The Blind Spot
Page 44
XLIII
THE HOME OF THE JARADOS
Chick had been grievously hurt in the contest with the Senestro, butthanks to the Rhamdas he came round rapidly. It was a matter of lessthan a week.
Things were coming to a climax; Chick needed no lynx's eye to seethat the die had been cast between the Bars and the Rhamdas. Soon theSenestro must make a bold move, or else release the professor.
Chick had not long to wait. It came one evening. Once again he foundhimself in the June Bug, accompanied by the Geos, the Jan Lucar,and--the little Aradna herself. Their departure was swift and secret.
This time Watson was not worried over height, or any other sensation offlight. The doctor's safety alone was of moment. He said to the Rhamda:
"Are we alone? Where is the Bar MacPherson?"
"He is somewhere near; we are not alone, my lord. Several other machinesare flying nearby also; they carry many of the Rhamdas and the crimsonguard of the queen. The MacPherson will arrive first. We are goingstraight to the Palace of Light, my lord."
"Are we to storm the place?" thinking of the fight MacPherson hadpredicted.
"Yes, my lord. Many shall die; but it cannot be helped. We must free theJarados, although we commit sacrilege."
"But--the Senestro?"
"That depends, my lord. We know not just what may be done." He gave noexplanation.
They had climbed to a tremendous height. The indicator showed that theywere bearing east. The darkness was modified only by the faint glow fromthat star-dusted sky. Looking down, Chick could see nothing whatever.His companions kept silence; only the Aradna, sitting forward by theside of Jan Lucar showed any perturbation. They climbed higher andhigher still, until it seemed that they must leave the Thomahliaaltogether. Always the course was eastward. At last the Jan said to theGeos:
"We are now over the Region of Carbon, sir. Shall I risk the light? Hislordship might like to see."
"Follow your own judgment."
"Oh," exclaimed the Aradna; "do it by all means! There is nothing sowonderful as that!"
The Jan touched a small lever. Instantly a shaft of light cut downthrough the blackness. Far, far below it ended in a patch on the ground.Watson eagerly followed its movements as it searched from side to side,seeking he knew not what. And then--
There was a flash of inverted lightning, a flame of white fire, ablinding, stabbing scintillation of a million coruscations. Watsonclapped a hand to his eyes, to cut off the sight. It was stunning.
"What is it?" he cried.
"Carbon," answered the Geos, calmly.
"Carbon! You mean--diamond?"
"Yes, my lord. So it interests you? I did not know. Later you shall seeit under more favourable conditions." Then, to the Jan: "Enough."
Once again they were in darkness. For some minutes silence was again therule. Watson watched the red dot moving across the indicator, noting itsapproach to a three cornered figure on one edge. Suddenly there appearedanother dot; then another, and another. Some came from below, othersfrom above; presently there were a score moving in close formation.
"They are all here," said the Jan to the Geos.
The other nodded, and explained to Chick: "It's the Rhamdas and theCrimson guards. The MacPherson is just ahead. We shall arrive in threeminutes."
And after a pause he stated that the ensuing combat would mark thefirst spilling of blood between the Bars and the Rhamdas. At a pinch theSenestro might even kill the Jarados, to gain his ends. "His wish is hisonly law, my lord."
The red dots began to descend toward the three-cornered figure. Oneminute passed, and another; then one more, and the June Bug landed.
With scarcely a sound the Lucar brought the craft to a full stop. In amoment he was assisting the Aradna to alight. As for the Geos, he tookfrom the machine two objects, which he held out to the Aradna and toChick.
"Put these on. The rest of us fight as we are."
They were cloaks, made of a soft, light, malleable glass, or somethinglike it. Watson asked what they were for.
"For a purpose known only to the Jarados, my lord. There are only two ofthese robes. With them he left directions which indicated plainly theyare for your lordship and the Aradna."
Wondering, Chick helped the Aradna don her garment and then slippedinto his own. Nevertheless, he pinned more faith in the automatic in hispocket. He did not make use of the hood which was intended to cover hishead.
"Pardon me," spoke the queen. She reached over and extended the hoodtill it protected his skull. "Please wear it that way, for my sake.Nothing must happen to you now!"
Chick obeyed with only an inward demur. What puzzled him most was theisolation. Seemingly they were quite alone; there was nothing, no one,to oppose them.
But he had merely taken something for granted. He, being from the earth,had assumed that strife meant noise. It was only when the Aradna caughthim by the arm, and whispered for him to listen, that he understood.
It was like a breeze, that sound. To be more precise, it was like theheavy passage of breath, almost uninterrupted, coming from all aboutthem. And presently Chick caught a queer odour.
"What is it?" he breathed in the Aradna's ear.
"It is death," she answered. "Cannot you hear them--the deherers?"
She did not explain; but Watson knew that he was in the midst ofa battle which was fought with noiseless and terribly efficientweapons--so efficient that there were no wounded to give voice to pain.Before he could ask a question a familiar voice sounded out of thedarkness at his side.
"Where is the Geos?"
"Here, Bar MacPherson," answered the Rhamda.
"Good! It is well you came, sir. We were discovered a few minutes ago;already we have lost many men. Just give us the lights, so that wecan get at them! It is a waste of men, with the advantage all on theirside."
Then, lapsing into English for Chick's benefit: "'Tis welcome ye are!Ivery mon helps, how."
"What are these sounds? You say they are fighting?"
"'Tis the deherers ye hear, lad. They fight with silent guns. Don't let'em hit ye, or ye'll be a pink pool in the twinklin' of yer eyelid. 'Tisno joke.
"Are they more powerful than firearms?"
"I dinna say, lad. But they're th' devil's own weapon for fightin'."
Chick did not answer--he had heard a low command from the Geos. Nextinstant the space before them was illuminated by clear white light, inthe form of a circle--bright as day. In the centre shimmered an objectlike a mist of blue flame, a nimbus of dazzling, actinic lightning.There was no sign of man or life, no suggestion of sound--nothing butthe nimbus, and the brilliant space about it. The whole phenomenonmeasured perhaps three hundred feet across.
They were in darkness. Chick took a step forward, but he was held backby MacPherson.
"Nay, lad; would ye be dyin' so soon? 'Tis fearful quick. See--"
He did not finish. A red line of soldiers had rushed straight out of theblackness into the circle of light. It seemed that they were chargingthe nimbus. They were stooping now, discharging their queer weapons;about three hundred of them--an inspiring sight. They charged indetermined silence.
Then--Watson blinked. The line disappeared; the thing was like amiracle. It took time for Chick to realise that he was looking uponthe "pink death" MacPherson had warned him against--the work of thedeherers, whatever the word meant. For where had been a column ofgallant guards there was now only a broad stream of pink liquidtrickling over the ground. It was annihilation itself--too quick tobe horrible--inexorable and instantaneous. Chick involuntarily placedhimself in front of the Aradna.
"The blue thing in the middle," observed the Irishman, coolly, "is th'Palace av Light; 'tis held by th' Senestro jest now. An' all we got todo is get th' ould doc out."
"But I see no building!"
"'Tis there jest the same. Ye'll see it whin th' doctor gits time offhis rainbows. 'Tis absent-minded he gets when he's on a problem, whichsame is mostly always, sor. We stay roight here till he gets
ready todrop on th' Senestro."
Watson waited. He knew enough now to cling to the shadow, there withMacPherson, the Geos, and the Aradna. In the centre of the greatlight-circle the nimbus of blue stood out like a vibrating haze, whileall about, in the darkness, could be heard the weird sound made by thepassage of life.
"When will the Jarados act?" inquired the Geos of the Irishman. But hegot no reply. MacPherson spoke to Watson: "Get yer gun ready, lad; getyer gun ready! Look--'tis th' ould boy himself, now! I wonder what theSenestro thinks of that?"
For the nimbus had suddenly dissolved, and in its place there appearedone of the quaintest, yet most beautiful buildings that Watson had everseen. It was a three-cornered structure, low-set, and of unspeakablydazzling magnificence; a building carved and chiselled from solidcarbon. Chick momentarily forgot the doctor.
In front of it stood a line of Blue Guards, headed by the Senestro.Their confusion showed that something altogether unexpected hadhappened. They were ducking here and there, seemingly bewildered by thesudden vanishing of that protecting blue dazzle. The Senestro was tryingto restore order; and in a moment he succeeded. He led the way toward alow, triangular platform, at the entrance--a single white door--to thepalace.
Pat MacPherson's automatic flashed and barked. Next instant Watsonwas in action. The Bar next to the Senestro staggered, then collapsedagainst his chieftain. Another rolled against his feet, causing himto stumble; an act that probably saved his life, for the platform in asecond was covered with writhing, bleeding, dying Bars.
The Senestro managed to reach the doorway. MacPherson cursed.
"Come on!" he yelled to Watson. "Well git him alive!" Watson rememberedlittle of that rush. There stood the great Bar at the doorway,surrounded by his dying and panic-stricken men. The cloak given Chick bythe Geos impeded his progress; with a quick movement he threw it off andran unprotected alongside the Irishman. The Blue guards saw them coming;they levelled their weapons. But before they could discharge them theymet the same fate as had the Reds. A tremor in the air, and they weregone, leaving only a pink pool on the ground.
Senestro alone remained untouched. He was about to open the white door;for a second he posed, defiant and handsome. Then the great Bar duckedswiftly and almost with the same motion dodged into the building. Chickand Pat were right after him.
Inside was darkness. Chick ran head on against the side wall; turning,he bumped into another. The sudden transition from brillianceto blackness was overwhelming. He stopped and felt aboutcarefully--momentarily blind. What if the Senestro found him now?
He called MacPherson's name. There was no reply. He tried to feel hisway along, finding the wall irregular, jagged, sharp cornered. But theway must lead somewhere. He reached a turn in the passage; it wasstill too dark for him to see anything. He proceeded more cautiously,wondering at those craggy walls. And then--
Chick slapped his hands to his eyes. It was as if he had been shot intothe core of the sun--the obsidian darkness flashed into light--a lightbeyond all enduring. Chick staggered, and cried in pain. And yet, reasontold him just what it was, just what had happened. It was the carbon; hewas in the heart of the diamond; the Senestro had led him on and on, andthen--had flashed some intense light upon the vast jewel. Watson knewthe terrible helplessness of the blind. His end had come!
And so it seemed. Next instant someone came up to him--someone he couldhear if he could not see. It was the Senestro.
"Hail, Sir Phantom! Pardon my abrupt manner of welcome. I suppose youhave come for the Jarados?" And he laughed, a laugh full of mockery andtriumph. "Perhaps you think I intend to kill you?"
Watson said no word. He had been outwitted. He awaited the end. But theSenestro saw fit to say, with an irony that told how sure he was:
"However, I am opposed to killing in cold blood. Open your eyes, SirPhantom! I will give you time--a fair chance. What do you say--shall wematch weapon against weapon?"
Watson slowly opened his eyes. The blinding light had dimmed to a softglow. They were in a sort of gallery whose length was uncertain;between him and the outlet, about ten feet away, stood the confident,ever-smiling Bar.
"You or I," said he, jauntily. "Are you ready to try it? I have givenyou a fair chance!"
He raised his dagger-like weapon, as though aiming it. At the sameinstant Chick pulled the trigger from the hip, snap aim.
The gun was empty.
Another second, and Watson would have been like those spots of colouron the ground outside. He breathed a prayer to his Maker. The Senestro'sweapon was in line with his throat.
But it was not to be. There came a flash and a stunning report; thedeherer clattered against the wall, and the Senestro clutched a stinginghand. He was staring in surprise at something behind Chick--somethingthat made him turn and dart out of sight.
Chick wheeled.
Right behind him stood the familiar form of the Jan Lucar; and a fewfeet beyond, a figure from which came a clear, cool, nonchalant voice;
"I would have killed that fellow, Chick, but he's too damned handsome.I'm going to save him for a specimen."
Watson peered closer. He gave a gasp, half of amazement, half ofdelight. For the words were in English, and the voice--
It was Harry Wendel.