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If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Radio Man - An Earthman on Venus - -Author: Ralph Milne Farley - -Release Date: May 27, 2016 [EBook #52167] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RADIO MAN *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - _High Adventure and Strange Romance on a World of Mystery_ - -When Myles Cabot accidentally transmitted himself to the planet Venus, -he found himself naked and bewildered on a mystery world where every -unguarded minute might mean a horrible death. - -Man-eating plants, tiger-sized spiders, and dictatorial ant-men kept -Myles on the run until he discovered the secret of the land—that -humanity was a slave-race and that the monster ants were the real rulers -of the world! - -But Cabot was resourceful, and when his new found love, the Kewpie-doll -princess Lilla, called for help, the ant-men learned what an angry -Earthman can do. - -AN EARTHMAN ON VENUS is a science-fiction adventure packed with the -excitement of an Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the science-vision of an H. -G. Wells. You won’t be able to put it down once you start it. - - - - - AN - EARTHMAN - ON VENUS - - - {_Originally titled “THE RADIO MAN”_} - - by - RALPH MILNE FARLEY - - - AVON PUBLISHING CO., INC. - 119 West 57th Street, New York 19, N. Y. - _Published by Arrangement with the Author_ - - - On the planet _VENUS_ you will meet— - _THIS EARTHMAN_ - - MYLES CABOT, a good-looking young Boston radio experimenter, who - accidentally broadcast himself bodily to another world. - - _THESE GIANT ANTS_ - - QUEEN FORMIS, a twelve-foot-high monster, who ruled a world from an - egg-laying couch, and could conceive of no mercy for her human - slaves. - DOGGO, who became Myles Cabot’s friend through a curious accident and - who first showed Myles the ropes on that queer planet. - SATAN, who was given that name by Myles for the unpleasant reason that - he deserved it—and who lived up to it. - - _THESE VENUSIAN PEOPLE_ - - PRINCESS LILLA, the lovely girl with the Kewpie wings, who held the - key to the throne of Venus and the key to Myles’ heart - simultaneously. - YURI, the suave scoundrel who wouldn’t hesitate to sell out his whole - race to get Lilla’s hand by force. - TORON, who tipped Myles off to Lilla’s private intentions in order to - save himself from slavery. - BTHUH, the beautiful lady who conspired to win Myles for herself, - though she had to help his deadliest enemies to do it. - - [Illustration: COMPLETE AND UNABRIDGED: This AVON book contains the - entire text as published in the original edition.] - -The Radio Man. Copyright, 1924 and 1939, by Frank A. Munsey Company. -Copyright, 1948, by Ralph Milne Farley. - - _Avon Reprint Edition_ - -An Earthman on Venus. Copyright, 1950, by Avon Publishing Co., Inc. - - PRINTED IN U.S.A. - - - - - contents - - - 1 The Message in the Meteor 3 - 2 Stranded in Space 8 - 3 Out of the Frying Pan 16 - 4 Go to the Ant, Thou Sluggard 22 - 5 A Vision 30 - 6 Radio Plays its Part 37 - 7 A Hunting Trip 48 - 8 The Conspiracy 56 - 9 The Rescue 63 - 10 Before Queen Formis 73 - 11 The Valley of the Shadow of Death 81 - 12 A Victim of Yuri 89 - 13 Kidnaped 96 - 14 In Disgrace 104 - 15 A New Game 110 - 16 Cabot Tells the World 119 - - - - - _1_ - the message in the meteor - - -Never had I been so frightened in all my life! It was a warm evening -late in August, and I was sitting on the kitchen steps of my -Chappaquiddick Island farmhouse, discussing the drought with one of the -farm hands. Suddenly there appeared in the sky over our heads a flaming -fiery mass, rushing straight downward toward us. - -“Here’s where a shooting star gets me,” I thought, as I instinctively -ducked my head, just as though such a feeble move as ducking one’s head -could afford any possible protection from the flaming terror. The next -instant there came a dull crash, followed by silence, which in turn was -broken by the hired man dryly remarking: “I reckon she struck over to -Cow Hill.” Cow Hill was the slight elevation just back of our farmhouse. - -So the meteor hadn’t been aimed exactly at _me_, after all. - -If that thing had hit me, some one else would be giving to the world -this story. - -We did nothing further about the meteor that night, being pretty well -shaken up by the occurrence. But next morning, as soon as the chores -were done, the hired man and I hastened to the top of Cow Hill to look -for signs of last night’s fiery visitor. - -And, sure enough, there were plenty of signs. Every spear of grass was -singed from the top of the hill; the big rock on the summit showed marks -of a collision; and several splinters of some black igneous material -were lying strewed around. Leading from the big rock there ran down the -steep side of the hill a gradually deepening furrow, ending in a sort of -caved-in hole. - -We could not let slip such a good opportunity to get some newspaper -publicity for our farm. And so on the following Friday a full account of -the meteoric visitation appeared in the _Vineyard Gazette_, with the -result that quite a number of summer folks walked across the island from -the bathing beach to look at the hole. - -And there was another result, for early the following week I received a -letter from Professor Gerrish, of the Harvard Observatory, stating that -he had read about the meteor in the paper, and requesting that I send -him a small piece—or, if possible, the whole meteor—by express, collect, -for purposes of analysis. - -Anything for dear old Harvard! Unfortunately all the black splinters had -been carried away by tourists. So I set the men to work digging out the -main body. Quite a hole was dug before we came to the meteor, a black -pear-shaped object about the size of a barrel. With rock tongs, chains -and my pair of Percherons, we dragged this out onto the level. I had -hoped that it would be small enough so that I could send the whole thing -up to Harvard and perhaps have it set up in front of the Agassiz Museum, -marked with a bronze plate bearing my name; but its size precluded this. - -My wife, who was present when we hauled it out, remarked: “It looks just -like a huge black teardrop or raindrop.” - -And sure enough it did. But why not? If raindrops take on a streamline -form in falling, why might not a more solid meteor do so as well? But I -had never heard of one doing so before. This new idea prompted me to -take careful measurements and to submit them to Professor O. D. Kellogg, -of the Harvard mathematics department, who was summering at West Chop -near by. He reported to me that the form was as perfectly streamlined as -it was possible to conceive, but that my surmise as to how it had become -so was absurd. - -While making these measurements I was attracted by another feature of -the meteor. At one place on the side, doubtless where it had struck the -big rock, the black coating had been chipped away, disclosing a surface -of yellow metal underneath. Also there was to be seen in this metal an -absolutely straight crack, extending as far as the metal was exposed, in -a sidewise direction. - -At the time the crack did not attract me so much as the metal. I vaguely -wondered if it might not be gold. But, being reminded of Professor -Gerrish’s request for a sample of the meteor, I had one of the men start -chiseling off some pieces. - -The natural spot to begin was alongside of the place where the covering -was already chipped. It was hard work, but finally he removed several -pieces, and then we noticed that the crack continued around the waist of -the meteor as far as had been chipped. This crack, from its absolute -regularity, gave every indication of being man-made. - -Our curiosity was aroused. Why the regularity of this crack? How far did -it go? Could it possibly extend clear way around? Was it really a -threaded joint? And if so, how could such a phenomenon occur on a -meteorite dropped from the sky? - -Forgotten was the second crop mowing we had planned to do that day. -Hastily summoning the rest of the help, we set to work with cold chisels -and sledges, to remove the black coating in a circle around the middle -of the huge teardrop. It was a long and tedious task, for the black -substance was harder than anything I had ever chipped before. We broke -several drills and dented the yellow metal unmercifully, but not so much -but what we could see that the threaded crack did actually persist. - -The dinner hour passed, and still we worked, unmindful of the appeals of -our womenfolk, who finally abandoned us with much shrugging of -shoulders. - -It was nearly night when we completed the chipping and applied two chain -wrenches to try and screw the thing apart. But, after all our efforts, -it would not budge. Just as we were about to drop the wrenches and start -to chisel through the metal some one suggested that we try to unscrew it -as a left-handed screw. Happy thought! For, in spite of all the dents -which we had made, the two ends at last gradually untwisted. - -What warrant did we have to suppose that there was anything inside it? I -must confess, now it is all over, that we went through this whole day’s -performance in a sort of feverish trance, with no definite notion of -what we were doing, or why; and yet impelled by a crazy fixed idea that -we were on the verge of a great discovery. - -And at last our efforts had met with success, and the huge teardrop lay -before us in two neatly threaded parts. The inside was hollow and was -entirely filled with something tightly swathed in silver colored felt -tape. - -Breathless, we unwound over three hundred feet of this silver tape, and -finally came to a gold cylinder about the size and shape of a gingersnap -tin—that is to say, a foot long and three inches in diameter—chased all -around with peculiar arabesque characters. By this time Mrs. Farley and -my mother-in-law and the hired girl had joined us, attracted by the -shouts which we gave when the teardrop had come apart. - -One end of the cylinder easily unscrewed—also with a left-handed -thread—and I drew forth a manuscript, plainly written in the English -language, on some tissue-thin substance like parchment. - -Everyone clustered around me, as I turned to the end to see who it was -from, and read with astonishment the following signature: “Myles S. -Cabot.” - -But this name meant nothing to anyone present except myself. - -I heard one of the hands remark to another: - -“’Twarn’t no shootin’ star at all. Nothin’ but some friend of the boss -shootin’ a letter to him out of one of these here long-range guns.” - -“Maybe so,” said I to myself. - -But Mrs. Farley was quivering with excitement. - -“You must tell me all about it, Ralph,” said she. “Who _can_ be sending -you a message inside a meteor, I wonder?” - -My reply was merely: “I think that there is a clipping in one of my -scrapbooks up in the attic which will answer that question.” - -There was! I found the scrapbook in a chest under the eaves, but did not -open it until after chores and supper, during which meal I kept a -provoking silence on the subject of our discovery. - -When the dishes were finally all cleared away, I opened the book on the -table and read to the assembled household the following four-year-old -clipping from the _Boston Post_. - - CITIZEN DISAPPEARS - Prominent Clubman Vanishes from Beacon Street Home - - Myles S. Cabot of 162 Beacon Street, disappeared from his bachelor - quarters late yesterday afternoon, under very mysterious - circumstances. - - He had been working all day in his radio laboratory on the top floor - of his house, and had refused to come down for lunch. When called to - dinner, he made no reply: so his butler finally decided to break down - the door, which was locked. - - The laboratory was found to be empty. All the windows were closed and - locked, and the key was on the inside of the door. In a heap on the - floor lay a peculiar collection of objects, consisting of Mr. Cabot’s - watch and chain, pocket knife, signet ring, cuff links and tie pin, - some coins, a metal belt buckle, two sets of garter snaps, some safety - pins, a gold pen point, a pen clip, a silver pencil, some steel - buttons, and several miscellaneous bits of metal. There was a smell in - the air like one notices in electric power houses. The fuses on the - laboratory power line were all blown out. - - The butler immediately phoned to police headquarters, and Detective - Flynn was dispatched to the scene. He questioned all the servants - thoroughly, and confirmed the foregoing facts. - - The police are working on the case. - - WAS PROMINENT RADIO ENTHUSIAST - - Myles S. Cabot, whose mysterious disappearance yesterday has shocked - Boston society, was the only son of the late Alden Cabot. His mother - was a Sears of Southboro. - - The younger Cabot since his graduation from Harvard had devoted - himself to electrical experimenting. Although prominent in the social - life of the city, and an active member of the Union, University, New - York Yacht, and Middlesex Hunt Clubs, he nevertheless had found time - to invent novel and useful radio devices, among the best known of - which is the Indestructo Vacuum Tube. - - He had established at his Beacon Street residence one of the best - equipped radio laboratories in the city. - - His most recent experiment, according to professional friends, had - been with television. - - Mr. Cabot substituted two circuits for the usual television circuit, - one controlling the vertical lines of his sending and receiving - screens, and the other the horizontal, thus enabling him to enlarge - his screen considerably, and also to present a continuous picture - instead of one made up of dots. The effect of perspective he obtained - by adding a third circuit. - - The details of this invention had not been given out by Mr. Cabot - prior to his disappearance. - - His nearest relatives are cousins. - -The last was a particularly gentle touch, it seemed to me. Well, his -cousins hadn’t yet inherited his property, although they had tried -mighty hard; and perhaps this mysterious message from the void would -prevent them from ever doing so. I hoped that this would be the case, -for I liked Myles, and had never liked those cousins of his. - -Myles had been a classmate of mine at Harvard, though later our paths -drifted apart, his leading into Back Bay society and radio, and mine -leading into the quiet pastoral life of a farm on Chappaquiddick Island -off the coast of Massachusetts. I had heard little of him until I read -the shocking account of his sudden disappearance. - -The police had turned up no further clues, and the matter had quickly -faded from the public sight. I had kept the _Post_ clipping as a memento -of my old college chum. - -I was anxious to learn what had become of him these four years. So I -opened the manuscript and proceeded to read aloud. - -In the following chapters I shall give the story contained in that -manuscript—a story so weird, and yet so convincingly simple, that it -cannot fail to interest all those who knew Myles Cabot. It completely -clears up the mystery surrounding his disappearance. Of course, there -will be some who will refuse to believe that this story is the truth. -But those of his classmates and friends who knew him well will find -herein unmistakable internal evidence of Myles Cabot’s hand in this -narrative conveyed to me in the golden heart of a meteorite. - - - - - _2_ - stranded in space - - -Thus wrote Myles Cabot: - -My chief line of work, since graduating from Harvard, was on the subject -of television. By simultaneously using three sending sets and three -receiving sets, each corresponding to one of the three dimensions, any -object which I placed within the framework of my transmitter could be -seen within the framework of my receiver, just as though it stood there -itself. - -All that prevented the object from actually being made to stand there -was the quite sufficient fact that no one had yet, so far as I was then -aware, invented a means for dissolving matter into its well-known -radiations, and then converting these radiations back into matter again. - -But at just this time, by a remarkable coincidence, there came into my -hands a copy of an unpublished paper on this subject by Rene Flambeau. - -The prior experiments of De Gersdorff are well known; he had succeeded -by means of radio waves, in isolating and distinguishing the -electro-magnetic constituents of all the different chemical elements. -Flambeau went one step further, and was able to transmit small formless -quantities of matter itself, although for some reason certain metals, -but not their salts, appeared to absorb the electrical energy employed -by him, and thus be immune to transportation. - -As I could already transmit a three-dimensional picture of an object, -and as Flambeau had been able to transmit formless matter, then by -combining our devices in a single apparatus I found I could transmit -physical objects unchanged in form. - -But this apparatus produced one unexpected phenomenon—namely, that -whenever I employed excessive power, my sending set would transmit -objects placed slightly outside its normal range, and certain small -quantities thereof would turn up in other portions of my laboratory than -within my receiving set. - -To test this phenomenon further, I secured some high voltage equipment -and arranged with the Edison Company for its use. - -On the afternoon when the installation was completed, I started to place -a small blue china vase in position to send it. Something must have -become short-circuited, for there came a blinding flash, and I knew no -more. - -How long the unconsciousness lasted, I have no means of telling. I was a -long time regaining my senses, but when I had finally and fully -recovered I found myself lying on a sandy beach, beside a calm and -placid lake, and holding in my hand the small blue vase. - -The atmosphere was warm, moist and fragrant, like that of a hothouse, -and the lap-lapping of the waves gave forth such a pleasing musical -sound that I lay where I was and dozed off and on, even after I had -recovered consciousness. - -I seemed to sense, rather than really to see, my surroundings. The sand -was very white. The sky was completely overclouded at a far height, and -yet the clouds shone with such a silvery radiance that the day was as -bright as any which I had ever seen with full sunlight on earth, but -with a difference, for here the light diffused from all quarters, giving -the shadowless effect which one always notes in a photographer’s studio. - -To my right lay the lake, reflecting the silvery color of the sky. -Before me stretched the beach, unbroken save for an occasional piece of -driftwood. To my left was the upland, covered with a thicket of what at -first appeared to be dead trees, but on closer scrutiny were seen to be -some gigantic species of the well-known branched gray lichen with red -tips, which I used to find on rocks and sticks in the woods as a child. - -No birds were flying overhead, I suppose because there were no birds to -fly. I fell to wondering, vaguely and pleasantly, where I was and how I -got there; but for the moment I remained a victim of complete amnesia. - -Suddenly, however, my ears were jarred by a familiar sound. At once my -senses cleared and I listened intently to the distant purring of a -motor. Yes, there could be no mistake—an airplane was approaching. Now I -could see it, a speck in the sky, far down the beach. - -Nearer and nearer it came. - -I sprang to my feet, and to my intense surprise found that the effort -threw me quite a distance into the air. Instantly the thought flashed -through my mind: “I must be on Mars!” But no, for my weight was not -nearly enough lighter than my earthly weight to justify such a -conclusion. - -For some reason my belt buckle and most of the buttons which held my -clothes together were missing, so that my clothing came to pieces as I -arose, and I had to shed it rapidly in order to avoid impeding my -movements. I wondered at the cause of this. - -But my speculations were cut short by the alighting of the airplane a -hundred yards down the beach. It seemed to land vertically, rather than -run along the ground, but I could not be sure at that distance. What was -my horror when out of it clambered not men but ants! Ants, six-footed -and six feet high. Huge ants, four of them, running toward me over the -glistening sands. - -Gone was all my languor as I seized a piece of driftwood and prepared to -defend myself as well as I could. The increase in my jumping ability, -although slight, coupled with an added buoyancy, might enable me to -prolong the unequal encounter. - -The ants came slowly forward, four abreast, like a cavalry formation, -while I awaited their onslaught, grasping the stick of driftwood firmly -in my hand. When nearly upon me they executed right-by-troopers and -started circling in an ever-narrowing circle. - -Suddenly the ants wheeled and converged from all four points of the -compass, clicking their mandibles savagely as they came. The whole -movement had been executed with uncanny precision, without a single word -of communication between the strange black creatures; in fact, without a -single sound except the clicking of their mandibles and a slight -rattling of their joints. How like a naval attack by a fleet of -old-fashioned Ford cars, I thought. - -When within about ten feet of me, they made a concerted rush; but I -leaped to one side, at the same time giving one of my antagonists a -crack with my club as they crashed together in the center. This -denouement seemed to confuse them, for they slowly extricated themselves -from their tangle and withdrew for a short distance, where they again -formed and stood glaring at me for a few minutes, clicking their jaws -angrily. - -Then they rushed again, this time in close formation, but again I jumped -to one side, dealing another blow with my club. Whereupon the fighting -became disorganized, the ants making individual rushes, and I leaping -and whacking as best I could. - -I scored several dents in the armor of my opponents, and finally -succeeded by a lucky stroke in beheading one of them. But at this the -other three came on with renewed vigor. Although each ant wore some sort -of green weapon slung in a holster at its side, they fought only with -their mandibles. - -The slight difference in gravity from that to which I had been -accustomed finally proved my undoing; for, although it increased my -agility, it also rendered me a bit less sure on my feet, and this was -enhanced by the rapid disintegration of the soles of my shoes. The -result was that, at last I slipped and fell, and was immediately set -upon and pinned down by my enemies. One of the ants at once deliberately -nipped me in the side with his huge mandibles. An excruciating pain shot -through my entire body; and then, for the second time that day, I lost -consciousness. - -When I came to, I found myself lying in the cockpit of an airplane, -speeding through the sky. One of my ant captors was standing on a slight -incline at the bow of the ship, operating the control levers with his -front feet; and the other two were watching the scenery. The dead ant -was nowhere to be seen. No one was paying any attention to me. - -I was not bound, and yet I was unable to move. My senses were unusually -keen, and yet my body was completely paralyzed. I had no idea as to what -sort of country we were flying over, for I could not raise my head above -the edge of the cockpit. I didn’t know where I was going, but I -certainly was on my way all right. And not so all right, at that. - -Overhead was the same silvery glare, without a patch of blue sky. No -sound came from my sinister, indifferent captors. The only noise was the -throbbing of the motors. - -As to the time of day, or how long I had been on board, I had no idea; -and what was more, I didn’t particularly care. Rather a pleasant sort of -a jag, if it were not for the intense pain of lickering-up. - -After a while the pleasant sensation wore off, and my throat began to -feel dry. I tried to call to the ants, but of course could not, because -of the paralysis; and finally desisted even the attempt, when I -remembered that the ants were speechless and hence probably unable to -hear. - -By a coincidence, however, one of the creatures seemed to sense my -needs, and brought me some water in a bowl, gently holding up my head -with one of his forepaws so that I could drink. This action touched my -heart, and also filled me with hope that the ants might not turn out to -be such bad captors after all. - -Then I fell to studying them. First of all, I noticed that each ant -carried on the back of his thorax a line of peculiar white characters, -somewhat like shorthand writing; and below it several rows of similar -writing, only smaller in size. - -The peculiar green-colored weapon, slung in a holster on the right-hand -side of each ant, I had already noticed during the fight. But, apart -from the white marks and the green weapons, my captors were absolutely -naked; and so far as I could see they were exactly like the ordinary -black ants to which I had been accustomed on earth, only of course -magnified to an enormous size. - -I studied the faces which the ants now occasionally turned toward me. -These faces were sinister and terrifying. They recalled to my memory the -fright which I had once had when, as a child, I attended an -entomological movie and was suddenly confronted with a close-up of the -head of some common insect. - -But the ant who had brought me the water had a human look which relieved -him of much of his terrible grimness. In fact, he struck me as vaguely -familiar. Ah! Now I had it! A certain stolidity of movement, amounting -almost to a mannerism, reminded me of one of my Harvard classmates, a -homely good-hearted boy whom we had all known by the nickname of -“Doggo.” And so, from then on, I instinctively thought of that -particular ant as named Doggo. - -Then, for the first time, it struck me as strange that these ants, -instead of scuttling aimlessly over the ground, or having wings of their -own to fly with, as in the mating season on earth, were utilizing a -carefully and scientifically built airplane, apparently of their own -make. And it struck me as even more strange that I had not wondered -about this before. - -But then the events of that day had occurred with such startling -rapidity—from the flash in my Beacon Street laboratory, through my -awakening beside that strange lake, the approach of the airplane, my -fight with the ants, and my second lapse from consciousness, down to my -present predicament—that I was to be excused for not considering any -particular phase of my adventures as being more extraordinary than any -other. - -Now, however, that I had had time to draw my breath and collect my -thoughts, it dawned on me with more and more force that here I was, -apparently on some strange planet of which the ruling race, apparently -of human or superhuman intelligence, were not men. And they were not -even some other mammal, but were insects—ants, to be more specific. For -all that I knew, I was the only mammal—or perhaps even the only -vertebrate—on this entire planet. - -Then I remembered a remark by Professor Parker in Zoology 1 in my -freshman year at Harvard: “The two peaks of development, in the chain of -evolution from the amoeba upward, are the order of hymenoptera (bees, -wasps and ants) among insects, and the order of primates (men and -monkeys) among mammals. In any other world it is probable that evolution -would produce a ruling race, in much the same way that man has been -produced upon the earth; and it is a toss-up whether this ruling race -would develop along the lines of the hymenoptera, or in a form similar -to the mammals; but one or the other seems inevitable.” - -“Well,” said I to myself, “old Parker is certainly vindicated, at least -with respect to _one_ planet.” - -Thus I mused, as the airplane sped along. Then the purr of the motors -lulled me to sleep, and for the third time that day I became -unconscious. - -When I awoke the sky was losing its luminous silver quality. On one side -it was faintly pink, and on the other the silver color merged into a -duller gray. The airship still sped along. - -Doggo brought me another bowl of water, and I found, to my joy, that I -could now lift my head enough to drink without any further assistance -than to have Doggo hold the bowl. At this sign of recovery, one of the -other ants advanced menacingly as if to bite me again. But Doggo jumped -between us, and after much snapping of mandibles and quivering of -antennae by both, the other ant desisted. - -This event decided me that Doggo was a friend worth cultivating, but I -was at a loss how to make advances which would be understood. Finally, -however, I determined to attempt stroking the huge ant in a way which I -had found to be very effective in making friends with animals. - -Accordingly, when Doggo came near enough, by a great effort I overcame -my paralysis sufficiently to reach up and touch him on the side of his -head just behind one of his great jaws. Apparently this pleased the ant, -for he submitted to the caress, and finally lifted me to a sitting -position, so that the patting could be continued with greater ease. - -I later learned that this patting, to which I had resorted purely by -accident, is a universal custom of this planet, corresponding to shaking -hands on earth, and signifying greetings, friendship, farewell, bargain -binding, and the like. - -The other ant-man occasionally would advance menacingly toward me with -his head lowered, but each time Doggo would step between us, and lower -his own head and agitate his antennae, at which the other would desist. -I nicknamed the other Satan, because of his diabolical actions. - -In my new sitting position I was now able to see over the side of the -airship. We were passing above gray woods, with occasional silver-green -fields, in which were grazing some sort of pale green animals, too far -below to be easily distinguishable. Through the woods and fields ran -what appeared to be roads, but as nothing was moving on them, I could -not tell for sure. - -Suddenly my attention was distracted from the view by the frantic action -of the ant-man who was steering the ship. He seemed to be having -difficulty with his controls. And then, so quickly that it gave us no -warning, the ship reared up in the air and made a complete loop. That -is, I merely suppose it made a complete one, for when the loop was half -done, I dropped out and fell like a plummet. - -I remember a momentary exultation at being free from my captors, and a -certain spiteful joy at the thought that I should undoubtedly be dashed -to pieces and thus rob them of their prey. Then I had just begun to -wonder whether I shouldn’t prefer captivity to death, when I struck— - -And was _not_ dashed to pieces. - -I still lived, for I had been thrown slantwise into a net of some sort, -and was now swaying gently back and forth like a slowing pendulum. -Hooray! I was both free and safe. - -But my joy was short lived, for I soon discovered that the fine silken -strands of the net were covered with a substance like sticky fly paper, -which held me firmly. The more I struggled, the more I drew other -strands of the net toward me to entangle me. At last I paused for -breath, and then the truth dawned on me: I was caught in a gigantic -spider web! And sure enough, there came the spider toward me from one -corner of the web. - -He wasn’t a very large spider. That is to say, judging by the size of my -previous captors, I should have expected that the spiders of this world -would be as big as the Eiffel Tower. He was quite large enough however, -having a body about the size of my own, and legs fully ten feet long. I -call him a “spider,” for that is the earth word which comes closest to -describing him. - -With great assiduity he began wrapping me up into a cocoon, a process -which he seemed to enjoy much more than I. But it did me no good to -struggle, for any part of me which showed any indications of moving was -immediately pinioned with a fresh strand of rope. - -At last the job was finished, and I was completely enveloped with a -layer of thick coarse sticky silk cloth, translucent but not -transparent. - - - - - _3_ - out of the frying pan - - -When I had dropped from the airplane into the spider web, the time had -been nearly evening. All night, off and on, I struggled, but to no -avail. Finally, shortly after daylight, something startled me by -falling—plop—into the net close beside me. Another victim, thought I. -Well, at least I should have company. - -But this other creature was not any more inclined to take its captivity -calmly than I had been. It thrashed and struggled violently, until -finally it tore a rent in the upper end of my shroud, so that I could -see out. - -My companion in misery was an orange-and-black-striped bee about the -size of a horse. He was buzzing frantically and slashing about with his -sting, while the spider hopped around him with great agility, dodging -the thrusts of the sting, and applying a strand of silk here and there, -whenever an opportunity offered. Thus gradually the bee’s freedom of -motion became less and less, as strand after strand were added to his -bonds. - -But the spider, getting bolder as his captive’s struggles diminished, -finally misjudged one thrust; and the imprisoned bee, putting all his -effort into the stroke, drove his sting home. The spider toppled from -the web, and the fight was unexpectedly at an end. - -And now the bee and I were free, if we only could get free. Of the two -of us, I had the easier task, for my cocoon had dried during the night -and was now no longer sticky. But it was still very tough. - -Slowly, inch by inch, biting, clawing, tearing, I gradually enlarged the -hole near my head, until finally I was able to step out and jump to the -ground, which was about ten feet away, a drop equivalent to a little -less than eight feet on the earth, not much difference, it is true, but -every little bit helped. - -I now decided to assist my rescuer, the bee, to escape. A rash decision, -one would say, and yet the bee seemed to realize that I was helping him, -for not once did he strike at me. Picking up a tree branch, I hacked at -the cords which bound him, until finally he was able to fly away, -trailing a large section of the web after him. - -As he left, I noticed that one of his hind legs was gone from the knee -down, and that he bore a peculiar scarlike mark on the under side of his -abdomen. I should know him, if ever I were to meet him again. - -The web had been stretched between two large gray leafless trees of the -sort I had observed near the beach, but without the red tips to the -branches. Nearby was a wood of similar but slightly smaller trees, -bordering on a field of thickly matted silver-green grass, very similar -in color. In this field were grazing a herd of pale green insects a -little larger than sheep, with long trailing antennae. - -These creatures swayed from side to side, lifting first one foot after -another as they munched the matted grass. On the sides of some of them -clung one or more bright red parasites, resembling lobsters in size and -appearance; but their green hosts did not seem to mind or even notice -them. Nor did they notice me, for that matter, as I passed between them -across the field. - -On the further side of the field was a road, built of concrete, -resembling in every way such concrete roads as we have on the earth; and -along it I set out, whither I knew not. - -Now, I had had nothing to eat since I found myself on the sandy beach -the previous morning. Also I had fought two battles on an empty stomach. -The day was hot and moist, my feet were bare—as was the rest of me—and I -felt discouraged and depressed. Still, I trudged along. - -“Can it be true,” said I, “that only yesterday I rejoiced at freedom -from the ant-men?” - -Now I was alone and lost—lost on a strange planet. Oh, how I longed for -the sight of my late captors. Better even captivity than this! - -For a while the road ran between silver-green fields; then entered a -wood. On the gaunt gray trees hung a tangle of tropical vines, and -between the trees grew some kind of small shrub with large heart-shaped -leaves, on each leaf of which there sat motionless one or more purple -grasshoppers about four inches in length. - -In the distance I occasionally caught sight of some strange sort of -bird—as I thought—flitting in tandem pairs from tree to tree. A -multitude of tiny lizards, resembling miniature kangaroos, hopped about -on the concrete and by the side of the road. - -For a while the strange fauna and flora stimulated my curiosity and kept -my mind off my troubles; but then I rapidly lost interest in everything. -My stomach gnawed. My knees wobbled. My mind began to cloud. And from -that time on, I wandered as in a dream, for I know not how many hours. - -I vaguely remember falling on the roadway, and then crawling along for a -while. Silly thoughts obsessed my brain, such as wondering whether my -tail light was lit, and what made the weather so foggy. Finally I -collapsed utterly, and had just strength enough to drag myself off the -concrete lest I be run over by some passing car. - -As I lay there in the bushes by the side of the road, there came to my -nostrils a smell which partially revived me—a smell seemingly of griddle -cakes and maple syrup. Opening my eyes again and following my nose, I -discovered that this pleasant odor emanated from a large bowl-shaped -leaf only a few feet away. - -Upon dragging myself toward it, I discovered that in the bottom of the -bowl there was a brown mass, looking very much like a stack of wheats, -covered with some sticky substance. But unfortunately this delectable -dish was quite obscured by little hopping lizards, now much bemired and -hopping no more. - -So I reached out my hand to brush them away, and instantly the leaf -closed upon my arm like a steel trap. - -My brain cleared at once, and I began a frantic struggle to extricate my -hand; but it was too late, for with a gentle massaging motion the plant -commenced to swallow my arm. - -Inch by inch my arm descended into that rapacious maw. It was the steady -slowness of the procedure that was so nerve-wracking, for without a -pause my arm disappeared at a rate of about an inch a minute. - -I braced my feet against the plant and pulled, but this cut off the -circulation in my arm. Then I wiggled my fingers rapidly so as to keep -my hand from going to sleep, whereupon the plant swallowed all the -faster. - -The mouth of the plant had closed very much like a clam shell, so, just -before my shoulder disappeared, I braced my body crosswise of the jaws, -in the hope that this maneuver would prevent the swallowing process from -proceeding any further. - -But the plant merely opened its flexible lips, and closed them the other -way, taking a firm grip on my chest, and just missing getting hold of my -right ear. I craned my neck as far as I could to the left, and shrieked -aloud with terror. - -Was it for this that I had escaped the ant-men and the spider—to be -eaten alive by a plant? - -The soft jaws now fastened on the back of my head and began gently -drawing that in, too. At last only my nose was free. In a minute that, -too, would be enveloped, then strangulation and death. - -At this moment something fell upon me, and I felt the plant quiver and -shake. The swallowing ceased. Then the soft lips were torn away from one -side of my head, and I heard a familiar rattling sound. - -A few seconds later the plant went limp, releasing my arm, and I lay -upon my back, free once more, gazing upward into the eyes of my old -friend and captor. - -“Doggo, Doggo!” I cried with joy, but he did not seem to hear me. -Nevertheless he picked me up gently in his mandibles and trotted off -with me down the road. - -After about a quarter of a mile, we turned aside into a field, and there -was Satan, the other ant-man, standing beside a crumpled airship and the -dead body of its pilot. Satan did not seem overjoyed to see me, but -Doggo rummaged through the wreckage and finally produced a bowl, into -which he put some water and some medicine, which revived me greatly. -Then he laid me on a pile of grass, covered me with leaves and stood -guard over me as the pink twilight deepened and the night fell. - -As it began to grow dark I could hear an occasional tinkle like the -sound of a Japanese wind bell, first on one side and then on another. -This music gradually increased, until it assumed the volume of a fairy -orchestra. I had never heard such dainty bewitching tunefulness in my -entire life. Many weeks later I learned that this was the song of the -large purple grasshoppers I had seen; but even the knowledge of its -source has never robbed the sound of its sweet mystery for me. - -The fading silver radiance of the sky shed a moonlike light over all -below. A faint breeze sprang up, gently fanning the moist fragrant -hot-house air against my cheeks. The foliage around us waved like a sea -of silver grain. And the tune of that elfin melody quickly lulled me -into a soft and dreamless sleep, secure in the confidence that a -faithful friend was watching near. - -The next morning I was awakened by Doggo stripping off my leafy -coverlet. Satan was not to be seen, but grazing near us were some more -of those peculiar large green insects, with long trailing antennae, -which I had seen in my flight from the spider web. - -As I sat up, Doggo presented me with a bowl of pale green liquid. But I -was at a loss to know what to do with it. Was I supposed to wash in it, -or drink it, or to rub it in my hair? - -My friend solved the question by lifting it to my mouth. So I drank, and -found the taste sweetish and agreeable. - -All morning we stayed by the wrecked machine, apparently waiting for -something. Satan did not show up. Around noon, Doggo took the bowl and -approached one of the green beasts grazing near. I followed with -interest. - -Two horns projected upwardly from the tail of the beast, one of which -Doggo proceeded to stroke with his paw; and to my surprise, a green -liquid spouted from the animal, quickly filling the bowl. So that is -where my breakfast had come from! Green milk from green cows! Strange! -And yet how much more logical than on earth, where a red cow eats green -grass under a blue sky and produces white milk, from which we get yellow -butter. - -Shortly after lunch I heard the hum of a motor, and presently Satan -landed near us with a new plane. This strange plane of the ant-men -stopped abruptly, hovered for a moment, and then settled just where it -was, like a helicopter. - -Doggo carried me aboard, and we started, Satan at the levers and Doggo -standing guard over me. But whether this was to protect me from Satan, -or to keep me from falling out again, I could not say. - -We cruised along for several hours over much the same sort of country as -I had seen before, except that we crossed several rivers, and once a -small lake. - -At last the ship hovered and landed on top of what seemed to be a -helter-skelter pile of exaggerated toy building blocks, exactly in -keeping with the size of the ants. As far as the eye could see on all -sides, these blocks were heaped. They resembled a group of Pueblo Indian -dwellings. - -Doggo and the fierce ant-man whom I called Satan now picked me up in -their jaws, the former gently and the latter not so gently, and carried -me out of the airplane and down an inclined runway into the interior of -the edifice. The passage was long, narrow, dark and winding, but -presently we emerged into a room about thirty feet square by ten feet -high, lighted by narrow windows opening toward the western sky. That is, -I call it “western,” for it was in this direction that the sky turned -pink at eventide. - -In this room I was laid on the floor. The unpleasant ant-man departed, -and Doggo placed himself on guard in the doorway. - -Presently two strange ant-men entered, carrying a couch, which they set -down in one corner of the room. Then they walked several times around -me, viewing me from all sides with evident interest, until, at a -stiffening and quivering of Doggo’s antennae, they hurriedly left the -room. I noticed that Doggo no longer carried the green weapon, which -seemed strange, as he was evidently on guard. - -Then I fell to wondering about the couch. It was a simple affair, and -yet quite evidently intended for a bed. Upholstered with some kind of -dark blue cloth, at that! - -“What need have ants of a bed?” I mused. “Certainly they cannot lie -down; and, even if they could, such a couch as this would be of little -use to one of them, for this is only a man-size couch, whereas these -ants are about ten feet in length!” - -My perplexity was tinged with a hope that there might be human beings -here. - -My perplexity and my hope were both increased by the return of one of -the ants who had brought the couch, this time bearing a sleeveless shirt -or toga of white matted material, like very thin silk felt, reaching -about to my knees, with a Grecian wave design in light blue around the -bottom edge and around the neck and armholes. But what increased my -perplexity still further, and at the same time destroyed most of my -hope, was the presence of two vertical slits, with the same blue -trimming, in the upper part of the back. - -The two ant-men watched with great interest while I put this toga on, -and were evidently pleased to find that I knew how to do so. The -messenger ant then withdrew, and presently returned with a bowl of green -milk, which I drank as usual. - -By this time it had become quite dark outside, but the room still -remained light, due to two long glass bulbs, set in the ceiling, and -containing some sort of incandescent substance. At that time I little -guessed what a part those bulbs would come to play in my life! They -resembled the fluorescent lamps familiar on earth. - -These lamps showed that the inhabitants of this planet were well -advanced in electrical engineering. Was it not strange, then, that they -had not developed radio and communicated with the earth? And yet not so -strange, either, when one considers that they had no sense of hearing. - -Dismissing these thoughts from my mind, I lay down on the couch. Then -Doggo was relieved as sentinel by a new ant-man, who carefully and -inquisitively inspected me, but from a safe distance. This guard, too, -was without any green weapon. - -Finally the two lights went out, and I slept, my last thoughts being to -wonder what was in store for me, and what was the significance of the -couch and the strange blue-and-white article of clothing. - - - - - _4_ - go to the ant, thou sluggard - - -As I slowly awakened the next morning, I vaguely remembered a terrible -nightmare of the night before. - -But no, it was no dream, for I opened my eyes upon the same plain -concrete room with its slit windows. I was lying on the same couch. The -same strange ant-man was standing guard at the door. During the night -some one had placed over me a blanket of some sort of light fleecy wool -felt. - -As I lay in bed I studied the walls of the room and noticed, what I had -not seen before, three dials sunk in the opposite wall close to the -ceiling. Each dial had twelve numbers or letters around the edge, and -also a single pointer. The pointer of the right dial was slowly -revolving left-handedly; the pointer of the middle dial was turning even -more slowly; while that of the left dial appeared motionless. -Absent-mindedly I started to time the right-hand pointer. - -“One chim_pan_zee. Two chim_pan_zee. Three chim_pan_zee,” I counted in -sing-song; that being a formula which I had been taught as a child, to -count the time between a lightning flash and the resulting thunder, in -order to estimate the distance of the stroke. - -For, if carefully done, each chim_pan_zee equaled one second of time, -and each second meant one quarter-mile of distance. Of course the real -object of the game was to distract the child’s mind from his fear of the -lightning. - -I now found that it took about fifty chim_pan_zees for the right pointer -to move one of the twelve graduations. This fact I verified by several -trials. - -I fell to wondering what the device was for. - -It looked and acted like a gas meter or electric meter. - -Then I dismissed the meter from my mind, and considered my predicament. -For some reason I thought of my father, Alden Cabot, now many years -dead. The old man had been a stern puritanical character, abhorring -sloth and frivolity. - -How often had I heard him rebuke some act of laziness with his favorite -Biblical quotation: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and -be wise.” - -“Wouldn’t father be pleased,” thought I, “for I have certainly gone to -the ant, all right! But now the big question is how to get away from -them.” - -By this time the sentinel noticed that I was awake, and immediately -brought me my breakfast, consisting of a bowl of the sweet green liquid -and a bowl of dark reddish-brown paste, about the consistency of mashed -beans, and having a rich flavor not unlike beef gravy. - -After breakfast Doggo took his turn as guard. I patted his head, and -then went over to the windows to see the view, if any. - -The windows overlooked a courtyard completely enclosed by piled-up -Puéblo buildings. In the yard was a fountain, surrounded by beds of -plants quite unlike any that I had ever seen before. The prevailing -color of the foliage was gray and silver green. Many of the twigs bore -knobs of red or purple, and a few of the plants had brilliantly colored -blue and yellow flowers somewhat similar to those of dandelions. - -For a long time I aimlessly gazed upon this beautiful garden. The warm -moist fragrant atmosphere was not conducive to hurry or to excitement. -But finally even the beauties of the view palled upon me, and I returned -to the blue couch. - -Just then Doggo ushered into the room, with great deference, four -ant-men slightly smaller than himself, but more refined looking than he, -if one can appreciate such differences among ants. That is, they were -more slender and delicate, like machines built for precision rather than -for strength. - -They evidently were a bit afraid of me, for after eyeing me furtively -from the door they appeared to confer with Doggo, though not an audible -word passed between them. To assure them that I was perfectly harmless, -Doggo walked over to me and permitted himself to be patted; after which -the committee drew near and inspected me carefully, agitating their -antennae at each newly discovered peculiarity. - -They appeared chiefly perplexed by my forehead and my back, to examine -which, they lifted up my toga. They counted my fingers several times, -and then counted my toes. - -But the thing about me which amazed them the most was my ears. These -they studied for a long time, with much inaudible consultation, as I -judged by the motions of their antennae. - -Finally they took their departure, and Doggo came to me bristling with -excitement, and apparently having much important information to impart; -but, alas, he did not know my language, and he had no language at all. I -patted him again, but this time it did not soothe him, for he broke away -from me impatiently and returned to his station by the door. - -Left to myself, I fell to studying the meter again, watching the -counter-clockwise rotation of its hands. Even the _left_ pointer had -moved a bit since early morning. - -Now I noticed, what I might have surmised on the analogy of an earthly -gas meter, that each graduation of the central dial represented one -complete revolution of the pointer on its right; and this principle -presumably extended to the dial on its left. Then I counted -chim_pan_zees again, and found that the right hand pointer was still -rotating counterclockwise at the rate of about fifty chim_pan_zees per -graduation. Counter_clock_wise! Why, perhaps this machine was a _clock_! - -I made a hasty mental calculation: “One graduation equals fifty seconds. -Twelve graduations—one complete rotation—equal six hundred seconds—ten -minutes. Thus one graduation of the middle dial represents ten minutes, -and its complete circuit, represents two hours. By the same token, a -complete circuit of the left dial would represent twenty-four hours—one -day!” - -My guess was apparently correct. - -At that time it did not occur to me as strange that a day on this planet -should be twenty-four hours as on earth. - -The figure to the left of the top of each dial was a single horizontal -line, presumably standing for unity; for a single line, either -horizontal or vertical, is the almost universal symbol for unity. - -“Then,” said I, “the next figures must be two, the next figure three, -and so on around to twelve. Eureka! I can now count up to twelve with -these creatures; thus establishing, in writing at least, the beginning -of a possible basis of communication.” - -Eager to test my newfound knowledge, I beckoned to Doggo. He came to my -side. - -Scratching the ant figure five upon the floor with a small pebble which -I found in a corner—for I could not reach the dials to point to their -figures—I held up five fingers. The effect was electrical. Greatly -excited, Doggo rushed to the door. But, pausing on the threshold, he -returned; held up three legs, looking at me almost beseechingly, as I -thought; and, when I wrote an ant figure three on the floor, his joy -knew no bounds. He patted me on the side of my head for a moment, to -show his appreciation, and then rushed once more from the room. - -And now, for the first time, I was left unguarded, but I had no thought -of escape; in the first place, because it would be unfair to my friend; -and in the second place because escape merely from the room would be -useless. - -Presently Doggo returned with the committee of four, and put me through -my paces. He would hold up a certain number of legs, and I would scratch -the corresponding character upon the pavement. Finally, as a crowning -stunt, I wrote down five and six, pointed to them, and then wrote down -eleven. The committee were much impressed. - -Then Doggo had me put on and take off my toga for them. Evidently he was -trying to convince them I was a reasoning human being like themselves, -though what the disrobing performance had to do with it I could not see -for the life of me. - -At last the committee left, and after that a very nice luncheon was -served; more green milk, some baked cakes and honey. Real honest to -goodness honey, like we have on earth. You can’t appreciate how these -little touches of similarity to good old _terra firma_ appealed to me, -thoroughly homesick after three whole days’ absence. - -After luncheon, Doggo brought me a pad of paper and a pointed stick like -a skewer, with its tip incased in some lead-like metal. This stick could -thus be used as a pencil. He himself was similarly equipped, except that -his pencil had a strap for attachment to his left front claw. The -difference between the two pencils attracted my attention and excited my -wonder, but I could not account for it. - -Instruction began at once. I would point to some object; Doggo would -make marks on his pad; and then I would copy them on mine, adding the -name in English. These additions puzzled and annoyed my instructor; but -I persisted, for otherwise I might forget the meaning of his scratch -marks. - -When a vocabulary of about twenty concrete nouns had been accumulated, -Doggo took away my sheet, and then pointed to the articles in turn, -while I wrote down their ant names, as well as I could remember them. -Fortunately I have a good visual memory, for I was no more able to -invent sounds for the ant words, than I would have been able to read -aloud a Chinese laundry ticket. - -After several hours of this absorbing sport, Doggo produced a book! With -rare presence of mind, I figured that as ant-men wrote with their left -hands and had counterclockwise clocks, their books would probably begin -at the wrong end; so accordingly I opened at the back. And, sure enough, -the last page was numbered one. This proof of my intelligence pleased my -instructor greatly. - -On page one was a picture of an ant-man. Under it was printed the word -which Doggo had given me as equivalent to himself. Next came the same -word, followed by a strange word. Then these two words were repeated, -followed by two others. - -Reasoning by the analogy of my primary school days at home, I decided -that these words were: “Ant-man. An ant-man. This is an ant-man.” But I -was wrong, for on this basis, the next line made no sense; for, reading -from right to left the next line would be: “An ant-man is this.” - -Oh, I had it! “Ant-man. The ant-man. I see the ant-man. The ant-man sees -me.” To test it, I wrote down the word for “I,” and pointed to myself. -Doggo, who had been watching me intently as I studied the page, now -showed unmistakable signs of pleasure at this evidence of my -intelligence; and, departing, soon returned with a large furry -beetlelike creature about two feet square, called a “buntlote”—so I -learned later—which he set on the floor before me with every expectation -of extreme gratitude on my part. I tried to appear grateful; but could -not figure out what I was supposed to do with the beast! - -The buntlote, however, had much more definite views on the subject, for -he ambled over to me and patted me on the side with one of his front -paws. I looked inquiringly at Doggo, who indicated that I was supposed -to feed the buntlote with some of the remains of my luncheon, which was -still on the couch. - -The buntlote, after satisfying his hunger, curled up in a corner and -went to sleep, whereupon I returned to my studies. Evidently ant-men -kept pets the same as humans; but whether this buntlote was supposed to -be a dog, or a cat, or what, I did not know. - -Doggo then taught me how to write “buntlote,” and the words for food, -mouth, and eat—my first verb, by the way—and so on. - -By supper time I was in a position to carry on a very elementary -conversation with my instructor, but only by pad and pencil, of course, -for not a word nor a sound had I ever heard him utter. - -And since their speech was not articulate, their written language could -not, of course, be phonetic. It must be ideographic, like the Chinese. -The fact that each word consisted in but a single character lent color -to this surmise. - -And yet I noticed that all of the characters which I had so far learned -could be decomposed into distinguishable parts, and that there were only -about thirty of these parts in the aggregate. This fact certainly -pointed to a _phonetic_ alphabet of thirty _sounds_, for it was -inconceivable that these highly cultivated animals possessed only thirty -_ideas_. And yet how could an unspoken language be phonetic? I gave up -the puzzle. - -Supper came, the lights went on, and my buntlote uncurled and ambled -over to be fed. I decided to regard him as a cat, and so named him -Tabby. - -At this meal Doggo joined me, and as we ate, my attention was again -attracted to the white marks on his back, which to my surprise I now -noticed were exactly like those on the clock. They must be his license -number: “334-2-18.” - -If the large figures represented his license number, I thought, what did -the small figures stand for? The license numbers of the cars he had run -into, perhaps? I little guessed how near this came to being the truth. - -That night I went to bed well satisfied with my progress. But, alas, -although Doggo proved to be an indefatigable teacher, I did not get on -so well during the succeeding days. - -But I did make progress in one thing however; namely, in acquiring a -beard. Although facilities for washing and bathing were provided in a -little alcove off my room, and although a fresh toga was forthcoming -from time to time, yet my captors did not furnish either a razor or a -mirror. Of course ants have nothing to shave, and they cannot be blamed -for not caring to look at themselves in the glass. I tried my best to -explain to Doggo what I wanted, but it was no use. - -If this manuscript is ever discovered, let the reader try to figure out -how to explain by sign language to a person who has never seen either a -razor or a looking glass, that you want them. - -When the beard got well under way, the committee of four were recalled -to view it. They were even more impressed with my beard than they had -been with my ears, and made frequent visits to take notes on its growth. - -This convinced me that they had never before seen any men, or at least -any unneat ones, and so my hope for human companionship received another -blow. Yet if there were no men on this planet, how account for the fact -that when I drew a sketch of a table and a chair these were at once -forthcoming, together with a written name for each? - -Of course all my time was not spent in lessons. Sometimes I played with -Tabby and sometimes I took long walks. Gradually I became more of a -guest than a prisoner or even a curiosity, and so I was given the run of -the entire city, which was built as one large connected house; a -veritable jumble of rooms, passageways, ramps and courtyards. - -But this freedom nearly proved my undoing. - -One day when I had strolled unusually far from my own quarters, I met my -old enemy, Satan, in one of the courtyards. Instinctively I shrank back, -but he gave every indication of wishing to be friendly, even to the -extent of turning his head on one side to be patted. Distasteful as the -act was to me, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, -and so patted him gingerly. - -Apparently as a reward for this service, he beckoned me to follow him. -And so I did, through many a winding corridor. Our way finally led to -the outskirts of the city, to a grating guarded by a sentinel, whom -Satan promptly relieved. When the old guard had gone, Satan, to my great -surprise, opened the gate and motioned me to step out. - -This was indeed a favor, for, although I had been able to get plenty of -fresh air in the courtyard flower gardens and on the roofs, yet I had -felt cramped and restrained, and had longed for the freedom of a run in -the open fields. So, patting him again, to show my gratitude, I rushed -out and turned several handsprings for joy on the silver sward. - -As I regained my feet, what should I see to my dismay but a squad of -ant-men issuing from the gate and rushing toward me at full speed, with -Satan at their head, his savage jaws snapping with hate. I stood -astounded for a moment, and then turned and fled. - -At an earthly speed of running a man would have little hope of -distancing one of these creatures, but the added buoyancy of this -strange planet gave me a slight advantage over them, until I had the -misfortune to stub my toe on something and fall. Whereupon the pack -closed over me. - -The fall stunned me, and as my brain darkened, I felt the sharp -mandibles of my enemy fasten upon my throat. - - - - - _5_ - a vision - - -The full measure of Satan’s perfidy was now evident. Under the guise of -pretended friendship he had lured me to the city gate and had persuaded -me to step outside. Then hastily calling a detachment of the guard, he -had informed them that I had escaped. He had led them in pursuit of me, -and my flight had furnished sufficient verification of his accusation. - -So now, I was entirely in his power. He was free to kill me without fear -of the consequences, for the whole squad would back up his story that I -had fled and that he had been forced to slay me for the purpose of -preventing my escape. - -Why he did not bite me at once and end my life I do not know. Perhaps he -wished first to gloat over me. At any rate, after I came out of my daze, -he loosened his hold on my throat and, planting his front feet upon my -prostrate body, threw his head aloft, as if singing a paean of victory, -although of course no sound came. - -Then suddenly he sprang away from me entirely. And now I discovered the -meaning and use of the peculiar green weapons which every ant-man -carried slung in a holster at his side when out of doors. These supposed -weapons were nothing more nor less than green umbrellas which Satan and -the others were now hastily putting up in very evident terror. - -Sitting up weakly, I tried to figure out what had so frightened them as -to cause them to desist abruptly from their attack on me. But I could -discern nothing except a patch of sunlight, the very first I had seen, -by the way, since my advent on the planet. My late antagonists were -apparently watching this—to me—very pleasant sight, with every -indication of extreme fear. Looking above, I saw a small bit of blue -sky. - -The patch of sunlight passed close by me and proceeded toward a small -herd of green cows who were grazing near by. And, as it passed among -them, the shifting of their feet stopped, and every cow on whom the -light had rested shuddered, wilted and dropped in evident agony upon the -ground. - -Then I realized that this planet must be very close to the center of the -solar system, and protected from the intense heat of the sun only by the -dense, silvery clouds which surrounded it. I was now nearly certain, as -I had surmised before from the prevailing silver-gray and the gravity -slightly less than that on earth, that this must be the planet Venus. - -I was still gazing abstractedly at the stricken cows in the wake of the -solar heat, when I was rudely called to my senses by the ant pack -closing over me once more. And once again the mandibles of Satan -fastened on my throat. - -But the best laid plans of mice and men—and even _ant_-men—gang aft -aglee. With all his clever scheming, Satan had made one fatal mistake: -he had reckoned without the faithful Doggo. As Satan’s jaws were about -to pierce my jugular, again he dropped me, and stood at attention, as if -in response to a peremptory command from a military superior. I looked -up and saw that the rest of the guard were also standing at attention, -while rapidly approaching up from the city gate came my old friend, -Doggo, with antennae erect and quivering. Once more he had saved my -life. - -How I regretted the blows which I had struck him in the fight at the -beach on my first day upon this planet, and how glad I was that his had -not been the head which I had severed in that spirited encounter. - -Presently, as if in response to another command, Satan slunk away, and -the squad of ant soldiers returned to the city, while Doggo came and -stood solicitously at my side. When I had rested sufficiently I rose to -my feet, and together we returned to my quarters. - -It was time for my lesson, but I was in no mood for study, so I gloomily -pushed the books and papers to one side and went and stood by one of the -windows, gazing aimlessly at the beautiful garden below. - -It is always darkest before dawn. As I stood there at the window, with -my spirits at a low ebb, there came to my eyes a vision which changed -the entire course of my life. - -For, crossing the courtyard below me, was what seemed to be a human -being! Here at last was some one for me to talk to! - -But was it a human being, after all? He, or she, or it, stopped just in -front of my window, and began daintily to pluck a bouquet of flowers, so -that I had ample opportunity to study the creature. It wore a blue and -white toga, similar to the one which the ant-man had furnished me. And -now I saw the reason for the slits in the back, for through them -protruded a pair of tiny rudimentary butterfly wings of iridescent -pearly hue. - -The complexion of this dainty creature was a softer pink and white than -ever I had seen on any baby. Its hair was closely cropped and curly and -brilliantly golden. But the most attractive thing about it was the -graceful way in which it swayed and pirouetted, as if before a mirror -there unless in its own imagination. This pirouetting led me to suppose -that the creature whether human or not, was probably feminine. - -Is there any more beautiful sight in the world, or in any world for that -matter, than a beautiful girl admiring herself and preening herself, and -acting altogether natural and girlish, when she thinks that she is alone -and unobserved? - -But was this a girl? She was pretty enough to be an angel, or a fairy, -and the little wings suggested something along that line. - -Then I began to notice certain other things about her which puzzled me. -In the first place, she had an extra little finger on each hand, and six -toes on each of her bare little feet, yet this fact did not in the least -detract from their dainty slimness. Then, too, there projected from her -forehead two tiny antennae, such as one sees on pictures of elves. Also -she apparently had no ears. Anyhow, the lack of ears was hardly -noticeable, though the absence of the little pink tip just barely -showing below the edge of short hair, did give a slightly unfinished -look to that part of her head. - -Antennae and wings! This must be either a fairy, or some new and -beautiful kind of creature. - -She bore such a close resemblance to a human being, that my lonely -spirit was cheered by the thought that at last there was a possibility -of speech and human companionship on this planet. - -So intent had I been on drinking in this vision of beauty below my -window that I had not noticed Doggo approach me and place himself at my -side. I was terribly fearful lest the girl should go away without my -finding out who she was and how I might see her again. So, forgetting my -manners and even the fact that she was of an unknown race, I plucked up -sufficient courage to address her. - -“My dear young lady,” I began; but I got no further, for without -noticing me in the least, she picked up her flowers and left the -courtyard. Then I turned, and there was Doggo standing beside me. So he, -too, had seen the fairy! - -Seizing my pad and paper I wrote: “What is that?” - -And he replied: “It is a Cupian.” - -“Are there many Cupians?” I wrote. - -“Yes,” he answered. - -“Am I a Cupian?” I asked. - -His answer: “We do not know. It puzzles us.” - -That afternoon I made more progress with my studies than I had made in -weeks. For now I was no longer fitting myself merely for a bare -existence in an ant civilization; but rather I was preparing for -communication with—and I hoped, life among—creatures closely resembling -my own kind. - -The beautiful Cupian was evidently, like the ant-men, devoid of hearing. -Apparently she lived here in the ant city, and so undoubtedly understood -the ant language. - -But to make sure, I asked Doggo on my pad: “Do Cupians read and write -this kind of writing?” - -And he answered: “Yes.” - -At this I certainly did tackle my work with a vim. It was clear now that -if I wished to communicate with her, I must perfect myself in the -written language of the ants; and so I set myself assiduously to the -task. - -Every day at about the same hour she came and picked the blue and yellow -flowers and the red and purple twig knobs of the garden below my window. -And every day I sat in the window and watched her, and racked my brains -for some tactful way in which to attract her attention. - -Of course I raised the question with Doggo, but he kept putting me off -by saying, in substance: “It is not yet time.” - -This I took to mean that I could not yet write fluently enough to -converse with her, and so I redoubled my efforts at my studies. - -So rapid was my progress now, under the spur of my desire for human -companionship, that within a very few days I was able to graduate from -my primers and read real books. - -One of the first real books which they brought me was a history of their -world; and this interested me greatly, as it furnished a setting for the -experiences which shortly were to crowd upon me. The book confirmed my -theory that this world was the silver planet, Venus. - -Finally I reached a point where my interest was such that I could not -wait to wade further through the voluminous pages; so, taking my pad and -pencil I asked Doggo: “Tell me briefly about the more recent events on -Poros.” For so they called the planet, though of course, I did not yet -know the sound of this word, nor even whether it had a sound. “Tell me -more particularly about the great war.” - -“Well,” he replied, also in writing, of course, “A little over five -hundred years ago the entire inhabited part of the planet Poros, that is -to say the continent which is surrounded by the boiling sea, was divided -up into twenty or more warring kingdoms of Cupians and one small -queendom of ant-men, namely Formia. - -“The Formians, who were possessed of all the virtues, became more and -more vexed with the increasing degeneracy of their neighbors, until, for -purely altruistic reasons, the Formians began a conquest to extend their -culture. - -“When the first convenient excuse offered, we declared war on one of the -Cupian nations, which we proceeded to attack through the territory of a -neutral state.” - -“But wasn’t this wrong?” I interjected. - -He admitted: “I suppose that you are right and that it really was a -violation of all treaties and of the solemn customs of the planet. But -it was all in a noble cause. - -“The other nations did not have sense enough,” he continued “to rally to -combat the common menace, and so the Formians gradually conquered them -one by one, until at last Formia was mistress of all Poros. - -“There must have been some very able statesmen in the Imperial Council -at that time, judging by the terms imposed by our conquering nation. We -erected a fence, or ‘pale,’ across the middle of the entire continent; -and all the Cupians, regardless of their former boundaries, were -organized into a single nation to the north of this pale. The nation was -named Cupia, after the creatures who composed it, and Kew the First was -made its king.” - -Kew, so I later gathered from the book, was a renegade Cupian, who had -always greatly admired the conquerors, and had even gone so far as to -assist them in their conquest. - -“The ant-men,” Doggo went on, “took over all the territory to the south -of the pale, and prospered greatly. We were naturally a more industrious -race than the sport-loving Cupians, and now had in addition the services -of slaves, for by the terms of the Treaty of Mooni, every male Cupian -upon coming of age has to labor for two years in Formia. - -“There have followed nearly five hundred years of peace, a peace of -force, it is true, and yet a peace under which both countries had -enjoyed prosperity; in recognition of which fact the anniversary of the -signing of the treaty is annually celebrated throughout the continent. - -“The present reigning monarch of Cupia is Kew the Twelfth, the first -after a long line of docile kings to give us any trouble in the -enforcement of the treaty; but even he keeps within the law. - -“The statutes of Cupia are enacted by a popular Assembly, while those of -Formia are promulgated by an appointive Council of Twelve; but the laws -of both countries must receive the approval of the Queen of Formia.” - -Such were the salient features of the recent history of Poros. - -Every day I watched for the fair Cupian at the appointed hour. I learned -to know her every feature and every curve of her supple girlish body. I -noted that her eyes were azure blue. I noticed the dainty way in which -the tip of her little pink tongue just touched each edible red twig knob -which she placed between her lips, and many another individual -mannerism. - -A great many beautiful girls have I met in the course of my brief -existence. Boston society need yield the palm to none on this score. Yet -I had gone to all the teas and dinners and dances perfunctorily, merely -because it was done; and had always regarded women as an awful bore. - -How few women are interested in radio engineering, for instance, or even -have a sympathetic feeling for it! - -But now all was changed, and I didn’t in the least care whether or not -_this_ girl was interested in radio engineering, or _what_ she was -interested in; provided I could eventually interest her in me. For I -longed for human companionship. - -Of course on days when tropical thunderstorms swept the city, as -happened frequently, I did not expect her. But on such days I missed -this, my one contact with humanity, and felt vaguely uneasy. - -Yet I did not fully realize how much even these daily visits of hers to -my garden had come to mean to me, until one perfectly pleasant day, when -the Cupian girl failed to show up at the expected hour. - -I waited and waited, and fretted and fretted, but still she did not -come. Doggo was unable to offer any consolation, and my lessons went -very badly. - -The next day the committee of four made one of their visits of -inspection. I had now progressed far enough in my mastery of their -language so that Doggo was able to explain to me the reason for the -existence of this committee. - -“These four,” wrote he, “are the professors of biology, anatomy, -agriculture, and eugenics from the University of Mooni, the center of -education of all Poros. Immediately upon your capture, this committee -was speedily dispatched by the university authorities to make a thorough -study of you. They were to determine whether you are a Cupian or some -new and strange kind of beast, and whether your particular breed could -be put to any good use.” - -“How interesting,” I wrote on my pad. “And have they reached any -conclusions?” - -“It is for _them_ to question _you_,” he replied. “Come, I will write -down, for you to answer, the things they wish to know.” - -So then, through the medium of Doggo’s pad, they questioned me at length -about myself, the earth, how I had come to Poros, and my progress since -landing. But their procedure mystified me. How did Doggo know what they -wanted him to say? Was he a mind reader? - -When they had asked me all they cared, they gathered together in a -corner, apparently holding an inaudible conference on the results. - -It was evident that there was something of great moment in the air. - -And so there was, for presently they withdrew and returned with the -young girl, the girl whose presence on this planet had inspired me to -master at last the ant language! - -Eagerly I sprang forward with my stylus and paper, anxious to start a -conversation with this fair creature. And then I was halted by the sight -of her face. - -To my dying day nothing can ever wipe from my memory the deeply engraved -picture of the look of absolute horror and loathing which she gave me, -as she recoiled from the contamination of my presence. Then she fainted -dead away, and was carried out by the four professors. - -Oh, how I longed for her, the one human-like creature that I had seen on -Poros, and yet what an impassable gulf separated us! The gulf between -the understandings and mentalities and means of communication of two -distinct worlds! I was determined, nevertheless, to see her again. But -how? That was the question! - - - - - _6_ - radio plays its part - - -I have already told you how dismayed I was at the horror displayed by -the pretty Cupian when she was led into my presence. It is neither -flattering nor reassuring to have a lady register fear and disgust upon -seeing you for the first time. It is even worse if the lady happens to -be the most divinely beautiful creature you have ever seen; and still -more unbearable if she happens to furnish the one human touch on an -entire planet. - -Yet, was she to be blamed? - -I was heavily bearded, whereas male Cupians, so Doggo said, wore their -hair on the top half of their heads only. I had peculiar mushroomy -growths—my ears—on the sides of my face. I had one finger too few on -each hand, and one toe too few on each foot. And I was devoid of -antennae. - -Altogether I must have looked like a strange and ferocious wild beast, -all the more repulsive because of its resemblance to a Cupian being. And -if I had then known what I do now as to the reason why she had been -brought to my quarters, I should have been even more sympathetic with -her viewpoint. - -But, although her horror was entirely justified, this fact in no way -mitigated my chagrin. With great care I drafted a letter of apology -which I sent to her by Doggo, only to have her return it unopened, with -the statement that Cupian ladies had nothing to do with the lower -beasts. - -Oh, if I could only talk, if she could only hear my words, I felt sure -that I could break down her hostility. How did these creatures -communicate, anyhow? They undoubtedly had some means, for had I not seen -Doggo halt Satan when the latter had been about to kill me? And had I -not seen Doggo place on paper the questions which the four professors -had wished to ask of me? - -And then I remembered the speculations of some earth scientists, which -had been running in the newspapers shortly before my departure from that -sphere. The opinion had been expressed that insects communicate by very -short length radio waves. I had made a note to investigate this subject -later, but at that time I had been too engrossed with my machine for the -transmission of matter to be able to give the question of insect speech -more than a mere passing thought. It had not crossed my mind again -until, immediately after my sad meeting with the beautiful Cupian, I was -racking my brains for some means of talking with her. - -Radio! The very thing! - -How strange that I, a radio engineer, whose life was the capture and -subjugation of the Hertzian wave, should have missed this solution for -so long! - -The solution certainly was plausible: If fireflies can produce a -ninety-five per cent efficient light, and if electric eels can generate -a current sufficient to kill a horse, why should not an insect be able -to send out and receive radio messages over short distances? If animals -can create light and electricity in their bodies, why can they not -create radio? Perhaps Doggo could enlighten me. - -“Doggo,” wrote I, only I called him by his number, 334-2-18, instead of -Doggo, “can ant-men and Cupians communicate in any way other than -writing?” - -“Of course they can,” he replied. “They use their antennae to talk and -to hear.” - -Or “to send and to receive”; I don’t know just which way to translate -the words which he used, but I caught his meaning. - -“In my world,” I wrote, “people send with their mouths, and receive with -their ears. Let me show you how.” - -So speaking a few words aloud, I wrote on my pad: “That constitutes our -kind of sending.” - -But he shook his head, for he hadn’t received a single word. - -He then sent, and of course this time it was I who failed to receive. -But at least we had made a beginning in interplanetary communication, -for we had each tried to communicate. Was it not strange that all this -time, while I had been accusing the inhabitants of this planet of -deafness and dumbness, they had been making the same accusation against -me? - -At this moment the electric lights went on, and they gave me an -inspiration. - -Pointing at them, I wrote: “Where are those things made? Is there a -department at the university devoted to that subject?” - -He answered: “There is a department of electricity at Mooni, with an -electrical factory attached to the department.” - -“That,” I said, “was my line of work on earth. Do you suppose that you -could take me to Mooni? If you could, I believe that I can construct -electrical antennae which will turn your kind of message into my kind, -and _vice versa_, thus enabling us actually to talk together.” - -“I doubt very much,” he replied, “whether anything you do will ever -enable you to talk or to hear, for you have no antennae. Of course no -one can either talk or hear without antennae. But there will certainly -be no harm in giving you a chance to try.” - -So a petition was drawn up and signed by Doggo and me, humbly begging -the Council of Twelve to assent to my transfer. In due course of time, -the professor of anatomy—of the four professors who had so often -examined me—visited us again, bringing with him a new ant-man, the -professor of electricity. They were both very skeptical of my theories, -but were glad to assist in obtaining my transfer, as that would give -them better facilities for studying me, and also an opportunity to -exhibit me to the students. - -There seemed to be some doubt, however, as to the advisability of taking -me away from the beautiful girl. But the reason for this I could not -guess at that time, as I was sure that the farther away I was, the -better it would certainly suit her. - -Before the two ant professors left, I wrote for them the still -unanswered question: “What conclusions have been reached as to the sort -of animal I am?” - -They replied: “The majority opinion is that you must have come from some -other continent overseas. The presence of the boiling ocean, which -entirely surrounds continental Poros, has prevented us Porovians from -ever exploring the rest of our world. And even the airplanes do not dare -penetrate the steam clouds which overhang the sea. - -“But there is a tradition that a strange race, something like the -Cupians, live beyond the waves. You must be one of that race, since it -is inconceivable that you could have come from another planet. - -“A minority, however, are of the opinion that passage across the boiling -seas is just as absurd, no more and no less, than a trip through -interplanetary space, and this minority are inclined to give credence to -the theory that you come from Minos, the planet next further from the -sun.” - -In other words, the Earth. - -All this conversation was in writing, of course, and was very slow and -tedious. From their statements I gathered that the professor of anatomy -was one of the minority; so I gave him some evidence to support his -point of view. - -“Things weigh more where I come from,” wrote I, “and in my world a year -consists of 265 days.” - -This was, of course, in duodecimal notation. The 265 in Porovian -notation means (2 × 144) plus (6 × 12) plus 5, which equals 365 in earth -notation. Because of the twelve fingers, the Cupians count in twelves, -and the Formians have adopted the same system. - -My statements about the earth impressed him greatly, and confirmed his -belief that I was a Minorian. - -Then the professors withdrew, after promising to assist in trying to -obtain my transfer. - -While waiting for the decision of the Council of Twelve, time would have -hung heavy on my hands if Doggo had not thoughtfully procured for me a -book entitled “Electricity for the Newly Hatched.” Of course I needed no -instruction in elementary electricity, nor even in _advanced_ -electricity, but I _did_ need an introduction to the technical terms and -electrical symbols of the ant language. And this the book gave me. - -The council were a long time in deciding, for many important matters -were pending, and my petition had to await its regular turn. At last, -however, Doggo brought me the joyful news that my transfer to the -University of Mooni had been approved, and that he was to be permitted -to accompany me. - -I saw the beautiful girl only once more before my departure. She came to -my courtyard to pick flowers, as she had regularly done before the fatal -day of our meeting. But this time she noticed my presence at the window, -and hastily left the garden with her head tossed high and a disdainful -sneer on her lips. - -This made me more determined than ever to make good in my new venture. - -The day of departure finally arrived, and Doggo and I prepared to make -the trip. I took Tabby, while Doggo took a strange animal of a sort I -had never seen before. I had never known that Doggo had a pet, but have -since learned that an excess of pets is one of the worst vices of the -Formians. In fact, one of their professors who has devoted his life to -the subject, reports that the Formians possess some fifteen hundred -species of domesticated animals, many of which do not exist at all in a -wild state, and most of which have absolutely no practical use. - -Doggo’s little beast was a mathlab, closely resembling a rabbit in size -and appearance, except that it had antennae instead of ears, and had -brick-red fur. These creatures are very docile and affectionate, but -breed rapidly, and thus are not so expensive nor so much esteemed as -some of the rarer varieties of beetle such as Tabby. - -A closely related animal, slightly larger, black in color, and not so -tame, is kept for its flesh, and also for its eggs, which are a staple -article of Porovian diet. In their wild state both species are preyed -upon by a fierce carnivore named the woofus, so that their great -fecundity is all that saves them from absolute extinction. - -Mooni lies about one hundred stads east of Wautoosa, the city where I -had been residing. The journey was made in a kerkool, a two-wheeled -automobile, whose balance is maintained by a pair of rapidly rotating -gyroscopes, driven by the same motor which propels the vehicle. The -fuel, as I later learned, is a synthetic liquid resembling alcohol, and -supposed to be extremely poisonous. - -There were no seats, for ant-men do not sit down, but a chair for me had -thoughtfully been added to the equipment. The chauffeur, or kerko as -they call him, wore goggles very much like those used on the earth, and -similar pairs were provided for Doggo and me. - -The trip was easily and pleasantly made in about one Porovian hour. - -The way lay through rolling fields, where grazed herds of green cows -guarded by huge spiders; and through fragrant woods, where I saw many -strange animals, taken unawares by the swift approach of our kerkool. -Many questions were on the tip of my pencil, but conversation was -difficult, for the motion of the kerkool jiggled my pad. - -At Mooni there was a large crowd of ant-men awaiting our arrival, and -mingled with them were many Cupians, the first that I had seen other -than the girl at Wautoosa. They were a handsome race, and I began to -wonder what chance I could possibly have in competition with them as an -aspirant for the hand of one of their women, even if I were to shave, -grow wings and antennae, and cut off my ears. Their complexions ranged -from pink-and-white to tan; and their hair, sometimes close and -sometimes curly, ran through all the colors of human hair. - -The ant professor of electricity met us at the city gate, and introduced -me to the crowd with a few inaudible remarks, which were received in -silence. Then he showed me to my quarters, where I had a chance to wash -up, put on a clean toga, and take a much-needed rest. - -That evening a dinner was given in my honor at a large banquet hall. At -the head table stood the president of the ant university, the committee -of four ant-men who had examined me so often, the ant professor of -electricity, a visiting Cupian professor, Doggo, and myself. At the -other tables stood other and lesser members of the faculty, and students -both Cupian and Formian. - -I was the cynosure of all eyes, and—so Doggo informed me in writing—the -subject of most of the speeches. I had to take his word for it that -there were speeches; for, so far as I could tell, not a word was said. I -could not even watch the speaker rise and give his talk, for all were -already standing. - -Altogether it was a very dull occasion for me, in spite of my being the -lion of the evening. Besides, I was eager to be done with the -preliminaries, and get busy with my real work. - -The food was plenteous and varied. Among the dishes which I remember -were a highly seasoned stew of the red lobster-like parasite which -afflicts the aphids, minced wild mathlab with mathlab egg sauce, and -something resembling mushrooms, only not so rich. - -Several of the Cupian maidens in the audience made eyes at me. Not that -they thought me prepossessing with my big black beard, but rather in -much the same spirit that would induce an earth maiden to flirt with a -gorilla in a cage, just to see what effect it would have on the beast. -It had absolutely no effect on me, for the picture of the girl at -Wautoosa was ever present in my mind. - -So I was glad when the banquet was over and I could go to my room, and -my bed, and pleasant dreams in which a Cupian damsel and I walked hand -in hand through a roseate future. - -No guard was placed over me at Mooni, but Doggo shared my room. - -The next morning I was inducted into the laboratory. The critical point -of my career had arrived. Was I to succeed and become a nine days’ -wonder and perhaps distinguish myself sufficiently to find favor in the -eyes of the beautiful girl at Wautoosa, or was I to fail and return -discredited? Heaven only knew; but time would tell. - -The ant superintendent of the laboratory assigned me a bench, a kit of -tools, and two Cupian slaves as assistants. He was most deferential and -did all that he could to help me, but my handicaps were many. I was not -versed in their electrical machinery. I was unaccustomed to their tools, -which looked for all the world as though they had been copied from the -monstrosities which appear weekly in the Official Gazette of the United -States Patent Office. All my conversations with either superiors or -subordinates had to be carried on in writing, in a strange language, -which I had only just recently and just barely mastered. - -But, worst of all, most of my time had to be devoted to appearing before -classes as a horrible example of what nature can do in an off moment, to -being examined both physically and in writing by committees of -scientists, to entertainments staged in my honor, and sight-seeing about -the city. - -My hosts were determined to do everything in their power to make me -enjoy my visit; when if they had but known it, my only desire was to -devote myself to my self-appointed task, so that I could speedily return -to Wautoosa, which held all that was dear to me on this planet. - -From time to time I would inquire about her of Doggo, and he would -assure me that she was due to stay indefinitely at Wautoosa, and would -certainly be there upon my return. - -In spite of vexatious interruptions, my work gradually progressed. I -found that although all electric current on Poros is derived from -dynamos of a multisolenoidal oscillating type, and although batteries -are unknown, yet the Porovians do possess efficient storage batteries, -in which a very large amount of current can be stored in a very small -space. These I used for my A batteries. - -For my B and C batteries I constructed dry cells, to the amazement of my -associates, who could not figure out where the current came from. Even -though my main experiment failed, this feat of plucking electricity out -of nowhere, as it were, would make my fame secure on Poros. - -The sight-seeing trips included the various factories, each under the -control of the appropriate university department. For the Formians are -well skilled in all the arts, although the fine work has to be done by -Cupian slaves, whose fingers are more efficient than the claws of the -ant-men. Only practical arts are employed in Formia, although the -Cupians go in for painting, sculpture, architecture, _et cetera_. - -I slung the three batteries on a belt about my waist. This belt also -carried a tube and my tuning apparatus, of a particularly selective type -which I had designed on earth, and for which I now have a United States -patent pending, unless my patent attorneys have abandoned it through -want of word from me. - -I now adapted this design to an unusually short wave length, in order to -comply with what I remembered to be the speculations of earth scientists -on the method of insect communication. My tubes were of the Indestructo -type invented by me on earth, or they never could have withstood my -subsequent adventures. - -From a skull cap I suspended two earphones and a microphone, and on top -of the cap I mounted a small pancake coil. The microphone gave me more -trouble than any other part of the set, as carbon of the exact sort -required seemed hard to get on Poros. But finally, after testing several -hundred other materials, I hit upon a very common light silvery metal -which did just as well. This metal I am unable to identify, but I think -that it is one of the platinum group, more probably osmium. - -I spent four months of earth time in the laboratories of Mooni, growing -more and more homesick for Wautoosa. If it had not been for the -consoling assurances of the faithful Doggo, I do not believe that I -could have stood it, so many were the interruptions to my work. - -Of all the diversions offered me, only one interested me at all, and -that was the Zoo, or gr-ool—_i.e._, animal place—as they termed it. And -the most amusing part of the gr-ool was the monkey house. Of course -there are no monkeys on Poros, but I refer to this place as a monkey -house, because that is what it would correspond to on earth. - -Here were kept specimens of all the wild species of ant known on the -planet. Except in size and color, I could discover no features which -would distinguish any of them from the ant-men. - -One day, seeing my interest, Doggo wrote down for me: - -“Some of the species are very intelligent, so much so that they were -formerly bred in large quantities for slaves, before the treaty of Mooni -supplied Formia with a superior substitute.” - -“Did it ever occur to anyone,” I asked, “that these creatures might be -either immature or degenerate Formians?” - -He was horrified. - -“These wild ants,” he explained, “are the basis of one of the great -intellectual disputes of this planet—namely, as to whether or not we are -merely a superior species of ants, or whether we are an entirely -distinct type of being, specially created, and not a part of the animal -kingdom at all. - -“Most of the university men hold that we are related to these brutes, -and this is likewise the more modern view. But fortunately there is an -influential body of opinion, high in the politics of this country, which -considers that such a view is too degrading to admit of acceptance. And -accordingly the Council of Twelve is even now seriously considering a -law intended to prohibit the teaching of this dangerous doctrine.” - -“How about the Cupians?” I asked. “Have they any such evolutionary -problem?” - -“No,” he wrote, “fortunately for them, they have no problem of -evolution, for they are the only non-egg-laying creatures on Poros, and -so do not regard themselves even as mammals.” - -Whereat I wondered to myself whether it was not probable that it was -this distinctiveness of the Cupians which had inspired the jealous -Formians to deny their own obvious kinship to the ants. - -In addition to the gr-ool I frequently visited the stuffed specimens in -the museum of their Department of Biology. - -The absence of any birds either here or at the gr-ool, perplexed me, -until I reflected that birds are merely a specialized form of flying -lizards on my own earth, and that their occurrence even on earth was -merely a not-to-have-been-expected accident. Creatures similar to -pterodactyls were among the extinct species on exhibit at Mooni, but -birds had never been known on Poros, although I could have sworn to -having seen some sort of small bird flitting in tandem pairs in the -woods on my second day on the planet. - -But to get back to radio. By the way, that is how I always felt during -my trips to the gr-ool and my other diversions: oh, to get back to -radio! - -One of the Cupian slaves who was assisting me turned out to be Prince -Toron, second nephew of King Kew XII. Toron’s older brother, Yuri, was -the crown prince, as the king was a widower and childless, except for a -daughter, Lilla. Toron’s term of slavery was nearly completed, and he -was anxious to return to Cupia; where a day’s work was only two parths, -or Porovian hours, instead of five as prevailed here. - -Think of the degradation of having a prince of the royal house of Cupia -held as a slave in the factories of an alien race! Think of the further -degradation involved in the fact that no one saw anything improper in -the situation! They even celebrated annually, as Peace Day, the -anniversary of the treaty which had imposed this indignity upon them. - -“Toron,” I wrote one day, “would not war be infinitely better than such -a peace?” - -“Yes,” he admitted, “there is some sentiment among the younger men of my -country against the rule of the ant-men, but the ant-men are -all-powerful and promptly suppress treason with an iron hand. So I am -afraid that our cause is hopeless.” - -As the time for the completion of my experiment drew near, I thought of -my massive beard, and I decided that it must be removed before I again -faced the beautiful girl at Wautoosa. Also my hair needed attention. -Cupian hair does not have to be cut and does not grow at all on the -face, which must be a great convenience to them. - -With the aid of Toron and a pair of wire clippers, I managed to trim my -hair to a respectable state, leaving long locks, however to obscure my -ears. I also clipped my beard as close as possible and then finished the -job with a sharp laboratory knife of the sort of copper commonly—but -erroneously—called “tempered” on earth, and some lubricating grease. - -And behold, with the minor exception of wings, fingers, toes and -antennae, I was as presentable appearing a Cupian as any one would wish -to see. Thereafter I kept the knife, and shaved daily, later making -myself real soap for the purpose. - -The change in my appearance resulted in more delay, for I was -immediately exhibited to all the classes again and was forced to write a -long essay on haircuts and shaving as practiced upon my own planet, -Minos. - -Interest in me had lagged somewhat, and I had been given more time with -my work, but now interest revived again and interrupted me considerably. - -Nevertheless, my apparatus was at last completed and I was ready for the -test. The next day my work was to be inspected by a committee of ant -scientists, so with trembling fingers I adjusted the controls and bade -Toron speak to me. - -The result was—silence! - - - - - _7_ - a hunting trip - - -My radio set was a failure! I could not hear Toron, and he could not -hear me. All my labor of four months in the laboratories of Mooni had -gone to waste. - -Perhaps the Porovian scientists were right, and the earth scientists -were wrong, and insects did _not_ communicate by radio waves after all. -Yet I was unwilling to give up. - -So I begged Toron to talk in as many different ways as he could, and at -last was rewarded by a slight squeak in my earphones. Then I myself -tried, talking now loud, now soft, now high, now low, until at last, -when I yelled at a particularly high pitch, Toron reported that he too -had heard. The earth scientists were vindicated! Communication was -established! - -The sounds had been received and sent at the very shortest wave length -within the powers of my apparatus, so I now determined to reduce that -wave length still further. - -Late into the night I worked frantically; and Toron, catching some of my -contagious enthusiasm, worked with me. - -At first I experimented with various sizes and shapes of coil antennae, -but I was confronted with weak signals of short wave length. Any change -in my apparatus which reduced my wave length also reduced my -receptivity; and any change which increased my receptivity likewise -increased my wave length. So I was between the devil and the deep sea. -Finally I tried condenser antennae without plates; two rods. And then we -were rewarded by speech, clear, distinct and unmistakable. - -We ceased our work, exhausted. But before turning in for the night, -Toron taught me how to say in Porovian language the following sentence: -“The planet Minos sends to the planet Poros, and informs Poros that -Minos was right. Communication between Porovians _is_ electrical.” - -I told him that my name was Myles S. Cabot, a fact which I had -previously had no means of imparting to any one. Then we separated for -the night. - -The next morning the committee were astounded at my success. Although I -was most anxious to get back to Wautoosa at once, the committee insisted -on my remaining and demonstrating my apparatus, and this took several -weeks more. - -But at last I was permitted to return. - -On my arrival I was informed that the girl was still there, so at once I -requested an interview. At first she refused to receive me, but Doggo, -who acted as go-between, finally succeeded in arousing her interest by -hinting to her that the scientists at Mooni had discovered that I was -really a Cupian after all. And a very handsome one at that, now that -they had succeeded in completely removing my former deformities. So at -last she reluctantly consented. Apparently she had heard no news of the -great doings at Mooni. - -I planned for this meeting with even more care and application than I -had spent upon my radio apparatus. Everything that Doggo and I were to -say and do was carefully rehearsed. My speeches, of course, had to be -learned by rote, for I had as yet no opportunity to study the spoken -language of Poros. - -We built a head frame of heavy wire concealed in my hair, and arranged -the phones so that they would lie unobserved under the locks which -covered my ears. The batteries, tubes, tuning-apparatus and one rod were -on my back, carried by a belt and hidden beneath my toga. The other rod -and a dummy mate to it were affixed to my forehead and camouflaged to -resemble Cupian antennae. My small microphone was located between my -collar bones, where the front edge of my toga just concealed it. Of -course, I could have mounted both of my real rods on my forehead, but -that would have reduced the capacity enough so as to have increased my -wave length out of the required range. Hence the seemingly unnecessary -complication of my arrangement. - -The need for tuning-apparatus requires some explanation. Porovians tune -for the slight difference in individual wave length, by moving their -antennae; but this, of course, was not practicable to me, so I employed -for this purpose a microscopically small variable condenser on my belt. - -To complete my disguise we even went to the extent of fastening -artificial wings to my back, so that, except for the slight peculiarity -of my hands and feet, I looked and sounded like a real Cupian. - -Then we were ushered into the presence of the lady. She was a beautiful -and regal figure, as she sat poised upon a richly upholstered dais, -garbed in the Grecian simplicity of the Cupian national costume. In her -arms snuggled a pet mathlab, which I noted with a twinge of jealousy. - -She was unmistakably taken aback by the change in my appearance, and -only a hasty glance at my hands and feet convinced her that she was not -being made the victim of a practical joke. But she quickly recovered her -dignity, and frigidly awaited our advances. - -Doggo opened the conversation. - -“Gracious lady,” he said, “Myles Cabot and I pay our most humble -respects. As you can see, he is now a full-fledged Cupian, with the -minor exception of fingers and toes. The object of this interview is -that he may reassure you, and apologize for the fright which he caused -you when last you two met.” - -I then stepped forward. In spite of my transformation she cringed a bit, -I must admit. Evidently she still remembered my horrible beard, for she -kept studying my face inquiringly. - -I spoke my memorized piece, as follows: “Gracious lady, I am your -everlasting slave, from whom you need fear no harm.” - -And then _she_ spoke! The sweetest, most tinkling, silvery voice that I -have ever heard. Somehow I had known that her voice must be like that. -Of course, I did not yet understand the spoken language of this planet; -but I stood enchanted. - -Doggo afterwards wrote out for me the substance of her remarks, which -were that she was thrown in contact with me against her will, but that -if I comported myself circumspectly she would condescend to tolerate my -acquaintance, or words to that effect. Never once did her cold manner -relax, and yet I fancied the merest twinkle of interest in her -heaven-blue eyes. - -We withdrew, fully satisfied that an opening had been made. - -Doggo at once wanted to report the occurrence to headquarters, whereas I -insisted that the affair concerned no one but myself. - -“Why should headquarters care?” I asked. - -His reply astounded me. It took paper and pencil and a great deal of -explaining before I finally grasped the horrible fact that the Cupian -girl had been brought to Wautoosa so that the Formians might breed us -like cattle, in an attempt to perpetuate my peculiar species. No wonder -that she still revolted from me, in spite of my more presentable -appearance. - -“Teach me to talk,” I pleaded on paper, “in order that I may explain to -her that she has nothing to fear from me, and that I will guard her -honor with my life.” - -Doggo could not understand my sentiments, but he had enough friendship -for me so that he respected them on my account. Accordingly he set to -work instructing me, chiefly by making me read aloud and take dictation. -The language turned out to be phonetic, after all. In fact, it is very -like Pitman shorthand, although not quite so compact. - -As I already knew the written language pretty thoroughly, I made rapid -progress in the radiated language, so that in a very few weeks I became -really proficient. Now I learned the names “Cupian” and “Formian” and a -great many other words which I have used earlier in this narrative, -although only their written forms were known to me at that time. - -I was now able to write my name phonetically. Heretofore I had used for -my name the plural of the character for their unit of measure, stad, a -poor pun for Myles. - -Every few days I saw the lady briefly. At first our conversations were -very formal, consisting on my part almost entirely of set speeches -committed to memory. But gradually as I mastered the language I became -able to understand her and to improvise a bit. - -One afternoon, about fifty days after my return from Mooni, I said to -Doggo, doubtless apropos of something that was in my lesson: - -“Tell me, have you any name of your own? I have called you Doggo right -along, and you haven’t seemed to mind it; so it has never occurred to me -before to ask your real name.” - -“No,” he replied, “I have no name. That is why I felt highly honored -when you called me one. Cupians have names, but we Formians, except in -the case of our Queen Formis, have merely numbers. These numbers are in -three parts, the first part representing the year of hatching, the -second the month of hatching, and the third the serial registration -number of the individual. Thus my number ‘344-2-18’ means that I was the -twentieth Formian hatched in the second month of the four hundred and -eighty-fourth year following the Great Peace.” - -Let me explain here, that a year on Poros is made up of twenty months of -twelve days each. A day is twelve parths, or about twenty-two and a half -earth hours; so that a parth is about one hour and fifty-two and a half -minutes of earth time. - -I would have asked him then what was the meaning of the other and -smaller numbers on his back, but I was more interested in learning about -the beautiful lady. It was strange that I had never asked her name of -either herself or Doggo. But I had always called her “gracious lady,” -with never a thought of any further title. - -Now I inquired: “If Cupians have names, what then is the name of the -gracious lady?” - -At this question Doggo’s antennae quivered with suppressed excitement. - -“Never ask that question again of any one,” he adjured me. “Do not even -ask the lady herself. There are reasons of state against your being -told.” - -To relieve this strained situation, I changed the subject, saying: “Oh, -by the way, it has occurred to me to ask the cause of the accident to -our airplane on the day of my capture.” - -Whereat Doggo, mollified, explaining as follows: “Our airplanes are -stabilized entirely by gyroscopes.” - -I interjected: “On my planet, Minos, we depend upon the shape and design -of the wings.” - -“Be that as it may,” Doggo continued, “_we_ use gyroscopes. On the -particular occasion in question the gyroscopes broke down, thus -crippling the plane as completely as if it had lost a wing, and so -bringing it to the ground.” - -As we were on the subject, I asked: “What is the reason for the peculiar -shape of your flying-machines?” For I had noticed that they were built -with long flexible tails, so that the general appearance was that of a -dragon fly. - -“Oh,” Doggo explained, “the tail is the fighting element of a Porovian -airship. The green cows, whose milk furnishes such an important part of -the diet of us Formians, are preyed upon by the enormous bees, such as -the one who fell into the same spider-web with you shortly after your -arrival on this planet. These bees are chiefly noted for their honey and -for the peculiar shrill noise which they radiate, on which account they -are called ‘whistling bees.’ - -“Airplanes exist for the sole purpose of combating these predatory -creatures. By one of the terms of the treaty of Mooni, the Cupians are -not allowed to possess planes, and accordingly all of the policing of -the air has to be done by the Imperial Air Navy of the Formians. This -city, Wautoosa, where we are now staying, is the barracks for the air -navy, and contains nothing else, which accounts for the absence of -visiting Cupians here. I am a high ranking naval officer, an eklat, -whereas the one you call ‘Satan’ is only a pootah.” - -Thus explained Doggo. I gathered that the ranks of eklat and pootah -correspond respectively to commander, and lieutenant junior grade, on -earth. - -I having done my share to relieve the tension caused by my asking of -Doggo the name of the Cupian girl, he now in turn invited me to go on a -bee hunt, which I accepted purely for politeness’ sake, as I did not -care to travel far from the lady. But perhaps such a diversion would be -just as well, until I had made more progress in mastering the spoken -language. - -So, about a week after the conversation above related, I embarked with -two young officers for a part of the country where it had been reported -that several bees were preying upon the flocks. Doggo remained behind at -Wautoosa, because of certain important military duties. - -The trip took almost an entire day, and we put up for the night at a -small farming village. The farmer ants displayed a true rustic interest -in my peculiarities, which the two young bar-pootahs, or ensigns, took -great pleasure in showing off. My fame had evidently reached this -community, but with it a myth to the effect that my electrical antennae -could discharge not only speech, but also death-dealing lightning at -will. - -I treasured this piece of information—it might come in handy some time. - -Early the next morning we started forth to the field where the most -recent bovicides had taken place, and concealed our plane in some woods -by the edge of the field. We had not long to wait, for soon we were -rewarded by a whistling sound, at which we sailed out to meet the enemy. - -“The nations’ airy navies grappling in the central blue,” of which -Tennyson sings, can’t hold a candle to a battle between an ant flyer and -a whistling bee. - -At the start we circled each other, each looking for an opening, and -each trying to get on the back of the other. In this game the airplane -had a certain advantage, for it was provided with grappling hooks both -above and below, and could work its tail either up or down to strike at -its antagonist. Whereas the bee, of course, had legs only on the bottom -side, and could bend his sting only downward. Thus even if the bee -should alight on the top of the plane, the fight would still remain -fairly even. But if the plane should alight on top of the bee, it would -be all over for the poor bee. - -In addition, the plane had its fuel tank and its control levers located -way to the front, as far as possible out of reach of the sting of the -bee. But the bee had the advantage of unified control; that is to say, -one of the ant ensigns flew the machine, while the other manipulated the -fighting tail; whereas the bee controlled both his sting and his wings -with a single brain. - -Round and round we circled, first the plane on top and then the bee. The -two young ant-men were accomplished flyers, so that loop-the-loops, -tail-spins, direct drops and other maneuvers were possible, and it took -all of these expedients to elude our antagonist. But at last the bee -made some slight misplay, and instantly we were upon his back with the -grappling hooks sunk in his sides and in a moment our fighting tail was -driven home and the battle was over. The grappling hooks were then -released, and the carcass cast to the ground. - -Upon our alighting shortly thereafter, one of the ant-men exclaimed: “We -certainly _are_ in luck, for there is the bee’s honey pot!” - -And sure enough, there in front of us was a silk lined opening in the -ground, more than a yard in diameter. And now I learned whence came the -honey which the Formians had frequently served me. For it seems that -these huge bees, as large as horses, burrow into the ground to the depth -of ten or twelve feet, line the hole with silk of their own spinning, -and then use it as a reservoir for their most excellent honey. This, in -spite of their carnivorous proclivities, is almost identical to the -honey made by bees on earth. - -One of the bar-pootahs now uncoiled a long hose from the airship and -stuck the end into the honey reservoir, while the other started up the -motor; and soon we were filling one of our spare tanks with the luscious -syrup, of which there were about one hundred gallons in the hole. - -But we had made one mistake, for this was not the hole of our late -victim. It belonged instead to another bee, who suddenly appeared -angrily on the scene. If we had not been warned by his whistling, we -should have been out of luck; and as it was, we barely had time to -scramble aboard and rise from the ground before he was upon us. - -Then began a repetition of our former fight, but with a difference, as -we soon noticed, for this bee was a master of aerial tactics. Once, when -we were nearly upon his back, he darted ahead, and then rose and halted, -so that we nearly drove our ship onto the point of his sting. But -fortunately, our pilot caught the idea of the maneuver almost before it -was executed, and quickly threw us into a left-handed spiral, thus not -only escaping the deadly sting, but also giving the bee a bad bruise -with one of our wings as we shot by. - -A move like this would, of course, be rendered entirely impossible by -the steadying influence of the gyroscopes, were it not for the fact that -the control apparatus is so arranged that the gyroscopes maintain their -position, while the whole rest of the machine spirals around them. - -For a while thereafter we had the advantage, and finally by a clever -shift descended squarely upon the back of the bee. But, just as our -hooks were about to take hold, the bee again darted forward and looped -in front of us, turning over at the same time, so that he was right side -up above us. Then, as we passed under him, he dropped upon the front of -our machine out of reach of our tail. - -“My, but that was a well executed move!” one of the bar-pootahs -exclaimed. “I never saw a whistling bee do _that_ before.” - -Airmen are ever appreciative of a clever opponent, on Poros as on Earth, -and even in defeat. These were the last words my friend ever spoke, for -at that moment he was impaled by the enemy. The next stroke punctured -the fuel tank, the other ant-man jumped, and the plane crashed to earth, -pinning me beneath it. - -I lay stunned for a few moments, and then the angry bee bunted the wreck -to one side, pulled me from beneath it, and brandished his sting above -me, preparatory to driving it into my vitals. - - - - - _8_ - the conspiracy - - -Just as the sting was about to pierce my breast I recognized the bee. It -was the same one which had been my companion in the spider web, and -which I had rescued. There was the leg-stump and the scarred abdomen. -What irony of fate that this bee should have now returned to kill me! - -“Don’t!” I shrieked aloud. “Was it for this that I saved you from the -spider?” - -And it almost seemed as though he heard me and understood me, for he -stayed his rapier in mid air. Then he recognized me, too. At least he -must have done so, for in no other way can I explain his sudden -clemency. Instead of finishing his stroke, the bee withdrew his sting, -gazed intently on me for several seconds, and then flew heavily away. - -Once more my life was saved! - -When I had recovered my breath, I struggled weakly to my feet and looked -about me. The plane was a hopeless wreck. The impaled bar-pootah was -still in his place at the levers. The one who had jumped was lying -crushed and silent near by. I was alone in a small open spot in the -woods. - -After ascertaining that the crushed ant-man was beyond all help, I -started off in as nearly a straight direction as I could, lining up -first one pair of trees and then another in order to keep from traveling -in a circle. The absence of any direct sunlight made orientation very -difficult, for without any shadows to judge by it was impossible to tell -north from south or east from west. - -Again, as on my second day on this planet, I noticed the peculiar fauna -of the woods, and especially the strange birds which seemed to fly in -tandem pairs. Finally, as I passed through a small clearing, a pair flew -near me, and to my surprise I found that it was not a pair at all, but -rather a single animal. In fact it was not a bird at all, but rather a -reptile of some sort, resembling a lizard with a wing where each leg -should be—a veritable flying snake about three feet long. - -As this peculiar winged creature fluttered near and saw me, it uttered a -shrill squeak and rushed at my head. The squeak was answered in various -directions, and almost immediately several more flying snakes began to -converge upon me from all sides. Luckily for me there was a stout stick -lying close at hand, and seizing this I began to defend myself. - -More and more of the strange aerial snakes arrived, and soon I was -surrounded by a swarm of them, all striving to strike at my head, -regardless of my frantic attempts to beat them off. - -I was rapidly tiring from my efforts, when a diversion offered, in the -form of a new enemy—a lavender colored hairless cat-like beast about the -size of a large dog—which bounded into the clearing with a -blood-curdling scream. - -Forgotten were the flying snakes, as I clambered into a tree, just -barely in time to escape this new onslaught. And forgotten, apparently, -was I by them. For they scattered to the four winds of heaven, leaving -me alone with the purple beast, which paced screaming beneath my tree. I -felt perfectly safe where I sat, for the creature did not appear to be a -climber, but its hideous howls were most annoying until I noticed that -the noise came entirely from my headset. So I switched off the current, -and instantly all was silence. - -But even the silence and the comparative safety of the tree were not -particularly pleasant. The beast was anything but pretty, resembling a -mountain lion except that it was lavender colored and hairless, with -antennae and webbed feet. - -So this was the woofus, of which I had heard so much, the most dreaded -carnivore of all Poros! One of these, it was said, was easily a match -for three or four ant-men; so what chance had I, perched in my tree, if -my captor chose to hang around until hunger and thirst should force me -to descend? - -But this question never was answered; for, luckily for me, something -else presently attracted the attention of the woofus, and it trotted off -into the woods. I switched on my radio, and heard its screams gradually -fade away in the distance. - -When all was silent again I descended, and picked up the line of trees -which I had been following when I entered the clearing. Soon I came to -another clearing. There in the center lay a crippled airplane and beside -it the dead body of a huge ant. It was my own plane. I had traveled in a -circle, after all. - -In despair I sat down on the side of the airship. How was I ever to get -out of this woods? - -And then the fading daylight gave me a clue. To one side the silver gray -of the sky was darkening, while to the other it was assuming a pinkish -hue. I could now tell east from west, and if I hurried, and if the way -was not too far, I could follow a straight line out of the wood while it -was still light. So off I set, due west toward the pink of the unseen -setting sun. Just as the pink light finally died out before me and all -became jet black on every hand, I reached a concrete road at last and -sat down exhausted on its edge. - -I must have slept; for the next thing that I knew I was flooded by a -bright light, and then a kerkool stopped beside me, and I was hailed by -a cheery “Yahoo!” - -The driver was a lone ant-man. - -I struggled sleepily to my feet. - -“Yahoo!” I said. “Whither?” - -“To Wautoosa,” he replied. “Can I accommodate you?” - -“You certainly can,” said I, “for I am from Wautoosa myself, and have -just been in an airplane wreck, which killed both my companions, two -bar-pootahs of the Imperial Air Navy.” - -“Crawl in, then,” said he. - -So I accepted his invitation and promptly fell sound asleep again in the -bottom of the kerkool, where my new host had the decency to let me lie -undisturbed. - -In the morning we stopped at a roadside tavern, where I was awakened for -breakfast. The driver of the kerkool was a rich farmer ant on the way to -Wautoosa on government business from one of the southern provinces. He -had heard of me, and was very much interested in my recent adventures; -and I in turn was glad to find that I could talk with him quite -fluently. We spent the morning chatting pleasantly as we rode along; and -stopped for lunch at another tavern, where we ate a particularly -delectable mess of fried mashed purple grasshoppers, served with honey. - -In the afternoon conversation lagged a bit; and finally, to kill time, -my host undertook to teach me how to drive the kerkool. The control was -not unlike that of an earth automobile, so I caught on readily enough, -and in fact drove the machine for the last hour or so, and into -Wautoosa, which we reached just before supper-time. - -There I bade farewell to the ant and proceeded at once to headquarters -to report the loss of the plane to the winko, or admiral of the entire -air navy. Then I returned to my quarters, where I bathed and changed, -and had supper with Doggo, to whom I related the sad fate of his -friends. - -Tabby was there and was glad to see me. But I should not say “see,” for -these pet buntlotes of the ants are totally blind, being guided entirely -by their sense of smell, which is very keen. They smell with their -antennae, as well as hear, these two senses being commingled in much the -same way as we are taught on earth to regard the two components of radio -waves: namely, electrostatic and electromagnetic. - -But enough of Tabby’s methods of perception; Doggo informed me to my joy -that the Cupian lady had been moved to quarters adjoining my own; and -had expressed herself as no longer unfriendly toward me. - -The next morning I called upon her. - -I had now made sufficient progress with the spoken language, so that we -were able to chat quite pleasantly together. She had me tell my entire -adventures since my arrival on the planet, and punctuated my narrative -with many pretty “ohs” and “ahs” at the various points at which my life -was endangered and then spared. We parted very good friends, it seemed -to me. At least she no longer regarded me as a repulsive wild beast, -which was some consolation and encouragement. - -In the succeeding days we became better and better acquainted, she -telling me a great deal about her planet, and I in turn telling her -about my life on earth. But I—warned by Doggo—never once suggested that -she tell me who she was; and she on her part showed no inclination to do -so. - -Doggo, at my insistence, made no report to headquarters that her -hostility to me had ceased. - -Frequently she and I dined together. Our favorite dish was a stew of -alta, the mushroomlike plant which the ant-men cultivate underground on -beds of chopped tartan leaves. The secret of growing this plant had been -carefully guarded by the Formians and has never been learned by the -Cupians. It tastes much like chestnuts, only not so rich, and forms the -chief part of ant diet, much like rice among the Japanese. - -All this time I had seen nothing of my old enemy Satan; in fact, I had -seen nothing of him since he had tried to kill me many months ago. I had -dismissed him from my mind, and so was much surprised when one day he -swaggered into my quarters in a particularly truculent mood. Doggo was -with me at the time, and bristled up at the other’s approach. It was -plain that the two did not care for each other. - -“How is your pet mathlab from the planet Minos?” sneered Satan. - -Now, to call a person a “mathlab” is one of the worst insults that can -be offered on the planet Poros. It is as bad as to call a man a skunk, a -sandless puppy, and a cur all at once in the United States, or a -_chameau_ in France. And although the insult was directed at me, yet it -was spoken to my friend Doggo and it was he who had been really -insulted. - -Doggo kept his temper admirably, but answered the sneer with another -sneer: “You forget yourself to speak so to a superior officer. My only -explanation is that you have been chewing some saffra root.” - -The saffra is a peculiar narcotic plant which is cultivated on Poros -both for its anesthetic qualities and also for use in much the same way -as alcohol is employed on earth. So that Doggo had virtually accused -Satan of being drunk, which was both a charitable way of explaining -Satan’s insubordinate language and a deadly insult in itself. - -Satan clicked his jaws in rage, and hurled at Doggo the words: “I’ll get -your number.” - -To which Doggo calmly replied: “I’ll get yours.” - -And to my surprise, the two rushed at each other and started fighting. - -Never before having seen a duel between two ant-men, I did not then know -how common duels are, nor that they transcend all rank. The proper -formality for challenging to a duel is to say, as Satan had, “I’ll get -your number,” and the proper formality for accepting the challenge is to -speak as Doggo had spoken. - -The battle was a sort of combined wrestling bout and fencing match, the -two huge creatures tumbling over and over on the floor, each trying to -get his mandibles at the other’s neck and each parrying with his own -mandibles the thrusts of the other. - -Finally, to my horror, Satan slipped by Doggo’s guard and fastened his -jaws on Doggo’s throat. He could easily and instantly have severed -Doggo’s head, but he apparently preferred to hold him for a moment and -gloat over his victim, and this delay gave me the opportunity to come -out of my coma, seize a chair, and rush to Doggo’s rescue. - -But, to my surprise, it was Doggo himself who ordered me back. - -“This is a duel to the death,” he said, “and it is not etiquette for any -one to interfere.” - -Satan turned his horrid eyes to me and remarked: - -“Wait a few minutes until I finish your friend, and I will get your -number, too.” - -“Go to it!” I replied in English, not then knowing the correct -formalities, but being perfectly willing to try my chances again with my -old enemy. - -“What was that peculiar remark?” asked Satan. “Mathlab language? Or -perchance the way that half-wits talk on Minos?” - -Keeping my temper, I answered: “What I said was for you to come and get -my number if you can.” - -This diversion proved unfortunate for Satan. He should have severed -Doggo’s head while he had him in his power; for, while his attention was -distracted by his conversation with me, Doggo suddenly wrenched loose -and with a snap rolled Satan’s head upon the floor. - -Then Doggo shook himself, went to the door, and called for assistance; -and shortly three ant soldiers entered, two of whom removed the dead -body, and the third of whom brought a paint pot and brush, with which he -proceeded to paint on Doggo’s back, under Doggo’s own number and the -string of smaller ones, the number which had been Satan’s in life. - -So _this_ was the meaning of the small numbers and also of the formal -words used in challenging and accepting the challenge to a duel; Doggo -had got Satan’s number in truth. And now, so far as I knew, I had no -enemy on all Poros. - -A few days later, in one of the corridors, I ran across the first male -Cupian whom I had ever seen at Wautoosa. He was even handsomer than the -Cupians whom I had met at the University of Mooni. In fact, he was the -most handsome Cupian man that I have ever seen, either before or since. -He had curly chestnut hair, a straight nose, and regal features and -bearing. - -But he seemed furtive and in a great hurry. Dragging me into a near-by -room, he closed the curtains. - -“Place your antennae close to mine,” he cautioned, “and radiate very -softly. This is a matter of life and death to one who is very dear to -both of us.” - -“The beautiful Cupian?” I gasped. - -“The very same,” he replied. “The Princess Lilla, daughter of King Kew -of Cupia, illegally detained as a prisoner by the Formians.” - -So that was why her identity was sealed! - -“And who are you?” I asked. - -“I am her unhappy cousin, Yuri, next in succession to the throne of -Cupia,” he answered. - -Yes, I had heard of him from his younger brother, Prince Toron, who had -been my assistant in the laboratories of Mooni. - -Yuri continued: “I have long loved the beautiful princess, but she -ignored me. And so, blinded to all sense of right and wrong by my -passion, I arranged with the Department of Eugenics at Mooni to have her -kidnaped into Formia, for the purpose of forcing her to marry me and -thus inaugurate a strain of perfect Cupians.” - -I knew, from Toron, of Yuri’s great influence among the ant-men, due to -his being the leader of the court party in Cupia who believed in the -most abject adherence to the treaty of Mooni. And I could well believe -that a splendid race would spring from this pair, the two most perfect -specimens of all Cupia. - -Yuri went on with his tale: “All of Cupia was turned upside down -searching for the princess, but of course no searching by Cupians was -possible in Formia, and the authorities of the latter country gave out -no intimation that they knew the whereabouts of the princess. My -implication in Lilla’s kidnaping was unknown to her; and so, on meeting -me here at Wautoosa, she hailed me as a possible rescuer.” - -I could restrain my indignation no longer. - -“What duplicity!” I shouted. “I am tempted to try to get your number.” - -But Yuri held up a restraining hand. - -“Quiet, for Lilla’s sake!” he implored. “I do not blame you, for I am -deserving of censure. But hear me out. Hear how I plan, with your aid, -to atone for my crimes. - -“Just as my suit was progressing admirably, you—Myles Cabot—arrived on -this planet, and the plans of the Department of Eugenics abruptly -changed from merely mating the two most beautiful Cupians to a really -much more interesting experiment with a strange new breed.” - -I shuddered, and Yuri smiled. - -He went on: “At first I was jealous of you, and quite naturally so. -Satan was a particularly loyal henchman of mine, and it was my influence -that fostered and perpetuated his original hostility toward you. But now -Satan is dead, so let the past stay gone. I no longer bear you any ill -will, for I have seen that the Princess Lilla is even more averse to the -stranger from Minos than she ever was to her devoted cousin. So now I am -willing to take a chance on you as a rival, and enlist your support and -assistance in my efforts to rescue our beloved princess from the -Formians, and return her to her own country.” - -All this he hurriedly told me in the room into which he had dragged me. -Of course I was horrified at the part which he had played; but, -appreciating his change of heart, I assured him that I was willing to -help him rescue the Princess. - -Then he outlined his plans. - - - - - _9_ - the rescue - - -The idea was for Yuri to return to Cupia, as that would make the ant-men -less suspicious. Ever since the Department of Eugenics had changed their -plans with respect to the princess, Yuri had been carefully watched for -fear that he would do the obvious thing and try to return her to Cupia. -In fact, although he had made up his mind many days ago to enlist my -support, yet he had been so closely shadowed that it was only now that -he had been able to make my acquaintance and snatch a few hurried words -with me. And even now every moment that we spent together rendered the -danger of our detection just so much more imminent. - -“On my return to Cupia,” he said, “I shall wait at the Third Gate, where -the guard will be duly bribed to let you through if you should succeed -in reaching it. Of course, the Formians will trust Lilla much more -freely with Myles Cabot than they would with Prince Yuri, due to their -intense desire to perpetuate the race of Minos, so you will have plenty -of opportunity to convey these plans to Lilla and to arrange for her -flight. - -“All the details have been carefully thought out. I will leave my -kerkool behind at the kerkool-ool at Wautoosa for you to use. - -“One of the city gates opens directly from the kerkool-ool onto the main -traveled highway, and the guard there is a henchman of mine, who has -already been instructed to let you pass. I have even had the forethought -to prepare a forged passport which will get you and Lilla safely by -ant-men who might see fit to stop you and question you on the road.” - -I assented to all these arrangements. How glad I was of an opportunity -to be of service to Lilla! Yuri might be willing to take a chance with -me as a rival, based on the well-known fact that the princess had -greeted me with horror at our first meeting and had with difficulty been -induced to associate with me even after my triumphant return from Mooni -with my means for radio communication. But Yuri did not know how -splendidly we had been getting along together during the past few -sangths, and I thought it just as well not to tell him. Here was a -chance to do a favor for Princess Lilla and at the same time free myself -from my ant captors. - -So I assured Yuri that I would cooperate to the utmost. - -We patted each other’s cheeks to bind the bargain; and then, he first -and I a few minutes later, sneaked out of the room, without either of us -being observed. - -I hastened to the quarters of the princess and told her the entire plan, -to which she gladly agreed. - -A few nights later it was an easy matter for Lilla and me to meet by -prearrangement at the city kerkool-ool. With my false antennae and -artificial wings, I looked very much like a Cupian as it was; and, with -the addition of automobile goggles, which the kerkool-oolo -(garage-keeper) supplied me, I would have been willing to challenge -anyone to tell me from the genuine article. - -Yuri’s kerkool was very similar to the ant-man’s kerkool in which I had -returned from my ill-fated bee hunt, but it was smaller and provided -with seats very much like those of an earthly automobile. This was a -great relief, as it was very tiring to drive a kerkool standing up, as -is the habit among the ant-men. - -We settled ourselves in the car, thanked the attendant, and soon were on -the open road headed for the Cupian boundary and freedom. - -Thus far our plans had been carried out like clockwork, and yet this -fact made it seem all the more likely that there was trouble ahead. I -was filled with suspense and excitement; and evidently my companion was -under much the same strain, for she clung to my left arm with both her -little hands. I could feel her heart beating heavily and rapidly against -my side, and every now and then she would shiver, although the night was -warm. I longed to draw her to me and comfort her, but the kerkool -demanded all my attention; and besides she was a princess of the royal -house of Cupia, and I—why, I was probably merely an educated animal. - -Yet her intimate presence thrilled me, and her confiding trust gave me -courage to face any dangers. No longer was she the haughty regal -princess; she was now merely a very frightened little girl; and, -manlike, I gloried in my protective strength. - -It was a long time since I had taken an automobile ride with a girl. The -night was warm and moist and fragrant, as are all nights of Poros. I had -not been a drinking man on earth, and on the planet Venus I have never -chewed the saffra root, but I can never wish for a more intoxicating and -exhilarating experience than that ride through the warm fragrant velvet -blackness of the Porovian night, with my princess snuggled close at my -side. - -There wasn’t much opportunity for conversation, however, for I was such -a novice with these machines that I had to keep pretty much of my entire -attention on the control levers and on the road ahead. - -All went nicely until at a turn of the road I saw a Formian standing -ahead of me, holding up one paw as the signal for us to stop. So I -halted the kerkool. - -“Who are you?” he asked. - -But I had already prepared the replies to such an expected catechism, -and so answered readily enough: “We are Jodek and Janek, students at the -University of Mooni, now bound for the Royal University of Cupia.” - -Jodek and Janek being two very common names on Poros, like Smith and -Jones on the earth. - -“This road does not run from Mooni,” said the sentinel, “but rather from -Wautoosa; and I well know that there are no Cupians at Wautoosa.” - -“Then that very piece of knowledge of yours,” I countered, “should -convince you that we are not from Wautoosa. As a matter of fact, we are -from Saltona”—which was the name of the farming village where I had -hunted the whistling bees—“where we were sent by the university -authorities to study a new breed of green cows which has been produced -there. We left Saltona early this morning and came through Wautoosa -about an hour ago. See, here is our pass.” - -And I showed him an official Formian pass signed by one of the Council -of Twelve, and authorizing Jodek and Janek, with one kerkool and their -baggage to leave the country by the Third Gate. - -So far as I could see, there was not the slightest flaw in my story, nor -even anything to arouse his suspicion. But evidently the ant-man thought -differently, for he proceeded to question me in detail. - -“Whose kerkool is that?” - -This was a question which I had not expected. It suddenly occurred to me -that, as this was Yuri’s kerkool, it might bear some identifying royal -insignia which I had not noticed. And yet it would probably be unwise to -admit that it was his, for such an admission might suggest to an -intelligent sleuth hound such as my inquisitor seemed to be, that my -companion might be the Princess Lilla. - -What seemed a happy inspiration came to my mind, and I answered: “This -kerkool belongs to Prince Toron of Cupia, now assigned to the same -department in which we have been studying at Mooni.” - -“And what department may that be?” - -“Agriculture, of course.” - -“Is that how you came to be studying the cows?” - -“Yes.” - -I heard Lilla gasp, and felt her hands tighten convulsively on my arm. -Evidently I had made some misplay. - -Several more questions he asked, at which I got more and more rattled. - -Then abruptly he said: “There is something wrong here. For some -unaccountable reason I suspected you from the first, and evidently my -suspicions were correct. Your passport is invalid. It is dated three -days ago and purports to be signed by No. 340-7-11. Yet he ceased to be -a member of the Imperial Council over a sangth ago. Then this is not the -kerkool to which I have been accustomed as Prince Toron’s. You see, I am -recently from Mooni myself. Prince Toron is assigned to the electrical, -and not the agricultural, department; and, anyhow, they don’t teach -about cows under the head of agriculture. Accordingly your entire story -breaks down, and I shall be compelled to hold you until I can notify my -superiors. You see—” - -I saw all right. And I didn’t intend to permit him to finish his -harangue. So while his attention was still directed upon his own good -opinion of himself as a detective, I threw the car into full speed -ahead, thus putting an end to the sentry’s conversation. In fact, it -nearly put an end to the sentry himself. But, instead of having sense -enough to run him down, I instinctively steered around him. - -Of course, he immediately gave the alarm, and soon Lilla informed me -that she could see the lights of a pursuing kerkool behind us on the -road. - -Then I began to have difficulty with the controls of the car. It started -to wabble uncertainly, although it did not decrease its speed. - -“Do you understand these machines?” I asked. - -“Yes,” she replied, “I frequently have driven one.” - -“What seems to be the matter with it now?” - -She thought a moment intently, and then answered: “It seems to me that -the gyroscopes are slowing down. If this be so, we must come to a stop -directly, or the kerkool will overturn.” - -I decided to take her advice; and so, stopping the kerkool as quickly as -possible, we each seized a small spotlight with which the car was -equipped, and struck off into the dense woods that lined the road. - -A few moments later I heard the pursuing car crash into our deserted -one. I had hoped that my maneuver might effectively wreck our pursuers, -but apparently it did not do so, for soon I heard the sounds of ant-men -following us through the wood. - -As we were not using our lights, they could not follow us by sight, and, -as we were not talking, they could not follow us by sound, for of course -they could hear nothing but radiations from our antennae, regardless of -how we crashed through the underbrush. Luckily I thought of this and so -did not waste any time in trying to be noiseless. - -The sound of the ant-men grew fainter and fainter behind us, until -suddenly we stumbled into a network of ropes. It was an old and stale -spider’s web. Immediately a bright idea occurred to me, and flashing on -my light, I hunted for, and found, the spider’s cave; and into it I led -the princess. - -The tunnel of the spider was about four feet in diameter. I crawled -ahead on my hands and knees, and the princess followed me. - -“They’ll never think to look for us in a deserted spider nest,” said I -in a low voice, and was just about to add some more reassuring words -when Lilla broke in with “Quick, Myles there’s something following us!” - -“Get behind me,” I cautioned as I hurriedly wheeled and crawled past -her. - -True! Something was following us down the passage. I switched on my -flash-light, and found myself face to face with a huge spider. So the -nest had not been deserted after all! - -The spider steadily approached. I held my ground, and Lilla cowered -behind me. One touch of his horrid spit meant certain death, as I well -knew, and yet how could I combat him? At least, I could die fighting. - -And when he had killed us both, there was the satisfaction of knowing -that Yuri would never learn what had become of us and would always -picture us together somewhere, safe from his clutches. And who knows but -perhaps he would be right, if God provided the same heaven for both -Cupians and earth folk. - -All these thoughts ran through my head in much less time than it takes -to set them down. And then I prepared to defend myself, or rather to -defend the beautiful creature who depended upon me. - -I had no weapon. I did not even have anything to use for a weapon, -except the folding umbrella which hung at my side. - -These umbrellas are of a very light but strong construction. The ribs -and handle are made of alloy steel of a great springiness. The covering -is remarkable opaque silk cloth. When open they are about four feet in -diameter and closely resembled an ordinary parasol such as we have on -earth. But when closed they are scarcely larger than a rolled-up copy of -a magazine. - -Accordingly, in the folded condition in which it hung at my side, it was -not likely to prove of much value for defensive purposes; so I -endeavored to extend it to its full length, and had to open it first in -order to do so. The opened umbrella entirely filled the tunnel, with its -point toward the spider and its handle toward me. In an instant I -realized that I had effectively blocked the way against my adversary. - -The umbrella, although not much good as a sword, might prove quite -valuable as a shield. - -And so it turned out. The spider hurled himself against it, rending the -silk cover, but driving the ends of the ribs firmly into the walls of -the passageway. The spring steel proved strong enough to withstand his -onslaught, so Lilla and I withdrew out of reach of his legs and waited -further developments. - -We had not long to wait, for soon we heard the radiations of ant-men -outside the entrance. - -“They must have gone in here,” said one, “for it is here that I saw -their lights flash and heard the scream.” - -A light appeared at the opening, and I could see that the spider had -turned around and was now facing the other way. - -Evidently our pursuers could see this, too, for one of them remarked, -“The spider has got them cooped in there. Come, you keep his attention -diverted while we go around behind and dig them out.” - -I seized Lilla by the hand. - -“Come on,” I whispered, “I don’t know where this tunnel leads to, but -let us at least go down it as far as possible, and perhaps barricade -ourselves with _your_ umbrella at the bottom.” - -So we resumed our crawl. The way seemed endless; but the further we went -the more my spirits brightened. - -“Princess,” I said, “it is very likely that they will miss the tunnel in -their digging. Or, if they find it, they will have the spider to cope -with, for he seems to be a wild species, and not the domestic kind which -the Formians keep to guard their herds of aphids. Or, if they get by the -spider, they may hesitate to crawl through a dark tunnel. Come on!” - -The air smelled stale and musty, but at last, to our surprise, began to -get fresh again. And then the ground felt rough under my knees. A twig -snapped, and I found that I could stand erect. We were out in the woods -again! And no Formian pursuers within sight or earshot. - -Close beside the exit was a thicket of tartan bushes, that plant with -the large heart-shaped leaf so beloved of the purple grasshoppers. - -“The safest place for us,” I whispered, “will be right here by the mouth -of the tunnel. If they follow us through they will never think to look -for us close at hand, and the thickness of the foliage will prevent -their discovering us accidentally.” - -So together we plunged into the center of this bower of hearts. Then we -lay down and listened. - -Presently we heard voices at the mouth of the tunnel, and I heard the -crashing of the ants in the underbrush, but so thick was our leafy -covering that we could not catch even a glimmer of their spotlights. - -Their voices became fainter and fainter in the distance, and at last we -knew we were safe, at least for this night. But, as their conversation -died away, another sound came to our antennae: the distant howl of a -woofus, answered from another quarter by the cry of his mate. Lilla -shuddered at my side as we listened to this new menace grow nearer and -nearer. - -But at last this, too, died away; and when my straining ears could no -longer catch the slightest sound of it I was surprised to find that I -was holding the princess clasped tightly in both my arms. - -She, too, noticed where she was, and yet made no effort to draw away. - -“I was so frightened, Myles,” said she softly. “You will take care of -me, won’t you, dear?” - -For answer I held her close. She heaved a little sigh, and like a tired -baby nestled down to sleep in my arms. - -And thus, all through the perfumed tropical night, I held and watched -over the beautiful creature who had made life on Poros mean more to me -than it had ever meant on earth. - -“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,” I thought, “for she is the princess -royal of all Cupia; and you, for all that the professors have decided, -may not be even human!” - -The fairy orchestra of the wood grasshoppers played its sweetest -wind-bell tunes, which earthly ears alone could hear. Delicate -fragrances crept in on an occasional breeze. The night was velvet soft. -And in my arms lay sweetly breathing, in perfect peace and trust, the -dearest being any world could hold. - -Thus we lay in our bower of leafy hearts, until the invisible sun rose -over Poros the next morning. When Lilla finally awakened it was with the -sweet dewey smile of a little child. - -I kissed her lightly on the cheek, and she smiled again and said: “You -are very good to me, Myles Cabot; better than I deserve, who treated you -so.” - -“It is morning, my princess,” said I, “and we must be on our way.” - -She gave a slight shudder. “That is so,” she regally replied. “I _am_ a -princess.” - -The spell was broken, and we arose, and set out together through the -wood, traveling due west, for we had left the road on the east side the -night before. In this way I hoped to reach the road again and continue -along it to the border. We were able to tell the points of the compass -in the early morning light, owing to the pinkness of the eastern sky and -the darkness of the western. - -Reaching the road in safety, we set out northward along it, I blessing -my sense of hearing which enabled me to keep a keen ear out for -approaching kerkools, each one of which we dodged by hiding in the woods -at the side of the road. - -In this manner, we kept on without further adventure for the entire day, -slaking our thirst at an occasional brook, and staving off hunger by -means of certain edible plants with which the princess was well -acquainted. - -At last, on topping a slight rise, we saw before us a long wall -stretching away out of sight in the distance to both right and left. - -“Is this the pale of which I had heard so much?” I asked. - -“It is,” Lilla replied, “and beyond it lies Cupia, and safety. Look! -Directly before us at the foot of the hill is the Third Gate.” - -With a cry of joy, we rushed down the hill, hand in hand together. Sure -enough, there stood Yuri talking with the Cupian sentinel. Just beyond -the gate stood a kerkool. - -Yuri greeted the princess respectfully and assisted her into the car, -the sentinel offering no objection. - -But as I sought to follow her, the sentinel stepped before me and drew a -short broadsword, which he held menacingly in his hand. - -“Yuri,” I called, “this guard won’t let me pass. Please tell him that it -is all right.” - -Yuri turned around in his seat in the car, and gradually a mocking smile -spread over his features. Then he spoke to the sentinel. - -“I don’t know the fellow,” he declared. “Probably he is an escaped -Cupian slave. You had better arrest him.” - -The princess shrieked, Yuri’s car shot ahead, and they disappeared -northward, leaving me staring after them with mouth agape. - -Perhaps I could have argued it out, or even fought it out with my bare -hands, with the Cupian sentinel; but at that minute a Formian sentinel -emerged from the guardhouse at the gate, to take his tour of duty. -Together the pair seized and shackled me, and placed me in a cell. - -Thus, just as my hopes had been highest, they were dashed to the ground. -Here was I, alone, in chains, still in Formia, awaiting transportation -to the south again; while my beloved, free, was speeding northward with -my deceitful rival! - - - - - _10_ - before Queen Formis - - -And so, while my princess was borne northward by her cousin and lover, -Prince Yuri, I was led southward in chains, a prisoner charged with high -treason against the Ant Empire. Yuri had tricked me, and had used me as -a cat’s-paw to rescue his sweetheart from her captors. But if I had not -been so blindly in love, I should have seen through him, and could have -married Lilla at peace under Formian auspices. - -Yet, somehow, I did not feel sorry for what I had done. I had set Lilla -free. I had won her love and trust for one night, and I was prepared to -pay the penalty. In fact, I was _glad_ to pay the penalty, for I -realized that marriage between her, a princess, and me, a commoner, -would of course never have been possible. - -Back in my old room again in Wautoosa! It seemed like home, somehow; and -yet how different from before, for now I was no longer a guest, but a -prisoner. - -Tabby, my pet buntlote, was glad to smell me again; and my conscience -gave me a twinge for having so unceremoniously left her behind. Yet if I -had taken her with me, what would have become of her in the wreck of the -kerkool and the flight through the spider’s tunnel? - -Doggo was overwhelmed with grief at the jam I was in; and he was -reproachful, too. - -“Why did you do it?” he would ask again and again; and, in spite of my -repeated and detailed explanations, would reiterate: “Why did you do it, -when all was going so well here?” - -Guards were placed over me again, as on my first arrival on the planet. -But this time, instead of being high ranking officers such as Doggo, -they were mere common soldier ants, who jested coarsely at me and -without sympathy. - -I complained to Doggo, and he promptly put a stop to their tormenting; -and, when they found that I was still in the good graces of one of their -eklats, they became on the surface quite deferential, although they -continued to annoy me in many petty and underhanded ways. - -Doggo spent a great deal of his time with me, and kept me posted on the -latest news from Kuana, the capital of Cupia. In fact, he even -dispatched one of his bar-pootahs to ascertain for me just how the -princess fared. - -Report had it that the princess was almost constantly in the company of -Prince Yuri, and that he was hailed as a popular hero for having rescued -her. That she seemed unaccountably sad—which item cheered me. That the -king was momentarily expected to announce her betrothal to Prince -Yuri—which item did not cheer me. That an influential faction, headed by -Prince Toron, insisted upon an explanation being demanded from Queen -Formis because of the detention of Princess Lilla by the ant-men. And -that only the new popularity of Prince Yuri was able to control this -movement of his younger brother. - -Oh, what a fool I had been not to have told Lilla that Yuri had been -responsible for her imprisonment at Wautoosa! Now, of course, she -believed him a hero, rather than the scoundrel he was. But how could he -satisfactorily explain to her his repudiation of me? - -No, if she retained the slightest friendly feeling for me, she could not -regard him as anything other than a double-crossing crook. And did not -the reports state that she seemed sad? Why else than either because of -my fate or because she did not look forward with pleasure to a union -with Yuri? But if the latter, then why did she associate with him? It -must be that he was holding over her head a threat of some sort. My poor -princess of the butterfly wings and graceful antennae! - -I tried to get word to her, but Doggo informed me that criminals were -not allowed the privilege of letter-writing. - -My interest was so centered in the beautiful Lilla that it never -occurred to me to inquire as to my own fate, but Doggo insisted on -bringing it to my attention. He had obtained his own assignment as my -defense counsel, and so it was up to him to discuss with me the coming -trial. - -I was accused of high treason against the empire, in that I had assisted -in the escape of a Cupian slave, had uttered a forged pass, had -obstructed the highway, had nearly run down a pinqui, and -had—presumably—slandered the Formians to a member of the royal house of -Cupia. - -Doggo said that I clearly had no defense, as all the items, except the -slander, were easily provable; but that he should attempt to argue that -the accusations were void for inconsistency, due to the fact that the -same person was described in them as being both a slave and royalty. So -far as I was concerned, this line of defense seemed absolute bunk, but -no more so than many equally silly sounding legal rules on earth. - -The trial was to take place at the Imperial City before Queen Formis and -the Council of Twelve, for apparently I had committed a most important -and serious crime. In case of conviction, which seemed certain, Her -Majesty would have the choice of two punishments. First, laying eggs in -me, Or secondly, casting me into “The Valley of the Howling Rocks.” Both -sounded very interesting and were reserved for the worst criminals. - -All of the ant-men of the entire nation of Formia are raised from eggs -laid by the ruling monarch. The vocation of any given ant-man is -determined long before he is hatched, or even before his egg is laid. - -From an elaborate system of records, kept in the Imperial City, the -Council of Twelve is able to determine, as to each batch of eggs, -whether it should produce professors, farmers, laborers, officers, -soldiers, servants, or what; and the eggs are accordingly laid in -appropriate food. Sort of “tell me what you eat, and I will tell you -what you are.” - -The young ants, when fully grown and in the cocoon stage, are -transported by truckloads to the part of the empire where they are to be -trained and where their life is to be spent. Thus the pupae for soldiers -and officers are sent to Wautoosa, for instance. - -Not only is occupation determined in advance, but so also, to a large -extent, is sex. Thus only enough males are produced to supply the -queen’s harem, the rest of the royal offspring being sexless females. -Whenever a queen dies, the council immediately chooses several likely -larvae and changes their food so as to produce fully developed females; -the first of these to reach maturity being queen, and the rest being -killed. - -The food chosen for the production of the higher classes of ant-men -consists of condemned criminals. This was where I came in. - -At this point in the explanation an idea occurred to me. - -“Do you really mean to say, Doggo,” I gasped, “that you are a lady and -not a man—that the whole nation of Formians are females?” - -“Yes,” he replied, “and furthermore the more highly developed of us -occasionally lay eggs, though of course we never try to hatch them, for -that would be even worse a treason than the one with which _you_ are -charged. I myself even have laid eggs, but it is generally supposed that -such eggs would not hatch.” - -I could hardly believe it. A nation of Amazons! I could not help -continuing to regard them as males. - -But to go on with the alternative penalties. I have described the -egg-laying. The other penalty, namely the Valley of the Howling Rocks, -supplied a most diabolical form of punishment. This valley extends about -a mile along the international boundary line, so that the pale stops at -one end and begins again at the other. Its sides are steep and -unscalable, and into it are cast the worst criminals of both countries. -Some undetermined natural cause within the valley sets up such a -terrific din that the victims are driven crazy and perish because of the -sound. - -I thought that I should prefer any noise, however awful, to the -alternative of having eggs laid in me; but Doggo assured me that the -valley was by far the worse of the two. However, my wishes finally -prevailed, and Doggo promised to try and secure the valley punishment, -in event of a conviction. - -In due course the time arrived for the trial, and I was led in chains to -the Imperial City. Doggo accompanied me, and brought along Tabby, too, -to console me. For some reason I could not get at all excited over the -performance, it seemed so absurdly like the trial of “Alice in -Wonderland.” As she is reported to have exclaimed, “Why, you’re nothing -but a pack of cards!” so I was often tempted to exclaim, “Why, you’re -nothing but a nest of ants!” - -As a matter of fact, I was much more interested in how my princess was -getting on than I was in my own impending fate. - -On the day of the trial I was led into the awful presence of Queen -Formis. She stood nearly twice the size of any other Formian, and her -dignity was enhanced by a raised platform surmounted by a scarlet -canopy, which set off the perfect proportions of her jet-black body. - -Grouped on each side of her stood six ant-men, whose refined and -intelligent appearance made even my professional friends of the -University of Mooni look like common worker ants by comparison. - -Ant messengers hurried to and fro, doing the bidding of the dread -thirteen; while several large clumsy ants, of a type which I had never -seen before, wandered aimlessly about the chamber. - -“The Royal Husbands,” Doggo informed me. - -So these were the drones of Formia. They were very stupid looking -fellows, who appeared to be accorded great privileges but no deference. - -My jailers led me to the foot of the throne, where, under instructions -from Doggo, I made a low obeisance to the Queen. Then I was locked into -a wicker cage at one side, and the trial began. - -First, one of the council read the accusation, and then the witnesses -were called, each being permitted to tell his story in his own way, and -not being subjected to cross-examination by Doggo; though any member of -the court could ask him questions. On the whole, the procedure seemed -much fairer than a trial on earth. For the evident object here was to -ascertain the whole truth, unhampered by rules of evidence, rather than -to afford a sparring match between rival attorneys. - -The keeper of the kerkool-ool at Wautoosa testified in substance as -follows: “The prisoner came at me unawares, overcame me, and trussed me -up in a corner, where it took me a parth and a half to escape from my -bonds. While I lay bound, Cabot stole Prince Yuri’s car. I saw no one -with Cabot, and in fact did not see Cabot take the car, but I judged -that he took it, for later I found it gone.” - -“I object!” I cried. - -“Keep quiet!” Doggo growled. - -No one else paid any attention to my interruption. - -The witness continued: “Immediately upon getting loose I notified the -winko.” - -One of the winko’s attendants then took the stand and corroborated him -in this. It was a well-framed-up story, and I had no inclination to get -the keeper of the kerkool-ool into trouble by disputing it. - -The traffic sentinel ant gave an exact and straightforward account of -how he had stopped us and had trapped me into many damaging statements. -Also how I had tried to run him down with kerkool, which was not exactly -the truth; but doubtless it had seemed that way to him. Then he produced -the forged pass, which was handed around and carefully inspected by the -council. - -Several ant-men then testified as to their pursuit of us, including the -wrecking of their own car by means of ours. They had tried to dig into -the tunnel and had failed, so they killed the spider with a long pole. -They had confidently expected to find us behind the umbrella. Never -before having seen a double-ended spider cave, they had not scattered -through the woods to cut off our retreat. - -Even so, they could not account for our escape, especially as they had -kept the road from there to the border constantly patrolled by kerkools -from that time on until my arrest at the Third Gate. You see, they had -slipped up by not realizing that I possessed the sense of hearing, which -had enabled me to avoid the patrols. - -The _Cupian_ sentinel at the Third Gate had claimed his official -privilege of refusing to testify, but the _ant_ sentinel quoted his -Cupian colleague as saying that he had let the Princess Lilla pass -through because he had no authority over members of the royal family, -but had duly arrested me as required by law. No mention was made of -Prince Yuri’s presence at the gate to “rescue” her from me. - -I tried to get Doggo to object on the ground of hearsay, for this was -the first and only attempt by the prosecution at identifying my -companion in flight, and hence was most damaging; but Doggo replied that -hearsay testimony was perfectly allowable on Poros, unless one could -impeach either the absent or the present witness. How much more sensible -than the rule in America. - -Then I was called upon. - -“Do I have to take the stand?” I asked. - -“No,” answered Doggo, “but if you don’t your silence will be used -against you.” - -Again a more sensible rule than that which prevails in America; only all -these Formian improvements over American criminal practice were -decidedly to my own disadvantage. - -I was just about to tell how Yuri had planned Lilla’s rescue with me -when something stayed me. I wish now that it had not, for to have told -the truth at this time would have prevented a tragedy which later -occurred! But my New England spirit of fair play deterred me, and I -decided to settle with Yuri myself and personally; though how I ever -hoped to escape from the ants, in order to do so, I did not stop to -consider. - -So I spoke as follows: “Everything testified so far is the truth. But I -wish to ask Your Majesty, in all respect, just what justification had -Formia to detain the Princess of Cupia as a slave? You should have -treated her as visiting royalty; and in that capacity she had a perfect -right to command my assistance, and I had a perfect right to obey. Let -me tell the rulers of Formia that—” - -But I got no further, for the queen thundered: “Stop! I find the -prisoner guilty by his own admission. Further evidence is superfluous, -and I shall proceed to sentence. Has any one any suggestions to make on -_this_ subject?” - -Whereupon my old friend the Professor of Anatomy stepped forward. Doggo -had evidently primed him to do me a good turn, for he said: - -“The prisoner is neither a Cupian nor a Formian, nor is it apparent just -what sort of animal he is. He seems to be a reasoning species, and so -can be tried for a crime and accorded the same privileges of trial as in -the case of a member of either of the two recognized reasoning species -of this planet. But, as he is an unknown type of creature, it is -extremely likely that his flesh would prove harmful to the royal babies. -Accordingly, for the good of the Empire, I advise that Your Majesty -impose the more severe of the alternative sentences, namely, the Valley -of the Howling Rocks.” - -As no one else present had any suggestion to make, Queen Formis and the -council conferred together for a few moments, and then the sentence was -announced. As I hoped, it was the Valley. The professor had done well! - -Convicted criminals on Poros are not kept in suspense day after day, as -on earth. We started for the Valley the very next morning. Apparently an -execution is an important state occasion on this planet, for a long line -of kerkools trailed out of the Imperial City, carrying the queen, -several of the council, and some lesser dignitaries, as well as Doggo, -Tabby, myself, and my guards. - -Doggo was deeply touched by grief. But, for myself, I was still unable -to get up any very great excitement over the affair. Perhaps I am a -fatalist, but I could not believe that I was really going to die. It all -seemed like a dream from which I was soon about to awake. And even if I -should appear to die on this planet, was it not likely that I would -awake on the earth again in my Boston laboratory, and thus put an end to -a very interesting set of imaginary adventures? - -But at this thought a pang stabbed my heart, and I resolved that I had -rather actually die than have it turn out that my meeting with the -Princess Lilla had not been a fact. - -The authorities permitted me to write her a note of farewell, and Doggo -guaranteed to deliver it personally, thus assuring that it would get -past Yuri. Into this letter I crowded all my pent-up love, and urged her -to feel no regrets at my having been sacrificed in her behalf, as that -sacrifice was gladly and happily given. - -Then I patted my little pet Tabby farewell, turned her over to Doggo’s -care, and was led by my executioners to the edge of the abyss. It was a -harmless enough looking gulch, but the scores of human skeletons and ant -shells, scattered about the bottom, bore mute witness to its dread -possibilities. - -And witness, not mute, was borne by the volume of noise which rolled up -over the edge of the valley. I had thought that I had heard the limit of -stupendous sound when years ago I stood at the brink of the Niagara, but -the roar which arose from the Valley of the Howling Rocks dwarfed even -Niagara by comparison. - -And into this chaos infernal I was about to be lowered. It was of course -impossible to hear spoken farewells, so I patted the side of Doggo’s -head good-by, at which last demonstration he turned away broken-hearted. -But the others seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. Then my -shackles were removed, so as to give free play to my amusing antics -during the torture, a strong rope was placed under my arms, and I was -lowered into the pit. - -Even as I passed over the edge, my thoughts consisted chiefly in -wondering, not what fate was in store for me, but rather what it was -that made the noise. Always I shall remain an inquisitive scientist, I -suppose. - -The noise became unbearable. Looking upward as the ropes spun me around, -I saw the horrid face of the ant queen, leering over the edge. She -lifted up a paw. To my surprise, the Formians who held the ropes began -to raise me again. A reprieve? Life again on the planet Poros, with a -possible chance of seeing my princess once more? - -No—merely a respite! Or, rather, a cat-and-mouse game which they were -playing with me. - -Several times more I was lowered into the pit, was held there until I -could scarcely bear the noise, and then was hauled up again for a brief -breathing space. But finally my feet were permitted to touch the bottom, -and the rope was pulled from beneath my arms. - -That awful noise—I cannot describe the agony of it! Madly I dashed back -and forth, trying to avoid it; but there was no escape. - -“Lilla! Lilla!” I shrieked in agony, but the terrific din kept even me -from hearing my own words. - -I stumbled on a boulder—and, falling, struck my head against a sharp -rock. - -Then blessed oblivion! - - - - - _11_ - the valley of the shadow of death - - -Driven crazy by the awful noise, I had finally fallen, as many a victim -of the Valley of the Howling Rocks had done before. In falling I had -knocked my head against a stone and had become unconscious. - -At last I gradually came to; and the first thing that I noticed, and -that brought me out of my stupor with a jerk, was the fact that absolute -silence reigned. - -I sat up and looked around. Yes, I was still in the same valley, -surrounded by whitened bones and rusted carapaces. But the oppressive -din had ceased. Had the death-dealing howls been purely an artificial -creation, and had they been turned off at my supposed decease? - -My late executioners had gone, so I was free to escape, if escape were -possible. But first I wished to find out why the noise had stopped. Ever -the incorrigible scientist! So I arose to my feet, and instantly noticed -that my headset was off, and was trailing on the ground. It must have -been knocked off when my head struck the rock. - -I was just about to replace the phones over my ears, when I heard a roar -proceeding from them. And then I realized that the awful sound for which -the valley was famous was not sound at all, but consisted merely in -radiations of some sort, which had been caught and translated into sound -by my radio apparatus. There were some advantages, after all, in my -possessing a different kind of sense of hearing from that prevalent on -Poros. - -So I switched off my current, and then replaced my headset. The next -problem was to get out of the valley. Not being confused by the howling -roar, I had an advantage over the many victims who had preceded me. -Undoubtedly it was this quite natural confusion which had rendered it -impossible for victims in the past to climb the walls, and so had given -these walls their undeserved reputation for unscalability. Even as it -was, quite a while elapsed before I found sufficient crevices -conveniently placed, so that I could make my way to the top. - -Finally I stood at the rim, a free man! - -And then I voluntarily went back down again into that valley of death. -Why? Because, being primarily an inquisitive scientist, I wanted to -procure samples of the howling rocks, for purposes of analysis if ever I -should be in a laboratory again. So I collected several different kinds -of fragments and did them up in a knotted corner of my toga. - -Once more I scaled the steep walls, and stood again at the rim. I was -free! No one would ever look for me, as I was officially dead. I could -pass as a Cupian, for my disguise was still intact, and I had freshly -shaved that morning so as to make a presentable corpse. - -Life on Poros was ahead of me, and Poros held the Princess Lilla! - -The only fly in the ointment was that I had lost my sense of direction, -and so did not know whether I now stood on the Formian or on the Cupian -side of the pale. Accordingly, I proceeded with caution. After skirting -the Valley of the Howling Rocks, I followed the pale, hoping to come at -last to some gate which would furnish a clue as to which side I was on. - -A strong wind was blowing, as is usual on Poros, and I knew that of -course it blew toward the sea. But, as I did _not_ know whether the sea -lay east or west from here, the wind was of no assistance in enabling me -to orient myself. - -The pale was a thirty-foot sheer wall of glazed concrete, running in -practically a geodesic line across the country, sometimes through woods -and sometimes through green fields. - -Where it ran through the woods, the trees and bushes along it—at least -on the side which I was on—had been cut away for quite a wide swath, -evidently for the purpose of preventing any one from using them to -surmount the walls. - -As I could see no one on top of the wall in either direction, I followed -this cleared space, which made traveling considerably easier. There was -no fear of detection except when I passed through open fields, but I had -to do this quite frequently. - -One field contained a herd of the milk-giving aphids, which I had -nicknamed “green cows.” Their presence convinced me that I must still be -in Formia, until I reflected that I did not know but that the Cupians -also raised them. - -At last I came to a road which ran along by the pale for a way and then -curved off again. Down this road I walked until I saw ahead of me, where -the road topped a slight rise, two ant-men coming toward me. Instantly I -concealed myself in a tartan bush at one side. - -Soon I heard their approach; and, suddenly noticing that I could not -hear their voices, I switched on my apparatus, which had been -disconnected ever since I had replaced my headset in the Valley of the -Howling Rocks. Thanks to my Indestructo tube, the apparatus was still -intact. - -And now a strange low growl almost drowned out what they were saying, so -that with difficulty I distinguished the following words: “I could swear -that I saw a Cupian approaching on the road ahead of us; but now he is -nowhere to be seen.” - -Then the other said: “Never mind what you _saw_. Do you _hear_ what I -hear? We had better be on our guard, for it sounds like the roar of some -absolutely new and strange animal.” - -“It sounds to me,” replied the other, “more like the awful valley, only -much softer. It seems to come from this tartan bush. Shall we -investigate?” - -As he mentioned the valley, I instantly realized what was the cause of -the trouble. The radioactive fragments tied up in the corner of my toga -had revealed my presence. If I wanted to escape, I would have to leave -my precious samples behind. With a sigh I undid the knot, dropped the -pieces on the ground, and dashed through the back of the bush, just as -the ant-men broke in through the front of it. It was lucky for me that -my pursuers had no ordinary sense of hearing, or they would have heard -my departure. - -Safe in another bush, I listened to their amazed remarks at finding the -stones. But, after puzzling and debating for some time, they finally -resumed their journey. - -I was about to return for my specimens, when I reflected that they might -attract other attention, and might even serve as a clue to suggest that -I was a convict, escaped from the awful valley, so I reluctantly left -them lying where they were. - -Instead of continuing along the road, however, I now retraced my steps -to the wall, for the presence of the ant-men had made me certain that I -was still in Formia, and hence it became necessary for me to find some -place where I could get through to the other side. Accordingly, I -proceeded along beside the wall. - -The day was warm and moist, as are all days on Poros, but as I went on -the weather got hotter, damper and more oppressive. Finally the sky -began to turn dark. - -“Aha!” said I. “Now it is evening, and I shall be able to get my -bearings by the pink light in the west.” - -But no pink light appeared on any hand. Never before had I seen a night -descend like this upon this planet. Then with a crash the sky was split -in two by a living flame, and the storm broke in all its fury. - -The roar of the thunder was like a continuous artillery barrage. Spiral -vorticles of wind hurled the rain in my face and nearly twisted me off -my feet, as I anchored myself to a tree trunk to withstand its fury. - -But fortunately the storm was as brief as it was severe, and soon I was -again pressing on beneath silver skies. - -In spite of the storm, the weather kept on getting more and more -oppressive, until, on cresting a hill, I saw before me the cause of all -the trouble. About two stads ahead there rose a solid wall of vapor, -stretching away to the horizon on each side and to the silver clouds -above, and giving forth such an intense heat in my direction that I -could scarcely bear it. Every now and then a few drops of scalding water -would fall on me from above. - -This must be the Boiling Sea, of which I had heard so much and which -surrounds all continental Poros. It was an impressive sight. - -The pale ended only about a stad ahead, and yet for the life of me I -could not summon up courage enough to try and pass around its end. In -fact, I could not conceive how the wall ever could have been built even -that far, in the face of that terrific heat. - -Later I learned that it had been built little by little behind a huge -screen of woven fire-worm fur, and only during off-shore breezes at -that. - -Well, there was nothing for me to do but turn around and retrace my -steps, back to the Valley of the Howling Rocks and beyond, in search for -an opening through the wall. - -I was well beyond the Valley when my earthly ears caught the sound of an -approaching kerkool, and as the road was fortunately passing through the -woods at the time, I hid myself in a convenient tartan bush. - -But this time I displaced one of the huge leaves sufficiently so that, -with one eye, I could cover the road. What was my joy to note, as the -car passed, that it was of Cupian make and held Cupians! - -When the kerkool was safely out of sight and hearing, I resumed my -march, and soon came in view of a city of a type so different from any -which I had previously seen on Poros that it might well have belonged to -another world. - -I sat down in a hillside pasture beside the road, amidst gently grazing -aphids, and gazed upon the beautiful sight. The city was set upon a -rounded hill. On the very summit stood a group of monumental white -buildings, ornamented with domes, minarets and stately columns. From -this group down to the foot of the hill and across the plain toward -where I sat there stretched a plaza of well kept silver sward, flanked -by walks and ornamental trees. - -The road ran square to the nearer edge of this park, where it forked -abruptly and skirted both sides of the lawn. Flanking this divided road, -and extending around the base of the hill, stood a multitude of houses; -gray concrete or stucco, with high pitched red tile roofs. Nothing more -different from the ant cities to which I was accustomed could be -imagined. - -That I was at last in Cupia, the country of my princess, there could now -be no question. And, as if to resolve my last possible doubt, night now -fell, and the pink sky on my left assured me that I was, in truth, north -of the pale and that the hated country of my captivity lay far behind -me. - -As the silver gray faded overhead, I realized that I had had nothing to -eat since a condemned man’s conventional hearty meal early that morning. -So, utilizing the few remaining minutes of daylight, I fashioned a -tartan leaf into a rude cup and filled it with green milk from the -contented cows. - -Then, laying my weary body upon the ground and covering myself with -tartan leaves, I turned in for the night and slept the healthy sleep of -utter exhaustion. - -The next morning I awakened greatly refreshed, and after breakfasting -from the friendly aphids, set off to enter the beautiful city. - -I was badly in need of a shave and my toga was mussed and soiled. But my -disguise was still intact, and without too much scrutiny I might still -pass as a Cupian. Yet I did not dare ask where I was, not knowing what -the Cupian customs might be with regard to strangers. - -My first desire was to procure a shaving knife and a clean toga, but I -had no idea how to go about it. In Formia there had been no shops; -everything necessary had simply been “issued,” as in the army, but -without even the need of signing a receipt. But quite likely the Cupian -custom was different. - -Then, too, I wanted lodgings and a job, but did not know how to go about -this either. - -Fortunately, however, I overheard a conversation between two Cupians -which gave me a clue as to how to proceed. - -“Yahoo, Jodek,” one of them hailed the other. “How is it that you are in -Kuana today?” - -My heart gave a bound. Kuana, the capital city of Cupia, and home of my -princess! Fate was indeed repaying me well for all the hard knocks it -had given me. - -The one addressed as Jodek answered: “I have walked in from Ktuth to -register for a job here in Kuana. Can you direct me to the Ministry of -Work?” - -And the two friends walked away, chatting together, while the germ of an -idea sprouted in my mind. I too would be from Ktuth, looking for a job. - -Occasionally I passed some very officious looking person armed with a -short broadsword. - -I assumed these were pinquis, or Porovian policemen. - -Finally, when I felt sure that Jodek had had plenty of time in which to -report, I approached one of these policemen, told him that I was from -Ktuth, and asked him the way to the Ministry of Work. - -“Too bad about all the trouble at Ktuth, isn’t it?” said he. I assented -vaguely. - -“Do you think that it was the fault of Count Kamel?” he continued. - -He was getting entirely too garrulous and was likely at any moment to -trap me into some damaging slip. I was just about to reply irrelevantly -that Duke Lucky Strike was entirely to blame, when whom should I see -walking down the street but my enemy and betrayer Yuri! And at that -instant he too saw me! - -Let me digress for a moment. I find that in writing down this account of -my adventures I frequently use earth words instead of the more exact -Porovian synonym. Thus I have just said “count” and “duke,” although -these words are not strictly accurate. I might have said “barsarkar” and -“sarkar” instead; but I believe that a clearer impression will be -created on my readers—if this manuscript ever reaches the Earth—by -occasionally using Earth words where this does not involve too great a -stretch in their meaning. - -Well, as I was saying: Here, to my surprise and horror, came the last -person on Poros whom I desired to see, namely Prince Yuri. Each of us -was equally astonished to see the other, but Yuri was the first to -recover his presence of mind. - -“Pinqui,” he shouted peremptorily to the Cupian policeman, “arrest that -man and take him to the mang-ool. I myself will answer to the mango. And -tell the mango that I forbid conversation with the prisoner.” - -Then, turning to me with a smile, Yuri remarked: - -“Welcome to Kuana, my friend. You are as welcome here as a spot of -sunlight, and have just as bad a habit of turning up. The last I heard -of you, you were condemned to death. How you escaped from the ant-men I -know not, but perhaps you will find that Cupian justice is surer than -Formian.” - -Then to the officer, as I started to reply. “Pinqui, if he says a word -to me, to you, or to any one, strike him on the antennae! I have -spoken.” - -And he strode majestically away, as the pinqui seized me roughly by the -arm and led me to the mang-ool, or jail, of the city of Kuana. - -At the mang-ool the pinqui turned me over to the mango, to whom he -repeated Yuri’s message, whereupon I noticed a peculiar vindictive -expression creep across the jailer’s face. - -Then I was led to a cell and locked in. Once more I was out of luck. A -few minutes ago I had been free, and full of joy at finding myself in -the city of my princess; now I was in the toils again, and—what was -worse—in the power of the man who was my deadly rival for Lilla’s love, -and who for aught that I knew, was already betrothed to her. - -At all events, he was, the most powerful single individual in all Cupia, -next to his uncle the king. - -I was certainly in a jam! And, to make matters worse, my jailer -evidently had a thoroughly vicious personality. - - - - - _12_ - a victim of Yuri - - -But the malevolence of the jailer was not directed against me, for as he -turned away, after locking me in my cell, he softly radiated the joyous -information; “Any one who is an enemy of Prince Yuri has nothing to fear -from Poblath.” - -Then he was gone. Evidently, in spite of Yuri’s popularity, there were -some Cupians who saw through him. And Poblath, the mango, must be one of -these. Shortly afterwards he returned with food, and spoke softly as he -placed it before me. - -“‘Walls have antennae,’” he quoted, “so I will not radiate loudly to -you. Be discreet. Do nothing to anger Yuri. Bide your time. And if I can -be of any particular service, let me know. ‘Common enmity maketh close -friends.’” - -Evidently Poblath was greatly given to Porovian proverbs. About one -parth (_i.e._, Porovian hour) later the mango brought Prince Yuri to my -cell. Yuri had come to gloat over me and to give in my presence his -directions for my discomfiture. - -“Poblath,” he declared, “this man Cabot is a dangerous criminal. The -charges against him are so serious that I must lay them in person before -King Kew. Cabot is a deaf-mute, born without antennae; but he has -concocted, with diabolical cleverness, some artificial electrical -antennae. No one is to be permitted to talk with him; and, to make sure -of this, I now command you to take from him his apparatus.” - -My jaw dropped with horror at the thought; but the jailer quickly came -to my rescue. - -“Oh, sire,” he said, “the ancient law! I will see that no communication -is had with him, but the ancient law prohibits depriving any person of -his antennae.” - -Yuri replied: “This is not a person; it is an animal. And furthermore, -his apparatus is not antennae, strictly speaking.” - -Poblath was equal to the occasion. “The ancient law applies equally to -animals, as you well know, my prince. And, as for his antennae, they are -antennae to me, unless King Kew rules otherwise.” - -“Leave his antennae, then,” snapped Yuri, “and remove his belt.” - -But Poblath was obdurate, and stood upon his rights. “If his belt serves -his antennae, I demand a kingly ruling. I have spoken.” - -Yuri scowled. - -“A ruling you shall have,” he gritted, as he turned away. “Meanwhile, -keep the prisoner by himself.” - -“Your will is law,” Poblath answered, with mock meekness. - -So at last I had a friend in Cupia. When the mango returned to bring me -my supper I determined to take him into my confidence. - -“Poblath,” I said, as a feeler, “who rescued the Princess Lilla from the -Formians?” - -“It was Prince Yuri,” he replied. “It is the one decent act of his life, -though his beautiful cousin does not seem to be particularly grateful to -him for it.” - -“Then she is not yet betrothed to him?” I asked. - -“Not yet, nor ever!” was the emphatic answer. - -“Poblath,” I declared, “Yuri did _not_ rescue the princess. _I_ did it. -Can you get word to her that I am here?” - -“By the blue-horned woofus!” he ejaculated. “Can I? Just watch me!” - -“If you straighten this out,” I said, “I shall be most eternally -grateful.” - -At which the mango quoted sententiously. “‘He who expects gratitude hath -not conferred a favor.’” Then he hurried away. - -Late that evening he returned to my cell with a most exquisite specimen -of Cupian femininity, whom he introduced as Bthuh, maid in waiting to -Princess Lilla. - -If Lilla was all that was desirable in a blonde, Bthuh was all that was -desirable in a brunette; full lips, clear olive skin, dark languorous -eyes, a seductive form. A chestnut baby-doll, with smoldering southern -passion underneath. She was a red rose, overripe. Although my allegiance -never wavered for an instant from the lovely Lilla, yet I must confess -that the presence of this exotic beauty strangely stirred me. And she -smiled at me, as though she thought me not half bad, either. - -Then she spoke: “I am betrothed to Poblath, although secretly because my -rank of sarkari (duchess) should prevent an alliance with a commoner. -That brink, Yuri, (this was a particularly choice epithet to apply to -Yuri, for “brink” is the name of the little hopping lizard that infests -the concrete roads)—that brink has been trying to make love to me, -though in a most unflattering way, in spite of my rank. His standing is -such that I dare not oppose him openly; but Poblath and I are friends of -yours, since you are an enemy of our enemy. You may tell us your story -without fear.” - -So I told them in detail my entire adventures on this planet, from my -finding myself beside the silver lake on the day of the explosion in my -Boston laboratory, down to date, omitting of course the more intimate -passages between myself and the Princess Lilla. When I finished, I could -see that I was assured of their cooperation; not only because of our -common hatred of Prince Yuri, but also because of the merits of my own -case. - -“The next step,” Poblath announced, “is for Bthuh to tell her mistress -that you are here. Once the princess knows this, we can be sure that she -will confide in Bthuh, and thus we can learn definitely where matters -stand.” - -Then the two lovers withdrew, leaving me to spend a far happier night -than I had had any reason to expect. - -The next day passed uneventfully. Evidently Yuri was having some -difficulty in getting his desired ruling from the king relative to my -antennae. - -Nightfall again brought with it the dark and beautiful Bthuh, to her -tryst with the mango, Poblath. And Bthuh brought news of the princess, -who sent word to be of good cheer, for her father, the king, was to -inspect the Kuana jail on the morrow. - -Just what good this would do me I could not see; but I took Lilla’s word -for it that this was good tidings. - -Preparatory to the visit, I obtained materials from Poblath and shaved. - -On the next day, the third day of my imprisonment, Kew XII, King of -Cupia, attended by his suite, inspected the Kuana jail, and in due -course was conducted to my cell. The king was a broad shouldered, narrow -hipped, athletic figure, looking like a well preserved earth-man of -about fifty years of age. His complexion was bronzed, his nose slightly -aquiline, and his hair iron gray, short and furry. His eyes were black -and piercing, and his mouth and jaw firm. Justice, but not mercy, sat -upon his kingly brow. - -He and I studied each other calmly for a few moments. And then I lost my -calm, for in the royal suite stood my princess! I was about to cry out -to her when her expression stayed me; so instead I merely acknowledged -her presence with a bow, and said: “My life is, as ever, at the service -of the Princess Lilla.” - -Whereat the king turned to his daughter and asked: “Who is this man who -seems to know you, and who claims the honor of being a servitor of the -royal house?” - -But before she could answer, one of the suite stepped forward and -declared: “I know the prisoner, sire, and he is none other than Myles -Cabot, a great scientist from the planet Minos, recently feasted and -honored at the University of Formia. Surely his imprisonment must be a -mistake.” - -My new defender was the Cupian professor who had stood at the head table -at the banquet in my honor my first night in Mooni. - -“Then,” declared the king, “this must be the Cabot of whom Prince Yuri -spoke, urging us to consent that he be deprived of his artificial -antennae. A great scientist he must be to have designed such an -apparatus; but Yuri assures us that he is likewise a great criminal and -a dangerous enemy of the Kew dynasty, of which facts Yuri has promised -us full particulars shortly. Speak, man, and tell us your version of -your crimes.” - -I hesitated, but the princess answered my unspoken thought: “My good -fellow, you need not fear to tell everything to my father, the king.” - -So I told. I told the whole story of my life on Poros, omitting nothing -except my love for the Princess Lilla. It was nearly a whole parth in -the telling, and all those present hung on every word. - -When I was done, the king, amazed, turned to his daughter and inquired: -“Can this be true? Is the crown prince such a scoundrel that he would -abduct the princess royal, and then falsely claim the credit for her -rescue?” - -To which Lilla replied: “I know nothing of Prince Yuri’s complicity in -my abduction, though it seems to fit in with his other acts. But I do -know that he has claimed undeserved credit, which is an unforgivable -breach of the Cupian ethics of fair play.” - -The king called to one of his courtiers: “Go, forthwith, and order the -prince to repair immediately to our quarters. We shall sift this matter -to the bottom. And”—turning on me—“if your story proves false, it will -go hard with you; but if your story proves to be true, it will go hard -with Prince Yuri.” - -And he swept from my presence, followed by his suite. And last of all by -the Princess Lilla, who turned and smiled sweetly on me, just as she was -leaving. - -No further word came from the palace all that day, but late that -afternoon Prince Yuri visited the jail with a number of his courtiers. -He was furiously angry. Poblath was with him, endeavoring to calm him -down and to divert him from seeing me, but Yuri was insistent. - -As the door of my cell was flung open, the prince started to abuse me. - -“How dare you malign a member of the ruling house?” he thundered. “How -dare you lie, and involve the Princess Lilla in your lies? I have a mind -to kill you on the spot, and thus rid the planet of your foul presence.” - -And he would have gone on if I had not had a sudden inspiration. - -“Yuri,” said I, “you woofus, brink, mathlab! I’ll—get—your number!” - -The effect was electrical. The prince’s face went white with rage. Then -he calmed, and a smile overspread his face. - -“Pardon me, sir, but I’ll get yours,” he replied with a low bow. - -Poblath interjected: “You poor fool, Cabot! Prince Yuri is the best -duelist in all Cupia.” - -“‘A brink may hop once too often beneath the kerkool,’” I quoted. “But -come, I see that we do not rush at each other as they do in Formia. What -are supposed to be the formalities here?” - -“You will learn soon enough,” Yuri growled, scowling ominously. - -But Poblath more kindly explained: “Each of you chooses an attendant, -and then the attendants tie you together, and you kill with knives.” - -This reminded me of Mark Twain’s “Gatling guns at fifteen paces.” I -chose Poblath, and Yuri chose one of his own suite. A peculiar harness -was then produced, consisting of a double belt. One half of this was -buckled around Yuri’s waist; but when they came to buckle me into the -other half, my radio apparatus, which was concealed beneath my toga, -furnished an obstacle, and so there was nothing for me to do but take it -off. This, of course, would render me entirely deaf during the fight, -which fact might prove somewhat disadvantageous. - -But before they took away my hearing they explained fully to me just how -the duel would be conducted. And I cautioned Poblath to keep a firm hold -of my apparatus and not let it get into the hands of any of Yuri’s -henchmen even for an instant. - -“Otherwise,” I said, “the ancient law might easily become violated.” - -Then I shed my antennae, and stood once more, an earth-man, ready to -battle for my existence against the inhabitants of Poros. - -We were belted together, face to face, waist touching waist. Each of us -held a short sharp dagger in his left hand—Cupians being a left-handed -race—while the right hand of each of us seized the left wrist of his -opponent. The idea was for me to try and stab Yuri to death before he -could stab me, and _vice versa_. - -Yuri had the advantage on the offensive, for he held his dagger in his -strong hand, whereas I held mine in my weak. But conversely, I had the -advantage on the defensive, for it was my strongest hand which warded -him off. - -No spoken signal could be given, because of my receiving set being off. -So Poblath held up his hand and both of us watched it. Then when he let -it fall we started to wrestle. - -Yuri might be the most perfect physical specimen in all Cupia, but I was -from a planet where the greater attraction of gravity necessitated a -greater strength on the average. However, I soon perceived that these -Porovian duels are not to be won by strength alone. There were tricks -and feints by which one’s opponent could be tired out. And I was a mere -novice, while Yuri was regarded as the most expert duelist on all Poros. - -We tumbled and rolled about the floor, with first his knife and then -mine near its mark. At last we both struggled to our feet again and -swayed back and forth for a moment. - -And then, gradually, Yuri’s dagger began to descend. Strain as I would, -I could not stay its slow and steady progress toward my heart. A gleam -of exultation filled the eye of my opponent. The point of his knife -pricked my breast, and began to enter. In a few seconds it would be over -and I should fall a victim to an alien race. - -A strange train of ideas ran through my affrighted mind: “Alien race. -Japanese. Jiujitsu. The very thing! The ulnar nerve!” - -Suddenly shifting my grip on his wrist, I forced my thumb into the -sensitive spot; and instantly his knife, about to pierce my heart, -dropped instead from his nerveless fingers and clattered harmlessly to -the floor. - -And now what was the etiquette of the situation? - -I turned my glance from Yuri’s eyes to those of Poblath and saw the -latter frantically motioning me to kill. To kill! Nothing would give me -greater pleasure. - -But as I returned to the task, I noted the Princess Lilla standing in -the crowd, with a look of terror on her face. Her appealing eyes showed -that she was speaking to me, probably urging me to spare the prince. - -So she cared for the scoundrel after all! - -In disgust, I threw my own knife into a corner, and signaled to Poblath -to remove the belts. He did so, reproachfully, and then handed me my -receiving set. - -Something prompted me to put it on in haste, and it is well that I did -so, for as I snapped the ear phones in place, I heard Yuri shout: -“Quick, two of you cover Cabot and the mango.” - -Instantly each of us was forced to the wall with a sharp broadsword at -our breast; while Yuri seized the princess, and surrounded by the rest -of his suite, made a hasty exit from the cell room. - - - - - _13_ - kidnaped - - -As Yuri surrounded by his bodyguard, dragged Princess Lilla from the -room, I had an inspiration; I remembered the superstitious legend about -me, which prevailed among the farmer ants of Formia. - -“Halt!” I shouted. “My electrical antennae can kill as well as radiate -speech. Let no man move a foot, if he would escape the lightnings of -heaven, which I have power to loose upon you.” - -The whole party stopped dead in their tracks and watched me, fascinated. - -“Drop your points!” I ordered the two who guarded Poblath and me. -“Quick, before I blast you!” - -They obeyed, and I walked fearlessly across the room. - -“Let one man stir, and you all die,” I continued as I pushed between the -guards and wrenched the princess from her cousin’s nerveless arms. “Now, -out of here, all of you!” - -In sheer relief, like men awakened from a trance, they bolted through -the door. - -“Fine work,” Poblath remarked, himself greatly relieved, “but you should -have detained them all as prisoners.” - -“Good riddance of bad rubbish,” I replied, “and besides, who knows how -soon one of them might have moved, and _not_ have been blasted, and thus -have spoiled my entire bluff?” - -The princess clung to my arms. Then, raising her eyes to mine with a -smile, she said: “Again, you have saved me, Myles Cabot, and again I am -yours.” - -“And I am always yours, my princess,” I replied. - -She stamped her foot. Then said sadly: “Ever you remind me that I am a -princess. And as a princess I must demand more respect from you, Myles -Cabot.” - -Gently I released her, and she lingeringly departed, leaving me alone -with Poblath. I felt let down and futile, the victim of an anticlimax. -What next? - -And then ensued a period of waiting. Days passed, and I still remained -an inmate of the Kuana jail. No word from Princess Lilla. No word from -King Kew. No word of Prince Yuri, although rumor had it that he had fled -into Formia, fearing the wrath of the king. - -I heard that a group of the younger politicians in the popular assembly, -headed by Prince Toron, had suggested to the king that he demand an -apology from Queen Formis for the first abduction of the princess, and -that he demand extradition of Yuri on the charge of attempting the -second. - -But King Kew was in a ticklish position, being the ruler of a subject -race, and holding his position merely by grace of Formis, whom he hated, -as she well knew. If he were to present any such demand as this, the -least that he could expect would be an immediate counterdemand for my -surrender. Formis might demand his abdication in favor of Yuri. Even war -might result, which the Cupians were unarmed to resist. This would mean -tons of explosives dropped upon Kuana from Formian airplanes, thousands -of Cupians ground between fierce mandibles, and then another treaty more -degrading even than that of Mooni. - -So King Kew resorted to diplomacy, rather than to ultimatums; and -finally reached a tacit understanding, whereby Queen Formis disclaimed -responsibility for the kidnaping and made a gift to the Princess Lilla, -and whereby Prince Yuri was permitted to remain undisturbed in Formia, -and I in Cupia. - -Upon the consummation of the agreement between the two countries, I was -let out of prison and conducted to the royal palace, where I was -received in honor by the king and princess. The palace was one of the -monumental white buildings on the brow of the hill around which the city -of Kuana is built, the rest of the group being the university. - -Lilla greeted me cordially as an old friend; but of course in the -presence of the king neither of us dared show any stronger sentiments. - -King Kew patted me warmly on the cheek. - -“Well done, Myles Cabot!” he declared. “We welcome to Kuana the -scientist of Minos. Formis, by her treachery, has lost your great -abilities, and Cupia is the gainer thereby. The old hag may gnash her -mandibles in vain, but—” - -“Father, father,” the princess interjected remonstratingly, “do be -careful! Remember that you occupy your throne merely by the grace of the -conquerors.” - -“And by the disgrace of my ancestors,” he added grimacing. - -“But father,” she continued, “‘walls have antennae.’ Even now, word of -your utterances may be on the way to the Imperial City.” And she laid, -her golden curly head beguilingly on his broad shoulder. - -Somewhat mollified, the king murmured, “I know. I know. And I must be -careful. But the enslavement of my people irks me, even though I spring -from a line of eleven servile kings. Would that there were some way of -striking off the yoke and ridding the face of Poros of these beasts with -human minds and woofus hearts!” - -“Spoken like a king!” I cried. “Know then, King Kew and Princess Lilla, -that if ever such a day comes, Myles Cabot can be counted on to fight in -the vanguard of the army of liberation.” - -“Brave words,” Lilla replied in a subdued tone, “but foolish as well. We -are only brinks; Formis is a woofus, and it is futile to struggle -against fate.” - -She sighed. - -Kew sat down heavily on his throne and put his head in his hands. I -considered it tactful to withdraw. - -Quarters were found for me near by the palace and the Ministry of Work -assigned me, for my two parths a day, to the machine shop of the -Department of Mechanics at the University. Tickets were issued to me as -an advance on my pay, and this enabled me to make many necessary -purchases from the government shops, to replace the articles borrowed -during my incarceration in the mangool, and to buy presents for Poblath -and his fiancee. Among my purchases was the most elaborate and expensive -silk toga which I could obtain in the city, so as to enhance my standing -and dignity at court functions. - -A few days after my release the king honored me with an invitation to -dinner with him and the princess alone; and this was followed, within a -few days, by a banquet to some of the leading nobles—sarkars and -barsarkars—and professors of the University—babbuhs. - -On this latter occasion I met the Cupian professor who had stood at the -head table at the banquet at Mooni, and who had later identified and -befriended me at the Kuana jail. He was Hah Babbuh, Professor of -Mechanics, head of the department to which I was attached. - -He now sat at my right, and we speedily became great friends, a fact -which was shortly to play an important part in my life and in the -history of the whole planet. - -It was on his recommendation that I had been assigned to his department -by the Minister of Work. - -Time sped rapidly during the succeeding days. My duties, which consisted -in machine design, were interesting, though a bit out of my line. Of the -twelve parths which make up a Porovian day, about four were required for -sleep, and only two for work, thus leaving six, the equivalent of nearly -twelve earth hours, for meals and recreation. - -Recreation is the chief vocation of Cupia, and is conducted under the -direction of the Minister of Play, who is the most important member of -the king’s cabinet. - -I was duly assigned to a “hundred” (_i.e._ athletic club) consisting of -one hundred and forty-seven members, under the leadership of an elective -pootah, assisted by two bar-pootahs. The hundreds are grouped together -by twelves, into thousands, each led by an elective eklat; and so the -grouping continues on the analogy of the defunct armies of the Cupian -nations which existed prior to the great war of the Formian conquest. As -I have already intimated, a similar organization obtains in the imperial -air navy of the ant-men. - -The games are mostly athletic in their nature, consisting in running, -jumping, throwing stones at a mark, strap-dueling with blunt knives -dipped in pitch, wrestling _et cetera_. Sons normally enter their -father’s hundred as soon as there is a vacancy, and wives and daughters -are organized into auxiliary hundreds. Teams, representing each hundred, -compete annually within their thousand, the winning teams compete within -their regiment, and so on up. Badges are awarded to the final winners, -and a special prize to the hundred whose members capture the most -badges. Then there is competitive marching in complicated evolutions in -squads of twelve, conducted by each hundred as a whole. - -This organized recreation is entirely optional, except as to the -marching, which in my hundred occurred only twice a sangth, _i.e._, -every sixty days; so I had plenty of time to spend as I saw fit. I made -frequent visits to the Department of Electricity, and became quite -intimate with its professor, Oya Buh. - -I also became acquainted with Ja Babbuh, Professor of Mathematics. - -The observatory fascinated me. Never for a moment is the huge telescope, -with its revolving cylinder of mercury, left unguarded. Here sits -constantly Buh Tedn, or one of his assistants, while four students scan -the sky for an occasional rift in the clouds. This vigil, maintained -throughout the ages, and a similar vigil at Mooni, have resulted in a -knowledge of space comparable with ours, in spite of the clouds which -envelop Poros. The Porovians have long been of the opinion that both -Mars and the Earth are inhabited, but that the other planets are not. - -Constant demands were made on me to lecture before the students, and to -submit to physical examinations; but, as all this came during my work -time, it did not interfere with my recreation. - -The wing of the palace devoted to Lilla and her attendants, lay near to -my quarters and not far from the machine shop, and could be reached by -an outside door without passing through the rest of the palace. Thither -I came as a frequent visitor, by invitation of the princess. In fact, to -be perfectly frank, I spent nearly my entire spare time there. - -She had an unquenchable sunny disposition, and a keen sense of humor. -She had no particular accomplishments, and yet possessed that trait, -often overlooked and yet more valuable than any mere parlor tricks, of -tactfulness, sympathy, ability to smooth over the rough places of life, -and to enrich with her personality every gathering which she favored -with her presence. - -I certainly was on the top of the world—or rather of the planet -Poros—and to make my contentment complete my old ant friend Doggo was -detailed as attache of the Formian ambassador, and brought with him my -pet buntlote and Lilla’s pet mathlab, which we had left behind in -Wautoosa. - -Meanwhile my scientific attainments were attracting considerable -attention, until finally Lilla informed me that her father had reached -the conclusion that these attainments would furnish an excuse for -elevating me to the lesser nobility. The _real_ basis for my elevation -was of course my rescue of the princess, but the king had not dared to -give this reason, for fear of offending the sensibilities of Queen -Formis. - -In due course of time my promotion occurred, and I became a barsarkar, -entitled to wear a red circle over where my heart ought to be, _i.e._, -on the right side of my toga. - -Lilla gave a special dinner to celebrate this, and invited Bthuh and -Poblath. In fact, she was always getting up special occasions on one -pretext or another, for she was very fond of devising new ways of -cooking alta and mathlab and the red lobsterlike aphid-parasite, and of -trying these dishes on her friends. - -We played at a four-handed game resembling checkers, and a pleasant time -was had by all. After the game we sat on a little veranda in the warm -soft evening air, two pairs of lovers blissfully happy. - -Doggo had not been invited. He would not have fitted in. Being a sexless -female, what could he know of love? And then, too, I had begun to learn -that, except in educational circles, where “science knows no national -boundaries,” there was very little fraternizing between the Cupians and -their conquerors. The social barrier between Doggo and me, which -resembled the pale between our two countries, was the only drawback to -an otherwise idyllic life. - -But as Poblath would say: “The cloudiest day may have its sunshine,” -meaning just the opposite to our “every cloud has its silver lining.” -For one day I received a letter from King Kew announcing, as a special -mark of his favor, my betrothal to—the Duchess Bthuh! - -Horrified, I rushed to the apartments of my Princess, and obtained -entrance. She, too, had heard the news, and was in tears. - -“My rank or not, Bthuh or no Bthuh, you are mine, mine!” she sobbed as -she clung to me, while I covered her with kisses. “If it were not for -Yuri and your criminal record, we could flee into Formia; but here in -Cupia my father is supreme. If you were still a commoner, you could -marry or not as you chose, within your own class; but as a barsarkar you -must marry as the king directs.” - -“Isn’t there anything we can do about it?” I demanded. - -“Nothing,” she replied. “A princess cannot marry lower than a full -sarkar, which is a rank that you can attain only by performing some -distinguished service for your country. Our only hope lies in accepting -fate for the present, and in striving to get you a sarkarship before the -wedding. And think of poor Bthuh! This will be as much of a blow to her -and to Poblath as it is to us.” - -But, to our surprise and consternation, Bthuh took the news very -philosophically. - -“The king’s will be done,” she said with a pretty little pout and shrug. -“Myles Cabot is not a bad match after all; and, if rank prevents him -from having the princess and prevents me from having the mango, why not -solace ourselves with each other?” - -And she glanced shyly up at me. - -But somehow the idea did not appeal to me at all. - -I must have looked at Bthuh with much the same expression of horror as -the princess had worn the day of our first meeting at Wautoosa when I -was still an unkempt earth man, for Bthuh laughed and said: “Come, come, -Myles, do not look thus. Am I so horrible that you cannot learn to love -me, even to please our gracious king?” - -“Bthuh! Stop that foolishness at once!” ordered Lilla. “You make me -sick.” - -But Bthuh insolently replied: “Cannot I flirt with my own betrothed, O -princess?” She left the room, smiling. - -“She is merely trying to hide a broken heart,” I apologized. - -Whereat Lilla wheeled on me furiously and said: “Don’t you dare stand up -for that creature!” - -So I desisted. - -I certainly was in a fix! Engaged to girl whom I didn’t love, but who -had apparently determined to put up with me. Estranged from the girl -whom I did love. Forced to play false with the first man who had -befriended me in Cupia. And no way out in sight. What was I to do? - -I thought of renouncing my rank. But this, I found, was impossible; and, -besides, such a step would put the princess even further out of my -reach. - -Bthuh bore up nobly; much too nobly, in fact. - -Poblath sent me a brief note reading: “I expected no gratitude, but I -did expect a square deal,” and then refused to receive me when I -hastened to the mang-ool to explain. - -I took Hah Babbuh into my confidence, but he had no suggestion to offer, -for I had as yet done nothing to deserve a sarkarship. - -As time passed I saw less and less of Lilla and more and more of Bthuh, -but I managed to keep from being left alone with the latter. - -The date of our wedding was set, and drew nearer and nearer. We were to -be married in state by the king himself. I could not help admitting that -my bride was an exquisite creature. But I did not, could not, love her; -though, if I had never met the Princess Lilla, I could doubtless have -lived very happily with Bthuh. But how can the eagle’s lover mate with a -parakeet? - -At last the eve of my wedding arrived. After supper I dragged my -footsteps to the quarters of the princess, to spend with her the last -few parths which I should ever be free to spend, for on the morrow I was -to become a married man. Bthuh, my affianced bride, met me, and the -princess was nowhere to be seen. - -“Oh Cabot, Cabot,” entreated Bthuh as she seized my hands and gazed into -my eyes. “Cannot you bow to the inevitable? Is life with me such a -horrible fate? I can be very sweet if you will but let me try. You have -never once kissed me yet. Is that the way to treat your betrothed? Kiss -me, Cabot, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me!” - -And, still holding me with her amber eyes, she slid her hands up my arms -and drew her fragrant presence close to me. - -But I broke away abruptly from her spell and demanded: “Where is my -princess? Surely you will not rob me of my last few hours of freedom.” - -Bthuh shrugged her pretty shoulders. “Your princess, it is always your -princess! Well, what should I care? For tomorrow you are mine, wholly -mine, and even a princess will not pirate the husband of a sarkari. Find -her yourself and gather flowers while it yet is day.” And with another -shrug she left the salon. - -“Tomorrow? Why, tomorrow I may be myself with yesterday’s seven thousand -years,” I quoted softly as I pulled the signal cord for the maid. - -The maid informed me that her mistress had not been seen since early -morning. It was not like Lilla thus to leave her whereabouts unknown for -such a long time. So I rushed out into the streets and began to make -inquiries. - -If I had been less agitated I suppose that I would have been more -systematic; but as it was, I soon learned from a pinqui that the -princess had been seen walking southward over the plaza shortly before -noon. So I hastened down to the plaza and started questioning people. - -At last my search was rewarded, for several people reported that they -had seen a woman apparently much agitated, picked up by an ant-man and -carried southward. So hiring a kerkool at the nearest garage, I started -in pursuit. - -A few stads outside the city I came upon an ant kerkool lying beside the -road. Gyroscope trouble, evidently. I parked my car and got out to -investigate. - -As I was standing there gazing at the fallen kerkool, a bandage was -suddenly thrown about my eyes from behind. Then I smelled the pungent -anaesthetic fumes of decoction of saffra root, and my struggles ceased. - - - - - _14_ - in disgrace - - -I awakened to find myself lying bound in a wood. The time was apparently -the next morning. My first thought was to worry about Lilla. My next was -to wonder who was to blame for my seizure. Yuri, undoubtedly. - -But, if so, had he not misplayed? If he had let me alone, I should by -this time be marrying the Sarkari Bthuh; and, once married to her, I -could no longer interfere between Lilla and Yuri. Lilla might even -consent to marry the prince out of pique. - -My thoughts were interrupted by the return of my captor, who proved to -be an ant-man, numbered 356-1-400. He was a young ant, and bore no duel -numbers. I started to speak, but he warned me to be silent; to make sure -of my obedience, he bit me savagely. Once more, as on my first day on -this planet, I experienced intense pain, followed by oblivion, and then -conscious paralysis. - -When I awoke paralyzed, I found that my captor was carrying me. The fact -that he was an ant-man confirmed my suspicions of Yuri. But the fact -that he was carrying me furtively through the woods, instead of on the -main highway, convinced me that I was still in Cupia. - -My bonds were still on, but had become very loose. Immediately I decided -that my one chance of escape lay in concealing my recovery from the -paralysis, when this recovery should occur. So I awaited my opportunity. - -Thus we proceeded for about a parth and a half, when suddenly my captor -halted and pricked up his antennae. I too listened. Directly ahead of us -there came a long-drawn howl, the call of a woofus. Nearer came the -sound. - -We were in a field at the time, and I could see that the ant-man was -looking around for a likely tree, in which to take refuge. But the -bordering woods were all scrub, with not a single sizable tree in sight, -so my captor laid me down and advanced toward the sound of the oncoming -woofus, evidently determined to bluff it out and attack before being -attacked. - -Then the purple terror bounded into the open. One lone ant-man is no -match for a woofus. Though my captor fought bravely, he was slowly -driven back, contesting every parastad of the way. When the two were -nearly upon me, I realized that my languor was gone. I undid my bonds. I -stood erect. Then I found a heavy stick. - -My captor was entirely engrossed in his conflict. Now was my chance to -crush him with my club, and then escape while the woofus devoured his -remains. Fate was indeed kind to me once more. So I crept stealthily -forward, and then brought my club down with a crash on the head of— - -The woofus. For my sense of fair play, my sporting sense, had abruptly -changed my mind, and I had rescued the underdog, instead of killing him. -Now I was again his captive, undoubtedly destined this time to have eggs -laid in me by Queen Formis. - -The ant-man stood for a moment astounded, and then wheeled around. I -still held my club. There was now no reason why I should not kill him -too, if I could. But he did not charge. - -Instead he said: “Let us not fight. You have saved my life, and so I owe -you yours. ‘A life for a life.’ No one shall ever say that 356-1-400 is -ungrateful. Go in peace. Look, a mist approaches. My excuse shall be -that I lost you in the fog. If you too are grateful, you will tell the -same story.” - -Then the fog, a frequent phenomenon of Poros, closed upon me, and I saw -my captor no more. I lay down, covered myself with tartan leaves to keep -off the wet, and waited for the fog to lift. - -And the next thing I knew, it was morning. - -In spite of my long fast—since supper two days ago—I felt refreshed by -my sleep, and at once set out through the woods in as nearly a straight -line as I could, in the hope of striking a road. The straight line was -easy, as the eastern sky was still faintly pink; and likewise it was -easy to head north along the road, when I finally reached one. But when -at last I came to a city, it turned out to be Ktuth rather than Kuana. - -Before seeking food or anything else, except a _much_-needed drink of -water, I found a pinqui and asked him if he had heard any recent news -from Kuana, relative to the disappearance of the princess. - -“News from Kuana? Disappearance?” he repeated in surprise. “Surely not. -The princess has been here safe and sound for two days, and left only a -few paraparths ago by the Kuana road!” - -So I had just missed her! If I had entered the city a bit later, I -should have passed her on the road! - -My tickets were not sufficient to hire a kerkool; and besides now that I -knew Lilla was safe, I was in no hurry to face Bthuh, whom I had left -waiting at the joining-stand, as it were. So, after breakfast, I set out -on foot for Kuana, thirty stads away, carrying some lunch. - -Around noon, when I had just eaten my lunch on a stone by the side of -the road, a kerkool passed me, headed for Kuana. I hailed its single -occupant, and was given a lift the rest of the way. He turned out to be -the Chief of Pinquis of Ktuth, bound for a conference with the mango of -Kuana. I welcomed the chance to get inside the Kuana jail, face to face -with my old friend Poblath, for this opportunity would enable me to give -him my long-deferred explanation of my relations—or rather lack of -relations—with his Bthuh. - -It was three days since I had shaved, and I must have presented an -uncanny sight. In fact, the Chief had intimated as much, as I got aboard -his kerkool. So, when Poblath saw me, his jaw dropped, and he seemed -convulsed with fear. - -“Go away, dead man,” he begged. “I confess it all. I did hire the -ant-man to assassinate you. But, now that you have my confession, return -in peace to the land beneath the boiling seas, and leave me alone!” - -So _that_ was why I had been kidnaped. Well, at least it let Yuri out of -being an absolute fool. - -“Poblath, old friend,” I replied, “I am not dead. The ant-man lost me in -the fog. And I have returned, not to curse you, but rather to thank you, -for you have saved me from an unwished marriage.” - -And then I got across the explanation, which he had so long denied me. -When I had finished, there was no longer any doubt in Poblath’s mind -that I was still his friend; and he warmly patted my jaw, the -conventional Porovian token of friendship. - -But I fancied that his sweetheart, Bthuh, would not be so easy to -appease. - -From the jail I went to my rooms for a shave and a clean toga, and then -repaired to the garage where I had rented the kerkool, my intention -being to try and arrange to pay for the loss on the installment plan. - -But to my surprise, the kerkooloolo informed me that my kerkool had been -found, with its gyros still running, standing beside the wrecked -ant-car, and had been brought back to Kuana intact, so that all I owed -was an extra day’s rent, for which he would gladly trust me until next -ticket-day. - -On returning again to my rooms, I found a messenger with a peremptory -summons to attend the king forthwith, in spite of the fact that it was -now nearly time for the evening meal. Evidently, old Kew had heard of my -return. - -He had! When I entered the audience chamber, I entered the presence of -an awful wrath. Kew was seated on his royal couch, and standing beside -him was a she-woofus named Bthuh. Never before had I so stirred a -woman’s rage, and I hope never to do so again. - -The king demanded an explanation, which I gave readily enough, but which -did not convince him in the least. - -“Cabot Barsarkar,” he spoke, “I do not believe you. Concern for the -safety of the princess is very commendable. But, if it were that which -actuated you, you would have inquired first from me, and would have -learned that she had left a note with me, giving word of her departure -for Ktuth. - -“No, you took the absence of the princess as a mere convenient excuse to -desert your bride at the joining-stand, unmindful of the high honor -which I was conferring on you in giving the hand of a sarkari to you, -lately a commoner, nay, even a beast from another world. Whether or not -she will still have you, is for the lady to say; but, as for me, you -have greatly incurred the royal displeasure, and I am almost minded to -revoke your rank. You came to us from among those accursed Formians, -under whose thraldom I am chafing. Verily, I believe the ancient -proverb: ‘No good cometh out of Formia.’ Go! I have spoken.” - -“But _I_ have not spoken,” interjected Bthuh, ever the disrespectful. -“Know, base earth-thing, that no one can injure the pride of Bthuh with -impunity. You who could have given me your love, or even merely your -hand, and have received in return a love, the passion of which is -unequaled on this planet, chose instead to mete out to me, who am your -social superior, the worst insult which a man can give to a woman. - -“I condescend to link myself with a commoner, and for reward am treated -as dirt, am ground under heel like a brink. Never can you wipe out this -insult. Never shall I reconsider my present determination not to marry -you.” - -“For this relief, much thanks,” said I to myself. - -“But you still have me to cope with,” she continued, “you brink! -Mathlab! Earth-man!” - -A particularly delicate touch, putting “earth-man” as the climax of a -list of distasteful creatures! - -“Bthuh will have her revenge,” she concluded, “never fear. Now _I_ have -spoken.” - -I drew a long breath, as one who has just finished receiving a flogging. -So _that_ was over. (The lady is now a very good friend of mine, and -begs me to tone down this transcription of her tirade. But why not tell -the story just as it happened?) - -As I respectfully withdrew from the audience chamber, an attendant -softly radiated into my antennae that the princess desired to see me at -once in her apartments. More trouble! - -But I was wrong, for Lilla received me most tenderly and graciously. -Supper was laid for two. I took her in my arms. - -At last we seated ourselves side by side on a couch by the table, and -the meal was served. - -“I was unable to bear your marriage to another,” she explained, -“especially as you did not seem to be trying to do anything about it.” - -“But how can a mathlab struggle in the jaws of a woofus?” I interjected, -quoting one of Poblath’s proverbs. - -Lilla smiled indulgently, and continued her story. “There was no one -here whom I could trust, so I finally called upon Doggo. He met me on -the outskirts of the city, and carried me to Ktuth in his kerkool; then -returned to Kuana, to try and devise with you some means of escaping -from Bthuh. But his kerkool broke down en route, and he had to continue -on foot; and, by the time that he reached the city, you had disappeared. -When you failed to show up for the wedding, Bthuh acted like one drunk -with saffra-root, and has continued so ever since. Doggo sent word to me -at Ktuth, and I returned.” - -Then I told her _my_ adventures, she sympathizing tenderly with my -misfortunes, and thrilling at my conquest of the woofus. - -“Now that Poblath is our friend again, we have little to fear from -Bthuh,” she said. “Bthuh is a mad little wanton, and will cool off if -let alone. But Poblath, for all his philosophy, is a commoner, and so -was to have been expected to misunderstand the situation.” - -I wanted to say that Lilla herself had entertained exactly the same -misunderstanding as Poblath, but instead I merely remarked, “I too am a -commoner, Lilla dearest.” - -“You are not!” she indignantly replied, “you are a barsarkar, and have -the heart of a king. Could the Princess Lilla love a commoner?” - -“The Princess Lilla once spent a whole night in the arms of a commoner,” -I remonstrated. - -“And was just as safe and free from insult as she would have been in the -arms of her mother,” she added. “But Yuri believed otherwise, or said -that he did; and threatened that, unless I would by my silence assent to -his version of my rescue, he would tell the king, who would have -believed the worst and would have cast me out. So, as long as I thought -that you were hopelessly doomed, I held my peace. But I was very sad.” - -After the meal, Lilla and I sat for a long time together on her little -balcony, discussing plans. - -“I shall marry you,” assented my princess, “even if we have to flee -together to islands beyond the boiling seas.” - -That was all very well, but quite impractical. The boiling seas were -impassable—unapproachable even. Formia was barred to us by my criminal -record, and by the presence and influence there of Yuri. Cupia was -barred to us by the wrath of King Kew, due to my treatment of his -favorite. And Formia and Cupia constituted the entire world. For us to -hide disguised was impossible, because of my own earth-born deformities. - -So, although I gloried in Lilla’s love, my joy was sobered by a -realization that marriage between us was impossible. - -And what about the situation when King Kew should die, and Prince Yuri -should succeed to the crown? We had that to look forward to. - - - - - _15_ - a new game - - -But with Lilla’s love and trust, I could not despair. As I kissed her -good night, with her warm throbbing girlish body held fast in my arms, a -single star shone down upon us for an instant, through a rift in the -circumambient clouds. Was it my own planet, the earth? I wondered. - -During the succeeding days I saw much of Lilla and nothing of Bthuh. And -ever I racked my brains for an idea which would point the way out of my -difficulties. My only hope was to perform such a distinguished service -for my adopted country that the king would relent, would forgive me, and -would promote me to the rank of sarkar. - -The most distinguished service which a Cupian can render is to invent a -new and popular game, so I set about to do something in that line. And -at last the idea came, a whiz of an idea! As Hah Babbuh, head of the -Department of Mechanics, had advised me to seek this means of -distinction, so it was to him that I first confided my plans. - -At my request, Prince Toron, who had aided me so efficiently in devising -my radio set in the laboratories of Mooni, was detailed to assist me in -this new endeavor. He and a young draftsman and a young chemist set to -work with me to build the new game. - -And what was this new game? Target shooting with army rifles. Explosives -were already known on Poros, being used for blasting and for airplane -bombs. With the aid of the young chemist, I adapted these explosives to -be sufficiently slow burning to drive a rifle-bullet without injuring -the gun. - -In a surprisingly short time we had turned out a crude rifle which would -actually shoot. The heads of the Mathematics and Astronomy Departments, -Ja Babbuh and Buh Tedn, were then let in on the secret, for the purpose -of computing trajectories and designing the sights and wind leaf, which -they did by an adaption of the principles employed in computing the -orbits of celestial bodies. - -A hundred and forty-seven rifles were then turned out and presented to -my athletic club. - -My club tried out the rifles; and, when at last they began to get -bull’s-eyes, they went wild over the new sport. The king heard, and -relented sufficiently to send for me and compliment me. - -After being thoroughly tried out in my hundred, rifle shooting was next -introduced into the clubs to which my three assistants belonged, and -became popular there, as well. The idea spread, and soon all the clubs -throughout the kingdom were clamoring for guns. The mechanical -laboratory at Kuana was made over into a huge arsenal, and the chemical -laboratory into a huge munitions factory, while the athletic clubs of -Kuana and the vicinity detailed some of their members to work overtime -in my two plants. The Cupians will always work overtime in the cause of -play. - -Target practice soon became the national sport of Cupia. The craze even -reached such dimensions that Queen Formis finally dispatched a special -mission to Kuana to study the movement and report whether it could not -be put to some practical use. The report of that mission is now one of -my most treasured possessions, and a framed reproduction of their -conclusions now hangs upon my office wall. - -The ant mission concluded, and so reported to their queen, that the new -game had absolutely no practical application, but that if it kept the -crazy Cupians quiet and took their minds off their troubles, it might -prove a valuable contribution toward simplifying the enforcement of the -treaty of Mooni. And so, indeed, it seemed. Toron neglected politics to -become a proficient shot, and his anti-Formian movement rapidly -subsided. All of which was exactly as I had planned. - -The collapse of the Toron movement so pleased the exiled Prince Yuri -that he sent a special ambassador to his brother, offering to assist in -introducing the new sport to the Cupians at Mooni. But “I fear the -Greeks even when ferrying doughnuts,” as we used to say at Harvard. So -Yuri’s kind offer was declined. We did, however, present a sample rifle -and some of our powder to the authorities of the Imperial University of -the ant-men at their request, for we could not very well refuse. - -Finally King Kew himself condescended to sit in at the conferences -between Hah Babbuh, Bub Tedn, Ja Babbuh, Toron, and myself. He had been -brooding a good deal recently on the indignities inflicted on his people -by Queen Formis, with whom he had had several disputes lately; and the -committee-work seemed to divert and cheer him up greatly. But still I -was not made a sarkar, although I learned from Lilla that Hah Babbuh had -urged this on the king. The influence of Bthuh Sarkari was still too -strong. In fact, it was rumored that she now aspired to make herself -Queen of Cupia. - -Well, I did not mind. Better even one of _her_ sons on the throne than -Yuri! - -Having got the new game well under way, I next turned to my old love, -radio. First I obtained some stones from the Howling Valley, which was -easy, because of my deafness to radio-waves; but I was unable to put -them to any practical use. Then I devised a simple wave trap for -absorbing the ordinary carrying waves of Porovian speech. Also I -arranged a variable condenser, which could so alter the capacity of the -Cupian antennae that selective sending and reception were possible. - -These two devices were combined in a small box which could easily be -carried on a man’s head and be coupled to his antennae. My third -invention on these lines was a broadcasting set, whereby the normal -Cupian sending range of four parastads—about fifty yards—was increased -to half a stad—about half a mile. - -And now, in my frantic quest for a sarkarship, I introduced a still -further new game, namely marching evolutions on an extended scale. -Strictly speaking, this was really an adaptation of an old game, rather -than the creation of a new, for marching formations had always been -popular in Cupia; but my three new radio devices made it possible to -perform these evolutions by twelves of thousands. - -We tried it out in our own twelve thousand. The commander broadcast his -orders to the selectively tuned headsets of the eklats, and they in turn -to the pootahs, each of whom then directed his hundred at ordinary wave -length. The regimental evolutions went through like clockwork, and -_this_ idea spread to the other twelve thousands of the country. - -But still I was not made a sarkar. - -I then turned my attention to the construction of two huge engines, one -of which we mounted on a kerkool and one on a concrete base in the -courtyard of the university machine shop. The purpose of these engines -was for the present kept secret. But I had a feeling that they would win -me the sarkarship, even if everything else failed. - -As a result of my inventions, King Kew sufficiently unbent to invite me -to occupy the reviewing stand with him on Peace Day, when the annual -athletic prize-giving was to take place. This was a signal honor which -even sarkars might envy, but it was not a sarkarship. - -The morning of the five hundredth anniversary of the Peace of -Mooni—three hundred and fifty-eight in Porovian notation—dawned clear -and dazzling. By 460 o’clock—9:00 o’clock in earth time—the whole plaza -and the fields beyond were jammed with marching clubs. - -The Minister of Play, who stood with me on the reviewing platform at the -crest of University Hill—along with the rest of the cabinet, Prince -Toron, and a few leading nobles and professors—sadly remarked that he -was afraid the maneuvers would have to be given up. - -I replied with a smile that I guessed not; though he was unable to -figure out how evolutions could be possible with that huge crowd. - -Pistol shooting had recently been introduced as a tentative subject for -next year’s games, and our committee of five all wore revolvers strapped -to our sides, as a special badge in recognition of our responsibility -for the gala occasion. - -The housetops and roads were crowded with Cupian femininity. All was -ready for the grand opening. I adjusted the controls of the big sending -set, and dispatched Poblath, who had been detailed as my aide for the -day, to inform the king that the time had arrived for his address. - -As King Kew XII stepped up on the stand, at just 500 o’clock—10:00 in -earth time—practically the entire male population of Cupia gave him the -United States Army present arms in absolute unison. It was an inspiring -sight. - -I noticed that the king seemed extremely pale and nervous, but I did not -give this much thought at the time. - -Then I yielded the sending set to him, and he began his speech of -welcome, a very different speech from what had been expected, but one -which will go down in history, and which every Cupian school boy -throughout the ages will commit to memory, as American boys do the -Gettysburg Address. - -Thus spoke King Kew: “Three hundred and fifty-eight years ago today our -forefathers submitted to the indignities of the treaty of Mooni, and the -stigma of that infamous treaty attached to the Kew dynasty, which was -then founded. For twelve generations, Cupia has been under the dominion -of a race of animals—animals possessed of human intelligence, it is -true, but still merely lower animals. - -“Now the parth of our deliverance is at hand. Those rifles which you -hold were designed not for play, but rather for the killing of Formians. -The bullets which have been issued to you this day contain the highest -explosive known to Porovian science. With these weapons you are -invincible. Today, with your support, Cupia will become free, and the -Kew Dynasty will wipe out forever the stigma of its birth. - -“Are you men or slaves? If you be slaves, you will bow to Formis, your -sons and descendants forever will wearily serve out their time in her -workshops, she will have veto power over all your laws, your present -king will give his body as food for her maggots, and your future kings -will cower before her. But if you be men, you will today offer up your -lives for your country, that Cupia may at last be free!” - -A murmur, as of an angry sea, arose from the crowd and smote upon my -antennae. The sporting nature of the proposition appealed to them fully -as much as any sentiments of patriotism. - -The king turned to me. I saluted. And, in front of that huge assemblage, -he pinned upon my breast the long-forgotten insignia of field marshal of -the armies of a nation. Simultaneously Prince Toron and the three -professors displayed the insignia of general. Hah Babbuh stepped to my -side as my chief of staff, while the other three donned their selective -tuners and descended from the platform to take command of their several -corps. The stage was all set for the final denouement. - -The king spoke again: “Let all Cupians who are willing to die for king -and country raise their hands aloft.” - -Up shot every hand on the hill and plain below. - -I seized the phones and shouted: “Then forward into ant land, for Cupia, -King Kew, and Princess Lilla!” - -“For Cupia, King Kew, and Princess Lilla!” shouted my army in reply and -the march toward Formia began. - -But some Cupian had betrayed us, for at this instant there appeared, at -the crest of the hill overlooking the city, a horde of ant-men, who -debouched in perfect order on the fields beyond the plain. Thank God -that they had not arrived before the king’s speech! - -But even as it was, things were bad enough; our advance companies -recoiled in terror before the black assault. Five hundred years of -servile peace are not well calculated to develop a nation of fighters. I -saw Toron frantically trying to rally his troops, but in vain. It had -been easy enough to plan to attack the ant-men, but five hundred years -of submission had bred a tradition of Formian omnipotence, and this -tradition at once revived when the Formians appeared. - -I gazed with horror at the scene. Here were thousands upon thousands of -presumably intelligent human beings, armed with the most powerful -weapons which modern science could produce, and yet retreating in -superstitious fear before a handful of unarmed ants. Had the high -resolves of a few paraparths ago degenerated to this? - -Why didn’t my men use their rifles? Let them fire a few shots, and they -would realize their power. - -So seizing the phones again I tuned them to Toron’s wavelength, and -radiated: “For God’s sake stop! Never mind your whole army. Just hold -two or three men. Get them to use their rifles on the enemy. Use your -own pistol, too.” - -Toron did not know who God was, but he sensed the agony of my appeal, -and he gathered the idea. Seizing the nearest Cupian by the shoulder, he -swung him around, at the same time discharging his own revolver. An -ant-man exploded. - -The Cupian, fascinated, fired his own rifle with equal success. Then, at -Toron’s peremptory command, a few more of his men halted long enough to -try their rifles on the enemy. - -At each shot, one Formian exploded. The effect was splendid. Our men -stopped, formed ranks again, opened fire, and advanced once more toward -Formia. The tradition of Formian invincibility was destroyed forever. - -Messengers now came with word that hundreds of kerkools were bringing up -ant reenforcements over all the roads leading from the border. But what -could jaws avail them against dumdum bullets? - -I learned later that the ants had attacked certain outlying towns of our -country earlier in the day, expecting to make easy work of them, and to -wreak a vengeance on the unprotected inhabitants. But our casualties -there had been surprisingly light. In the village of Beem, in the Okarze -Mountains, rocks were used on the attackers, and the chance remark, -“Fine target practice!” had suggested to some bright local mind the use -of rifles, with which the ant-men had been repulsed with ease. At -Bartlap, one of the enemy had indiscreetly mentioned that rifles were -the cause of the war, and immediately rifles were effectively produced. -In most of the other instances the Formians had been recalled to -reenforce the attack on Kuana. - -Now a new development occurred, for a fleet of airships appeared on the -horizon, and presently high explosive bombs began dropping with -frightful havoc among my astounded troops, who once more broke and ran. -In a few paraparths the planes would be over the city. - -I dispatched Poblath on the run to the university, and soon my human -sense of hearing was rewarded by a sharp crack-crack-crack from the -Mechanics Building. - -The first plane toppled and fell. The second. And then the third. The -others, sensing a power beyond their ability to combat, wheeled and -withdrew. Our armies reformed and once more advanced toward Formia. The -first of my huge secret machines, an anti-aircraft gun, had spoken. - -Soon messengers brought word that intense fighting was in progress for -the possession of the Third Gate. Of course it would be many days before -our forces could reach the western two gates, but the bulk of the -populations of both countries lived near the Third Gate, due to the -mountainous nature of the country to the west. - -Then came news that the Formians at the Third Gate had been flanked by -some of our men who had surmounted the pale with scaling ladders. The -Third Gate fell into the hands of Cupia. Our victorious armies were on -enemy soil. - -It was war to the hilt! And the fact that the Formians had invaded and -attacked first, satisfied the sporting sense of all Cupia. - -A special detachment of Mooni-trained aviators and mechanics had gone at -once to the three planes as soon as we had shot them down, and now one -of them arose into the air fully repaired. - -The moment had arrived for the final master stroke in the new Cupian -national game—war. For the second huge machine in the courtyard of the -Department of Mechanics was a sixteen inch barbette coast artillery -rifle, which had been trained upon the Imperial City of the ant queen, -by exact elevation and azimuth, carefully computed by Buh Tedn. - -The huge gun boomed forth. Again and again it boomed, as our spotting -plane reported for adjustment of fire. Finally, just at nightfall, the -signal came to cease firing. The Imperial City, from which Queen Formis -had been directing her troops, had been totally destroyed, and with it -presumably the queen and her friend and ally, the renegade Yuri. - -Our armies still pressed forward into Formia, protected from air attack -by the three repaired planes and by the anti-aircraft gun, which had -been sent forward by kerkool. I was jubilant. But not so, apparently, -King Kew. - -“What is the matter, sir?” I asked. “Why do you look so sad on this -glorious day of deliverance? Are you thinking of our poor boys who have -fallen?” - -“No,” he replied, “I did not dare tell you before, for fear that your -well known impetuosity would disrupt our plans. But now you can know. -The Princess Lilla has been missing since morning. The fact that all of -her clothes are intact, except her sleeping robe, leads me to think that -she must have been kidnaped during the night.” - -“My God!” I ejaculated in English. Then turning the command over to Hah -Babbuh, and instructing him to move his headquarters to the Third Gate -in the morning, I hastened to the apartments of my sweetheart. - -Bthuh met me there in tears and said: “My princess is dead! My princess -is dead! Last night, through connivance with me, Prince Yuri drugged her -with saffra root and spirited her away to the Imperial City of Formia. I -knew all your plans, except the purposes of your two huge cannons, or I -should have warned Yuri of those, too. I thought merely to spoil your -victory and so gain my revenge. The old king, too, had spurned my -amorous advances, and so I declared war on Cupia. But Cupia has won in -spite of me, and as a punishment for my guilt my beloved mistress has -been killed.” - -There could be no doubt of it. Every living thing in the city of the -queen had been destroyed. My victory was turned to ashes. In despair I -sank upon a couch. - -But comforting arms stole around my shoulders, and a soft voice spoke in -my antennae: “Cabot, can you ever forgive me? I love you so that I would -willingly give back to you your princess, just to make you happy. But, -alas, she is lost to us forever. Cannot we solace ourselves with love -for each other? Cabot, Cabot, I love you so, my dear.” - -And her fragrant, voluptuous, intoxicating presence wrapped itself -around my tired body and despondent soul. - - - - - _16_ - Cabot tells the world - - -There on the same couch on which I had often caressed the Princess, I -held in my arms her betrayer, the lovely Bthuh. So soon does love -forget. - -So soon love does _not_ forget! Casting aside the seductive betrayer of -my princess, I sprang to my feet, resolving never to give up hope until -I actually saw Lilla’s dead body, and even then to remain true to her in -death. Bthuh’s last chance had come and gone. She had played her last -card and lost. - -Although it was now night, I at once called my aide, and summoned a -squad out of my own hundred, which had been retained as the king’s -bodyguard. Then, requisitioning a fleet of kerkools, we set out for the -Imperial City, leaving Poblath with his former love, Bthuh. - -“Tame her if you can, and good luck to you,” was my parting admonition. - -The trip was made in record time. By the light of our flash lamps we -found that the ruins were guarded by several hundred ant-men; so we sent -for reenforcements to be furnished in the morning, and then we -bivouacked for the night, taking turns keeping awake and sniping at the -enemy whenever they showed a light or came within the beams of ours. - -Early in the morning, a company of Cupians reported to me, and we at -once began the assault of the ruins, carrying our objective with but -little difficulty. - -Then came the individual fighting in the corridors, and in this the -ant-men were not at so great a disadvantage. They ambushed our soldiers. -They pushed rocks on them from above. And, all in all, they made away -with nearly half our force, before the remaining handful of defenders -broke and fled from the city. - -Our survivors were put to work exploring. The mangled body of Queen -Formis was hailed with joy, but no signs were discovered of either Yuri -or Lilla, although occasionally we would come upon an enemy straggler -and kill him. - -Finally on rounding a turn, whom should I meet face to face but the -ant-man who had let me go after I had rescued him from the woofus. I -recognized him at once. - -“Yahoo! Number 356-1-400,” I hailed him, “a life for a life.” - -“Nay,” he replied, “for you owe me nothing on that score. But if you -will spare me, I will repay you well.” - -“Your life is already yours,” I said. - -“Then,” said he, “I will lead you to the princess.” - -I could have embraced the uncouth creature for joy. But, suspecting a -trap, I gathered nearly a squad of my soldiers before following the -ant-man. He led us into the subterranean depths of the city. Several -times we had to remove fallen fragments which barred our way, and once -had to wait until explosives could be obtained to blast a passage. But -at last we came within sight of an undamaged dungeon, where Lilla lay -chained, alive and well. - -Yet even as we hailed her through a crack in the debris, we saw two -ant-men enter the dungeon through another passage, unchain the princess, -and carry her away. - -Quick as a flash I remembered my revolver, and opened fire through the -crack, blasting one of her abductors. But as I drew a bead on the other, -my weapon was knocked from my hand. Turning angrily. I beheld our guide -standing over me. - -“I fulfilled my bargain,” he said, “when I showed you the princess. Now -I owe you no more. Those Formians are my fellow countrymen, and I have -saved one of them, at least, from the horrible death.” - -“And lost me my princess,” I shouted angrily. - -We were now surrounded by my squad with drawn rifles, but they did not -dare fire, for fear of hitting me. I was at the mercy of our guide. He -had too much respect for the dum-dum bullets, however, and was easily -hauled off of me and placed under arrest. - -My men then proceeded to hack their way into the dungeon, and we at once -followed the trail of the princess. This was not easy, for the city was -a total wreck. A hundred ways presented themselves, through which her -captor might have crawled. So we withdrew and threw a cordon around the -entire city, dispatching a few searching parties again into the -interior. This was made possible by additional reenforcements from -headquarters. - -As luck would have it, the ant-man finally made his appearance, with -Lilla held tightly in his jaws, at the very point in the line of -sentries where I happened to be. Instantly a dozen rifles covered him. - -But he radiated the peremptory command: “Stop! Put down your rifles.” - -“Put them down!” I ordered. - -“Now,” he continued, “if a rifle is raised again, I bite, and the -princess dies. She lives only on condition that I am given safe passage, -_with her as my prisoner_. Once within our lines she will be treated -well, for she will prove a valuable hostage to support the demands of -Formis for a return to power.” - -“Formis is dead,” I objected. - -“One Formis is dead,” he replied. “But there are always maggots which we -can fatten to make a new queen.” - -At this point Lilla interjected faintly: “Bite, oh Formian, for I would -die, rather than betray my country.” - -But I said: “You may proceed. Not a rifle will be raised against you, -for the princess must be saved.” - -Nothing however had been said about revolvers, and evidently the ant-man -was unacquainted with that weapon. As he passed through our lines, -keeping a careful watch on the rifles of our sentries, I fired my -revolver from the hip and the ant dropped dead. A moment later Lilla was -clasped safely in my arms. - -Tenderly we greeted each other. She was parched and hungry, and our -first task was to give her food and drink, which were easily found among -the ruins. - -Then came explanations. She had awakened to find herself in the dungeon -about noon of the day before. Yuri had informed her that the Cupian -attack had been met and stopped, and that airplanes were about to -destroy Kuana. Then he had been hurriedly called away, and she had seen -no one since. She could hardly believe us when we told her that the -attack had been a success, that Queen Formis was dead, and that the -power of Formia was broken forever. - -When she had rested, I at once sent her home under guard in a kerkool, -and myself proceeded to headquarters to learn how the war was -progressing. Much as I longed to accompany her, my first duty was to my -adopted country. - -To Number 356-1-400, before leaving, I gratefully offered an honorable -freedom in Cupia, but he scornfully replied that he would rather die -fighting for his own country. I respected his attitude, and so gave him -a safe-conduct through our lines to rejoin his own troops. Later in the -war his number was reported to me as being among the casualties. - -At headquarters I found Hah Babbuh in fine spirits. The power of Formia -was broken indeed! - -Wautoosa had fallen into our hands and, with it, a number of planes, -which thus were added to our steadily growing air-force. Kerkools were -patrolling all the roads, shooting ant-men at sight. - -Hah was particularly jubilant over what had happened at Mooni. Early on -Peace Day, the Cupian students had somehow received word of what was -afoot. Joining with the slaves, they had slightly outnumbered the -ant-men there present and had captured the University after a fierce -struggle, thus preventing the ant-men from removing or destroying the -priceless gems of knowledge stored there. When our vanguard arrived, our -students were already in control. - -In the days that followed, our advance progressed. City after city fell -into our hands, in sufficient numbers and containing sufficient -supplies, so that we did not have to give any thought to the quartering -or feeding of our men. All that was necessary was a steady stream of -ammunition proceeding from Kuana to our outposts. - -I had given strict orders that Doggo and Yuri were to be taken alive, -the former because I wished to spare him as a friend, the latter because -I looked forward with extreme pleasure to seeing him executed for -treason. But neither was captured. The numbers of all dead ant-men were -taken and turned in, but Doggo’s number was not among them. And to this -day I do not know what became of him or of Yuri. - -It was my ambition to exterminate the entire race of ant-men from the -face of Poros, with the single exception of my friend Doggo. But this -wish was not to be gratified. For, as the Formians retreated southward, -our lines of communication became more and more extended, and our troops -more and more undisciplined. - -Gradually the Formians obtained rifles, particularly from the two cities -which they had bombed. Then they made a stand and sent out snipers, and -this netted them more rifles. - -Our people began to grumble. The widows and orphans of the slain did not -appreciate the honor which had been thrust upon them. The sport-loving -Cupians in the field chafed under military restraint, and demanded to be -returned home to their games. And a considerable number of the populace -were even heard to say that two years slavery to Formia was far better -than a life-long slavery in the army of a military dictator—meaning the -four or five weeks since the war had started. - -So, reluctantly, King Kew concluded a new peace with what was left of -Formia. A new pale was set up far to the south of the old. Formia had to -bear the entire cost of the war. Ant-men were forbidden to carry arms or -to enter Cupia, and all their airships were confiscated. The Kings of -Cupia reserved a veto power over Formian laws forever. But King Kew -wisely decided not to demoralize Cupia by the introduction of Formian -slaves. - -Our University set up a branch at Mooni, in order that the glamour of -that name might not be lost. Our bravest soldiers and our war widows, -were rewarded by grants of land and of city residences in the captured -territory, which almost completely alleviated the popular discontent. - -Not until the treaty was concluded did I return from the field. The -papers were signed in the same hall at Mooni which had witnessed the -degradation of Cupia five hundred years ago; for “defeat is bitterest at -the scene of a former victory,” as Poblath remarked. And on the occasion -of the present treaty, Kew, surrounded by his generals and in the -presence of the signatories, was crowned King of all Poros. This idea, -by the way, was due to Poblath, the philosopher, and it won him a -barsarkarship, which came in very handy. - -There was much decorating with medals and handing out of promotions. -Needless to state, the King made me a sarkar; and the Assembly, not to -be outdone, voted to make me a winko, or field marshal, for life! - -Now marriage was possible between Lilla and me. And also between Bthuh -and Poblath, for Bthuh had proven to be a good sport and had finally -accepted him; and as Lilla had prophesied, Bthuh settled down and became -a most quiet and domestic wife. - -The proudest and happiest moment of my entire life was when, upon the -joining-stand of Kuana in the presence of the assembled multitude, King -Kew pronounced the words which made Lilla my wife. - -We spent our honeymoon camping out on a most beautiful rocky island in -the middle of Lake Luno, which nestled in the hills and surrounded by -deep woods, about a thousand stads to the northward of Kuana. I had -discovered the place by accident, while on an airplane trip to an -isolated mountain community immediately after the war, for the purpose -of conferring decorations on the first company which had stood its -ground against the onslaught of the ant-men. - -The walls of the island rise sheer some nine parastads from the water’s -edge, save where in one spot a sloping lawn runs through a cleft in the -rocks down to a sandy beach. The interior of the island slopes gently -from the cliffs down from all sides to a little pond in the center, and -is about equally divided between lawn and stately grove. Here Lilla and -I plan to build. - -Here we spent many golden days, swimming and fishing and climbing, but -mostly just looking into each other’s eyes. - -At our first dip in the water, I was horribly embarrassed. In the first -place, I had to shed my headset, which always puts me at a disadvantage. -And, in the second place, my wings came unstuck and fell off, and my -matted hair exposed my ears, so that I stood before her an earth-man, -with all my horrible earthly deformities. Yet, still she loved me. - -Our honeymoon was idyllic and ideal. But all good things must end, and -we finally had to return to the city to take up my duties, for added to -my honors was a place in the Royal Cabinet as Minister of Play, the -former incumbent having died during my absence. - -I have various projects in hand for my adopted country. Already a -network of radio stations is going up throughout the land. A systematic -extermination of the whistling bee is under way by means of -anti-aircraft artillery. Various earth devices are being tested out in -our laboratories as fast as I can recall them to memory. And I have -resumed, but with great precautions, my experiments on the wireless -transmission of matter, in which work Toron is assisting. - -Lilla and I occupy her old suite in the palace, and entertain -constantly; among our most frequent guests are my old friend Poblath and -his completely tamed wife. - -But often I wonder what has become of Doggo and Yuri. In spite of -present prosperity, Cupia is not safe, if the renegade prince still -lives on the planet. But I hope that Doggo survives, and that we shall -meet again. - -Fate now seems to be through with its hard knocks. But happy as I am, I -occasionally wonder what is going on in dear old Boston, whether -America’s World War allies ever repaid the billions which they borrowed, -whether our country joined the League of Nations in time to save the -world from a second World War, etc., etc. And I have a yearning to write -home. - -Of course, the obvious step for me was to attempt communication by -radio, so I built a particularly powerful sending set with long wave -length. But the lack of any reply convinced me that my signals were not -being received on earth. - -So recently I got together my old committee of five: Hah Babbuh, Buh -Tedn, Ja Babbuh, Toron and myself; and together we designed a super gun -and a streamline projectile, and computed the necessary powder-charge -and principles of aiming, so that we could shoot the projectile to the -earth. - -Then I prepared this manuscript in quadruplicate, with three of which -copies I shall try to reach the world. For this purpose, each copy will -be placed in a gold cylinder and be swathed in the fur of the fire-worm, -that peculiar creature which dares to live almost at the edge of the -boiling seas, because its matted fur is the most perfect insulator -against heat known on Poros. - -The swathed cylinder will then be packed into the interior of the -projectile, and a covering put on, especially calculated to resist the -devouring heat of passage through the atmosphere of the two planets. The -projectile will be weighed, its center of gravity will be determined, -and its moments of inertia will be tested, the firing data being -corrected accordingly. It will be placed in the gun. - -Then, at exactly the appointed time, the gun will be discharged, and may -God speed my message on its way to you, my earth-brethren. - The End - _Myles S. 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Tales of the forgotten past and the unknown future -by the leading imaginative writers. - -Here are some of the still available numbers and the leading stories in -each: - - No. 2—THE DAY OF THE DRAGON by Guy Endore, also Howard, Keller, etc. - No. 3—BLACK THIRST by C. L. Moore, also Merritt, Lovecraft, etc. - No. 4—THE ARRHENIUS HORROR by P. Schuyler Miller, also Bond, Smith, - etc. - No. 6—THE METAL MAN by Jack Williamson, also Merritt, McClusky, etc. - No. 7—SHAMBLEAU by C. L. Moore, also Rohmer, Leiber, etc. - No. 8—QUEEN OF THE BLACK COAST by Howard, also Bradbury, Flagg, etc. - No. 9—THE MAN FROM THE MOON by Otis Adelbert Kline, also Miller, - Wandrei, etc. - No. 10—BIMINI by Bassett Morgan, also Howard, Lovecraft, etc. - No. 11—MOGGLESBY by T. S. Stribling, also Quinn, Bradbury, etc. - No. 12—THE CAPTURED CROSS-SECTION by Miles J. Breuer, also Howard, - Rohmer, etc. - No. 13—THE FORGOTTEN PLANET by Sewell Peaslee Wright, also Grimshaw, - Wandrei, Cummings, etc. - No. 14—YLLA by Ray Bradbury, also Keller, Dwyer, Harding, etc. - -Each number of the AVON FANTASY READER is a new and different collection -edited exclusively for AVON by Donald A. Wollheim, one of America’s -best-known fantasy authorities. - - _Send 35c for each number you want, plus 5c each for packaging and - handling. Order direct from_ - - AVON BOOK SALES CORP. - 119 West 57th St. New York, 19, N. Y. - - - PARTIAL LIST OF BEST-SELLING TITLES - AVON BOOKS - - 133 Meyers _Naughty 90’s Joke Book_ - 139 Maugham _Liza of Lambeth_ - 169 Shulman _The Amboy Dukes_ - 177 Caldwell _Midsummer Passion_ - 178 Paul Cain _Fast One_ - 179 Lustgarten _Blondie Iscariot_ - 182 _New Avon Bedside Companion_ - 183 Dortort _Burial of the Fruit_ - 185 Algren _Never Come Morning_ - 187 Vina Delmar _Love Trap_ - 188 W. 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Stephenson _Anyone Can Have a Great Vocabulary_ - 226 Jerome Weidman _I Can Get It for You Wholesale!_ - 227 Dr. A. Bassler _Just What the Doctor Ordered_ - 228 _Gilbert & Sullivan Operas_ - 229 Anthology _All About Girls_ - 230 H. Meyers _The Big Fights_ - 231 John O’Hara _Butterfield 8_ - 232 Donald H. Clarke _Alabam’_ - 233 Robin Maugham _The Servant_ - 234 Tiffany Thayer _The Old Goat_ - 235 A. Merritt _Seven Footprints to Satan_ - 236 Emile Zola _Venus of the Counting House_ - 237 Donald H. Clarke _Tawry_ - 238 D. H. Lawrence _The First Lady Chatterley_ - 239 Brush _Bad Girl from Maine_ - 240 Willingham _End as a Man_ - 241 Weidman _What’s In It for Me?_ - 242 Lockridge _Untidy Murder_ - 243 Paul _Mysterious Mickey Finn_ - 244 Irving Shulman _Cry Tough_ - 245 Agatha Christie _The Big Four_ - 247 Aswell _Midsummer Fires_ - 248 D. H. Lawrence _Love Among the Haystacks_ - 249 Valentine Davies _It Happens Every Spring_ - 251 Elizabeth Barrett Browning _Sonnets from the Portuguese_ - 252 James T. Farrell _A Hell of a Good Time_ - 253 Donald H. Clarke _Confidential_ - 255 Anthology _Tropical Passions_ - 257 Pierre Louys _Aphrodite_ - 258 John O’Hara _Hope of Heaven_ - 259 Anthology _For a Night of Love_ - 260 James Farrell _Yesterday’s Love_ - 262 E. Fitzgerald _Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam_ - 263 Herbert Asbury _The Gangs of New York_ - 264 F. Nebel _Six Deadly Dames_ - 265 Vicki Baum _Mortgage on Life_ - 266 Ward Greene _Death in the Deep South_ - 267 Nelson Nye _A Bullet for Billy the Kid_ - 268 Paul Cain _Seven Slayers_ - 269 I. S. Young _Jadie Greenway_ - 270 Donald H. Clarke _The Chastity of Gloria Boyd_ - 272 Robert Briffault _Europa_ - 278 Robert Terrall _A Killer Is Loose Among Us_ - 281 Stanton Coblentz _Into Plutonian Depths_ - AFN 1 Ray Cummings _Princess of the Atom_ - AFN 2 Williamson _The Green Girl_ - - MANY MORE IN PREPARATION - -ON SALE AT YOUR NEWSDEALER OR DIRECT FROM AVON BOOK SALES CORP., 119 W. - 57TH ST., NEW YORK 19, N. Y. ENCLOSE 25c PER TITLE PLUS 5c EACH FOR - WRAPPING AND FORWARDING. - - -[Illustration: THE LOST SCIENTIST AND THE KEWPIE-DOLL PRINCESS] - - -The planet Venus is many millions of miles away from us, but for Myles -Cabot of Boston it was too dangerously close! For a queer radio accident -transmitted the young scientist instantaneously to that mystery -world—unarmed, naked, and with no means to get home! - -But Myles Cabot was an ingenious young man and when he got over his -shock at finding himself in a world inhabited by eagle-sized bees, -six-foot-high ants, and blood-thirsty flowers, he set out to carve -himself a kingdom of his own. - -There were people on that world, Kewpie-doll men and women, who seemed -to be deaf and dumb—until he learned the odd secret of their bodies. -These people were slaves of the all-powerful ants, and Myles Cabot -realized that until he had overthrown their monster masters, there could -be no safety for himself. - -AN EARTHMAN ON VENUS is exciting adventure, a science-fiction -thrill-o-minute novel by the well-known fantasy writer Ralph Milne -Farley. - -[Illustration: Printed in the U. S. A.] - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public - domain in the country of publication. - ---Generated a Table of Contents based on the original chapter headings. - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - ---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the - HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Radio Man, by Ralph Milne Farley - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RADIO MAN *** - -***** This file should be named 52167-0.txt or 52167-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/1/6/52167/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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