Chapter IV.
In a few minutes the captain returned and found his prisoners ready togo with him. Thorndyke looked exceedingly handsome in his glossy tights,close-fitting sack-coat, tinsel belt and low shoes with buckles of gold.The natural color had come back into his cheeks, and he was exhilaratedover the prospect of further adventure.
It was not so, however, with poor Johnston; his spirits had been sodampened by the physician's words that he could not rally fromhis despondency. His suit fitted his figure as well as that of theEnglishman, but he could not wear it with the same hopeful grace.
"Cheer up!" whispered Thorndyke, as they followed the captain througha long corridor, "if we are on our way to the stake or block we are atleast going dressed like gentlemen."
Outside they found the streets lined with spectators eagerly waiting tosee them pass. The men all had suits like those which had been given thecaptives, and the women wore flowing gowns like those of ancient Greece.
"These are the common people," whispered Thorndyke to Johnston, "butdid you ever dream of such perfect features and physiques? Every face isfull of merriment and good cheer. I am curious to see the royalty."
Johnston made no reply, for Captain Tradmos turned suddenly and facedthem.
"Stand here till I return," he said, and he went back into the house.
"Where in the deuce do you think we are?" pursued Thorndyke with a grimsmile.
"Haven't the slightest idea," sighed Johnston, and he shuddered as helooked down the long white street with its borders of human faces.
Thorndyke was observant.
"There is not a breath of air stirring," he said; "and yet theatmosphere is like impalpable delicacies to a hungry man's stomach.Look at that big tree, not a leaf is moving, and yet every breath I drawis as fresh as if it came from a mountain-top. Did you ever see suchflowers as those? Look at that ocean of orchids."
"They think we are a regular monkey-show," grumbled the American. "Lookhow the crowd is gaping and shoving and fighting for places to see us."
"It's your legs they want to behold, old fellow. Do you know I neverknew you had such knotty knee-joints; did you ever have rheumatism? Iwish I had 'em; they wouldn't put me to death--they would make me thechief attraction in the royal museum." Thorndyke concluded his jest witha laugh, but the face of his friend did not brighten.
"You bet that medical examination meant something serious," he said.
"Pooh!" and the Englishman slapped his friend playfully on the shoulder.
"Since I have seen that vast crowd of well-developed people, andremember what that medicine man said, I have made up my mind that we aregoing to be separated." Poor Johnston's lip was quivering.
"Rubbish! but there comes the captain; put on a bold front; talk up NewYork; tell 'em about Chicago and the Fair, and ask to be allowed toride in their Ferris Wheel--if they ain't got no wheel, ask 'em when thefirst train leaves town."
"This is no time for jokes," growled Johnston, as Tradmos returned.Tradmos motioned to something that in the distance looked likea carriage, but which turned out to be a flying machine. It rosegracefully and glided over the ground and settled at their feet. Itwas large enough to seat a dozen people, and there was a littleglass-windowed compartment at the end in which they could see "thedriver," as he was termed by Tradmos. The mysterious machinery washidden in the woodwork overhead and beneath.
"Get in," said the captain, and the door flew open as if of its ownaccord. Thorndyke went in first and was followed by the moody American."Let up on the ague," jested Thorndyke, nudging his friend with hiselbow; "if you keep on quivering like that you may shake the thing loosefrom its moorings and we'd never know what became of us."
Johnston scowled, and the officer, who had overheard the remark, smiledas he leaned toward the window and gave some directions to the man inthe other compartment.
"You both take it rather coolly," he remarked to Thorndyke. "I took aman and a woman over this route several years ago and both of them werein a dead faint; but, in fact, you have nothing to fear. We never haveaccidents."
"It is as safe as a balloon, I suppose, and we are at home in them,"said the Englishman, with just the hint of a swagger in his tone.
"But your balloons are poor, primitive things at best," returned Tradmosin his soft voice. "They can't be compared to this mode of travel,though, of course, our machines would not operate in your atmosphere."
"Why not?" impulsively asked the Englishman. "I thought----"
But he did not conclude his remark, for they were rising, and both heand Johnston leaned apprehensively forward and looked out of one of thewindows. Down below the long lines of people were silently waving theirhats, scarfs and handkerchiefs as the machine swept along over theirheads. As they rose higher the scene below widened like a great circularfan, and in the delicate roselight, the whole so appealed to Thorndyke'sartistic sense that he ejaculated:
"Glorious! Superb! Transcendent!" and he directed Johnston's attentionto the wonderful pinkish haze which lay over the view toward the westlike a vast diaphanous web of rosy sunbeams.
"You ask why our air-ships would not operate in your atmosphere," saidthe captain, showing pleasure at Thorndyke's enthusiasm. "It is simpleenough when you have studied the climatic differences between the twocountries. You have much to contend with--the winds, for instance, theheat and cold, etc.; this is the only known country where the winds aresubjugated. I have never been in your world, but from what I have heardof it I am not anxious to see it. Your atmosphere and climate are sochangeable and so diverse in different localities that I have heard yourpeople spend much of their time in seeking congenial climes. I think itwas a man who came from London that claimed he once had a cold--'a badcold,' I think he called it. It was a standing joke in the royal familyfor a long time, and he heard so much about it that he tried to denywhat he had said!"
Johnston glanced at the speaker non-plussed, but the captain was lookingat Thorndyke.
"Your climate is delightful here now," said the Englishman; "is it solong at a time?"
"Perpetually; it is regulated every moment, and every year we perfect itin some way."
"Perfect it?"
"Yes, of course, why not? If it ever fails to be up to the usual highstandard, it is owing to neglect of those in charge, and neglect ispunished severely."
Thorndyke's eyes sought those of the American incredulously. Seeingwhich Tradmos looked amused.
"You doubt it," he smiled. "Well, wait till you have been here longer.The fact is, any one born in our climate could not live in yours. Theking experimented on a man who claimed to have only one lung, but whohad two sound ones when he was cut open. Well, the king sent him toChina, or America, or some such place, and he wheezed himself to deathin a week by your clocks. The weather was too fickle for him. Our systemhas been perfected to such an extent that we live four lives to yourone, and our fruits and vegetables are a hundred per cent. better thanthose in other countries."
"What is the name of your country?" asked Thorndyke, feeling that he wasnot losing anything by his boldness.
"Alpha."
"Where is it located?"
"I don't know." Tradmos looked out at the window for a moment as if toascertain that they were going in the right direction, then he fixed hisdark eyes on Thorndyke and asked hesitatingly:--
"I never thought--I--but do you know where your country is located?"
"Why, certainly."
"Well, I don't know where this one is. We are taught everything, Ithink, except geography." Nothing more was said for several minutes,then an exclamation of admiration broke from the Englishman. The colorof the sunlight was changing. From east to west within the entire arc oftheir observation rolled an endless billow of lavender light leaving aplacid sea of the same color behind it. On it swept, slowly driving backthe pink glow that had been over everything.
"I see you like our sunlight?" said Tradmos, half interrogatively.
"Never saw anything like it befor
e."
"Yours is, I think, the same color all day long."
"Except on rainy days."
"Must be a great bore, monotonous--too much sameness. It is white, is itnot?"
"Yes, rather--between white and yellow, I call it."
"Something like our sixth hour, I suppose; this is the fourth hour ofmorning. Then come blue, yellow, green, and at noon red. The afternoonis divided up in the same way. The first hour is green, then followyellow, blue, lavender, rose, gray and purple. Yes, I should think youwould find yours somewhat tiresome."
"We can rely on it," said Johnston speaking for the first time and in awavering voice, "it is always there."
"Doing business at the old stand," laughed Thorndyke, attempting anAmericanism.
"Well, that is a comfort, anyway," said the captain seriously. "In mytime they have had no solar trouble, but some of the old people tellhorrible tales of a period when our sun for several days did not shineat all."
"Can it be possible?" said the Englishman dubiously.
"Oh, yes; and the early settlers had a great deal of trouble indifferent ways; but I am not at liberty to give you information on thathead. It is the king's special pleasure to have new-comers form theirown impressions, and he is particularly fond of noting their surprise,and, above all, their approval. People usually come here of their ownaccord through the influence of our secret force of agents all over theearth, but you were brought because you happened to drop on our islandand would have found out too much for our good, and that red light youkept burning night and day might have given us trouble. There is notelling how long you could have kept alive on those clams."
"We meant no offence," apologized Thorndyke; "we----"
"Oh, I know it, I was only explaining the situation," interrupted theofficer.
"What is that bright spot to the right?" asked Thorndyke, to change thesubject.
"The king's palace; that is the dome. We shall soon be there. Now,I must not talk to you any longer. Somebody may be watching us withglasses. I have taken a liking to you, and some time, when I get theopportunity, I shall give you some useful advice, but I must treat youvery formally, at least till you have had audience with the king."
"Thank you," said the Englishman, and Tradmos stood up in the car towatch their progress through the circular glass of a little cupola ontop. Thorndyke smiled at Johnston, but the American was in no pleasantmood. The indifference with which Tradmos had treated him had nettledhim.
The machine was now slowly descending. A vast pile of white marble, withmany golden domes and spires, rose between them and the earth below.
"To the balcony on the central dome," ordered Tradmos through the windowof the driver's compartment; and the adventurers felt the car sweepround in a curve that threw them against each other, and the next momentthey had landed on a wide iron balcony encircling a great golden conethat towered hundreds of feet above them.