It took him three hours to cover the distance — three times as long as his outward journey. Thankfully he stumbled into the control room and slammed the airlock. The Amazon glanced round from the radio board, then got on her feet, her eyes glowing.
“Abna, we made it! We did it! Look at that sun—!” She narrowed her eyes, at the searing half circle visible above the mountain peaks.
“Yes, we made it!” Abna gripped her shoulders thankfully for a moment and then began to get out of his space suit. He asked: “I suppose that we now head for Earth and see the result of all this?”
The girl shook her head. “There is no need. As the glaciers melt there’ll be the greatest flood since Biblical times. All we would be able to do would be float on the waters like a supermodern ark until they subsided. I think there is a better plan, Abna, now our job is done.”
“You mean?” There was an eager light in Abna’s red-blue eyes. “You mean that you and I—? You’re giving me your answer?”
“Yes.” The Amazon considered him frankly. “For the time being let us go to your planet and rest a while. I’d like to meet your father and the rest of your race. We’ll go in this machine, of course; the Ultra will be submerged in molten metal by now.”
“All right, Vi, but before we start do you promise me that—”
“Of course I promise you! I wouldn’t come with you otherwise.” The Amazon turned to the wall couch, settled upon it and relaxed. “While you get the journey started I’m going to rest,” she said, stifling a yawn. “Controlling that image of mine was no easy job.”
Abna smiled as he settled at the control board. “Do that. You’ve earned it.”
He set the ship moving and the girl closed her eyes. Swiftly the machine climbed above the melting plain — then turning away from the savagely brilliant orb of day the vessel plunged into the outer deeps.
Hour followed hour. Abna caught himself dozing at times, in spite of the control he had over himself. The Amazon still slept peacefully. He considered her, smiled to himself, and checked the course ...
In six hours, moving at its tremendous velocity, the vessel was beyond the orbits of the inner planets with Earth far to the right, black patches showing on the white surface where the sun was melting the mighty ice fields and glaciers. Ahead, already looming larger, was Jupiter.
Abna stirred from a long contemplation of his home planet and moved to the girl’s side, He shook her gently.
“Vi, you’ve been asleep for over six hours. Take a look at Earth — and the world to which we’re going—”
The girl did not move. A frown notched Abna’s eyebrows for a moment; then he shook her again, more forcibly. This time she stirred lazily and opened her eyes. There was an expressionless, blank look in them which momentarily startled him.
“Take a look—” he began, but the girl cut him short, speaking mechanically.
“I don’t need to take a look at Earth, Abna, I am already upon it, floating on the ocean in the Ultra, while you are speeding home!”
“You’re what!” Abna jerked the words out and stared at her in dazed wonder.
“Abna,” the girl on the couch said quietly, “you are not looking at Vi the living but Vi the image. I’m sorry I had to do this to you. Let me explain what happened. I purposely sent you to look at the sun, knowing how you would be delayed in getting back. I was careful not to allow my image to be destroyed once she had done her job. I withdrew her in the pick-a-back machine, knowing you would be too fully occupied to notice the flyer returning to Mercury. I then made her take my place in your vessel. Once that was done I left in a space suit and went to where I had left the Ultra. From the Ultra I controlled her. When I saw you depart — you thinking my image was me — I left in the Ultra for home. And that is where I am now.”
“But why? Why?” Abna shouted, harshness in his voice as he glared down at the lifeless image repeating thought-impulses from faraway Earth.
“Why? Because you lied to me, Abna! You professed to love me. You said you had pursued me because I was the only woman who really mattered to you. One day, all unknown to you, I read your mind, and in it I saw the truth. You wanted union with me because in your race there is not a single surviving female! You believed that I could be forced into marriage with you once we reached your world — and had I not had that glimpse of the truth maybe that would have come about. Now I know why you were so interested in my synthetic life experiment, why you were so regretful that I had decided against using my knowledge in that direction... Your race will die out unless you can either find synthesis or a wife. But that wife will not be me.” Abna was silent, bemused, his fists clenched.
“Perhaps I have made an enemy of you, Abna,” the image resumed. “Perhaps you will come to Earth to wreak vengeance for my tricking you. Be that as it may. I did think I had found a man at last who was less deceitful than the rest — but in the end I have found you to be more so. You may try to steal other women from Earth — the only planet worth your attention as far as living beings are concerned — but you will not succeed while I watch over their destiny. I have always chosen my own way, and after what has happened I shall continue to do so. The pity is that a man of your great gifts should not know what real love is. All that you said, all that you did, was simply to gain your own ends.”
The image ceased talking for a while, and then added: “My science against yours, Abna, if it has to be — the modem Earth against the genius of lost Atlantis. It is up to you whether it shall be that.”
There was silence. Abna stared down through the porthole of his machine upon the distant Earth. Somewhere upon it the Ultra was floating, the Amazon within it, her thoughts transmitted over the gulf. For a long time Abna hesitated over the idea of going to Earth and demanding a showdown — then he turned, the bitter glint of defeat in his fine eyes.
He checked the course again for Jupiter, at his side the dead image of the woman who had outwitted him.
Conquest of the Amazon Page 13