by Perry Rhodan
Bell had listened intently. His thoughts were racing ahead. Rhodan and Khrest imprisoned? Here in the palace? Then Alban was a cheat after all! And if he and Sengu waited around here any longer they too would sooner or later land in jail.
This would not help matters at all. For nobody back on the Stardust had the faintest idea of Alban's treachery. Bell saw no possibility, either, of getting in touch with any of the mutants, for nothing of the sort had been prearranged. Therefore, Bell concluded: get our of here as fast as possible and return to the spacesphere!
"Come along, Sengu!" Bell began. He stood up. "We have to leave here. I have only a small pocket ray gun on me that won't be of much help in case of need."
The Japanese, too, rose from the bench where the two men had been sitting while awaiting a reply from Alban. Hardly had the two men walked over to the nearest exit - not too fast to avoid looking suspicious-when a soldier coming from the opposite side ran after them. Behind him more men in uniform could be seen.
"The high Lord Alban is ready to receive you now," reported the soldier zealously. Bell kept marching toward the door, unperturbed, and replied:
"Inform your Lord Alban to pay us a visit sometime at our spaceship - if he should feel so inclined. Our time has run out."
The soldier hesitated. In the meantime the others had come closer. Two additional soldiers stood at the exit door, their weapons pointing halfway to the floor.
Bell was not willing to let himself be taken without resistance.
"Grab his gun!" he ordered Sengu, and from inside his pocket he began to shoot his own small ray gun. The two guards at the door felt the tingling of the energy pulses race through their bodies. Their limbs grew rigid; cramps shot through their hands and feet. They dropped their rifles. Seconds later they were rolling and tossing on the marble floor, screaming at the top of their lungs, trying in vain to lash out desperately at the invisible enemy. It did not occur to anybody to see the cause of their discomfort in Bell, who was still striding forward, his hands hidden in his pockets.
Sengu, meanwhile, had relieved the reluctant soldier of his weapon. One swift and expert Judo hold did the trick. He pointed the rifle at the other live guards, who were taken by surprise and could not reach fast enough for their ray guns.
"Just leave those guns where they are - don't reach!" warned Bell evenly. "Just march ahead of us, straight to the main exit gate of the palace. And behave as naturally as if nothing had happened, or else!"
"Lord Alban wishes to see you," trembled one of the guards. "He wants to talk to you."
"Have him carry on a conversation with himself, then he's sure to be in the company of his equals. Let's go! By the way, how did the gyrocars with the policemen get up on that roof over there?"
They had meanwhile reached the palace courtyard and marched past the bewildered soldiers doing sentry duty, who stared after them with gaping mouths. No one dared a wrong move.
"They flew up there and then landed on the roof, sir. People were saying a little animal accomplished that with the help of some magic. Nobody can understand how it could be done."
Bell grinned. That rascal Emby! What fun the mouse-beaver must have had, creating all that confusion among the Tuglanians. As long as he managed to achieve something of positive value with his perpetual playfulness! Where was the little fellow hiding now?
Sengu requisitioned a car and brought it over, alone with its driver. Bell disarmed each of Alban's soldiers and then sent them back into the palace. Curious passers-by watched the whole incident from a respectful distance. They remained surprisingly passive. Apparently they did not care what happened to Alban and his soldiers.
Ten minutes later, Bell was back at the Stardust again and sounded the alarm.
It took quite a while until Karolan recovered from his surprise. Xaron related, meanwhile, the strange events he and his three men had witnessed. He described with loving detail the aerial acrobatics of the police cars, without trying to understand the incomprehensible.
The leader of the rebels bent down and gently petted Emby's silky fur on the back.
The mouse-beaver straightened up a bit, cocked his head and requested: "Do it under my chin, please! That's where I like it best."
Karolan almost toppled off his chair. "He can talk, too?"
"Why, of course," countered Xaron. "He can talk. Didn't I mention it before? He belongs to the Arkonides."
Karolan shook his head in amazement. "Astonishing, really astonishing." He kept stroking and gently scratching Emby's neck at the spot the Vagabondian preferred. Karolan's thoughts were tumbling all about. "Perhaps he could help us to overthrow Alban. Maybe he can find Daros. Listen, little fellow, will you help in our light to make Tuglan once more a loyal planet in the Arkonide empire?"
The mouse-beaver searched Karolan's thoughts and determined that he was speaking the truth. But before he could answer him, a man stormed into the room. Excited and out of breath he shouted:
"Rebellion! The inhabitants of Tugla are storming the palace! They say the Arkonides who landed here recently would help them to overthrow Alban, the traitor. Mysterious forces are already at work to punish the police for their misdeeds. Strange things have happened which can only be attributed to the Arkonides. People say this is a sign. They've decided to make Daros the next Lord of Tuglan."
"That will suit us line," said Karolan. "All the time we were forced to work secretly for that goal. Now we can came out in the open. Xaron, inform our men to take up arms and join the light. we must help the rebellious citizens of Tugla. I'll come with you." He looked at the little mouse-beaver. "Do you want to join us?"
"Will I be able to play again?" asked Emby.
Karolan stared at him, stupefied. "To play?"
"Of course, to play! What else? I've had such fun playing all day long today!"
Gradually it dawned on Karolan what Emby was trying to tell him.
"Ah - that's what you call playing? Why sure, you can play as much as you like. But let me make sure that you'll - play with the right things and people. Do you promise!"
Emby's face became completely serious. "Yes, I do promise. Is Rhodan also in the palace?"
"Rhodan?"
"Yes, the commander of our spaceship."
Karolan exchanged meaningful glances with Xaron. "For heaven's sake! Our little friend has put his paw on the right spot..."
Three minutes later, Karolan's men rushed out into the street and joined the excited citizens of Tugla in their march on the palace, where Alban's soldiers prepared themselves to defend Alban's life as well as their own.
Bell held a final conference with Major Deringhouse, the commander of the space-fighters that were waiting inside the mighty interior of the spacesphere, ready for a sortie.
"Ten fighters should be enough to teach Alban a lesson," he said. "We're not out to destroy anything wantonly or to kill my Tuglanians. Most of them were completely unaware of the real intentions of their ruler. But they have to learn, on the other hand, that nobody can fool around with us."
"I'm worried about Rhodan," confessed Deringhouse. "The moment Alban understands what we're planning to do, he'll use Rhodan as a hostage."
Bell's face took on a sombre expression.
"Oh, don't talk such nonsense, Major! Nothing will happen to Rhodan. He let himself be captured deliberately, to find out the really responsible ones, and he has. Alban let his mask fall. Now we know where we're at, and we can act accordingly. Ten fighters, please. I'll drive ahead to the palace with an armored truck. We'll meet there. Wait for my instructions. We'll stay in touch via radio."
Deringhouse saluted, faced about and left.
Bell had the mutants come to the Command Center, where he selected some of them.
"Now it's up to us to render Alban harmless before he can cause a lot of trouble. I believe that Ralf Marten and Kitai Ishibashi will be the right people for this purpose. As soon as we're dose enough, they'll take over Alban's conscious mind and suggest the right thoughts to h
im; he'll then do anything we ask of him. The rest we'll discuss during our trip to Tugla. Let's go, the car's waiting."
While the space-fighters, one after another, took off from the Stardust and shot skyward with moderate speed, the heavily armored tank started to roll. The spiral-shaped barrel of its pulse-ray cannon pointed in the direction of their final destination like a gigantic threatening finger. Somewhere in its innards hummed the small Arkonide reactor which supplied an unlimited amount of energy.
Bell informed the driver of the exact course they had to steer, then called Deringhouse over the radio.
"What can you see from up there?" he wanted to know.
Deringhouse responded right away.
"We're cruising above the palace. Down below we observe unusual excitement. From all sides people are hurrying toward the palace. Some of these citizens are armed. I wonder if the Lord has called on them to come and help defend the palace against us?"
"Who knows?" growled Bell and digested the unexpected bit of news. "It seems strange, though. Continue your observations and inform us in case of any special new event. We're hurrying as fast as we can."
Traffic grew heavier and heavier. Bell was struck by the realization that the Tuglanians did not seem especially astonished at the unexpected appearance of the Arkonide battle tank. He had expected panic and fear but just the opposite happened. The Tuglanians waved and cheered at the sight of the vehicle.
Bell turned to Fellmer Lloyd, one of the mutants. Lloyd was a so-called 'spotter.' He was not a genuine telepath but was capable of receiving and analyzing the brainwave patterns of living beings in his vicinity. It was easy for him to perceive danger or joy and a large variety of emotions.
"Lloyd, try to find out what's the matter with these people. Why aren't they frightened when they see us? By all rights they should assume that this is the beginning of our punitive action in retaliation for the bombing of the radio station."
The heavy-set American concentrated. The other mutants remained silent so as not to disturb him.
Bell waited anxiously, all the while trying to make a way through the jubilant crowds. After two or three minutes Lloyd relaxed and said with a smile:
"As far as I can make out, they see us as allies. Their preponderant mood is one of hatred and fury, but not toward us. They're filled with rebellious emotions. All are thinking of Lord Alban, spitefully and maliciously. They want to storm the palace and they believe we've come to help them."
Bell nodded his head very slowly.
"Open rebellion ... I see. The Tuglanians want to restore order. Our coming inspired them with the necessary courage. We mustn't disappoint them. They seem, therefore, to have always known that it was Alban and not Daros who wanted to rid them of the Arkonide empire."
Fighting had already broken out in the vicinity of the palace. Some of Alban's soldiers had left the safety of the buildings and tried to disperse the crowds. They proceeded in a ruthless manner, which in turn incited the attackers all the more. Victims had fallen on both sides. The citizens of Tugla were poorly armed and often attacked the soldiers with their bare hands.
From somewhere the howling of sirens could be heard. A column of cars appeared from around the corner and stopped abruptly. Armed civilians jumped out of the cars. Their first manoeuvres showed plainly that they had been trained for street lighting. They brandished their weapons and called out to the soldiers and citizens:
"Long live Lord Daros! Long live the empire! Down with Alban, the traitor!"
"Long live Lord Daros!" The citizens picked up the cry and with renewed hope and confidence stormed toward the soldiers, whose courage began to flag. Karolan's rebel forces had entered into the battle.
Bell, meanwhile, had arrived at the palace gates. Deringhouse reported that he saw pulse-ray cannons mounted in the courtyard, ready to defend the palace to the last man. Hg requested orders for his fighter planes.
"Try to disrupt their plans and installations of defense," suggested Bell. "But remember, Rhodan and Khrest are being held prisoners inside the palace. I'll put Sengu to work to get our proper bearings."
The Japanese 'saw' through the palace walls. Softly he reported:
"Khrest, Rhodan Rathon and Marshall are still in their prison cell. Close nearby is the young Tuglanian we suppose to be Daros. The guards have been withdrawn. I'm searching for Alban now."
The space-fighters went into a dive and sprayed the soldiers inside the courtyards with electron showers. Bell, in turn, placed the palace gates under bombardment. The huge gate nearest to his gigantic armored tank began to glow and then collapsed. Without paying attention to the dangerous heat, the impatient civilians stormed through the breach and thronged into the palace grounds.
Karolan decided to try his luck at another spot. Together with his troop he entered a side street and approached the palace from the rear. His car column followed slowly behind. They were shot at sporadically from the palace walls but they suffered no casualties.
And then, all of a sudden, there was Emby again!
The mouse-beaver had waited patiently in the car until Karolan gave the prearranged signal, whereupon Emby leaped from the car, waddling proudly through the lines of of the grinning rebels. The other civilians interrupted their enthusiastic cheering for a moment and stared in amazement at the funny little creature that walked upright like a man and showed no signs of fear. Some of the crowd had already heard of the strange events that had occurred in connection with this animal. The appearance of Emby made their hopes soar.
The pavement near Emby was hit by an energy ray and began to melt.
The mouse-beaver looked up and noticed several soldiers taking cover behind a parapet. Karolan nodded to Emby encouragingly, as if to say: "Go ahead, play! Have fun!"
Amidst shouts of horror, and with outstretched arms, the soldiers involuntarily left their hiding place, sailing down like swallows with a gentle slant, and landed right in the middle of the crowd of waiting rebels, who received them in a none too friendly manner.
Karolan ordered the column to stop and pointed to a small gate in the wall.
"Here it is," he murmured. "Nobody will expect us to force our entry at this place. Xaron, the bomb!"
Xaron's face expressed doubt. "Remember, Karolan, this bomb has a devastating effect. we can't take cover here. Couldn't Emby perhaps ... ?"
Karolan understood at once. He called Emby over to him.
"You see this black ball here, Emby? If I push this button it will take exactly fifteen seconds till this ball will explode and destroy everything in its vicinity. Do you understand?"
Emby looked at him solemnly. "I know what you want. You'd like that ball placed on the other side of the gate, to explode and cause the obstacle to be pushed onward. All right. Push the button and put the ball in front of you on the ground."
Hastily Karolan obeyed Emby's instructions, then started to count: "One - two - three -"
Emby fixed his eyes on the bomb. After all, if he was capable of causing cars and armored vehicles to parade high up in the air, this little object would present no difficulty. His mind began to radiate impulses and...
"Six - seven - Eight -"
The bomb was lifted gently off the ground and floated up toward the top of the wall. Perplexed faces stared down from there at the miracle of the flying black sphere, not knowing what to do with it. The rebels waited breathlessly. Only Karolan, unperturbed, kept on counting. "Nine - ten - eleven -"
Swaying to and fro, the bomb circled the head of a soldier. The soldier clumsily tried to seize it. Then the bomb disappeared from the view of Karolan and the rest of the onlookers outside the gate.
"Twelve - thirteen -"
Without any command, the crowd dissolved and pressed close to the wall. The space in front of the gate was clear of people. Nobody wanted to be hit by bomb fragments. The faces up on the wall disappeared.
"Fourteen -"
Emby felt someone seize him by the paw and jerk him to the side
. This caused him to lose control over the pretty ball. And so he simply let go of it. As chance would have it, the bomb dropped to the ground exactly in back of the gate.
"Fifteen!" said Karolan and threw himself to the ground, pulling Emby after him.
A blinding flash obliterated the blue sun in the sky for several seconds. An ear-splitting explosion roared through the street, reverberating from the walls of the houses. A wide gap yawned where the gate had been.
"Long Live Lord Daros!" yelled Karolan and jumped to his feet. "Down with Alban, the traitor!"
The rebels and the civilians swarmed into the palace. Emby leaped to safety, jumping aside and out of the way of the trampling hordes. He waited until the crowd in the street had thinned out, then swallowed them slowly into the courtyard. Somewhere inside this palace Rhodan was sure to be, as well as his friend Bell. But first of all he wanted to show Alban some of his line tricks. That tyrant would take a trip through the air, like nobody else before!
And while desperate battles were fought inside the courtyard, Emby crawled through a narrow basement window into the subterranean vaults of the palace in order to search for Alban and Rhodan.
8/ THE DEATH OF ...
Lord Alban realized that his game was up. He had but one ace up his sleeve: the captured Arkonides.
His pulse-ray cannons had been put out of commission by the swift space-fighters. An armored tank had penetrated the palace courtyard. His soldiers surrendered to the enemy wherever they could. The rebels and his brother's friends were already storming through the halls of his palace.
Alban seized his heavy pulse-ray pistol and left the room from which he had directed the battle and had woven his intrigues. Determined to light to the bitter end, he hurried down to the underground vaults to prepare for the final act of the drama. But first he switched on the loudspeakers of the palace intercom to make sure that the message he had spoken on tape a few minutes earlier would be loudly carried to every corner of the palace.
Bell heard the voice of the traitor as he got out of the battle tank to lead his mutants into the palace.
"If the Arkonides desire to see their leader alive, they must cease lighting immediately. I'm now with Khrest and Rhodan. I shall kill them unless the rebels and the Arkonides have cleared out of the palace grounds within five minutes. This is my one and only offer. I repeat: If the Arkonides ..."