XV
There was the familiar tension in the air as the space field built upand they were hurled suddenly forward; the star-like dot of the planetsuddenly expanded as they rushed forward at a speed far greater thanthat of light. In a moment, it had grown to a disc; Arcot stopped thespace control. Again they were moving forward on molecular drive.
Very shortly, Arcot began to decelerate. Within ten minutes, they werebeginning to feel the outermost wisps of the cloud-laden atmosphere. Theheat of the blazing sun was intense; the surface of the planet was, nodoubt, a far warmer place than Earthmen would find comfortable. Theywould have been far better suited to remain on the other planet, butthey very evidently were not wanted!
They dropped down through the atmosphere, sinking for miles as the shipslowed to the retarding influence of the air and the molecular power.Down they went, through mile after mile of heavy cloud layer, unable tosee the ground beneath them.
Then, suddenly, the thick, all-enveloping mists that held them weregone. They were flying smoothly along under leaden skies--perpetual,dim, dark clouds. Despite the brightness of the sun above them, theclouds made the light dim and gray. They reflected such an enormouspercentage of the light that struck them that the climate was not as hotas they had feared.
The ground was dark under its somber mantle of clouds; the hills, therivers that crawled across wide plains, and the oddly stunted forestsall looked as though they had been modeled in a great mass ofgreenish-gray putty. It was a discouraging world.
"I'm glad we didn't wait for our swim here," remarked Wade. "It surelooks like rain."
Arcot stopped the ship and held it motionless at ten miles while Wademade his chemical analysis of the air. The report looked favorable;plenty of oxygen and a trace of carbon dioxide mixed with nitrogen.
"But the water vapor!" Wade said. "The air is saturated with it! Itwon't be the heat, but the humidity that'll bother us--to coin aphrase."
Arcot dropped the ship still farther, at the same time moving forwardtoward a sea he had seen in the distance. Swiftly, the ground spedbeneath them. The low plain sloped toward the sea, a vast, level surfaceof gray, leaden water.
"Oh, brother, what a pleasant world," said Fuller sarcastically.
It was certainly not an inspiring scene. The leaden skies, the heavyclouds, the dark land, and the gray-green of the sea, always shaded inperpetual half-light, lest the burning sun heat them beyond endurance.It was a gloomy world.
They turned and followed the coast. Still no sign of inhabitants wasvisible. Mile after mile passed beneath them as the shining shipfollowed up the ragged shore. Small indentations and baylets ran into ashallow, level sea. This world had no moon, so it was tideless, exceptfor the slight solar tides.
Finally, far ahead of them, and well back from the coast, Arcot spotteda great mountain range.
"I'm going to head for that," he told the others. "If these people areat war with our very inimical friends of the other planet, chances arethey'll put their cities in the mountains, too."
They had such cities. The _Ancient Mariner_ had penetrated less than ahundred miles along the twisted ranges of the mountains before they saw,far ahead, a great, cone-shaped city. The city was taller, larger thanthose of the other planet, and the cone ran up farther from the actualcity buildings, leaving the aircraft more room.
Arcot stopped and watched the city a long time through the telescope. Itseemed similar to the others in all respects. The same type ofneedle-like ships floated in the air above it, and the same type of coneray projectors nestled in the base of the city's invisible protection.
"We may as well take a chance," said Arcot. He shot the ship forwarduntil they were within a mile of the city, in plain sight of theinhabitants.
Suddenly, without any warning signal, apparently, all the air trafficwent wild--then it was gone. Every ship seemed to have ducked into someunseen place of refuge.
Within a few minutes, a fleet of battleships was winging its way towardthe invisible barrier. Then it was out, and, in a great semi-cylinder aquarter of a mile high, and a quarter of a mile in radius, they advancedtoward the _Ancient Mariner_.
Arcot kept the ship motionless. He knew that their only weapon was themagnetic ray; otherwise they would have won the war long ago. And heknew he could cope with magnetism.
Slowly the ships advanced. At last, they halted a quarter of a mile fromthe Earth ship. A single ship detached itself from the mass andadvanced to within a few hundred feet of the _Ancient Mariner_.
Quickly, Arcot jumped to his feet. "Morey, take the controls. Evidentlythey want to parley, not fight. I'm going over there."
He ran the length of the corridor to his room and put on his power suit.A moment later, he left the airlock and launched himself into space,flying swiftly toward the ship. He had come alone, but armed as he was,he was probably more than a match for anything they could bring to bearon him.
He went directly toward the broad expanse of glass that marked thecontrol room of the alien ship and looked in curiously.
The pilot was a man much like Arcot; quite tall, and of tremendousgirth, with a huge chest and great powerful arms. His hands, like thoseof the Venerians, had two thumbs.
With equal curiosity, the man stared at Arcot, floating in the airwithout apparent means of support.
Arcot hung there a moment, then motioned that he wished to enter. Thegiant alien motioned him around to the side of the ship. Halfway downthe length of the ship, Arcot saw a port suddenly open. He flew swiftlyforward and entered.
The man who stood there was a giant as tall as Wade and even moremagnificently muscled, with tremendous shoulders and giant chest. Histhighs, rounded under a close-fitting gray uniform, were bulging withsmooth muscle.
He was considerably larger than the man in the pilot room, and whereasthe other had been a pale yellow in color, this man was burned to a morehealthy shade of tan. His features were regular and pleasing; his hairwas black and straight; his high forehead denoted a high degree ofintelligence, and his clear black eyes, under heavy black eyebrows,seemed curious, but friendly.
His nose was rather thin, but not sharp, and his mouth was curved in asmile of welcome. His chin was firm and sharp, distinct from his faceand neck.
They looked each other over, and Arcot smiled as their eyes met.
"Torlos," said the alien, pointing to his great chest.
"Arcot," replied the Earthman, pointing to himself. Then he pointed tothe stranger. "Torlos." He knew he hadn't pronounced it exactly as thealien had, but it would suffice.
The stranger smiled in approval. "Ahcut," he said, pointing to theEarthman.
Then he pointed to the comparatively thin arms of the Earthman, and tohis own. Then he pointed to Arcot's head and to the mechanism he wore onhis back, then to his own head, and went through the motions of walkingwith great effort.
Again he pointed at Arcot's head, nodding his own in approval.
Arcot understood immediately what was meant. The alien had indicatedthat the Earthman was comparatively weak, but that he had no need ofmuscle, for he made his head and his machines work for him. And he haddecided that the head was better!
Arcot looked at the man's eyes and concentrated on the idea offriendship, projecting it with all his mental power. The black eyessuddenly widened in surprise, which quickly turned to pleasure as hetried to concentrate on one thought.
It was difficult for Arcot to interpret the thoughts of the alien; allhis concepts were in a different form. At last, he caught the idea oflocation--but it was location in the interrogative! How was he tointerpret that?
Then it hit him. Torlos was asking: "Where are you from?"
Arcot pulled a pad of paper and a pencil from his pocket and began tosketch rapidly. First, he drew the local galaxy, with dots for stars,and swept his hand around him. He made one of the dots a little heavierand pointed at the bright blur in the cloudy sky above them. Then hedrew a circle around that dot and put another dot on it, at the sametime
indicating the planet beneath them.
Torlos showed that he understood.
Arcot continued. At the other end of the paper, he drew another galaxy,and indicated Earth. Then he drew a dotted line from Earth to the planetthey were now on.
Torlos looked at him in incredulous wonder. Again he indicated hisrespect for Arcot's brain.
Arcot smiled and indicated the city. "Can we go there?" he projectedinto the other's mind.
Torlos turned and glanced toward the end of the corridor. There was noone in sight, so he shouted an order in a deep, pleasant voice.Instantly, another giant man came striding down the corridor with alithe softness that indicated tremendous muscular power, excellentlycontrolled. He saluted by placing his left hand over the right side ofhis chest. Arcot noted that for future reference.
Torlos spoke to the other alien for a moment. The other left andreturned a minute later and said something to Torlos. Torlos turned toArcot indicating that he should return to his ship and follow them.
Arcot suddenly turned his eyes and looked directly into the black eyesof the alien. "Torlos," he projected, "will you come with us on ourship?"
"I am commander of this ship. I can not go without the permission of mychief. I will ask my chief."
Again he turned and left Arcot. He was back in a few minutes carrying asmall handbag. "I can go. This keeps me in communication with my ship."
Arcot adjusted his weight to zero and floated lightly out the doorway.He rose about six feet above the landing, then indicated to Torlos thathe was to grasp Arcot's feet, one in each hand. Torlos closed a grip ofsteel about each ankle and stepped off the platform.
At once, they dropped, for the power suit had not been adjusted to theload. Arcot yelped in pain as Torlos, in his surprise at not floating,involuntarily gripped tighter. Quickly, Arcot turned on more power andgasped as he felt the weight mount swiftly. He had estimated Torlos'weight at two hundred seventy or so--and it was more like three hundredand fifty! Soon, however, he had the weight adjusted, and they floatedeasily up toward the _Ancient Mariner_.
They floated in through the door of the ship, and, once inside, Torlosreleased his hold. Arcot was immediately slammed to the roof with aweight of three hundred and fifty pounds!
A moment later, he was again back on the floor, rubbing his back. Heshook his head and frowned, then smiled and pretended to limp.
"Don't let go so suddenly," he admonished telepathically.
"I did not know. I am sorry," Torlos thought contritely.
"Who's your friend?" asked Wade as he entered the corridor. "Hecertainly looks husky."
"He is," Arcot affirmed. "And he must be weighted with lead! I thoughthe'd pull my legs off. Look at those arms!"
"I don't want to get him mad at me," Wade grinned. "He looks like he'dmake a mean opponent. What's his name?"
"Torlos," replied Arcot, just as Fuller stepped in.
Torlos was looking curiously at a crowbar that had been lying in a rackon the wall. He picked it up and flexed it a bit, as a man might flex arapier to test its material. Then he held it far out in front of him andproceeded to tie a knot in the inch-thick metal bar! Then, stillfrowning in puzzlement, he untied it, straightened it as best he could,and put it back in the rack.
The Earthmen were staring in utter astonishment to see the terrificstrength the man displayed.
He smiled as he turned to them again.
"If he could do that at arm's length," Wade said thoughtfully, "whatcould he do if he really tried?"
"Why don't you try and see?" Fuller asked sweetly.
"I can think of easier--but probably no quicker--ways of committingsuicide," Wade replied.
Arcot laughed and, looking at Torlos, projected the general meaning ofthe last remarks. Torlos joined them in the laugh.
"All my people are strong," he thought. "I can not understand why youare not. That was a tool? We could not use it so; it is too weak."
Wade and the others picked up the thought, and Wade laughed. "I supposethey use old I-beams to tie up their Christmas presents."
Arcot held a moment of silent consultation with Torlos, then turned tothe others. "We are supposed to follow these men to their city to havesome kind of an audience with their ruler, according to Torlos. Let'sget started; the rest of the fleet is waiting."
Arcot led Torlos through the main engine room, and was going into themain coil room when Torlos stopped him.
"Is this all your drive apparatus?" he thought.
"Yes, it is," Arcot projected.
"It is smaller than the power equipment of a small private machine!" Histhoughts radiated surprise. "How could you make so great a distance?"
"Power," said Arcot. "Look!" He drew his molecular ray pistol. "Thisalone is powerful enough to destroy all your battle fleet without anydanger on our part. And, despite your strength, you are helpless againstme!"
Arcot touched a switch on his belt and vanished.
In amazement, Torlos reached out a hand to the spot where Arcot hadstood. There was nothing there. Suddenly, he turned, touching the backof his head. Something had tugged at his hair!
He looked all around him and moved his arms around--to no avail. Therewas nothing there.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Arcot was floating in the air before him."What avails strength against air, Torlos?" he asked, smiling.
"For safety's sake," Torlos thought, "I want to be your friend!" Hegrinned widely.
Arcot led the way on into the control room, where Morey had alreadystarted to follow the great fleet toward the city.
"What are we going to do at the city?" Arcot asked Torlostelepathically.
"This is the capital of the world, Sator, and here is thecommander-of-all-military-and-civil-forces. It is he you will see. Hehas been summoned," Torlos replied carefully.
"We visited the third world of this system first," Arcot told thealien, "and they repulsed us. We tried to be friendly, but they attackedus at once. In order to keep from being damaged, we had to destroy oneof their city-protecting ray buildings." This last thought was hard totransmit; Arcot had pictured mentally a scene in which the ray buildingwas ripped out of the ground and hurled into the air.
In sudden anxiety and concern, Torlos stared into Arcot's eyes. And inthat look, Arcot read what even telepathy had hidden heretofore.
"Did you destroy the city?" asked Torlos anxiously. But it was not thequestion of a man hoping for the destruction of his enemies' cities;Arcot got the mental picture of the city, but with it, he picked up theidea of "home"! Of course, the ideas of "city" and "home" might besynonymous with these people; they never seemed to leave their cities.But why this feeling of worry?
"No, we didn't want to hurt them," Arcot thought. "We destroyed the raybuilding only in self defense."
"I understand." Despite obvious mental efforts, Torlos positivelyradiated a feeling of relief!
"Are you at war with that world?" Arcot asked coolly.
"The two worlds have been at war for many generations," Torlos said,then quickly changed the subject. "You will soon meet the leader of allthe forces of Sator. He is all-powerful here. His word must beabsolutely obeyed. It would be wise if you did not unnecessarily offendhim. I see from what your mind tells me that you have great power, butthere are many ships on Sator, more than Nansal can boast.
"Our commander, Horlan, is a military commander, but since every man isnecessarily a soldier, he is a true ruler."
"I understand," Arcot thought. He turned to Morey and spoke in English,which Torlos could not understand. "Morey, we're going to see the topman here. He rules the army, which runs everything. You and I will go,and leave Wade and Fuller behind as a rear guard. It may not bedangerous, but after being chased off one world, we ought to be ascareful as possible.
"We'll go fully armed, and we'll stay in radio contact at all times.Watch yourselves; we don't want them even to touch this ship until weknow what kind of people they are."
They had followed the Satorian s
hips toward the city. The giant magneticray barrier opened for them, and the _Ancient Mariner_ followed. Theywere inside the alien city.