EVIL EARTHS, page 35
no openings, and the transparent substance was steel-hard.
"We have a legend of this," Murdach said. "In the
days of beast rule, ages ago, when experimenters sought
to create human beings out of animals. Man-kind foresaw
some danger, a temporary waning of the solar rays,
I think. They built huge spheres and sealed themselves
within, throwing themselves into suspended animation for
years. A few scientists tried to adapt themselves to the
changing radiation, and spent their time making beasts
into men, having some thought of creating an empire of
their own to defeat the sleepers when they awakened. But
they failed."
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"We can't get weapons here,n Mason grunted. "That's
sure, anyway."
"There was some weapon those last scientists perfected,''
Murdach mused. "It was lost, forgotten. Only its
power was remembered. No shield could bar it. If we
could find that weapon, use it against Greddar Klon- "
His eyes were alight.
"You need such magic to battle the Master," said
Erech. "My scimitar would fail. I know that!"
The ship rose, drifted on. A jungle slipped beneath.
Far away, steadily growing nearer, was a city--and Mason
caught his breath at its heartbreaking beauty. Not
Rome or Babylon nor Capri had ever had the delicate,
poignant splendor of this strange metropolis, hidden in
the iungie, crumbling and cracked with age at closer
view, but still a matchless jewel of architecture.
"A rose-red city half as old as time," Mason quoted
softly, half to himself.
ù The ship drove down. There was furtive movement in
the jungle metropolis--not human movement. Animals
scurried from sight. A leopard loped swiftly away, Birds
flew startled.
"Greddar Klon is close," Murdach whispered. "My instruments
show that."
The ship .landed in a marble street. Hesitating, Mason
opened the port, stepped out. Nothing happened. The
still, humid air was utterly silent.
Far away a beast cried, lonely and strangely poignant.
In the distance Mason saw a human figure. It came
forward slowly, with a shambling, dragging gait. A man
Nan old man.
An Oriental, Mason guessed, noting the distinctive
shape of the eyes, the facial contours, the hue of the skin.
The oldster's face was withered, shrunken and dry as a
walnut. Sparse white hair patched the skull. The thin lips
moved endlessly, whispering. Filmed eyes dwelt unsee-ingly
on Mason and the others.
But the man halted, and a new look came into his face.
He spoke louder, in a language Mason thought he recognized.
It was Chinese, but oddly changed, with a different
stress and accent. Yet if Chinese has persisted for so
many centuries, there was no reason why it should not
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exist in 2150 AD. Two hundred years would made little
difference.
The Chinese said, "The Sleepers have awakened,
then?"
Guessing at his meaning, Mason replied carefully, "We
are not Sleepers. We come from another time--another
age."
The man closed his eyes, tears trickled from the wrinkled
lids. "I thought I had been forgiven. Ah, we have
been punished indeed."
"Punished?"
"When the Sleepers went to their globes of refuge, we
refused to join them. We thought to build a kingdom of
beast-men. We reared cities for them, took possession of
those already existing. We raised up the beasts . . . but
that was long ago. Only a few are left now. They warred
one upon another, slew and were slain . . . so now I, Li
Keng, live alone in Corinoor, since Nirvor went across the
desert with her leopards .... "
Murdach had caught the familiar names. "Nirvor?" he
broke in. "Ask him more of this, Mason! Is she here?
What does he say?"
"I have met Nirvor," Mason said in Chinese. "She is
alive, I think. You are her friend?"
Li Keng did not reply. Into his eyes crept a dull gaze.
His lips twitched, writhed. He mumbled wordlessly.
Sud
denly he broke into a maniacal cackle of laughter.
A chill shook Mason. The oldster was mad!
Li Keng sobered. He ran skeletal fingers through his
thin hair. "I am alone," he murmured. "Have the Sleepers
forgiven? Did they send you?"
"We are from another time," Mason said, striving to
pierce the mists about the dulled brain.
"The Sleepers? Have they forgiven?" But Li Keng had
lost interest. His low, insane laughter rang out again.
Apparently the man knew nothing of Nirvor or Gred-dar
Klon, though Mason could not be sure. He touched
the Chinese's shoulder.
"Is there food here? We are hungry."
"Eh? There is fruit in the forest, and good water."
"Ask him of the weapon?' Murdach whispered. "Ask
him?
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Mason obeyed. Li Keng peered through rheumy eyes.
"Ah, yes. The Invincible Power. But it is forbidden
ùùù forbidden."
He turned to go. Mason stepped forward, gripped the
oldster's arm gently. The other tried feebly to disengage
it.
"We mean no harm," Mason explained. "But we need
your help. This Invincible Power "
"You are from the Sleepers? They have forgiven?"
Mason hesitated. Then he said slowly, emphatically,
ù "The Sleepers sent us to you. They have forgiven."
Would the ruse work? Would the crazed brain respond?
Li Keng stared, his lips worldng nervously. A th/n hand
plucked at his scant hair.
"This is true? They will let me enter a globe of refuge?'
"Yes. But you betrayed them before. They demand
that you prove your faith."
The Chinese shook his head. "They--they---.--"
"You must give them the Invincible Weapon as proof
that you will not betray them again."
Li Keng did not answer for a long moment. Then he
nodded. "Yes. You shall have it. Come."
He lifted a hand as Mason beckoned to the others.
"They may not come."
"Why not?" The other's voice was suspicious.
"There are only two suits of protective armour. The
radium rays would kill you unless these are worn. We
must go down into the radioactive caverns beneath
Corinoor "Li
Keng paused, and a dull glaze crept
over his
eyes. Swiftly Mason translated.
"I don't
dare cross him now. Might set him off his head
entirely. You
three stay with the ship--guard it till I get
back
with the weapon."
"But
Kent!" Alma's face was worried. "There may be
danger
' "
"Not
from Li Keng, at least," Mason smiled. "I can
look out for myself. Even if I were sure there's danger,
I'd have to go. Until we get the weapon, we're unarmed."
"Let him go," Murdach said quietly. Erech said nothing,
but his brown hand tightened on his scimitar-hilt.
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"Let us start, Li Keng," Mason told the old Chinese,
and followed the other along the deserted marble street.
Presently Li Keng turned into a half-ruined building,
passing between sagging gates of bronze, curiously carved.
He halted in the portal.
"You must wait," he said. "Only worshippers of Selene
and the condemned may enter here. I must tell the goddess
my plans."
Before Mason could reply he slipped through an inner
door and was gone. Whispering an oath, Mason took a
stride forward--and halted. He peered through the narrow
crack left by the half-closed panel.
He saw a huge, dim chamber, cryptic with gloom, and
towering at the further end a monstrous female statue.
Li Keng was moving across the floor, and as Mason
watched he dropped to hands and knees, supplicating
himself before the idol.
Well, there was nothing to fear from a goddess of
stone or metal. Grinning crookedly, Mason drew back,
and caught his breath as heard a tumult from outside.
An angry
shout-
With a leap Mason reached the bronze doors. He
peered out. His stomach moved sickeningly at the sight
before him.
Dozens of malformed, half-human figures filled the
marble street. They milled uncertainly about the time-ship,
and in their midst were two bound, prostrate fig-ures--Alasa
and Murdach. Coming toward Mason was--Greddar
Klon!
The Master, moving forward with quick, hurried steps,
pointed jaw set, eyes cold and deadly. Behind him came
more of the strange creatures, being more bestial than
human, Mason sensed. He remembered the weird science
that had changed animals to men, and guessed that
the malformed, hairy, brute-faced monsters were products
of that eerie experiment. Simultaneously Mason
knew what he must do.
He saw Erech, scimitar red and lifted, running forward.
The Sumerian roared a battle-cry. He sprang at
the Master, set himself for a stroke that, for all its force,
could not penetrate the shielding atomic mesh.
Mason charged out through the bronze gates. He
246
caught a glimpse of Greddar Klon whiffing, involuntarily
shrinking uhder the Sumerian's blow, lifting a metal tube
in a tiny hand.
Mason's shoulder hit Erech, sent the giant driving
aside. He flung himseff on the Sumerian, striving to
wrench the scimitar free, reading stark amazement in the
other's pale eyes. Amazement--and anger, red rage that
surged through Erech's viens and gave him strength
enough to throw Mason down with ease. But the beast-men
by now had surrounded the two.
' Mason felt rough hands seize him. He made no resistance.
Quietly he stood up, let the beast-men drag him
toward Greddar Klon. Erech was still battling furiously,
but without his scimitar he was handicapped. He went
down at last, still struggling. His captors trussed him up
with thongs.
The MaSter's cold eyes were probing. The shrill voice
said, "Is EreEh, then, your enemy, Mason?"
"Yes." The archeologist was playing for time. He had
acted on impulse, knowing instinctively the best plan.
But now he needed a chance, to scrutinize his cards, to
see which ones to play. He said, "Can we talk alone,
Greddar Klon?" He nodded toward Erech.
For a long moment the other did not reply. Then he
called a command, and two of the beast-men pulled
Mason toward a nearby doorway. The Master followed.
Inside the building, in a fungus-grown, ill-smelling little
room, Greddar Klon sat cross-legged on the floor. He
signalled for the beast-men to release their captive.
'ølnanks," Mason grunted. "There's a lot to explain. I
didn't know if I'd ever find you."
"And now that you have--what?'
"Well--I still want to hold you to your bargain."
The other shrugged narrow shoulders. "Return you to
your own time-sector?"
"Something more, now," Mason said quietly. "After
you left A1 Bckr, Erech asked me to help him release
Alasa and Murdach. I did. Murdach explained your
plans, that you intended to conquer a civilization and
rule. My own civilization isn't that so?"
"I, too, shall be frank," Greddar Klon conceded.
"That is true."
247
"They wanted to find you and kill you. Murdach built
another time-ship. I helped him. I pretended to feel as
they did. It wasn't difficult--for I wanted to find you,
for reasons of my own. Back in A1 Bekr I'd have been
satisfied if you had returned me to my own time. But
now, knowing what you intend, I want something more.
I want a part in your kingdom, Greddar Klon?'
"I had thought of offering you that," the Master muro
muted. "But I did not need your aid."
"Are you sure? My world is unfamiliar to you. You
will not know where to strike--what countries and cities
to attack, what shipping and trade routes to block. I
know my own world, and with my help, the information
I can giye you, you'll be able to subdue your enemies
more swiftly and more easily."
"And you want?"
"Rule. Rule of a nation, under you, of course. I want
power
The Master stood up. "I see. You are very clever,
Kent Mason--but whether you are speaking the truth I
do not know, as yet. You may be in earnest, and you
may be trying to trick me. Until I have reached a decision,
therefore, you will remain a prisoner--but safe."
He gestured. The beast-men seized Mason, pulled him
out into the street. He made no resistance. He had
planted a seed in Greddar Klon's mind, and now there
was nothing to do but play a waiting game. He had not
dared to bargain for the lives of Alasa and the others---that
would have made the Master instantly suspicious.
His captors led him into another rose-marble building,
and down to vaults far below. In a bare stone room he
was locked. A torch set in the wall gave light, but how
long it would last Mason did not know.
The shaggy, hulking forms of the beast-men lumbered
out of sight. Mason was left alone, captive, his mind
haunted with fear for his friends.
248
CHAPTER XIII
Court of the Beasts
After a time Mason rose and examined his prison. The
walls, though cracked and lichened, were sturdy enough.
The barred door was of metal, and too strong to force.
Nor were.ceiling or floor any more promising. Mason shiv'ered
in the chill air, wishing he had something warmer
than a loincloth.
But the torch gave heat as well as 'light, until it expired.
In the darkness it was somehow harder to judge
time, though Mason guessed it was nightfall when at last
one of the beast-men came with food. He poked it through
the bars, a mess of frUits, specked and half-rotten, which
Mason found it difficult to swallow. The beast-man
brought a new torch, however.
