CHAPTER XII.
THE WARNING OF DANGER----THE RACE WITH DEATH.
Slowly crept the long tedious hours of darkness. The heavy cloud ofdespair that had so long hung over me, now being dispelled as if bymagic, I was all impatience. My heart yearned for the moment when,gazing into the depths of Zarlah's wondrous eyes, I should seethere--not the appealing timid look, full of the dread of hopelessseparation from her lover, that had so wrung my heart at our lastparting--but the radiant happiness of perfect contentment and fulfilleddesire. I had thrown myself on the couch, and, as a miser jealouslycounts over his gold, fondling each precious bit with eager fingers, soI pondered on the happy hours spent with Zarlah, carefully reviewingeach golden moment with its precious burden of Love's confessions.
Suddenly I sprang to my feet--a piercing, despairing cry of "Harold, mylove, save me! save me!" was ringing in my ears.
It was Zarlah's voice, and some terrible danger confronted her.
Rushing into the adjoining room, I glanced anxiously about--all wasstill. The numerous books and instruments lay just as I had left them,and I gradually realized that, tired with the experiences I had latelyundergone, I had unconsciously fallen asleep, and Zarlah's cry for helpwas only a dream.
Although greatly relieved by this discovery, my mind remained in a stateof unrest. I was oppressed with a sense of danger which, in spite of myendeavor to overcome by occupying my mind with the volumes of Martianastronomical discoveries, I found to be impossible. Laying aside thebook I had endeavored to read, I started to my feet and paced restlesslyto and fro, but each footfall, echoing in the profound stillness, seemedto be an appealing cry for help. A premonition that a terrible dangerhung over Zarlah came upon me, and, maddened by the thought that Iremained inactive, whilst yet I might save her, I rushed out upon thebalcony.
The sun was just rising, but in place of the gray light of dawn on Earthwith its beautifully colored eastern sky, there appeared sharp contrastsof the blackest darkness and the most brilliant light, in the longshadows that were cast across the landscape. Without the diffusion oflight which the denser atmosphere of Earth causes, night seemed tolinger on the very footsteps of day. Though the remarkable effect ofthis Martian sunrise would have been pleasing under other circumstances,it now served only to increase my apprehension, warning me that I was ina strange world, and that I must be prepared to meet extraordinaryemergencies.
I had but one thought, that of reaching Zarlah as speedily as possibleand saving her from the awful fate which menaced her. What this fatewas, I knew not, but I could feel its presence like the hot breath ofsome ferocious beast, as it stands over its prostrate victim. Greatlydid I now deplore the loss of Zarlah's valuable instrument.
With eager hands I prepared the high-speed aerenoid for the journey,feeling that I must trust to Almos' knowledge of its operation to carryme through safely. Though I realized that the danger was increased athousand times in an aerenoid capable of such terrific speed, the fearthat even now I might be too late compelled me to make use of it.
Taking my place in the forward part of the car, I was greatly relievedto find that my hand instinctively sought the levers, and operated themwith a judicious care that could result only from long experience.
Rising high enough to avoid small aerenoids, I proceeded at aconsiderable speed and soon came within sight of Zarlah's dwelling. Theserene and peaceful appearance of this beautiful white marble villa, asthe morning sun glorified it, quickly dispelled the fears that hadbrought me hither at such an early hour, and I gladly attributed them tooverwrought nerves and the loss of a night's sleep.
Moreover, as I slowly circled over the lake that only a few hours beforeZarlah and I had wistfully gazed upon together as we built a world ofhappiness for ourselves, I felt that I was near to her, should thedanger of which I had been forewarned prove real. Here in the scene ofour happiness I would wait through the early hours--the last hours ofour separation.
Slowly descending, I brought the aerenoid to rest in a spot obscured bytrees from the villa. A few feet away, the little brook sparkled merrilyin the sunlight as it leaped along on its journey to the lake, and, as Iopened the door of the car, its joyous song swelled upon the fragrantmorning air, laughing at my forebodings in this world of peace, as ithad laughed at my despair of the previous night.
As I stepped out into the warm sunlight and made my way toward thelake, a great joy filled my heart. It would not be long ere Zarlahshared with me the happiness of the knowledge that we need never againbe separated.
"Poor Zarlah!" I murmured, as the memory of our last parting with itsgreat anguish of a forlorn hope sent a pang to my heart. "The bitternessin thy cup was indeed great, but it is past. Oh, my beloved, awake tothe light of a new day filled with gladness, and sorrow shall not againcross thy path!"
I paused, fancying I heard footsteps, and, glancing back, listenedintently. All was still, and I was just about to proceed when again thesound came. This time I could not be mistaken; it was the sound ofhurried footsteps some distance off and in the direction of the villa.
I was still hidden from the villa by the trees, but across the stream,some thirty yards away, was an opening from which a view of it could behad. Leaping the stream I hastened thither, anxious to learn the causeof the untimely activity. Another moment, and I should have been toolate to see a slight figure, laden with what appeared to be wraps andother travelling equipment, hurry across the balcony and step into thelarge high-speed aerenoid that I had observed there the previousevening.
It was Zarlah! But what was the reason of this hasty departure at suchan hour? Suddenly a frenzy seized me, and, rushing toward the villa, Ifrantically called to her, but it was too late. She had not seen me,and, before I had taken many steps, the aerenoid rose rapidly to a greatheight and disappeared over the trees.
Not a moment was to be lost. Turning, I dashed wildly back toward theaerenoid I had so foolishly left in concealment. Reaching the stream, Istumbled over an entanglement of vines and plunged headlong therein,only to scramble, dripping and bruised, up the opposite bank andcontinue my frantic efforts to reach the aerenoid, before Zarlah's carhad disappeared from sight. What her intention was I knew not, but theearly hour, the haste with which she had departed, and the absence ofher brother, all conspired to arouse the fears that had beset me duringthe long hours of the night.
Arriving at the aerenoid at last, after a journey that seemed to consumehours, I jumped in and closed the door. Frantically I seized the leverthat controlled the ascension and, pulling it so that the full repellingpower was instantly exposed, the car bounded high into the air withterrific force.
The shock hurled me off my feet, but in an instant my eyes were againfixed upon a mere speck many miles distant, which I knew to be theaerenoid containing all that life possessed for me. As the car plungedforward at great speed, the speck disappeared, and I at once realizedthat Zarlah had reached a canal, into which she had turned her aerenoid.It was now impossible for me to see which direction she took, and unlessI arrived at the canal within a few seconds, I felt that all hope ofovertaking her would have vanished, as she would doubtless proceed atfull speed and soon be lost to sight.
Opening to its fullest extent the valve that controlled the exhaustionof air in the chamber beneath, the velocity of the car soon becameterrific, and, rising still higher as I sped along, I caught sight ofZarlah's aerenoid proceeding in a northerly direction.
With a disregard for all safety I swerved to the north, thus forming thethird side of a triangle, of which the other sides were the courseZarlah had taken. This movement reduced the distance between the twoaerenoids considerably, and upon turning into the speedway of the canal,I was greatly relieved to find that I was but a few miles in the rear.The hope that Zarlah might see the car speeding so close behind her,flashed through my mind, but instantly I realized the impossibility ofsuch a thing, for a glance behind, even for a second, while travellingwith such frightful velocity, would entail certain destruction by
beingdashed to pieces against the sides of the canal. My only chance lay inovertaking her and making some signal, and with my free hand I wrenchedat the speed valve, endeavoring to open it wider.
On we sped in our wild career over the planet's surface. Hundreds ofmiles were quickly swept beneath us, but not one foot did I seem togain. Vainly did I strive to put from my mind the fears that lurkedthere, by seeking a plausible reason for Zarlah's strange action.
On, on we flew, each aerenoid going at its maximum speed; surely Zarlahhad gone far enough north; she must slacken her speed soon to turn downa branch canal, and I would then be able to run alongside of her car andsignal my presence. There was a gleam of hope in this, and to it I clunglike a drowning man to a straw.
The air in the car, which had steadily grown colder, was now biting inits sharpness, and as I clutched the steering apparatus with numbedhands, a white object loomed up in the distance and in a second flewbeneath me--another came, then another, and another, and as theyappeared in greater numbers, I observed that they were huge blocks ofice. The sight filled me with grave apprehension. It was now impossibleto stop our terrific momentum, yet in spite of this great danger, on andon we sped, still farther north.
What could be the reason for this perilous journey? Did Zarlah notrealize the danger to which she was exposed, rushing thus madly into thewilds of the North--the region of the Repelling Pole--without the meansof stopping?
Suddenly I shrank in horror as a fearful thought entered my mind. Mysenses reeled, and a strange sensation swept over me, as of an awfulPresence in the car with me. "No, no," I muttered between clenchedteeth; "it cannot be! She surely realizes that it would be going to acertain and terrible death!" And as I frantically wrenched at the valvein an effort to get more speed, a strange hollow voice echoed through mybrain, laughing at my unutterable agony, and crying with fiendish glee,"Your love has no thought of stopping; she hastens to her bridegroom,Death!"
As hot irons scorching the living flesh, the words burned into mybrain, setting it on fire. It was the voice of Death--which voice noliving mortal can mistake--and I recognized it also as the fury of thestorm which was abroad when I departed from Earth, and the echo of thestream's song of peace in the midst of danger. Had Death thus followedme from the world in which he thrived to wreak this vengeance upon me,by tempting my bride into his arms, believing that she hastened to herlove?
On, on we rushed into the region of the dreaded Pole. All signs of thecanal had disappeared, and before us lay only a vast uninhabitable fieldof ice. I stood at the levers, frozen rigid with the intense cold, butwith my eyes ever on the flying object before me, while visions of mybeloved one, now so close to death, passed rapidly through my feveredbrain. As if Death had thus planned to torture me, before tearing myloved one from my very arms, I seemed to stand impersonally apart andwatch two lovers--Zarlah and myself. Bending over her, I tried toconsole her with a false hope--a story of impossible fulfillment. Isucceeded; and now I saw that I had laid the trap which Death hadplaced in my hands to draw her toward him, and, with a cry of horror, Itried to wrench my hand from the lever to which it was frozen, so that Imight shut such a scene from my sight--
I realized the meaning of it all now. Zarlah, unable to obtain therepelling force necessary to carry her off Mars, was rushing toward theRepelling Pole to be hurled off the planet, risking all in the hope ofbeing drawn to Earth, which was in opposition. It was a vain hope--alas,I knew this too well. She was rushing to her death--a death that I hadlured her to, and my hands would be stained with the blood of mybeloved.
Desperately I wrenched at my frozen hands to free them from the metal towhich they adhered, with a wild idea of smashing the window and callingloudly to Zarlah. The skin tore from the flesh like paper at the fury ofmy efforts, and I freed my hands at last, only to find that my arms hunglifeless at my side.
In a frenzy of grief and despair at my utter helplessness, I fell on myknees, crying aloud, "Oh, my God! Save her from this awful death!"
A sudden gloom filled the car, and, struggling to my feet, I found thatwe had entered the belt of semi-darkness that covers the polar caps intheir winter season. Our doom was near at hand--nothing could saveZarlah now, and only by swerving my car around instantly and returningcould I preserve myself. But life was nought to me without Zarlah--Ipreferred death to such an empty existence. Condemned by Fate to beseparated in life, we would meet death together.
I could dimly see Zarlah's car outlined against the white snow beyond,but, even as I stood now helplessly and silently awaiting the end, adark line rapidly spread over this field of white. Beyond, all wasblack, and as this sharp-cut boundary line rapidly approached Zarlah'scar, my blood froze in my veins, for in this vast area of bare blackrock I recognized the terrible power of the North Repelling Pole. Therewas another moment in which my heart refused to beat, then a groan ofgreat anguish escaped my lips, as Zarlah's car was hurled upwards intospace with frightful velocity.
Shutting my eyes I awaited death. For an instant it seemed to me that Iheard Zarlah's voice call to me in clear accents, then came a terrificshock which hurled me to the far end of the aerenoid, amid a confusionof furniture, books, and instruments that had been torn from theirfastenings. Frozen into a state of utter helplessness, my senses fastleaving me, I lay unable to extricate myself from the heavy mass.
In this comatose condition I remained totally ignorant of the lapse oftime, until, feeling the terrible pressure diminish, I opened my eyesand dreamily beheld the heavy instruments and pieces of furniture movegently away, and bump against one another as they floated lightly aboutwithin the car.
Relieved of the great weight, I now breathed more freely. My senses grewclearer, and soon I became conscious of a loud hissing noise close athand. Drowsily I turned my head in the direction of the sound, anddiscovered that it came from the door in the side of the aerenoid. In aninstant the full faculty of my senses returned, as with intense horror Irealized the cause--the air of the car was escaping into the void of theuniverse without! Desperately I struggled to gain my feet, but beingwithout weight, the effort resulted only in my drifting helplessly aboutthe car, until, gasping for air, I realized that the end had come.
A moment's consciousness of being drawn gently to the floor of the caragain, while the furniture and other articles that had been driftingabout piled lightly upon me without any perceptible weight; a slightshock, then, as the suffocating sensation became more intense, ablackness rushed in upon me, and my senses reeled--
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