The Devolutionist and the EmancipatrixFlint, Homer Eon
Science
The Devolutionist and the Emancipatrix
Flint, Homer Eon
Life on other planets -- Fiction; Science fiction
Nevertheless, Billie could see no cause whatever for it; neither did
she hear anything. The other flier remained out of sight. All that
the architect could guess was that the operator had "got the drop"
on Corrus in some manner which was clear only to those involved.
Badly puzzled, Billie watched the four humans hurry away, their
manner all but slinking.
A moment later still another aircraft came up, and its operator
reported. As before, Billie could make out not a single detail of
the occupant herself. She, too, wanted the commandant's personal
attention; and shortly Billie was looking down upon a scene which
she had good reason to remember all the rest of her life.
In the middle of a large field, where some light green plant was
just beginning to sprout, a group of about a dozen humans was at
work cultivating. Billie had time to note that they were doing the
work in the most primitive fashion, employing the rudest of tools,
all quite in keeping with their bare heads and limbs and their
skin-clad bodies. About half were women.
Slightly at one side, however, stood a man who was not so busy. To
put it plainly, he was loafing, with the handle of his improvised
mattock supporting his weight. Clearly the two up in the air were
concerned only with him.
"He has been warned three times, Supreme," said the one who had
reported the case.
"Three? Then make an example of him!"
"It shall be done, Supreme!"
The lieutenant disappeared. Again the commandant glanced at this,
that, and the other thing before concentrating upon what happened
below. Then Billie saw the man straighten up suddenly in his tracks,
and with remarkable speed, considering his former laziness, he
whirled about, dodged, and clapped a hand upon his thigh.
Next second he raised an exultant cry. Billie could not understand
what he said; but she noted that the others in the group echoed the
man's exultation, and started to crowd toward him, shouting and
gesticulating in savage delight. Then something else happened so
sudden and so dreadful that the woman who was watching from the
earth was turned almost sick.
Like a flash Supreme dropped, headlong, toward the group of humans.
In two seconds the distance was covered, and in the last fifth of a
second Billie saw the key to the whole mystery.
In that last instant the man who before had seemed of ordinary size,
was magnified to the dimensions of a colossus. Instead of being
under six feet, he appeared to be near a hundred yards in height;
but Billie scarcely realized this till later, it all happened so
quickly. There was an outcry from the group, and then the
commandant's aircraft crashed into the man's HAND; a hand so huge
that the very wrinkles in its skin were like so many gulleys; even
in that final flash Billie saw all this.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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