Life on other planets -- Fiction; Mars (Planet) -- Fiction; Science fiction
We were well within sight of Jahar before we encountered any warships
and then a cruiser came to meet ours which bore the flag of truce.
The commanders of the two boats exchanged a few words and then the
Jaharian craft turned and led the way toward the palace of Tul Axtar.
It moved slowly and I forged on ahead, my plans already made, and the
Jhama, being clothed with invisibility, needed no escort. I steered
directly to that wing of the palace which contained the women's
quarters and slowly circled it, my periscope on a line with the windows.
We had rounded the end of the wing, in which the great hall lay
where Tul Axtar held court with his women, when the periscope came
opposite the windows of a gorgeous apartment. I brought the ship to
a stop before it, as I had before some of the others which I wished
to examine, and while the slowly moving periscope brought different
parts of the large room to the ground glass plate before me I saw the
figures of two women and instantly I recognized them. One was Sanoma
Tora and the other Phao, and upon the figure of the former hung the
gorgeous trappings of a Jeddara. The woman I had loved had achieved her
goal, but it caused me no pang of jealousy. I searched the balance of
the apartment and finding no other occupant, I brought the deck of the
Jhama close below the sill of the window. Then I raised a hatch and
leaped into the room.
At sight of me Sanoma Tora arose from the divan upon which she had been
sitting and shrank back in terror. I thought that she was about to
scream for help, but I warned her to silence, and at the same instant
Phao sprang forward and, seizing Sanoma Tora's arm, clapped a palm over
her mouth. A moment later I had gained her side.
"The fleet of Jahar has gone down to defeat before the ships of
Helium," I told Sanoma Tora, "and I have come to take you back to your
own country."
She was trembling so that she could not reply. I had never seen such a
picture of abject terror, induced no doubt by her own guilty conscience.
"I am glad you have come, Hadron of Hastor," said Phao, "for I know
that you will take me, too."
"Of course," I said. "The Jhama lies just outside that window. Come!
We shall soon be safe aboard the flagship of the Warlord."
While I had been talking I had become aware of a strange noise that
seemed to come from a distance and which rose and fell in volume and
now it appeared to be growing nearer and nearer. I could not explain
it; perhaps I did not attempt to, for at best I could be only mildly
interested. I had found two of those whom I sought. I would get them
aboard the Jhama and then I would try to locate Tul Axtar.
At that instant the door burst open and a man rushed into the room. It
was Tul Axtar. He was very pale and he was breathing hard. At sight of
me he halted and shrank back and I thought that he was going to turn
and run, but he only looked fearfully back through the open door and
then he turned to me, trembling.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account