J

/tO J2$4\ life

IF

7A
1935

M3
I^S-j
4

r MARCH

25 CMm

Earth Rehabiljby Henry

J.

Kostlgs

r ^Orter

Sciewe fictiof*
trtion

Neil R. Jones \ lohn W. Camp Miles J. Breue

NewskI

ore Throat
r
SEE
symptom
just as
it

HOW
is

QUICKLY LISTERINE RELIEVES

throat surfaces. Tests have

IT

Don't put up with the pain of ordinary sore

throat. It

so unnecessary.

At the

first

used as a gargle,

shown that when Listerine reaches far beyond

starts.
office

of trouble, gargle with Listerine

the soft palate into the posterior pharynx

comes from the bottle. You'll be delighted by the result. Often one gargle is enough to relieve
is

where sore throat frequently

Keep
and use

Listerine
it full

handy
or
sore

in

home and
first

strength at the

that tight, raw, burning feeling. If relief

tom

of

a cold

throat.

sympLambert

not immediate, repeat the gargle at 2 hour intervals. Usually two or three applications
of Listerine are sufficient.

Pharmacal Co.,

St. Louis, Missouri.

Listerine gets results because

all

it is first

of

METROPOLITAN GRAND OPERA

82

a powerful, though

safe, antiseptic

which

NBC

Stations

attacks millions of germs on

mouth and

PLEASANT TO TASTE

ro use

'

BIG PAY

JOBS in
ELECTRICITY
12
and a real Fit yourself for a permanent jott, with good future. Bett^ times arc opening wide the door ta a brlillaut Dew Electrical Age offering the greatest opportunities In history for electrlcally-l rained men. 12 wwka traltiinp In practical ahop the Great Coyne Shops will qualify you. no boots, methods make It amazingly sasy t learn do correspondence, but real electrical work on real eleotrical niacHlnt ry
1

WEEKS TRAINING AT YOU COYNE WILL QUALIFY pay

My

STUDENTS BUSY AT WORK IN GREAT COYNE SHOPS

111
and
'

Finance Your Training

.
;

largest Practical Electrical School AND YOU DON'T START PAYING YOUR TUITION UNTIL TWO MONTHS AFTER YOU GRADUATE! How can laoit?uecaus< it?Because the type of fellowwho isambitious enough to make Ido s\ is honest. IP YOU ARE AMBITIOUS P U^ little effort to get ahead,COUPON TO THIS AD and then SPEND ENOUGHTOS SEND IN THE mjt-*' JUSTTHREE MONTHS in LEARNING ELECTRICITY, I'LL TRUST YOU for the TUITION until 2 months AFTER the Training Period and then give you OVER A YEAR TO COMPLETE THE SMALL MONTHLY PAYMENTS.

There are absolutely no conditions attached to thia offer. I MEAN EXACTLY You get the full and complete training of the world's oldest WHAT I SAY

si

AMAZINGLY EASY WAY TO LEARN

Lack of experience age or advanced education bars no one. I don't care if yon don't
tared, operating real motors, dyneUkdm and ^aerators, wiring booses,, That's a glimpse of bow wo
te.

Vflil
stacle

fa <n ftps??? t?

AIUV

rTfi C-aTm-WAW

Mptoawkasoaamastereleetrlelan, and fit you to qualify for job* leading to the biggest pay.

Coyne iayonr one greatest chanee to get into electricity. Every obIs removed. ThisBehoof Is 38 years old-Coyne training is tested

know an armature from an

air brakeI don't expect you tot It makee no difference! Don't let lack of money stop

TO]M"PslT*FntlIf jww sks*^ ai*i*it

''Twoweekiafter graduation I re* eelved atpJendid job. Tht maineonsidwatiangivi^

ami

proven beyond all danfcrt eca *d r I*W eiectricsj concerns. You esn find octevery-

Ton. Moatof the men at Coyne

nave no more money than

yon have. That* a why I have worked oat my offers.

my application was

MANYEARN While
LEARNING
If you need part-time

that 1 -was a Coyne Trained man," reported Harold Souey of Illinois. "Iwisa to thank your Employment Manager for securing this position for me," wrote Albert Yagon, "he sent me out to this Carcp&ny the first day and I was employed the**

thmgsbaolutelvfre*. Stop)? mail the coupon sod let me send yoa the big. free Coyne book of 1M photographs , . . facts Jobs . . salines . . . opportunities. Tells youhownasoy esmerpenses' while training and bow we assist our graduates in the field. Thte does not obligate you. So act at ones. Juflt mail coupon.
. . .

work to help

Prepare for JobsltkaTritt* Beraue a few of bnodnda ef po*a*

tfaoaln ths electrical fi.10 . Oorfrne tanwi eiTM j/ov a JTC *"
-

pay your uvingeipenses and will tell me year problems I may be able to fa el p y on es 1 have thousands of others. Then, la 12 brief wedrs, In the

prapJ^TtBtot

Immediately." And I eootd go on quoting f rem hundreds of letteraof sopcesBful Coyne Trained Men. What they have done, you should beablft

Get

.,

TfllS

great roarmgi bops of Coyne,

Electric Refrigeration
Bight now I'mindntJiriffmy big Dw Electric Refrigeration Morse at bo
extra cost.

I train

FBEEy
Book

e great* est ootlays of t leetneal ar ipparstt d; ever apsembled . . . real dynamos .power plants. ante, swit^h,

transmit!

sverytnlng from doorbells to farm

power sua
i tall

lighting , . . fall-sljed operation every dayl

TRAINING
By Actual Work
K dnll books, no bsShsgcbsrtSjBO clsjfM. yoo get individual training . . . all" real actual work with only tb* tbsory yoo will t>#*d. BnOdrng
rtaJbsttsrie*..-wtndingrealarma-

| H. C. LEWIS, President ! Coyne Electrical School, Bapt. 35-66 * * Fartln. St., Chlugo, SO. | Dear Mr. Lewie: Without obligation send me I your bi free catalog and all details of Free EmPayment Service and yoar new Electric ReMotemen t of ill I f iteration coarse, also tell me all about your kinds. Every com- j "Fay After Graduation Offer."

NOW In Our New Home

<This I. proof roodern home

RM.

2~TJ?

S?^"**) SsttofEJectrlcal

fortandeooveole'aes has be*n arranged to nasi* voobappy and

f^'re?"**** pour tnimrig.

rOUNDtD 1SI* rouNDCDtaaa
m

**
Addreat.

ELECTRICAL SCHOOL rAYNF \i V lil&liM&

.^M
:

C. LEWIS'. PFESIDIHT **- C. LEWI*. fflBBIVBKT .^Kv aSSB SBB4K SBSSBBBBBl H.

Paulina St, Dept. 35*66, Chicago

cu

Please mention

Newsstand

Fiction Unit when answering advertisements

Amazing Stories
Science Fiction
Vol. 9

MARCH,

1935

No. 11

CONTENTS
Editorial Space Traveling
T. O' Conor Shane, Ph.D.

Serials Earth Rehabilitators, Consolidated

(Part
I)

Henry

J.

Kostkos

13

The Conquest

John W. Campbell, of the Planets (Mother World) (Conclusion)

Jr.

64

Stories

Complete

in This Issue

Interference
Millions for Defense Zora of the Zoromes

Miles

.Max C. Sheridan J. Breuer, MJD.

Neil R. Jones Ed. Earl Repp

<

44 77 88

The Body

Pirate

121

Science Questionnaire
Discussions

134
135

Cover and

Illustrations

by Morey

Published Monthly by

TECK PUBLICATIONS,

INC.

4600 Diversey Avenue, Chicago, III. Executive end Editorial Offices: 461 Eighth Avenue, New York, N. Y. E. M. Hotcepl, Sec'y. Lee Ellmaker, Pres. and Tress.
Copyright, 1935, by Teci Publication!;, Inc., in United States and Canada. Registered in V. S. Pat. Office. All rights reserved. Entered as second-class matter Sept. 8, 1933, at the postoffice at Chicago, Illinois, under the Act oi March 3, 18/9, 25c a copy, J2.50 a year. $3.00 in Canada. $3.50 in foreign Subscribers are notified that changeof address must reach us five weeks in advance of the next date of issue.

countries.

Printed in U. S. A.

MEN WANTED
MEA^COFFEE ROUTES
Calling

On

200 Families Pays

BMRL
yon. are willing to follow my simIF ple, plain instructions you are eligible

Started
Special Openings lor

Penniless

IV 2

Months Later

to handle route*.

one

My

of_ these fine-paying sensational new etarticg

Women

Was Worth

$1,200.00

produces splendid earning- for you at once. No long wait or delay to get the money you need now. Think of starting in right away and quickly
p3an

making up to $60.00 a week full time, and up to $6.50 a day spare time in. your own locality. The work is pleasant, the hours are short, and the earn-

ing possibilities are exceptionally large.

PERMANENT

PAYS BIG WEEKLY CASH INCOME

C
o
(

ROUTE
fee, Tea,

I have some unusually good openLight, pleasant ings for women. occupation pays up to $9.50 a day full time and as high as $6 a day Mrs. Carrie McCalspare time. mant, Neb,, reported that she never permitted her earnings to run below $50.00 a week. Mrs. Jewel Hackett, in Ohio, made $33.00 in 7 hours. Earnings such as these are evidence of the tremendous possibilities of my offer to women.

"Only 6Vi months ago I started with your company without a penny to my name, and today (I just finished my balance more I am worth a little
1

thau
it

$1,300.00. I can hardly believe possible such success in so short time. Hans Coordes, Neb."

We

MADE
and

$79.00

IN

ONE WEEK

business in your hands the

fir&t

day.

There

Everybody uses
Spices, Extracts,

Baking Powder and similar

work no red tape in getting started. You won't have to rent a store, huy fixtures or other expensive equipment, I'll start you on a positively No-RUk Trial. You have everything to gainnothing to lose.

is

nothing

difficult

about

the

"I .-mainly thank you for the wonderful opportunity you havo given me for the many extra favors. I made as high as $33.00 in a single day and as much as $79.00 in a week.

Lambert Wilson,

Mich."

FURNISH EVERYTHING

household

simply
in

take care of
locality,

supplies. You regular route

calls

your

making

on

your customers once a week and keeping them supplied with the things they need. You handle all the money and pocket a big share of it for yourself. I'll furnish you with hundreds of fine premiums and amazing bargains to offer your cusspecial
tomers.

VACANCIES BEING FILLED RAPiOLY

Others are making big money with plans why not your Here** what some have already done: Howard B. Ziegler, Pa., made as much as $21.60 in a single day and $103,32 la a

my

single

bert

QUICK CASH FOR YOU

amazing new Tea and Coffee Route Plans provide for your having immediate earnings. If you are willing and able to give prompt service to your steady customers on one of these Routes, you are just the person
I

made

day and as

week. AlBecker, Mich., $40.00 hig-h as

Just as soon a* I hear from you I send yon complete details of the inside workings of this nation-wide Tea and Coffee Route Plan that is taking the country by storm. I will explain just how you go about servicing a route. The plans I give you cost me thousands upon thousands of dollars. They are time-tried and proved. Tiiey have brought quick money relief ta hundreds and thousands. Why not youl
will

My

$100.00 in a week Ray Chapman. Mo., made $73.50 in a

rare rnCL
the
facts

OBLIGATION

without

Don't send me a cent. Just rush me your name so 1 can lay all
before yon and then you can decide for yourself. My plana are complete. 1 send you absolutely free; the details of

week. Chester Clay,

N. Hex*, made $10

in just two boars. These e xceptioaal

am

looking fnr.

your
yotl

own
live.

locality,

My

You will start in right near where startling new plan.

succes

earnings

show*

the

or

means

immediate

amazing j
of ray

possibilitie possib

my

places

offer.

offer. Send name on coupon penny postcard. Costs nothing.

Do it^NOW!

AMAZING GIFT COUPON PLAN STARTS PROFITS ROLLING IN AT ONCE

No long wait or delay. I give you e You step into the big flying start. No raoney-noakinB class over night. experience is needed nothing difficult or complicated to memorize no examinations to take. Just offer valuable gift coupons; everyone will want to get their share of these wonderful gifts. Rush me your name and I'll tell you all of the startling details by return mail

ALBERT MILLS,

Rte.

Mgr.

7453 Monmouth Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio. Without cost or obligation on my part, send me free the fact* about your sensational new Gift Coupon Plan, showing how I can get started at
once making up to $60.00 a week.

Naue
Address
, ,

(PUase Prim or Write Flainly)

Please mention

Newsstand Fiction Unit when aniwering advertisements

"

Most Amazing

So Easy
What
I

to

Play
. . .

1YPEWROT*
BAftGAfN FREE
HOME
TYPING COURSE

a thrill

and

I've
it

love a Sax'
#

had only

week
um

Popularity! Step right into it with a PVASax'. No failures. Learn quickly. Play tunes first week. Join a dance band in 90 day*. Only F-A assures such rapid progress. Easiest blowing, finBjexingjinost beautiful tone. See your P-A Dealer* or write direct. No obligation. Easy terms. Write today,

M^>.A

PA ^'AMERICAN
Bundjnj.

BXhort, Indians

JLLL

'likeTaking

LIGHTED
-! S ipark ; of ooa
Upa.

(iqareftes ^>mYourP (kef

MAGIC CASE AMAZES EVERYBODY _
:

NEW
REMINGTON
PORTABLE
FIRST TIME!
rebuilt.

Agents
Got facta
that

^fc)
I
I

ate

u HOKE!
TRIAl.

LIGHTED s-itfirert* to my No matches or

liflhtm-s recti. rr.

15-bAT

OFFER

fail If
>>is

scream

profits.

Got a Magic Case on 15 dan' uial at our tub. Get amaiing facta odw tbia treat inventing can aiika ou big ovddo without iailing. Magic Case Mtrs*. Dapt. C-G39 4234 Cozens Ave., St. Louis. Mo.

only

BECOME AN BLbUIHE nil KArUIl EXPERT

Remington's new purchase plan now lets you buy a genuine latest model Remington Portable No. 5 direct from the facto ty for only 10c a day. Not used or

Accountant
Executive Aoeocataats and C. P. A. 'a aam IS .000 to (15,000 a j*ar. TrJO'jaai^ii of fir n*e,i! them. Onl? 1S..00H Cartifiad Pabtio AccountcU \s tbsO.S. We train jootbrraly at hoax Id tt*re lime fotCP.Aexamtetiieina at atecuiivn accounting posltiam. Previous sxperltno* miia.*ceiarr. Personal training under* up orriaion of staff &r C.P.A'a. laclmiin.-r njomL.^ra of tbe American Instltuta ot Aeeoontanta. WtlU for free book. "Aeeonntaney, t& Profession tn-t Paye.."

Not incomplete. beautiful brand new regulation Remington Portable. Standard 4-row keyboard, standard width carriage, margin release on keyboard, back spacer, automatic ribbon reverse; every essential feature found in standard typewriters. With your machine we send yon fret a 19 page coorse in typo writing. Teaches touch system quickly, easily. Soon you dash off letters quicker than with pen and ink- You also get handsome, sturdy carrying case free.

USalie Extension

University, Dept 375-H, Chicago The School Thet Ha* Trained Over l.SOO C. P. A.'*

10-DAY FREE TRIAL OFFER

DEAFNESS
Many

18

MISERY

_? ~\5
SmyiwCiM

The amazing low price and

easy terms

now make

'* possible tor yon to buy this genuine complete Remington Portable for only 10c a day. But we cannot guarantee present prices long. Higher wage

scales, rising cost of materials, everything points to higher prices. So we say, "Act now . . . while ouz liberal offer still holds good!

people with defective hearing and Head Noises enjoy Goovetiatioa. Moiia. Church and Padio, because ther use Leonard Invisible Eaf Drum* which resemble Tiny Megaphones fitting

Yon Oon*t Hisk One Cent

in your home or office on our 10-day FREE TR1A1 OFFER. Then, if you do not agree that it is the finest portable at any price, return it at our expense. Ycudon'ttvtn risk shipping chargu. Don't wait. Mail coupon now. It's the best chance you've ever had to own so complete a machine for so little money. So act

Try this typewriter

la tbe Ear entirely out of sight. No wires, batteries or head piece. They ace inexpensive, "w*rita for booklet and swom statement of the inventor wno was faimielf deaf.

oRM,

'

A. 0. IXOKAIU, UxV- Blille 23, 70 iVt Am.,

few Y*

,_-

NOW!

[i T\
l_
IL.
)
)
I i

CLIP
Remington Rand Buffalo, N. Y.

COUPON NOW
Inc.,

SALARY
TO START

Ry. Mail Clark P. O. Laborer

$ l_, L. 'i POSTMASTER

Dept. 147-3

5l05to

R_ F, D. Carrier Special Afent

Customs inspector
City Mail Carrier P. O. Clerk

>

Seamstress Auditor Stenographer U.S. Border Patrol

Please tell me how I can buy a new Remington Portable typewriter for only 10c a day. Also enclose your new catalog.

$175
MONTHLY

Telephone Opr.

Wat oh in BO
I

Matron Immia't Inspector

() Typist
File

Name Address^

...

MEN
women!
lotoSO

CIk
Mflk

jNaTRUCTION BUREAU.DnpL UZi Louis, m FREE puHcuIvt "How-to Qtsf^Jfp

i,

tut

opportciLiliM, etc.

ALL 5NT FSEE.

Oty

Sua...
Ad dim..

Please mention

Newsstand Fiction Unit when answering advertisements

HIS IRON FIST

INDIA/ SMASHED :: -r^~p-

?:'.!

*f%

-AND THE HEART OF THE

^nlyivoman 4eeveh ioVed
"

. as the The Four Horsemen of Drama ride again i^producers of "The House of Rothschild" . ; . re-create jf the spectacular drama of a romantic dare-devil who conquered all India because he fell in love with the picture of a girl he had never seen! Fiction can never equal
.

the exploits of this

Man

of Destiny!

SEE/
An
as

SEE.'
I

Clive lead his "mad" army to avenge the massacre of the Black Hole of Calcutta in which 146 gallant British lost their live*. First time op the motion picture screen

Indian Potentate's

human

chessboard
I

with beauties
. ,

pawns, and with death to the losers Hundred* of infuriated, armored batrie elephants
at

the

rangeit warriors in history, in the mighty conflict atPlaucy!

The trial of Clive before the English House of Pari Lament when the conqueror of all India is charged with treason. The duel which convinces Clive that he is a man of destiny ... a man who cannot die
1

A
20

charging army of knife- wielding warrlori cross swollen

rivers in the teeth of a wild

monsoon!

UNITtD ASTOTS'

Clive lead an army of hundreds to victory against 60,000 troops of the Maharajah ..when six words from a woman f>tyry Pfetyrt eh*"* *h* d"tinT of all Asia!

Please mention

Newsstand Fiction Unit when answering advertisements

BIKE GIVEN
u kve thi^l93S deluxe model Y * motorbike without cent of
**>

TOBACCO

HAB T
I

BANISHED
FOR THOUSANDS OF MEN
QUICK, SURE, LASTING RESULTS
in most cases Tobacoo Redeemer relieves craving for tobacco completely in a very few days. An absolutely safe, dependable, and thoroughly reliable treatment. No matter how long the habit, or in what form used, all craving for tobacco usually vanishes when this pleasant, inexpensive treatment is used according to simple directions. The treatment has helped thousands and should help yon. Your money returned without argument or question if not eatisfied. Write for free explanatory booklet and proof of what Tobacco Redeems* has done for men addicted to the tobacco habit. Send post card or letter today*

ion teat, but a *piendid opoortuni ty to 5 tart a busings of your owq, delivering par 3 popular njagaaneB in your neighborhood, Doll
in

CansM to you lo LI7 equipped, Specdr 83 a rocketi Al get 300 other bigprijes^aiiyUiiDg from m*rbJe to a coaster wagon and earn CASH, besides. Thia is not a
to

a.

cost!

your spar* timo- WiO H*Jp you aeauire valoable-

training[thai wH) be helpful tq !tY life. TTiousaqdi of boy a are earning MONEY and PRIZES. You (an do it, too. Itaeaay. If you/re between 12 sod IS yrs. old, write, at once end we'll start you.

Jig Thajer, PepL

|FjL

The Crowef! Pablbtiing

Co., Springfield*

Ohio

/HWErVTORSS
I

NEWELL PHARMACAL CO.

Dept, 600

Clayton Station

St. Louie,

Mo.

Time counts in applying

protecting your ideas. tions or write for new

I I

1 W
I

lor patent*. Don't risk daisy in Send sketch or model (or instrqebook, "Patent Guide for Uw Inventor/* and "Beared of Invention" form. No chsrge for inf Donation on hflw to proceed. Communications strictly confidential. Prompt, careful, efficient service-. f CLARENCE A. Q BfrlEN. Registered Patent Attorney. IB7-Z Adams Building-, Washington, D. C.

I
I
I I

FjlEE

iM W

PENNIES WANTED WE PAY v ..._.. IF MORE THAN EACH UP TO SO YEARS OLD

<Gl

LINCOLN AND INDIAN HEAD

1 1

and up

Send 10c

today

to $500 for certain TJ. S. Cents for 16 page fully illustrated

catalog.

^fnj'ft]j,i:i For Trained Auto Mechanics

Step Into Big Pay, Earn $35 to $75 a west I train you In only 8 weeks at largest schools of kind in world. New practical shop plan. Learn with real tools ... on zaal eQUipment. Write today for Big Free Oppor^ [unity Book and Special Low Tuition Offer.

Box731NF

NATIONAL COIN CO. MILWAUKEE,

Join

WIS.

ISA
An
ru"io.TW
.

IOTA

XI
.
.

DELTA
, . . .

Address school nearest you.

CSWEENY SCHOOLS,

Dept.42.I5

Cleveland, O. or Kansas City. MO.

'

/f'fjTfl

Write today

To Be Deaf NolJoke Every deaf person knows that

Mr. Way mado hjinpelf hear his watch tJeir - ifteial Ear Drums. He wore them day and night. -They stopped hip head ~ .;?ndee3. They are invisible comfortable,co wires ?f and or batteries. Write for

countries. sexes, in Illustrated monthly maaazlne, letters published for memberg, miscellaneous contributions, poetry, jokes* personal items, etc dues moderate. . Attractive fraternity membership pin , , for details. Sample copy 1 masaiine 10* coin or stamps.
.

organtzaUon of hobby and pen pals U. 13. and 17 foreign

5000 members, both

Membership includes

XD

RICHARD MURDOG. o/o IOTA XI Suite 320, 416 S. Dearborn St. Chlcaao,

DELTA.
III..

U. S.

Watch

for the

New

Serial

TRUE STORY, Also Art-i&cialEa-rDravt THE WAY COMPANY

booklet on Deaf neea.
afruane Bldr.

"Liners of Time"
By John Russell Fearn Author or "Intelligence Gigantic"

Datroft, MiehJgsn

ToAnySuit!
Double the
life

of yoor
.

coat and vest with correctly matchedpantB.,00.O00p*fcterns.^

Every pair band tailored to your meaBure. Oar match sent FREE for your O. K. before. pants are made. Fit guaranteed. Send plc*

OPPORTUNITY AD-LETS
These
columns
will

appear
Stobies

monthly

in

Amazing

filG MONEY SELLING SHIRTS

AGENTS WANTED &SS^i.!h'i b "&
Moaoy e^er? dr Hipb Pra Shirt-, Wsjr& 3birt, Neckwear, Undrw*w.r>*ea Suits. Smocks. FJn*" Hosiery, Swim
Bit*
.

Rate. Eight cents a word. Cash should accompany all advertisements unless placed by an accredited advertising agency. Advertisements of less than 10 words not accepted.

TECK PUBLICATIONS.
New

iSc.

461 Eijhtli Ave.,

York, N. Y.

Swestera. Polo Shirts, Pacts, Flw- BoiU Oeerall*, CoToroJU, Haio-coata, Men's Saj-ta Uniforms,
Et/arythliiB

Correspondence Courses
USED
CorTesBQndanee Courses and Educational Books.
sold or rented. Inexpensive.

Gu3raataed,

BIG OUTFIT FRfeEI Write -jnltd.. NlMROD CO., Dept. TS. Chicago, 4922-28 Uneom Ave.

III

for free catalog listing 4000 barKalns. Lee Mountain, Pisgab, Alabama.

Money-back guarantee. Writs (Courses Bought)

Personal

makcMONEY^CAMERA WEEK

by pftopla who Know how I3O00 photos SOLD EVERY to tke the kind of pictures wantad by newspapers, raagsrlri&s. ad* V'prtisws. We teach, you, at low cost, how to take real human -interes! pictures that SELL. Learning by our method, in spars time, On* marteBting servlca h*lp you to i-uick, is fiiciaating. eafflfl nalion-widfi aslea. Write now for FREE BOOK that tells you how to earn while you learn. UNIVERSAL PHOTOGRAPHERS. Dept. 703, 16 W. 33rd St.. N.Y.E.

Dioei help you let ajytnteg you dMlr*. Eaallze iwn greatest Ambitions, Write today for free Inforajition.

HOW TO SET WHAT YOU WANT-Let

Sire*. Ban Antonio, Tens.

Profsuor

US B!aa

"""""

Songwriters

SONGWRITERS!

Poems, music

Hibnelsr. DISS. 2157 North Arers, Chlcato.

"Heat" oDoortnnitff ">l-

Please mention

Newsstand Fiction Unit when answering

advertisements

% Price
m
9am
3ii
f

over oo all i*a.4*rd o^to* BodflB- Also port&hlea ll nrtwM flrJcM-

Only 10c a Day H

*CND MO MONEY
Frs*

ff*s

ulL ol"-t*-

osMlec sbffws "M-WmI nwehtaN I^nraat priaas. Send ' com.

cowm

to trsJaa

IndudWd.

International Typ"rllw Exch,, di Tss^'cfcte-Vc

ARMY-NAVY Bargains
Haversacks Machete- balo Army saddle
Springfield
.,

1333
pistols, cents.

raJ. estmlc-s,

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THE MAGAZINE OF
SCIENCE FICTION
T.
Mar., 1935

No.

11

O'CONOR SLOANE,

Ph.D., Editor

Editorial and General Offices: 461 Eighth Avenue,

New

York, N. Y.

Extravagant Fiction Today

Cold Fact Tomorrow

Space Traveling
By
T.

O'CONOR SLOANE,

Ph.D.
trip.

TAKING
for

the circumference of the

touch terra firma during his

of

He

earth as 25,000 miles, an airplane

might even tow a glider bearing supplies

oil

could accomplish the journey in

and

about four days,

refueling
is

if it were not for stops and other requirements.

is

stretches interfere

him over long of ocean. This would of course with his speed, but would keep
fuel to carry

This
little

about three days, and there

him
will

supplied

with

fuel.

The record

doubt that some similar and equivarecord will be

be made sooner or

later.

lent

made

after

a few

In the Pacific Ocean the sailing ships

years.

The

practicability of refueling

an

depended
winds.
direction,

to a great extent

on the trade
at a time,

airplane in flight has been called upon in

several

These blew

in

an unchanging

duration-record flights, and the

flights

sometimes for days

system employed in these

could
trip.

be used for an "around the world"

and the captain would often take his ship hundreds of miles out of the course
so as to escape the minor, almost major,

There
it is

is

only one record to break and

a fictitious oneit is eighty days, the period of Jules Verne's novel, "Around
the

calamity that used to befall sailing ships,

the dead calm.

We

read of calms of

World

in Eighty Days,"

picturing

over a month in duration,

when a corked

nearly a twelve

week

trip as a fictitious

record

breaker.

We

cannot

imagine

empty bottle, thrown over the side one day, would be still there twenty-four
hours afterwards.

months to circumnavigate the globe in an airplane. It seems that there is a good opportunity for a twentieth century Jules Verne to write a story of "Around the World in Eighty Hours."

The American, Commander Matthew

Fontaine Maury, carried out exhaustive
researches on ocean winds and currents,

but his work, of such value but a few

years ago,
is

To make a good

story,

he should not

losing

its

importance as

10
sails

AMAZING STORIES
are
in

supplanted

fuel
gines.

boilers

and oil and by combustion enby

coal

The
is

physiological

aspect of the case

yet to be satisfactorily studied.

Beebe
in

has gone
exactly parallel problem or series
divers'

down

into

the

ocean

his

An
of

bathysphere.
suit,

problems has been studied out for

the air pilot and air navigator.

strong
to

soled
cabin,

shoes.

no clumsy heavy helmet and leaden For stratosphere flying a

needed
with oxygen

He

head wind
half

may
it

cut his speed

It is

down

hermetically sealed,

what

should be.

not pos-

supply and air purifying and air conditioning, should take the place of the

sible to utilize the

knowledge

of air for
as

cum-

application

to

airplane

courses,

has

brous helmet and personal equipment of

the high-altitude flyer.
if

been done for the winds and currents of the ocean for sailing ships, because
like

The

passengers,

there

were such, should be taken care

steamers and motor ships, the airpretty

closely.
its

of by the sealed cabin.

plane has to take a definite course and

follow
it

The

sailing

A very curious point is brought out by comparing the range of man's travel,
An ocean trip around the world, twenty or thirty thousand miles, is now an ordinary thing. Miles mean little on land or sea in horizontal travelling. But when man attempts vertical travel it is different. It
vertical with horizontal.
fair to call three hundred feet the extreme limit for a diver in his suit.
is

ship of old days, with

ability to sail

nearly within forty-five or fifty degrees

of an adverse wind, could often welcome a head wind as being better than none.

But the
lowing
ing

airplane,

like the

steamer, fol-

its

course and watching for land-

fields

does

no

tacking,

but

goes
of
is

right ahead.

It is subject to all sorts

if
it

changes in the wind, especially

flown low.

This

is

really

more than

is

practical.

At a

sufficient height these

But even three hundred

onds,
is

feet, the dis-

changes in some measure disappear, so that an almost comparatively even atmosProfessor Piccard phere may prevail.

tance a runner can traverse in ten seca trivial affair in feet

and

inches.

To
layer

attain

who

has studied the subject and

made

of

a hitherto "unfathomable" ocean the Beebe bathysphere,

to,

ascensions of ten miles or more, claims that the stratosphere, at ten miles or
greater
elevation,
is

already alluded

the

place

for

air

was constructed, and a depth of about 3000 feet was triumphantly atained. This seems an
insignificant

travel of the future. Comparatively little

distance,

but

the

pressure

change in

air currents are present there,

of the water gives a condition, far

a similar characterization.

from

and

if

rocket

propulsion

is

developed
high.

The
if

pressure multiply

the relative efficiency,

faction of the air

owing would be

to the rare-

on the Beebe bathysphere

its

we

The

superficial area in inches

lbs.,

by 1200 or
of pressure could go

propulsion by propeller might not be so good as nearer the surface. It is also somewhat of a problem how the wings would operate in such low pressure to

1500
to
it

gives the range

the metal has to resist.

Man

an

indefinite depth in the ocean

were

not for the high pressure.

The air at ten support the airplane. miles elevation can be used by a plane,
but
It
it

There
height.

is

a mountain in the Himalayas

a fraction over five and a half miles in

is

uncertain as to

almost seems as
in

if it

develop a new type of

to operate

a partial

economy. were time to machine vacuum, in an

its

flying

We can call this little more than an hour's walk on the level for a high grade pedestrian. But we have seen that
man
is

a very poor vertical traveller

With

atmosphere of very low pressure.

the assistance of porters to carry his out-

SPACE TRAVELING
making one camp after another on tie mountain and using oxygen for breathing, he has never yet reached the top by
fit,

11
discredit,

erly

to

its

but
the

it

has never
stratosphere

been climbed.

The ascending
a

into

climbing,
sacrificed
useless,

and
in

several

lives

have

been
this

with a partially inflated balloon has had

very high percentage of victims,
it.

attempts

to

achieve

al-

tour de force, in English, this

though so few have attempted

old time theory of ballooning

An

stunt, for that is all that it

amounts

to.

With an

airplane

or a balloon pro-

the balloon
as

if

it

lost its

was that gas would act

vided with special appliances to protect

a parachute, but this has not held

him from the low pressure and temperature changes

good in stratosphere ascensions.

fatal accidents

The

man

can ascend to oveT

al-

balloon did not act as a parachute in the

twice this height.

which occurred
for

recently.
is

Man
The

can only slightly change his

best

The

balloon

these

ascensions

titude; his range is ten or eleven miles.

only partly
diminishes,

filled.

As
as

it

ascends
air

the

he has ever done

is

sup-

hydrogen expands as the

so
that
it

pressure
the

posed to be about eleven miles.

heights reached

The

it

reaches

by balloon or airplane

limit of its ascent

may

be

filled

and

are determined by the registration of a

become globular or
just before
partially
it,

spherical

in

shape.

barograph, which registers air pressure,

In the pictures published of the start or

the balloon is

and whose readings of

tions

air pressure are

shown only
inflated
at

taken as convertible into miles and fracof

height.

filled;

when

fully

as

This

is

the

best

that

the

atmospheric

pressure
it

falls,

ten

can be done, for triangulation of objects

at that height

miles or

more

elevation,

would be a

cannot be carried out from

It

gigantic sphere or spheroid.

the surface of the earth.

quite
possible
to

triangulate

would seem from the

The

question of going in an air plane

or in some machine out- into space, be-

marks on the surface of the earth and this would at least be an approximation to a definite
car of a balloon to base
result.
is

yond the
curious

limits of

one.

the atmosphere is a There are many people,

who

firmly believe that

man

will yet fly

The inaccuracy
is

of the barograph
air

through the wastes of outer space and

visit the

due principally to the fact that

subject
to
local

moon and some

to
it

of the planets.

pressure

variations.

Mars seems
because
is

An

approximate method

of
is

correction to take re-

be the most attractive, one of the nearer planets

for this source of error

when
that is

in

conjunction
the

with

the
side

earth,

peated readings of the air pressure on

the ground, during the ascent; one bar-

when on

same
in

of

the

sun, as the earth

and
in

line
is

with the
called
inter-

ometer-reading

every

pretty good practise.

hour would be But then the trouof

the

sun and the earth.

ferior

This

conjunction

astronomical
it

ble is that the variations in atmospheric

minology.
times only
earth, about
is

In this condition
35,000,000
miles

is

some-

pressure

at

the

surface

earth

from the

might and probably would be different from those existing at an elevation. The endeavor to attain great elevations has had its tragedies in mountain climbing, where ten thousand or fifteen
thousand feet
climbed.
is

150 times as far as the

moon

from

us.

Mars

is

much

smaller

than the earth and probably very frigid, because of its distance from the sun,

about one and a third times as far as

the earth
is from the great luminary. Venus about seven-tenths as far from Sun as is the earth, is so protected

a fair distance to be

ber of deaths to

Mount Everest has had a numits credit, or more prop-

the

12

AMAZING STORIES
interplanetary trip to the nearest of our

by a mantle of clouds, that it may not be so torrid as might be supposed. Venus

is

planetary neighbors.

nearly as large as our earth.

light-second

is

the length or disIt

is

So much then for the two most hopeful planets. The moon, destitute of
atmosphere and of water,
is

tance of

186,300 miles.

the dis-

hopeless.

tance light travels in one secondNow multiply this by the seconds in a year

An

airplane could not be considered to

and we
Cenlanri

will
is

have the light-year.

Alpha

transport us even to the

moon, because

about four and three-tenths

the greater part of the space intervening

light-years distant.

We

suggest to artravel
visit

between our earth and the moon is practically a vacuum. We have to picture
a reaction machine. If it had power enough to average a speed of a thousand miles an hour, it would reach our satellite in

dent advocates of

interstellar to

to

calculate the time required

our

nearest stellar neighbor the

the celestial centaur,

first

star of

For

terrestrial

Alpha Centauri. measurements and for

orbit

about ten days.

those in the

solar

the

mile

at the start ited

There would be a considerable delay and landing, as only a limacceleration,

positive

convenient unit.

But

to obtain

is a a real-

ization of stellar distance units,

we may
from

or

negative,

reduce some distances in our orbit to

light-seconds.

could be endured by the

It

human

system.

The moon

is

distant

would take some time to start from and acquire a velocity of 1000 miles per hour. This velocity would have to But be parted with before landing. what could man do if chilly Mars or cloudy Venus were his destination? The time of his journey might run into
rest

us a
the

little

over one and a quarter light

distance.

seconds, the sun nearly five hundred of

same unit of

light-

second is for us upon the earth an extremely long unit by which to measure
distances.

But

this

does not suffice

for

stellar
is

years.

measurements.
speak
of
the

For them the unit

velocity

the-

To
in

temperature

of

light-year, the seconds in a year multi-

vacuum seems
terms.

to involve a contradiction
is

plied

by the

of

light,

nearly

almost a vacuum. would be subject to from the sun. This in a degree applies to any object in the stratosphere, and the action of the heat radiated from the sun, without an adequate blanket of air, was one of the factors provided for by the aeronauts. It would require at a speed of 1000 miles an hour, four or five years for an

Space

63,000 times the distance from the earth

to the sun

body

in

space

and the nearest

star is

over

the

heat radiated

four times this distance from the earth.

The

enterprising space traveller would

have to contemplate travelling over billions of light-seconds through space to reach our celestial neighbors outside of the solar orbit, and the light-second verges on two hundred thousand miles
(186,300) in length.

The End

Earth t\ehabilitators^
Consolidated
By
Our

A New c

Serial

HENRY

J.

KOSTKOS

author goes to future ages for this story and depicts the sad condition of the world many years in advance of the present time and tells of the The first efforts of earthmen to bring it back to its original condition. installment pictures a very dreary state of affairs, but gives a definite hope
for the future.

Part

CHAPTER

Saturn* shining brightly in the night sky.

D
A7-TY
be
his

AY

number
14.67,

761,

sidereal

hour
Central

interstellar

period 25,439.

This

is

the

But the next words of the speaker froze Warren's hand in its course towards the switch, froze it as his mind riveted itself upon those words that sounded so strange,
yet so significant.

Communiograph
on planet
system of Spica,

Station located

in the planetary

''TTrE

have

just

received

report

the alpha star of Virgo. The Consolidated Archeological Research Foundation

from Professor

Ru

Va, excavat-

ing under the auspices of the Archeological

has a communication of great interest. Please listen."

Foundation, on the extinct planet

earth in the system of star

erwise

known

as sun.

R2-KN, othAs known to all

Warren Bancroft was

sitting

on the

swinging balcony of a building in one

of the sky-cities of Saturn. Across from him, lounging gracefully on soft cushions of tula down, was Nita the beautiful Saturnian who, he hoped, would some day
wife.
its

no trace of former civilization has heretofore been found on earth, delisteners,

spite the allegation of those

who

claim

to be

descendants of earth people.

As

the
lit

spoke,

blue screen

communiograph up with the image

to

"But now Professor Va communiographs that in the region of 41 latitude north and 75 longtitude west a subterranean disturbance pushed an ancient mountain ridge up through the tremendously heavy sheet of ice that covers the entire surface of the extinct planet. Some
'Saturn has nine moons, all of which are not. of course, visible from any one point on the planet. They range in size from 200 to 3,000 miles in diameter. Their names, from the one nearest to the surface of Saturn to the farthest are: Mimas. Enceladus, Tethys, EHone, Rhea, Titan, Hyperion, Japetus and Phoebe. The near. est moon is 117,000 mites from the mother planet's surface, the farthest, eight million miles.

of the announcer.

Warren was about

off,

switch the instrument

for what cares

dis-

a young
courses

man
of

in love

for the dull

the

learned

Body
Indeed,

of

Five

Hundred who
of
interstellar

ruled the million worlds

space?

he

felt,

there were

more important

things to talk

of under the spell of the four jewels of

14

AMAZING STORIES

He

left

where

the cave cautiously, making sure that there was no Saturnian anyin sight, then signalled a passing ball-taxi and instructed the operator to drive him to Nita's dwelling.

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

strange metallic objects and a plate of

15

what

is

probably ancient earth-writing

it is

have been found, and

stated that ..."

Nita.

Warren turned suddenly towards

For the first time in years his eyes shone with hope and his chin became firm with
determination as he exclaimed:

Gordon Bancroft's neatly written notes, the dream of rehabilitating the earth had been an impelling force that would not let him rest. A tremendous, yes almost a hopeless task how could he and a small band of earthmen, haunted by the

fear of persecution, ever achieve such a

"The very spot where Gordon Bancroft,

my

illustrious earth ancestor

had

magnificient ambition? The secret of Gordon Bancroft's Great Discovery had

lain buried

his research laboratory!"

Warren was
the

excited.

He

listened in-

ice

on

earth, but

under thousands of tons of now Warren's hopes

tently to the message, his eyes taking in

leaped high, for Professor

Ru Va was

beauty of

Nita,

but his thoughts

excavating in that very region. Could he,

carrying him to the distant planet, from

Warren Bancroft,
the

lineal

descendant of
find

which he was reported to have descended

famous Gordon, go to earth and

many thousands
speaker
told

of
the

yeaTS

ago.

The
under

the formula for Super-Atmosphere, that

of

difficulties

wonderful substance that would convert

the baser nature of

which Professor Ru Va and his gallant group had labored during years of research upon the icy planet, and how they had courageously faced hardships and
disappointments until
the"

man ? And

then could

he restore the atmosphere to his native

planet and start

anew
it

a civilization

more

magnificient than
It

had ever enjoyed?

now

they reached

was

a noble dream, a seemingly im-

culmination of their ambition.

But

possible dream, to give back to the de-

the speaker gave no

further details of

scendants of earthmen the planet earth.

the actual discovery; the information he

had was too meagre, he must wait for

further dispatches from the expedition.

AND without
stood but
ter of the

then too, he could marry Nita

question, whereas

now he

FOR many years Warren Bancroft had

smarted under the haughty treatment
accorded him by the Saturnians.

Here

on

this planet the caste

system was very

despised

rigidly

observed.

Particularly

chance. She was the daughfamous Professor of Astronomical Physics, V-Si. In the present day world scientists were regarded as the aristocracy; they were the rulers of all the planets while merchants were treated no
little

was

that small

group of white skinned

better than slaves, creatures

who had

to

people
earth.

True,

who claimed descent from the many had intermarried with

be tolerated because they did the menial

Saturnians, Plutonians and the peoples from other planets throughout the solar
systems, thereby losing their identity and
tell-tale

which were necessary even in a highly mechanized state of existence.

tasks

And

all

earthmen were considered the

of a
race

descendants
therefore
slaves,

of

merchants,

But the pride of the most rugged of these men and women did not permit them to marry outside of
appearance.
their

they

were
so

looked

upon

as

"Oh,

am

glad,

Warren," Nita

own

race, therefore

Warren,

like a

looked at him radiantly,

laboratory

"Now

if

they

handful of others, was a true-blooded

only discover Gordon's notes in the ruins

of
his

earthman.

you can prove your

he
reflected

claim to noble lineage."

T HEN

for

many

years, ever since he

in

"That
looking

is

true,"

slowly,

had read of the Great Discovery

off

far

over

the

moonlit

16

AMAZING STORIES
it

landscape, beyond the horizon where a

would be of scant

benefit to us.
is

To
we
are
sci-

pale

dot

of

light

planet earth.

marked his beloved Then he turned suddenly

gleaming with determ-

tell

the truth life here

discouraging.

If

we were

only given a free hand

that

to Nita, his eyes

ination.

could

show these people

just as capable of
it

developing

we new
his

"No,
one
for

will not

do
the
I

to wait for

somethe

entific

wonders as they are themselves."

Bancroft
rose
to
feet.

else

to

find

formula

of

Warren

Great Discovery.
it

must go and seek myself, and then with that knowl-

An

eager light crept into his eyes and

the yellow pages of the precious diary

rustled as his

edge

in

my

possession,

habitable so that

make the earth we may be freed from

hand trembled with emo-

tion he could not express.

this cursed persecution."

The

girl

glanced up at him quickly

tightly

and saw by his and the angle of

deadly earnest.
"If

compressed
that he

lips

his

jaw
it,

was

in

was just coming to that point, Ross. For many years we have yearned for the freedom of our native planet. We have planned and schemed with a hope of rehabilitating the earth, a hope
"I
that

any one can do

I

you can, War-

we

feared could never be realized.

ren.

have high hopes for your sucthen, Nita"

When we
the

attempted to reach the ears of

of Five

cess."

Body

Hundred what hapat,

"And

pened?

We

were laughed

scorned,

For an answer she snuggled into his arms and looked into his eyes with an expression that required no words to
interpret.

despised by these Saturnians.

True, t

have gained many friends among them,

but they too were afraid to help us. Al-

THE group
erly

following morning an earnest

of

ways they shook their heads regretfully and said, 'If you could only prove your descent from the nobility of scicntists
.'
. .

men huddled around

fire

the

blue flames of the vapor

in a clev-

"Now we
may

have our opportunity. The

concealed

cavern
sky-city clan

just

outside
Irru.

of

expedition of Professor

Ru Va may

or

the

Saturnian
loyal

of

They
of

not find those valuable documents. can not afford to take that chance.

were the
Griffin,

of

descendants

earthmen, under the leadership of Ross

staunch friend of

We We

Warren Banfinished

though

must go to earth now, at once, even it means slaying those who op-

croft.

Warren had

just

read-

pose us.

Then when we
I

return with the

from the diary of Gordon BanHis listeners sat spellbound. With their own eyes they were seeing
ing
croft.

formula and our plans for rehabilitating

the earth

am

sure that

we can

gain the

help of the

the

last

remaining

bits

of

forbidden

Body Warren glanced

of Five Hundred."
at his listeners.

Their
any-

earth-writing.

They admired

Warren
docu-

eyes were shining with anticipation, an

for his courage in bringing this

eagerness to be doing something,

thing, that

ment

things

for even to speak of such meant death in the horrible Chamber of Purple Vapor. "It's true, Warren," Ross Griffin interceded, "that Professor Ru Va might
here,

would

free

them from bondplanet.

age

on

this

foreign

He

con-

tinued, explaining his proposition fully,

stirring
their

enthusiasm
the

with

visions

of a

new

world.

discover the secret formula of your ancestor, bat the information

would prob-

"That is Ross to call

ered

reason

that

asked

this meeting.

We

have gath-

ably be misused by our enemies so that

many

times before, but each time

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

there

17
drive

was

some
way.

insurmountable

ob-

structed

the

operator to

him

to

stacle in our

We
am

can no longer

procrastinate.

"I

am

going to earth to get Gordon's

I

formula to which
calling

entitled!

am
Are

Nita's dwelling. The giant sphere rolled away at a terrific speed and lifted itself from the ground to hurtle through the air until it was eased down on the land-

upon you fellows

for help.

ing roof at

its

destination.

you with me?"

I

Warren

told

the

tall

Martian

who

stood guard outside of Nita's door that

T IS

**
vices.

words were drowned by a Every chorus of wild cheering.

last

he wanted to see his mistress.

The man

glared at him, but there was something

in

man rushed

to

Warren

to offer his ser-

Warren's steady blue eyes and his

These earthmen, long oppressed and scorned by everyone, now saw a

ray

determined bearing that caused the redfaced

inside.

man

to

bow

stiffly

and disappear

of

hope.
for

The

possession

of

the

When

he returned he held the

Super-Atmosphere would give them vast power; they would be masters of a valuable process and
formula
could

door open and motioned the earthman

to enter.

The chamber
ible

into

bargain
for

with

the

rulers

of

the

ered was high and

which he was ushhung with dark, flex-

universe

almost

anything

they

metal draperies that gave a musical

as

was no wonder that the It gripped their imaginations, no wonder that they volunteered to a man to go on a journey that would be exwanted.
thing

rustle

and
a

fro.

they swung rhythmically to The room was illuminated by

faint,

greenish phosphorescence

from
the

the ceiling.

He

blinked his eyes in the

tremely hazardous.

weird
to discuss

half-light

and

peered

into

They
their

sat

down and began

more
rationally.

plans

Several

The draperies at the other end of the chamber parted and Nita entered.
gloom.

knotty problems had to be solved,

The

most

difficult

one was the means of ob-

She looked as beautiful as ever to his hungry eyes, but, as she stretched out
her arms to him, he noticed with a feeling of dismay that she had been crying.

taining a space ship, as earthmen were

not permitted to

own

property of any

kind and were only allowed to travel

"Why, what

has happened, Nita?

You

from one planet

sanction
fice.

to another through the

Interstellar

appear depressed."
"I have just had a talk with

of

the

Police
air
line

Ofbe-

And

there

was no

about myabout our

his shoulder

father
. . .

plans.

And

tween Saturn and earth, only an occasidonal exploration ship journeyed to

that extinct planet.

"Getting a space ship

task,"

is

not an easy
I

Oh, Warren," she laid her head against and sobbed as if her heart would break, "He does not understand. Although he likes you well enough he is
so afraid of denying Gurra."

Warren
later."

admitted, "but
I'll

have a

plan that might Vork.

see

you

fel-

Then
tiny

she straightened up and took a

lows

firm grip upon herself and stamped her

feet,

"And

hate that ugly-faced

CHAPTER

II

Plutonian."

HE

left

the cave cautiously,

ing

sure

that

there

makwas no
sight,

GURRA.
planet Pluto.

coal

black,

with a gnarled

Saturnian

anywhere

in

and malformed body, had risen to power soon after he emigrated from the

then signalled a passing ball-taxi and in-

He was made

Director of

18

AMAZEVG STORIES
Gurra!

the Hall of Space Research on Saturn,

Warren had never met

the

where Nita's father taught. Although the elderly Professor V-Si harbored no
love
for the ugly

man

before, but he recoiled at the sight

of the ugly face, the red bulging eyes

faced Gurra,

still

he

dared not oppose him.

tonian

When
at his

the Plu-

began calling
see

home, osfelt

tensibly to

him, the professor

and the malformed body of the creaEvery on his face seemed to express a harsh, savage manner.
ture that stood leering at him.
line

honored, but as time went on he dis-

The man spoke,

pitched

his

voice

was high

covered that the real lure was his daughter.

He

was
to

horrified

by the thought
believe that

moved
arms

and tried

make himself

and grating. His thick lips grimace and his short horny and talon fingers gesticulated
in a
:

the malformed

Gurra would not have

could never learn to love

meaninglessly

the heart to ruin the life of a fine girl

like

"Earth-slave.

Out of here
hear

Back
I

to

Nita

who

your bargaining and bickering with the

other slaves.

him.

But
told

the

Plutonian

approached

Do you

me?

have

him

marry

and with a beastly him that he was going to and that Professor V-Si The proshould inform her at once.
in his laboratory

seen enough of your kind."

smile

Nita

ly

Warren's lips were bloodless so tightcompressed were they. He clenched

fists

his

until the nails

his

cut deeply into

fessor's
avail

feeble

remonstrance

did

not

the

palm of

hand.
outside,
girl.

him of anything. So to-day, just before Warren came to see her, Nita
had been given the revolting news.

"Nita,

wast

please,"

he im-

plored the terrified

"No, no, Warren, you must

at this time."

not.

You

Warren
his heart

did his best to soothe her but

can not afford to jeopardize your plans

was heavy.

He had

hardly the

courage to tell her of his latest plans. The one ray of hope he had was to enlist

the aid of her father in fitting out an

to

expedition

find

the

formula.

But

"Gurra, you know that I could crush your ugly body. We earthmen have stood enough from your kind. But I have better use for you right now."

now this course was impossible. For a moment he felt discouraged, felt that
was futile, but his old confidence soon came back and he vowed to see it through and fight until the bitter end.
life

And Warren
ture

strode over to the crea-

and

before

the

Plutonian

could

reach for his tube of purple death-gas

he pinioned his arms, although the sharp

talons cut cruelly into the flesh of
his

body.

BEFORE

he

could begin

the

story

but
the

of what had taken place that morning in the council of the faithful earth-

The black lips opened to scream Warren drove his clenched fist into man's mouth which effectively siall

lenced

further attempts.

men, the musical rustling of the draper-

became harshly discordant as they were rudely torn aside. Something hobies

"TlSTEN pow
Ji came
in

Nita," -Warren's breath

gasps as his excitement

bled into the

room.

They looked but

low cry
inat

could see

no

one.

Nita, with a

of terror turned a knob

her elbow.
red
the
light.

The green phosphorescent glow was

stantly replaced

by a
the

brilliant

Before mounted, "this is my chance. this monster broke in upon us I tried Our group, to tell you all of our plans. you know whom I mean, met this morning and we decided that it would be absolutely necessary for us to
at

There,
draperies,

standing

against

black

go to earth
the

was

blacker

form

of

once.

There

is

more to

story

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

which
Gurra.
I

19

dare not

tell

you with
the

this

lis-

SHE
taking

pointed
at

to

Gurra

who

tening,"

he

indicated

cowering

staring

wide open as
big thing that confronts us
of getting to the icy planet.
I

his

is

"The one the means

I

the significance of the

place.

them evilly, his mind slowly graspei drama that was

wa* moutt

Then he

flushed

with

When
now
voice
I

came here
it

had

all

intentions

anger and waved his short, horny arms

at

of appealing to your father for help, but

see that
is

Nita.

impossible.

No,

"You
pleaded,
voice.

can't go,

you can't
in

go,'

he half
croaking

did not

mean

to offend you, Nita," his

soft

half

bullied

became

as

he saw the hurt

expression in her eyes, "I realize

how

he feels; he

is

powerless to help.

"But
I

this

creature gave

me

an idea.

Warren drew back his clenched fist and the man cowered to the floor and said no more.
Tell

am
at

going to use his space ship!

are
all

My

men

ready; they are waiting for

"Warren, we have no time to lose. me where to go and I will have

friends

me

the cave.

Come, you," and he

your

prepare
I

to

leave

Saturn

shook the black Plutonian, "give

combination
tell

me

the

immediately.

know

where
I

Gurra

of your

hangar lock and

keeps his ship and he has told

combination.

me

the

me where you keep the ship." "Let me help you, Warren. I can go
She
had

Father and
trips

have gone
the

and inform your men," Nita was quite

determined.

on several short has even shown

controls."

with him and he

to handle

me how

made

up

her

tnind to place her

future in the hands

The descendant
seriously
situation.

of earthmen thought

of this earthman
to her.

who meant

everything

about

the

new

angle

of

the

"No, you must not do that. only avenge himself on you."

He

will

Then the furrows on his brow smoothed out and he smiled happily at the

courageous

girl.

"He might, but he will me first. Warren, I am

journey
earth
!"

have to catch
going on this

"I hardly dared to expect this, Nita,

with

you.

am

going

to

you are firmly determined to go with us, I must confess that I am overjoyed. There are many dangers
but,

now

that

Warren

could not have been

more

as-

if she had said that she was about to fly to the distant black star Urma. Then he thrilled with secret

tonished than

adoration.

He was

proud to know that

she thought so much of him that she would undergo the untold dangers and hardships of such a journey. But he shook his head sadly and reluctantly. "I'm afraid that it can't be done, Nita. Nothing would please me more

I'm afraid that there would be if you remained behind," and he looked significantly at Gurra. He pushed the black man into a corner from which he could not escape and drew Nita out of earshot. Here in a low voice he rapidly sketched his entire plan and gave her explicit directions for but

man}' more

finding the earthmen.

"TTAVE
er to

Ross

Griffin direct the

men.

under now.

different
.

circumstances,

but

."

"Please

don't
little

argue

with
leave

me,"

she

A 1 You might ask him to send Palmme at once at the hangar so that we may prepare the space ship. But befor you go, hadn't

stamped her

foot determinedly, "I

am going! with that ?"

Would you

me

behind

personal

belongings
I'll

ing back here.

you better pack your we are not combe waiting for you

20
at the hangar."

AMAZING STORIES

A sudden idea came to her.

Warren stepped down and began a

hasty inspection of the
told

"What

are you planning to do with

that?" she indicated in the direction of

the Plutonian.

him

that

it

flyer. Nita had was propelled by a new

gas mixture that had a nozzle velocity

I

"There are several things

like

would

many
in the

times in excess of the vapors used

to

do with him, but for the time

I'll

motors of the old

style ships.

The

being

just
is.

put him to sleep right

rocket tubes appeared to be sound; they

where he

No,

it

will

not be any-

thing serious," he assured her

when he
girl's

showed but little pitting and would be good for many long flights before they
needed replacing.
step inside of

saw
face,

the

questioning look on the

will

As

he was about to

"he

wake

up,

after

we

are

the space ship he heard voices

gone, without being

his long sleep."

much worse

off for

the

sound

of

looking up

he

saw

Immediately after Nita had finished

her packing and had left the building,

by Ross

Griffin

above him, and Nita, accompanied and X. Palmer. Both

men were
"That's
called

carrying with some difficulty

Warren removed a
from
a
it

small metallic tube

his

several heavy parcels and metal tanks.

fast to

pocket
at

in

garment
Gurra.

and

work,
his

Warren,"
friend

Ross

pointed

the terrified

The

down

cheerfully,

creature's red eyes bulged with fear, but

"getting

before he could open his lips to squeal

the bluish vapor reached his dilated nos.trils

a ship on such short notice. Before Nita rounded us up I'll confess

that I

was a

bit skeptical

about having
picked up

and

his

head

fell

back upon the

unconscious

the

good fortune

to be able to rocket off

I

hard

floor.

He

lay

there

to the earth.

Palmer and

with mouth wide open, black fangs pro-

truding in an ugly Satanic grin.

these tanks of liquid gas in case Gurra's ship was short of fuel. And God

Warren wasted no

time.

He

picked

knows where we

will

have to go before

up Nita's belongings and hurried in the He was caudirection of the hangar.

tious

we are through with this journey." "Where are the other fellows?" Warren

to

avoid

the

terrible

Vigilantes

asked after they had entered the

whose
out the

deadly
life

of

fire-spears had snuffed more than one poor earthlittle

ship and X. Palmer was beginning methodically to test the propelling and
control

man

for very

or no reason.

apparatus.

CHAPTER

III

'"TpHEY
space

are coming one by one to

J- allay suspicion.

There's Vic Syl-

FORTUNATELY
ship

Gurra's

van

now,"

a secluded part of the sky-city and he reached it Rewithout arousing any suspicion. membering the combination Nita had

was housed

in

haired

Ross replied as a blondyoung giant stepped quietly

through the airlock to greet them. The remaining members of Warren

Bancroft's crew of earthmen appeared
shortly after,

given him, he pushed a series of tiny buttons, whereupon the entire cover
panel of the hanger slid open noiselessly at his feet, revealing below the shining
metallic
little

of

plies that

coming in one by one, all them carrying provisions and suphad been stored for just such

an eventuality.
sparkle

vehicle

that

was
girl

to

carry the
loyal

band

of

earthmen and one

to

and lovely Saturnian

the

cold

regions of an extinct planet.

Their eyes which were now lit up with the and anticipation of adventure. Counting Nita and Warren there were eleven people in the crew and on the
once dull and glazed

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

passenger
as
list

21

of

the

"Earthbound,"

proper position before the take-off. This

universal adjustment

the

Plutonian's
its

ship

had been

re-

was

similar to the
of

named by
ancestry

ple united by the

new masterseleven peocommon bond of earth and for the common purpose
for

polar

and

declination

axes

tele-

scope mounting

which permits the

to

inin

strument to be directed
the sky.

any point

of establishing for themselves and

their families the privileges and esteem

which

they

believed

should

rightfully

WARREN
final

was

just completing the

be theirs.

adjustments on the quadrant

the interior of the hangar
in

Warren and
on
idle

his

crew wasted no time

fatal to

when he saw
suddenly

sentimentaKsm. There was work

enveloped

darkness.

He
the the

to be done.
their plans.

Delay might prove

looked up in alarm.

At any moment Gurra

their
all

or

hangar was closing!

shrill

The roof of Then he heard

and

the Vigilantes might pounce upon them,

voices

of

Saturians

louder

would balked, but they would

and
ly

not

only

plans

be
the

than

most certainof

and more grating, came the voice of Gurra! Warren havany

others,
it

be

subject

to

the

tortures

ing heard
tonian

once could not mistake

trapped.

it.

horrible Purble Vapor,

and if unlucky enough to have remained alive, be exiled to a living hell on Saturn's farthest
satellite,

They were

The
from

crafty
his

Plu-

had awakened

stupor

prematurely and had called out the Vigilantes.

Phoebe.

Nita

donned

mechanic's

garment
the

"It

.and accompanied Palmer about the control

finished

would have been better him completely,"

if

had

Warren
final twist

and

power

rooms,

checking

thought bitterly as he gave a

to the

motors, the tubes, the instruments, the

controls,

turntable control before dashing

the

and in fact every vital part of "Earthbound." She had inherited

much
once

of the scientific and mechanical from her father, for more than Palmer conceded some mooted point to her and cheerfully followed her suggestions. Warren in the meantime was studying the celestial charts and
talent

for the open door of the air lock. The door was fifty feet away, an easy sprint would bring him there in a few seconds,

but those seconds

hours,

may
lower

as well have been

for

the

entrance

to

the

hangar

between

himself

and the ship

Vigilantes.

was now
him.

alive with rushing

Before he could retreat they were upon

Fortunately the entrance was too to permit more than a limited number of them through and Warren,

plotting their angle of

projection.

narrow
in

order to take off with IN ance that they would be

the

assurto-

headed

desperation,

struck about

him with

wards the earth

nose
as

it

was necessary
its

to es-

timate the proper elevation of the ship's

well

long heavy sighting tube he had been using in adjusting the cradle.
the

as

lateral

direction.

The

skull of the first Saturnian

;

who

Otherwise much valuable fuel would be expended energizing the steering rockThe ship rested upon an adjustable ets. cradle which could be rotated and elevated as required to point the ship to-

reached him
Vigilante
as his
less.

was crushed the second drew back with a cry of pain long arm dangled broken and useThe others, seeing that here was
circled

no easy conquest,
cautiously, waiting

around
had

him
at-

ward any
navigator

spot in the heavens.

Verniers

for an opening. the

attack

with micrometer graduations enabled the

to

The tumult
tracted
the

of

place

tht

vessel

in

its

attention

of

the

men on

22
board
of
the

AMAZING STORIES
"Earthbound."
it

When
and

rocket blast before the gases were

ciently

suffi-

Ross

Griffin heard

he took one look

compressed,

for not

only

must

through
shouted

the
to

observation
the

window

the huge metal ship be given sufficient

Vic Sylvan's blond head was the first to emerge from the ship. There was a long gleaming metal rod in his hand, as big around as
crew.
hi^

impetus to overcome the pull of gravity

but

it

sive chromite sheets of the

must burst through the mashanger roof

like

panels.

The seconds were

hours;

massive arm; his eyes shone with

not a single voice broke above the hissing of the gas.

the fierce light of battle.

With a
recover

roar

he was upon the astonished Vigilantes

"There
ment.

it

is,

Palmer! Hold

it

a mo-

and

before

they

could

from
lying

Now,
terrific

fire!"

their surprise, three of

lifeless

them were

A
their

explosion that almost

split

upon the smooth, metal

floor of

eardrums as the noise was

arnpli-

the hangar.

field a

thousand times in the closed han-

gar, then a crash against metal, a tear-

''TI7"E'RE
. .
.

right

here with you.

Mr.
we're
while

ing and crushing, then through the observation

v. Bancroft, and by God and fighting sticking

.

window they saw

the lights of

the sky-city below them, and above them the stars.

there's a kick in us,"

The descendant from

paused

ancient Vikings

They were free! The interior communiograph

LaCosse
sir.

spoke,

in his speech every

time he ren-

"Jules

in

the

forward

com-

dered another Vigilante hots de combat.

partment,

Nothing

damaged ex-

By now

the

little

had joined their was a matter of just a few moments and some lusty blows before those Saturnians, who were able to run, took to their heels and fled in panic, crushing and clawing one another in a desperate effort to squeeze through the narrow
exit of the hangar.

band of Earthmen two comrades and it

cept a slight groove in the ship's nose."

Reports from other sections of the "Earthbound" bore out the wisdom of Warren's hasty decision that the ship would tear through the hangar doors
without any serious harm to
ren
blast
itself.

Warlight

checked his course,

then
the

firing

from the starboard steering

set

tube.

and
haven't a minute to

automatic

controls

"Come
lose.

boys,

we

straight for the icy planet, earth.

If

we

don't take off at once they

Never mind trying to open the roof now," he called to Palmer as the grim little engine expert was attempting to start the hangar motors. "We'll crash through!"
will annihilate us

with a

fire-ball.

CHAPTER

IV

FOR
an hour.
ing
on,
five
it

many days

the "Earthbound"

hurtled through the black void at

a speed in excess of 200,000 miles

Even

in that age

it

was a long
Later

BACK
as

in

the control

room

as

soon

journey from Saturn to earth, requirearth-months

true, after

they

were

all

aboard and the

start the

of

time.
Cir,

door was tightly sealed, Warren, Palmer

is

Laj

the great
sys-

and Nita worked frantically to

repulsion rocket motors.

scientist of the planet

Tuxul in the

As

the gases

hissed into the mixing chamber,

Warren

watched the pressure gauge anxiously.

Would
mark?

the needle never

reach the red

to
fire

He

was

afraid

the

tem of Markab, had harnessed the Ether Ray, the flight could be made in But the earthmen in the a few days. crew were contented. They were away from their aggressors, and Warren and

EARTH REHAB1LITAT0RS, CONSOLIDATED

Nita

23

were

happy

each other.

company of And there was a definite

in

the

The
ency
but

first

half hour after the emerg-

rocket

motors

went
again
to

into

action

and worthy objective for all of them, an opportunity to remove the stigma attached to outcasts and to establish a new
world for themselves.

their pursuer

dropped gradually behind,

took
his

when

Warren

space

measurements he found
on them.

conster-

nation that the police ship was gaining

Two

days journey distant from earth

Warren was checking their course. Nita was in the control room with him studying the heavens

"They too must have turned on

tional power.

addi-

Hello Palmer," he spoke

through the televisor.

into the transmitter of the engine

circuit,

room

Suddenly she gave a startled little cry and switched on the screen of the instrument.

''\I/"ARREN,
* '

there's
!"

space

ship

following us

"Can we get more speed?" "We've put on everything we have, Mr. Bancroft. The cooling system on two of the tubes is closed and I am very much afraid that they will burn out. The pyrometers show a tempera4,500 degrees Fahrenheit
. .

dropped his charts and hastened to the darkened vision booth. The large screen showed myriads of
Bancroft
stars

ture of
.
. .

now
away,

wait

."

and

his voice died

to

be

replaced

by hasty,

unintelligible

and planets
object
that

in

field

of

black,

orders that Palmer was shouting in the

while directly in the centre was a foreign

engine room.

loomed
magnifier,

larger

and
It's

something

sizzling

There was a sound of and steaming, then

agitated
voice,

larger even as he gazed.

Palmer
Nita.

in

an

spoke

"Turn on

the

again

a ship sure enough," he declared as the long silvery object filled the screen

M
I
now.

sorry

had to rush
tubes

off.

Those
just

almost entirely.

"It has the red stripes

confounded

went

out

of the flag of the Space Police."

He made some
terior

hurried

calculations,

was
cut

Melted clean away. No, there no one hurt," he reassured the

I

then turned to the transmitter of the in-

anxious navigator, "but

will

have to
save the

communiograph

down

the gas charges to

"Hello, Palmer,

we

just picked

up a

other rubes."

police ship in the televisor; she is travelling about 250,000 miles

is

"Well, do your best.

don't see

Palmer, but

an hour and

how we

can avoid being over-

now

100,000 miles behind.

rate she will

At that reach us within two hours.

hauled within a short time."

The

three people in the control

room

Can you start the emergency tubes?" "They are ready for service, Mr.
Bancroft,
fuel

kept their eyes glued

on the televisor

screen and with sinking hearts watched

the

but

am
run

afraid

that

our

huge ship gain on them.

the

Was
fast

this

supply

will

low

if

we use

to be

end

of

all

their

hopes and
in

them."

ambitions?

Bancroft

thought

"Cut them in. That is a chance we must take," Warren ordered. Ross Griffin in answer to Warren's summons had rushed into the control room and the three anxiously watched
the
police

the short space of time he had

vise

to

de-

some ruse that would save them. They were inside of the belt of asteroids so they could not seek refuge

upon

one of them.

The
it

nearest

body was
that

ship

on the screen of the

Mars

to reach

before they were over-

televisor.

taken was an impossibility

now

two

24

AMAZING STORIES
tional.

of the tubes were burned out and the

You
with

are

gas pressure had to be reduced in the

others.

V-Si

kidnapping

charged by Professor daughter his

As

for offering resistance, they

had

no ammunition for any weapons

as

larger than their portable blast-guns.

Warren was not concerned

much

with the thought that his plans would

be frustrated and that he would be sentenced to death as he

was with

solicitude

over the fate of Nita.

himself
for

He

reproached

having
that

permitted

her

to

come on
ous.
selfish

a mission that
felt

He
her

was so hazardhe had done a very

After
all
all,

Nita, and by Gurra with attempted murder and the theft of his space ship. The penalty for any of these offenses is death in the Chamber of Purple Vapor. If you surrender we will spare the lives of your men." Warren looked at Nita and then at Ross. His eyes showed no fear they were quizzical; there was just a trace of a grim smile playing around the cor;

ners of his determined mouth.

thing

indeed.

Nita

had

father

who would

seen her unhappy for

have the world and

not

surely he could have devised

some way

of keeping her from marrying Gurra,

six year course at the great University

of Betelgeux on the remote planet B2-

CR

for instance, would have kept her away from the ugly Gurra. Well, it was too late now to retract what he had done, they must face what the future

had

in store

for them.

To put up a fight would Gurra must have used up all chemicals on this ship, there isn't an ounce on board." "Warren, are you saying this to save us?" Nita's voice was accusing. "He is, but he's not going to get away He was dewith it," Ross cut in. termined. "Nita and I talked this over and we are sticking it out, fighting it You don't for a moout, if you please. ment believe that lying gang of PlutonPromise us ian cut-throats, do you?
"I

am

ready.

be

futile.

of the

fire-ball

'TPHE
-*-

fast

approaching ship was of

size.

our

lives,

will

they?"
Griffin.

monstrous
it

Warren
fleet.

recog-

He
by
to

turned to the interior communiis

nized
the

as the largest

and speediest of
It

ograph, "Palmer, this

fire

Stand
the

vast

space-police

was
must

the steering blasts

when

usually

stationed

on

Pluto

but

have
to

on Saturn just in time serve Gurra's needs. No other ship

arrived

Could

have

overtaken

them after

the

comes abreast of us." Then "There is a slim possibility to Warren At that we can out-maneuver them. least I am going to try it, come what
police ship
:

start they had.

will."

The
it

space communiograph

was buzitself

zing a calling signal,

on.

Warren switched

Warren looked at Ross gratefully. Then placing one arm around Nita's
slim waist he walked over to the

harsh voice protruded

man

from the loudspeaker into the control

to, Warren Bancroft. You can not possibly escape us. will re-

and put
I could

his

hand firmly on
!"

his shoulder.

room "Heave

"With staunch

friends like these I feel

conquer the world

the
giant

he said
ship

sol-

We
No

emnly.

lease the magnetic grapple.

foolish-

When

police

came

ness now," the voice warned.

alongside they saw the leering black face

Warren

cut the transmitter in.

"Un-

der what conditions are you taking us?" he asked.

He was of Gurra through a porthole. talking to them over the communiograph,

admonishing
dire

them
if

to

stop,

"Your

surrender

must

be

uncondi-

threatening

things

they

dared

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

disobey.

25

When
its

the

"Earthbound"

maintained
plying with
trying to

even pace without comwishes he resorted to

Nita.

his

sponse. Although the ship jerked like a startled fawn, she snapped back as if held by elastic bands and crashed violently against the hull of the police ves-

bully

broke into
antly.

the

control

His shrill voice room unpleas-

"Your
you

father has asked

me

to bring

Again they tried it and again the same thing happened. It was of no use they were powerless in the grip of their
sel.

back,

so

you

must
that

He

gave his consent to

my

obey him. marrying

enemy.

you and commanded

you give up
over
she

your earth-slave," he wheedled. A tinge of annoyance spread

Nita's
delicate

two THE hundred

ships drifted about three

yards ayart.

Then through

the observation

window
fire,

the occupants of

features.

Then

the "Earthbound"

saw an incandescent
leave a cannon-like

flushed with indignation as she grasped the transmitter.

body, a ball of
tube protruding
police ship.

from the side of the

"Gurra, you ugly black monster, you My father never gave his consent lie
!

"A
did

fire-ball!"

Warren

shouted,

"I
it.

willingly.

You
it.

threatened
for

and

bullied

not think the devils would do

Nita.

him

into

As

getting

mejust

Come

Let

me

hold you

in

my

try and do it!"

The

black face at the porthole became

distorted

arms for the last time, and as she rested her head upon his shoulder and closed
her eyes to shut out the blinding intensity of the
ectile,

horribly

with
lips

rage
reddish

and
eyes

thwarted hope.
the

The
with

parted to bare

slowly approaching

fire

proj-

crooked
rolling

fangs.

His
rage.

she whispered softly,

were
out a

He

cursed

"I do not mind,

Warren,

command

to the ship's officers

and

more

am happy

then shrieked into the transmitter:

"You
enough.

Saturnian she-devil!

have had
will

You and your

earthling

spin through space for eternity

living creatures

bones.

and !" See if you can defy a fireball "Oh, the horrible monster, he wouldn't dare, would he Warren?" Nita looked
as charred flesh

but

not

as

happy here with you, knowing is the end than I have ever Hold me tightly, and let us dream of our future. Our future, Warren, in another world."
that this

been before.

tomb-like

silence

pervaded

the

"Earthbound."
been shut

The rocket motors had

;

down

the charging apparatus

up

in

alarm.

was likewise dormant. There was an awed silence throughout the ship. Warren and Nita had drawn into the shadow
of
fin

"T'M
bluff.

afraid that he

is

capable of any-

the

swithboard,

while

Ross

Grif-

thing,

although this sounds like a

police

stood upright like the good soldier

The
See,

are in his

pay and
spinning
of the
their

he was,
straight

looking
into

with

unblinking

eyes

they will follow his orders without question.

the dazzling fire-ball,

unfor Sat-

even

now we

are

moved,

unperturbed

by

the

imminent
little

around, helpless in the meshes

catastrophe.

moment

of respite

magnetic grapple projected

ship.
I'll

from

these earthmen and the brave

try Ross' idea, a blast from

urnian

girl

before the hard, metal plates

the steering rockets."

He

shouted an order to the engine

fiery

room and a

from the of the "Earthbound" was Palmer's

flash

side
re-

of the ship would become steaming fluid, before bodies that once moved, and loved, and laughed would become brittle and charred fragmentsof humanity.

26
suddenly the BUT void was punctured
sel,

AMAZING STORIES
silence

of

the
stac-

THE
tial

surface of the earth had been

by sharp

cato tappings on the plates of the veslike

stripped of its atmosphere many thousands of years ago due to the counter attraction

hailstones,

with occasionally a

thump that caused the ship to sway and pitch to a dangerous angle. "A shower of meteors!" Ross exThen claimed, "That was a large one." he became excited, "Warren, Nita, I
heavier
can't see the police ship

exerted by a huge celesbody. This wandering body had approached within a few thousand miles

and drawn most of the

it

air

away from

the surface, leaving but a thin layer of

enveloping

the

globe.

When
passed

the

any longer

We

roaming

star or

planetoid

from

are moving

We

are falling

away from room on

to

sight the largest part of the earth's at-

them!"

The occupants of
the "Earthbound"
floor

the control

mosphere remained outside of the gravitational influence of the planet where it

continued to rotate as an invisible satellite

were thrown
its

the

violently as

the ship lurched and

literally

stood on

nose before being

At once
land

around the earth. the earth became

froze
solidly.
It

chilled.
ice,

The
the

a tremendously increasing speed by a huge meteor which had struck the vessel with a revfirst, at

borne down, bow

waters of the sea turned to

and the
like

was

erberating crash.

By

the time Warren,

coming of another ice age, only more permanent in its effects and more devastating.

Nita and Ross had regained their feet

the
attacking
ship

was out of
plunging

sight.

Fortunately for the inhabitants of the

planet, a period

And

they

were

still

wildly

of approximately three

through space

to the safety of distance,

months elapsed before

sible

thanks to the impact of the meteor.

for

life

to

exist.

Searching the ether through the

visor,

tele-

this

time

that

feverish

Warren discerned
the police ship

the

faint

out-

lines of

miles away.

many thousand The communiograph picked

that

up some
indicated

feeble signals of distress

that

Gurra's vessel

had been

disabled by a meteor.

The
ness

feeling of

tension and hopelessthe

that

had

pervaded

occupants
to relief

begun to leave the upon some other planet. Space ships were just being perfected, although they were still crude of design and unsafe. Gordon Bancroft, one of the foremost scientists and pioneer interplanetary explorers of the period was besieged with pleas and requests for transportation. In
the
night
short

became imposwas during were earth and seek refuge

it

It

activities

of the "Earthbound" gave

way

time

remaining
to

he
as

labored

as they breathlessly discussed their mir-

and

day
it

construct

many

from what appeared to be certain destruction. Palmer announced that the ship had not been damaged by the meterors and he was ready at any time to turn on the motive
aculous escape

space ships as
for them.

was physically

possible

'HP HE
-*

hardships

suffered
these

by
icy

the

earthmen

during

days

power.

were

heartbreaking.

Their

food

was

Commanding
rocket motors,

Palmer

to

start

the

Warren headed

the ship

consumed, fuel could only be obtained by blasting through steel-hard

entirely

in the direction of the earth

which was

sheets of ice.

now a large white The next day they

sphere in the sky. reached the outer

Millions

had

starved
to

and

millions

more were frozen

death,

and how
the

blanket of dense atmosphere.

many succeeded

in

leaving

dying

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

planet

27

no one knew. Gordon waited

too,

until

the very last to take off. Another day

and he

with his family would have

perished.

After being refused refuge on Jupiter he was allowed to land on Saturn, where he and his small band were promptly bonded into slavery. In time
his descendants

accommodate four people comfortIt was equipped with heating elements, a communiograph set, scientific instruments and portable blast guns for Relying upon established data defense.
to ably.

concerning the density of the

the sled with a

now

rare

earth atmosphere, Palmer had equipped

pair of folding wings which would sustain them when hopping from one elevation to another. This would be particularly useful in traveling over the difficult mountain

had been

freed, but the

stigma

of

inferiority

was

never

re-

moved.

With
changes
sical

the coming of the ice age, great

were wrought upon the phyof

passages.

aspect

the earth.

All

traces

By now
atmosphere.
ship.

the

"Earthbound" was enhazy upper

the part

of the former glory and civilization were mowed down by tons of ice, and expeditions from other archeological planets were unable to uncover anything But now, owing to an of significance.

veloped in the blanket of

Warren switched on
to

communiograph
"Stand manded. by

every

of

the

for

landing,"

he

com-

upheaval of the crust of the earth in a region that was once known as northern

New
with

Jersey,
its

a portion

of the ground
life,

The stern rockets had been cut off and the bow counter-force tubes were
brought into action, slowing the "Earth-

story of

ancient

lay

re-

vealed.

bound" slowly so
had no instruments that
ered surface.

that she eased

down
ice

to

a perfect landing on a smooth

cov-

1\/"ARREN
* *

In fact the entire coun-

would

tell

him what portion of the

try, as far as the

occupants of the ship

Perearth he was about to land on. haps painstaking maneuvering would enable him to find the desired latitude and longitude, but he dared not take a chance
of delaying.

could

see,

thing appeared grey and forlorn.

the sun
inated,

was absolutely level. EveryEven was obscured so that it illumbut did not warm, the extinct

He

planned to leave the

for
it

ship with instructions

as soon as he called.
his destination he

to

follow

When

he reached

would send out a dibeam which would guide the "Earthbound" straight and true. Then again, Warren was anxious to explore
rectional

Already the extreme cold had begun to condense the moisture in the atmosphere on the outside hull, until the portholes and the observation windows were covered with a thick coating of
planet.
frost.

One

of the mechanics appeared

as

much
by

of the surface of the earth as

possible, for

trip

sled

which purpose the overland would serve admirably.

the direction of
built

and attached an electric heating element to the window which melted the ice and permitted a view of the outside world. As all preparations had been completed for an overland trip in the sled,

The mechanics under

Palmer had
fitted

closed

cabin

sled,

nothing remained but to take observations to ascertain their

select

with

small

rocket

tubes.

This
the

location

and to

vehicle

could

be

propelled

over

the

members of

the

expedition.

surface of the ice at a speed estimated in excess of a thousand miles an hour.

By
that

using a specially designed instrument

The

cabin was airtight and large enough

combined the features of the sexand chronometer but required tant

28

AMAZING STORIES
Warand warmed by a radioactive element. They were equipped with helmets and an apparatus for manufacturing artificial

neither sun, stars nor Greenwich time to

determine latitude and longitude,

ren plotted his location on a chart.

air.

"\X/E
* '

are plumb in the middle of what was once known as the Pacific Ocean. No wonder everything
is

Warren
tiin

sat

down

at the

wheel

in the

cabin and snapped on the rocket igswitch.

nition

There was a red

roar a
as

flash

flat

as far as
is

we can

see.

Our

des-

and

reverberating

the

sled
deer.

tination
if

5.760 miles in a straight line

leaped

forward
four
to

like

frightened

we

set

our course north-east by

e;i*t.

The
were

adventurers
their

waved

hasty

Allowing for the irregularities in our route we will probably have to travel
over six thousand miles.

farewell

off across the trackless waste.

companions and they For-

Not counting
should reach

tunately

Warren and Palmer had driven

and were
Sleds
there-

on any unforseen delays

we

rocket sleds on Saturn

fore
these

New

Jersey

in

six hours,"

Warren was

familiar

with

the

peculiarities

of

explaining to Nita and Ross Griffin

strange

vehicles.

required

Ross and Palmer and I will constitute the male members of the expedition, and in order not
for the crew.
to

"Now

greater vigilance in handling than space

ships as the contour of the
to

ground had

be watched constantly, although this not trouble

slight

the

ladies,"

turning to

Nita

condition did

them on the
the
Pacific

whose face was getting longer and longer at the prospect of being left behind,

smooth
Ocean.

frozen

surface

of

When

they reached

the land,

he

bowed
Nita,

elaborately

and added,
along.

will take all of

them

"we But, mind

will-

conditions would be different and travel

more

difficult.

you,

am

not

doing this
in

ingly,"

he warned, "I would rather have you remain behind

much
the

THE
felt

tree

descendants of
tug of
their

earthmen
planet

the

home

security of the ship.

Here they could

never find you, but out there," he indicated with a sweep of his hand, "I am not so sure about it. But I realize how keen you are about going along with us, so I wouldn't stop you for all the

world."

After giving some

last

minute orders

to Wass Dorn who was to remain in command of the space ship, Warren and his companions climbed aboard the sled which the crew pushed through the air-lock out upon the ice. The men who had to expose themselves to the rigorous climate donned special garments which kept them warm and they put on

While for many generations their forefathers had lived upon an alien world, still a nameless something kept telling them that at last they had come back to their rightful heritage. Not for a moment would any of them admit it, but they looked with wistful eyes upon the bleak solitude and hid from one another eyes that lost
in their

deep

down

hearts.

brightness with mist.

helmets
that

that

supplied

air.

The

suits

Three hours of fast traveling brought them within sight of a high elevation. This was the coast of California, with the Coast Range Mountains in the background. Warren worked a lever which brought the wings of the sled into service, and just before they reached the
high coast he increased the speed and adjusted the elevators so that the
vehicle
lifted
itself

were
of of

to be

bers

the

worn by the four overland expedition

necessary
sled to

memwhen
the

they
cabin

found
the

it

leave

from the
first

ice

and

were double walled

soared up over the

obstruction.

By

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

maneuvering Warren was able to avoid irregularities that might otherwise have been serious barriers to their
skillful

29

was
side,

sufficient to hurl the sled

plateau

above

where
its

it

precipitating

up to the landed on its crew headlong

progress.

over one another.

Fortunately no one was hurt and the

THE mountains
ficult.

journey

over

the

range

of

was, however, more dif-

Here they experienced their first near-tragedy. The sled was traveling on its runners up the steep slope with the front of the vehicle pointing up an It was angle of forty-five degrees.
necessary to proceed cautiously, yet fast

was undamaged except for a window. Although the cabin was equipped with a glass which had 'the
sled

broken

strength and flexibility of fine

steel,

the
to

concussion

was too

violent

for

it

withstand such a shock.

glass

Having

fore-

seen such a contingency, spare panes of

enough to prevent stalling on the heavy Rounding an icy hummock, where pull. the view ahead was obscured, the sled
encountered a wall of
the
ice,

of the exact size were available and the damage was consequently re-

paired in short order.

Warren

cut

cabin

During the brief period when the was open to the outside world the
stiff

in all the rocket tubes in order to lift

cold air had penetrated, chilling every-

vehicle over the obstruction. She sailed up and cleared it perfectly, but came down heavily on the other side, There was a cracking and crunching of
ice

one until their limbs were

exposure.

from the

The air within had escaped which rendered breathing difficult. They had not the time to don the special garments
before
the
it

as

the

sled

broke through a layer

happened,
of

but

now,

of frozen surface.
travelers

To
they

their horror the

upon

insistence

Warren they

saw

that

were crashing

pulled the clumsy suits over their regular clothes.

"It's best to

through and falling into a deep crevasse. The sled was slipping sideway, the runners screeching shrilly as
if

be prepared in case some-

in

protest.

thing like this

plained.

happens again," he exthe

"Charge the right hand steering rockDon't move anyone," Palmer. ets,

Since the beginning of

journey

Warren warned
wildly.

as their hearts

thumped

valves

pressor.

Palmer worked feverishly turning and starting the auxiliary comIt required but a few mothe

world Nita had been wishing to obtrude herself upon the busy navigator and his comover the
silent,

frozen

not

panions.
flection

She had much time for reand planned for the future,
established
this

ments, but to the white-faced occupants

of

when Warren would become

as

careening

sled

it

seemed

like

reputable

scientist

in

new

ages.

"There

it

is.

Mister

Bancroft,"

the

engine expert panted.

and, as

Although she loved her home planet, Saturn, she looked forward happily to the day when the earth would be
world.
habitable.

"Hold tight, everyone. Here we go!" Warren threw the switch, a flash fire came from the right hand tube, followed by an ear-splitting explosion from the heavy charge.
of

CHAPTER

VI

The

sled shot sideways as if

thrown

THE
the

mountainous region between west coast of the United

by a giant hand.

Luckily for the ad-

States

and

the central part of Coltraveling.

It

venturers the force of the rocket tube

orado

was

difficult

re-

30

AMAZEVG STORIES
directed
it

quired two hours of skillful piloting on

the part of

straight ahead
I

on
a

their course.

Warren and must have been

to

"Oh,
shouted

Warren,
excitedly.

see

light!"

she
just

extremely nerve-racking

the

others.

"Look,

there

But they did not voice their

speculating
future.

feelings, re-

ahead of us."

calling instead their past experiences or

He
glow

took the instrument from her and

optimistically

about

the

looked.
that

Sure enough, a tiny yellow became more pronounced as

had been in constant touch with the "Earthbound" by means Wass Dorn, of the communiograph. who had been left in command of the ship, had nothing of interest to report everything was just as they had left it. The long range televisor on the space ship had not picked up any other craft so there was no means of knowing whether or not Gurra had finally been Ross
Griffin

they

approached,
habitation.

marked

the

site

of

human
"It

must be Dr.
queer.
I

Ru

Va's camp.
see
it.

Hm
now

that's

can't

The light is gone." With a puzzled expression on

his face

he returned the instrument to Nita

who

searched the darkness ahead and finally

laid the televisor

down,

"I can't see

that
it

it

now

either.

am

sure

able to give chase.

was a

light.

The
north

Mississippi River
ice

was marked by
that extended

in for the night

Perhaps they turned and put it out."

the sled

a winding canyon of
see.

Warren had slowed

speed he crept up the

down

to

and south as far as they could Soon after, they reached the Ohio Rivet and traveled along in its frozen
bed
for

avoid running past the place and at low

last incline to the

time until

Warren put on
sled lifted

skimming speed and the

over the

up

and

Pennsylvania.
their

checked
quired.

mountains of West Virginia Warren and Ross position constantly and

location that his instruments told him must be the camp site of the expedition. He was positive that this was the very spot that the light, which he and Nita had seen, came from. But instead of hearing voices of welcome in response
to their shrill signal

readjusted the course of the sled as re-

horn, nothing but

to

echoes
for

came

back

the

expectant

They had been under way

than seven hours
lines of the

more
soon
out-

group.

reach their destination.

now and would The faint

ROSS
up
the

switched on the high powered

illuminator and

sun could be seen dropping

ice,

rhomium

behind
lighting
faint

white-peaked mountains of

about in an arc.
blue-white

The
ice

brilliant

swung beam

it lit

pitch

up the western horizon with a Soon it would be yellow glow. dark, for twilight lasted but a few

minutes in the rarified atmosphere of Anxious to reach the site of Dr. earth.

Ru

Va's camp before dark, Warren or-

dered

Palmer

to

energize

the

spare

and dazzled the eyes of the watchers. There were heaps of red earth and rock where the expedition had been excavating and as the light swept around it caught the flash of metal. Ross Griffin immediately focused the beam upon this mirror-like surface.
"Zistite metal explorers' huts!"

rocket tubes to increase their speed.

Warno
huts

ren cried,

"Hold
in

it

there, Ross."
light

through the the gloom but could see nothing She reached for with the naked eye. the portable, short range televisor and
peering

N1TA

was

In

the

brilliant

they

had

difficulty

seeing

clearly.

Two

built
zistite

of

the

new non-conducting

metal

stood revealed not

more than a

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

hundred yards away.
This metal had
regions where ex-

31
feel ill?"

ren?
there.

You
be

are white.
all

Do you
It's

been adopted for building portable huts

"Ill

right.
in,

horrible

in

and even houses

tremely high
or
tures prevailed.

in

Don't go

frigidly

low tempera-

brutally butchered.
into the other hut.

any one. Five men, I must take a peek

The metal was almost an absolute non-conductor of heat and

was therefore admirably
purpose.
suited for this

Wait

here."

Although
ren

still

white and shaken, War--

through the open door of the second cabin. He reresolutely

in

walked

There was no sign of any one about the place and as final proof that the cabins were deserted they saw that the doors of both of them were wide open and swinging in the sub-Arctic wind. "We will have to get out and search
around. of this,"
I

appeared

in less

than a minute.

By now
but

he had regained

his self-possession,

was plainly puzzled, "Nine of them in

cated the

there,"

he
his

indi-

second

hut

with

head,

"They
alive

don't exactly like the looks

said as he picked

Warren

up
it,"

And
we

too, were murdered. Not a soul anywhere I can't understand it. there were some living beings here
;

a blast gun, "Just in case

we need

not very long ago according to the light

he remarked

significantly.

saw.

THEY
their

had strapped

ice

creepers to

sled,

"Suppose you take Nita back to the Palmer, while Ross and I try to
this
little

shoes, a necessary precaution

puzzle
get a

thing

out.

Better

try

to

when walking on
face of 'this

the glass-smooth surplanet.

sleep, Nita,

we may
left

be late

frozen

Having
stiff

in returning."

been cramped in the close quarters of

the tiny cabin, the four were

When

the

others

had

Warren

and
first

found
hut.

it

difficult to

walk.

After stumblthat

ing several times they reached the

gave Ross a detailed account of what he had found in the huts. Try as they would they could not for the life of

Warren had a premonition

was
something inside that
see.
I

there

Nita

should not be permitted to

them come to any satisfactory solution of the mysterious murder of a harmless old scientist and his colleagues. That
it must have been done by some type of thinking creatures was self evident as a close examination of one of the bodies

"You
out.
I'll

folks
call

wait
if

here until

come

need you."
in,

And
his

with this he walked

flashing

rhomium

illuminator around inside.

disclosed traces of seared flesh

where the

The

sight that

met

his eyes

was a horthe
five

head had been severed from the body.

rible one.

There, thrown brutally into

lined

bunks

that

headless

blood

the wall were smeared bodies of

"TT
-1

was unquestionably done with a

men. The red blood was frozen as it had dripped in rivulets from jagged Dumped uncerestumps of necks. moniously in a heap in one corner were
the

flame-knife," Warren muttered as he forced himself to perform the unpleasant task of examining the corpses,

"and flame-knives are the favorite weapons

of
Plutonians.
.

I
."

wonder

if

it

heads

that

once
he

belonged
the

to

the
reel-

could have been

bodies.

Warren saw
him
;

room

He was
outside.

interrupted by a shout
It

from
to-

ing around
his eyes

felt

a queer sensa-

was

Nita

running

tion in the pit of his stomach, then shut

and staggered

outside.
is
it,

cabin. He hurried to meet her before she should enter the horrible

wards the
place.

Nita was alarmed. "What

War-

32

AMAZING STORIES
back to the sled with Nita and picked up
several

"Oh, Warren," she panted, "I just heard the most awful thing over the communiograph. The Central Universe Police, acting upon information received from Gurra, have been ordered to earth to arrest you for kidnapping
me.
ren,

black

boxes

containing

delicate

scientific

instruments.
it

He removed

micro-camera and set

up, close to one

of the bodies in the cabin, and then fo-

And

that

is

not the worst,

War-

you are charged with murdering Dr. Ru Va and the members of his
expedition
!"

cused the sensitive lens upon the severed flesh. In a few moments he had a permanent record of the microscopic structure of the seared tissue.

Then
minute
prepared

he

unpacked
a

the

recording-

analyzer which registered on a specially

FOR
there
in

Warren stood Then the without answering.

full

chart

chemical

analysis

of

the carbonized tissues.

With these two

conjunction

unbelievable
his

accusation

registered

fully
to

instruments
ren hoped
the
fact

used
to

in

Wardispute

mind.
calmly

He

clenched his

fists

establish

beyond

suppress his pent up emotions, but an-

that

the

weapon used was a

Plutonians

swered

enough

as

he

recon-

flame-knife, a devilish device which only

structed the events as he thought they

a few high-born
mitted to own.

were per-

had happened:
"Ross and
I

had just arrived

at

the

conclusion that the explorers had been

Warren and Ross were weary by the time they completed the work of recording the evidence and they left the cabin
to return to the sled for a night's sleep.

murdered
flame-knife.

by

means

of
is

Plutonian

Now

it

quite clear that

Gurra must have arrived here in a space ship of his own after abandoning the
police craft.

In the morning they intended

to begin

excavating the frozen ground in search

of Gordon Bancroft's laboratory which they estimated to be not more than two
miles
it

He

then surprised Dr.

Ru

Va and
all

his

men, murdered them, took

to

of their findings and then brazenly

the
I

communiographed
one.

Chief

of

the

from where they were. Outside was pitch dark. The heavy outer
chilled

Universal Police that

was the

blanket of
guilty

atmosphere did not

or
starlight

permit

the

moonlight

to

penetrate to the surface of the earth.

the question
his

is, where is Gurra gang of cut-throats and how much time do we have before the police swoop down upon us?"

"Now

and

FOR
tors.

some unknown reason Nita had

switched off the rhomium illumina-

These questions were difficult to anBut it was evident to Warren swer. that he must establish proof of his innocence. He knew well enough that the sworn testimony of Nita and his other

This puzzled Warren for a moment, then he accounted for it by assuming

the glare was so strong that it would not permit her to sleep. She was he thought, and needed all the His portable ilrest she could get. luminator flickered feebly and then
that
tired,

two companions would not

the

avail against

corruption
Justice,

of the Court
after

of

Inter-

died

down

to a
it

faint

red glow.

The

stellar

Gurra's
to bear

powerful

steady use of

had exhausted the rhom-

influence

was brought

upon the

judges.

However, Warren had no

being

intention of

caught

defenseless.

He

walked

ium charge and he had not brought a The only thing left spare tube along. to do was to feel their way back to the sled over the slippery ground, mak-

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

ing sure
the right.
to

33
Nita

avoid

a deep crevasse to

from

their

bodies.

And

What would become

they

of her?

SUDDENLY
a
tion
light.

were

blinded

by

their

frenzy
in

the

It

of their sled.

ment Warren Nita or Palmer had turned on the most powerful rhomiums. But never before had they beheld anything so intensive.

came from the direcFor just one moand Ross thought that

madly

ever-widening

two men raced circles. Far

to the right they collided violently. Their

bodies sprawled on the ground and the

force of the impetus rolled them over and over again down a steep incline. Although almost senseless with pain, Warren realized that he was being propelled towards the edge of the crevasse.

They were forced

something
hot

to shield their

eyes to shut out the terrific glare.

and searing swept across Warren's legs and he could not suppress a cry of pain. As he instinctively

Then

But he did nothing to stop himself. would be far better to be dashed

It

to

pieces at the bottom of a mile-deep cre-

clutched

the

calves

of

his

vasse than to be roasted ignominiously

legs he

tight fitting explorer's suit

saw with growing alarm that his was on fire!

out the
flames,

by the

evil

Gurra.

He

lost

conscious-

He

beat

although

his

rolling body struck him and carried him over the edge.

ness just as Ross'

palms were scorched and he leaped back, shouting a warning ts Ross.

CHAPTER

VII
his

Then they heard

take
it.

voices; one

was high

pitched and grating.

It

He

could not mis-

was

the voice of Gurra! It

WHEN
felt

he

opened

eyes

he

Ross bathing a deep cut on

had seen in the distance when they had approached the site and he and his men had evidently been hiding in ambush until they thought it
his light they

was

the top of his scalp

bathing
first,

it

with

warm
realized

water!
several

As

his eyes

became
light

more accustomed
he

to the

dim yellow

things

that

safe to attack.

Above
screaming

the
his

din

Warren heard Nita name. The two men

were confused by the suddenness of the forward savagely, to be met by the hot, searing flame. They dropped to the ground with a
thing, but they rushed

and he were both miraculously and second, that the ground was free of ice and warm and soft. And he was able to breathe, although with
alive,

Ross

some

difficulty,

without his helmet!

strangled

cry,

but

the

flame

followed

o
but

H, what a head! It feels as if an atomic disintegrator was workLet

tried

them relentlessly and burned the hair and skin on their scalps. By now they were half frantic with rage and pain.

ing in there.

me up ...
to

"

They
it

ran

desperately

to

escape
flame,

the

blinding

light

and

the

hot

but

rise Ross gently him down. Then for the first time he saw that his right arm was heavily bandaged and secured

And

as he

firmly

pushed

followed them

pitilessly.

in a sling.

Vague, disjointed thoughts flashed inWarren's mind. Gurra would play with them, torture them in the sight of Nita, and when he tired of his devilish game he would merely focus the flame to a knife edge and sever their heads
to

"You
I

of

just stay right where you are. had trouble enough to stop the flow blood from that ugly gash in your

scalp

without applying a tourniquet to

Now I don't want to go your neck. through the agony of it again. And

34

AMAZING STORIES
was a problem.
the

watch that right arm of yours. It was yanked from the shoulder socket, but Those three I guess I set it properly.
years in pre-medical school did

Not

a bite

had

either of

men

eaten since noon the day before.

it

Fortunately they found water, but

of sulphurous acid.**
that they

had

me some

a pungent odor and tasted disagreeably

It

he laughed. "What makes the ground so warm here ? All the ice has been melted," Warren puzzled after he had resigned him-

good after

all,"

was evident
a

must try
less likely

to

find

way

out

of the crevasse at once.

The longer they

waited the
to
if

would they be able

self

to

remain

in a horizontal position.

withstand the hardships of a climb,

"Hot

springs,"

Ross explained, "ap-

parently caused by the percolations of

their search revealed a break in the smoothness of the sides of their prison
walls.
It

You were

water through hot volcanic substances. saying some time ago that during the period the earth was inhabited this region was never suspected of
being volcanic, but great changes must

was a

relatively

simple matter to

decide in which direction to travel.

The

have been wrought

deep

in the earth's* centro-

bottom of the gorge was not more than ten feet wide the canyon stretched away in one direction for about a half mile,
;

sphere since that time.

And we
of

are

now

then

it

made

a bend, beyond which the

see.

below the
there."

surface

the

earth.

two men could not

In the other

Look up

direction the canyon terminated not

more

than two hundred yards from where they

THIS

was

the

very thing

Warren

had been doing. Lying flat on his back he could not very well have avoided it. But now he concentrated his gaze

were dam.

here the ice rose sheer like a huge

The

soft,

difficult

walking,

sink ankle-deep

into

spongy ground made it as the men would the swampy mud.

on the canyon of ice that reached above him on both sides like the letter V, with him at the nadir or point or edge. While he could see that it was possible
to roll or
slide

They had to pick their way cautiously around fumaroles,*** which they found in great abundance as^.-they progressed. After a short time they were compelled
to replace their helmets, as breathing the

down

the sides

of

the

crevasse and through a miracle remain

rarefied

air

became

painful

to

their

not a host of miracles would enable them ever to climb out of there
alive,

overburdened lungs.

without some aid.

"It's a mile

AS
likely

Warren
she

trudged

along

his

high
a
as

if it's

a foot.

And
he
the

thoughts were on Nita.

More than

me

here

with
little

dislocated

arm,"

groaned a
It

he tried

to

move

Gurra's ship
could only

was now on board of bound for Saturn. If he

injured member.

must have been late in the afternoon, judging by the deep shadows at the bottom of the crevasse before Ross would permit Warren to rise and walk around. Ross himself had been painfully bruised and cut, but his wounds were superficial and did not incapacitate him. Food
the interior of the earth from the lower or inner limit of the crust to the centre of the

get out of this but what would he do then? The cunning Plutonian had undoubtedly destroyed his sled, and the "Earthbound" was six thousand miles away, with no means of communicating with it. Wass Dorn
** Not to be coniused with sulphuric acid. The formula of sulphurous acid is ,S0 3 that of sulphuric acid,

H BSO

fl

"The centrosphere

is

globe.

***If condensable vapors issue from the ground in abundance so as to give the appearance of smoke, the places where it occur* arc called fusnarol**..

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

would undoubtedly begin to search for them after losing communiograph contact

35
Warren

yond doubt.
cleared

see

it,

too,"

away Ross' doubts, "and they

with the

sled,

but,

even

if

he did

are coming towards us!"

manage
in the

to reach the plateau above,

world was he to know that

how War-

This was indeed true.

ly defined

The obscure

white shapes were becoming more clear-

ren and Ross were stranded a mile be-

now

as they

assumed the unliving

low

in the crevasse?

It

appeared very
of

mistakable outlines

of

creatures.

much

as

if

descendant

Gordon
ancestral

Bancroft, after thousands of years, had

returned
home-site.

permanently

to

his

They had white fur, and the two men were amazed to see that they were walking upright on two hind legs! There
was no thought of
retreat

on the part

The deep shadows became

darker, the

of
to

ribbon of grey sky above was no longer

clearly defined. How far they had eled over the marshy ground was
cult

Warren and Ross; something seemed tell them that there was nothing to

travdiffi-

fear.

As

the creatures
all

came

closer they ap-

to estimate

with any accuracy, as

to

peared for

the world like lean-bodied

they

were
dizzily

forced

stop

innumerable

polar bears walking on their hind legs.

times
reel

to ease the pain.

when Warren's head made him until he had to lie down The character of the
;

Their bodies and legs were shaggy with

white
cept

fur
for

their

the

torsos were slim eximmense swelling chests.

walls had not changed

thing,

in

fact,

if

any-

But

here

the

resemblance

to

animals
looked

they

were more sheer, offering

mountain
climbing

ended.

Warren
at

and
in

Ross

not the slightest hand- or foothold. Even

if

sharply
faces

the

creatures'

heads

and

they

possessed
it

and drew back

faces,

astonishment.

equipment,
sible to

would have been imposthose precipitous walls.

Those
closely

covered as they were by

scale

matted white hair, were unde-

Exhausted, hungry and suffering from

niably

human!
ejaculated

wounds, the two lay down on the soft ground and slept fitIn the mornfully through the night. ing, somewhat refreshed by a bath in a warm spring, but with the pangs of
the pain of their

""DEAR-MEN!"
of earth
worlds.

Warren.
to

*-' "Descendants of those inhabitants

who
Ross,

could

not

flee

other

hunger gnawing

at their stomachs, they

right or has

took up the journey again.

that laceration
off

it is unbelievable; am I my mind been affected by on my head?"

Ross was walking ahead, peering

into

"They are human, and what

they wish to speak to us. sound quite natural; just
said,

is

more

the

distance
the

while
walls,

Warren
trying

was
a

Their voices
listen,"

scrutinizing

like

pygmy

to find a defect in the

a giant.

armor of Suddenly Ross stopped and

A
ten

pointed excitedly ahead.

Ross by the sight. hundred yards away the band of Bear-Men were gesticulating and
fascinated

talking excitedly

among

themselves, octhe

"TTTARREN,
"
"see

Warren,

look

over

casionally

pointing

towards

two

there/"

he cried in a hushed voice,

strange creatures.

By

listening carefully

those

white things moving?

ice.

they are not blocks of

No, They must

or
it's

Warren and Ross were

able to distin-

be living creatures

guish some sounds that had a familiar

ring to them, but the distance

either

that

my

eyes."
is

too great to

make them
to

intelligible.

was still They

"No, there

something moving be-

had not long

wait,

however, before

36
the
strange,

AMAZING STORIES
white
creatures

reached

what

altered,

yet

it

them.

perfectly

possible

for

would have been an American of

with a
descend-

One
vanced.
voice.

of them stepped forth and ad-

the twentieth century to carry on an intelligible

"Hullo!" he shouted in a deep

conversation

WARREN
are you?"

waved

his

hand and

re-

living on Saturn. was in the case of Warren and Ross and the Bear- Men; they soon un-

ant

of an earthman

So

it

sponded in English with a

"How

derstood one another.

The
the
Called

leader of the Bear-Men, he

who
of

Bear-Men, in spite of their ruggedness and gigantic size as compared with their slim descendants from common ancestors, were shy and
first

At

himself

by

the

earth-name

Drew Harv,
their story.

questioned

Warren
briefly

and

Ross, and the two

men

related

The white-haired
child-like

creatures
to

two more boldened, they felt their garments and shoes. Warren and Ross had lost most
non-committal.
strange
at the

They looked
timidly,

listened
this tale

with
of

expressions

creatures

then,

strange

lands

and

mar-

velous machines.
to

They

were astonished
extreme
Bearascend.

hear what had happened up on the

of their instruments, including the rho-

plateau, whither because of the

mium
but

illuminators and blast guns, so

to

little

show of the
it

scientific

had and

cold

and

rare

atmosphere
been
able

the
to

Men had
They drew
themselves.
ciously at

never

mechanical marvels of an advanced civilization.

aside and whispered

among
suspi-

As

was,

the

two

were

Then Harv looked

more concerned with the all-important consideration of getting some food into
their

Warren.
this

stomachs than in trying to impress

"You men of

say that you are descendants of

world?
is

True,

you

are
,

these primitive creatures with their superior attainments.

white and your form

not unlike ours,

except that you conceal your bodies in

for

Warren asked

food and at the

strange rustling stuff."

their garments.

He

pointed to

same time indicated by gestures that he wanted something to put into his mouth and chew. Although they had some difficulty in understanding him, they answered in a dialect which followed the obsolete English language that
period

"Are any people in the land where you come from black in
color,

with

ugly

faces,

short

of

arm
for

and have they long, sharp talons

fingers?" he asked abruptly.

was spoken in this region during the when the earth was in her full
civilization.

The two men were startled. "Can he mean that he has

seen Plutonians?"

actually

Ross whispered.
his

glory of
of

The
had

descendants

earth-men
his

who

accompanied
journey were

WARREN

shook

head

in

a puzare
this

Warren on
all

perilous

zled manner.

able to speak the

English language

to

It

some was

extent.

"Such people as you describe from the distant outer planets of

solar system, called Pluto.

a source of pride to

perpetuate .the

them to mother tongue from one

Where have
was Warren's It was
the

you seen such

turn

men?
ask

It

generation to the next, in spite of the

persecution they had suffered because of

now

to

questions.

barely possible that these people might

While many words had been lost or modified beyond recognition and the dialect was someit

on the foreign planets.

have seen Gurra and

plateau.

his

men up on

But Drew Harv did not choose

to

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

any further explanations. Instead he motioned to his men, who gripped Warren and Ross by the arm and directed them straight ahead. They
offer

37

Here the gloom was broken by a smoky greenish flame directly ahead of
them.
a

Following the

light they entered

trudged along in
affairs

silence,

both

pied in puzzling out this

men occunew state of

while their captors walked stol-

chamber hollowed out of hard rock, some fifty feet in diameter, with ceilings lost in the dim haze of smoke above. At the far side, in what appeared to be
a huge open
fireplace,

idly

behind.

Warren and Ross could

they discovered

hardly credit their senses

after

to

think that

the source of the greenish illumination.

these

thousands

of

years

during

fire,

fed by subterranean chemicals,

which time the earth was supposed to have been uninhabited, they had now dropped right in among the remnants of
a past, great race of people.

great

ever, to take the

air of the cave.

was burning with a low flame and a It served, howdeal of smoke. dampness out of the

The

thing

was incredible, yet it was true. Although they felt no concern about
immediate fate among the BearMen, the sudden suspicion displayed by Drew Harv did not augur well for their
their

Rough
stituted

stone benches and tables conthe

only

furniture,

while

for

decorations

the walls

were lined with

that

iron tipped spears and swords of crude

forgings.
It

was evident

these

future.

Did he by any chance

race
of

link

them

people had preserved the use of metals,

with

the

Plutonians

against

although their products were

ress

pitiful,

con-

whom

hatred?

he seemed to have an instinctive The description he had given

sidering the high state of scientific prog-

reached

by

their

forefathers

of this black race was too accurate to

be regarded as a chance query.

thousands of years ago. It was a case of gradual decadence of a past civilization rather than the primitive foreshad-

CHAPTER
in the
It

VIII
a break

owing of a new one, Warren thought

sadly.

BEFORE long they reached

like

sheer wall of the canyon.

DREW

HARV

and
to

his

men were
down
at

was a dark hole hollowed out opening to an underground Warren and Ross were pushed cavern. through this narrow entrance between two pillars of jagged rocks and were led along a pitch black corridor where the stench of decaying organisms came
the

courteous enough as they invited

Warren and Ross

sit

table. Copper platters heaped high with food were laid before the famished men, and they voraciously devoured every bit

without questioning

it,

until their enorsatisfied.

mous
dish

appetites

had been

One

unpleasantly

to

their

nostrils.

In the
the

was an

excellent broiled vegetable

darkness
sides

the
the

two

collided

against

that they identified as a strange variety

of

each

time
against

arm

tunnel many times, and Warren hit his bandaged some jutting stone, he could

of mushroom, while the other, in contrast, consisted

of

fish

tasteless.

Their

hosts

which was almost answered their

not suppress a low groan.

puzzled query regarding the source of

the

After stumbling through the passage

for perhaps a hundred feet,
of decaying vegetation
smell

was replaced by the even more offensive pungent and

suffocating

odor

of

burning

sulphur.

the foods. The fish were chopped out of the solid ice at the bottom of what had once been lakes and rivers, where they had been presen'ed in cold storage since the waters of the earth had frozen

38
solid.

AMAZING STORIES
The mushrooms were
caverns;
cultivated

the Bear-Men had some wonderful results with this fungus through cross-breeding, and some varieties grew to the enormous height of six feet. It was their staple diet, as bread was at one time among
in

the

been taken to a tiny hole-in-the-wall cavern where they huddled around the

achieved

warmth
vapor.
"It

of

slowly

oozing subterranean

seems that the desire of man for power has not lessened, even though his
civilization

crumbled back almost to the

their

ancestors,

and

contained

all

the

stone age,"
I

Warren
to

philosophized. "Ross,

essential vitamins.

can't

help
best

thinking

about

Nita.

Warren continued his conversation with Drew Harv, telling him of his hopes of finding the site of Gordon Bancroft's laboratory. The Bear-Man was interested. He plied Warren with numerous intelligent quesFeeling

much

refreshed,

try

my
this

hold
is

myself
just
If

together,

but

inaction

wearing

my
get

nerves to a frazzle.
hellish

we

don't

out of here and up to the top of this

hole
soon,
I'll

go out of

my

mind," he said despairingly.

tions,

finally revealing the

fact that the

Ross
of

tried

his

best to

comfort him,
the burden
heart.
It

name and deeds of Warren's illustrious ancestor, dimmed by time, had been handed down through the generations
as a legend.

but neither

man

could

lift

uncertainty

from

his

He was

considered an heroic

figure, ranking with such names as Ed-

ison,

Marconi and Einstein.

seemed extremely unlikely that they would ever see their loved ones again. Even though they were brought back to Saturn it would be as fugitives and
given a short, cursory trial and then sent to the horrible Chamber of Purple Vapor. Better, they thought, to die here on earth than to return to ignominy and torture.
criminals,

Finally

Warren brought

the

conver-

sation around to the subject nearest to

his
heart.

"If you will give us aid in excavating

in the region of

Gordon's laboratory
will find

am
will
in

sure that

we

something that

be of great value to your people

SLEEP
they

brought

healing

influence

reconstructing the civilization of the

to their distraught minds, for

when

and Warren, noting the crafty look on the Bear-Man's face, added significantly, "and of increasing your own
earth,"

awoke

it

was with rekindled hope

that they contemplated the future. Their

bodies had been refreshed by food and

rest

power."
"It might be arranged,"

and they were ready

to take a

new

Drew Harv

grip on their problems.

So

it

was with
regard-

admitted with feigned uncertainty, "but first I must discuss it with the Three

considerable impatience that they await-

ed some word from

Drew Harv

Ancients

who

are

the

rulers

of
will

the

ing the decision of the Three Ancients

Dwellers of the Caves.

You

be

under whose patriarchate the Bear-Men

lived.

taken to your quarters, where you are And in to stay until I send for you."
the

event they

harbored any thoughts

of flight, he suffixed his statement by a

direct

warning against any rash attempts

in that direction.

But it was a long wait. All that day no one came near them except an old serving woman, who silently brought food and water and as silently withdrew, answering no questions, not even
indicating that she heard them.

"I have a hunch that old Goat Face

will

do

search,"

his best to help us in our Ross whispered when they had

"I don't trust that man, Harv,"

War-

ren

muttered impatiently,

stamping up

EARTH REHABJLITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

and down in the narrow confines of his
cell-like

39

task.

cave.

plexed,

For a long time they were perGriffin Ross suddenly but

that

Another day passed without a word,

as did another night.

slapped his startled friend on the back,

so
heartily

They kept

track

Warren winced with

of time by means of Warren's universal

pain.
"It's

chronograph

mained

had fortunately reunbroken. Then, quite cerethat

the easiest thing in the world!

I

You and

can do

it

alone.

How? By
the
all.

moniously,

tall,

shaggy

Bear-Man
beckled

applying the cunning chemistry of

came

into their cave

and

silently

Bear-Men.

They can

help us after

oned them to follow.

They were

"That blue
their

crystal that they saturate

fuel

back to the large chamber, where they

with water to use as

for cooking

found

Drew Harv
are

waiting for them.

tidings

food

is

radio-active

compound
you
were

"There
sirs."

good
in

for

you,

of their
sibilities.

own

that has tremendous pos-

He was
your

unusually polite.
their

"The
are
to

Yesterday,

while

Three Ancients
approved
have
all

wisdom have

taking a nap, they took

to

me down below

venture.

You
we

a deep
their

the aid you

need;

are at

saw

underground cave, where I chemists compounding it from

your service."

minerals they mine in this location.

They

demonstrated

concentrated

mixture

IMMEDIATELY
*
promise of help,
to

upon receiving this Warren and Ross

for

that

burned with such an intensive flame

it

that

melted a block of granite. with that chemical

Just
drill

began

make

preparations

the

think,

we

can

stupendous excavation work that would

a shaft right

down through
depth.

the solid ice

undoubtedly have to be done to reach

the strata of earth beneath the ice cap

and
the

soil

and even rock

until

we

reach

required
is

And

the quantity

where they estimated the ruins would

be.

needed
can

so small that the

it

two of us
in

The problem of reaching

relatively

the top

carry

without

difficulty

one

of the plateau with the necessary equip-

trip."

ment was

simple they

found

Warren
they had
little

recalled
first

with what curiosity

this

out, as a tunnel

ran from the caverns to

examined
it

compound,

the surface above.

But there was one

in

dreaming that
by
in
this

was

actually

manthe
idea

insurmountable
vasse had
life,

obstacle

their

way.

ufactured

race

which was so

The denser atmosphere

sufficient

in the

deep cresupport

backward
worries
that
this

other things.

But

in

oxygen

to

that

had beset him,

the

while a mile above it would be impossible for the Bear-Men, even with
their

substance might be of value

in their

enormous lung
long.

capacity, to live for

ing

no

For this very reason the Dwellers of the Caves had found it imvery
possible to venture to the regions above.

known
a
large

to

work never came to him. Wasttime, they made their wants Harv, who immediately isquantity

sued orders to his chemists to prepare

of
the

concentrated

There were two possible

this

solutions

to

crystals.

problem: one was to equip their

plan abandoned alwas conceived, as they

men with masks, a

most before
struct them,
it

CHAPTER

IX
fretted

lacked the material from which to con-

and the other was

of

WHILE
tiently

Warren
at

impa-

to per-

the delay,

the skilled

form

the

work

excavating

without

chemists toiled unceasingly day

any outside help, a seemingly impossible

and night over giant

retorts

until

they

40

AMAZING STORIES
to the weary, almost incapacitated

had crystallized about one hundred pounds of Radonite, as the substance was called. Then with the precious
crystals carefully protected against mois-

men.
to

The
the

region where they emerged into

daylight
all

fitful

was
from

unfamiliar
it

them.

In

likelihood

was a conscene

ture in bags of fish skin,

Warren and

siderable

distance

the

of

Ross

were ready to leave the cave through the passageway. Equipped with

their encounter with the

Plutonians, as

copper shovels and picks, bags of Radonite

they were heavily

and the neutralizing agent Urvion, burdened and could

the tun-

neither the cabins nor the sled was anywhere in sight. The two dropped their heavy loads and after a brief breathing spell started towards where they judged

move but slowly. Warren led the way through

nel,

the

cabins

to

be.

Fortunately
first

they
after

guessed right the

time,

for

the Dwellers of the Caves deciding

it

that

was safer
incline,

to

remain behind.

As
first

about five miles covered at a fast rate over the icy terrain, they could make
out
the
flash

they rested after

passing

up the
to
lips.

of

light

on the

Zistite

sharp

Warren turned
you hear that?
tones,
to

Ross

metal huts.

and held his fingers to his

"Listen, do
just like Nita's voice!"

It

sounds

Low

musical

solid rock,

came

muffled by the them as they placed

Their expectations were replaced by when they found the sled gone, the hard ice showing faint tracks that were lost a short distance away.
disappointment

The micro-camera and

alyzer

the recording an-

their ears against the wall.

"I

could

swear that

it

was

hers,"

were exactly where they had dropped them when they were attacked.

Ross whispered, "but that is impossible. It must have been one of the native

They hid these instruments

the cabins for future use.

in

one of

women; you know how

They
listened intently

they can vary

"The

devils,

they have taken the sled

the pitch of their voices."

for

with them."
another
reflected
sible

Warren

voiced his bitter

minute, but were rewarded by nothing

but silence.
bitterly,

After

all,

Warren

Nita would be back on Saturn by now and probably unhappily married Thinking of to the monster Gurra. this did not put him into a very cheerful

frame of mind;

all

his

moodiness

returned and he answered Ross in short

monosyllables.

The sharp upward grade

more gradual
of the toiling
to
rise,

eased to a
neither

"Now we have no posmeans of communicating with the "Earthbound" or of ever hoping to reach her. To make the six thousand miles on foot would require almost a year. No, the only thing we have to look forward to is that Wass Dora has already decided to search for us. Even then he must hurry, for God knows at what moment the police ship will swoop down upon us."
disappointment.

for

which

"We
that

can

at

least

get
It's

our

bearings

men were

sorry.

In order

from here, Warren.

a lucky thing

gain the top of the plateau, which

they estimated to be one mile above the

bottom of the crevasse, it was necessary to travel more than three times that distance in the darkness and over a rough,
boulder-strewn
lar
floor.

when we stopped here in the sled. Now we know the general direction and the distook note of our position
tance."

we

The

grey, irregu-

patch ahead, proclaiming the upper

end of the tunnel, was a welcome sight

"Yes," the other man answered, looking off through the haze to where a huge peak of ice rose above the ridge of white mountains." According to the

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

map
peak,
the site of
is

41
the earth
if

Gordon Bancroft's
exactly

lab-

the surface of the ice

when

oratory

over there to the left of that

it

froze over," Warren explained, "and

there

and

is

twelve

and a
track

half miles

from here.

By keeping

the

soil,

was no upheaval in the crust of as was the case back there,"

"then

of our steps

we

will be able to

measure

he pointed in the direction of the explorers' huts,

the distance with sufficient accuracy un-

we should
trouble."

find-

the

we reach some of the other landmarks that Gordon mentioned in his notes. But I wouldn't place too much
til

lake

without
ice

much

The

was

fairly level in this region

in
its

and any depression

be detected readily.

surface could
separated

reliance
all

on finding any of them after

to

The men

these years."

and, walking in opposite directions, bethe

They returned
tunnel
their

mouth
they

of

the

to
tools,

pick

up the Radionite and

which
trudged
slender spire

gan to search carefully. "Warren, Warren, here

shouted from the distance.

it

is!"

Ross

after

determinedly towards the

of
ice.

grey light gave

upon Warren
ate a
rolled

The shadows deepened and the way to darkness, whereThe two called a halt. handful of cold mushroom cubes, themselves in blankets made of
with asbestos wool and

him and checked his findings. There in the otherwise smooth surface of the ice was a hollow about two hundred feet long
hurried
to

Warren

join

that

might

at

one time

have
Ross.

been

small lake.

fish skin stuffed

slept,

"Yes, this looks like

sink
test

it,

We'll
unless
it

without being rested, on the hard,

shafts

at

both
to

ends
strike

icy surface.

we
sufficient for
first

are lucky

enough

the

As
them
they

soon as the light was

to discern their

shot," and,

wasting no more time

distant

started

and
site.

before

landmark noon they

ice-covered

on words, Warren began measuring out

a
quantity

of

Radonite

that

he

esti-

reached

the

The

flat

mated was

sufficient

to melt

through a

landscape
shaft at

no clue; to sink a random would be nothing short

offered

twenty-five- foot layer of ice and provide

a shaft six feet in diameter.

of a gamble, for the ruins of the lab-

From

that point they

would be comgoing too deep.

oratory
area,

buildings

covered

but

small

pelled to sink the shaft in stages of five

feet at a time to avoid

and there were many miles of unmarked country in which to locate this
almost microscopic thing.

He
a

inscribed a circle in a likely looking

spot at one end of the lake and sprinkled

small

quantity

of

the

neutralizing

"T ET me

L'

scription that

diary." deeply.

remember the deGordon gave in his 'Warren sat down and thought
try
to

chemical Urvion around the circumference to confine the action.

Then, coverthe

ing the area of the circle lightly with

the
radio-active*
crystals,

"He mentioned

a small lake in

men

main laboratory building. In fact he thought it was good sport in his moments of relaxation to drop a line from the window and fish for what he
the rear of his
called 'suckers.'"

stepped back hurriedly as the Radonite

began to glow red, then white hot, con*Sadqnite, as compounded by the Bear-Men, contained a certain amount of radium. The other substances served to speed up the disintegration of radium so that its atoms were transformed into heat energy. One gram of radium evolves about one hundred and twenty calories of heat an hour, which is more than enough to raise its own weight of water from the freezing point to the boiling point. Radium also decomposes water. gram (about 1/28 of an ounce) of radium emanation has the same content of energy as two tons of the best coal burned in pure oxygen. Energy and Matter, by Charles B. Baizoni, The University Press, N. Y.

"How
with
solid as

is

that

going to help us
of

now
as

every
lake

drop

water

frozen

rock?" Ross asked.

"A

would leave a depression

in

AMAZING STORIES

42
verting the
instantly
solid
ice

into

water which

turned

into

steam.

As

the

became more violent and the substance burned deeper into the ice, a
action

explosions that could be heard for miles. This thing was getting beyond control and was becoming extremely dangerous. "Something went wrong with our ex-

huge geyser of live steam and hot water shot up with a roar in a column six
feet in

periment,"

Warren shouted above

"We'll
I'll

the

noise of the explosions and the hissing

diameter to the height of

feet.

five

of

steam.

have

to

stop

it

hundred
gazed
at

this

The two man-made

archeologists

right

now.

try

pouring

Urvion

phenomenon

on

it."

with awe.

And
that the action stops

shaking off the restraining hand

of his friend he fought his

way through
If
it

"T HOPE

soon"

the hot gases and steam and sand to the

Warren's voice sounded dubious. "Otherwise it might continue right on through the laboratory and disintegrate the safe and the documents inside." "Perhaps we should have sunk a test well first," Ross mused remorsefully. Then, realizing how ridiculous his suggestion sounded at this time, he smiled

very brink of the volcano.

were

not for his fireproof garments and helthe fumes and burned alive.

met he would have been overcome by But even as it was, the terrific heat had penetrated this barrier and his body and head felt
like

so

much

boiled

meat.

He

hastily

bit

wanly.

"I

only hope
;

we

are at

emptied the contents of a bag of Urvion into the raging inferno and, summoning his
last

the

wrong end

of the lake

then

we can

ounce of strength,

leaped

be more careful the next time."

back and clear of the crater just as a

terrific

The concern fe!t by the men was not unfounded. They were experimenting
for the
ical
first

explosion rocked the very foun-

dations of the universe.

large piece

time with a powerful chem-

of rock struck the back of his head and.

just before he lapsed into

action they had

controlling.

no way of gauging
the

unconscious-

or

True,
these

Bear-Men
far

had given them the

periments,
reliable,

results of their ex-

but they

were
never

from

ness, he saw a fissure of ice opening, huge jaws, as if to swallow this puny mortal who had dared to disturb
like

as

had

attempted

the slumber of Nature after these thou-

anything as stupendous as

this.

sands of years.

That their fears were fully justified soon became evident. Ross cautiously crept near the column of live steam and boiling water and threw a stone over
the brink
it

T> OSS GRIFFIN * * ment spellbound

of this cataclysm.

stood

for

mofor-

by the suddenness

Then he sprang

of the

shaft.

Down, down
to be

word and

seizing the inert

went for what seemed

an apstruck

friend he dragged

palling depth while he counted the sec-

lava-pitted ice just in time to save

form of his him over the slushy, him

that

onds on the chronograph

bottom.
the well

until

it

from plunging
hole.

into

gaping

hell-

hurried estimate revealed that

deep,

From

the

safety of

distance he

was already more than a hunfifty

watched,
ing sight.

fascinated

by

the

awe-inspir-

dred and
action

feet

and

still

the

For a length of

at least three

of

the

Radonite

continued

ap-

hundred

feet the sheet of ice

had been

parently unabated

burst asunder and the unceasing action

By

this

time the geyser had become a

It

of the Radonite converted the thousands of

tons

volcano.

fragments

was erupting stones, rock and hot sand with mighty

of

ice

and rock

into

hissing

steam and molten lava which was spewed


from
the the fissure and

43

EARTH REHABILITATORS, CONSOLIDATED

thrown high
minutes
its

into

literally

as well as figuratively, and you

air.

take such a down-hearted view of things.

fifteen
this

For perhaps
inature

min-

Why, man,

that eruption

was

the best
it

volcano continued
it

eruption,

thing that could have happened;

ex-

then without warning

violent

ceased.

The
a few
lava

posed the surface of the ground under

the ice and
all

steaming died
of

down
the

to

we have

to

do

is

jump

wisps

white

vapor;

hot

cooled rapidly, then everything became

so

still

that the contrast

was
the

appalling.
effects

Warren recovered from

the

of
in

blow and the heat exhaustion

time to see the tail-end of the strange

phenomenon.
"Ross, I'm afraid to go over and look. I'm afraid that everything beneath that
blanket of
ice
is

down there, open the door of the safe and remove the papers." The other man's enthusiasm had some effect upon Warren, for he shook off his lethargy and strode over to the fissure. Looking down into the abyss, he beheld the results of the mighty force
of Radonite.

For a
a
strip

distance
of
ice

of three
fifty

hundred
his joy

feet

feet

destroyed.

should
this

wide had disappeared

entirely.

And

to

have had more sense, knowing that

he saw blocks of stone and bricks

the hand of man,

was a new experiment. Warren, despite his courage and

made unmistakably by
de-

and which proved conclusively that they

were gazing
erected
at the ruins of a building

termination, had since the disappearance

of Nita become a creature of moods.

by early earthmen.

Contrary

"Old man," Ross looked

tenderly,
"you'll

at his friend

to their expectations, the action of the

have to pull yourself

are on the brink
into

Radonite had not removed more than

a

out of that.
of
success,"

Here we
and,

few

feet

of

topsoil

and rock,
it

just

pointing

the

enough, in
to do very

fact, to

make

unnecessary

chasm, he added with a smile, "I mean

much

excavating.

End

of

Part

NEVER HAD SUCH A SMOOTH SHAVE'

I
says PEPPER

MARTIN

prMng Probak

Dear Pepper Martin: Your good word for Probak is appreciated. And now we'd like to tell you about Probak Junior, the marvelous new double-edge razor
blade that combines shaving comfort with an extremely low price. Think of it! 25 keen, smoothshavingbkdes,oniforminquality,foronly59#.Probak Junior is automatically tempered, honed and stropped to produce a shaving edge that removes even the toughest beard swiftly, cleanly and with perfect comfort.
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is

product of Gillette

and fits all Gillette and Probak razors.

44

Interference
as far as our readers are concerned. We are sure that his work will meet with high approval. A strange attack, at least strange in its methods, is adopted by the Orientals who are on the verge of conquering America. Their work depends on a giant power station, and we are told of how the heroes of the story cope with the apparently alU powerful enemy.

Mr. Sheridan

is

new author

By

MAX
to spite

C.

SHERIDAN
differences

THE
white
tile

little

playing

bridge,

group had and

heat
of
dip

tired of

unanithe

the ties which

seemed only to strengthen bound them in harmonithe spotless

mously decided
sweltering

ous friendship.

a torrid
in

The group reassembled on

tile

July
pool.

day

by

the

of the inclosed pool, and drew lots

went

their

They separated and respective ways to dress for

to determine the first victim

it

whose duty
the

was

to

dive

in

and

test

temsour

the swim.

perature

of

the

clear
lost,

depths.

Arthur

Joan and Arthur Brooks, Eva and Phil Doran, had all completed their work at Harvard the preceding June and were gathered at the Brooks ancestral home for several companionable
Joan and Arthur were brother and sister, as were Eva and Phil. The four had formed quite a noted group
weeks.

won,

or

rather

and

with

grimaces

ascended the ten- foot tower and teetered precariously on the end of
the board.

"Well, go ahead, Adonis; let's see you execute a cut-away one and a half,"'
taunted Joan.
"He'll

execute

it

all
it

right,"

laughed

campus activities Joan and Phil, Eva and Arthur had paired off as naturally and suitably as Jack and Jill, and the brothers and sisters had formed such a compatible clique that it had
in
;

Eva.

"Hell murder
fury

in cold blood."

Pretending
the

at

the
his

disparaging

remarks, Arthur
accepted

made

approach
the

in

style,

struck

end

of

the board, and rose to arch into a really beautiful

become a campus byword. Phil Doran had been active in the athletic affairs of Harvard; tall, lithe
and
bronzed,

swan dive. There was an audible "Oof" as he

the
water.

hit

The
his

velvety

surface

he was

the

more

quiet

yielded

under
as
if

weight,

then

re-

and
trifle

reticent of the four.

On

the other
shorter,

bounded

hand,

Arthur
inclined

Brooks
to

was

stoutness,

and had a

descriptive phrase or
cident.

The two

girls

and vivacious
or

ready
Joan
but

pun for every inwere both lively

for

any adventure
brunette,
certainly

by springs, and threw the astonished Arthur high in the air, to land, sprawling and breathless, on the bank of the pool. Gasps of consternation and dismay broke from the lips of the three onactivated

suggestion.

was a
their

lookers before they could

ficientlv to assist the

recover suflo

Eva a

blonde.

The four were

would-be diver

individual

types,

contrasting

his feet.

45

It

seemed

to consist of

ten feet in diameter, and which

an enormous searchlight with its reflector about was mounted on a vertical shaft one foot
through.

46
"What on
gasped Eva,
earth

AMAZING STORIES
happened,
did

Are you hurt?

all

What

Arthur? you do?"

retorted Eva, perhaps herself dissatisfied.

Arthur
children,
ing,

interposed
to
settle

"Come,

come,

in a breath.

your puerile bickerscientific

"He jumps
Phil.

like a

rainbow trout," was

Professor Soandwhozit will proceed

investiga-

an irrelevant comment from the taciturn

to

make a thorough
of
this

tion up,
Phil,
it's

"Shut
ter,"

no joking mat-

With

these

remarkable phenomenon." words he confidently stepped

his

sister

scolded.

out on the surface of the water.

By
his

this

time

Arthur had recovered

to
haltingly

breath
his

sufficiently

de-

scribe
just
I

sensations.

"I

don't

hit the

what happened I dove, water it seemed just

know and when

like land-

The others gasped, as they watched the smiling Arthur stepping springily on the surface of the liquid. He stopped
about the middle of the pool, and called
to
in,

ing in an acrobat's net

stuff
all

then

the

three

on the bank.
fine
!

"Come on

the blame
that's

the water's
ice, this

threw

me up

in the air
it."

and

Talk about your

joined

rubber
Phil
after a

takes the cake."

know about
at

immediately
little

him,

and

The

three gazed at each other ques-

coaxing, the two girls fol-

tioningly

Arthur's inconceivable de-

lowed.

The
made

four

of

them

walking

they

Eva galvanized them into by the sensible suggestion that for themselves. The group advanced cautiously to the bank from which they had so precipitously rescription until
activity

calmly about on the surface of the liquid

certainly

as strange a sight as has

see

ever been seen.

the

After a few minutes,

to

group

paused

consider

the

strange
standing.

surface

on
a

which

they

were

and Phil leaned over the edge presumably to dip his hand in the clear water. His fingers touched the surface and he drew back in amazement.
treated,

There

came

moment of
shriek;

silence,

broken by a

terrified

then the
their

four, splashing

way
" r|~v HE

to

the
out,

and choking, made banks of the pool

dripping
wet.

and
Their

confounded

stuff's

just

like

climbed

rubber!" he ejaculated.
others

strange floor had suddenly dissolved be-

The
the test

had by

this

time

made

neath them, giving them an unexpected

dip in the cool water.

for themselves,

and found the

surface of the water yielded but would

not allow immersion of the hand.

While
changing

the

unfortunate

four

were

When
India

clothes

and

recovering

from

pressure was applied,

it

gave, then resaid,

their unusual experience, the

whole world

bounded,
rubber.

just

as

Phil

like

was busy discussing the phenomenon of

the "hard water."

"What
"God

do
only

you

suppose

has

hap-

Ships in mid-ocean had suddenly been

lifted

pened?" asked Joan.

high and dry on the surface of

deep, propellers

do you suppose some of our friends have somehow or

;

knows

the

salty

churning the

air frantically, while

other played a trick on us?" asked Eva,

frightened

passengers

"How
What
Joan.

on earth could they do that?

they
it

kind

of

deep

sea

amazed officers and wondered what monster had risen

seeking

could

possibly

do

to

the

under

them.

Bathers

escape

water to make

act like that?" scoffed

"Oh,

don't know.

But

if

you can

from the July sun had suddenly found themselves floundering ludicrously on a Housewives had found firm surface.
the household bean resting majestically

offer a better explanation, let's hear it,"

llSTERFEKEISCE
on the congealed surface of its liquid bath, and water faucets mysteriously quenching citizens Inoffensive dry.
their thirst

47
were obliged
to accede to the

plete they

conditions.

Japan, however, made quite

a fuss about giving up her magnificent

had found themselves swal-

lowing a lumpy mass.

of
the

For
the

the duration
entire

and pleaded that they might be converted into merchant marine. Amernavy,
ica,

phenomenon,
the

globe

fearing treachery, refused her pleas,

was

in a quandary, everyone at a loss to

and further incurred the resentment of

the
Orientals by commanding ment of airplane production, and
curtail-

explain

sudden

rebellious

trans-

Then, as suddenly as
the mysterious

formation of the most familiar matter. it had appeared,

the re-

duction

of

the

existing

fleet.

Japan,

symptom

vanished, leav-

after entering a formal protest against

ing

dihydrogen oxide as wet and familiar as Adam had found

the
plentiful

the severity of the terms, said nothing

more, and apparently once again peace

reigned supreme over the entire globe.

it.

revealed the fact that

sal,

Subsequent notes on the phenomenon it had been univer-

Recently there had been reports from

various
trouble
secret

and that

it

lasted exactly

Of
use

course this

two hours. information was of no

but
to

agents in the East that

oriental

was brewing among the

had occurred.
in the

whatsoever,
in

the

investigators
their

nations, hut nothing indicative

hostility

of open

had

some way

justify

ex-

This news was

excitement of the
of

istence.

soon forgotten
strange water."

phenomenon

the

"hard

IN
the

1954,

ten

years

before

this

re-

markable aquatic phenomenon, came

epoch of the brief but disastrous

Soon,

even this unheard-of

incident

Second World War. By the treaty of San Francisco, japan and her allies: India, China, and Russia had been deAccording to prived of their navies.
the treaty, these countries were to have

became an inconsequent thing of the past, and once more the humdrum existence of daily life

was

the chief con-

cern of hurrying, bustling mortals.

The
the

four friends, of course,

turn to normal.
theories
entists

shared

in

popular excitement and the gradual re-

only a very limited

number of merchant

They
by

dallied

with the
sci-

marine to carry on their necessary commerce. Not a single destroyer, not a

super-dreadnought;
not

advanced
to account
their

prominent
peculiar

for the phenomenon,

single

sub-

and

discussed

own

ex-

marine or aircraft carrier had they been America, by reason allowed to keep.
of her enormous losses, had appropriated every Japanese and allied ship and had incorporated them in her own navy. Now, the United powerful
States, abetted

periences. Soon, however, they returned

by her acquisitions, cer-

tainly

had the most powerful means of

and defense in the She boasted that never again
offense
all

oceanic world.

need she fear attack from any or

the world.

of

Of

course Japan and her

allies

had

protested

vehemently

at

these

drastic

terms, but their defeat had been so com-

games of bridge and their golf, their dances and social doings, with only an occasional word of the strange swimming party. Meanwhile, Cupid was busily engaged in his amorous duties, and apparently was making a great success. Proof of his diligence was announced one day in the society columns of "The Evening The public was informed Tribune." that Miss Joan Brooks would soon become Mrs. Philip Doran, and Miss Eva Doran would take the name of Mrs. Arthur Brooks, at a double wedding.
to their

48
The two
their

AMAZING STORIES
couples

would then leave on

aboard
the

fore

Columbus had
the

his

first

bath,

and
they

honeymoon,

Brooks'

named
or

Galapagos,
Fire."

"Ninachurnbi"

yacht, the "Corella," for a three months'

"Mountain of

Then,

They invoyage in southern waters. tended to touch various points of interest including the famous Galapagos
Islands.

pondered, the volcanic

times.

isles must have been in action at least within historic

They learned

that

Rogers was
rich

supposed to have

buried

plunder

On

August

thirtieth,

the

reverend

somewhere
the

in their depths.

They read
Incas

Church performed his disastrous duties, and amid considerable rice, and several pairs of "nugatory brogans," the two young
gentleman of
St.

John's

supposition

that
last

the

might

have found their

stand here, safe

from the attacks of Pizarro. They read of the few voyages and the scanty exploration of the
islands,

couples hastened to board the "Corella."

especially

THERE was
and
turned

a tremendous confusion and hustling and bustling as the two hundred and fifty foot yacht backed out from her berth into the open waters
to

most famed of all the island "Indefatigable," whose huge center crater had
never been trod by the foot of man. They read with interest, explorers' accounts of the strange fearlessness of the types of animal life which have inhabited the isles in safety and peace from

the

her

course.

Gongs
re-

sounded,

engines

hummed,

then

lapsed into ominous silence.

Finally the

time
feared

immemorial
neither

how

the

animals

"Corella" recovered from her temporary

beast

and after the last tug had left her, started under her own power for more southern parts. The newly marrelapses,

would
that fed

interestedly

them

nor human, and examine the hand

truly the fearlessness of

the Garden of Eden.

ried four stood

arm

in

arm

at the rail

They were
tain's

enjoying their

last

glimpse of the U. S.

by the capmessage "Land," and hurried to

first

interrupted

for several months to come, and waving goodbyes to the friends who had come
to see

get their
Isles."

glimpse of the "Enchanted

them off. That evening,

of

There, just where the blue of the sky merged with the deeper shade of
bottomless waters, they

they

danced

on

the

saw

the

broad

hurricane
habit

the

desk, and as is the eternal honeymooners, commented on brilliancy of the stars and the

flat disc of purple haze, rising slowly to a sharply conical elevation near its center Nature's own retreat the Isle "In-

gorgeousness of the moon, while apparently looking at nothing but each other.

defatigable."

By
the

the time the "Corella" had braved

They watched the tiny purple vision grow till it became a broad, slowly rising
vista

maze of Panama's intricate locks and had emerged triumphantly into the great Pacific, the newly-weds were beginning
to

of

low

shrubs

and

cacti,

topped by the precipitous, rugged peak which formed Indefatigable's huge center
crater.

notice

their

surroundings.
first

Finally

the

"Corella"

an-

When
the

they caught their

sight

of

chored in a

famous Galapagos, they were intensely interested they had already hurriedly collected all the data available on They found these islands of Nature. that the Inca Chief, "Tupac Yupanqui"
;

little sheltered bay, and the four eagerly put off in the motor-boat for their first look at the the flora and

the

fearless

animal

life

of which they

braved the deep, blue waters, long be-

had heard so much. As the boat touched the sandy shore, Arthur Brooks leaped from the bow with the taunt,


INTERFERENCE
.

49

''Aha,

first

man

in

no-man's-land.
fin-

them

Man

before monkey, you know," he

ished, helping his bride ashore.

"Monkey

before

man,

you

mean,"

corrected Eva.

However, at the first sight of the four humans, the mother grunted a warning and command to her offspring, and the two slipped into the water and were gone.
intimately.

lieve

"Aha, a heathen are you? Don't beWhat would in the Bible, eh?

"Come
called

back,

we
after

won't
the

hurt

you."
an-

Arthur
"Well,

vanished

your Sunday School teacher say?" "This southern air must have affected
his

imals.
thing.

now

that's

funny

head,"

commented

Phil,

helping

Joan ashore.

Darwin them said that you come right were as curious

and Beebe and all of the animals would let up to them; that they
about humans them.
I

as

huPhil

THESE
four

absurdities disposed of, the

mans

are

about

think

turned their attention to the

must have scared them

that Svengali

to

death

with

land on

which they found themselves.

in a little cove,

map

of his."
tired

They had gone ashore

at either side of

"More probably they

of

listen-

which were jagged lava reefs, inclosing a softly sloping beach Dotting the pure white of white sand.
of the sand were countless vari-colored

ing to your inane chatter," retorted Phil.

The

four gazed for a

moment

at the

azure depths which had swallowed the

sea lion and her cub, then turned again
to

forms and dimensions cones, chitons, conches, and many Some hundred feet up the slope, others. the pure white of the beach gave way
shells

of

all

kinds,

the

seared

and

blasted

landscape.

They picked their way silently through the maze of cacti and barb-lanced
bushes which threatened them on every

to dark

lava

and dingy protrusions of sharp from a charred and burned

while in the
distance,
ris-

hand; the drear scene was not one conducive to conversation.

foundation,

ing against the blurred background of

the center crater,
cacti

were myriads of huge

"Say, folks," said Arthur, "This re" minds me of a story about "About the traveling salesman, I suppose,"

gether,

and clumps of low bushes. AltoIndefatigable was by no means

interrupted

Phil.

a Garden of Eden,

One

could easily
ship
bleak,

half,

At a scorching glance from his better Phil subsided, and Arthur con"About a traveling salesman who was

understand
inhospitable

why no
shore,

commercial
its

tinued

ever ventured to linger near

ami

why none
and
ventured

but

distributing
tral

farming equipment

in

cen-

buccaneers,
sible

shipwrecks,

irresponto
al-

New

Mexico.

He had

traveled for

scientists
its

had

ever
lava,
piles

miles without anything more interesting

brave

razor-like

and
of

its

most insurmountable
sliding clinkers.

shifting,

than a vast expanse of sage brush and mesquite, broken only by occasional

clumps of
their

more

sage brush and mes-

Arthur

interrupted

inspection:

quite.

Finally he

came

to a dilapidated

"Hey,
way."

look, there's a

They

mermaid down the followed his gaze and

ranch-house which seemed on the verge

of ultimate dissolution, with a crooked,

saw a full-grown sea lion and her cub awkwardly waddling out on the beach.

weatherbeaten sign informing him that

this

was "Pleasant Ranch."

trifle

Although

With

the
in

tameness

of

all

Galapagos

he was a
solute

inclined to doubt the ab-

animals

mind, they started toward the

intention

veracity

of

the

board,

it

was

two with the

of

examining

well after dinner time, and he decided

50

AMAZING STORIES
taneously turned to view the gorgeous
scene
eat.

to inquire into the possibility of getting

something to
door

He was met
bent,

at

the

which
in

had

almost

miraculously
well-defined
its

by

withered,
in

old

cowbethis

evolved

the
so

west.
recently

The sun which

a

puncher,

apparently

not

much
At

had

been

ter shape than the ranch-house.

ball of

blazing heat, secure in

heav-

inquiry,

the

cow puncher
to

escorted

the

enly abode,

now was
flaming

poised irresolutely

salesman into the "dining room," where

above the mystic depths of the unruffled

waters

he

was introduced

second
it

very

its

glory

shaded

and

seedy-looking individual, who,

seemed,

tinted to a soft rose of clouds.

by

its

veiling whisps

was the owner of

very
frugal

the ranch. the

During the
asked
a go of

The
to

soft hues of the placid

meal,

salesman

sky

seemed

deepen gradually to a
haze
of
indescribably

the owner,

how he

could

make

clinging

purple

ranching in such a barren spot.

sinister hue,

"Waal," said the rancher, "You see that cow puncher there?"

with an air
If

which enfolded and clothed of evil majesty, the huge

could
thrust
off

cone of the crater Indefatigable.

The salesman admitted

that he did.

any

artist

the

"Waal," continued the rancher, "He's worked fer me fer two years now, and I catn't pay him. In two more years he
gits the ranch.
till

bonds of human

fallibility

and bring the

varied hues with the accompanying air

of vague and sombre elan to rest

upon
to

Then

I'll

work

fer

him

the

flat

surface of his canvas, the whole

rise

I git it

back."

world would
be

up and claim him

effulgent

an

exaggerating,
yes,

fraud.

ARTHUR'S
l

story

brought
girls,

laugh

Beautiful,

but

impossible,

from the two

but

Phil ap-

therefore

improper and useless.

and Such

peared to be listening intently to something the others had not heard.

are the rambling digressions of our nu-

He

held

gatory race,

up a hand motioning them to silence. They stood motionless for several seconds, but heard no sound.

The group many minutes,

night,

stood

spell-bound

for

before they realized that

the scene before

them meant impending

might have been mistaken," said relaxing from his tension, "But was sure I heard a rifle-shot from somewhere ahead." "Probably what you heard was the mainspring breaking in your upper
"I
Phil,
I

to

the

and the necessity that they return shelter of the yacht. No one
to each in his interpretation of

dared to break the silence which meant

so
it

much
;

all and without a word they turned, and with many a backward glance, made

works,"

scoffed Arthur.

their

way

slowly to the edge of the lap-

"I'm

almost

sure

heard

shot,"

ping waters where the dinghy waited.

murmured Phil. "Do you suppose anyone

be on the island?"
"I
don't

Aboard the
else

yacht,
itself,

the

resiliency

of

could

know.

There was no ship

anchored when we came, and it's impossible for one to have arrived in time
for
its

and the deeper were displaced by a merry good humor which was accentuated by the music of the piano in the salon, and the revealing brilliance
youth
asserted
feelings

of the evening

occupants to reach the interior

I

of electric lights.

before us.

must have been mistaken.

in their

After a dinner which only an American negro can cook, enjoyed with appetites

"Evidently," concluded Arthur.

The group had paused

ploratory

ex-

which only crisp

salt air

and plenty

ramblings,

and

now

simul-

of exercise can create, the group gave


INTERFERENCE
over the evening to the restful enjoytion certainly
ter,

51
came from within the
steady
unflickering
cra-

ment of dancing, under

stars in a tropical sky.

the brilliance of

but

its

mien
steady

rather discouraged the possibility of an

eruption.

The after-deck, where the select affair was under way, boasted only of low steel rails to separate them from the
unfathomable black waters of the equaSoft, shaded lights threw torial night.

Rather
perhaps

it

seemed a
in

burning,
jet

of

some natural-gas
the bowels

recently

come

to life

of the dead crater.

The group watched

with
interested

the

faint

glow
to
its

shadows on the calm waters below, which distorted and maligned them, in their relations to the swaying figures The lights seemed not to disabove, pel the darkness, but merely to mold it
into

speculations

as

cause, until far into the night.

It

was
rest

with regret that they

finally

forsook the

dusk of the deck for the necessary

of the physically tired.

something

more

familiar
still

to

the

All

night

the

eerie
its

gleam from the

light

ken of man, leaving a

deck.

unexplored

distant crater cast

vague

on the
gray
re-

remoteness in the shadowy dusk of the

encompassing

rim.

When
its

the

dawn
the influence

finally

began

progressive

vealment of the cacti-covered shores and

^
'the

TNDER

of

the

wiles
frolic

the endless reach of lapping waters, the

light

of the dark, the temporary

went out with the suddenness of a

was diverted to a more thoughtful mien, and soon the two couples retired to
inviting

snuffed candle.

Bright and early in the morning, Phil,

benches

along

the
in

guard
def-

Arthur, and the two girls were on deck

to

rail.

Conversation

languished

see

if

their

strange light

were

still

erence to the

mood

of the group until

in

in

evidence.
it

After

convincing

them-

Arthur broke the

apologetic tone.

silence

almost

an

selves that

was gone, and almost de-

ciding that they had imagined their viI

"Say, folks, do you see what

see?"

sion of the night before, they hurriedly

"See what?" was the laconic query

gulped down their breakfast, and once

from

Phil,

who seemed almost

to resent

more put
This

off

in

the
their

motor-boat

for

the interruption.

continuation

of

exploration.

"That
See
it?

light

up there above the crater. Seems as though it were a rea

fire

time

they

took
out

lunches

with
for

them and
had
trip,

started

immediately

flection

of

deep

down

in

the

the interior of the island.

tried
telling

The Captain

crater.

You
come
see

don't

suppose

Indefatig-

to

dissuade
that

able has

to life again,

do you?"
certain
that

them
to

them from the it was almost an

very
far
in-

"Don't
the
crater

how.

It's

impossibility

penetrate

has

been dead
It's

for

thou-

land because of the extremely rough going.

sand years at
that nature

least.

hardly possible

However, the four were determ-

would

set the scene

and give
benefit

ined to attempt the journey to the base

an eruption for our particular

but

of Indefatigable's crater in an effort to

learn

by Jove,

there

is

a light up there;
girls!

more about

the

strange illumina-

Arthur's right!

Look,

tion of the evening before.

The vague
was dimly
sectioned

outline of the huge crater

in

visible

the

distance,

its

top in

which

reflected

relief against a glow from the clouds above it

THE and
bushes

four were in high good humor,

picked
their

way among
exchange

the

jagged lava boulders and barbed thorn

with
a
continual
of

back to the rim.

The

distant illumina-

52
pleasantries.

AMAZING STORIES
muscle.

Arthur as usual, was wisecracking and poking sarcastic jabs at

Phil.

The

struggles of the four died

out under the influence of the anasthetic,

"Why
boats up

don't

you
over

pick

those

canal

and the Orientals, six in number, soon had the arms of the four manacled behind their backs.

when you walk?" he

clinkers.

asked, as
shift-

Producing automatics,
in

Phil stumbled
ing,

some of the
"There's

they sat down, laughing and conversing

sliding
feet

where

among themselves
the four friends.

sing-song gutturals,

two
tiful

make a yard."
haven't

while they waited for the awakening of

"You

much

to say

about beau-

proportions," retorted Phil.

"With

"How

are

we

to dispose of these, Tsi-

those ears of yours, you look like a loving cup

from behind.
might
fly

If

were you,

Lo?" asked one of the group. "Mercadon said not to harm them,
and to bring them to headquarters," answered Tsi-Lo. "Why do we go to all that trouble?. Why do we not dispose of them so
easily?"

I would be very careful not to wiggle

them

you

away."

This apt remark put an end to Arthur's friendly sarcasm for the time being,

and the group slowly continued on toward the interior. There was very little of interest in the monotonous scene of cacti, lava boulders and thorn bushes; no one had much to say, of course the rugged, tiresome climb may have had
something to
time
they

asked another, raising his au-

tomatic suggestively.

"Mercadon's
Lo.

orders,"
is

returned
to be

Tsi-

"And Mercadon
is
is

obeyed

while His Highness

gone."
fool,"

"Mercadon
"Best not

soft-hearted

do

with

that.

By
some

this

complained the other.

let

had
of

progressed

four

him hear

it.

He

might

miles inland, and were beginning to feel

the

attempt to change your opinion."

pangs

noonday
they

hunger. stopped

By

By

this time

the effects of the mild

and spread out their lunch on the rough cinders, sitting around the improvised
mutual
agreement
meal,
debris.

anasthetic

began to

wear
sat

off

and the

four friends started to rouse from their

stupor.

Soon Phil

up and looked

on

odds

and

ends

of

volcanic

around.

The four were

seated

looking

down
in
its

the long climb they had made, at

WHAT'S
is

up?

What

in the devil

the bottom of which lay the tiny yacht

the idea?"

he demanded of
all.

miniature bay.
after

the Orientals.

Finally

much
of

squirming,
the

mov-

Tsi-Lo answered for them

sabby,"
It

"No

ing

and

adjusting

makeshift

he

said.

chairs, the party busied themselves with

the
dill

disposition
pickles,

of

chicken

sandwiches,

up,

was not long before Arthur sat as he saw the six short yellow men
it

cake and sundry. them. turned

surrounding him.

There came the sound of stealthy footsteps

murmured, "If
himself."

isn't the

"Well look here," he Yellow Peril

behind

Phil

in

time to see the leering, yellow face and

the slant eyes of an Oriental, before he

"No
"What
devil

sabby," returned Tsi-Lo.

said

"Who
I

you did?" asked Arthur.

to

was grasped roughly and a towel

Other
short,

smell-

want

know

is

what
us

in the
like

ing of ether held tightly over his face.

do you mean,

tying

up

stocky yellow

men

treated

this?"

the others in a like

one had a chance to so

manner before anymuch as move a

"No
Tsi-Lo.

sabby," returned the inscrutable

INTERFERENCE
"Do you
suppose he does or not?"
pressible

53
Arthur.
It

looked

as

if

it

asked Arthur, turning to Phil

"I don't know, but asking them won't
get us anywhere.

might be quite some time before they

How
at the

are the girls?"

As

if to

girls sat

answer up almost

his question the

two same time and

After

looked confusedly around them.

a

were even to start in the direction of home, and Arthur's sally brought no answering smiles from the other three. As they wound in and out along the ravine, always climbing, the four wondered at the possibility of a road and
automobiles existing on Galapagos.

moment they realized the situation and Eva asked "What in the world do you
:

Why
it

suppose they want with us?"

had the road been built?

How

had

"Don't know," said Phil.

they're
to

"Perhaps

been kept secret?

Phil had a sudden inspiration. "Say,
folks, this is the reason those sea lions

Asiatic

bandits,

and are going

hold us for ransom."

Whatever
didn't see
fit

their

reason, the Orientals

were afraid of

us.

These Chinks have

for

to enlighten their captives.

probably been hunting them

food.
last

After the
recovered

four friends had completely

And

that's

why

heard that shot

from

their

involuntary
feet,

nap,

night."

they were motioned to their

and

"That may be
the

so," replied Eva,

"But
here?

were silently led by their captors toward a deep gully a few hundred feet away. It was rough going, and without
the aid of their hands, the four friends

question

is

why

are

they
built?

Why
the

has this road been

Why

high-powered car on a supposedly

shrugged
"I
his

uninhabitable island ?"

Phil
ingly.

took

some

pretty

bad

falls.

Tsi-Lo,
the

shoulders

dispairidea,

noticing

their

difficulties,

searched

have not the

if,

faintest
rate,

two men for weapons, and then untied the hands of the Americans, motioning them ahead of him with his automatic
in hand.

but
find

it

looks as

at

any

we

are to

out something more soon."

When

they reached the

little

ravine,

BY
rising

this

time

the

car

had

slowly

climbed to the foot of the abruptly

the four friends gasped in astonishment.

mountain which housed the crater

It

There, in the bottom, stood a

automobile,
gulch, as

late

model
the
a

Indefatigable.

was evident
been
built
it

that

no
its

while

up
road.

and

down
in

road

could

have
sides,

along

far as they could see,

was

precipitous
ible

without

being vis-

graded,

surfaced

Here
-an

the

plainly at a distance,

and no such
did
its
it

middle of one of the wildest, most rug-

ged lands
all?

in

the world

mar defaced
the
steep

the cinder-covered lava of

automobile,

slope.

Where then
it

the

and a road!
it

What was

the meaning of

road end?

If

didn't

wind

way

Phil tried to ask the silent cap-

over the mountain, where did

go?
Tsi-Lo

tors,

but the only answer he could get

The
turned

solution

was

soon
the

disclosed.

was "No sabby." The four were

tonneau of the big

Nearing the base of

motioned
car,

hill,

into

the

and four of the

left along the smooth crest of an interrupted lava flow, and followed

Orientals stood on the running boards,

along the base of the mountain for some

with Tsi-Lo at the wheel and one of the

others beside

hundred yards.
abruptly
to

The road now turned

right,

him

in the front seat.

The

the

and
of

led

to

the

motor purred at a touch of the starter, and the car started smoothly forward.

dark

yawning
on

mouth
the

tunnel.

Switching

headlights,

Tsi-Lo

"Home, James," murmured

the irre-

drove swiftly into the black opening.

V*
The
car

AMAZED
roared
its

STORIES
into the air above
fall like mist.

challenge to

the

them

to condense

and

and the walls of the cave it seemed the mountain must split apart from the commotion in its 'innards.' Almost deafened, the four friends made no atsteep climb,

echoed and reechoed, until

Their observations were cut short as

Tsi-Lo motioned them from the car. He led the way to one of the larger build-

tempt at conversation, and spent their time examining the passage through

and stood aside to let them enter. They found themselves in a remarkably
ings,

well-appointed

office

soft

upholstered

which they were speeding. Illumined as it was by the brilliant lights of the car,
they could plainly see that
it

chairs, a lounge,

sideboard,

and a

roll-

top desk. Beside the desk, a well dressed

Oriental,

was man-

presumably
entrance,

Japanese,

was
looked

Its walls and top were rough and jagged, and once they caught a glimpse of dynamite boxes piled in a

made.

busy with a

pile of papers.

He
in

up
a

at

their

arose
said

and made
perfect

sweeping bow,

and

short cross cut.

English.

Some
became
the

distance ahead, a point of light

visible,

sped along.
opening,

growing quickly as they Soon they emerged through and were almost blinded

"TADIES
** ored.
attend to
a

and gentlemen.
Please
be

am

hon-

seated

and
I

make yourselves
little

comfortable

while

by the sudden glare of the sun. After their eyes had become accustomed to the light, they eagerly examined their surroundings.

matter of business."

Turning

to Tsi-Lo,

he spoke rapidly

in

his native tongue:

"Do

they

you
to

have

brought

them

here?

know why Were

They found they had penetrated

the
interior

there any others with them?"

of the crater, and as the now came to rest, they saw were on a circular balcony of solid lava, some two hundred feet wide, which extended entirely around the circumference of the crater. In the mid-

"No, Mercadon,
ing.

we

told

them nothwithout

automobile
that they

We

captured

them
all

struggle.

Evidently

their ship stayed

crew of on board, for the four

the
rest

Americans were alone."

"It
is

well.

dle

of the crater

yawned a huge

hole,

of

it

to me.
his

You can leave the You may go now."

departure,

Tsi-

around which the balcony seemed miracSeveral hundred suspended. ulously

buildings of various sizes were scattered

Lo made

and Mercadon
in-

turned back to the four friends. "I hope you have in no way been
convenienced by your
little

along the huge ledge.

ing

Men were

com-

journey?"

and going busily, while from the depths of the huge center pit came the sounds of many voices and the clanging

Phil answered for the group. "I don't

know who you

to

are, or

be

here,

but

how you happen why were we made

the suave Oriental merely a matter of

and bustle of intense

flood-lights

activity.

Huge
for

captives

and
dear
"It

forcibly brought here?"

sir,"
is

illumined

the

pit

the
vis-

"My
ethics.

benefit of the
ible

workmen, and made

machinery
even
it

answered.

the

intricate

conthe

tained.

Sounding

above

clamor and noise of the workmen, there was a deep roaring which seemed to

Japan is today declaring war on your country, and so of course we were forced to detain you." "Japan declaring war on the United
see,

You

come from the depths of the pit below At one side arose a pipe, from which a mighty volume of steam rose
them.

States?"

echoed Arthur.

haven't a chance in the world.

"Why, they They

haven't a single battleship, dreadnaught


INTERFERENCE
of
submarine,
little

55

and

and very few merchant marine.

are

aircraft

hum.
above

Shouting to make himself heard

the
din,

How

do

Mercadon
using
a

explained:

they expect to get anywhere?"

''But

"Our workmen,
in-

churn

drill,

ships

not

everything,"

penetrated three thousand feet into the

terrupted
talk about
later.

Mercadon.
it

just

"But let us not now. That can come

they

bowels of the volcano, and tapped an

Have you
four

dined lately?"

The

declared
if

had

just

eaten, and that, would not care to

they

hadn't,

they

enormous steam-pressure area. Installed in this chamber are ten of the largest These generdynamos in the world. ators are run by huge steam turbines and
generate over fifteen million horsepower
apiece, or a total of over one

eat

under the present

feel that

circumstances anyway.

hundred

"Oh, but you must not

about
see
it,"

way
stay,

and

fifty million."

declared the Jap.

all

"Here, you

we

are

very friendly.
only

Your

TURNING,
back up the
the
five
initial
pit.

Mercadon

led

the

way

here, I hope, will be brief

and pleasant.
until

stairs to the

bottom of

You

will
is

be

held

Japan's

The

pit

was probably
and occupying

success

assured."
sure

hundred

feet across,

"Not

very

of

yourselves,

are

its

very center was the intricate mass the

you?" sneered Arthur. "But we have good reason to be, Now, would you well, you shall see.
like to look
1

friends had seen

seemed
ten
feet

to

from the balcony. It consist of an enormous

its

searchlight
in

with

reflector

about

over our establishment here?

it

diameter,
vertical

and

which was

assure you

will

be very interesting
the
that

mounted on a
through.
shaft rigidly in

shaft

one foot

and quite educational."

Notwithstanding
turn
fact

the

friends were displeased and antagonized

at

the
all

affairs

had

taken,

they

were

eager to learn just what this

whole elaborate scheme was about, and

nodded their willingness. Mercadon smiled, and escorted them

framework held the numerous bearings, and shaft was apparently geared to a motor on the floor of the pit. A two foot swivel conduit led from the generator room below the pit up to the huge light above. The whole
Sturdy
the the

base

of

set-up
light

gave

the

impression
to

that

the
at

from the building out across the

balcony to the edge of the
a broad stairway led
pit.

circular

was constructed

revolve

There,

high speed.
In a circle around the searchlight, at
distance of about one hundred feet, was what appeared at first sight, to be an enormous picket fence. Closer observation showed that the "stakes" were in reality round shafts of some silvery
a

below.

down to the depths They followed him down some

feet to the superficial

hundred
the
pit,

bottom of

on which rested the maze of from machinery they had glimpsed

above.

This, however,

was not yet

the

bottom.

He

led the

way down another

white, translucent substance.

The

shafts

stair into a

huge, underground chamber,

were about two inches

the rim of the balcony

in

diameter and

from which seemed to issue the tremendous roaring they had heard above. The odor of ozone was strong in the
and the roar almost deafened them. Looming up in the vague light of the room were numbers of huge masses of
air,

extended from the bottom of the pit to

distance

of

one hundred
fraction

feet.

They were
apart

of

an
a

inch

about
blade.

placed a
the

thickness of

case knife

The
at

complete

circle

was connected both

machinery from which issued the deep

the top and at the base of the pillars,

"

56

AMAZING STORIES
"fence" was mounted on heavy insee here," said Mercadon,

with heavy insulated cable, and the entire

namos below had been thrown into the huge searchlight. The light was revolving at far too great
a

sulation.

"You

"A

speed

for any

beam
was
glow.

to

be

visible,

but the entire pit

by the clanging Turning hurriedly, he of a gong. beckoned the four to follow him, and
interrupted

He was

illuminated

with
of

an

eerie

violet

The

circle

strange

metallic

rods surrounding the reflector gave off

iridescent,

made
cony

his

above.

way up the stairs to the The workmen had

their
jobs,

bal-

many-hued
with

lights,

changing
cold

ev-

and

scintillating

weird,

idently

completed

from the pit. Men sembling from all directions front of a building which was
cleared

and had were asto

beauty.

the

Forming around the circular fence, was a solid wall of coruscating, stratified radiance, which shimmered and
glow of the
of
Borealis.
It

set well

flickered like the clear, cold

toward the edge of the balcony.

Aurora
scene,

was
the

a magnificent

The

friends

followed the Jap as he

yet

it

gave

impression
ruthless

hurried toward the assembled group.

On

tremendous, inexorably
soothing.

power,

a staging at the edge of the pit was a

switch board with numerous dials and
several

about which there was nothing calm or

Rather

it

pitched every fiber

ebony handled switches.

stopped
before
the

cadon
asked,

board

Merand

of the body to the breaking point. Every

nerve groaned in protest against impregnation with the racking, vibrating waves

"The time has come?"

it

"Yes, your honor,

ute
till

is

now one min-

of unfathomable power.
board,

four o'clock."

Mercadon turned to watch the second hand of a clock incorporated in the board. As the hand moved around the dial, he laid his hand on the handle
of one of the switches.

smiled

Mercadon turned again to the switch made a few notations on a pad, in satisfaction, and nodded to

the friends.

"Come now,
chairs,

let
I

us find comfortable
all

As

it

reached

where
detail
it."

the figure 60 he engaged the switch.

you

in

can explain
is,

this to

that

if

you care to
so

hear about

THERE
watched

came the low whir of a startmotor and the huge searchlight began to revolve slowly on its vertical axis. As it gained speed, Mercadon intently
its

Of

course the

friends did,

Mer-

When

cadon led the way back to his office. they were all comfortable in their

places, the

Jap began:
it

dials.

moment

passed,

"Perhaps
beginning.

is

best to

begin at the

then he threw in a second switch and disengaged the

the motor
first.

The low whine

till

of

During the Japan had one of her

death ray.

War

of

scientists

1936 work-

grew

to a screech as the light

it

ing on the possibility of

developing a
a distance.

revolved faster and faster,

almost

That

is,

one which would

at
I

seemed a stationary globe

of
the

in

the center

incapacitate the

enemy

motor reached its maximum, and the scream had passed up beyond the range of hupit
Finally

when

the

was

work continued even after Japan's terrible defeat and the treaty by which your country so inthat scientist.

My

man
dial

ears,

Mercadon again glanced

threw a third switch.
friends
the

at a

considerately
ships

deprived

Japan

of
I

her
dis-

then
At

and

aircraft.

The
ment.

four

stared

in

amazeswitch,

covered
ray,

something. but

At length, Not the

something

death

throw

of

the

understand,

which

evidently the

current of the huge

dy-

puzzled the best of Japan's physicists.

INTERFERENCE
"I had been working with tremendous

57
diversified

was
to
little

in

some way changed and

voltages

which

was
in

attempting

to

produce an energy with which

familiar.

we

are

modify and change

a concentrated
to life.

such a

way

that

This energy supposedly

beam would be
to direct

inimical

produces in an enormously high degree,

that

One day
I

while working in

my
con-

attraction

which we

call

'surface

laboratory,

happened

my

tension.'
is

Surface tension, as you know,

centrated

beam on

a small piece of ore

that attraction between the molecules

which

was
notice

running

had been analyzing. The water from a faucet over a

I

of a liquid which seems to hold them

more

firmly together at the surface than

sink in the corner, and

that

happened
directed

to

in the interior.

This tension causes the

possible the suspen-

the

instant

the

contraction of a falling liquid into round

beam on

the ore, the water ceased runtap.

globules;

it

makes

ning from the

Interested, I put

sion of a steel needle on the surface of

bowl of water in the center of the room,

turned the beam on the ore, clamped the
projector
in
place,

a calm body of water;

to

it

causes mercury

assume the shape of the tiny spher-

and
it

examined
of
the

the

oids,

when spread on

flat

surface;

it

water.

found that

had apparently
liquid

enables the tiny insect "skipper" to glide

serenely over the surface of
his

congealed.

The

surface

pond
it

would support a heavy weight." The four Americans gasped, as they remembered
their

without wetting his

the soap bubble.

feet.

We

see

in

experience

in

the

high

frequency

The dispersion of beam by hyolite

the
in-

swimming pool, and the incredible phenomenon which had astounded the whole
world.

creases the attraction between the molecules at the surface of the water

hence
per

increasing the surface tension, and pro-

"Yes, I see you remember your experience of a few months ago," chuckled

duces a tensile strength on the surface

which
surface

will

support

many pounds
of
course,

Mercadon.

"But

that

When I saw what my beam my interest was aroused, and

reanalyzed the piece of ore.

comes later. would do,

I

square inch.

This enormous increase of

is,

tension

what

carefully

caused the drying up of the faucet, by

found

it

changing the water,

solid.

in effect, to a semi-

contained nickel,

silver,

iron,

traces of

iridium and of gadolinium.

I then con-

tinued with
synthetic

my work
of

by building up a
five
I

"FTAYTNG
*
*-

completed
I

my

prelim-

alloy
called

these

elements,

inary research,

announced

my

which

hyolite.

found that

discovery to the Japanese Government.

the high frequency beam acted upon fhis alloy, the same conditions were produced that is, the water in the near vicinity exhibited the same peculiar phenomenon. After synthesizing and

when

None
ter,

of

them

at

first

realized the im-

portance of

my

research

for that mat-

neither did I at the moment. It was some time afterward that I hapto

pened
gealed,
station
tire

think that the ocean, in fact

perfecting the alloy, I turned

my

efforts

every ocean in the world could be conif

toward determining how the action of the beam on the alloy produced those
phenomena.
eventually I
I

a large enough central power

possible. Then if the enOcean were affected It

were

won't

bore

you

with

Pacific

the tiresome details of

my

research

but
conalloy,

was then
ities

that

the stupendous possibil-

came

to the conclusion that

of the thing struck me.

Whythe

the high frequency current of

my

Oriental

armies

could

centrated

beam, striking on the

across the sea and

simply march overwhelm America!"

58

AMAZING STORIES
with

"I again conferred with the Govern-

my

helpers,

ment heads, and pat the whole thing before them. The possibility of it was doubted, and many were the heated debates which took place in the secret council. It was only after repeated
demonstrations
in

for the

ultimate
I

working and planning consummation of my

accomplished
them.
little

dreams.
while ago

have
I

The machinery
is

showed you a

capable of increasing the

surface tension of every sea, ocean and

lake in the world to a point

confirmations of

my laboratory, and my findings by every

in

where

it

will

support the weight of a steam locomotive.

prominent
finally

scientist

Japan, that they

I

consented to the scheme.

was

given the assignment of planning a huge

central plant

for the production of the

tension

energy,

with

all

the

resources

of the government at

my command. "The American and European coun-

"Of course the enormous power is furnished by the steam-driven turbines. These in turn activate the super-dynamos, which you saw in the room below the pit. The current from all these is collected, stepped up through
transformers, and supplied to the uranio-

were carefully watching every suspicious move in Japan, and it was deemed inadvisable to carry on the work at home; so, by a secret agreement, Japan bought the Galapagos Islands from Ecuador. I left immediately for the inlands with two thousand trained men, and the best of every type of electrical and scientific equipment. "Meanwhile the Japanese government was not idle. Deprived of all ships and aircraft, they at once set to work to develop the fastest means of land transtries

selenium

cell

in

the huge searchlight in

pit.

the center of the

is

When

the

power

turned on, the

cell

and the

reflector

rotate rapidly, the high frequency

falls

beam

in

columns,
fence.

turn upon each of the hyolite which comprise the circular These diversify the beam, and

bring about the increased surface tension in every body of water in the world.

"At

first,

was afraid the

tensile en-

ergy would increase the surface tension

of the liquid in the body,
the blood, to a point for instance,
it

portation in the world.

They developed
of

armed
hundred

tanks
miles

capable

almost

three

longer circulate
die.
I

hence

where

the person

would no would

per

hour.

They

de-

experimented along
it

this line,

and
en-

signed and built huge numbers of transport automobiles which were capable of

found that

had no appreciable
fluids.

affect

whatever on the body

cessfully
nullify
I

The

the

same

speed.

They

perfected

big

ergy of living matter seems able to sucthe

on traction carriages capable of nearly two hundred miles per hour. guns
thing right.

enormous

tensile

energy.

have never satisfactorily been

This time Japan was going to do the She brought about alliances

able to explain just

how

it

does

this.

However,
to

it

is

sufficient that it

happens

with Russia, India and China, and exacted promises of a certain

fighting
this

do

so.

number of

men

at

a specified time.

By

means she has collected an army of almost two hundred million men more

than the entire population of the United

States.

two hours ago, now, as you threw the switch which started and for almost two hours now, two hundred million fighting men, and thousands of
"Just

know,

the generation of this energy,

"For ten years now, Japan has been For ten for the venture. years I have been here on Indefatigable
preparing

efficient engines of destruction have been racing toward the west coast of the United States at over two hundred miles

per hour.

At

that

rate,

it

will

take

INTERFERENCE
them
'a little

59
say under the

over thirty hours to reach

course
all

really

being nothing to

America.
elaborate

Of

America's fine
submarines,

circumstances.
to

An

idea

was beginning

battleships,

her

form

in the

her destroyers will be absolutely useless.

he gave no hint of

back of Phil's mind, but "What if he it.

They
dry
water.

will

be

all

be stranded high and

could reach that switch near the pit for

just

on

the

hardened
course
all

surface

of

the

one moment?

What

if

he could

Of

they
the

can use their

in

shut off the mighty power

single instant?

beam for a

airplanes,

but

airplanes

the

Would

not the released

world could not stop the Asiatic army

Besides, America. reaching from America will be taken completely by She has not the slightest inkThe ling of any action against her. Japanese and allied armies will avoid all the heavy coastal fortifications, making their way inland, and coming upon
surprise.

tension allow the two hundred million soldiers and their vast equipment to
sink into the depths of the broad Pacific?

What
on

if

the
it

then

power were turned back would be too late. If he

could only
ter

for it no matwhat happened to him afterward." Mercadon seemed almost to realize

make a break

the defenses from the rear.

Thus

the

Phil's thoughts

as he calmly continued,

defeat of the United States will probably

"Of
the

course,

to

prevent

any

accidents,

be accomplished in a few days.

phenomenon of the "hard water" which so amazed the world a few months ago that was merely a pre-

"As

for the

fiminary test
plant here."

of

the

efficiency

of

our

was automatically was thrown thus nothing less than a major breakdown can frustrate our plans. For the last two months, the workmen have been busily engaged in endeavoring to make our set up here absolutely perfect; acciswitch
locked the instant
it

power

"HpHEN

you mean that Japan

is

now
?"

dent, brain- and fool-proof."

Phil's

* on her

way

to

conquer the U. S

heart

sank.

gasped Phil.
'TJet us not say 'conquer,' let us rather

read his thoughts?

Had Mercadon But no, of course

the Jap had thought of the same possibility Phil had been pondering, and had carefully prepared for it. Could he do nothing at all to prevent the yellow hordes from reaching and overruning America? It didn't Seem so.

say

Japan
to

is

merely
land
for

asserting

her

rights

more

her

crowded
those

population," corrected Mercadon.

"You mean damned chinks

country
in

to say,

Phil,

that

will be over-running
little

our

over

twenty-four

Mercadon continued, "Here

our
latest

is

one of
turned

hours?"

developments."

He

"That
"Well,

is

what our good friend here

can't

has attempted to convey to us."

Good Lord,

we do somebe,

and led the way to a circular basin of what was presumably water, though its surface was now, of course, in a solid
state.

thing about it?"

"I don't

know what

it

would

we

end resting on the surface,

pended a heavy

seem to be pretty well cornered." "That is exactly it, my friends.

not attempt anything rash,
get
for
it

Over the water, with the lower was sussteel shaft. The shaft
in a tubular

Do
will

was enclosed

housing at

its

upper end, and a large dialed indicator

you nowhere, and

will only force

us

to put you in bonds for a day or so,"

advised Mercadon.

Eva

and

Joan

said

nothing

there

was attached to the housing. A Jap was Constantly watching the needle on the dial. "This is what I call the "tenIt shows any infinsion indicator."


60
itesma]

AMAZING STORIES
variation in the tension of

the

"Surely," smiled Mercadon, "I will be

water."

glad to have you see

it."

He

turned and led the

way

to a struc-

DHIL
*
get

listened

to

the

Jap's

words
with

while his

own mind was busy

one
of

potential possibilities.

"If he could only

word

to

America's

huge
course

few hundred feet from his office, and motioned the four friends through the door. Truly, it was a huge broadcasting unit. Banks of tubes were on
ture a
all

aircraft carriers at the ship

Panama.

Of

sides,

would be stranded because of the congealed water, but a plane could fly over Indefatigable's crater and drop a bomb on the diabolical mechanism.
But how
in the

their

myriads

lined the walls.

and panel after panel with of dials and indicators A microphone stood on
desk
at

the

operator's

one

side.

Phil

interestedly

examined the

intricate

ap-

world could he get word

paratus, and studied the dials and indicators

to the aircraft carrier?

Say

the

Japs
stait

minutely.
is

must have a powerful broadcasting

tion

"Certainly
said.

wonder," he

finally

here

could
his

he

possibly get to

"I'd like to see a transmitter like

was out of the question; of course it would be carefully guarded against any posWasn't there any way sibility of that. he could warn them? Of course if he could only get out of the crater and back to the "Corella," it would be an
and send
message?

No,

that

this in action."

"Very well," returned Mercadon. will be a good time to send the news of your capture to the home office
"This
in Japan.

"I might say," he continued, smiling

quizzically at Phil, "that

we

are operat-

easy matter for the

ship's

operator to

ing
here

on an

extremely

get in touch with the aircraft-carriers."

low wavelength

small fraction of a meter.

We

But Phil knew every move he made would be watched, and any attempt at a get-away would end in defeat.

"But wait
ference
sion

"No, it was A scientist of Mercadon's impossible. ability would never have overlooked a
Phil's

"the
like

the

do this to avoid any possibility of our messages being picked up by outsiders, and to prevent any possibility of their
locating
loops.
this

radio

station

inter-

station

with

tension

indicator

confu-

directional

mind

raced.

So you see that even if you manage to overpower me and send a message, no one would receive it
might

but

my

friends in Japan."

detail

that.

And

then,

again,

it

"I had no thought of such a thing, I

might not work at all, anyway. At best it was merely a chance, and a mighty
slim one at that

assure

you,"
to

returned
!"

Phil,

as

he

thought

himself:

"Extremely

short

Still,

it

was a chance."
suppose you
here,

wavelength

good

He
have

spoke casually.
a

"I
unit

broadcasting

Mer-

"UINE. Now

that that

is

settled,

we

cadon."

"But
have,
I

certainly," replied the Jap.

believe,

"We
It

* shall proceed." With these words, Mercadon switched on the power and
proceeded to talk rapidly into the micro-

the most powerful sta-

tion in the

world

a
am
at

million watts."

phone

in

his

native tongue, while Phil

was easy to see that Mercadon was proud of his station. "Could I take a look at it?" asked
Phil.

watched

the

proceedings

interestedly.

Phil walked over to one of the panels

and pretended
cator
intently,

to

watch the power indicovertly

You

see,

I
it

interested in radio

w-hile

watching

dabble with

home

a bit myself."

the door of the station.

INTERFERENCE
Whatever
tensely

61
their

Phil

expected,

it

wasn't

they

wound

way

along the tortuous

long before something happened.

An

in-

curves of the smooth road.

the girls
ently, they

Whenever
suffici-

worried Jap came bounding through the door and spoke excitedly in
Japanese,

recovered their breath ran for a while.

"My

God, Mercadon, the tenis

alternately

Thus, by walking and running, they

sion indicator

going

down
in

fast

!"

traveled

for

some considerable distance

"I hear the auto-

Mercadon leaped up
possible!" he cried.
"It is!

alarm.

"Im-

before Phil stopped suddenly and held

up a warning hand.
see,

Come and
ran

quick!"
the

mobile

they're

after us.

Come

on, we've

Mercadon
Oriental

after

frightened
shut
off

got to get

away from

the road!"

He

without

stopping to

swerved

to the side,

and the four scram-

the transmitter's power, and with never a glance at the Americans.

the friends

bled up the bank of the ravine and out

Of

course

had not understood a word knew from the tones and actions of the two that something momentous was happening. Phil nodded in satisfaction. "Come now, quiet now's our chance."
of the conversation, but they

on the cacti covered slope. Distinctly now, they could hear the sound of the approaching car. "Keep going" he told them. "They can't spot us, the ravine
is

too deep."

And
cacti.

keep

going

they

did,

not

stopping to heed thorn bushes, rocks, or

he

whispered to

the

others.

Outside

They heard the

car whiz on

down

everything was in a hubbub.

Mercadon

the ravine toward the shore as they con-

barked out orders rapidly and

ried here

men

scur-

tinued their

mad

flight.

It

wasn't long

No

and there one had any time

to

do his bidding.

to observe the four

before they heard the machine roar back up the road toward the crater.

as they crept cautiously around the cor-

"Going

back

after

reinforcements,"

made swiftly and silently for the yawning black mouth of the tunnel. They crept along for some distance
ner of the building and
before
Phil

explained Phil.

men down

"They'll bring a lot of here and spread them out to

try to find us.

We've got

to hurry

now

!"

produced a tiny

flashlight

and illumined the tun"I was afraid to got back a little way," explained Phil. "Now all of you run just as fast as you can." There was neither time nor breath for more words as the four raced through the dark passage. It seemed many times farther now, than it had when they sped
his pocket

from

OW O *

they ever arrived at the beach

bruised, and bleeding and There were the lights of the them out in the

they never knew, but there they

torn,

nel

ahead of them.
light
till

were,

show a

we

dog-tired.

"Corella" winking at
harbor.

They ran across the smooth surface of the congealed water in less time than
it

takes to tell and thankfully climbed aboard the "Corella" to be met by an

swiftly through the tunnel in the high

astonished and somewhat worried Captain.

powered emerged
evening,

car,

and

when

they

finally

into the
all

fading light of early

"What
he asked.

in

the world has happened?"

all

were panting for breath, and the two girls were staggering. "Sorry - to - torture - you -girls -I ike-this,
but we've just got to
ella!'" panted Phil.

"You

look as though you

!"

have been fighting wildcats

"We

have," said Phil briefly. "Where's

make

it

to the 'Cor-

the radio operator, quick!"

With

that

he

rushed for the transmitting room, and

to a fast

They slowed down

walk as

the hurriedly

summoned

operator switch-

62

AMAZING STORIES
tion of the

ed on the power and sent the message

Phil dictated.

mechanism

in

the crater.

Im-

"U.

S. aircraft carrier,

Panama,

S. aircraft carrier,

Panama

U.
opcen-

mediately the "Corella" lunged deeply,

and rocked
to

violently as the solid surface

."

The

of the sea gave

way and
natural

returned her

erator nodded as he heard the answer-

her

rightful

ing signal.
tral crater

"Send planes

to

bomb

bodies of the slain Japs bobbed

on Indefatigable Island, Gala-

down

for a few

The up and moments with the action

position.

pagos, quick,
to

conquer

under way Japanese America mechanism

plot

of the newly released waves, and slowly

floated

in

away.
the broad Pacific,

crater producing

phenomenon of "hard

Out on
ment

Act at once!" "O. K." said the operator. "What's up?" "Tell you later," Phil flung over his shoulder as he rushed from the room. He hurried back on deck and found the Captain talking with Arthur. "Any guns on board?" Get them out and arm the crew. I expect an attack from the shore any time now." He was right. It wasn't five minutes after the rifles and revolvers had been distributed that they heard the sound of Soon the an approaching automobile. headlights appeared, and the car came
water."
to

before, an unending line of

where a moarmed
speeding
in

uniformed men had

been

armed tanks and huge transports at over two hundred miles per hour for America; where thousands upon thousands of almost impregnable, armored cars, and millions of tons of huge guns had been racing smoothly east now there was
nothing

nothing

but an

endless

reach

of rolling, tossing water.

The

sea had

opened and swallowed them up.

lutely nothing
Allies' ten years of

Abso-

remained of the Asiatic

work; two hundred

in the prime of their

million
lives,

young men
ambitious,

energetic

irrevocably

an abrupt

stop.

Dark

figures

piled

gone.

Truly

it

out and hurried to the water line.

cataclysmic

proportions

was a destruction of but America

"Shoot them
Phil ordered.

if

they start toward us," a matter of

life

was

saved.

"It's

and

The
denly,

"Corella's" motors

hummed

sud-

death."

Dark shapes swarmed

across the water

the bleak

and she drew slowly away from and most certainly inhospitable

toward the "CoreUa," and stopped only the crew started to fire. The Japs were not unarmed either, as the chatter of a machine gun, and the spat of bullets on the yacht's deck soon proved. For

shores of the Island Indefatigable.

when

the salon, Phil

was anxiously check-

*
all

ing up on the crew, and after finding

some time a

real

battle

raged between
the sur-

the crew, and the

men below on
;

and none injured, he sank back in a deep chair with a sigh of relief. There was to be no rest for him for some
present
time, however.

However, the outcome was foregone the crew of the yacht had shelter from the fire, but the Japs had none. Soon the last of them lay stretched on the still congealed surface. Now, those on board the yacht heard
face of the water.

Everyone was besieging

After the four had

him with

questions.

told the story of their capture

and

their

experience in the crater, Arthur turned

to Phil.

the distant drone of approaching planes.

Soon they were

circling

above the

crater.

"Say, old man, just what did you have up your sleeve there in the radio station, and just what caused our yellow friend
so

Moments

later the deep, muffled roar of

much excitement

that he even forgot

a distant explosion, told of the destruc-

our existence?"


INTERFERENCE
"Weil," began Phil, "you
see,
I

63

had
that

between the waves of two stations gives

the crooner's voice the effect of a slow

been trying to figure out some

way

we might make a break when Mercadon showed

indicator.

for the tunnel

exaggerated tremulo when two stations

are near each
dial.

us that tension

other on the wavelength

at
all

I wondered at the time what would happen if that indicator showed a

was not

sure that the

energy distributed by the tension generator

decreasing surface tension.

I
all

knew

that

was of the same

type,

further-

he would probably' forget

in

about us

his

effort

to

determine the trouble.

You
sion,

see, just

one second of released tenlost."

and they were

about
radio

"Well,

that

time

thought

about

the

transmitter.

You've

more I didn't know whether the radio waves would interfere with them that is, strike them crest to trough so as to nullify them, even if they were. Mercadon's statement of the tremendous power and the extremely short wave-

heard of "interference," haven't you, as

applied to the transverse waves of the

length they were using gave

so
I

me

hope,

inveigled
I

him

into trying

out the
that

electromagnetic

series?"

Then

you
or

transmitter.

knew,

of

course,

know

that

when one wave meets

it

what

little

interference there

might be

overtakes another,

may

either double

or completely nullify the effect, accord-

ing to whether the crests and troughs

of the two waves coincide, or whether
the trough the other.
sity
is

of

one meets the crest of

first

Ih the

case,

the intenit is

doubled,
destroyed.
if

in

the

second
instance,

entirely

For

two

loud sounds,
that

so pitched and directed

the

crest

of one wave meets the

would not seriously affect the surface tension not even enough for the Japanese armies to notice it, but I hoped that it would affect the tension-indicator enough to alarm Mercadon and cause enough commotion to enable us to It was only a chance that the escape. relatively puny power of the transmitting station would affect the gargantuum power of the tension energy at all,

trough of the oncoming wave, will be-

but
"I

it

worked."
can't

come

complete

silence.

Of

course

figure

out yet,

why a man
slip

sound waves are longitudinal, but the same instance is applicable to both longitudinal

of Mercadon's ability

would
it's

up on
one of

a detail like that, but

just

and transverse waves.

bright
lights

In the

those things that happen to the best of

us."

same way, two

duce
"It
of
total
is

forming

"interference" with each other will prodarkness.

Arthur gazed

at Phil admiringly.

"By
Interference
apart."

Jove,"

he

said,

"I

do

believe

exactly the same with the waves

radio

your head will

do to hold your ears

the

broadcast.

The End

In the April Issue

RELATIVITY TO THE RESCUE

By
J.

HARVEY HAGGARD
E. J.

THE SUNLIGHT MASTER

By

VAN NAME

"

64

The Conquest ofthe Planets

(Mother World)
By
Our

JOHN W. CAMPBELL,

Jr.

readers are so fond of Mr. Campbell's work that

we

are sure that

they will share our regret, that we are corning to the end of the story, for this brings us to what may be justly termed a happy ending, where the

workers for

evil are finally

overcome.

We

hope to give more of Mr.

Campbell's work in the near future.

Conclusion

BRUCE
eral

turned to Philips.

"Tom

use the tactics that had always served

against the few half-hysterical attacks they

they're sending out the gencall?

Everyone knows
Bruce.

the plan?"

"Yes,
beginning

They

are

had witnessed. Their shock-rods glowing, they advanced on the nearest of the Plehbs, ordering them angrily back.

now,

think."

He

turned

around and looked at the long row of Fifty men, seated before electroscopes. fifty sets of apparatus, were watching These fifty were fifty different scenes.
all

Around each Polshin six or eight Plehb men appeared, young, powerful Plehb
men.
Polshin

Calmly they walked

guards.

up to the
discharges

Crackling
harmlessly

of

electricity

sprang

from the shockoff

equipped with small projectors, capof throwing voice, and,

if

rods

and

rolled

of

able

neces-

the blue suits of the Plehbs.

The Freeprom-

sary, a small scene.

Quietly, low voices

dom
ise.

Scientists

had

fulfilled their

were speaking into the projector transmitters.

"All

of
at

the

Freedom Memto

bers
their

will

begin

once

carry

parts after

under the General

out Plan
All

Insulated suits had been distributed. Helpless, the Polshins were disarmed by men twice as strong as they were individually and numerically a hundred

Name

name was jead

The

out.

times as strong.
It was a wonderfully well organized movement. Of the three thousand .seven hundred and forty-two Polshin Guards, in that city that day, only three hundred and eleven were killed. Sometimes hate was too strong. And every Plehb of the Freedom movement was equipped with death-dealing weapons now. Sometimes a Plehb would recognize in a cap.

over the city the leaders were sending

out their
city
signals.

search

of
it

the

was barely

well under way,

had But

not been called off by any means.

now

it

ended abruptly.

From

eighty

thousand apartments two hundred thousand people began to mill outward- In

a moment, the Polshin guards were surrounded by masses of men, moving with

such a deceptive air of slow determination,

tured Polshin the

his

man who
daughter.

took

that the Polshins,

who had
they

never
to

mate,

or

his

away Took her

seen a planned, directed resistance, did not

into the horrible slavery

comprehend.

Then

tried

which everyone of them had witnessed time and --.

65

Slowly her nose pointed downward, while a dim red glow rose incadeseence, telling of broken power-leads.

to

66
on their telectroscopes.
least,

AMAZING STORIES
And from
all

the
his-

lowest vertebrate, through

men

Anxiously Bruce conferred with the in other cities. In not every city

male has fought hardest and most savagely for three things: life, his mate, and his offspring. And of those, perhaps his mate should come first. Never would so unified a movement have
been possible without the telectroscope
to

tory, every

had the rising occurred, only in those which felt certain of success. Eight of the cities of the Union were still under
the rule of Polshins, Polshins patrolling
in

squads,

with

light

ion guns

under
all

their arms.

show what happened

to

those poor

But
cities

Bosn,

Shkago,

Felfya,
in the

the
f or

creatures
shins.
It

who were

taken by the Pol-

which had been

Union

was a wonder so few were Perhaps more would have been killed. murdered had it not been that most of these Polshins were young men, some from foreign cities, and nearly all as yet unmarked by any Plehb as his own prey. And Bruce and his companions had worked hard, had taught and lectured,
sought to prevent the venting of vengence as cruel as anything the Polshins
did.

any length of time, and possessed any number of proton-guns had revolted. The proton-guns were trained on the surface tubes by Plehbs, where they were not ready to drive out the Polshins unaided,
in cities

ance of power.

and ion guns covered the tubes where the Plehbs had the balIn some places, both

forces protected the tubes.

In some degree this had been ef-

But most of all, many and many a Plehb had but a few minutes
fective, too.

N'yak was ready for the next step. the telectroscope showed cruisers roaming ceaselessly, watching for any sign of attack. On
Overhead,
atomic
the
tanks,

before seen that a Polshin need not necessarily

day
lives.

Carl

mean an utterly cruel beast. That Manning saved a thousand

over

ground the surface crews in the guntheir mighty mounts crawling the gardens and crushing orna-

mental bridges, prepared to aid the dein half

BUT the
and
that
shins
is.

an hour, N'yak was

in

hands of the Plehbs, utterly N'yak underground, completely.

For above ground, the Polprepared.

active

were
the
set

With
the

the

first

to keep the rebel Plehbs below. Bruce piloted the "Freedom I" as she up through the hidden, unsuspected lock the Plehbs had built. Instantly, two huge atomic cruisers bore down on her. Their mighty ion-guns
fense,
sailed

sign of

rising,

Polshins

flaming

destruction,

the

stone

of

the

had

up

their defenses according to

the rules their forefathers had lain

down.

Great ion guns were mounted before the mouth of every surface tube. The powercontrols

lock crackled in terrific heat, and the ground seemed to burst into flame. But the "Freedom" rode calmly nearer, the ion-flame splitting widely and washing
off

mechanics
effect to

had been cut but the Plehb this time had destroyed the

of her magnetic shield.

rain of

the accumulator shells burst in intolerable flame on the outer surface of her

before

it

be brought about by this move was made. Five materia! en-

momentum-wave

driving

field.

man, had been ing all N'yak

ergy generators, each no larger than a set up, and were supplywith

No

material
ships.

thing

could

reach
finally

the

Freedom

One, two,

four

abundant power. They had been set up and connected in, before the Polshins had cut the power
controls.

of the fighting ships of the

N'yak Union

had appeared.

cruisers clustered

dozen great atomic and now their heavy

in.

radio-frequency beams began to bore

THE CONQUEST OF THE PLANETS

Effortlessly,

67
Instantly, with-

the

slumberous

giant

of

One touched

a cruiser.

material energy smashed the ten million

out sound save the soft puff of a rising

horsepower beams of the atomic cruisers

to flaming static discharges.

tongue of blue flame,

cruiser

the

tail

of

the

seemed

to

condense,

collapse

Bruce moved. Slowly

on the proton gun
ergy,

his fingers closed

upon

itself,

then melt away.

it

Disinte-

release.

From
be

the nose

grator bullets had destroyed

bullets

of his ship a blue-green tongue of enso

that released electrostatic fields of such

stupendous as to drove
out. air

beyond

unimaginable intensity

that

the

matter
nois-

measuring,
feet

Five hundred

near them was torn to atoms.

ily

Not

through the
its

the first discharge

and

flashily,

for noise and light are

crashed
protons
air

way,

the

two

billion

volt

escaping energy, but so efficiently that

crushing the molecules

of

the

they were quiet.

in the tail

Only

the gaping hole

to

hydrogen

and
the

sweeping
alternations

them
built

of the cruiser told the story.

five

along.
out,

The

electron discharge

smashed

Slowly the

hundred
pointed

foot

ship

then

swiftly

halted as the air resistance stopped her.

up.

Like a slow-licking solar prominslow

seeming,
so
swift,

Slowly

her

nose

downward,
She

so

ence the unbelievable flame reached out

yet the

while a dim red glow rose to incandescence, telling of broken power-leads.

fleeing atomic cruiser vanished suddenly

vanished altogether

in five

more

sections

with but a slight alteration in the awful

flame.
built to

as other bullets struck her.

Her magnetic
resist

shield

was not

And Bruce
ships

turned,

and

looked

in

two

billion

volt protons,

vain for another enemy.

Four Freedom
air.

nor the nearly two billion horsepower

that drove them.

rode unharmed in the

The

Polshin atomic cruisers were gone.

No

wreckage,

no broken
day,
at

bodies

remained.

WITH
built

a long-drawn roar of thunder, the column, the beam had

Only

clear air.

And
scientist
ful

that

Mars

Center,

as

up for itself in the air, clapped shut, Bruce cut off his proton tube. There
fall

with a peculiarly fresh, youth-

face,

and deep age-old eyes, smiled

was not so much as dust to

back

as he told the president of the Martian

State what he observed. "Earth will re-

when

it

died.

And now

the flame licked

out again, stretched, and another cruiser puffed into pure, blazing hydrogen gas.

deem your pledge

seven
passed.
centuries

to her soon, John.

The
have

you

mentioned
instruments
I
it.

And Mother
tongue of her

Earth

sent

up

great

Today,

my
first

were

own

lightning in protest,

upset badly.

At

thought a solar
It

a tongue of power, feeble and unreal in

the frightful glare of the released giant

disturbance had done

the direction of earth.

tric
field

It

came from was an elec-

of matter.

field

of

an

intensity

we

The atomic
ward them
the the

cruisers

were

fleeing to-

have never produced.

it,

N'yak

fortress

now.

After

anything

within

its

Whatever caused influence must

Freedom

ships sent a flight of

have been reduced to sub-atomic particles."

tiny bullets, bullets that

glowed strangely

as they tore along at speeds greater than

Bruce Lawry looked down at the

ress.

fort-

meteors, leaving only the smashed ions

The

ten-foot tungsto-iridium walls

stolid in

mark their tail. Driven from momentum-wave guns, they overtook

of air to
the flying cruisers as readily as on old

loomed grey and

the sunlight.

thousand feet in diameter, four hun-

dred high, the fortress was scarred here

time

rifle

bullet

overtook an

airplane.

and there by the wars of the Old Days.

68
But nothing had ever
her

AMAZING STORIES
bitten deeply into

energy.

The

fort could

draw tremenclear water

layers of magnetic and radio-frequency screening. No shell had pierced

her.

dous volumes of the

cold,

No

heating ray reached through her

screen.

ship, loaded with ultra-pow-

from the broad river flowing near by, volumes great enough to carry away even the millions of horse power that would
be
lost

erful explosive
cidal death.

had driven at her in suiBut the explosive had not

through the inefficiency of the

engines.

atomic
reason

Then
fort

there
should

was no
not
de-.

reached her, only flying fragments of the

ship.

why

that

N'Yak THE powerful

range of
its

fortress

was

the

most
the

velop two billion or two hundred billion horse power, at least for a short period. True, they used metalie conductors, unaided by the space-columns of the "Free-

in the world.

Out of

ion guns, Bruce

was watchhurling

dom"
ity

ships

but

they used the ten-foot

ing thoughtfully.

Heavy

rifles,

metal wall as a conductor for one polaras Bruce knew.

silver

atomic explosives were firing angrily at

him.

The other was

ten
feet

led

solid

sheet of

rippling
its

flame
auto-

through

pillars

thick.

roared around him, and despite

matic balances, the "Freedom" wavered

in their

concussions.
to

Bruce needed no
inside
that

telectroscope

see

metal

walled fortress. Here

cell,

a white bed,

was a steel-barred and a mass of dark,

Bruce felt sure he could have reduced it with a few hours struggle. Eventually, even those mighty metal conductors would have given way, for when atoms fight against energy conducted by
space, verse,

the

warp and woof of the

uni-

hair, and a face with closed eyes, Smiling and warm, half-smiling lips. still in sleep over the joke played on Omallin, the joke in which she was the pawn. Behind those metal walls And Bruce could see also the dark-

wavy

the outcome is foredoomed.

His

four cruisers could have arranged themselves

'

broadside

to

the

fort,

allowing

both stern and

into action.

bow Each

proton-tubes to

come

ship turning the full

power
broke
energy,

of

those

frightful

ultra-atomic

haired slim doctor with a blank look of

stupidity

beams, driven by forces that made and

suns, eight
colossal

on

his face,

and a deep, human

Also behind
deserved

tongues

of

twinkle in bis dark eyes.

those

then

the

magnetic

deflectors

metal

walls,

Manning

Bruce's deepest consideration. But more by the side of Manning, Bruce seemed to see dozens, scores of Polshin
still,

would have been loaded to the uttermost. And Bruce had still an
of the fort

untried
these

weaponthe
raised
also

magnetic
their

field

with

to

maximum,
field

figures, stalwart

men

men

for

all

that

draining and weakening the

of the

they were Polshins. Bruce had preached

fort.
to her core

a doctrine and believed it. Despite what had happened, he could still believe it.

Bruce frowned. Earth would tremble under the opposing stresses

Some

of the Polshins in there were as

of those titanic engines.

Her metal

heart

was he, and any Plehb. Victims of a system that taught, them utter inconsideration
truly victims of the system as

would
sively.

strain

upward and

twist convul-

N'yak, Felfya, Bosn, even Piz-

bur and Shkaga would be endangered by

the upheavals resulting. N'yak. founded

for Plehbs.

And

that fort

cruisers.

was not The fort was

its

like the

atomic

on a rock though she was, would

the deepest level

slip

practically un-

slowly into the sea, for below, far below,

of the
city,

limited in

power, even though de-

was

the

pendent on atomic rather than material

great geological fault line.

THE CONQUEST OF THE PLANETS

Yes
that

69

Bruce knew he could crack open

Two
things would happen.

atomic battleship reached out, and tugged

at

fort.

one of the
other.

Freedom
Effortlessly

ships

till

the

N'yak,
five

writhe
those

and the territory for at least hundred miles around it, would and strain under the pulls of
struggling
Titans.

rocks of N'yak ground protestingly on

each
the

material

energies

neutralized

the

pull

with

the

And

when

greater power of the

momentum
to

waves.
watt.

finally the

magnetic and
tell,

electric defenses

Bruce
^iall.
It

returned
Vrad

slowly
-not*

Freedom
tyot.

oi
fall

the tort

tliey

would

inevViaVfty

TVrc^f

a.-n<l

abruptly, like an electric light bulb

the fuse blows out.

when
ly,

And

as quick-

could they reach

was stalemate now. What solution ? The plan Lora had

?

the

hundreds of

billions

of

horsethose
in

mentioned

Somehow
It

that did not cover

power, struggling to break

invisible walls of

down

the conditions.

force,

would wash

and right
Felfya,
to

to call

down two

and

through.

Beneath them, the ten-

from

had seemed so simple ships from Bosn and two from

foot walls of practically infusible metal

Shkaga, and combine to destroy the fort

in that

would vanish as a single magnificent The tongue of burning hydrogen gas. walls and Lora. Lora, and every

thousand billionth part of a sec-

ond Bruce had mentioned.

understanding,
.

Nownew

new

contacts had changed

human

thing within

it.

the conditions.

SLOWLY

Bruce looked

at

the

men

hundred and
in its berth.

Slowly Bruce stepped down from the fifty foot ship as it landed

quietly waiting for his word.

With-

out speaking, he tuned in the stage at

Freedom Hall. Philips, Powr, a halfhundred others were looking at him,

watching him.
"I can break open the fort in either

CHAPTER
SUPPOSE,"

XII

Omallin's image on
stage

I
tion.

the

Freedom Hall

was say-

ing irritably, "those animals are

a thousandth part of a
second
case,

billionth

of

observing us.
ever left?"

Have we no
not
resist

privacy what-

or
a

within six hours.

In either
will

no single thing within that fort

second after the walls

Bruce
right

could

the

tempta-

continue to exist for even the briefest

part of
fall.

hand.

And

it.

N'yak will slide into the sea, and Mother Earth will strtin and heave with the forces I must use. But I could do What are we to do?"

His image appeared on Omallin's But now he reduced his

image
lin.

to a foot-high figure.

"No, Omal-

of

You

have nothing any more. Neither

violently,

privacy, nor power."

Omallin started
his

and pulled

"We
ing.

cannot say," replied Powrs.

"You
fight-

hand away
passed

hastily.

Then he swatted

are in complete

command

all

heavily at the foot-high image

and

his

Bosn has reached the same positShkaga and Felfya. They are waiting for your lead." "I will come there," decided Bruce. Three ships remained circling the fort. Steadily the fort was sending out streams of every form of destruction they knew.
tion.

hand

through

it

unhindered.

"Furthermore,"

Bruce

continued,
like

"we

can crack that fort of yours

a rotten

egg any time we want

to."

"Hah," Omallin snorted angrily. "I didn't notice that you did it. A fort is a very different thing from a light atomic
cruiser."

Effortlessly

the

matter-giant

brushed
in

them

aside.

tractor

beam designed

the old days to pull

down a

full-fledged

different.

"Our Freedom ships are Your stupidity is

also

very

too great

"
70
for

AMAZING STORIES
me
to convince
it.

you short of
exist.

actual-

till

it

was

five

feet through, then slowly

till

ly destroying

And

then, of course,
I

the edges faded,

only one

city,

Mars

you would no longer

say that in
all

may

truly
die

Center, with

its

looming, stately towers,

probability

you

will

showed.

unconvinced."

"Animal!
five

For

centuries

we

have
for

proven our superiority, and when,

and Jupiter with his nine moons, great and 9mall, appeared, grew, and the great, sprawling
this vanished,
city,

Then

minutes, you gain some slight ad-

Jove, centered on the table.

vantage, you presume to claim the control."

And Bruce
turies

reappeared.

the

Planets have

advanced

"Seven cenand

Bruce shook
mals
also,

human

his

head slowly.

"Ani-

we have done
"I

a bit ourselves.

beings.

You

are an animal

am

troubling to speak to you only

Omallin.

swine

I think.

not only five minutes ahead of you.

are five thousand years ahead.
all

We are We
have

because certain of the

Polshins within

your walls are

fit

to live.

We

can of

We

course destroy that fort but

a few of our own. "If
shields,

we would
Even

the civilization earth ever had at our

destroy some worth while lives.

disposal,

and with

this

very machine I

have seen the face of the

the planets,

men

living

on

you

will

lower

your
life to

magnetic

from Mercury
all

to Jupiter's

moons.

you.

we And

can promise
all

some of
will

of

your people

be

"We

have

ourselves

have

developed

you ever had, and

all
all

we
the

tried justly before a court of

the

men
the

from the Planets.

tors take

Do you know

things that the Planets have developed

Pledge of the Planets? Did your ances-

through the seven long centuries, while earth slipped back and back to the vicious
feudal

down
that

the

words of John Mont-

gomery
left

system that produced you.

Do

Earth?

you know that your Polshin President

will help

day when Interplanetary They have waited, and they earth now. Take down your

Mukarty
metal

in

Washun

is

also in the great

fortress

there

surrounded

circling ships

just like

by those over your

fallen.

bluff will

heads?
In

Your Polshin power has

is

and accept trial. Otherwise "Otherwise?" snorted Omallin, "your fail. In all the wars of earth, wars that would make" your puny rebelwalls,

some

places advance is slower, since

lion

laughable,

this

fort

was never
have

so

our organization

so new.

Therefore

we are waiting yet a little." "The planets! The planets! Impossible,"

much as endangered. "And otherwise you

will

to kill

nearly three hundred of your

species.

roared a Polshin councillor.

"I

Including this Lora,

own animal who seems

in

have read the science of the Old Days

to be one of your leaders."

and
could

know

that

no possible telescope
ist

"I

have

proposition

return,"

show such

scenes."

Omallin's fat lips smiled.

gardens, however,
proposition.

"We

can ex-

Bruce laughed gently. "The latest record you have is surely seven centuries Look and decide. This is Mars old.

here forever, as you know.

so I
will

We like the
make
this

Center."

In the place of Brace's image,

in

for nearly a
killing

on the table
peared
globe

the

a
that

ten-inch

globe

N'yak fortress apof Mars, a

with
a

and
this

all

We will begin at once, and whole year we can keep on, one of your animals each day day long. The third one can be
If

revolved

majestic

Lora, for she will awake then.

slowness that lent even this tiny image

a mighty grandeur.

The

globe expanded

you gain wisdom, you can turn over to us one of your ships, your leaders, and

THE CONQUEST OF THE PLANETS

these seeing machines. In return

71
key experiment.
the laboratory,

we

will

at the one, determining,

consider giving you certain privileges."

Each
each

faint

sound
to

in

hum

of apparatus and sound of

ring shrill in his

FROM
sound.
ter,

beyond Bruce in the Freedom Hall came a mighty, angry roar of

It

low voices seemed

ears.

Shrill

shrill

as a tortured

wom-

echoed through the transmitinto

an's scream heard through echoing corridors.

and

the
sat.

metal-walled

where Omallin
the

room Plehb jumped up

Bruce

shook

his

head,

and concen-

beside Bruce, and furiously he denounced

Polshins.

trated on the delicate task before him.

"For every Plehb you

the Polshins

Presently lathes began to turn, and the

harm

ten of

we have
is

cap-

cry of the cut metal brought back the

shrill ringing.

tured shall die as they die!"

Impatiently Bruce tossed

Omallin shrugged.
replied.

"It

not I," he

his head, then bent lower, closer to his

"That

is

the difference

between

work.

such animals as you and a Polshin."

"Your
furious

stupidity

is

too great," sighed

Bruce, returning to his position as the

Hours passed swiftly. Reports came in from outside, reports of progress in Bosn and Shkaga, in cities from San
Friso to Myami.

man was drawn away.

will give

"I was

Everywhere Polshins
fortresses,

afraid you would believe nothing.

ever, sider
I

How-

were bottled up in

cut
rest

off

you two days to con-

from communication with the

that

of

it.

Also,

we

will

communicate

the world by the washing, roaring static the

with others of the people within your

fort."

material

energy engines were

setting
first

up now.
it,

No

radio waves could

"The

Plehb shall begin to die

to his feet,

penetrate
ferred

now," roared Omallin, rising

and shaking
ure,
his
fat fist at

and

and frightened Polshins contrembled. But land-lines,

Bruce 's

fig-

deep buried and protected, some secret

"and she

shall

pay for those repeated

switch slowly, his

and hidden, maintained communication

between
cities

insults."

on the continent.

All were

Bruce cut
face grey.

off the

waiting

for the

N'yak

decision.

Some
Bruce
pain.

He
and

turned to the Freedom

had decided
thought of

to try similar tactics.

audience,

spoke

slowly.
do.

"There

that

with an

infinite

seems
is

to be nothing

we can

There
But

With freedom
this

so near for those victims

only one hope and a faint one.

will try
it.

have been studying at

the
past

University

on Mars Central these

I

months

perhaps
is
it

AMD
tories.

reports were coming

have gained a
help.

scientists of the

new
wise
that

viewpoint that

may
I

OtherSince
better

In

other

cities,

from the Freedom laboraFreedom men

in

there nothing soperhaps

is

can do.

were working, though here

ing,

N'yak the

would be

best were gathered under Bruce.

Work-

if

we

did

not watch Omallin for a

seeking to do what they had never

while."

been able hitherto to accomplish.

left

Bruce

the platform,

and hurried
sci-

The
second

first

day passed.

And now

the

away
entists

to his laboratory.

His fellow

ing to

were arriving rapidly now, returnBruce called them to their work.

dawned, and ceaselessly Bruce worked on. He would not sleep. Around him other men drove themselves on. But
one by one they were forced to drop out as unsteady hands, weighted by fatigue,
jarred delicate experimeits into oblivion.

him, and rapidly gave to each of them

an experiment

to

perform

all

directed

toward one end.

And

he himself worked


72
Bruce would not
finally

"

AMAZING STORIES
stop.

But Dr. Grant

in the five

stopped him with a bit of drug food Bruce allowed himself. For
sleep,

which produce no results. A man does not do the thing at all or suddenly knows the whole secret, and the direct

hours Bruce would

sleeping

way

to its accomplishment.

Bruce saw.
that

so intensively he would as

wake refreshed, His from twelve hours of sleep.

Director carried on the work,

With
to
his

sudden
all

shout

stopped

work over
Brady.

the Laboratory he sprang

assistant

feet.

"BuckHal Willand
here."

glimpsing vaguely the trend Bruce had

established.

Come

In

syllables

so

swift his hearers could scarcely follow,

was late in the second day when Brace woke, furiously angry at first. Then he realized Dr. Grant's wisdom, and slipped back into his place.
It

he told them what he wanted. he

that

Instantly

turned

to

his

had

baffled

task. The problem them seemed solved!

first

In two hours, the

of the apparatus

First

the

reports

of

outside

affairs

came

Half the Polshins in the N'yak fortress were nearly ready to believe the The Plehbs could do as they claimed. There rest were utterly unconvinced.
in.

began to arrive, the new devices. Instantly Bruce and his assistants began
setting
it

up, attaching
in

it

to

the great

telectroscope

three hours,
in four,
tus,
it

half

Freedom Hall. In the work was done,

would

be

no

yielding

on

their

part.

was completed.

New
was

apparaready.

Plehbs were animals.

untried in connection,
transfer of
to be

A
in

large Polshin audience had dropped

to time to witness

from time
life

Omalrisked

The was

ALL

the electron' waves

attempted!
All of

The
it.

transfer of

lin's resistance.
his

Manning had

not merely one ten-thousandth part of

the whole

for the Plehbs,

dred and three Plehbs slept

and one hunnow under

three

"I don't want to try

deltamorphium for the

it

full

days

even

yet

but

it

on a human There
is

allowed.

himself,
part.

But Manning was in a cell awaiting action on Omallin's

"Yes, you do, Bruce.

one
fails

human"
in

interrupted
this

Powers.

we may hope by
second victim was the object of
her case."

time

"And
it

that

Omallin's resistance now: he was adher-

His first victim had died for twelve and a half

ing faithfully to his program.
hours.

SLOWLY

Bruce's color drained from

his cheeks.

With

a steady hand he
it,

adjusted the great machine, foeussed

Hurriedly Bruce turned to the Laboratory reports.

He

thought of Lora, not

and turned it on. the N'yak fortress.

A room A bare
The

appeared in
metal room,

of the one assistant he needed most now, but of Lora, faintly stirring to wakefulness now, as the drug in her veins was

with a half-dozen scarlet figures.

of their clothing.

Five

of them were Polshins, scarlet because

sixth
all

gradually absorbed.

Bruce worked with

he could muster.

the

rapidity

The laboratory reports were good somehow something seemed lacking. Rapidly his mind ran over every posbut
sible

One
figure,

of the Polshins
resistance

was wrapping
moaning
line

electric

wire

around the sixth

figure.

a bound, softly

item

that

could help.

It

was a

Cautiously Bruce ad-

clearer, refreshed

mind.

vanced a control, and a

it

of man's mind, dog learns a trick slowly, by elimination of those moves

then, in the

And

way

light, hazy outsurrounded the sixth figure on the

functioned.

Freedom

Hall

stage.

Under

Bruce's

manipulation

the

haze condensed,

and


THE CONQUEST OF THE PLANETS
only the additional solidification told of
the added apparatus's work.

73
or soon, Bruce."

should wake about

now

Abruptly

"I will bring her

when
in

she wakes."

Bruce drove home a plunger switch.

Slowly
at

Bruce
great

mighty humming roar echoed through

the great auditorium, the straining pull of the matter-giant, as the entire structure of
the

the

sat down. machine with

He
dull

looked
eyes.

Utter quiet reigned

Freedom

Hall.

pair of

soft-shod hospital' attendants

Universe

was

altered

by

came, and covered the body on the stage.

Softly they carried
it

one small

fraction.

away.
through
the

Then

it

died,

died as abruptly as

it

Every eye seemed turned on them as

they

had come. On the stage the sixth form crumpled slowly to the floor. The five
others
terror
their

walked

unhindered
that

immaterial

images

were

dashing

started

back in amazement and

madly about on the

real.

stage, noiseless, un-

then

rushed

forward
lay.

to

pass

hands through the spot where the

material, physical

body now

Bruce

Then Bruce began to laugh, softly and with such genuine merriment, that
Dr. Grant turned to him with a face

had set up a new electron-wave pattern, and instantaneously the electrons, the protons, then atoms that had made up
that
girl's

suddenly whiter and more drawn than

before.

Bruce looked up at him with a

body,

simply

WEREN'T

smiling, teasing face.

There was nothGrant.

see,

where they had been, but in a new position

ing insane in that face.

Freedom Hall stage. Dr. Grant was kneeling over the blood stained figure. She was moaning no
Bruce joined him, tense and
Slowly,
the

on

"No, I'm
thing's
all

all

right

Everyfor a

right!

You

just

moment
thing

wasn't thinking, because everyso

longer.

white. face

doctor turned his

up

to Bruce.

"I'm sorry Bruce

on that hope of bringing Lora out of the forBut just think look." tress that way.

was

concentrated

life is too

marvelously delicate a balance

forces

you need to hurl matter out of existence, and back into

for the titanic
existence elsewhere.
dition.
It

AGAIN

Bruce

was

at

the

controls.

l\
it

In an instant the scene had shifted,

was not her con-

The
the

vitameter shows that every

is

individual
types,
cells

cell

dead, even the lowest

cells

hair

and

finger

nail

though

that

may be

because

of

cell now, the girl stirring to consciousness on her bed. Bruce projected himself, and his image bent over by the side of Lora's bed. "Lora," he said, "Lora dear it's

was Lora's

slowly

what they did

an impossible

to her.

Bruce."

Slowly the

lids raised, the

long

"I think that you have set yourself

task,

lashes curved upward.

Bruce.

How much

"Bruce

the

joke worked, didn't it?"

fuller

power did you use in doing this?" "Three and one-half hundred billion
horsepower hours.
I

She paused, suddenly

her eyes changed.

conscious-

ness returned, and the laughing glint in

killed her."

"She would thank you Bruce, you that. But don't you see that such power more than even this whole city uses in a year is too much

very intent
did you
call

They were suddenly and thoughful. "Bruce, what

know

me?"

a titanic

"I called you Lora

Lora,

dear.

Do
to

you mind?"

for life to be associated with?"

"Oh
Grant?"
her.

,"

sudden
sat

animation

came

"When

will

Lora

wake,

She

asked Bruce softly.

blanket to her.

up abruptly, clutching the "Then then I'm not

Grant looked

at his wristwateh.

"She

your laboratory assistant."

74
Bruce laughed
are
softly.
all,

AMAZING STORIES
"I suppose you

but

Fat Omallin was quivering and ordering and shrieking threats and vengeance.

that's not

you

see."

With

that point

settled,

other things

Two

score Polshins, most of them

young
dis-

could reach

Lora's consciousness.

She
that
off

Polshin Guardsmen, were watching the

saw for the first time the steel bars had been there when she dropped
into the long sleep.

performance with growing signs of

gust.
feelings, the

"Bruce

where
"I've

am

I?

In the same place?"

in

There was
been

his

The more Omallin realized their more their barbs penetrated thick intellectual hide, the more he
His eyes were wide and
a
cold
silence
fell

fright

her

voice

now.

disintegrated.

here two days?

You
I

couldn't get in?"

I

frightened in their folds.

"Not
ter

till

five

minutes ago, Lora.

Gradually
ence too.

about
sil-

have now, though.

entire

can transport matit

him, and his voice died slowly into

bent on him.

by the process, transport

Steady, hard-eyed gazes were

as far as I can project an image of nor-

mal

size."

"Then you can get me out?" A cloud came over his face.
Lora,
port
I

These young men saw in him for the first time the weakness and degeneracy that he represented.

"No,
forces
It

A
air.

low voice spoke.

Spoke from the

Omallin.
I

have tried
Dr.

it,

and

it

won't trans-

"Disgusting performance,

life.

Grant says the

once,
It's

won't do you any good anyway.

involved are too mighty for life to endure.

I

told

tried
failed.

but
all

but
right

you

could crack that nut-shell of

I

the

ex-

yours anytime
will

wanted

to.

Omallin,

periment

though,

you come down to the power-room

because you
all

see,

dear, no substance in

with

me?"
shrieked as a solid some-

the Universe can endure these forces.

See,

your bars."

Bruce's

image van-

OMALLIN
his

from the cell, but there was a sudden enormous tension, a tension that seemed to draw at her very soul. Quietly,
ished

thing pushed him gently.

his fat legs could carry

Fast as
for

him he ran

own

private room.

solid

some-

without a sound, the great

dissolved

steel

door

thing turned

him

aside at the doorway,

ships of the

away quietly as the noiseless Freedom Union the quiet-

pushed

him,

forced

power
along.

room.

him toward the Whimpering, his face

solidity in the
solidity,

ness of the Matter Giant at work.

glazed with a cold sweat, he was forced

other

Bruce

reappeared.

"I

have

work

to

do

with

this
I

now.

Omallin
break
without

There was now, not absolute

to force him.

image

but enough

wouldn't

surrender.

couldn't

down

his

magnetic

defenses

Behind
Polshin

So rocking earth to her heart. must leave you for a brief

dear,
will

now

him trailed Guardsmen.

some

forty-five

Down
on

the corri-

while,
I

dor they went, then down an elevator

that mysteriously took
volition of
its

while
bring

finish

the

work.
of

Freedom

you a white Union, and a

robe

the

telectroscope,
I

and the twin tubes before

go though."

own, down to the depths beneath the ground level, into the lowest level of the N'yak Fortress. There was a great,
smooth,

He

melted away again, and where he

humming

roar here.

Rivers of

had been, a white robe, a small telectroscope, and the twin pistols of the Freedom Union came gently into existence. Laughing in her heart, Lora rose, and
went
to them.

cold water, nearly five million gallons a

minute, were rushing through the huge

pumps.
selves,

The
the

great

atomic
softly

generators
to

hummed and

chuckled
half-dozen

them-

Polshin

War-

"

75
loaded
to

THE CONQUEST OF THE PLANETS

techs,

who
their

ran
grey

them,
bulks.

seeming

tiny
silver

Presently,
capacity,

as

the
its

elevator,

amonk

Long

began

slow

rise,

Omallin
shorted

columns led across the vast cavern to apparatus on the same Titan's scale.
"I didn't want to do calmly," because
old
it,"

heard the crackle and

electrical
circuits.

spit

of

said the voice

we would have wracked

in the doing.
I'll

Mother Earth
it

So

I'll

do

this

way.
I

take Burner I of

bank,

first,

think

Bruce
besides,

wasn't
instead

gentle

this

time,

and
it

of

merely bringing

back to the N'yak Hall, he was throwing

His face was pasty when he stepped from the elevator at his own level. The Polshin Guardsmen were still with him. And the voice was still with him. Hard and grim and It was hard now. stern. "Omallin, I wanted sou to see that, and to know your power was definitely crushed. Omallin, you are something

away, out in space a hundred thousand miles from earth. The soul-wrenchit

so savagely, horribly monstrous, so utterly

inhuman and beyond human condegeneracy,

the

ing tension built up, and suddenly there

sideration, so far

was a
almost

terrible,

ear-tearing

scream,
in

the
pain,

the

gone in the depths of worlds need you.

all

scream as of a living animal

You

should be preserved for

time,

so that
outlines of the first of the great
its

men may know what

they can

The

fall to."
I

generators faded away, in

deep in-

terior they could see the burning fires.

Then

OMALLIN
for
all

didn't
said.

get the

sense of

the fires blossomed in a sudden

bil-

what Bruce

He

only heard

explosion of heat and light for the

lionth

"the worlds need you" -and

"preserved

part

of a second,

a vast flower

rune," and

look of
face.

cunning
eyes

of blue-violet flame.

hope spread over his

The

Then
to

there

was nothing.

Only the

thunderous roar of the air rushing in

fill a sudden vacuum. There were ten of those thunderous Ten times the whole vast N'yak Fortress shuddered to them and in

more remained to him too, perhaps

slitted

once

perhaps a bargain and Plehb

life

girls

roars.

her

cell fifteen floors

above, Lora smiled

His face remained that way. Bruce saw it, and realized that never again could he hope for so perfect an expression. A terrible tension built up in the
room, a tension that leapt and crackled
in static discharges like miniature light-

as she heard them.

Bruce was not be-

ing gentle, as he tore the living heart

out of the N'yak Fortress.

"I think you'd better start back," said

ning, roaring and snapping, driving back

the

Polshin

Guardsmen

from

about
rigid,

Bruce.

pump
him.
the

battery

"I'm going to take two of the Omallin realized now."

legs

Omallin,

And

Omallin remained

the same expression fixed on his face.

suddenly that the solid thing had released

His

pumped
still

desperately up
It

ramp

to the elevator.
lights

would

still

work, as the

worked, for the

accumulators remained, intact and charged.

Behind him he heard again two

But slowly, something was happening to him as the Matter Giant tore and strained and pushed at the atoms that made him. He was shrinking, and his color Slowly he shrank, and was fading. slowly the color faded, and a strange
luster came, a dull silvery luster

roaring blastsand a

new

sound.

The
water.

sound

of

thundering,
in the

rushing

Water draining
ducts from the

opened forty-foot
the Atlantic.

sion vanished,

Three minutes passed before the tenand the shrinking stop-

Hudson and

ped.

Then

Omallin stood

on the

floor.


76

AMAZING STORIES
his face

was the same expression of leering, cunning lust, the same fat jowls and pouched eyes. But there was no
color
in

On

the planet
late

it

has been your duty to isocontact

from

all

with

her

sister

worlds, waited and wondered what things

the

face,

and

it

was a

face

gleaming with a
luster.

dull,

smooth metallic
stood only some

And Omallin
tall,

were going on. "Six months ago our scientists first announced that they had detected across
all

few inches
solid

but he was really quite

the

gulf

of

space

the

valuable, even in those days, for he

was

force-fields
first

you were

using,

tremendous and for the

iridium,

every atom of him, and

time the centuries of waiting seemed

he

weighed

two

hundred

and

ninety

insupportable.

pounds, just as he had before. Forty-five Polshin Guardsmen,

"In the Pledge of the Planets, seven

their

centuries ago

faces as white as the metal face of the

statuette that

I promised that the planets would help earth in settling her prob-

would endure for untold

wide
hallway

lems.

said

you must come with a

a

millenia unchanged, uncorroded, stormed

new

ship,

bringing

new

invention.

down away

the

anywhere

You have come bringing such gifts as we have never imagined possible. You
have shown us exact images of planets circling a star three hundred and fifty-

Epilogue

JOHN
old

MONTGOMMERY'S
eyes, in
their

agehis

setting

in

seven light-years distant. You have shown us matter at the heart of the sun, and matter in the very nebulae.
her

with a light of happiness.

fresh, youthful face, were burning Bruce Lawry and Lora stood before him on the platform of Interplanetary Hall at Mars stood a telectroCenter. Beside them scope, and on its stage was an image of Freedom Hall in N'yak, one hundred

"And unaided, earth has all but settled own problems. "It is earth who should welcome us
Planets,"
the

back into the intercourse of

Montgommery

paused.

Then from
metal key.
it,

table he took a small

For

long seconds he looked at

raised his face to Bruee

then slowly

and

thirty-seven

million,

five

hundred

thousand miles away.

"You, Bruce Lawry, can have no conception of my feelings in greeting you

officially

this

Lawry. "Seven centuries ago I watched while key was cut. I wondered then how
it

long

would
I

lie

in our vaults.

here.

You

have

not

lived

"Today
not
this

brought

through
years,

my more

than seven hundred

know my
key
I

it out. You canhappiness in giving to you

you have not waited while thirty generations of men came and went about you. waited through decades and through centures hoping always to hear from

to the Sealed

Chamber. Never
I

again will

have to pass that closed door

with the memories and thoughts endured."

have

The End

77

zJXtillions
By MILES

for Defense
J.

BREUER, M.D.
He
will

We
and

are very glad to give our readers a story by Dr. Breuer.

as a favorite author of

be

remembered by our readers

in the near future

many

years' standing,

works.

This

is

have the pleasure of giving more of his one of those stories whose finale can never be successfully

we

shall

guessed at; you have to read

"T'S about time you quit fooling

it

to the end.

where

else

concealed by his quiet and

bearing.

around and got down to some real work. You've been tinkering

respectful

The powerful arm

hand through have knocked his
feet,

that bent to run his big

his yellow hair, could

long

enough."
red face of Jake

The

coarse,

corpulent

uncle

off

his

but

it

Bloor spread into an unsympathetic leer, and he grunted contemptuously. "I promised your mother I'd put you through school," he continued. "Now I'm through with that, and a big bunch
of boloney I
call it."

dropped quietly
said:

at his side,

and he again

"Yes, sir!"
For, graduation
perience.
is
is

The world

a bewildering exis wide, and one

not sure just which

way

to turn.

That was the welcome that awaited John Stengel after graduation from college, upon his arrival at the only home he had, that of his uncle, who was a
banker in the small country village of
Centerville.

fifteen-dollar a

week job as a
to

clerk in

a country bank was nevertheless a dis-

couraging

jolt

the

rosy

aspirations

that flowered at this time of the year,

quite as brilliantly as did the roses; for

behind him were four splendid years of

replied

"Yes,
lips.

sir,"

John,

biting

his

distinguished achievement as a scientific

student.

His uncle screwed his lips into ugly rolls around his cigar, and then took it out and spat on the floor. "This job I'm giving you in my bank," he went on, "is not a part of my promise to your mother. That comes out of
the

However,

just
it.

way around
from

now The

there seemed no
offer

of this job

kindness

of

my

heart."

That mind can and does triumph over

matter was demonstrated again by the
fact that John did not turn on his heel and walk out of the house, never to return.

had come several weeks before. Jake Bloor had not presented it kindly nor gracefully; he had rubbed it in with patriarchial magnanimity, and with conspicuous contempt for John's scientific training, which he had perhis uncle

mitted only because of his promise to his

dead
child

sister,

when
his

she

John

Stengel,

known

to his

fel-

John in weeks between

date

hands.

had placed the During the

his uncle's offer

low-students

for

four

years as

Stein-

of

graduation,
tried

and the John had thought

Especially

metz Stengel, stood five burly inches above his stocky uncle his blue eyes
;

hard

and

everything.

he had discussed the problem with his

fellow-students and his instructors.

blazed

resentment

that

was every-

78

AMAZING STORIES

He saw
and

kicking, struggling, writhing, screaming figures rolling just in front of his teller's window his uncle was squeezed of bronxed bars.

on the
flat

floor,

in a cage

"

MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE

He
child

79

had nothing

else to

fall

back on.

His parents had died when he was a and

left

him nothing but the

ill-

"Easy enough, wouldn't it be ? And a good way to amuse yourself." "And Hansie, dear," Dorothy had said
to him, "I

natured

He

promise of a grumpy uncle. had tried in vain to get a position

;

great

know you can do something no matter where you go. This is

shall

of any sort

but the country was in the

only temporary, and we'll be patient, and

grip of the most severe financial depression of the century.

available anywhere. cate anything in the

some day we
gether."

have that home to-

No
way

positions

were
lo-

His failure to

of a livelihood,

Dorothy was at the same time the Light of the World, and the hardest
problem of John's
life.

months of correspondence year of school, was not surprising, with ten millions of unemafter several

They had

de-

during
ployed
job,

his last

cided that they could not live

without

each other; and yet here they were, finding

as
it

in

the

nation.
it

The

bank-clerk
largely

impossible to live together. But,

even though

was offered

Dorothy held on to his arm, walking

and held her
soft,

as

an

insult to John's scientific training,

with him across the campus in the moonlight,

seemed like a straw to a drowning man. It had occurred to John that Jake Bloor was prosperous even while other country banks were failing

close to his
pid,

and gazed

at

brown head him with limfelt that

sympathetic eyes, John

he

could and must accomplish anything in

the world
for this wonderful girl that
a kind Providence

"V7"OUR uncle seems * business man, and it

harm
him.
to

to

be

good
busi-

had given him.

certainly a

will

do you no

Centerville

was

drab and
of
life

learn

something

about

dismal

place,

after

the

glitter

ness," one of his student friends said to

"Keep up some scientific reading," the Dean of the Engineering Department

said to him, "but by
job.
all

on the campus, whose great, picturesque buildings had thrilling things going on in them. Here there were half a dozen
tiny business buildings strung out along

Keep

your

laboratory

means take the hand in

in

two

sides of the dusty highway,

and a
scat-

score or so of cottage residences

practice

The

somehow." Dean was much interested

about the matter.

tered about, and beyond those, monoton-

ous prairie in

all

directions.

John's future, and consulted with John

at length

There were two general

one
in the brick building

stores;

the

was

carelessly

"You will get there in the long run," the Dean said; "but do not permit yourself to

become stagnant."

run and had a poor stock; the other was better arranged and more ambitious, but its wooden, gable-roofed shack looked
almost

The suggestion of John's roommate, who was as brilliant and clever an engineer as John himself, seemed to offer the

ready

to

collapse

in

upon

it.

The garage was

tematic-looking

the busiest and most sysplace

in

the

neighborsoft-

most promise of
robbery,"

interest.

hood.

Two

"caffis"

(in

reality

"These country banks simply invite Bates had said. "Perfectly

drink parlors), one ragged and catering

to coarsely dressed

simple to walk in and help

yourself

men, one somewhat

at

cleaner

and

filled

noon with high-

"You mean
some
robbery?
terested.

that

ought to rig up
shack in case of

school students; a hardware store with

stuff to protect the

Good

idea!"

John was

in-

windows and a heap of nondescript junk within them covered with the undisdirty

turbed dust of years

a drug-store with

80
its

AMAZING STORIES
window
full

of patent-medicine and
all

cosmetic posters mottled by fading,

gave John an indescribably dreary

ing of lostness and futility.
that slipped

feeltraffic

where their next meal was coming from, and countless others who were ground almost flat to the earth by debts and
losses at this particular time, while his

The

down

the highway
activity

all

day,

uncle lorded

it

about without a care in

and the color and

filling

of the two Oil

at

the world nor a thought for others. It

did not

stations,

Standard

one

seem

fair that this crude, heartless

end and Conoco at the other, did but

little

to relieve him.
itself

man, who had never done the world any material service, but had only selfishly
pinched off for himself generous porof the world's money which he had handled, should be rolling in safety and luxury, at a time when men who
tions

The bank
the
little

made John think

first

of

toy

banks that children play

set eyes

with; and when he

on

it

he was sure that

the

it

must have a
nickels
in.

slot in
It

top

to

drop

was
flat

had invented and

want.
world.

built

and taught and

right
in

square,

somewhat
Within,
a
it

larger than a garage,

organized were being faced with grim

with white-painted drop-siding and a

roof.

Things

weren't

the

had iron bars across

the windows, a single

room divided
a
rusty

in

John was young and human.

cannot

We
the

two by
grill,

counter

with

iron

blame

him,

therefore,

for

a big iron safe set on wheels.

The

fact that

when he

did eventually get to

scientific

floor

was unpainted and

splintery; the

work
his

to devise

some

means for

ink in the bottle on the sloping-topped

table at the door,

preventing a robbery of the bank, that

was dry and caked, and pad of deposit slips upon it was Hardly yellow and curled with age. anyone passed along the little street all day, and only rarely stepped into the bank itself. Between two and three in the afternoon there were a few merSaturday evenings there might chants be three or four farmers in the bank all
the
;

motive did not consist of any overloyalty to his uncle's bank.

whelming
did
it

He

merely because he took pleasure in

of

the

creation

something that would

abstract

operate.

The
things
is

idea

in

the

mind, when the concrete working out of

it

does

felt

that

can

be

seen

and

that

the

thrill
Iris

of the creative
figures
coils

spirit.

John loved

at once.

drawings; he loved
smiled

the

and his and the

gears

storage batteries, the clicking

little

JOHN

first saw the there were anywould be the simplest and easiest of tasks for the modern bank-robber to clean the place out and

when he

and the quick

little

switches that tickled

place.

Providing
it

and made swift

little

movements of

their

thing to take,

own

accord, as though they were living

get away.

It certainly

looked as though

and intelligent things. For many long, luxurious weeks he did nothing; it was a delight to be
merely a sort of vegetable; to rest from the rush of the last weeks in school; to
shed
completely,
if

there might be something to take.

His

uncle

Jake Bloor's huge, sprawling, white house brooded over the village

temporarily,

the

like

some coarse temple; and

city,

his

big,

strain of

looking into the future.

that time,

throbbing cars glittered back and forth

mind hibernated during

lay fallow;

His and

from the
money.
less
It

boasting

insolently

of

for

it

required no effort to

seemed

especially insolent to

discharge his simple duties as clerk at

the bank
;

John, because he

knew

there were count-

and

life in Centerville

unemployed

who

did

not

know

excellent anesthetic.

was an His body made up

MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE

what
it

81
constantly

had missed

in exercise

by long

watched

his

uncle,

hoping

walks down the highway and along the

railroad

for a chance to mention the matter.

monotony, and the

Long letters to and tracks. from Dorothy punctuated the soothing thrill they gave him

THEN
came
had walked
of
the

one morning the

in

city

daily

with

two-column

heads

was all the excitement he wanted. They must have been good letters, as we might have judged could we have but seen him
slip off into solitude

about the robbing of the bank at Athens,

forty miles away.
into the

Three masked men

bank
hands

in the

middle
the

on the

first

oppor-

forenoon;

one had

forced

tunity after their arrival, his face break-

clerk to hold

up

his

at the

muzzle

ing

out

in

delightful

smiles

only
of

no

of a pistol, while the others had cleaned

one saw him.

Finally, one

out the safe, gotten into a car, and dis-

day

in the fall, after the

heat

of

the

summer was

out

his

bones, he began to get ambitious.

First

Eighty thousand dollars worth of cash and negotiable securities had vanished. No trace of any kind
appeared.

he put a coat of bronze paint on the

rusty window-bars and on the grill-work

could be found of the robbers.

"I could rig

up some

stuff to

prevent

of the counter.

that sort of thing in your bank,"

John
tone

"Looks was
the

like

new

place

in

here,"

said, forcing his voice into a casual

said old Larson, the

first

one to

town constable, who come in and see it.

cents'

over his pancakes.

"Prevent what?" growled his uncle.

John smiled.
"I believe
paint
will

"Your bank being robbed,

sixty

like the

one

my

worth of
of
the

at Athens,"

John

said.

boost

the

confidence

"Oh!" and a couple

the uncle.

of grunts

from

bank's depositors thousands of dollars,"

he bantered.

"Doesn't

Jake Bloor guffawed when he came in

pen to

us,

it worry you ? It might hapyou know." John was show-

and saw

it.

ing anxiety

in

his

voice

whether

for

"If you "All right!" he sneered. want to waste your pennies that way in But I think you're a damned this dump.
fool!"

the fate of his uncle's bank or in his

eagerness to be

at

some
tell.

technical work,

again, he could not

"Oh,

suppose."

And
I

Jake

Bloor

This
installing

was

not

very

encouraging,

went on reading.

thought John, for broaching the idea of

"Do you mind

"All a bunch of

if

fix

up some ap-

some equipment

for

protec-

paratus to protect you?"

tion against robbery.

He
the

decided to say
present,

nothing about

it

for

and

await a better chance.

A
that,

week dragged out

its

length after

and John began to get restless. The autumn coolness was beginning to be stimulating and after his most excellent rest, John wanted to be up and doing
something,
brain.

humbug!" Jake Bloor impatiently, gnawing at his "The swindlers are always after me with the stuff. They want to sell
exclaimed
cigar.

something, that's

all."

"No.
myself."

don't

mean

for

anything,"

John urged.

you to buy /Til make it

using

his

hands

and

his

The matter

of devising

tection against robbery in the

some probank was

His uncle roared

derisively.

"That would cost more than ever!"

"It wouldn't cost

constantly on his mind.

in

He

turned over

you a cent!" John

his

his

head

various

projects.

He

explained, holding

down

anger with

82
difficulty.

AMAZING STORIES
After
a

moment's

silence

with tools and materials, giving some astonishing child of his brain the outward

he regained his control.

"If
"I'll

you don't mind," he continued, fix it up for you at no expense to

concrete

form

that

was

necessary

to

yourself."

sneered.

fun.

"You're a damn fool!" Jake Bloor "But go ahead and have your Only look out and don't do any
That's
all

make it a visible and functioning thing among men. Packages in corrugated paper and wooden boxes arrived for
him
city.

at

the

little

railway

station;

and

there were a few automobile trips to the

damage.

I care about."

He
house.

got

up and walked out of the

the

When
fered

the thing

In

door

he

stopped

and

vastly

was finished, it diffrom the usual burglary

Nevertheless
of
it
it

snorted back at John:

protection

equipment.

"And don't kid yourself too much. Those fellahs are on to these tricks. Before you could kick off your alarm they would have you shot. Better take
care of your hide."

was
a
his

quite simple.

The keynote

was

row

of photo-electric cells just above

head, which received daylight

from
a

the

window behind him, and permitted

John thought it over as he walked to the bank that morning. "If he invites robbery, I ought to let

from a storage battery, whose charge was maintained by a trickle charger from the lighting cursteady flow of current
rent.

This storage-battery current held

a relay armature. Anything that

him be robbed," he thought. "But, if he should be robbed, as it is probable that he will be, his bank being the richest as well as the most rickety for a long
distance

down
cells

cut off the light

from the photo-electric

off the storage-battery

would shut
release

current,

the

relay,

and

set

off

be?
got

where would my job And, as four months writing of

around,
all

the works.

applications

Over the country hasn't

I

ITT" HEN

he had gotten
it

it

made

thus

me an

answer, where would

be

'

far,

he tried
his

out several times

without a job?

me
it

to protect the

Seems that it is up to bank whether he wants

to the techni-

by raising

hands above his head

while he stood at his window, as though

or not."

he were facing a bank's customer.

Then
run

his

mind turned
about
is

cal parts

of the problem and began to

the robber's

"Hands up!" his imagination command.

supplied

quickly

among them.
he thought,

"I believe he

right, too,"

"about kicking off an alarm under the

counter.

His hands went up; there was a click, and the three one-quarter-horse-power motors began to whirr.

That

is

an old dodge,

and
it.

The
is

usual device in the country bank

the robbers are

probably ready for

a big alarm bell on the outside of the

There must be a way around that." For a solid month John was happy. He was the same old Steinmetz Stengle, whom his feltow-students gibed at, and
at

building.

This had been a conspicuous

the

same time loved so

in

well,

going
head,
of the

number of recent robberies Those who were the alarm came too late or did not have nerve enough to interfailure in a
in

the neighborhood.

summoned by

about

an

abstracted

gaze,
in

studying
his

some

complex

problem
at

or spending every spare

moment

day and
slide-rule

many hours

night with the

and drawing-instruments, and

fere. In one case the accomplices on found it a convenient warning to help them get away, and in another they had held all the arrivals at bay, and made a good getaway with the

the outside had

MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE

John discarded the idea of the alarm bell to awaken the village, and looked for an improvement on it.
booty.

83

A
tion.

drum of tear-gas supplied the soluOne of the motors operated by

was so arranged as
bank room,
to
just

the relay

to shoot a

blast of tear-gas right across the public

side of the

where the

That ought to have been enough. It was amply sufficient to take care of any robbery that might have been staged. But John had a third motor at hand and some vague idea in his head. There was still something lacking, though he could not quite put his finger on the lack. For several days he was uneasy
with
there
to

hold-up

men would
the
at

be standing.
city

tele-

the

half -emerging
still

thought

that

phone-pair

fourteen

miles

away, rented
comprised
nal

two
next

dollars

a month, over
these

was add to

something that he ought

But, try as he might,

this.

the

step;

nothing further occurred to him.

The

wires he arranged for an automatic sigin

arrangement, as he had

it,

seemed to be

the sheriff's office, which

that

would
being

enough, and that was

of.

all

he could think

announce

the

bank
off

was

robbed, just as soon as the storage-battery current

He
uncle

therefore demonstrated

it

to his
said

was

cut

by the raised

one

evening.

Jake
It

Bloor
for

hands

in front of the photo-electric cells.

nothing,

which
rarely

was

unusual

him.

second motor set off by the relay,

in

He was
not.

located

closed the outside door

bar across

it

box under the building, and shot an iron to keep it closed. John
by screwstraps

meant that he

may have was impressed; it may

silent.

He

did

manage

to keep the con-

also reinforced this street door

temptuous look on his heavy red face. But he walked out without having said a
word.

ing to

it

a latticework of iron
neatly.
thrilled

The next morning he threw

sneeringly across the

the

and painting them

newspaper
the

table

He
He
into
light,

felt

highly

evening

at

John,

who was

eating with his head

that he gave the apparatus

tried
it

its first trial.

bent down, thinking of Dorothy.

John

after

dark,

and therefore
bulb
dayto replace

glanced at the captions announcing that

had to put a strong

the street

electric-light

another bank had been robbed, and that

window

and instead of tear-gas he used a He rehearsed of compressed air. the whole scene in his mind the door burst open by masked men, the pistol

bank clerk, who had been in league with the robbers, had handed out the
the

drum

booty and was also under arrest.

"Good
his

idea!"

drawled Jake through

demand: "Hands up!" He put his hands up in as natural a manner as possible, and his delight knew no bounds to hear the relay click,
stuck in his face, and

"Combine that with your Load up the robbers nicely and then turn on your tricks. With a gas mask you can take the swag off them " and hide it before the police come
nose.
plan.

so softly that no one not looking for

it

could possibly have caught

it;

he was
street

even moderately startled at the sudden

loud hiss of escaping
air,

and the

door slammed shut

ner.

in

a ghostly manin front of his

He
and

walked around

heard no more. His mind was He saw the danger to And, as never before, he observed the paltry meanness of his uncle's character. There was some deep sublety
**

OHN

busy again.

himself.

window
ter,

in the latticework
felt

on the coun-

in

Jake Boor's sarcastic persecution of

the compressed air

from the

tank

still

blowing right across the place

the earnest, ambitious boy, which John could not comprehend. That Jake hated
Jolui

where the imagined robber was standing.

seemed

to be clear.

But why? And

84

AMAZING STORIES
gotten him there apparently
a steel fist, six feet
tall.

why had he
at his

Yet,

when

these

mercy for the purpose of getting

claws were turned back out of the way,

painted with bronze paint, they mingled

him

into trouble? to go

The only

thing that
his uncle's

John had

on was that

with the bronzed grillvvork of the counter,

old, patriarchial

conception of the "hon-

and were hardly

noticeable.

or" of the family had been hurt

when

John's mother had run off and married

a poor but clever mechanic.

in

the

eyes
sin,

of

all

her

relatives

That was a
of expi-

For some time Jake Bloor had' been of taking a trip West for a several weeks' stay. There was no mentalking
tion
it

of

the

purpose
in

of

the

trip,

and

mortal
ation

not even possible

was discussed

a sort of secretive

by her unoffending son.

John's

way, causing John to half suspect that

to
his uncle

But,

mind

ran

more

might be bound on a bootleg-

mechanisms than
of

to the tangled personal

ging expedition.
his

But he

cast
it

it

out of

relationships of the family.

few days

mind, considering that

business.

was none
worried

hard

thinking

convinced

him

that

of his

He was

too

there
self,

in the field of the tear-gas.

was only one way to protect himand that was to include himself He would
at the

have to take his medicine

same

to think of that, by Jake's bank affairs. John was thoroughly frightened for Jake Bloor held him closely responsible

anyway,

stern admonitions about

instant as did the rest of them. One October afternoon, out on one of his

for the veriest trifles as well as for the

largest affairs,

and yet had not properly

It was an unfair and he felt like a

walks, he strode

down

the highway into

inducted him into an adequate knowledge

of the bank's affairs.
position

the dusty sunset,

and ahead of him a farmer was raising a tremendous dust

lot

for

John,

in a field, getting together, with a horse

blindfolded

man
nothing

walking

tightrope

hay rake, a

of old weeds for burning.

across a chasm; he luck

his

was

just trusting to

moved his lever and pulled his lines, the row of curved steel tines beneath him poised and waited,
the

As

farmer

that

went wrong before

uncle returned.

"Don't pass up any good loans," his

uncle growled at the breakfast table on
the day

and then pounced upon their prey, and He thought of a John got an idea.
use for his third motor.

of

his

departure.

"But,
in

if

find

any
I

rotten

paper
I'll

the

vault

He was

soon busy again in his im-

when
in

get back,

wring your neck."

provised workshop, putting together two

affairs that resembled big hayrakes, each

John said nothing, but was determined his mind to loan nothing, and sit
waiting
for
his

as

tall

as a

rigid steel,

man; but the and when they

huge
steel claw,

tines

were of

tight

uncle's

return;

closed toward

each other, they could grip a

tightly as a

man

as

and hold him

one on
at the

immovable.

He

installed these,
teller's

tell good paper from His business was engineering. "I'll stop at the bank yet before I leave," Jake said, with an air of thrust-

for he could not

bad.

each side of his

window

ing

a disgusting

morsel

down an un-

counter, with the motor under the floor so

willing throat.

arranged that

it

could rotate them against

each other and slip them past a catch which would lock them firmly together.

About the middle of the forenoon, the loneliest time of the day, John heard his uncle's car drive up in front
of the

When

the photo-electric relay went off,

in front of the
in,

bank.

He

could

see
it.

suitcases

anyone standing

window
in

strapped to the rear of

Two men

would be raked

clutched,

and held

walked into the bank along with Jake,

MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE

one of them carrying a large
Jake
levelled
suitcase.

85
floor.

Jake stamped violently on the

Bloor
it

at

drew a big pistol and John with a sneer.

see

"By God!

told

you

to

get those

"Well,

let's

how your

plaything

boxes of bonds and cash. If you think I'm fooling, you're due to learn something in about ten seconds.
is

works," he said in a hard, ironic voice.

This bank

John protested vigorously, " "Tear gas is no fun

DO
His
John.

you suppose
of
it?"

really

want a
roared.

dose

his

uncle

up your hands. Keep them on the table where I can

"Don't you
dare

put

see them.

No

kid tricks, either

1"

through, do you know it?" John reasoned rapidly. The only thing to do was to go ahead. If it was a joke, it would be interesting to see how far it would be carried. If it was not a joke, what else was there to do anyway? After all, life on nothing with no prospects was still considerably
better than a bullet through his vitals.

grim

harshness

now

alarmed
than

"And
pistol

don't touch anything, and keep

"I'm more afraid of that big

voice

of the gas," John protested again.

stuck
in

His
lights

your hands down low," Jake reminded him with a thin ironic leer in his voice.
"If you don't believe
I'll

his

throat,
;

and

shoot, jusi try

danced before his eyes

ness

the whole busithat

something."

was such a shock,

puzzle
it

he could
his

Like a magician on the stage, anxious

to

not

out,

though
of

brain

show

roared like a racing motor in the effort

to

sleeve,

that he has nothing up his John avoided touching anything

make head

or

tail

it.

"That thing
his

but essentials, and touched these clearly

might go off

arid hurt
it

somebody."
uncle
better

and

gingerly.

He

handed over some

"Damn
growled.

right

might!"

$200,000 worth of negotiable valuables

"That's

why you had

from the
to

safe, truly a princely

sum
that

for

be careful and not play anything on me. Keep your pretty hands still, or I'll

such a tiny bank.

The

idea

occurred

him when

Now, turn ruin them with a bullet. around, march over to the vault, and bring me the tin boxes with the cash
and the bonds.
I

ought to

was too late, have had some sort of

it

he

trip or

switch or button in the safe

is,

itself.

if

it

were

really too

late.

That Perhaps

Go

on,

damn

it!

this

was

just a

good chance

to discover

mean

it"!

the defects of his apparatus and elabo-

Jake snapped the hammer of the revolver, and John, turned with considerable alacrity and went after the tin boxes of valuables in the safe. His face was pale and his hands trembled. The

upon it. If this were only a test, he was certainly learning rapidly. His head was already full of improvements, and he was willing to forgive the grimrate

ness of the joke for the help

it

afforded.

weakness

of

his

ingenious

plan

was

The two
with

other

men

held John covered

being shown up unmercifully. His uncle had no learning, but was diabolically
clever
in

pistols

while

Jake

Bloor

stowed
of-

a practical way. be
the

John now
of
his

away the tin boxes in the suitcase. "Now," Jake said again in that
fensive,

expected to

butt

cruel

thick-lipped

sneer,

"I

suppose

sneering for weeks to come.

"I guess you win," he laughed nerv-

ap"I give up. ously at Jake. paratus was no good, and the laugh is

My

you have been wondering how I am going to get out of here and keep you from pulling something. Well, it's like taking candy from a baby."

on me."

He

approached the window again.

86
"Keep your hands desk!" he commanded.

AMAZING STORIES
down
on
that

so miserable that

he

could

neither re-

main on the
kept

floor

nor

stand

up; he
about.

Jake Bloor took out his pocket knife and went for the wire that was concealed on the outside of the cage.

squirming
about

and and

writhing

He

could hear the others groaning and kicking

the
floor,

writhing
in

"Lookout!
alarm.

Don't

cried

John

his

and the loudest lamentations came from uncle, hung up between the steel

his

too

"Ha! ha!" Jake thoroughly enjoyed big laugh. "You thought I was dumb to notice that this was your
feed
the

rakes. But no attempt that he could put forth was able to get his eyes open,

which, in spite of his pain, he regretted.

main
under
bulbs.

wire
floor,

from
to

your
ho!

battery
light

At

that

moment he would have

life

given

your

little

years off his

for

a sight of Jake

Ha!
"

ha!

ho!

Your
to

old

Bloor pinned up against the counter and

gassed with tear gas, holding on to his
suitcase full of
It

uncle's not so

"But
again.

dumb!" John tried

late.

protest

money.
flashing,

seemed a hundred years of

misery
it

He was

too

stabbing

before

relief

came.

"Shut up" his uncle barked sharply, "and keep your hands down."
John.

"O. K., joke or no joke," thought "It's on his head."

He

shut his eyes tightly and took a

deep breath.

was twenty minutes after the breaking of the wire when the sheriff from the city arrived with a car full of armed men. During this period, no one in Centerville had awakened to the fact that anything was wrong at the bank.
Actually

Jake cut the wire and yanked out a big length of it, which he started to

But he did not get that far with it. John heard the faint, comforting little click. There was a harsh hiss of gas. The door slammed ponderously shut and its bar clanged to.
put in his pocket.

John felt the breath of cool, fresh air, and strong hands lifting him. He was too dazed to pay attention to what was going on, and submitted when medicine were put down his throat. He was in
bed for two days before he could get
about properly.

In

front

of

the

teller's

was a whirr and a

rent the air.

clash.

window there Loud screams

On

the morning of the third day his

uncle came into the room.

burly

man

John could not resist opening his eyes, in spite of his knowledge of what the gas would do to them. Just for an
instant, before a searing pain cut fairly

walked on each side of him. In fact, his uncle hardly walked; he was principally

supported and pushed

forward.
darting

Behind around

them
in

came

Dorothy;

front of them, she had hold

into

them, he saw kicking,

struggling,
rolling

of John's hands.

writhing,

screaming figures
his uncle

on
in

"Johnny-on-the-spot

!"

she
of

laughed,
all

the floor, and just in front of his

teller's
flat

and

kissed

him

in

front

the
tre-

window,

was squeezed

others,

thereby

embarrassing him

a cage of bronzed bars, unable to move

but only to give general twitching.

mendously.
anxious
instant

Then
his

John got down slowly and lay on the

floor,

But John had not missed the look of concern on her face for an

because

of

the

stinging

in

when

she

first

came

into

the

eyes, nose

and

throat.

thousand sword 3 burned into his eyes; he sneezed and coughed and felt

room, and before a quick glance told her that he was in good shape. He

was grateful

to Providence for her.

MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE

His uncle shuffled up "You're fired!" he
to the bed.

87

attempted

his

quondam

roar,

rather

anticlimatically.

him to move more than a few inches from their sight. There were also two
uncle
;

they would never permit

He

looked very

much used
fire

up.

smaller

men going
I

over

the

books.
latter.

"Tush! tush!" one of the big men

said.
still

"As

thought," said one of the

"We
it.

can't

that

boy.

We
They

"Flat failure!"

need him."

He was
at

softly sarcastic

One

of the big

men shook

Jake.

about

John looked

them

closely.

were certainly not the furtive creatures who had come into the bank that fore-

noon with Jake Bloor.

see the edges of

In fact, he could

shiny badges peeping

their
coats.
It

you had the balloon punctured, and were ready to skip," he said "That won't sound good to the Well, anyway, there's enough judge. cash in your bag to pay off your de*
^

CO

quietly.

out

from

under

was

positors with
it

unless
and

we have

to divide

only too obvious that Jake

Bloor was

among

those of the other banks he

under heavy

arrest.
I

has robbed around here."

to

"But what
ing,

want

know," one of

"Robbery
a

embezzlement
at

both,"

these big, official-looking

"is

men was
your

say-

said the other deputy.

"That'll be about

how you

set

off

stuff?

hundred years

Leavenworth."

This guy says he had you covered and

that

He
so

turned to John.
will

he cut your wires

it."

and pulled a
and long.
said,

"You
stay

be required for a witness,

I

section out of

where we can reach you.

this

John laughed

heartily

"My
a

uncle

is

clever," he
;

when
That

understand that the loss of

job

is

tough

luck

for

you.

Well,
trouble

he could finally speak

slight,

"but he missed
fact.

here's

hoping

you
all

have

no
out,

finding

though important

another."

wire supplied a current from a storage

battery,

They
Bloor

and as long as that current kept

went

with them.
left

everything was peaceful. It was the breaking of the current, either by shutting off the light to the photoelectric cells by hands up, or merely by
running,
cutting the wire, that set off the relay

Jake John and Dorothy

bundling

were
phone
tance

alone in the bank.

With

startling

suddenness,
It

the

tele-

rang
calling

shrilly.

was
city.

long-dis-

from the
that

and turned on the tricks." "Oh-h-h!" said Jake Bloor faintly. " John began. "I tried to tell you "Never mind," one of the big men
"We'll tell him. But now we to come to the bank." John dressed and went to the bank, he again found his uncle and the where two men. These two showed a persistent
said.

"Are you the young man who devised

the
in

apparatus
this

caught the
is

robbers
Palisade

bank?

This

the

Insurance Company, and

body

like

we need someyou on our staff. Can you

Thank you."

want you

came
tails

into the office and discuss the de-

of your position?

fondness

for

close

proximity

to

his

John and Dorothy looked into each eyes. That home of dreams was becoming a reality at last.
other's

The End

88

Zora of

the

Zoromes

By NEIL R. JONES

In presenting another of Neil R. Jones' "Jameson" stories, we are acceding to the desires of many readers who have expressed the wish for more of Professor Jameson and the Zoromes. Again we are with these strange beings and we follow Professor Jameson in his adventures with them,

who seems

to

be quite content with the strange society with which fate has thrown him into contact.

CHAPTER

the expeditions

Princess Zora

of Zoromes that never came back and renew the numbers of

those depleted expeditions which did re-

ND
dead

we

left

the

region

of

turn.

The machine men who had gone

worlds

and

cooling

A*
systems
standing
telling."

suns, crossing space to Zor,"

forth under the leadership of 2SX-987 and returned under 744U-21 had finally

Professor

Jameson

con-

reached Zor, the

cluded.

The
they

machine

home men
gone
this

world.
discovered
for
that

"With no adventures between the time you left the sunless world and
your arrival here?" asked Zora.

had

been

more
had

than

twelve hundred of
years.

21MM392's
time

earthly

Most of

been

"We made
we

several

stops in the

few
out-

spent near the planet of the double sun,

passed,
us,

but

nothing

befell

nothing

worth the

where more than half of the expedition had been killed, the remaining Zoromes' were marooned there for centuries.
Professor

Princess Zora of the Zoromes turned

Jameson, dead

convert

to

the
of

her head and looked far out upon the

distant horizon

machine men, the

earth's

last representative

away from

the

apex of
sat, lis-

long

civilization,

found
to

the mighty citadel on which she

himself with

Princess Zora
relating

MCXII

tening to the adventures of this

fasci-

whom

he

was

the

adventures

nating convert to the ranks of the machine

flesh

men

of Zor.

She was a

sentient,

and discoveries of the expedition, she in turn explaining the mysteries of Zor

and blood Zorome, representative

and

its

sister

planets to the interested

of the species from which the brains of

the machine

professor.

men were

taken.

Zora had
official

"21MM392, you have

25X-987 and

told

me how

many
brain

years yet to live before the

his expedition

found your

time arrived for the transposition of her

to

dead body in the shadow of the dying world and removed your brain to one of the machines, stimulating your men-

a machine body.

Zor main-

tained a propagating species to replace

89

Some

of the

Zoromes remained

in the

two ships which were

just disap-

pearing under the layer of gushing substance applied in red-hot streams from long nozzles held by machine men, tubes leading off into the heart
of the building.

90
tal

AMAZING STORIES
processes into life and activity once

more," Zora radiated.

lated

"You have

re-

how

half the expedition

was wiped

out by hypnotic impulse on the planet

assumed vase-like proportions, then tapered to four short legs, un jointed, which curved outward from the base of her body to terminate in three-pointed
feet.

of the double sun;

solitude in the

have heard your

ship, wait-

story of your seven centuries of cosmic

wrecked space

Zora's head was though not out of

size

large

and

stately,

proportion

to

the

ing for the tripeds to

come and

release

of

her

body.

high

fringe

of

you; yet the most interesting tale of all you have barely touched upon. Your
invasion "of the blue dimension, the res-

membranous tissue grew across her head from cheek to cheek like a thin, waving
coiffure.

Beneath and

in

front of this,

from the ocean your adventures inside the hydrosphere and your trip into time interest
cue of your comrades
pit,

below a well fashioned forehead, deep, dark eyes sparkled with curiosity. Long,
lower lashes drooped over several inches
of her face, devoid of what the professor

me less than your own You have finished your wandering world; now
your rocket
satellite

personal story.

account of the
tell

would have described as a nose, the

facial dis-

me

about

machine men knowing such a

to world, as a probocis.

came

to

and how you ever conceive such an idea."

stared
inquisitively
at

figurement, in their travels from world

Zora's large, eyes with their long underlashes

professor,

the

A diamond-shaped mouth opened in amazement from time to time as the

professor told his story, the tale of the
rocket
satellite.

her six
she

tentacles

undulating
to

gracefully as

shifted

herself

a
to

Zora possessed no exfaculty of distinguish-

comfortable
hearing
the

position

preparatory
story

ternal ears.

Her

anticipated

of

Pro-

fessor Jameson's interment in space.

sound was located in the back of her head behind the waving membrane
ing

whose

thin

points arose
fringe.

star-like

from

STILL,
sor's

little

thoughts in the profesthe perception of

the

deep-pink

Her

respiration

mind beyond
with

process was accomplished through tiny,

Zora's mental attunement rapidly

comof

valved openings at the base of her fore

tentacle.

pared

her

earthly

standards

pulchritude, the standard

isted
tieth

which had exearthly inhabi-

during the earlier half of the twencentury.

of

To

staid,

"My work of a lifetime centered about rocket propulsion, and I worked long and hard upon experiments, employing radium as a means of fuel," the professor explained in reply to Zora's
question.

tants

forty million years past, Zora

as

would have appeared

strosity,

a weird monher
curved,

yet

her

features,

"At the time

I lived

on

earth,

undulating
tentacles

lines

were

and graceful, waving harmonizing and sym-

space travel was only a dream, not yet

realized.

Space travel came three cen-

phonious to the eye.

turies after

my

death in 1950."

From
on each

four pronounced callosities, two

side of her

"How
"You

do you know?"
forget

upper body, four of

tentacles,

the

time

bubble,"

the

Zora's tentacles
to tiny tips.

grew long and tapered

one in
right
in

professor reminded her.

Two more
another
the

"Oh, yes to be sure!"

front

and
to

back,

at

"A

fascinating idea arose in

I

my mind
so often, that
it

angles

flanked

tentacles,

pleted her six upper appendages.

this

upper area of

tentacles,

comBelow her body

one day, and

contemplating

thought of
its

it

possibilities,

grew

to be an obsession with me,

sup-

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

planting

91
nature
action

much

of

my

time,

at

rocket
experi-

more
ciers,

violent

forces of

such as

propulsion, with a

new type

of

earthquakes,

volcanic

and

glaair,

ment
fessor

in a radically different field,"

Proab-

not to mention temperature,

considered

Jameson

continued.

"The

moisture and minute organisms.

time,
I

For a
of

sorbing study which had so completely

captivated
nity
to

the

possibilities

my

imagination

was immuI

immersing a corpse
transparent glass."

in a great block of

dissolution

and

decomposition

of the

human
like
all

body.

The human body,

rock,
air,

Several

airships
citadel,

of

Zor passed low

knew,

other earthly substances,

over the

whether

they

were

water,

Zora
plate

paused
these.

and the professor and momentarily to contemthe

metal or living matter, was

subject to

Then

professor

once

eventual breaking up of molecular structure into

said
in
its

constituent atoms.

my

day that
all

was should mankind

It
all

more continued. "I was chasing an old

art.

Since the
race

days of the Pharaohs, the

human

cease to exist,

trace of his works, in-

had sought ceaselessly a means whereby

their

cluding the great pyramids and

other

dead might be preserved against

ravages
of
time.

time-defying

products

of

his

creation,

the

Great

was

the

would within a hundred thousand years crumble into the forgotten past, due to
the
fact

art of the

Egyptians in the embalming

chaos of earth's chang-

of their deceased, a practice which be-

that

subjected

to

planetary
forever.

came

lost in the

conditions

nothing

can

exist

Of

course, the readjustment of

is

atomic
of

structure

more rapid
it

in the case

It was never rediscovered. But even the embalming of the Egyptians was futile for the preservation of

ing history.

organic matter than

inorganic material."

is

in the case of

their

dead down through the millions of

their

years,

dissolution

being

just

as

eventual as the immediate cremation of

RAY
fire

of sunlight spread shafts of

a corpse."

through

the

membrane

on

"Tell

me," said Zora.

"Were

there

Zora's head as she sat absorbed in the

professor's narration.
story.

others of your kind

who

practiced this

He

resumed his

art?"

"In

my

search for a means by which

practiced a crude
to

"England of the seventeenth century method of embalming

serve

an organic body might be preserved indefinitely

grim,

practical

purpose.

following

death,

contem-

plated ing

many ways and means, abandonas I realized their

impracticability.

them one by one

Smugglers were hung to gibbets along from time to time with tar and pitch to preserve
the coast, their bodies coated

eventual

At

first,

them
other

as

long

standing

examples

for

went about trying to discover a serum which might surpass that of the Egyptians,

smugglers
these

who dared approach

grisly,

the English coast with their illegal trade.

creating

its

subject indestructable

Some of
years.

lonely

sentinels

to the various elements as well as pre-

serving

it

intact in appearance.

gave

were known to stand duty for fourteen Their dissolution was a drawn
out affair.

up

this

idea,

however, for I saw that

it

Unveiled, clad only in rent

not only would

require a longer lifein

canvas

through

which
bones,

protruded
these

the

time

than

mine

which to discover
I

emaciated

knee
fell

tangible

such a concoction, but

realized

that

spectres crumbled slowly to dust in the

no liquid, no matter how perfect in its embalming qualities, would survive the

summer and
winter.

away

to

mud

in

the

When

they finally

became no

92
longer
serviceable,

AMAZING STORIES
they

were replaced

"I visualized
into

my

dead body flying

space,

off

with a fresh specimen.

"I finally came to the conclusion that

the illimitable depth of perfectly

en-

closed in a rocket,

preserved,

nothing on earth

is

unchangeable beyond

while on earth millions of

generations

a certain limit of time, and as long as

I

of mankind lived and died, their bones

to

looked for an earthly means of presI

ervation

ment.

It

was doomed was clear that

to
I
if

disappoint-

as the illustrious as

moulder into the forgotten past, even Egyptian kings, even

the
obscure,
until

could never
I

seventeenth
that

century

accomplish

my

purpose

were
glass,

to

smugglers,

day

when manwould fade

in death I

employ one system of atomic such as embalming fluid or

ture

structure,

kind, beneath a cooling sun,

to

out forever in the

chill,

thin atmosphere
still

preserve another system of atomic struc-

of a dying world.

And
left

when

all

atomic structure

is

eter-

would

persist,

perfectly preserved.

nally subject to universal change.

*.
definite

"The
whirl of

thought

me

gasping

in

open-mouth contemplation,

my

brain a
rea-

"IJAVING

arrived

at

this

fantastic
itself,

thoughts.

Then

* * conclusion, I looked for a means by which a human body in the condition of death might be preserved to the end of all earthly time, to that day when the earth would return to the sun from
whicji
it

son asserted

and

was no longer
turning over

the imaginative dreamer but once again

a
of

cold, calculating scientist,

the matter carefully under the scrutiny

calm

consideration.

decided
satellite

to

had sprung.
I

Quite suddenly
into

make my
the earth,

funeral

rocket
it

of

one day

conceived the answer to the

It

furnishing
to

sufficient

initial

great enigma.

popped
it

my mind
awed, for

propulsion

place

it

well

beyond the
the
earth's

so unexpectedly that
at

left

me
I
all,

dangers of crashing hack upon the earth

yet keeping
it

that

particular

moment

was not
engrossed
It

well

within

thinking of the matter at

as
I

gravitational attraction.
bit fifty

was

in

a rocket experiment.

I chose an orthousand miles from the earth.

was a wild and uncanny solution, and for a moment I looked upon it as ununtil I came to consider it more thoroughly.
attainable

"Any

material substance,

whether of

only fears were the huge mewhich careen through space at a velocity, but I overcame the possibilities of a collision with one of these stellar juggernauts by the instalteors

"My

tremendous

organic or inorganic origin, cast into the

lation

of

automatic

repulsion

rays

in

depths of space would exist indefinitely.

the rocket.

These repulsion

rays, I disin

At

that time,

little

theory.

by mankind, yet I This stupendous

was known of space was certain about my

idea, this wild
its

covered in
a

my

laboratory,

work only

of

vacuum. This was another by-product my experiments with radium as a

scheme, appalled
ties.

me
I

with

possibili-

space-rocket propellant. These rays from

the rocket satellite

had

previously

decided,

that

worked only when a

whatever
at, I

solution
first

eventually

arrived
it

would

subject myself to

in
I

meteor approached, the proximity of the meteor exciting into action the automatic
turning
kept
repulsion
sunlight
satellite

the subsequence of

my

death.

Dead,

rays. into

transformer,
energy,

had nothing to lose by such a venture. Then, too, I thrilled to the pride of
being the
the vast
first

radium

my

protected through forty a meteor apless,

mortal ever to penetrate

million years.

Whenever

mysteries of the cosmic void,

lifeless.

proached within a hundred miles or

its

even though

immediate

registration

depending

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

largely on
its

93

size,

these rays

swerved

afterlife
til

cannot exist independently undecay of the protoso in view of the fact that

the meteor slightly to

rocket's orbit.

one side of the

deviated tem-

after a partial
cells,

In the case of the larger

itself

plasmic

meteors, the rocket

porarily

my

from

its

orbit to allow the pass-

body suffered no decomposition whatever during its forty million years

sojourn
in

ing of these colossal space denizens.

"I left instructions for

space,

my

particular

case

my nephew

to
at

does not prove the non-existence of an

afterlife."

bring

my

body from the grave vault

cemetery to the rocket

Grenville
lite

satel-

in the leaning

tower projecting from

my

laboratory.

He

followed
I

out

my

"What did it seem like to wake up and find yourself a machine man?" "It was very strange," the professor
replied.

plans to the

letter.

warned him to
I also

"When my
that
I

senses
still

returned,
in

leave the building after he had set off

thought

was

lying

my
at

the five minute timing device, and

death bed
all

that

I really

had not died

urged him to wait

at

until the

moon had

but was returned

from

the region of
I

passed that part of the southeastern sky

dark shadow and oblivion into which

which the rocket tower was slanted."

"T

TOW
"It

A A
Zora.

do you know that your plans were carried out so well ?" asked

had relapsed. Imagine my consternation and dumbfounderment to find myself what I am now, a cubed body, four metal legs, six metal tentacles, and my
brain
ture.

was forty

million years after-

incased

in

conical

superstrucability to

ward

that

my
I

people found your rocket

Most amazing was my

all

satellite

and
the

recalled also

your brain to
replied.

life,"

look in

directions

at

once with the

encircling

"That
bubble,"
will

learned

with the time

row

of

eyes

completely

the

professor

remember

that on the

"You way back to

base of

my

metal head, an eye in the

conical apex affording

vision.

me

even upward

Zor,

we stopped on

the earth and took

a trip into time." "Tell me, what

is it like

to die?"

"You

just lose consciousness," said the

sudden gift of mental telepathy was also surprising." "Someday, I, too, will be a machine man," said Zora.

My

professor.

"How many
this afterlife

years?"

"But what of

which cerrecall

"Roughly, around ninety of Zor's revolutions about the sun.

It
all

tain intelligent types throughout the uni-

depends

verse constantly affirm.

Do you

upon
ical

my

mental development and phys-

an afterlife?"

condition.
that.
it

We

are generally strict

"Not

definitely," the professor replied,

about
find

It is
is

not necessary for

me
I
is

"though strange, hazy impressions were

to wait;

merely preferable, for

my mind memories when my brain

scattered

about

like
cells

vague

that life as an organic

Zorome
to

were

pitifully

small

in

comparison

my

stimulated into activity

sleep."

from
no

their long

"Then

you

recall

life

beyond

death?" queried Zora, toying with this

subject of mystery which interested her.

man. I shall make the change when my lifetime as a flesh and blood entity commences to decline." "It seems strange that you will be a
machine man," spoke Professor Jameson, castiifg mental emphasis on the
male appellation, "though
that the brain alone
is

anticipated career as a machine

"However,"
as
if

ventured

the

professor,

adding to what he had already

"the idea has been suggested dur-

said,

understand

ing

my

earthy

life

that the ectoplasmic

sexless,

depend-

94
ant

AMAZING STORIES
on a body to furnish
its

idiosyn-

cessful.

We

gradually built their

numthem

crasies."

bers into several thousands, giving

long

life

and

prospective

immortality

ALTHOUGH
-iX Zor
ditions,

the

machine

men

of

they had never before known, and

taught them the conquest of space.

we

are immortal to ordinary conaccidents

will

occasional

befall

"But
types
tricked

unscrupulous
these

and

ambitious
of

a metal head from time to time, and a

among

Mumes
their

Mumed
past the

propagating source must be maintained

to

and cheated
given

way

keep the species from becoming ex-

inspections

each

one before adSeveral sub-

tinct.

mittance to the operation.

lost

"We

many on
said

the planet of the

stitutions of subjects

double sun,"

the

professor.

"In-

malign,

self-centered
the

were made, and a opposition grew

ambitious

cluding myself, there were five converts

to

among
ganda
tents

Mumes
by

under clever propamalcon-

the ranks of the machine

men.
the

Of
in

instilled

the four tripeds,

we

lost

one of them
of

of

Mumed.

The

first

break be-

battle

at

the

center

hydro-

tween

sphere."

"Converts do not always prove so

isfactory as

sat-

you and

the tripeds,

21MM-

Zor and Mumed arose when insistent demands came from the Mumes to create more machine men than we considered prudent and satisfactory.

392," mentioned Zora, a troubled frown

"We
signal

at

once

discontinued

our con-

mantling her face.

version of the
fall

Mumes, and
of

this

was the

"You mean

that they

below the

for

another

their

ambitious

mental standard?"

moves.
ficient

"Not that so much. Their ambitions become colossal, and they do not follow the simple, philosophic ways which we Zoromes find are the best means of continuing

They had acquired from us sufknowledge and art to make their

all

own

brain transpositions, and they imrelations with us,

mediately severed

warning the Zoromes to stay away from

sustained,

unfluctuating

ex-

Mumed.
'

istence free
falls,

from

unlike
earth,
else

planet,

someone

civilization's rises and on your turbulent where somebody fought all the time for greed and
life

\ 1 7"E did
* '

stay

away, knowing

full

well that their isolation,

regard

on

our
but

part,

petty honors.

At

this

very

moment we

most satisfactory
experiment,
persist.

and diswould prove a end to our regretted

isolation

are in hostile relations with a world of

this

did

not

metal converts, converts

are

for

whom we

now

sorry."

chine

Space ships, manned by mamen from Mumed and by living

of
their
species,

"I

had not heard of them before,"

"Tell

members

came

and

said the professor.

me

about

it."

raided Zor and the other planets of our

happened since 2SX-987 started from Zor with his expedition, the expedition on which you returned, 21 MM392. For a long time before, we Zoromes had contemplated making machine
"It
all

system quite unexpectedly, pillaging for various scientific knowledge and apparatus their dreams of empire and dominance had demanded."

"Were
Jameson

they

successful?"

Professor

men
tures

out of a race of intelligent crea-

inquired.

on the planet of a near by system several light years from our own planetary system. We selected certain mental types, and the operations were suc-

"By

the surprise of their attack, yes,"

Zora explained. "But now Zor and its sister worlds are well protected. Expeditions were sent to

Mumed

to chas-

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

and warn them against any further depradations, but to the surprise of our
rise

95

ship

bases

were wrecked and a grim

that further acts of truc-

warning
ulence

left,

expeditions

it

was found

that

Mumed

against

Zor

would

result

in

had become a bristling fortress of defense, its atmosphere and surrounding space well protected by automatic rays and destructive forces of interplanetary
warfare."

space- war."

"Who
ling

is

Bext?"

"They
obvious.
forestall

will eventually try

and conquer
is

Zor," said the professor.

"It

plainly

Something should be done to

them."

ted.

"That is well realized," Zora admit"At present, constant work is

being done in the matter of espionage

through our recent application of an invisibility

"Bext is my lover," was Zora's startannouncement. "He has come back from Mumed with the distinction of having proved himself a leader among the Zoromes." "Your lover!" Professor Jameson exclaimed; then momentarily he diverged from this phase of the conversation to put another question. "Do flesh and blood Zoromes risk themselves to such perils as Bext undertook?"
"Certainly

treatment of our space ships.

invisibility is

they

do,"

replied

Zora,

This advantage of
discovery

new
our
the

contributed

by

one

of

recently returned expeditions.

When

Mumes become aware

success
other.

of what

we are

doing, they will probably counteract our

drawing herself up proudly, "though a crew of machine men always accompany them ready to protect their mortal bodies against harm." "But even so, such a venture is dangerous,"
the
his

of

invisibility

in

some way or
them.

professor

observed,

"for

Do

not

underestimate

Bext and
be

fellows must breathe and

Besides being excessively ambitious, they

are cunning and shrewd, especially those

allowed

the

conveniences
life."

otherwise

necessary to organic

who have been made machine men."

"Why

not

disintegrate

their

world,"

"He came back unharmed to me," spoke Zora, "and he accomplished his
mission thoroughly."

Professor Jameson suggested, recollecting the world of the dying sun they had

"Your
"It
is

lover,"
I

by progressive disintegration "It is in on their way back to Zor. another system, and it wiU solve the
destroyed
entire problem."

strange.

discourse

with 25X-987,

mused the professor. knew long ago from 744U-21 and

existed

others of the machine men, that an or-

ganic race of

Zoromes

for the

"That
it.

has
but

been

suggested

before,

propagation of the

species,

but I was

21MM392,

we

are reluctant to do

It would disrupt the entire system more or less, and this would prove fatal to a race of creatures on Ablen, a

never aware that beyond a feeling of fidelity and comradeship a sentiment

existed

among you."

neighboring planet of
to the

Mumed.
the

refer

"Did you not tell me that love was a prime motive on your planet earth?"
queried Zora a bit imperiously. "Do you think that we of Zor are so backward as not to be versed in the finer !" arts of sentiment ? You seem surprised
the professor, ad-

Ablenox
else
its

whom
and

Mumes

have

enslaved and have otherwise maltreated.

If
all fails,

if
is

the safety of

Zor and Ablenox

civilization

menaced, the

will

have to take their chances

against the disintegration of

Mumed.
their

A "T AM

surprised,"

ship under Bext has just returned

from
space

Mumed, where

several

of

* mitted, staring covertly at the snapping eyes of the princess, "though not

96
because
I

AMAZING STORIES
underestimated you, but rather
queried Zora,

"Yes," he admitted.

"I

loved

once

the opposite."

and was loved."

"Tell

"What do you mean?"

commital allusions.
"I believed the
tical

me

about it!" urged Zora with

a bit confused by the professor's non-

sympathetic interest, vaguely discerning

a scarce mentioned secret veiled behind

Zoromes

far to prac-

the professor's admission.

and mentally
fantasy

stabilized

to pursue

"There

is

little

to

tell,"

the machine

the veiled

and deluding granZora

indig-

man

replied.

"I was young, ambitious,

full It

deur of love."

happy,
challenged
is

my mind

of the ideals and

in
this

"Deluding?"
nantly.

hopes of youth.
of mind that

"What

there deluding about

it?"

I the most gorgeous semblance of womanhood it was

was met Mara,

frame

Professor Jameson regarded her a

pathetically,

bit

my

fortune ever to lay eyes upon.

Her

then

whimsically,

before

loveliness,

her gentle charm, her sweet

forming his reply.

"Stripped of
its
its

glamor,

its is

falsities,

hypnotic fascination, love

seeking by half
half,

the irre-

sistible instinct to fulfill

a biologic urge,
species
for

the

the

overwhelmed me and dizzied my senses, and I fell hopelessly in love with her. Very soon after we met, I told her of my love one night while we were together."
fascination

other

bringing

about

the

subse-

The
the

unforgettable

scene

Bashed into
inter-

quent mating and eventual propagation

of the species, in this manner fulfilling
nature's

professor's

mind across the

mental

minable abyss of time and was clearly

shared
Zora.
in

law,"

the

professor
its

explained.

the

perceptions

of

"Love rarely
ises,

yields

fluorescent

prom-

for like the bright petals of a carit

nivorous flower

brings

its

victims to

serve the wholesale ambitions of a farseeing destiny."

"It
is

She visioned a small lake in the a low hung moon. Down a shimmering path, of moonlight reflected from the calm surface of the
soft, ethereal light of

water, dripping oars shed jewels sparkling

easy for a passionless mechaso

scientifically !"

with

silver,

gently

propelling

a
to

nism

like yourself to think that out

small boat through the

still

waters, the
ripples

wisely and

snapped Zora.

prow spreading
either side.

undulating

"You were not always a machine! Were you ever in love, or did you always mother such staid, idiotic ideas of the
tender passion?"

AS

seen through the professor's eyes,

the

i*
felt

memory
object

envisioned
sitting

white,

Professor

Jameson

Zora's scathing sarcasm.

amused at His sense of

wraithlike

opposite

him.

The

oars were lifted, allowing the boat

humor represented a radical departure from his fellow machine men, a state of mind they rarely understood. Now, the
final

to drift slowly
vision,

on its momentum. The unmoving came gradually nearer.

question

of

the

princess

stirred

The professor had evidently changed his position. The boat, unguided, drifted
aimlessly, turning so that the moonlight

dormant memories, taking him backward more than forty million years His to the little village of Grenville.
long
attitude sobered.
his

shone
the
far

full

upon Mara's

face.

Starry eyes reflected the wonder of

night,
off

How
love

well he recalled
affair,

matching the glory

of

the

one and

only

the

in-

stars so thinly

spread through-

spired devotion of a

young man

for his

out the ghostly diffusion of a moonlit

sky.

promised one.

tenderness and expectation was

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

apparent
parted
startling
in

97

the

upturned
face

face

and

sent ceaselessly through the spinal cord

to
all

lips.

The
the

came

closer,

parts of the body.

have often

close,

and dark lashes closed

approaching
until
it

softly

over

eyes.

became blotted from the moonlight by a shadow, a shadow accompanied by encircling arms. As if a shade had been suddenly drawn, as if Zora had closed her eyes to something at which she was
Nearer the face loomed
looking, the vision

wondered should my bram be destroyed would 1 find her waiting for me in a place where time does not exist" "That happened forty million years ago, before the civilization of Zor had ever commenced, even before the seeds of life had ripened beneath our flaming sun," said Zora. "It is a tremendous
length

quickly disappeared.

of time." depressing
influence

"We

continued.

became betrothed," the professor "The wedding was set for

Something
in

"The

of

the

dying earth, the thoughts of

this afterlife
I

Mara and
high
cliff

a day in June."

have mentioned, almost

a
I

The professor paused.

drove

me

to

jump from

the old memories had returned to him,

on earth headfirst, when

I

found that

passing swiftly to be gone once more.

was the

last

man on
that

earth, a brain in

Zora did not urge the machine man. Sensing imminent tragedy to be related,
she
waited,
respectfully.

a metal

cast,

mankind had gone

flower

"Mara took sick, and like a fragile dimmed away slowly, and I,
like

from the face of the earth ages past, it was the kindly persuasion of 25X-987 and his forceful logic that swayed me in favor of a life of interbut planetary
else
I

seeing- her

this

from day to day,

Still

exploration

and
here

adventure,

could do nothing for her.

a
creature
of
celestial

young,
she

would

not

be

with

you

beauty,

today."

passed away, and tears did nothing to

bring

her

back.
life,

The bloom
had
fled.

of
its

life,

CHAPTER
Sister

II

mysterious

In

place

was an image of Mara, devoid of sentient entity. Her hands were hard and She was buried on cold like marble. what was to have been our wedding
day."

Worlds

for

Zor

HERE
A
man
were
of
species.
less

comes Bext!" exclaimed

Zora.

Zorome came walking out

edifice,

upon the great

not

a machine

Zora had caught her breath.

heart was
full

Her

but a male of the flesh and blood

of

sorrow,

depth of

Unlike Zora, his body curves

accentuated,
hie

sorrow the machine man, devoid of a

living heart, could

while the fringe

no longer
lived

feel.

membrane on

head was a deep This was

"Her memory
after
that,"

always with

me
have

red bordering on light purple.

especially

said

Professor
else.

Jameson.
I

"I never wanted anyone

often wondered
for
if

struck

it.

noticeable when sunlight As was customary with the

she were not waiting

male Zoromes, his walking append?,^

did not curve out from his body, and he

me on
so

the other side, the afterlife

discussed.

we

recently

My
right

body
after

possessed no eyelashes.

was long ago 8B-52 recalled

destroyed,

After
short

meeting
with

with

Bext

and

my
lives.

brain

to

activity.

discussion

with

him

concerning
Professor

My
it

brain

still

If there is a soul,

the

trouble

Mumed,

must exist
life

in

the

brain
is

where the

mysterious

force

contained and

Jameson left the two Zoromes and As he went in search of 744U-21.

98

AMAZING STORIES
Third from the sun was Grutet, the
smallest world of the system, not
sight

disappeared around a broad column, his

last

of

Bext and Zora revealed

more
the

a confusing intertwining of tentacles.

than eight hundred

the

miles

in

diameter,

Within the following days, ProfesJameson learned much of Zor and its sister planets, five in number, turning on their endless orbits around the flaming sun. The machine man visited all of them and came to know their individual histories and peculiarities.
sor

professor

estimated.

When

Zoromes

had conquered space

naviga-

tion back in the dim, age-old past, they

had found the world without an atmosphere.

Later,

as

their

scientific

knowledge progressed, they supplied it with a manufactured atmosphere, fertilizing the planet's

With
planet,
tions,

the

exception

of
all

the

innermost
rotainto

mantle and giving

it

Pqth,

they

possessed
divided

plant

life,

that

necessary

balance to a

each

planet's

year

respiratory

atmosphere.
planet's gravity

days.

But the
that

was

so slight
drifted

to

Poth was the only one not given over habitation by either the organic
or
It

the

atmosphere
the the

gradually
centuries,

away throughout
ially

espec-

Zorotnes
cestors.

their

machine-men
true,

anthat

during

periodic

passings

of

was

however,

a particular comet.
the machine men,

This comet which

but even so the air

Poth contained valuable deposits which were mined under synthetic conditions, and the darkened half was partly built up and utilized for the refining of the
deposits.

passed so close had been destroyed by

of
the
tiny

drift

away,

world still continued to and so the machine men

a
colossal

had
in

undertaken

venture.

Next
Trach,

order

from the sua came

They had enclosed

a

the entire planet in

so hot that only machine

It

men
this

hermetically

sealed,

metal

container.

were able to stay there. base. manufacturing

could
visit

was a huge
Zoromes

On

Beneath

swelter of blazing sun, organic

not

exist,
it

Trach
or
in

and when they did was always on the night

examination, the professor had disthis metal to be similar to chromium, rather an alloy which closely resembled chromium.

covered

side,

the

planet
desert

was
of

waterless,

blowing

The dusk or dawn. an endless, barren towering sands,

TVyf
I'-l-

ASSIVE
dred

uprights, over
in height,

two hunfar

feet

spaced

distant

from one another, loomed and

all

mountain peaks and cavernous canyons merging often into broad abysses which at an earlier date may have been filled

arched in

directions to support the

endless roof.

All kinds of climate in-

cluding rainfall the machine

cated
synthetically.

men
ceiling

dupli-

The atmosphere barely with water. From afar in warranted the name.
space,
it

The
to

was
of

painted
daylight,

luminous
while
in

render

perpetual

represented

greenish

ring

various

sections

surrounding the planet, possessing the ability to absorb and hold the heat of
the flaming
taining

the tiny world

were transparent facings

to allow penetration of the sun's rays.

It

sun but incapable of suslife

any

on the

planet.
to

Machine
condi-

men

was a curious world where machine of Zor and their flesh and blood
resided
together.

men were As tions.

they cared

indifferent

these

counterparts

Access

long as they were not subabout

.

jected to excessive heat or intense cold,

little

was gained through gigantic air locks. remarked to the professor It was
that
if

the

conditions

Grutet
the

should

ever

cease

its

surrounding them.

rotation

chromium

jacket

would

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

crush inward upon the planet instantly.

99

men on
six

their expeditions spoke of Zor,

The mighty columns

porting this massive
force

set

so

far

apart

they generally
planets,

meant the

collection

of of

were not primarily instrumental

shell.

in sup-

but

when they spoke

Centrifugal

and

atmospheric

pressure
this

from
re-

home Here
from

they meant the planet Zor

itself.

reigned the royal families of Zor

within

carried

most of
largely

latter

which added
lay

new
to

recruits

were

con-

sponsibility,

the
it,

columns performing a
maintaining a
great shell
jacketed.
in

stantly

the ranks of the

maof

small part of
stabilizing

chine men.

effect

of

the
it

Dompt
system.

far

outside

the orbit

relation

to

the planet

Zor and was the

It

largest planet

of the

Fourth from the sun was the planet Zor itself, cradle of the life and civilization

boasted a pleasing climate,

which had reached its Utopia, where an endless life as a machine man
lay the
in

and the organic population of the system would doubtless have preferred
this

world were

it

not fox the excessive

tired

prospect

for

each individual at

gravity which

first

them

out, then

end of his organic span of years. Zor, the mother world, was the most
magnificent of
all.

prostrated them with exhaustion, finally

threatening
liners

their

lives.

Gravity
All

mil-

It

was

artistic

and
tiny.

were

necessary.

organic

exacting to an extreme.

If

the
the
in

chromium-plated
brilliant

Grutet

was
object

most
this

and
surely

dazzling

system,

Zor was the most geo-

Zoromes who stayed there were compelled by necessity to carry them constantly. To the machine men, this excessive gravity meant only an added
expenditure of the energy with

metrically beautiful.

which
their

Viewed from afar

recollected

it

was

just another

they

could
bodies.

constantly

recharge
parts

glowing planet, but Professor Jameson

the

metal

Their

wondrous surprise

that

sooner, too,

had greeted
space-ship

his eyes

when

the returning
dis-

sary to

on Dompt, and it replace them oftener.

wore out was neces-

had approached within

features

tance where topographical

be-

DOMPT
many
tangible
the

came
large

detailed.

Zor had appeared as a

brilliantly

oratories

was used largely for laband factories, also as a

sphere

decorated

in

gigantic storehouse and

museum
in

for the

strictly

exact geometrical designs.

Re-

wonders

both

stories

course to the telescopes had transformed

curiosities

brought back
the

and from

huge oblongs into vast seas. Radiating lines became broad rivers whose courses
had been guided by
artificial

expeditions

into

unending envoid,

virons

of

the

cosmic

from

channels.

myriad worlds afar.

floors

Tiny
colors

spots

of

delightfully
to

varying
important
triangles

partly

nullified

Museums, whose Dompt's forceful

and per-

were
of

found
life,

be
inset

gravity,

held these curiosities

centers

while

petual

thought transmitters which told

proved on close examination to be vast

plains of metal, the

their long tales, then repeated them.

work of
to the

centuries.

This planet possessed the only

of
the
entire

moon
pos-

Zor was second

in size,
its

largest planet

system,

in

fact

it

diameter a quarter again as

of

sessed two tiny

moons

so close together

great as that

the

earth,

its

density

as to be influenced by each other's attraction,

about the same, the professor learned. The home world was given over entirely

revolving around

one another
small

while holding a steady orbit about the

planet

to

habitation,

culture

and

the

Dompt.

They were
Suggestions

and
been

finer things of life.

When

the machine

unimportant.

had

100
made from rime
disintegrated to

AMAZING STORIES
to time that they
facilitate

be

their

ventures

into

the

far

flung

interplanetary

boundaries of the star-studded universe.

All

navigation,
the

but
antics

sentiment
of
the

regarding
little

modes of warfare, both

collected
to

offensive

queer

friendly

and defensive were

subjected

here

spheres acted as a brake against active

execution of their destruction.
It was the organic Zoromes, more or less by a sense of

constant

experiment

and and

change.
inspired
tradition

The

glowering, blustering fury

and romance,
tainence

who

desired

the

mainthis

of

the

twin moons,
these

and

of Ipmats had been well chosen to guide and foster the efforts of cosmic travel and made it a spot where the fates of worlds might rest, according to the
keen, balanced judgment of the machine

highly respected minority generally had

their
too,

wishes

in

matters.

That,

men

of Zor.

It

had been

this

world,

was

tradition.

the professor learned, that had suffered the attack from the

Ipmates was the outermost world, a

world cold and
chill,

Mumes.
between his
worlds
the of
visits

far

removed from

During the
to

interval
five

the crisp, stimulating climate of

Dompt

the

other

of

Zor's

and

still

more
of
this

distant

warmth
lived

Zor.

from the summery Machine men alone

its

planetary

system,
the

professor

much
Bext.
several

in

company
cruises

Zora

was and

on

bleak planet with

its

per-

He

accompanied the

petual tee and snows,

barren, rocky

space

latter on beyond the orbit

vistas like the Siberian steppes, its sub-

of the sixth planet.

The

situation con-

dued sunlight from a small orb in the sky, and its foul, unbreathable atmosphere.

cerning
the

To
totally

all

this,

the

machine men were

rather tense, and were constantly on the lookout for any belligerent tactics the Mumes might devise.

Mumed was

Zoromes

indifferent.

They
not

liked

an
the

oc-

casional return to the other planets, but

in the

The professor found himself often company of Zora who exhibited

wonder
related
at the anecdotes

for

one

who

could

feel

dis-

a never ceasing

comforts of such a world Ipmats was

startlingly beautiful in a sad, terrifying

the
life

professor

concerning

his

sort of way, the professor's impressions told him.

Ragged mountains punctuated

rising
in

on earth and the colorful pages out of earth's history. Besides what history had accorded him in the matter of
earthly

the

skies,

procession

grim,

knowledge,
rather

the

professor
the

also

jagged and unending.

valleys of

Between lay the snows and creeping glaciers.

the
stars

traced

vaguely

history

of

At
and

night,
cold,

shone

scintillating

mankind beyond the twentieth century from what he had learned during the
experiment with the time bubble.

when roaring

blizzards did not

obscure them from sight of the machine men. The rare visits paid this forbid-

ding boundary of the planetary system by organic Zoromes were performed in space suits, if they emerged at all from the roving space ships and transparent
bubbles which brought them.

mankind's exodus from the planet earth to a distant world of Sirius five
million
tury,

HE

WAS
years

telling

Zora one day of

after

the

twentieth

cen-

for

This outermost world was the base interplanetary travel beyond the

system of worlds. Ail expeditions were made ready and outfitted on Ipmats for

when a machine man broke in upon them, evidently agitated by the state of his mind. It was 6W-438. "The Mumes have attacked!" "Where?" queried Zora and the professor

simultaneously.

ZORA OF THE ZGROMES

"The
large
cruisers I"

101
war
the
rolled

6W-438
in

replied.

"A

force of

Mumes

their gravity

ships

captured Bext's craft!"

color

The
her

drained

from Zora's
while

face,

rumble of space ously from Poth to about the planet Zor, This last act was a
of the

ominworld.

Ipmats,
defiant

centering

home

challenge
of

eyes
her

widened,
nervously.

her

tentacles

Mumes.
yet

The machine men

secondary
race

fluttered
ing,

She

said

noth-

Zor suggested the

entire destruction of

mental

processes

temporarily

Mumes,
simple,

consideration

stunned.

always brought out the danger to the

thriving

"Did they destroy the ship?" asked

Professor

of

Ablenox,

re-

Jameson.

"Bext's "No," 6W-438 answered. ship was quite a ways in the lead, and after getting it in their power of gravitational attraction they headed back in
the direction of
their

moved but two worlds distant Mumes. It would mean their

from
entire
this

destruction before the planets of system ever became rebalanced on

orbits.

new

own

system.

A
was
all

wide
left

ray

of

devastating

energy

tire

Such a cataclysm would shake the enorbitual system and alter it pro-

behind them and radiated from

to

foundly.

sides

protect

them from immediate

pursuit."

TN VARIOUS
the

quarters

arose

the

"Then the inmates of

ship

captured
the

* demand

for the rescue of Bext and

are

being

taken

prisoners,"

professor
idly

suggested.

"Evidently.

by and

let

But Zor will not stand them get away."

Zora was beside herself with fear and anxiety for her lover and threatened to seize a ship and start for Mumed herself. A counhis safe return.
cil

"Organized pursuit wjj] be too Jatc to head them off," said the professor. "I understand that their ships are as
fast

of war finally reached the decision

as

those of Zor,"
!"

"Exactly."

"Bext
anxiety.

cried

Zora,
be

riven

with

"He must
is

brought back

before

it

too late!"

great furore of excitement echoed

any acts of haste be made, examination of Mumed be consummated. It was rumored that the Mumes had become proficient in the use of dangerous rays and other peculiar weapons with which the machine men of Zor were unfamiliar. The swift coup of victory in the event of
that before
a

detailed

to the other over this

from one end of the planetary system impudent act on the part of the Mumes. To show their disdain of the Zoromes, they had purposely captured one of the cruisers,
a
ship designed to keep a watch for their

space
forth,

war, as popular opinion held might not be so readily realized.

decision to send
clad

Professor Jameson heard with satisfaction the

ships,

two space
the
ship

invisibly

even

as

Bext had recently used

trip

in his concealed

intrusion.

The
it

affair

planned, and
to follow.

had been carefully boded ill of what was

it

among the Mumes, to the planet Mumed. A double object supplied the

The Mumes,

was apparent,

had been bent on capturing the leader who had come so mysteriously to their world and wreaked havoc with one of
their

First of all, the two unseen must cruise about the enemy world and learn all that could be discovered

motive.
ships

concerning the planet's defenses, space

ships and the

principal

centers

as

retaliation

nature of the protective

for their raid on the outermost planet

rays which were reported to be used in

encircling the sphere, rays which blasted

of Ipmats.

102

AMAZING STORIES
might
notice
visible
.

any object attempting to penetrate them. If Bext still lived, he was to be found and brought back to Zor. 744U-21 was chosen to head one of
the
ships.

be.

We
each

in the

space ship will

no difference,
to

for as

we

shall

be

everything
visible to
ble,

He came
him

to

the
his

professor

always, and beyond the ship will be Like Zlestrim's time bubus.
other

and
"I

informed

of

newly

ap-

the

transparency
v

works
the

but

one

pointed capacity.

way,
old crew,

only

in

this

case

conditions

am

taking

my
that

21MM392.
have
sur-

are reversed."

Which means
of
the

we who
who

Professor
anxious
than of
in getting

Jameson

was

no

less

vived the horrors met with on the planet

double sun,

outwitted the

the other machine men under way for the planetary

menace of the hydrosphere's depth and

conquered the
time

system
short

Mumed,
across

comparatively

dangers

of

the

sunless

trip

space.

The

ship

of

world, are off on a

new

adventure, this

where &>.-. must restrain ourselves from aiding Bext until the last minute before we
a
trip

of

espionage,

744U-21 was to comprise sixteen machine men and four organic Zoromes, while the other ship under 24J-151 was to carry ten machine men and five of
the organic species of Zor.

leave."

"If

he

still

lives,"

conditioned

the

professor.

IN THE
*
looming

sheltered

wall

"I believe he does," 744U-21 affirmed. "The Mumes were too particular to take him alive. He was taken that way for

pinnacle

of

of a dark, massive rock,

the

a mountain crag against

sky, Professor

darkened

Jameson saw two space

a purpose, and

it

is

logical to

presume

ships slowly disappear before his eyes.

that the purpose is a protracted one." "Information ?"

They were on Ipmats.

reduced
golden
to
ball,

far off sun

the
still

semblance

of

small

"Possibly."

dazzling yet

distantly

"Who mans
"24J-151,

this

other

ship?"

the

professor queried.

Temoved, shed a subdued glow of sunset upon the towering crag which,
etched in ice and snow, lowered menacingly
base.

55D-22,

893F-63
all."

and

others totalling fifteen in

over

the

squat

buildings

at

its

"This
asked.
"It
is

invisibility,"

Professor Jameson

"How

does

it

work?"

a bath, a strange coating which

It
is

Before these buildings were assembled the machine men, ready to set out upon
their
secret

completely covers the ship's entire hull,

expedition
the

to

Mumed.

21MM392.

something

like

the

Several

of

organic

Zoromes were
fast disap-

ray you once told

me

that

your
of

own
your

present in space suits.

in the

Others remained
layer

species used during your earthly life in

two ships which were

under
the
in

acquiring

translucent

pictures

pearing

of
hot

gushing
streams

organic bodies.
is

This coating of ours

serviceable.

substances

applied

red

much more powerful and

substance,
it

from long nozzles held by machine men,

tubes leading off into the heart of the
buildings.

Besides comprising a highly indestructable

possesses the

power
outside.

of creating transparency

from

A
great

Looking

at the spot

where our ship was

see nothstarlit

roaring of wind howled about the eminence as fitful gusts of air,

respiratory organs
flesh

descending, the

Mumes would

so poisonous to the
of

ing except the same

sky, or un-

the

and blood Zoromes, raged

obstructed daylight, whichever the case

and

tore over the melancholy landscape,

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

carrying veiled screens of
lized
fine,

103
to

crystal-

on what portended
venture.

be

desperate

the

rough

powder dislodged from pockets in surface and redistributed

the conical heads of the

Behind them lay the dark, rugged fingers of rock upthrust from
widespread
desolation

among
and

metal

the

of

frozen,

Zoromes.
cfeir

Again

the

tempest
reasserted

calmed,
itseff

barren surface.

Ipmats dwindled into

then faded from

vision

pale,

thin crescent,

through the intense cold, intense to the

organic Zoromes, unnoticed and scarcely
realized by their metal brethren.

sight.

Across space they leaped, across the

dizzying depth of the cosmos, bridging
the
light

The two space ships finally became Where two lost to sight completely.
had reared their dark, opaque shadows upon the snow-crusted mountain ledge, there now existed a clear view of the rugged escarpment
metal
hulls

years

distance

between

the

neighboring systems of Zor and

Mumed.
by infrom

Of
tem,

the eight planets in the latter sys-

only

two

were

inhabited

telligent

life.

Mumed

lay third

the
less

sun,

while Ablen,

peopled

with a

dropping

away

to

the

depth

of

the

advanced species than the Mumes,

fifth

valley, jutting black rocks

forcing their

lay

in

line,

an intervening world,
its

irregular spires through the frozen ex-

called

Tanid,

having

orbit

between

panse.

Above

the machine men, a door-

the

two

planets.

way suddenly opened

glistening
points,

against the starlit

sky, blotting out an oval

background of

7 ROM

afar,

Professor Jameson and

the

now

supplanted with

1
it

744U-21

examined

sun

they

a solid layer of dull yellow light. Another doorway opened still further beyond the first, the only evidence that ships of space occupied positions upon More preparations were apthe ledge.
plied

were gradually approaching.

Already,

to

the

invisible

exteriors

of

the

was the brightest object in the sky, and from a glittering point had become a barely distinguishable orb. 6W-438 came up behind them, "Something has been found," he told
744U-21,

two
tied,"
ing.

ships.

"which
frame
yet

warrants
of

your

at-

"All

ends
said

must be caught up and 744U-21, figuratively speakthey are

tention."

6W-438"s
no alarm,

mind suggested
concealed

"What

now doing

is

to

he purposely
faculties.

render this invisible coating contagious

to

the motive of his interruption by a concentration of

any

fine particles
it.

which may come

the

in

mental

contact with

Otherwise, particles of
in

evident that he wished 744U-21 to

the

dust

picked

up

atmosphere of

discovery

for

himself.

It was make The pro-

Ipmats and

Mumed,
our

or even those ac-

cumulative, infinitesmal specks of space

which

escape

meteoric

repellers,

would eventually reveal us." armed both offensively Effectually

fessor and 744U-21 followed 6W-438 the supply room of the organic Zoromes where boxes of foodstuffs and liquids were kept.
to

One
in
it

of

the

organic

Zoromes stood
left

and defensively, the two invisible space ships left Ipmats for distant Mumed,

the center of

the supply room, but

was none of the four who had

They nor did they first left on a grim errand which was to
return to Zor.

with the expedition.

glance

The
and

first

hasty

revealed
the

that.

Recognition

mean much toward

the near future, and

smote

professor

744U-21

there was no celebration, no heartening

simultaneously.

throngs to watch their ascent into space

"Zora!"


104

AMAZING STORIES
did you get here?"

"How
744U-21,
"I
replied

demanded
his

recovering

from

THE
744U-21,

professor,

catching

the

exof

brief

asperated

thought

impressions

shock and surprise.

hid

smiled

inwardly.

744U-21

myself

among
and
of

these,"

she

imperiously

unabashed,

waving a
of several

tentacle airily in the direction

tall

had no sense of humor. Since his transformation from an ancient corpse, cosmic perfectly preserved in the

stacks

containers.

vacuum,

to

a machine man,
strangely

Professor
dis-

"Butwhy?"
Professor Jameson
be
told

Jameson
did
to

had,
that

enough,
people of

not
the

have to
question

covered

sense
peculiar

of
to

humor was an
the

the

answer

idiosyncrasy
earth.
in his

744U-21 had so confusedly framed. He well enough, and her reply came as he had expected it.

He

had run across few species

knew Zora
"I

cosmic travels,

who were

pos-

sessed of

humorous

qualities,

and then

am

going to help Bext.

love

such qualities generally ran to an ironic

tendency.

him."

your

"But you are seriously endangering life you a member of the royal

Bext,"
"I

The professor and 744U-21

fretfulness
at

realized

mutually that Zora's agony of mind, her

delay,

house."
"It matters
little

and her own unin

to

me who
Zora's

am

bounded confidence
in freeing

the

belief

that

without
answer.

was

emotional

she could personally be of great service

am

going to him."
impossibility

Bext had forced her

it,

to

come.

744U-21 recognized the

Both realized
it

yet the professor

was

of sane argument with Zora, while she

alone openly sympathetic.

To 744U-21,

was

in this

frame of mind.

He

turned

to the practical aspect of matters.

was an unforeseen circumstance of troublesome consequence. Yet he accepted her presence as inevitable, and so

"You stowed
will they

yourself away.

What

think back on Zor

when you
I

Zora became
Tiny,

a part of the expedition.

turn up missing?"

unblinking points of light bethe

"They

will

know by now where

"I left word."

came

planets,

two

ships

of

space,

am," said Zora.

cloaked in their invisible mantels, entering the system of

Mumed.
.

Ablen was
left

"I have half a

mind

to turn back,"

passed as a growing crescent and

744U-21 suggested.

behind and far to one side as a gibbous

"No!" pleaded Zora.

too!
I

"Let

me

go,

orb.

Tanid, the planet between Ablen

in

can be a useful

member

of the

and Mumed, lay

bordering
worlds.

opposition

to

its

crew when we reach

there
is

Mumed!

Besides,

Past the

orbit

of

the other ship to think about!

gigantic and uninhabited Tanid the

ships passed on their
tion

two

You

cannot turn back now!"

way

in the direc-

wailed this
afflicted

744U-21 pondered the idea. He beimpractical madness which

organic Zoromes.
eventual
Its

of

Mumed, which grew

its

steadily

larger,

assuming the proportions of a

topographical
features

termina-

gigantic ball,

tion,

the

mating
of

quent

propagation

and subseZoromes was a

goal,

limned clearly
phere,

under a cloudless atmosflickering rays

worthy
realized,

and
but

'

sensible

he

well

what deviations from cold,

this

foolish,

senseless

of

"See those palpitating, which sweep light

the

intermittently

logical

reasoning

about

planet?"

disease
its

of

the

imagination placed
subjects.

"We

have to

744U-21 inquired. penetrate them safely in

upon

hopelessly implicated

order to cruise about

Mumed."

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

"They seem
to expect us,"

105
ships

was
it

6Wnot

flight

of

the

three

which

were
world.

438's ominous observation.

circumnavigating
is

their

own

"After what has happened,

Those

in

command

of the two unseen

strange of them to expect a retaliation,"

said 744U-21, "but they are not yet wise
to

ships felt satisfaction as the three ships

swung
the

quite suddenly for a tiny, glow-

our
us,

invisibility

treatments
will

of

our
de-

ing spot on the planet's surface.

thickest

Where
were

space craft,
for

and they

be looking

radiations

of

light

not
as

using their proximity

clustered, there suddenly

in the destructive wall.

opened a break
space
ships

tectors

thoroughly as they should."

"How
queried,
telescope

can

we

ever get through that

the

Into

this

opening

the

destructive

radiance?"
his
at

professor

lifting

gaze
the

from

the

levelled

spreading

fields of light

shimmering, which blanketed

Mumed
own

with glowing transparency.

safety lanes where their enter

"They have
ships

may

safety
at will.

lanes

being
shall

and opened

leave,

these

and closed
fol-

We

have to wait and

low a party of their ships inside." "We cannot accompany but one of their ships," 6W-438 advised. "Their
proximity detectors would spot us out
instantly,

Out in space, the two from Zor sped close on the 744U-21 called heels of their quarry. for a maneuver which brought them midway between the first and second enemy ships. 24J-151, he well knew, would range his ship between the second and last in line. Unaware of their unwelcome companions, and attaching no significance
dropped.

prowlers

to the

queer behavior of their detectors,

ships

the three
gotiated

of

Mumed

safely

ne-

even though they were unable

to see us.

What would

be more startling

than to

feel a ship about you somewheres when there was no ship in sight.

Our
ever,

entrance

will

go unnoticed, how-

the passage through the rays and into the upper reaches of the atmosphere. They dropped ground-ward, while the two invisible ships from Zor hung far up in the air above the airships and fliers which coursed their

along with two or more of their

not

ships."

"It
fear,"

is

our entrance we

are

to

was 744U-21's grim suggestion.

which
will

"It is our leavetaking

prove
if

the

more dangerous,
Bext
is

especially

the

routes nearer the surface. As 744U-21 had mentioned, a collision of the aircraft with one of their invisible ships might start an investigation. "What about our thoughts?" queried Zora fearfully, shuddering slightly at the
idea of

release of

accomplished with any

revealing their presence.

great

difficulty."

"It will require an effort of concentration to reach the

Mumes,"
is

said

6W-438.

CHAPTER
War

III

"Their mental perception was never as

Clouds

keen as ours.

It

their

detectors

we

have most to
cause
of
so

fear,

and we expect to
other
objects

from Zor cruised about the planet they had come to investigate. enemy ships were found far out in space. Keeping behind their course at a distance which would fail to register upon their detectors, the two invisible ships hung doggedly to the
*

AT

a short distance, the two ships

arouse no suspicion near the planet, be-

many

ap-

proximating our substance and bulk."

"It
is

Finally, three of the

strong temptation to wreck

that

city

below

us,"

mused

41C-98.

"What

a just retribution for their attack

on Ipmats." "We would be

in

for

it

after that,"

106
the
just

AMAZING STORIES
professor observed.
so

"We

are safe

brutes

of

physical

strength,

yet

they

long as

we merely

investigate

and do not show our hand." "Where where is Bext?" Zora asked

anxiously.

must discover that at leisure," "His release is to 744U-21 insisted.

be our final act before leaving

"We

were no match for the machine men of Mumed. Their lesser intelligence was obvious. The Ablenox seemed peaceful and slow to anger, despite their physical possibilities. walked They upright on two lower limbs, their barrelled

In the meantime there

learned of this world.
since

is

Mumed. much to be

bodies

possessed
heavily
six

appendages
minating
fashion.
in

It

has been long

digits

of four upper muscled and terarranged scoop

man of Zor stepped on Mumed." two space-ships lurked among the centers of life on the planet Mumed. Everywhere there existed a martial spirit, preparedness. a grim The Zoromes not only saw but listened as well. They became acquainted with
a

machine

friendly foot

For

days, the

\A UMED
*

was ruled over by a macopied

the

chine man, a harsh dictator, 6D4.

The Mumes had

numero-

logical classification of their benefactors,

the

general
it

plan

of

the

Mumes.

and now their chosen enemies, the Zoromes, but less than three generations had been born since the first machine man of

Roughly,

was

to continue depredations

among
to

the planets of the rose

in

the latter

up
a

in

Zoromes until wrath and came

of

Mumed had been created, and the numeric distinctions ran low. All was not found tranquil on Mumed
in spite of the united cause.

Mumed

declaration

space

6D4 was
lives

war.

The Mumes preferred

fighting

hastening the manufacture of machines

own base where the invading would be at a disadvantage and Zor, could be more easily annihilated. having shot its bolt, would then be open to conquest by the empire dreamers of
near their
forces

and cutting short the organic

of
his

many Mumes
satisfaction

in

order
in

to

equip

machines with reasoning brains.

reigned

Dis-

many

quarters

regarding
positions

this,

for several of the trans-

Mumed.
Professor Jameson had his
of the
first

were
pointed

unsuccessful,
out,

view

744U-21

more

of

and as them

Mumes.

The machine men he

already changed to machine

men would

but,

found as exact counterparts of himself, as 744U-21 had explained, their

of
the

come

to grief

due

to the indiscriminate

mental inadaptability.

This very reason

of
relations

mental perceptions were below the average

had caused the

between
in

severance

Zoromes.
the

The
as

organic

Mume

and Zorome.

Mumes were
appeared
spiders
to

strange creatures.

They
large

But these

dissatisfactions

were

trivial

professor

with

cranial

superstructures.
slightly

Their globular bodies,

at top

flattened

eight

jointed

and bottom, were equipped with appendages, while from

comparison with the surging movement of war-designs, and the metal shod feet of 6D4 figuratively stamped out even the most timorous objection to his aims. 6D4 was a machine man, and
unlike the

the top center of their bodies projected

esteemed

regard

the

metal

a head, a smaller globe atop the larger

one.

Zoromes bore
on

for their organic brethren,

Mumed
for

the flesh and blood

little

Mumes
possible

Professor Jameson also saw

the

many of
hulking

counted
material

other

than

enslaved Ablenox

from the planet

great,

for the machines.

The metal
with
self-

Alben.

They

were

Mumes became

important

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

glorified
distinction,

107
manifestation
issuing

and 6D4 had

be-

light

or

other

come drunk with

quest and power.

the passion

for con-

The

secret

investigation

by the two

from the blunt, concave end. The gun was aimed, a slight pressure applied, and the metal target commenced to disintegrate

invisible

ships

fact that the

Mumes depended
for

space

craft

from Zor disclosed the little on their anticipated war-

over

surface

of

several

square inches.

the

fare with the Zoromes. It was true that many ships were being turned out by Mumes, but their greatest weapons of war were located on the surface of
their

THE
activity

two
the

ships,

lurking

unseen
of

about

various

centers

world.

Huge

rays

accurately into space

attacking ships of Zor at

tances.

were to stab and annihilate the immense dis-

on Mumed, gave access to much knowledge concerning the armament and plans of the Mumes. Overshadowing completely
intentions,
all

minority for peaceful

fever
of
activity,

rose

startling

feature concerning

conquest
tion.

complex,
the

overweighted
atmospheric

ambi-

the

waves of destructive shimmering about the radiance sent planet from huge power plants was brought to the notice of the unseen
protective
visitors.

Often, the invisible prowlers rose

in

high
for a

upper

strata

changes

The

wall of
to

palpitating light

where thought exmight be made freely from ship to ship without fear of detection
conference,

was impervious
offensive

the rays

and other
Zoromes.

from below.

measures
felt

of

the

As
the

race,

the

Mumes
of

The Mumes
this

reasonably safe behind

veil

mental

standards

the

were below Zoromes,

rule,

transparent

of

death

death
at-

but here and there existed an outstanding exception to the general

these
against.

to the operators of

any space craft

it.

and
the

tempting to penetrate

rare

exceptions

were

guarded
near

Another new weapon was also discovered among the machine men of Mume. As luck would have it, the Zoromes chanced upon a demonstration. It was a small gun for close fighting.

Free

thought

among

Zoromes was carefully

restricted

the surface level, and a concentration of

thought conversation from one ship to

the other avoided. not

This, however,

did

That was what termed it, a gun.

Professor

Jameson
it

hamper the Zoromes from search-

To

the Zoromes,

ing the minds of the

Mumes,

the latter

was an
tentacle

ejector

of metallic destruction.
anticipating

possessing no knowledge of the

listening
it

mind-

Evidently the
to

Mumes were

presence.
like

To
many
to

the

professor,

tentacle

combats

with

the

seemed much

people silently
abstained
their

It was later learned that these weapons were to be used in the counter

Zoromes.

eavesdropping
proximity.

while

they
hide

from conversation

own

attack on Zor following the destruction

of the Zoromes' space

fleet.

These small

side

arms carried by the

their

Reference was made occasionally on various sections of Mume to the captive

Mumes were

metal-eaters,

action

on a machine body the same as a moving stream of water on a bank of soft

Zorome, and a burst of hope in the sentient, beating heart of Zora optimistically linked this appellation with
her
beloved

mud. Aimed machine man

action

at

the

metal

head of a
seconds,

Bext.

744U-21

was

of

for a

few

brief

the opinion that this celebrated captive

these pistols were truly terrible.

Their

might
of

easily be the

captured commander

was soundless and

invisible,

no

the

Zorome

cruiser which

had been

108

AMAZING STORIES
haggard
planet
face

snatched away so ruthlessly by marauding Humes. The work of investigation was done. They learned that the captive was on exhibition at Ndlet, an im-

was seen
like

to

undergo a
of
a

transformation,

the

surface

suddenly sun-kissed by the unbreak

in

expected
cloud.

an

ominous,
to

black

portant base for the return of incoming;

So

it

seemed
can't
tired

the

machine
not

space craft.
It

men watching from

the

above.

took

two

ships

but

short

"Zora!
here!"

It

be!
face
smile

You're

time to locate Ndlet.

city,

vast

buildings,

the
for

Surrounded by a principal manspace

to

The

grew
the

sombre
sug-

once

more, a

wan

flitting

ufacturing

plants

ships,
in-

gestively,

derisively,

across

worn

loomed up from below

visible

meet the
there!"

features,

as

if

sudden realization had

ships of the cosmic void.

dispersed
cried
I

mirage.

"The
Bext!

delirium!

"Bext
Zora.

he

must

be

am
"I

losing

my

grip!"
here,

am

really

You

are

She pointed
open
tiny spot
shifting

far across the city to an

unable to see me!"

among
dots

the

buildings

where

designated

a crowd

"D

OTH
face.

hope
in

and
the

bewilderment
expression
lost

of

Mumes.

In her heart, she truly be-

*-* mingled
Bext's

on
the

Bext was where she pointed, and where her heart dictated she must There was no swerving of Zora's go.
lieved that

He

became
thought
him,

to

chaos

of

lesser

impressions

hurled at him by the spectators below.

744U-21 entertained the poswas not guided by the intuitive instincts which actuated Zora.
purpose.
sibility

They

were

jibing

this
its

sentient

of Bext being there, but he

symbol of what Zor and

retinue of

worlds was soon to become.

They

told

him

that

the

beauty of Zor would be

The
crowd

ships sped low over the mingled

overrun with the Mumes.

The Mumes
their empire

of
the

both

organic

and

metal
in

would conquer, then extend

over

Mumes,
numbers.

latter

predominating

neighboring

systems

adjacent

to

The object of their attention was a single Zorome who looked down upon them from a raised platform of
massive stone blocks.
taciturn

both Zor and

He
in

stood there
the
latter

and

unmoving.

case because his tentacles were securely

fettered with metal cables
inset staples

Zoromes would be helpless beneath the heel of 6D4 and his empire builders, even as Bext himself was, this upstart, who had come to Mumed and dared to retaliate for their raid on Ipmats and return to Zor
to boast of his

Mumed.

which led to
Beun-

deep in the stone platform.

act Bext remained oblivious to

all

this,

metal girdle encircled his waist.

because
lines

however, sweetly oblivious to the dull

pain of his hard, unyielding fetters and
the cruel,
biting girdle

cause his face was bruised and scarred,

and

there

were grooved,
suffering,

over which his

familiar

of

Professor

Jameson did not instantly recognize him. But not so with Zora. "Bext!" In her mental cry was crowded a Inworld of anguish, pity and love.
stinctively,

cramped body sagged. Once more his mind swam in symphonious harmony
with
the

consciousness
nerve-dulling,

of

Zora,

that

entrancing,

mental phan-

tasma
trating

which
with

Professor

Jameson
of

had
fact

often felt guilty in disturbing or penehis

she

pressed

herself

against

own matter
the two.

the side

of the

ship nearest

Bext, her

thoughts,
self

whenever he had found him-

eyes close to a transparent port.

The

in

company with

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

The mental communion of Zora and Bext had somehow provoked misinfrom several of the more mentally acute Mumes, for several
terpreted attention

109

of them were
lieving that he

now

centering their jibes

state of

on Bext's disordered

mind, be-

Twelve of the machine men from my ship will enter the crowd and edge close to the platform from different directions. At the command of 21MM392, who will be first to jump upon the platform and burn away Bext's
cables with his heat ray, the others will

was weakening, that he

foolishly talk-

was losing
ing
to
there.

his mentality,

cover his act and hold back the

Mumes.
watch
the

friends

of

his

who were

not

When

Bext

is

released, they will

As Bext had

originally suspected

closely for the door of the ship to open,

on hearing Zora's exclamation, they believed that he had broken down completely, his brain suffering

in order that they

ship

is

and

fight

may know where their way to it."

I

from mental
remon-

"And
24J-1S1.

what

shall

do?"

asked

delusions.

"Careful, princess!" 744U-21

strated
kindly.

"Stand
sistance

"Do not give up our secret, or else it may prove even more difficult than it now looks for the release of Bext. There are those down there among the Mumes who are nearly
on an equal with us
in reading thoughts.

especially in case
is

left

ready to lend whatever asyou deem advisable in any way, This of emergency. to your judgment, for up above

you
ter.

will probably see the situation bet-

We

must

act

quickly

after

21MM392
possess

gives the word.

Because of

The

concentration

between

you

and

the sudden surprise,

the

our minority will

Bext was unusually heavy." "Oh, get him! Get him away from that place, and let us fly from here!" Zora had been the most anxious of any to come, cloaking her terror beneath the clinging resolve to find Bext
at

advantages.

Should escape

be

delayed
it

Mumes,

is

by reinforcements of the up to those in the waiting

space-ships to hold

them

off."

The
the

ship of 24J-1S1

assemblage

of

hung high over Mumes, while the

It

any

cost.

Now,
snatch

she was increasingly

other ship settled silently and cautiously

anxious to
terrified
lest

Bext and be gone, an ill-omened fate or cirsuddenly

disrupt

near the fringe of the crowd.

the plan of 744U-21
to

was

keep his ship

cumstance
plot to

might

the

moving beyond the edge of

letting a

rescue him.

A
151

slight

acknowledgement of presence
that the ship of 24Jalso
It

made them aware

was
close

the crowd, machine man out at intervals, so that a sudden cluster of them would not attract undue attention. Also, if
the
spot,
its

behind,

watching
to

ship
a

remained

too

the scene beneath them.

was up
take

hurrying

Mume

long in one might discover

744TJ-21
initiative,

and and

24J-151
it

to

the

invisible

compactness quite abruptly.

secrecy

was the former who

Stealth

and

were

of

vital

made

the

suggestion.

importance.

As

the ship settled low, the oval door

"CTAND

^ we

by, overhead, 24J-151,

and
the
I

shall

land

just
is

outside

opened quickly and 47X-09 stepped out, pushing the door shut behind him, all
in the space of a second.

crowd.

Their attention

on Bext.

The

act

had

shall let my machine men out one by and they will mingle in the crowd. Only a few of us, including the organic Zoromes, will remain in the ship.

passed

unseen,

and the

machine

man

one,

of Zor melted into the crowd surrounding the stone platform on which stood
the fettered Bext.

47X-09 was accepted

110
by
a
disinterested

AMAZING STORIES
populace
as
just

platform

beside

Bext.

He

waited,

another

mechanical

Mume.

The

ship
rising

unable to see across to the other side

of the platform, waiting patiently until

passed

on

short

distance,

quickly to be dear of a running group

he
the

believed

that

those,
all,

or organic

Mumes

scuttling

towards the
the

ship

last

of

who had left had gained conthe

crowd on

their jointed,

spidery legs.

venient

positions.

With

exception

As

the

ship descended,

doorway
another

magically

reappeared,

and

Zorome dropped close to the gathering whose attention was concentrated upon
the
spectacle

of himself, none of the Zoromes who had emerged from the ship were armed in any way. The fore-tentacle of Professor

Jameson's metal body possessed a

heat

of

the

wretched

Bext.

devastating
tion,

ray near
this heat

its

termina-

The doorway was near

close
to

to the ground,
it

and

it

was

ray the pro-

and 20R-654 was careful to bring

the

backs of

organic

Mumes,
that

employ in rapidlyburning way the cables which held Bext

fessor
to
to

expected

for wisely

enough 744U-21 feared

the stone

platform.

one of the endless row of eyes, in the

conical heads of metal,
fleeting apparition of

Few
ever,

of the

Mumes were
minority

armed, howcarried
the
at

might sight the

and

this

way,

where there was

a space ship doorno space ship

metal-eaters
their sides.
felt

hooked

conveniently

The machine men of Zor

visible.

6W-438 dropped
packed
assemblage,
shut
it

out, melting into the

the

door
him.

swinging

noiselessly

behind

Then

had they entered the crowd with weapons too .much attention would have been drawn to them. They would have been discovered almost immedithat
ately.

was the professor's turn. The furtive act was consummated successfully, and he pushed his way among There was only one in all the Mumes. that throng who saw the door of the invisible ship open from time to time, and he was the center of attraction, the
further on, captive Beset.

Their defense lay in the two waiting ships which drifted above them.

The professor
was
at

felt

the fateful

moment
brain,

hand.

mental

exclamation
his

vibrated

soundlessly

from

as a quick spring brought

him

hurtling

soft mental utterance

to under-

from 744U-21 had given him

upon the platform. He was at the side of Bext before the amazed Mumes could realize what had happened, and
even then they
thought
it

stand what was soon to happen.

the

act

of

Having

encircled

the

crowd

nearly

a purposeful
ing
less

Mume

bent on perpetrat-

twice, the ship rose slightly to be above

the heads of those below, while twelve

some new indignity upon the helpcaptive. But a bright glow from

machine men slowly made their way to the front on all sides of the platform. From appearance, they were no different from the metal Mumes, and guardedly they controlled their mental radiations

man caused a wave of doubt, alarm and consternathe tentacle of this machine
tion to

sweep through the crowd.

The

professor disregarded the excited interrogations which

the
intense

w ere
T

flung at him, as
his

to

conceal

their

which the

Mumes

an act would have been unidentity,

heat

of

ray

parted

metal cable.

able to reverse.

PROFESSOR
word
from
twelve machine

men

Jameson knew that a him bring would leaping upon the

Machine men leaped upon the platform beside him, but not to frustrate his act as many of the more sluggish
thinking

Mumes

supposed.

They

formed a formidable metal wall about

ZORA Of THE ZOROMES

and the organic Zorome whose bonds were already half removed from him. Professor Jameson had no time to remove the metal girdle or the metal rings encircling Bexfs tentacles. In fact, if the professor had possessed
the professor
a plentiful supply of time he could not

111

more than
once
felt

half

way

through.

5ZQ35,

known

as Jbf

among
looked

the tripeds,

a paralyzing sensation grip one of

his metal limbs.

in time to see
it

He
fall

down

just

dangle useless from his

metal body, then

Several
larger

away from him.

were growing
body.
his cubed

corroding

spots

them without seriously Ragged stumps of cables dangled from his six tentacles.
have
burning
Bext.

removed

on one

side of

He

glanced out over the crowd and saw

ejectors of the

Mumes

levelled at

him

The
tion

professor
to

now

devoted
cables

his

atten-

and his companions.

the

thicker

which?.*

held

A
sion,

blinding flash blotted

out this vi-

the self-locked girdle.

Unrest filtered through the crowd, and they surged for the platform, the metal men of Mume clambering up to investigate this sudden act which had
occurred
unheralded.
they
Surprised,
yet

originating apparently from noA wreckage of machine men and torn Mumes lay scattered beyond one end of the stone platform. A devastating blast had issued from the in-

where.

visible ship of

24J-1S1.

unsuspecting,

metal
into

tentacles

the

were caught up in and hurled backward surging masses of machine

men and

organic

Mumes.

Metal feet

free and guarded by Jameson and 6W-438. The professor glanced quickly around in search of the oval doorway which would

Bext was now

Professor

from above pushed away clinging tentacles seeking leverage upon the lip of
the platform.

reveal the presence of the invisible space

ship.

He

could

not

find

it.

6N-24
fray

leaped headlong into the jumbled

from the mind of a more astute Mume instantly ended the disordered investigation of what was taking place on the platform and brought forth a deadly menace to the twelve machine men surrounding Bext.
frantic

cry

below them where 34T-11 was beset by

several

pulled
to pull

had him down and were attempting

mechanical
off his
all

Mumes

who

important, yet inde-

pendently helpless, head.

ed him.
the

176Z-56 joinencircled

More Mumes were mounting

"Zoromes

!"

platform.

tentacle

SEVERAL
ing

of

the

metal

Mumes
The

dragged at the

feet of

34T-11, pullthrong.

6W-438 and pulled him backward. "21MM392!" The cry rang frantic above the chaos
of thoughts and mental ejaculations of
strife,

him down

into

the

corner of the platform on which 34T-11

had been standing lay unguarded and

sciousness.

burning into the professor's conHe turned to find a me-

open to several machine men of Mumed, who were shoved up by their

companions.
Frantically,

chanical

Mume

squeezing the
It

the gasping Bext.

life from was Zora from

the invisible space ship

who had
attention

quickto

the professor
last,

played

his

wittedly

brought

his

the

ray upon the

thick

cable

holding

peril besetting Bext.

the metal girdle of Bext, aware of the

conflict

that

avalanche

was descending like an upon his comrades of Zor.

6W-438,
it

seizing the metal cable, snapped

Jameson raised his heat ray full upon the pointed head of the Mume and saw him release Bext and plunging madly into the maelstrom go
Professor
of
fighting

short before the heat ray had eaten

forces

below,

his

tentacles

112
flailing

AMAZING STORIES
frantically
his
at

both friends and

haste
to

to one, their only advantage lying in the

foes

in

indiscriminating
blazing

fact

that restriction of. space

failed

to

escape

the

horror
with

released

so

allow more than a fraction of the

Mu-

suddenly into his metal optics.

battled

6W-438
of

mes
the

at them.

desperately

two

the

Professor Jameson suddenly discerned

Mumes. The
ray
to
his

professor applied the heat

doorway of the space

it

ship.

He
at-

two

assailants

and
burnt

they
late,

pointed to
tention

excitedly,

calling

the

quickly dispersed, one of them too

falling

of

both

Bext

and

6WM38.

inanimate,

hole

clear

through his metal head.

seized Bext

The

professor

Even more
it,

as

they looked, a half score or

and swung him around out

the

of

reach

of

climbing

hordes

of

Mumes.

of machine men poured out from armed with a ray gun sim*& the built-in affair in the professor's tentacle. They were from the ship

each

ilar

"21MM392this
Again
rections
it

way! Come!" was Zora's electrifying

bit

of 24J-151.
di-

Immediately after the

forth, the

last

Zorome had hurried

disappeared.

which

into

the

professor's

The

ship

doorway had moved to

its

mind.
All

He

looked about him bewildered,

avoid any possible destruction,

door-

searching for the oval door of the ship.

way once more

closed.
flat

gathering of

he could see on every side were

rushing

Mumes
ship

were forced

as the invisible

hurrying,

throngs

of

Mumes,

leaped

forward.

Soon, the bomonce more

both mechanical and organic specimens.

bardment from above was

unloosed upon the

Three
tarily.

brilliant

flashes

in

ferent spots blinded his

many difvision momenas

Mumes.

Again

one of the unseen ships

gaping spots
bodies
in
its

had
of

struck,

leaving three

Space craft and airships of the Mumes were appearing on the scene. Those which came close were blasted out of
the
sky.

wreckage

and

dead

An

airship

broke

to

pieces
fell

wake,

strangely,

leaped

sideways and

to

the ground amid a scattering of

Mumes

upon the professor's body told him that he was the target for a Mume marksman, and now for the first time he saw several ragged pits on his metal legs and tenThe jostling mob was respontacles.
cavity
sible

RAGGED

some of whom failed to escape it. There had been a collision with one of the
space ships of Zor.

for these unfinished cavities

oth-

The odds were becoming so overwhelming on the platform where Bext had been recently fettered that the machine men and organic Zoromes were
literally

erwise, he might

now
of

be helpless.
crackling,

forced off into the assemblage

Another
bursts of

series

hissing

below,

fighting,

rioting

battle

of

white-hot

incandescence,
into

machine men.

splashed their

wake of death

the

excited hordes of

Mume

reinforcements,

but near the platform the ships not

loose
their

dared
madly,
in-

weapons,
worlds

for

machine

where crowd is thinnest!" the professor heard 744U-21 direct him. "Get to the ship as quickly as you can!"
shall

"We

land

just

beyond

the

men

of

both

grappled

tentacle to tentacle.
visible

Meanwhile, the

space-craft kept

up

their havoc,

causing the rushing throngs of Mumes By the platform, the to turn back.

Bext, the professor and 6W438 fought their way in the di744U-21 had designated. Exhausted as he was, Bext flailed savagely
rection

WITH

Zoromes were

still

outnumbered twenty

with the burnt cable ends as the heat

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

ray
of

IIS

Professor Jameson
than
felt

cleared

the

blocked off his passage, separating him

More and 6W-438

way.

once,
the

the

professor
metal-

insidious,

eating pistols directed their way.

Bext
tiny

gave

warning cry
of

as

he

saw
drip

from Bext. Before anything could be done, Bext was dead. The professor saw him go down, trampled and inanimate in his own life blood.
Zoromes,
with
their

streams

granular

metal

from

rays

of

death,

the professor's head.

nearby sniper

had his gun snatched from him by

438,

6W-

who thereupon wielded

still

it

himself.

Explosions
all

crackled

and

hissed

over the public square of the

Inert

MumaOrand
of

mes, as the invisible space ships maintained a protecting barrage.

crowded into the fighting group. All was confusion. The professor felt a dull pain, and he went down to the ground, wondering as he crawled among the threshing feet if a metal-eater had found his metal encased brain. Searchingly, his tentacles
cal

roved over his conipitted

in to

chine

men

lay

quiet

victims

of

either

head.
spots,

It

was deeply
dangerously

sev-

the heat rays or the metal-eaters.

eral

close

the

ganic

Mumes
Bits

lay

dead,

broken
results

vulnerable brain, yet he

was conscious

crushed.
in
all

of

metal

were scattered

directions,

significant

and no mortal damage had been done. Venge fully, he tore loose with the
heat ray, taking his stand with

the explosions.

Equally significant were

6W-438
24J-151's

dark, wet splashes of color.

and

several

Zoromes

from

space ship.

CHAPTER
"He Died
a FULLY mes surged
in

IV

"Quickto the ship there!" 6W-438 pointed to an oval doorway

a short distance away.

Fighting"
mechanical

But one

Mume

dozen

Mu-

blocked their passage.

heat ray bore

upon the professor, Bext and 6W-438, seizing them in their tentacles. The two machine men Bext resisted demofought savagely.
niacally yet futilely.
tacle

The professor's down upon him in unison

with several others, and eight Zoromes rushed through the oval doorway and
into the space ship of

744U-21.

few

The

professor's ten-

stragglers followed.

possessing

the

heat

ray

became

cramped between himself and one of the Mumes who had seized him. The weapon of 6W-438 was wrested from him even as he himself had obtained it. An agonized cry issued from Bext,
an audible
ever utter.
articulation

"Hurry!" cried 744U-21. "Rise, 20R654! We must maintain a constant fire,

while the ship
of 24J-1S1

descends to
exclaimed.

pick up the remaining survivors!"

""Bext
is

gone!"

6W-438

"He
"I

died fighting!"

Professor Jame-

know,"

son rarely heard the organic Zorome3 A flutter of mental terror

joinder.

"We

was saw

744U-21's
it

sad

re-

from the ship but

could do nothing."

and maddening anxiety sprang from an outward source into the professor's mind. From whom, he well knew.
Bext was being viciously torn
avenging
fight

PROFESSOR
yet

Jameson

sought

out

Zora, to console her as best he could,

to pieces

on seeing her he hesitated

in

his

before his very eyes, the victim of the

approach.

his

Mumes. Madly he tried to way to the side of Bext, but

more
of

manifold sorrow, shut out

nication.

Her mind, immersed in a all commuin his little artillery

fire

She stood alone, not far from

besides the dragging resistance of

metal

Mumes,

the

two enemy

where 41C-98

room

kept up an almost constant

of de-

114
struction
in

AMAZING STORIES
a
cape.

wide circle about the center of strife below them, while 24J151 picked up the remaining Zoromes.

Several of the vanguard swept

low about the spot of recent combat,

flashing their rays horizontally, feelingly,

Looking about him, the professor saw that many of the Zoromes who had recently manned 24j-lSl's ship were present.

hoping to strike an invisible enemy.

spaces,

Their rays also flared upward into the

empty
sought

while
to

aircraft
in

quickly

refuge

assist

the

search

"Look!"
directed.

one

of

the

machine

men

for the Zoromes.

"Off upon the horizon!"

of black dots

blast

leaped

out

of

nowhere

to

series

grew

steadily

larger in the sky, sweeping directly for the center of the recent combat.

crumple and explode one of the space ships of the Mumes hanging low over
the city.
is mad to commit such an 744U-21 exclaimed, "They will and destroy it I" "That ray was shot from our ship I" cried 20R-6S4 from the controls. "The Mumes are commencing to close up this way!" "41C-98cease firing!" 744U-21 ordered. "They will find us!"

"An armada

of

space

ships

!"

an-

"24J-1S1

nounced 29G-75 beside a telescope. 744U-21 bent a hasty glance below

hasty retreat
a few lingering Zoromes beat a to an oval opening into which they disappeared from sight.

act!"

trace his ship

where

"We

must get away from here

cease firing!

fast!

Have 41C-98
ever,

It is neces-

sary to conceal our position!

Now,

if

our
its

mantle

of

invisibility

will

"I did not fire!" replied 41C-98.

prove

worth!"
square below, the oval door

On

the

snapped shut behind the last Zorome, whose heat ray had splayed a devastating fire of destruction upon a Mume whose wavering metal-eater had pockmarked the Zorome's metal body. There came a rush of dust behind the spot where the door had been, and those watching from the ship above realized that 24J-151 had also seen the approaching armada.

744U-21 turned in surprise to find 41C-98 standing only a short distance from him. All attention became riveted
in

the

direction

of the artillery room.

Inside stood Zora, grim, tense and resolute,

her tentacles upon the dials and

forces
the

levers controlling structive

and directing the deship of Zor was

its

capable of

unloosing upon
of

enemies.

movement
of
the

her

tentacles

and

another

"Away
744U-21.

from

here

approaching ships was torn half away, this time in off-center

shot,

fast!"

urged

to the

20R-654 shot the ship upward and

sped at right angles to the approach of

the remaining wreckage plunging ground a shattered mass. "Zora stop it means suicide!" But Zora did not hear, or if she did

sense

numerous ships which dotted the They were space ships of the sky. Mumes sent hurriedly from a nearby location to the scene where the invading Zoromes had magically appeared
the

she

disregarded
of

the

command.
act,

Ven-

geance lurked in her every

ing
all

dominat-

reasoning,

enveloping

her in

its spiteful cloak, lending her the fury of reckless abandon, a blinded in-

from

their invisible space-ships.

difference to

the

future.

The

present

How many
Mumes
certain,

of the

enemy

ships

had

was
from

all

powerful.

penetrated the veil of defensive rays, the

did

beloved

They had killed her Bext, torn him viciously limb

not

however, that none

know, but they were would es-

limb.

Her

brain was aflame with

the tortures of the flesh

and the

indig-

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

nities

115

of captivity they had perpetrated

upon him, bound and defenseless as he was. They were to bear the brunt of
her unleashed wrath.

careened to a vertical ascent which made the Zoromes lean crazily planetward,
held only by the
ship's
artificial

gravity of the

flooring,

which a nimble tentacle

intensified at this ver-

"Zora

stop

t"

of

20R-654 had
maneuver.
vented
its

tical

Zora's rage, uncontrolled,

THE molishment
position.
in

only reply

was the complete

in order to
flitting,

de-

now

fury with the long range

at

of a large factory over

equipment

aimed

the

buildings

of

which they sped low from the spot where

wheel

Ndlet far below.

skyward.
ities

One

after another they

flickering
last

burst apart, hurling debris and occupants

gleams of destruction marked their

the direction of the artillery

Missed shots

left

great cav-

Machine men hurried rapidly

and

fissures in the avenues.

room

to

Blazing destruction swept dangerously

close

prevent

Zora's

madness

from
to

further

from below.
at

Their existence hung

controls
as

imperilling them,

41C-98
turned

in the lead.

slenderly on the skilled manipulation of

Blazing

eyes

greet

them,

20R-654
lurched,

the

the

ship

and a heavy metal door crashed downward, severing the fore tentacle of 41C98 who had reached the threshold. Like
angry
wasps,
the

space

ships

of

the

turned and swung erratically from one side to the other to escape the numerous fingers of death, which crept and wavered all over the sky in
search
of

Mumes
ished

sped in the wake of the demoltheir

them.

And

still

Zora,

unob-

building,

rays

playing

and

mindful of the frantic entreaties to desist,

crackling through the

atmosphere, both

spread

her path

of

revenge,

outward and

upward,

waving

desper-

livious to danger, secure

from interrupinvisible

ately to locate the invisible menace.

tion behind the locked door of the ar-

Only

the keen maneuvering of

20R-

tillery

room.

Meanwhile, the

654 saved them.

Quickly he swerved

space-ship

sped mockingly in

and out

about into the very midst of their ranks,

of death's snapping jaws.

narrowly missing collisions with several

of the

At

the order of 744U-21, they sped

enemy

ships.

raking devasta-

tion unloosed itself

invisible ship

on both sides of the

above the atmosphere, low beneath the unbroken ceiling of quivering radiance

and fully six of the Mume The space craft were blown to bits. reckless speed of 20R-6S4 made accurate

which hemmed them

planet

in,

prisoners of the
to

Mumed,
the

20R-6S4 was enabled

put on tremendous speed once they were

counting impossible so quickly did they

fell from the 744U-21 waved his tentacles wildly Zora unloosed several more shots, ineffective this time, yet plainly mark-

above

leave the spot where ruins

sky.

and the topography beneath them changed rapidly

as they passed into the. opposite hemisphere.
of

atmosphere,

as

This

frustrated

further

efforts

Zora to vent her

retaliation

on the

ing the course of their retreat.

Mumes

for the loss of her lover.

at

Machine men pounded and hammered the thick metal door which only

opened from the inside and which resisted their efforts.

THE machine men was

ty,

felt easier.

Safe-

however,

only temporarily

assured.

The

Mumes

would

come

"Upward!" directed 744U-21 anx"Go high where there will be no iously.

such tempting targets for Zora's aim!" The invisible space ship of Zor

searching for them in a more determined

manner, and no place would be safe for

them.
ate

The Zoromes
cupidity
of

did not underestimthe

the

Mumes.

The

116

AMAZING STORIES
the

professor, in his previous conversations

with

Zoromes,

had

likened

these

visible

famed for the destruction of the ship from Zor, necessitated

It

inits

enemies to veritable Frankenstein creations that

ers.

being shot to pieces.

had turned upon their makZor had become threatened by the

a kindly intentioned mis-

seemed, especially to the organic

this endless chase would Detector alarms were being and when they

Zoromes, that
never cease.
placed

bitter fruits of

take.

everywhere,

The armament
yet

with them.
lent

of the ship was stilled, Zora would not hold conversation She remained strangely si-

and unmanifesting,

like the danger-

ous weapons over which she presided. Vaguely, the Zoromes sensed a change
in her attitude

found themselves in what they believed an isolated spot, free from pursuit, several black dots would drop from space into the atmosphere and search for Escape them with their deadly rays.
to be

was

frequently

preceded

by

battle.

blind
veils tion,

which had yielded from wrath to heavy sorrow, draped of melancholy gloom, utter dejecShades of
or
studied
loneli-

enveloping her.

ness dulled her mind, and her next acts,

impetuous

impulses

deli-

grew worse as the more accustomed to their invisible maneuvers through the aid of the proximity detectors, and the search for the invisible ships grew more grim and systematized.

The

situation rapidly

Mumes became

berations, remained unconjectured aboard

machine men and organic Zoromes. Only by cutting through the metal door might they gain access to the artillery room, and 744U-21 refrained from this, feeling somehow that it would not be necessary. A close apthe ship by both

"^TOTHING
^
ing
it

was discovered concernspace-ship

the

of

whether
tective

was cruising beneath

of
rays

24J-151, the pro-

covering

enshrouding
es-

cape.

Mumed, or whether it had made its One thing was certain it had
:

not

proach to the surface over a sleeping

city

been brought down by the Mumes.

in

The
it

in

the darkened
to

half

of

Mumed
of
de-

Zoromes would soon have learned of

their

testified

the

complete

passing

elusive

travelling

about

the

Zora's
sired,

wrath.

As

she

apparently

planet.

she was left alone with her sor-

Eventually, the

food

supply

for the

row.

organic Zoromes became exhausted.

raid

organic Zoromes,
of
the
artillery

After what seemed a long time to the Zora lifted the door

of
of

Mumed was
the

on a storehouse in an isolated city made. The provender

room

and

emerged

Mumes
it

sustained
flat

forth,

wan, heart broken and badly in

though
their
It

proved

the Zoromes, and distasteful to

need of nourishment.
space
ship cruised

Meanwhile, the

own

peculiar appetites.

stealthily

below the

mantle of pale, shimmering effulgence, seeking an escape, but the hollow sphere
of radiant

gested a means of escape.

was Professor Jameson who sugThis came

at-

about shortly after an unsuccessful

menace was found impenetimes

they
ships

trable.

Several

narrowly
of

tempt had been made to run a safety lane into space with several ships of the

missed

destruction
located

by

the

Mumes.

The watchful enemy had

de-

Mumes who
ity detectors,

them with proxim-

tected the invisible ship,

stantly the ships of

and, seeing no visible ships,

Mumed

and almost inhad dropped

fired in all directions.

The

clinging per-

planetward while the pulsating rays of

death rapidly closed once again, nearly
catching
the
invisible

sistence of the craft,

was

recklessly

desirous

whose commander of becoming

ship

from Zor.

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

The
had followed before the Zoromes could confuse and elude
inevitable chase
their ship,
it

117

rose high above the atmosphere

of

Mumed
latter

where both machine men and

space-suited.
all

followers.

organic Zoromes transferred themselves, capture

a
ship

"We

must

of

the

the
ship

The
craft.

invisible

Munies, abandon our own, and in this

was stripped of

essentials

and

way escape
fessor.

to free space," said the pro-

towed behind the stolen

plans, they
cipal

Accord-

ing to further details in the professor's

giving up "It is a desperate chance our one protection, invisibility," 744U-21

considered.

headed for one of the prinlanes

safety

which were so well

guarded.

"But our only chance," the professor countered. "Sooner or later, a wild random shot of theirs will strike true, and
then
it

From
leave

a distance, they waited until a

concourse of space-ships were about to

Mumed.

The

invisible space-ship

will

be

all

over for us."

was
flew

sent drifting

by a well directed push

The

idea

was agreed upon.

They

of the stolen craft directly for the openinto which the Mumes were heading. As Zoromes expected, its invisible presence was immediately picked up by the Mumes. Several waving rays darted

as near to a space ship terminal as they

ing of the safety lane

ships of the

dared, but here again a proximity detector

once more revealed them and they

to flee.

the

were forced
the

The professor had

based his chances on their escape under

fundamental theory that the most

features
it

here and there nervously.

obvious

are

those

which
it

are

overlooked, yet

appeared that

would
*

AN
*
the

exploding mass of metal materialized suddenly out of the air,

indeed be
practice.

difficult to

put this theory into

and

Several more days the invisible

ship

of Zor circled the globe beneath

the blanket of unpassable rays.

Zoromes
which

Zoromes saw the space which had so long protected them and befooled the Mumes blown to bits.
watching
ship

remained constantly at the short range

telescopes,

The triumphant Mumes had apparently

culminated
their

and

finally

that,

for

long

search,

and

no

they searched, was found.

longer would a tight watch be kept on

the safety lanes
to

A
chine

space-ship, untended and apparently

prevent the escape

unused for some time, was found near the outskirts of a city where the ma-

of this marauding ship from Zor, which

had cost

Mumed

heavily in ships, prop-

men were

sure there were no de-

erty and lives.

tectors, for they lingered in the vicinity

to

make

sure of no subsequent attack

which always

followed

their

discovery

Evidently the Mumes by a detector. had not adequately covered every section of the globe, as 744U-21 had suspected might be the case.

wide to allow the passage of the ships. In one of them, the Zoromes passed safely from the danger ridden vicinity of
safety

The

lane opened

Mumed
mic

and

into the depths of the cos-

void.

Once

free of the deadly cov-

ering of rays,

they

lagged

behind the

The

<rraft

from Zor descended

close

others in their stolen ship.

Then
into

at

to the solitary ship, hovering just above

safe distance, they spurted suddenly out

the ground while

investigate

6N-24 was

let

out to

of

the

planetary

system

and

the

the

interior.

He
sent

reported

seas of space,

bound for Zor.

the ship space-worthy, and two

more of
to

On
felt

the trip back to Zor. the sorrow

the

machine
it.

men

were

take

of Zora became less acute, though she

that life held
little

control of

Close beside the invisible

for her

now

that

118

AMAZMG
Profeslogic

STORIES
and it was learned that the crew of 744U-21 had returned and that Princess Zora was
the actual landing of the ships,
safe.

she had lost her beloved Bext.

sor

Jameson with
an
inspiring
it

his

irrefutable

consoled her as best as he could, paint-

ing

future

for

her
to

pointing out that

to

was her duty

face of

and Zor

24J-151
greet

was

first

among
the

those

to

carry-on in

the

her heartcrisis

744U-21

and

returned

Zorlost.

crushing

loss, especially

during this

omes,

whom

he feared had been

brought about by the Mumes.

Following the tentacle to tentacle combat

As

is

ever the

way with

universal law,

on

which knows but a small percentage of exceptions, Zora's wrecked dreams be-

744U-21's

Mumed, he had lost track of ship, when 2QR-654 had

necessary to put on tremendous

found
speed

it

came remodelled
and
death of Bext,

to

fit

the circumstances

in

escaping
at

the

wrath

of

the

environment

arisen

through

the

Mumes

Zora's

vengeful

sniping.

The destruction, she had caused upon Mumed, gave her an idea.
She resolved to carry on Bext had known. No
in the capacity

24J-141 had escaped past several incoming space-ships through a safety lane
while

confusion

reigned

among

the

longer

would

Mumes
invisible

following the discovery that an

ship of Zor spread death and
in

she stay upon Zor in comfort, idleness

and luxury.
part in the

She was to take an active coming campaign against the

destruction

their

midst.

rapid

check-up between the two commanders

Mumes.

found that seven machine men had been

On

approaching Ipmats, 744U-21 was

careful to avoid any cruisers of Zor, for

the sight of an
it

enemy
Close

ship

would cause

to

become a ready
surface

target for
to

Zorome
frigid,

marksmanship.
storm-tossed

the

of

Ipmats,

radia-

tions sent out by the thought amplifiers

two crews, four of them from the expedition of 744U-21. Those comrades, who had accompanied him on many an adventure and who had gone to meet death, were 38R-497, 176Z-56, 34T-11 and 32B-64. None of the organic Zoromes had been
lost out of the

of the professor's

brought a protecting escort of ships to

among
the

the casualties,

however, due to

meet the

returned

travelers.
lit

On

the

the fact that they had been confined to

surface of Ipmats,

with a feeble sun-

space ships

during the attempt to

light, they learned that 24J-151 had returned long before and had stopped only a short time upon Ipmats before con-

rescue Bext.

"Bext died
fessor's
last."

like a hero,"

was the proto

epitaph.

"He
dead,"

fought

the

tinuing

to

Zor.

24J-151

had

seemed

anxious to reach the laboratories of Zor

for
It

"Bext

is

not

was 24J-151's

some urgent reason or other. was a pock-marked crew of ma-

quiet, yet startling,

announcement.
start

chine men, several lacking a metal leg

or tentacle, their bodies horribly pocked

C*

VERY

machine man gave a

alarm,
so

of

*-' mental

completely

sur-

and scarred where the destructive weapons of the Mumes had found their
mark, that saw the geometical
of

prised were they by 24J-15Fs contradic-

tory assertion.

Zora stood as

if

turned

surface

to stone, her eyes staring wide, her heart

Zor loom large. They came surrounded by the escort from Ipmats. At
first,

beats temporarily arrested.

the
their

terrestrial

Zoromes

believed

"Not dead!" "We saw him dieliterally slashed

pieces

to

that

forces

had returned with a

by the infuriated Mumej!" ex-

captive ship, but report travelled before

claimed 744U-21.

ZORA OF THE ZOROMES

"You
151.

119

are right about that," said 24J"Bext did die, but so did 21Monce,
so
I

out to Bext searchingly in the same old

way,

yet,

on finding no hold, wavered

it

M392
Bext."

am

told.

There

is

uncertainly.

"Zora,

is

good to see you back,"

friendly
greeting.

24J-151 pointed to a machine man of glistening metal parts new from the factories who now approached the
group.

was
feared

Bext's
for

"We
those

your

safety

and

all

aboard the ship of 744U-21 when you

did not return,"

How

strangely

he

contrasted

with the corroded, chemical eaten bodies

of the Zoromes returned from

"That we did not return soon

fault, largely,"

is

my

Mumed

was Zora's

dispirited re-

who were

so badly in need of repair and

ply as she stared bewilderingly at the

While the machine men replacement. and organic Zoromes stared in surprise and fascination at the new entrant to
the

metal

form of Bext,

realizing

with a

choking sensation that with the death of

metal

ranks,

24J-151

rendered

brief explanation.

"When my
those

ship descended to pick

up

Bext had died the tender passion he had borne for her. Recalled to life, Bext had lost the natural impulses and instincts an organic

the remaining Zoromes, 76H-385, one of

body had given him.

the

He was

beyond

who came with 744U-21,

It

noticed

laws of scheming, plotting nature,

the synthetic con-

was torn and crushed, yet the head, half severed from the neck, was intact. It is to 76H-385 existence. He that Bext owes his present
the dead body of Bext.
profiting

and now he was under ditions of a machine Zora came to realize counsel dropped her

man.

Somehow,

through the wise by the professor

brought the head to the space-ship and, from the experience of 21 M-

that she could never love

M392, we kept it in a stellar vacuum compartment until we reached the laboratories here on Zor. Bext's brain was removed from his organic head and
stimulated to life once more.

12W-62. He was not Bext as she had known Bext. The machine man, his mental attitude
reborn in the laboratories of Zor. looked

back

upon

his

passionate

regard

for

He
as

is

known among
62."

the machine

men

now 12W-

Zora much as do older folks look back upon memories of their childhood, which
they
or
are

unable
to
live

to

recapture

tangibly

cause
their

once

more because
mental

"Bext

!"

cried Zora, at last collecting

events.

some order out of her chaotic thoughts amazing turn of unexpected at this "Is it really you?"
"Yes, Zora!"
In that answering affirmation, Profes-

change through the passing of years. Bext accepted the change with an indifferent
of
fatalism.
his death,

physical

and

Had

he anticipated
impossible
for
like

it

before

he would have wildly deplored

situation

such
of

seemingly
love

Jameson detected the great change Sympathy, in Bext's attitude for Zora, comradeship and interest were manifest,
sor
yet that electrifying, nerve-startling pas-

losing his

Zora,

but

that
like

would have been 12W-62.

Bext,

not

In a bewildered state of mind, Zora

There was sion was no quivering eagerness for the ecstatic communion of minds which Bext had
strangely
absent.

and was not seen very often after that single meeting with
retired to her palace,

once

sought

in
in

the presence

of

Zora.

Bext was sharply contrasted by her own attitude which went

The change

She was tortured mentally by the her love, memory of which renow that Bext was a machine man. Sometimes she selfishly
Bext.
loss of

curred constantly

120

AMAZING STORIES
tered

wished that he had remained dead, loving her as he had done to the
his
last

upon

their

presence.

Something
glistening
instantly

of

about the machine man's

new

breath,

yet

calm

consideration

body and mental stance

the professor in

put
it

brought to her attention that this was a

jealous wish.

mind of Bext.

Yet

And

thus she remained in

was not Bext.

"Zora!
rected.

torment, chained to a passion she could

not forget.

You I"
the

"1198-5,"

machine

Meanwhile,
the

Professor

Jameson

and

"Will you not offer

man me

cor-

con-

machine

men who had

taken the

gratulations?"

dangerous journey to
battle-scarred
tentacles

Mumed
repaired.

had their

"But, Zora, you were a long

still

young, and

bodies

Where
or
ir-

were

entirely

gone

new ones were installed. It was the same case with the metal legs. Ragged cavities in the metal of their bodies were filled and their whole mechanism given a new finish. Once more they found themselves entire.
reparable,
,

life, of a character we machine men do not know, lay before youl" "I know it, now," was the quiet reply,

"yet
it.

never would have come to realize was too deep in the grips of that

passion called love,

resistible

21MM392,

that ir-

impulse of nature's fashioning

Recallfeel-

of which you spoke so calmly.

The
of

trip

across space to the system

ing

my

agony of mind and desolate

Mumed

had not been

in vain.
it

Much
was
re-

ings, I

am

not sorry that

sought this
it it

had been learned.

atories

Already,

means of
all

escape.

Now,

looking back,

ported that the Zoromes in the labor-

had manufactured

substance

seems utterly foolish, even as must have seemed to Bext after

brain
transposition,
attitude

his

which applied to the space ships caused

but

it

all

depends

them
the

to convert the destructive rays of into force rays

upon what

you take."

Mumes

which hurled

"Have yow

seen Bext yet since your

the ships of Zor to one side but did not

change to a machine man?" the professor inquired curiously.

damage them.

"How

will

this

give

us

passage

"Yes.

through their protective covering about

willfully
to
it

Mumed?" 6W-438
much
their
to

argued.

"There

is

He will be sorry that I had given up my organic life become a metal Zorome. He thought
deplorable,
I in

yet to be done before we accept open invitation to carry the fight

his

practical

manner,

and
far

agreed with him, yet

our system."
"It will be a battle of wits," said the

removed from
and
I

to lose track of
tirely,

I am not too my organic existence my former attitude en-

professor.

know

that life

The

metal-eaters

of

the

Mumes

re-

held
is

little

for

me

as Princess Zora.
it

would have Love

inspiring."

mained only a brief triumph of inventive skill on their part. Careful analysis by the Zoromes of several cavities made by
the pistols on their metal bodies
that the

bitterly cruel

even as

is

showed

and beautiful." "And now what are you intending to do?" queried 744U-21. "Now that you
are one of us?"

menace could be

easily counterinstallation

acted and

made harmless by

of a neutralizer in the metal bodies of

the Zoromes.

Zora's ready reply provoked fresh memories in the minds of the machine

men
Jameson
sat

present.

One
in

day, while Professor

"I

conference

with

24J-151 and others,

6W-438 a machine man en744U-21,

der

the

am an artilleryman on a ship command of 12W-62 in

unthe

coming space war."

The End

121

The
We are
who has
story his old touch

'Body Tirate
By ED. EARL REPP

very glad to present a story by Ed. Earl Repp to our readers, one You will find in this long been a favorite with our clientele. and distinctive treatment with which he has pleased so many readers. It is a story in which a wonderful surgeon treating a human being, in a sense as a guinea-pig, operates on the brain trying to get "Mens sana in corpore sano."

GHOSTLY room
in

and weird was the which Dr. Lape sat,

been forty or even

looked no older

fifty.

Certainly he
the day

now than

Dot
to

staring fixedly into the dead,

fireplace. soot-blackened Though the world outside

Faversham,

graduate

nurse,

went

work

for him.

And

she had been his

only assistant for nearly six years now.

was
spell

bright and cheery under the

warm

England spring day, the laboratory and study for the scientist, was a place of spectral shadows cast upon the colorless gray walls by subdued lamps placed
of a

New

room,

comprising both

As is frequently the case with nature's human freaks, what Dr. Lape lacked in the way of physical charm was more than made up by his super-mentality for
things scientific.

And

until recently

he

had devoted that super-mentality to the

correction, at birth, of such physical mis-

carefully in the corners so as not to shed

too
the

much

light

several of

upon his great test tubes, which were much taller than

haps as himself.

Just

how

far he

had

progressed in that direction could have

man

himself.

been readily observed in the cold facts

contained in his

At a
have
did

glance over the place, one would

that

many volumes

of books

suspected

Dr.

Lape

either

on the
genius.

subject.

not
that

care
too

particularly

for sunlight,
illumination
his

Mentally,

or

much

natural

Merton Lape was a Physically, well Dot Faversham

Dr.

had undesired
experimental

effect

upon

various
in

subjects

confined

the

huge tubes.
ing in the
the
den.

In either event, the light-

room was
aspect

hideous, giving of

it

had learned to overlook his twisted spine, sallow, colorless face and duck-like waddle in favor of his genius and his philanAt first she had thropic endeavors.
been in a state of constant horror
presence.
in his

uninviting

sorcerer's

This she had overcome when

Dr. Lape himself was scarcely less repulsive

to

she realized that in the final analysis he

look

at

than

the

distorted

shadows upon his laboratory walls. He seemed to fit in with them perfectly. He was a man of indeterminate age. As
often with natural-born hunch-backs,
it

invaluable

even, as time passed,

was a great man, who was contributing She had facts to mankind. become indifferent
sunken,
in
ice.

to the piercing qualities of his

wide-set

eyes

that

glittered

their

would have been

difficult

to guess just

sockets like chips of blue-glacial

His
no

how

old he actually was.

He

might have

great

head and

its

sharp

features

122

With the silent form of Herbert Strong once on the table and at his complete mercy, he lost no time. His sallow face was distorted into a covetous mask now.

THE BODY PIRATE

longer annoyed her.
skeleton-like

123

Nor
and

did his bony,

ing the winter just past, she hadn't sus-

fingers

rasping

voice

pected
beat a

that

beneath

his
all.

twisted

chest

cause her to flinch in revolt as they had

at
first.

human

heart at

He

seemed

Her

indifference

to

all

these

tilings

might have been attributed to the fact

that he paid her an excellent salary, even

But out of clear sky that day, as if he were dealing with some cold professional problem, he had There had asked her to marry him.
so unearthly frigid.

for a graduate nurse. the case with

in

But that was not Dot Faversham. She was sympathy with his great work and was more or less of a philanthropist
Dr. Lape never appeared in public.

been no preliminaries.
profess love for her.

Nor

did he even

He

simply asked

her in his sharp, rasping voice to become

his wife.
It

was

her first hint that he

herself.

even regarded her as more than he might

consider a scalpel or a pair of tweezers.

Sensitive to his deformities, he shunned This could public gaze like a recluse.

Needless to
pletely startled

say

that

she

was com-

have been attributed directly to his early

life as a child,

frightened, she looked at

and shocked at first. Then him to see if

when he had been

ridicule

the butt

he

were

serious.

He

was,

as

in

all

of

scorn and

from

his

play-

things.

But

he

made no attempt

to

mates.
tion

After the briefest college educa-

touch her.

He
She

just stood at his labor-

a student had ever received with high graduation honors at Bloomfield, he

atory bench and feasted his sunken eyes

upon

her.

felt

them piercing

to the

had retired to

his

family

home which

depths of her soul.

stood in a great pile of stone and concrete at the very

By
it

sheer force of will she overcame

its

his

end of a lonely street. There he had begun his life's work and townsmen seldom saw him.

her fear. Pity took

instantly,

place.

He

sensed

even before she spoke, and

she saw the corners of his thin

mouth

He went
ized

about his work

with a cool

grow
mad.

firm.

A
He

strange light sprang into

indifference that immediately character-

his eyes.

might suddenly have gone

him

for just what he was, a cold,

undemonstrative man.

To Dot Faversunshine about the

"Oh, Dr. Lape!" she had breathed.

sham, the only

tirely

bit of

"You

should not have asked that.

"

It is

big stone mansion, he seemed a

man

en-

so impossible

without
at

emotion.
not
in

He
recent

seldom
months.

"Impossible

because

am

freak,

smiled,

least

Miss Faversham?"

he

had

interjected

And
tive,

of late he appeared to have become

with his true professional indifference.

even more cheerless and undemonstraif

He

such a thing were possible.

in all
things.

He
Or

might have read her mind. "That is an unfair question to ask,"

replied
readily.

was
so

just stone-cold

she

"You

are a
if I

very
loved

he seemed. But Dot Faversham,

sunset,

brilliant

man, Dr. Lape, and

just

twenty-

you, nothing else would matter.

But

three now, with hair as golden as a

New

do not love you.

that
It

You

have never hinted

in that light.
I

England

had no way of penetratfire

you even regarded me

ing his sallow, inscrutable mask, to see

could never be, anyway, for

am

al-

what kind of a
all

burned

there.

Had
and

ready engaged to another man.

pect to be married in June."

We

ex-

she been able to do that she would in

likelihood have deserted the place

never returned.
Until one gloomy, blustery day dur-

"Engaged, Miss Faversham?" Lape had not so much as raised an eyebrow in

either

amusement or

surprise.

He

simply

124
stared at her fixedly.

AMAZING STORIES
"How
interesting!

tremble ever so slightly. "It never shall

And

who,

may

ask, is the

fortunate

between

us.

It

was stupid of me to

benedict ?"

"Of
she

course,

you have a
to

right to ask,"

managed

smile

sympathetically.

even dare hope that any girl might consider marrying a man so horrible to look upon as myself." He paused to shrug
his

"Possibly you have heard of him.

stitute in the city.

He

misshapen shoulders hopelessly. "Oh,

conducts the Strong Physical Culture In-

well, he added, "there

may be a way

out

His name

is

Herbert

for such a hopeless case."

Strong."

yes,

"Herbert Strong?" Lape rasped. "Ah, Miss Faversham I have seen his
!

She had studied him curiously for a moment, wondering just what he meant.

Was

he considering suicide to

relieve
?

pictures in the health magazines.

indeed a
is

man

of powerful physique.

very fortunte

fortunate

He is He

himself of the monotony of living alone

Hardly that!
fused with his

Dr. Lape was too well

in

two ways,

work

to

even think of

Miss Faversham, in that he is superbly is to have such a charming girl as yourself for his bride! What would I not give to possess such a marvelous body and such a rare flower
perfect physically and
for a bride!"

such a thing.
himself

continued

Yet the way he expressed worry her for to

weeks thereafter. She had expected almost any morning to report at the big mansion for work, and find him the victim of his own hand. Instead she found

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Lape," Dot had

breathed.

"You should not have brought

I

him laboring harder than ever. During the ensuing months he had
never broached the
kept his
oath.

up the question. tell you of our

minute
"
left

had not intended to

plans
until

subject

again.

He

the

last

word as he might a solemn

far as she could
tell

As
did

he might

"And
sistant,

me

in the lurch for

an as-

have
she

forgotten

the

whole thing.

But
lay

"I
to

Miss Faversham?" would have given you ample time

she had told
will

not

behind his lackadaisical visage.

she

know what thoughts Nor

did

obtain another nurse,"

him.

"Perhaps

now you
"

want

to

know that his love for her had become a form of madness to possess her
any cost. She was aware, however, a great change had come over him day she had spumed hirn. He went about his tasks like a man living in another world, never smiling, seldom speaking. His eyes seemed more shrunken than before, and there were dark patches
at

get her immediately

"I could not get along without you.

that

Miss Faversham," he interrupted her to say, a habit she had never liked in him. It bordered on mental-telepathy, smacking strangely

since the

of

the

supernatural.

"I

have no thought of making a change on my own initiative. You will remain on

duty,

beneath them, suggesting irregular rest

of

course,

until

your

wedding

day?"

"As you wish. Dr. Lape," she had replied, relieved, "but only on condition that any suggestion of marriage between us I may is never to be brought up again. find it hard to remain under any other
conditions."

and lack of sleep. She guessed that he was working at night on some private experiment. But
in her routine

work of caring for

the

living experimental subjects confined in

the big test tubes in the laboratory, she

saw no material evidence of

it.

She

"My word

on

it,

Miss Faversham," as
lips

might have long since resigned her position and she secretly wanted to yet

he spoke she thought she saw the

remained on the job for the single rea-

THE BODY PIRATE

son that a bride needs
for her wedding.

125
it

many new

things

almost forgotten
future.

in

planning for the

Her

parents could not

supply them for her and the portion of her pay check not needed at home, went for the filmy things a prospective bride
loves to purchase.

forgotten

sham,

But Dr. Merton Lape had far from that he wanted Dot Faveramong other things, more than
life.

anything else in
last.

Had

she

been

Spring had come at

fiance,

Dot, as her
her,

Herb, liked to

call

worked
its

happily in the thought that June and

significance

watch over his nightly experiments in a small laboratory in another room of the mansion, she might have
able to

anticipation of the
called

was near at hand. In keen coming event, Herb

understood

that

he

meant

to

possess

for her each evening at the big

not

many things including herself. She did know that for months now he had
been
secretly

mansion and drove her home, driving

slowly through quiet lanes of
lars
tall

experimenting
of
matter.

with

the

poplife

transmutation
years Dr.

For

many

that

were showing signs

of

Lape had worked

theoretically

once more.

As

expected of a physical culture in-

on what might have been called Fifth Dimension Surgery in connection with
transmutation.
visit that secret

structor,

Herb Strong was a powerful,

Had

she

been able to

muscular

man

with clean-cut features to

laboratory in an upper

Young, bubbling over with enthusiasm, he was ruddy-faced and the envy of many a youth and man less endowed with that
match
his

marvelous physique.

wing of the house, she would have seen that during recent months he had devoted
his

cunning

super-mentality

to

successfully materializing
theories.

what once were

kind of

human body

that inspires quick

admiration.
his eyes

His hair was as dark as

One
oratory

look at his experimental subjects

in

He was
nine

and as unruly as he was boyish. in the neighborhood of twenty-

confined

cages

in

that

hidden

lab-

or thirty

and had made quite a

that Dr.

name

for himself in college football.

dislocated shoulder had taken

hospital
at

him to the

would have convinced anyone Lape had achieved the impossible. Only his mad love for Dot Faversham had caused him to take secret
particular line of

where Dot was serving her time training. There they had met. They
said.

pride in his accomplishments along this

endeavor.
It

were well-matched, folks

an
In

accomplishment!
those

And what smacked of

upper
lab-

lycanthropy

They made many

plans for the future,

cages

in

the

during their slow rides in the evenings,

oratory crouched strange beasts.

and he spoke of a buyer for

his school.

were
all

He
to

expressed a desire to

sell

out and go

dogs!

New YoTk
rich

to establish

a gymnasium
in
line.

There growled and barked like There were dogs that spat with the vemon of an enraged feline. And,
cats that

for

business

men and engage

too, there

were monkeys
Surgery
tests

that

had sucthe

correspondence-teaching as a side

cessfully

survived his weird Fifth Diin

She was

thrilled at the prospect.

mension

which
vice

But never once did she mention to him Dr. Lape's cold, unexpected proHerb Strong was inposal to her. clined to be quick-tempered and being She in love, he might not understand.
kept the incident secret.
In fact she had

brain of one had been transplanted into

the skull of the other

and

versa!

Yes, Dr. Merton Lape would do anything

also

to

possess

Dot But

Faversham and
physique nf
in gaining posses-

the

superbly

perfect

Herbert Strong!

126
sion of Strong's perfect

AMAZING STORIES
tinuing

body he must first remove the other's brain and replace it with his own, even as he had
transplanted the brains of the cats into
the skulls of his canine subjects!

with

his

scientific

work was
fellow

concerned
body,

well,

with Herbert Strong's

he could mingle with his

men and
lines

enjoy himself.
his

He

had ample

funds and
sci-

work along

the material

Dr. Merton Lape cunningly and

entifically

was

practically finished.

His books
to

all worked out acHis plan was perfect. There could be no mistake. Dot Faversham was to be his bride unknowingly and with his brain safely tucked away in the great skull of Herbert Strong, he

had

it

and

their

invaluable

contributions

cording to Hoyle,

science proved that

As
affairs

far

as Herbert Strong's private were concerned, they too could

easily be disposed of in a

way

free of

suspicion.

Coming
Herbert
practice

into the fortune of

could enjoy her to the utmost!

the process he

And

in

Dr.

Lape,
culture

Strong

would

be

sion of

a superbly perfect body!

his

what

of

would come into possesBut own twisted, misshapen

fixedly
fireplace
to

most
cal

likely to sell

or abandon his physi-

with leisure.

He

and enjoy himself would not, with a for-

form?

tune in the bank, be expected to consat

As he
dead,
for

staring

into

the

tinue toiling over the rolls of

that

human

fat

soot-blackened

waiting
for

waddled

to his school for reduction.

Dot Faversham

report

the

The whole
off a log.

thing

was

as simple as rolling

day's work, he silently evolved a

for the disposal of his

plan

own ugly

body.

A
Dr.

little

mis-adjustment of the Fifth

it

His cunning scheme,

just this:

briefly

enough, was

Dimensional Surgical apparatus where

connected with the nerve centers of
Lape's,
skull

his.

In his Fifth Dimension Surgery, the two brains, his own and that of Herbert
Strong, would be transplanted from one
skull

would

forever

pre-

vent the brain of Herbert Strong from

talking

through

alien

lips.

But

that
inter-

to the other

simultaneously, leav-

mis-adjustment would
fere

in

no way

no scars and shedding no blood. Thereafter, he would have no use for

ing
the

with the successful

transmutation

of his brain into Herbert Strong's brain-

ugly thing that

of

now

contained his
for the
the

cup!

It

organs.
brain

Nor would he have use

Herbert
Strong.

brain and his

would simply destroy the other's own body and it would

After

appear that death had come over Dr.

operation the body of Dr. Merton Lape and the brain of Herbert Strong would simply die and it would look like a natural death, while Herbert Strong, with

Lape

quite naturally.

trouble,
relatives

anyway

And he had heart But he had no near

contest his win or

who might

Merton Lape's super-brain skull, would live and enjoy life

Dr.

in at

his
its

demand an investigation into his death. For that he was thankful, for he did not
wish to
tie

up

his

fortune in litigation.

best. As for continuing to possess his own worldly possessions, all he had to do

was to
to

make a

will

in which, in event

He wanted to spend some of it on a honeymoon to Europe with Dot Faversham! He wanted to enjoy it with his
stolen

of his, Dr. Lape's death, everything

was

body!
said
silently

band, Herbert Strong.

go to Dot Faversham and her husThat would give

that

"Now," he
to

to

himself,
I've got

staring into the

fireplace,

"all

him possession of the big mansion and

all
it

contained,

even

after

the

death of his

own

body.

As

far as con-

do is to get Herbert Strong here. That should be very easy a quiet supper for the bride and her intended


THE BODY PIRATE
groom, and presto! On the other hand, it might be best not to have DorothyPerMiss Faversham in the house. haps I had better make other arrangements.

127
never

enough,

paused to consider what crime he might commit in stealing

he
the

ing his
,it,

body of Herbert Strong. In takown life as he planned to take

If there was,

Yes, that would be

best.

She

there seemed no crime.

might get curious during the

tion and spoil
it

transmuta-

who

could prove that a crime had been

?

But the supper 111 have it just the same and will invite Strong to come here the next day under the pretense of working on my
all.

committed
the

Until he heard Dot spring the latch on

front door, he sat gloating silently

over the picture. Hearing her, he quietly

laid

old

body

That's the plan

will

let

the magazine aside

his

shop.

Miss Faversham have that day off to I think a pre-wedding present of, say a hundred dollars, ought to keep her
here.

one of
tube.

big test tubes.

and stepped to There she

found him studying the contents of the

away from
body while
at

Then when she comes

simply find

back to work,
I,

she'll

my
!"

old

With a cheery "Good Morning, Dr. Lape" she deposited her wraps in a laboratory closet, flung back a vagrant red
curl

as Herbert Strong, will be

my He

school waiting developments

with
to

a
his

deft
side.

touch

and

stepped
in

might
with

have

settled
at

back
his

and

lightly

Already garbed

laughed
cunning.

satisfaction

own

the solid

white of her profession, she

But Dr. Lape was too tired, fagged out from his nights of painstakIt was not in his ing labors, to taugh.
nature
to

was ready for work.

astonishment
she

And much
received

to her

broad,
It
let

cheery smile from her employer.

the
first

was
her

be

gay,

even

with

himself.

time he had smiled

in,

What

he did do, however, was to snatch

see now-

two

months!

But Dr. Lape

entitled to

up a health
rack attached

magazine
to

that

lay

in

could afford to smile at his best now.

Isn't a

and thumb coolly through the pages, until he came to a picture of Herbert Strong printed
his

chair

man's intended bride

a smile from him occasionally?

"Good morning, Miss Faversham!" he

rasped cheerily.
for you.

on one of them.
sprang into
ture of
his

Then a
sunken

gloating look

"I
is

have been waiting

to be

eyes.

The

pic-

There

much

done

to-

a strong, masculine body had always fascinated him, and how he had longed to have such a body as his very

day and the work must

I

fall upon you. have been troubled with insomnia lately

and

am

very

tired.

I will outline

your

own! Now, thanks to his own genius, it was within the realms of possibility. More than that, it was about to materialize into more than longing.
Strong,

duties and retire."

"You
she

look very fatigued, Dr. Lape,"

smiled back sympathetically.

"You

As he sat staring at who was posed

the

picture

of

like Atlas
it

with

have been working too hard. I am glad to see that you have not resorted to opiates as often happens with worn-out
physicians.
tions
I

the world on his broad shoulders,

was

shall

follow any instruc-

easy to see that Dr. Merton Lape con-

you give

me

for the day."

templated something untoward. His face

was no inscrutable mask now. His sunken eyes gleamed murder. And he would
murder to possess a body
Herbert
Strong
for
like

"Good, Miss Faversham," he said, running his practiced eyes over the subject in the tube. That subject would
have
tirety,
filled

that of

a layman or laywoman with

for
it

and
his

girl

like

Dot

quick horror,
the

was, in their

en-

Faversham

bride!

Strangely

internal

organs of a

human

128
being, living, breathing

AMAZING STORIES
he was smiling contentedly. Things were

and feeding- with the same regularity as any confined in a normal body But Dot Faversham was accustomed to such things since com!

if

"Of course you may have a day off!" he added. "But you make it day after tomorrow, I
playing into his hands.
will

ing

into

Dr,

Lape's

employ.

"I

have

give you a

complete confidence in you," Lape continued.

that

may

help

little pre-wedding gift you to buy the things

"You have
ability

constantly

proven
situation

necessary for a June bride!"

your
jects.

to

handle

any
it

"Thank

you, Dr. Lape!" she beamed.

It

that arises

among my experimental
will
skill

subre-

"You

are very considerate.

will

be

This time, however,

day after tomorrow, then."

"Excellent!"

quire

your utmost

to

keep alive
I

he

said,

pulling

out

Subject

Number
in the

3 in this tube.

have

check book and scrawling in

his

bold
is

been observing unquestionable signs of

tricliina

muscles about the heart.

are

hand a check on something to show

for
past years.
I

his

bank.

"Here

my

keen appreciation
out to you

Today
is to
call

the

symptoms
first

more

pro-

your helpful assistance during the

have made
it

nounced and the

thing you must do

begin treating the subject.

that I explained to
is

You

re-

for five hundred."

you thoroughly

"Five hundred dollars?" she accepted

that trichinosis

the curse of
nenuitoid

humans
in

and swine.
this

The

parasites

subject's

heart tissues and muscles

must be removed.
"I have

Do you

think you are

capable of doing it?"

removed them on several occasions from Subject S, Dr. Lape," she

said earnestly.
here.
rest.

you a extravagant, Dr. Lape?" "Not a bit of it!" he laughed. It was like a cold cackle. "If I had paid you near what you are worth, it would not have been too much Take it and
the check in amazement. "Aren't
bit
!

enjoy yourself with

pliments
!"

my

heartiest

com-

"I can

manage
the

quite well

Now
I

you run along and get some

situation

He

promptly turned away, leaving her

at

understand

per-

standing

the

test

tube,
It

staring

in-

fectly."

credulously at the check.

would more

"Good, Miss Faversham," he rasped

again, wearily.

than pay for her trousseau and the kind

of a colorful

"I

know you
Subject

do.

For
If
it

wedding she had always

to-day and to-morrow you will give your

entire

wanted.
at

At

the door he paused, looked

attention

to

3.

her cravingly and spoke again.

"It

shows

no
it

improvement,

we

shall

re-

would please me immensely, Miss

move

from the
at

solution and

perform a
disappoint-

general

removal of the parasites."

Dot looked
edly.

him a

bit

Faversham," he rasped cunningly, "to have you and your fiance dine with me to-morrow eveningjust a little prenuptial dinner.

Can you arrange

Dr.
if all

it?"

"I was going to beg off duty to-mor-

"We

shall

be delighted,

Lape;"

row, Dr. Lape," she said quietly.

"You

she enthused, wondering

tion that he

the while

remember I'm
on the 20th,
last

to be married this month,

I

she had been mistaken in her presump-

to be exact. to

have some
"

was a man without a

It is

heart.

minute shopping
stupid

do

"I shall phone Herbert this morning and

"How

of

me,

Miss

Faver-

make

sure.

very kind of you."

rasped.

sham!" Dr. Lake rasped. best assistant I ever had

be married and
to

"Here, the
is

"Good!"

Lape

His

sunken

going to
I

eyes gleamed.

"I have wanted to offer

like a stupid ass

failed

my

congratulations to your fiance. evening, then?"

To

show some consideration I"

Inwardly

morrow

THE BODY PIRATE

"Of
course." she replied.

129
again,

"We

shall

be

evening
control

came

he had complete

here at eight."

over himself.

An

injection

of

He waddled away. But Dr. Lape had no thought of retiring. Much work was
yet
to

drugs into his skinny arm saw to

that.

At the quiet
first

little

dinner he had his

be done before

when

his

dead and

the fatal hour deformed body would be found his powerful, cunning brain

opportunity to study Herbert Strong

quarters

at

close

and

was

immensely
In an im-

satisfied

with what he saw.

tuxedo,

assume control over the superbly perHe took fect body of Herbert Strong.
himself
oratory.

maculate

Herbert

Strong

re-

newed

his envy.

He

had the body-build

immediately

to

his

secret

lab-

of a Greek god and in contrast with his

There the strange canines him like angry felines. The and the two monkeys chatHis first acts tered through their bars. were to get rid of them. It would not do to leave such evidence of his handied at
cats barked

own

distorted frame, he

was a
large

veritable

giant-

As

they ate he silently studied the

size

shape and

of his

head and an
un-

masked

his

satisfaction

with

accustomed smile.

work and

scientific

skill

behind to con-

demn
them

him.

He

promptly chloroformed
the

Never before had he seen Dot Faversham look so beautiful. Her golden hair was set off effectively by her silver evening grown.
desire
to

and

dumped
that

bodies

into

a a
al-

More than
her,
so.

ever he

felt his

waste chute

carried
the

them

into

possess

and more than

roaring furnace in

cellar.

He

ever he meant to do

Much

to Dot's

ways did things thoroughly and he made

a thorough job of burning his bridges

amazement he proved to be a perfect host and he had given her a dinner that
might have graced the table of the richest

behind him.

As

for the disposal of the

Fifth Dimension Surgical apparatus, as

intricate

family in the

city.

But. Dr.
servants.

Lape

and astounding an instrument

was not a man of many

He

of science as

man had

ever conceived,
table encased in

which stood on a small glass, well, time enough

after the transferring.

had only his housekeeper, a gentle, considerate old lady who had been his personal

to get rid of

it

That would he

the

first
!

task falling to the

new Herbert

nurse during his childhood. She was constantly at their service and seemed to take a keen delight in the

Strong

occasion.

He
ing

spent the balance of the day deall

Dinner
.

finally

over they retreated to

stroying
his

other evidence and in fram-

the library
topics,

where they discussed casual

Dr.

and last testament. That evening, after Dot had been driven away by her fiance, a local notary was called to the mansion to attest to the legality of
will

until

Lape cunningly
of
physical

in-

jected

the

subject

culture

training into the conversation.

Instantly

the

document.
hands.
his

Thereafter,

until

the

following evening, time hung heavy on

his

He

found sleep impossible

was, Dr.
ligion.

Herbert Strong became alert. Nothing him more, unless it was Dot Faversham, than his own profession. It Lape quickly learned, his reinterested

in

excitement

and

anticipation

of
the

He

believed in
for

it

devoutly as the

completdv molding himself with usurped body of another man.

himself in the presence of

perfect cure
ailments.

many
the

of man's minor
scientist

He

To

this

agreed

avoided the laboratory, afraid to trust

without comment.

And when

the party

Dot FaverBut when

broke up he had Herbert Strong's promise to

sham,

lest

she notice the trembling of his

come

at nine o'clock the following

wliat,

hands and grow suspicious.

morning, to see

could be done to-

130
ward strengthening
His guests gone.
rubbed
smock.
Fifth
his his

AMAZING STORIES
distorted

body.

of his

bony hands was a small hypo-

Dr.

Merlon Lape
contentedly,

dermic needle.

He

stepped aside to
first.

al-

bony

hands

low

his victim to enter

slipped out of his tuxedo

and donned a
he carried his
apparatus

The
felt

instant

Herbert

Strong

passed

With

infinite care

through the door of the laboratory he

something sharp prick his right arm.

Dimension

Surgery

downstairs to the main laboratory where

With an involuntary grunt he glanced

over his shoulder to see his supposed
client

he
ing

set

it

up

at the

head of two operating by

side.

tables placed side

it

After check-

leering

at

him with hypodermic

if

over carefully he retired to his

needle poised as

for another jab.

room, chuckling contentedly to himself

in his dry,

rasping cackle.

thereafter he lay on his

For hours bed and visioned

"Did you Doctor?" he

a joke?"
"It
is

stick

me

with that thing,

tried hard to grin jokingly

through his astonishment.

"What

is this,

himself

enjoying,
life

everything

as Herbert Strong, had denied him. It was

fell

no joke. Herbert," Dr. Lape

watching his eyes
closely.

almost
sleep.

dawn when he
It

into a fitful
rest

rasped,

Al-

gave him
hand.

little

and he

ready

they

had

become
.

glassy.

He

awoke
True
cise,

to find the turning point of his

chuckled contentedly.
I

"You

don't think

life close at

had you come here just to try to put

I

to his promise,

Herbert Strong,

strength in the distorted thing

call

my
that

having hiked

from town for the exer-

body, do you?
is

You ought
I

to

know

rang the doorbell promptly at nine

Dr.* Lape himself answered the
!"

impossible, or do you,

my

friend?"

o'clock.

"Of

course

know

it,

Lape!" Herb,

door.

sensing danger flung back.

He

ran a
It

"Good morning, Herbert

with
all

he greeted

trembling hand across his forehead.

the cheeriness he could muster.

"I see you are a

like

promptness.

man of promptness. I Come right in and we

immediately!"
account, Doc-

shall get

down

to business

"Do
tor,"

not hurry on

my

Herb gave him a

smile, revealing

even, white teeth that instantly

made him
assistant

was covered with sweat, an unmistakable indication of weakness emanating from the powerful drug that had been injected into his blood. "But it's not my business to deny anybody the right to my services. What's the idea? You !" tricked me into coming here
"I could think of no other

conscious of his
"I've got
is
all

own
the

large, yellow ones.

way

to get

the morning.
at

My
to

you
war,

here,

my

friend,"

said
in

on hand

gym

handle

my

emotionally.
isn't it?"

"All

is

fair

Lape unlove and

clients there."

He
visible
fied

entered

the

mansion

as

incauin-

tiously as

fly

might dart into the

Dr. Lape,

tottered

Herbert Strong was awe-struck as he on his heels.

the devil do

web

of a spider.

forti-

"What
"I

you mean
Dr.

?"

he desaid

for the occasion by an injection of

let

manded with quick

mean,

fury.

mild drugs,

him into the laboratory. His sallow face was a mask again, inscrutable,
cold.

Herbert,"

Lape

emphatically in a voice that sounded like the rasp of steel against

too, love
steel,

His sunken eyes

glit-

"that

I,

tered in their deep sockets like chips of

blue glacial

ice.

And he

was, without

to

undue preliminaries, ready to handle the situation as promptly and thoroughly as

he did everything
else.

Dorothy Faversham and intend marry her!" "You you marry Dot?" Herb Strong was flabbergasted. But he could

Hidden

in

one

not help laughing

despite

the

dizzins

THE BODY PIRATE

that

131

was sweeping over him. "That's the

I

sess that superbly perfect physique as his

funniest thing

ever heard, Lape!

You

very own, he worked speedily, yet with

and

Dot

getting
little

married!

Why, you

an expertness born of long

practice.

wizened

anemic, I've a notion to

With
plete

the

silent

form

of

Herbert
his

turn you inside out!"

Strong once on the table and at

com-

"Why

don't you, Herbert?"

Lape chal-

mercy, he

lost

no time. His sallow

lenged with the same cool indifference.

face

was

distorted into a covetous

mask

"In a few more seconds you

will be just

now. His sunken eyes blazed with the

kind of a look that might have been expected of a miser.
a metal

so much putty in my hands! Do you know what I intend to do, Herbert?" !" "Murder me in cold blood, I suppose snapped Herb helplessly. He wanted to sit down now. His legs were weak and
his

Quickly he placed
skull,

helmet over the other's

that
its

making sure
fitted

internal electrodes

snuggly against his frontal, parietal

knees were trembling.

He

fought

and
skull

occipital lobes!

Other electrodes,
the
the

if

gamely to prevent
to the floor.

his inevitable collapse

such they were,

directly

fitted firmly against

the

over

cerebrum
seams of
dozens

and
the

"That,

my

friend," the love-mad sci-

cerebellum.
cranial

Along
ran

entist said, "is not

-my

intention.

have

bones

literally

of

other plans.

am
it

going to usurp your

other small discs to which were attached

as

body,

Herbert
steal

Strong!

I'm
it

virtually
is

many

tiny tubes

and wires connected

going to

and when

in

my

to the Fifth
at the tables.

Dimension Surgery devise

possession and under the domination of

my own
sham!

brain, I'm going through with

The
paratus

Fifth

Dimension
in

Surgery
itself
it

apin-

your plans for marrying Miss Faver-

was something

to

Do you
I'm

follow

me,
!

Herbert?
speak

spire wonder.

To

the

layman

would

No

I see that

you do not
going
to

I will

have looked

like

some

sort of a scales.

plainer.

remove

your

brain from your skull and transplant

my
so

own
don't

in

its

place!

Now

you follow me,

It
is all

But instead of having saucer like pans on its metal arms, it had ball-coils. Nobody but Dr. Lape understood or could
explain
its

you,

my

friend?

intricate

details,

though

it

simple."

Herbert Strong blinked at him incredulously,

was easily seen to derive its strange power from electrical energy. In truth,
did, but in vibration only. Dr. Lape had discovered the Fifth Dimension in electrical vibrations and into this apparatus he had embodied them, accomplishit

wondering

if

his ears

were play-

ing pranks on him.

"Why, you low-down murderer!" he

raged suddenly, feeling blackness settling

down

o\ er him.

He made
fists
fell

a feeble atfar short of

ing as a result, the impossible transmutation of matter

tempt to grab at
but his clutching
their
floor,

his tormentor's throat,

from one body

scars

to another
tell-tale

without

blood,

or

other

mark.

He

slumped down to the

if

evidence of an operation.

feeling as

he were falling rap-

idly into a bottomless, stygian pit.

Chuckling,
the door.
bition

Dr. Lape quickly locked Then with an amazing exhistrength

for

of

such a twisted

body as

his

own, he

lifted

up the inert
the op-

some miniature Swiss watch movement, the instrument was filled with tiny coilsprings, pendulums and platinum wires. Under each of the two ball-coils was a small, green, vacuum tube which appardelicate
fragile as

As

and

form of

his victim

upon one of
if

ently

controlled

the

vibrations

as

they

erating tables.

As

impatient to pos-

entered the dual helmets, the one already

132

AMAZING STORIES
perfect

snugly fixed on Herbert Strong's skull

body.

And

Dot
be

Faversham,
waiting
for

and the other which Dr. Lape was to

fit

over his

own

head.

unsuspectingly, would him with open arms!

One might wonder how the transmutation could be performed without the assistance of a third person. But Dr. Lape had seen to that. The whole thing was to be controlled by an amazing
robot

As

the vibrations tugged at Herbert

brain,

Strong's

he

grew

tense.

His

strong constitution was fighting at the

drugs that the other had so ruthlessly and treacherously injected into his blood

switch-timed

by

stationary

chronometer.

An

amazing,

brilliant

man,

Vaguely he something was wrong.

streamincreased

was

aware

that

As

the vibrations

was Dr. Lape, and he overlooked nothing, as was his custom. helmet was atSatisfied that the
tached
head,

he

felt

severe,

deadening

perfecdy
he

to

Herbert
placed

Strong's

ache at the base of his skull. In a stupor he tried to figure out what was wrong with him, but got nowhere in that
direction. Yet he was sure something was tugging at his brain, as if some invisible

promptly

himself

the other table.

Sitting there, he

on donned

the second helmet.

Perfectly calm, su-

instruments were cutting

its

tisit

premely confident and fearless as to the outcome of his piracy of another man's
body, he coolly jabbed
his

sues and nerve centers and pulling

in

a sort of suction from his skull,

skinny

arm

with his hypodermic needle, then turned on the robot switch. Everything was set

A
as
if

sever stab of pain suddenly struck

at the backs of his eyes.

He

wrenched

now
slight

for the transmutation, even to the

shot and as he did so he rolled clear

mis-adjustment of the wires that

all

of the table.

The helmet was yanked

It

controlled

life

on

his table.

He

was

from

his

head.

clattered

perfectly aware that

when

the robot had

floor beside him, rolled a

on the few inches and

gone the cycle of its time, he alone would be a dead man. But Herbert Strong would be alive and in his cranium would be his, Dr. Lape's, own superbrain
!

came
flash

into contact with the metal legs of

the table.

Instantly there

from the laboratory.

was a -Winding Green flame

Dr. Lape's

wiggled and crackled over

great Fifth Dimension
atus.

Surgical appar-

he turned on the robot switch, the Fifth Dimension Surgery apparatus went into action. The twin vac-

The

instant

Platinum wires melted. The green vacuum tubes burned bright for an in-

uum

tubes glowed softly.

The

ball-coils

gradually.
first,

began to vibrate, gathering Pendulums swung, slowly at

then rapidly as seconds ticked off
injec-

momentum

on the chronometer. As Dr. Lape succumbed to

and exploded. The distorted body Lape twitched on his table. Every in his withered body seemed to tighten. Suddenly he relaxed with a dismal sigh. His sunken eyes opened wide and his jaw sagged.
stant

of Dr.

muscle

his

tion of drugs, he felt a strange vibratory

movement
Dimension
loosening

in his brain, as

if

the Fifth

been,

was painlessly and preparing it smile on his thin, colorless lips, he became inert, confident that when he awoke he would be in full possession of a new and superbly
apparatus
tissues

made an in all things as he had had overlooked one thing! Time! Time and Herbert Strong's powerror!

Dr. Merton Lape had finally

Thorough

he

the

erful constitution

He

should have ad-

for transmutation.

With a

ministered another dose of his drug to

the

man whose body

he had so pains-

takingly labored to steal.

But
to

in his

exinto

citement

and impatience

come

THE BODY PIRATE

possession of that body, he had overtried again to rist

133
only to sink back with

looked

that

all-important

detail!

His
might

swimming
in

senses.
if

would-be victim simply revived ahead of

schedule
as

Wondering

something was wrong

or
if

surgical

patient

the big house,

her fiance had

emerge too soon from

his ether.

He

lay

already left the place and returned to

on the floor in a nauseating stupor, aware that he was there, yet having little
or

town,

frdnt door and admitted herself with her own key.

to

Dot hurried

the

no

control over his faculties.

Inside, the place

was quiet

as a tomb.

Short-circuited by the contact of the

Herb's cap, hanging on a rack in the

hall,

helmet with the leg of the

Fifth

table,

the

caught her eyes.

She knew then

the house, for a

Dimension Surgical device went up in smoke, its fragile machinery melting into worthless masses as
it

that

he was

still

in

man seldom

walks off leaving his hat.

did so.

Dr. Lape might have strapped the body

of his intended victim to the table and

She went straight to the library. It was deserted. She wondered where the
housekeeper
was.

But Dr.

Lape had

prevented such a catastrophe.

But he
precau-

had

been aware

that

such

also given her a day off that he might have absolute privacy during the trans-

measure would have rendered him helpless after the transmutation. He would have been unable to loosen himtionary

mutation.
Inspired with the idea that the two

men might
went
there.

be

in

the

laboratory,

she

His own distorted body Herbert Strong would have been comself
!

dead,

The door was

locked.

As

she inserted her key she

heard a low

pelled

to

lie

on

the
the

table,

helplessly

groan from within.

Sensing something

strapped, to await

Faversham
Just

to free

coming of Dot him. The cat would

on the
floor,

wrong, she hastily flung open the door. Instantly she saw Herbert Strong
struggling gamely to attain his feet. She

have escaped the bag then.

how

long he lay

rushed in with a cry of alarm.

Herbert Strong had no way of knowing.

his

His wrist-watch had been smashed in fall. It seemed that he had lain
the shriek of an auto horn
outside.
It

"Herbert!"

she

cried

anxiously.

"What has happened?"

there for ages before he suddenly heard

He

looked at her stupidly.

car which he had

somewhere was the horn of his own loaned to Dot that

"Water!" he muttered.
drink, Dot, please!"

"Get

me

She ran quickly past the

the faucet.
first

morning, her
for

own

auto

being

tempo-

toward As she did so she had her

tables

rarily out of commission.

She was to call him at the Lape mansion at noon. Once again the horn blared out its call.

glimpse of Dr. L*pe.

her he was dead!

She needed
face to

only one passing glance at his

tell

His jaw sagged

open.
glass

He

struggled to rise like a drunken man.

His senses reeled and all the strength seemed to have fled from his powerful His head ached violently and his legs.
eyes felt as
needles.
if

and his eyes were popped wide She stifled a sob, snatched up a and filled it from the faucet. Strong gulped its contents in a
swallow.

Herb
single

they had been jabbed with

to

From
a

medicine
of
swiftly

chest

she
salts.

He managed

get

to

his

grabbed
Strength

bottle

smelling
to
effect.

knees and then he collapsed back. Outside

returned
its

Herb's

Dot tooted again a

lips

bit impatiently.

body

under

powerful

She

If he could only get a drink of water to

helped him up.

wet his burning

and throat!

He

"What

has happened, Herbert?" she

134
demanded
again,

AMAZING STORIES
glancing at

Dr.

Lape

marriage
jected!"

to

me

and was promptly reto you,

Dot!" he in his said, holding his aching head "1 hands. except that don't know, Lape had a crazy idea that he was Imagine such going to steal my body
there,
!

and shuddering. "You've got

me

"Did he propose
scowled.

Dot?" Herb

"Yes, Herbert," she replied. "I might

as
well
tell

you.

It

was during the

winter and his proposal came to

me

as

an insane idea?

He was

going to re-

move my brain and put his own in its place! Then he was going to marry
yon!
That's
all
I

know, except that

in here he

the minute he got

me

jabbed

was stunned!" "He had a lot of crust, trying to steal my body and my girl But he'll never try it again Look at him His face is
a complete surprise.
I

"Humph !" Herb

!

grunted.

me

with a hypodermic needle. I just passed out until I saw, or thought I

saw, a blinding flash of light.
I've been

burned black

!"

Then

found myself on the wondering

his

floor.
if

Since then

he actually did

Dot shuddered, grasped his arm and led him away. "Perhaps it serves him right, Herbert," she sobbed. "But he really was
a brilliant man.

transplant

brain
for

into
I

my

head!

He

contributed

many
should

guess

he didn't,
of

recognized

the

invaluable things to science.

He

sound

my

car

horn
in

when

you

be remembered as a great scientist."

tooted it!"

"You mean he shourd

astonishment.
as a

be remembered

"Oh !" Dot gasped

body

pirate,

Dot!" grunted Herb.

"How

terrible!
to

might have known he

!

"I hate to think what would have hap-

was up

something
I'll

at nights!

He was working bet he was working on

it

pened to
"Don't,
"Just

me

if

he had succeeded!"
she
whispered.

Herbert!"
for us!"

something to make
to
steal

possible

for

him

think of
it

our wedding day and

your body! That's what he meant when he told me there might be a way out for him after he had proposed

what

means
if

"As

could forget that, Dot!" he

grinned.

The End

What do you know?

How might a record flight by airplane compare with Jules Verne's story entitled "Around the World Eighty Days?'" (See Page 9.) had to study the trade winds; can the air pilot pursue a similar system (See Page What do you know about the stratosphere and its availability for air travel? (See Page 10.) How does man's vertical range of travel oompare with his horizontal limits? (See Page 10.) Can you name Saturn's moons and give their number? (See Page 13.) What are the distances el the IIUIUHl and of the farthest of the moon^ from the planet f (See Page 13.) What is the earth's ceutrospuere <,See Page 34.) What are fumaroles? i,See Page 34.1 What are the chemical formulas of sulphurous and sulphuric acid? (See Page 34.) What are the powers of radium? (See Page 41...) (See Wbttt characteristic of animals on the Calapago* Islands is attributed to them by naturalists?
in

Tlte navigator in sailing vessels 10.)

''

Page 4V.)
surface tension and how does it act upon liquids? (See Page 57.) cif tbe action of surface: tension, (See Page 57.) the action of simultaneous wave series upon each other? (See Page the name of the action? (See Page 63.) the action of a photoelectric cell as affected by light or its absence? In referring to the monster in Mrs. Shelley's famous novel, is Frankenstein the What is the cause of trichinosis? (See Page 123.) Should an alleged discovery in many cases be termed a theory? (See Pages What was for several years the theory of the constitution of the atom? (See Should the latest theory of the atom be taken as nnal ; See Page 139.)
is

What

Give 'example^

What

18
is

63.)

What What

is

(See Page 82.) monster? (See Page 116.)

13S-9.)

'

Pages 138-9.)


March, 1935

AMAZING STORIES

135

^&e-ussiONS
In this department we ehall discuss every month tonics of Interest te renders. subjects directly or indirectly related to the storlei appearing In thii roaoajine. repaired, a nominal fee nf 25c te cover time and postage it required.

The
In

editors Invite correspondence en nil ease a specie) personal answer Is

and Characteristic Letter from it Correspondent of the Female Order Editor, Amazing Stories: Reviewing the four latest issues of A. S., I have come to the conclusion that the contents Congratulations do full justice to the name. on the Editorials each month. They are very interesting. Now for the stories. "Life Everlasting" by David H. Kellar, M. D., was a "The Velocity of Escape" and beautiful story.
Delightful

Moat

compare the pages and number of stories. And well, any way what difference does the size make? A. S. will be good old A. S. whether it be twelve inches high or six inches high. And it will still retain it's dignity in any size as long as the words Amazing Stories
all

appear across the front.

The

covers were

all

fine

the Oct. issue

made me kind

except the one on of uncomfortable.

two fine interplanetary tales. Also "The Master Minds of Venus." -The Pool of Life" by P. Schuyler Miller de"The Really unusual. serves recognition.
Pirates,"

"The Moon

Moon
etary
for

Waits,"
narrative.

another A. S.

distinctive

interplan-

seems to have gone

"space conscious"
it,

what

is

(I?) Well more power to more amazing than the undis-

May A. S. survive long enough to gain some Martian and Venetian readers. (But I am afraid our dear old Ed. won't be the editor by that time! Many regrets! Also we present readers will be under the sod many centuries by that time.) At any rate Long Live A. S. Miss Ethel M. C. Poppe,
Box 727, West Brownsville, Pa.

covered mysteries that lurk in the dark void of

"outer-space."
eries

So come on you space-travel-

ling authors, keep us in touch with the discov-

of

your imagination.
least,

And
the

last

but by

(We have the good fortune of receiving the kindest letters from members of the very interesting, fair sex such as you write us with
its lively bits and what we may call its kind treatment of the Editors. do not write these comments simply to compliment our correspondent and you have stated your case so nicely and completely that we do not feel that we can add to it. It is a comfort to find that you approve of the smaller size. Editor.)

no

means

"Through

Andes,"

by

A. Hyatt Verrill, has at last drawn to a glorious climax, a wonderful tale while it lasted. I also enjoyed "Eighty-Five and Eighty-seven." and "Noekken of Norway." "Land of Twilight,"
tale, promises to be good. Now for some war (I?). Challenge accepted! choose your weapon. For the benefit of the audience (readers) I will repeat the challenger's words (argument on the size of A. S.) Quote "I challenge any reader to give any real reason why the small size is better than

We

er~- ah another space

Commendation
Editor,
I

An

in

Well-Thought-Out Sentences Encouraging Letter

Stokies:

Amazing

would

like to say that

your

editorial article

Steadman" {A. S, Oct.) and swords would put a stain on the clean reputation of A. S. and if disintegrators were used, Ed, would have to sweep up the ashes (heaven knows he has enough to do outside of that). So the only thing left is words. Are you ready? all right. First of all get out a pile of your "aristocrat" A. S. books.
the large.

John

S.

Unquote.

Pistols

under the heading "The Sphere of Vapor" is very instructive and interesting. I would like to see more of them in your future numbers.

"The Moon Waits" is another interesting subject in which are found accounts of actual
events

mixed with some

fiction

more or

less

fantastic or extravagant but nevertheless

good

Now
piles,

a pile of "undignified" sized ones.

ends,
in

Set

enough to hold the readers

attention.

them up between book

two separate

Now walk back five feet side by side. and view them. Isn't the smaller size neater Doesn't the tall pile look sort of looking? skinny? what? Next, take one of the er "aristocrats" in your hands, doesn't it flap uncomfortably over your hands if you hold it in And plop in the center when you the middle? ends? hold the Now take one of the "undignified" ones and hold it. See how it snuggles "just so" in your hands? Isn't it more easy to hold? Last of

"The Land of Twilight" seems to be a very good serial, judging by the first seven chapters of part one; I like the style and the way the
is started, keeping the readers in suspense and expectation for the following events of the story. It is filled with adventures that keep There is also the "facts mixed with fiction" and of course the human

story

the imagination alert.

side of the

story that gives

the characters a

very realistic atmosphere.

I

will

close

these

lines

giving us a

new author and

thanking you for for keeping those


136
that are of real merit with

AMAZING STORIES
;

March, 1935

your magazine, Joseph J. Valdes, 90 Yale St., Hempstead, L. I., N. Y. (We thank you foe your appreciation and venture the hope that we have in some measure deserved it. We certainly are doing the best that is in us to please a sometimes critical clientele. In your case all our work seems to be acceptable. Ebitok.)

vember and December, 1928; January, February, October, November, 1929 January, March, September and November, 1930; March, April, June, October and November, 1931 February and May, 1932 (Super, Super Excellent, September, 1932; October, 1933; January, February, March, April and July, 1934.
;

The cover
of the

picture for the June, 1934, issue

Comments on Mr.
"The Heart
Editor,
of

Verrill's

Story,

the
:

Andes"

Amazing

Stories

congratulations to you and A. Hyatt "Through the Andes" is, in my humble opinion, a masterpiece of science fiction. The fact that Mr. Verrill's premise as to the origin of the Aztec and Toltec peoples coincides with the Book of Mormon takes nothThe ing from the originality of his story. plot is well conceived, the theme is carried through nicely and the characterization is exVerrill.
cellent.

My

Amazing Stories wasn't in keeping with name of the mag at all. Now about the stories. I enjoy eighty-five percent of them and as for the others I suppose some one else enjoys them. I wish you would reprint the "Moon Pool" by Merritt again, but I suppose the cost of reprinting would be too high altogether to warrant doing that. I've read both the "'Skylark" stories with much enjoyment and even
I still have the mags with those stories in I wouldn't mind at all if you reprinted them again especially as one of your competitors is printing the third Skylark story. Lots of readers who read "Skylark of Valeron" will want to read the earlier adventures of the Skylark so there's your chance. The Professor Jameson stories are great. Please give us more. Some great stories which appeared in A. S. in the past are: "The Sixth Glacier" by Marius; "Futility" by Capt. S. P. Meek; "The Chamber of Life" by G. Peyton Wertenbaker "Colour Out of Space," "Into the Green Prism" and the sequel "Beyond the Green Prism" by A. Hyatt Verrill. "The Metal Horde" by John Campbell, Jr. "The Green Girl" by Jack Williamson; "The Valley of Titans" by L. A. Eshbach; "The Stone From the Green Star" by Jack Williamson; "The Lost Machine" by John B. Harris. .All Neil R. Jones' stories and David H. Keller's and E. E. Smith's and A. Merritt's. I did not like any of A. Sigmond's covers and I am glad that they are now a thing of
; ;

though

John Francis Kalland, 1686 E. Minnehaha St., St. Paul, Minn.

(In Mr. Verrill's story, which you refer to, we particularly admired the depiction of charSome of it was done in a masterful acter. way, especially the wild western cowboy personality. Mr. Verrill is an absolute authority in the archaeology of the countries in his stories. Editor.)

A
Editor,

Pleasant Letter from the Far-Ofi

Dominion

of

New

Zealand

Amazing

Stories:

This is just another letter from N. Z. to show you that your (sorry I mean otm) magazine is appreciated even in this far corner of the world. I have heard that a large number of Americans think that N. Z. is a town in Australia; if that is so, it is sure some little It is inconceivable to my mind that town. anyone could think that a country like N. Z which is larger in size than England, should of as a town in Australia. thought be I am wandering from the subject But wait "Our Mag" I've been a silent reader of Amazing Stories for five years now. I was first attracted to it by a nice bright and Many readers complain truly amazing cover. that your covers are too lurid and they want Well quiet covers instead of amazing ones. what I want to know is why do they read the magazine at all. The name of the magazine is Amazing Stoeies and when a person buys magazine he expects to be amazed, that so the cover is a good start if you make it sufficiently amazing and the brighter the better. Some covers which I think were really outFebrustanding, in fact super -excellent were ary, September, August, 1927; January, NoI :

the

past.

I'd

like

to

see

the

old

Amazing

Stories title back on the cover again, the one which started off with a large "A" and gradually dwindled off smaller and smaller. Is there any hope? If you don't hurry up and give us straight and even edges to our mag I'll send you an earthquake. I'll Surely it would not cost very much more for straight edges and it would improve the looks of the magazine 100 per cent, and also it would be one in the eye of your competitors. May I draw your attention to a mistake in the numbering of the Quarterlies. The 1932 Fall-Winter Edition was numbered Vol. 5, No. which was correct. The following issues 3, were numbered wrongly as follows: 1933 Spring-Summer Vol. 6, No. 4. 1933 Winter Vol. 7, No. 1. 1934 Fall Vol 7, No. 2. They should have been: 1933 Spring-Summer Vol. 1933 Winter, Vol 6, No. 1 and 1934 5, No. 4. Fall Vol. 6, No. 2. I was surprised that no one else peitited out this mistake to you.


March, 1935
I
still

137

AMAZING STORIES

need a few issues of Amazing Stories to complete my set, perhaps some of your readers can help me if this letter ever appears in the Discussion* Columns. The issues Vol. 1, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6 and 9. I require are Vol. 2. Nos. 3, 4, 7 and 8. Quarterly Vol 1,
:

you see most fans here read the August issue in November. So I can look forward to seeing this letter in the new year of your magazine, that is if you decide to publish it. I have one brickbat. I do not like Morey's covers and illustrations. (Let there be an outcry at such
a statement
I

No.

1.

Nevertheless

consider

Wesso

Welt

am
me

afraid
five

I'll

have to close now.

It

to be the finesj science-fiction artist ever since

years to write this letter. I wonder if it will be another five years before Somehow I don't think so, I write again. but in any case you can always count on me as a staunch supporter of Amazing Stories.

has taken

kind of fiction was started. Oh well, Editor, forgive me "Chacum a son gout." Alan H. Bailey,
this

21 Canberra Avenue,

North Wollstonecraft,
P. S.
I

Here's wishing you and your staff the best of luck and may Amazing Stories keep on amazing for many years to come and thanks for the many hours of enjoyment that I have had out of your magazine.
P.
S.

Sydney, N. S. W., Australia. anyone would care to write to me, will answer their letters very gladly. (If you will read our Discussions, you will

If

find

that there are

many
no

readers

reprints.

But however that may

giving
reprints.

be,

who enjoy we are

Just a

little

brickbat.

Please don't

practically
see

any more of the stories written by Jules Verne or Poe. Even here they are propublish

why

there should be so

much

do not delay on our

We

curable in the Public Library.

Jack Murtagh,
62S Nelson Street, Hastings, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. (It is quite amusing that anyone should be so ignorant of geography as to call New Zealand a town in Australia. It is true that there

Australian readers getting their magazines. will take it up with our Circulation Manager shall hope that he will get rid of the should think that there will be many who would enjoy correspondence with a resident of the Antipodes. Editor.)

We

and we
trouble.

We

Effect of a Letter Printed in Discussions

nothing which a large number of Americans not think, but we are inclined to believe that you do them an injustice about New Zealand. If you enjoy 85% of our stories, we are
is

Editor,
I

may

printing

Suggestion About Reprints Amazing Stories wish to thank you for your courtesy in my letter in the Discussions Depart:

ment of

the October.

1934, issue of

Amazing

quite complimented. The old futuristic covers, which were tried for a while, have been defThey lasted about as long initely abandoned.

or perhaps longer than they were worthy to The Quarterlies come out so irregendure. ularly that the dating of them may seem staggering. You will probably find it difficult to get the very early numbers of Amazing Stories but your letter may bring results.

Stories. This letter concerned back numbers which I had to sell. In your editorial comment under my letter, you mentioned that you had never heard whether this type of letter had ever done any good or not. I am now reporting. Immediately following the appearance of that issue on the

newstands. I was fairly deluged with inquiries. As a result, I have disposed of my entire collection

Editor.)

which
I

consisted

of

several

hundred
I

magazines.

A
I

Letter from Australia

The

Magazine
in

While
the

did write to several names

found

There and
Edilcrr,

Its

Slowness of Issue

Amazing

Stories:

reading your publication continuously for the last three years, but this is the first time I have ever dared to write. I have been aroused from my usual good-humored self,

have been

Some readers, by these confounded reprints. I note, seem unable to get them, but here in Australia every little bookstall has one or two copies. So, Mr. Editor, discontinue your reprints unless they he the lauded stories of your early issues (such as "Skylark Three," "Spacehounds of IPC," and stories about Arcot, Wade and Morey, etc.), otherwise your magazine
is

Readers Department of the various Science fiction magazines, most credit goes to the letter you published. Incidentally, I wrote similar letters to each of your rivals at the same time. One of them gave me mention, while the other ignored my request completely. For my part, I can say that the printing of my letter produced exactly the result desired. Thank you again for your kindness in this
matter.

''A
in

at Lloyds."

Here
months
last

Australia,
it

unless

issues

are

three

old. the price is equivalent to

year

was equivalent

to

50c and about 90c, so

And in closing, allow me to make one comment about the reprint quarterly. That is a fine idea. There were some great stories printed in A. S. in its early days. Why not print "The Moon Pool" complete in an early issue. Also, "The Land That Time Forgot"' by Burroughs. Why not an entire H. G. Wells quarterly sometime? My suggestion would be


138

AMAZING STORIES
Mr. Skidmore Replies
<

March, 1935
to the Criticism of

to use "When the Sleeper Wakes" as the long story; the "Invisible Man" and enough of his other short stories to fill the issue.

Mr.

But, no reprints in the monthly, please. Carl R. Canterbury, 1527 11th Avenue, Moline, Illinois. P. S. That idea of a reprint quarterly dedicated to the works of one author might not be so bad if extended to include several of your best liked writers. Coblentz, Keller, Vincent, just to suggest a few. (We have made a point of publishing letters from correspondents desiring back numbers. Your good luck indicates that "Discussions" have a certain advertising value. What you say about reprints is qnite interesting and will receive full consideration from us. Editor.)

Editor,

A. C. Clarke, of England, Which Appeared in the February Issue in Discussions Amazing Stories
:

Now, my
that

British critic,

you

say, first of

all,

I used the word "stratoscope" in "The Velocity of Escape." Score one for you, my friend I intended to use the word "stratosphere." I dictate my stories rapidly and afterwards spend long hours correcting but the word is an error.

critical

Of course, I know there is no such word as "stratoscope" and be assured that I will turn a disintegrating ray on my secretary to punish her and I will also have my own eyes examined and, if you insist, my brain box!
;

A
Editor,

Charming Letter from a Mother Seven Boys

of

Amazing

Stories

Your magazine is surely improving and I think it is "The Aristocrat of Science Fiction." It was very good in the early days of its existence. Then in 1930-1931 the book rather
mind, but now it suits us in size, cover and printing. "Through the Andes" was very good, but then A. Hyatt Verrill is always good and he with Coblentz and Keller are ray favorites. I am a busy little housewife and mother of seven boys, but I am never too busy for science fiction's engrossing stories tg "whet" my mind and they always teach me a lot too. I have given away stacks and stacks of your magazines, with others, to high school boys and interested persons. I wish I could get a hold of the Quarterly which contains "Seeds of Life" by Taine. I have some real old Quarterlies I would exchange. Please print as many stories as you can by Verrill. The Discussions are the first part of the book that I read. I dpn't care for reprints as I've read all of them and so the last Quarterly was a disappointment to me. Yours for a long life and success in "our good magazine."

I'm fully aware that the troposphere is the circle of atmosphere (ranging from 10yi miles in height at the equator and about 7 miles at the poles) and in this area the temperature decreases with approximately uniform rate from the earth's surface. The layer above
first
is called the stratosphere (in times past was called the isothermal region). In the stratosphere there is no convection and it is estimated to extend to 30 miles.

this
it

slumped to every way,

my

I purposely created Cromwell as an inquisiand somewhat dumb assistant for the academic Millstein. Don't you see, my English,
tive,

censorious

friend,

that

Cromwell

is

made

merely a foil; that I (the author) might expand and display my scientific knowledge? God's forbid, the lack of it! In the "The Velocity of Escape" I merely had Millstein say: "Cromwell, I've a hunch! 'The Falcon's' factories are on that star
or, the
.

(Sirius). In a few weeks we will take a trip to Sirius and look around." Millstein did not

go

to Sirius. I knew of the extreme heat on Sirius and its mighty distance; and I only mentioned Sirius because in the paragraphs preceding Millstein's unwise words, I had been proudly airing some interesting facts about

Sirius, the Dog Star. Your objection as to the vast distance to Sirius is not a fair one some of the finest, science fiction stories written have caused their protagonists to journey (at many times the speed of light) to stars and space more distant than Sirius Science fic:
!

Mrs. E.

J.

Fox,

Box
(It is a comfort to

34,

Orcutt, California.

magazine

is

have someone say that our improving. "The Seeds of Life"

appeared in the Quarterly issue for Fall 1931. will see if we can find it for you. As things are going now in this world of ours, it is pleasant to hear from a proud mother, and we know you are that, with your seven boys. More of Verrill's work will appear very soon. He is not only a good writer but an archaeol-

We

tion is an interesting mixture of fact and fancy and we authors have to take lots of license. Your point on the temperature of Sirius is well taken. Sirius would, indeed, be an uncomfortable place for "The Falcon" or Millstein, resourceful as they are! I have already written a sequel wherein Millstein goes after the villainous "Falcon," and Millstein goes to

ogist.

We

will receive

are pretty certain that your letter a response. Ewros.)

Venus! So, my English cousin, I score another point for you, even if you're a bit superFriend, do you not fail to see the technical beautiful forest, because of the trees? You also object to my atomic theory of protons and eleotrons. You say: "The discovery"
I


March, 1935

AMAZING STORIES

139

(you should say 'theory') "that atoms contain

positive electrons and neutral particles has upset all that."

I'm fully aware that recent theories (let us stick to the word 'theories') set up that the nucleus of an atom is not properly said to consist of protons and electrons and that these new theories claim: that no unassociated electrons occur; that the positron (or positive electron) is a positively charged particle (very small) detached from the proton and exists at only high velocities; that the neutron consists of a proton-electron compact combination of a small size, millions of times smaller than
;

covered positrons and neutrons in the atoms. But for good, cogent writing. I must stick (for the present at least) to the simplest atomic description. I'm trying to express with my futile pen the aggregate, metamorphic picture which science has devebped in the last decade. In one of the future "Posi and Nega" stories, I'm going to consider having "Posi" (the proton) and "Nega" (the negative electron) come into actual contact and form a neutron! Tell me, Fans, shall I say they get married? Or maybap I'll have "Posi" (the proton) lose a small particle from his mass because of some great heat increasing his speed to the

the normal hydrogen atom; that it is believed such neutrons and positrons are present in various atoms.
ture of the

danger point!
a positron I'll leave
I

The
to

lost

particle

will

become
this

As

science advances the strucforty years, I have (all the

it

you,

my

readers

shall

atom becomes more complex.

weak pen attempt such a daring and

theme? I warn you
forever
1

intricate

For many of my

while keenly aware of my vast limitations) been an ardent student of science. I've tried (vainly perhaps) to keep apace with the glorious

if

do,

I'll

probably get into

deep technical waters and sink into oblivion-

march of

science.
critic,

The
series

readers of

Amazing

Stories are

stu-

As you perhaps know, my friend and I've published in Amazing Stories a

of the atomic adventures of "Posi and Nega"; and there's to be more published of the tiny electrons if Nega doesn't become angry with

the irrepressible Posi

and short

circuit

him!

Before undertaking to write the "Posi and stories and other yarns in which I set up the atomic structure of sundry elements, I

Nega"

decided definitely to stick closely to the protonelectron theory for the puzzling atoms.

My

first

reason
it

was
is

for

art's

sake.

You

must concede that

easier

and more under-

They take the meat from and digest it; but they are wise enough to spit out the bones. And, now, my friend and critic, allow me to give you a word of criticism, or advice: Don't take the last theory of the atom as final or that it settles the whole abstruse problem. We may have a new and wonderful discovery any day. a theory which can be proved beyond the question of doubt Keep your mind open and receptive! This is the age of wonders And now that I've got this technical answer off my mind, I want to admit frankly that I'm
the
stories
I
I

dents and thinkers.

standable for "Posi" to be a positive electron

(or proton), and "Nega" a free negative electron, both in an atom of hydrogen and let it go at that. If we science fiction authors involve our narrations with too many abstruse theories, our mss. would be merely scientific must have an understandable simessays. plicity of theory in our stories and as long as we stick to basic facts we should not be unduly Science fiction is difficult to write criticized.

only a student of science, floundering sluggishly at the bottom of a vast sea of yet undiscovered

wonders of knowledge. But it's better to give you "a pain in the neck" than never to be
noticed at all
I

And
icism;

sincerely,

We

and

grateful

"Amazing"

readers

I'm glad to have your critfor this chance to give my ideas and thoughts. Joseph Wb, Skidmore, 145 No. Louise St.,
Glendale, Calif.

at least

for

me!

My second reason for using in my stories only the proton-electron theory is that this is the older and accepted standard of chemistry. This old rule is To discover the make-up of any element, take the full number of the atomic weight. That represents the number of protons in the nucleus, as in a gold atom, 197. Now the number of free electrons is represented by the atomic number, in the case of a gold atom 79. The nucleus of a gold atom therefore consists of 197 protons and 197 minus 79 leaves 118 The marvels of chemistry nuclear electrons. have amply proved this theory with numerical
:

(This letter is so complete in details and so well put that we cannot comment upon it, except to say that we like it. Editor.)

Disposed of
Editor,
I

Back Numbers of Amazing Stories to B* Notes on Authors and Stories

and

off

Amazing Stories : have been reading Amazing Stories on for a number of years, and have colfifty

lected about

(SO)

issues.

will

sell

or

certainty.

No
tists

doubt, my English friend, the later scienare right: that there are these newly dis-

exchange these for other science fiction magazines. Note: Issues in 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1931 have no covers, otherwise they are O. K. 1928: Nos. 4 and 12. 1929: 4 and 6. 1930: 3, 4, 9 and 12. 1931; 1, 5, 7, 8 and 12. 1932: 1, 6, 9 and 12. 1933: 1, 4, 5. 8, 10. 1934: 1, 4,. 6, 9 and 11. Quarterly: 1930 Summer and Winter.


140
1931
I
is
it

March, 1935

AMAZING STORIES
Fall.

1932:

have just
a

finished the

wow

Winter and Spring. November issue and "Through the Andes," excellent.

Must be since it is written by A. Hyatt Verrill. "Noekken of Norway," good. "Land of

Twilight," promising. Please give us some

need encouragement in our efforts to please our readers. Especially do we appreciate what you say about our improving. We hope we shall continue on that path. Editor.)

Compliments from a Young Reader

more

of

Professor

Editor,

Amazing

Stories

his Zoromes. I feel I have lost have waited a long time for a sequel to "Troyanna." Where are Jaek Williamson and Miles J. Breuer? I have missed

Jameson and
a
friend.
I

Just a few lines to tell you what I think of the December issue of Amazing Stories.

them.
I

will

now
year.

close

and waste no more of your

S.

time,

wishing A.

the best

of

luck in the

coming

J,

166/1,

McDermott, Muirhead Road,

"The Rape of the Solar System/' by Miss "The Sunless Stone was super-excellent. World," by Jones was excellent. "Men Created for Death," by Kostkos was good. "The Million Dollar Gland" and "Beyond the Universe'' were fair. The serial "Land of Twilight" by Preston is coming along fine. Of
course the Discussions are always good. Morey (in my opinion) is better on the inside illustrations than on the covers. I'm sixteen years old and have read your magazine for a number of years. Albert Smith, 3719 Lee Street, Los Angeles, Calif. (We have felt that some of our severest critics were in the youthful class, but here is a complimentary letter from a young reader, who started years ago to read Amazing Stories. letter like this while it is more than acceptable does touch us in our inner consciousness, but has "our magazine" failed in the past in not being as good as it should have been? Editor.)

Shanghai, China. think you will probably have no trouble your back numbers of Amazing Stories, but of course as you are on the other side of the world, it will involve a certain amount of delay. You will hear again from Professor Jameson and Dr. Breuer. Your appreciation is very pleasant. Editor.)

(We

in disposing of

An
Editor,

Appraisal of Our Issue

:

Here

Amazing Stories I am again. I suppose you

;

regard

me

as a monthly pest by now something that can't be helped. You'll probably take one look at the printing on the envelope and throw it in the good old W. B. right away. Well, here come the onions and roses, right

through from cover to Discussions. Cover Pretty good, but why does Morey always make such spindley legs on people?

While we're on the subject of pictures, I want to ask you to get somebody besides Morey for illustrations so that he'll have some competition. When he has some competition, Morey will perk up and draw much better. Stories "Rape of the Solar System" a very gogd yarn, even if it was rather blood-and"Sunless World" Super-melagorthundery. geous Stupendolossal The mag was worth two bits for this story alone. The first Professor Jameson story I have read, although I've heard of his fame for a long time. Here's to many more stories like it! "Beyond the Uni-

Standing at Attention with Closed Eyes Sympathetic Sound Vibrations Amazing Stories This is the second letter I have written to you since Amazing Stories first was published. There are two experiments that I
Editor,
:

would

like explained.

1 One
for the
tricks,

etc.

evening at a gathering at my home, sake of amusement, we were trying, A friend of mine told me to get

up, stand at attention, then to close

my

eyes,

no sooner were my eyes shut than I began to sway forward and backward. Several others tried it and the results were the same. 2. Taking an Hawaiian guitar which is

verse" Fair.

"Men

Nothing
lion

extra, just a

Dollar Gland" Fair. On the whole, a wry good issue well worth 25c in any man's country. I think Amazing is improving steadily and if you continue to improve and get back the large size or at least the old lettering on the cover, you'll soon be with par the old days and I'll be good back on

Created for Death" Swell. good story. "The Mil-

tuned, and plucking one of the E strings, I have noticed that the other E's will also begin Pluck the A and the other will vibrate also, of course the strings must be well tuned. Now, I know that one E will sound another E because they're octaves, but each
to vibrate.

one

satisfied

reader.

(We

Arthur L. Widner, Jr., 79 Germain Avenue, Quincy, Mass. are glad to get such a letter, for we

octave is twice the number of vibrations of the one next to it. Aren't the sound waves (vibrations) also twice the length of one octave to the other? Will you kindly give me a more correct explanation? As to the Amazing Stories magazine, I suppose I couldn't write anything that hasn't been said before, but I do want to repeat, that I like to see our mag. back to its former size


March, 1935
and the same old
title.

141
first

AMAZING STORIES
The
stories, well there

their length.

In color the

flash

was

like

is nothing to kick about, the variety is great. The drawings, well there I must differ, as has been said before. Mr. Morey is a wonderful artist as is proven by the cover, even Paul couldn't find fault with it, but the inside il-

that
i.

e.,

the first half of a searchlight beam, the half nearest the light, the second sevof
bright.

eral degrees less

lustrations

are

too

mags, and

that's

much like those common what hurts. By that I don't

mean his drawings, but his shadings. Why can't they be more on a definite, clear, outline Please ink drawing, like those of Mr. Paul.
excuse this criticism, but Mr. Morey too well to hide anything in haziness. Victor Dell'Angela,

draws

A. G. Clark-Kennedy, Stanley Villa, Cowes, Phillip Island, Vic, Australia, (Your letter is most interesting, and it reads a little like an episode in a story in our magazine. You show yourself to be an accurate observer, and a good describer. Editor.)

332 Bathhurst Street, Toronto, Ont, Canada. (The fact that a blind person can stand at attention suggests that your trouble in maintaining your position was due to what are sometimes called 'nerves.'

Editor,
I a
called

Comments on the Story, "Land Amazing Storiei:

of Twilight"

have just finished reading your magazine

Amazing
One

Stories.

The

stories

are of

highly

imaginative

and

very

interesting

order.

particular story that I liked a great

deal .was the one just started called

"Land

of

Any string when sounded will start strings one or more octaves below into harmonic or overtone vibrations. The strings roust be exactly one octave or a number of octaves below the sounding strings. If a string besides giving the fundamental note also gives overtones, then start vibrations in strings above it by it will
the action of the overtones.

Twilight," opinion it
I

is

by Robert Page Preston. In my very constructive and educational.

reading stories of this type,
all

shall

and

continue shall advise

of

my

friends to

do the

same. I hope I shall have the privilege of seeing another one of these stories in print soon.

Kenneth

J.

McCullough,
S.

544 Irving Street,

V. California.

Your drawing

enclosed in your letter

is

very

(It

is

of distinct value to get such letters as

criticising

interesting. Editor. )

A
Editor,

Witness of an Explosion on Mars

Describes What He Saw Stories: read the March copy of your The first I've seen (but it won't be the last), and I like it immensely as I have always been one of those who believe that anyhave another reason in thing is possible. I writing you, however. In your story "Terror Out of Space," mention is made of a mighty explosion that took place 1,000 years before. About that I know nothing, but this I do know, that a tremendous one occurred some sixteen I thought some of your readers years ago. might be interested in the facts of the case. As far as I have been able to ascertain, I am the only person who witnessed the occurrence. It was some six weeks (forgot the exact date) before we of the A. L. Horse took Damascus. I was in charge of the 14 Reg's horse pickets About 2 A. M. I near Ludd in Palestine. reached the top of the slight rise on which our horse lines were situated and turned to go down again. As I turned I was amazed to see shoot out from Mars, who was on the almost level with my eyes a great blast as from a searchlight, followed some second or two seconds My thoughts instantly flew later by another. to what I had heard re supposed signals from Mars, but what I saw could not have been while somewhat resembling a for signals searchlight beam, they were far too broad for

Amazing
iust

one or more stories. The judgment of our readers is one of the controlling factors in our work, sometimes to be modified in our use of it. We shall always be glad to hear from you. Editor.)
yours,
Criticism of the
Editor,
I

Have

magazine.

December Issue-

think

greatly.

Back Numbers Wanted Amazing Stories: Amazing Stories is improving One thing you could improve on ii
I

your covers.

believe

that

there should be

more covers showing space ships and different means of interplanetary transportation. Concerning the December issue, these are the ones I thought the best. 1. "The Sunless World." Most of it was pretty good, but there were a few parts that were a bit too fantastic.
2.

"Men Created
so

not seem
I don't

far

for Death." This story does ahead of the times as most

of the others.

know why you

printed

"The Million

I thought it was terrible. would like to buy a few of the back numI wish some of your readers who have these numbers for sale cheaply would com-

Dollar Gland."
I

bers.

municate with me.

Marvin Davis,
320 1st Street, N. E., Auburn, Washington. (For back numbers you might address Subscription Department at this address. You will probably get letters from readers who have them to dispose of. Editor.)


142

AMAZING STORIES
of

March, 1935
works were written many years
read,

The "Land of Twilight" and "Noekken Norway" Highly Approved Of Editor Amazing Stories:
,

Jules Verne's

ago and are

still

why

is

that?
I'll

It is

be-

cause they are masterpieces.

bet that not

For some time, though not regularly, I have been thrilled by your magazine, Amazing Stobies. Some of the stories are truly amazing
ness.

many of the stories that are published in Amazing Stories will be read SO years from
now.

and some amazing to the point of delightfulI do love a good wholesome play-of-thc

imagination to snap me out of my pokey and sordid dullness and give me entirely different

Take for example the last story "Measuring a Meridian." The science is exact, the method is exact. After reading it almost anyone could
go out and measure a Meridian himself, and the description of the country is just about

mental pictures to gaze at with my mind's eye. This last number of yours I thought especially good and when I struck the new and imaginative serial "Land of Twilight" (most alluring and promising title) by Robert Page Preston and when I had finished reading it I felt like a new person. I found myself playing with this thought and that, conjured from the story,
for quite
ing.
It

what it was at the time it was written. In every one of his stories the science is exact, the characters are true to life, and the scenes are described fully, then there are generally
brought in some bits of history, frequently some history of a scientific nature that is not generally known. Compare that with fantastic stories of space ships that go thousands of light years in a few seconds and harnessing the power of hundreds of suns and in which
the science is not nearly right. It was an advertisement in Science and Invention saying that a new magazine would He published and that all of Jules Verne's stories

some time

after I

had finished readI

goes without saying that

am

eager

for the continuation of the

it

will

go on and on,
time.

in

storyin fact I hope the same vein for

is delightful,

quite
I

some
that

think your illustrator

it

too.

know

was

his fascinating picture of the

weird lake in Norway that made a deep impression of that story in my mind.

Eva Lord. 359 Fillmore Street,

San Francisco,
an
Calif.

would be published that started me reading Amazing Stories. Sometimes it has been hard to get the magazine, after the Canadian Government put a duty on them and they stopped coming into Canada, but I always managed to
get them.

(Like all or nearly all normal personalities editor, this particular one at any rate, needs encouragement. An interesting thing about "Noekken of Norway" is that the author spent
in that delightful country,

more

where the editor also spent some very happy weeks one summer. It has real atmosphere. Editor.)
in

some months

Personally I prefer the large size, it seemed dignified and looked better on the shelves. Alfred St. Laurent, St. Raphael, Que.,

(Amazing Stoeies
getting copies.

An Admirer of Jules Verne Tells How He Came to Read Amazing Stories

Amazing Stories: I have been an interested reader of Amazing Stories since the first issue of April 1926 and I have every copy in as good condition as when
Editor,
I

Canada. is now being published Canada, so there should be no difficulty in Write to us if you are troubled

in this matter.

You are

perfectly

correct in

your estimate of the works of Jules Verne. He built up a great appreciation of his works
in science fiction.

Editor.)

received them.
fn

and

I go over them quite often comparing the earlier issues with the
I find

present ones,

that there

was much

better

illustrations in the former.

For me Paul was

Amazing Stories ever had. I am glad that you went back to having the cover design illustrate a scene in one of the stories, the few issues that you put out with futuristic covers seemed silly. I notice that every time that you publish a Jules Verne story there is always a lot of criticism, but that is because they do not understand him. Jules Verne is a Master the same
the best artist that

Reader's Appreciation Correspondent of the Pair Sex Stories stumbled upon your magazine, Amazing Stories. The stories seem to be highly imaginative and very entertaining.
Editor,

A New

Amazing
I

Today

One story I liked was the serial just started. "Land of Twilight" by Robert Page Preston.
It

gave

me many

to

wonder about and

I

things to think about, at least I hope it will continue in

the next edition.

is going to like your magazine too when he gets home tonight. Marie Moen, 294 Carl Street, San Francisco, Calif. (We always get the nicest kind of letters from correspondents of your sex. Some readers

know my husband

Verdi and musical world.

as

Wagner and Mozart

lot of

in the people will listen to

thrown together by somebody that hardly knows one note from another, and as long as there is a lot of noise, they say

some tunes

that are

it

is

good, while they will say that the great

who made our

ago are
still

classics are dull.

with

acquaintance, nearly ten years us. Editor.)

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