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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..20750f1 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #62319 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62319) diff --git a/old/62319-h.zip b/old/62319-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8463498..0000000 --- a/old/62319-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/62319-h/62319-h.htm b/old/62319-h/62319-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 8d74ee9..0000000 --- a/old/62319-h/62319-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2382 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Cosmic Castaway, by Carl Jacobi. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -.ph1 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; } -.ph1 { font-size: medium; margin: .83em auto; } - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Cosmic Castaway, by Carl Jacobi - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Cosmic Castaway - -Author: Carl Jacobi - -Release Date: June 5, 2020 [EBook #62319] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COSMIC CASTAWAY *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="348" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>Cosmic Castaway</h1> - -<h2>By CARL JACOBI</h2> - -<p>Within a year Earth would be a vassal world,<br /> -with the Sirian invaders triumphant. Only<br /> -Standish, Earth's Defense Engineer, could<br /> -halt that last victorious onslaught—and<br /> -he was helpless, the lone survivor of a<br /> -prison ship wrecked in uncharted space.</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Planet Stories March 1943.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Standish came back to consciousness, a dull pain surging in his head -and a feeling of nausea in his midsection. The room about him was -strange: grey <i>arelium</i> walls, a single light burning above the iron -cot, and a low vibration that trembled the floor beneath his feet.</p> - -<p>For a time he lay there, fighting off a cloud of dizziness. Then he -groped unsteadily to his feet. As he did, the vibration ceased, and -far off he fancied he heard voices pitched in alarm. A bell clanged -hollowly several times.</p> - -<p>He recognized those sounds now, as his thoughts struggled to bridge the -gap in his brain and the memory of past events came rushing to him.</p> - -<p>He was on a Sirian prison ship!</p> - -<p>The silence grew upon him, and he stood there uncertainly, listening. -Something was wrong. There was no familiar drone of atomic motors, and -there should be....</p> - -<p>When the shock came, he was hurled completely across the room to the -far bulkhead. Yet it wasn't a severe shock. It was as if the ship -faltered suddenly and heeled over on her side.</p> - -<p>Above him, Standish saw induction and exhaust pipes, coated with -sulphur dioxide frost, writhe and twist like so many serpents. The -explosion that followed was deafening. The floor buckled upward under -the pressure. The door to the cabin was torn from its hinges, and a -sheet of flame and a column of smoke gushed inward.</p> - -<p>In an instant, Standish understood. The prison ship, well on its voyage -from Earth, had entered the danger zone, that part of space swarming -with planetoids and miniature planets. A sleepy pilot had failed to -make the proper gravitational allowances. They had struck!</p> - -<p>The ship was almost over on her beam ends now. It righted slowly, and -Standish fought his way into the outer passageway, every muscle tensed -for instant action.</p> - -<p>The corridor was empty. Gas and smoke searing his nostrils, the -Earthman made his way to the companion. Up he climbed. Emerging on the -second level, he stood rigid, stark horror gripping him.</p> - -<p>The cages were there. Tier after tier of them stretching into the -bowels of the space ship as far as the grey light permitted him to see. -In those cages, he knew, were men of his own race: Earth soldiers, -prisoners of war.</p> - -<p>But over each cage the heavy ceiling plates had been ripped free by the -force of the explosion, and where the imprisoned men had been, only -twisted bars and sheets of <i>arelium</i> steel were visible. The entire -level was a tomb of silence.</p> - -<p>Standish choked back a sob. His men all dead! Crushed like rats in a -trap.</p> - -<p>He crossed to the ladder leading to the third and main level, climbing -slowly.</p> - -<p>Reaching the crew deck, he rocked backward again with a cry of dismay. -Here, too, the fearful destruction was evident on all sides. Uniformed -Sirians lay dead in the scuppers. The entire bridge house was a mass of -fallen girders and broken metal.</p> - -<p>The officers' quarters had been crushed like an eggshell. Only the -steering cuddy and control room had been spared. But here, too, -Standish found death had not spared the occupants. A pintax bar, -ripped free from its rocker arms, had jammed itself like an exploded -cartridge into the pilot's skull. All in the control room had died of -fumes forced into the chamber when the motors backcharged through the -instrument pipes.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>From cabin to cabin Standish went from the living quarters of the crew -in the forecastle, to the ammunition chamber in the stern. Everywhere -he found destruction and death.</p> - -<p>And slowly the fact dawned upon him that he alone aboard was alive. -He had been spared because he had been imprisoned in the lower hull, -and that section of the ship had escaped damage. Slowly he sank onto a -settee and tried to reconstruct his thoughts.</p> - -<p>A few hours ago as defense engineer for Earth, he had generaled -a daring undercover attack against the Sirian's main base at San -Francisco. For ten years—since 3010—the war between Earth and -Sirius had been going on, with Earth the stage for all battles of -the conflict. The cause of the war was long forgotten. Earth people -only knew that the Sirians, greedy for more land, had successfully -vanquished Mars and Venus and were steadily closing in on terrestrial -territory.</p> - -<p>Already Australia and Asia had fallen. With every known device of -interplanetary warfare, the Sirians had captured district after -district, until the American continent alone remained untrampled by the -invaders.</p> - -<p>But Standish's story had begun a week before. Through an operative -in his vast espionage system, he had learned that the Sirians under -command of the ruthless Drum Faggard, were preparing for the "big push."</p> - -<p>With a dozen chosen companions disguised as Sirians, the Earth engineer -had successfully passed through the enemy lines. He had hoped to -capture Drum Faggard and a number of his officers-of-staff and race -with them back to the Earth's front line breastworks at Omaha. It was a -wild scheme; but Standish knew if Faggard were captured, the war would -collapse.</p> - -<p>The plan had failed. Counter-spies had warned the Sirians. The little -band of twelve had been permitted to penetrate deep into Sirian -territory, then had been overwhelmed. And after that—Standish's fists -clenched—he had been brought face to face with Drum Faggard.</p> - -<p>He was a renegade, this Sirian master of conquest. He had been born on -Earth of low parentage, but at the beginning of hostilities he had -wormed his way into the graces of the Sirians and by cunning and force -of will had risen to Chief of Command.</p> - -<p>The Sirians were a wafter-headed race with featureless faces and -short barrel-like bodies. Their legs were the same as those of the -men of Earth, but their arms possessed tumor-like swellings above the -wrists, secondary nerve centers. Faggard, a huge man with a gross face, -pig-like eyes and thin lips, had smiled sardonically when Standish was -brought before him.</p> - -<p>"So your little plan failed, eh?" he said, swallowing a glass of -Sirian whiskey and wiping his mouth with the flat of his hand. "Well, -Standish, you may as well realize it, you're quite in our power now, -and you'll be treated with no more consideration than the rest of the -prisoners, unless you answer a few questions."</p> - -<p>"What sort of questions?" Standish had demanded.</p> - -<p>Faggard smiled again. "Now that your connections with Earth have been -forever severed, it can be of little concern to you what happens to -that planet. What I want to know is this: How many anti-rocket guns has -Earth located at its Omaha base? What is the number of strato-cruisers -stationed at Powerville? How heavy are the reserves in the Electra City -sector?</p> - -<p>"Answer those question, Standish, and you will be virtually a free man. -You will be released on our colony planet of Pluto, with five hundred -<i>planetoles</i> in your pocket. That money will enable you to live a life -of ease for the rest of your days."</p> - -<p>For a moment Standish had stood there, face emotionless. Then like an -uncapped bottle spewing forth, he had given in to blind rage. He lunged -across the room, seized Faggard's thick throat and pounded his right -fist into the smirking lips. Twice he had struck before a guard had -rushed forward and pulled him off. Then something hard and heavy had -crashed down upon his skull, and he knew no more.</p> - -<p>He had awakened on this prison ship. But had not this accident occurred -he knew well enough the fate that would have been in store for him. All -prisoners captured by the Sirian army were transported back to Sirius -where they were put to work as slaves in the marsh fields, extracting -hydro-carbon gas for use in the food-distillation plants. It was said a -terrestrial man could live only one year there.</p> - -<p>Only one thing puzzled the Earthman. Why had he been given special -quarters on the prison ship instead of being placed in one of the cages -with the other prisoners? To that he could give no answer, and as the -ringing silence of space closed in on him, he got to his feet and made -his way slowly back to the control room.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">II</p> - -<p>Glass 5 showed that the forepeak and secondary chamber had been ripped -open. Glass 5 also showed that bulkhead doors there had automatically -closed. For the rest, excluding the motors, everything seemed in order.</p> - -<p>The oxygen suppliers were functioning smoothly on auxiliary batteries. -Likewise the heat units, one for each level, showed normal operation. -All lights were lit.</p> - -<p>Standish glanced out the port. Whatever the ship had struck, it was out -of his vision range now. Propelled by the forward surge of the dying -motors, the ship must have advanced a great distance since the fatal -crash.</p> - -<p>Now the ship was drifting. Drifting without steerageway.</p> - -<p>"Derelict," Standish said slowly. "It looks like I've got a one-way -ticket to eternity."</p> - -<p>He took the elevator down to the lower level again and made his way -along the grating to the engine room. Carefully he examined the six -ato-turbines with an experienced eye.</p> - -<p>Standish had grown up with atomic motors. He had served an -apprenticeship at his father's solar plant at Sun City, and he had -graduated from the New York School of Technology. As a boy of sixteen, -he had built his first minature atom smasher during vacation days.</p> - -<p>Now he moved along the narrow catwalk between the motors, touching a -wire here, an armature there. The two port engines, he found, were -wrecked completely. Likewise the two starboard. Two forward machines -remained, and of these he saw one had an inch-wide crack in its -combustion chamber. But the other....</p> - -<p>Standish drew in a breath of satisfaction. The last motor was disabled -but not beyond repair. Without further ado, he peeled off his coat, -seized a Stillson wrench and fell to work.</p> - -<p>It took him a long time, and the task drew his mind away from the -horror about him. With the patience of long experience, Standish made -his repairs. At length it was completed, and he paused with bated -breath while he pressed the starting button.</p> - -<p>The motor began, sluggishly at first, then faster and faster. Presently -it was droning evenly as if nothing had almost wrecked it earlier.</p> - -<p>"One motor isn't much," he told himself. "But it may be enough."</p> - -<p>For the third time he returned to the control room. There, triumph -met his gaze. The master indicator showed a definite forward movement -through space. The crippled ship was moving, though slowly.</p> - -<p>Standish turned his attention next to the visiscreens and emergency -radio with which the liner had kept in contact with Earth and Sirius. -Neither the transmitting nor the receiving sets showed any response -when he turned on the control switch. A glance back of the panels -showed shattered tubes and broken apparatus.</p> - -<p>He went out on the deck and climbed to the pilot cuddy. One look -through the three-directional glassite shield told a grim story. But it -was a full minute before the significance of it all probed into him.</p> - -<p>The view ahead was utterly unfamiliar. Strange stars and constellations -glowed in the void. Far off to his left was the white radiance of -a spiral nebula. To the right, the galaxies seemed to blend in a -bewildering array of light and matter, stretching on into infinitude.</p> - -<p>Standish's knowledge of cosmography was limited. He knew that straight -lines connecting Sirius with Procyon and Betelguese would constitute a -nearly equilateral triangle. He knew, too, that Betelguese, Sirius and -Regel—all of the first magnitude—formed a lozenge-shaped figure, with -Orion's belt in the center.</p> - -<p>But try as he would, he could locate none of these stellar landmarks.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Turning, he looked for the liner's log. With information as to the -ship's time of departure from Earth and an average calculation of her -speed, he might hope to chart his position.</p> - -<p>The log, however, had not been filled out. The Sirians apparently had -grown careless in their repeated trips through space.</p> - -<p>Standish's teeth came down hard on his pipe stem. He was lost! -Hopelessly lost! A solitary spark of life in a man-made projectile, -wandering the immensities of the Universe.</p> - -<p>Mechanically, the Earthman set the automatic directionscope for a -larger spot of light far ahead and threw in the massmeter which would -effectually warn him of any body within collision range in his path. -Had the liner pilot paid attention to that dial, he reflected, the -crash might have been avoided.</p> - -<p>Stars paraded, swung past. The Big Dipper flamed away, curiously -changed in outlines. Or was it the Big Dipper? Standish didn't know.</p> - -<p>Material thoughts supplanted cosmic ones then. There was work to be -done, ghoulish work which common decency demanded he perform. The dead -must be disposed of.</p> - -<p>It was a hard task, and he accomplished it by carrying the bodies of -the Sirian officers and crew to the baggage chamber in the stern and -casting them free through the airlock. On the second level which had -held the Earth prisoners the work was even more difficult. Heavy bars -and plates had to be lifted free. But at length Standish stood alone on -the ship.</p> - -<p>He recognized the gnawing sensation in his midsection then as hunger. -Finding the galley supplied with both fresh meats and vegetables as -well as food concentrates, he ate well. The food served to restore some -of his confidence.</p> - -<p>When he returned to the pilot cuddy, he saw that the bright spot for -which he had set the directionscope had enlarged to a great orange -globe that covered the entire glassite shield. Even as he watched, the -outlines of land and seas took form.</p> - -<p>The needle of the massmeter began to quiver spasmodically, but -Standish held to his course. It had occurred to him that this world -might possibly be inhabited and that he might obtain aid for his return -to Earth, or at least the proper directions.</p> - -<p>But as he drew closer, the land resolved itself into thick jungle and -smooth eroded mountain tops, barren of any building or structure. The -planet, on this hemisphere at least, was devoid of life.</p> - -<p>A bell clanged above the massmeter, warning him the ship was in the -danger zone. He seized the wheel and turned it hard over. At the same -time he moved the power switch to the last notch.</p> - -<p>The liner swung sluggishly. And then the thing Standish had feared -happened! The single motor buckled under the strain and ceased. Without -resistance, the ship swept full into the gravitational field of the -planet and plunged downward.</p> - -<p>Like a man in a dream Standish saw jungle rush up to meet him. An -instant later there was a terrific crash, and he felt himself hurled -into oblivion.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">III</p> - -<p>An eternity seemed to have passed before he opened his eyes. He was -conscious immediately of his left arm which was pinioned under a heavy -rock. He wrenched it free and staggered erect, looking about dazedly.</p> - -<p>His eyes opened in bewilderment. He lay on a shelf, a small escarpment -projecting from the side of a cliff. Far below him, smashed and broken -in two, amid jagged boulders, lay the prison ship. And sweeping on and -on to the horizon was a dense matted jungle.</p> - -<p>The trees resembled giant cat-tails. Without branches, the trunks -towered up a full three hundred feet to form a huge green protruberance -at the top. The rock of the cliff was neither igneous nor sedimentary. -Instead it was smooth and almost translucent, like glass.</p> - -<p>In the sky above, two suns blazed, one at the zenith, one a fiery ball -dipping over the horizon. The air was warm and humid, and Standish knew -the oxygen content must be almost the same as on Earth.</p> - -<p>Nature-formed rock slabs led in stair formation down the cliff. While -he stood there, slowly regaining his strength, the Earthman tried to -trace the path of the crashing liner. He saw where it had struck, -ripping open the entire side and casting him out. Then it had rolled -end over end down into the ravine.</p> - -<p>At length, Standish began his descent. The moment he swung his -body over the edge to hang by his hands, he gave an exclamation of -amazement. His body seemed to weigh nothing at all. This planet must -be of smaller size than Earth, and, therefore, the gravitational -attraction was less.</p> - -<p>On the ravine floor he looked about him warily. Titanic rock, smooth -and polished from erosion, littered the expanse but stopped at the -jungle edge. The trees were all the same, of equal height and girth. -They seemed to be arranged in corridors or galleries, the way between -them dark and shadow-filled. Standish knew he must exercise caution -until he could explore those depths.</p> - -<p>The significance of his plight now swept upon him. He was alone on an -alien planet. Even granting the Sirians would send out scouts to locate -their prison ship when it failed to arrive, the chances of his being -found were remote.</p> - -<p>Yet on the other hand, he alone had been spared death. And he had come -upon a world, one perhaps in millions, which had an atmosphere capable -of supporting human life.</p> - -<p>A sudden high-pitched drone broke the silence. Rising up from behind a -pile of boulders a hideous winged shape shot toward him!</p> - -<p>Half bird, half saurian, the thing's head was enormous with an inflated -cobra hood. Even as the creature closed in with incredible speed, -Standish wheeled and ran for the safety of the wrecked space ship.</p> - -<p>He reached it and wormed his way through a gaping rent in the hull. -The lizard-bird stopped short a few yards from the ship to stare -perplexedly. Then with its queer droning cry still sounding, it zoomed -into the air and flew out of sight.</p> - -<p>"<i>Holy Hell!</i>"</p> - -<p>Standish inhaled deeply. Dangers here were imminent. He must take -steps to protect himself at once.</p> - -<p>Although the liner lay on one side with the three entrances and -emergency airlock underneath, the hole through which he had entered -was the only opening. The hull bottom had been crushed by the great -impact. Yet the glassite ports and vision shield of the pilot cuddy -were unbroken.</p> - -<p>Standish crawled back along the passage to the officers' quarters. -On the well of one of the cabins he found two genithode pistols and -a portable ray gun. He realized then that his first move toward self -preservation lay in making the space ship livable and impregnable to -outside attack.</p> - -<p>He accomplished the latter by removing two bulkhead doors and jamming -them across the opening in the hull. The last door he arranged on a -swivel so that it could be locked from either side. Then, exhausted by -the hours of activity, he fell asleep.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>When he awoke and went outside, he saw that the two suns had exactly -altered their position. The larger was at the zenith now; the smaller, -low on the horizon. The temperature was unchanged, and the air was -crystal clear, with only a few fleecy clouds floating overhead.</p> - -<p>Standish ate a hearty breakfast, then strapped one genithode pistol -about his waist and headed across the ravine to begin his first trip of -exploration.</p> - -<p>The moment he entered the jungle he was conscious of an electric -something that passed before him, telegraphed from tree to tree. -The strange plants, neither cyads nor conifers, seemed aware of his -presence, whispering among themselves.</p> - -<p>Experimentally he touched one of the trunks. It quivered, the bark -split apart, and a spongy tentacle whipped out to drive straight at his -throat. Standish escaped the clawing coil by inches. The tree quivered -again, and the tentacle returned to its hiding place.</p> - -<p>He kept well away from the trees after that. But as he went on, he saw -other forms of life, all manifesting an evolution in mixed stages of -development. There was a low plant, brilliant purple in color which -gave off a mewling cry whenever he stepped on one of its fronds. There -were small lizard-birds, and occasionally he saw bluish masses growing -melon-like on the ground. These had a single eye in the center of a -spongy body. They watched him as he passed.</p> - -<p>Once a small animal darted out before him. But when he approached, the -creature instead of running for safety, thrust one paw in the soft -earth, and a whitish blossom leaped up on a wavering stalk from its -head. Within the flick of an eye, the thing had changed from animal to -plant life.</p> - -<p>It was at high noon by his Earth-time watch that Standish emerged into -the glade. He stopped short, staring, then uttered a short cry.</p> - -<p>Before him were buildings, low mushroom-like buildings arranged in a -semi-circle. Fashioned of the same translucent rock he had seen on the -cliff, they resembled the igloos of his own north country. Overhead -a network of thick yellowish wire ran back and forth, separated at -intervals by heavy white insulators.</p> - -<p>He saw then that the structures were old. The wires hung slack, and in -many places were broken in two. A heavy silk-like grass had sprung up -in thick clumps between the buildings.</p> - -<p>With steps suddenly grown heavy, Standish advanced to the nearest -house. The rotting remnants of a wooden door hung from elliptical -hinges.</p> - -<p>Inside was desertion. There were no furnishings of any kind. Over -everything lay a heavy coating of dust.</p> - -<p>There were twelve buildings in the glade, and he examined them one -by one. In one he found a skeleton with a skull of enormous size and -three leg appendages instead of two. In the last a strange looking -machine, partially dismantled, was mounted on the wall. Every detail of -it, from the mildewed control panel to the eccentric wheels and cogs -were unfamiliar to him. On the floor was a stone tablet covered with -hieroglyphics.</p> - -<p>But that was all!</p> - -<p>Depression swept over Standish as he mentally supplied the missing -details. Some race had been here long ago; a foreign race, for the -glade was undoubtedly a temporary camp. The wire entanglement and the -machine had been constructed as some sort of protection against the -animal life of this planet.</p> - -<p>But whoever these people were, they had come and gone!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">IV</p> - -<p>Standish left the glade with a heavy heart and returned to the space -ship. In the ravine, he made two discoveries. There was a spring of -clear water pouring from a fissure in the cliff side. Growing about it -was an edible variety of moss. Although he had concentrated food in the -liner's galley to keep him for a long time, these finds were reassuring.</p> - -<p>He also found that the combination of the mineral soil and the two suns -affected growth tremendously. Planting a few dried kernels of corn, -he was amazed to see them take root almost instantly and reach full -maturity within a few hours.</p> - -<p>He now set upon a task which he had been mulling over in his brain for -some time.</p> - -<p>There were ray cannons mounted on the space liner's stern. Two of -these had broken muzzles, but the third was intact. Standish went down -into the bowels of the ship and found a dozen old message projectiles. -Cigar-shaped objects of heat-resisting corodite, these projectiles were -a part of all space crafts' emergency equipment. They were used for -distress signals when radio or visiscreen equipment failed.</p> - -<p>In the hollow chamber of each of the twelve projectiles he placed the -same message:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>Castaway. Mason Standish. Lieutenant-defense-engineer Earth. On -unknown planet, somewhere near Sirius-Earth Route. December 28, 3020.</p></div> - -<p>He had no means of astronomical calculation. So he aimed the gun at -twelve different points of the heavens and fired haphazardly. Chances -of intelligent life ever finding those projectiles were millions to one -against him. But whatever the odds, he must miss no opportunity.</p> - -<p>Next he made a thorough survey of the wrecked liner, carrying all -usable objects to the forecastle, which swiftly took on the appearance -of a storage room. As these articles began to grow in number, -satisfaction and pride of ownership gripped him.</p> - -<p>It was in the midst of these labors that he was suddenly struck with -an idea. Why not construct a space ship from the wrecked parts of the -liner? He had six atomic motors, and surely from their wreckage he -could salvage enough to build one of half the trajectory power. And -with a smaller ship, he might be able to find his way back to Earth.</p> - -<p>Standish smoked a pipe over this. When morning came, he began the -herculean task of dismantling the motors. Day after day he struggled -with the cumbersome machinery. When this stage of the work was finally -completed, he was startled to discover that six weeks of Earth time had -slipped by.</p> - -<p>He then found in the machinists' quarters an electrolic saw. The tool -was dull, but he managed to cut free a dozen girders for the framework -of his craft. To his dismay he found them too heavy to move even -with block and tackle. There was no alternative but to cut them into -sections and weld them together, hoping they would stand the strain.</p> - -<p>That night the first warning of trouble came. Absently Standish had -noticed a chill in the air, a more oblique slant to the twin suns. -Suddenly from the jungle beyond the ravine came a low rumbling.</p> - -<p>The Earthman switched on a searchlight he had fastened on top of the -forecastle. The white glare fastened itself on the wall of trees, -revealed five figures advancing directly into the light.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>On all fours they came, huge beasts with long tapered bodies covered -with heavy white fur. Their heads resembled the saber-toothed tigers of -Earth's Upper Miocene.</p> - -<p>A dozen appeared before Standish understood. This zone of the planet -was advancing into its cold season. The animals were part of a -migrating herd, coming down from the warmer districts.</p> - -<p>He drew his genithode pistol and fired into their midst. The foremost -of the creatures keeled over, and the Earthman advanced boldly, firing -as he went. Here was fresh meat, and with winter coming on, he intended -to obtain as much of it as possible.</p> - -<p>Standish was twenty yards from the hull of the liner when a coughing -roar sounded behind him. He wheeled and uttered a cry of horror. If -the creatures revealed by the light were giants in size, these others -were titans. Nostrils picking up his scent, they came forward slowly, -cutting him off from the ship.</p> - -<p>He fired twice again, even as two of the monsters hurtled toward him. -It was stark struggle then. With only the reflected light of the search -lamp and the vague glow of the stars, Standish fought desperately. The -pistol barrel became hot; the white-haired things went down in two's -and three's.</p> - -<p>And then abruptly there came a lull in the attack. The creatures halted -listening. And an instant later the sound reached the Earthman's ears -like the hum of an angry hornet. From above it came, rapidly drawing -nearer. Stunned, he saw the saber-toothed monsters turn and slink -quietly back into the jungle.</p> - -<p>Up in the sky a light gleamed, and a series of red flashes split -the darkness. Then a black ball-shaped shadow swept downward with -incredible speed. There was a roar and a series of muffled reports as -the thing hurtled over the roof of the jungle and swept to a landing at -the far end of the ravine.</p> - -<p>The sounds ceased. Standish stood there, frozen to inactivity. Then a -hysterical shout and a peal of laughter burst from his lips. A space -ship ... a rocket ship, landing here on this planet. It ... it wasn't -possible!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">V</p> - -<p>But it was possible. As Standish ran forward, he saw a hatch open in -the metal sphere and a man climb out. And yet it wasn't a man. The face -and body were normal, but the arms and legs were vine-like appendages -with segmented fronds for hands. When this person saw Standish, it -recoiled and whipped a knife out from a scabbard at its waist.</p> - -<p>Quickly the Earthman raised one arm above his head in the common symbol -of friendliness. A smile of recognition crossed the little man's face. -He nodded and raised his frond-like hand in a similar gesture. Then he -pointed to himself and said:</p> - -<p>"Ga-Marr!"</p> - -<p>The rocket ship now came under Standish's gaze. He saw that it was of -a design foreign to any craft he had ever seen before. Spherical in -shape, with a series of strange-looking fins along the sides, its stern -rudders were formed of crude exhaust jettisons, and the several ports -were formed of a transparent material that resembled quartz.</p> - -<p>Ga-Marr—for it was evident those syllables formed the stranger's -name—opened the hatch door and motioned Standish to enter. Without -hesitation, the Earthman did so. Inside was a single cabin, with a -control panel occupying two of the four walls. Ga-Marr pressed a -button, and a panel slid open in the floor, revealing the motor chamber.</p> - -<p>The stranger pointed downward, then shook his head violently. Standish -nodded.</p> - -<p>"Motors went dead on you, eh? Well, my friend, it looks as though you -and I were in the same fix. Come along, and I'll show you my diggings."</p> - -<p>But when Ga-Marr looked upon the wrecked space liner, he stared -incredulously. He walked its entire length as if doubting its -proportions.</p> - -<p>"Yes, she's big all right," Standish smiled, aware that he was not -understood. "But she's no good, the way she is now. Now, how about a -little food?"</p> - -<p>In his forecastle home, the Earthman set out a bottle of wine and some -cakes. He noted that Ga-Marr used his front hands with great dexterity, -but that he betrayed no surprise at Standish's own physical appearance.</p> - -<p>Once the stranger had eaten, Standish began the necessary task of -providing a common means of communication. He used the Corelli -sound-system—a shortcut method of acquainting the ear and the eye -simultaneously with objects of fundamental importance. Within two -hours, he found he could converse with Ga-Marr with a minimum amount of -difficulty.</p> - -<p>Haltingly then, the stranger began to speak:</p> - -<p>"I am from the city, Calthedra, of the planet Lyra, of the system -Aritorius. My race was once a great people, but raiders from another -planet destroyed our civilization. All we have left is a few rocket -ships of the kind in which I came. These were built long ago by our -ancestors, and only a few of us know how to operate them."</p> - -<p>Standish nodded. "How came you here?"</p> - -<p>"I was voyaging to visit my brother on our satellite, Zora, when those -same raiders caught sight of me and gave chase. My space compass -broke, and I became lost. I found my way here just as my rocket motors -consumed the last of their power."</p> - -<p>"I see." Standish lit his pipe and began to smoke slowly. "And these -raiders—they come from near here?"</p> - -<p>"From Sirius," Ga-Marr replied. "They raid us for funds to continue -their war with a planet many light years away."</p> - -<p>For a full moment Standish sat there rigid. Then the pipe fell from his -hands, and he leaped to his feet.</p> - -<p>"Sirius!" he cried. "So those butchers are not content to place in -bondage all the solar system. They must plague other worlds also!"</p> - -<p>He paced the length of the forecastle.</p> - -<p>"Tell me," he said, whirling abruptly, "do you know of a Sirian leader -called Drum Faggard?"</p> - -<p>Ga-Marr's eyes gleamed. "Aye. The crudest and most bloodthirsty of -them all. It was he who led the attack against my people in which my -brother was killed. It was he who directed the sacking of our city of -Calthedra. My one hope is that some day we may meet on common ground."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The next day Standish revealed to the newcomer his plan to build a -smaller space ship out of the wreckage of the old.</p> - -<p>"Your own craft is useless without power for its rocket motors," he -told Ga-Marr. "Yet it contains parts that will be valuable. Have I your -consent to dismantle it?"</p> - -<p>The stranger nodded.</p> - -<p>"To work then. And remember, if we succeed, we may yet be able to -strike at Drum Faggard."</p> - -<p>It was the desire for revenge that spurred them on. Quickly they set -about dismantling Ga-Marr's ship. Rivets were cut, bolts unscrewed, -plates ripped off. Using the dismantled parts of the space liner's -atomic motors, Standish fashioned a smaller but powerful engine. -Gradually out of the mass a crude craft began to take form.</p> - -<p>But they were working on counted time. Days were growing shorter; the -nights, longer. Icy winds began to sweep across the ravine, bringing -sleet and flurries of snow.</p> - -<p>With the change in seasons came new dangers. Strange animal life, -following the perverse migrational instinct of the planet, swept out of -the jungle.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" width="614" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>First came the lizard-birds, similar to, but larger than, the one which -had attacked Standish. They came over the cliff in squadron formation, -a dense cloud that blotted out the sky.</p> - -<p>For two days the men were kept prisoners, while the flock stalked back -and forth about the ravine like a vast Roman encampment.</p> - -<p>A week later the thrads came. It was Ga-Marr who called them thrads. -They were a tiny species of anthropoid, no larger than a squirrel, with -bright red bodies. Inquisitive and bold, they hampered the two men as -they gathered close to watch the work.</p> - -<p>The ship was nearing completion. While Standish labored at the control -adjustments, Ga-Marr carried in a supply of food concentrates from -the wrecked liner. Along the length of the ravine an inclined runway -was built for a take-off. At the end of this, Standish constructed a -rifle-like catapult, using the parts of Ga-Marr's rocket motor and a -quantity of trinitrate cellulose he found in the liner. If the device -worked, it would multiply their initial trajectory power and quicken -their passage through the planet's gravitational field.</p> - -<p>At length Standish fastened the last bolt of the crude new ship in its -place. Nervously, he pressed the starting button. The single motor -began with a smooth powerful hum. The ship strained at its moorings.</p> - -<p>"Ready, Ga-Marr? We'll give her a trial flight and see how she handles."</p> - -<p>The little man grinned, shouted. "Cast off!" he cried. "Cast off!"</p> - -<p>Standish severed the mooring cable of the ship with one shot from his -genithode pistol. The two men yanked shut the hatch, screwed down the -air lock. With a yank, the Earthman threw over the control lever.</p> - -<p>Up from the ground the ship shot. Through the floor panel, Standish saw -the ground receding.</p> - -<p>"Take the controls," he told Ga-Marr. "I'm going to try and chart a -course for your planet."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The planet rose up before them like a great ripened peach. It had taken -Standish long hours to calculate with his elementary astrophysics the -location of their destination. Ga-Marr had supplied what information he -could; but he knew only that the planet, Lyra, was bordered by a spiral -nebulae on one side, and that it revolved about a sun some hundred -million miles distant.</p> - -<p>As they approached now, Ga-Marr betrayed no emotion. "The city of -Calthedra is on the other hemisphere," he said. "I'll direct you to the -landing."</p> - -<p>They crept slowly along the surface, and the Earthman found himself -looking upon a land similar in many respects to his own. Nostalgia -seized him. Here were lakes and woods and broad fields in the state of -cultivation. Here were lanes, roads and hedges, a tracery of browns and -greens that was good to see.</p> - -<p>But when a moment later Ga-Marr pointed out the port and said, -"Calthedra," Standish's jaw set hard. The city had been devastated. -Buildings stood in ruins. Towers were crumbling masses of masonry. -Only one structure seemed to have escaped the fearful onslaught, a -globe-shaped building, fashioned of some kind of black metal.</p> - -<p>The Earthman saw the landing place and guided the ship downward. Below -he could see people milling about excitedly, groups of them pointing -upward.</p> - -<p>The moment the ship came to a rest, Ga-Marr threw open the hatch -and climbed out. Standish followed, to find an assemblage drawn up -suspiciously in battle array, their weapons ready for any hostile move -of the newcomers.</p> - -<p>In the foreground stood a taller man of Lyra, wearing a suit of -copper-colored chain mail and a helmet studded with gleaming chips of -yellow metal. At his sides were two men in white flowing robes. All had -high brows, penetrating eyes and frond-like appendages in lieu of arms -and legs.</p> - -<p>Ga-Marr ran forward and embraced the man in the helmet.</p> - -<p>"My father," he said, "this man is Mason Standish, a great warrior from -the planet Earth. He has rescued me from certain death, and has brought -me back to your empire at the risk of his life."</p> - -<p>The Emperor paced forward, a benevolent smile playing across his lips.</p> - -<p>"He who befriends my son has my gratitude," he said softly.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Standish was bewildered. Ga-Marr had made no mention of the fact that -he was of royal birth. It was a long time before the Earthman found his -tongue.</p> - -<p>"Your son tells me that your people and my people are at war with a -common enemy. May I ask how long since the Sirians made their last -attack upon you?"</p> - -<p>"Within the risings of twelve suns," the Emperor replied. "But come. -Let us go to the palace where we may speak alone."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Standish missed no detail of his passage through the city. Calthedra, -besides being hard hit by the invaders, was quite evidentally in the -process of decay. Streets were racked and unrepaired. House windows -were broken and open to the elements. And on all sides the Earthman saw -faces devoid of intelligence staring at him.</p> - -<p>But when he climbed the steps and followed Ga-Marr and the Emperor into -the black metal globe, he entered a different world.</p> - -<p>A vast pillared hall stretched before him. On one side a balustrated -ramp led to the upper levels. Opposite were a series of high triangular -doorways, each opening into separate chambers. The air was cool and -exhilarating and seemed to have a different chemical content than that -of the street.</p> - -<p>"This is our palace," Ga-Marr said, "built thousands of years before -when our people were a great civilization. It alone has withstood all -the attacks our planet has been exposed to."</p> - -<p>"Why?" demanded Standish. "I should think this would be the enemy's -first striking place."</p> - -<p>Ga-Marr stook his head. "I do not understand the science of it myself. -It is something in the black metal. It is an electon-stripped element, -I believe, tremendously heavy and impregnable to any weapon of cosmic -warfare."</p> - -<p>They reached the last doorway and entered the royal quarters. The -Emperor and his son sat down before a circular table and motioned -Standish to a chair opposite. The older man removed his helmet and -closed his eyes as if in weariness.</p> - -<p>"Earthman," he said at length, "you come at a time when my planet is -sorely in need of help. I don't know how much my son has told you, but -if you will listen I will tell you the history of Lyra. But first I -have something to show you."</p> - -<p>He touched a button on the table, and a chime sounded melodiously in -the outer corridor. A servant appeared in the doorway.</p> - -<p>"Tell Thalia I would see her at once," the Emperor said.</p> - -<p>A moment later light steps sounded and Standish looked up curiously. -What he saw brought him out of his chair with a cry of pleasure and -amazement.</p> - -<p>The figure of a girl—an Earth girl of his own race stood there on the -threshold.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">VI</p> - -<p>For a full moment as their eyes met, man and girl stared speechless. To -Standish, who a few short weeks ago had thought himself cut off forever -from his people, she was a vision of loveliness. Her hair was dark, and -her face was a delicate one of natural beauty.</p> - -<p>"This is Thalia," the Emperor said, "born on your planet, but brought -here as a child. Perhaps you recall a liner, the Colossus, which was -lost and never reached port some twenty years ago?"</p> - -<p>"Glory, yes!" exclaimed Standish.</p> - -<p>"The Colossus was destroyed by the Sirians. It was their first attack -on an Earth craft, and I believe the initial act which led them on. -Thalia was the only survivor when we came upon the ship, drifting, a -derelict."</p> - -<p>The girl stepped forward now shyly. "My greetings," she said.</p> - -<p>Standish took her hand, and a strange thrill shot through him. Then the -Emperor leaned back in his chair, lit a short metal pipe and began his -story....</p> - -<p>Thousands of years before, the Sirians had come to raid this planet, -Lyra, attracted by the wealth of minerals: coronium, thanium, margon, -gold and silver. They had destroyed the libraries, the laboratories, -the schools. They had killed the scientists and all men suspected of -higher intelligence. For generations, the people of Lyra had been held -in bondage.</p> - -<p>Then an Emperor had come into power, gifted with a scientific reasoning -far in advance of his time. He had constructed a warp in space on three -sides of the planet. This alteration of the space-time coordinates -served as an impregnable defense.</p> - -<p>Until Drum Faggard had come upon the scene. With but one desire—to -continue his war on Earth and the solar system, Faggard had broken -through the space warp and destroyed the time machine that operated it.</p> - -<p>"And so," concluded the Emperor, "we of Lyra today are but ghosts of -our past. Our heritage has been stolen from us. We are far removed in -space, so have been unable to obtain allies. Even your planet, Earth, -does not know of our presence. The Sirians have told us that your -observers believe Lyra unfit to support life. And the few rocket ships -we have left are not capable of crossing that immense distance."</p> - -<p>Standish sat in thoughtful silence. Abruptly the girl, Thalia, moved to -his side.</p> - -<p>"Will you help us?" she said. "You have knowledge, and knowledge is -power. Will you aid Lyra in its fight for freedom?"</p> - -<p>Standish stood up slowly, face a grim line of determination. "Yes," he -said. "I'll do all I can."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He began with a survey of the city of Calthedra. With Ga-Marr answering -his many questions, Standish passed from street to street, building to -building, no detail missing his sharp eyes. He saw the wreckage of the -space warp machine, broken ray cannon, the debris-choked lower levels -where once light-hearted Lyrians had their libraries and laboratories.</p> - -<p>Then Standish spent two days devising an intelligence test as he -remembered them from his Earth studies. The test, he instructed -Ga-Marr, was to be given to every able-bodied man in Calthedra.</p> - -<p>He spent a week more checking the results. But at length from the mass -of papers he selected twenty-four Lyrians whose IQ rating and general -scientific aptitude seemed in advance of their fellows. The Earthman -then revealed his plan to Ga-Marr.</p> - -<p>"We're going to build a space ship," he said, "a super destroyer with -the most powerful atomic motors I've ever designed. We're going to take -this war into our own hands—attack, rather than wait to be attacked."</p> - -<p>A call for workmen was broadcast. The response was overwhelming. All -Calthedra, all Lyra wanted to help the man from Earth in the struggle -to free them from bondage.</p> - -<p>With the twenty-four picked men as overseers, the work began. A flat -space was selected beyond the outskirts of the city. Food depots were -thrown up, together with temporary housing quarters. Like a colony of -ants, the workmen labored in three shifts. At night, the work went on -by the light of solar-condensor lamps mounted on towers at every point -of vantage.</p> - -<p>The ship began to take form. A long cigar-shaped blue-black hull -was fashioned out of "<i>feloranium</i>", a metal peculiar to Lyra which -Standish toughened by the addition of five alloys. At intermittent -spaces along that hull, disappearing ray guns were swivel-mounted, -operated and loaded by remote control.</p> - -<p>The Earthman personally supervised the installation of the atomic -motors. Each he had given the most strenuous block tests. Switched on, -they purred like six gargantuan cats, alive with effortless strength.</p> - -<p>Finally Ga-Marr climbed out of the huge cabin and smiled.</p> - -<p>"It is completed," he said. "Only the heat units remain to be tested. -What now?"</p> - -<p>"Now," said Standish.... But his words were never finished. From the -roof of the palace the warning siren burst into a wailing clamor. -Ga-Marr's face blanched.</p> - -<p>"The Sirians!" he cried. "They'll destroy all we've done."</p> - -<p>With a single leap Standish was across to the microphone of the field -amplifying system.</p> - -<p>"Wait!" his voice boomed out. "If you run, all your work will be for -nothing. We still have a chance, but we must hide this ship. I want -each of you to bring here every movable object you can find. Do you -understand? Every movable object!"</p> - -<p>The field saw strange activity then. While the siren continued to -scream out its warning, an endless procession of Lyrians raced in and -out of Calthedra, carrying stone blocks, furniture, doors, articles of -every description.</p> - -<p>"Looks like moving day back on Earth," Standish said to Ga-Marr with a -lightness he didn't feel. His fists clenched. "We'll beat them yet."</p> - -<p>He ran for the palace. Even as he raced up the inclined ramp of the -rear entrance, he saw five Sirian battle cruisers land with a roar in -the central square. Inside, Standish moved swiftly to the quarters -of the Emperor. The old man was leaning weakly against a chair, eyes -smoldering.</p> - -<p>Without preamble the Earthman explained what he had done. Then he had -barely time to leap through the doorway into the adjoining room.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Heavy steps sounded in the hall. A moment later six men entered the -chamber and strode belligerently to the Emperor. Five of them were -Sirians. The sixth was a man of Earth—a tall broad shouldered man with -a bullet head and a cruel predatory face. This was Drum Faggard.</p> - -<p>He wore the Sirian uniform and a flowing scarlet cloak hung from his -shoulders. At his waist were holstered two long barreled genithode -pistols.</p> - -<p>"Your mines are lying idle," Faggard snarled. "Why?"</p> - -<p>Through the crevice between the partially closed door Standish saw the -Emperor shrug eloquently. "We have had troubles."</p> - -<p>"What troubles?"</p> - -<p>The Emperor hesitated. "Labor," he said. "My workers refuse to toil -further when the results of their work are stolen from them. They see -no reason to struggle for the benefit of murdering raiders."</p> - -<p>Blunt anger crimsoned Faggard's face. He struck the Emperor hard across -the face. "Watch your tongue, fool!"</p> - -<p>Standish made fists of his hands. He had an overpowering desire to leap -into the room and seize the renegade. To do that, however, he knew, -would mean failure for his plans.</p> - -<p>Drum Faggard paced to a window.</p> - -<p>"What is the meaning of all that material piled outside the city?"</p> - -<p>Quietly the Emperor continued to play his part. "We are moving to new -grounds," he explained, "moving higher into the hills. The weather on -Lyra is changing, growing warmer due to the planet's gradual approach -to our sun. Surely your observers must have noticed it."</p> - -<p>For a long moment the renegade stood there motionless, digesting this -information. Then he crossed back to the table, slammed a mailed fist -down upon it.</p> - -<p>"Old man, I give you one more chance. Either those mines are worked and -a double amount of ore made ready for us, or we level Calthedra to the -ground. Do you understand? We will return later."</p> - -<p>He turned on his heel, and the five Sirians followed puppet-like into -the corridor. Darting across to the window, Standish saw them march -pompously across the square and enter the space cruisers. A moment -later, with a roar of rocket exhaust, the six armored vessels shot -upward.</p> - -<p>Standish turned and ran out the door, heading for the landing field. -Half way he met Ga-Marr.</p> - -<p>"The ruse worked," the Emperor's son exulted. "They've gone."</p> - -<p>"Order the ship cleared!" Standish commanded. "We take off at once."</p> - -<p>Quickly the screen of material was torn from the new ship. A vat of -necessary water and a case of food concentrate were hastily carried -into the storage chamber. The twenty-four chosen Lyrians took their -places. In the pilot cuddy, Standish nodded to Ga-Marr and pulled down -the microphone of the ship address-system.</p> - -<p>"Close stern hatch!" he ordered.</p> - -<p>A dial flicked on the panel before him, and from the loudspeaker a -voice answered:</p> - -<p>"Hatch closed, sir."</p> - -<p>"Close midships-tower."</p> - -<p>"Midships-tower closed."</p> - -<p>"Gunner's mate!" Standish called. "Test all gun swivels, air locks and -automatic loaders."</p> - -<p>There was a moment's pause. Then:</p> - -<p>"All guns tested, sir."</p> - -<p>Standish motioned Ga-Marr to shut the pilot cuddy hatch. But before -Ga-Marr could swing the hermetic barrier into position, a lithe figure -leaped down the ladder. It was the Earth girl—Thalia.</p> - -<p>"I'm going with you," she said. "This is my battle as well as yours."</p> - -<p>Standish looked into her defiant black eyes and frowned. But the -refusal that rose to his lips died unsounded. He nodded and motioned -her to the settee on the far side of the cuddy.</p> - -<p>In rotation then, he snapped on the six atomic motors. A dull tremor of -life and power shook the ship. Then Standish seized an electro-welder -left behind by some workman, flung open the hatch and ran outside to -the stern of the ship.</p> - -<p>Roughly, while Ga-Marr watched bewildered, he seared the name, -<i>Phantom</i>, on the <i>feloranium</i> hull. He leaped back to the cuddy, -slammed shut the hatch and threw over the acceleration lever.</p> - -<p>The huge ship lifted from the field of its birth and roared up into the -stratosphere.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">VII</p> - -<p>It was Standish's plan to permit the six departing Sirian cruisers -to cover sufficient distance that they would not associate -him—immediately at least—with the plundered planet, Lyra. With -unleashed power at his fingertips, he planned to pass his quarry on a -higher plane, then circle and return.</p> - -<p>The <i>Phantom</i> functioned like a dream. Up through space she bored, -annihilating distance, sweeping out into the star fields in hot -pursuit. Warm clear air circulated out from the oxygizers. Each dial -and gauge told its proper story. Even the heat units, which had not -been properly tested, operated smoothly.</p> - -<p>Standish pulled down the cosmoscope and surveyed the way ahead. He saw -star clusters and constellations. Ahead, tail sweeping out in a blaze -of glory, a comet crossed his path. But nowhere did he sight the Sirian -cruisers.</p> - -<p>"I'm afraid they've got too great a start on us," said Ga-Marr. Thalia -drew in her breath sharply.</p> - -<p>"That black speck ahead...."</p> - -<p>Standish threw over the accelerator another notch and twisted helm -sharply. The <i>Phantom</i> answered her controls. The Earthman was -maneuvering for position now. Far below him, he saw the six cruisers -materialize in his vision.</p> - -<p>And then, with a dull roar, the <i>Phantom</i> swung and leaped for the -attack.</p> - -<p>"They see us!" Thalia cried. "They're going into battle-formation!"</p> - -<p>With Drum Faggard's flag ship in the lead, the six cruisers turned and -headed toward them in squadron formation. It was evident that they were -still unaware of the identity of the black ship. The visiscreen clicked -on, and Faggard's face appeared in the panel.</p> - -<p>"We are Section one, general Sirian Expeditionary Force, Sirius to -Earth, heading for regular interplanetary lanes," he said, following -the customary salutation. "Who are you?"</p> - -<p>Standish flipped on his own microphone, but disconnected the vision -panel so that no return image would be broadcast.</p> - -<p>"Destroyer <i>Phantom</i>," he replied, muffling his voice. "Captain Ether -commanding. Stand by for boarding or we open fire on you."</p> - -<p>Faggard's gross face, crimson with rage, flashed back on the screen.</p> - -<p>"Are you mad? We are six to your one. From what planet do you come? -Show your colors."</p> - -<p>"I'll show my colors," Standish muttered, a grim smile playing about -his lips. He switched on the ship address system.</p> - -<p>"Port gunner. Stand by for shot across enemy's bows. Elevation six. -Trajectory five."</p> - -<p>There was an excited reply. Standish twisted his helm a fraction of a -turn.</p> - -<p>"Fire!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The <i>Phantom</i> recoiled slightly, but there was no sound, no tell-tale -streak of flame. Only on the Sirian flagship was there any evidence of -what had happened. A gaping hole appeared in the vessel's hull. The -ship faltered momentarily. Then, Standish knew, hermetic bulkheads -automatically closed, and she swung on a wide arc.</p> - -<p>"They're spreading out," Ga-Marr said. "They're going to attack from -both sides."</p> - -<p>The flagship shot into another plane. The remaining five cruisers -surged toward the <i>Phantom</i>, firing as they came. Standish saw the -strategy and realized he was pitted against no amateur fighter.</p> - -<p>He signaled to fire both forward guns, holding his position boldly. -At that moment, one of the cruisers attempted a maneuver old in space -warfare. Charging head-on toward the <i>Phantom</i>, the cruiser's commander -sought to frighten Standish into turning broadside.</p> - -<p>Thalia uttered a scream. "They're going to ram us!" she cried.</p> - -<p>The Earthman nodded. "Let them. If they do, they'll be in for a -surprise."</p> - -<p>On came the cruiser. The <i>Phantom</i> did not alter her course. And then, -at the moment the Sirian realized the ruse had failed, Standish threw -his helm, heading directly toward the enemy. The two vessels struck -squarely.</p> - -<p>In the pilot cuddy Standish, Ga-Marr and Thalia were hurled to the -floor. The Earthman struggled erect, helped the girl to her feet.</p> - -<p>"Are you hurt?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"No, but the ship...."</p> - -<p>"Look!" Standish pointed out the port.</p> - -<p>A horrible sight met the girl's eyes. The <i>Phantom's</i> stout -<i>feloranium</i> sides were unharmed. But the Sirian cruiser had broken -into three sections. Even as she watched, figures were catapulted out -into space, and the whole mass of debris began to rotate slowly around -another enemy ship, forming a macabre satellite.</p> - -<p>The remaining four cruisers circled and began to close in.</p> - -<p>"All starboard guns," Standish ordered. "Elevation one. Double charge. -Fire!"</p> - -<p>The recoil was jarring. Two cruisers fell back, rocket motors stilled, -huge rents in their forward quarters. And with that, Drum Faggard's -flag ship and the other cruiser turned about and fled.</p> - -<p>"They've had enough," Ga-Marr exulted.</p> - -<p>"Faggard is the one I want," Standish said. "We'll come back and tow in -those two disabled ships later."</p> - -<p>But the Earthman had reckoned without the huge planetoid swarm which -lay directly in their path. The two Sirian ships plunged into the midst -of these miniature worlds and in an instant were lost.</p> - -<p>Power control wide open, Standish zoomed in pursuit. But though he -swung the cosmoscope to every angle he saw no sign of his quarry.</p> - -<p>"He's slid through our fingers this time," he told Ga-Marr bitterly. -"But our chance will come again."</p> - -<p>Heavily he swung the tiller and returned to the area of combat. The -two helpless cruisers and the portions of the third were drifting idly -without steerageway. Standish steered the <i>Phantom</i> alongside, shot out -the magnetic grappling bars and secured the two derelicts.</p> - -<p>Then he headed the big ship back to Lyra.</p> - -<p>A great crowd awaited them. As the <i>Phantom</i> and its twin burden -settled slowly downward, hundreds of Lyrians ran to the landing field. -The court guard, resplendent in shining armor, took their places in -formation, and the Emperor and his ministers hastily assembled on a -raised pavilion.</p> - -<p>Then the two wrecked cruisers were opened, and the prisoners led forth.</p> - -<p>"You will be well treated," the Emperor addressed them collectively. -"We do not subjugate our captives of war after your fashion; but -until the Sirians cease their raids upon this planet, you will not be -permitted to leave."</p> - -<p>Standish ordered the <i>Phantom</i> inspected and such damage as had been -inflicted by Drum Faggard's guns repaired. Then with Thalia at his -side, he moved slowly toward the palace.</p> - -<p>"Some day," he said, "all this will be over. I don't know how, but I'm -going to do everything in my power to bring this bloody war to an end. -Then ..."</p> - -<p>The girl smiled and lowered her eyes. "Then?" she prompted softly.</p> - -<p>But Standish colored and became suddenly silent. Even during the heat -of the battle, his heart had not beat as fast as it was beating now.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">VIII</p> - -<p>Six Lyrian months had passed since Standish and Ga-Marr had escaped -from the unknown planet. During those months the fame of the <i>Phantom</i> -had spread fast as light. From the constellation Cygnus to the twelfth -and fifteenth magnitude stars, the name of Captain Ether, behind which -Standish hid his identity swept through the interplanetary lanes. -Transports from powerful and peaceful Alpha Centauri moved with extra -convoys, ready for instant action. No one knew when the <i>Phantom</i> would -strike. No one knew from what planet it came to attack like a black -meteor without warning.</p> - -<p>Yet Standish challenged no ship but those of Sirius. Haunting the -lanes between Sirius and Earth, he seized enemy prison ships and troop -transports alike with daring regularity.</p> - -<p>The city of Calthedra was filled to overflowing with Sirian prisoners. -But the man Standish wanted most, Drum Faggard, was never on a captured -ship.</p> - -<p>Desire to capture Faggard became almost an obsession as the Earthman -went on. Through the powerful radio which he had built on Lyra, he -learned of the situation on Earth, day by day.</p> - -<p>The news was black. Canada, Mexico and Central America were now a part -of the armed camp of the invaders. The Greater United States alone had -managed to remain independent. Breastworks a quarter of a mile high had -been erected on the Canadian and Mexican frontiers.</p> - -<p>The only bright spot was the fact that Faggard's "big push" had failed. -Often Standish smiled as he listened in on radio messages between the -Sirian government and Drum Faggard at his Frisco base.</p> - -<p>"The <i>Phantom</i> has been sighted, lurking near Ganymede. Dispatch five -cruisers to that satellite immediately."</p> - -<p>And again: "The <i>Phantom</i>, it is learned on definite authority, comes -from some point in future time. It is able to maintain a speed in -excess of light, violating the Fitzgerald contraction, riding the -fourth dimensional continuum."</p> - -<p>To which Drum Faggard always snarled the same reply. "Whoever Captain -Ether is, I'll get him. Give me time."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was the day of his return from his most successful raid; and -Standish and Thalia were walking arm in arm through the palace garden -on Lyra. Flowers were in the full bloom of the planet's early summer, -and the sun glowed upon them warmly.</p> - -<p>"The <i>Phantom</i> is not enough," the Earthman said. "Powerful as she -is, she can only plague the Sirians like a single hornet. With all my -efforts, I have not halted the war against Earth one iota."</p> - -<p>Thalia shook her head. "You've done all one person possibly could do."</p> - -<p>"I need an army and a fleet," Standish said. "Yet on all Lyra there -will not be sufficiently trained men to furnish either for a long time."</p> - -<p>The girl stood there, idly plucking the petals of a flower. Abruptly -she turned.</p> - -<p>"The Sirian prisoners! Even the private soldiers are equipped with -scientific knowledge. Why not use them?"</p> - -<p>But Standish shook his head. "They would refuse. We could force them to -do physical work, of course. But that's all ... I ..."</p> - -<p>"Listen." Excitement suddenly entered Thalia's voice. "In the -laboratories in the lower levels there is a machine built by the early -Lyrians long ago. No one understands its operation now. But its some -kind of an electro-hypnotic machine. Couldn't you use it on the Sirians -and make them <i>want</i> to help us?"</p> - -<p>A glitter in his eyes, Standish considered a moment, then leaped to his -feet.</p> - -<p>"Let's have a look," he said.</p> - -<p>They left the garden, crossed the square and entered the ancient tunnel -that led to the old laboratories. In the first level the Earthman -found nothing that answered the girl's description. But in a storage -room far back in the second tier he came upon two of the strange -machines, dust covered, in places red with rust.</p> - -<p>Mounted on wheels, the instruments consisted of a small cart with twin -panels and a confusing array of dials. Above each machine was a helix -of tightly wound silver wire. At the bottom was a transparent globe -still half-filled with a thick greenish liquid.</p> - -<p>"According to Ga-Marr," Thalia said, "these machines were used by the -early Sirians for medical purposes. They found in the principal of -applied hypnosis a cure for a great many ills."</p> - -<p>Standish nodded. Without further word, he took up a small wrench and -removed the panel from one of the instruments, carefully examining the -revealed wiring.</p> - -<p>"They seemed to be constructed for use on ordinary electric power. But -not the power supplied by Calthedra's dynamoes. I'll have to step up -the frequency."</p> - -<p>He opened a wall switchboard and quickly connected two wires to the -machine. On a table he found a transformer. Thalia stood by in silence -while he hooked up wires, condensers, and a small loading coil. -Presently he looked up with a nod.</p> - -<p>"We'll give her a try and see what happens."</p> - -<p>"Stand over there in front of the helix," Standish said. "I don't -think there's any danger. Unless I'm wrong, the thing simply places -the patient in an electro magnetic field and transmits an alternating -vibration to the human brain."</p> - -<p>He played with the dials a long time, twisted a rheostat experimentally.</p> - -<p>"Notice anything?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I ..." The Earth girl's voice died off. A vacant look entered her -eyes. "What is your wish?" she asked suddenly.</p> - -<p>Standish made a quick adjustment to the controls. "Sit down," he -commanded.</p> - -<p>Obediently, Thalia moved across to a chair and sat stiffly erect.</p> - -<p>"You have studied some mathematics," Standish said then. "Tell me, what -is the principal of the algebraic curve?"</p> - -<p>Without hesitation Thalia replied, "A curve, the equation of which -contains no transcendental quantities; a figure the intercepted -diameters of which bear always the same proportion to their respective -ordinates."</p> - -<p>Standish uttered a low cry of triumph and threw over the reverse lever -of the machine. An instant later Thalia stared at him in bewilderment.</p> - -<p>"What happened?"</p> - -<p>"It worked," Standish replied. "With that device and a hundred more -like it I will build, I can control every last Sirian prisoner. I can -make them help us build an entire fleet, using all their scientific -knowledge."</p> - -<p>Thalia's eyes glowed. "We'll be fighting them with their own people," -she said.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">IX</p> - -<p>The electro-hypnosis machines finished, Standish enlisted Ga-Marr's aid -and proceeded to try them on a group of Sirian prisoners.</p> - -<p>"After all," the Earthman said, "what we're doing is for the sake of -your planet and mine. These prisoners will suffer no ill effect, but by -organizing their efforts, we can aid a great cause."</p> - -<p>He turned a control knob, and a low hum sounded in the machine. The -green liquid in the globe began to bubble, and a column of mist climbed -upward through the connecting tube.</p> - -<p>Improved as they were by Standish, the machines immediately placed the -Sirians in a mental state where they were receptive to all commands. -Yet they retained full control of their mental faculties.</p> - -<p>The work began. Frameworks for twenty space destroyers were laid. Like -automatons the Sirians toiled, worked side by side with the men of -Lyra. The twenty hulls were completed, and the atomic motors were being -installed when Standish called Ga-Marr aside.</p> - -<p>"I'm going to leave you in charge," the Earthman said, "while I take -the <i>Phantom</i> out again. The more prisoners, the quicker we'll have a -fleet. Besides the Sirians will have grown careless again by now."</p> - -<p>This time, however, Standish steadfastly refused to take Thalia along.</p> - -<p>"I'm going to skirt the very stratosphere of Earth," he told her, "and -it'll be too dangerous. But I'll be back soon."</p> - -<p>Thalia pouted, but Standish was firm.</p> - -<p>With another Lyrian, Dar-ley, as his lieutenant, Standish took off. He -headed at full speed for the interplanetary lane between Sirius and -Earth. As he went on, suspicion assailed him. Not a single Sirian ship -did he see. Once a slow-moving freighter from far off Protorus crossed -his path. The freighter clapped on all speed in a frantic attempt to -escape. But Standish viewed it without interest.</p> - -<p>He was drawing close to Earth. Alert, Standish kept the moon between -him and his home planet, advancing cautiously. But there was no sign of -trouble. The spaceways were empty.</p> - -<p>Now the cold expanse of the moon opened before him. The <i>Phantom</i> -soared over Tycho, Aristotle and Petavius, dipped downward and came to -a rest on a barren lava plain. Standish took down a space suit, and a -small magno telescope and went out through the air lock. Pacing slowly -across the frigid flat, he tried to fathom the growing puzzle.</p> - -<p>A hundred yards from the ship he trained his scope on Earth, staring -long and intently. But the range was too great and the scope too weak -for detailed observation.</p> - -<p>And then abruptly he stiffened. Through the powerful retinite lens a -tiny dot focused his vision. A rocket ship! He adjusted the glass and -studied her lines. Unquestionably she was Sirian and heading toward the -moon on an oblique angle.</p> - -<p>Standish ran for the <i>Phantom</i>. The air lock closed; he threw over the -control lever, and the big ship headed with a lurch for the enemy.</p> - -<p>In the pilot cuddy Dar-Ley watched the cosmoscope and intoned the -distance measurements.</p> - -<p>"Thirty thousand miles. Enemy still following same course."</p> - -<p>"Twenty thousand. No change."</p> - -<p>"Eight hundred."</p> - -<p>A frown crossed Standish's face. The Sirian ship must have seen them by -now. Alone and without convoy, it should have turned and fled.</p> - -<p>Puzzled, the Earthman ordered a shot across the enemy's bows. The -Sirian did not change her course. And then Dar-Ley gave a frantic cry.</p> - -<p>"Behind us. Look!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Six Sirian ships were racing out from the surface of the moon in battle -formation. Even as Standish looked, he saw four more cruisers join the -others, spread out to cut off the <i>Phantom</i>.</p> - -<p>He realized then that he had blundered into a trap. The Sirians had -been waiting for him. The single cruiser had been the bait which he had -swallowed blindly.</p> - -<p>"We'll have to run for it," Dar-Ley cried. "They're too many for us."</p> - -<p>Standish's teeth came together grimly. "We'll give them a fight for -their money first."</p> - -<p>On toward the cruiser the <i>Phantom</i> raced. The ship staggered as the -Sirian opened fire, and two of the shots glanced harmlessly off the -<i>feloranium</i> hull. But with five well-placed shots Standish demolished -the Sirian's guns and left her floating helplessly. Then the <i>Phantom</i> -turned helm and ran alongside on the opposite side of the cruiser.</p> - -<p>In an instant Dar-Ley saw Standish's strategy. The <i>Phantom</i> was now -protected with the cruiser between her and the fleet. The Earthman -flipped open his microphone switch.</p> - -<p>"Rocket bomb. Full charge. Point four."</p> - -<p>There was a deafening report as the bomb erupted from its cylinder. -Through the port Standish saw the nearest Sirian ship explode into -fragments. He smiled grimly and swung his helm far over.</p> - -<p>"Here we go, Dar-Ley. If they catch us, they'll have to move."</p> - -<p>But fast though the <i>Phantom</i> was, the fleet hung steadily in her wake. -Finally the Earthman switched on the boosters, auxiliary machines which -drew power from intra-spacial emanations and built up the speed of the -atomic motors. Gradually the fleet dropped behind.</p> - -<p>"Close call!" Standish breathed. "Faggard almost got me that time."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">X</p> - -<p>Standish had never believed in hunches, yet the moment he entered the -stratosphere of Lyra he knew something was wrong. A moment later he -was free of the cloud level and over Calthedra. A wave of despair shot -through him.</p> - -<p>The city was a ruin. Not a single building remained. The great palace -was a mass of debris, and the choked streets were deserted. With a -great fear he headed the <i>Phantom</i> for the landing field. Here a cry of -dismay escaped his lips.</p> - -<p>The sleek space ships which had dotted the level were no more. Twisted -lumps of metal and scattered pieces of broken machinery were all that -remained of the fleet.</p> - -<p>"In heaven's name," cried Dar-Ley, "what has happened?"</p> - -<p>"Drum Faggard," said Standish heavily. "He attacked while we were gone. -It must have been only his lieutenants we met off the moon."</p> - -<p>The <i>Phantom</i> dropped to a landing, and the two men climbed out, -followed by the crew. A death-like silence reigned. As he stood there -staring at the grim devastation, the Earthman's fists clenched. The -Lyrians, the prisoners, the Emperor ... had they all gone?</p> - -<p>And then he thought of Thalia!</p> - -<p>He lurched into a stumbling run and headed for the ruined city. In -the metropolis the destruction was even more terrible. Ray guns had -leveled every structure to the ground. Dead Lyrians lay on all sides. -Every labor-saving device which had been constructed through Standish's -efforts had been shattered.</p> - -<p>But an instant later, in the midst of this wreckage, he saw a familiar -figure stagger toward him. Ga-Marr!</p> - -<p>The Emperor's son's face was caked with blood and his clothing was torn -to shreds, but he managed to gasp a single word:</p> - -<p>"Water...!"</p> - -<p>Standish dispatched Dar-Ley back to the <i>Phantom</i> for a canteen, then -tore off his coat and rolled it into a pillow, forcing Ga-Marr to -rest his head upon it. But when the Lyrian struggled up on one elbow -and drank thirstily from Dar-Ley's canteen, Standish choked out the -question that was uppermost in his mind.</p> - -<p>"Thalia! Where is she?"</p> - -<p>Ga-Marr's voice was a sob. "Drum Faggard! He surprised us with an -entire fleet while you were gone. He kidnaped my father, and he took -Thalia."</p> - -<p>A blur rose up before Standish's eyes. "And the others?" he demanded. -"The rest of your people? Can it be they all are dead?"</p> - -<p>Ga-Marr shook his head. "They fled to the hills. I alone remained here -because I knew you would return."</p> - -<p>It was time, Standish realized, for action. But what action? His fleet -was gone, all his work destroyed. Even the girl he had come to love -had been taken from him. He turned and stared helplessly at the black -hulled <i>Phantom</i> resting on its mooring platform. Powerful as that -ship was, he knew it was not enough. He might raid more Sirian ships, -destroy more transports, but what would it avail him. He had played his -hand, and he had lost. He was up against a blank wall.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>And then a single object on the far side of the palace ruins focused -in his vision. Stone and debris were piled high there, but the little, -crudely-built space ship with which he and Ga-Marr had escaped from -the unknown planet had escaped damage. For a moment Standish's brow -furrowed in thought; then he uttered an exclamation.</p> - -<p>"To the <i>Phantom</i>!" he said. "There may yet be a way...."</p> - -<p>With Ga-Marr supported by Standish, they hurried down the debris-choked -streets and across to the landing field. Reaching the ship, the -Earthman turned his crew of twenty-four over to Dar-Ley, ordering them -to leave at once for the hills where they were to aid the Lyrians.</p> - -<p>"But what are you going to do without a crew?" objected Dar-Ley.</p> - -<p>Standish's face was a block of granite. "I'm going to fight trickery -with trickery," he said.</p> - -<p>Then the Earthman and Ga-Marr entered the destroyer alone. Slowly, -Standish guided the big ship over the ruins of the city of Calthedra. -Above the palace, he suddenly shot out the magnetic grappling bars and -secured the little space ship.</p> - -<p>"What can you do with that?" Ga-Marr frowned. "The thing has little -power and...."</p> - -<p>But Standish, lips set hard, was moving the controls with silent -determination. Up the <i>Phantom</i> shot, boring forward like a hound to -the hunt, carrying the crude little ship with it. Standish threw over -the accelerator to the farthest notch and switched on both boosters. He -motioned Ga-Marr into the control seat.</p> - -<p>"Head directly for Earth. I'm going back and see if I can get a little -more speed out of those motors."</p> - -<p>Hour after hour the big ship plunged, rocketing madly across the -star-filled heavens. Time and space were dropping behind them like -falling grains of sand. Standish, returning from the motor chamber, saw -the planets of Pluto and Uranus rise up far ahead. Then Earth came into -sight, a pin-point almost at the limit of his vision.</p> - -<p>The Earthman glanced at the chronometer on the instrument panel. It -would be approximately midnight when they reached the North American -continent, judging by their present speed. Unless the Sirians at -their Frisco base were watching closely, they might be able to pass -unobserved.</p> - -<p>Earth grew. Now the <i>Phantom</i> was zooming down through the -stratosphere. Over New California they swept, checking trajectory by -reversing motors.</p> - -<p>Over Omaha, Standish looked through the floor plate. Were the -front-line breastworks still here? Or had his people been forced to -retreat farther toward the Atlantic seaboard?</p> - -<p>"I see lights," Ga-Marr said abruptly. "There seem to be fortifications -below us."</p> - -<p>With a sigh of relief Standish guided the <i>Phantom</i> downward. He was at -home again.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XI</p> - -<p>Officers and soldiers formed a cheering circle as he climbed out of -the hatch, followed by Ga-Marr. Old companions rushed forward to -shake the Earthman's hand and bombard him with questions. Smiling, -Standish pushed his way through the throng to the building marked -GHQ. An orderly ushered him inside, and a moment later he was facing -Attack-Engineer McClellan whose eyes were wide with amazement.</p> - -<p>"Listen," Standish began without preamble, "I want to see a detailed -map and an aerial photograph of the Sirian's Frisco base. Have you got -one?"</p> - -<p>McClellan bit into his cigar and nodded. He opened a cabinet and laid -out two large sheets.</p> - -<p>"The pilot who made these barely got out with his life," he said. "I -don't suppose you'd care to tell me where you've been or what you've -got in mind, Standish."</p> - -<p>Without answering Standish gazed at the maps and the photograph. -Presently he looked up.</p> - -<p>"Prepare for a big push," he said. "Get all your guns and men ready -for immediate movement. And keep your observers watching this point, -Sector Five"—he indicated the area with his forefinger—"As soon as -the firing stops there, go through."</p> - -<p>He turned then and ran back to the ship.</p> - -<p>Straight into the stratosphere Standish guided the ship. As he -continued to climb higher into the night sky, Ga-Marr watched puzzled, -but made no comment. One thousand, two, three thousand miles slid -behind them. At length the Earthman turned.</p> - -<p>"Set off the emergency rocket flares," he ordered.</p> - -<p>Ga-Marr stared. "Are you mad, Mason? The Sirians will see us and...."</p> - -<p>"Which is just what I want," Standish replied. "Hurry, man!"</p> - -<p>Obediently Ga-Marr strode back along the passageway, began to push -contact buttons at regular intervals along the bulkhead wall. As he -did, long streamers of crimson fire erupted from the <i>Phantom's</i> side. -In a moment the destroyer was a flaming mass. Standish set his controls -and took down two space suits.</p> - -<p>He donned one of them, motioned Ga-Marr into the other. Then he tied a -rope to the lever controlling the magnetic grappling bar, trailing it -across the floor to the airlock.</p> - -<p>"All right, Ga-Marr," he said. "Here we go."</p> - -<p>The lock door slid open at his touch. Then and not until then did -Ga-Marr understand. Directly below them, held to the <i>Phantom's</i> hull -by the magnetic bars was their crude space ship. Balancing himself -cautiously, Standish reached down and opened the hatch. He climbed in, -and Ga-Marr quickly followed. Then the Earthman gave the rope a jerk. -The grappling bars released, and the two ships drifted apart.</p> - -<p>Alone and unmanned, the <i>Phantom</i> swept downward, her exploding rockets -a blaze of glory in the black sky.</p> - -<p>"And there goes the fleet!" Standish said. "They've sighted the -<i>Phantom</i>."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Aware that hundreds of glasses must now be turned upward, he headed -south beyond the outskirts of the city. He selected a flat open space -by the ocean shore and glided quickly to a landing.</p> - -<p>A hundred yards away the white expanse of a highway snaked through the -dark countryside. No one apparently had noticed their descent. At a -run, Standish headed for that highway. Twin head lights swept around a -curve as he reached it, and a heavy gyro truck rumbled into sight.</p> - -<p>The truck slowed to manipulate the curve. An instant later Standish and -Ga-Marr leaped, clutched at the swaying tailboard and drew themselves -aboard.</p> - -<p>Before a large white building the two men dropped from the truck, -darted across to the entrance. A Sirian guard stopped them armed with a -ray gun.</p> - -<p>"Halt!"</p> - -<p>Standish used his pistol this time, smashing its barrel down on the -Sirian's skull. Then a muffled voice sounded directly before them, -and the Earthman leaped across to a door and ripped it open. On the -threshold he stood rigid, staring inward.</p> - -<p>The room was a richly furnished office. At a large desk in the center -sat a familiar figure. It was Drum Faggard, cigarette between his lips, -microphone in his hand.</p> - -<p>"Put down that microphone, Faggard," Standish commanded. "If you speak -so much as a single word, I fire."</p> - -<p>"Standish!" Faggard gasped.</p> - -<p>The Earthman dropped silently into a chair, while Ga-Marr pulled a -small knife switch, disconnecting the microphone. Ga-Marr then paced to -the window and drew the blinds.</p> - -<p>A gleam of cunning crossed Faggard's face. He turned the knob of the -radio and leaned forward. Then his right hand shot into the desk drawer -and clawed forth a small genithode gun.</p> - -<p>But Standish had been expecting that move. His hand clamped over the -gun wrist, twisted the weapon free. Jamming his own gun hard into the -Sirian leader's ribs, Standish said,</p> - -<p>"Talk. Call your officers and tell them to stand by for important -orders."</p> - -<p>There were beads of perspiration on Faggard's brow now as he twisted -a dial of the radio and began to speak slowly and haltingly. On the -indicator panel on the far wall Standish saw little red lights flash -on as outpost-officer after officer acknowledged the call. The entire -Sirian army was listening in.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Even as he finished, a terrific vibrating roar sounded from a distant -point of the city. The sound trembled the walls of the building, shook -the floor beneath their feet.</p> - -<p>"The <i>Phantom</i>!" said Ga-Marr. "She struck!"</p> - -<p>Faggard's face was livid. "You fool!" he snarled. "Do you realize what -you've done?"</p> - -<p>Standish betrayed no emotion. "Perfectly. I've divided your army in -half. I've cut an aisle through your defense, through which my people -even now are beginning to advance."</p> - -<p>Abruptly the Earthman's teeth clicked together. "Now what have you done -with Thalia and the Emperor. Tell me or...."</p> - -<p>Faggard's shoulders slumped in defeat. He groped to his feet like -a blind man and stumbled across the room. "I'll show you," he said -huskily.</p> - -<p>He open a connecting door, and Standish saw two familiar figures in -the adjoining room, an older man and a young girl. But in that instant -Faggard acted. He lunged across the room, reached up to a shelf filled -with chemical tubes and vials. Seizing a bottle of colorless liquid, he -threw it straight at Standish.</p> - -<p>The bottle struck the door frame, and acid geysered in all directions. -The Earthman felt a hot stab of agony lance across his left arm.</p> - -<p>But Ga-Marr was not taken off guard. His genithode pistol exploded even -as Faggard reached for a second bottle. The Sirian threw up his arms, -staggered and pitched forward on his face.</p> - -<p>Thalia was in Standish's arms then, sobbing. But in the outer corridor -running steps sounded. A heavy fist banged on the door.</p> - -<p>"In here," the girl cried. "This door. It leads to a tunnel that passes -under the city. It's Drum Faggard's secret avenue of retreat. He has -the key in his pocket."</p> - -<p>As they sped to safety Standish felt a wave of elation sweep over him. -He had won...!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Three days later a small cruiser took off from Omaha, swept through the -stratosphere and headed for the planet, Lyra, many light years distant. -Four persons occupied her pilot cabin: Standish, Thalia, Ga-Marr and -the emperor.</p> - -<p>"It's all over," the Earthman said to the girl. "The war is -ended. Sirius' power is forever broken, and even now the work of -reconstruction has begun. Earth and the whole solar system can return -to peace."</p> - -<p>Ga-Marr nodded. "What now?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Now, we're going home." Standish drew Thalia close. "Your home and -mine. Our future lies out there in the new frontier."</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Cosmic Castaway, by Carl Jacobi - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COSMIC CASTAWAY *** - -***** This file should be named 62319-h.htm or 62319-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/3/1/62319/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Cosmic Castaway - -Author: Carl Jacobi - -Release Date: June 5, 2020 [EBook #62319] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COSMIC CASTAWAY *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - Cosmic Castaway - - By CARL JACOBI - - Within a year Earth would be a vassal world, - with the Sirian invaders triumphant. Only - Standish, Earth's Defense Engineer, could - halt that last victorious onslaught--and - he was helpless, the lone survivor of a - prison ship wrecked in uncharted space. - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Planet Stories March 1943. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -Standish came back to consciousness, a dull pain surging in his head -and a feeling of nausea in his midsection. The room about him was -strange: grey _arelium_ walls, a single light burning above the iron -cot, and a low vibration that trembled the floor beneath his feet. - -For a time he lay there, fighting off a cloud of dizziness. Then he -groped unsteadily to his feet. As he did, the vibration ceased, and -far off he fancied he heard voices pitched in alarm. A bell clanged -hollowly several times. - -He recognized those sounds now, as his thoughts struggled to bridge the -gap in his brain and the memory of past events came rushing to him. - -He was on a Sirian prison ship! - -The silence grew upon him, and he stood there uncertainly, listening. -Something was wrong. There was no familiar drone of atomic motors, and -there should be.... - -When the shock came, he was hurled completely across the room to the -far bulkhead. Yet it wasn't a severe shock. It was as if the ship -faltered suddenly and heeled over on her side. - -Above him, Standish saw induction and exhaust pipes, coated with -sulphur dioxide frost, writhe and twist like so many serpents. The -explosion that followed was deafening. The floor buckled upward under -the pressure. The door to the cabin was torn from its hinges, and a -sheet of flame and a column of smoke gushed inward. - -In an instant, Standish understood. The prison ship, well on its voyage -from Earth, had entered the danger zone, that part of space swarming -with planetoids and miniature planets. A sleepy pilot had failed to -make the proper gravitational allowances. They had struck! - -The ship was almost over on her beam ends now. It righted slowly, and -Standish fought his way into the outer passageway, every muscle tensed -for instant action. - -The corridor was empty. Gas and smoke searing his nostrils, the -Earthman made his way to the companion. Up he climbed. Emerging on the -second level, he stood rigid, stark horror gripping him. - -The cages were there. Tier after tier of them stretching into the -bowels of the space ship as far as the grey light permitted him to see. -In those cages, he knew, were men of his own race: Earth soldiers, -prisoners of war. - -But over each cage the heavy ceiling plates had been ripped free by the -force of the explosion, and where the imprisoned men had been, only -twisted bars and sheets of _arelium_ steel were visible. The entire -level was a tomb of silence. - -Standish choked back a sob. His men all dead! Crushed like rats in a -trap. - -He crossed to the ladder leading to the third and main level, climbing -slowly. - -Reaching the crew deck, he rocked backward again with a cry of dismay. -Here, too, the fearful destruction was evident on all sides. Uniformed -Sirians lay dead in the scuppers. The entire bridge house was a mass of -fallen girders and broken metal. - -The officers' quarters had been crushed like an eggshell. Only the -steering cuddy and control room had been spared. But here, too, -Standish found death had not spared the occupants. A pintax bar, -ripped free from its rocker arms, had jammed itself like an exploded -cartridge into the pilot's skull. All in the control room had died of -fumes forced into the chamber when the motors backcharged through the -instrument pipes. - - * * * * * - -From cabin to cabin Standish went from the living quarters of the crew -in the forecastle, to the ammunition chamber in the stern. Everywhere -he found destruction and death. - -And slowly the fact dawned upon him that he alone aboard was alive. -He had been spared because he had been imprisoned in the lower hull, -and that section of the ship had escaped damage. Slowly he sank onto a -settee and tried to reconstruct his thoughts. - -A few hours ago as defense engineer for Earth, he had generaled -a daring undercover attack against the Sirian's main base at San -Francisco. For ten years--since 3010--the war between Earth and -Sirius had been going on, with Earth the stage for all battles of -the conflict. The cause of the war was long forgotten. Earth people -only knew that the Sirians, greedy for more land, had successfully -vanquished Mars and Venus and were steadily closing in on terrestrial -territory. - -Already Australia and Asia had fallen. With every known device of -interplanetary warfare, the Sirians had captured district after -district, until the American continent alone remained untrampled by the -invaders. - -But Standish's story had begun a week before. Through an operative -in his vast espionage system, he had learned that the Sirians under -command of the ruthless Drum Faggard, were preparing for the "big push." - -With a dozen chosen companions disguised as Sirians, the Earth engineer -had successfully passed through the enemy lines. He had hoped to -capture Drum Faggard and a number of his officers-of-staff and race -with them back to the Earth's front line breastworks at Omaha. It was a -wild scheme; but Standish knew if Faggard were captured, the war would -collapse. - -The plan had failed. Counter-spies had warned the Sirians. The little -band of twelve had been permitted to penetrate deep into Sirian -territory, then had been overwhelmed. And after that--Standish's fists -clenched--he had been brought face to face with Drum Faggard. - -He was a renegade, this Sirian master of conquest. He had been born on -Earth of low parentage, but at the beginning of hostilities he had -wormed his way into the graces of the Sirians and by cunning and force -of will had risen to Chief of Command. - -The Sirians were a wafter-headed race with featureless faces and -short barrel-like bodies. Their legs were the same as those of the -men of Earth, but their arms possessed tumor-like swellings above the -wrists, secondary nerve centers. Faggard, a huge man with a gross face, -pig-like eyes and thin lips, had smiled sardonically when Standish was -brought before him. - -"So your little plan failed, eh?" he said, swallowing a glass of -Sirian whiskey and wiping his mouth with the flat of his hand. "Well, -Standish, you may as well realize it, you're quite in our power now, -and you'll be treated with no more consideration than the rest of the -prisoners, unless you answer a few questions." - -"What sort of questions?" Standish had demanded. - -Faggard smiled again. "Now that your connections with Earth have been -forever severed, it can be of little concern to you what happens to -that planet. What I want to know is this: How many anti-rocket guns has -Earth located at its Omaha base? What is the number of strato-cruisers -stationed at Powerville? How heavy are the reserves in the Electra City -sector? - -"Answer those question, Standish, and you will be virtually a free man. -You will be released on our colony planet of Pluto, with five hundred -_planetoles_ in your pocket. That money will enable you to live a life -of ease for the rest of your days." - -For a moment Standish had stood there, face emotionless. Then like an -uncapped bottle spewing forth, he had given in to blind rage. He lunged -across the room, seized Faggard's thick throat and pounded his right -fist into the smirking lips. Twice he had struck before a guard had -rushed forward and pulled him off. Then something hard and heavy had -crashed down upon his skull, and he knew no more. - -He had awakened on this prison ship. But had not this accident occurred -he knew well enough the fate that would have been in store for him. All -prisoners captured by the Sirian army were transported back to Sirius -where they were put to work as slaves in the marsh fields, extracting -hydro-carbon gas for use in the food-distillation plants. It was said a -terrestrial man could live only one year there. - -Only one thing puzzled the Earthman. Why had he been given special -quarters on the prison ship instead of being placed in one of the cages -with the other prisoners? To that he could give no answer, and as the -ringing silence of space closed in on him, he got to his feet and made -his way slowly back to the control room. - - - II - -Glass 5 showed that the forepeak and secondary chamber had been ripped -open. Glass 5 also showed that bulkhead doors there had automatically -closed. For the rest, excluding the motors, everything seemed in order. - -The oxygen suppliers were functioning smoothly on auxiliary batteries. -Likewise the heat units, one for each level, showed normal operation. -All lights were lit. - -Standish glanced out the port. Whatever the ship had struck, it was out -of his vision range now. Propelled by the forward surge of the dying -motors, the ship must have advanced a great distance since the fatal -crash. - -Now the ship was drifting. Drifting without steerageway. - -"Derelict," Standish said slowly. "It looks like I've got a one-way -ticket to eternity." - -He took the elevator down to the lower level again and made his way -along the grating to the engine room. Carefully he examined the six -ato-turbines with an experienced eye. - -Standish had grown up with atomic motors. He had served an -apprenticeship at his father's solar plant at Sun City, and he had -graduated from the New York School of Technology. As a boy of sixteen, -he had built his first minature atom smasher during vacation days. - -Now he moved along the narrow catwalk between the motors, touching a -wire here, an armature there. The two port engines, he found, were -wrecked completely. Likewise the two starboard. Two forward machines -remained, and of these he saw one had an inch-wide crack in its -combustion chamber. But the other.... - -Standish drew in a breath of satisfaction. The last motor was disabled -but not beyond repair. Without further ado, he peeled off his coat, -seized a Stillson wrench and fell to work. - -It took him a long time, and the task drew his mind away from the -horror about him. With the patience of long experience, Standish made -his repairs. At length it was completed, and he paused with bated -breath while he pressed the starting button. - -The motor began, sluggishly at first, then faster and faster. Presently -it was droning evenly as if nothing had almost wrecked it earlier. - -"One motor isn't much," he told himself. "But it may be enough." - -For the third time he returned to the control room. There, triumph -met his gaze. The master indicator showed a definite forward movement -through space. The crippled ship was moving, though slowly. - -Standish turned his attention next to the visiscreens and emergency -radio with which the liner had kept in contact with Earth and Sirius. -Neither the transmitting nor the receiving sets showed any response -when he turned on the control switch. A glance back of the panels -showed shattered tubes and broken apparatus. - -He went out on the deck and climbed to the pilot cuddy. One look -through the three-directional glassite shield told a grim story. But it -was a full minute before the significance of it all probed into him. - -The view ahead was utterly unfamiliar. Strange stars and constellations -glowed in the void. Far off to his left was the white radiance of -a spiral nebula. To the right, the galaxies seemed to blend in a -bewildering array of light and matter, stretching on into infinitude. - -Standish's knowledge of cosmography was limited. He knew that straight -lines connecting Sirius with Procyon and Betelguese would constitute a -nearly equilateral triangle. He knew, too, that Betelguese, Sirius and -Regel--all of the first magnitude--formed a lozenge-shaped figure, with -Orion's belt in the center. - -But try as he would, he could locate none of these stellar landmarks. - - * * * * * - -Turning, he looked for the liner's log. With information as to the -ship's time of departure from Earth and an average calculation of her -speed, he might hope to chart his position. - -The log, however, had not been filled out. The Sirians apparently had -grown careless in their repeated trips through space. - -Standish's teeth came down hard on his pipe stem. He was lost! -Hopelessly lost! A solitary spark of life in a man-made projectile, -wandering the immensities of the Universe. - -Mechanically, the Earthman set the automatic directionscope for a -larger spot of light far ahead and threw in the massmeter which would -effectually warn him of any body within collision range in his path. -Had the liner pilot paid attention to that dial, he reflected, the -crash might have been avoided. - -Stars paraded, swung past. The Big Dipper flamed away, curiously -changed in outlines. Or was it the Big Dipper? Standish didn't know. - -Material thoughts supplanted cosmic ones then. There was work to be -done, ghoulish work which common decency demanded he perform. The dead -must be disposed of. - -It was a hard task, and he accomplished it by carrying the bodies of -the Sirian officers and crew to the baggage chamber in the stern and -casting them free through the airlock. On the second level which had -held the Earth prisoners the work was even more difficult. Heavy bars -and plates had to be lifted free. But at length Standish stood alone on -the ship. - -He recognized the gnawing sensation in his midsection then as hunger. -Finding the galley supplied with both fresh meats and vegetables as -well as food concentrates, he ate well. The food served to restore some -of his confidence. - -When he returned to the pilot cuddy, he saw that the bright spot for -which he had set the directionscope had enlarged to a great orange -globe that covered the entire glassite shield. Even as he watched, the -outlines of land and seas took form. - -The needle of the massmeter began to quiver spasmodically, but -Standish held to his course. It had occurred to him that this world -might possibly be inhabited and that he might obtain aid for his return -to Earth, or at least the proper directions. - -But as he drew closer, the land resolved itself into thick jungle and -smooth eroded mountain tops, barren of any building or structure. The -planet, on this hemisphere at least, was devoid of life. - -A bell clanged above the massmeter, warning him the ship was in the -danger zone. He seized the wheel and turned it hard over. At the same -time he moved the power switch to the last notch. - -The liner swung sluggishly. And then the thing Standish had feared -happened! The single motor buckled under the strain and ceased. Without -resistance, the ship swept full into the gravitational field of the -planet and plunged downward. - -Like a man in a dream Standish saw jungle rush up to meet him. An -instant later there was a terrific crash, and he felt himself hurled -into oblivion. - - - III - -An eternity seemed to have passed before he opened his eyes. He was -conscious immediately of his left arm which was pinioned under a heavy -rock. He wrenched it free and staggered erect, looking about dazedly. - -His eyes opened in bewilderment. He lay on a shelf, a small escarpment -projecting from the side of a cliff. Far below him, smashed and broken -in two, amid jagged boulders, lay the prison ship. And sweeping on and -on to the horizon was a dense matted jungle. - -The trees resembled giant cat-tails. Without branches, the trunks -towered up a full three hundred feet to form a huge green protruberance -at the top. The rock of the cliff was neither igneous nor sedimentary. -Instead it was smooth and almost translucent, like glass. - -In the sky above, two suns blazed, one at the zenith, one a fiery ball -dipping over the horizon. The air was warm and humid, and Standish knew -the oxygen content must be almost the same as on Earth. - -Nature-formed rock slabs led in stair formation down the cliff. While -he stood there, slowly regaining his strength, the Earthman tried to -trace the path of the crashing liner. He saw where it had struck, -ripping open the entire side and casting him out. Then it had rolled -end over end down into the ravine. - -At length, Standish began his descent. The moment he swung his -body over the edge to hang by his hands, he gave an exclamation of -amazement. His body seemed to weigh nothing at all. This planet must -be of smaller size than Earth, and, therefore, the gravitational -attraction was less. - -On the ravine floor he looked about him warily. Titanic rock, smooth -and polished from erosion, littered the expanse but stopped at the -jungle edge. The trees were all the same, of equal height and girth. -They seemed to be arranged in corridors or galleries, the way between -them dark and shadow-filled. Standish knew he must exercise caution -until he could explore those depths. - -The significance of his plight now swept upon him. He was alone on an -alien planet. Even granting the Sirians would send out scouts to locate -their prison ship when it failed to arrive, the chances of his being -found were remote. - -Yet on the other hand, he alone had been spared death. And he had come -upon a world, one perhaps in millions, which had an atmosphere capable -of supporting human life. - -A sudden high-pitched drone broke the silence. Rising up from behind a -pile of boulders a hideous winged shape shot toward him! - -Half bird, half saurian, the thing's head was enormous with an inflated -cobra hood. Even as the creature closed in with incredible speed, -Standish wheeled and ran for the safety of the wrecked space ship. - -He reached it and wormed his way through a gaping rent in the hull. -The lizard-bird stopped short a few yards from the ship to stare -perplexedly. Then with its queer droning cry still sounding, it zoomed -into the air and flew out of sight. - -"_Holy Hell!_" - -Standish inhaled deeply. Dangers here were imminent. He must take -steps to protect himself at once. - -Although the liner lay on one side with the three entrances and -emergency airlock underneath, the hole through which he had entered -was the only opening. The hull bottom had been crushed by the great -impact. Yet the glassite ports and vision shield of the pilot cuddy -were unbroken. - -Standish crawled back along the passage to the officers' quarters. -On the well of one of the cabins he found two genithode pistols and -a portable ray gun. He realized then that his first move toward self -preservation lay in making the space ship livable and impregnable to -outside attack. - -He accomplished the latter by removing two bulkhead doors and jamming -them across the opening in the hull. The last door he arranged on a -swivel so that it could be locked from either side. Then, exhausted by -the hours of activity, he fell asleep. - - * * * * * - -When he awoke and went outside, he saw that the two suns had exactly -altered their position. The larger was at the zenith now; the smaller, -low on the horizon. The temperature was unchanged, and the air was -crystal clear, with only a few fleecy clouds floating overhead. - -Standish ate a hearty breakfast, then strapped one genithode pistol -about his waist and headed across the ravine to begin his first trip of -exploration. - -The moment he entered the jungle he was conscious of an electric -something that passed before him, telegraphed from tree to tree. -The strange plants, neither cyads nor conifers, seemed aware of his -presence, whispering among themselves. - -Experimentally he touched one of the trunks. It quivered, the bark -split apart, and a spongy tentacle whipped out to drive straight at his -throat. Standish escaped the clawing coil by inches. The tree quivered -again, and the tentacle returned to its hiding place. - -He kept well away from the trees after that. But as he went on, he saw -other forms of life, all manifesting an evolution in mixed stages of -development. There was a low plant, brilliant purple in color which -gave off a mewling cry whenever he stepped on one of its fronds. There -were small lizard-birds, and occasionally he saw bluish masses growing -melon-like on the ground. These had a single eye in the center of a -spongy body. They watched him as he passed. - -Once a small animal darted out before him. But when he approached, the -creature instead of running for safety, thrust one paw in the soft -earth, and a whitish blossom leaped up on a wavering stalk from its -head. Within the flick of an eye, the thing had changed from animal to -plant life. - -It was at high noon by his Earth-time watch that Standish emerged into -the glade. He stopped short, staring, then uttered a short cry. - -Before him were buildings, low mushroom-like buildings arranged in a -semi-circle. Fashioned of the same translucent rock he had seen on the -cliff, they resembled the igloos of his own north country. Overhead -a network of thick yellowish wire ran back and forth, separated at -intervals by heavy white insulators. - -He saw then that the structures were old. The wires hung slack, and in -many places were broken in two. A heavy silk-like grass had sprung up -in thick clumps between the buildings. - -With steps suddenly grown heavy, Standish advanced to the nearest -house. The rotting remnants of a wooden door hung from elliptical -hinges. - -Inside was desertion. There were no furnishings of any kind. Over -everything lay a heavy coating of dust. - -There were twelve buildings in the glade, and he examined them one -by one. In one he found a skeleton with a skull of enormous size and -three leg appendages instead of two. In the last a strange looking -machine, partially dismantled, was mounted on the wall. Every detail of -it, from the mildewed control panel to the eccentric wheels and cogs -were unfamiliar to him. On the floor was a stone tablet covered with -hieroglyphics. - -But that was all! - -Depression swept over Standish as he mentally supplied the missing -details. Some race had been here long ago; a foreign race, for the -glade was undoubtedly a temporary camp. The wire entanglement and the -machine had been constructed as some sort of protection against the -animal life of this planet. - -But whoever these people were, they had come and gone! - - - IV - -Standish left the glade with a heavy heart and returned to the space -ship. In the ravine, he made two discoveries. There was a spring of -clear water pouring from a fissure in the cliff side. Growing about it -was an edible variety of moss. Although he had concentrated food in the -liner's galley to keep him for a long time, these finds were reassuring. - -He also found that the combination of the mineral soil and the two suns -affected growth tremendously. Planting a few dried kernels of corn, -he was amazed to see them take root almost instantly and reach full -maturity within a few hours. - -He now set upon a task which he had been mulling over in his brain for -some time. - -There were ray cannons mounted on the space liner's stern. Two of -these had broken muzzles, but the third was intact. Standish went down -into the bowels of the ship and found a dozen old message projectiles. -Cigar-shaped objects of heat-resisting corodite, these projectiles were -a part of all space crafts' emergency equipment. They were used for -distress signals when radio or visiscreen equipment failed. - -In the hollow chamber of each of the twelve projectiles he placed the -same message: - - - Castaway. Mason Standish. Lieutenant-defense-engineer Earth. - On unknown planet, somewhere near Sirius-Earth Route. - December 28, 3020. - -He had no means of astronomical calculation. So he aimed the gun at -twelve different points of the heavens and fired haphazardly. Chances -of intelligent life ever finding those projectiles were millions to one -against him. But whatever the odds, he must miss no opportunity. - -Next he made a thorough survey of the wrecked liner, carrying all -usable objects to the forecastle, which swiftly took on the appearance -of a storage room. As these articles began to grow in number, -satisfaction and pride of ownership gripped him. - -It was in the midst of these labors that he was suddenly struck with -an idea. Why not construct a space ship from the wrecked parts of the -liner? He had six atomic motors, and surely from their wreckage he -could salvage enough to build one of half the trajectory power. And -with a smaller ship, he might be able to find his way back to Earth. - -Standish smoked a pipe over this. When morning came, he began the -herculean task of dismantling the motors. Day after day he struggled -with the cumbersome machinery. When this stage of the work was finally -completed, he was startled to discover that six weeks of Earth time had -slipped by. - -He then found in the machinists' quarters an electrolic saw. The tool -was dull, but he managed to cut free a dozen girders for the framework -of his craft. To his dismay he found them too heavy to move even -with block and tackle. There was no alternative but to cut them into -sections and weld them together, hoping they would stand the strain. - -That night the first warning of trouble came. Absently Standish had -noticed a chill in the air, a more oblique slant to the twin suns. -Suddenly from the jungle beyond the ravine came a low rumbling. - -The Earthman switched on a searchlight he had fastened on top of the -forecastle. The white glare fastened itself on the wall of trees, -revealed five figures advancing directly into the light. - - * * * * * - -On all fours they came, huge beasts with long tapered bodies covered -with heavy white fur. Their heads resembled the saber-toothed tigers of -Earth's Upper Miocene. - -A dozen appeared before Standish understood. This zone of the planet -was advancing into its cold season. The animals were part of a -migrating herd, coming down from the warmer districts. - -He drew his genithode pistol and fired into their midst. The foremost -of the creatures keeled over, and the Earthman advanced boldly, firing -as he went. Here was fresh meat, and with winter coming on, he intended -to obtain as much of it as possible. - -Standish was twenty yards from the hull of the liner when a coughing -roar sounded behind him. He wheeled and uttered a cry of horror. If -the creatures revealed by the light were giants in size, these others -were titans. Nostrils picking up his scent, they came forward slowly, -cutting him off from the ship. - -He fired twice again, even as two of the monsters hurtled toward him. -It was stark struggle then. With only the reflected light of the search -lamp and the vague glow of the stars, Standish fought desperately. The -pistol barrel became hot; the white-haired things went down in two's -and three's. - -And then abruptly there came a lull in the attack. The creatures halted -listening. And an instant later the sound reached the Earthman's ears -like the hum of an angry hornet. From above it came, rapidly drawing -nearer. Stunned, he saw the saber-toothed monsters turn and slink -quietly back into the jungle. - -Up in the sky a light gleamed, and a series of red flashes split -the darkness. Then a black ball-shaped shadow swept downward with -incredible speed. There was a roar and a series of muffled reports as -the thing hurtled over the roof of the jungle and swept to a landing at -the far end of the ravine. - -The sounds ceased. Standish stood there, frozen to inactivity. Then a -hysterical shout and a peal of laughter burst from his lips. A space -ship ... a rocket ship, landing here on this planet. It ... it wasn't -possible! - - - V - -But it was possible. As Standish ran forward, he saw a hatch open in -the metal sphere and a man climb out. And yet it wasn't a man. The face -and body were normal, but the arms and legs were vine-like appendages -with segmented fronds for hands. When this person saw Standish, it -recoiled and whipped a knife out from a scabbard at its waist. - -Quickly the Earthman raised one arm above his head in the common symbol -of friendliness. A smile of recognition crossed the little man's face. -He nodded and raised his frond-like hand in a similar gesture. Then he -pointed to himself and said: - -"Ga-Marr!" - -The rocket ship now came under Standish's gaze. He saw that it was of -a design foreign to any craft he had ever seen before. Spherical in -shape, with a series of strange-looking fins along the sides, its stern -rudders were formed of crude exhaust jettisons, and the several ports -were formed of a transparent material that resembled quartz. - -Ga-Marr--for it was evident those syllables formed the stranger's -name--opened the hatch door and motioned Standish to enter. Without -hesitation, the Earthman did so. Inside was a single cabin, with a -control panel occupying two of the four walls. Ga-Marr pressed a -button, and a panel slid open in the floor, revealing the motor chamber. - -The stranger pointed downward, then shook his head violently. Standish -nodded. - -"Motors went dead on you, eh? Well, my friend, it looks as though you -and I were in the same fix. Come along, and I'll show you my diggings." - -But when Ga-Marr looked upon the wrecked space liner, he stared -incredulously. He walked its entire length as if doubting its -proportions. - -"Yes, she's big all right," Standish smiled, aware that he was not -understood. "But she's no good, the way she is now. Now, how about a -little food?" - -In his forecastle home, the Earthman set out a bottle of wine and some -cakes. He noted that Ga-Marr used his front hands with great dexterity, -but that he betrayed no surprise at Standish's own physical appearance. - -Once the stranger had eaten, Standish began the necessary task of -providing a common means of communication. He used the Corelli -sound-system--a shortcut method of acquainting the ear and the eye -simultaneously with objects of fundamental importance. Within two -hours, he found he could converse with Ga-Marr with a minimum amount of -difficulty. - -Haltingly then, the stranger began to speak: - -"I am from the city, Calthedra, of the planet Lyra, of the system -Aritorius. My race was once a great people, but raiders from another -planet destroyed our civilization. All we have left is a few rocket -ships of the kind in which I came. These were built long ago by our -ancestors, and only a few of us know how to operate them." - -Standish nodded. "How came you here?" - -"I was voyaging to visit my brother on our satellite, Zora, when those -same raiders caught sight of me and gave chase. My space compass -broke, and I became lost. I found my way here just as my rocket motors -consumed the last of their power." - -"I see." Standish lit his pipe and began to smoke slowly. "And these -raiders--they come from near here?" - -"From Sirius," Ga-Marr replied. "They raid us for funds to continue -their war with a planet many light years away." - -For a full moment Standish sat there rigid. Then the pipe fell from his -hands, and he leaped to his feet. - -"Sirius!" he cried. "So those butchers are not content to place in -bondage all the solar system. They must plague other worlds also!" - -He paced the length of the forecastle. - -"Tell me," he said, whirling abruptly, "do you know of a Sirian leader -called Drum Faggard?" - -Ga-Marr's eyes gleamed. "Aye. The crudest and most bloodthirsty of -them all. It was he who led the attack against my people in which my -brother was killed. It was he who directed the sacking of our city of -Calthedra. My one hope is that some day we may meet on common ground." - - * * * * * - -The next day Standish revealed to the newcomer his plan to build a -smaller space ship out of the wreckage of the old. - -"Your own craft is useless without power for its rocket motors," he -told Ga-Marr. "Yet it contains parts that will be valuable. Have I your -consent to dismantle it?" - -The stranger nodded. - -"To work then. And remember, if we succeed, we may yet be able to -strike at Drum Faggard." - -It was the desire for revenge that spurred them on. Quickly they set -about dismantling Ga-Marr's ship. Rivets were cut, bolts unscrewed, -plates ripped off. Using the dismantled parts of the space liner's -atomic motors, Standish fashioned a smaller but powerful engine. -Gradually out of the mass a crude craft began to take form. - -But they were working on counted time. Days were growing shorter; the -nights, longer. Icy winds began to sweep across the ravine, bringing -sleet and flurries of snow. - -With the change in seasons came new dangers. Strange animal life, -following the perverse migrational instinct of the planet, swept out of -the jungle. - -First came the lizard-birds, similar to, but larger than, the one which -had attacked Standish. They came over the cliff in squadron formation, -a dense cloud that blotted out the sky. - -For two days the men were kept prisoners, while the flock stalked back -and forth about the ravine like a vast Roman encampment. - -A week later the thrads came. It was Ga-Marr who called them thrads. -They were a tiny species of anthropoid, no larger than a squirrel, with -bright red bodies. Inquisitive and bold, they hampered the two men as -they gathered close to watch the work. - -The ship was nearing completion. While Standish labored at the control -adjustments, Ga-Marr carried in a supply of food concentrates from -the wrecked liner. Along the length of the ravine an inclined runway -was built for a take-off. At the end of this, Standish constructed a -rifle-like catapult, using the parts of Ga-Marr's rocket motor and a -quantity of trinitrate cellulose he found in the liner. If the device -worked, it would multiply their initial trajectory power and quicken -their passage through the planet's gravitational field. - -At length Standish fastened the last bolt of the crude new ship in its -place. Nervously, he pressed the starting button. The single motor -began with a smooth powerful hum. The ship strained at its moorings. - -"Ready, Ga-Marr? We'll give her a trial flight and see how she handles." - -The little man grinned, shouted. "Cast off!" he cried. "Cast off!" - -Standish severed the mooring cable of the ship with one shot from his -genithode pistol. The two men yanked shut the hatch, screwed down the -air lock. With a yank, the Earthman threw over the control lever. - -Up from the ground the ship shot. Through the floor panel, Standish saw -the ground receding. - -"Take the controls," he told Ga-Marr. "I'm going to try and chart a -course for your planet." - - * * * * * - -The planet rose up before them like a great ripened peach. It had taken -Standish long hours to calculate with his elementary astrophysics the -location of their destination. Ga-Marr had supplied what information he -could; but he knew only that the planet, Lyra, was bordered by a spiral -nebulae on one side, and that it revolved about a sun some hundred -million miles distant. - -As they approached now, Ga-Marr betrayed no emotion. "The city of -Calthedra is on the other hemisphere," he said. "I'll direct you to the -landing." - -They crept slowly along the surface, and the Earthman found himself -looking upon a land similar in many respects to his own. Nostalgia -seized him. Here were lakes and woods and broad fields in the state of -cultivation. Here were lanes, roads and hedges, a tracery of browns and -greens that was good to see. - -But when a moment later Ga-Marr pointed out the port and said, -"Calthedra," Standish's jaw set hard. The city had been devastated. -Buildings stood in ruins. Towers were crumbling masses of masonry. -Only one structure seemed to have escaped the fearful onslaught, a -globe-shaped building, fashioned of some kind of black metal. - -The Earthman saw the landing place and guided the ship downward. Below -he could see people milling about excitedly, groups of them pointing -upward. - -The moment the ship came to a rest, Ga-Marr threw open the hatch -and climbed out. Standish followed, to find an assemblage drawn up -suspiciously in battle array, their weapons ready for any hostile move -of the newcomers. - -In the foreground stood a taller man of Lyra, wearing a suit of -copper-colored chain mail and a helmet studded with gleaming chips of -yellow metal. At his sides were two men in white flowing robes. All had -high brows, penetrating eyes and frond-like appendages in lieu of arms -and legs. - -Ga-Marr ran forward and embraced the man in the helmet. - -"My father," he said, "this man is Mason Standish, a great warrior from -the planet Earth. He has rescued me from certain death, and has brought -me back to your empire at the risk of his life." - -The Emperor paced forward, a benevolent smile playing across his lips. - -"He who befriends my son has my gratitude," he said softly. - - * * * * * - -Standish was bewildered. Ga-Marr had made no mention of the fact that -he was of royal birth. It was a long time before the Earthman found his -tongue. - -"Your son tells me that your people and my people are at war with a -common enemy. May I ask how long since the Sirians made their last -attack upon you?" - -"Within the risings of twelve suns," the Emperor replied. "But come. -Let us go to the palace where we may speak alone." - - * * * * * - -Standish missed no detail of his passage through the city. Calthedra, -besides being hard hit by the invaders, was quite evidentally in the -process of decay. Streets were racked and unrepaired. House windows -were broken and open to the elements. And on all sides the Earthman saw -faces devoid of intelligence staring at him. - -But when he climbed the steps and followed Ga-Marr and the Emperor into -the black metal globe, he entered a different world. - -A vast pillared hall stretched before him. On one side a balustrated -ramp led to the upper levels. Opposite were a series of high triangular -doorways, each opening into separate chambers. The air was cool and -exhilarating and seemed to have a different chemical content than that -of the street. - -"This is our palace," Ga-Marr said, "built thousands of years before -when our people were a great civilization. It alone has withstood all -the attacks our planet has been exposed to." - -"Why?" demanded Standish. "I should think this would be the enemy's -first striking place." - -Ga-Marr stook his head. "I do not understand the science of it myself. -It is something in the black metal. It is an electon-stripped element, -I believe, tremendously heavy and impregnable to any weapon of cosmic -warfare." - -They reached the last doorway and entered the royal quarters. The -Emperor and his son sat down before a circular table and motioned -Standish to a chair opposite. The older man removed his helmet and -closed his eyes as if in weariness. - -"Earthman," he said at length, "you come at a time when my planet is -sorely in need of help. I don't know how much my son has told you, but -if you will listen I will tell you the history of Lyra. But first I -have something to show you." - -He touched a button on the table, and a chime sounded melodiously in -the outer corridor. A servant appeared in the doorway. - -"Tell Thalia I would see her at once," the Emperor said. - -A moment later light steps sounded and Standish looked up curiously. -What he saw brought him out of his chair with a cry of pleasure and -amazement. - -The figure of a girl--an Earth girl of his own race stood there on the -threshold. - - - VI - -For a full moment as their eyes met, man and girl stared speechless. To -Standish, who a few short weeks ago had thought himself cut off forever -from his people, she was a vision of loveliness. Her hair was dark, and -her face was a delicate one of natural beauty. - -"This is Thalia," the Emperor said, "born on your planet, but brought -here as a child. Perhaps you recall a liner, the Colossus, which was -lost and never reached port some twenty years ago?" - -"Glory, yes!" exclaimed Standish. - -"The Colossus was destroyed by the Sirians. It was their first attack -on an Earth craft, and I believe the initial act which led them on. -Thalia was the only survivor when we came upon the ship, drifting, a -derelict." - -The girl stepped forward now shyly. "My greetings," she said. - -Standish took her hand, and a strange thrill shot through him. Then the -Emperor leaned back in his chair, lit a short metal pipe and began his -story.... - -Thousands of years before, the Sirians had come to raid this planet, -Lyra, attracted by the wealth of minerals: coronium, thanium, margon, -gold and silver. They had destroyed the libraries, the laboratories, -the schools. They had killed the scientists and all men suspected of -higher intelligence. For generations, the people of Lyra had been held -in bondage. - -Then an Emperor had come into power, gifted with a scientific reasoning -far in advance of his time. He had constructed a warp in space on three -sides of the planet. This alteration of the space-time coordinates -served as an impregnable defense. - -Until Drum Faggard had come upon the scene. With but one desire--to -continue his war on Earth and the solar system, Faggard had broken -through the space warp and destroyed the time machine that operated it. - -"And so," concluded the Emperor, "we of Lyra today are but ghosts of -our past. Our heritage has been stolen from us. We are far removed in -space, so have been unable to obtain allies. Even your planet, Earth, -does not know of our presence. The Sirians have told us that your -observers believe Lyra unfit to support life. And the few rocket ships -we have left are not capable of crossing that immense distance." - -Standish sat in thoughtful silence. Abruptly the girl, Thalia, moved to -his side. - -"Will you help us?" she said. "You have knowledge, and knowledge is -power. Will you aid Lyra in its fight for freedom?" - -Standish stood up slowly, face a grim line of determination. "Yes," he -said. "I'll do all I can." - - * * * * * - -He began with a survey of the city of Calthedra. With Ga-Marr answering -his many questions, Standish passed from street to street, building to -building, no detail missing his sharp eyes. He saw the wreckage of the -space warp machine, broken ray cannon, the debris-choked lower levels -where once light-hearted Lyrians had their libraries and laboratories. - -Then Standish spent two days devising an intelligence test as he -remembered them from his Earth studies. The test, he instructed -Ga-Marr, was to be given to every able-bodied man in Calthedra. - -He spent a week more checking the results. But at length from the mass -of papers he selected twenty-four Lyrians whose IQ rating and general -scientific aptitude seemed in advance of their fellows. The Earthman -then revealed his plan to Ga-Marr. - -"We're going to build a space ship," he said, "a super destroyer with -the most powerful atomic motors I've ever designed. We're going to take -this war into our own hands--attack, rather than wait to be attacked." - -A call for workmen was broadcast. The response was overwhelming. All -Calthedra, all Lyra wanted to help the man from Earth in the struggle -to free them from bondage. - -With the twenty-four picked men as overseers, the work began. A flat -space was selected beyond the outskirts of the city. Food depots were -thrown up, together with temporary housing quarters. Like a colony of -ants, the workmen labored in three shifts. At night, the work went on -by the light of solar-condensor lamps mounted on towers at every point -of vantage. - -The ship began to take form. A long cigar-shaped blue-black hull -was fashioned out of "_feloranium_", a metal peculiar to Lyra which -Standish toughened by the addition of five alloys. At intermittent -spaces along that hull, disappearing ray guns were swivel-mounted, -operated and loaded by remote control. - -The Earthman personally supervised the installation of the atomic -motors. Each he had given the most strenuous block tests. Switched on, -they purred like six gargantuan cats, alive with effortless strength. - -Finally Ga-Marr climbed out of the huge cabin and smiled. - -"It is completed," he said. "Only the heat units remain to be tested. -What now?" - -"Now," said Standish.... But his words were never finished. From the -roof of the palace the warning siren burst into a wailing clamor. -Ga-Marr's face blanched. - -"The Sirians!" he cried. "They'll destroy all we've done." - -With a single leap Standish was across to the microphone of the field -amplifying system. - -"Wait!" his voice boomed out. "If you run, all your work will be for -nothing. We still have a chance, but we must hide this ship. I want -each of you to bring here every movable object you can find. Do you -understand? Every movable object!" - -The field saw strange activity then. While the siren continued to -scream out its warning, an endless procession of Lyrians raced in and -out of Calthedra, carrying stone blocks, furniture, doors, articles of -every description. - -"Looks like moving day back on Earth," Standish said to Ga-Marr with a -lightness he didn't feel. His fists clenched. "We'll beat them yet." - -He ran for the palace. Even as he raced up the inclined ramp of the -rear entrance, he saw five Sirian battle cruisers land with a roar in -the central square. Inside, Standish moved swiftly to the quarters -of the Emperor. The old man was leaning weakly against a chair, eyes -smoldering. - -Without preamble the Earthman explained what he had done. Then he had -barely time to leap through the doorway into the adjoining room. - - * * * * * - -Heavy steps sounded in the hall. A moment later six men entered the -chamber and strode belligerently to the Emperor. Five of them were -Sirians. The sixth was a man of Earth--a tall broad shouldered man with -a bullet head and a cruel predatory face. This was Drum Faggard. - -He wore the Sirian uniform and a flowing scarlet cloak hung from his -shoulders. At his waist were holstered two long barreled genithode -pistols. - -"Your mines are lying idle," Faggard snarled. "Why?" - -Through the crevice between the partially closed door Standish saw the -Emperor shrug eloquently. "We have had troubles." - -"What troubles?" - -The Emperor hesitated. "Labor," he said. "My workers refuse to toil -further when the results of their work are stolen from them. They see -no reason to struggle for the benefit of murdering raiders." - -Blunt anger crimsoned Faggard's face. He struck the Emperor hard across -the face. "Watch your tongue, fool!" - -Standish made fists of his hands. He had an overpowering desire to leap -into the room and seize the renegade. To do that, however, he knew, -would mean failure for his plans. - -Drum Faggard paced to a window. - -"What is the meaning of all that material piled outside the city?" - -Quietly the Emperor continued to play his part. "We are moving to new -grounds," he explained, "moving higher into the hills. The weather on -Lyra is changing, growing warmer due to the planet's gradual approach -to our sun. Surely your observers must have noticed it." - -For a long moment the renegade stood there motionless, digesting this -information. Then he crossed back to the table, slammed a mailed fist -down upon it. - -"Old man, I give you one more chance. Either those mines are worked and -a double amount of ore made ready for us, or we level Calthedra to the -ground. Do you understand? We will return later." - -He turned on his heel, and the five Sirians followed puppet-like into -the corridor. Darting across to the window, Standish saw them march -pompously across the square and enter the space cruisers. A moment -later, with a roar of rocket exhaust, the six armored vessels shot -upward. - -Standish turned and ran out the door, heading for the landing field. -Half way he met Ga-Marr. - -"The ruse worked," the Emperor's son exulted. "They've gone." - -"Order the ship cleared!" Standish commanded. "We take off at once." - -Quickly the screen of material was torn from the new ship. A vat of -necessary water and a case of food concentrate were hastily carried -into the storage chamber. The twenty-four chosen Lyrians took their -places. In the pilot cuddy, Standish nodded to Ga-Marr and pulled down -the microphone of the ship address-system. - -"Close stern hatch!" he ordered. - -A dial flicked on the panel before him, and from the loudspeaker a -voice answered: - -"Hatch closed, sir." - -"Close midships-tower." - -"Midships-tower closed." - -"Gunner's mate!" Standish called. "Test all gun swivels, air locks and -automatic loaders." - -There was a moment's pause. Then: - -"All guns tested, sir." - -Standish motioned Ga-Marr to shut the pilot cuddy hatch. But before -Ga-Marr could swing the hermetic barrier into position, a lithe figure -leaped down the ladder. It was the Earth girl--Thalia. - -"I'm going with you," she said. "This is my battle as well as yours." - -Standish looked into her defiant black eyes and frowned. But the -refusal that rose to his lips died unsounded. He nodded and motioned -her to the settee on the far side of the cuddy. - -In rotation then, he snapped on the six atomic motors. A dull tremor of -life and power shook the ship. Then Standish seized an electro-welder -left behind by some workman, flung open the hatch and ran outside to -the stern of the ship. - -Roughly, while Ga-Marr watched bewildered, he seared the name, -_Phantom_, on the _feloranium_ hull. He leaped back to the cuddy, -slammed shut the hatch and threw over the acceleration lever. - -The huge ship lifted from the field of its birth and roared up into the -stratosphere. - - - VII - -It was Standish's plan to permit the six departing Sirian cruisers -to cover sufficient distance that they would not associate -him--immediately at least--with the plundered planet, Lyra. With -unleashed power at his fingertips, he planned to pass his quarry on a -higher plane, then circle and return. - -The _Phantom_ functioned like a dream. Up through space she bored, -annihilating distance, sweeping out into the star fields in hot -pursuit. Warm clear air circulated out from the oxygizers. Each dial -and gauge told its proper story. Even the heat units, which had not -been properly tested, operated smoothly. - -Standish pulled down the cosmoscope and surveyed the way ahead. He saw -star clusters and constellations. Ahead, tail sweeping out in a blaze -of glory, a comet crossed his path. But nowhere did he sight the Sirian -cruisers. - -"I'm afraid they've got too great a start on us," said Ga-Marr. Thalia -drew in her breath sharply. - -"That black speck ahead...." - -Standish threw over the accelerator another notch and twisted helm -sharply. The _Phantom_ answered her controls. The Earthman was -maneuvering for position now. Far below him, he saw the six cruisers -materialize in his vision. - -And then, with a dull roar, the _Phantom_ swung and leaped for the -attack. - -"They see us!" Thalia cried. "They're going into battle-formation!" - -With Drum Faggard's flag ship in the lead, the six cruisers turned and -headed toward them in squadron formation. It was evident that they were -still unaware of the identity of the black ship. The visiscreen clicked -on, and Faggard's face appeared in the panel. - -"We are Section one, general Sirian Expeditionary Force, Sirius to -Earth, heading for regular interplanetary lanes," he said, following -the customary salutation. "Who are you?" - -Standish flipped on his own microphone, but disconnected the vision -panel so that no return image would be broadcast. - -"Destroyer _Phantom_," he replied, muffling his voice. "Captain Ether -commanding. Stand by for boarding or we open fire on you." - -Faggard's gross face, crimson with rage, flashed back on the screen. - -"Are you mad? We are six to your one. From what planet do you come? -Show your colors." - -"I'll show my colors," Standish muttered, a grim smile playing about -his lips. He switched on the ship address system. - -"Port gunner. Stand by for shot across enemy's bows. Elevation six. -Trajectory five." - -There was an excited reply. Standish twisted his helm a fraction of a -turn. - -"Fire!" - - * * * * * - -The _Phantom_ recoiled slightly, but there was no sound, no tell-tale -streak of flame. Only on the Sirian flagship was there any evidence of -what had happened. A gaping hole appeared in the vessel's hull. The -ship faltered momentarily. Then, Standish knew, hermetic bulkheads -automatically closed, and she swung on a wide arc. - -"They're spreading out," Ga-Marr said. "They're going to attack from -both sides." - -The flagship shot into another plane. The remaining five cruisers -surged toward the _Phantom_, firing as they came. Standish saw the -strategy and realized he was pitted against no amateur fighter. - -He signaled to fire both forward guns, holding his position boldly. -At that moment, one of the cruisers attempted a maneuver old in space -warfare. Charging head-on toward the _Phantom_, the cruiser's commander -sought to frighten Standish into turning broadside. - -Thalia uttered a scream. "They're going to ram us!" she cried. - -The Earthman nodded. "Let them. If they do, they'll be in for a -surprise." - -On came the cruiser. The _Phantom_ did not alter her course. And then, -at the moment the Sirian realized the ruse had failed, Standish threw -his helm, heading directly toward the enemy. The two vessels struck -squarely. - -In the pilot cuddy Standish, Ga-Marr and Thalia were hurled to the -floor. The Earthman struggled erect, helped the girl to her feet. - -"Are you hurt?" he asked. - -"No, but the ship...." - -"Look!" Standish pointed out the port. - -A horrible sight met the girl's eyes. The _Phantom's_ stout -_feloranium_ sides were unharmed. But the Sirian cruiser had broken -into three sections. Even as she watched, figures were catapulted out -into space, and the whole mass of debris began to rotate slowly around -another enemy ship, forming a macabre satellite. - -The remaining four cruisers circled and began to close in. - -"All starboard guns," Standish ordered. "Elevation one. Double charge. -Fire!" - -The recoil was jarring. Two cruisers fell back, rocket motors stilled, -huge rents in their forward quarters. And with that, Drum Faggard's -flag ship and the other cruiser turned about and fled. - -"They've had enough," Ga-Marr exulted. - -"Faggard is the one I want," Standish said. "We'll come back and tow in -those two disabled ships later." - -But the Earthman had reckoned without the huge planetoid swarm which -lay directly in their path. The two Sirian ships plunged into the midst -of these miniature worlds and in an instant were lost. - -Power control wide open, Standish zoomed in pursuit. But though he -swung the cosmoscope to every angle he saw no sign of his quarry. - -"He's slid through our fingers this time," he told Ga-Marr bitterly. -"But our chance will come again." - -Heavily he swung the tiller and returned to the area of combat. The -two helpless cruisers and the portions of the third were drifting idly -without steerageway. Standish steered the _Phantom_ alongside, shot out -the magnetic grappling bars and secured the two derelicts. - -Then he headed the big ship back to Lyra. - -A great crowd awaited them. As the _Phantom_ and its twin burden -settled slowly downward, hundreds of Lyrians ran to the landing field. -The court guard, resplendent in shining armor, took their places in -formation, and the Emperor and his ministers hastily assembled on a -raised pavilion. - -Then the two wrecked cruisers were opened, and the prisoners led forth. - -"You will be well treated," the Emperor addressed them collectively. -"We do not subjugate our captives of war after your fashion; but -until the Sirians cease their raids upon this planet, you will not be -permitted to leave." - -Standish ordered the _Phantom_ inspected and such damage as had been -inflicted by Drum Faggard's guns repaired. Then with Thalia at his -side, he moved slowly toward the palace. - -"Some day," he said, "all this will be over. I don't know how, but I'm -going to do everything in my power to bring this bloody war to an end. -Then ..." - -The girl smiled and lowered her eyes. "Then?" she prompted softly. - -But Standish colored and became suddenly silent. Even during the heat -of the battle, his heart had not beat as fast as it was beating now. - - - VIII - -Six Lyrian months had passed since Standish and Ga-Marr had escaped -from the unknown planet. During those months the fame of the _Phantom_ -had spread fast as light. From the constellation Cygnus to the twelfth -and fifteenth magnitude stars, the name of Captain Ether, behind which -Standish hid his identity swept through the interplanetary lanes. -Transports from powerful and peaceful Alpha Centauri moved with extra -convoys, ready for instant action. No one knew when the _Phantom_ would -strike. No one knew from what planet it came to attack like a black -meteor without warning. - -Yet Standish challenged no ship but those of Sirius. Haunting the -lanes between Sirius and Earth, he seized enemy prison ships and troop -transports alike with daring regularity. - -The city of Calthedra was filled to overflowing with Sirian prisoners. -But the man Standish wanted most, Drum Faggard, was never on a captured -ship. - -Desire to capture Faggard became almost an obsession as the Earthman -went on. Through the powerful radio which he had built on Lyra, he -learned of the situation on Earth, day by day. - -The news was black. Canada, Mexico and Central America were now a part -of the armed camp of the invaders. The Greater United States alone had -managed to remain independent. Breastworks a quarter of a mile high had -been erected on the Canadian and Mexican frontiers. - -The only bright spot was the fact that Faggard's "big push" had failed. -Often Standish smiled as he listened in on radio messages between the -Sirian government and Drum Faggard at his Frisco base. - -"The _Phantom_ has been sighted, lurking near Ganymede. Dispatch five -cruisers to that satellite immediately." - -And again: "The _Phantom_, it is learned on definite authority, comes -from some point in future time. It is able to maintain a speed in -excess of light, violating the Fitzgerald contraction, riding the -fourth dimensional continuum." - -To which Drum Faggard always snarled the same reply. "Whoever Captain -Ether is, I'll get him. Give me time." - - * * * * * - -It was the day of his return from his most successful raid; and -Standish and Thalia were walking arm in arm through the palace garden -on Lyra. Flowers were in the full bloom of the planet's early summer, -and the sun glowed upon them warmly. - -"The _Phantom_ is not enough," the Earthman said. "Powerful as she -is, she can only plague the Sirians like a single hornet. With all my -efforts, I have not halted the war against Earth one iota." - -Thalia shook her head. "You've done all one person possibly could do." - -"I need an army and a fleet," Standish said. "Yet on all Lyra there -will not be sufficiently trained men to furnish either for a long time." - -The girl stood there, idly plucking the petals of a flower. Abruptly -she turned. - -"The Sirian prisoners! Even the private soldiers are equipped with -scientific knowledge. Why not use them?" - -But Standish shook his head. "They would refuse. We could force them to -do physical work, of course. But that's all ... I ..." - -"Listen." Excitement suddenly entered Thalia's voice. "In the -laboratories in the lower levels there is a machine built by the early -Lyrians long ago. No one understands its operation now. But its some -kind of an electro-hypnotic machine. Couldn't you use it on the Sirians -and make them _want_ to help us?" - -A glitter in his eyes, Standish considered a moment, then leaped to his -feet. - -"Let's have a look," he said. - -They left the garden, crossed the square and entered the ancient tunnel -that led to the old laboratories. In the first level the Earthman -found nothing that answered the girl's description. But in a storage -room far back in the second tier he came upon two of the strange -machines, dust covered, in places red with rust. - -Mounted on wheels, the instruments consisted of a small cart with twin -panels and a confusing array of dials. Above each machine was a helix -of tightly wound silver wire. At the bottom was a transparent globe -still half-filled with a thick greenish liquid. - -"According to Ga-Marr," Thalia said, "these machines were used by the -early Sirians for medical purposes. They found in the principal of -applied hypnosis a cure for a great many ills." - -Standish nodded. Without further word, he took up a small wrench and -removed the panel from one of the instruments, carefully examining the -revealed wiring. - -"They seemed to be constructed for use on ordinary electric power. But -not the power supplied by Calthedra's dynamoes. I'll have to step up -the frequency." - -He opened a wall switchboard and quickly connected two wires to the -machine. On a table he found a transformer. Thalia stood by in silence -while he hooked up wires, condensers, and a small loading coil. -Presently he looked up with a nod. - -"We'll give her a try and see what happens." - -"Stand over there in front of the helix," Standish said. "I don't -think there's any danger. Unless I'm wrong, the thing simply places -the patient in an electro magnetic field and transmits an alternating -vibration to the human brain." - -He played with the dials a long time, twisted a rheostat experimentally. - -"Notice anything?" - -"Yes, I ..." The Earth girl's voice died off. A vacant look entered her -eyes. "What is your wish?" she asked suddenly. - -Standish made a quick adjustment to the controls. "Sit down," he -commanded. - -Obediently, Thalia moved across to a chair and sat stiffly erect. - -"You have studied some mathematics," Standish said then. "Tell me, what -is the principal of the algebraic curve?" - -Without hesitation Thalia replied, "A curve, the equation of which -contains no transcendental quantities; a figure the intercepted -diameters of which bear always the same proportion to their respective -ordinates." - -Standish uttered a low cry of triumph and threw over the reverse lever -of the machine. An instant later Thalia stared at him in bewilderment. - -"What happened?" - -"It worked," Standish replied. "With that device and a hundred more -like it I will build, I can control every last Sirian prisoner. I can -make them help us build an entire fleet, using all their scientific -knowledge." - -Thalia's eyes glowed. "We'll be fighting them with their own people," -she said. - - - IX - -The electro-hypnosis machines finished, Standish enlisted Ga-Marr's aid -and proceeded to try them on a group of Sirian prisoners. - -"After all," the Earthman said, "what we're doing is for the sake of -your planet and mine. These prisoners will suffer no ill effect, but by -organizing their efforts, we can aid a great cause." - -He turned a control knob, and a low hum sounded in the machine. The -green liquid in the globe began to bubble, and a column of mist climbed -upward through the connecting tube. - -Improved as they were by Standish, the machines immediately placed the -Sirians in a mental state where they were receptive to all commands. -Yet they retained full control of their mental faculties. - -The work began. Frameworks for twenty space destroyers were laid. Like -automatons the Sirians toiled, worked side by side with the men of -Lyra. The twenty hulls were completed, and the atomic motors were being -installed when Standish called Ga-Marr aside. - -"I'm going to leave you in charge," the Earthman said, "while I take -the _Phantom_ out again. The more prisoners, the quicker we'll have a -fleet. Besides the Sirians will have grown careless again by now." - -This time, however, Standish steadfastly refused to take Thalia along. - -"I'm going to skirt the very stratosphere of Earth," he told her, "and -it'll be too dangerous. But I'll be back soon." - -Thalia pouted, but Standish was firm. - -With another Lyrian, Dar-ley, as his lieutenant, Standish took off. He -headed at full speed for the interplanetary lane between Sirius and -Earth. As he went on, suspicion assailed him. Not a single Sirian ship -did he see. Once a slow-moving freighter from far off Protorus crossed -his path. The freighter clapped on all speed in a frantic attempt to -escape. But Standish viewed it without interest. - -He was drawing close to Earth. Alert, Standish kept the moon between -him and his home planet, advancing cautiously. But there was no sign of -trouble. The spaceways were empty. - -Now the cold expanse of the moon opened before him. The _Phantom_ -soared over Tycho, Aristotle and Petavius, dipped downward and came to -a rest on a barren lava plain. Standish took down a space suit, and a -small magno telescope and went out through the air lock. Pacing slowly -across the frigid flat, he tried to fathom the growing puzzle. - -A hundred yards from the ship he trained his scope on Earth, staring -long and intently. But the range was too great and the scope too weak -for detailed observation. - -And then abruptly he stiffened. Through the powerful retinite lens a -tiny dot focused his vision. A rocket ship! He adjusted the glass and -studied her lines. Unquestionably she was Sirian and heading toward the -moon on an oblique angle. - -Standish ran for the _Phantom_. The air lock closed; he threw over the -control lever, and the big ship headed with a lurch for the enemy. - -In the pilot cuddy Dar-Ley watched the cosmoscope and intoned the -distance measurements. - -"Thirty thousand miles. Enemy still following same course." - -"Twenty thousand. No change." - -"Eight hundred." - -A frown crossed Standish's face. The Sirian ship must have seen them by -now. Alone and without convoy, it should have turned and fled. - -Puzzled, the Earthman ordered a shot across the enemy's bows. The -Sirian did not change her course. And then Dar-Ley gave a frantic cry. - -"Behind us. Look!" - - * * * * * - -Six Sirian ships were racing out from the surface of the moon in battle -formation. Even as Standish looked, he saw four more cruisers join the -others, spread out to cut off the _Phantom_. - -He realized then that he had blundered into a trap. The Sirians had -been waiting for him. The single cruiser had been the bait which he had -swallowed blindly. - -"We'll have to run for it," Dar-Ley cried. "They're too many for us." - -Standish's teeth came together grimly. "We'll give them a fight for -their money first." - -On toward the cruiser the _Phantom_ raced. The ship staggered as the -Sirian opened fire, and two of the shots glanced harmlessly off the -_feloranium_ hull. But with five well-placed shots Standish demolished -the Sirian's guns and left her floating helplessly. Then the _Phantom_ -turned helm and ran alongside on the opposite side of the cruiser. - -In an instant Dar-Ley saw Standish's strategy. The _Phantom_ was now -protected with the cruiser between her and the fleet. The Earthman -flipped open his microphone switch. - -"Rocket bomb. Full charge. Point four." - -There was a deafening report as the bomb erupted from its cylinder. -Through the port Standish saw the nearest Sirian ship explode into -fragments. He smiled grimly and swung his helm far over. - -"Here we go, Dar-Ley. If they catch us, they'll have to move." - -But fast though the _Phantom_ was, the fleet hung steadily in her wake. -Finally the Earthman switched on the boosters, auxiliary machines which -drew power from intra-spacial emanations and built up the speed of the -atomic motors. Gradually the fleet dropped behind. - -"Close call!" Standish breathed. "Faggard almost got me that time." - - - X - -Standish had never believed in hunches, yet the moment he entered the -stratosphere of Lyra he knew something was wrong. A moment later he -was free of the cloud level and over Calthedra. A wave of despair shot -through him. - -The city was a ruin. Not a single building remained. The great palace -was a mass of debris, and the choked streets were deserted. With a -great fear he headed the _Phantom_ for the landing field. Here a cry of -dismay escaped his lips. - -The sleek space ships which had dotted the level were no more. Twisted -lumps of metal and scattered pieces of broken machinery were all that -remained of the fleet. - -"In heaven's name," cried Dar-Ley, "what has happened?" - -"Drum Faggard," said Standish heavily. "He attacked while we were gone. -It must have been only his lieutenants we met off the moon." - -The _Phantom_ dropped to a landing, and the two men climbed out, -followed by the crew. A death-like silence reigned. As he stood there -staring at the grim devastation, the Earthman's fists clenched. The -Lyrians, the prisoners, the Emperor ... had they all gone? - -And then he thought of Thalia! - -He lurched into a stumbling run and headed for the ruined city. In -the metropolis the destruction was even more terrible. Ray guns had -leveled every structure to the ground. Dead Lyrians lay on all sides. -Every labor-saving device which had been constructed through Standish's -efforts had been shattered. - -But an instant later, in the midst of this wreckage, he saw a familiar -figure stagger toward him. Ga-Marr! - -The Emperor's son's face was caked with blood and his clothing was torn -to shreds, but he managed to gasp a single word: - -"Water...!" - -Standish dispatched Dar-Ley back to the _Phantom_ for a canteen, then -tore off his coat and rolled it into a pillow, forcing Ga-Marr to -rest his head upon it. But when the Lyrian struggled up on one elbow -and drank thirstily from Dar-Ley's canteen, Standish choked out the -question that was uppermost in his mind. - -"Thalia! Where is she?" - -Ga-Marr's voice was a sob. "Drum Faggard! He surprised us with an -entire fleet while you were gone. He kidnaped my father, and he took -Thalia." - -A blur rose up before Standish's eyes. "And the others?" he demanded. -"The rest of your people? Can it be they all are dead?" - -Ga-Marr shook his head. "They fled to the hills. I alone remained here -because I knew you would return." - -It was time, Standish realized, for action. But what action? His fleet -was gone, all his work destroyed. Even the girl he had come to love -had been taken from him. He turned and stared helplessly at the black -hulled _Phantom_ resting on its mooring platform. Powerful as that -ship was, he knew it was not enough. He might raid more Sirian ships, -destroy more transports, but what would it avail him. He had played his -hand, and he had lost. He was up against a blank wall. - - * * * * * - -And then a single object on the far side of the palace ruins focused -in his vision. Stone and debris were piled high there, but the little, -crudely-built space ship with which he and Ga-Marr had escaped from -the unknown planet had escaped damage. For a moment Standish's brow -furrowed in thought; then he uttered an exclamation. - -"To the _Phantom_!" he said. "There may yet be a way...." - -With Ga-Marr supported by Standish, they hurried down the debris-choked -streets and across to the landing field. Reaching the ship, the -Earthman turned his crew of twenty-four over to Dar-Ley, ordering them -to leave at once for the hills where they were to aid the Lyrians. - -"But what are you going to do without a crew?" objected Dar-Ley. - -Standish's face was a block of granite. "I'm going to fight trickery -with trickery," he said. - -Then the Earthman and Ga-Marr entered the destroyer alone. Slowly, -Standish guided the big ship over the ruins of the city of Calthedra. -Above the palace, he suddenly shot out the magnetic grappling bars and -secured the little space ship. - -"What can you do with that?" Ga-Marr frowned. "The thing has little -power and...." - -But Standish, lips set hard, was moving the controls with silent -determination. Up the _Phantom_ shot, boring forward like a hound to -the hunt, carrying the crude little ship with it. Standish threw over -the accelerator to the farthest notch and switched on both boosters. He -motioned Ga-Marr into the control seat. - -"Head directly for Earth. I'm going back and see if I can get a little -more speed out of those motors." - -Hour after hour the big ship plunged, rocketing madly across the -star-filled heavens. Time and space were dropping behind them like -falling grains of sand. Standish, returning from the motor chamber, saw -the planets of Pluto and Uranus rise up far ahead. Then Earth came into -sight, a pin-point almost at the limit of his vision. - -The Earthman glanced at the chronometer on the instrument panel. It -would be approximately midnight when they reached the North American -continent, judging by their present speed. Unless the Sirians at -their Frisco base were watching closely, they might be able to pass -unobserved. - -Earth grew. Now the _Phantom_ was zooming down through the -stratosphere. Over New California they swept, checking trajectory by -reversing motors. - -Over Omaha, Standish looked through the floor plate. Were the -front-line breastworks still here? Or had his people been forced to -retreat farther toward the Atlantic seaboard? - -"I see lights," Ga-Marr said abruptly. "There seem to be fortifications -below us." - -With a sigh of relief Standish guided the _Phantom_ downward. He was at -home again. - - - XI - -Officers and soldiers formed a cheering circle as he climbed out of -the hatch, followed by Ga-Marr. Old companions rushed forward to -shake the Earthman's hand and bombard him with questions. Smiling, -Standish pushed his way through the throng to the building marked -GHQ. An orderly ushered him inside, and a moment later he was facing -Attack-Engineer McClellan whose eyes were wide with amazement. - -"Listen," Standish began without preamble, "I want to see a detailed -map and an aerial photograph of the Sirian's Frisco base. Have you got -one?" - -McClellan bit into his cigar and nodded. He opened a cabinet and laid -out two large sheets. - -"The pilot who made these barely got out with his life," he said. "I -don't suppose you'd care to tell me where you've been or what you've -got in mind, Standish." - -Without answering Standish gazed at the maps and the photograph. -Presently he looked up. - -"Prepare for a big push," he said. "Get all your guns and men ready -for immediate movement. And keep your observers watching this point, -Sector Five"--he indicated the area with his forefinger--"As soon as -the firing stops there, go through." - -He turned then and ran back to the ship. - -Straight into the stratosphere Standish guided the ship. As he -continued to climb higher into the night sky, Ga-Marr watched puzzled, -but made no comment. One thousand, two, three thousand miles slid -behind them. At length the Earthman turned. - -"Set off the emergency rocket flares," he ordered. - -Ga-Marr stared. "Are you mad, Mason? The Sirians will see us and...." - -"Which is just what I want," Standish replied. "Hurry, man!" - -Obediently Ga-Marr strode back along the passageway, began to push -contact buttons at regular intervals along the bulkhead wall. As he -did, long streamers of crimson fire erupted from the _Phantom's_ side. -In a moment the destroyer was a flaming mass. Standish set his controls -and took down two space suits. - -He donned one of them, motioned Ga-Marr into the other. Then he tied a -rope to the lever controlling the magnetic grappling bar, trailing it -across the floor to the airlock. - -"All right, Ga-Marr," he said. "Here we go." - -The lock door slid open at his touch. Then and not until then did -Ga-Marr understand. Directly below them, held to the _Phantom's_ hull -by the magnetic bars was their crude space ship. Balancing himself -cautiously, Standish reached down and opened the hatch. He climbed in, -and Ga-Marr quickly followed. Then the Earthman gave the rope a jerk. -The grappling bars released, and the two ships drifted apart. - -Alone and unmanned, the _Phantom_ swept downward, her exploding rockets -a blaze of glory in the black sky. - -"And there goes the fleet!" Standish said. "They've sighted the -_Phantom_." - - * * * * * - -Aware that hundreds of glasses must now be turned upward, he headed -south beyond the outskirts of the city. He selected a flat open space -by the ocean shore and glided quickly to a landing. - -A hundred yards away the white expanse of a highway snaked through the -dark countryside. No one apparently had noticed their descent. At a -run, Standish headed for that highway. Twin head lights swept around a -curve as he reached it, and a heavy gyro truck rumbled into sight. - -The truck slowed to manipulate the curve. An instant later Standish and -Ga-Marr leaped, clutched at the swaying tailboard and drew themselves -aboard. - -Before a large white building the two men dropped from the truck, -darted across to the entrance. A Sirian guard stopped them armed with a -ray gun. - -"Halt!" - -Standish used his pistol this time, smashing its barrel down on the -Sirian's skull. Then a muffled voice sounded directly before them, -and the Earthman leaped across to a door and ripped it open. On the -threshold he stood rigid, staring inward. - -The room was a richly furnished office. At a large desk in the center -sat a familiar figure. It was Drum Faggard, cigarette between his lips, -microphone in his hand. - -"Put down that microphone, Faggard," Standish commanded. "If you speak -so much as a single word, I fire." - -"Standish!" Faggard gasped. - -The Earthman dropped silently into a chair, while Ga-Marr pulled a -small knife switch, disconnecting the microphone. Ga-Marr then paced to -the window and drew the blinds. - -A gleam of cunning crossed Faggard's face. He turned the knob of the -radio and leaned forward. Then his right hand shot into the desk drawer -and clawed forth a small genithode gun. - -But Standish had been expecting that move. His hand clamped over the -gun wrist, twisted the weapon free. Jamming his own gun hard into the -Sirian leader's ribs, Standish said, - -"Talk. Call your officers and tell them to stand by for important -orders." - -There were beads of perspiration on Faggard's brow now as he twisted -a dial of the radio and began to speak slowly and haltingly. On the -indicator panel on the far wall Standish saw little red lights flash -on as outpost-officer after officer acknowledged the call. The entire -Sirian army was listening in. - - * * * * * - -Even as he finished, a terrific vibrating roar sounded from a distant -point of the city. The sound trembled the walls of the building, shook -the floor beneath their feet. - -"The _Phantom_!" said Ga-Marr. "She struck!" - -Faggard's face was livid. "You fool!" he snarled. "Do you realize what -you've done?" - -Standish betrayed no emotion. "Perfectly. I've divided your army in -half. I've cut an aisle through your defense, through which my people -even now are beginning to advance." - -Abruptly the Earthman's teeth clicked together. "Now what have you done -with Thalia and the Emperor. Tell me or...." - -Faggard's shoulders slumped in defeat. He groped to his feet like -a blind man and stumbled across the room. "I'll show you," he said -huskily. - -He open a connecting door, and Standish saw two familiar figures in -the adjoining room, an older man and a young girl. But in that instant -Faggard acted. He lunged across the room, reached up to a shelf filled -with chemical tubes and vials. Seizing a bottle of colorless liquid, he -threw it straight at Standish. - -The bottle struck the door frame, and acid geysered in all directions. -The Earthman felt a hot stab of agony lance across his left arm. - -But Ga-Marr was not taken off guard. His genithode pistol exploded even -as Faggard reached for a second bottle. The Sirian threw up his arms, -staggered and pitched forward on his face. - -Thalia was in Standish's arms then, sobbing. But in the outer corridor -running steps sounded. A heavy fist banged on the door. - -"In here," the girl cried. "This door. It leads to a tunnel that passes -under the city. It's Drum Faggard's secret avenue of retreat. He has -the key in his pocket." - -As they sped to safety Standish felt a wave of elation sweep over him. -He had won...! - - * * * * * - -Three days later a small cruiser took off from Omaha, swept through the -stratosphere and headed for the planet, Lyra, many light years distant. -Four persons occupied her pilot cabin: Standish, Thalia, Ga-Marr and -the emperor. - -"It's all over," the Earthman said to the girl. "The war is -ended. Sirius' power is forever broken, and even now the work of -reconstruction has begun. Earth and the whole solar system can return -to peace." - -Ga-Marr nodded. "What now?" he asked. - -"Now, we're going home." Standish drew Thalia close. "Your home and -mine. Our future lies out there in the new frontier." - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Cosmic Castaway, by Carl Jacobi - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COSMIC CASTAWAY *** - -***** This file should be named 62319.txt or 62319.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/3/1/62319/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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