After learning this, it was a simple matter for Moura to rig up a small compact broadcasting and receiving radio set upon the principle he had learned from Dana Gleason, mount it on a base, and provide it with earphones for his use, and, lo and behold! he could hear the spoken words of Atun Wei’s language. All afternoon was spent in learning the root forms of the strange tongue, which was surprisingly simple and yet rather complicated to the beginner, requiring a very good memory. The language was a numerical one, that is, everything was based upon number, and once its fundamentals were grasped it came more easily.
For example, the primary and most necessary object to life being “food,” it was consequently called “one” or Tel in the Dadan tongue. “Drink” being the second essential, became two or wei, “sleep,” the third and so on. In the matter of verbs, it was the same thing all over again; “to live” was tel, “to eat,” wei, “to sleep,” sem (three), “to do,” rak, (four), and so on. It was no different with adjectives and with name of persons and cities. Thus literally a sentence of Dadan would be translated so. . . .
Tel tel Tel tel tel tel. or
One one one one one one
Meaning: The first man of the city of Tel ate a piece of bread.
With his success on the first set, Moura called in Ubca and they built five more of the radio sets, so as to provide each Solarite with the means of understanding the people they were to visit. When this was done the two set about compiling a list of the Dadan numbers, and lists of words according to their proper ranking. It took a day and a half for Ubca to write out the list Moura dictated to him, Atun Wei pronouncing them. They set down only such words as were in common usage, leaving the more abstruse words for a later time.
When this was done, and the members of the Yodverl were all provided with their new radio sets that were made to fit the head like a helmet, with its antenna, like Atun Wei’s, sticking out from the forehead, the lists were passed about and everyone set about learning the new language. It could be seen that Nancy would never learn this new tongue, but Ezra learned his as quickly as Elsie. He, like the three men, could always find his answer in Atun Wei’s brain, when a meaning was not quite clear, but Elsie had to depend entirely upon her own ability to memorize her whole list.
Moura now inquired of Atun Wei of the lay-out of his land, the location of its main cities, its general topography, and found that they were possibly more than three thousand miles from Tel, its main city. It had been a long journey for Atun Wei to make by wing, and he explained that he had had to walk over three hundred miles when, in flying too close above a forest, he had misjudged his distance and caught one wing on a branch that had raised itself above its fellows and brought him down. Many times in that long trek he had fought the urge to reach the Yodverl, but each time his curiosity held him on his unseen course.
Now, it could be seen that the high priest was chafing under the desire to return to his office, and with all of them, except Nancy, having a working knowledge of the Dadan language, Moura was ready to proceed. However, now they had the flyer as well as the Yodverl to contend with, and it was decided that Urto would drive the plane, while the rest, with Atun Wei directing, would precede thus on to Tel.
So once more the Yodverl rose from her bed, her white glory taking the mastery of Kal’s air like a queen, with the diminutive flyer following in her wake. Below them lay the forest that surrounded the clearing, but it extended less than thirty miles along their route and from there the country was wide and lovely with low rolling hills, cut by rivers and serene lakes, etched in clumps of jungle and wood. The Solarites were surprised to learn just how close they had been to habitation, for now they recognized that the land was all highly cultivated and occasionally they saw the shapes of what they guessed to be Dadan houses, although from above with their mushroom shapes, they could hardly be recognized as such. Only an occasional round window in the sides, and the uniform circular opening in the roof of each building taught them that these were indeed houses. And on being questioned, Atun Wei nodded affirmation to their query. But now, with his return to his duties in view, the butterfly high priest was unusually silent. Never loquacious, he was now taciturn, answering questions in monosyllables.
In the fields they could see occasional workers, winged creatures as well as flat crawling things, that appeared to be no more than worms from the heights at which the Yodverl skimmed through the clear golden sunlight. Then they were crossing a wide lake, so wide that even from the altitude at which they flew it grew difficult to see its shores, but that too was passed and now the country below showed signs of higher cultivation than before. A city swam into their ken, a strange city with its multitude of mushroom-shaped buildings with their pedestal foundations and swelling heads and the single circular doorway in the roof. Myriad insects flew over and about the city but scarcely raised their heads to glance at the tiny speck the Yodverl made against their sky. But the ship went on with Atun Wei directing its helmsman.
They had started on their journey with the rising of the first sun, but it was setting as the second more somber sun came into view, as they were in sight of the city Tel, the leading city of Dada. Atun Wei for the first time that day showed excitement, as with quivering antenna he watched the city approach.
CHAPTER XIII
Dadan Customs
IT lay like a misshapen thing below them, its mushroom buildings set about without rhyme or rhythm, without a plan, without streets or avenues, with only the wide, hard-packed circle to mark its center. Facing each other across the circular court were two buildings unlike the other houses of the city, different only because of their monster size; each building had a circumference of half a mile, and reached up above its fellows twenty or thirty feet. In form the mushroom style was more pronounced in them, than in any of the other buildings, perfect in every well drawn line. And from above the Solarites could see that the two buildings were ornately ornamented with queer painted pictures and arabesques.
Atun Wei became talkative at last, so that his hosts learned that one of the strange buildings housed the Royal Palace of Dada, the other being the Temple, wherein he, Atun Wei, officiated diligently for his people, where the great Pattern lay and directed the nation’s welfare. And now he was anxious to get down there, back to his duties, fearful that things may have gone amiss in his absence.
Moura was willing to acquiesce immediately in the other’s demands and so questioned him whether it would not be well for them to bring the Yodverl into that circular court, but for the first time since their meeting with him, his hosts saw Atun Wei express emotion. Horror was written all over his features, his cold eyes had come to life, and his otherwise expressionless face was filled with stirring emotion. He had become inarticulate, and it was difficult for them to grasp the words that came to them through their earphones, but in a minute the creature had regained control of himself, and so they learned that above all they were not to defile the sacred ground that lay below them, the ground upon which no foot had trod in many thousands of generations, never since the great Day when the God came to present Dada with the Pattern!
Moura shrugged his shoulders, an expression that the butterfly creature did not understand, and turned to him for further instruction. On second thought he would prefer a better landing place, clearing such as the one where Atun Wei had found them, beside water, perhaps where his party could have some freedom of a sort. Was there such a spot near Tel?
They could see that Atun Wei was troubled by the delay, but after a moment’s thought he recalled a haven that he thought would suit their purpose admirably, and with a thin finger he pointed out the direction.
Peering below, the party could see that the city beneath them was agitated by their appearance, and the winged creatures were scurrying this way and that in their excitement, dropping out of sight through the roof doorways of their homes, coming out again in panic, and repeating the same performance again. Swarms of them were collecting on the city’s outskirts, hesit
ant, not knowing what to do against this strange monster who had descended upon them. Some, more brave than the others, rose toward the smaller flyer following in the Yodverl’s wake prepared to attack it, but Urto merely rose higher and higher out of their reach as he waited for instructions from his mother ship.
Moura now brought the Yodverl around and with the flyer trailing, headed for the clearing that Atun Wei pointed out. It was some five miles or so from the city, on the bank of a narrow swift stream with a bit of jungle growing close about it, flowing through wide, well-cultivated fields spread out on all sides, but the tall tree-ferns that grew here unmolested, provided a nice screen for the clearing to give the Solarites some privacy from inquisitive eyes.
The clearing itself was large enough to accept the Yodverl, with plenty of room to spare, and there would be good grazing here for the mitu. Moura brought the ship down gently and then Urto dropped his ship down beside it. Atun Wei led the way to the doorway of the space-voyager, anxious for his return to Tel, and as Ubca swung open the doorway, he pushed himself outdoors, then lifting his wings, he was pressing upwards into the air before anyone could say a word.
For several moments the party stared after the rapidly disappearing butterfly creature, astonishment written all over their faces, then their expressions changed as they saw the humour of the situation and they began to laugh. It was funny the way Atun Wei broke away, like a mother hen scurrying back to her chicks that had been taken from her.
Of them all, Moura laughed the heartiest, then he calmed himself and turned to his companions. “Well, we might as well get settled. We can’t say if our indulgent host will be returning for us, but I believe we will rest in these parts for some little time.” And he was about to reenter the Yodverl when the beat of wings came to their ears, and looking upward they saw that Atun Wei was returning. He alighted like a feather beside Moura, and he began to apologize. He had not gone far when he had realized that he had failed as a host, and now, with as much dignity as he could muster, he was trying to cover his faux pas. Moura waved aside his apologies, and the two set about to lay plans.
ATUN WEI was now a genial host, for though he was apparently without humor, he realized the uniqueness of his situation, and in that moment he was perhaps more human than he was ever to be again.
“It grows late,” he told them, “but that is no reason why you should not accept the hospitality of Tel. You must come with me, rest in my quarters and with the morning the freedom of the city is yours.”
Moura thought better of it. He believed that they should wait until the next day before visiting the city. They did not wish to keep Atun Wei from his duties now. He could come for them at the rise of the early sun in the morning. Only Atun Wei would not have it so. He was their host and he fully realized his obligation. They must spend the night beneath his roof!
But still Moura hesitated. Perhaps he felt some presentiment of danger. At any rate, he did not want to bring his wife and child under the roof of Atun Wei.
He compromised by suggesting that only Ubca-tor and himself accompany the high priest to Tel tonight. Atun Wei accepted his plan, anxious again to reach the city. But now Elsie began to protest. She would go whereever Moura went, but he overruled her, and ten minutes later the flyer took off from the clearing bearing the three, Atun Wei, Ubca-tor and Moura. Atun Wei had given Moura his assurance that no one would approach the Yodverl with the coming of night, since the Dadans never fared forth with the setting of the saffron sun, and he would send out word with the morning light that the clearing beside the swift water was taboo to all but the strangers. Yet Moura urged Urto to keep a steady watch all the while they were gone.
So Elsie spent the evening quietly enough with her son, and after he had been put to bed she also retired. Urto pulled to the great door according to Moura’s order and the ship lay in darkness. Upon her rising Elsie received a telepathic message from Moura that all was well with Ubca and him, but that they would not return until a later hour. She felt perfectly content with the arrangement, not feeling a particular desire to see more of the butterfly creatures; instead, she ordered a general housecleaning. That evening the men returned to tell of their adventure.
On arriving once more in Tel, Atun Wei had pointed out the house squatting next to the Temple which was his domicile, and seeing that there was enough room beside it to land the flyer, Moura did so, and then they looked about for a means of entering the house which had its doorway in the roof. At first Atun Wei, was also puzzled as to how to lift these two wingless creatures up to his house-door, but after a moment’s hesitation he told them to wait while he went for help, flying to the roof on his own wings. In a few minutes he came followed by two creatures like himself but whose wings, unlike his own, were pure green in color. They were smaller in size, but their wings appeared more powerfully built than his own. The newcomers appeared to show no surprise at the appearance of the strangers. At their master’s orders they grasped the arms of the two silver men and at a word from Atun Wei, bore them aloft, up to the roof, and set them down there gently enough.
Curiously the two men looked about them, studied the material of the surface on which they were standing. They could not put a name to the substance that seemed springy to the touch and gave under the pressure of their feet. Atun Wei did not give them any time for inspection, but led them to the shaft that gave entrance to the house.
It was dark down the opening, an unrelieved darkness touched only lightly by the saffron light of the smaller sun, which was almost ready to set. It was by the faint light of this sun that they saw the narrow circular stairway making its way below. Atun Wei signified that they were to descend by its means, although he trusted mostly to his wings to carry him below. The steps proved to be rickety and unstable under the weight of the Abruians, but the staircase itself was elastic and they negotiated the descent in comparative safety.
In the darkness, with their cat-like eyes, the two could make out the three landings along the stair-well with their circular doorways leading into the house’s chambers, but they only crept down the first flight to find themselves in a hallway that encircled the air shaft, with a number of doors, perfect circles in shape opening off from it. Again on the floor, as on the roof, they felt the slight yielding of the surface, and realized that it was due to their weight, which was possibly four or five times the weight of the butterfly people. They had to be careful lest the floor give way entirely!
ATUN WEI was leading them through one of the doorways now and into a room. A curtain was dropped over the door, and as they passed, Moura could feel that it was woven of plant fiber. He was beginning to guess that the whole house they were in was manufactured from nothing more than plant fibres, closely woven together. A light was burning in the small chamber they entered, a greenish glow of light, different from any he had ever seen before, but he did not discover its source until he had glanced all about the room, which had the appearance of an anteroom, with its single low squat table of unpeeled wood and the dozen or so of grass-cloth pillows strewn about on the fiber rug that covered the entire floor. The room had no windows, but looking above him, Moura sought for the source of light which he found staring down upon him from the center of the ceiling like an oblong square of cold light. An exclamation of surprise slipped through his lips as he recognized the thing from which the light came, a large dark insect hanging to the ceiling by its legs fastened around a bracket there, fitted for its convenience. As he stared, the light blinked off for a second but flashed on again as quickly, like the winking of an eye. During his short visits to Earth, Moura had seen just such a phenomenon performed in miniature, so now he understood that he was looking at a giant lightning-bug used by the butterfly creature as their source of light!
As he stared in wonder at the queer sight, two creatures like the first that had borne Ubca and him to the roof, now appeared at Atun Wei’s summons and they heard him give them orders as he turned to his guests.
“It is necessa
ry,” said he, “that I hurry to the Temple, but my servants will care for you well, and with the morning our guides will be ready to take you where you may wish. Now, the home of Atun Wei and everything that is in it are at your service. All that you demand is yours! You excuse me now,” and he was gone, hastening out on hurried feet.
The servants had also departed on their respective missions, and the two were left alone under the green eerie glow of cold light of the insect above their head. They were not left alone long, for the next moment the curtain of a second doorway swayed and another butterfly creature came to face them. They knew immediately that it was a female butterfly, although there was nothing about the creature to suggest a different sex, unless it was that her whole body was encased in a long apron dropping from the shoulders and caught up behind by a strap that dropped between the two vivid wings, wings that were colored like those of Atun Wei. But when she spoke, or rather “radioed” to them through her waving antennas, the two knew her to be of a kindlier disposition than their host, a gentler soul.
“The master bids me make you welcome, creatures from another world. Come here, this chamber is not for your reception.” And she held aside the curtain for them to enter the room behind her which proved to be several times as large as the first, and lighted by the glowing body-light of six fire-bugs.
Here the rug on the floor was of finer texture than the floor covering in the first room; the apartment held more furniture, four or five of the low squat tables of a polished wood, a great variety of soft pillows, and here and there a tall pottery vase in which a few flowers were growing. However, the most noticeable thing was the lack of color, for everything, except the natural coloring of the flowers, was dull and lifeless, the rug, the tables, the pillows and the walls were all of one monotonous drabness that bespoke creatures who had no desire for beauty about them. It made one wonder just why the flowers happened to be there.
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