Chapter IX.
Branasko paused again in his walk towards the mysterious light.
"It cannot be from the internal fires," said he, "for this light iswhite, and the glow of the fires is red."
"Let's turn back," suggested Johnston, "it can do us no good to go downthere; it is only taking us further from the wall."
"I should like to understand it," returned the Alphian thoughtfully;"and, besides, there can be no more danger there than back among the hotcrevices. We have got to perish anyway, and we might as well spice theremainder of our lives with whatever adventure we can. Who knows what wemay not discover? There are many things about the land of Alpha that theinhabitants do not understand."
"I'll follow you anywhere," acquiesced Johnston; "you are right."
They stumbled on over the rocky surface in silence. At times, the roofof the cavern sank so low that they had to stoop to pass under it, andagain it rose sharply like the roof of a cathedral, and the rays of thefar-away, but ever-increasing light, shone upon glistening stalactitesthat hung from the darkness above them like daggers of diamonds set inebony.
"It is not so near as I supposed," said the Alphian wearily. "And thelight seemed to me to be shining on a cliff over which water is pouringin places. Yes, you can see that it is water by the ripples in thelight."
"Yes, but where can the light itself be?"
"I cannot yet tell; wait till we get nearer."
In about an hour they came to a wide chasm on the other side of whichtowered a vast cliff of white crystal. It was on this that the tremblinglight was playing.
"Not a waterfall after all," said Branasko; "see, there is the sourceof the reflection," and he pointed to the left through a series of darkchambers of the cavern to a dazzling light. "Come, let's go nearerit." He moved a few steps forward and then happening to look over hisshoulder he stopped abruptly, and uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"What is it?" And Johnston followed the eyes of the Alphian.
"Our shadows on the crystal cliff," said Branasko in an awed tone; "onlythe light from the changing sun could make them so."
Johnston shuddered superstitiously at the tone of Branasko's quiveringvoice, and their giant shadows which stood out on the smooth crystallike silhouettes. So clear-cut were they, that, in his own shadow, theAmerican could see his breast heaving and in Branasko's the quivering ofthe Alphian's huge body and limbs.
"If we have happened upon the home of the sun, only the spirit of thedead kings could tell what will become of us," said Branasko.
"Puh! you are blindly superstitious," said Johnston; "what if we do comeupon the sun? Let's go down there and look into the mystery."
Branasko fell into the rear and the American stoutly pushed ahead towardthe light which was every moment increasing. As they advanced the cavegot larger until it opened out into a larger plain over which hungfathomless darkness, and out of the plain a great dazzling globe oflight was slowly rising.
"It is the sun itself," exclaimed Branasko, and he sank to the earth andcovered his face with his hands. "I have not thought ever to see it outof the sky."
The American was deeply thrilled by the grand sight. He sat down byBranasko and together they watched the vast ball of light emerge fromthe black earth and gradually disappear in a great hole in the roof ofthe cavern. It left a broad stream of light behind it, and, now that thesun itself was out of view, the silent spectators could see the greatsquare hole from which it had risen.
As if by mutual consent, they rose and made their way over the rocksto the verge of the hole, which seemed several thousand feet square.At first, owing to the brightness of the sun overhead, they could seenothing; but, as the great orb gradually disappeared, they began to seelights and the figures of men moving about below. Later they observedthe polished parts of stupendous machinery--machinery that moved almostnoiselessly.
Johnston caught sight of a great net-work of moving cables reachingfrom the machinery up through the hole above and exclaimedenthusiastically:--"A mechanical sun! electric daylight! What genius!A world in a great cave! Hundreds of square miles and thousands of wellorganized people living under the light of an artificial sun!"
The Alphian looked at him astonished. "Is it not so in your country?" heasked.
Johnston smiled. "The great sun that lights the outer world is as muchgreater than that ball of light as Alpha is greater than a grain ofsand. But this surely is the greatest achievement of man. But while Inow understand how your sun goes over the whole of Alpha, I cannot seehow it returns."
"Then you have not heard of the great tunnel of the Sun," replied theAlphian.
"No,what is it?"
"It runs beneath Alpha and connects the rising and setting points of thesun. There is a point beneath the king's palace where, by a staircase,the king and his officers may go down and inspect the sun as it is onits way back to the east during the day."
"Wonderful!"
"And once a year a royal party goes in the sun over its entire course.It is said that it is sumptuously furnished inside, and not too warm,the lights being only innumerable small ones on the outside."
The two men were silent for a moment then Johnston said:
"Perhaps we might be able to get into it unobserved and be thus carriedover to the other side, or reach the palace through the tunnel."
Branasko started convulsively, and then, as he looked into the earnesteyes of the American, he said despondently:
"We have got to die, anyway; it may be well for us to think of it; buton the other side, in the Barrens, there is no more chance for escapethan here. But the adventure would at least give us something to thinkabout; let's try it."
"All right; but how can we get down there where the sun starts to rise?"asked the American, peering cautiously over the edge of the hole.
"There must be some way," answered Branasko. "Ah, see! further to theleft there are some ledges; let's see what can be done that way."
"I am with you."
The rays of the departing sun were almost gone, and the electric lightsdown among the machinery seemed afar off like stars reflected in deepwater. With great difficulty the two men lowered themselves from onesharp ledge to another till they had gone half down to the bottom.
"It is no use," said Branasko, peering over the lowest ledge. "Thereare no more ledges and this one juts out so far that even if there weresmaller ones beneath we could not get to them."
"That is true," agreed the American, "but look, is not that a lakebeneath? I think it must be, for the lights are reflected on itssurface."
"You are right," answered Branasko; "and I now see a chance for us toget down safely."
"How?"
"The workers are too far from the lake to see us; we can drop into thewater and swim ashore."
"Would they not hear the splashing of our bodies?"
"I think not; but first let's experiment with a big stone."
Suiting the action to the word, they secured a stone weighing aboutseventy-five pounds and brought it to the ledge. Carefully poising itin mid-air, they let it go. Down it went, cutting the air with a sharpwhizzing sound. They listened breathlessly, but heard no sound asthe rock struck the water, and the men among the machinery seemedundisturbed. Only the widening circles of rings on the lake's surfaceindicated where the stone had fallen.
"Good," ejaculated the Alphian; "are you equal to such a plunge? Thewater must be deep, and we won't be hurt at all if only we can keep ourfeet downward and hold our breath long enough. Our clothing will soondry down there, for feel the warmth that comes from below."
The Alphian slowly crawled out on the sharpest projection of the ledge."Are you willing to try it?" he asked, over his shoulder.
"Yes."
"Well, wait till you see me swim ashore, and then follow."
Johnston shuddered as the strong fellow swung himself over the ledge andhung downward.
"Adieu," said Branasko, and he let go. Down he fell, as straight asan arrow, into the
shadows below. For an instant Johnston heard thefluttering of the fellow's clothing as he fell through the darkness,and then there was no sound except the low whirr of the cables and themonotonous hum of the great wheels beneath. Then the smooth surfaceof the lake was broken in a white foaming spot, and, later, he sawsomething small and dark slowly swimming shoreward. It was Branasko, andthe men to the right had not heard or seen him.
Johnston saw him reach the shore, then he crawled out to the pointof the projecting rock and tremblingly lowered himself till hehung downward as Branasko had done. He had just drawn a deep breathpreparatory to letting go his hold, when, chancing to look down, he sawa long narrow barge slowly emerging from the cliff directly under him.For an instant he was so much startled that he almost lost his gripon the rock. He tried to climb back on the ledge, but his strength wasgone. He felt that he could not hold out till the boat had passed. Deathwas before him, and a horrible one. The boat seemed to crawl. Everythingwas a blur before his eyes. His fingers began to relax, and with a lowcry he fell.
Land of the Changing Sun Page 9