The Slave Ship From Space
_By A. R. Holmes_
"_The slaves!" gasped Jim, and involuntarily backedinto the room._]
[Sidenote: Three kidnapped Earthlings show Xantra of the Tillas how"docile" Earth slaves can be.]
Twice that night the two young men had seen the thing, and their hourfor turning in had long since passed as they lay half reclining on theground by their campfire waiting, hoping that it would return oncemore. Their interest in the strange visitant had completely banishedall sensations of fatigue from a full day of vacation fishing in thecold Adirondack streams among which they were camping for that month.
They had discussed the appearance until there was nothing more theycould say; and now as for the last hour, they watched in silence, onlymoving to knock the dottle from their pipes and to get fresh lightsoff the splinters they stuck into their slumbering fire. The velvetnight was now at full reign, and the myriad stars in their familiarpatterns leaned close--brilliant jewels for man to share but neverpluck.
Jim Wilson had seen the thing first--a pinpoint of cherry red thatmoved upward in a perfect arc against the brilliant whiteconstellations of the east. As it rose, it grew perceptibly larger, todwindle again as it arced over the western horizon.
Nearly an hour later it had appeared again; but this time, whenhalfway up the skies, it had changed its direction until it washeading directly over the spot where the two thrilled campers werewatching; and as it approached they saw its color fade slowly until ithad disappeared completely from sight among the inky patches betweenthe stars overhead. For minutes the two were not able to locateit--until Jim, once again, had pointed to a faint red spot that grewin color and intensity as it drew away from the zenith. Once again ithad disappeared over the rim of the western world--and from then onthere was no thought of sleep in the minds of Jim Wilson and CleePartridge. They were watching the skies, hoping it would return.
"What was the thing?" Jim Wilson exclaimed suddenly with exasperation."I've been racking my brain, Clee, but nothing I can think of makessense. It couldn't have been a plane, and it couldn't have been ameteor. And if it was a fire-fly--well, then I'm one too." He paused,and looked at the other. "Any new suggestions?" he asked.
"Me--I still think it was a space ship from Mars or Venus," CleePartridge answered drily; "searching for a couple of good Earth-mento help 'em out of some jam. You noticed the way it disappeared for amoment when it was overhead: it was looking us over."
"Then it'll be back," answered Jim, not to be outdone, "for it's notapt to find anyone better qualified. I, myself, would kinda like totake a joy-ride out through the Great Dipper."
* * * * *
Clee smiled and looked down at the luminous dial of his wrist watch.The two resumed their vigil, and there was quietness between them. Forsome time they lost themselves in the sparkling glory of thefirmament, hardly moving, except to pull closer the collars of theirflannel shirts against the increasing coldness of the mountain air.
And then for the third time that night the mysterious sky travelersprang over the trees on the eastern horizon. Suddenly it appeared;both men saw it at once; and this time it made a clear, beautiful arcstraight for the zenith. As it raised, it grew in size, a beautiful,delicate cherry star spanning the whole welkin. The two men got totheir knees and watched it, breathless with fascination.
"Look!" cried Jim suddenly.
As had happened on its second appearance, the thing began to slow upand its color gradually faded as it drew directly overhead. By thetime it should have reached the zenith it could no longer be seen. Ithad dissolved against the inky spaces above.
"It should come into view again in a moment," Clee said; "a littlefarther on, like the other time."
They watched, thrilled by the mystery of the midnight phenomenon.Minutes passed, but still it did not appear. Clee grew restive, and ashis eyes chanced on his wrist watch he started violently and held outhis arm for Jim to see. The radium-painted hands and dial wereglowing with unusual brilliance.
Looking quickly into the skies again, Clee sensed something wrong;something different. For a moment he could not figure out what--andthen it came to him. One of the great stars, one that he had beenwatching in its climb up the sky through the night, had disappeared!
* * * * *
He got excitedly to his feet, grabbed his companion's arm and pointedout this strange thing--and as he pointed another star blinked out anddid not reappear.
"Something's happening up there," Jim said soberly. "I don't knowwhat; but I, for one, don't feel quite comfortable."
He kept peering at the place pointed out, at a spot of black evendarker than the inky sky; or did he only imagine it was darker? heasked himself. Soon the spot enlarged; became a distinct patch; then,growing still, obliterated one star after another around its borders.It made a pure circle; and before long the starlight glinting off itssides showed it to be a great, tinted sphere.
Swiftly it dropped down on the two men, and they watched ithypnotized, incapable of moving. It was only a hundred yards overheadwhen some presence of mind returned to Clee.
"Run, Jim!" he yelled, moving away. "It's coming straight down!"
Wilson came out of his daze and the two sprinted wildly for the paththat led down the spur on which their camp was located. They had notmade more than fifty yards when they heard a dull thud, and, turning,saw the great sphere resting on the ground with a slight rockingmotion that quickly ceased.
A gully cut into the trail ahead, and when they reached it Cleegrabbed his partner's arm and pulled him off to one side, where,panting with their sudden exertion, they wormed up to the brow andpeeped over at their strange visitor.
* * * * *
The sphere stood in the starlight on the very spot they had beenoccupying when they first saw it. Right in their campfire it lay--agreat, dark-red crystal shape perhaps fifty feet in diameter, whosesurface sparkled with innumerable facets. It rested quietly on theground, as if oblivious of the two routed men breathlessly watching itfrom a short distance. No ports or variations of any kind were visibleto mar its star-reflecting sides.
"It must be some new kind of dirigible!" murmured Jim; "but why did itgo and pick on us for its midnight call!"
"It's a space ship from Mars," answered Clee with a serious face."They heard you, and're coming to take you for your ride. See?" headded quickly, pointing.
A large door was opening in the side of the sphere, and theillumination within threw a bright beam of amber-colored light intheir direction. A metallic ramp slid out and angled down to theground.
Breathlessly the two men waited to see who would emerge, but a longtime went by without their catching the slightest sign of life within.The face of Clee's wrist watch was fluorescing brilliantly now, andmoment by moment the weird glow was increasing. Jim stirred nervously.
"I don't mind telling you, I'm scared," he said.
"Aw, they won't make you walk back," consoled Clee; but he was scaredhimself. Why didn't something happen? Why didn't someone come out ofthe ship?
Jim thought he heard a noise, and touched Clee on the shoulder,pointing to a place on the trail down which they had come a fewminutes before. Clee looked, and as he did so the hair on the back ofhis neck stood up. For the bushes along the side of the path weremoving as if they were being brushed aside by someone inpassing--someone making a straight line to the spot where they layconcealed. And no one was there!
"Can they be invisible?" breathed Jim, every pore in his bodyprickling.
* * * * *
For a moment the two men could hardly breathe, so great was theirunnamed fear. During that time no other movements could be noted. ThenClee suddenly pointed to a bush only five yards away. Half a dozenleaf-tipped branches were bending slowly in their direction--and thena sharp crack, as of a broken twig, came to them from the same spot.
Panic, blind
and unreasoning, swept them. "Run!" gasped Jim; andtogether, instinctively, they turned and scrambled down the side ofthe ridge to get away, anywhere, far from the approaching menace ofthey knew not what. Reckless of possible injury, they slid andstumbled down the brush-covered slope--and right behind them camesudden crashing sounds of pursuit.
New fears lent wings to their flight, but the sounds behind continuedinexorably at their heels no matter how fast they ran or how luckythey were in making past obstacles. Their pursuer was as fast as they.They had no idea who--or what--it might be, for in the brief glancesthey snatched over their shoulders they could not see anything at all!
The going was bad, and the two campers had not gone more than aquarter-mile when they were breathing hard, and felt that they couldnot make one more step without collapsing on the ground to give theirlaboring lungs a chance to catch up. Panting like dogs they draggedthemselves along through pine and birch trees, around large rocks andover briar-covered hills, only a few steps ahead of their pursuer.
Then Partridge, a little in the lead as they made their way up a steepslope, heard Jim suddenly go sprawling; heard him gasp:
"It's got me!"
* * * * *
Turning, he saw his partner rolling and threshing violently on theground, and now and then lashing out at the empty air with his fists.Without a moment's hesitation he jumped from his positionabove--jumped square and hard into the space which Jim's invisibleassailant should be occupying. With a great thud he crashed into someunseen body in the air, and went down, the breath knocked out of him.As he got to his knees an odor like that of cloves came to hisnostrils, and something caught him around the neck and beganconstricting. Frantically he tried to tear himself loose, but theharder he struggled the more strangling became the grip on his neck;and at last, faint from the growing odor and the lack of air, hisefforts dwindled into a spasmodic tightening and relaxing of themuscles.
Then, for a moment, the hold on his neck must have loosened, for hefound himself able to breathe a little. Turning, he saw Jim at hisside, apparently similarly held.
"If I could only--see it!" Clee managed to get out. Jim's spasmodic,bitter answer came a moment later.
"Being invisible--tremendous advantage!" he gasped.
In desperation the two men again began to fight against the clutchesthat were holding them, and this time the grip about their necksunexpectedly loosened--to bring to their noses the odor of clovesoverpowering in strength. And that was all they knew before theylapsed into a black and bottomless void....
* * * * *
Through the lifting haze of returning consciousness Clee felt acommand to get up. As he automatically complied he saw that Jim wasdoing likewise. Once on his feet he felt another impulse to go to thecherry-crystal sphere, visible in the distance; but his legs wereweak, and neither he nor Jim could walk very well until out of thenothingness around them came something of invisible bulk to lend themsupport.
Slowly, carefully, straight for the waiting globe the two men wereconducted; and in his state of half-consciousness Clee wondered at theimpotence of his will to make his body offer resistance. They passedright by their tent and up the ramp to the inside of the strangesphere.
Clee's impressions were blurred and dull, but he noticed that theywere in a small room brilliant with amber light, on one wall of whichthere was a circular area which contained a dozen or more instrumentsand levers and wheels. As his eyes rested on them, one of the leversmoved, seemingly of itself, and the ramp came sliding into the shipand the thick door slowly swung closed. Then they were conducted alonga short, narrow passageway into which opened, on the right, a smalldim room; and there the grip about their bodies loosened and theyslumped to the floor. The door whereby they had entered, closed.
A faint vibration became noticeable; they suddenly felt very heavy;and to the accompaniment of a low but rising hum they saw one wall oftheir room begin to glow with a beautiful cherry color. Although theyhad been too stupefied to try to speak, this spurred their tiredbodies, and they dragged themselves over to it. They found the wall tobe of some kind of hard crystal; it was the outer shell of the sphere;and it now gleamed redly transparent.
* * * * *
Far out and down the men saw a great convex surface on which laynarrow ribbons of silver, winding veinlike through dark areas thatwere in some places lit by little clusters of twinkling lights. Asthey watched, the distances on the surface shrank in on themselves;they could see the outline of a great circle. The sight stimulated theexhausted men. In a hushed and awestruck voice, Jim Wilson broke thesilence.
"We've been kidnaped," he said. "Being taken God knows where, outamong the stars...."
He was getting the sky-ride he had asked for.
Clee smiled faintly, and was going to remind him of this; but he wastoo tired to make the effort. He only looked at the tremendous scenebelow: at the Earth they knew so well, with its familiar streets,comfortable fireplaces, the faces of those they loved and those otherswho were their friends....
The Earth soon became a ball--a globe such as he had used at school,showing clearly the outline of the continents and oceans. And littleby little it dwindled, until it was only a ghostly shape far out innothingness....
A little later, had the two Earthlings not been deep in sleep, theymight have seen enter a strange-looking man clad in odd garments--aman whose great, bulging head was quite bald, and whose wrinkled,leprous-white face wore an expression of unutterable wisdom andmajesty. In his hands he carried a strange piece of apparatus which heheld to Jim's wrist while it emitted a coarse vibratory hum thatwhined slowly up in pitch until it passed the range of hearing. He didthe same thing to Clee, and then he quietly left.
But the two Earthlings knew nothing of this. Limp on the floor,oblivious to everything, they slept....
* * * * *
Some hours later found the kidnapped men well recovered and sitting onthe floor of their cell talking over their situation. As usual, Wilsonwas thinking out loud.
"What can they be?--or who?" he asked, frowning with his thought."They can't be from Earth, for no one there could invent such a shipas this and keep it a secret; and even if someone had, he could neverhave done the equally astounding thing of inventing a way to renderliving bodies invisible. I doubt if the thing that caught us washuman, by what I was able to feel in my short struggle with it. Therewas something that might have been a hand; but the strength and theweight of its body was enormous!"
"Well, we'll probably soon see," commented Clee with philosophicresignation and pulling out of a hip pocket a package of tobacco andhis corn-cob pipe. "Or, rather, we may soon know. Our captors may keepthemselves invisible; and of course it's barely possible that it'stheir natural state to be invisible, so that we may never hope to seethem. What I'm chiefly afraid of, is that they are from some otherplanet, and that that's where we are being taken--though heaven knowswhat any creatures so infinitely far ahead of us Earthlingsscientifically could want with a pair of young Earth lawyers!"
He offered the package to Jim. "Here, have a smoke; you'll feelbetter," he said. "While there's tobacco there's hope."
"At least they don't seem disposed to kill us right off," returnedJim, handing back the tobacco after lighting his own pipe. "Later--ifthere's to _be_ any 'later' for us--we may be able to find a way toget out of this room; though how we'd run the ship, to get back home,is another hard brick wall.... Maybe the controls are invisible, too!"he suggested with a wry grin. "Ever take any pre-law courses on howto work the invisible controls of a space ship?"
* * * * *
Clee's reply was spoken low, and was entirely irrelevant.
"That's funny," he said.
He was looking at the face of the watch on his left wrist. For thefirst time since they had been abducted, its abnormal brightness hadleft it.
As Jim watched, inqui
ringly, Clee moved his right hand a little, andonce more the dial leaped out through the dimness with unnaturalbrilliance. Jim saw that his friend was holding in this hand thepackage of tobacco. Clee repeated the demonstration.
"The dial glows with unusual brightness always--except when I hold thepackage of tobacco in front of it at this spot," he said wonderingly,half to himself. "If I remember my science right, ultra-violet lightwould make the radium on the dial glow; and the lead in the tin-foilof the tobacco wrapping would screen it off. Let's see--"
He crossed to the other side of the room and held his watch and thepackage of tobacco in various positions until he again found one linealong which the watch-dial gave off only its customary light.
"Yes," he said, "--exactly in the extended line made by my watch andthis package of tobacco is the source of the ray which makes thewatch-dial glow. It's probably the control room of this ship."
"An extraordinary deduction, my dear Sherlock," commented Wilsondrily; "and valuable. I wish you'd now take a moment and deduce thereason for the mysterious appearance of the lumps on the back of ournecks. I know I didn't have mine before I was taken for thissky-ride."
* * * * *
As he spoke, his hand sought the back of his neck where there was afat lump about the size of a quarter--a lump not painful, for all itsnewness and size. Hard pushing with probing fingers had revealedsomething that seemed to be hard and flat, buried within; but closeexaminations failed to show any wound or scar, and the men had nonotion what the lumps might be. Clee's was just like Jim's.
But Clee did not respond to his friend's invitation. A heavy mood hadcome over him; he was standing by the outer wall, looking out. Jimwent and stood beside him, his hand on his shoulder, and together theygazed through the cherry-crystal wall of their prison ship out on theloneliness of the immeasurable miles outside. For them, space was red,instead of the deep black they knew they would see through colorlessglass. Brilliant pinpoints of light, millions of them, in all sizes,made up the infinite space that was the background of their adventure.
To which one--near which one were they going? Would they ever returnto their Earth again? Would their friends ever know of the incredibleadventure that had overtaken them?--or would they, after the few weeksof searching and inquiry that must follow their disappearance, at lastconclude that some nameless mountain disaster had made them victims,and give them up for dead? No doubt. And month after succeeding monththeir memory would fade from the minds of those who had loved them,while they would be--where?...
* * * * *
A peculiar, dynamic thought came simultaneously into the minds of thetwo men. It was not a word: it seemed more like a feeling; but itsunquestionable import was "Come." Together they rose, and looked ateach other wonderingly. Again came the feeling. They started for thedoor.
"But that's foolish!" Jim said aloud, as if objecting to his ownthought. "The door's locked! We tried it!" He looked at Partridge, whoreturned his gaze blankly--and then, in spite of what he had said, hereached out and turned the latch.
The door swung open!
Expressions of surprise died on the men's lips as again came thecompelling urge to go to some unknown destination.
"Suggestion!" said Clee, as he passed through the doorway. "Someone'ssuggesting--telepathically willing--that we come to him! And I--Godhelp me--I can't resist!"
His neck corded with veins and muscles with his effort to restrain hisbody from obeying the mysterious command that was drawing it onward.Wilson, one arm outstretched in a repelling gesture, his legs stiffand tight, was also trying to resist. But the will that had soundedwithin them was stronger than theirs, and slowly, inevitably, theywere drawn down the passage.
Their carpeted way took them back to the entrance chamber and then upa steeply sloping corridor that led upward to the left. As they passedalong they saw that the hand of a master had made on the walls, inpanel effect, marvelously complicated decorations in many-coloredmosaic. No man of Earth could ever have done such work, the two menrealized--and this thought did not cheer them any.
* * * * *
At the top of their curving passage a doorway led them into a spaciousroom hung with soft, finely woven tapestries with a metallic lustreand furnished with deep-napped rugs and luxurious chairs and divans.Through this room the intangible threads of the alien will directedthem--on into a wide-vaulted alcove about one-third its size. There,the strange clutch on them relaxed, and they looked about, at firstapprehensively, then with growing boldness and curiosity.
"This is the control room!" exclaimed Clee suddenly; and after amoment Jim agreed with him. It was the simplicity of the controlswhich had prevented them from recognizing it at first. Against theleft wall was a great table with a tilted top, bearing, in its center,a raised and hooded eyepiece giving a view into a large, enclosedblack box. On each side were several rows of small, shiny, metalliclevers and what they took to be instrument dials--round, cup-shapeddepressions with pointers free to move across dials lined withdisorderly and meaningless convolutions. For the full length of themiddle wall, straight ahead, was a broad table of some jet-blackpolished material, and on it was a large array of instruments andapparatus, all unfamiliar to them. Against the draperies of the wallto their right was one large cushioned chair, simple and beautiful inits lines.
No living person or thing could be discerned in either the main roomor the alcove.
For several minutes the two men walked all about, examining everythingthey saw with curiosity and interest; and then Clee discovered apeculiar thing. His watch-dial, glowing very brightly now, wouldperceptibly increase in brilliance every time he neared the greatchair. With sudden inspiration he took out his package of tobacco andheld it in the line his watch made with the chair--and he found thathis watch stopped glowing. He tried it again from another angle, andthe result was the same. From that chair came the electricaldisturbance that was making his watch-dial glow--yet nowhere near thechair was any bit of electrical apparatus to be seen.
What he did see in the chair, though, almost caused his heart to stopbeating. The cushions of the seat, compressed before, began to puffout to full volume, as if someone had just risen from them. And then,faintly but sharply outlined in the long-napped rug in front, appearedthe print of a human shoe!
"A man!" breathed Clee. "A human being!"
* * * * *
The two men stood frozen in their tracks. Clee's arm, with the packageof tobacco in his hand, was still outstretched toward the great chair,but now the dial of his watch was glowing brightly again. Somethingwithin caused him in spite of his terror to move the package betweenthe watch and the space above the footprint on the rug. The glowingstopped. The man--devil--whatever it was that made the print--was thesource of the strange excitation!
This took but a second--the interval before another shoe-print formedin the rug in their direction. Jim gasped something unintelligible andstarted to back away; but no sooner did Partridge start to followsuit, than a compulsion to stand still came over them. Caught wherethey were, unable to move, they saw the shoe-prints come towards them.Slowly, step by step, twelve inches apart, they came, and did not stopuntil they were only four or five feet away.
"We'll jump him, if we get the chance!" hissed Jim, never taking hiseyes off the prints.
"Yes," came the answer; but Clee's further words were cut off in themaking by an added compulsion to keep quiet. Were their wordsunderstood? The two men were locked, speechless, where they stood. Andby some creature with a human footprint whom they could not see!
The touch of firm flesh came out of the nothingness of space aboutthem, to poke and pry all over their bodies. Anger began to take theplace of their fear, as, for some time, impotent of resistance, theyhad to submit to the examination given them. They were prodded andfelt like dogs at a show; their breathing and heart action werecarefully listened to; their mouths were op
ened and their teethinspected as if they were horses offered for sale. Both men wereinwardly fuming.
"Dogs!" shouted Clee in his thoughts. "Treating us like dogs, to seehow healthy we are! Does he want us for slaves?"
* * * * *
At last the examination came to a stop, and they saw the shoe-printsin the rug go over to the black table and remain there, heels towardthem, while various pieces of apparatus were invisibly moved acrossthe table top. For a moment the compelling will did not seem, to Clee,to be constraining him as much is it had, and he began to wonder if hemight not have a little control over his body again. Tentatively hetried to break through the oppressing blanket of foreign will; hisarms and legs moved a little; he succeeded! He caught Jim's eye andshowed him. He thrilled all over at his discovery, and his will tomove measurably increased with his growing confidence that he could.
The toes of the prints were still turned away. He was going to try andget the man or monster who was making them.
He gestured to Jim, and with a great effort took a step in theinvisible man's direction. A thrill of gladness helped him on--for Jimwas following suit!
Again and again, with greatest mental effort, they made steps towardthe footprints, which, remaining side by side and motionless, gavethem increasing hope of stealing up unobserved. When they were onlythree feet away Clee motioned to Jim, and with a tremendous effort ofwill they jumped at the space where their enemy should be.
They hit him hard, and bore him heavily to the floor. By the feel, hewas a man such as they! Clee's blood leaped with the lust forrevenge, and blanking his mind against strong urges to cease hisattack he rained savage blows at the place he was holding.
But almost at once they had evidence that their opponent was not sucha man as they. A terrific pain stabbed suddenly through them, and theydoubled up on the floor, writhing in agony. It was as if every nervein their bodies had turned into white-hot wire, and was searingthrough their flesh. Again and again came the terrible stabs ofpain--and their source seemed to be the mysterious lumps at the backof their necks!
* * * * *
At last they ceased coming, and Jim and Clee stretched out on thefloor all but unconscious from the terrific shocks of fiery agony.They were completely helpless; further thoughts of resistance wereunthinkable. But they were not left lying long. There came atelepathic compulsion to stand up; and they found themselves obeying,in spite of the shrieking protest of their every nerve.
Twitching, stumbling, they were made to do servile things--to kneel onthe floor; get up again; turn round and round; bow low, then stretchbackwards. And out of the air around them came shocking blows whichlanded on their faces, necks and chests; feet which kicked out attheir shins; and they had to stand there and take it, helpless toresist.
Then Clee, as the nearer of the two men, was pushed over to thework-table, where an oval head-piece of finely-woven wire was fittedover his head. Another very large one, standing next to it, andconnected to it by wires which led to a small instrument panel nearby,lifted into the air until it must have settled about the head of theirpersecutor. A dial on the panel turned slowly. And gradually thehelmet resting in the air dissolved into nothingness before theireyes.
A slight nausea swept over Clee as it did so, and in the midst of ithe felt a series of sharp, staccato thoughts--thoughts which did notseem to be composed of words, and yet were clear and intelligible.
* * * * *
"Fool of a fool!" crackled in his brain with almost a physical effort,"do you think to resist Xantra? Do you think with your sub-human mindsto overcome one of the Tillas, Masters of the Universe? Close you wereto death--and death indeed would have come had I not other plans foryou.
"Know that henceforth you and your companion are my slaves. You willjump at my slightest will; serve me as best you can with suchintelligence as you may possess. For faithful, willing service youshall have food and clothing and a portion of leisure. Disobedienceand tardiness will bring you the pain you have already tasted; revolt,or the attempt to escape--death; but only after torture such as youhave never known.
"I shall never repeat this mode of communication: it is as physicallynauseating to me as to you. And you may never expect to see me, thoughI can always see you. By vibrational means I have given you theuniversal atomic rhythm of all Tillian slaves; and, although in thatstate your fellow-slaves will be visible to you, I, your master, willnot!
"You will now return to your place of confinement. After you haverecovered you will be taken in hand by your fellow-slaves and shownyour duties. And if your instinct for self-preservation is onlyone-tenth normal, you will never again be such a stupid sub-animalfool as to attempt to resist Xantra--to fly in the face of theinevitable!"
The sharp, staccato voice in Clee's brain stopped; his nausea beganto leave him; his helmet was removed; and had he been looking he mighthave seen the other one slowly materialize on the table. The ordealwas over just in time, for the last remnants of his strength wasgiving out--as was Jim's. The two Earth-men slumped down, and wouldhave fallen but for the telepathic will, stronger than theirs, thatforced them erect again. There came a very strong compulsion to returnto their cell, and bruised, stumbling, their nerves still afire fromtheir strange stabbing pains, they made their way back.
They fell to the floor and passed into unconsciousness--beaten,subdued. Slaves....
* * * * *
After a long blank interval a distinct thought crossed Clee's mind. Hewas in heaven, and an angel voice had spoken. There it was again! Coolhands were stroking his wrists and forehead. He opened his eyes andlooked, but seeing no one closed them again.
The Voice returned, and two of the words which kept repeating weresomehow familiar. "So sorry ... so sorry...." The Voice was low andcool and feminine. And someone was bathing his battered head.... Herolled over and got up on one elbow. He still could see no one.
The Voice said: "Oh, I'm so glad you're better! I thought you'd nevercome to!"
Mechanically Clee asked: "Who are you?"
"Vivian Gray," came the quick answer; "from Boston. And you?"
Clee did not answer, but started to lie back again. Things were allwrong: he couldn't even see anyone. He'd go back to sleep, and wake upsome other time. But the Voice wouldn't let him.
"Oh, you must listen!" it said. "I haven't much time!"
"Where are you?" he asked.
"Why--right here!" came the surprised answer. "Can't you see me?"
"No," answered Clee, still not himself. He added categorically: "I cansee Jim. I can see the door. I can see my hands, but I can't see you."
"Oh, then it must be true! Xantra _told_ me he was going to make youone of his common slaves; but I hoped--I hoped--"
* * * * *
This didn't mean much to Clee; but with the words came memory of allthat had happened, and with sudden concern he crept over to where Jimwas lying, to see how he was. He found him blinking and stirring,aroused by the voices. Quickly he explained the invisible presence tohim, warning him to be on guard.
"Oh, but I'm a friend--Vivian Gray--kidnapped from Earth just likeyou!" came quick explanation out of the air. "Xantra stole me fromCape Cod, where I was vacationing, about the time he took you. Xantrais the one whose space ship we are on. He looks much like a man; he issome kind of a man; but he's not from Earth--"
"You've _seen_ him?" interrupted Clee, beginning to believe the Voicea little.
"Yes," came the instant response; "not when he abducted me--he hadmade himself invisible for that--but always after. Haven't you yet?"And then, without waiting for his answer, she gave it herself. "But ofcourse you couldn't see him if he's already given you the universalatomic rhythm the slaves have. You'd then be able to see only eachother, and the other slaves; not Xantra and not me.
"I think he makes his slaves that way for protection," she explained."They c
an't very well plot or rebel against him when they can't evensee him, and never know but what he's around."
"Who are these slaves you keep mentioning?" Jim broke in. "How manyof them are there on this ship: and how many like Xantra?"
* * * * *
"Xantra is the only one of his kind," came the answer. "The slaves area race of inferior people found on his planet--wherever that is: Icouldn't understand, from his explanation, just where. They arecreatures much like ugly human beings with a touch of the ape, and areentirely bald, very strong and not very intelligent. There're seven oreight on board. Normally they are good-natured: but sometimes whenthey have a hard master, like Xantra, they take to hating him; andwhen they do that they can be very fierce and treacherous. That's themain reason for Xantra's stopping at Earth: to see what kind of slaveswe humans will make. He is hoping that we will be more intelligentthan those he has--and more docile, and safer to have around."
"Well," snorted Jim belligerently, "if Mr. Xantra thinks that I'mgoing to be safe to have around, he's a lot dumber than _I_ am!"
"Oh, it's good to hear you talk that way," the girl's voice went on."We three have got to stick together, and find some way to escape!
"I've so much to say!" she went on; "but I daren't stay long, for fearof getting caught. What you said is where my chief hope lies: Xantradoesn't realize how intelligent we are, and how dangerous; and wemustn't let him know! I think he believes we are much like his presentslaves: he gets away with murder with them. You've noticed the lumpson the back of your necks? Well, they have them, too; it's somethingthat's attached to the spinal cord and gives him telepathic controlover them; also the power to hurt them dreadfully--as you'veunfortunately found out. His slaves don't understand these lumps; theydon't seem to know that he would lose control if they could only insome way get rid of the things in their necks!"
* * * * *
For the first time since the girl started talking, Clee spoke. Hisvoice was low and grave, and there was a tinge of suspicion in it.
"Just how does it happen," he asked, "that you know so much aboutthings here?"
The girl's voice broke as she gave her answer.
"I'm ashamed to tell you," she said. "Xantra--he--he admires me as ahealthy animal; one close, in species, to himself. He thinks by beingnice to me that he might be able to make me a willing companion toshare his trip!" For a moment the girl was silent; and when she spokeagain there was a hard note in her voice.
"I let him have hopes," she said, "--deliberately. I planned to makehim trust me, and give me the run of the ship, so I could find out allI could. So far--before you came--I saw no slightest hope of everescaping back to Earth; but I had at least to look for a quick, sureway to death, in case--in case--"
"You--and us too!" exclaimed Clee impulsively. "No Earth-man--noAmerican, at least--is ever going to submit to slavery. If the worstcomes to the worst, we'll at least die together, Vivian!"
Jim added soberly: "And perhaps, if we do, no one from Xantra's planetwill ever again come to Earth looking for 'docile' slaves...."
* * * * *
For a moment everyone was silent, affected by the thought behind whatthey had said. Then the girl's voice suggested, with a touch of Earthformality that was almost ludicrous under the circumstances: "But youtwo men have not yet introduced yourselves!"
Both Clee and Jim smiled, and told her their names, and in the slightpause that followed Clee said awkwardly, almost shyly: "Miss Gray, wedon't know what's in store for us here, and it--it's possible that wemay never know each other any better: so would you--I mean, I wonderwould you mind if I reached out and touched you. In spite of all wehave said. I--I can hardly realize that you are there, somewhere,before me."
Out of the nothingness came an impulsive soft hand that closed overhis. There was both a smile and something deeper in Vivian's voice asshe said, "Here," and raised his hand until it touched her brow andthe thick smooth hair of her head. Then she placed it a little lower,over her face; and gently Clee's fingers told him what his eyes couldnot read.
"In case you never see me--why, I--I'd like you to know that I'mreally, not bad looking," she said; and Clee knew she was blushing ashe smiled at the eternal feminine in her.
* * * * *
But the smile suddenly left his face. His hand had felt her give adistinct start. Then--
"He's calling!" she gasped faintly. "Xantra's calling for me to cometo him!" Her voice, as she spoke, moved, and Clee knew she was goingtowards the door.
"No!" he cried impulsively. "Don't risk it! Stay here, and we'll beginour fight against him right now!"
"I will be safe," came Vivian's reassuring voice from the door. "I canmanage him a while yet." Her further words came with a rush. "But Iwanted to tell you--I had a faint plan. If I could get hold of theanaesthetic--the vial of stuff that smells like cloves--"
The door was closing now, and the two men knew she was moving down thecorridor. They listened in vain for her to complete what she had beensaying. Just before the door clicked shut, Jim jammed his foot in it,preventing it from closing.
"Gee, that girl has courage!" Clee murmured.
For a moment the two men looked at each other. Jim was thinking aboutthe opened door, and the chance they had to get out. But Clee's mindwas on something else.
"Well, Jim," he said, "you and I have a nasty job ahead."
Jim looked at Clee wonderingly as he took out his pipe and stuck it inthe crack of the door, allowing him to remove his foot. Clee explainedto him what Xantra had told him with the thought-sending helmets;reminded him of what they had learned from Vivian about the lumps ontheir necks. After he had finished he said quietly but decisively:
"Now, we're going to try and remove whatever is under these lumps.Have you got anything sharp? Your knife? Something with an edge onit?"
It would mean escape from the domination of Xantra's will!--from histerrible stabbing punishment!--if they could remove them! Jim breatheda little quicker in his excitement.
"But once we do it--if we _can_ do it--it'll mean that we'll have tomake our break to escape right away," he reminded Clee. "We'll becaught if Xantra wills us to come to him and we don't appear!"
"You know what will happen to Vivian if we delay the attempt." Cleereminded him levelly: and Jim knew that Clee was right--that theirbreak for freedom must start right then and there....
* * * * *
He looked through his pockets and produced some cigarettes, matches, apipe, a nailfile and some utterly useless odds and ends. Clee's handscame out of his pockets empty. "I've got nothing at all," he said--andpicked up the nailfile and looked at it questioningly. "We'll have touse this, I guess.... Well, I'm first."
He lay face down on the floor and loosened his collar. Quietly, hemade several suggestions. "Light a match and heat the tip in theflame," he said. "The point's pretty dull, but cut as deep and quickand clean as you can. If I yell, pay no attention; I'll try to holdstill. Unless it bleeds very much, best not make a bandage; we'venothing clean enough."
That was all he said; and Jim, his heart beating like mad, and a lumpin his throat, could find no words at all. He sterilized the tip ofthe file as directed, studied the lump a moment, then, after a rough,affectionate shake of his friend's shoulder, he knelt close to histask. One quick hard cut; a sharp gasp from Clee; a repetition; thentwo more times crossways--and a firm, spongelike metallic disc layrevealed. Then the worst--raising it a little, and breaking theseveral fine wires that led from it through the flesh within....
Clee lay panting, the sweat running down the deep wrinkles of pain onhis face. Dark blood oozed from the jagged wound. But he smiled alittle, and some of the pain-wrinkles in his face smoothed away, whenJim showed him the disk....
For a short time Clee rested, quieting his nerves, while Jim staunchedthe flow of blood.
And then it w
as Jim's turn; and he bore the sharp agony as stoicallyas Clee....
It was perhaps a strange thing; but at this great moment in the livesof the two men they felt no need to talk. For the few minutes theyrested after they had done, no word was spoken; but in that time abond of friendship was formed that only death could ever break....
* * * * *
They did not rest long. Every moment brought them nearer to theinevitable discovery of what they had done. Their muscles were stillquivering, the wounds on their necks still slowly bleeding, when Cleerose and aroused Jim. The most dangerous, desperate part of their wildrevolt lay just ahead.
They were able to make but the vaguest of plans, not knowing what toanticipate outside. They only knew that they would first have tostrike boldly for possession of the control alcove--which, withoutdoubt meant they would have, somehow, to kill Xantra--to find and killa man they could not see, yet who could see them. An enormous task.And only the first of several.
For a moment, realizing this, they hesitated at the door. But the diehad been cast; there was nothing for them to do but go forward--andquickly; so, giving Jim a final warning that they must stick together,Clee opened wide the door and stepped out into the corridor.
What he saw there halted, him in his tracks.
"The slaves!" gasped Jim, and involuntarily both Earth-men backed intothe room again. The creatures they had seen at once followed theminside.
There were four of them. As tall as men, they were, and the generalcast of their bodies was identical. But they were different inshocking little details. Their heads were much larger, and in theshape of inverted pears, like those of hydrocephalics; their eyes,popped and dull. The thin lips beneath their stubs of noses were everwrithing and twisting in horrible grimaces. And, worst, their skinswere sickly-white, and were absolutely bald of hair. The only clothesthey wore were loin-cloths and very large sandals, which exposed tofull view their chunky, muscular bodies.
All this the two men took in at a glance. They knew they could neverhope to cope, unarmed, with four such creatures as these, so theystood with their backs to the wall, alertly awaiting their firstmove.
"Easy," warned Clee. "They're probably only coming to take us in hand,as Vivian said."
* * * * *
The nearest of the slaves stepped a little closer to the two men, andby the twitching of its eyelids and the increased mouthings of itslips it was apparent that the creature was highly excited. A high,variable moaning sound came from its throat. Curiously, boldly, itlooked Clee all over--and then it did an amazing thing. Seeing theblood on the back of his neck, it swung him around, put its writhinglips to the still-bleeding wound and dog-like licked it clean.
The gesture was altogether a friendly one.
Another of the slaves of Xantra went up and did the same to Jim, andthe two men looked at each other with relief. This meant that theremoval of the disks had not been understood by the creatures!
It was with growing hope that they allowed themselves to be conductedfrom their cell, through the sloping corridor into a doorway they hadpassed coming in, and down a curving flight of steps into a large roombelow. They were in the space at the very bottom of the ship, for,through the redly-glowing transparent walls that curved on each sideand below, they could see the infinite deeps of star-filled space.Three other slaves were there, waiting for them. At the far side ofthe room their guide pointed to two small stalls, with a partitionbetween, which they understood were to be their beds. They were acrossfrom a long row of similar ones.
"Making us right at home," commented Jim. "I wonder if they'll servecakes and tea."
"Wish they would," added Clee; "I'm getting damned hungry. But we'vegot work to do--and we've got to do it quick!"
His eyes swept the room, looking among the sparse furnishings forsomething they might be able to use as a weapon. He saw nothing, butthe sight of the lump on the neck of a nearby slave gave him an idea.
"I wonder if these slaves would fight for us if we removed the lumpsfrom their necks," he said musingly, his eyes narrow. "I wish therewere some way to talk to them...."
* * * * *
He looked from one to another of the animal-men making a circle aboutthem, wondering what to do; then quickly he made his decision. "Jim,I'm going to try. It'll have to be done by signs; I've got to makethem understand, and get their permission."
At once he raised his hand to get the slaves' attention; then, raisingboth fists high in the air, he shook them violently, at the same timegritting his teeth, working his face, and growling in animal anger atsomething overhead. He was trying to show the slaves his anger atXantra, above.
The slaves fell away from him in surprise and alarm, not understandingwhat he was trying to put across. He continued his demonstration,hopping about furiously, but still without result. Then Jim cried out:
"Touch the place on your neck!"
Clee did so, and the result was startling. Quickly there ran aroundthe circle throaty growls of anger, and every slave raised a hand tothe lump on its neck. Evidently they had all felt the awfulpunishment-pain of their master.
Heartened by this, Clee extended his pantomime. Stopping hisdemonstration of anger, he put one finger on the wound on his neck andfell to the floor, writhing in simulated pain. As he lay theregroaning, the easily aroused animal-men moaned with him in sympathy.Then Jim, inspired, stepped into the act. Taking out his nailfile, hebent over the prostrate Clee and pretended to cut into his neck,making a great show of removing something and throwing it away; and ashe did so Clee jumped to his feet and grinned and hopped about theroom in a wildly exaggerated affectation of joy and relief. Then hestopped his acting and carefully showed the slaves the wounds in hisand Jim's necks, by finger movements doing his best to make it clearthat they had removed something from there.
And then, taking no chances, he repeated the whole pantomime, Jim, atthe proper place, acting his part as before.
* * * * *
When at last he stopped and looked around, he was over-joyed at hisapparent success in putting across the idea. All over the room theanimal-men were repeating his show in its various phases.
"Now I've got to take the disk out of one of them," said Clee, "andit's a mighty dangerous thing to attempt! You see how easily theiremotions are aroused. If I hurt too much--!"
"I know," responded Jim, "but we've got to risk it, for if we succeedwe've got a good bunch of tough fighters at our backs. We need everybit of help we can get!"
Carefully they made their few preparations, and Clee, again by acting,indicated to one of the animal-men what he wanted to do. He seemed tomake himself well understood, for without hesitation the creature layface down on the floor. The others all gathered around as Clee bentover it, and Jim scanned their faces closely for any sign of suspicionor resentment. Seeing none, he told Clee to start; then held hisbreath in awful suspense.
The disk appeared near the surface, and with a quick slice Clee madehis first incision. With the cut, the prone slave bucked and snarled.Clee murmured soothing words to it in English, and, as the creaturequieted down, made another cut. Again came the bucking and throatyprotest; and this time, to Jim's dismay, he saw in the bestial facesof the animal-men around them a sympathetic swing of emotionalprotest. A little more, now; and Clee would be able to take the diskout; but would the slaves restrain themselves until then?
Again Clee allowed the brute body under him to calm down. Then, as hewas about to cut once more, from somewhere above in the space shipcame the piercing scream of a woman. Something was happening toVivian.
* * * * *
Clee half started to rise, to run to her aid, but he forced himself tobe reasonable. Weaponless, visible, he could never hope to rescue aninvisible girl from someone he couldn't even see. He was on the pointof making valuable allies; in just a few moments more--! He decided tohurry through w
ith the job he had undertaken.
All below had heard the scream. The circle around him was shiftinguncertainly, and peculiar sounds were coming out of the brutes'twisting mouths as he bent again over their fellow on the floor.
Clee's hand was trembling like an aspen leaf as he prepared to makethe next incision. He was completely unnerved, and with the utmostefforts of his will he was unable to control the nailfile. And he hadto hurry!
He sliced as straight as he could at the bleeding lump; the slavemoved; and the point of the file slipped deep into the creature'sflesh!
At that, with a snarling growl the brute below arched from the floorand flung Clee sprawling. From all around the circle came menacinggrowls as the bleeding animal-man lumbered to its feet and came afterhim in a definite attack. Jim, not at that moment the center of theirattention, pushed one of the slaves in the way of the charging bruteand the two of them half fell; and before they could recover theirbalance Clee was on his feet making after Jim to the steps that led upout of the room.
"Up!" came Jim's shout. "Fast! We've made them enemies!"
Above them on the stairs was descending another slave, innocent ofwhat had transpired below, and the two men bowled it over in theirhaste to get past. All the way to the bottom of the stairs it tumbled;and that delayed pursuit for the moment needed by the Earth-men togain the upper corridor. Quickly they darted through the door; therewas no way they could lock or block it, so they had to run on. Takingto the left, they found themselves in the little entrance room, andfrom there their only course led up the corridor leading to Xantra'squarters and the control alcove.
Arrived there, the two men found the door ajar, but they pausedirresolute before it, hardly daring to go in. They had no choice,however, for behind, only fifteen feet away, came the van of theanimal-men. They pushed through the door, closed and bolted it, then,wheeling tigerishly, surveyed the room.
* * * * *
They saw no one.
They were not relieved at this. Xantra might well be there; he, aswell as Vivian, would be invisible to them. And he had everyopportunity of striking first; even then he might be preparing to dealwith them, if he was in the room. The slaves were not attempting tobreak in the door to get them--and this was ominous: it argued thatthe master was there.
The two men stood motionless at the door, peering intently at the rugin search of telltale footprints. Then Clee touched Jim's shoulder andwhispered faintly in his ear:
"Cloves! Smell it?"
Jim nodded. Slowly, on guard every second, they advanced to thealcove. They saw no sign of anyone there, though the odor of cloveswas stronger. Jim grabbed a chair and held it ready, and Clee followedsuit with a small, heavy tabouret. Cautiously, methodically, the twomen began to reconnoitre the large room, examining foot by foot therug in search of the faint clear prints that would reveal the presenceof their enemy. The smell of cloves was beginning to dull their brainsa little. Clee saw the danger in this, and whispered to Jim:
"Faster! Xantra may be insidiously anaesthetizing us! We've got tofind where he is--quick!"
They hastened their search, feeling more and more sure that Xantra wasclose by. And not till then did Clee remember that he had a way todiscover Xantra's location. Jim heard him curse under his breath; sawhim put down the tabouret and take out his tobacco; and knew at oncewhat he was about to do. He went close to Clee, to guard him with hischair against possible attack.
* * * * *
The face of Clee's wrist watch was glowing brightly; it took only asecond to find with the package of tobacco a spot which cut the dial'sunnatural glow. As they found it the skin on the two men's bodiesprickled all over. The line from the dial to the package of tobacco,if continued, would reach a spot on the floor not six feet away. Andlooking carefully there they could barely make out, in the bent hairsof the rug, a broken outline that might have been made by a pronefigure.
As they prepared to jump they heard from that place a low sigh--andjust before them appeared the distinct print of a human hand. Xantrawas rising! And coincident with this a sudden banging at the door toldthem that the slaves at last had started to break in!
As one man the two Earthlings leaped on Xantra; he would have to betaken care of first. When they had fastened on his rising body theypunched and pounded it furiously. Though their enemy was undoubtedlyonly half conscious, the sudden attack aroused him and he resistedvigorously. But then Clee made a lucky connection on what he felt tobe his jaw, and the invisible form in their arms went limp.
"Get a rope--wire--anything to bind him with--quick!" yelled Clee."I'll hold him!"
The pounding at the door was increasing ominously is Jim dashed overto the work-table. Rapidly he looked for something suitable, and in afew seconds was back with a length of stout wire which they quicklywrapped around the ankles and wrists of the limp form Clee washolding. As the wire touched Xantra it gradually disappeared fromtheir sight, but their fingers reassured them that he was tightlybound.
Then they were at the door, which, shivering and bending from thebattering without, showed signs of giving in. With herculean effortsthey dragged a heavy divan over and wedged it tightly against it; thenadded other furniture in a tight supporting pile. But the door, ofsome light metal, was not built to stand such a siege, and wasbuckling further inward with each blow being dealt it. More and moreplainly the two men could hear the triumphant snarls and howls of theanimal-men.
Frantically they ransacked the rooms looking for what they thoughtmight be weapons, but found none. They looked at each other withdismay. It was only a question of time--minutes--before the slaveswould break in. What could they do?
* * * * *
In that tense moment of indecision a low, weak voice reached theirears--a woman's voice, and one they remembered well.
"Vivian!" cried Clee, and ran to the alcove, from whence it had seemedto come. The girl's next words brought them understanding.
"Clee--Jim--it's Xantra! He's willing the slaves to break in! He'slying bound on the floor, but he's conscious!"
Clee ran to where he had left the invisible man, cursing himself underhis breath for being an utter ass for not having guessed this. Hisgroping fingers quickly found the squirming Xantra's neck; and he hadbegun to throttle him into unconsciousness when Vivian called out:
"No! Don't! That won't stop the slaves: they've already been given theorder! We've got to make Xantra stop them! Here--drag him to thework-table! I've got something--"
Wondering what the girl was about, Clee relaxed his grip on theinvisible man's neck and complied. But he suddenly understood--andJim, too--when he saw coming through the air the pair ofthought-sending helmets. He had a way of communicating with Xantra, ofcourse! He saw the larger helmet lower to rest over the head he wasstill holding; then soft hands placed the other over his own.
As it settled down a great crash sounded in the other room: the doorhad given in. It was still held almost in place by the tightly-wedgedfurniture, but that would not hold the animal-men long.
"Hurry!" cried Jim. "I'll stand by the door!" And he was already onhis way to it.
Clee saw the small panel on the table above; saw the knob on it turn.He caught Vivian's excited voice. "Tell him to order them to stop,"she said; "or else--or else--"
"He dies!" finished Clee, viciously thumbing into the air where theinvisible Xantra's neck was.
* * * * *
With all the intensity he could muster, Clee concentrated on onesimple, strong thought. He hardly heard the triumphant cries of theslaves as they felt the blocking furniture give before their efforts;all his energy was being expended in the will to get his thoughtacross.
"Tell those slaves to stop breaking in or you die!" he commanded.
The noises at the door continued. Either Xantra had not understood, orelse he was stubborn. He repeated his command and threat, and stillthe crashing sounds came t
o his ears.
Desperate, he played his last card; and unconsciously his lips formedthe words of his next mental command, so that it was understood by thebreathlessly watching Vivian.
"_Tell them to stop!_" he willed. "_No more air till you do!_" Andwith the words his fingers closed tightly over the other's throat.
The sounds at the door continued; for a moment the invisible formbetween Clee's knees writhed violently--and then suddenly, almostmagically, a silence fell over the whole room. Clee had forced hiswill on Xantra! He had made him stop the slaves!
And just in time.
Clee's fingers relaxed a little on the throat of the man beneath him.He turned and said: "Quick, Vivian--find that anaesthetic!" A momentlater it was pressed in his hands. "Say when," he told the girl, andheld it beneath the nose of the helpless man. Xantra's head at oncefell back, and he heard Vivian telling him to stop. He pulled away thebottle, corked it and stood up.
"Well, that's that," he said.
* * * * *
For a moment he was silent. Only the noises made by Jim instrengthening the barricade at the door could be heard in the room.Then he said, earnestly:
"I wish I could see you, Vivian--right now; but that'll have to wait.I guess...."
A low laugh came from the place where the girl was standing. A handtouched his arm, and he found himself being conducted into the alcove.Vivian laughed again; said, teasingly, "What a stupid expression onyour face!" then commanded him to shut his eyes, and keep them shut.He felt something being attached to his wrists; heard a coarse humthat quickly rose in pitch until it passed the range of hearing. Hewas caught up in a surprising exhilaration; he heard the hum again,sliding down and down in pitch, while every atom in his body felt asickening vibration that grew ever coarser. Then suddenly he feltnormal; the things on his wrists were removed and Vivian told him hecould open his eyes.
He did so. He had guessed what she had done, but he was surprised,nevertheless, to see the straight, slender, attractive girl who stoodbefore him.
"You see, Xantra used this on me twice--the latter time to restore me,so I would be able to see him. I watched him carefully," the girlexplained.
Clee gazed at Vivian in greatest confusion. Why--she was beautiful! Hegrew conscious of a growing need to say something, and eventually theasinine thing that left his lips was:
"Yes--you--you aren't bad looking at all."
The girl turned away, blushing; and it was Jim who relieved Clee fromhis awkward situation. He came swinging happily through the alcoveportal to suddenly stop in blank surprise. Clee had disappeared!
* * * * *
It did not take long to restore Jim to his normal self, and Vivian andClee laughed at the great sigh of relief he unconsciously gave when hefound himself able to see the girl who before had been only adisembodied Voice to him. Clee explained to Vivian what had happenedto them down below, and she in turn told them how she and Xantra hadcome to be unconscious when they reached the control alcove.
"I found the anaesthetic by its smell soon after I went to Xantra,"she explained. "I tried to conceal it in my dress, but Xantra saw meand tried to take it away; and in the struggle that followed I guesswe both got anaesthetized. When I came to I saw you and Jim trying tohold back the slaves; and I could see Xantra on the floor,conscious--which you couldn't--and knew he was ordering the slaves on.So I told you, and--here we are!
"Do you want to see Xantra now?" she added.
Clee would never forget the sight of the bound figure that met hiseyes on the floor on the large room. The clothes were odd; the figurewas much that of a normal man, though the shoulders were more slopedand the head much larger; but it was the face, its expression, thatheld him.
Unhealthy, leprous-white was the skin, and there was not one hair,eyelash or eyebrow on the whole head. The closed eyes lay in deepcaverns surrounded by a thousand fine wrinkles, which crisscrossed allover his face in every direction. The face and head werefreakish--monstrous; and yet, somehow, over it rested an expression ofinfinite wisdom and calm. He lay bound and still and unconscious, atthe mercy of men far below him intellectually, this man from anotherplanet. Clee could not help but compare him to a stoical man stakedout on an anthill to die....
"We'll have to keep him unconscious with the anaesthetic," he said atlength; "he's too dangerous to monkey with. And that means we've gotto find out how to run this ship--take it back ourselves."
"Leave that to me!" said Jim, feeling quite chipper. "Never sawanything yet I couldn't drive. Where is it--Cape Cod, you want to belet off, Miss Gray?... O. K. This is my joy-ride, and I'll see thatyou're delivered at your front door."
* * * * *
More than two days later, again at night, the few look-outs on thelonely fishing craft off Cape Cod might have seen a pinpoint ofcherry-red appear off the eastern horizon and make a wide arc up theheavens.
Its course was erratic, and it made sudden angles as it drew near thezenith. It glowed more and more brightly as it approached--until itdisappeared from sight overhead.
For some minutes it was invisible; and then, suddenly, only a fewhundred yards overhead, it emerged into view again, a great sphere offaintly glowing, cherry-red crystal. Rapidly--with dangerous speed--itdescended, straight for the shore-line of Massachusetts Bay. And as itneared, its erratic side-to-side dashes increased, rather thandiminished.
Down at a wide angle it came for the beach; then, when it was ahundred feet away, it sheared suddenly out to sea. There, only a fewfeet above the water, it darted to the side once more--and fell, andskipped along the water at dizzying speed.
But it did not go far. With its first contact with the water a greatcrack split the night air; and a little further, the ship split intohundreds of small pieces, all of which slid along the surface of thewater until, their momentum lost, they came to a stop and slowly sankfrom view. A dozen figures were left threshing on the surface; but oneby one they disappeared, till there were only four left. Then one ofthe four sank from sight....
Slowly but steadily the remaining three drew near to the welcomingshore, and at last stood dripping and tired on the sandy beach. Forsome time they stood there in silence, reviewing all the incredibleadventure they had been through, as they gazed off across the water tothe place where the slave ship had gone down.
But one of them--Jim--had something to say, and at last it came out.
"Well, I _told_ you I'd drive you safely back!"
Clee, his arm around the waist of the exhausted Vivian, smiled andanswered:
"But I don't see Vivian's front door."
"We're close enough!" Jim snorted. "After all, I _did_ hit the Earth!"
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