The Harvard College Radio Station has for several weeks been in receipt of fragmentary signals of extraordinarily long wave - length , Professor Hammond announced yesterday .
The university authorities will express no opinion as to whether or not these messages come from Mars .
I showed the newspaper item to Mrs. Farley , and lamented on Cabot ’s absence .
Her response opened up an entirely new line of thought .
Said she :
“ Does n’t the very fact that Mr. Cabot is n’t here
suggest to you that this may be a message , not from Mars , but from him ?
Or perhaps from the Princess Lilla , inquiring about him in case he has failed in his attempted return ? ”
That had never occurred to me !
How stupid !
What had I better do about it , if anything ?
” I asked .
Drop Professor Hammond a line ? ”
But Mrs. Farley was afraid that I would be taken for a crank .
So , after waiting an interminable time in the stuffy booth with my hands full of dimes , nickels , and quarters , I finally got my party .
Mr. Farley ?
This is Professor Kellogg , O. D. Kellogg , ” the voice replied .
Some further adventures Myles had told me in person during his stay on my farm .
Professor Hammond thinks that he is getting Mars on the air , ” the voice continued .
Yes , ” I replied .
I judged as much from what I read in this morning
’s paper .
But what do you think ? ”
Kellogg ’s reply gave my sluggish mind the second jolt which it had received that day .
Can you run up here and help me try and convince him ? ”
And so it was that I took the early boat next morning for Boston , and had lunch with the two professors .
I was the first to try the earphones , and was rewarded by a faint “ bzt - bzt ” like the song of a north woods blackfly .
In conventional radioese , I repeated the sounds to the Harvard group :
Dah - dit - dah - dit dah - dah - dit - dah .
Dah - dit - dah - dit dah - dah - dit - dah .
Dah - dit - dah - dit dah - dah - dit - dah .
Dah - dit - dit dit .
Dah - dit - dah - dit dit - dah dah - dit
dit dit dah - dah - dah dah .
Dah - dit - dah - dit dit - dah dah - dit - dit - dit dah - dah - dah dah .
Dah - dit - dah - dit dit - dah dah - dit - dit - dit - dah dah - dah - dah .
A look of incredulity spread over their faces .
Again came the same message , and again I repeated it .
You ’re spoofing us ! ” one of them shouted .
Give me the earphones .
And he snatched them from my head .
- O - T C - A - B
- O - T C - A - B - O - T— ”
Seizing the big leaf - switch , he threw it over .
The motor - generator began to hum .
Grasping the key , the Harvard engineer ticked off into space :
“ Cabot Cabot Cabot D - E— ”
Has this station a call letter ?
” he hurriedly asked me .
Yes , ” I answered quickly , “
One - X - X - B. ”
One - X - X - B
, ” he continued the ticking “ K. ”
Interplanetary communication was an established fact at last !
And not with Mars after all these years of scientific speculations .
But what meant more to me was that I was again in touch with my classmate Myles Standish Cabot , the radio man .
The next day a party of prominent scientists , accompanied by a telegrapher and two stenographers , arrived at my farm .
I have edited those notes into the following coherent story .
II TOO MUCH STATIC
Myles Cabot had returned to the earth to study the latest developments of modern terrestrial science for the benefit of the Cupian nation .
He was the regent of Cupia during the minority of his baby son , King Kew the Thirteenth .
The loyal Prince Toron occupied the throne in his absence .
What lay beyond the boiling seas no man knew .
S O S , Lilla .
Lightning had struck his aerial .
How long his unconsciousness lasted he knew not .
He was some time in regaining his senses .
But when he had finally and fully recovered , he found himself lying on a sandy beach beside a calm and placid lake beneath a silver sky .
He fell to wondering , vaguely and pleasantly , where he was and how he had got here .
Suddenly , however , his ears were jarred by a familiar sound .
At once his senses cleared , and he listened intently to the distant purring of a motor .
Yes , there could be no mistake ; an airplane was approaching .
Now he could see it , a speck in the sky , far down the beach .
Nearer and nearer it came .
Myles sprang to his feet .
To his intense surprise , he found that the effort threw him quite a distance into the air .
Instantly the idea flashed through his mind :
I must be on Mars !
Or some other strange planet .
This idea was vaguely reminiscent of something .
He wondered at the cause of this .
But his speculations were cut short by the alighting of the plane a hundred yards down the beach .
What was his horror when out of it clambered , not men but ants !
Ants , six - footed , and six feet high .
Huge ants , four of them , running toward him over the glistening sands .
Gone was all his languor , as he seized a piece of driftwood and prepared to defend himself .
He even recognized one of the ant - men as old Doggo , who had befriended him on his previous visit .
Could it be that all his adventures in Cupia had been naught but a dream ;
a recurring dream , in fact ?
Were his dear wife Lilla and his little son Kew merely figments of his imagination ?
Horrible thought !
And then events began to differ from those of the past ; for the three other Formians halted , and Doggo advanced alone .
By the agitation of the beast ’s antennae the earth man could see that it was talking to him .
Doggo understood , and scratched with his paw in Cupian shorthand on the silver sands the message : “ Myles Cabot , you are our prisoner .
What , again ?
” scratched Myles , then made a sign of submission .
Far below them were silver - green fields and tangled tropical woods , interspersed with rivulets and little ponds .
This was Cupia , his Cupia .
He was home once more , back again upon the planet which held all that was dear to him in two worlds .
His heart glowed with the warmth of homecoming .
What mattered it that he was now a prisoner , in the hands ( or , rather , claws ) of his old enemies , the Formians ?
He had been their prisoner before , and had escaped .
Once more he could escape , and rescue the Princess Lilla .
Poor girl !
He wondered what could have happened in Cupia since his departure , only a few sangths ago .
How was it that the ant - men had survived their airplane journey across the boiling seas ?
What had led them to return ?
Or perhaps these ants were a group who had hidden somewhere and thus had escaped the general extermination of their race .
In either event , how had they been able to reconquer Cupia ?
And where was their former leader , Yuri , the renegade Cupian prince ?
These and a hundred other similar questions flooded in upon the earth - man , as the Formian airship carried him , a captive , through the skies .
What uninhabited portion of Cupia could this be , over which they were now passing ?
Turning to Doggo , Myles extended his left palm , and made a motion as though writing on it with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand .
But the ant - man waved a negative with one of his forepaws .
It was evident that there were no writing materials aboard the ship .
Finally a small settlement loomed ahead .
It was of the familiar style of toy - building - block architecture affected by the ant - men , and , from its appearance , was very new .
On its outskirts further building operations were actively in progress .
As the earth - man was turning these thoughts over in his mind the plane softly settled down upon one of the flat roofs , and its occupants disembarked .
Three of the ants advanced menacingly toward Myles , but Doggo held them off .
Then all of the party descended down one of the ramps to the lower levels of the building .
The earth - man sighed .
Where was his beloved wife now ?
That she needed his help was certain .
He must therefore get busy .
It was a plain bare room , devoid of any furniture except a small table , for ant - men have no use for chairs and couches .
The sky outside was already beginning to pinken with the unseen sun .
With a sweep of his paw , Doggo indicated that this was to be Cabot ’s quarters .
Even so , it was better than nothing .
Myles put on this garment , and then quickly filled a sheet with questions :
How is my princess and my son , the baby king ?
Whence come all you Formians , whose race I thought had been exterminated ?
What part of Cupia is this ?
What is this city ?
Where is Prince Yuri ?
And what do you intend to do with me this time ? ”
Then he passed the paper and stylus over to his old friend Doggo .
They were alone together at last .
As he completed each sheet he passed it over to Myles , who read as follows :
As to your princess and your son , I know not , for this is not Cupia .
Our leader was Prince Yuri , erstwhile contender for the throne of Cupia , splendid even in defeat .
It was his brain that conceived our daring plan of escape .
At the worst we should merely meet death in another form , rather than at your hands .
So we essayed .
Your planes followed us , but turned back as we neared the area of terrific heat .
Soon the vapor closed over us , blotting our enemies and our native land from view .
For page after page Doggo , the ant - man , related the harrowing details of that perilous flight across the boiling seas , ending with the words :
Here we are , and here are you , in Yuriana , capitol of New Formia .
Oh , if only he had landed by chance upon the same beach as on his first journey through the skies !
Wisely he refrained from mentioning the “ S O S ” message from Lilla .
But his recollection of her predicament spurred him to be anxious about her rescue .
His immediate problem was to learn what the ant - men planned for him ; so the concluding words which he wrote upon the pad were :
And , now that you have me in your power , what shall you do with me ? ”
, ” Doggo wrote in reply , “ that depends entirely upon Yuri , our king , whose toga you now have on .
III YURI OR FORMIS ?
The earth - man grimaced , but then smiled .
Perhaps , his succeeding to the toga of King Yuri might prove to be an omen .
So Yuri is king of the ants ? ” he asked .
Yes , ” his captor replied , “ for Queen Formis did not survive the trip across the boiling seas .
Then what of your empire ? ” Myles inquired .
No queen .
No eggs .
How can your race continue ?
For you Formians are like the ants on my own planet Minos .
Doggo ’s reply astounded him .
Do you remember back at Wautoosa , I told you that some of us lesser Formians had occasionally laid eggs ?
So now behold before you Doggo , Admiral of the Formian Air Navy , and mother of a new Queen Formis .
This was truly a surprise !
All along Cabot had always regarded the Formians as mannish .
And rightly so , for they performed in their own country the duties assigned to men among the Cupians .
Furthermore , all Formians , save only the reigning Formis herself , were called by the Porovian pronoun , which corresponds to “
he ” in English .
When Myles had somewhat recovered from his astonishment , he warmly congratulated his friend by patting him on the side of the head , as is the Porovian custom .
Doggo , ” he wrote , “ this ought to constitute you a person of some importance among the Formians .
It ought to , ” the ant - man replied , “
but as a matter of fact , it merely intensifies
Yuri ’s mistrust and hatred of me .
Why do n’t you ?
” Myles wrote .
It seemed to him to be a bully good idea , and incidentally a solution of his own difficulties .
But Doggo wrote in horror , “ It would be treason ! ”
Then tore up all the correspondence .
It is difficult to inculcate the thought of independence in the mind of one reared in an autocracy .
The earth - man , however , persisted .
How many of the council can you count on , if the interests of Yuri should clash with those of Formis ? ”
Only one — myself .
And again Doggo tore up the correspondence .
Myles tactfully changed the subject .
Where is the arch - fiend now ? ” he asked .
We know not , ” the Formian wrote in reply .
Six days ago he left us in his airship and flew westward .
When he failed to return , we sent out scout planes to search for him , and we have been hunting ever since .
When we sighted you on the beach this morning we thought that you might be our lost leader , and that is why we landed and approached you .
At about this point the conversation was interrupted by a worker ant who brought food : roast alta and green aphid milk .
With what relish did the earth - man plunge into the feast , his first taste of Porovian delicacies in many months .
During the meal conversation lagged , owing to the difficulty of writing and eating at the same time .
But now Myles Cabot seized his pad and stylus and wrote :
Have you ever known me to fail in any undertaking on the planet Poros ? ”
No , ” the ant - man wrote in reply .
Have you ever known me to be untrue to a principle , a cause , or a friend ? ”
No , ” Doggo replied .
Then , ” Myles wrote , “ let us make your daughter queen in fact as well as in name .
It is treason , ” Doggo wrote in reply , but this time he did not tear up the correspondence .
Treason ? ”
Myles asked .
If he had spoken the word , he would have spoken it with scorn and derision .
Is it treason to support your own queen ?
What has become of the national pride of the once great Formians ?
I pledge myself to the cause of Formis , rightful Queen of Formia .
Formis , daughter of Doggo !
What say you ? ”
This time , as he tore up the correspondence , Doggo signified an affirmative .
And thus there resulted further correspondence .
Doggo , ” Myles wrote , “ can you get to the antenna of the queen ? ”
The ant - man indicated that he could .
If she has inherited any of your character , ” Myles continued , “ she will assert herself , if given half a chance .
So the Pitmanesque conversation continued .
Long since had the pink light of Porovian evening faded from the western sky .
The ceiling vapor - lamps were lit .
The night showed velvet - black through the slit - like windows .
Finally , as the dials indicated midnight , the two conspirators ceased their labors .
All was arranged for the coup d ’ etat .
They tore into shreds every scrap of used paper , leaving extant merely the ant - man ’s concluding words : “
Meanwhile you are my prisoner .
It hardly seemed possible !
Night before last he had slept peacefully on a conventional feather - bed in a little New England farmhouse .
Such are the mutations of fortune !
With these thoughts the returned wanderer lapsed into a deep and dreamless sleep .
When he awakened in the morning there was a guard posted at the door .
Doggo did not show up until nearly noon , when he rattled in , bristling with excitement .
Seizing the pad he wrote : “ A stormy session of the Council of Twelve !
We are all agreed that you must be indicted for high crimes and misdemeanors .
But the great question is as to just what we can charge you with .
I ca n’t assist you , ” the earth - man wrote .
How would it be if I were to slap your daughter ’s face , or something ?
Or why not try me for general cussedness ?
That is just what we finally decided to do , ” the ant - man wrote in reply .
We shall try you on general principles , and let the proper accusation develop from the evidence .
This will be the signal for the proclaiming of Queen Formis .
If you will waive counsel the trial can take place to - morrow .
All right , ” Doggo wrote , and the conference was at an end .
The morrow would decide the ascendancy of Myles Cabot or the Prince Yuri over the new continent .
THE COUP D’ETAT
The next morning Myles Cabot was led under guard to the council chamber of the dread thirteen : Formis and her twelve advisers .
The accused was placed in a wicker cage , from which he surveyed his surroundings as the proceedings opened .
On a raised platform stood the ant queen , surmounted by a scarlet canopy , which set off the perfect proportions of her jet - black body .
On each side of her stood six refined and intelligent ant - men , her councillors .
One of the twelve was Doggo .
Messenger ants hurried hither and thither .
First the accusation was read , Myles being furnished with a written copy .
The witnesses were then called .
They were veterans who had served in the wars in which Cabot had twice freed Cupia from the domination of its Formian oppressors .
They spoke with bitterness of the downfall of their beloved Formia .
Their testimony was brief .
Then the accused was asked if he wished to say anything in his own behalf .
Whereupon the queen and the council went into executive session .
As this dispute reached its height , a messenger ant rushed in and held up one paw .
Cabot ’s interpreter , not deeming this a part of the executive session , obligingly translated the following into writing :
The messenger : “
Yuri lives and reigns over Cupia .
It is his command that Cabot die .
It is the radio .
Supporters of Yuri still remained among the Cupians , and he has been in constant communication with these ever since shortly after our arrival here .
From them he learned of the return of Myles Cabot to the planet Minos .
Then Yuri disappeared .
Those of us who were closest to him suspected that he had gone back across the boiling seas to claim as his own the throne of Cupia .
But we hesitated to announce this until we were sure , for we feared that some of our own people would regard his departure as desertion .
Yet who can blame him for returning to his father - land and to the throne which is his by rights ? ”
To which the messenger added : “
And he offers to give us back our own old country , if we too will return across the boiling seas again .
It is a lie ! ”
Doggo shouted .
Yuri , usurper of the thrones of two continents .
” shouted Emu .
Yuri , our rightful leader , ” shouted Barth .
Give us a queen of our own race , ” shouted Fum .
Release the prisoner , ” shouted the Queen .
And that is all that Myles learned of the conversation , for his interpreter at this juncture stopped writing and obeyed the queen .
The earth - man was free !
With one bound he gained the throne , where fighting was already in progress between the two factions .
Seizing one of the pikes which supported the scarlet canopy , Myles wrenched it loose and drove it into the thorax of Barth .
In another instant the earth - man and Doggo stood beside the queen .
Ant - men now came pouring into the chamber through all the entrances , taking sides as they entered and sized up the situation .
As Myles battled with his pike beside Formis , queen of the ants , he could well imagine the conflicting shouts of “ Death to the usurper ! ”
Formia for the Formians !
Long Live Queen Formis !
So as he wielded the pike in silence , he had opportunity to reflect on the incongruity of his position .
Yet was she not the daughter of Doggo his only friend among the ants ?
And would not her victory mean the speedy return of Myles to his own continent ?
As the earth - man jabbed to right and left among the supporters of his enemy Yuri there came to his human ears the sound of rifle fire .
It might prove a godsend or an added menace , according to whose paw held the rifle .
But no chances must be taken on the life of the queen .
So Myles made frantic signs to Doggo of impending danger .
The queen and her supporters , outnumbered , were fighting with their backs to one of the walls of the room .
A short distance along this wall on the side where Cabot stood was a door ; so he now began edging his way along the wall to this door .
This was not difficult , as the ant - men , having only their mandibles to fight with , greatly respected his pike .
He gained the door and passed by , but not through it .
The shots came nearer and nearer .
Nevertheless , his enemies pressed so close that it was difficult for him to manipulate his long weapon .
In fact , it was only the jamming of the ants upon one another and upon the dead bodies of their slain comrades that kept them from him .
He now was holding his pike by the middle , with both hands , using one end as a club and the other as a dagger .
The black circle of the ants was steadily closing in on him .
A pair of mandibles from the left snapped angrily within a few inches of his throat .
Instantly he drove the point of his lance home between horrid jaws .
But at the same instant its butt was seized by a pair of jaws to his right .
He could not pull it free .
At last he was weaponless , and not only that , but pinned to the wall by the shaft of his own pike as well .
And then to his surprise the ants before him separated as at a command .
The butt of his lance was dropped .
Briefly the two surveyed each other .
Then slowly the rifle was raised until its aim settled squarely upon the earth - man ’s chest .
Instantaneously the glance of Myles Cabot swept the black hordes which hemmed him in on each side .
There was no escape !
Yet how can man die better , Than facing fearful odds ?
The astonished ant - man hastily pulled the trigger .
A shot rang out .
The Formian staggered back .
The rifle clattered to the floor .
Myles stood now in one of the entranceways of the council chamber , and thus was secure against flank attack .
But not against an assault from the rear .
In fact , even as he stood thus irresolute , a rattling noise behind him in the hallways revealed to his human ears the approach of a new enemy .
What was he to do ?
To remain as he was meant carte blanche to this newcomer , whereas to turn about would mean that those within the chamber would undoubtedly rush him .
From this position he could turn his head slightly to the left and see into the council chamber , or to the right and look down the long hall .
Directly opposite him was one of those narrow , slitlike windows , so typical of Porovian architecture .
It was too narrow for the passage of the huge body of an ant - man , but a human being could conceivably squeeze through .
Thus it offered a means out , a way of escape .
The lone ant in the corridor was joined by the others .
They and their compatriots within the chamber slowly closed in on the cornered earth - man .
There was no time to speculate upon the depth of the drop outside .
Hastily extricating himself , he looked up at the window which he had just quitted .
There , framed by the masonry , was the head of an ant - man .
A quick shot , and the head stared at him no more .
Then , extracting a cartridge from the magazine of his firearm , Cabot scratched upon the smooth wall the brief question :
What of Doggo and Formis ? ”
Emu snatched the cartridge and quickly wrote the reply : “
Dead , both dead .
The revolution has collapsed .
Flee for your life ! ”
Then the ant - man clattered rapidly off down the corridor , taking the precious cartridge with him .
He had not been too flustered to think of that .
Myles heaved a sigh of self - reproach at having brought his friends to this sad end .
But then , he reflected , Doggo had been in a situation in which conflict with the authorities and then execution would have been inevitable sooner or later .
The revolution had been his one best bet , and it was no one ’s fault that it had failed .
Now that Doggo and Formis were dead , there was no longer any obligation binding Myles to stay and fight .
In fact , he owed it to his loved ones in Cupia to preserve his own life until he could find some way of rejoining them .
So he set out to escape from the city .
For some time he threaded the corridors without meeting any ants , although occasionally there drifted down to him the sounds of fighting on the upper levels .
The ant ’s back was toward him .
Cabot cautiously withdrew a step ; then raising his rifle , he again advanced and fired full at his enemy .
But the hammer merely clicked .
There was no explosion .
The magazine was empty .
Cabot ’s first impulse was to throw the weapon away .
Then he reflected that even an unloaded gun might well serve to awe his enemies and hold them at a distance ; so he retained it .
Means of a communication with his own continent , if he could but reach the instruments !
The messenger had announced at the trial that Yuri was in Cupia and knew of Cabot ’s presence in this new land .
Thus it was certain that complete wireless communication had been established between the two continents .
This information would probably induce the renegade prince to speed up whatever nefarious schemes he had afoot in Cupia .
though he knew not how — to lead them .
So he quickened his pace , and soon caught sight again of the messenger ant .
Beyond the fields lay the rocky foothills of a mountain range .
Caution dictated that Cabot remain under the shelter of the city walls until the Formian disappeared among the rocks .
Then he ran lightly across the plain to take up the trail once more .
As he , too , gained the rocks , he glanced back to see if his departure had been noted .
No , there was no sign of life .
Evidently the fighting had drawn all the inhabitants to the interior of the city .
So , with a sigh of relief , Myles hurried after the messenger ant .
Pausing , he scratched his head in dismay , then carefully examined the ground for evidences of claw marks ; but none were apparent .
It was necessary for him to proceed with great rapidity , if he would catch up with the messenger ant , so Myles broke into a dog trot .
On and on he ran ; up , into the rocky mountains .
V LOST AMID THE ROCKS
But although Myles Cabot was lost , he was free for the first time since his return to Poros .
Myles Cabot accordingly stripped off a considerable portion of the foliage , and lay down in a bed of warm , thick green for the night .
The morning dawned silver bright .
Myles drew another meal from the grazing aphid and then pressed on up the rocky defile .
So on he went , up the rocky path .
Around noon the path petered out at the top of an eminence which gave Cabot an opportunity to survey the surrounding scenery .
To the westward lay the city from which he had fled .
What had become , he wondered , of the supporters of his friend Doggo and of Formis , the ant - queen , whose cause he had espoused ?
According to Emu , Doggo and Formis were both dead , or Cabot would never have deserted them .
Cabot turned his attention next to the northward .
To his great joy , on the next peak to the one where he sat , there stood two rough wooden towers , spanned by an aerial .
He decided to cut across country and attempt to approach the installation by stealth .
So he started scrambling down into the intervening valley .
Never before had the earth - man traveled through such difficult country .
Lying crossways in every direction , upon and between the rocks , were the gaunt skeletons of fallen trees in all stages of decay .
The sharp edges of the rocks cut and tore the bare feet of the earth - man , while the splinters of the fallen trees jabbed his body .
Through the maze of obstacles
Cabot toiled all day long .
Oh , to reach the radio station established by his enemy Yuri , and get into touch with his own continent .
Thus he could learn what was happening in Cupia , and also give word of his own safe arrival on the planet .
Safe , hm !
He smiled grimly at the word .
I must reach that station , ” he thought , “
and then , when I have talked with Cupia , I must secure a Formian plane by hook or by crook , and brave the boiling seas .
If ants have crossed those seas safely , if Yuri has safely crossed them twice , then why can not I , the Minorian ? ”
As he communed thus with himself , a faint pink flush appeared in the sky .
Slowly , painfully he continued his way .
Gradually the pink light turned to crimson in the west and then darkened to a royal purple .
Gradually the black night crept up out of the east .
He had had nothing to eat or drink since his breakfast of green milk that morning .
He had undergone an exhausting journey .
His feet were bruised and cut , his body covered with innumerable scratches , and he was weary , thirsty and hungry .
But he had almost reached the point which he had been seeking , and this thought comforted him as his eyes closed in healthy and dreamless sleep .
Next morning early he was up , rested , parched and ravenous .
As the first faint pink tinged the eastern sky Myles Cabot shook off the leaves and completed the ascent .
With a cry of joy — which he knew the earless Formians could not hear —
he raced toward it .
Imitation is the most insulting form of flattery , ” as Poblath , the Cupian philosopher , used to say .
Yet Cabot was willing to brook the insult , until suddenly it dawned on him that the set had no earphones nor microphone !
Of course not , since it was designed for use by creatures who possessed neither ears nor vocal speech !
Gone then was all hope of news from home , even if he could succeed in breaking in .
Well , even a chance to send to Cupia a message to the effect that he was free and safe , would be worth something .
Again and again he heaved the rock , until he had the satisfaction of seeing the door crack and then give .
A few minutes ’ scrutiny familiarized him with the details of the hook - up , the generator set , and the trophil - engine .
Everything was in running order and the fuel tank was full .
So he fashioned a rude sending key , broke one of the circuits and tied in the key .
But at that instant an arrow hummed through the hole in the door , and struck quivering in the bench beside him .
Cabot sprang to his feet and slid home the huge beam which barred the door on the inside .
This was a precaution which he had neglected to take before .
Next he filled the hole in the door with some boards hastily wrenched from the work - bench .
The result was immediate ; an arrow sped through the window and passed just above his head .
There came a cry of pain , followed by silence .
And there were no more feathered incursions .
From the first time the arrow had struck the work - bench until this final squelching of the unknown enemy , Myles had been engrossed in action .
Now came the reaction , as he realized how narrowly he had twice escaped from death in the last few minutes .
But being ever the inquisitive scientist , his attention was soon distracted by the arrow which stood sticking to the bench .
Its shaft was of some hard and very springy wood .
Its tip was of chipped stone resembling flint , and bound to the shaft by vegetable fibers .
Its “ feathers ” were thin laminae of wood , doubtless because birds , and hence true feathers , are unknown on Poros .
Why on earth
— or rather
, on Poros — were the ant - men employing such crude weapons ?
Rifles they had aplenty , and powder was easy to manufacture .
Thus these arrows presented a perplexing problem .
But a practical job remained to be performed before Myles was to have any time for abstract questions .
The message to Cupia must be sent off .
The earth - man returned to the radio set .
The trophil - engine and the generator were still running .
The whole apparatus appeared to be functioning properly .
And so Myles ticked off into space the following message :
CQ , CQ , CQ , DE , Cabot , Cabot , Cabot .
I have returned to Poros from Minos .
I am on the continent of the Formians .
I am in complete control there .
The message continued :
Do not expect me soon , for first I must consolidate what I have gained here .
But when I do come , Yuri beware !
My friends , hold out until then .
I have spoken .
DE , Cabot .
This message he sent again and again , at every wavelength of which the installation was capable .
He repeated and repeated it until he was tired .
And then , for the first time , he remembered his thirst and his hunger .
Fortunately there was both food and drink in the shack ; so Cabot satisfied his wants , and then went at his message again .
When at last he paused once more for a rest , and shut off the trophil - engine , his human ears caught a familiar rattling sound .
Instantly he realized the situation ; one or more ant - men were approaching .
Sure enough , as he looked out of a window in the direction of the sound , he saw two of these creatures trotting toward him across the plateau .
Both carried rifles slung at their backs ; so without waiting for their nearer approach Myles opened fire .
Cabot knew what that meant to him .
It portended the early return of the fugitive ant with scores of his fellows , to lay siege to the radio station .
Then a doubt occurred to him .
What if these ants were members of Doggo ’s faction , and he had killed a friend ?
And so at the risk of his life , he unbarred the door and rushed out to inspect the dead body .
But it was no ant whom he knew .
Time would tell whether the surviving ant would return with friends or foes .
Meanwhile Cabot must get busy with his message .
So at it again he went , first barring the door again .
From time to time he rested and listened for the approach of Formians .
Occasionally he ate and drank .
But mostly he stuck to his signaling .
Myles spent part of the night in sending his message , part in watching for approaching lights , and part in dozing .
It would be many sangths before a new radio set could be built , if indeed these Formians knew enough of the art to ever build another .
His work of destruction completed , he sat down to wait ; but the inaction palled on him , and before he knew it he had fallen sound asleep .
He awakened with a start .
It was broad daylight .
He listened .
There was much rattling outside .
So he walked to the door , unbarred it , and stepped out .
He was not afraid ; for on the evening before he had nailed above the door two crossed sticks , the Porovian equivalent of a flag of truce .
At a short distance stood a band of thirty or forty ant - men , their leader holding a pair of crossed sticks .
Accordingly the ragged earth - man advanced .
Not one of them did he recognize , but this was no indication of their identity .
Were these members of the Yuri faction , he wondered , or of the faction recently captained by the now deceased Doggo ?
If the former , they were conquerors intent on adding him to their list of conquests ; but if the latter , then they might be fugitives like himself .
It behooved him to find out .
So he proceeded to a slight depression in the mountain - top , very near the group of Formians .
This depression contained soil , and in it he scratched in Porovian shorthand the words : “ Yuri or Doggo ? ”
Then pointed to his message and withdrew for a slight distance .
The one word remaining written in the dirt was “ Yuri ! ”
So these were victorious enemies , rather than fugitive friends .
Waving a signal that the interview was at an end , Myles Cabot returned with dignity to the shack and pulled down his crossed sticks .
But then , instead of entering , he suddenly dashed around the house and slid down the mountainside amid a shower of pebbles .
The ant - men evidently feared an ambush , for they did not follow .
Accordingly the descent was easy , almost pleasant .
Startled , he sprang to his feet , seized his rifle , and looked around .
A second arrow sped through the air , and this one did not miss him .
In due course of time , Myles regained consciousness .
He was lying on the ground beneath the same tree .
There was an ugly gash in his head .
His rifle , ammunition , and food were gone .
His face and body were covered with clotted blood , and he felt very faint .
With difficulty he dragged himself to the stream , tore off a piece of his ragged toga , and washed away some of the gore .
But it required an almost superhuman effort .
He lay on the bank and panted .
His head swam .
His surroundings began to blur and dance about .
And then he swooned again .
After what seemed an interminable time he became dimly conscious that he was lying on something less hard than the ground .
Soft arms were around him .
Some one was crooning to him sweet words and low .
Was this a dream ?
Or was he back once more in Cupia with his loved ones ?
VI THE VAIRKINGS
Myles Cabot opened his weary eyes .
Around him hung barbaric tapestries .
He was lying on a couch covered by the same materials .
Seated on the couch beside him was a creature human in form , but covered with short golden - brown fur .
It seemed to be a young woman of some species .
But of what species ?
Myles threw back his head and studied the creature ’s face , expecting to see the prognathous features of some anthropoid ape .
But no ; for eyes , nose , mouth , ears , and all were human , distinctly human , and of high type .
The general effect reminded Cabot for all the world of a teddy bear .
Yes , that is what this creature was , an animated human teddy bear .
Seeing Cabot looking at her , the creature smiled down at him , and murmured some strange words in a soothing musical voice .
Also she stroked his cheek with one of her furry paws .
Bowing low before the furry lady , he spoke to her in the same soft tongue which she had employed in addressing Myles .
Not a single syllable was familiar to the earth - man , but he caught the words
“ Roy ” and “ Vairking ” repeated a number of times , and also made out that the furry man had addressed the furry lady as “ Arkilu .
The pad and charcoal gave Myles an idea .
If he was to stay any length of time with these creatures he had better start in at once learning both their written and their spoken language .
And perhaps , when he had mastered it , he could persuade these kindly yet warlike folk to assist him against the Formians .
He judged that they were kindly , because of the actions of the furry lady ; and they were warlike , because of the habiliments of the furry man .
Putting his idea into action , Myles sat up , gathering a gaudy blanket about his shoulders , and pointed to the writing materials .
With a furry smile Arkilu brought them to him .
Having been through this game once before , he knew just where to begin .
He pointed to the couch , and handed her the pad and charcoal .
Whereupon the lady spoke some absolutely unintelligible sound , and wrote upon the pad , in unmistakable Cupian shorthand , the familiar Cupian word for couch !
Myles could hardly believe his senses .
He stared at the paper , rubbed his eyes , and then stared again .
But perhaps this was merely a coincidence .
So he pointed to another object .
Again there came a strange sound , coupled with the familiar Cupian symbol .
The experiment was repeated and repeated , always with the same result .
Then Cabot himself took the writing materials and inscribed a number of words which sounded somewhat alike in Porovian antenna speech .
To these words Arkilu gave an entirely different set of similar sounds .
“ Aha , ” said Cabot to himself , “
this language employs exactly the same words as are used on our continent , but translates the sound - symbols of these words into entirely different sounds ! ”
Cabot ’s interpretation of the situation proved correct in the main , which fact made it extremely easy for him to master the new language .
Of course , all this progress was not made at one sitting , for Arkilu insisted that her patient take frequent rests .
From time to time meals were served by female attendants , meals abounding in strange meats , mostly lobsterlike , but some resembling fish and flesh .
Each night Arkilu departed , leaving a furry man - creature on guard , with leather armor and wooden spear .
As he mastered the language , Myles learned the following facts from Arkilu .
Her people were called the Vairkings , and she was the eldest daughter of Theoph , their ruler .
The Vairkings were a primitive race .
Apparently they knew nothing of any of the metals , but had made considerable progress in the arts of tanning , weaving and carpentry .
The fact that they had made cloth accounted for the fact that they had paper .
She explained as follows to her guest how he had been rescued : “
Our home is in the city of Vairkingi , far away , a little east of north from here .
But I spurned him .
His hordes then attacked Vairkingi , but we repulsed them and drove them to the southward .
At present we are on a punitive expedition into their territory .
Our warriors are under the command of Jud the Excuse - Maker ; and my father ( Theoph the Grim )
and I have accompanied the headquarters , so as to witness the downfall of Att the Terrible .
It was undoubtedly one of the Roies who wounded you , but the approach of our men drove them off before they had time to do you further harm .
Whence come you ? ”
I am from the planet Minos , O Arkilu the Beautiful , ” replied Cabot .
But the princess incredulously shook her head , saying , “
I know not whereof you speak , nor know I the meaning of the word ‘ planet .
Rumor has it right , ” Myles laconically interjected , “ for I had just escaped from those beasts when I was wounded by the arrow of the Roies .
Arkilu opened her eyes in wonder .
Tell me about them , ” she breathed .
Accordingly his account ran about as follows :
These beasts are called ‘ Formians ’ .
Cupians and Formians can not talk with their mouths as you and I. Nor
do they have ears to hear with .
Instead , they communicate by a kind of soundless magic , called ‘ radio ’ .
But they write the same language as do you Vairkings .
On the earth I was master of this magic , radio .
But one day my own magic proved too strong for me , and shot me through the skies to Formia , where the Formians captured me .
I found that the Cupians were the slaves of the Formians .
By means of radio I was able to talk with both races .
I escaped from the Formians .
By other magic , which could throw small black stones faster than arrows and with more deadly results , I led the Cupians to victory over their oppressors .
Their princess , Lilla , became my bride , and our son , Kew , now sits on the throne of Cupia .
But Prince Yuri , a renegade Cupian , rebelled against us , for he too loved Lilla ! ”
Myles continued : “
Yuri and his allies possessed magic wagons which could fly through the air— ”
What is ‘ fly ’ ? ” Arkilu interrupted .
If you mean ‘ swim ’ it is impossible , for no creature ever lived which could swim in air .
Ah , but this is magic , you must remember , ” he assured her .
Have you Vairkings never seen any peculiar black objects sailing through the sky since the rumored arrival of the Formians on your continent ? ”
Arkilu pursed her lips in thought .
Yes , ” she admitted , “ there have been rumors of that too .
Well , ” he continued ,
“ those were the flying wagons of the Formians .
But on my attempted return to Cupia I landed on your continent instead , by mistake , and was again captured by my Formian enemies .
Of my escape from them , my wounding by the Roy arrow , and my rescue by you , you already know .
Arkilu smiled ingratiatingly .
You are a pretty spinner of tales .
Therefore I shall keep you to amuse me .
Methinks that even Theoph the Grim will revel in your fantasies .
And she leaned over and caressed Cabot ’s cheek with one furry hand .
He cringed at the touch , yet strove not to offend her , whose continued friendship might mean so much toward his return to his own country .
He wanted her good will and her influence ; but , out of loyalty to Lilla , he dreaded her love .
To change the subject he inquired : “
When shall I be well enough to get up ? ”
You are well enough now , ” she replied “ Try to stand .
At Myles ’s insistence , a leather suit was sent for ; he soon found himself dressed like a soldier of the Vairkings .
Thus arrayed he stood and walked about a little inside the tent , but Arkilu would not permit him to venture outside until he should be stronger .
Before leaving for the night Arkilu announced : “ Tomorrow our expedition starts back for Vairkingi .
When we reach the city I shall marry you , for I have decided that I love you .
A happy prospect indeed !
Yet he dared not repulse the Vairkingian maiden , lest thereby he lose his chance of returning to his home and family .
So , for the present , he appeared to fall in with the matrimonial whim of the princess .
But , father , ” remonstrated a voice which Myles recognized as that of Arkilu , “
I found him , and therefore he is mine .
I want him .
He is beautiful ! ”
” a stern male voice sarcastically replied .
He must be , without any fur !
Oh , to think that my royal daughter would wish to we d a freak of nature , and a common soldier at that ! ”
He ’s not a common soldier !
” asserted the voice of Arkilu .
He wears clothes merely so as to preserve his health for my sake .
Well , a sickly cripple
then , ” answered her father
’s voice ,
which is just as bad .
At all events , Jud is the leader of this expedition , and therefore this captive belongs to him .
You can have him only if Jud so wills .
It is the law .
Myles Cabot stealthily crossed the tent and put his eye to an opening between the curtains at the tent opening .
There stood the familiar figure of Arkilu , and confronting her was a massive male Vairking .
His fur , however , was snow white , so that his general appearance resembled that of a polar bear .
His face was appropriately harsh and cold .
This was Theoph the Grim , ruler of the Vairkings !
The dispute continued .
And then there approached another man of the species .
He wore a leather helmet and carried a wooden lance .
Theoph the Grim hailed him with :
Ho , Jud , what brings you here ?
Jud raised his spear diagonally across his chest as a salute , and replied : “
A change of plans , excellency .
Upon reaching the river , I decided that it would be wiser not to return to Vairkingi by that route .
Really meaning , ” Arkilu interposed , with , a laugh , “ that you found it impossible to throw a bridge across at that point .
Why do you always doubt the reasons for my actions ? ”
Jud asked in an aggrieved tone .
You wrong me , ” she replied , “
I never doubt your reasons .
Your reasons are always of the best .
What I doubt is your excuses .
Enough , enough !
” the king shouted .
For I wish to discuss more immediate matters than nice distinctions of language .
Jud ’s reasons or excuses , or whatever , are good enough for me .
Jud , I wish to inform you that my daughter has recently captured a strange furless being , whom it is my pleasure to turn over to you .
I have not yet seen this oddity— ”
Father , please ! ” Arkilu begged , but at this juncture , Myles , exasperated by Theoph ’s remarks , parted the tent curtains and stepped out .
Look well , oh , king !
” he shouted .
Here stands Myles Cabot , the Minorian , beast from another world , freak of nature , sickly cripple , common soldier , and all that .
Look well , O king ! ”
A bit loud mouthed , I should say , ” Theoph the Grim sniffed , not one whit abashed .
Watch him crumple at the presence of a real man , ” added Jud the Excuse - Maker .
Suiting the action to the word , the latter stepped over to Myles and suddenly slapped him on the face .
As a boy , the earth - man had often seen larger boys point to their cheek or shoulder , with the words : “
There is an electric button there .
Touch it and something will fly out and hit you . ”
But never as a boy had he dared to press the magic button , for he could well imagine the result .
Jud was thrown for a four - yard loss with much of the breath knocked out of his body .
Theoph the Grim , with a worried frown , and Arkilu the Beautiful , with an entranced smile , stood by and watched the contest .
The Vairking noble lay motionless on his back as Myles scrambled to his knees astride the other ’s body and placed his hands on the other ’s shoulders .
But suddenly , the underdog threw up his left leg , caught Myles on the right shoulder and pushed him backward .
In an instant both men were on their feet again , glaring at each other .
Then they clinched and went down once more , this time with Jud on top .
Theoph ’s look changed to a smile , and Arkilu became worried .
His honor satisfied , Cabot arose , brushed himself off , and bowed to the two spectators .
Jud sheepishly got to his feet as well , all the fight knocked out of him .
As they passed through the curtains , Myles heard Jud the Excuse - Maker explaining to the king :
I decided to let him beat me , so that thereby I might give pleasure to her whom I love .
Myles was very sorry that it all had happened .
In the first place , he had lost his temper , which was to his discredit .
In the second place , he had made a hero of himself in the eyes of the lady whose love he was most anxious to avoid .
And in the third place , he had fought the man who was best calculated to protect him from that undesired love .
Altogether , he had made a mess of things , and all he could do about it was meekly submit to the ministrations of the furry princess .
What a life !
Finally Arkilu departed , leaving Cabot alone with recriminations for his rashness , longings for his own Princess Lilla , and worries for her safety .
The next day the expedition took up its delayed start homeward ,
Jud having found a route which required no alibis .
The tents were struck , and were piled with the other impedimenta on two - wheeled carts , which the common soldiers pulled with long ropes .
In spite of Arkilu ’s pleadings , Myles was assigned to one of these gangs , Theoph grimly remarking : “
If the hairless one is well enough to vanquish Jud , he is well enough to do his share of the work .
Jud explained to Arkilu that the real reason why he had suggested this was that he sincerely believed that the exercise would be good for Cabot ’s health .
I ’m not fighting to - day , ” Myles assured the Vairking with an engaging smile , “
but may I have a word with you ? ”
So the two withdrew a short distance out of earshot of the rest , and Myles continued : “ I do not love Arkilu the Beautiful .
You do .
Let us understand one another , and help one another .
You assist me to keep away from the princess , and I shall assist you by keeping away from the princess .
Later I shall make further suggestions as to how we can cooperate to mutual advantage .
I have spoken .
Jud stared at him with perplexed admiration .
Who are you ?
” he asked , “ who stands unabashed in the presence of kings and nobles , who addresses a superior without permission , and yet without offensive familiarity ? ”
I am Cabot the Minorian
, ” the other replied , “ ruler over Cupia , a nation larger and more powerful than yours .
A race of fearsome beasts have landed on the western shores of your continent .
They are enemies of mine , and will become enemies of yours as they extend their civilization and run counter to yours .
Impossible ! ”
Jud exclaimed .
For how could these mythical creatures cross the boiling seas to land on our shores ? ”
By magic , ” answered Myles , “ magic which they stole from me .
And they held me prisoner until I overthrew their magic and escaped , to be found by your expedition .
Then you are a magician ? ”
Yes . ”
Ah , that explains how you defeated me in combat yesterday , ” Jud asserted with a relieved sigh .
We will let it go at that , ” Myles agreed , smiling .
But to continue , let me frankly warn you that unless you destroy these Formians , they will eventually destroy you .
But if you will give a workroom and materials — and keep Arkilu away from me
Then I shall seize one of the Formian magic wagons , fly back in it to my own country , and leave you in peaceful dominion over this continent .
What do you say ? ”
I say , ” the Vairking replied , “ that you are an amusing fellow , and an able spinner of yarns .
But you talk with evident earnestness and sincerity .
Therefore I shall give you your workshop and your materials ; but on one condition , namely , that you entertain us likewise .
I have spoken .
This city was built entirely of wood .
Within the sections , each family had its own walled - off enclosure .
All streets and alleys passed between high wooded walls .
The buildings and fences were carved and gaudily colored .
As the returning expedition approached the great wall , they were met by blasts of trumpet music from the parapets .
Then a huge gate opened , and they passed inside .
Here they quickly separated , and each detachment hastened to the quarter of the nobleman from whom they had been drawn .
Jud and his detachment proceeded down many a high - walled street until they came to a gate bearing the insignia of Jud himself .
The noble led his new acquisition to a gate .
This inclosure is vacant , ” Jud explained .
It will be yours .
Enter and take possession .
Within , you will find a small house and a shop .
Serving maids will be sent from my own household to make you comfortable .
Repair to my palace to - night and tell me some more stories .
Meanwhile good - by for the present .
And he strode off and disappeared around a bend in the street .
Cabot passed in through the gate .
He found a well , from which he drew water to fill a carefully fashioned wooden pool .
Scarce had he finished bathing , when a group of furry girls arrived from the house of his patron bearing brooms and blankets and food .
One of them also bore a note which read as follows :
If you love me you will find a way to reach me .
And if not , what ? ” said Myles to himself .
After he had rested and dined , and the place had been made thoroughly neat , all the girls withdrew save the one who had brought the note .
She informed him that her name was “ Quivven ” and that she had been ordered to remain in the inclosure as his servant .
She was small and lithe .
Her hair was a brilliant yellow - gold , and her eyes were blue .
If it had not been for her fur , she would have passed for a twin to his own Lilla .
This fact brought an intense pang to him and caused such a wave of homesickness that he sat down on a couch and hid his face in his hands .
But the pretty creature made no attempt to comfort him .
Instead , she merely remarked half aloud to herself :
I wonder what Arkilu can possibly see in him .
Even Att the Terrible is much more handsome .
Finally , Myles arose with more determination and courage than he had felt at any time since his return to Poros .
Jud ’s palace was elaborate and barbaric .
Jud himself was seated on a divan surrounded by Vairkingian beauties .
Finally , the ladies withdrew , and Myles Cabot , the radio man , began the first discussion of radio that he had undertaken since his return to Poros .
VIII BUT WHY RADIO ?
Three fields of “ magic ” were open to him , rifle - fire , aviation , and radio .
The opportunity for building a workable airplane among people who knew no metal arts was obviously slight .
To make a radio set should be possible , if he could find certain minerals and other natural products , which ought to be available in almost any country .
Firearms would have enabled him to equip the Vairkings for battle against the Formians , whereas radio could serve no useful purpose at the moment .
Yet , he took up radio .
There would be plenty of time to arm the Vairkings after he found out how affairs stood at home .
So he broached to Jud his project of constructing a radio set , which would necessitate extended journeys in search of materials .
But the Vairking noble was singularly uninterested .
I know that you can spin interesting yarns , ” he said , “
but I do not know whether you can do magic .
First , you must convince me that you are a magician ; then perhaps I may consent to your attempting further magic .
Very well , ” the earth - man replied .
Tomorrow evening I shall display to you some of the more simple examples of my art .
Meanwhile , I shall spend my time concocting mystic spells in preparation for the occasion .
Then he bowed and withdrew , thanking his lucky stars that he had learned a few tricks of sleight - of - hand while at college .
Myles now recalled several of these , and devoted most of the succeeding day to preparing a few simple bits of apparatus .
Then he practiced his tricks before the golden - furred Quivven , to her complete mystification .
That evening , he went again to the quarters of Jud the Excuse - Maker .
The same group was there as on the evening before , and in addition , several other Vairking men and their wives .
After an introduction by his host , the earth - man started in .
First he did , in rapid succession , some simple variations of sleight - of - hand .
Then pulling the curtain over toward one of the stone open - wick lamps which illuminated the chamber , he completely burned off the projecting bit of doth .
Myles stepped back in apparent terror as Jud seized his precious curtain and hunted for the scorched hole .
But there was no hole there ; the curtain was intact .
Oh , I was not afraid , ” Jud the Excuse - Maker explained .
I merely pretended fear , so as to try and confuse your magic .
Please do not do it again , ” the earth - man sternly admonished him .
The Vairking noble seated himself again .
His guests were enthralled .
This was a fitting climax for the evening .
The amateur conjurer bowed low and withdrew .
Quivven was waiting for him at his house , and reported that some one had torn a small piece out of one of the tapestries .
Several days later she found the piece , but alas , there was a hole burnt in the middle of it .
The next morning Jud the Excuse - Maker called at the quarters of Cabot , the furless .
It was a rare honor , so Cabot answered the door in person .
It was soon arranged that Cabot , with a bodyguard of some twenty Vairking soldiers and a low - ranking officer , should start on the morrow .
Myles was thrilled .
Now he was getting somewhere at last !
The rest of the day he devoted to preparing a list of the materials for which he must hunt .
To make a radio - telephone sending and receiving set , he would need dielectrics , copper wire , batteries , tubes , and iron .
For dielectrics , wood and mica would suffice .
Wood was common , and the Vairkings were skilled carpenters and carvers .
To make copper wire , he would need copper ore — preferably pyrites — quartz , limestone , and fuel .
The necessary furnaces he would built of brick ; any one can bake clay into bricks .
The Vairkings used charcoal in their open fires , and this would do nicely for his fuel .
For the wire - drawing dies he would use steel .
This disposed of the copper questions , and brought him to a consideration of iron , which he would need at various places in his apparatus .
This metal could be smelted from the slag of the copper furnaces , using an appropriate flux , such as fluorspar .
Cabot next turned his attention to his power source .
For some time he debated the question of whether or not to build a dynamo .
But how about the storage batteries ?
He was n’t quite sure how to find or make the necessary red and yellow lead salts for the packing plates .
Thus by the time that Cabot reached the contemplation of having either to find or make his lead compounds he decided to turn his attention to primary cells .
The jars could be made of pottery , or from the glass which was going to be necessary for his tubes anyhow .
Charcoal would furnish the carbon elements .
Zinc could easily be distilled from zincspar , if that particular form of ore were found .
Sal ammoniac solution could be made from the ammonia of animal refuse , common salt , and sulphuric acid .
Mass production of zinc carbon batteries should thus be an easy matter , and they would serve perfectly satisfactorily , as neither compactness nor portability was a requisite .
The radio man accordingly abandoned the idea of dynamos and accumulators in favor of large quantities of wet cells .
The tubes , it appeared to Myles , would present the greatest problem .
Platinum for the filaments , grids , and plates had been fairly common in nugget form in Cupia , and so presumably could be found in Vairkingia .
Glass , of course , would be easy to make .
Alcohol for laboratory burners could be distilled from decayed fruit .
But the chief stumbling block was how to exhaust the air from his tubes , and how to secure magnesium to use in completing the vacuum .
These matters he would have to leave to the future in the hope of a chance idea .
For the present there were enough elements to be collected so that he would be kept busy for a great many days .
Accordingly he copied off the following two lists :
Materials readily available :
Wood Wood ashes Charcoal Clay
Common salt White sand
Animal refuse Decayed fruit
Materials to hunt for :
Mica Copper ore Quartz Limestone Fluorspar Galena Zinc ore Platinum Chalk Magnesium
But that afternoon all his plans were disrupted by a message reading :
To The Furless One :
You are directed to appear for my amusement at my palace to - morrow .
Fail not .
Theoph The Grim .
That puts an end to my trip , ” he said to Quivven .
How do you suppose his majesty got wind that I am a conjurer ?
One of the guests at the show last night must have told him , ” she replied .
But something in her tone of voice caused Myles to look at her intently , and something in her expression caused him to say , “
You know more than you tell .
Out with it ! ”
Whereat Quivven shrugged her pretty golden shoulders , and replied , “ Why deceive you ?
Though you are so stupid that it is very easy .
Who brought you the note from Arkilu the night of your arrival here ?
You did , ” Cabot answered .
Why did n’t
I put two and two together before ?
Then you are connected in some way with Arkilu ? ”
She laughed contemptuously .
How did you guess it ? ” she taunted .
I am Quivven the Golden Flame , daughter of Theoph the Grim , and it is from me that he learned of your mystic abilities .
What do you think of that , beast ?
Whereat she suddenly burst into tears and rushed out of the room .
It was a sulky Quivven who served his meal that evening , so much so that Cabot playfully accused her of putting poison in his stew .
This did not render her any more gracious , however .
If I did not love my sister very much , ” she asserted , “
I would not stand for you for one moment .
The rest of the meal was eaten in silence during which Cabot had an idea .
So when the food had been cleared away he asked the aureate maiden , “ Can you smuggle a note to your sister for me ? ”
Yes , ” she assented gloomily , “
and I shall tell her how you are treating me .
At which he could not refrain from remarking ,
Do you know , Quivven
, I believe that you are falling in love with me .
You beast !
she cried at him .
Oh , I hate you ,
I hate you , I hate you ! ”
And she turned her face to the wall .
Come , come ! ” said Cabot soothingly .
n’t mean to tease you , and we must both think of your sister .
The note .
How long will it take you to deliver it and return ? ”
I hurry ?
” she asked guardedly .
Yes . ”
Then it will take me less than one - twelfth of a day .
That would be quite sufficient for his plans .
Accordingly he wrote :
The Beautiful :
Send word how I can see you after the performance .
But beware of Jud .
Cabot The Magician .
This note he folded up , placed it in the palm of Quivven , and closed her golden fingers over it .
Whereat she sprang back with , “
you dare touch me like that ! ” and rushed out of the house , sobbing angrily .
He must at least be polite to the sister of his benefactress .
Heaven forbid , when he loved his own distant Lilla so intensely !
Myles told Jud of the note from Theoph the Grim requiring his presence at the royal palace , and how he suspected that Princess Arkilu was responsible .
I shall have her removed at once , ” the Vairking asserted .
But a new one we never could be sure of .
Then he told how he had gotten rid of Quivven for the evening by sending her with a note to Arkilu .
Jud ’s brow darkened .
Oh , I would have done that anyhow , ” Jud insisted .
My plans are all made .
I shall send a runner to Theoph , and warn him to search Arkilu ’s room for your note .
When he finds the note he will certainly cancel the arrangements for your performance .
Thus will the note serve a fourth purpose .
Return now to your quarters , and I will send you word of the outcome .
I would n’t
if I were you , ” Myles admonished .
For a message from you would reveal to our fair young spy the fact of my secret interview with you this evening .
Let Theoph himself send the word .
So be it .
You may count on starting on your expedition to - morrow as planned .
Good luck to you .
Good luck to you , Jud the Great , and may you win Arkilu the Beautiful .
So the earth - man hastened back to his quarters , where Quivven , on her return , found him placidly reclining on a divan .
That was so ; he had written Arkilu a note ; but now that it had served its purpose he had completely forgotten about it .
How could he square himself with little Quivven ?
By flattery ?
Of course I ’m anxious to know , ” he asserted , “
but I was so glad to have you come back again that for the moment I neglected to ask you .
Quivven the Golden Flame pouted .
Now you ’re teasing me again
, ” she said , “
and I wo n’t stand for it .
But I really want to know , ” he continued with mock eagerness .
Please do tell me about your sister .
I gave her the note— ”
Just then there came a loud pounding on the gate outside ; so loud , in fact , that the sound penetrated within the house .
Quivven stopped talking .
She and Myles listened intently .
The pounding continued .
Evidently we are to have company this evening , ” he remarked , glad to change the subject .
Quivven replied , “ Such a racket at this time of night can mean naught but ill .
Let us approach the gate with care , and question the intruders .
So saying , she took down one of the hanging stone lamps and opened the outside door .
Who is there ? ”
Quivven called .
To this there came back the peremptory shout :
“ Open quickly , in the name of Theoph the Grim ! ”
The golden girl recoiled .
I am afraid your father has intercepted my letter to your sister , ” Cabot explained .
I tell you what !
You leave by the rear door , make your way quickly to Arkilu , and see if the two of you can intercede for me with your stern parent .
So saying , he released her .
The slim princess handed him the light , and sped into the interior of the house .
Cease your noise ! ” he shouted .
For I , Myles Cabot the Minorian , come to unbar the gate in person ! ”
He strode down the path .
But his lamp was instantly dashed from him and his arms bound behind him .
As soon as the prisoner was securely bound the guard hustled him roughly off down the street .
Thus were his plans rudely dashed to the ground .
That morning he had been forced to postpone his trip , in order to perform before Theoph the Grim .
And this evening he was Theoph ’s prisoner , slated for — what ?
IX A PRISONER
Where are they going to take me now ?
” Myles wondered .
This question was soon answered , for the party entered a building which was evidently a dwelling of the better class .
The hall was well lighted , so that Miles blinked at the sudden glare .
The leader of the party placed himself squarely in front of his prisoner , with hands on his hips , and remarked with apparent irrelevance :
Well , we fooled Quivven , did n’t we ? ”
The prisoner stared at him in surprise .
It was Jud !
Jud , disguised as a common soldier .
Cabot laughed with relief .
You certainly gave me a bad hundred - and - forty - fourth part of a day , ” he asserted .
I did n’t recognize you in your street clothes .
What is the great idea ?
The great idea ’ , ” the noble replied , “ to quote your phrase , is that I did truly represent Theoph the Grim .
He authorized me to arrest you in his name .
The pretty little spy will report your capture to Arkilu , and her father will stonily refuse to reveal where you are imprisoned .
Meanwhile I shall give the golden one time to escape , and shall then send a second squad to seize your effects .
Your expedition will start immediately .
Come , unbind the prisoner .
As soon as his bonds were loosed , Myles warmly grasped the hand of his benefactor .
You are all right ! ” he exclaimed .
You have completely succeeded without leaving anything to explain .
I always succeed , and never have to explain anything ! ”
Jud replied a bit coldly .
In silence , and with the minimum of lights , they threaded the streets of Jud ’s compound
and then the streets of the city until they came to the west gate , where a pass signed by Theoph the Grim gave them free exit .
Thence they moved due westward across the plain , with scouts thrown out to guard against contact with any roving Roies .
By daybreak they had reached the cover of the wooded foothills , and there they camped for a full day of much needed rest .
Finally , on the second morning following their stealthy departure from Vairkingi , their journey really started .
The commander of the bodyguard was an intelligent youth named Crota .
After listening intently to this description for about the fifth time , Crota smiled and said , “
This village , Sur by name , is only a day ’s journey to the southward .
Let us turn our steps thither and learn from the children where they get their toys .
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings , ’ ” the earth - man quoted to himself .
Shortly thereafter they came in sight of the village itself .
Between the meal and bedtime the visiting soldiers strolled out to see the sights by the pale pink light of the unseen setting sun .
Cabot and Crota together walked to the west wall to observe the sunset .
As the two of them leaned on the parapet , a rattling noise on the rocky walk beside them disturbed their reverie .
Looking down , they saw three furry children rolling some small objects along the ground .
Tum - tum , ” Crota laconically announced , and sure enough it was one of the small game - cubes , which he had described to his companion .
Stop that ! ”
Crota shouted , grabbing him by one arm and pulling him away .
We do n’t want to keep your tum - tum ; we merely want to look at it .
This gentleman has never seen a tum - tum .