Collected Tales (Jerry eBooks)

by Leslie F Stone

“I have been wondering why you have neglected to bring your wife back with you, Dick? Or does she prefer the new world?”

  A sigh escaped the man. “She does prefer the new world, Wally, but she did want to come to earth. However, our people were adverse to both of us coming this time. Perhaps they feared we should not wish to return to Abrui, so they trumped up a story that they needed one of us while the other was gone! You see, Dana has done more than I have done for the planet. It has her heart and she loves it more than she ever loved Earth. She had, you know, a strange life here, being raised as a boy all her life by a father who hated all womankind, so that when he died in the World War, she really had nothing to hold her to Earth. Abrui truly means home to her.

  “Hence, when we decided that one of us were to come to Earth Dana insisted that I go, since she believed I could do more than she could here, and I left her home with our two children. I wanted to bring the boy, Duris, but Dana would not allow it. He must wait, instead, until Dana can come with Mural, too.” And with an air of “enough of that,” Dorr plunged into business.

  “Now, tell me, Wally, have I come to the right person when I called upon you to help us? Our ship lies not more than sixty miles from here in a wild part of the country, where I trust it will escape detection until the proper time. Aboard are twenty Abruian men and women whom I thought it best to bring along—for proof—if there are none to believe our spoken word. And I place ourselves and them in your hands.”

  “You may feel certain, Dick, that this duty you have placed on my shoulders is indeed a trust. I shall do all I can, even though it seems almost too great for me. The program, however, lies with you. In twenty-four hours I can have some of the greatest of the world’s scientists at your feet, and another twenty-four hours will bring the ruling heads of every nation to the call when the truth is out. What do you suggest? Shall we call only a chosen few before the news is given to the public?”

  The next hour was spent in discussing plans. Elsie Rollins-weiti sat quietly by listening to what was said, now and then giving a good suggestion. Ezra, however, paid them little heed. Boyishly, his eyes had flown around the room at the unfamiliar looking furnishings, ornaments and fittings, and when he thought the others too engrossed to notice him, he got up from his chair and wandered about inspecting various articles at close hand. So he had found the magnificent radio-set in the far corner of the room that formed a small alcove.

  Seeing that the adults paid him no attention, he sat on a small chair and studied the formidable array of dials and the neat little television screen set in its center. To one side was another smaller screen with two small dials beneath it with an individual amplifier, but he was diffident in inquiring of his host what that was for. After a few tries on the main dials of the instrument, he learned the combination and with its volume tuned low so as not to disturb the others, he twirled the dials to find what was on the air. One by one he found the various broadcasting stations of the world and listened to each program, news reports, music, lectures, orations and drama, and in fact the whole gamut of the broadcasting world. What interested him the most was the television screen and as he watched the dancing, the posturing, the moving figures of people, an exclamation of wonder escaped him now and then.

  AN hour and a half passed in this fashion when Kington came to interrupt him. The conference of the three had broken up, and it was time to get to business. Excusing himself for interfering with the boy, Kington turned the dials below the smaller machine that had intrigued Ezra-weit. There was a moment’s pause, thence a silvery bell sounded and a light flashed on the screen into which swam a face. It was the face of a venerable old man who smiled a greeting to the scientist facing him. Unobtrusively Ezra moved away from the machine to allow the two to speak without his interference, joining his mother and Richard Dorr on the other side of the room.

  When the conversation was done, Dorr strolled over to his friend at the machine. “I take it,” he said, “that this is your new type of telephone, eh? They predicted it in my day. Rather clever, I should judge.”

  “Yes,” was the rejoinder, “we’ve done away entirely with the old style telephone and use the wireless or radio type instead. Every set is provided with its own particular wave-length, and by dialing the wave-length number of those we wish to speak with, the central switchboard acts upon it as it did in the old days. Of course, if the ‘line’ is busy, a buzz indicates it. We call the machine the Tele-Vis-Vox.

  “Wonderful, but tell me, how can you keep another from listening in? Or do you sacrifice your privacy?”

  “There is what is called the jumbled sound control, and once the two parties are connected, it is impossible for another to ‘listen in’ as he will hear only distorted sounds. Of course, for greater secrecy, code is sometimes used. However, as once the wires were controlled by licenced companies, the air is now controlled by the various governments with an international governor presiding over all, and only registered stations are given right of ways. A special bureau is maintained to keep the air free of ‘listeners in,’ or amateur broadcasters, so at no time are we bothered with illicit traffic of the air.”

  Kington had other parties to “call up” and Dorr stayed at his side as he addressed them. When they were finished at the Tele-Vis-Vox, Kington called for Janson, to whom he had orders to give. Mrs. Weiti was to be shown to a guest chamber where she might rest, and there was to be a dinner at eight o’clock for seven persons, and on the pain of death no one was to be admitted to the house until the master had returned.

  Ezra-weit was asked if he should like to accompany Kington and Dorr upon the round of business that they had to attend, but the youth shook his head. He preferred to stay in the house, or to be more exact, at the radio.

  It was several hours before the two returned and with them were three strange men and a woman. They were not strange to Ezra, however, for they had been his companions on the journey from Abrui. Each of the three men were representative of the three different races of their planet, the golden, silver and bronze pigmented races of Abrui. They were by name respectively, Ulja-tai, Ubca-tor and Kalu-tor. The woman who was Tabora, or silver-hued, was called Alba-tais. The suffix to the name indicated that the first was a crown-prince, in direct line of the Kiradaship or kingship of his race. The other two were princes of royal blood but with no connection to the throne. The woman was a crown-princess, but as women never succeeded to the throne on their world, her name merely denoted that she was the first-born daughter of the Taboran kirada.

  Ulja-tai was a Moatan, or golden man. Hair, and skin and even the lips were golden-hued with only the vermilion red of his eyes and the black pupils to relieve that monotony of color. He stood about six foot three inches and was very slender of body, broad shouldered and narrow-hipped. His features were fine and delicately drawn, forming a severe thoughtful face with strong lines of repression around the golden lips. Such a face one would expect to find in a man of a race that had been held in slavedom for thousands of generations and who now finds himself raised to a responsible position. During their centuries of thralldom the Moata had rigidly perserved their castes so that when freedom came in the shape of Richard Dorr, each man of them had slipped easily into his rightful place without confusion.

  Ulja-tai was clothed in true Abruian style with tight-fitting trousers that seemed molded to his limbs, a loose blouse that was sleeveless and square-cut at the neck and hung half-way down the thigh. Trousers and smock were of a silkish cloth in vermilion that exactly matched the shade of their wearer’s eyes. A leather girdle, gold-colored and encrusted with many precious glistening stones, encircled the waist. The leather sandals were of a suede as soft as doe’s skin and were laced half way up the calf of the leg. To the shoulders of the blouse was attached a long cape that fell into deep folds to within an inch of the heel and was full enough to allow of its being drawn entirely about the body. The cape was lined with the skin of some strange animal that was yellow with vermilion stripes.
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  Ubca-tor, the silver man, was somewhat taller than Ulja-tai, standing easily six-feet six inches. Like Ezra-weit he had the silver hair and skin of his race and the lavender eyes, but whereas Ezra’s skin had more the appearance of his earthly forebears with only the suggestion of a silvery tint underlying the surface, Ubca-tor was all silver, like a polished silver statue. His features were also regular, and in his eyes there seemed a sorrow lurking, as if perhaps he were regretting the future. He was, in fact, the companion who had gone with Moura-weit in his exile and shared in all his adventures to the time of the other’s death. And still he sorrowed for his dead leader even as Elsie Rollins-weiti suffered. He was dressed as the golden man, only his costume was of a blue that blended well with his lavender eyes.

  The third Abruian, Kalu-tor of Gora, the bronze man, was by far the tallest of the three, standing a good five inches above Ubca-tor’s head, but the fact that he was so heavily muscled made him appear squat beside his slenderer companions. To Kington, he looked more natural as a man, since his bronze skin gave him the appearance of the American Indian to a certain extent, except that his long silky hair matched his complexion and his eyes were practically hazel. Nor were his features as delicately drawn as those of the golden and silver men. But there was wisdom in his face and a kindly look in his eyes.

  All three Abruians were clean-shaven and all wore their hair square cut at the chin with bangs on the forehead. A close examination showed that they were wholly beardless, nor was there any sign of old age among them; no sagging muscles or graying hair to give the impression of the years, only the deep cut lines about the mouth and the eyes themselves told that these were not young men, the eyes expressing the story of the years spent in gathering knowledge, understanding and sagacity.

  The woman Alba-tais resembled the men in that last-named feature. Wisdom lay deeply in her eyes, that were more orchid than lavender, but her body showed nothing of age. She was as straight and upright as any immature girl, although Alba-tais could have told you that she was the mother of several children. She was dressed identically like the men, except that the colors of her suit varied. Her blouse was of deep rose and her trousers a rich old ivory, and the jewels in her girdle were all black but glowing with the fire of the diamond.

  Elsie Rollins-weiti came down the stairs at the moment of the entrance of the party and greeted her fellow travelers warmly in their own tongue. Ezra had already drawn Ubca-tor aside to show him the wonderful radio set that Kington owned. Then Janson appeared to announce dinner although for several moments he was held speechless with surprise at the appearance of his master’s guests. And for all that the servants were fascinated by the strangers, the dinner passed off fairly well.

  After they had repaired to the drawing, room for coffee and cigars, several more guests were admitted to the house. These were four of Kington’s confreres, and Moran, the prime minister of England. The talk, of course, resolved around Abrui and the benefits to be derived from Earth by commerce with that distant world. It was late when the five made their departure and Kington’s guests were taken to their rooms. It was a question as to where they could put the great bronze man to bed, for although the others could manage to make themselves fit in the accommodations at hand, there was no bed to fit the Gor. He fixed it himself by electing to lie on the floor, and with a mattress and pillows he was made comfortable at last.

  CHAPTER VI

  The Mental Powers of the Abruians

  WHAT occurred during the following weeks is the common knowledge of the school children, and there is little need of giving for each day’s performances more than a cursory glance at what took place in the city of London, when the extraordinary news of the arrival of the space-voyagers was given to the public. The first day was spent in acquainting the scientists of the world with the news and of presenting them with the proofs, namely the Abruians in evidence and explaining to them what the Abruians had to offer to Earth.

  The second day brought together some of the greatest heads of the Earth’s many nations, and then it was that Ezra-weit, in company with several of his fellow-men, gave mental demonstrations. Of these we will speak more fully, for never before had the people of the world seen such a phenomenon.

  In the great hall where the meeting was being held a large specially constructed screen was set upon the platform. It was opaque, and it had been demonstrated for the benefit of any Doubting Thomas’ that the screen had no accompanying mechanisms. Thereupon the hall was darkened, and taking their places before the screen, Ezra and Ubca-tor sought to prove their mental powers.

  At first it was difficult to distinguish the shape that was taking form upon the screen; it seemed dimmed and distorted, but slowly it cleared, the screen itself grew brighter as the youth and the older man gained mastery over it, and on it there was what appeared to be a round terrestrial globe. It had a small satellite moon hanging not far above it, while another more distant and smaller moon shone as if from across a wide space. Those in the auditorium realized it was not Earth, and Dorr who had taken his place on the platform, explained in one word, “Abrui!”

  It could be noticed that the world was different from Earth. In relief they saw its mountains, plains and the single ocean almost circular in shape with rough, irregular shorelines and a large island continent in its center, while far inland from the ocean, a hundred and fifty miles or so, were ranges of rough mountains almost encircling the whole ocean. The low hanging globe that had at first been taken for a moon was now glowing with a warm rosy glow of its own, giving its light to the planet, while the second moon so far and distant proved to be old familiar Sol shining as a moon on this distant world, less than a quarter the size it appeared from Earth.

  That picture blurred now and another formed itself until the audience was gazing down upon a landscape, a small portion of the world along an ocean shore. The country was comparatively flat except for a few sand-dunes beside the water, but several miles inland hills began and the country presented a pretty rolling aspect with the majesty of purplish mountains far in the background.

  Again the scene shifted and it showed a country under cultivation, large farmlands, small park-like forests and large pasturages lay below. Some sort of cattle were grazing and the shapes of men working with machines in the field were projected for all to see. Another change and a city sprawled across the screen. It was a unique city built on the slope of a hill, one side of which was a sheer bluff with a drop of more than a thousand feet to the serene river that came meandering through the countryside. Atop the hill on what appeared to be its crown, a mile in circumference were erected a half a dozen or so fine buildings of white stone which were no more than one story in height, but architecturally presented beautiful, graceful lines. The buildings were grouped so as to form three sides of a square, and around the buildings were spread beautiful gardens. The open side of the buildings faced the hills’ slope and from them a broad flight of steps dropped down the hill to the very foot.

  Dorr did not speak this time but somehow all those in the auditorium realized the fact that they were gazing down upon Tunka, the capital of the Taboran nation, and that upon the hill-top dwelt the ruler and his family. And that here was also housed the parliamentary building and the quarters of the royal guard.

  Next they were looking down from the corona to the city that swept terrace after terrace down the hill to the plain below. Ten wide terraces were to be counted on which were set lovely white houses with their gardens and parks, each terrace being divided from the one below by a low wall covered with vines and greenery. Below the last terrace was a high wall, and on from it the houses, smaller, less beautiful, were set. closer with smaller gardens and smaller parks, while only wide avenues intercepted them. These houses spread all around the foot of the hill until they met the shore of the river on either side of the promontory. And on either side of the bluff two bridges, causeway-like, but with draw-bridges set in their center spanned the river to meet on the opposite side th
e wide undulating flats upon which were dozens of long, low buildings, each a thousand feet by two thousand feet, one story in height, symmetrically placed with wide avenues to separate them. At the river were docks and large vessels resembling the whaleback grain and ore-boats of the Great Lakes of the United States stood in the water.

  AGAIN those seeing this scene for the first time understood as readily as though Dorr had explained the meaning of all this. They grasped the fact that only the members of the nobility were permitted to dwell in the fine homes on the terraces, the commoners in the city below, that the terraces themselves were divided as to rank. The tors, or princes occupied the terraces just below the hill’s corona, the weits, or baronets, perforce staying to the lowest terrace, while again the commoners also lived according to their castes, separated by the avenues only.

  The fact that on Abrui money was unknown came to the spectators in the assembly, even as the scenes had presented themselves. They understood that on Abrui a man was born to his rank as he was born to his worldly possessions that were allotted him under governmental supervision according to his caste.[2] The commoners provided the skilled and unskilled labor, the nobility the leaders and supervisors. Yet with it all caste was not so iron-clad that a laborer might not through his efforts lift himself upward among the leaders and onto the terrace. Only he did not lift his family with him unless his peers made special dispensation for them.

  Once more the scene was changed, and the large island within the single sea of Abrui swam into view. This was Ora, the seat of learning of the planet, which being neutral politically could not be prevailed upon by any of the Powers to work in their behalf singly. Here a fugitive, outcast or exile from one of the lands could find sanctuary and he could not be extradited against his will. Moura-weit had come here in his time and his trouble and Richard Dorr and Dana Gleason of Earth administered to their adopted world from their seat on this island. And here came men and women from all the planet to study and devote themselves to science. Abrui’s greatest works were performed on Ora, Ora which knew neither caste nor class and where each was permitted to follow what line of endeavor he chose for himself as long as it was for the good of humanity. The simple lines of the hundreds of buildings that covered the island attested to the fact that here was simplicity of understanding carried to the nth degree.