by OMNICAdmin
“I bring not her,” said Rua. “She came
Then he heard Rua’s voice. None of
of herself.”
them killed. The light gravity had saved them.
Taro’s gesture dismissed her. He
They scrambled up.
swung his arm, from which a string of
The top surface of the Island showed
ornaments hung clinking. “Enough. Go, Rua.
now in the yellow nightlight—a rocky area,
Soon I will send this girl Anne to your care.”
with trees, small landing platforms, and little
He watched her as she slowly left the
metal kiosks leading down underground.
apartment. A guard moved aside to pass her,
Rua murmured, “Don’t move—they and a heavy metal door swung open and might fire on us!”
closed.
They stood motionless, docile, while
And Johnny stared. Prisoners?
men came up and surrounded them. None
seemed to speak English, and imperiously Rua
HE saw now that the woman Rua had tricked
talked in her own language. Then the men
him. Where was her vaunted power over
took them through the kiosk entrance, down a
Taro? Johnny had at least half believed what
dimly lighted metal incline and along a length
she said. In reality, it was obvious now, she
of tunnel. And then into a draped and padded
was no more than one of Taro’s spies, ordered
grotto apartment.
to bring Johnny here. “Now we will talk,”
Thrilling Wonder Stories
10
Taro was saying. He was still smiling faintly.
“No,” said Johnny.
He swung all his body as though it were
“That is good. You will be, living with
pivoted at the waist and knees, and addressed
me. I need you. I am a fellow practical. I will
Anne.
get to Earth with much gold. What then? I
“What is your name?”
look strange. I need clothes. I need a house. I
She found her voice. “My name is
need—”
Again his gaze swept Anne. “I
Anne Johnson.”
need a woman to keep my house. I need my
Her tone was low and steady. Strange
raw gold changed into money to buy what I
little Anne, with courage not to show her fear.
want.”
Johnny saw admiration leap into Taro’s eyes.
Johnny nodded. Then he said abruptly,
“And what are you to him? His “Did you steal the transition mechanism my friend?”
father brought here, fifteen years ago?”
“Yes—his
friend.”
“Yes,” Tare smiled. “And I fool them
“You are the first Earth woman I have
all in Bhana that I have to make many
ever seen. I think I like you.” He turned to
journeys to other cities on government
Johnny. “I have to talk of—my plan to go to
business.”
your Earth, very soon. Your father, he thinks
He paused; then he said, “And here I
to send an army against me.” He laughed
have a surprise for you—” He called to one of
harshly, sardonically. “I work with your father
his men. The fellow came with the black sack
when I am young. Rua knows him since a
Johnny had left in the wreckage, laid it at
little girl—he make good his job to teach us
Taro’s feet and went back to his post.
your language. But he is an old man—a fool
Taro opened the sack and took from it
to help everyone and not himself. But you,
the two mechanisms which had transported
perhaps—”
Johnny and Anne from Earth! Johnny
“You want help from me?” Johnny
understood now. And Anne gasped, and
said quickly.
stared. Rua’s midnight visit to Hall’s home—
“I tell you. On Earth I will be very
to get Johnny—had also been to get these
rich—perhaps richest of any man in your mechanisms.
world. That brings great power—not so?”
“How did that accursed woman know
“Yes,” Johnny agreed. “Just about.”
where father hid them?” Johnny demanded.
“I understand that.” His grin came
It made Taro laugh. “She explain to
again. He lowered his voice a little. “We are
me—your father, naturally he tell a thing like
over two hundred of us here. I have always
that to Jeoh, the governor.”
tell my men I take them with me. I can
And Johnny remembered Jeoh’s
conquer the Earth! That is true. But I do it
fatuous look at Rua when she had come to the
alone.”
dinner.
His face was intense. “I—Taro— how
could I ever be powerful here? Gold means
TARO added, “We have now three of the
nothing here. Your great Earth—who shall
mechanisms here. This realm is doomed.
say, with all this gold, what Taro may do?”
Everyone here will die—except myself—and
He checked Johnny’s interruption.
you and this girl. You do not want to die? You
“You listen—you ask my plans—I tell
will go gladly to Earth—out of death here.”
to you. My condensers here, I will run them
“Yes,” Johnny agreed. “Why wouldn’t
until all the gold in this little world is mine.
I?”
Are you rich on Earth?”
He added cautiously, “I would like on
Shadow Gold
11
Earth to share your gold. I can certainly help
guards hurtled through the air and landed on
you.”
Johnny. Then they lifted him; held him
“Of course,” Taro smiled. “And I will
balanced erect on his feet.
have this Earth girl.”
And Taro was standing now, grinning.
With two backward sweeps of his He called: “I would not hurt you—this time.
arms, he wafted himself closer to Anne, who
We will talk again when you have less foolish
had moved a few feet away. Every muscle in
anger.”
Johnny was tense for a leap.
The men carried the bound Johnny
Taro added, with his slow smile, “You
away into a dim, cavelike cell. They unbound
will find me a man you can like very quickly.
him. The metal door closed; clanked with
I know how to please women. Are you afraid
outer bars. The voices faded.
of me? Do not be.”
Johnny was left alone, with only the
She had lost her cloak; she was garbed
steady distant hum o£ Taro’s giant condensers
only in her suit. His fingers brushed lightly
breaking the silence.
over her neck and throat. She did not shrink,
Johnny could find no way of getting
but suddenly a cry burst from her. And Johnny
out of here. He shoved at the door, but it was
leaped, head first, like a diver taking a plunge.
unyielding. A tiny glow of reflected light
His head struck Taro�
�s shoulder; the force of
came from the vaulted ceiling, and he could
Johnny’s leg thrust against the rocks knocked
presently see that he was in a small eroded
both their bodies half a dozen feet from Anne.
cave whose walls, ceiling and floor were
Johnny floundered, clutching at his patched with metal. A small ventilator grid, adversary. He felt his fingers reach Taro’s
breast high, admitted a stream of pure air.
belt; but Taro’s hand caught his wrist, twisted
In a corner of the cell there was a small
it with surprising strength. They struck the
metal bed, with a fabric mattress. Johnny lay
rock floor.
down. He was bruised and tired. And both
But this was Taro’s natural hungry and thirsty. He supposed someone environment. He jerked loose. His hand was at
would come, eventually.
his belt. A weapon came out. Anne screamed
He drifted off into restless slumber,
again. A guard from outside was sailing across
and was awakened by a voice. He started up,
the apartment in an arc.
confused. There were faint murmured words,
In Taro’s hand was a small cylinder. A
in English.
coiled wire sprang from it, struck Johnny’s
“Johnny! Johnny Hall! You in there?”
chest, and, uncoiling, wrapped itself around
It was coming through the small
him, pinning his arms. And in another second
ventilator grid which was only a few inches
Taro fired again. Another wire struck his wide; it seemed some four or five feet away.
knees. Lashed them. And Taro, pouncing,
“Johnny—I’m waiting—trying to get
lifted and flung him. Helpless, all in those few
you out.” There were other sounds. Other,
seconds, bound by the tightening wire into an
more distant voices. The murmuring voice
inert bundle, Johnny’s body sailed backward
said hurriedly, “I come again—” It stopped.
across the grotto.
And then the guard, with a black stone
THE heavy barred door moved inward. Rua
knife in his hand, came like a giant bird and
came through, with a metal platter of food and
pounced, but did not strike, for Taro shouted a
drink.
command.
“Thanks,” Johnny said. “Look here,
The grotto was in an uproar. Other
have you been with Anne?”
Thrilling Wonder Stories
12
“Yes. She is all right. She ask me
responded. “W« shall have no trouble. There
about you. Taro, he was pleased that I bring
are many details to arrange. Come now.”
you. He will take us all to Earth—”
They went up an ascending passage. It
“Good,” said Johnny. “Tell him the
seemed not more than fifty feet until they
sooner I get out of here, the better.”
stood in the shelter of a metal kiosk on the
She leaned forward. “Once I love Taro
island surface. A guard was here. The giant
very much. But you—I think I like better. You
forked funnel towered overhead. The
are angry that I trick you?”
luminous pit under it hummed and throbbed.
He shoved her violently off. “Get out
Taro and Johnny were clinging to a
of here!”
low railing. It led from here across the rocks
She swayed to her feet. “No man has
to the lip of the condenser pit.
ever said that to me before.”
“Hold tight,” Taro murmured. “You
Fury of a woman scorned. Upon her
could blow away so easily.”
heavy face was a look of smoldering anger.
They edged along the railing; and now
“You love that pale Earth girl. Yes—you love
three dark-robed men with goggles followed
her, love her!”
after them. Johnny felt now the impurity of
He grinned. “Go on—beat it. Get out!”
this tumbling air—eddies of the poisonous
She moved through the doorway, and
cloud of death overhead which were swept
was gone. The men swung the door closed.
down here. Taro was telling his plans for
Johnny went on eating. And then cold fear
transporting the gold to Earth. They would
struck at him. What a fool he was—what an
begin that soon, and meanwhile keep the
accursed fool! He had sent Rua away in a
absorbers steadily running.
vengeful fury—and it was she who had charge
“We’ll need the transition mechanisms
of Anne. And whose voice was it which he
handy,” Johnny said.
had heard through the ventilator? A friend
Taro chuckled. “I have them safe.”
here—
“Where?” said Johnny. He tensed for
Then at last Taro came. He stood in the
the answer; but Taro only laughed.
doorway with the guards behind him. He
“Suit yourself.” Johnny said. “Where
smiled. “You feel more with reason now?”
is Anne? Let’s take her now and show her the
“Oh yes,” Johnny agreed. “Is Ann«
gold. Tell her our plans.”
safe?”
“She is coming,” Taro said readily.
He held his breath. “But yes,” said
“Rua brings her.”
Taro. “I have to go and inspect my
They started again along the railing. It
condensers. You hear that they still operate? I
joined a similar rail at the lip of the pit. And
was thinking to take you now to see them. We
edged black against the glare, were the figures
must plan how best we are to transport the
of two women. In a moment Johnny and
gold to Earth. The time is almost here—”
Taro—and the three guards—joined them.
It made Johnny’s heart leap. A Johnny was aware of Anne’s quick anxious chance—
glance, and a smoldering gaze from Rua.
“I’d like that very much.” He was Taro
said,
“The
wind is very strong.
standing, with Taro facing him; and he saw
My condensers make a disturbance
that Taro was alert to his least move.
worldwide.”
Johnny grinned. “I’m not fool enough
to jump on you again.”
THE light from the pit was so intense that
“You are a fellow I like,” Taro Johnny could not look into it. He edged over
Shadow Gold
13
to Anne; he put his arm around her. The three
was visible. Mineral gold. It came sliding like
guards had approached. Taro and Rua were
yellow sand, through a grid, down a little
donning goggles. One of the three guards chute and into an open container. The narrow handed a pair to Anne, and then one to yellow stream gleamed and sparkled in the Johnny—goggles with dark lenses to dim the
light.
glare. Then the black-robed, goggled man
Taro was saying, “I will show you the
swayed away from him, gripping the railing.
volume of our treasure. F
or the transportation
But his body brushed Johnny—and his hand,
to Earth—”
just for an instant, gripped Johnny’s arm. A
A goggled man came plucking at him.
warning? A signal? Was this the mysterious
They talked excitedly in their own language.
friend? A friend here, masquerading as one of
Then in English, Taro exclaimed:
Taro’s men? Johnny was alert.
“One of my men found killed! His
With the goggles, Johnny could see
clothes and weapons taken! There is a spy
comfortably into the glare. A metal incline led
lurking here—”
over the lip of the pit, and then a few feet
He moved a few feet away, talking
down to a railed platform. It was in a back
with several other excited men who had joined
eddy of the wind, partly sheltered. And from
him. Johnny stood tense, with a hand on
there they gazed down at the strange, Anne’s shoulder. The original three guards forbidding scene spread below them.
blocked the nearby exit from the balcony
The pit was circular; about a hundred
ledge, though they moved a little from it to
feet in diameter. It was, in effect, a giant cone, listen to what Taro and the others were saying.
set point downward into the ground. The two
Suddenly a swish of air sounded.
overhead forked funnels came down, Rua’s body came sailing head forward and narrowed into twenty-foot conduits which struck both Anne and Johnny together. They branched into a system of small tubes and
had been standing clinging to each other.
pipes. They stretched like tangled pythons Rua’s jealousy! It flared now to an over the steeply sloping inner surface of the