Below the _Ancient Mariner_, the great buildings of the alien city
jutted up in the gray light of this gray world; their massiveness seemed
only to accentuate the depressing light.
On the broad roofs, they saw hundreds of people coming out to watch them
as they moved across the city. According to Torlos, they were the first
friendly strangers they had ever seen. They had explored all the planets
of this system without finding friendly life.
The buildings sloped up toward the center of the city, and the mass of
the great central building loomed before them.
The fleet that was leading the Earth ship settled down to a wide
courtyard that surrounded the building. Arcot dropped the _Ancient
Mariner_ down beside them. The men from Torlos' ship formed into two
squads as they came out of the airlocks and marched over to the great
shining ship of Earth. They formed two neat rows, one on each side of
the airlock.
"Come on, Morey," said Arcot. "We're wanted. Wade, keep the radio going
at full amplification; the building may cut out some of the power. I'll
try to keep you posted on what's going on, but we'll probably be busy
answering questions telepathically."
Arcot and Morey followed Torlos out into the dim light of the gray sky,
walking across the courtyard between the ranks of the soldiers from
Torlos' ship.
Before them was a heavy gate of solid bronze which swung on massive
bronze hinges. The building seemed to be made of a dense, gray stone,
much like granite, which was depressing in its perfectly unrelieved
front. There were no bright spots of color as there were on all Earthly
and Venerian structures. Even the lines were grimly utilitarian; there
seemed to be no decoration.
Through the great bronze door they walked, and across a small vestibule.
Then they were in a mighty concourse, a giant hallway that went
completely through the structure. All around them great granite pillars
rose to support the mighty building above. Square cut, they lent but
little grace to the huge room, but the floor and walls were made of a
hard, light green stone, almost the same color as foliage.
On one wall there was a giant tablet, a great plaque fifteen feet high,
made of a deep violet stone, and inlaid with a series of characters in
the language of this world. Like English letters, they seemed to read
horizontally, but whether they read from left to right or right to left
there was no way of knowing. The letters themselves were made of some
red metal which Arcot and Morey didn't recognize.