CHAPTER VII
Ankova's Story
The Martian made a brief nervous sign to the jailer. "Gently, Rega," hesaid. The Space Man relaxed his painful grip on his prisoners. The noblesurveyed them smiling. Defiantly, half contemptuously, Shelby wassmiling back.
Finally, with a mocking casual air, Hekki spoke: "There is a veryancient saying on your planet," he said, "to the effect that bad penniesalways return." The corners of his mouth twitched with sardonicamusement. His manner grew more serious, yet still there was anundercurrent of sarcasm: "Miss Darell and Mr. Shelby, I want tocompliment you on your remarkable cleverness and daring. Words cannotexpress my admiration for you. You have every right to be proud ofyourselves."
Shelby nodded. "We are," he told him drily. "Is there anything more onyour mind?" He turned away with an expression of bored contemptuousindifference.
"I have little to say except that we are about to continue our recentlyinterrupted journey tonight, Mr. Shelby," said the Martian.
He saw the Earthman and the girl casting interested glances at the discvehicles that surrounded them everywhere.
"You like my people?" Hekki inquired. "You find them entertaining?Perhaps you have discovered things in their habits which you cannotunderstand. Shall I give you explanations?" For the moment at leastthere was a serious earnest ring in Hekalu's voice.
"Flag of truce, Jan. This should be interesting," Shelby said. His eyeswere full of eagerness as he turned back toward the Martian. "How dothey live out there?" he cried. "There isn't any air or water, and it'salmost as cold as it can get anywhere. Why, the thing is utterlyimpossible according to the laws of common sense!"
Immediately all of Hekalu's lazy air of careless mockery was gone, andthe dynamic aura of the tireless experimenter and inventor that hadhidden beneath it showed out clear. His voice was husky with suppressedexcitement when he spoke:
"I too was dumbfounded when, some five Earth years ago, I first ranacross the Space Men out there. (He waved his hand toward the west awayfrom the sun.) But after I had studied them for a time, I knew thatthere was really nothing very remarkable or impossible about the natureof their living. It is actually quite similar to our own.
"Why do we need air? Simply because by the chemical combination ofoxygen with food we obtain the energy necessary to make our brains tothink, our limbs to move, and our hearts to beat. Energy is life. Butdoesn't it occur to you that this vital thing might be obtained in someother manner? The Space Men do. Their principal food is the radio-activeelement, atomic number 109, as yet undiscovered on the planets. It is apurplish liquid that is fairly abundant on a number of the planetoids.Daily, like radium, it gives off vast quantities of energy; and when inthe systems of the Space Men it supplies them with power moreefficiently than food and oxygen ever could do for us.
"Why can't we survive the intense cold of space? The answer is a simpleone. The protoplasm of all forms of living things that we know of,including the Space Men themselves, is a colloidal jelly the principalportion of which is, and must be, a liquid. Cells must be bathed andnourished, and impurities washed away. Without liquids there seems to beno likelihood that there would be any life, unless in some manner a gascould perform this fluid function. Solids would remain forever dead andmotionless.
"If anything happens to chill even slightly the protoplasm of any of thehigher forms of planetary life, the body fluid becomes sluggish anddeath may result. No mammals or birds that we know of can live activelywith their body temperatures at all approaching the freezing point ofwater. However, in the polar seas of both planets there are creatureswhose systems function quite normally with their blood temperatures justabove this point. But beyond this deadline, zero degrees Centigrade, ora little lower or higher, depending on the actual congealing point ofthe water in their bodies, even they cannot go, for there, the coldlimit of Terrestro-Martian life has been reached.
"Why couldn't these polar fish survive the cold of space? Simply becausethe protoplasm of their tissues, based on water, would instantly becomesolid, and in solids as I have said, there can be no real life exceptperhaps in the form of suspended animation.
"The Space Men face no such danger, for first, their bodies areprotected by this heat-resisting outer covering; and second, the liquidin their veins freezes only at absolute zero, and since it isradio-active--producing heat from within itself--it cannot get that coldeven in the void. And that, friends, is the whole stupendous, simpleexplanation."
"And how do the Space Men's vehicles move?" asked Jan.
Hekki shook his head. "Except that a strange propulsive ray is involved,I know very little about it. I have not yet discovered how the Space Menmanage to produce the ray. The works of Nature ever surpass the works ofman.
"And that is all I have time for now, my friends. Breakfast is readyaboard ship. Enjoy my hospitality to the fullest!" Hekki's mask ofsmiling sardonic cruelty had dropped again. He waved something to Sega.
* * * * *
Janice, sensing that she was about to be separated from her lover, threwherself into his arms. The series of things she had gone through in thepast twenty-four hours had frayed her nerves almost to the breakingpoint.
"Don't let them take me away from you, Austin. Don't let them! Oh,Hekki, please!"
Hekalu's face reddened, and then Sega tore the two apart. Shelbystruggled but it was useless. Sega's huge muscles were quite equal tothe task of mastering a dozen of the best fighting men of Earth.
He dragged his captives aboard the _Selba_, and guided by theinscrutable Koo Faya, locked them in chambers from which escape wouldnow be definitely impossible. Jan was thrust into the room she hadoccupied before, but Shelby was put into a chamber somewhat larger thanhis original prison.
An almost ungovernable fury had taken possession of the young Earthman.If for only a moment he could get his hand on the smooth Hekalu! Hisfingers clutched and unclutched spasmodically as he hurriedly paced theroom. When presently, he found himself hammering on the walls with thefrenzy of a trapped gorilla, a realization of where he was headed cameto him. "Stop where you are, you fool!" he muttered to himself.
He went to the table where an appetizing breakfast was set out. He ate alittle and then waited a while. He wanted to make sure that the food wasnot drugged. Half an hour passed and he felt no ill effects. He ate therest of his breakfast. Then he made several attempts to signal Jan bytapping on the walls, but he was quite sure that to get a message to herin this way was now out of the question.
For a long time he gazed out into the sunlit valley floor from hiswindow. Preparations of some kind were under way. It looked as thoughthe entire population, which must have numbered close to fifteen hundredSpace Men all told, was getting ready to move away _en masse_. Scores ofthe strange black people were hurrying about, lugging loads of weaponsand hundreds of large cylindrical objects into four immense box-likethings of dull metal. Several vehicles, resembling machines of the SpaceMen, but many times larger, were clustered together in a group.
It must have been several hours after Shelby had been taken into thespace ship that two of Alkebar's people came to his room, carryingbetween them the unconscious form of the Space Man who had been Jan'sand his fellow prisoner during the night of their arrival on Mars. Theythrew the limp giant down carelessly on one of the bunks, and without aglance at him or the Earthman, they stamped out.
Shelby would have liked to examine his cell mate more closely, but owingto the chain which had again been fastened to his ankle, it wasimpossible to get nearer to him than four yards. Who was this creature?His gorgeously bejeweled harness and his huge size seemed to indicatethat he had been a leader of some kind. Shelby had noticed that allSpace Men who had a right to command, were somewhat larger than theirfellows.
All through the long Martian day Shelby paced the length of his tether,pausing occasionally to look out of the window and to think. Bynightfall he was in a state bordering upon complete dejection. Not thathe was weak; Shel
by could face trying situations shoulder to shoulderwith the stubbornest and cleverest men that Earth or Mars could produce.But he was human and had his limitations. Recapture after a glowingpromise of freedom and safety for his people, his love, and himself hadalmost crushed him.
Only half interestedly he wondered when Hekalu Selba would strike. Heknew that it would be very soon. In vain he tried to tell himself thathe had no real proof of the Martian's power, but always a vision ofthose black horrors swooping down like living thunderbolts upon Tabooror New York or Chicago made him realize how futile would be anyresistance that the planets could offer.
Even if there were but fifteen hundred Space Men, and Shelby was certainas actual knowledge that there were many more, and even if they mustfight with their bare hands, still they would be a formidable menace.Within an hour's time they could strike in a dozen different places onthe surface of a planet. Shelby did not know that already there wereforces of Fate in action which neither he nor Hekalu Selba himself hadbeen able to foresee--forces however, which boded no good for theworlds.
Koo Faya brought the Earthman his noonday and evening meal. With eachcame a note from Hekalu, both exactly alike: "Remember the Atomic Ray."Doubtless the Martian sought by endless repetition of this message toundermine his captive's nerves to a point where he would divulge thesecret.
At dusk there was the sound of activity aboard the _Selba_--muffledshouts and the drone of generators being tuned up. Then the slow rockingand swaying of the vessel which told that her levitator plates were inaction, raising her off the ground, through the atmosphere and out intothe void.
Shelby looked out of the window, saw that the stars were growingbrighter and the sky blacker. A searchlight was playing from somewhereon the ship, for in the shadow of the planet it was very dark. The beamsswung back and forth stabbing through the swarms of Space Men who flewin a cluster about the _Selba_. The lights lingered for several instantson the forms of four great metal cubes that were being lifted up throughthe gaseous envelope of Mars by a number of the larger discs theEarthman had seen resting beside them in the valley that day.
Shelby threw himself upon his bunk. He gave one quick glance at the blobof darkness on the other bunk at the farther end of the room, wonderedvaguely who or what the creature could be, and then, mentally andphysically exhausted, went quickly to sleep.
* * * * *
When he awoke Shelby spent many minutes staring at his fellow prisoner.There were indications that his consciousness was returning for hestirred frequently. Presently he who had been the Earthman's and themysterious one's jailer in the hut the night before, came, bearing abowl filled with a purplish radio-active liquid which served the SpaceMen as food. He also carried a hypodermic syringe and a small glasscontainer partially filled with a clear fluid.
These last two articles he placed upon the table, while he carried thebowl over to his charge. He shook the lacerated and bejeweled Space Manroughly and when he had aroused him to a sluggish half-consciousness,held the bowl of liquid food to his lips. Mechanically the prisonerdrank.
Shelby looked at the tiny vial on the table and then at the back of thejailer. Close beside the vial stood a glass partially filled with water.The Earthman had drawn a drink from the tap shortly before going tobed, and had left the tumbler standing there.
The idea that had now entered his head had no real purpose. Herecognized it as no more than a practical joke, plain and simple; butthe idea was clamoring for attention. He would pour out the drug, whichwas almost certainly meant to keep the giant captive senseless, andreplace it with harmless water. The jailer would not see for he was verybusy. A little noise, the rattling of the chain or the tinkling of theglass as it was set down, would not matter, for though the Space Men mayhave possessed a very delicate touch sense capable of detecting faintvibrations in solid objects about them, Shelby knew by now that they hadno real organs of hearing.
And so, quickly the deed was done, and quickly he returned to his bedfeigning sleep.
It was a long time after the jailer had departed before Shelby's trickbore fruit. The huge prisoner rose to a sitting posture and lookedabout, a trifle dazedly at first. He surveyed his wounds, felt overhimself tentatively, and then glanced at Shelby. The Earthman saw thatthe fogginess was clearing from his big eyes. There was a questioningexpression in them.
Shelby thought that there was a slight chance that the colossus might beable to read his lips even though he could not hear. "Who are you?" hequestioned in Pagari.
Apparently the creature understood, for immediately he turned, and withhis forefinger slowly traced out on the wall behind him in the planetarysymbols: "Friend of enemies of Black Emperor and of Man from FourthWorld."
Shelby was taken aback by the Space Man's startling knowledge of thingsof which he should know nothing. "That makes me your friend," he wrote,smiling.
The giant nodded, and for almost a minute stared fixedly at theEarthman. There was a strange appeal in his eyes. Finally he turned, andlaboriously he traced a quaintly worded message on the wall: "Think hardto know what I go say," he wrote.
Shelby had heard a good deal about telepathy and thought transference,depending on etheric vibrations of some kind, supposedly originating inthe mind of one individual, and capable of being detected andinterpreted by the mind of another. Several savants of Earth and Marsclaimed to be adept with it, but owing to the fact that to master theart required a long period of intensive practice, it had not come intogeneral use.
Could it be that this savage of the void was claiming knowledge of it?Sensing the meaning back of the odd words, the Earthman bent every fibreof his will to the task of concentrating on the idea of communication.He gazed fixedly at the eyes of the black mystic, and presently felt aslight tingling about his temples, and then, within his brain it seemedthat a tiny voice speaking with a queer wording and a peculiar accent,came to life. It was odd to look at that blank impassive face and hearthose words!
"I know you to be friend of mine," the voice said. "I read it in brains.You free me from sleep. But where are we? What Fourth World Man do? Whatfor you here?"
Briefly Shelby outlined the events of the past few days, starting withhis meeting with Hekalu. However, he was careful not to make any mentionof the Atomic Ray. Then, partially through curiosity, and partially inthe hope that the information might be helpful, he mentally asked hiscompanion to tell him more about the Space Men's relations with theMartian.
"Everything maybe all right," said the giant. "Maybe everybody happy atlast. Who know? But I tell you. We Star People--my people Star People.For a long time, oh, for very long time, we wander out there in emptyplaces. One million year, two million year, who know? We free. Maybefind little planet--we camp there--soon go away. We fight, we hunt. Oh,there very many of us! Like sand in sky!
"One day some of us find your sun. We land on little world. Stay long.Man from Fourth World come in ship. We frightened, but he make friends.Bring us gifts. We give jewels and things we make. He learn our signlanguage--talk with us--tell about his world. Go away but soon comeback. Bring more gifts--want more jewels and things. He take some of uswith him to empty desert where nobody live. Tell us to bring jewelsthere to trade, but always be careful no one see!
"He make friends with Black Emperor. They plan. Gather big army. Butmany not like Black Emperor and Fourth World Man. My father, big noble,not like them; I not like them. They never good to us--make our peoplework hard, and take away our animals.
"Civil war soon--my father lead many little tribes, but Black Emperorand Man from Fourth World win. Have many strange weapons. Make peace forbig conquest war, and I am hostage on Fourth Planet.
"Mars man good to me at first. I learn languages--both Pagari and Earthlanguage. I learn to throw thoughts. My father learned from Mars slave.Then bad things happen. Fourth World Man not like me to throw thoughtsto my father so far away. He give me sleep drug. When my father leadrevolt again, Mars Man torture me. Now, as you say,
he take me back toplace where army is, on two little worlds."
A gleam of hope came into Austin Shelby's eyes, but it passed quickly.His lips curled bitterly. It was not well to base one's hope on theassertion of an unknown savage that he could hurl his thoughts acrossmillions of miles of space.
"By what name are you known, Man of the Void?" he asked.
The voice in his brain spoke again: "Mars Man call me Ankova." Here thegiant made a darting gesture with his hand. "Mean same as so in my signlanguage--Darting Meteor."
"I see. Can you communicate with your father now, Ankova?--get help?"
The Space Man nodded. "My brain clear now," he said. "Sleep drug notbother me any more. I talk right away."
The Revolt of the Star Men Page 7