You will remember that a treaty had been concluded early in the year 359
with the defeated ant empire, whereby a new pale was set up many miles
to the south of the old, which had formerly served as the boundary
between Cupia and Formia. Behind this new pale were crowded the remnants
of the once great race of Formians. Cupia was at last free from a
domination which had lasted for five hundred years.
So, for nearly two years thereafter, Cupia had prospered.
Myles Cabot, the radio genius, lived in the palace of King Kew, with the
lovely princess whom he had won as a bride, Lilla, fairest of all the
women of Cupia. White skinned she was, with rose-petal cheeks. Her eyes
were sapphire-blue, and her short curly hair was the color of spun gold.
Slim she was, and lithe as a fairy, which resemblance was enhanced by
two tiny iridescent wings upon her back, and two butterfly-antennae
which projected from her forehead. These wings and antennae were
features common to all of her race; but the other distinguishing Cupian
characteristics, namely, the extra finger on each hand (which led them
to count by twelves, instead of by tens as we do), the extra toe on each
foot, and the total lack of ears, you never would notice.
Her earthman husband had so perfected the radio-set (which he always
carried as a means of communication with her and her people), that no
one would ever suspect him of not being a veritable Cupian himself. His
hair was trimmed so as to conceal his ears and the tiny earphones
therein. His microphone was located between his collar bones, where it
was effectively hidden by the neck-band of his toga. His batteries,
bulbs, and controls were on a belt worn next to his skin. Artificial
wings were fastened to his back, and artificial antennae projected from
his forehead. So that only a very close examination of his hands or his
bare feet would ever betray him as a creature of a race different from
that now dominant on the planet.
Now that Cupia no longer had to supply slaves to Formia, the Cupians
soon found that their customary four hours a day work produced much more
than was needed for all the useful purposes of their empire, and
accordingly Cabot persuaded King Kew to undertake a series of public
works, the first of which was to be a huge stadium for the holding of
games.
The new stadium had been completed shortly before Peace Day in the year
three hundred and fifty-ten, and the Peace Day exercises were held
there, instead of on the plaza of Kuana as heretofore. This was
particularly appropriate, for the stadium had been built on the exact
spot where had occurred the first clash between the Formians and the
Cupians at the beginning of the War of Liberation two years before.
The golden-haired Lilla was unable to be present, for she was expecting
a child. So she was safely ensconced in her castle at Lake Luno, a
thousand stads to the north of Kuana.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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