"Originally the robots were controlled telepathically. Why can't that
work now--for us?"
"Don't you imagine I thought of that? But it's no use, without one of
them helmet-transmitters. And there aren't any...." Willard sucked in
his breath. "Hold on! I'd forgotten something. There's one transmitter
left--just one. But it's not a portable."
"Swell!"
"Wait a minute. Come over here." The older man led the way to a
tripod-projector, found a cylindrical black object, and slipped it into
place. "Look at this."
Peering through the eye-pieces, Garth recognized the great cavern
with the dais at one end. The scene shifted, showing the gigantic
twelve-foot robot sitting on its throne, a solid block of black metal.
"Watch," Willard said.
A voice spoke in Garth's mind, in the Ancient Tongue. "It was necessary
to impress the superstitious Zarno. Thus we created this robot god
and placed it on its throne. Its radioatomic brain can be controlled
telepathically by means of a transmitter concealed within the throne."
The scene changed, showing the back of the ebony block. A hand,
inhuman, six-fingered, came into view--the hand of an Ancient. It
touched a concealed spring, and the throne's back slid open, revealing
a compartment easily large enough to hold a man.
"Here is the transmitter. It is placed on the head and the will focused
on issuing telepathic commands to the robot god on the throne."
There was more, but now Garth watched with only half his mind. He
scarcely saw the details of the ritual ceremony with which the Ancients
had impressed the Zarno. When the vision vanished, he swung about, a
new light in his eyes.
"That's it, Doc! That robot god's going to come to life!"
* * * * *
Willard frowned. "_Um-m._ The gadget isn't difficult to operate--I've
learned that much from the recordings. You just think hard, that's all.
But--"
"The god will come to life and summon the Zarno--all of them. The rest
of you can escape while I'm keeping 'em busy."
"Hold on!" the doctor snapped. "Why you? It's my job, if it's
anybody's."
"Sorry," Garth said. "It doesn't work out that way. You're the only guy
who can cure the Silver Plague. Unless you get out safely, it's the end
of Earth."
Willard didn't answer. Garth went on swiftly.
"You could reach the hangar if it weren't for the Zarno. Well, I'll get
inside that throne and start the ruckus. That'll give you time." His
voice was emotionless.
"How do you know you could reach that temple-cave? The city's full of
Zarno."