Finally, when I felt sure that Jodek had had plenty of time in which to
report, I approached one of these policemen, told him that I was from
Ktuth, and asked him the way to the Ministry of Work.
“Too bad about all the trouble at Ktuth, isn’t it?” said he. I assented
vaguely.
“Do you think that it was the fault of Count Kamel?” he continued.
He was getting entirely too garrulous and was likely at any moment to
trap me into some damaging slip. I was just about to reply irrelevantly
that Duke Lucky Strike was entirely to blame, when whom should I see
walking down the street but my enemy and betrayer Yuri! And at that
instant he too saw me!
Let me digress for a moment. I find that in writing down this account of
my adventures I frequently use earth words instead of the more exact
Porovian synonym. Thus I have just said “count” and “duke,” although
these words are not strictly accurate. I might have said “barsarkar” and
“sarkar” instead; but I believe that a clearer impression will be
created on my readers—if this manuscript ever reaches the Earth—by
occasionally using Earth words where this does not involve too great a
stretch in their meaning.
Well, as I was saying: Here, to my surprise and horror, came the last
person on Poros whom I desired to see, namely Prince Yuri. Each of us
was equally astonished to see the other, but Yuri was the first to
recover his presence of mind.
“Pinqui,” he shouted peremptorily to the Cupian policeman, “arrest that
man and take him to the mang-ool. I myself will answer to the mango. And
tell the mango that I forbid conversation with the prisoner.”
Then, turning to me with a smile, Yuri remarked:
“Welcome to Kuana, my friend. You are as welcome here as a spot of
sunlight, and have just as bad a habit of turning up. The last I heard
of you, you were condemned to death. How you escaped from the ant-men I
know not, but perhaps you will find that Cupian justice is surer than
Formian.”
Then to the officer, as I started to reply. “Pinqui, if he says a word
to me, to you, or to any one, strike him on the antennae! I have
spoken.”
And he strode majestically away, as the pinqui seized me roughly by the
arm and led me to the mang-ool, or jail, of the city of Kuana.
At the mang-ool the pinqui turned me over to the mango, to whom he
repeated Yuri’s message, whereupon I noticed a peculiar vindictive
expression creep across the jailer’s face.
Then I was led to a cell and locked in. Once more I was out of luck. A
few minutes ago I had been free, and full of joy at finding myself in
the city of my princess; now I was in the toils again, and—what was
worse—in the power of the man who was my deadly rival for Lilla’s love,
and who for aught that I knew, was already betrothed to her.
At all events, he was, the most powerful single individual in all Cupia,
next to his uncle the king.
I was certainly in a jam! And, to make matters worse, my jailer
evidently had a thoroughly vicious personality.
_12_
a victim of Yuri
But the malevolence of the jailer was not directed against me, for as he
turned away, after locking me in my cell, he softly radiated the joyous
information; “Any one who is an enemy of Prince Yuri has nothing to fear
from Poblath.”
Then he was gone. Evidently, in spite of Yuri’s popularity, there were
some Cupians who saw through him. And Poblath, the mango, must be one of
these. Shortly afterwards he returned with food, and spoke softly as he
placed it before me.
“‘Walls have antennae,’” he quoted, “so I will not radiate loudly to
you. Be discreet. Do nothing to anger Yuri. Bide your time. And if I can
be of any particular service, let me know. ‘Common enmity maketh close
friends.’”
Evidently Poblath was greatly given to Porovian proverbs. About one
parth (_i.e._, Porovian hour) later the mango brought Prince Yuri to my
cell. Yuri had come to gloat over me and to give in my presence his
directions for my discomfiture.
“Poblath,” he declared, “this man Cabot is a dangerous criminal. The
charges against him are so serious that I must lay them in person before
King Kew. Cabot is a deaf-mute, born without antennae; but he has
concocted, with diabolical cleverness, some artificial electrical
antennae. No one is to be permitted to talk with him; and, to make sure
of this, I now command you to take from him his apparatus.”
My jaw dropped with horror at the thought; but the jailer quickly came
to my rescue.
“Oh, sire,” he said, “the ancient law! I will see that no communication
is had with him, but the ancient law prohibits depriving any person of
his antennae.”
Yuri replied: “This is not a person; it is an animal. And furthermore,
his apparatus is not antennae, strictly speaking.”
Poblath was equal to the occasion. “The ancient law applies equally to
animals, as you well know, my prince. And, as for his antennae, they are
antennae to me, unless King Kew rules otherwise.”
“Leave his antennae, then,” snapped Yuri, “and remove his belt.”
But Poblath was obdurate, and stood upon his rights. “If his belt serves
his antennae, I demand a kingly ruling. I have spoken.”
Yuri scowled.
“A ruling you shall have,” he gritted, as he turned away. “Meanwhile,
keep the prisoner by himself.”
“Your will is law,” Poblath answered, with mock meekness.
So at last I had a friend in Cupia. When the mango returned to bring me
my supper I determined to take him into my confidence.
“Poblath,” I said, as a feeler, “who rescued the Princess Lilla from the
Formians?”
“It was Prince Yuri,” he replied. “It is the one decent act of his life,
though his beautiful cousin does not seem to be particularly grateful to
him for it.”
“Then she is not yet betrothed to him?” I asked.
“Not yet, nor ever!” was the emphatic answer.
“Poblath,” I declared, “Yuri did _not_ rescue the princess. _I_ did it.
Can you get word to her that I am here?”
“By the blue-horned woofus!” he ejaculated. “Can I? Just watch me!”
“If you straighten this out,” I said, “I shall be most eternally
grateful.”
At which the mango quoted sententiously. “‘He who expects gratitude hath
not conferred a favor.’” Then he hurried away.
Late that evening he returned to my cell with a most exquisite specimen
of Cupian femininity, whom he introduced as Bthuh, maid in waiting to
Princess Lilla.
If Lilla was all that was desirable in a blonde, Bthuh was all that was
desirable in a brunette; full lips, clear olive skin, dark languorous
eyes, a seductive form. A chestnut baby-doll, with smoldering southern
passion underneath. She was a red rose, overripe. Although my allegiance
never wavered for an instant from the lovely Lilla, yet I must confess
that the presence of this exotic beauty strangely stirred me. And she
smiled at me, as though she thought me not half bad, either.
Then she spoke: “I am betrothed to Poblath, although secretly because my
rank of sarkari (duchess) should prevent an alliance with a commoner.
That brink, Yuri, (this was a particularly choice epithet to apply to
Yuri, for “brink” is the name of the little hopping lizard that infests
the concrete roads)—that brink has been trying to make love to me,
though in a most unflattering way, in spite of my rank. His standing is
such that I dare not oppose him openly; but Poblath and I are friends of
yours, since you are an enemy of our enemy. You may tell us your story
without fear.”
So I told them in detail my entire adventures on this planet, from my
finding myself beside the silver lake on the day of the explosion in my
Boston laboratory, down to date, omitting of course the more intimate
passages between myself and the Princess Lilla. When I finished, I could
see that I was assured of their cooperation; not only because of our
common hatred of Prince Yuri, but also because of the merits of my own
case.
“The next step,” Poblath announced, “is for Bthuh to tell her mistress
that you are here. Once the princess knows this, we can be sure that she
will confide in Bthuh, and thus we can learn definitely where matters
stand.”
Then the two lovers withdrew, leaving me to spend a far happier night
than I had had any reason to expect.
The next day passed uneventfully. Evidently Yuri was having some
difficulty in getting his desired ruling from the king relative to my
antennae.
Nightfall again brought with it the dark and beautiful Bthuh, to her
tryst with the mango, Poblath. And Bthuh brought news of the princess,
who sent word to be of good cheer, for her father, the king, was to
inspect the Kuana jail on the morrow.
Just what good this would do me I could not see; but I took Lilla’s word
for it that this was good tidings.
Preparatory to the visit, I obtained materials from Poblath and shaved.
On the next day, the third day of my imprisonment, Kew XII, King of
Cupia, attended by his suite, inspected the Kuana jail, and in due
course was conducted to my cell. The king was a broad shouldered, narrow
hipped, athletic figure, looking like a well preserved earth-man of
about fifty years of age. His complexion was bronzed, his nose slightly
aquiline, and his hair iron gray, short and furry. His eyes were black
and piercing, and his mouth and jaw firm. Justice, but not mercy, sat
upon his kingly brow.
He and I studied each other calmly for a few moments. And then I lost my
calm, for in the royal suite stood my princess! I was about to cry out
to her when her expression stayed me; so instead I merely acknowledged
her presence with a bow, and said: “My life is, as ever, at the service
of the Princess Lilla.”
Whereat the king turned to his daughter and asked: “Who is this man who
seems to know you, and who claims the honor of being a servitor of the
royal house?”
But before she could answer, one of the suite stepped forward and
declared: “I know the prisoner, sire, and he is none other than Myles
Cabot, a great scientist from the planet Minos, recently feasted and
honored at the University of Formia. Surely his imprisonment must be a
mistake.”
My new defender was the Cupian professor who had stood at the head table
at the banquet in my honor my first night in Mooni.
“Then,” declared the king, “this must be the Cabot of whom Prince Yuri
spoke, urging us to consent that he be deprived of his artificial
antennae. A great scientist he must be to have designed such an
apparatus; but Yuri assures us that he is likewise a great criminal and
a dangerous enemy of the Kew dynasty, of which facts Yuri has promised
us full particulars shortly. Speak, man, and tell us your version of
your crimes.”
I hesitated, but the princess answered my unspoken thought: “My good
fellow, you need not fear to tell everything to my father, the king.”
So I told. I told the whole story of my life on Poros, omitting nothing
except my love for the Princess Lilla. It was nearly a whole parth in
the telling, and all those present hung on every word.
When I was done, the king, amazed, turned to his daughter and inquired:
“Can this be true? Is the crown prince such a scoundrel that he would
abduct the princess royal, and then falsely claim the credit for her
rescue?”
To which Lilla replied: “I know nothing of Prince Yuri’s complicity in
my abduction, though it seems to fit in with his other acts. But I do
know that he has claimed undeserved credit, which is an unforgivable
breach of the Cupian ethics of fair play.”
The king called to one of his courtiers: “Go, forthwith, and order the
prince to repair immediately to our quarters. We shall sift this matter
to the bottom. And”—turning on me—“if your story proves false, it will
go hard with you; but if your story proves to be true, it will go hard
with Prince Yuri.”
And he swept from my presence, followed by his suite. And last of all by
the Princess Lilla, who turned and smiled sweetly on me, just as she was
leaving.
No further word came from the palace all that day, but late that
afternoon Prince Yuri visited the jail with a number of his courtiers.
He was furiously angry. Poblath was with him, endeavoring to calm him
down and to divert him from seeing me, but Yuri was insistent.
As the door of my cell was flung open, the prince started to abuse me.
“How dare you malign a member of the ruling house?” he thundered. “How
dare you lie, and involve the Princess Lilla in your lies? I have a mind
to kill you on the spot, and thus rid the planet of your foul presence.”
And he would have gone on if I had not had a sudden inspiration.
“Yuri,” said I, “you woofus, brink, mathlab! I’ll—get—your number!”
The effect was electrical. The prince’s face went white with rage. Then
he calmed, and a smile overspread his face.
“Pardon me, sir, but I’ll get yours,” he replied with a low bow.
Poblath interjected: “You poor fool, Cabot! Prince Yuri is the best
duelist in all Cupia.”
“‘A brink may hop once too often beneath the kerkool,’” I quoted. “But
come, I see that we do not rush at each other as they do in Formia. What
are supposed to be the formalities here?”
“You will learn soon enough,” Yuri growled, scowling ominously.
But Poblath more kindly explained: “Each of you chooses an attendant,
and then the attendants tie you together, and you kill with knives.”
This reminded me of Mark Twain’s “Gatling guns at fifteen paces.” I
chose Poblath, and Yuri chose one of his own suite. A peculiar harness
was then produced, consisting of a double belt. One half of this was
buckled around Yuri’s waist; but when they came to buckle me into the
other half, my radio apparatus, which was concealed beneath my toga,
furnished an obstacle, and so there was nothing for me to do but take it
off. This, of course, would render me entirely deaf during the fight,
which fact might prove somewhat disadvantageous.
But before they took away my hearing they explained fully to me just how
the duel would be conducted. And I cautioned Poblath to keep a firm hold
of my apparatus and not let it get into the hands of any of Yuri’s
henchmen even for an instant.
“Otherwise,” I said, “the ancient law might easily become violated.”
Then I shed my antennae, and stood once more, an earth-man, ready to
battle for my existence against the inhabitants of Poros.
We were belted together, face to face, waist touching waist. Each of us
held a short sharp dagger in his left hand—Cupians being a left-handed
race—while the right hand of each of us seized the left wrist of his
opponent. The idea was for me to try and stab Yuri to death before he
could stab me, and _vice versa_.
Yuri had the advantage on the offensive, for he held his dagger in his
strong hand, whereas I held mine in my weak. But conversely, I had the
advantage on the defensive, for it was my strongest hand which warded
him off.
No spoken signal could be given, because of my receiving set being off.
So Poblath held up his hand and both of us watched it. Then when he let
it fall we started to wrestle.
Yuri might be the most perfect physical specimen in all Cupia, but I was
from a planet where the greater attraction of gravity necessitated a
greater strength on the average. However, I soon perceived that these
Porovian duels are not to be won by strength alone. There were tricks
and feints by which one’s opponent could be tired out. And I was a mere
novice, while Yuri was regarded as the most expert duelist on all Poros.
We tumbled and rolled about the floor, with first his knife and then
mine near its mark. At last we both struggled to our feet again and
swayed back and forth for a moment.
And then, gradually, Yuri’s dagger began to descend. Strain as I would,
I could not stay its slow and steady progress toward my heart. A gleam
of exultation filled the eye of my opponent. The point of his knife
pricked my breast, and began to enter. In a few seconds it would be over
and I should fall a victim to an alien race.
A strange train of ideas ran through my affrighted mind: “Alien race.
Japanese. Jiujitsu. The very thing! The ulnar nerve!”
Suddenly shifting my grip on his wrist, I forced my thumb into the
sensitive spot; and instantly his knife, about to pierce my heart,
dropped instead from his nerveless fingers and clattered harmlessly to
the floor.
And now what was the etiquette of the situation?
I turned my glance from Yuri’s eyes to those of Poblath and saw the
latter frantically motioning me to kill. To kill! Nothing would give me
greater pleasure.
But as I returned to the task, I noted the Princess Lilla standing in
the crowd, with a look of terror on her face. Her appealing eyes showed
that she was speaking to me, probably urging me to spare the prince.
So she cared for the scoundrel after all!
In disgust, I threw my own knife into a corner, and signaled to Poblath
to remove the belts. He did so, reproachfully, and then handed me my
receiving set.
Something prompted me to put it on in haste, and it is well that I did
so, for as I snapped the ear phones in place, I heard Yuri shout:
“Quick, two of you cover Cabot and the mango.”
Instantly each of us was forced to the wall with a sharp broadsword at
our breast; while Yuri seized the princess, and surrounded by the rest
of his suite, made a hasty exit from the cell room.
_13_
kidnaped
As Yuri surrounded by his bodyguard, dragged Princess Lilla from the
room, I had an inspiration; I remembered the superstitious legend about
me, which prevailed among the farmer ants of Formia.
“Halt!” I shouted. “My electrical antennae can kill as well as radiate
speech. Let no man move a foot, if he would escape the lightnings of
heaven, which I have power to loose upon you.”
The whole party stopped dead in their tracks and watched me, fascinated.
“Drop your points!” I ordered the two who guarded Poblath and me.
“Quick, before I blast you!”
They obeyed, and I walked fearlessly across the room.
“Let one man stir, and you all die,” I continued as I pushed between the
guards and wrenched the princess from her cousin’s nerveless arms. “Now,
out of here, all of you!”
In sheer relief, like men awakened from a trance, they bolted through
the door.
“Fine work,” Poblath remarked, himself greatly relieved, “but you should
have detained them all as prisoners.”
“Good riddance of bad rubbish,” I replied, “and besides, who knows how
soon one of them might have moved, and _not_ have been blasted, and thus
have spoiled my entire bluff?”
The princess clung to my arms. Then, raising her eyes to mine with a
smile, she said: “Again, you have saved me, Myles Cabot, and again I am
yours.”
“And I am always yours, my princess,” I replied.
She stamped her foot. Then said sadly: “Ever you remind me that I am a
princess. And as a princess I must demand more respect from you, Myles
Cabot.”
Gently I released her, and she lingeringly departed, leaving me alone
with Poblath. I felt let down and futile, the victim of an anticlimax.
What next?
And then ensued a period of waiting. Days passed, and I still remained
an inmate of the Kuana jail. No word from Princess Lilla. No word from
King Kew. No word of Prince Yuri, although rumor had it that he had fled
into Formia, fearing the wrath of the king.
I heard that a group of the younger politicians in the popular assembly,
headed by Prince Toron, had suggested to the king that he demand an
apology from Queen Formis for the first abduction of the princess, and
that he demand extradition of Yuri on the charge of attempting the
second.
But King Kew was in a ticklish position, being the ruler of a subject
race, and holding his position merely by grace of Formis, whom he hated,
as she well knew. If he were to present any such demand as this, the
least that he could expect would be an immediate counterdemand for my
surrender. Formis might demand his abdication in favor of Yuri. Even war
might result, which the Cupians were unarmed to resist. This would mean
tons of explosives dropped upon Kuana from Formian airplanes, thousands
of Cupians ground between fierce mandibles, and then another treaty more
degrading even than that of Mooni.
So King Kew resorted to diplomacy, rather than to ultimatums; and
finally reached a tacit understanding, whereby Queen Formis disclaimed
responsibility for the kidnaping and made a gift to the Princess Lilla,
and whereby Prince Yuri was permitted to remain undisturbed in Formia,
and I in Cupia.
Upon the consummation of the agreement between the two countries, I was
let out of prison and conducted to the royal palace, where I was
received in honor by the king and princess. The palace was one of the
monumental white buildings on the brow of the hill around which the city
of Kuana is built, the rest of the group being the university.
Lilla greeted me cordially as an old friend; but of course in the
presence of the king neither of us dared show any stronger sentiments.
King Kew patted me warmly on the cheek.
“Well done, Myles Cabot!” he declared. “We welcome to Kuana the
scientist of Minos. Formis, by her treachery, has lost your great
abilities, and Cupia is the gainer thereby. The old hag may gnash her
mandibles in vain, but—”
“Father, father,” the princess interjected remonstratingly, “do be
careful! Remember that you occupy your throne merely by the grace of the
conquerors.”
“And by the disgrace of my ancestors,” he added grimacing.
“But father,” she continued, “‘walls have antennae.’ Even now, word of
your utterances may be on the way to the Imperial City.” And she laid,
her golden curly head beguilingly on his broad shoulder.
Somewhat mollified, the king murmured, “I know. I know. And I must be
careful. But the enslavement of my people irks me, even though I spring
from a line of eleven servile kings. Would that there were some way of
striking off the yoke and ridding the face of Poros of these beasts with
human minds and woofus hearts!”
“Spoken like a king!” I cried. “Know then, King Kew and Princess Lilla,
that if ever such a day comes, Myles Cabot can be counted on to fight in
the vanguard of the army of liberation.”
“Brave words,” Lilla replied in a subdued tone, “but foolish as well. We
are only brinks; Formis is a woofus, and it is futile to struggle
against fate.”
She sighed.
Kew sat down heavily on his throne and put his head in his hands. I
considered it tactful to withdraw.
Quarters were found for me near by the palace and the Ministry of Work
assigned me, for my two parths a day, to the machine shop of the
Department of Mechanics at the University. Tickets were issued to me as
an advance on my pay, and this enabled me to make many necessary
purchases from the government shops, to replace the articles borrowed
during my incarceration in the mangool, and to buy presents for Poblath
and his fiancee. Among my purchases was the most elaborate and expensive
silk toga which I could obtain in the city, so as to enhance my standing
and dignity at court functions.
A few days after my release the king honored me with an invitation to
dinner with him and the princess alone; and this was followed, within a
few days, by a banquet to some of the leading nobles—sarkars and
barsarkars—and professors of the University—babbuhs.
On this latter occasion I met the Cupian professor who had stood at the
head table at the banquet at Mooni, and who had later identified and
befriended me at the Kuana jail. He was Hah Babbuh, Professor of
Mechanics, head of the department to which I was attached.
He now sat at my right, and we speedily became great friends, a fact
which was shortly to play an important part in my life and in the
history of the whole planet.
It was on his recommendation that I had been assigned to his department
by the Minister of Work.
Time sped rapidly during the succeeding days. My duties, which consisted
in machine design, were interesting, though a bit out of my line. Of the
twelve parths which make up a Porovian day, about four were required for
sleep, and only two for work, thus leaving six, the equivalent of nearly
twelve earth hours, for meals and recreation.
Recreation is the chief vocation of Cupia, and is conducted under the
direction of the Minister of Play, who is the most important member of
the king’s cabinet.
I was duly assigned to a “hundred” (_i.e._ athletic club) consisting of
one hundred and forty-seven members, under the leadership of an elective
pootah, assisted by two bar-pootahs. The hundreds are grouped together
by twelves, into thousands, each led by an elective eklat; and so the
grouping continues on the analogy of the defunct armies of the Cupian
nations which existed prior to the great war of the Formian conquest. As
I have already intimated, a similar organization obtains in the imperial
air navy of the ant-men.
The games are mostly athletic in their nature, consisting in running,
jumping, throwing stones at a mark, strap-dueling with blunt knives
dipped in pitch, wrestling _et cetera_. Sons normally enter their
father’s hundred as soon as there is a vacancy, and wives and daughters
are organized into auxiliary hundreds. Teams, representing each hundred,
compete annually within their thousand, the winning teams compete within
their regiment, and so on up. Badges are awarded to the final winners,
and a special prize to the hundred whose members capture the most
badges. Then there is competitive marching in complicated evolutions in
squads of twelve, conducted by each hundred as a whole.
This organized recreation is entirely optional, except as to the
marching, which in my hundred occurred only twice a sangth, _i.e._,
every sixty days; so I had plenty of time to spend as I saw fit. I made
frequent visits to the Department of Electricity, and became quite
intimate with its professor, Oya Buh.