Authors: E. E. 'Doc' Smith
‘Perhaps not, but at the first sign of a visitor we must all be in our places. Now that we have a little time and are able to understand each other, I will introduce my party to yours.
‘Fellow Kondalians, greet Karfedix Seaton and Karfedix Crane, of a strange and extremely distant planet called Earth.’ He and his group saluted formally. ‘Greet also the noble ladies, Miss Vaneman and Miss Spencer, soon to become Karfedir Seaton and Karfedir Crane, respectively.’ They saluted again.
‘Guests from Earth, allow me to present the Kofedir Sitar, the only one of my wives who was unfortunate enough to be with me on our ill-fated hunting expedition.’ One of the women stepped forward and bowed deeply to the four, who returned the compliment in kind.
Ignoring DuQuesne as a captive, he went on to introduce the other Kondalians as his brothers, sisters, half-brothers, half-sisters, and cousins – all members of the ruling house of Kondal.
‘Now, after I have had a word with you in private, Dr Seaton, I will be glad to give the others any information I can.’
‘I want a word with you, too, Junior. I didn’t want to break up your ceremony by arguing about it out there, but I am not, never was, and never will be a karfedix – which word, as you know, translates quite closely into “emperor.” I’m merely a plain citizen.’
‘I know that … that is, I know it, in a way, from your own knowledge; but I find it impossible to understand it or to relate it to anything in my own experience. Nor can I understand your government; I fail entirely to see how it could function for even one of your years without breaking down. On Osnome, Dick, men of your attainments, and Martin’s, are karfedo. You will be, whether you want to or not. Ph.D … Doctor of Philosophy … Karfedix of Knowledge …’
‘Pipe down, Dunark – forget it! What was it you wanted to talk to me about away from the mob?’
‘Dorothy and Margaret. You already have it in your mind somewhere, from mine, but you might find it as
impossible to understand as I do much of yours. Your women are so different from ours, so startlingly beautiful, that Nalboon will not kill either of them – for a time. So, if worst comes to worst, be sure to kill them both while you still can.’
‘I see … yes, I find it now.’ Seaton’s voice was cold, his eyes hard. ‘Thanks. I’ll remember that, and charge it to Nalboon’s personal account.’
Rejoining the others, they found Dorothy and Sitar deep in conversation.
‘So a man has half a dozen or so wives?’ Dorothy was asking in surprise. ‘How can you get along – I’d fight like a wildcat if Dick got any such funny ideas as that!’
‘Why, splendidly, of course. I wouldn’t
think
of
ever
marrying a man if he was such a … a … a
louse
that only one woman would have him!’
‘I’ve got a cheerful thought for you and Peg, Red-top. Dunark here thinks you two are beautiful. “Startlingly beautiful” was the exact description.’
‘What? In this light? Green, black, yellow, and mudcolor? We’re positively hideous! And if that’s your idea of a joke …’
‘Oh, no, Dorthee,’ Sitar interposed. ‘You two
are
beautiful – really lovely. And you have such a rich, smoothly-blending color-flow. It’s a shame to hide so much of it with robes.’
‘Yes, why do you?’ Dunark asked; as both girls blushed hotly, he paused, obviously searching in Dick’s mind for an answer he could not find in his own. ‘I mean, I see the sense of covering as a protection, or for certain ceremonials in which covering is ritual; but when not needed, in fact, when you are too warm, as you are now …’ He broke off in embarrassment and went on, ‘Help, Dick. I seem to be getting my foot in it deeper and deeper. What have I done to offend?’
‘Nothing. It isn’t you at all; it’s just that our race has worn clothing for centuries, and can’t … Mart, how would you explain “modesty” to a race like that?’ He swept his arm to cover the group of perfectly poised, completely un-self-conscious, naked men and women.
‘I could explain it, after a fashion, but I doubt very much if even you, Dunark, with your heredity, could understand it. Sometime, when we have a few hours to spare, I will try to, if you like. But in the meantime, what are those collars and what do they mean?’
‘Identifications. When a child is nearly grown, it is cast about his neck. It bears his name, national number, and the device of his house. Being made of arenak, it cannot be altered without killing the person. Any Osnomian not wearing a collar is unthinkable; but if it should ever happen he would be killed.’
‘Is that belt something similar? No, it …’
‘No. Merely a pouch. But even Nalboon thought it was opaque arenak, so didn’t try to open it.’
‘Is that transparent armor made of the
same thing?’
‘Yes, except that nothing is added to the matrix to make it colored or opaque. It is in the preparation of this metal that salt is indispensable. It acts only as a catalyst, being recovered afterward, but neither nation has ever had enough salt to make all the armor they want.’
‘Aren’t those monsters – karlono, I think you called them – covered with the same thing? And what are they, anyway?’ Dorothy asked.
‘Yes. It is thought that the beasts grow it, just as fishes grow scales. But no one knows how they do it – or even how they can possibly do it. Very little is known about them, however, except that they are the worst scourge of Osnome. Various scientists have described the karlon as a bird, a beast, a fish, and a vegetable; sexual, asexual, and hermaphroditic. Its habitat is—’
The gong sounded and the Kondalians leaped to their positions. The kofedix went to the door. Nalboon brushed him aside and entered, escorted by a squad of heavily-armed full-armored soldiers. A scowl of anger was on his face; he was plainly in an ugly mood.
‘Stop, Nalboon of Mardonale!’ Seaton thundered, in the Mardonalian tongue and at the top of his powerful voice. ‘Dare you invade privacy without invitation?’
The escort shrank back, but the emperor stood his ground, although he was plainly taken by surprise. With a heroic effort he smoothed his face into lines of cordiality.
‘May I inquire why my guards are slain and my palace destroyed by my honored guest?’
‘You may. I permit it, to point out your errors. Your guards, at your order, no doubt, sought to invade my privacy. Being forbearing, I warned them once, but one of them was foolhardy enough to challenge me, and was of course destroyed. Then the others attempted to raise their childish weapons against me, and I of course destroyed them. The wall merely chanced to be inside the field of action of the force I chanced to be employing at the time.
‘An honored guest? Bah! Know, Nalboon, that when you seek to treat as captive a visiting domak of my race, you lose not only your own life, but the lives of all your nation as well. Do you perceive your errors?’
Anger and fear fought for supremacy on Nalboon’s face; but a third emotion, wonder, won. He, Nalboon, was armed; he had with him a score of armed and armored men. This stranger had nothing; the slaves were less than nothing. Yet he stood there, arrogantly confident, master of the planet, the solar system, and the universe, by his bearing … and how …
how
had he completely obliterated fifty armed and armored men and a thousand tons of stone and ultra-hard metal? Nalboon temporized.
‘May I ask how you, so recently ignorant, know our language?’
‘You may not. You may go.’
That was a beautiful bluff, Dick!’ Dunark exclaimed, as the door closed behind Nalboon and his guards. ‘Exactly the right tone – you’ve got him guessing plenty.’
‘It got him, all right – for the moment – but I’m wondering how long it will
hold him. He’s a big-time operator, and smart. The smart thing for us to do, I think, would be to take off for the
Skylark
right now, before he can get organized. What do you think, Mart?’
‘I think so. We’re altogether too vulnerable here.’
The Earthpeople quickly secured the few personal things they had brought with them. Seaton stepped out into the hall, waved the guards away, and motioned Dunark to lead the way. The other Kondalians fell in behind, as usual, and the group walked boldly toward the exit nearest the landing dock. The guards offered no opposition, but stood at attention and saluted as they passed. The officer lifted his microphone, however, and Seaton knew that Nalboon was being kept informed of every development.
Outside the palace, Dunark turned his head.
‘Run!’ he snapped. All did so. ‘If they get a flyer into the air before we reach the dock it’ll be just too bad. There’ll be no pursuit from the palace – it isn’t expendable – but the dock will be tough.’
Rounding a metal statue some fifty feet from the base of the towering dock they saw that the door of one of the elevators was open and that two guards stood just inside it. At sight of the party the guards raised their guns; but, fast as they were Seaton was faster. At first sight of the open door he had taken two quick steps and hurled himself across the intervening forty feet in a football plunge. Before the two soldiers could bring their guns to bear he crashed into them, hurling them across the cage and crushing them against its metal wall.
‘Good work,’ Dunark said. He stripped the unconscious guards of their weapons and, after asking Seaton’s permission, distributed them among the men of his party. ‘Now, perhaps, we can surprise whoever is on the roof. That was why you didn’t shoot?’
‘No,’ Seaton grunted. ‘We need this elevator. It wouldn’t be much good after taking even a Mark One load.’ He threw the two Mardonalians out of the elevator and closed the door.
Dunark took the controls. The elevator shot upward, stopping at a level well below the top. He took a tubular device from his belt and fitted it over the muzzle of the Mardonalian pistol.
‘We get out here,’ Dunark said, ‘and go up the rest of the way by side stairs
that aren’t used much. We’ll meet a few guards, probably, but I can take care of them. Stay behind me, please, everybody.’
Seaton promptly objected and Dunark went on, ‘No, Dick, stay back. You know as much about this as I do, I know, but you can’t get at the knowledge as fast. I’ll let you take over when we reach the top.’
Dunark took the lead, his pistol resting lightly against his hip. At the first turn of the corridor they came upon four guards. The pistol did not leave Dunark’s hip, but there were four subdued clicks, in faster succession than a man could count, and four men dropped.
‘What a silencer!’ DuQuesne whispered to Seaton. ‘I didn’t suppose a silencer could work that fast.’
‘They don’t use powder,’ Seaton replied absently, all his faculties pinned to the next corner. ‘Force-field projection.’
Dunark disposed of several more groups of guards before the head of the last stairway was reached. He stopped there.
‘Now, Dick, you take over. I’m speaking English so I won’t have to order each of my men individually – command them, literally – not to take my place at your side. We’ll need all the speed and all the fire-power you have. There are hundreds of men on the roof outside, with rapid-fire cannon throwing a thousand shells a minute. If Crane will give me his pistols you can kick that door open as soon as you’re ready.’
‘I’ve got a lot better idea than that,’ DuQuesne said. ‘I’m as fast as you are, Seaton, and, like you, I can use both hands. Give me the guns and we’ll have ’em cleaned out before the door gets fully open.’
‘That’s a thought, brother – that’s
really
a thought,’ Seaton said. ‘Hand ’em over, Mart. Ready, Blackie? On your mark – get set – go!’
He kicked the door open and there was a stuttering crash as the four weapons burst into almost continuous flame – a crash obliterated by an overwhelming concatenation of sound as the X-plosive bullets, sweeping the roof with a rapidly-opening fan of death, struck their marks and exploded.
It was well that the two men in the doorway were past masters in the art of handling their weapons – and that they had in their bullets the force of giant shells! For rank upon rank of soldiery were massed there; engines of destruction covered elevators, doorways, and approaches.
So fast and fierce was the attack that trained gunners had no time to press their switches. The battle lasted approximately one second. It was over while shattered remnants of the guns and fragments of the metal and stone of the dock were still falling, through a fine mist of what had once been men.
Assured that not a single Mardonalian remained upon the dock, Seaton waved emphatically to the others.
‘Snap it up!’ he yelled. ‘This is going to be hotter than the middle tail-race
of Hades in exactly one minute.’
He led the way across the dock toward the
Skylark,
choosing the path with care between yawning holes. The ship was still in place, still held immovable by the attractor, but what a sight she was! Her quartz windows were shattered, her Norwegian-armor skin was dented and warped and fissured, half her plating was gone.
Not a shot had struck her. All this damage had been done by flying fragments of the guns and of the dock itself; and Seaton and Crane, who had developed the new explosive, were aghast at its awful power.
They climbed hastily into the vessel and Seaton ran toward the controls.
‘I hear battleships,’ Dunark said. ‘Is it permitted that I operate one of your machine guns?’
‘Go as far as you like!’
While Seaton was reaching for the speed-lever the first ranging shell from the first warship exploded against the side of the dock, just below them. His hand grasped the lever just as the second shell screamed through the air, scant yards above them; and as he shot the
Skylark
into the air under five notches of power a stream of the huge projectiles poured through the spot where she had just been.
Crane and DuQuesne aimed several shots at the battleships, but the range was so extreme that no damage was done. Dunark’s rifle, however, was making a continuous chatter and they turned toward him. He was shooting, not at the warships, but at the city growing so rapidly smaller beneath them. He was moving the gun’s muzzle in a small spiral, spraying the entire city with death and destruction. As they looked, the first of the shells reached the ground, just as Dunark ceased firing for lack of ammunition. The palace disappeared, blotted out in a cloud of dust; a cloud which spiraled outward until it obscured the area where the city had been.