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ONCE UPON A PLANET
By J. J. ALLERTON
[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Amazing Stories December1948. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.copyright on this publication was renewed.]
[Sidenote: The mighty King Miotis came down to Earth to recapture hislost desire for war. But what he saw on this planet, caused him to feeldifferently.]
Once upon a planet there was a mighty warlord. The warlord's name wasMiotis. Some might think it an odd name, but then it is entirelyprobable that the people of this planet would think the name of Smith orJenkovitz odd. Be that as it may, however, the important thing is thatMiotis was the name of this warlord, whatever one may feel about hisname.
Now, Miotis was not just a mighty warrior, he was the _mightiest_warrior on the planet. As such, he controlled the life of every personthere. For isn't it a truism that war bends men's destiny in thestrangest fashions? So Miotis, with his entire life devoted to the artof destruction, was able to direct the lives of his subjects.
But one day, to his consternation and amazement, he found that thepeoples of his planet had wearied of the sport of war. In the middle ofhis last campaign, his men as well as his enemies had laid down theirarms and had refused to carry on as was their wont. And no amount ofthreat or punishment could make them change.
On this particular day when our story starts, Miotis was in his palace,his massive head leaning against a muscular palm, and his gaze intent onthe face of his vizier, Kannot. It was not the sort of face Miotis wasespecially fond of seeing, for it was old, wrinkled, full of cunning andwisdom.
The vizier was, as always, full of words, and as he spoke one bluntfinger tapped the side of his rather bulbous nose: "So you think itstrange, mighty Miotis, to find that life is boring?"
"I do not find that _life_ is boring," Miotis replied. "Life is neverboring. It is _I_ who am bored. That is the reason I called you here. Icould have called any one of my nine hundred concubines for enjoyment,or had my warders drag forth some of my prisoners and found sport intorturing them. Yet, I did not, and I wonder why. In the past, thesediversions made pleasant the passing of time. Now, I feel an ennui toogreat to even want to bother to summon one of these which used to giveme so much pleasurable excitement.
"Tell me, vizier, have I become so full of war that I cannot livewithout it?"
Kannot clasped his hands behind him and rocked back and forth forseveral seconds, the while he bent a thoughtful and appraising eye uponhis King. For Kannot knew the vagaries of the man before him and knewthat a single word, a single gesture which would displease the greatMiotis, would make fewer Kannot's days. Therefore, when he spoke again,it was with care, weighing his words so that he could give his opinionand yet not endanger his life.
"Methinks, oh greatest and wisest of Kings," Kannot said, "that sincewar has but a single end, something phenomenal in the universe must haveoccurred to make that end seem less reasonable."
He lowered his eyes, yet made sure he could peer beneath the hooded lidsto see how his words were affecting Miotis. There was no sign on theother's face to show how he felt.
Kannot continued, "By that, I mean death may have become less attractiveas a means of immortality. Is it not true, also, that you, the greatestand most noble of warriors, has yourself felt this same reluctancerecently to even plan a war?"
The warlord's head nodded slightly in agreement.
"Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that some force of which wehave no knowledge has made its presence felt--"
"Now you have presented the problem," Miotis interrupted. "But it is notenough. I want a solution. Already I am weary of this do-nothing life,though it is but a week since we have laid down arms."
Kannot made a sign of obeisance.
"Now go," Miotis said, "and seek out the cause and the solution. Oneweek, vizier, I give you. No more! Your head shall roll, otherwise...."
* * * * *
The trumpets announced the arrival of the vizier, and at the sound theplayers stopped their tune and the dancers their dance. Miotis, lookingas though he hadn't stirred from the position Kannot had left him in theweek before, lifted his eyes to the bent figure making its way acrossthe immense length of the hall.
"Mighty Miotis," Kannot began, his head bent and his eyes lowered in thecorrect attitude of court procedure.
"I bid you speak," Miotis said.
"My Lord, the words I have to say are for your ears alone," Kannotcontinued.
The warlord waved a hand, and as if by magic the court was emptied butfor the guards who never left their posts.
"Speak, old one," Miotis commanded.
"I have found the cause, mighty one," Kannot said. "A surprising one,however, and perhaps an unbelievable one...."
The vizier did not look up, and his face betrayed nothing of what hefelt. Yet, his aged heart was beating as if it wanted to escape theflesh in which it was imprisoned. The next words he would utter couldspell his doom.
"I sent couriers in every direction, to all the courts of all the lands,to our friends as well as to our enemies. And on their return Idiscovered one fact in common: Not a single nation was interested inwar. Something happened to each--"
"Old one," Miotis broke in, "you weary me with these boresome details.Come to the point! I know we are all tired dealing death. Why?"
"Because anger has fled from our minds and hearts," Kannot said, and hishead lifted. He had spoken the words which had lain in him, the terriblewords which could mean his death. And now the die was cast. The proof ofhis assertion would soon be shown.
An oddly bitter smile broke on the face of the man on the throne. It wasthe smile of a man who had learned the taste of utter defeat.
"So you have told me that which I knew in my heart," Miotis said."Strange, that I, who loved nothing better than the sound of a sword'sblow against armor, should even find the touch of steel repugnant now.Yet, it is so. I cannot carry a knife without having my flesh crawl,even though a scabbard protects me against its touch. Shall we allbecome a nation of shepherds? Shall we never again know the glory ofbattle? Tell me, vizier. Perhaps age has lent you an inner wisdom?"
"Wisdom's words are for the historian," Kannot replied. "I, Kannot, haveno time for talk. The planning of deeds is my way. And I have a plan.
"Anger must be found again!" Kannot's voice rose shrilly. "It is ouronly salvation. But, mighty Miotis, we must look elsewhere than on thisplanet. There is a planet called Earth...."
* * * * *
Miotis' brow knit in thought. A planet called Earth, he thought. H'mm!But how were they to get to it? And having got there, did Kannot wantthem to invade? No, that couldn't be it. Already, the very thought ofinvading for purposes of conquest went against him.
"... On that planet," Kannot continued, "wars and death by violence arecommonplace. There is never a day or week that does not pass but thatsomewhere men fight men. What better goal do we need?"
"You have done well," Miotis said. "I could ask for no more. Yet aquestion persists in my mind. How can you arrange for anger to come tothe breasts of us here from the planet beyond the grey mists of outerspace? We have no space ships, nor for that matter, the means of makingthem."
"I speak not of space ships or of men using them," Kannot responded,"for in that matter we have no choice. My thought was in anotherdirection and using another means. I have discovered the way to make asoul-transfer. To put it into words you will better understand, I can dowhat death does, hold a soul in suspense."
"Which
is supposed to have what meaning to me?" Miotis asked.
"Simply this," Kannot said, "I can make a single soul fly through thevast boundaries of space and into another human body which will bewaiting for it. There is but a single man I know who can serve asvehicle--you, mighty Chieftain."
For the first time, Miotis' features showed change from the setexpression he wore as a sign of his Kingship. Amazement made him blink,and the hand holding his chin fell to the side of the throne, thefingers tapping against the rich cloth. But after a minute, his facecleared and he looked with brighter interest at his vizier.
"Of course," he said. "Who else should go? And already I have a plan ofaction. Now tell me what must be done and how soon...."
* * *
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