CHAPTER XXVI
THE ABDUCTION
When the Very Young Man left them so unceremoniously the Chemist and hiscompanions continued on their way home, talking earnestly over theserious turn affairs had taken. Of the three, the Big Business Manappeared the most perturbed.
"Lylda isn't going to accomplish anything," he said. "It won't work. Thething has gone too far. It isn't politics any longer; it's a struggleagainst us--a hatred and fear of our supernatural powers."
"If we had never come----" began the Doctor.
"It probably would have worked out all right," finished the Big BusinessMan. "But since we're here----"
"We could leave," the Doctor suggested.
"It has gone too far; I agree with you," the Chemist said. "Your goingwould not help. They would never believe I did not still possess themagic. And now, without the drugs I might not be able to cope withaffairs. It is a very serious situation."
"And getting worse all the time," added the Big Business Man.
When they arrived at the Chemist's home Loto did not run out to meetthem as the Chemist expected. They called his name, but there was noanswer. Inside the house they perceived at once that something waswrong. The living-room was in disorder; some of the pieces of furniturehad been overturned, and many of the smaller articles were scatteredabout the floor. Even the wall-hangings had been torn down.
In sudden fear the Chemist ran through the building, calling to Loto.Everywhere he saw evidence of intruders, who had ransacked the rooms, asthough making a hasty search. In one of the rooms, crouched on thefloor, he came upon Eena, Lylda's little serving-maid. The girl wasstricken dumb with terror. At the sight of her master she sobbed withrelief, and after a few moments told him what had happened.
When the Chemist rejoined his friends in the lower room his face was setand white. The girl followed him closely, evidently afraid to be leftalone. The Chemist spoke quietly, controlling his emotion with obviousdifficulty.
"Loto has been stolen!" he said. "Targo and four of his men were heresoon after we left. Eena saw them and hid. They searched the house----"
"For the drugs," muttered the Doctor under his breath.
"----and then left, taking Loto with them."
"Which way did they go?" asked the Big Business Man. "Good God, what athing!"
"They went by water, in a large boat that was waiting for them here,"answered the Chemist.
"How long ago?" asked the Doctor quickly. "We have not been gone verylong."
"An hour probably, not much more." Eena said something to her master andbegan to cry softly.
"She says they left a little while ago. Three of the men took Loto awayin the boat. She watched them from the window upstairs."
"_Targo alia_," said the girl.
"One of the men was Targo," said the Chemist. He went to one of thewindows overlooking the lake; the Doctor stood beside him. There was noboat in sight.
"They cannot have got very far," said the Doctor. "Those islandsthere----"
"They would take him to Orlog," said the Chemist. "About fifty miles."
The Doctor turned back to the room. "We can get them. You forget--thesedrugs--the power they give us. Oh, Will." He called the Big Business Manover to them; he spoke hurriedly, with growing excitement. "What do youthink, Will? That boat--they've got Loto--it can't be very far. We canmake ourselves so large in half an hour we can wade all over the lake.We can get it. What do you think?"
The Chemist dropped into a chair with his head in his hands. "Let methink--just a moment, Frank. I know the power we have; I know we can doalmost anything. That little boy of mine--they've got him. Let methink--just a moment."
He sat motionless. The Doctor continued talking in a lower tone to theBig Business Man by the window. In the doorway Oteo stood like a statue,motionless, except for his big, soft eyes that roved unceasingly overthe scene before him. After a moment Eena ceased her sobbing and kneltbeside the Chemist, looking up at him sorrowfully.
"I cannot believe," said the Chemist finally, raising his head, "thatthe safest way to rescue Loto is by the plan you have suggested." Hespoke with his usual calm, judicial manner, having regained control ofhimself completely. "I understand now, thoroughly, and for the firsttime, the situation we are facing. It is, as you say, a political issueno longer. Targo and his closest followers have convinced a very largeproportion of our entire nation, I am certain, that myself, and myfamily, and you, the strangers, are possessed of a diabolical power thatmust be annihilated. Targo will never rest until he has the drugs. Thatis why he searched this house.
"He has abducted Loto for the same purpose. He will--not hurt Loto--I amconvinced of that. Probably he will send someone to-morrow to demand thedrugs as the price of Loto's life. But don't you understand? Targo andhis advisers, and even the most ignorant of the people, realize whatpower we have. Lylda showed them that when she flung Targo's brother outinto the lake to-day. But we cannot use this power openly. For, while itmakes us invincible, it makes them correspondingly desperate. They are apeculiar people. Throughout the whole history of the race they have beenkindly, thoughtless children. Now they are aroused. The pendulum hasswung to the other extreme. They care little for their lives. They arestill children--children who will go to their death unreasoning,fighting against invincibility.
"That is something we must never overlook, for it is a fact. We cannotrun amuck as giants over this world and hope to conquer it. We couldconquer it, yes; but only when the last of its inhabitants had beenkilled; stamped out like ants defending their hill from the attacks ofan elephant. Don't you see I am right?"
"Then Lylda----" began the Doctor, as the Chemist paused.
"Lylda will fail. Her venture to-day will make matters immeasurablyworse."
"You're right," agreed the Big Business Man. "We should have realized."
"So you see we cannot make ourselves large and recapture Loto by force.They would anticipate us and kill him."
"Then what shall we do?" demanded the Doctor. "We must do something."
"That we must decide carefully, for we must make no more mistakes. Butwe can do nothing at this moment. The lives of all of us are threatened.We must not allow ourselves to become separated. We must wait here forLylda. Reoh and Aura must stay with us. Then we can decide how to rescueLoto and what to do after that. But we must keep together."
"Jack ought to be here by now," said the Big Business Man. "I hope Reohand Aura come with him."
For over an hour they waited, and still the Very Young Man did not come.They had just decided to send Oteo to see what had become of him and tobring down Reoh and his daughter, when Lylda unexpectedly returned. Itwas Eena, standing at one of the side windows, who first saw hermistress. A cry from the girl brought them all to the window. Far awaybeyond the city they could see the gigantic figure of Lylda, toweringseveral hundred feet in the air.
As she came closer she seemed to stop, near the outskirts of the city,and then they saw her dwindling in size until she disappeared, hiddenfrom their view by the houses near at hand.
In perhaps half an hour more she reappeared, picking her way carefullydown the deserted street towards them. She was at this time about fortyfeet tall. At the corner, a hundred yards away from them a little groupof people ran out, and, with shouts of anger, threw something at her asshe passed.
She stooped down towards them, and immediately they scurried for safetyout of her reach.
Once inside of her own garden, where the Chemist and his companions werewaiting, Lylda lost no time in becoming her normal size again. As shegrew smaller, she sat down with her back against a little tree. Her facewas white and drawn; her eyes were full of tears as she looked at herhusband and his friends.
When the drug had ceased to act, the Chemist sat beside her. She hadstarted out only a few hours before a crusader, dominant, forceful; shecame back now, a tired, discouraged little woman. The Chemist put hisarm around her protectingly, drawing her drooping body towards him."Very bad news,
Lylda, we know," he said gently.
"Oh, my husband," she cried brokenly. "So sorry I am--so very sorry. Thebest I knew I did. And it was all so very bad--so very bad----" shebroke off abruptly, looking at him with her great, sorrowful eyes.
"Tell us Lylda," he said softly.
"To many cities I went," she answered. "And I told the people all Imeant to say. Some of them believed. But they were not many, and of theothers who did not believe, they were afraid, and so kept they silent.Then into Orlog I went, and in the public square I spoke--for very long,because, for some reason I know not, at first they listened.
"But no one there believed. And then, my husband, at last I knew why Icould not hope to gain my way. It is not because they want Targo's rulethat they oppose us. It was, but it is so no longer. It is because theyhave been made to fear these drugs we have. For now, in Orlog, they areshouting death to all the giants. Forgotten are all their cries forland--the things that Targo promised, and we in Arite would not give. Itis death to all the giants they are shouting now: death to you, to me,to us all, because we have these drugs."
"Did they attack you?" asked the Big Business Man.
"Many things they threw," Lylda answered. "But I was so big," she smileda little sad, twisted smile. "What they could do was as nothing. Andbecause of that they fear and hate us so; yet never have I seen suchfearless things as those they did. Death to the giants was their onlycry. And I could have killed them--hundreds, thousands--yet never couldI have made them stop while yet they were alive.
"I told them Targo I would free. And in Orlog they laughed. For theysaid that he would free himself before I had returned."
"He did," muttered the Big Business Man.
"Targo escaped this afternoon," the Chemist explained. "He went to Orlogby boat and took----" He stopped abruptly. "Come into the house, Lylda,"he added gently; "there are other things, my wife, of which we mustspeak." He rose to his feet, pulling her up with him.
"Where is Jack," she asked, looking at the Big Business Man, who stoodwatching her gravely. "And where is Loto? Does he not want to see hismother who tried so----" She put her arms around the Chemist's neck. "Sovery hard I tried," she finished softly. "So very hard, because--Ithought----"
The Chemist led her gently into the house. The Doctor started to follow,but the Big Business Man held him back. "It is better not," he said inan undertone, "don't you think?" Oteo was standing near them, and theBig Business Man motioned to him. "Besides," he added, "I'm worriedabout Jack. I think we ought to go up after him. I don't think it oughtto take us very long."
"With Oteo--he knows the way," agreed the Doctor. "It's devilish strangewhat's keeping that boy."
They found that although Oteo spoke only a few words of English, heunderstood nearly everything they said, and waiting only a moment more,they started up into the city towards Reoh's home.
In the living-room of the house, the Chemist sat Lylda gently down on acushion in front of the hearth. Sitting beside her, he laid his hand onhers that rested on her knee.
"For twelve years, Lylda, we have lived together," he began slowly. "Andno sorrow has come to us; no danger has threatened us or those weloved." He met his wife's questioning gaze unflinchingly and went on:
"You have proved yourself a wonderful woman, my wife. You neverknew--nor those before you--the conflict of human passions. No dangerbefore has ever threatened you or those you loved." He saw her eyes growwider.
"Very strange you talk, my husband. There is something----"
"There is something, Lylda. To-day you have seen strife, anger, hateand--and death. You have met them all calmly; you have fought them alljustly, like a woman--a brave, honest Oroid woman, who can wrong no one.There is something now that I must tell you." He saw the growing fear inher eyes and hurried on.
"Loto, to-day--this afternoon----"
The woman gave a little, low cry of anguish, instantly repressed. Herhand gripped his tightly.
"No, no, Lylda, not that," he said quickly, "but this afternoon while wewere all away--Loto was here alone with Eena--Targo with his men came.They did not hurt Loto; they took him away in a boat to Orlog." Hestopped abruptly. Lylda's eyes never left his face. Her breath camefast; she put a hand to her mouth and stifled the cry that rose to herlips.
"They will not hurt him, Lylda; that I know. And soon we will have himback."
For a moment more her searching eyes stared steadily into his. He heardthe whispered words, "My little son--with Targo," come slowly from herlips; then with a low, sobbing cry she dropped senseless into his arms.