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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..753cc24 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #63799 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63799) diff --git a/old/63799-0.txt b/old/63799-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7cac7f9..0000000 --- a/old/63799-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1012 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tepondicon, by Carl Jacobi - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this ebook. - -Title: Tepondicon - -Author: Carl Jacobi - -Release Date: November 18, 2020 [EBook #63799] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TEPONDICON *** - - - - - TEPONDICON - - By CARL JACOBI - - He was not the savior-type. He certainly did not - crave martyrdom. Yet there was treasure beyond - price in these darkened plague-cities of Ganymede, - if a man could but measure up to it. - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Planet Stories Winter 1946. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -By seven o'clock, Earth-time, I could distinctly see the first plague -city of Profaldo. In the grey light it lay there before me, a vague -opalescent aura radiating from its spires and minarets. The three roads -that crossed the flat converged on the city to meet at a single narrow -runway. - -I drove the tracto-car down into a little gully, climbed out and took -a second look through my magnoscope. The flat was deserted, as it well -should be at this hour, and the only sign of life was a high-flying -<i>tok</i>, circling slowly. - -It took me only five minutes to make preparations for my entrance into -Profaldo. The carefully wound coil of volocized wire slipped down -neatly under my tunic. Suspended from my left shoulder was a haversack, -innocent appearing, but containing one of the seven transmitting sets, -also a complete set of tools. I removed three of the white pellets -from the little glass vial in my pocket and swallowed them. And, for -emergency, I slid a heat pistol into another pocket. - -Then I set out across the flat. Distance was deceptive, but I had -calculated fairly closely, and an hour later saw me pacing up the -runway to the entrance of Profaldo. - -The guard in the cubicle stared when I stood before him. "You're not a -citizen here," he said. "Do you know what place this is?" - -"I know very well," I said. "Here are my papers, signed by the High -Ganymedian Council. Let me pass, please." - -The gate slid back, and an instant later I was inside the city. - -<tb> - -Profaldo! Plague-ridden, feared, legendary! Like its six sister cities, -the place was known throughout the System as a pest-hole, tenanted -by doomed citizenry whose very futility of life made a mockery of -everything decent and law-abiding. - -Twenty yards down the street, and I saw indeed that the city was one -vast slum. Gambling holes-in-the-wall stood cheek by jowl with sinister -drink shops, all of them roaring full blast. A drooling fog that dimmed -the intermittent blue street lights gave a grotesque unreality to the -thoroughfare. - -Here and there were groups of the inhabitants. Only a few showed -visible signs of the horrible plague,--the greenish, leprous hue to the -face and eyes, the disjointed, shambling walk--but I knew that all of -them had the disease in one or more of its stages. - -Following the directions I had memorized so carefully, I went straight -down the street, turned left, then right. Yes, there it was. A -slate-gray building, well out of plumb, with a dingy sign before the -doorway: POWER DIVISION. - -I went in. There were no ushers, no reception clerks, only a faint -drone of machinery somewhere below me. A long corridor angled in either -direction with marked doors every few feet. The sixth door bore the -marking: COMMISSIONER. - -Even as I looked upon the room's occupant, I knew that this, my initial -step, would be a success. The man was a toad of flesh with little pig -eyes and albino hair. He put down the glass from which he had been -swilling liquor and glared at me. "Complaint department down the hall," -he said. "This is a private office." - -I crossed to the chair beside his desk and sat down. "I'm George -Dulfay," I said quietly, "the new inspector sent by the Council. Will -you sign my papers, please?" - -He scowled again and peered at me shrewdly through blood-shot eyes, -but, after a careless glance at the document I had handed him, he -seized a stylus and affixed his signature. Then he raised his eyes to -mine. - -"New man, eh?" he grinned. "And what do you think of our fair city?" - -"It stinks." - -My words prompted no reproach from him. He leaned back and made -steeples of his hands. "Everything's the same," he said. "Four -hundred deaths, four hundred births. One attempted escape resulting -in execution. Flood-water"--he glanced across at the far wall where a -panel bore a series of dials--"water 65.0, oxygen zero-zero, paldine 5." - -"And the research bureau?" I questioned. So far, I knew I was playing -my part to satisfaction. - -He snorted. "Failures as usual. You and the Council know as well as I -do that there's no cure for the plague." - -It was time for the first step, but I didn't hurry it. I got a cheroot -out of my pocket, lit it and blew a shaft of smoke toward the mildewed -ceiling. - -"I'll okay the report as usual," I said. "But there's one thing -more. I'll want to buy some of your power. About sixteen thousand -<i>graphlos</i>...." - -A wire couldn't have jerked him erect any quicker. "Power!" he -repeated. "Sixteen thousand...." A gleam entered his blood-shot eyes. -"By the Lord Harry! And for what, may I ask?" - -I could feel my pulse racing and a hot flush sweep over me, but -outwardly I knew I appeared cool. - -"If your Research Bureau here believes there is no cure for the -plague, the Council has different ideas," I said. "We're going to try -an experiment. Sixteen thousand <i>graphlos</i> of polarated power at each -of the seven cities discharged along a common beam with a step-up -transformer between each city. Gargan--he's the new light-ray man in -the Council--believes the radiation from such a charge will completely -nullify the potency of the plague bacillus." - -The Commissioner moved to the edge of his chair. He poured himself a -glass of the lavender-colored liquor, drank it and wiped his mouth. "By -the Lord Harry," he said, "you're no inspector. Who the hell are you?" - -"You have my papers." - -He picked them up again and re-read them carefully. I watched him. I -could feel something cold move up and down my spine. And then with a -wave of relief I saw the first signs of credulity. - -"I believe you mean it," he said. "Tell me, do you really think there's -a chance, an escape from this double-damned plague?" - -"There's a possibility, but of course it's remote and only in the -embryonic stage. Of course you understand all this is confidential. -Now--where is your power switchboard?" - -He touched a bell, said something into a microphone. Then he got up and -extended his hand. "Follow the corridor, Mr. Dulfay. And may Providence -go with you." - -Outside the office, reaction seized me, and for a moment I swayed -there, aware of the terrific strain I had been under. The first barrier -was passed. From now on, although there still would be plenty of -danger, my actions for the most part would be routine. I threw away my -cheroot and headed down the corridor. - -That corridor ended in a flight of stairs which I climbed to the second -level. Through an archway I passed into the power room proper. Tilted -back in a chair in front of the enormous switchboard, a weazened little -man nodded to me, signifying that he had had his instructions. I went -to work without hesitation, threw over the auxiliary switch, removed -the coil of wire from under my tunic and spliced it directly into the -main conduit. - -Finished, I trailed the coil of wire across the room and tossed it out -the open window into the darkness of an alley. I went outside to gather -up the loose ends. A low shed there, housing emergency transformers, -served my purpose admirably. I got the compact little transmitting set -out of my haversack, bracketed it to the wall in a far corner and set -the clockwork to functioning. - -Exactly one hour later I was back in my tracto-car, driving across the -flat. - -<tb> - -If a month ago anyone had told me I would visit not only Profaldo but -each of the seven plague-cities of the High Ganymedian Plateau, I would -have told them they were crazy. That was before I met Hol-Dai. - -Hol-Dai was not his real name, of course; that was what they called him -at the mental hospital where I was serving my internship. A patriarch -of a man, one of the early Earth colonists, he had broken down from -excessive research in extraterrestrial medicine, and he was forever -browsing through heavy medical tomes. One day he began talking to me as -usual, and for want of something better to do, I listened. - -"My son," he said, "you've heard of the seven plague-cities: Profaldo, -Senar, Caldray, Voltar, Xynan, Malakan, and Klovada?" - -I nodded. "Yes, Hol-Dai. Here, take your medicine." - -He swallowed the two pills and pointed to a sheet of paper upon which -he had been writing. "Did you know they were the richest cities in the -System?" - -"Rich? No, Hol-Dai, you must be wrong. They have nothing but -pestilence." - -<tb> - -He smiled at that and waggled a finger. "The plague is their -protection, my son. Conquer that, and you will come upon the greatest -treasure known to mankind. Listen...." - -Well, I heard him out, patiently at first, then gradually with more -and more interest. It was a madman's story in every detail, and yet -there was something about it that got me. I knew how the seven cities -of the High Ganymedian Plateau were first raided by Conway and his -Earth Brigade after enjoying several thousand years' culture on this, -the third satellite of Jupiter. How the captured emperor of the seven -cities swore a curse of vengeance for the mishandling of his people and -in some unknown way introduced the strange and terrible plague which -was to turn the seven metropoli into pest-holes avoided and shunned by -Earth and Jovian colonists alike. - -Then Hol-Dai said something which made me prick up my ears. "Why," he -said, "do you think the emperor introduced that plague? For vengeance -alone? A ruler's vengeance does not go as far as dooming his people -forever. No, my son, for another reason." - -I said nothing, waiting for him to continue. - -"For three thousand years the seven cities had been living off the -plunder of conquered Io and Callisto, the first and second satellites. -And never has it occurred to these fools what has become of that -plunder." - -"They probably will, Hol-Dai," I said. "Some day a fleet of space -freighters will carry it all off." - -The white-haired old man shook his head. "Not a fleet, my son. A man in -the palm of his hand." - -I sat down then, and I asked questions, and after a time I had the -story in its entirety. Both Io and Callisto had been conquered by -the people of Ganymede and had been forced to pay a huge indemnity. -Part of that indemnity came in the form of a stone, called by the -Ganymedians, the Jupiter Stone. That stone, protected by an envelope of -white <i>pinardium</i>, contained a compressed particle of the light-active -rock which formed Jupiter's great red spot. <i>And this stone contained -sufficient inexhaustible power to move the factories and industrial -plants of half the solar system.</i> - -I forgot for a moment that Hol-Dai was listed as psychopathically -unbalanced. "Where is this stone?" I demanded. - -"It lies in a simple glass case in the old emperor's palace in the city -of Klovada," he replied. "But"--he lifted a warning hand--"do not think -it is as simple as that. The people of the High Ganymedian Plateau were -aware of the value of their treasure and they adopted means to protect -it. - -"They protected the stone by surrounding it with a small space warp. As -it lies there now, it is so heavy an army could not lift it." - -"Then...?" - -"How can it be removed? There is a way, my son, a dangerous, almost -impossible way, but one which I have spent my entire life planning. The -space warp has been devised to have seven focal points, lying along the -plane of the seven cities. I have devised transmitting equipment which -will discharge a beam along this plane, thus nullifying the space warp. -But, to accomplish this, entrance must be made into each of the seven -cities, and that would mean contracting the terrible plague in not one -but all seven of its virulent forms. - -"I have taken care of that too. I have compounded a pellet which will -give temporary immunity to the plague if taken at the proper intervals -and...." - -Here Hol-Dai's mind gave way again, and he lapsed into unintelligible -babbling. - -I mulled over this story for a week. During that time I read over -Hol-Dai's case history and discovered that his lucid intervals were -fairly intermittent and complete. That is, when he was normal, he -remained so until he lost his grip entirely. Next I visited the -place where he had lived before he was confined to the hospital. -My credentials gained me entrance and the right to go through his -possessions. Nothing had been touched. I found his vial of immunity -pellets with full instructions as to dosage. And I found in his -equipment the seven miniature transmitting sets and the necessary -connecting wire. In his papers, however, I searched in vain for -reference to the Jupiter Stone. - -But I didn't stop there. I haunted public libraries and the -archives-galleries, always seeking proof for everything Hol-Dai had -told me. Where I didn't always find proof, I found "possibility." The -old man's story could be true. - -As I read over the history of Ganymede, the lure, the fascination of -that "stone" swept over me. It became a narcotic, off-setting all -other desires until I knew I must act. I took Hol-Dai's equipment and -his vial of pellets, and I spent one week studying the geographical -layouts of the seven cities. I drove in a tracto-car to the first city -of Profaldo, and as you have seen, I successfully "planted" the first -transmitting set. - -"One down, six to go," I told myself grimly. Full confidence was mine, -and my spirits were riding high. - -<tb> - -Senar, the second city, came out of the haze abruptly. High in the sky -the immense disc of Jupiter cast a reddish light over the metropolis. -As before, all roads leading across the flat converged on a single -runway, leading to the main gate. - -I entered, and it seemed time had turned backward, erasing the -intervening hours. For Senar was the same as Profaldo. The same roaring -drink shops and crowd-choked gambling casinos. The same twisting -despondent streets sunk in filth and mockery of the law. - -Again I came to the building marked POWER DIVISION. In the -Commissioner's office, however, I was due for a surprise. A girl -turned to me inquiringly. - -She was tall, svelte and dark-haired, with agate eyes that bored me -through and through. "Well?" she said. - -The same story, the same explanation. I proffered my papers, waited a -diplomatic length of time, then stated that I wished to purchase some -power. - -To my astonishment, however, she took the offer matter-of-factly. - -"I know," she said. "You are Tepondicon." - -"I'm <i>what</i>?" - -She smiled. "At least you are the mortal counterpart of that legendary -figure. According to the Ganymedian legends, a great disaster was to -come upon our seven cities and would not be removed until a brave -warrior entered each of the cities and fought it alone. The legends -call that warrior Tepondicon." - -"I see," I said. "And you think...?" - -"We have the disaster all right in the form of the plague. Now you are -here in an attempt to conquer that plague." She waved a careless hand -at my consternation. "The Commissioner at Profaldo advised me of your -coming. We still do have some communication left, you know." - -Tepondicon, eh? It made my role easier. It fitted into my plans nicely. -Before I could say more, she was conducting me down the corridor to the -power room. She stood by, watching over me, as for a second time I made -my necessary connections to the central conduit, and she followed me as -I mounted my second transmitting set on a low revetment in the rear of -the power building. - -As I touched the clockwork into motion she grasped my arm. - -"There is no need for you to leave immediately, Mr. Dulfay," she said. -"I know very well that you have temporary protection against the -plague. Won't you let me show you more of the city of Senar?" - -My better judgment said no; my eyes said yes. She stood there smiling, -carmine lips a bow of allure, agate eyes gleaming. She was clad in a -dress of voltex, and the clinging material revealed every curve and -contour of her figure. - -An hour later I found myself in a dimly lighted cafe, surrounded by -high-caste Ganymedians, Jovians and Earth men and women, all in -various stages of intoxication--all, I knew, seeking to conceal their -terror at the relentless death that stalked them. - -I sat across a table from the Commissioner of Senar. She was drinking -<i>boca</i>, and she was laughing gayly. - -"Come," she said, "forget your troubles. Remember, you are Tepondicon." - -But something was wrong. I could feel it with every fibre of my body. -That man looking at me from the opposite table, for one thing. He had -been too casual in his quick appraisal of me, too quick to lower his -eyes when I glanced his way. - -And then abruptly it hit me hard. I was Tepondicon, and as such, -my avowed attempt to cure the plague made me a valuable entity, if -controlled by the right persons. A group of power-crazed renegades -could, by holding me, make any terms they desired for my release. - -I looked around carefully, seeking a means of escape; and I saw then -other men at other tables, covertly watching me. I drank a full glass -of <i>boca</i>, pretended to drink another, began to feign drunkenness. Then -clumsily I knocked the bottle from the table and staggered to my feet. - -"Gotta get more," I hiccupped. "'S'cuse me, please." - -Stumbling unsteadily, I weaved my way toward the bar. Halfway across to -it, I swiveled and broke into a run. Instantly a shout of warning rose -up behind me. Through the maze of tables I raced, overturning three of -them with a crash as I passed. - -I gained the door. A heat-gun charge slammed into the wall, inches -above my head. Feet pounded in pursuit. Then I was outside, leaping up -the steps to the main level, sprinting down the back street. - -I ran until a stitch in my side drew me up. Behind me roared the night -life of the city, but there was no sign of pursuit. I passed through -the main gate without trouble and half an hour later was driving -leisurely across the flat. - -<tb> - -Profaldo and Senar were behind me. What conditions would I meet in -the next city, Caldray? My wildest dreams did not prepare me for the -reception that was to be mine. Scarcely had I entered Caldray when I -stopped short, staring at the scene ahead. The streets were jammed -with citizenry. In blazing ato-bulbs high overhead was the single word -TEPONDICON. Flags and pennants hung from every balcony. - -Even as I moved uncertainly forward, two stalwart men, clad in the -ancient chain mail of Ganymede's earlier years, strode forward. Back -somewhere in the tiers of rectangular buildings the amplified strains -of an orchestra rose up. It was a recording, I knew, but it was -Bokart's <i>Symphony Out of Space</i>, in all its pomp and glory. - -A deafening cheer rose up then. I was conducted to a low carriage, and -with two scarlet-clad postilions on either side began my tour of the -city. - -"Tepondicon! Tepondicon!" yelled the crowd. - -Well, it was confusing, and disconcerting, too. With all eyes focused -upon me, my every movement would be watched. A wrong word, a misstep, -and those cheers would change to death yells. And yet as the carriage -bore me smoothly along the paved streets, the significance of it all -became clear in my mind in every detail. - -These people were rats, scum of the System. What matter if their -hopes were falsely raised to the heights? They were doomed anyway by -the plague. And in four days more the Jupiter Stone would be mine. -Up until now, my life had been one great series of failures. At the -Martian School of Technology I had been expelled in my sophomore year -for a mere matter of selling drugs to my fellow students. I had been -cashiered from the Royal Space Force for what the upstart officers -called insubordination. Gamblings, swindlings, I had tried them all -with little luck. This would be my metamorphosis, my emergence from the -cocoon of mediocrity into success. - -The procession drew up before the Power Division building. The Power -Commissioner, a tall gangly man this time, waited to receive me at the -top of the steps. - -But inside his office, with the roar and hubbub of the streets cut off, -the interview was much the same as the two previous. He passed a box of -cheroots across the desk, leaned back and smoked contentedly. - -"And to think," he said, "that a week ago I was ready to join the list -of suicides. Mr. Dulfay, I wonder if you realize what this means to -the people. Freedom from the plague. It seems incredible." - -"You must remember," I cautioned, "It's only an experiment as yet. I -can promise nothing." - -He waved this aside. "You will be successful," he said. "The hopes of -thousands cannot be denied. And now the power. All we have is at your -disposal." - -<tb> - -Voltar! Xynan! Malakan! In the fourth, fifth and sixth cities -everything worked like clockwork. My welcome in each succeeding -metropolis was greater than the last. Crowds screamed "<i>Tepondicon!</i>" -to the echo. The cities must have ransacked every corner of their -confines to festoon their battlements and parapets with tinsel. Hope -was hysteria. The black spectre of the plague was pushed to the -background. As the legendary hero, Tepondicon, I was the embodiment of -all their dreams and hopes. - -Before entering each city I swallowed three of Hoi-Dai's pellets. -Before leaving, I tapped the power centers and put transmitting sets in -operation. - -And now Klovada, the seventh and final city. In a few hours my beam -would be discharged along the planes of the seven cities. The space -warp would be nullified. Remained then only to go to the royal palace, -open the glass case and remove the Jupiter Stone. With that stone my -life would begin anew. No more swindlings or petty thieveries. I would -be king in my own right. - -I did not realize the strain under which I had been living until the -official reception in Klovada was over and I was ushered into the -Commissioner's office. There I slumped wearily into a chair and waited -impatiently for him to enter. - -The Commissioner was a girl. Not a girl like the seductress of Senar, -but a small dainty child with golden hair and blue eyes. She strode -forward briskly, a pleasant smile on her lips, and extended her hand. - -"I bid you welcome, Sir Tepondicon," she said. "You have reached the -end of your goal." - -There was something in her tone of voice that made me look at her -sharply. Could it be possible that she suspected...? - -"You have come a long way," she said, speaking slowly. "You have -braved many dangers, and you have conducted yourself in a most ethical -manner. May I ask, Mr. Dulfay, what your personal profit will be in -this venture?" - -"No profit," I said easily. "A scientist has only research as his aim. -That and the welfare of the people." - -She nodded. "Still, it is unusual for a man to risk so much." - -"About the matter of power," I broke in. "As you know, I'll need -sixteen thousand <i>graphlos</i> and...." - -She seemed not to hear. A distant look entered her blue eyes. "Tell me, -Mr. Dulfay, have you ever heard of an artifact kept here in Klovada -known as the Jupiter Stone?" - -I went slowly rigid. The girl breathed deeply and continued. "Some -time ago a great scientist communicated with me as overchief of -power-control of the seven cities and outlined a plan similar to the -one in which you are now engaged. He was a great man, but under stress -of excessive work, his mind broke. He was taken to a mental hospital, -where I am told he is now known by the simple name of Hol-Dai. - -"Before his illness Hol-Dai worked out a method to overcome the plague. -It was simple. A person would visit each of the seven cities. He would -have temporary protection against the plague, but of course he would -become a carrier for the germs. When he finally reached Klovada, the -final city, he would be a walking vial of the bacillus in all its seven -forms. - -"Now the Jupiter Stone, of which I spoke before. It is a great thing, -capable of generating untold amounts of power, if properly harnessed. -So far, however, the scientists have been unable to move it because -it lies protected by a small but peculiar form of space warp. But the -stone has other potentialities. This man, Hol-Dai, discovered that it -will transform the plague bacillus from a positive form to a negative -form. - -"In other words if this hypothetical visitor of the seven cities were, -at the end of his journey, to expose himself to the radiations of -the Jupiter Stone, a curious event would take place. He would become -a carrier for bacilli which, when released, would immediately begin -to combat the plague. Practically an anti-toxin, you see. Again, -continuing our hypothetical case, if this man were to retrace his -steps, again visiting each of the seven cities, it is estimated this -action would result in the complete end of the plague within a period -of months." - -"I see," I said. Far back in a corner of my mind a doubt was beginning -to grow. "Why hasn't this been done before?" - -She smiled. "Because until you came no one knew how to acquire -temporary protection against the disease and no one had the courage to -expose himself to it without that protection. Now I am aware that you -have found that protection. But as you must know, if you let yourself -be struck by the radiations of the Jupiter Stone, you would die within -six weeks!" - -"You mean...?" - -"I mean that if you go through with your role as Tepondicon you will -never live to know your glory." - -<tb> - -She tapped her pencil on the desk. "I might add that Hol-Dai also told -us of a plan to nullify the space warp surrounding the Jupiter Stone. -Since his sickness, however, that plan has remained a mystery." - -I breathed easier. So Hol-Dai had not tricked me. But this girl with -all her babbling of curing the plague must be an utter fool. What did I -care about cure? It was the stone I wanted! - -She looked across at me. "I don't know who or what you are, Mr. Dulfay, -but please listen to me a moment. Once these seven cities were the -pride of the Jovian System. Their people were lighthearted, gay and -strong. True, in their earlier years they exploited their neighbors -on Io and Callisto, but that was long ago. For generations they were -engaged in peaceful pursuits--trade, industry, commerce. - -"Look at them now. Pest-holes where vice and sin run rampant, where -hope has vanished, where there is no tomorrow, but only today! -Conceive, if you can, the utter curse of that plague. To know with -absolute finality that you are impregnated with it and that only death -awaits you. And then consider this legend of Tepondicon. Not a mighty -warrior, not a knight clad in armor, but a simple man sacrificing his -own life for the lives of other men. It is the ultimate glory." - -She rose to her feet. "Mr. Dulfay, I leave you now. But I call your -attention to the two doors leading from this office. The one by which -you came is the exit. It leads to the street, and from the street one -can make his way to the palace and so on to the Jupiter Stone. The -stone is unguarded. If the space warp were done away with, it could be -taken easily. - -"The other door leads to the radiation chamber, the room which -was devised by Hol-Dai. There, by means of special equipment, the -radiations from the Jupiter Stone are transmitted to a screen. If you -enter this room and sit before the screen, within a period of twenty -minutes the plague germs your body is now carrying will be negatived. -You can then make your return visits to the six other cities. The -plague will be conquered, but you will die." - -She moved across to the exit. "It is for you to decide," she said. "All -I can say is that one way leads to the ultimate glory." - -She went out and I stood there in a daze. For five minutes I didn't -move. Glory, she had said. Yes, there would be glory, something which -had played no part heretofore in my life. But likewise there would be -death. The same death which awaited the doomed citizenry of the seven -doomed cities. On the other hand was the Jupiter Stone, embodying all I -had fought for. - -I walked across to the desk and sat down in the chair before it. I -must put my thoughts and actions of the past days on paper. I must -record everything. If I chose the plague door, it would be my last -testament--and a monument. If I took the street door, set up my -transmitting set--and finally gained the Jupiter Stone, it would be -a condemnation--a curse--to dog me the rest of my days. Honor versus -dishonor, balanced against life versus death. - -<i>It is this document you are now reading!</i> - -At the end of an hour I stood up and neatly folded the paper. The air -was hot, stifling. Somewhere a mercury clock pulsed rhythmically. Then, -with a little laugh, I strode across the room toward one of the doors. - -Of course, you all know which door I opened. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TEPONDICON *** - -***** This file should be named 63799-0.txt or 63799-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/7/9/63799/ - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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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. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this ebook. - -Title: Tepondicon - -Author: Carl Jacobi - -Release Date: November 18, 2020 [EBook #63799] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TEPONDICON *** -</pre> -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> -<h1>TEPONDICON</h1> - -<h2>By CARL JACOBI</h2> - -<p>He was not the savior-type. He certainly did not<br /> -crave martyrdom. Yet there was treasure beyond<br /> -price in these darkened plague-cities of Ganymede,<br /> -if a man could but measure up to it.</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Planet Stories Winter 1946.<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>By seven o'clock, Earth-time, I could distinctly see the first plague -city of Profaldo. In the grey light it lay there before me, a vague -opalescent aura radiating from its spires and minarets. The three roads -that crossed the flat converged on the city to meet at a single narrow -runway.</p> - -<p>I drove the tracto-car down into a little gully, climbed out and took -a second look through my magnoscope. The flat was deserted, as it well -should be at this hour, and the only sign of life was a high-flying -<i>tok</i>, circling slowly.</p> - -<p>It took me only five minutes to make preparations for my entrance into -Profaldo. The carefully wound coil of volocized wire slipped down -neatly under my tunic. Suspended from my left shoulder was a haversack, -innocent appearing, but containing one of the seven transmitting sets, -also a complete set of tools. I removed three of the white pellets -from the little glass vial in my pocket and swallowed them. And, for -emergency, I slid a heat pistol into another pocket.</p> - -<p>Then I set out across the flat. Distance was deceptive, but I had -calculated fairly closely, and an hour later saw me pacing up the -runway to the entrance of Profaldo.</p> - -<p>The guard in the cubicle stared when I stood before him. "You're not a -citizen here," he said. "Do you know what place this is?"</p> - -<p>"I know very well," I said. "Here are my papers, signed by the High -Ganymedian Council. Let me pass, please."</p> - -<p>The gate slid back, and an instant later I was inside the city.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Profaldo! Plague-ridden, feared, legendary! Like its six sister cities, -the place was known throughout the System as a pest-hole, tenanted -by doomed citizenry whose very futility of life made a mockery of -everything decent and law-abiding.</p> - -<p>Twenty yards down the street, and I saw indeed that the city was one -vast slum. Gambling holes-in-the-wall stood cheek by jowl with sinister -drink shops, all of them roaring full blast. A drooling fog that dimmed -the intermittent blue street lights gave a grotesque unreality to the -thoroughfare.</p> - -<p>Here and there were groups of the inhabitants. Only a few showed -visible signs of the horrible plague,—the greenish, leprous hue to the -face and eyes, the disjointed, shambling walk—but I knew that all of -them had the disease in one or more of its stages.</p> - -<p>Following the directions I had memorized so carefully, I went straight -down the street, turned left, then right. Yes, there it was. A -slate-gray building, well out of plumb, with a dingy sign before the -doorway: POWER DIVISION.</p> - -<p>I went in. There were no ushers, no reception clerks, only a faint -drone of machinery somewhere below me. A long corridor angled in either -direction with marked doors every few feet. The sixth door bore the -marking: COMMISSIONER.</p> - -<p>Even as I looked upon the room's occupant, I knew that this, my initial -step, would be a success. The man was a toad of flesh with little pig -eyes and albino hair. He put down the glass from which he had been -swilling liquor and glared at me. "Complaint department down the hall," -he said. "This is a private office."</p> - -<p>I crossed to the chair beside his desk and sat down. "I'm George -Dulfay," I said quietly, "the new inspector sent by the Council. Will -you sign my papers, please?"</p> - -<p>He scowled again and peered at me shrewdly through blood-shot eyes, -but, after a careless glance at the document I had handed him, he -seized a stylus and affixed his signature. Then he raised his eyes to -mine.</p> - -<p>"New man, eh?" he grinned. "And what do you think of our fair city?"</p> - -<p>"It stinks."</p> - -<p>My words prompted no reproach from him. He leaned back and made -steeples of his hands. "Everything's the same," he said. "Four -hundred deaths, four hundred births. One attempted escape resulting -in execution. Flood-water"—he glanced across at the far wall where a -panel bore a series of dials—"water 65.0, oxygen zero-zero, paldine 5."</p> - -<p>"And the research bureau?" I questioned. So far, I knew I was playing -my part to satisfaction.</p> - -<p>He snorted. "Failures as usual. You and the Council know as well as I -do that there's no cure for the plague."</p> - -<p>It was time for the first step, but I didn't hurry it. I got a cheroot -out of my pocket, lit it and blew a shaft of smoke toward the mildewed -ceiling.</p> - -<p>"I'll okay the report as usual," I said. "But there's one thing -more. I'll want to buy some of your power. About sixteen thousand -<i>graphlos</i>...."</p> - -<p>A wire couldn't have jerked him erect any quicker. "Power!" he -repeated. "Sixteen thousand...." A gleam entered his blood-shot eyes. -"By the Lord Harry! And for what, may I ask?"</p> - -<p>I could feel my pulse racing and a hot flush sweep over me, but -outwardly I knew I appeared cool.</p> - -<p>"If your Research Bureau here believes there is no cure for the -plague, the Council has different ideas," I said. "We're going to try -an experiment. Sixteen thousand <i>graphlos</i> of polarated power at each -of the seven cities discharged along a common beam with a step-up -transformer between each city. Gargan—he's the new light-ray man in -the Council—believes the radiation from such a charge will completely -nullify the potency of the plague bacillus."</p> - -<p>The Commissioner moved to the edge of his chair. He poured himself a -glass of the lavender-colored liquor, drank it and wiped his mouth. "By -the Lord Harry," he said, "you're no inspector. Who the hell are you?"</p> - -<p>"You have my papers."</p> - -<p>He picked them up again and re-read them carefully. I watched him. I -could feel something cold move up and down my spine. And then with a -wave of relief I saw the first signs of credulity.</p> - -<p>"I believe you mean it," he said. "Tell me, do you really think there's -a chance, an escape from this double-damned plague?"</p> - -<p>"There's a possibility, but of course it's remote and only in the -embryonic stage. Of course you understand all this is confidential. -Now—where is your power switchboard?"</p> - -<p>He touched a bell, said something into a microphone. Then he got up and -extended his hand. "Follow the corridor, Mr. Dulfay. And may Providence -go with you."</p> - -<p>Outside the office, reaction seized me, and for a moment I swayed -there, aware of the terrific strain I had been under. The first barrier -was passed. From now on, although there still would be plenty of -danger, my actions for the most part would be routine. I threw away my -cheroot and headed down the corridor.</p> - -<p>That corridor ended in a flight of stairs which I climbed to the second -level. Through an archway I passed into the power room proper. Tilted -back in a chair in front of the enormous switchboard, a weazened little -man nodded to me, signifying that he had had his instructions. I went -to work without hesitation, threw over the auxiliary switch, removed -the coil of wire from under my tunic and spliced it directly into the -main conduit.</p> - -<p>Finished, I trailed the coil of wire across the room and tossed it out -the open window into the darkness of an alley. I went outside to gather -up the loose ends. A low shed there, housing emergency transformers, -served my purpose admirably. I got the compact little transmitting set -out of my haversack, bracketed it to the wall in a far corner and set -the clockwork to functioning.</p> - -<p>Exactly one hour later I was back in my tracto-car, driving across the -flat.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>If a month ago anyone had told me I would visit not only Profaldo but -each of the seven plague-cities of the High Ganymedian Plateau, I would -have told them they were crazy. That was before I met Hol-Dai.</p> - -<p>Hol-Dai was not his real name, of course; that was what they called him -at the mental hospital where I was serving my internship. A patriarch -of a man, one of the early Earth colonists, he had broken down from -excessive research in extraterrestrial medicine, and he was forever -browsing through heavy medical tomes. One day he began talking to me as -usual, and for want of something better to do, I listened.</p> - -<p>"My son," he said, "you've heard of the seven plague-cities: Profaldo, -Senar, Caldray, Voltar, Xynan, Malakan, and Klovada?"</p> - -<p>I nodded. "Yes, Hol-Dai. Here, take your medicine."</p> - -<p>He swallowed the two pills and pointed to a sheet of paper upon which -he had been writing. "Did you know they were the richest cities in the -System?"</p> - -<p>"Rich? No, Hol-Dai, you must be wrong. They have nothing but -pestilence."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He smiled at that and waggled a finger. "The plague is their -protection, my son. Conquer that, and you will come upon the greatest -treasure known to mankind. Listen...."</p> - -<p>Well, I heard him out, patiently at first, then gradually with more -and more interest. It was a madman's story in every detail, and yet -there was something about it that got me. I knew how the seven cities -of the High Ganymedian Plateau were first raided by Conway and his -Earth Brigade after enjoying several thousand years' culture on this, -the third satellite of Jupiter. How the captured emperor of the seven -cities swore a curse of vengeance for the mishandling of his people and -in some unknown way introduced the strange and terrible plague which -was to turn the seven metropoli into pest-holes avoided and shunned by -Earth and Jovian colonists alike.</p> - -<p>Then Hol-Dai said something which made me prick up my ears. "Why," he -said, "do you think the emperor introduced that plague? For vengeance -alone? A ruler's vengeance does not go as far as dooming his people -forever. No, my son, for another reason."</p> - -<p>I said nothing, waiting for him to continue.</p> - -<p>"For three thousand years the seven cities had been living off the -plunder of conquered Io and Callisto, the first and second satellites. -And never has it occurred to these fools what has become of that -plunder."</p> - -<p>"They probably will, Hol-Dai," I said. "Some day a fleet of space -freighters will carry it all off."</p> - -<p>The white-haired old man shook his head. "Not a fleet, my son. A man in -the palm of his hand."</p> - -<p>I sat down then, and I asked questions, and after a time I had the -story in its entirety. Both Io and Callisto had been conquered by -the people of Ganymede and had been forced to pay a huge indemnity. -Part of that indemnity came in the form of a stone, called by the -Ganymedians, the Jupiter Stone. That stone, protected by an envelope of -white <i>pinardium</i>, contained a compressed particle of the light-active -rock which formed Jupiter's great red spot. <i>And this stone contained -sufficient inexhaustible power to move the factories and industrial -plants of half the solar system.</i></p> - -<p>I forgot for a moment that Hol-Dai was listed as psychopathically -unbalanced. "Where is this stone?" I demanded.</p> - -<p>"It lies in a simple glass case in the old emperor's palace in the city -of Klovada," he replied. "But"—he lifted a warning hand—"do not think -it is as simple as that. The people of the High Ganymedian Plateau were -aware of the value of their treasure and they adopted means to protect -it.</p> - -<p>"They protected the stone by surrounding it with a small space warp. As -it lies there now, it is so heavy an army could not lift it."</p> - -<p>"Then...?"</p> - -<p>"How can it be removed? There is a way, my son, a dangerous, almost -impossible way, but one which I have spent my entire life planning. The -space warp has been devised to have seven focal points, lying along the -plane of the seven cities. I have devised transmitting equipment which -will discharge a beam along this plane, thus nullifying the space warp. -But, to accomplish this, entrance must be made into each of the seven -cities, and that would mean contracting the terrible plague in not one -but all seven of its virulent forms.</p> - -<p>"I have taken care of that too. I have compounded a pellet which will -give temporary immunity to the plague if taken at the proper intervals -and...."</p> - -<p>Here Hol-Dai's mind gave way again, and he lapsed into unintelligible -babbling.</p> - -<p>I mulled over this story for a week. During that time I read over -Hol-Dai's case history and discovered that his lucid intervals were -fairly intermittent and complete. That is, when he was normal, he -remained so until he lost his grip entirely. Next I visited the -place where he had lived before he was confined to the hospital. -My credentials gained me entrance and the right to go through his -possessions. Nothing had been touched. I found his vial of immunity -pellets with full instructions as to dosage. And I found in his -equipment the seven miniature transmitting sets and the necessary -connecting wire. In his papers, however, I searched in vain for -reference to the Jupiter Stone.</p> - -<p>But I didn't stop there. I haunted public libraries and the -archives-galleries, always seeking proof for everything Hol-Dai had -told me. Where I didn't always find proof, I found "possibility." The -old man's story could be true.</p> - -<p>As I read over the history of Ganymede, the lure, the fascination of -that "stone" swept over me. It became a narcotic, off-setting all -other desires until I knew I must act. I took Hol-Dai's equipment and -his vial of pellets, and I spent one week studying the geographical -layouts of the seven cities. I drove in a tracto-car to the first city -of Profaldo, and as you have seen, I successfully "planted" the first -transmitting set.</p> - -<p>"One down, six to go," I told myself grimly. Full confidence was mine, -and my spirits were riding high.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Senar, the second city, came out of the haze abruptly. High in the sky -the immense disc of Jupiter cast a reddish light over the metropolis. -As before, all roads leading across the flat converged on a single -runway, leading to the main gate.</p> - -<p>I entered, and it seemed time had turned backward, erasing the -intervening hours. For Senar was the same as Profaldo. The same roaring -drink shops and crowd-choked gambling casinos. The same twisting -despondent streets sunk in filth and mockery of the law.</p> - -<p>Again I came to the building marked POWER DIVISION. In the -Commissioner's office, however, I was due for a surprise. A girl -turned to me inquiringly.</p> - -<p>She was tall, svelte and dark-haired, with agate eyes that bored me -through and through. "Well?" she said.</p> - -<p>The same story, the same explanation. I proffered my papers, waited a -diplomatic length of time, then stated that I wished to purchase some -power.</p> - -<p>To my astonishment, however, she took the offer matter-of-factly.</p> - -<p>"I know," she said. "You are Tepondicon."</p> - -<p>"I'm <i>what</i>?"</p> - -<p>She smiled. "At least you are the mortal counterpart of that legendary -figure. According to the Ganymedian legends, a great disaster was to -come upon our seven cities and would not be removed until a brave -warrior entered each of the cities and fought it alone. The legends -call that warrior Tepondicon."</p> - -<p>"I see," I said. "And you think...?"</p> - -<p>"We have the disaster all right in the form of the plague. Now you are -here in an attempt to conquer that plague." She waved a careless hand -at my consternation. "The Commissioner at Profaldo advised me of your -coming. We still do have some communication left, you know."</p> - -<p>Tepondicon, eh? It made my role easier. It fitted into my plans nicely. -Before I could say more, she was conducting me down the corridor to the -power room. She stood by, watching over me, as for a second time I made -my necessary connections to the central conduit, and she followed me as -I mounted my second transmitting set on a low revetment in the rear of -the power building.</p> - -<p>As I touched the clockwork into motion she grasped my arm.</p> - -<p>"There is no need for you to leave immediately, Mr. Dulfay," she said. -"I know very well that you have temporary protection against the -plague. Won't you let me show you more of the city of Senar?"</p> - -<p>My better judgment said no; my eyes said yes. She stood there smiling, -carmine lips a bow of allure, agate eyes gleaming. She was clad in a -dress of voltex, and the clinging material revealed every curve and -contour of her figure.</p> - -<p>An hour later I found myself in a dimly lighted cafe, surrounded by -high-caste Ganymedians, Jovians and Earth men and women, all in -various stages of intoxication—all, I knew, seeking to conceal their -terror at the relentless death that stalked them.</p> - -<p>I sat across a table from the Commissioner of Senar. She was drinking -<i>boca</i>, and she was laughing gayly.</p> - -<p>"Come," she said, "forget your troubles. Remember, you are Tepondicon."</p> - -<p>But something was wrong. I could feel it with every fibre of my body. -That man looking at me from the opposite table, for one thing. He had -been too casual in his quick appraisal of me, too quick to lower his -eyes when I glanced his way.</p> - -<p>And then abruptly it hit me hard. I was Tepondicon, and as such, -my avowed attempt to cure the plague made me a valuable entity, if -controlled by the right persons. A group of power-crazed renegades -could, by holding me, make any terms they desired for my release.</p> - -<p>I looked around carefully, seeking a means of escape; and I saw then -other men at other tables, covertly watching me. I drank a full glass -of <i>boca</i>, pretended to drink another, began to feign drunkenness. Then -clumsily I knocked the bottle from the table and staggered to my feet.</p> - -<p>"Gotta get more," I hiccupped. "'S'cuse me, please."</p> - -<p>Stumbling unsteadily, I weaved my way toward the bar. Halfway across to -it, I swiveled and broke into a run. Instantly a shout of warning rose -up behind me. Through the maze of tables I raced, overturning three of -them with a crash as I passed.</p> - -<p>I gained the door. A heat-gun charge slammed into the wall, inches -above my head. Feet pounded in pursuit. Then I was outside, leaping up -the steps to the main level, sprinting down the back street.</p> - -<p>I ran until a stitch in my side drew me up. Behind me roared the night -life of the city, but there was no sign of pursuit. I passed through -the main gate without trouble and half an hour later was driving -leisurely across the flat.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Profaldo and Senar were behind me. What conditions would I meet in -the next city, Caldray? My wildest dreams did not prepare me for the -reception that was to be mine. Scarcely had I entered Caldray when I -stopped short, staring at the scene ahead. The streets were jammed -with citizenry. In blazing ato-bulbs high overhead was the single word -TEPONDICON. Flags and pennants hung from every balcony.</p> - -<p>Even as I moved uncertainly forward, two stalwart men, clad in the -ancient chain mail of Ganymede's earlier years, strode forward. Back -somewhere in the tiers of rectangular buildings the amplified strains -of an orchestra rose up. It was a recording, I knew, but it was -Bokart's <i>Symphony Out of Space</i>, in all its pomp and glory.</p> - -<p>A deafening cheer rose up then. I was conducted to a low carriage, and -with two scarlet-clad postilions on either side began my tour of the -city.</p> - -<p>"Tepondicon! Tepondicon!" yelled the crowd.</p> - -<p>Well, it was confusing, and disconcerting, too. With all eyes focused -upon me, my every movement would be watched. A wrong word, a misstep, -and those cheers would change to death yells. And yet as the carriage -bore me smoothly along the paved streets, the significance of it all -became clear in my mind in every detail.</p> - -<p>These people were rats, scum of the System. What matter if their -hopes were falsely raised to the heights? They were doomed anyway by -the plague. And in four days more the Jupiter Stone would be mine. -Up until now, my life had been one great series of failures. At the -Martian School of Technology I had been expelled in my sophomore year -for a mere matter of selling drugs to my fellow students. I had been -cashiered from the Royal Space Force for what the upstart officers -called insubordination. Gamblings, swindlings, I had tried them all -with little luck. This would be my metamorphosis, my emergence from the -cocoon of mediocrity into success.</p> - -<p>The procession drew up before the Power Division building. The Power -Commissioner, a tall gangly man this time, waited to receive me at the -top of the steps.</p> - -<p>But inside his office, with the roar and hubbub of the streets cut off, -the interview was much the same as the two previous. He passed a box of -cheroots across the desk, leaned back and smoked contentedly.</p> - -<p>"And to think," he said, "that a week ago I was ready to join the list -of suicides. Mr. Dulfay, I wonder if you realize what this means to -the people. Freedom from the plague. It seems incredible."</p> - -<p>"You must remember," I cautioned, "It's only an experiment as yet. I -can promise nothing."</p> - -<p>He waved this aside. "You will be successful," he said. "The hopes of -thousands cannot be denied. And now the power. All we have is at your -disposal."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Voltar! Xynan! Malakan! In the fourth, fifth and sixth cities -everything worked like clockwork. My welcome in each succeeding -metropolis was greater than the last. Crowds screamed "<i>Tepondicon!</i>" -to the echo. The cities must have ransacked every corner of their -confines to festoon their battlements and parapets with tinsel. Hope -was hysteria. The black spectre of the plague was pushed to the -background. As the legendary hero, Tepondicon, I was the embodiment of -all their dreams and hopes.</p> - -<p>Before entering each city I swallowed three of Hoi-Dai's pellets. -Before leaving, I tapped the power centers and put transmitting sets in -operation.</p> - -<p>And now Klovada, the seventh and final city. In a few hours my beam -would be discharged along the planes of the seven cities. The space -warp would be nullified. Remained then only to go to the royal palace, -open the glass case and remove the Jupiter Stone. With that stone my -life would begin anew. No more swindlings or petty thieveries. I would -be king in my own right.</p> - -<p>I did not realize the strain under which I had been living until the -official reception in Klovada was over and I was ushered into the -Commissioner's office. There I slumped wearily into a chair and waited -impatiently for him to enter.</p> - -<p>The Commissioner was a girl. Not a girl like the seductress of Senar, -but a small dainty child with golden hair and blue eyes. She strode -forward briskly, a pleasant smile on her lips, and extended her hand.</p> - -<p>"I bid you welcome, Sir Tepondicon," she said. "You have reached the -end of your goal."</p> - -<p>There was something in her tone of voice that made me look at her -sharply. Could it be possible that she suspected...?</p> - -<p>"You have come a long way," she said, speaking slowly. "You have -braved many dangers, and you have conducted yourself in a most ethical -manner. May I ask, Mr. Dulfay, what your personal profit will be in -this venture?"</p> - -<p>"No profit," I said easily. "A scientist has only research as his aim. -That and the welfare of the people."</p> - -<p>She nodded. "Still, it is unusual for a man to risk so much."</p> - -<p>"About the matter of power," I broke in. "As you know, I'll need -sixteen thousand <i>graphlos</i> and...."</p> - -<p>She seemed not to hear. A distant look entered her blue eyes. "Tell me, -Mr. Dulfay, have you ever heard of an artifact kept here in Klovada -known as the Jupiter Stone?"</p> - -<p>I went slowly rigid. The girl breathed deeply and continued. "Some -time ago a great scientist communicated with me as overchief of -power-control of the seven cities and outlined a plan similar to the -one in which you are now engaged. He was a great man, but under stress -of excessive work, his mind broke. He was taken to a mental hospital, -where I am told he is now known by the simple name of Hol-Dai.</p> - -<p>"Before his illness Hol-Dai worked out a method to overcome the plague. -It was simple. A person would visit each of the seven cities. He would -have temporary protection against the plague, but of course he would -become a carrier for the germs. When he finally reached Klovada, the -final city, he would be a walking vial of the bacillus in all its seven -forms.</p> - -<p>"Now the Jupiter Stone, of which I spoke before. It is a great thing, -capable of generating untold amounts of power, if properly harnessed. -So far, however, the scientists have been unable to move it because -it lies protected by a small but peculiar form of space warp. But the -stone has other potentialities. This man, Hol-Dai, discovered that it -will transform the plague bacillus from a positive form to a negative -form.</p> - -<p>"In other words if this hypothetical visitor of the seven cities were, -at the end of his journey, to expose himself to the radiations of -the Jupiter Stone, a curious event would take place. He would become -a carrier for bacilli which, when released, would immediately begin -to combat the plague. Practically an anti-toxin, you see. Again, -continuing our hypothetical case, if this man were to retrace his -steps, again visiting each of the seven cities, it is estimated this -action would result in the complete end of the plague within a period -of months."</p> - -<p>"I see," I said. Far back in a corner of my mind a doubt was beginning -to grow. "Why hasn't this been done before?"</p> - -<p>She smiled. "Because until you came no one knew how to acquire -temporary protection against the disease and no one had the courage to -expose himself to it without that protection. Now I am aware that you -have found that protection. But as you must know, if you let yourself -be struck by the radiations of the Jupiter Stone, you would die within -six weeks!"</p> - -<p>"You mean...?"</p> - -<p>"I mean that if you go through with your role as Tepondicon you will -never live to know your glory."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>She tapped her pencil on the desk. "I might add that Hol-Dai also told -us of a plan to nullify the space warp surrounding the Jupiter Stone. -Since his sickness, however, that plan has remained a mystery."</p> - -<p>I breathed easier. So Hol-Dai had not tricked me. But this girl with -all her babbling of curing the plague must be an utter fool. What did I -care about cure? It was the stone I wanted!</p> - -<p>She looked across at me. "I don't know who or what you are, Mr. Dulfay, -but please listen to me a moment. Once these seven cities were the -pride of the Jovian System. Their people were lighthearted, gay and -strong. True, in their earlier years they exploited their neighbors -on Io and Callisto, but that was long ago. For generations they were -engaged in peaceful pursuits—trade, industry, commerce.</p> - -<p>"Look at them now. Pest-holes where vice and sin run rampant, where -hope has vanished, where there is no tomorrow, but only today! -Conceive, if you can, the utter curse of that plague. To know with -absolute finality that you are impregnated with it and that only death -awaits you. And then consider this legend of Tepondicon. Not a mighty -warrior, not a knight clad in armor, but a simple man sacrificing his -own life for the lives of other men. It is the ultimate glory."</p> - -<p>She rose to her feet. "Mr. Dulfay, I leave you now. But I call your -attention to the two doors leading from this office. The one by which -you came is the exit. It leads to the street, and from the street one -can make his way to the palace and so on to the Jupiter Stone. The -stone is unguarded. If the space warp were done away with, it could be -taken easily.</p> - -<p>"The other door leads to the radiation chamber, the room which -was devised by Hol-Dai. There, by means of special equipment, the -radiations from the Jupiter Stone are transmitted to a screen. If you -enter this room and sit before the screen, within a period of twenty -minutes the plague germs your body is now carrying will be negatived. -You can then make your return visits to the six other cities. The -plague will be conquered, but you will die."</p> - -<p>She moved across to the exit. "It is for you to decide," she said. "All -I can say is that one way leads to the ultimate glory."</p> - -<p>She went out and I stood there in a daze. For five minutes I didn't -move. Glory, she had said. Yes, there would be glory, something which -had played no part heretofore in my life. But likewise there would be -death. The same death which awaited the doomed citizenry of the seven -doomed cities. On the other hand was the Jupiter Stone, embodying all I -had fought for.</p> - -<p>I walked across to the desk and sat down in the chair before it. I -must put my thoughts and actions of the past days on paper. I must -record everything. If I chose the plague door, it would be my last -testament—and a monument. If I took the street door, set up my -transmitting set—and finally gained the Jupiter Stone, it would be -a condemnation—a curse—to dog me the rest of my days. Honor versus -dishonor, balanced against life versus death.</p> - -<p><i>It is this document you are now reading!</i></p> - -<p>At the end of an hour I stood up and neatly folded the paper. The air -was hot, stifling. Somewhere a mercury clock pulsed rhythmically. Then, -with a little laugh, I strode across the room toward one of the doors.</p> - -<p>Of course, you all know which door I opened.</p> - -<pre style='margin-top:6em'> -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TEPONDICON *** - -This file should be named 63799-h.htm or 63799-h.zip - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/7/9/63799/ - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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