_Ianito_
Quickly stripping the protecting cloak from her body, the green-bronze
one held the struggling girl gingerly but with a grip of iron. His eyes
bulged from their sockets, and the other guard staggered backward with
hands outstretched as if to ward off an evil spell that might be cast
by this supernatural visitant.
Blaine thrust his arm through the folds of his coat, ray pistol in
hand. A crazy laugh forced itself to his lips at sight of the detached
member, stretched there, tensed, drifting in mid-air. The pistol
prodded Ulana's captor viciously.
"Hands off of her!" the voice behind the lone arm was snarling. "Hands
off, or I fire!"
The girl slipped to the floor in a heap as the amazed guard loosed his
grip. And, in the same instant, the blue flame spurted. He had not
intended to press the release; it was useless anyway to battle the
entire outfit. But the blood lust was upon him and a savage joy in the
destruction of this beast who had dared lay hands on Ulana impelled him
to turn on the other. Blindly he swung, clubbing the pistol and beating
in the ghastly face that wobbled there upon the spineless,
superstition-bound body.
Others were coming then, hundreds of them it seemed. The pale face of
Dantor appeared for an instant in the background, through the red haze
that was blinding him. He only knew he was fighting desperately,
viciously, and against impossible odds. The satisfying crunch of his
left fist against a leering green-bronze face was followed by an
excruciating pain as one of his knuckles was driven back. Hardly
knowing he had pressed the release of the ray, he was mildly astonished
to see that two of the guards were enveloped in the blue vapor.
Scintillant tiny sunbursts within the blue. Two less of those devils!
His pistol was empty and he flung it into a grinning face; he saw the
blood spurt and the face change shape, crushed beyond human
resemblance.
He was down then, gasping for breath against the floor plates. The
weight upon him was enormous; crushing. If only they'd quit squirming
so ... and pounding ... reminded him of his old football days ... some
scrimmage!
Abruptly came the blankness of insensibility.
* * * * *
Dimly at first, in the painful throbbings of returning consciousness,
Blaine knew he was in one of the Llott workshops where machines hummed
and pounded and where many operatives were busily engaged. A cool hand
stroked his aching brow and he opened his eyes. Ulana! They had spared
her. Alert on the instant, he was acutely aware of the babbling of
voices close at hand. Ianito was there, at the base of the huge
telescope, talking with Dantor, his voice raised excitedly. The
monorail crew stood by, and he noted with grim satisfaction that
several of them were as badly damaged as he could wish.
His gaze returned to the sweet face that bent so near. Weakly he drew
the golden head to his breast; held it there a moment, thinking,
hoping, planning. Then he sat up on the edge of the low couch on which
he had been placed, regarding her anxiously. Evidently they had not
harmed her--as yet.
Ianito had dismissed the green-bronze ones and was approaching the
couch. Dantor was with him, lagging a little and pressing a finger to
his lips; shaking his head gravely to warn them. They must not speak of
the plans made in the Tritu Anu; must not talk.
The Dictator was regarding them now with hard eyes. But it seemed
almost that something of admiration or respect, something of human-like
emotion was in his cold stare.
"Hah!" he grunted, at last. "These two are in love, Dantor. It is as
you explained. It is good, and fits in with my plans to a nicety. I
shall spare the life of the Earth man on account of his knowledge of
the inner planets; I can use him later. The girl I shall spare for a
different reason, and that fits in with my plans as well."
* * * * *
What did he mean by that last crack, the grinning devil? A sinister
intent was there, behind his smooth talk. Blaine half rose from his
seat in quick anger, but the girl's gentle touch on his arm restrained
him. She depended on him now and he'd have to go easy until the proper
time came.
"Impetuous, aren't they?" Ianito was saying, "these Earth men. A
characteristic that must get them into much trouble, even in their own
world."
Laughing at him, this hell-hound! Blaine gritted his teeth.
The Dictator addressed him directly. "You are a fortunate young man,"
he drawled sarcastically. "You have slain several of my trusted
retainers and by so doing have forfeited your right to life. But Ianito
is forgiving. Mechanized, you will be of value to me when the great day
comes. And it pleases me that you are so deeply attached to the Rulan
maiden; it pleases me greatly."
"Why?" Blaine snapped, a great rage consuming him. Only the pressure of
Ulana's fingers held him back. He would have to control his temper or
he'd make a mess of things.
"Because, my dear Carson, it will so displease the Zara."
With this cryptic remark he turned on his heel and left them. A number
of his technical experts awaited him at the eyepiece of the great
telescope.
Dantor whispered swiftly before following him, "Keep up your courage,
Carson. A way may yet be found."
The group by the telescope was an excited one. Something had occurred
which must be of great moment. It came to Blaine in a flash that the
reverberations of the copper shell of Antrid had ceased. The
rocket-tube was silent.
"I don't know why we shouldn't be in on this," he said to the girl.
"Let's go over there and see what it's all about."
* * * * *
One of the astronomers was reporting to Ianito, referring to a sheet of
calculations he held in nervous fingers. "Our orbital velocity has
increased greatly," he was saying, "and the new path lies at an average
distance of eighty-three erds from the mother planet. According to my
figures it will require six more charges to free us from her pull and
another to redirect us toward our destination."
Eighty-three erds! Practically a million Earth miles. Already they had
swung out to a new orbit between those of Ganymede and Callisto. And
what of the effect on the other satellites? Blaine listened carefully
as the astronomer continued.
"Perturbations in the movements of the other bodies in our own system
are marked, and, in the case of the first satellite, have proved
disastrous. It has commenced its inward journey and soon will have
fallen into the gaseous envelope of the mother body. But this need
occasion us no concern; it is small and there will be stabilization of
the others after the second charge is fired."
Colossal conceit! What amazing ignorance or oversight of natural laws!
These Llott scientists could see no farther than their snub noses, or
at least no farther than the satellite system of Jupiter. And Ianito
was complimenting the astronomer on his good work!
The group broke up now and the Dictator turned to the controls of his
crystal sphere. Blaine and Ulana caught the view of the underground
laboratory at the base of the great rocket-tube.
All was as it had been when they first saw this chamber. The breech of
the huge cannon had cooled and its massive block was open. Tommy was
there, fishing the radium capsule from the powdery residue in order
that it might be used in exciting the next charge. A mechanical
precision marked his every motion.
"It is good," Ianito grunted, flicking a lever that cut off the view.
"We are progressing nicely, thanks to the generosity of the Earth
beings in providing this k-metal."
His sarcastic grin was infuriating. Dantor cast a warning look in the
Earth man's direction. It wouldn't do to lock horns with this
self-satisfied despot; at any rate, not now. Blaine's mien was
expressionless as he faced him.
* * * * *
The view in the crystal was another familiar one when Ianito made a
quick readjustment: the throne room in the palace of the Zara! The
Dictator snorted when he saw that Clyone was reclining lazily on her
golden couch, submitting graciously to the ministrations of her
handmaidens.
"Faithless creature!" he snarled. "Harlot! Parricide! But at last
Ianito will have his revenge."
The hate in his voice and in those terrible glass-hard eyes was
devastating in its intensity: implacable, relentless. Yet Blaine could
not down the exultant feeling that came to him when he saw that this
monster could suffer, too.
"What's the matter?" he sneered. "Did she throw you down?" He could
have bitten off his tongue as he spoke. Ulana gasped.
And if Ianito had been in a rage before he was a madman now. Despite
his contempt of the misshapen creature, Blaine quailed before the
murderous glare that answered his rash words. But the Dictator was
master of himself, at that; his lips tightened in a thin line and he
held his peace. He actually smiled after a moment, the devil, a smile,
though, of evil triumph. He turned once more to the crystal and
switched on the sound mechanism.
"Clyone," he called, in velvety voice; "it is Ianito."
She looked up, startled, her chalky face gone whiter still. Her jeweled
fingers fluttered to the smooth throat.
"I hear you," she replied shakily. "What do you wish of me."
"Nothing much--this time. I have visitors who request an audience with
you, oh Clyone. Can you see them at once?"
"Who--who are they?" Her eyes widened at his insinuating tone.
"An Earth man--Carson--and the Rulan maiden who is to become his mate."
Ianito chuckled evilly as he watched her expression.
"Carson?" she whispered, her wild eyes softening, "He--he lives?" Black
hatred replaced the wondering joy that had glowed in her face. She was
thinking of the statement regarding the Rulan maiden. "Why, yes," she
snapped, suddenly very much alert; "I can see them. Send them
immediately."
The Dictator chortled as he switched off the power. Dantor paled and
looked away. So this was his scheme! He was sending Ulana to certain
death at the hands of the leopard woman. Blaine bit his lips until they
bled. If only he had one of their ray pistols again. If he had--
* * * * *
Ianito was at his side, whispering. But he couldn't see him; the devil
had donned one of Dantor's invisible cloaks. Something hard pressed
deep into his ribs.
"I shall be with you," the Dictator told him, "but she will not know.
It is necessary, of course, that I watch over you in order that your
deportment be suitable to the occasion. The death ray of Antrid is
ready in my hands. Proceed, you and the Rulan maid, and see to it that
you give her every attention while in the Zara's presence."
Dantor interposed an objection, "But, Ianito, you promised to spare
them. I learned to love these two and want no harm to come their way."
"I keep my promise, oh Dantor. Ianito will not harm them."
"But the Zara."
"What Clyone does is none of my concern. Silence, Dantor; I command it!
You will remain here." The voice of the Dictator cut like a knife.
The old Rulan scientist bowed his head and turned away. Good old
Dantor! He'd done all in his power to help them. This was the end; not
a question of doubt. Blaine Carson drew the Rulan maiden fiercely to
him. This Clyone might meet some opposition if she attempted to wreak
her spite on Ulana; she _would_ meet it. There was no need for Ianito
to ask that he pay every attention to the lovely, frightened girl who
clung to him so trustingly.
They were in the lift then, dropping swiftly into the palace beneath
the great dome that topped Antrid.
"This Clyone," Ulana whispered, "she has great power of enticement, my
Carson. I fear for your loss--to me. She will take you from me, and I
shall be alone--or dead. Death would be the better."
"Never!" said Blaine huskily. "Never, my dear. She has no power over
me; nor will I permit her to bring suffering to you."
Ianito laughed then, an ugly cackle that came out of the unseen.