " he went on imperturbably. "The Little Peopleare again in control. Fools! They do not realize, those governors ofMars, that their public ultimately will demand this _Everlasting Life_of mine--the Brende secret--"

She frowned. "No one knows better than you, Tarrano, that my father'ssecret does not bestow immortality. To cure disease, in a measure--"

He checked her; his smile was ironical. "You and I know that, Lady Elza. We know that on this plane we would not want everlasting life if wecould have it. But the public does not know that--let us not discuss it. I was telling you--confessing to you--I have lost Mars. Temporarily, ofcourse. Meanwhile, I have been preparing to invade the Earth. " Hisgesture was expansive. "I have been planning, from here in the ColdCountry, to send armies to your Earth. "

He paused an instant. "I think now I shall wait until the nextopposition--we are far from Earth now, but all in good time we shall becloser.... Strange is it not, that I should like to tell you my plans?"

She did not answer; she watched his smile fading into a look ofgrimness. "In the Great City, here on Venus, they are getting ready toattack me. Did you know that?"

"No, " she said. 

"You supposed they were? Your brother, and that Jac Hallen?"

"Yes. "

"And you hoped they were, of course?"

"Yes, " she repeated. 

He frowned. "You are disconcertingly frank, Lady Elza. Well, let me tellyou this--it would come to nothing. The _Rhaals_ are with them--all theresources of the Central State are to be thrown against me. Yet it willcome to nothing. "

Her heart leaped. Tarrano was making his last stand. Beyond the logicalsense of his words, she could see it in his eyes. He knew he was makinghis last stand. He knew too that she was now aware of it; and thatbehind the confidence of his words--that was the confession he wasmaking. 

Tarrano's last stand! There seemed to her then something illogicallypathetic in it all. This man of genius--so short a time ago all but theEmperor of three worlds. And now, with them slipping from his grasp, reduced to this last stronghold in the bleak fastnesses of the ColdCountry, awaiting the inevitable attack upon him. Something pathetic.... 

"I'm sorry, Tarrano. "

As though mirrored from her own expression, a wistful look had come tohim. Her words drove it away. 

"Sorry? There is nothing to be sorry about. Their attack will come tonothing ... Yet--" He stopped short, and then as though deciding to saywhat he had begun, he added:

"Yet, Lady Elza, I am no fool to discard possibilities. I may bedefeated. " He laughed harshly. "To what depths has Tarrano fallen thathe can voice such a possibility!"

He leaned toward her and into his tone came a greater earnestness thanshe ever heard in it before. 

"Lady Elza, if they should be successful, they would not capture me--forI would die fighting. You understand that, don't you?"

She met his eyes; the gleam in them held her. Forgetful of herself, shehad allowed the fur to drop from her: she sat bolt upright, the dim redlight tinting the scarf that lay like gossamer around her whiteshoulders. His hand came out and touched her arm, slipped up to hershoulder and rested there, but she did not feel it. 

"I will die fighting, " he repeated. "You understand that?"

"Yes, " she breathed. 

"And you would be sorry?"

"Oh--"

"Would you?"

"Yes, I--"

He did not relax. His eyes burned her: but deep in them she saw thatquality of wistfulness, of pleading. 

"You, my Elza, they would rescue--unless I killed you. "

She did not move, but within her was a shudder. 

"You know I would kill you, my Elza, rather than give you up?"

"Yes, " she murmured. 

"I--wonder. Sometimes I think I would. " Suddenly he cast aside allrestraint. "Oh, my Elza--that we should have to plan such things asthese! You, sitting there--you are so beautiful! Your eyes--limpid poolswith terror lurking in them when I would have them misty with love! MyElza--"

The woman in her responded. A wave of color flooded her throat and face. But she drew away from him. 

"My Elza! Can you not tell me that even in defeat I may be victorious?It is you more than all else that I desire. "

Without warning his arms were around her, holding her fiercely to him, his face close to hers. 

"Elza! With you, defeat would be victory. And with you--now--if youwould but say the word--together we will surmount every obstacle. --"

He was kissing her, bending back her head, and his grip upon hershoulder was bruising the flesh. No longer Tarrano, Conqueror of theuniverse, just Tarrano the man. Terror surged within Elza's heart. 

"Tarrano!"

"Elza dear--my Elza--"

"Tarrano!" She fought with him. "Tarrano, do you dare--I tell you--"

The frightened pleading of a woman at bay. And then abruptly he cast heroff. His laugh was grim. 

"What a fool I am! Tarrano the weakling!" He leaped from the couch andbegan pacing the room. "Tarrano the weakling! To what depths has Tarranofallen!"

He stopped before her. "I ask your pardon, Lady Elza. This has beenmadness. Forget my words--all madness. "

His tone was crisp. "Human weakness to which I did not realize I was soprone made me talk like a fool. Desire you above the conquest of theuniverse? Absurd! Lies that men whisper into women's ears! All lies!"

Was he telling the real truth now? Or was this a mood of recrimination?Bitterness that his love was scorned. Again his gaze held her, but in itnow she could see nothing but a cruel inflexible purpose. 

"Tarrano in defeat! That is impossible, Lady Elza. You will very shortlyrealize that, for I am going to show you how, single-handed, I can makeit impossible. Show you with your own eyes. It was my purpose in comingto waken you--my purpose, when your beauty led me into weaknessincredible.... Get up, Lady Elza. "

She stared. With folded arms he stood emotionless regarding her. 

"Get up, I tell you. Put on those garments you wore when we arrived. Weare going travelling again. "

He stood waiting; and beneath his gaze she shrank back, drawing the furrug over her. 

A smile of contempt parted his lips. "You hesitate? You think I am stilla weakling? You over-rate your beauty, Lady Elza.... Make haste, Icommand you. We must start very soon. "

She summoned her voice. "Start? Where? What are you--"

"No questions, Lady Elza. Not now. Make haste--"

He jerked from her the fur covering, flung it across the room, and withthe same gesture turned away impersonally. Trembling, she rose from thecouch and donned the garments he had indicated, while he stood broodingby the window, gazing through its transparent pane at the glisteningfrozen city which was all that remained of his empire. 

CHAPTER XXVIII

_Thing in the Forest_

"All in good time, Lady Elza, you will know where we are. "

Alone, unnoticed, they had departed from the City of Ice on a smallflying platform similar to the one they had used before. The night hadpassed; day, with a new warmth to the sun, came again. Flying low, withTarrano in a grim, moody silence, and Elza staring downward. 

The aural lights were overhead when at the last Tarrano brought theplatform to rest. A thick, luxuriant forest. Huge trees with rope-likeroots and heavy vines. Others with leaves like the ears of an elephant. And the ground hidden by almost impenetrable underbrush. 

They had landed in a tiny glade beside a dank marsh of water, whereferns shoulder high were embanked. It was dark, the stars and the tintsof the auroral lights were barely distinguishable through the mass offoliage overhead. Elza gazed around her fearsomely. The air was heavy, oppressive. Redolent with the perfume of wild flowers and the smell ofmouldering, steaming soil. 

"All in good time. Lady Elza, " Tarrano repeated. "You will know where weare presently; we are closer to human habitation than you would think. "

Elza's heart pounded. As they were descending she had noticed a glow oflight in the sky ahead. As though by intuition now, she seemed torealize that they were not far from the Great City. Her thoughts leapedto me--Jac Hallen--there in Maida's palace. Tarrano's grim, sinisterpurpose was as yet unknown to her. But she guessed that in it, dangerimpended for me--for all of us in the Great City. 

_"Jac! Danger! Jac! Danger!"_

Her thoughts instinctively reiterated the two words uppermost in hermind. And I think that it was just about then when they awakened me. 

Leaving the vehicle, Tarrano commanded Elza to follow him; and he beganpicking his way through the jungle. A light was in his hand; itpenetrated but a short distance. A quivering beam of yellow light; thenElza saw that upon occasion, as Tarrano's finger slid a lever, the beamnarrowed, intensified to a bright lavender. And now where it struck, thevegetation withered. Blackened, sometimes burst into tiny flame, andparted thus before them as they advanced. 

The jungle was silent; yet, as Elza listened, beneath the crackle of theburning twigs she could hear the tiny myriad voices of insect life. Startled voices as the heat of Tarrano's beam struck them. Rustlingleaves; breaking twigs; things scurrying and sliding away, unseen in thedarkness. 

Once or twice a crashing--some monster disturbed in his rest plungingaway. Again, a slithering bulk of something, undulating its path throughthe thickets. All unseen. Save once. Looking upward, Elza caught a gleamof green eyes overhead. A triangle of three baleful spots ofphosphorescent green. Her murmur of fright caused Tarrano to glanceupward. His lavender, beam, grown suddenly larger, swung there with ahiss. Falling from above came a pink body. A bloated body, square, withsquat, twisted legs; a thing larger than a man. A grotesque nakedmonstrosity almost in human form. A travesty--gruesome mockery ofmankind. A face, three-eyed... 

The thing lay writhing in the underbrush, mouthing, mumbling and thenscreaming--the shrill scream of death agony. And the horrible smell ofburning flesh as Tarrano's light played upon it... 

"Come away, Lady Elza. I'm sorry. I had hoped to avoid an affair such asthis. "

Sickened, shuddering, Elza clung close to Tarrano as he led her onward. 

An hour or more; and now Elza could see in the distance the lights ofthe Great City. 

_"Jac! Danger! Jac! Danger!"_

The idea of thought-transference had come to her. With all the power ofher mind she was thinking her warning to me, praying that it might reachme. 

"Single-handed, Lady Elza. You shall see now how, single-handed, I makeimpossible any attack upon Tarrano. "

In her abstraction Elza had almost forgotten herself and Tarrano; hisvoice reached her--his voice grim and with a gloating, sinister triumphin it. He was bending to the ground. Elza saw that they had come to anopen space--an eminence rising above the forest. Underfoot was a stonysoil; in places, bare black rock with an outcropping of red, like thecinnabar from which on Earth we melt the _Heavy-metal_. [23]

[Footnote 23: Quicksilver. ]

Tarrano faced her. "Nature, my Lady Elza, is fair to my purpose. I knewI would find some such deposit as this. " He turned his face to one sideattentively, and darted his light--harmlessly yellow now--to where alone tree showed its great leaves beginning to waver in a night breeze. 

"Nature is with us! See there, my Elza! A wind is coming--a wind from usto--them!"

The breeze grew--a breeze blowing directly over the forest to where inthe distance the lights of the Great City showed plainly. Tarrano added:

"I had thought to create the wind. " He tapped his belt. "Create the windto carry our onslaught. But you see, it is unnecessary. Nature is kind, and far more efficacious than our man-made devices. "

_"Jac! Danger!"_ She stood there in the breeze, watching Tarrano--hispurpose as yet no more than guessed--praying that I might receive herwarning. 

Tarrano selected his spot--a tiny little cone of rock no bigger than histhumb. He beckoned Elza. 

"Stand close, and watch. You shall see how from the merest spark, aconflagration may ensue. "

The cylinder in his hand darted forth a needle-like shaft--a light ofintense purple. It touched the tiny cone of rock, and he held it there. 

"A moment. Be patient, my Elza. "

The point of rock seemed presently to melt. Like a tiny volcano, attheir feet, lava from it was flowing down. A little stream of meltedrock, viscous, bubbling a trifle; red at the edges, white within, andwith wisps of smoke curling up from it. 

Elza stared with the fascination of horror, for now tiny tongues offlame were licking about. Blue tongues, licking the air, vanishing intowisps of black smoke. 

Tarrano snapped off his ray. But the tongues of flame stayed alive. Spreading slowly, soundlessly, their heat now melting the ground. 

A breath of the smoke touched Elza's face. Pungent, acrid. It stoppedher breathing. She choked, coughed heavily to expel it. 

"Come away, Lady Elza. Let us watch from a safer distance. "

He led her from the hillock, up the wind to where at the edge of theforest they stood gazing. 

The blue fire had spread over a distance of several feet. A sluggish, boiling, bubbling area of flame. Tongues now the height of a man. Andfrom them, rolling upward, a heavy black cloud--deadly fumes thick, blacker than the night, spreading out, welling forward over the foresttoward the Great City slumbering in its falsely peaceful security. 

At last Elza knew. Stood there, cold, shuddering, thinking with all thepower of her mind and being:

_"Death, Jac! Death to all the City! The black cloud of death!"_

Oblivious to Tarrano she stood until at last the rocky eminence was onegreat mass of the surging blue fire. And the black cloud, compact as athunder-head, rolled onward. 

_"You can see it coming! Death Jac! Death to all the City!"_

A sudden madness descended upon Elza. She felt abruptly that her warningwas futile, felt an overpowering desire to run. Run somewhere--anywhere, away from the lurid sight she was facing. Or run perhaps, to the GreatCity; to race with that black cloud of death; to run fast and far, andburst into our palace to warn us. 

Tarrano himself lost in triumphant contemplation of what he had done, for the moment was heedless of Elza's presence. With white face uponwhich the blue glare had settled like a mask of death, Elza turnedsilently from him. Forgetful of that horrible thing they hadencountered--others of its kind which might be lurking about--she turnedsilently and plunged into the black depths of the forest. 

CHAPTER XXIX

_A Woman's Scream_

"The black Cloud of Death!"

We stood there at the casement of the palace, gazing with a growingterror at the visible evidence of the tragedy which threatened. A blackcloud off there in the distance, spreading out, rolling inexorablytoward us. And then came the wind, and with it a breath of the blackmonster--a choking, horrible suggestion of the death rolling alreadyover the city. 

We must have been fascinated at the casement for some considerable time. Elza's thought messages had ceased. Abruptly I came to myself. 

"The Black Cloud of Death!" I turned to Georg and Maida. "Alarm thecity! Arouse them all! Alarm--"

Maida's face was white: she flung off Georg's arm which had beenprotectingly around her. "The siren--"

Terrible moments, those that followed. Confusion; panic; death!

The public siren in the tower by the lagoon entrance shrilled itswarning. The danger lights blazed out. The city came to life. Lightssprang up everywhere. People--with the daze of sleep still uponthem--appeared at the casements; on the roof-tops; on the canal stepsthey appeared, fumbling with their boats. Panic!

A pandemonium. Aircraft, such as could so hastily be mustered, sweptoverhead. A glare of lights everywhere. The shrill voice of the sirenstilled, to make audible the broadcast warnings--stentorian tonesscreaming: "The Black Cloud of Death! Escape from the city! Escape toIndustriana!"

Warning, advice, command! But over it all, the breath of the black cloudnow lay heavy. The lights were dimmed by it. Everywhere--to everydeepest recess of the city--to every inner room where to escape it manyhad fled--its deadly choking breath was penetrating. 

Within the palace was turmoil. We had an air-vehicle on a landing-stagenearby; but Georg and Maida would not leave at once. Rulers of theCentral State, as a Director might stick to his crumbling Tower, theystayed now in the Great City. Encouraging the people. Maida's voice, futilely attempting to broadcast over the uproar. Georg commanding theofficial air-vessels to load with refugees; himself struggling to directthe jam of boats toward the embarking stages. 

We were in the instrument room of the palace. The air was pale-blue, though I had closed every casement. Ourselves, choking already; thengasping; and with no time or thought to procure a mask. The chemicalroom, from whence we might have secured apparatus to purify our air, hadbeen abandoned before we thought to seek it out. I dashed into it, mybreath held. Its casements were open; its air thick-blue with the fumes;its staff long since fled. I ran back to Georg and Maida, gasping, mylungs on fire, my head roaring. 

"No use! Abandoned!"

The department of weather control where--had we been forewarned--wemight have found means to divert the wind by another of our owncreation--was deserted by its staff at the first alarm. 

"No use! Georg--Maida--let us go!"

The mirrors all about us in the instrument room were going dark; thehorrible scenes of death throughout the city which they pictured werevanishing. The public lights were going out; the broadcast voices wereceasing. 

The city now was out of control. But still the lagoon outside waspacked with boats--overloaded boats.... Screams of terror, choked intosilence ... Boats with frenzied occupants leaping into the water to finda quicker, happier death ... A woman with a babe in her arms on ahousetop across the lagoon--the infant already dead; the crazed motherflinging it down into the water, herself following with a long, gaspingscream... 

At last Georg pulled at me--no longer could we speak--pulled at me, andwith Maida between us, we fled. The air outside was worse. In thedimness, our landing stage seemed _belans_ away. The flagged areabetween us and the stage--a space of square-cut metal flagging, bordering the lagoon--was littered with bodies. Dead--or dying. Peopleeven now staggering from landed boats--staggering blindly, stumblingover bodies, falling and lying always where they had fallen. 

With our own senses fading, we groped our way forward. Soon we wereseparated. I saw Maida fall and Georg pick her up, but I was powerlessto reach them. 

The landing stage seemed so far away. The dead and dying beneath my feetobstructed me as I staggered over them. A woman, reeling toward me, flung her arms about my neck with an iron grip of despair. I stared intoher face, purple almost with its congested blood, her mouth gaping, herblood-shot eyes bulging; and even with the terror distorting them, I sawbeneath it their look of despairing appeal... 

Her arms clinging to me desperately; but with a curse I flung her to theground and reeled onward. 

Without knowing it, I had come to the brink of the water's edge. Theflagging seemed to drop away. I fell. Dimly I heard the splash as Istruck the water; and felt a grateful cooling sense as it closed overme. 

I am a strong, instinctive swimmer. I did not breathe, and when I roseto the surface, the single swift breath I took was purer than any I hadhad for half an hour past. My head cleared a little; swimminginstinctively, and with cautious breaths, I found that I was able to goon. 

I know now that by some vagary of chance--of fate if you will--I hadstruck a surface area where breathable air still remained. I swam, striving to plan, to think where I might be swimming. Yet it was all aphantasmagoria, with only the strength of my muscles and the instinct topreserve my life remaining to direct me. Swimming endlessly ... Swimming... Taking a half-gasp of breath ... Swimming ... Trying to think ... Ordreaming ... Was it all a dream?... 

When I came to myself I was lying upon a bank of ferns in the outskirtsof the city. It was still night; the black cloud of death had passed on;the air was pure. Like a man for days bereft of water, I lay and drankin the air, pure at last, as the Almighty distils it for us. 

Bodies were lying around me on the bank. A dark, silent house stoodnearby; and a deserted boat. All darkness and silence--the broodingsilence of death. I was still dazed. Maida--Georg; they seemed likepeople in a dream long faded. Industriana! They were going to the_Rhaal_ City of Industriana. _I_ had been trying to get there. I mustget there now--join them. I climbed to my feet; the edge of a forest wasnearby and with wavering steps I started toward it. 

Looking back on it now I realize that I was even then half crazed. In adaze I must have stumbled through the forest for hours. Unreasoning, with only that one idea--to get to Industriana; and in the background ofmy consciousness the vague belief that Elza would be there to greet me. Into the depths of the untrammeled forest with unguided steps Iwandered. 

At last I found myself wondering if the dawn were coming; the tri-nighthour was long since passed; the auroral lights as I could sometimes seethem through the tangle of vegetation overhead, were low in the sky. Insects--and sometimes larger beings--leaped and slithered unseen beforemy advance. But I did not heed them. Eyes may have peered at me as Istumbled through the blackness of the undergrowth; but if they did, Idid not notice them. 

And then at last I was brought abruptly to full rationality andconsciousness. Stumbling through a tangle of low growth--a black thicketwhich tore at my garments and scratched my flesh--I was transfixed by awoman's scream. It came through the darkness from near at hand. Acrashing of the underbrush, and a woman's scream of terror. It stoppedmy breath, turned me cold. 

Elza!

CHAPTER XXX

_The Monster_

I stood frozen with horror; but as my brain cleared--awake at last tofull rationality and consciousness--beneath the horror came a surgingjoy of the knowledge that at last Elza was near me. The scream wasrepeated; inactive no longer, I dashed the thicket branches apart withmy arms and plunged forward through the darkness. 

Ahead of me the thickets opened into a sort of clearing. I saw the sky, the stars--paling stars with the first flush of dawn overpowering them. I stood at the edge of an open space in the dim, flat-grey illuminationof morning twilight. 

Elza! She was there, standing near a huge isolated tree; Elza, pale, trembling, a hand pressed against her mouth in terror; disheveled, hergarments dirty and torn with her wanderings through the forest. 

A swift glimpse as momentarily I paused; a second or two only, but thescene was impressed upon my brain as actinic light upon a photo-screen. Close by Elza, partially behind her, I saw something small, no tallerthan Elza's waist. A naked thing of sleek, glistening skin. Themonstrosity of a human child; a bulging head, wavering upon a neckincapable of supporting it; a thick round body; twisted, misshapenlimbs. A face ... Human? It made my gorge rise with its gruesomesuggestion of humanity. Nostrils--no nose; a mouth, lipless, but redlike a curved gash with upturned corners to make the travesty of a grin;a triangle of watery eyes, goggling. Senselessly, it stood watching Elzawith a dull, vacant curiosity. Not human, this thing! Yet monstrouslyrepulsive in its hideous suggestion of an idiot child. 

Elza was not facing it; my gaze instinctively followed hers to the tree. Crowning horror! The adult of this thing upon the ground hung swaying bya thick hand and arm from a low limb; hung, then dropped. Growling, mouthing as though it would try and form human words of menace, itpicked itself up and shambled toward Elza. 

I leaped for them. Elza seemed too terrified to run. The thing reachedher, towered over her; seized her in its arms. She screamed--the agonyof revolt and terror; but over her voice rose my own shout of rage, andabruptly the thing dropped her and turned to confront me. Snarling, glaring with its three hideous blood-shot eyes; waving its thick, bentarms. 

I had no weapons save those with which nature had endowed me. The regretof that came as a fleeting thought; and then I crashed into the thing;my fist, passing its awkward guard, struck it full in the face. Isickened. Even in the heat of combat a nausea swept me. For no solidflesh and bone met my blow, like the shell of an egg, my fist crashedinto and through its face. 

Warm, sticky moisture ... A stench ... 

The thing had toppled backward, with me sprawling upon its bloated bulk. It struggled, writhed ... Its arms gripped me, its huge fingers clutchedmy throat ... I caught a glimpse of its smashed face ... So close, Iturned away ... A face of yellow-white pulp ... 

My fist cracked and sank into its chest. I pounded, smashed; broke theshell of its distended body ... Noisome ... The revulsion, the nausea ofit all but overcame me. 

At last the thing lay still; and from the wet, sticky foulness of it Irose and stood shuddering. Elza lay on the ground; but she had risenupon one elbow and I saw that she was unharmed save for the shock ofterror through which she had passed--a mitigated shock with theknowledge now that I was with her, and that I too was uninjured. 

The infant thing had vanished. I hastened forward. 

"Elza! Elza, dear--"

Joy lighted her face. 

"Jac!"

I would have lifted her up; but the consciousness of my ownfoulness--the yellow-white slime streaked with red which smeared myarms, splattered my clothing--gave me pause. In the growing light, beyond the clearing, I caught the silver sheen of water. Without a wordI ran for it; a shimmering pool the existence of which no doubt haddrawn these grewsome beings of the forest into its vicinity. To thecleansing water I ran, plunged in, purged myself of that horriblefoulness which human senses could not endure. 

When I returned, Elza was upon her feet. Recovered at last she flungherself into my arms. Impulsive; seeking protection as she clung to me;fear; the let-down of overwrought nerves as she stood and clung andsobbed upon my shoulder. 

It was all of that; but oh! it was more than that as well. My Elza, raising her tear-stained face and kissing me. Murmuring, "Jac, I loveyou!" Murmuring her love: "Jac dear, you're safe! I've wanted so long tobe with you again--I've been so frightened--so frightened--"

Giving me back my kisses unreserved; holding me with eagerarms ... Tarrano? The memory of him came to me. How foolish my fears, my jealousy! That man of genius ... Conqueror of worlds ... 

But my Elza loved _me_!... 

CHAPTER XXXI

_Industriana_

It must have been two days later when at last we were rescued by the_Rhaal_ patrol and taken to Industriana. Back there in the forest I hadsuddenly remembered that the mate to the thing I had killed woulddoubtless be lurking in the vicinity. We fled. Subsisting on what foodof the wilds we could find, at last we were picked up and taken to theCity of Work. 

The Great City had been destroyed. Wanton capital of the Central State, we learned now that it lay dead. To outward aspect, unharmed. Fair, serene, alluring as ever it lay there on its shimmering waters; but thelife within it, was dead. Refugees--a quarter perhaps of theinhabitants--had escaped; hourly the search patrols were picking themup, bringing them to Industriana. Rescue parties were searching thecity, to find any who might still be alive. 

And out in the forest lay a great pile of ashes, still exhaling a thinwisp of its deadly breath--where Tarrano had created the Black Cloud;lost his captive Elza, but doubtless had escaped himself back to hisCity of Ice. 

We found Georg and Maida safe at Industriana. Marvelous city! Elza hadnever seen it before. She sat gazing breathless as from the air on thepatrol vessel, we approached it. 

The land of this region was a black, rocky soil upon which vegetationwould not grow. A rolling land, grimly black, metallic; withoutcroppings of ore, red and white and with occasional patches of thinwhite sand whereon a prickly blue grass struggled for life. 

Rolling hills; and then places where nature had upheaved into a turmoil. Huge naked black crags; buttes; hills with precipitous black sides ofsleek metal; narrow canyons with tumultuous water flowing through them. 

In such a place stood Industriana. The City of Work! Set in an areawhere nature lay scarred, twisted in convulsion, its buildings clung toevery conceivable slope and in every position. Many-storiedbuildings--residences and factories indiscriminately intermingled. Allbuilt in sober, solid rectangles of the forbidding black stone. 

A long steep slope from an excavated quarry deep in the ground, ranstraight up to a commanding hilltop--the slope set with an orderly arrayof buildings clinging to it in terraces. Buildings huge, or tiny huts;all anchored in the rear to the ground, and set upon metal girders inthe front. Bisecting the slope was a vertical street--a broad escalatorof moving steps, one half going upward, the other down. Beside it, aseries of other escalators for the traffic of moving merchandise. 

Cross streets on the hill were spider bridges, clinging with thin, stifflegs. And at the summit of the hill stood a tremendous funnel belchingflame and smoke into the sky. 

To one side of the hill lay a bowl-like depression with a single squatbuilding in its center--a low building of many funnels; and about it theblack yawning mouths of shafts down into the ground--mines vomiting ore, broken chunks of the metallic rock coming up as though by the invisiblemagic of magnetism, hunting through the air in an arc to fall with aclatter into great bins above the smelter. 

In another place, at the bottom of a canyon roared a surging torrent ofriver. A harnessed river; plunging into turbines; emerging to tumbleover a cascade, its every drop caught by turning buckets spilled againat the bottom. Water pursuing its surging course downward, its powerused again and again. The canyon dry at one place near the lower edge ofthe city, the water all electrified, resolved into piped hydrogen andoxygen. Like a tremendous clock ticking, the water, momentarily dammedback, was released in a torrent to the electrolysis vats. The hissinggases, under tremendous pressure, raised up the heavy-weighted tops oftwo expanding tanks. Another tick of this giant clock--the gasesreleased, were merged again to water. The tops of the tanks lowered, each in turn, one coming down as the other went up--hundreds of tons ofweight--their slow downward pull geared to scores of whirlingwheels--the power shifted to dynamos scattered throughout the city. 

It was the twilight of nightfall when we arrived over Industriana. Athousand funnels and chimneys belched their flame and smoke--the flametinting the sky with a lurid yellow-green glare, the smoke hanging likea dim blue gauze through which everything seemed unreal, infernal. 

From the city rose a roar--the myriad sounds of industry mingled by themagic of distance. And as we got closer, the roar resolved into itscomponent parts; the grinding of gears; clicking of belts and chains;whirring of dynamos and motors; shrill electrical screams; theclattering of falling ore; clanking of swiftly moving merchandise, boundin metal, magnetized to monorail cars shifting it to warehouses on thenearby hills. And over it all flashed the brilliant signal lights of themerchandise traffic directors whose stentorian electrical voicesbroadcasting commands sounded above the city's noises. 

An inferno of activity. A seeming confusion; yet the aspect of confusionwas a fallacy, for beneath it lay a precision--an orderly precision ascalm and exact as the mind of the Director of a Signal Tower countingoff the split seconds of his beams. 

An orderly precision--the brain of one man guiding and dominatingeverything; at his desk alone for long hours throughout the days andnights. A quiet, grey-haired gentleman; unhurried, unharassed, seeminglyalmost inactive; always seated at his empty desk smoking endlessarrant-cylinders. The dominating business brain of Industriana. 

CHAPTER XXXII

_Departure_

Georg and Maida were very busy in Industriana; and now Elza and I wereadmitted to their activities--Elza and I, with our new-found love andhappiness neglected for the greater thing, the welfare of the nationupon which hinged the very safety of Venus itself; and Mars; and our ownfair Earth. 

Industriana, greatest commercial and manufacturing center of Venus, hadbeen given over momentarily to the preparations for war. The _Rhaals_had at last turned from industry to the conquest of Tarrano. Preparations were almost completed; our armies were to start within avery few times of sleep. 

I had had no experience in warfare; but the history of our Earth hadtold me much of it. The enlisting and training of huge armies of men;arming them; artillery; naval and air forces; commissary and supplies; agigantic business organization to equip, move and maintain millions offighting men. 

Ancient warfare! This--our modern way--was indeed dissimilar. It was, from most aspects, simplicity itself. We had no need of men in greatnumbers. I found something like a single thousand of men being organizedand trained. And equipped with weapons to outward aspects comparativelysimple. 

On all the three worlds the age of explosives of the sort historyrecords, was long since passed. Electronic weapons--all basically thesame. And I found now that it was the power for them, developed, transformed into its various characteristics and stored for individualtransportation and use, which was mainly engrossing Industriana. 

I had opportunity, that first night, of meeting Geno-Rhaalton--thepresent head of that famous Rhaalton line, for generations hereditaryleaders of their race. 

We found him, this Geno-Rhaalton, in a secluded, somber little office ofblack metallic walls, grey hangings and rug, a block of carved stone hisdesk, and a few of the stiff-backed stone chairs, each with its singleprim cushion. 

The office was beyond sight and sound of the busy city. His desk wasempty, save for the array of apparatus around its edges--the clickingtabulators which recorded, sorted, analyzed and summarized for him everyminute detail with which the city was engaged. 

Machines of business detail. We had them, of course, in the Inter-Alliedoffices of Greater New York. I have seen our Divisional Director voiceinto a mouthpiece the demand for some statistical summary computed up tofive minutes before, and covering his entire Atlantic Division. He wouldhave it, recorded in cold print before him, within a moment. 

Yet, compared to the Rhaalton efficiency, our own methods seemedantiquated indeed. This man was in touch with every transpiring detailsimultaneously; yet not confused by them, for every detail was alsocombined into a whole--to be examined for itself if he wished. Visuallyas well, the entire city lay before his gaze--the walls of the officewere lined with rows and tiers of small mirrors; receivers andmouthpieces connected him with everything. Sights, sounds, and evensmells of the various factories were available to him--smells when hissense of smell might be necessary for the testing of some elusive gas. 

Without moving his physical body his presence was in effect transportedwherever throughout the city he wished to be. A man of tremendousconcentration, to handle but one thing at a time; with all the power ofhis brain to give instant decision, and then to forget it utterly. 

I found him a rather small man; smooth-shaven; grey-haired; a grave faceand demeanor, with dark eyes solemn with thought, yet twinkling oftenwhen he spoke. A man of flabby muscles and gentle voice; seeminglyunforceful, and with a personality likable, but hardly dominating. 

Instinctively I found myself comparing him to Tarrano. Tarrano's strong, wiry body. The flash of his eye; his inscrutability, always suggestingmenace; the power, the genius of his personality--the force radiatingfrom him which no one could mistake. His intellectual power--hisconcentration--certainly the equal of this little leader of the_Rhaals_. 

Tarrano the Conqueror! Tarrano--man of destiny--risen from nothing andby the sheer genius of his will throwing three worlds into chaos, at onestage combining two worlds into his self-created Empire; and menacingthe third. Surely Tarrano was a greater man than this Rhaalton. I knewit; much as I hated Tarrano I was forced to admit it. 

Yet as I stood there acknowledging the soft-spoken greeting of Rhaalton, I had the swift premonition that Tarrano was going down into defeat. Andthat this little man, without moving from his desk or raising his voice, would be the main factor in bringing it about. 

And I wondered why such a thing could be. I know why now. Tarrano, withall his genius, lacked just one quality which this little man had inabundance. The milk of human kindness--humanity--a radiating force theessence of which paradoxically was the unforceful gentleness of him. TheAlmighty--as we each of us in our hearts must envisage our God--is just, but gentle, humane in His justness. And with all the genius in theuniverse--the war-like power--the weapons--the cohorts--all thewonderful armament of war--you cannot transgress the Will of theAlmighty. Against all human logic of what should be victory--you willmeet defeat.... 

The thoughts fled through my mind and vanished into the realities of thepresent. Rhaalton was saying:

"We will be ready within another time of sleep. Jac Hallen, you wish, Isuppose, to go out with our forces?"

"Oh yes, " I said. 

He smiled. "The eagerness of youth for danger! And yet is verynecessary--very laudable--"

He passed a hand across his forehead with a weary gesture--a gesturewhich seemed to me despondent. Could this be our vaunted leader? Myheart sank. 

He added abruptly: "We shall conquer this Tarrano--but at what cost!"His smile was wistful. "We must choose the lesser evil. "

Still gently, almost sorrowfully, but with a directness and clarity ofthought which amazed me, he plunged into a detailed account of whatGeorg was to do in command of our forces. My own part in it, alreadyplanned by him in detail. Maida's part. Elza's. The division of _Rhaal_maidens. 

Girlhood in war! It seemed very strange. Yet the _Rhaal_ maidens weregoing as a matter of course, since there were some activities for whichthey were more fitted than the men. With all the _Rhaal_ maidens going, Elza and Maida would not stay behind. And though Maida--a wife--wasobjected to by Rhaalton, he had yielded finally to her pleading. 

I will not now detail our plans or our armament. We had, in general, onethousand unmarried men, in five divisions of two hundred each. They werelargely _Rhaals_, with the few Earth men previously sent us; fiftyperhaps of the most loyal _slaans_; and a scattering of the other racesof the Venus Central State. A few--thirty perhaps--of the Little Peopleof Mars. In addition, another hundred men, individually in charge of thelarger apparatus and the vehicles. And the division of two hundredgirls. 

Our journey to the Cold Country was to be made on flying platforms andvehicles of various sizes; some large to carry fifty passengers or more;others so small that only one person could be carried. These latter, thegirls were to use. I call them platforms. In this size they were not, literally speaking, much more than the transporting mechanism fastenedto the girl's waist. 

There were also heavier vehicles carrying the larger apparatus; andseveral of fairly large size with food, clothing, housingequipment--supplies of all kinds for our maintenance abroad. A dozenvehicles also carrying huge skeleton towers, encircled at the top withray projectors. A vehicle with a single room--an instrument room fullyequipped by means of which Geno-Rhaalton at his desk would be in contactwith our every move. And largest vehicle of all--in aspect a solid, squat affair almost of a size for inter-planetary travel--our powerplant. 

We started at dawn of the second morning after my own arrival inIndustriana. The girls were to travel to the borders of the Cold Countryon the larger vehicles, but they wished to start flying individually forthe first few helans of the journey for practice. Georg, Maida, Elza andI were to travel in the instrument room. 

We massed upon a broad hilltop near the city. In the grey twilight ofdawn with a flush of pink in the sky where the sun in a few momentswould rise, I stood in the outer doorway of the instrument vehicle. Around me was the confusion of departure. Eager young men; laughinggirls, flushed with excitement. The gayety of youth going to war! Youngas I was myself, I was struck with the drama, the pathos of it. Whatwould the home-coming be?

Georg, Maida and Elza were with me. Geno-Rhaalton stepped up to us. Bare-headed. A solemn little man, heavy-hearted. 

"Good-by, " he said simply. "I know you will do your best. "

"Jac! Look there!"

I followed Elza's startled gesture to the soft, white clouds which weremassed in the sky above us. By what magic of science the thing wasaccomplished, I know not; but up there in the clouds a gigantic image ofTarrano was materializing! His head and shoulders. Arms folded; his facewith a sardonic smile leering down at us! Lips moving. And out of theair about us came his audible, broadcasting words. 

_"Do your best, my friends!"_ Ironic mockery! _"Coming to conquerTarrano? Hasten! You are keeping Tarrano waiting most impatiently!"_

The giant voice died away into silence; the huge image melted into theclouds and vanished. 

Rhaalton looked at us again, expressionless. "Good-by, " he repeated. "Doyour best. "

He turned away abruptly. And then as he walked with a despondent droop, I saw his shoulders suddenly straighten. He flung a hand into the air. The signal to start! From a tower in Industriana a puff of violet lightshot up to magnify the signal. 

The girls, all in their places, rose into the air. Draperies fluttering, like graceful birds they rose, circled over us in an arc; and then in along, single line, with officers apart to one side marking them insquads of twenty, they sped into the dimness of distance. 

The tower vehicles now were rising. Then the larger platform; the powerplant, like a floating building sailing majestically up. 

"Come, Jac. "

Elza and Maida were inside the instrument room gazing through one of itswindows; and Georg drew me within, closing the transparent door afterus. Through the windows I could see the line of vehicles following afterthe girls. Then our instrument room rose quietly, soundlessly. Theground dropped slowly away, then faster; and as we swung about I saw thehilltop beneath us. Its sides were lined with waving spectators;stricken momentarily with awe at the apparition of Tarrano, they hadalready forgotten it; from every vantage point of Industriana they werefrantically waving. 

But the hilltop was empty, save for one lone figure--Geno-Rhaaltonstanding sorrowfully gazing after us. 

CHAPTER XXXIII

_First Assault_

Our spies had informed us that of recent weeks there had arisen aboutthe City of Ice a huge wall behind which Tarrano would make his stand. It was our plan to approach within range of this and establish our powerplant as a base from which to direct our offensive. The trip from theGreat City was not long. After a few helans our girls ceased flyingindividually and boarded their appointed vehicles. 

In a long single line, armament platforms, the towers, our instrumentroom, with the power plant bringing up the rear, we sailed forward. There were in our instrument vehicle, Maida, Georg, Elza and myself, thevehicle manned by two pilots and two mechanicians--a _slaan_, a Marsman, and two Earth men. We were in constant communication withGeno-Rhaalton. And though he enjoined upon us all the necessity forsleeping or resting during the trip, himself sat alert at his desk, unrelaxing. The little mirror on our table showed him sitting there, watching every move we made. 

We laid down to rest, but sleep was impossible. Through the panelledtransparent floor, I watched the country changing as we advanced;vegetation dwindling; the soil changing to rocky barrenness at theborder of the Cold Country. And then the snow-plains, the mute frozenrivers of ice, the mountains. 

In the twilight of the Cold Country autumn, we sailed up to themountains and approached to the City of Ice. Alert, all of us now, as atan altitude of a few thousand feet we circled about, marking time untilthe power plant had selected its base and landed to make ready for thebattle. 

Throughout the trip we had expected--had anticipated the possibility--ofa surprise attack by Tarrano; an ambush in the open air, perhapsby some means strange to us. But the vision magnifiers, themicrophones--encompassing every known range of sight and sound--showedus nothing. Especially at the mountains we had thought to meetopposition. But at first none came. It seemed somehow ominous, this lackof action from Tarrano; and when the leader of our line--a towervehicle--rose sharply to scale the jagged peaks of the Divide, the flareof a hostile electronic bomb rising came almost as a relief. From theinstrument room--forewarned an instant by the hiss of our microphones--Isaw the bomb start upward. Slowly as a rocket it mounted--a blurred ballof glowing violet light, quite plain in the dim twilight. I knew thatthe tower platform at which it was directed would have time to throw outits insulation; I knew that the insulation would doubtless beeffective--yet my heart leaped nevertheless. At my hand was a projector;but in those few seconds the tower just in advance of us in the line wasquicker. Its ray darted at the violet ball; the soundless explosionthrew a wave of sparks about the menaced tower, like a puff--a prickedbubble of soap-film--the violet ball was dissipated. But I saw themenaced tower rock a trifle from the shock. 

Geno-Rhaalton's face in the mirror beside me was very solemn. I heardhim murmuring something to the other towers, saw their light flashdownward, searching the mountain defiles. And as I watched that littleimage of Rhaalton, I chanced to notice a mirror on Rhaalton's desk. Rhaalton himself was looking at it--a mirror which had been dark, butwhich now flashed on. An outlaw circuit! The mirror imaged the face ofTarrano. Tarrano grinning ironically!

CHAPTER XXXIV

_Invisible Assailants_

We did not locate the source of the bomb, and no others rose to assailus. The mountain defiles, so far as our lights could illuminate them, seemed deserted. We passed over the Divide, and on the plateau beyond, we landed. A region of rolling country beneath its snow and ice. Themountains came down sharply to the inner plain--a crescent of mountainrange stretching off into the dimness of distance, half encircling thiswhite plateau in the center of which stood the City of Ice. We couldjust see it at the horizon, the glittering spires of its Ice Palace. 

Around the city, completely enveloping it, was a thick circular wall ofice twenty times the height of a man. We were too far away to see itplainly--a turreted wall doubtless armed with projectors throughout itscircular length. Our finders would not show it, for it was insulatedagainst them. It stood there grey-white, bleak and apparently deserted. 

Georg said: "It's the man's accursed inactivity! Is he going to donothing?... Our power plant has landed, Jac--there in the foothills--seeit drop?" A call from Rhaalton took his attention. 

We landed our entire force in the foothills of the mountains. The powerplant was there; it looked like a squat industrial building set upon aledge of ice--a shining cliff-face behind it, a precipice in front. Atthe foot of the precipice our other vehicles were clustered. 

We were there throughout three entire times of sleep, hours strangelythe same in that unaltered polar twilight. During them, with the towerplatforms set in a ring about us to make an armed camp, we unloaded ourapparatus, erected our power controls, prepared the individual circuits, making ready for our offensive. And still--though we, were alert forit--no move from Tarrano. 

They were hours during which, with my lack of technical knowledge, Ifound myself often with nothing to do. Our camp was bustling withactivity, but among the now idle girls and many of the young men, therewas an air of gayety. They laughed, shouted, played games amid the rocksfrom which we had long since melted the snow. Once, in what would havebeen early evening had not the Sun in these latitudes held level like aburned-out ball near the horizon, Elza and I wandered from the camp toclimb the cliffs nearby. 

Beyond the circle of the camp's heat, the deadly cold of the regionassailed us. We had not wished to equip with the individual heating, which for battle would leave us free of heavy garments; instead weswathed ourselves in furs, with the exercise of climbing to aid us inkeeping warm. 

It was wonderful to be again alone with Elza. Even with what wasimpending we were young enough to put it momentarily from our minds. Like young lovers clandestinely stealing away to a tryst, we left thecamp and hand in hand, climbed up amid the crags. A few hundred feet toone side of the power house, and about the same distance above it, wesat down at last to rest. 

The scene from here was picturesque in the extreme. Across the flat, shadowless snowy plain was the wall of ice with the city behind it. Allin the far distance, this city wherein our enemy was entrenched; andthere were no lights, no movement that we could see. In that drabtwilight, it seemed almost unreal. 

The plain too, was empty. A few palpably deserted huts, nothing else. Beneath us, snugly anchored there on the ledge, was our power house. Nounreality here. Its aerials were mounted; its external dynamos werevisibly revolving; from its windows blue shafts of light slanted out;and from it rose the low hum of active power. 

Below it, spread over the slightly sloping area of foothill beneath us, lay our encampment. A ring of our tower vehicles, with their projectorsmounted and ready, their colored search-beams slowly sweeping the whiteplain and the dead grey sky. Within their ring, the camp itself. Lightedby the blue-white tubes set upon quadrupeds at intervals; heated bystrings of red-glowing wire and the red wire-balls used on Venus. Thesnow and ice on the ground within the camp had melted, exposing thenaked rock. 

A scene of blue and red lights and shifting shadows; bustling withactivity--figures, tiny from this height, hurrying about. The soundsfrom it rose to us; the low hum and snap of the weapons being tested;the shouted commands; and sometimes, mingled with it, the laughing shoutof a light-hearted girl. 

Elza clung close to me. "Everything will be ready soon. "

I nodded. "They're going to mount a ray up here on the cliff. Grolierwas telling me, for permanent protection--to stay here with the powerhouse when we go out to the attack. "

Silent with her thoughts she did not answer me. Sidewise, I regarded hersolemn little face encased in its hood of fur. And then clumsily, forour furs were heavy and awkward, I put my arm about her. 

"I love you, Elza. It's worth a great deal to be here alone with you. "

"Jac, what will he do?" Her gaze was to the far-off City of Ice. "Itseems so--so sinister, Jac, this silence from him. This inactivity. Itis not like him to be inactive. "

"He's there, " I said. "Rolltar the Mars man--boastful fellow, blow-hard--he was telling some of us that in his opinion Tarrano hadalready run away. "

"Never!" she exclaimed. "This is his last stand. He'll make ithere--defeat us here--"

"Elza!"

She glanced momentarily at me, smiled a queer smile, and then gazed oncemore over the distant plain. "I do not mean I think he'll defeat us, Jac. I mean, that is his reasoning--make his last stand here--"

"He hasn't run away, " I repeated. "I told Rolltar so. We got an outlawconnection into the Ice Palace today. For a moment only, and then it wasdiscovered and broken off. But we had the image for a moment--it chancedto show Tarrano himself. But he's isolated now. Bretan said hisisolation power--around the Ice Palace and the wall anyway--is greaterthan any image-ray we can send against it. "

My heart leaped suddenly, for I saw Elza's eyes widen, fear spring toher face; heard the sharp intake of her breath, and felt her hand gripmy arm. 

"Jac! There's something wrong! See there? And you hear it?"

From the instrument room I heard a vague drumming. A hiss, and then adrumming growing louder. It was not a new sound, for now I remembered Ihad been conscious of it for several moments past. Our encampment wasawake to it! A confusion down there; people running about; a figuredashing wildly into the instrument room. And the aerials on the powerhouse began to snap viciously. 

"Jac! What is it?"

"I don't know. See there, Elza? The sub-ray lights!"

The search-beams from our towers were inordinately active. Sweeping theempty snow-plain and the empty sky. Empty? To my fevered imaginationthey were peopled with enemies. And then one of the towers flashed on asub-ray--the dull infra-red for envisaging the slow rays below the powerof human sight. And another tower with its faint purple beam was usingthe ultra-violet. 

"That drumming, Elza! That's a microphone--the big one they just erectednear the instrument room. There's something coming! That's the magnifiedsound of some distant rush of air. Very faint sound, but they must haveheard it on the ear-phones long ago. That microphone must have just beenconnected--"

Something coming? We could see nothing. 

"Let's go down, Jac! We must get back--"

"I've got infra-red glasses--" I fumbled beneath my furs. But I did nothave them. 

"Jac--"

"Wait, Elza. "

My glasses would have been useless, for the sub and ultra beams from thetowers were disclosing nothing. I could tell that by the hasty searchingsweeps they made. And then from the big Wilton tower, the newlyconnected Zed-ray flashed on, I could hear the load of it in thedeepened, throaty hum from the power house. Its dirty brown beam sprayedout over the plain; then swung to the sky, caught something, hungmotionless, narrowed into great intensity. The powerful Zed-ray, capturing the visibility of dense solids only. [24]

[Footnote 24: Similar doubtless to our present-day X-ray. ]

There was something up there in the sky! The Zed-ray met resistance; wecould see the sparks, and hear the snap of them coming like a roar fromthe microphone above the drumming. Met the resistance and conquered it;gradually the snapping roar died away. 

"Jac! I see something! Something there--don't you see it?"

A luminous blur became visible in the nearer sky--moving blobs of silverluminosity in the mud-brown light of the Zed-ray. A hundred or moremoving silver blobs. They were taking form. The silvery phosphorescentlook faded, became grey-white. Took definite shape. Waving arms andlegs! Bones bereft of flesh. Human skeletons! Limbs waving rhythmically. Bony arms, with fingers clutching metal weapons. Assailants coming at usthrough the air, stripped by the Zed-ray of clothing, skin, flesh, organs, to the naked bone. Skeletons with skulls of empty eye-socketsand set jaw-bones to make the travesty of human faces grim with menace!

CHAPTER XXXV

_Attack on the Power House_

Stricken with surprise and awe, Elza and I sat there motionless. Ourencampment was in a turmoil of confusion--chaos, out of which very soonorder came. The skeleton figures in the air--I saw now that there werenearer two hundred than one hundred--were perhaps two thousand feetaway, and at an altitude of about the cliff-ledge where Elza and I weresitting. 

They swept forward, bathed in the Zed-ray with all our othersearch-beams darkened to give it full sway. Momentarily I saw themclearer; metallic cylinders in bony fingers, and a metal mechanism offlight encasing, yet not touching the ribs. 

"Jac! Why don't our rays--"

As though to answer Elza's unfinished question, one of our towers turneda disintegrating ray upon them. A narrow pencil-point of light, barelyvisible in this flat daylight. It swung up into our Zed-ray, searchedand clung to one of the skeleton figures. Had it penetrated, the manwould have been dissipated like a puff of vapor. But it did not; andthen I knew that for that distance at least, this enemy's isolationpower--individual barrage--was too great. 

Yet the assailed figure wavered! Our amplifier gave out his shout--halffear, half admonition. The line of skeletons swung upward. Came on, butmounted so that I saw that they were making for the summit of the cliffabove us--above our power house. 

Their defense--invisibility, and a mere isolation barrage so that wecould not harm them with our tower rays while they kept beyond range. But what was their means of attack? Why would Tarrano.... 

"The power house, " Elza answered; and I realized then that she had readmy thoughts. The power house, if they could demolish it.... 

Our thoughts, questions and answers unspoken, flew fast; but the dramabefore us unfolded faster. With the knowledge that we could see them, these invaders cast aside a portion of their equipment to give themgreater freedom. We could see the metal portions of the trappingsfalling like plummets. The skeleton images faded; and then as our towerwithdrew the Zed-ray and our search-beams picked them up, we saw ourenemies as they really were. Men clothed in a casing of cylindricalgarments with the flying mechanisms strapped to their chests; some withvisors and headpieces, nearly all with small weapons in their hands. 

Keeping well away, they continued to mount. They were striving for thepinnacle of cliff-tops above us; but as our rays darted at them theyhalted, wavered; and now when nearly above the camp, they began mountingstraight up. 

"Jac! Look there!"

One of our tower vehicles was preparing to rise. Its ray, following thesearch-beams upward, was aimed at the invaders, but they were beyond itseffective range. Their weapons of attack? I knew now. 

"Suicides!"

Whether Elza said it, or merely thought it I do not know. One of thefigures came down as though falling. A few seconds only; but though oursearch-beam showed it, the smaller rays for those seconds missed it. Down--until no more than five hundred feet above us it checked its fall. A giant of a man; and with his hand cylinder--in range now--he shot abolt at our power house. It struck; I could see the flash, saw an aerialshatter before the charge went harmlessly into the body of the building. Then one of our rays caught the man; his figure crumpled; the shower ofsparks as his barrage was broken, exploded like a tiny bursting bomb;and as the sparks died, there was nothing where the man had been. 

A suicide; but one of our aerials was shattered. And then others camedown--not many, for it was grim business and the courage of them musthave failed at the last. Falling bodies; tiny bolts striking the powerhouse; the sparks--then empty air where living men had been. 

Our tower left the ground. Some of our men, with small flying platformsstrapped to them, were crowding its top. Its beams preceded it--but Isaw the beams breaking intermittently as the bolts struck the powerhouse. The invaders wavered with indecision. Some of them came down tovoluntary death; others strove for the cliff-top; some took flight. Ourtower swept into them; one of them, injured but not annihilated, fellwith a crash into the encampment. 

Above Elza and me was a maze of flashing beams; futile bolts; the puffsof myriad sparks. A bolt seemed to strike quite near where we weresitting; I drew Elza back and we crouched in the hollow of a rock. Abody came hurtling down, crashed to the cliff-ledge almost at our feetwith the sickening thump of mangled flesh and broken bones--hung aninstant to give me a momentary glimpse of a face contorted in deathagony; then rolled over and fell further down the jagged cliff. 

Then above us presently there was silence and the drab empty sky. Ourtower was back beyond the cliff-top. Soon it appeared; apparentlyunharmed, it came dropping down to its former place on the ground. 

The first attack was over. And off in the distance a few solitaryfigures were winging their way back to the City of Ice. 

CHAPTER XXXVI

_City of Ice Besieged_

We were not greatly harmed by this surprise attack; the power house wassuperficially damaged, but soon repaired. That night--I call it thatthough the constant weak daylight made the term incongruous--activityshowed in the City of Ice. 

It came with a vertical spray of light rising from the ice wall whichencircled the city. Spreading light beams rising from points a hundredfeet apart along the wall. The beams spread fan-shape, so that withinfifty feet above their source they met and merged into a thin sheet ofeffulgence rising into the sky. Tarrano's barrage. 

It seemed then that beyond suicidal sorties of the kind we had justrepulsed, Tarrano was planning to stand purely on the defensive. It wasour own plan to surround the city with our towers; even those on thefurther side would be within range of our power house; and with the citythus beleaguered, we would attack the wall from every side at once. 

We tested now this barrage Tarrano had thrown up. Sprays of itsinsulated area came down to protect the wall in front; and protectedalso the triangular spaces between the sources of the main beams. Tentatively one of our towers approached within range; but our rays onlybeat into the barrage with the hiss of molten metal plunged into water, and with a burst of interference sparks. Even at a horizontal thousandfeet we could do nothing. Then we tried altitude. Our projectors, mounted individually on small platforms automatically controlled to flywithout human pilot, went up and we strove to get them over the barrage. 

At five thousand feet one went over safely. But the electronic bomb itdropped into the city was an easy mark for Tarrano's watchful defenserays. He exploded it harmlessly when it was still high above him. 

After the next time of sleep we invested the city. Our towers were setin a ring about it, two thousand feet from the wall. They were mobileunits, ready to sail forward or back or upward at any moment. Georgstayed in command of the instrument room. It was never placed, butsailed continuously in slow circular flight around the city above ourline. The power house remained in its place, with our largest projectormounted on the cliff beside it in order to frustrate any furtherattacks. 

They were solemn moments as we broke our encampment. The girls, far moreagile in the air than men, were lightly dressed, with the supportingmechanism strapped to them. The heating units enveloped them in aninvisible cloak of warm air. To their left arms a strapped cylinder gaveoff a fan-shape area of insulation--an almost invisible shield ofprotective barrage some five feet long. It showed as a faint glow oflight; and in flight their left arms could swing it like a shield toprotect their bodies. They had telephonic ear-pieces available; a tinymirror fastened to their chests to face them, upon which Georg orGeno-Rhaalton could project images; a mouthpiece for talking to Georg;and a belt of offensive weapons, useful within a range of five hundredfeet but no further. 

Very alert and agile, twisting and turning in the air were these girls. We men were similarly equipped, but our movements in the air wereheavier, clumsier. Elza and I had practiced with the others for days;and with our harmless duelling rays I had found that I could never hopeto hit her while she dealt me mortal blows. 

Elza, commanding a squad of twenty girls, was assigned to a portion ofthe line some helans from me. My own place, with a hundred men under me, was near a tower almost on the opposite side from the power house. 

It was a solemn parting from Elza. I wrapped her in my arms, tried tosmile. "Be very--careful, Elza. "

She kissed me, clung to me; then cast me off and was gone. 

With the city invested, we rested idly for another time of sleep. Occasionally we made a tentative tower attack which came to nothing. Tarrano waited; his barrage remained the same. We tried to provoke amove from him, but could not. 

The snow-plain where I was stationed here was similar to the other side, save that there were no mountains. From the power house to Tarrano'swall there was a dip, so that the wall stood upon higher ground. On myside, however, the reverse was true. The wall lay in a hollow in oneplace, with a steady upward slope back from it to uplands behind us, asthough in some better day a broad watercourse had flowed down here, nowlong since buried in solid ice and snow. 

I mention this topography because it had a vital bearing upon what sosoon was to transpire. 

Rhaalton desired that Tarrano come out and attack us; but Tarrano wouldnot. We thought perhaps that his offense was inadequate and the one movethat he made strengthened that belief. From the city beside the palace, a rectangle of black metal some fifty feet square, rose slowly up. Inaspect it was a square, windowless room--a room without a ceiling, openat the top. It rose to a height of five hundred feet and hung level. Andfrom it depended dangling power cables connecting it with the ground. 

It was the presence of these cables that made us feel Tarrano wasoffensively weak. He could not aerially transport his power; hence, foroffense he could only rely upon individual batteries which, unlesspermanently stationed within the city, we knew would have a short rangeat best. We watched this thing in the air for hours. It did not move; itwas soundless. What was its purpose? We could not guess. 

And then at last, Geno-Rhaalton ordered us all to the attack. 

CHAPTER XXXVII

_Battle_

I found myself in the air; with my men around me we hovered. ThenGeorg's command from the instrument room sounded in my ears. I gave thesignal; and flying wedge-shaped, we hurled ourselves forward. It waslike lying on the air, diving head foremost. The rush of wind sang pastme; the ground, a hundred feet below, was a white surface flowingbackward. 

We were heading for the base of one of Tarrano's barrage projectors. Itwas mounted within the wall; but the wall itself was protected merely bya fan-shaped subsidiary beam--a weaker barrage over that small area, which by concentrated effort we hoped to break. 

From a helan away on both sides of me I saw other wedges of our mencoming slanting in to assail the same point; overhead a corps of girlswas hovering. Our towers, three of them concentrated here, had risen toa moderate height; their rays were playing upon the threatened area; asteady fountain of sparks showed where they were striking the barrage. 

A silent bombardment of flashing beams and sparks. At five hundred feetwe added our own smaller rays to the turmoil. If the barrage would breakat this point.... 

The instrument room, watchful of everything, sailed over me. On mymirror I saw Georg's intent face; his voice said:

"Careful, Jac! They may come out. "

Prophetic words! The segment of barrage here suddenly vanished. A raydarted out. Beside it, a cloud of flying figures came out of the citylike insects from a hive. 

An inferno of almost hand to hand fighting. It was everyone for himself;and I gave the order for my men to break formation. Ordered them to getup close to the wall if they could ... To strike, with the closestpossible range at the base of the enemy ray.... 

I flung myself forward. Tarrano's men soon were around me. Twisting, darting figures ... Tiny beams of death to be fended off with myshield.... 

A body fell past me in the air ... Others, while I looked at them, inthe blink of an eyelid, vanished into nothingness ... One of our towerssailing high, suddenly went dark, turned over, wavered down, dismemberedwith leprous missing parts--and then in a puff was obliterated. 

I found myself nearly up to the wall, and higher than its top. Thesegment of barrage remained broken. I could see into the city--the IcePalace, still seemingly deserted. And near it, the base of the powerfulground ray which was assailing our towers ... If I could get past thewall, unnoticed, get within range of that projector.... 

Most of the fighting was now behind me. We seemed to be holding ourown ... The squad of girls was coming down; I prayed that Elza might notbe among them.... 

The instrument room had vanished beyond my sight; but Georg's voicesaid:

"We're sending reinforcements! Gather your men--hold off for a moment!"

From every pan of our line other units of men and towers were coming. Wehad broken through the barrage here. If we could now, by a concertedrush, get our force over the wall, into the city.... 

Within the instrument room, Georg sat watching. The inactivity of hisown part, the comparative lack of personal danger, galled him. But hewas too occupied with his duties to give it more than passing thought. We had broken the barrage at one point ... From every quarter he wasrushing reinforcements there to take advantage of the break.... 

And then Tarrano's trickery became apparent. We had not broken hisbarrage; he had deliberately withdrawn it, to encourage us, to bring ourother units to the spot.... Our power house, neglected, was momentarilycomparatively defenseless. The enemy barrage at the point of the wallnearest it, suddenly lifted. Beams darted from the opening ... Men cameout in a cloud.... 

I held back momentarily from the wall and gathered my remnant of menabout me. Only half my former strength; but with sinking heart I triedto assure myself that the others had not heeded my call. The fightinghere had slackened; Tarrano's men had risen high, engaged at long rangeby our girls, from whom they were slowly, trickily retreating as thoughto lure the girls above the city; and my heart was thankful when I heardthe relayed order from Rhaalton for the girls to withdraw--not to passabove the wall, even at high altitude. The order came just in time; thebarrage here flashed on again, trapping a few of our men behind it. 

I was aware of this new attack on the power house. Our units werehurriedly being ordered back. Georg, in desperation, had flung hisinstrument vehicle at the enemy ray ... My connection broke; and thenanother connection brought me someone's voice with the report that theinstrument room had darkened that main enemy ray, but had itself crashedto the ground ... I wondered if Georg were killed ... Later, I heardsomeone say that he was safe within the power house.... 

I disobeyed my final orders; I did not swing back toward the powerhouse; instead, with my men around me, we fled back from this segment ofthe wall to the higher lying white plain behind it. 

I have spoken of the down-grade of this land here, culminating in thedepression which marked this part of the wall. It was that depressionwhich gave me my idea. Our heat-ray cylinders had so far been useless. They had a range of only two hundred feet, and no power to attack abarrage. Some of them had futilely been used; the snow and ice on theground above our recent fighting was melted in patches--pools of boilingwater lay on the naked rock; and the water, flowing down the depression, had reached the ice-wall--a tiny stream of it, eating into the wall, slowly, surely.... 

With my men I flew up the slope. The ice and snow here melted underthe close-range play of our heat-cylinders. Rivulets of boiling waterbegan creeping toward the city. Other men at my call joined us. Twohundred of us soon were melting the ice. The rivulets merged intobrooks, to streams--and soon a river torrent of hissing, boiling watergathering volume as it went, was surging at the wall. The wallbegan melting--itself feeding this monster which was eating at itsvitals ... A yawning hole began opening at the base of the wall ... Itbegan sagging at the top ... Crumbling.... 

The segment of barrage here went dark. No trickery now; the barrage atthis point actually was broken. The boiling river went through the wall, swept down the slope into the city. Through the great clouds of steam Icould see the Ice Palace with its brittle outlines softening under theheat ... One of its thin spires broke off and fell.... 

Feverishly we added to the river source. The whole area here was greywith steam. Girls had joined us ... Elza was not among them ... Elza!With my triumph there lay always in the background of my consciousnessthe weight of my fear for Elza.... 

The fighting in the other sector had continued desperately. Our powerhouse was hopelessly damaged; the towers, with their power gone, wereusing their batteries; soon they would be exhausted. But now weabandoned that sector; our remaining towers--all our flying forces--cameto this melting area where the vanishing city lay defenseless beforeus.... We hurled ourselves into it, using only our heat-rays. Everywherewe added to the boiling torrent; even the interference heat of thefighting was to our advantage. This brittle city which owed its veryexistence to the congealing cold, lay enveloped in a cloud of steam. 

Then Tarrano played his last card. The cubical building of metal withthe cables depending from it, still hung motionless. It now burst intosound. A low electrical hum; then louder to a whine--a scream. Our menand girls were in the air around it. I too was there. Tarrano's men--theremaining few who were desperately fighting--had suddenly withdrawn. 

And then we knew the purpose of this hanging room. A strange form ofsome tremendous electro-magnet. I could feel it pulling at me. My powerto guide myself in the air was wavering. 

From my height I could see down into this ceilingless rectangle. It wasun-manned by humans. A room of whirling, flashing knives! Above it, eventhen some of our men were struggling in its magnetic grip ... Beingdrawn down into it ... A girl's power must suddenly have collapsed; shewas sucked in with a rush--torn to fragments by the whirling knives.... 

The area of magnetism seemed to spread for a helan or more. Everywherearound me I saw our men and girls struggling with it, fighting to keepaway, but closing in a ring around it ... Faster, continually morehelpless until at last, their bodies out of control whirling end overend, they were sucked in like water rushing into a turbine.... One ofour weakened towers attacked it; but some of the remnants of Tarrano'sprojectors caught the tower and darkened it. 

Through the rising clouds of steam I could see the magnet vaguely now. But I could feel it pulling; and soon, in spite of myself, I was fairlyclose above it. I strove to keep my wits. The others who were meetingtheir death lost control of their bodies at the last and could not usetheir cylinders. I had some battery power remaining; I snapped on mydisintegrating ray to test it. It was my last desperate recourse. 

I righted my body, and yielding to the magnetic pull, ceasing tostruggle, I dove head first at that yawning rectangle. A gleaming blurof knives ... Blood-stained now ... Within these rectangular wallshorrible carnage.... 

A second of despair; but my ray struck true ... Around me was chaos; mysenses reeled, went black for an instant. But I recovered, found myselfwhirling in the empty air.... 

The city was melting into a turmoil of boiling water and surging steam. The fighting everywhere had ceased. Wavering figures wererising--fugitives struggling away. With my senses still confused, Irighted myself, undecided where to go or what to do. Above me twofigures were still in combat. One of them--a man--assailed by aheat-ray, came hurtling down past me. The other wavered--a girl with herflying mechanism out of control. She was a hundred feet or more aboveme, wavering downward. Elza! I shot myself up to her, seized her in myarms, my own supporting mechanism sustaining us both. Elza, spent, butuninjured, I held her close. 

"Elza dear! My Elza!"

We hung there in the air. From out the vanishing city, rising throughthe steam came a small metal vehicle. A pointed cylinder, in height nomore than twice that of a man. It came up slowly. Its rectangular doorwas open. As it reached our level and went past us quite close, I saw aman's figure standing there. Tarrano! Tarrano alone! From the wreckageof his city, making his escape alone!

Without thought--holding Elza tightly within my arms--I flung us upward. Tarrano saw us, recognized us. He slackened his upward pace. With mysober reason gone, I strove to overtake him; saw the sardonic leer onhis face but did not realize that he was waiting for us. We caught upwith his vehicle; he pulled us through the doorway, to the floor of thenarrow circular room with its heavy translucent panes. 

He was bending over me, leering. "Jac Hallen! And my little Lady Elza!How fortunate!"

I cast off Elza and gained my feet. For an instant we stood--Tarrano andI--measuring each other. He seemed calm; his face bore a slow sardonicsmile; he was unarmed, drawn back against the concavity of the wall, watching me with his steady, keen eyes. Behind him through the lowwindow, I saw the white ground now far below us; we were rising swiftly. 

"So you brought my Lady Elza back to me, Jac Hallen?"

He got no further, for with a leap I was upon him. To use my weapons inthese narrow quarters would have been suicide. My body pinned himagainst the wall as I lunged; my fingers strove for his throat. 

He was no larger than I, but the strength of him was extraordinary. Hisbody stiffened to resist my impact; one of his hands gripped my wrist;his other hand--the heel of it--came up beneath my chin, forcing my headback. 

He fought silently, with movements that seemed almost deliberate. Intothe center of the room we struggled. I saw that Elza was upon her feet, a hand pressed to her mouth in terror. 

"Elza!"

I had meant to tell her to use the control levers which were on a smalltable nearby--to bring us back to the ground; but with this momentarydiverting of my attention, Tarrano's fist struck me full in the face. Istaggered back. Elza screamed--called something to Tarrano. I staggered, but I did not fall; and as Tarrano stood there, still with his slowsmile, I recovered myself and was again upon him. Locked together weswayed to the control table. My back was to it. Tarrano's slenderfingers with a grip like alemite, had found my throat. Slowly, irresistibly he forced me backward over the table. I was helpless; mybreath was stopped; Tarrano's triumphant face bending over me was fadingwith my senses. 

"In just a moment, Lady Elza.... "

He was telling her calmly that in a moment he would be finished with me. Did the man's egotism, here at the last, delude him into the belief thatElza wanted him to conquer me? With all the weapons of sciencediscarded--this primitive struggle of man against man with the woman asprize--did the thought of that delude him into the belief that her lovewas his, now that he was killing me?

I never knew. But beneath the roaring of my head, I heard his gentlewords to her. And then, behind him, I saw her coming forward. A heavymetal object which she had picked up from the floor was in her hand. Tarrano saw her also--in a mirror on the table--saw her raise the jaggedweapon. Raise it to strike; not at me--at himself. His face was closeabove mine. In that second, I saw in his expression the realization thatElza was attacking him. 

Whatever his emotions, like a flash he acted. His grip on my throatloosened. His arm, swinging backward, warded off Elza's trembling, hesitant blow. The metal block, intended for his head, was knocked fromher hand; it fell clattering to the floor. And reaching over, Tarranogripped the vehicle's control lever, wrenched it bodily from itsfastenings! Control of the vehicle was irrevocably lost! We werefalling!

Breathless moments! Tarrano idly stood apart; his face a mask. My breathrestored, I was recovering. I drew myself erect. 

Death! But my confused thoughts went to Elza. Her flying mechanism waspartially sustaining; my own probably was still effective. BeforeTarrano was aware of my purpose, I had pushed Elza forcibly through thedoorway. Into the rush of air her figure disappeared. But Tarranogripped me as I tried to follow her. Gripped me and clung. A breathless, dizzy instant. Locked together, our bodies shifted crazily. Itried to get him out the doorway with me, but he fought againstit.... Smiling--always smiling.... 

Elza fell safely. But they told me that Tarrano and I hovered for daysunconscious on the borderland between life and death, living finally, for our vehicle had plunged into a tremendous snow-bank, to break itsfall. 

 * * * * *

Last scene of all ... They would not have Tarrano on any of the threeworlds. While still living, the very personality of him was a menace. With his woman Tara, who refused to leave him and whom he tolerated, they banished him to that tiny asteroid which pursued its solitary waybetween the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. 

A lonely, barren little world, with its single, primitive race ofspindly beings--timid, frail beings, half-human, half insect. We tookhim there--Maida and Georg, Elza and I. He anticipated his dislike ofthe asteroid's slight gravity, and demanded weighted shoes so that hemight walk with the normal feeling of Earth and Venus. 

"You give me too much freedom, " he told us solemnly. 

And there amid the rocks, with Tara we set him down. As we parted, heturned to Elza. She and I were joined in marriage by then. He faced her, took one of her hands and pressed its palm to his forehead, the gestureof homage and respect. 

"Goodbye, Lady Elza. I wish for you all life's happiness. " He smiled, but it was a very wistful smile. And then he swung away abruptly. 

"Tara! Prepare me food. Leave me--I would be alone. " His imperiousgesture dispersed also the crowd of natives who were curiously regardinghim. Here, in his last little domain, he would still be master. 

Our vehicle slowly rose. From its windows we watched him. Ignoring usutterly, weighted down by his heavy shoes, he paced his barren rocks, head lowered, alone with those thoughts he never shared with anyone. 

Tarrano, the Conqueror!

The End.