Rex dragged him into the opening. "Don't be a fool. There's a time to
fight and a time to run. This is a time to run."
As the wall-section slid back into place, Fanton indicated a stairway
a short distance down the narrow corridor. Rex said to Maxis. "You go
ahead to guard Fanton. This new man and I will stay here in case Fanton
and his father weren't the only ones who knew about that opening. I
think whoever was coming heard us leave."
Maxis was prepared to object. He hesitated, watching Fanton, Tommy and
Helen move up the circular stairway. "Go ahead," Rex snapped. "You
don't know who may be up there."
Scowling, Maxis turned suddenly and took the stairs three at a time.
Rex and the loyal Martian had a short wait. The sound of the others had
scarcely died out above, when the panel opened again. "I was right,"
Rex whispered. "Stand on the other side."
The two defenders had the advantage of a comparatively dim interior;
that, and the remaining charges in Rex's gun. Three guards crowded into
the narrow passageway.
As they saw Rex standing by the stairway, he dropped to the floor and
fired at an upward angle. His lethal charges cut the two forward guards
to pieces.
The third one, though confused, was more alert. He also had a gun
and looked desperately around for a target. The loyal Martian thrust
viciously with his sword. He missed. The guard danced away. Rex brought
his gun around, but hesitated with the loyal Martian in his range of
fire. When he maneuvered a clear shot, he pressed the switch. Nothing
happened. The gun was empty.
In the meantime, the guard brought his gun around to bear on the
Martian. The later made a second desperate thrust. It went home but
only as the Martian fell dead from the guard's last shot. Rex got to
his feet, wiping sweat from his face.
And at that moment, Pandek stepped into the passageway.
Instantly, Rex leaped for the fallen guard's gun. Pandek smiled
contemptuously and kicked it far down the passageway. Pandek apprised
the situation swiftly. He said, "Pick up the sword, Terran scum."
Without reply, Rex bent down and did as directed.
"Are you skilled in its use?" Pandek asked.
"I never had one in my hand before."
Pandek raised his own sword, identical to the one Rex held. "Then I'm
afraid the contest will be rather unequal," he said and moved toward
Rex. "On guard! It will be a great pleasure to kill you."
Rex took a backward step. He was no match for Pandek with these
weapons. Pandek would be a master at close swordsmanship. This had to
be true. Otherwise Pandek would not be so eager to engage him.
Rex thought of the headquarters on Earth; of Professor Spencer, so
still, so peaceful in that box. So dead. Would he go back to Terra the
same way?
With Fanton's hiding place known to Pandek, the rebellion seemed
assured of success--as certain as his own death at Pandek's hands.
He took another backward step....
* * * * *
Jean was ready for the sacrifice. She had been dressed in a rich golden
harness and wore golden manacles on her wrists. She had waited in the
room with the sound of the crowds in the great court below rising in
volume as their impatience increased.
Finally a door opened. A tall resplendent figure entered. He wore a
jeweled cloak that swept the floor. A hideous golden mask covered his
face.
There were two attending priests with Jean. They dropped to their knees
and lowered their eyes. One of them intoned, "Great Pandek. Lord of the
Northern Hemisphere. The sacrifice is ready for your knife."
The room grew hazy before Jean's eyes. It spun in a sickening swirl as
she slipped to the floor in a dead faint....
When she regained consciousness, Jean found herself under an archway
in the court below. The great square was jammed with howling Martians.
A long red carpet stretched from the archway to the platform in the
center of the square. The sting of a sharp odor in her nostrils told
Jean how she had been revived.
A priest on either side now supported her. They moved forward from the
building toward the platform. Evidently, she could either walk or be
dragged. She preferred to walk. She raised her head high and matched
the priests step for step.
The crowd pressed close to the red carpet on either side. Unbroken
lines of guards held the Martians back. To Jean, they seemed things out
of a nightmare.
They reached the steps leading up to the platform. Five steps. She
counted them as she ascended.
The marble block.
The priests laid her along its length. The golden manacles were
removed. Each priest took an arm and held her to the slab with the tall
masked figure raising his knife and looking down at her. The knife
arched.
Then, halfway in its descent toward her bared breast, it stopped. The
masked figure looked upward toward the high wall of the building. He
shrank backward--pointed with the knife as he cringed away.
A dramatic gesture that turned every eye in the square toward a small
balcony high on the wall. A cry went up. A single word.
"Fanton!"
The true Lord of the Northern Hemisphere stood with his arms
out-stretched imperiously over the crowd below. He held this position
until the roaring died away and a whisper could have been heard in the
great square. Then he spoke.
"Hear your Emperor now! You have been lied to by those who would
destroy you. You have been told I was dead and that a new order would
prevail among you; an old, outdated order that brought only blood and
suffering in its time. I tell you now that those who spoke thus were
traitors who sought to exploit your suffering to their cruel ends.
The leader of these was Pandek, a prince I trusted. I now declare his
life forfeit and say to you that he will be executed in public at this
hour one day hence. Return now to your homes and have done with this
madness. I, your Emperor command each of you personally. You who are
vested with authority, return to your duties."
The sonorous voice ceased and Jean felt herself being raised from the
marble slab. She opened her eyes. The golden mask had been lifted from
the face of the executioner. He had dropped the knife and now he held a
sword in his hand.
It was Maxis.
He whispered, "Under the platform, quick! There is an underground
passage back into the palace. You will be safe."
Jean was bewildered. As she descended she saw that the crowd had surged
backward, leaving an open space between the platform and the palace.
Maxis turned and ran toward the open space.
A small group of Martians was running forward from the building. They
were led by Pandek with a sword in his hand. From another doorway, Rex
ran to join Maxis. He was unarmed.
One of Pandek's group turned and swerved out to intercept him. Like a
great cat, Rex crouched, waiting. The Martian moved in. Rex went under
the vicious swipe of the Martian's sword and caught the Martian's arm
and spun him around. Before the Martian could recover his balance,
there was an arm around his throat--pressure on his spine. He screamed
as his spine snapped. Rex raced on and joined Maxis.
* * * * *
The guards in the square had now chosen sides. A few rallied behind
Pandek. By far the majority took their stand behind Maxis. Their number
doomed the smaller group.
But Maxis held up his hands. "Stand back! All of you! Come forward,
Pandek. You think so highly of your swordsman's skill. Let me see the
proof. Just we two."
Pandek was not slow in accepting the challenge. He came forward and
the two Martians circled cautiously in the open space between the two
opposing forces.
Pandek seemed the better of the two. Maxis fought mainly on the
defensive, his play unspectacular, which made Pandek's thrusts seem all
the more brilliant.
Pandek evidently felt any retreat was a mark against him. Not so with
Maxis. He retreated whenever it was made necessary by Pandek's able
thrusts. Pandek sneered. Maxis fought stolidly, doggedly.
Until Pandek made the mistake of losing regard for his foe's ability.
He thrust smartly and did not maintain the balance necessary for
retreat in case of quick counter attack.
The counterattack came. Suddenly Maxis' blade was everywhere. Pandek
retreated in order to regain his balance and reassume domination of the
match.
Maxis never gave him a chance to do this. Always, Pandek was a scant
second too late in parrying a thrust to balance himself for the next.
He fell.
Maxis moved in swiftly. For a moment he stayed his thrust hoping. And
what he hoped for, came to pass. Pandek's courage broke. With terror in
his eyes, the fallen Martian shouted. "Stop! I am of royal blood. You
don't dare kill me!"
Maxis smiled and drove his blade home.
As he drew it forth, he glanced at Pandek's waiting group. Brave men
all, who had espoused the losing cause openly. To a man they were
throwing down their swords, their eyes on the dead Pandek, contempt on
their faces. The contempt of men who suddenly realized they had been
led by a coward. Men who were ashamed.
Maxis sheathed his blade and looked up to where Fanton, Lord of the
Northern Hemisphere raised his hand in salute.
Maxis bowed. Then he turned to Rex. He said, "It is over, my friend.
The fuse has been snuffed in time. We will be eternally in your
gratitude."
"It's the other way around. We're getting out of this little affair
with whole skins. That's something to be really thankful for."
* * * * *
(_From the diary of Tommy Wilks_)
_What a story I'll have to tell! I guess I'm about the luckiest kid
on Mars right now because when we get back, they're going to let me
tell what happened! I've got it all written down so I won't forget
anything. I've got it up to the time we left Rex and the Martian in the
passageway behind the wall. Rex didn't tell me all that happened but
when Maxis got back there, after hearing the noise, he found Pandek on
the floor unconscious. Rex said Pandek came at him with a sword and he
was pretty sure Pandek would kill him but Pandek missed a thrust and
Rex got in a lucky grab and pushed a nerve on Pandek's neck. He made it
sound very easy but I'll bet Rex is about the best nerve fighter in the
world. That's what they call men who can kill with nothing but their
bare hands._
_Anyhow, they brought Pandek upstairs and Maxis wanted to kill him. But
Fanton said no--that Pandek should be kept alive until the rebellion
was over--if it ever was._
_They talked about what they'd do, but Fanton made the final decision
because he was the Emperor. He said he wanted to reveal himself to the
people at a dramatic moment because that was what had an affect on
crowds. He decided the most dramatic moment would be while the knife
was raised over Jean._
_So they took Pandek to a room and tied him up and Maxis took his
place. Maxis' job was to call the crowd's attention to Fanton at the
right instant to heighten the dramatic effect. He was also supposed to
look scared to death so the crowd wouldn't swing Pandek's side against
the Emperor._
_It all worked swell except for one thing. Some traitor guards came
and let Pandek out. If Pandek had gone after Fanton, it all might have
ended differently. That's what Rex said. But Pandek got rattled and
went after Maxis instead. Maxis killed him even though Pandek was a
much better swordsman._
_Now to me, that doesn't make any sense. I asked Rex about that but he
just smiled and said Pandek was better than Maxis except for one thing.
Guts. That's a funny term that means courage. I wonder where Rex heard
it. Probably on Earth._
_Anyhow, everything is fine, now. The people are behind Fanton and
he's coming back to New Iowa with us and wants to go on to Terra for a
good-will visit. He wants to open the northern country to Terrans and
trade scientific secrets._
_Right now I'm in a room they gave me to sleep in while we're here. I
saw Jean and Rex walking in the garden down below. He was kissing her._
_Or maybe it was the other way around._