CHAPTER XXXVI
THE FIGHT IN THE TUNNELS
For some time this strange party of refugees from an outraged worldwalked in silence. Because of their size, the tunnel appeared to themnow not more than eight or nine feet in height, and in most places ofnearly similar width. For perhaps ten minutes no one spoke except anoccasional monosyllable. The Chemist and Big Business Man, walkingabreast, were leading; Aura and Lylda with the Very Young man, and Lotoclose in front of them, brought up the rear.
The tunnel they were traversing appeared quite deserted; only once, atthe intersection of another smaller passageway, a few littlefigures--not more than a foot high--scurried past and hastilydisappeared. Once the party stopped for half an hour to rest.
"I don't think we'll have any trouble getting through," said theChemist. "The tunnels are usually deserted at the time of sleep."
The Big Business Man appeared not so sanguine, but said nothing. Finallythey came to one of the large amphitheaters into which several of thetunnels opened. In size, it appeared to them now a hundred feet inlength and with a roof some twelve feet high. The Chemist stopped to letthe others come up.
"I think our best route is there," he pointed.
"It is not so high a tunnel; we shall have to get smaller. Beyond itthey are larger again. It is not far--half an hour, perhaps, walking aswe----"
A cry from Aura interrupted him.
"My brother, see, they come," she exclaimed.
Before them, out of several of the smaller passageways, a crowd oflittle figures was pouring. There were no shouts; there was seemingly noconfusion; just a steady, flowing stream of human forms, emptying fromthe tunnels into the amphitheater and spreading out over its opensurface.
The fugitives stared a moment in horror. "Good God! they've got us," theDoctor muttered, breaking the tenseness of the silence.
The little people kept their distance at first, and then as the openspace filled up, slowly they began coming closer, in little waves ofmovement, irresistible as an incoming tide.
Aura turned towards the passageway through which they had entered. "Wecan go back," she said. And then. "No--see, they come there, too." Acrowd of the little gray figures blocked that entrance also--a crowdthat hesitated an instant and then came forward, spreading out fan-shapeas it came.
The Big Business Man doubled up his fists.
"It's fight," he said grimly. "By God! we'll----" but Lylda, with a lowcry, flung herself before him.
"No, no," she said passionately. "Not that; it cannot be that now, justat the last----"
Aura laid a hand upon her sister's shoulder.
"Wait, my sister," she said gently. "There is no matter of justicehere--for you, a woman--to decide. This is for men to deal with--amatter for men--our men. And what they say to do--that must be done."
She turned to the Chemist and the Very Young Man, who were standing sideby side.
"A woman--cannot kill," she said slowly. "Unless--her man--says it so.Or if to save him----"
Her eyes flashed fire; she held her slim little body erect and rigid--anAmazon ready to fight to the death for those she loved.
The Chemist hesitated a moment. Before he could answer, a single shrillcry sounded from somewhere out in the silent, menacing throng. As thoughat a signal, a thousand little voices took it up, and with a great rushthe crowd swept forward.
In the first moment of surprise and indecision the group of fugitivesstood motionless. As the wave of little, struggling human forms closedin around them, the Very Young Man came to himself with a start. Helooked down. They were black around him now, swaying back and forthabout his legs. Most of them were men, armed with the short,broad-bladed swords, or with smaller knives. Some brandished otherimprovised weapons; still others held rocks in their hands.
A little pair of arms clutched the Very Young Man about his leg; he gavea violent kick, scattering a number of the struggling figures andclearing a space into which he leaped.
"Back--Aura, Lylda," he shouted. "Take Loto and Eena. Get back behindus."
The Big Business Man, kicking violently, and sometimes stooping down tosweep the ground with great swings of his arm, had cleared a spacebefore them. Taking Loto, who looked on with frightened eyes, the threewomen stepped back against the side wall of the amphitheater.
The Very Young Man swiftly discarded his robe, standing in the knittedunder-suit in which he had swam the lake; the other men followed hisexample. For ten minutes or more in ceaseless waves, the littlecreatures threw themselves forward, and were beaten back. The confinedspace echoed with their shouts, and with the cries of the wounded. Thefive men fought silently. Once the Doctor stumbled and fell. Before hisfriends could get to him, his body was covered with his foes. When hegot back upon his feet, knocking them off, he was bleeding profuselyfrom an ugly-looking wound in his shoulder.
"Good God!" he panted as the Chemist and the Big Business Man leapedover to him. "They'll get us--if we go down."
"We can get larger," said the Big Business Man, pointing upwards to theroof overhead. "Larger--and then----" He swayed a trifle, breathinghard. His legs were covered with blood from a dozen wounds.
Oteo, fighting back and forth before them, was holding the crowd incheck; a heap of dead lay in a semicircle in front of him.
"I'm going across," shouted the Very Young Man suddenly, and beganstriding forward into the struggling mass.
The crowd, thus diverted, eased its attack for a moment. Slowly the VeryYoung Man waded into it. He was perhaps fifty feet out from the sidewall when a stone struck him upon the temple. He went down, out of sightin the seething mass.
"Come on," shouted the Big Business Man. But before he could move, Auradashed past him, fighting her way out to where the Very Young Man lay.In a moment she was beside him. Her fragile body seemed hopelesslyinadequate for such a struggle, but the spirit within her made her fightlike a wild-cat.
Catching one of the little figures by the legs she flung him about likea club, knocking a score of the others back and clearing a space aboutthe Very Young Man. Then abruptly she dropped her victim and knelt down,plucking away the last of the attacking figures who was hacking at theVery Young Man's arm with his sword.
The Chemist and Big Business Man were beside her now, and together theycarried the Very Young Man back. He had recovered consciousness, andsmiled up at them feebly. They laid him on the ground against the wall,and Aura sat beside him.
"Gosh, I'm all right," he said, waving them away. "Be with you in aminute; give 'em hell!"
The Doctor knelt beside the Very Young Man for a moment, and, finding hewas not seriously hurt, left him and rejoined the Chemist and BigBusiness Man, who, with Oteo, had forced the struggling mass of littlefigures some distance away.
"I'm going to get larger," shouted the Big Business Man a moment later."Wipe them all out, damn it; I can do it. We can't keep on this way."
The Doctor was by his side.
"You can't do it--isn't room," he shouted in answer, pausing as he wavedone of his assailants in the air above his head. "You might take toomuch."
The Big Business Man was reaching with one hand under his robe. With hisfeet he kicked violently to keep the space about him clear. A tiny stoneflew by his head; another struck him on the chest, and all at once herealized that he was bruised all over from where other stones had beenhitting him. He looked across to the opposite wall of the amphitheater.Through the tunnel entrance there he saw that the stream of littlepeople was flowing the other way now. They were trying to get out,instead of pouring in.
The Big Business Man waved his arms. "They're running away--look," heshouted. "They're running--over there--come on." He dashed forward, and,followed by his companions, redoubled his efforts.
The crowd wavered; the shouting grew less; those further away beganrunning back.
Then suddenly a shrill cry arose--just a single little voice it was atfirst. After a moment others took it up, and still others, until itsounded from every side--three
Oroid words repeated over and over.
The Chemist abruptly stopped fighting. "It's done," he shouted. "ThankGod it's over."
The cry continued. The little figures had ceased attacking now and werestruggling in a frenzy to get through the tunnels.
"No more," shouted the Chemist. "They're going. See them going? Stop."
His companions stood by his side, panting and weak from loss of blood.The Chemist tried to smile. His face was livid; he swayed unsteadily onhis feet. "No more," he repeated. "It's over. Thank God, it's over!"
Meanwhile the Very Young Man, lying on the floor with Aura sittingbeside him, revived a little. He tried to sit up after a few moments,but the girl pulled him down.
"But I got to go--give 'em hell," he protested weakly. His head wasstill confused; he only knew he should be back, fighting beside hisfriends.
"Not yet," Aura said gently. "There is no need--yet. When there is, youmay trust me, Jack; I shall say it."
The Very Young Man closed his eyes. The blurred, iridescent outlines ofthe rocks confused him; his head was ringing. The girl put an arm underhis neck. He found one of her hands, and held it tightly. For a momenthe lay silent. Then his head seemed to clear a little; he opened hiseyes.
"What are they doing now, Aura?" he asked.
"It is no different," the girl answered softly. "So terrible a thing--soterrible----" she finished almost to herself.
"I'll wait--just a minute more," he murmured and closed his eyes again.
He held the girl's hand tighter. He seemed to be floating away, and herhand steadied him. The sounds of the fighting sounded very distantnow--all blurred and confused and dreamlike. Only the girl's nearnessseemed real--the touch of her little body against his as she sat besidehim.
"Aura," he whispered. "Aura."
She put her face down to his. "Yes, Jack," she answered gently.
"It's very bad--there--don't you think?"
She did not answer.
"I was just thinking," he went on; he spoke slowly, almost in a whisper."Maybe--you know--we won't come through this." He paused; his thoughtssomehow seemed too big to put into words. But he knew he was very happy.
"I was just thinking, Aura, that if we shouldn't come through I justwanted you to know----" Again he stopped. From far away he heard theshrill, rhythmic cry of many voices shouting in unison. He listened, andthen it all came back. The battle--his friends there fighting--theyneeded him. He let go of the girl's hand and sat up, brushing back hismoist hair.
"Listen, Aura. Hear them shouting; I mustn't stay here." He tried,weakly, to get upon his feet, but the girl's arm about his waist heldhim down.
"Wait," she said. Surprised by the tenseness of her tone, he relaxed.
The cry grew louder, rolling up from a thousand voices and echoing backand forth across the amphitheater. The Very Young Man wondered vaguelywhat it could mean. He looked into Aura's face. Her lips were smilingnow.
"What is it, Aura?" he whispered.
The girl impulsively put her arms about him and held him close.
"But we are coming through, my friend Jack. We are coming through." TheVery Young Man looked wonderingly into her eyes. "Don't you hear? Thatcry--the cry of fear and despair. It means--life to us; and no moredeath--to them."
The Chemist's voice came out of the distance shouting: "They're runningaway. It's over; thank God it's over!"
Then the Very Young Man knew, and life opened up before him again."Life," he whispered to himself. "Life and love and happiness."