by E. E. Smith
CHAPTER X
Among Friends at Last
The time for the landing of the _Sirius_ was drawing near, and thecastaways upon Ganymede had donned their only suits of earthly clothing,instead of the makeshifts of mole-skin, canvas, and leather they hadbeen wearing so long. Thorns and underbrush had pierced and torn theironce natty outing costumes, and sparks and flying drops of molten metalfrom Stevens' first crude forges had burned in them many gaping holes.
"I did the best I could with them, Steve, but they look pretty crumby,"Nadia wrinkled her nose as she studied the anything but invisible seams,darns, and staring patches everywhere so evident, both in her ownapparel of gray silk and in the heavy whipcord clothing of hercompanion.
"You did a great job, considering what you had to work with," hereassured her. "Besides, who cares about a few patches? I feel a lotmore civilized in my own clothes, don't you?"
"Well ... yes," she admitted. "They're silk, anyway, even if they don'tlook like much, and I'm just reveling in the feel of them next to meafter the horrible, rough, scratchy things I've been wearing. Seeanything yet?"
"Not yet." Stevens had been scanning the heavens with a pair ofbinoculars. "That doesn't mean much, though, as they'll be just about inthe sun and they'll be coming like a scared dog. Might as well put awaythese glasses--we probably won't be able to see them until they're righton top of us."
"What shall we take with us?"
"Don't know--nothing, probably, since they must have a campaign alreadymapped out. I'd like to salvage a lot of this junk, but I'm afraid wewon't be able to. I'm going to take my bow and arrows, though, aren'tyou?"
"Absolutely! That's one thing that's better than anything I ever had onEarth. This bow of mine is perfect."
"There they are! Three rousing cheers! Say, but that old hulk looks goodto me!"
"Doesn't she, though!" cried Nadia, vibrant with excitement. "You know,Steve. I've hardly dared really to believe it until this very minute. Ohlook! What's that?"
The _Sirius_ had stopped in midair and they could see, far in thedistance, the tiny sphere of the Jovians, rushing to the attack.
"Oh, how horrible!" cried the girl, her voice breaking. "I'm afraid,Steve...."
"You needn't be, ace. I've told you they won't go off half-cocked aslong as Westfall is on the job. They're ready for anything, or theywouldn't be here--but just the same I wish that they had that Titanianmirror and a couple of those bombs!"
In a moment more the Jovian plane of force was launched, the powerfulray-screens flared into white-hot, sparkling defense, and the battle wason. Held spell-bound as the castaways were by that spectacular duel, yetStevens' trained mind warned him of the perils of their position.
"Grab your bow and we'll beat it!" and he rapidly led her away from thesteel structures to an open hillside, well away from any projection,tree, or sharp point of rock. "If that keeps up very long, we're goingto see some real fireworks, and I don't know whether there will beenough left of our plant here to salvage or not. Everything is grounded,of course, but I don't believe that ordinary grounds will amount to muchagainst what's coming."
"What _are_ you talking about?" demanded Nadia.
"Look!" he replied, pointing, and as he spoke, a terrific bolt oflightning launched itself from the incandescent screen of the Jovianvessel upon their slender ultra-radio tower, which subsided instantlyinto a confused mass of molten and twisted metal.
* * * * *
As the power of the beams was increased and as the combatants drewnearer and nearer the ground, the lightning display grew ever moreviolent. Well below the canyon as the warring vessels were, thepower-plant and penstock did not suffer at all and only a few dischargesstruck the _Forlorn Hope_--discharges which were carried easily toground by the enormous thickness of her armor--but every prominentobject for hundreds of yards below the _Hope_ was literally blasted outof existence. Radio tower, directors and fittings; trees, shrubs, sharppoints of rock--all were struck again and again; fused, destroyed,utterly obliterated by the inconceivable energy being dissipated bythose impregnable screens of force. Even almost flat upon the ground asthe spectators were, each individual hair upon their heads strovefiercely to stand erect, so heavily charged was the very air. Stevens'arm was blue for days, such was Nadia's grip upon it, and she herselfcould scarcely breathe in that mighty arm's constriction--but each wasconscious only of that incredibly violent struggle, of that duel to thedeath being waged there before their eyes with those frightful weapons,hitherto unknown to man. They saw the _Sirius_ triumphant, and Stevensled the dancing girl back into their dwelling of steel.
"Danger's all over now. Radio's gone, but we should fret a lot aboutthat. It has done its stuff--we can use the communicators. And now,sweetheart, I'm going to kiss you--for the first time in sevenlifetimes."
Locked in each other's arms, they watched the scene until Stevensthought it time to send his message. Then, running hand in hand towardthe huge space-cruiser, they were snatched apart and drawn up toward thedouble airlocks of the main entrance. Pressure gradually brought up tonormal, they were ushered into the control room, where Nadia glancedaround quickly and almost took her father off his feet by hertempestuous rush into his arms.
"Oh, Daddy darling. I just knew you'd come along! I haven't seenyou for a million years!" she exclaimed, rapturously. "And Bill,too--wonderful!" as she fervently embraced a young man wearing theuniform of a lieutenant of Interplanetary Police. "Ouch, Bill--you'rebreaking all my ribs!"
"Well, you cracked three of mine. Maybe you don't know how husky youare, but you've got a squeeze like a full grown boa constrictor!" Heheld her off at arms' length and studied her with admiration. "Gee,it's fine to see you again, Sis. You're looking great, too--I thinkI'll bring my girl out here to live. You always were a knockout, butnow you're the loveliest thing I ever saw!"
He made his way through the group surrounding Stevens, while Nadia andher father talked earnestly.
"I'm Bill Newton. Thanks," he said, simply, holding out his hand, whichwas taken in a bone-crushing grip.
"Bring him over here, Bill!" Nadia called before Stevens could finda reply.
"I don't know how to say anything, Stevens," the officer continued, inembarrassment, as the two men turned to obey the summons. "She's a goodkid, and we think a lot of her. We'd about given her up. We.... She....Oh, rats, what's the use? You know what I mean. You're there, Stevens,like a...."
"Clam it, ace!" Stevens interrupted. "I get you, to nineteen decimals.And you don't half know just what a good kid she really is. She's thereason we're here--we were down pretty close to bed-rock for a while,she stood up when I wilted. She's got everything. She...."
"Clam it yourself, Steve! Don't believe a word of it, Dad and Bill._Wilt_!" Nadia's voice dripped scorn. "Why, he di...."
"Please!" Newton's voice was somewhat husky as he silenced the clamor ofthe three young people, all talking at once. "I will not embarrass youfurther by trying to say something that no words can express. You toldme that you would take care of her, and I learn that you have done so."
"I did what I could, but most of the credit belongs to her, no matterwhat she says," Stevens insisted. "Anyway, sir, here she is; alive, welland ... unharmed," and his eyes bore unflinchingly the piercing gaze ofthe older man, who was reassured and pleased by what he read therein."One thing I want to say right now, though, that may make you feel likecanceling the welcome. I loved Nadia even before the _Arcturus_ wasattacked, and since then, coming to know her as I have, the feelinghasn't lessened any."
"Nadia has already told me all about you two," said her father, "and thewelcome stands. If you could take care of her as well as you have donesince you left the _Arcturus_, I have no doubt of your ability to takecare of her for life. We have been examining the work you have donehere, son, and the more I saw of it the more amazed I became that youcould have succeeded as you did. We are deeply indebted.... Just aminute! There's my call--I'm wanted in Fifteen. I'
ll see you againdirectly."
"Hi, Norm!" Stevens further relieved the surcharged atmosphere."As soon as you and Quince can leave those controls come over and see us,will you?"
"All x--coming up!" sounded Brandon's deep and pleasant bass, and thetwo rescuers, who had tactfully avoided the family reunion, came overand greeted the third of their triumvirate.
"Ho, Perce--you look fit." Brandon ran an expert hand over Stevens'arm and shoulder. "Looks as if he might last a round or two, doesn'the, Quince?"
"You are looking fine, Steve. Neither of you appear any the worse foryour experiences. So this is Nadia? We have heard of you, Miss Newton."
"I believe that, knowing Dad," she replied. "Thanks, both of you, fordigging us out. I've heard about you two, and I'm going to kiss youboth."
Westfall, the silent and reserved, was taken aback, but Brandon met hermore than half-way.
"All x, Nadia--payment in full received and hereby acknowledged," helaughed, as he allowed her feet to return to the floor. "Even if it wassome stout lads from Mars and Venus that did all the work we'll take thereward--especially since Alcantro and Fedanzo couldn't feel even such ahigh-voltage salute as that one was, and I can't picture you kissing aVenerian even if you could get to him. Whenever you get lost again, besure to let us know, now that you've got our address. If I know Perce atall, you've heard of us 'til you're sick of it and us--it's a weaknessof his--talking too much."
"Why, it's no such th...." began Nadia, but broke off as an aide came upand saluted smartly.
"Pardon me, but General Crowninshield requests that Doctor Brandon,Doctor Westfall, and Doctor Stevens join the council in Lounge Fifteenas soon as convenient." He saluted again and turned away.
"Yes, that's right, folks--we've got to take a lot of steps, fast--seeyou later," and Brandon, taking each of the other two by an arm, marchedthem away toward the designated assembly room.
* * * * *
There, already seated at a long table, were Czuv, King, andBreckenridge, all fully recovered, engaged in earnest conversation withNewton and Crowninshield. Alcantro and Fedanzo, the Martian scientists,were listening intently, as were the two Venerians Dol Kenor and PyrazAmonar. The eyes of the three newcomers, however, did not linger uponthe group at the table, but were irresistibly drawn to one corner of theroom, where six creatures lay in the heaviest manacles afforded by thestores of the Interplanetary Police. Not only were they manacled, buteach was facing a ray-projector, held by a soldier whose expressionshowed plainly that he would rather press the lethal contact than not.
"Oh--those the things we're fighting?" Brandon stopped at the thresholdand stared intently at the captive hexans. Goggling green eyes glaringvenomously, they were lying quiet, but tense; mighty muscles ready toburst into berserk activity should the attention of a guard waver fora single instant.
But little more than half as large as the savage creatures with whomStevens had fought in the mountain glade upon Ganymede, the hexansresembled those aborigines only as civilized men might resemble giganticprimordial savages of our own Earth. Brandon's gaze went from short,powerful legs up a round, red body to the enormous, freakish double pairof shoulders, with its peculiar universal jointing. From the doubleshoulders sprang four limbs, the front pair of which were undoubtedlyarms, terminating in large, but fairly normal, hands. The intermediatelimbs were longer than the legs and were much more powerful than thearms, and ended in members that were very evidently feet and handscombined. What in a human being would be the back of the hand was thesole of the foot--when walking upon that foot the long and dexterousthumb and fingers were curled up, out of the way and protected frominjury, in the palm of the hand. From the monstrous shoulders thererose a rather long and very flexible, yet massive and columnar neck,supporting a head neither human nor bestial--a head utterly unknown toTerrestrial history or experience. The massive cranium bespoke a highlydeveloped and intelligent brain, as did the three large and expressive,peculiar, triangular eyes. The three sensitive ears were very long,erect, and sharply pointed. Each was set immediately above an eye, oneupon each side of the head and one in front. Each ear was independentlyand instantly movable in any direction, to catch the faintest sound.The head, like the body and limbs, was entirely devoid of hair. Thehorns, so prominent in the savages Stevens had seen, were in this highlyintelligent race but vestigial--three small, sharp, black protuberancesonly an inch in length, one surmounting each ear, outlining the loftyforehead. The nose occupied almost the whole middle of the face and wasnot really a nose--it developed into a small and active proboscis. Thechin was receding almost to the point of disappearance, so that themouth, with its multiple rows of small, sharp, gleaming-white teeth, wasalmost hidden under the face instead of being a part of it. Such werethe hexans, at whom the Big Three stared in undisguised amazement.
"Attention, please!" Newton called the meeting to order. "We havelearned that all the passengers of the _Arcturus_, and all the crew savethree, are alive and safe for the time being. Most of them are upon thesatellite Europa. However, I understand that we are not yet sufficientlywell armed to withstand such an attack in force as will certainlydevelop when we move to rescue them. This seems to be a war of appliedphysics--Doctor Brandon, as spokesman for the Scientific forces of theexpedition, what are your suggestions?"
"Anticipating an attack in response to signals probably sent out by theenemy," replied Brandon. "I headed directly south immediately. We arenow well south the ecliptic, and are traveling at considerably more thanfull Martian acceleration. Before making any suggestions, I should liketo hear from Captain Czuv, who is more familiar than we are with thecommon enemy. Are they apt to follow us: can they detect us if we shoulddrift at constant velocity; and can we search the brains of theprisoners with his Callistonian thought-exchanger, if he should buildone with our help?"
"If they are close enough to us to overtake us without too much losttime, they will certainly attack us," Czuv answered at a nod fromNewton. "Ordinarily they would pursue us to the limits of the SolarSystem if necessary, but since they have suffered reverses of late andcannot spare any vessels, they will probably not pursue us far. Yes,they can detect us, even without the driving rays, since this vesseluses much low-tension, low-frequency electricity in its automaticmachinery, lights, and so on. No; our thought-transformer cannot takethoughts by force, and the hexans will exchange no ideas with us. Theyare implacable and deadly foes of all humanity, irrespective of planetor race. Mercy is to them unknown--they neither give nor take quarter."
"I can bear him out in that," Crowninshield interposed grimly. "Thefirst one to recover snapped our ordinary handcuffs like so much threadand literally tore four men to pieces before the rest of us could rayhim. Will you need me longer, Director Newton?"
"I think not. General. Captain Czuv, you have made no headway withthem?" asked the Director.
"None whatever, as I foretold. They understand me thoroughly, since twoof them speak my own tongue, but nothing that they have said can everbe repeated here. I knew from the first that all such attempts would befruitless, but I have tried--and failed. I suggest what I suggested atfirst--put them to death, here and now, as they lie there, for mostassuredly they will in some way contrive to take toll of lives of yourown humanity if you allow them to live."
"You may be right," said Newton, "but neither the General nor myselfcan give the order for their death, since Interplanetary law does notcountenance such summary action. However, the guards are fully warned ofthe peril, and will ray every prisoner at the first sign of unruliness.General Crowninshield, you may remove the prisoners and deal with themin accordance with...."
* * * * *
Pandemonium reigned. At Crowninshield's signal for the guards to leavethe room with their captives, all six had strained furiously at theirbonds and three of them had broken free in a flash, throwing themselvesupon the guards with unthinkable ferocity. Stevens, seeing aray-projector in a hand of one of the
prisoners, hurled his heavy chairinstantly and with terrific force. The projector flew into the air,shattered and useless, while the hexan was knocked into a corner by themomentum of the massive projectile and lay there, stunned and broken.Brandon, likewise reacting instantaneously, had bent over and seizeda leg of the table, bracing his knee against the corner. With a mightylunge of his powerful body he wrenched out the support and with acontinuation of the same motion, he brought the jagged oak head of histerrible club down full upon the crown of the second hexan, who hadalready torn one guard apart and was leaping toward Czuv, his hereditaryfoe. In midflight he was dashed to the floor, his head a shapeless,pulpy mass, and Brandon, bludgeon again aloft, strode deeper into thefray. For a brief moment searing lethal beams probed here and there,chains clanked and snapped, once more that ponderous and irresistibleoaken mace fell like the hammer of Thor, again spattering brains andblood abroad as it descended--then again came silence. The six erstwhileprisoners lay dead, but they had taken five of the guards withthem--literally dismembered, hideously torn limb from limb by thesuperhuman, incredible physical strength and utter ferocity of thehexans.
By common consent the meeting was adjourned to another room, for thebusiness in hand could not be postponed.
"Captain Czuv was right--we Tellurians could not believe in theexistence of such a race without the evidence of our own senses." Newtonreopened the meeting. "From this time on we take no prisoners. DoctorBrandon, you may resume."
"The detectors and lookouts will give ample warning of any attack, andDoctor Westfall has suggested that we should have all possible factsat hand before we try to decide upon a course of action. We should liketo hear the full reports of Captain King, Captain Czuv, Chief PilotBreckenridge, and Doctor Stevens."
The four men told their stories tersely and rapidly, while the otherslistened in deep attention. As the last speaker sat down, Newton againturned to Brandon, who silently jerked his head at Westfall, knowing hisown inadequacy in such a situation--realizing that here was neededWestfall's cold and methodical thinking.
"Director Newton and gentlemen," Westfall spoke calmly and precisely."We have much to do before we can meet the hexans upon equal terms.We have many new fields of force and rays to develop, of whose natureand necessity Doctor Brandon is already aware. Then, too, we mustrecalculate our visirays so that we can operate at greater range andefficiency. We must also examine the hexan space-ship which is towing,to do which it will be desirable to drift at constant velocity for atime. In it we may find instruments or devices as yet unknown to us.It also occurs to me that since this is an Interplanetary Police problemof the first magnitude, we should at once get in touch with PoliceHeadquarters, so that the Peace Fleet can be armed as we ourselves are,or shall be, armed; for a large and highly efficient fleet will benecessary to do that which must be done. It is, of course, a foregoneconclusion that Interplanetary humanity will support the humanity ofCallisto against the hexans.
"It is also self-evident that we must stay here and rescue theTellurians now upon Europa and Callisto, but we are not yet in positionto decide just how that rescue is to be accomplished. Four courses areapparently open to us. First, to attempt it as soon as we shall havestrengthened our armament as much as is now possible. That would invitea massed attack, and in my opinion would be foolish--probably suicidal.Second, to stand by at a distance until the rocket-ship is launched,then to escort it back to the Earth. Third, to aid the Callistonians asmuch as possible while awaiting the completion of the rocket-vessel.Fourth, and perhaps the most feasible and quickest, it may be possiblefor the Callistonian rocket-ships to bring out fellow-Tellurians, a fewat a time, to us here out in space, since they are apparently able tocome and go at will. However, I would recommend that we make no plansfor the rescue as yet--there is little use in attempting to deal with anever-changing situation until we are ready to act forthwith. I suggestthat we strengthen our offensive and defensive armament first, thensecure information as to the exact status of affairs, both upon Callistoand upon Europa. Then, ready to act, we will do at once whatever seemscalled for by the situation then obtaining."
"The program as outlined seems eminently sensible. Are there anycomments or suggestions?" None having been offered, Director Newtonadjourned the meeting and each man attacked his particular problem.
True to Czuv's prediction the hexans did not deem it worthwhile topursue the Terrestrial vessel, so obviously and so earnestly fleeingfrom them, and shortly, the acceleration was cut off, to render possiblea thorough study of the two halves of the spherical warship of theenemy. Scientists donned space-suits and studied every feature ofthe strange vessel, while mechanics dismantled and transferred to the_Sirius_ every device and instrument of interest. One or two novel anduseful applications of rays and forces were found, their visirays andcommunicators in particular being of a high degree of efficiency; butupon the whole the science of the hexans was found to be inferior tothat now known to the scientists of Interplanetary's flying laboratory.Brandon studied the hexan power-system most carefully, and, everythingin readiness and after a long talk with Westfall, he called a generalconference in the control-room.
"Gentlemen, we have done about everything we can do for the time being.By combining the best features of the visirays and communicators ofthe hexans with our own newly-perfected devices, we now have a reallyexcellent system of communication. Our friends from Mars and Venushave so altered and enlarged our force-controls that our offensiveand defensive fields, rays, and screens leave little to be desired.In power we are far ahead of the enemy. They apparently know nothingof the possibilities of cosmic radiation, but depend upon tight-beamtransmission from their own power-plants--which transmission they haveperfected to a point far beyond anything reached by us of the threeplanets. They do not use accumulators, and therefore their dissipationis limited to their maximum reception, which is about seventy thousandkilofranks. Since we can dissipate ten times that amount of energy, wecould withstand, for a short time, the simultaneous attacks of ten oftheir vessels. Eleven or more of them, however, would be able to crushour defensive screens--and Captain Czuv has seen as many as a hundred oftheir space-ships in one formation. Furthermore, since they have severaltimes our maximum acceleration, they could concentrate quickly upon anydesired point. We could not escape them by flight if they really set outto overtake us, which they certainly will do if we again venture intotheir territory. Therefore it is clear that we cannot subject ourselvesto any attack in force and it follows that we cannot do much of anythinguntil the police fleet of some five hundred vessels can be re-armed andcan join us near Callisto. This will require several months at best.As you already know, it has been decided that we should not return toany of the minor planets, as to do so might invite a hexan attack uponour police fleet which is as yet unprepared. We are now heading forUranus, in the hope that such a course will distract the attention ofthe hexans from Tellus, even though they probably already know that weare Tellurians. Our new communicator ray will reach any member of theJovian system from this point. It has been decided that it is safe touse it, since it employs an almost absolutely tight beam of very smalldiameter, and since we know that that one hexan vessel, at least, hadno apparatus sufficiently sensitive to detect a beam of that nature.We will therefore now get in touch with the Callistonians and with ourown people."
* * * * *
Brandon seated himself before the communicator screen, and while theothers packed themselves closely around his stool, he snapped on thevisiray and turned the dials which directed that invisible, immenselycomplex beam through space. The screen was apparently in itself a coignof vantage, flying through space with the velocity of light, and thewatchers gasped involuntarily and drew themselves together, as with thatunthinkable speed they flashed down toward the surface of Callisto.So realistic was the impression that they themselves were hurtlingthrough the void, that they could scarcely reason themselves intobelieving their positive knowledge that the impending colli
sion wasnot an actual happening! Reducing the velocity of the projectionabruptly as it approached the satellite, Brandon flashed it down intoa crater indicated by Czuv, and along a tunnel to the city of Zbardk,where the Callistonian captain held a long conversation with the Councilof the nation. Frowning in thought, he turned to Newton and spokeseriously and slowly.
"Immediately after the loss of our super-plane, with the supposed deathof King, Breckenridge, and myself, the other Tellurian officers werereturned to Europa, since even they could be of no assistance to usCallistonians in our struggle against the new, high-acceleration vesselsof the hexans. The present situation is much more serious than I wouldhave believed possible. The last vessel going to visit Wruszk, our cityupon Europa, was caught and destroyed by the hexans, and for many weeksno ship or message has come from there to Callisto. In spite of the factthat the hexan fleet is smaller than ever before, they are guardingEuropa very closely. It is feared that they may have found and destroyedour city there--an expedition is even now about to set out in adesperate attempt to learn the fate of our fellows."
"Suppose the rays of the lifeboats were detected in landing?" askedBrandon. "That might have given them a clue."
"Possibly; but it is equally possible that our own men became carelessin the operation of one of our own vessels. Having been unmolested solong, they might have relaxed their vigilance. We may never know."
"Tell 'em to cancel the expedition--we'll shoot the visiray overthere right now and find out all about it. We'll let them know prettyquickly. Also, you might tell them that you've got complete plans andspecifications for all the weapons that the hexans have, and a couplebesides, and that the quicker they shoot a ship out here after you, thesooner they can get to building some stuff to blow those hexans clearout of space!"
It was the work of only a few moments to drive the visiray projectionto Europa, where Czuv, to the great relief of all, found that the hexanshad not yet discovered either Wruszk or the Terrestrial workings.All Europan humanity, fully aware of the hexan investment, wasexerting every possible precaution against discovery by the enemy.This information was duly flashed to the Council of Callisto, and theprojection was then hurled across the intervening reaches of space andinto the cavern in which was being built the enormous rocket-ship inwhich the Terrestrial refugees were to attempt the long voyage backto their own distant planet.
It took some little time to convince Doctor Penfield that there hadbeen projected into the empty air of his little sanctum an absolutelyinvisible and impalpable structure of pure force capable of receivingand transmitting voice and vision. Once convinced of the reality of thephenomenon, however, the speaker beside Brandon's communicator screenfairly rattled under the fervor of his greeting, so great was hispleasure at the arrival of the expedition of relief and in knowing thatKing and Breckenridge, whom they had, of course, given up for dead, wereaboard the Interplanetary vessel.
Penfield reported that the work upon the great rocket-ship wasprogressing satisfactorily, although slowly, since it was so much largerthan any vessel theretofore constructed by the Callistonians. Newton,in turn, informed the autocrat of the stranded Terrestrials as to the_status quo_ of the rescuing party.
"Of course, because of the hexan blockade, you cannot take us off untilthey have been wiped out, which will be several months at best," thesurgeon said, slowly, and a shadow came over his face as he spoke."Well, what can't be cured...."
"Trouble with the personnel?" King broke in sharply.
"Personnel, yes; but not trouble in the sense you mean--we have hadnone of that. It is only that there are four more of us now than therewere...."
"Huh? How come?" demanded Brandon, in astonishment.
"Four babies have been born to us here so far, and several more arecoming. They are the ones I'm worried about. Most normal adults canstand it here without any serious effects, but this thin atmosphere andweak gravity are certain to result in abnormal development of children.However, there may be another way out of it. Are you using normalacceleration, or have you Martians aboard?"
"Both," replied Brandon. "We are carrying two inhabitants of Mars,but Alcantro and Fedanzo are not ordinary Martians. They have been inconstant training ever since we left Tellus, and now they can stand ashigh an acceleration as a weak Tellurian. We're riding at normal."
"Good! As you already know, there has been no communication of latebetween here and Callisto. It had already been decided, however, thatone more voyage must be risked, in order to bring back material whichis most urgently needed. Since the vessel will leave here light and islarge enough to carry about thirty passengers on a short trip with somecrowding, the Council will probably approve of having it carry some ofour passengers out to the _Sirius_--especially now, since a vessel mustvisit you, anyway, to get Captain Czuv and the specifications of the newarmament. All these things can be done with one vessel in one trip."
"That sounds fine!" boomed King. "It will give me a chance to get backthere where I belong, too. Whom are you sending out?"
"The seven couples who either have babies already or who will have themin the next few months; and some of our young who aren't standing thegaff any too well. You won't be in the red very deeply on the deal,either--while two or three of the passengers I am sending you willcertainly be a nuisance; anybody could use, anywhere, such men asCommander Sanderson and Lieut..."
"Sanderson!" interrupted King. "Why, he wasn't--when did _he_ getmarried?"
"The day after we arrived here," replied the surgeon. "His fiancee wasaboard the _Arcturus_, and when they found out how long we would haveto be here, they very sensibly decided not to wait."
"Were there any others?" demanded Nadia, who, standing between Stevensand her father, had been an interested listener.
"Plenty of them! Fourteen of our young women passengers have marriedhere upon Europa. A few married fellow-passengers, but most of thempicked out officers of the _Arcturus_. You'll find your staff made uppretty largely of benedicts now, King! We've been here a year, you know,and time will tell! Young Commander Sanderson's a fine baby--he'll be acredit to the IPC some day, if we can get him aboard the _Sirius_, wherehe can get a good start. We could give our babies normal air pressurehere by building special rooms, but we cannot give them the normalacceleration necessary to develop their muscles properly."
"Well, we'd better snap over to Callisto and take this up with theCouncil," Brandon put in. "I don't imagine that there will be anyobjections, so you might as well get your ship gassed up andloaded--we'll be back here with the okay in about a minute and a half."
* * * * *
With Brandon at the controls and with Czuv at the communicator plate,the projection flashed toward distant Callisto and the group meltedaway, each man going about his interrupted task.
"Daddy, take us somewhere--I want to talk to you," Nadia spoke to herfather, and the director led her and Stevens to his own room.
"All x, daughter; out with it!" and he bent upon her a quizzical glance,under which a fiery blush burned from her throat to her forehead.
"Dad, I've been thinking a lot since you rescued us, and what we've justheard has given me the nerve to say it. Steve, of course, wouldn't daresuggest such a thing until we're safely back on Earth, so I will." Herdeep brown eyes held his steadily. "All those girls got married--why,some of them have babies already--and Steve and I have waited for eachother _so_ long, daddy! And _none_ of them love each other the way wedo. Do they, Steve?"
"I don't see how they could, sir; and that goes straight across thepanel," and he bore unflinchingly the piercing gaze of the older manas his right arm encircled the girl and held her close.
"Well, why not?" A sudden smile transformed Newton's stern visage."There are three chaplains with the police--a Methodist minister,a Catholic priest, and a Jewish rabbi. Also, we have on board twofull-fledged I-P captains, either of whom is authorized to tiematrimonial knots. The means are not lacking--if you're both sure ofyourselves?" and al
l levity disappeared as he studied the two youngfaces.
"Yes, you are sure," he continued after a moment "just as her mother andI were--and are. It is too bad that she cannot be here with you, but itmay be a long time before we can return to Tellus, and you have indeedwaited long."
"Oh thanks, Daddy, you're just a perfectly wonderful old darling!" Nadiaexclaimed, as she threw her arms rapturously around his neck. "And thisisn't a warship at all--you know perfectly well that it's a researchlaboratory, and that as soon as the Navy gets here, you won't let itfight a bit more, because such scientists can't be allowed to riskthemselves! And also, you're forgetting that whole flock of women andbabies that are coming out here just as fast as they can get themselvesready. So get going, daddy old dear, and let's do things! Steve's aQuaker and we're Presbyterians, so none of the chaplains will do at all.Besides, I promised Captain King ages ago that he could marry me, so goget him and we'll do it now. Bill can be my bridesmaid, you'll give meaway, and Steve can have the other two of his Big Three for best men.I'm off to hunt up the flimsiest, fussiest white dress I can find in mytrunks. Let's go!"
"Mr. Newton." Stevens spoke thoughtfully as Nadia darted away. "You saidsomething about her mother, I didn't want to say anything to raise falsehopes while she was here, but I've got an idea. Let's meet in Brandon'sroom instead of here. We can send code to Tellus easily enough on ourultrawave, and we may be able to fake up something on vision."
A few minutes later the Big Three were in Brandon's private study;staring intently into a screen of ground glass upon which playedflickering, flashing lights, while the black-haired physicistmanipulated micrometer dials in infinitesimal arcs.
"Once more, Mac," Brandon directed. "Pretty nearly had them that time.We're stretching this projector about six hundred percent, but we've gotto make this connection. Can't you give me just a little more voltage onthose secondaries?"
"I can _not_!" the voice of the first assistant snapped from thespeaker. "I'm overloading now so badly that some of my plates aregetting hot--if I hold this voltage much longer, the whole secondarybank of tubes is going out. All x--you're on zero!"
"All x!" Flashing and waning, the lights upon the screen formedfleeting, shifting, nebulous images of a relay station upon distantEarth; but the utmost power of the transmitting fields could neithersteady the image nor hold it.
"Back off, Mac," Brandon instructed. "I'm afraid we can't hold 'emdirect--no use blowing a bank of tubes. We'll try relaying throughMars--we can hold them there, I think. It will muss up reception some,but it will probably be better than direct, at that. Point oh five threesix ... all x--shoot!"
Brandon's relay station upon Mars was finally raised and held, anda corps of keenly interested engineers there made short work of theEarth-Mars linkage. Soon the screen glowed with the picture of thetransmitter-room of the Terrestrial station, and while the three menwere waiting for Mrs. Newton to be called to her own television set,the door behind them opened. Nadia and her escorts entered the room--butStevens' eyes saw only the entrancing vision of loveliness that was hisbride. Dressed in a clinging white gown of shimmering silk, her hair agolden blond corona, sweetly curved lips slightly parted and wide eyeseloquent, she paused momentarily as Stevens came to his feet and staredat her, his very heart in his eyes.
"You never saw me in a dress before--do you like me, Steve?"
"_Like_ you! You're beautiful!" and gray eyes and brown, deep withwonder and with love, met and held as, unheeding the presence of theirfriends, they went into each other's arms in a coalescence as inevitableand as final as Fate itself.
"Hi, Nadia old dear!" and "Daughter, from what I can see of myson-in-law, I believe that he may do," came together from the speaker.Nadia tore herself from Stevens' embrace, to see upon the lambent screenthe happily smiling faces of her mother and sister.
"Mother! Claire! Oh, you three wonder-workers!" She addressedsimultaneously the distant Terrestrials and the scientists at her side,while broken exclamations, punctuated by ominous, crackling snaps, camefrom the laboring amplifier.
"Sorry to interrupt," MacDonald's voice broke in, "but you'll have tohurry it up. Alcantro and Fedanzo are doing their best, but every platein my secondary bank's red hot, and you could fry an egg on any one ofmy transformers. Even my primary tubes are running hot. She won't holdtogether five minutes longer!"
Captain King opened his book, and in that small steel room, unadornedsave for stack upon stack of bookcases, the brief but solemn ceremonyjoining two young lives was read--its solemnity only intensified by itsunique accompaniment. For from Brandon at the primary controls, throughthe power-room of the _Sirius_ and the relay-station upon Mars, to theimmense Interplanetary transmitter upon Earth, the greatest radio andtelevision engineers of two planets were fighting overdriven equipment,trying to hold an almost impossible connection, in order that NadiaNewton's mother and sister might be present at her wedding, hundreds ofmillions of miles distant in space!
"I pronounce you man and wife. Whom God hath joined, let no man putasunder." The sacred old ritual ended and Captain King picked upthe bride in his great arms as though she were a baby, kissed hervigorously, and set her down in front of the transmitter. In the midstof the joyous confusion that ensued a tearing, rattling crash came fromthe speaker and the screen went blank.
"There!" lamented MacDonald from the power room. "I knew they'd blow!There goes my whole secondary bank--eight perfectly good ten-nineteensall shot to...."
"That's too bad, but it couldn't be helped; they went for a good cause,"interrupted Brandon. "I'll come down and help clean up the mess."
* * * * *
Leaving the bridal party, he made his way rapidly to the power room,where he found MacDonald and the two Martians inspecting the smokingremains of what had been the secondary bank of their powerfulultra-transmitter. Spare parts in abundance were on hand, and it wasnot long until the damaged section was apparently as good as new.
"Now to try her out," Brandon announced. "We want to give her a goodworkout, but there's no use trying the I-P stations any more--they'realtogether too hard to handle at this range. Czuv said something aboutan unknown race of monstrosities at the south pole of Jupiter--let's tryit on them for a while."
He flung the field of force out into space, as responsive to his willas a well-trained horse, and guided it toward the southern limb of thatgigantic world. Down and down the projection plunged, through mile aftermile of reeking, steaming fog, impenetrable to earthly eyes. Finally itcame to rest upon the surface, hundreds of feet deep in a lush, dank,tropical jungle, and Brandon plugged into the Venerian room.
"Kenor? We've got a lot of use for you, if you can come down here for awhile. Thanks a lot." He turned to the Martians. "Luckily, we've got acouple of infra-red transformers aboard, so we won't have to build one.You fellows might break one out and shunt it onto this circuit while DolKenor is hunting up something for us to look at.
"Hi, old Infra-Eyes!" he went on, as the Venerian scientist waddled intothe room in his bulging space-suit. "We've got something here that'sright down your alley. Want to see what you can see?"
"Ah, a beautiful scene!" exclaimed Dol Kenor, after one glance into theplate. "It is indeed a relief, after all this coldness and glare, tosee such a soft, warm landscape--even though I have never expected tobehold quite such a violent bit of jungle," and under his guidance theprojection flashed over hundreds of miles of territory. To the eyes ofthe Terrestrials the screen revealed only a blank, amorphous grayness,through which at times there shot lines and masses of vague andmeaningless form; but the Venerian was very evidently seeing andenjoying many and diverse scenes.
"There, I think, is what you wish to see first," he announced, as hefinally steadied the controls, and Brandon cut in upon the shuntingscreen the infra-red transformer. This device, developed long before torender possible the use of Terrestrial eyes in the opaque atmosphere ofVenus, stepped up the fog-piercing long waves into the frequencies oflight
capable of affecting the earthly retina. Instantly the dull grayblank of the shunting screen became transformed into a clear andcolorful picture of the great city of the Jovians of the South.
"Great Cat!" Brandon exclaimed. "Flying fortresses is right! They're inwar formation, too, or I'm a polyp! We've got to watch this, Mac, allof it, and watch it close--it's apt to have a big bearing on what we'llhave to do, before they get done. Better we rig up another set, and puta relay of observers on this job!"