Hekki's Proposal
When Shelby reached his apartment, he immediately donned his laboratory
smock and set to work. But he had scarcely finished mounting a tiny coil
of wire within the hand-grip of his weapon, when the view-phone bell
rang insistently.
The inventor pulled off his smock and threw it over the materials on his
work bench, so that the person at the other end of the view-phone
connection, whoever it was, would not be able to see them. Then he
snapped the television and audio switches. The mists in the view-plate
cleared, and there before him, as real as though he were actually in the
room, sat Hekalu Selba. The Martian's eyes gleamed with suppressed
excitement.
"Mr. Shelby," he was saying, "it may seem strange that I should be
calling you so soon, but I have something simply colossal to talk over
with you. You must come up to my place immediately! I realize that you
may be very busy, but this _is_ important!" And he added, "It's nothing
to discuss over the view-phone. Will you come?--please!"
Shelby was about to make a cold reply, but he checked himself. An
intense curiosity gripped him.
"All right, Akar Hekalu," he said. "I'll be there." The switches
clicked.
Hastily Austin changed to his street clothes, and then gathered together
the material for his weapon and placed them in the wall safe. Only one
thing he selected from the jumble of apparatus--a tiny pinkish crystal,
without which it was impossible to produce the Atomic Ray. This he
secreted in a hollow button on his sleeve.
For a long moment he stared at his automatic, which lay on his work
bench. "Better take you along," he muttered at length, "--may need you."
A wizened black-clad man whom Shelby surmised was the slave Alka, met
him at the entrance on the landing platform of a quaint Martian tower
atop a huge apartment building, and ushered him into an elevator. He was
whisked rapidly downward, and emerged into the central light-well which
pierced the structure from top to bottom. The barbaric tapestries upon
the walls of this tall cylindrical chamber, the tiling of the floor,
which consisted of squares and circles and spear points of various
colored stone, fitted artfully together, giving an effect of pleasant
disorder. And most of all, the smell of strange incense in the air, told
Shelby that he had dropped into a little bit of old Pagar or Mars.
Evidently the Prince of Selba was master of the entire tower, which, in
itself, was by no means small.
Alka led the way down a short passage, and admitted the Earthman to a
large sumptuously furnished room, one end of which was softly
illuminated by a quaintly beautiful floor lamp. The farther end of the
room was in complete darkness. The Pagarian architects had made it
imitate the interior of a natural cavern, for where the light approached
the gloom, two glassy stalactites gleamed with a scintillant elfin
light.
Shelby had but a moment to take note of his surroundings--the dark
hangings woven with silver threads, the embossed shield and spear of an
ancient Martian warrior mounted on the wall--before Hekalu entered. The
young man saw at once that the noble had lost his air of bored languor
which he had noticed about him at the time of their first meeting. His
eyes flashed with excitement and his movements were quick and cat-like.
"I see that you have come quickly, Mr. Shelby," said the Martian, "and I
am glad. Won't you sit down?"
With scarcely a pause he continued: "I have great wealth, my friend, and
while your means do not seem to be small, I believe that it would be
very convenient to you to have them supplemented. Suppose I gave you
say, ten times as many jewels as are in the tray over on that stand?"
Shelby looked in the direction the Martian indicated. He saw a flat
shallow container of considerable size. At its center squatted a
repulsive thing about eight inches high, carved from a clear crystalline
substance from which there flashed countless points of icy, wicked
fire--a huge diamond!
Heaped around it were hundreds of magnificent red _tabalti_, most prized
of all gems. An expert appraiser had recently told Shelby that in two
worlds only thirteen of them were known to exist. And now he was being
offered all these stones by one who hinted that he was willing to give
him ten times as many--an utterly staggering fortune!
Hekalu's words fairly dumbfounded Shelby, but they grated upon his sense
of pride as well. Nevertheless, his face gave no hint of what passed
through his mind. An angry reply, he decided, was out of place.
"Naturally, Akar Hekalu, you want something in return for your amazing
generosity," he said coolly. "Of course, I could not accept your offer
under any other circumstances."
The Martian nodded. "I have it from a reliable source, Mr. Shelby, that
you are the inventor of a terrible weapon--an atomic ray which might be
dangerous in the hands of unworthy persons. Turn the weapon over to me
as well as all information concerning its operation and construction,
and promise to say not a word more about the weapon to anyone, and I
will give you the jewels at once."
A flash of surprise passed across Shelby's face but he quickly masked
it. So this was it! But how was it that the noble had learned of his
invention? Could it be that Janice Darell was playing a double
hand?--his Jan. He dismissed the idea as preposterous and utterly
disloyal.
* * * * *
The Earthman rose to his feet and addressed the Martian coldly. "If I
have such a device I believe that I can place it in better hands than
yours."
Hekalu Selba's face gave no hint of anger; in fact he seemed at the
point of laughing. "You have done as I expected you would. Your refusal
shows me how patriotic you are and gratifies me very much, Mr. Shelby,"
he said blandly. "You are as a man of Earth should be. However, there is
another side to the question. I have certain plans and to have you at
large might endanger their fulfillment. Therefore I must ask you to
accompany me on a little trip. That weapon of yours will be well taken
care of. Now, kindly raise your hands high above your head." The Martian
was pointing a bejeweled automatic straight at the chest of his visitor.
"You are being covered from two other points in this room so try not to
cause any misunderstanding," he added.
Shelby saw the wisdom of obeying the order for he felt quite certain
that Hekalu Selba and his minions would not hesitate to shoot him down.
What a colossal idiot he had been! He had sensed a trap when the noble
had called him over the view-phone and yet he had taken no sensible
precautions!
Hekki was searching him now. His long fingers were moving deftly from
pocket to pocket. They closed upon his automatic and drew it forth.
"Ah," the Martian breathed, "it's as I thought. You have brought a
souvenir. A most worthy precaution. And, now that you are no longer in a
position to cause any trouble," he continued sneeringly, "I may as well
tell you about my ambition--Oh, it is simple enough; men have thought of
it before but none had the nerve or ability to put it over. Briefly it
is this--to become Master of both Earth and Mars! My friends are waiting
for me out there beyond the Red Planet--waiting for their commander. And
there is another little hope--there is a certain beautiful flower of
your race--" Here he stopped to allow his captive to imagine the rest.
A hard light came into Austin Shelby's eyes. It was the only outward
indication of the sudden tornado of emotions and thoughts that swirled
in his mind. This man sought to enforce his will upon the planets! The
question of whether he was capable of realizing this tremendous dream or
not, the Earthman did not pause to debate.
Fifty years before, Saranov had attempted it, and as a result a score of
great cities became shambles. Certainly the present foe of mankind was
more powerful than Saranov. The monstrous associate of Hekalu and the
flitting specks of light far beyond Mars seemed to bear out the
nobleman's boast. And if he somehow got possession of the Atomic Ray!
And Jan--What was he going to do to Jan! Certainly it was she to whom he
had referred! It was this last idea which hammered on Shelby's brain
hardest of all. A little fiend within him seemed to shriek. "Escape!
Send your weapon to the War Office! Kill Selba if you can, for
everything is at stake!" Escape, yes, but how?
"Place your wrists together behind your back now," Hekalu was saying. "I
have a pair of magnificent manacles--careful. Do not make an abrupt
movement."
A crazy idea had come into the Earthman's mind. He did not expect his
plan to work but it was all he could do. With an air of one resigned to
his fate, he obeyed the order. He felt the Martian fumbling with the
manacles. He was evidently using only one hand. The other presumably
still held the automatic leveled at Shelby's back. But it was useless to
think of such things.
A slim finger touched the young engineer's wrist. He caught it, twisted
it back at the same time, then, summoning all the quickness and force he
could muster, he ducked low and hurled himself backward straight into
the Martian. There was a loud report. A hot pain seared into the fleshy
folds beneath Austin's left shoulder blade. Those hidden in the darkness
at the farther end of the room did not dare to fire for fear of injuring
their master. Now Shelby was grappling with Hekalu. He gripped the hand
that held the automatic.
Two more reports--ineffective, and then the two fell clawing and in a
heap on the floor. The shaded lamp was upset and its illumination globes
were broken. There was darkness. Shelby heard the shuffle of running
feet coming across the marble pavement of the chamber. Help for Hekalu!
He'd have to hurry. But the Martian noble, racially much frailer than
the people of Earth, was no match for the athletic Shelby. In a moment
he was pinned, unable to move. The Earthman tore his weapon from him and
thrust its muzzle against his recent opponent's chest. Before he fired
he saw the Martian's bold smile; whatever failings Hekalu Selba had,
cowardice was not among them.
On the heels of the gun's report Shelby darted from the room and down
the short hallway which led back to the central light-well of the Selba
establishment. If he could only somehow reach his plane! He gripped the
doorknob and shoved fiercely, but the stout metal panels were immovable.
He might have known that the outer door would be locked! Oh, what an
unutterable ass he had been!
Now what? A hoarse cry of triumph caused him to turn. Alka was racing
toward him with leveled pistol. A spray of projectiles spread toward
Shelby but the slave's aim was bad and none of them took effect. A split
second later Alka pitched to the floor with a bullet through his brain.
* * * * *
But there was another to be reckoned with--one who waddled along rapidly
on short powerful legs. Its arms were long and black and more powerfully
muscled than a gorilla's. One hand brandished a metal knob-stick, and
the other, a long-barreled pistol of Martian design. Silvery armor set
with jewels that glittered wickedly in the dim light of the hallway
crossed the creature's breast. Its head was bulbous, and its face, set
deep in plates of shining black chitin-like armor, consisted only of two
enormous eyes and a lipless mouth. No nose at all! The horror Shelby had
seen on the liner!
The Earthman fired at the monster. The first bullet clinked harmlessly
on his opponent's breast-plate. The second thudded full force upon its
skull, but apparently the hard smooth skin of the creature was too tough
to allow projectiles hurled from a pistol to penetrate it for it did no
real damage--only infuriated the monster. Black hard lids dropped
protectingly over its eyes, and its mouth worked convulsively. It
quickened its pace and brought its own pistol into play.
Shelby had made a hasty survey of the hall and had noted the stairway
beside the door he had tried to open. He darted up this, ducking low
behind the stone railing to avoid his weird pursuer's bullets. Perhaps
in the chambers above he could find a means of escape. He was leaving a
trail of blood on the marble steps, and his wound pained him terribly.
He felt sick and weak.
When he had reached the top of the stairs, the unknown horror was
already halfway up. It had returned its pistol to its holster.
Apparently it had been so maddened by Shelby's shots, that only tearing
its quarry to pieces could satisfy its lust for vengeance. And the thing
was gaining rapidly!
But the Earthman gritted his teeth and kept doggedly on. He fought back
the nauseous giddiness that was creeping upon him. He'd have to escape.
Oh God! There was too much at stake--the world and Jan--what was
happening to Jan? True, he had killed Selba, but certainly the Martian
had minions--men who could carry on without him. He could scarcely have
built up all his plans single-handed!
Four flights of steps Shelby and his pursuer ascended. Was there a way
of reaching the roof and the plane in this direction? And if there were,
could the Earthman reach it before the long arms of the thing so close
behind wrapped themselves about him? Such an event, Shelby knew could
not mean anything less than failure, and possibly immediate death. The
fiend behind did not cry out or order him to halt. In fact it made no
vocal sound at all. Not even its breathing, which should have been heavy
and labored, was audible. Only the hurried shuffle of its unshod feet.
Its silent relentlessness was nerve-wracking.
The engineer saw before him at the top of the stair a small doorway, and
beyond it a spiral runway leading upward. The light grillwork gate stood
invitingly open. Catching the grill with one hand as he rushed through
the door, Shelby sought to slam it shut and latch it. He almost had
succeeded, and then a huge hand closed upon the bars. One jerk, and a
quick grab with the other immense paw and the strange flight and pursuit
would be at an end.
But the jerk was delayed. Shelby fired his last round. It did the
monster little harm, even though the distance between the two was but
four feet. Nevertheless it caused the armored horror to leap back a
step, and the moment thus provided was sufficient.
As Shelby stumbled up the dark spiral he heard the thing below tearing
at the closed grill. He knew that it could not delay the thing for long.
He had just reached the trapdoor at the top of the long climb, when a
muffled ripping crash echoed up dimly from far beneath him. The gate was
down!
Feverishly he struggled with the heavy trap. Normally it would not have
been difficult for him to lift the rectangle of aluminum alloy; but
wounded as he was, forcing his numbing limbs to obey him required almost
super-human effort. When he had at last succeeded in hoisting it on its
hinges, he could again hear the soft padding of hurrying feet.
The engineer found himself in a large room, one wall of which was
curved, conforming to the outer contour of the cylindrical tower.
Scattered illumination globes gave a dim light to the place. The room
was evidently a storehouse for Hekalu's laboratory supplies. Complex
mechanisms stood about, evidently waiting to be installed. There were
hundreds of metal drums presumably containing chemicals. There were
bolts of heavy fabric and stacks of ingots neatly corded. Set in the
ceiling of the chamber were several circular windows through the heavy
glass of which bright stars shone. Directly above was the roof, and but
a few paces distant, the landing stage!
Escape seemed tantalizingly near, but with sinking heart, Shelby noted
that there was no easy means of ascent to the roof. He'd have to try to
smash one of those windows. But the monster hurrying up the spiral
claimed his immediate attention.
Deeply thankful for the peculiar eccentricities of Martian architecture,
he hurriedly proceeded to pile ingots on the closed trapdoor. Each of
these ingots weighed well over a hundred and fifty pounds. Fortunately
for the wounded Earthman, the distance he had to carry them was only a
few feet.