With a heavy heart, almost despairing, Myles Cabot quit the courtyard
and returned to the banquet hall, where he noticed a letter pinned to
the side of the altar with a dagger. The dagger was encrusted with
blood, and bore the insignia of the family to which belonged Prince Yuri
and Prince Toron.
The note read: “This is what did the deed. I came too late.—Toron, King
of Cupia.”
“He might have had the delicacy to have left off his title,” thought
Cabot. “Why remind me that the baby’s death has made Toron the contender
for the throne?”
And yet Myles was glad to be reminded of it. If Toron had succeeded in
reaching the army alive, the Cupians still had time for a rallying
point.
Then a horrible suspicion began to insinuate itself into Cabot’s brain.
Yuri had assassinated Kew XII, to make himself king. Was this a family
trait? Had Toron killed the infant Kew XIII, to the same end? This
seemed more and more likely, as Cabot’s fevered brain dwelt upon the
possibility. But, if so, then what had become of Lilla?
Dismissing these speculations, Myles prepared to journey on again.
Luckily his belongings in the castle had been but little disturbed; and
so he was able to eat, shave, cut his hair—after a fashion—and fit
himself out with a fresh toga. Also he found a radio set, antennae,
false wings, a revolver and ammunition. These he wrapped in waterproof
cloth, along with the toga and some food; and, strapping the bundle to
his back, swam stealthily to the north shore of the lake, it still being
pitch black night.
Upon landing, he donned his apparatus, and crept up the bank and through
the bushes at its top. Now at last he had the advantage of being able to
hear both the movement and the radiated speech of his enemies, whereas
they could hear only radiated sounds, of which he was not making any.
Thus he easily eluded the noisy sentinels who were patrolling the lake,
and soon was far into the depths of the woods. But there he stopped. To
go on would undoubtedly mean traveling in a circle. It was safer where
he was. So crawling into the heart of a tartan bush, he gave himself up
to much needed sleep.
* * * * *
A crash and a roar awakened him. It was broad daylight. How long he had
slept could not be known, for all hours of the day are the same on
Poros, save only early morning and late evening.
Again the crash and the roar. Airships must be bombing the castle, in
which event all attention of the ant men was probably centered on the
island in the lake, and now was the psychological time for an escape.
Furthermore, by keeping the noise of the explosions always behind him,
Cabot could be sure of traveling ever northward without danger of
circling. So northward he pressed on, through the dense woods.
But his certainty that the Formians’ attention was directed to the lake,
proved to be his undoing, for he had scarcely gone half a stad, before
he stumbled almost into the arms of an ant man. It is hard to say which
of them was the more surprised. Cabot fired first, but missed. Then the
Formian fired and missed. Then both of them retreated precipitately.
Soon Myles heard his enemy radiating loudly for help. Other ants must
have been much nearer to him than the lake, for the S.O.S. was promptly
answered.
And now there was impressed upon the earth-man one serious difference
between his artificial radio-organs and the natural ones of the natives
of this planet. Formians and Cupians can not only vary the capacity of
their antennae—for tuning purposes—by waving them around, but also by
the same method can, to a certain extent, determine the direction from
which the incoming waves are arriving. But Cabot’s antennae, although
looking just like those of his people, were stationary. Being
artificial, they were without control-muscles at their base. He did his
tuning in by means of a variable condenser and a variocoupler on his
belt, and had no means for direction-finding. So now he was unable to
sense from which quarter came the radiations of the approaching enemy
reenforcements.
Taking a chance, however, he turned sharp to the right, and struck out
through the forest, in an easterly direction. Overhead the sky was
beginning to darken, and there was every sign of impending rain. But
Cabot did not mind this. What was a wetting compared with meeting the
ant men?
He heard no further calls from his enemies, and began to wonder if they
had not given up the pursuit. Accordingly he turned northward again, or
at least what he believed to be northward, for the bombing of Luno
Castle had stopped, and there was no longer anything to guide him.
Time and again he halted at the sight of some gnarled tree trunk which
more or less resembled a Formian. He went slowly and cautiously,
frequently stopping to listen and look about him, but not a sound nor a
radiation did he hear, not a sign of life did he see.
Reassured somewhat now, he was beginning to push on a little more
boldly, when he was startled as he saw an ant man standing motionless
beside a tree not far ahead. There could be no mistake about it this
time. This was no stump, nor was it a twisted branch; and, as if to
convince him, just then the Formian changed its position slightly. It
was holding a rifle, and was very evidently on guard, keeping a careful
watch of the woods about it.
Cabot had stopped short just as soon as he had caught a glimpse of the
ant man, and a moment’s observation convinced him that he himself had
not yet been seen. So with great caution he began to back away. If only
he could gain the shelter of a tartan bush close at hand, he would be
safe.
Cabot could not remove his gaze from the Formian before him; and, though
he kept moving away, every moment he was in an agony of fear lest the
other should turn and look in his direction. Of course Myles was armed.
A shot from his revolver would not be perceived by the antennae-sense
which takes the place of hearing among the native inhabitants of Poros.
But what he feared was that his enemy would radiate for help before the
fatal bullet could do its work. Accordingly it would pay to try to get
away by stealth.
He had taken several backward steps, and the Formian had not yet seen
him. He was beginning to hope that he could withdraw in safety now. He
could feel, rather than see, that he had almost gained the shelter he
was seeking, when suddenly the ant man turned about and looked straight
at him. The Formian was not more than two parastads away, and for a
moment his surprise was as great as that of Cabot had been.
But it lasted only for an instant, and then he raised his rifle to his
shoulder and fired. Quick as he was, however, Myles had been quicker,
and the moment he saw the movement on the part of the Formian, he
discharged his own revolver, and then turned and bounded into the
forest.
He heard the other’s bullet as it exploded in a tree near him, and also
the loud radiations of the ant man, mingled with the explosion of his
own bullet.
* * * * *
Cabot ran now at full speed, caring little in which direction he went,
intent on escape from the immediate danger which had confronted him.
Running swiftly though he was, he was able to hear the call of the
Formian answered. A radiation that seemed to be far away, replied; and
Cabot could not determine from which direction it came. He had no time,
however to stop and wait. His very life, and the destinies of a planet,
might depend upon his speed. So he ran swiftly on.
He was satisfied that he could outrun the ant man whom he had just
encountered, if in truth that one was in any condition to run, after
Cabot’s pot-shot at him; but the answer which had come to the S.O.S.
raised a new danger. Undoubtedly his enemies had not abandoned the
pursuit, and as one of them had been stationed in the woods, others
probably were likewise.
Cabot ran for about five paraparths before he stopped. Satisfied by now
that the Formian behind him could not overtake him, if indeed that
Formian were still alive, it was time for Myles to note where he was,
and in what direction he was running. Fortunately at that moment he
heard another explosion in the far distance to the right, presumably one
more bomb dropped on Luno Castle. Accordingly he turned sharp to the
left and started on again.
He had gone but a short distance, however, when his heart almost stood
still. Right before him was a Formian. The woods seemed to Cabot to be
full of Formians.
The other had seen him, too, but before the ant man could shoot, Myles
had dodged back among the trees and was fleeing in another direction. He
could hear the calls and responses of many of his enemies. They were
nearer now, and seemed to be on every side of him.
It was evident that they were stationed at intervals throughout the
forest, and were waiting patiently for him to appear. They must be
familiar with the region, and know just what they were doing.
Cabot was afraid. His fear was not a physical fear for his own safety as
such, but was born of a sober realization of what his life might mean to
the safety and happiness of the Princess Lilla, and to the cause of King
Toron. Cabot wanted to live to reach King Toron, and satisfy himself who
had killed baby Kew.
These thoughts were in the mind of the desperate man, as he dodged in
and out among the trees, and ran with all the speed which his sorely
tried body could command.
He did not know where to turn. The calls and replies of the ant men
seemed to rise on every side of him. But anything was better than
standing still and waiting for them to approach, and so in sheer
desperation he ran on and on.
The shouts ceased presently, and the silence of the woods returned.
Cabot was too well convinced that they had not abandoned the pursuit to
trust to that, however. But suddenly he stopped. What was that? A puff
of smoke was borne in on his face. Another and another followed, and as
he looked back into the forest, he could see that clouds of smoke were
beginning to appear. There was also an odor in the air, as of burning
leaves.
He knew the meaning of it at once, and his face became set. The ants had
set fire to the woods, and were trying to smoke or burn him out. So he
turned quickly, and ran like a hunted animal. Indeed, Cabot could recall
how he himself, in his boyhood days on earth, had considered it great
sport to “smoke out” some helpless woodchuck or fox. He had even done
the same thing with wild mathlabs on Poros. Now he realized how these
little creatures felt. But he did not waste any sympathy on himself in
his present predicament. He was thinking more of his country than of
himself.
Meanwhile he could see the smoke begin to pour in from other directions.
Plainly the Formians had set fire to the woods in many different spots,
and doubtless were lying in wait for him to rush out between these
places. They were planning either to force him out or burn him alive.
The frantic man ran desperately now, starting one way and now another,
only to be driven back each time by a cloud of smoke that would blow
full in his face and convince him that escape was not to be found in
that direction. Oh, if only the impending rain would come!
Soon he could see the flames as well as the smoke. There was a roar
which he could hear rising among the trees, for which the wind could not
account. The air was becoming warmer, and broken burning branches began
to fly over the treetops. The smoke was blinding and choking him now,
and met him full in the face in whatever direction he turned. He must do
something quickly, if he would cheat the enemy of their triumph.