Life on other planets -- Fiction; Science fiction; Venus (Planet) -- Fiction
Myles continued: “Yuri and his allies possessed magic wagons which could
fly through the air—”
“What is ‘fly’?” Arkilu interrupted. “If you mean ‘swim’ it is
impossible, for no creature ever lived which could swim in air.”
“Ah, but this is magic, you must remember,” he assured her. “Have you
Vairkings never seen any peculiar black objects sailing through the sky
since the rumored arrival of the Formians on your continent?”
Arkilu pursed her lips in thought. “Yes,” she admitted, “there have been
rumors of that too.”
“Well,” he continued, “those were the flying wagons of the Formians.
When we finally defeated them and drove them across the boiling seas in
these wagons, I revisited the planet earth by means of the radio magic
of which I have told you. But on my attempted return to Cupia I landed
on your continent instead, by mistake, and was again captured by my
Formian enemies. Of my escape from them, my wounding by the Roy arrow,
and my rescue by you, you already know.”
Arkilu smiled ingratiatingly. “You are a pretty spinner of tales.
Therefore I shall keep you to amuse me. Methinks that even Theoph the
Grim will revel in your fantasies.”
And she leaned over and caressed Cabot’s cheek with one furry hand. He
cringed at the touch, yet strove not to offend her, whose continued
friendship might mean so much toward his return to his own country.
He wanted her good will and her influence; but, out of loyalty to Lilla,
he dreaded her love.
To change the subject he inquired: “When shall I be well enough to get
up?”
“You are well enough now,” she replied “Try to stand.”
At Myles’s insistence, a leather suit was sent for; he soon found
himself dressed like a soldier of the Vairkings. Thus arrayed he stood
and walked about a little inside the tent, but Arkilu would not permit
him to venture outside until he should be stronger.
Before leaving for the night Arkilu announced: “Tomorrow our expedition
starts back for Vairkingi. When we reach the city I shall marry you, for
I have decided that I love you.”
VII
RADIO ONCE MORE
So ARKILU, the furry beauty, planned to marry Myles Cabot, the
earth-man, he who already loved and was wed to Lilla of Cupia! A happy
prospect indeed! Yet he dared not repulse the Vairkingian maiden, lest
thereby he lose his chance of returning to his home and family.
For at last he had formulated a plan of action, namely to arm the hordes
of Vairkingia, lead them against the ant-men, seize an ant-plane and
with it fly back to Cupia. So, for the present, he appeared to fall in
with the matrimonial whim of the princess.
Early the next morning, however, as he was prowling around inside the
tent, testing his weak legs, he overheard a conversation on the outside,
which changed the situation considerably.
“But, father,” remonstrated a voice which Myles recognized as that of
Arkilu, “I found him, and therefore he is mine. I want him. He is
beautiful!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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