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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..1b636be --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #63886 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63886) diff --git a/old/63886-h.zip b/old/63886-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 838582f..0000000 --- a/old/63886-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/63886-h/63886-h.htm b/old/63886-h/63886-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 90296c9..0000000 --- a/old/63886-h/63886-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3127 +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 The Seven Jewels of Chamar, by Raymond F. 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Jones - -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'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Seven Jewels of Chamar - -Author: Raymond F. Jones - -Release Date: November 26, 2020 [EBook #63886] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEVEN JEWELS OF CHAMAR *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>THE SEVEN JEWELS OF CHAMAR</h1> - -<h2>By RAYMOND F. JONES</h2> - -<p>Scattered, they flamed like distant suns, maddening<br /> -the beholder. United, they became a godlike power<br /> -for the glory of the Solar System. But, their<br /> -flame lances still white-hot from killing, young<br /> -Ormondy and the fabulous Firebird learned how<br /> -impossible was the price of that power.</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>The bearded giant, Thymar Ormondy, raised stiffly on one arm from the -bed of litter on the damp cave floor. He pointed the charred stub of -his other arm at his son.</p> - -<p>"Beware the Firebird!" His voice was distorted with pain. "She'll kill -a thousand men for every one of the Seven Jewels of Chamar."</p> - -<p>Nathan Ormondy threw back his rain cape and knelt beside his dying -father. The great hulk of the old man sank back upon the rags.</p> - -<p>"Did she do this?" Nathan demanded fiercely. His eyes filled with flame -at the sight of the terrible wound that had come from a shot in the -back.</p> - -<p>Thymar lay without answering. His eyes were closed. Nathan heard only -the hushing sound of the eternal Venusian rains that blotted out the -distant hills like a ragged curtain hung over the mouth of the cave.</p> - -<p>Behind Nathan another shaggy spaceman touched his shoulder. It was -Tabor, his father's companion. The two police custodians from Aquatown -shifted uneasily.</p> - -<p>"Was it Firebird?" Nathan demanded of the watchers.</p> - -<p>Before they could answer, Thymar's remaining hand fell upon Nathan's -wrist. "There is more to tell," the old spaceman whispered.</p> - -<p>Nathan hunched lower to seize every word. "What is it?"</p> - -<p>"The Jewels of Chamar—"</p> - -<p>"Curse the Jewels of Chamar! They stink with blood. I'd blast them all -if I could!"</p> - -<p>Thymar's wide, steel eyes opened slowly. The leather of his face -crinkled like finely tanned doeskin.</p> - -<p>"When you have looked into the blue depths of a stone that is like the -eye of all the universe you'll never be able to turn your back upon -it. You'll never rest until you have found all seven of the Jewels—or -death."</p> - -<p>"Death is all that anyone has ever found."</p> - -<p>"Ah," said Thymar, "but one man will find himself the master of all the -universe when once he holds all seven of the Jewels in his hands. That -is the promise of the Jewels—mastery, power. And I know that it is -true. I've held them—as many as five of them at once, and I know what -it means. There's a force in them that sweeps through the brain and the -soul. It lifts a man to power and strength beyond himself."</p> - -<p>"Pah! Autohypnosis—or plain drunkenness. There are a thousand other -names for it."</p> - -<p>"No," said Thymar softly. "It's there—pure life force, or whatever it -might be termed, but with those Jewels one man would be as ten thousand -men, each greater than any Earth has produced.</p> - -<p>"And you can be that man, Nathan!" The old spaceman raised again from -the bed. "I bequeath to you the two Jewels that I have left. There were -three, but—"</p> - -<p>"Firebird?"</p> - -<p>"That does not matter. I warned you of her because she has sworn to -have the Jewels. I know she has two, maybe more. You'll have to kill -her for them. Think what it would mean to the universe if that ruthless -witch possessed the Jewels. Hell would be let loose.</p> - -<p>"The Jewels are no concern of mine. I want to know only who did this to -you."</p> - -<p>Thymar sank back again. His voice whispered almost inaudibly, "Come -closer."</p> - -<p>"In the cave of Lava Mountain," he whispered hoarsely, "do you remember -the Stone Pig? The two Jewels are there. It makes no difference who did -this to me. Nothing matters but the Jewels of Chamar. Take them—and -become master of the universe!"</p> - -<p>"Who did—?" Then Nathan's fury-laden voice ceased. The only sound was -the hush of rain outside. Slowly Nathan's head bent low. His father was -dead. Never again would Thymar Ormondy's voice roar upon the spaceways -or in the thousand tavern rendezvous of the spacemen.</p> - -<p>Tabor put his hand upon Nathan's shoulder. "Sorry, son."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Nathan rose. It was as if an electric charge had been thrust between -the other men.</p> - -<p>"I'll find the killer," said Nathan evenly. He looked down at the form -on the cavern floor. "I'll find him if it takes the rest of my life. -Why did he warn me of Firebird? Was it only because of the Jewels or do -you think she could have done this?"</p> - -<p>"He hated Firebird because of an old quarrel. She might have done it, -but I don't know. I was with Thymar in Aquatown when he received a -message saying information concerning the Blue Jewel could be found -here. He went alone and we were to meet a day later to leave for Mars. -He didn't show up so I came here and found him like this."</p> - -<p>Nathan nodded. The policeman, Cleeg, had told him that much after Tabor -had sent word. But that was no help. It only served to fix Nathan's -hatred more intensely upon the cursed Seven Jewels of Chamar.</p> - -<p>"Was my father carrying any of the Jewels when he came here?"</p> - -<p>"He had the Pink one. I tried to warn him, but he said he could take -care of it."</p> - -<p>"And now it's gone, of course."</p> - -<p>Tabor nodded. "The whole thing was a trap by someone who knew he had -it."</p> - -<p>"Who knew of it?"</p> - -<p>"Half of Venus. He was drunk and boasting of it in the taverns the -night before."</p> - -<p>That was Thymar, Nathan thought, a great flagon of wine in one hand, -boasting to the whole assemblage in some tavern, proclaiming his -fabulous deeds upon the spaceways and challenging any one to dispute -his word with flame lances.</p> - -<p>"Take care of things, will you?" Nathan said abruptly. "I'll get back -to the town."</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do?"</p> - -<p>"I think I know a way to trap the killer."</p> - -<p>The policeman and Tabor looked startled. "Be careful, boy," said Tabor. -"Do you want me to go with you?"</p> - -<p>"No. Don't worry about me."</p> - -<p>"Watch out for Firebird. She's on Venus now, and your father must have -had a reason for his warning."</p> - -<p>"Bah! She's nothing but a Calamity Jane legend. Have you ever traded -flames with her?"</p> - -<p>"I've seen men who have. They weren't alive to tell about it."</p> - -<p>"Spacemen dislike combat with a woman so you've built up a myth about -her to give an excuse for not killing her. But if she is the one who -killed my father she's going to pay for it."</p> - -<p>"Then why not let the police bring her in?"</p> - -<p>"What police? Four planets have put a price on her head and she walks -free in the cities of any of them."</p> - -<p>"She's dangerous," Tabor repeated his warning. "And perhaps she is not -the killer after all. There's no use crossing her trail needlessly."</p> - -<p>"We'll soon know," Nathan promised.</p> - -<p>He turned and strode out of the cavern of death while the two police -officers began preparing his father's body for the trip back to the -city under Tabor's direction. He paused a moment at the entrance and -drew up the waterproof hood of his cloak and tied the knot beneath his -chin, then went out into the sheeting rain.</p> - -<p>At the bottom of the steep and slippery trail leading from the cave -waited Perseus, the white stallion imported from Earth. In a world -still battling incessantly against the jungle the horse was one of the -chief means of private transportation, even though practically extinct -on Earth.</p> - -<p>Perseus nuzzled against Nathan's neck and the man rested his face -against the horse's head for a moment. Loneliness and weariness -descended upon Nathan. He was lonelier than he had ever known he could -be, he thought. Thymar had never given much companionship to his son -because their adventurous spirits had led them in opposite directions. -But the mere knowledge of Thymar's existence somewhere in the universe -was the only companionship Nathan had needed. Now that was gone.</p> - -<p>And somewhere on Venus was a murderer he had to kill.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">II</p> - -<p>It was after dark when Nathan reached Aquatown. The streets of the -Venusian frontier village literally flowed with water, proving the -accuracy of its naming.</p> - -<p>Lights on the corners and in front of the taverns were ghostly blobs -in the rain. Few Earthmen were about, but the little polite Greenies -of Venus swarmed the streets nodding and smiling when they saw Nathan. -They knew and revered him as the great engineer from Earth who had -brought lights and power to their wet, primitive world.</p> - -<p>Aquatown was only a frontier village with more than its quota of -taverns to drain away the savings of the restless spacemen who stopped -for a day or a week, waiting for a new cargo or for ship repairs in the -nearby Universal Yards.</p> - -<p>Nathan's plan was fixed in his mind. He left Perseus at his lodgings -and then headed for the taverns. The night's crowds were beginning to -swarm in as he entered the first one.</p> - -<p>It was hot and steamy inside, and the fog of smoke made it impossible -to see the opposite wall. Bearded miners, lean adventurers, smooth -fingered confidence men were the customers. Dance hall girls who had -come from Earth for the adventure and stayed because of the utter -dejection with which Venus filled them were the men's companions for -the most part.</p> - -<p>Nathan went directly to the bar and began ordering drinks. He grew more -boisterous and his voice grew unsteady as he boasted and shouted of his -good fortune in coming into possession of two of the Jewels of Chamar.</p> - -<p>Then he left. He went to the next tavern and repeated the performance. -During the night he made a tour of the taverns that would have done -credit to old Thymar Ormondy himself.</p> - -<p>And when the first light of Venusian dawn came he was stiff and -immobile in the last of the taverns. The bouncers pitched him out into -the mud and rain as the place closed up.</p> - -<p>When he was alone Nathan rose and shook himself. He had accomplished -his purpose. Every thug and murderer on Venus knew by now that Nathan -Ormondy was going today to the secret cache of Jewels left by his -father.</p> - -<p>And Nathan knew that his father's killer would be not far behind as he -moved up that mountain trail towards the cave in Lava Mountain.</p> - -<p>He made his way through the mud and slime of the streets to his own -lodging. There, after a quick bath and breakfast, he armed and checked -the charge in each of two flame lances.</p> - -<p>The weapons consisted of powerful electrodes with pistol grip handles. -The electrodes were just less than eight inches in length and full -charge was a thousand rounds. Nathan pocketed them solemnly, wondering -if one of those charges would avenge his father's death.</p> - -<p>He dressed in brown riding cape and donned a crimson helmet to make it -easy to be followed. When he went out to the stable, Perseus seemed to -sense the importance of their approaching mission and nickered eagerly.</p> - -<p>Nathan let the horse have his head and they raced along the forest -trail behind the city and upward to the hills. The tree branches -overhead dripped water that was already stagnant. And somewhere in -those trees Nathan knew that outlaws of four planets were silently -watching, waiting for him to lead them to part of the fabulous treasure -for which three generations of adventurers had searched.</p> - -<p>His father's murderer was sure to be foremost among them.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Nathan wondered if he could have saved his father's life by following -him to the starways years ago. Born aboard a spaceship, Thymar had -never claimed any planet for his own. He had tried to raise Nathan -to be a starman like himself, but Nathan had seen the advancing wave -of civilization beating upon the shores of alien planets and knew -the only sure foundation would be built by the engineers, not by the -wandering starmen. So he had chosen to fight the battles of engineering -on primitive worlds. He was following the starways in a sense, but it -broke Thymar's heart when Nathan became "civilized."</p> - -<p>Then seven years ago Thymar had dedicated the remainder of his life to -the recovery of the fabled, mysterious Jewels of Chamar.</p> - -<p>The story of the cursed Jewels was obscure. No one knew their origin. -There was little more than the age old myth that to hold all seven -would make a man master of the universe, but to hold less than seven -would bring eventual death.</p> - -<p>The latter at least was no myth, Nathan thought grimly.</p> - -<p>The trail became steep as the trees thinned and the horse broke out -upon the hillside. There was a moment of sunlight blinding in its -beauty. Then dark clouds closed over again.</p> - -<p>Nathan rode out along a ridge trail where he was silhouetted against -the sky. He stood for a moment, making himself as conspicuous as -possible to the unseen followers he knew were behind him. Ahead, the -tall spire of Lava Mountain loomed against the gray blanket of the sky. -It seemed near in its majestic might, but it was nearly midday when -Nathan reached the foot of it.</p> - -<p>The sight of the mountain at close range brought back a thousand -memories to Nathan. He had spent much of his boyhood here and this -was where Thymar had taught him in the rugged ways of living of the -spacemen. Here he had learned from Thymar and Tabor to master the flame -lance until there was hardly a spaceman that could match his skill.</p> - -<p>The mouth of the great cavern was in sight now, high up on the face -of the mountain. He hoped the narrow trail he and Thymar had so -laboriously cut out was still there. It appeared to be. He guided the -horse up the beginning of the steep cut.</p> - -<p>He drew out one of the flame lances now and kept a sharp watch on the -trail below. He knew that he was in no danger from anyone with a sense -of calculation. That type of renegade would wait until Nathan had -recovered the Jewels before attacking. But some brainless fool might -try to pick him off now and search the cave on his own.</p> - -<p>From far down the trail came the sudden clatter of rocks as a slide was -started by a careless step, but no one was visible behind the ridges. -Nathan had a clear view of his last hour's ride. So far, he was in the -clear.</p> - -<p>He looked cautiously at the cliff above him. Attack from that angle was -not entirely impossible—especially if Firebird was in the vicinity. He -knew she would not be with the followers behind him.</p> - -<p>But now the last two hundred feet of the steep trail were before him. -The great maw of the cavern was like a black cloud against the dirty -white rock of the mountain. He touched his heels sharply to the flanks -of the horse, and Perseus leaped up the incline in long jumps that -carried horse and rider on into the black cave.</p> - -<p>Instantly, Nathan leaped off and flung himself behind a giant -stalagmite, half expecting a flame ball to be hurled at him from out of -the darkness.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>But a flame would have been welcome after the darkness and silence -that pervaded the place. Only the distant sounds of the now emboldened -pursuers came from the ridge below.</p> - -<p>Nathan moved to the entrance and obtained his first glimpse of the -pursuers. A battle skirmish had broken out between them. He had -expected that. A man who had already killed for the Jewels would not -welcome competition.</p> - -<p>Nathan moved back and ordered the horse into a niche in the wall. He -was dismayed somewhat by the number of men he had seen on the trail. -There were at least twenty taking part in the skirmish and doubtless -more were hidden from his sight. Determining the murderer would be -difficult in such a mob.</p> - -<p>The stalagmite which Nathan and his father had called the Stone Pig -was nearly a half mile back into the mountain along a tortuous trail. -He could not be sure that falling stalactites had not blocked the way, -so Nathan was forced to risk a light after leaving the mouth of the -cave.</p> - -<p>The cave was hot. Steamy fog filled the air as he came at last to the -small room of the Stone Pig. He knew that some of his pursuers must -be near the cavern by now. He needed time to get to a hidden gallery -overlooking the path they would have to traverse.</p> - -<p>Nothing seemed changed from the time he had last been near the Stone -Pig. The grotesquely formed stalagmite was shiny with moisture and its -enigmatic grin seemed to challenge Nathan to find out the things it had -seen while he had been gone.</p> - -<p>A sense of excitement and anticipation seized Nathan despite his -efforts to control his feelings. He thought of the boyhood days when he -had hidden secret "maps" and strange and precious "formulae" beneath -the Stone Pig. Now he was to see for the first time the fabulous gems -that had cost so many lives, including his father's.</p> - -<p>He pushed the stalagmite and it toppled over heavily. In the small, -hollow space beneath it lay the same metal can that he had used so long -ago. He pried open the lid.</p> - -<p>There lay the Jewels—one green, one red.</p> - -<p>But the gasp that escaped his lips at their sudden beauty was smothered -in the sudden roar of deafening thunder that came from the cavern mouth -far behind him.</p> - -<p>He jerked to his feet. The air compression waves staggered him so that -he tottered drunkenly for a moment and the sound battered his body. -A flood of dust laden air flowed over him. Then gradually it settled -about the chamber and there was only silence once more.</p> - -<p>Nathan looked back at the box. A cleverly arranged switch had closed -when he opened the lid, exploding the thunderous charge at the mouth of -the cave. He struggled mentally with the problem of who had placed the -explosive and the switch to seal the cave.</p> - -<p>Perhaps Thymar had placed it as protection against robbery and his -mind had been so affected by his wounds that he had forgotten it. -Or someone might have planted it as a trap. But, if so, why were the -Jewels left?</p> - -<p>Almost forgetting that he was sealed in the cavern, he knelt down -beside the box. The inner light of the Jewels pierced his eyes and -seized his mind in a hypnotic trance. For an instant he thought he was -gazing upon the beauties of some fair and alien world. In the red one -there was a fantastic garden of Mars, but a Mars where no red sand -clouds ever covered the cities with smothering death.</p> - -<p>And in the green one he saw a fair and lovely vision of Earth so real -it pierced him with nostalgia.</p> - -<p>Then the visions faded. Whether he actually saw them or they were -figments of imagination he never knew. But he had to shake his head and -tear his sight away from the Jewels in order to pocket them.</p> - -<p>Then, as he turned away, there broke upon the air a high-pitched song -that trilled a moment's melody. It hung as if a crystal were suspended -in the cavern, echoing its vibrations from chamber to chamber.</p> - -<p>It came again. Nathan straightened and put out the light. He whipped -out both flame lances.</p> - -<p>It was the song of the Firebird.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">III</p> - -<p>Nathan darted out of the room of the Stone Pig, guided by his intimate -knowledge of the cavern. He waited a moment by the entrance, listening -in the darkness. Then he heard the soft scrape of a sandal against a -rock somewhere. And a voice.</p> - -<p>"Nathan Ormondy!"</p> - -<p>It called his name softly, echoing in the cavern, and it was like no -other voice he had ever heard. The music of its overtones was brilliant -and glowing like the inner light of the Jewels of Chamar themselves.</p> - -<p>"I have come for you, Firebird," said Nathan. "Ready your flame lance."</p> - -<p>He darted away, expecting a flame to be hurled at the sound of his -voice. None came. He waited, hoping Firebird would answer and give him -a target.</p> - -<p>That first sound of her voice haunted him. It was the loveliness -of a spring day on Earth, the blue of the sky and the song of the -birds—but it was the song of the Firebird, a song of death.</p> - -<p>Then she answered. "I came to make peace, Nathan. Put up your lance and -make a light."</p> - -<p>He aimed in the darkness—and could not fire at that voice.</p> - -<p>"Do you think I'm a fool?" he muttered savagely. It was to himself as -well as to Firebird.</p> - -<p>"You <i>are</i> a fool!" Firebird hissed in anger. "I came to you -peacefully."</p> - -<p>From across the chamber a ball of fire the size of an orange spurted -with the speed of lightning. It splattered the wall two feet from -Nathan. The heat of its explosion singed his cape to a shred. His face -was scorched and his eyes blinded temporarily.</p> - -<p>Nathan aimed again and unleashed a blast of his own, but it went wide -for he did not even glimpse Firebird in its glow. He leaped away to -hiding behind a large stalagmite.</p> - -<p>"Listen to me!" the voice of Firebird commanded again. "I could have -killed you then. My shot landed two feet to the left of you. Now will -you hear what I have to say?"</p> - -<p>"It's easy to call your shots after they are fired."</p> - -<p>"Here's one neither to the right or left," said Firebird evenly.</p> - -<p>Before she finished speaking a blast of flame burst over the huge -stalagmite in front of Nathan. The fire of it flowed around the sides -and enveloped him in a searing blanket.</p> - -<p>For the first time, Nathan knew fear. The witch could see in the dark! -He was at her mercy.</p> - -<p>Her voice spoke more softly now. "Are you coming out from behind there -or do I have to come and get you?"</p> - -<p>"You'll have to come and get me—the same way you got my father."</p> - -<p>He leaped away to still another stalagmite. He paused midway to unleash -his own burst from the flame lance. It splashed against the cavern -wall, but there was no answering fire.</p> - -<p>He waited tensely in the darkness. Minutes passed. Surely he could not -have killed the Firebird with that blast. The silence could only mean -then that she was holding her fire, creeping up on him in the darkness.</p> - -<p>"You have no excuse for my father's murder?" Nathan taunted. He slipped -away to another protecting rock.</p> - -<p>Then the voice of Firebird came again—and she hadn't moved! Nathan's -eyes tried hopelessly to pierce the blackness to check the evidence of -his ears.</p> - -<p>Firebird said, "I was just wondering what I could say to a fool like -you. If I killed your father for the Jewels why do you suppose that I -didn't take them and go? Why should I have left them, and prepared the -trap to destroy the cave mouth?"</p> - -<p>"Is there anyone who knows the mysterious ways of the thief and killer, -Firebird?"</p> - -<p>"I have never stolen except from thieves. I have never killed—except -murderers."</p> - -<p>"My father was not a murderer!"</p> - -<p>"And I did not kill him. Your father and I were partners for many -years. We searched together for the Seven Jewels."</p> - -<p>"I don't believe that. He warned me against you."</p> - -<p>"Yes. Because we quarrelled. I'll tell you about it some day. Together, -we found five of the Seven Jewels. One of his three was stolen by the -murderer. Now, there are four of the Jewels equally divided between you -and me. It is senseless for us to fight. There is power enough for us -both when the Seven are ours. In return for your cooperation I promise -to help you find your father's murderer. You know my reputation well -enough to know what my promise means. And remember, I could have taken -the Jewels instead of bargaining with you, but the Firebird is not a -thief."</p> - -<p>Nathan didn't believe a word of what she said, but he knew that if -he continued to challenge Firebird with the flame lance it would not -take her a dozen shots to find him in the darkness. Though he had been -taught by Thymar he could not match such shooting. He would be lucky -to find her with a hundred shots. No wonder her prowess had become a -legend.</p> - -<p>"I'll compromise—with one reservation," he said. "I think you killed -my father. I know you can kill me here in the darkness. I don't know -why you don't. I'll accept your offer, but unless you prove you did -not kill my father, you and I will sometime again trade flames to the -death."</p> - -<p>"Done," said Firebird.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Almost instantly, a pink glow began filling the chamber. It was like -the rising of the sun over one of Earth's quiet seas. There seemed to -be the perfume of flowers in the air, and the song of birds.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus1.jpg" alt=""/> - <div class="caption"> - <p><i>There seemed to be the perfume of flowers in the air, and the song of birds.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>And then Nathan realized it was Firebird's song—that high-pitched -melody that caused a faint chill to race the length of his spine.</p> - -<p>The glow, too, was coming from her. It heightened with a tremendous, -terrifying crescendo. Nathan had heard babbling outlaws who swore -drunkenly to having seen this sight.</p> - -<p>He stood immobile now, not breathing in the face of the wondrous glory -of that unfolding light. The Firebird herself was so dazzling that the -pink radiance blinded him after the darkness, but when his eyes became -accustomed to it he saw her.</p> - -<p>She was small, almost tiny, and exquisitely shaped. Her head was -encased in a close fitting silver helmet that did not prevent her -flowing, raven hair from tumbling over the nape of her neck. As she -stood there in the rising glow she seemed poised for flight.</p> - -<p>A close fitting tunic that seemed to be of scarlet tinted mail -protected her body, but her arms and legs were bare and from her very -flesh the pink light was emanating.</p> - -<p>Nathan murmured, half to himself, "Beautiful—and inhuman! Who are you?"</p> - -<p>The Firebird smiled. And Nathan moved slowly towards her. It was -incredible that such evil as he had heard of the Firebird could have -come out of such beauty.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you shall know who I am some day. For now, our agreement does -not call for that. Would you mind pocketing your flame lance before we -go on?"</p> - -<p>Nathan realized his hand still gripped the weapon and it was trained on -the girl. It would take only a squeeze of his finger to erase her evil—</p> - -<p>"Better not try it," she warned, and the smile did not leave her lips. -He looked down at her hand. Her own weapon was trained with equal -sureness upon him.</p> - -<p>Instinctively, then, he knew that all the stories about the fabulous -quick draw of the Firebird were true. If he so much as thought of -killing her, her finger would squeeze the trigger of her flame lance a -thousand times quicker than his.</p> - -<p>He pocketed the weapon slowly and smiled at her.</p> - -<p>"How do we get out?" he said. "Is the passage blocked?"</p> - -<p>"Completely," Firebird said. "Or else the gentlemen who were so anxious -to meet you here would have arrived by now."</p> - -<p>"You planted the explosive?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. I wanted our interview in private, not amidst a battle."</p> - -<p>"How do you know there is any other way out?"</p> - -<p>"Your father and I built it long ago."</p> - -<p>Nathan remained silent. Was it only some purposeful fiction, or had his -father actually been partners with Firebird?</p> - -<p>She turned her back upon him and led the way out of the chamber by her -own mysterious radiance. He could draw his flame lance now, Nathan -thought. But it was only a thought. He wondered if he could ever seek -vengeance upon such beauty regardless of what she had done in the past.</p> - -<p>There was a temptation almost stronger than vengeance now, a temptation -to see this whole affair all the way through—to find out the true -identity of the fabled Firebird and the secret of the Seven Jewels of -Chamar.</p> - -<p>For a time they walked towards the blocked entrance, then they turned -abruptly aside into a narrow passage. The slim Firebird passed through -easily but for Nathan it was a tight squeeze that grew narrower as he -went.</p> - -<p>A strangling sense of claustrophobia seized him. He pressed almost -frantically to get past the bottleneck. If this were a trap Firebird -could shoot before he could get a hand near a weapon.</p> - -<p>Then he saw her waiting for him ahead in the larger chamber to which -the narrow passage led. She seemed to read his thoughts.</p> - -<p>"Do you trust me now?"</p> - -<p>"Does anyone really trust the Firebird—anyone on the nine worlds?"</p> - -<p>The sudden sobering of her face was a terrible thing to see. She turned -away so hastily that Nathan barely saw the expression, but he saw -enough to know that there was weakness in her. She was not all iron -strength. He saw enough to know that the incredible, storied Firebird -had no friend in all the System and he knew what that fact meant to her.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">IV</p> - -<p>Nathan had never been in the part of the cavern which they were -entering. He knew the narrow passage must have been covered by a thin -shell of rock in his time.</p> - -<p>They came at last into a chamber that was the equal in size of the main -one. There was daylight visible and the pink radiance from Firebird -began to die. When it was gone she seemed smaller and more fragile -than ever. Only the little blue lights in her eyes seemed hard and -unyielding.</p> - -<p>Within the chamber Nathan stopped and gasped. There was the glistening, -silver hull of a space cruiser. And high on the nose of it was the -dread name: <i>Corsair</i>.</p> - -<p><i>Corsair</i>—the famed pirate vessel that had outrun every ship that had -ever pursued it. In a hundred acts of piracy, the Firebird had escaped -without leaving a trace by means of the <i>Corsair</i>.</p> - -<p>She watched as he admired the ship. "Like it?"</p> - -<p>"So this is the famous <i>Corsair</i>," he said, "—and your hideout. You -must be sure of your ability to win me as an ally or to kill me."</p> - -<p>"I am—sure of both. But I need you more as an ally. Shall we go in?"</p> - -<p>The needle-like hull housed a long, spiral catway that led to the -cabins and control room. Halfway to the nose Firebird showed Nathan a -tiny cabin which he could use.</p> - -<p>"You'll find a supply of clothing," she said. "I find it necessary to -prepare for occasional guests who forget to bring luggage."</p> - -<p>Guests taken from space liners in the midst of interplanetary space, -Nathan thought. He wondered what had become of the many that the -Firebird had kidnapped that way.</p> - -<p>"And now the control room," she said. "I want you to become familiar -with the operation of the ship."</p> - -<p>All the ships that Nathan had ever known seemed like clumsy scows -beside this splendid vessel. Every device known to space navigation -and combat was in the equipment. And many instruments he failed to -recognize.</p> - -<p>"Who designed this ship?"</p> - -<p>"My father."</p> - -<p>"Father—" Somehow Nathan found himself unable to associate the -Firebird with any of the normalcies of life. "Who was your father?"</p> - -<p>Her smile was wry. "A man who was little known during his lifetime."</p> - -<p>He didn't pursue the subject; they could go into that later. He said, -"What I'm interested in is what do we do now?"</p> - -<p>"We are going to find the other three Jewels. One of them is in the -hands of your father's murderer. We do not need to worry about losing -track of that because he will follow us."</p> - -<p>"You know who it is?"</p> - -<p>"Yes—but you would not believe me."</p> - -<p>"Tell me!" He stepped forward, his big hands closing as if upon a -throat.</p> - -<p>"Our bargain," the girl reminded him. "The Jewels first—I swear we'll -not lose him."</p> - -<p>"The other Jewels—where are they, then?"</p> - -<p>"One of them is buried inaccessibly in a mountain on Mars. The other is -in the possession of one of three outlaws, all of whom are on Mars. I -have traced it to one of them. So that is where we are going."</p> - -<p>"How do you know who has them?"</p> - -<p>"That's a long story," said Firebird, "and one that has cost many years -of my life. And would have cost more without Thymar's help."</p> - -<p>"I'd like to know more of your story about him. He never told me until -he died that he had known you."</p> - -<p>"It can wait."</p> - -<p>Satisfied that the controls were in order, the girl turned her -attention to the engines.</p> - -<p>"There's trouble in the port motor," she said. "It can't be repaired -with the facilities available to us here. We'll have to take a chance -using it."</p> - -<p>Nathan was about to protest, then changed his mind. He and his father -had gone into space so often with decrepit and half worn equipment that -it should have made no difference, but this vessel was so sleek and -perfect that danger seemed to lurk in any minor imperfection.</p> - -<p>Nathan strapped himself into the inertia-controlling chair next to -Firebird. He studied the duplicate controls in front of him but kept -his hands off.</p> - -<p>Firebird started the warming coils to preheat the tubes. After a moment -she adjusted the ignition controls and twisted the fuel valve.</p> - -<p>Nathan felt as if he had been slapped suddenly with a giant pillow that -pressed him flat in the chair. The acceleration of the <i>Corsair</i> was -greater than any he had experienced before, and his father's old ship -had never been equipped with inertia chairs.</p> - -<p>He caught no glimpse of the edge of the cavern's maw as the ship passed -upward through it. One instant they were in the cave, the next they -were in the sky and only seconds passed until they were soaring above -the thick cloud layer of Venus.</p> - -<p>After five minutes of such intense acceleration, the Firebird relaxed -and cut the controls to a point where they could breathe more easily.</p> - -<p>"Why the hurry?" Nathan gasped. "Nobody is chasing us!"</p> - -<p>Firebird made no answer. She reached towards the small panel at the -lower edge of the control board and switched on the viewing plate. -Silently, she scanned the heavens behind them and the surface of -the planet they were leaving. The focus of the plate extended and -retreated, then suddenly it concentrated upon a blunt-nosed black -vessel rising somewhere below them.</p> - -<p>"The Black Warrior," said Firebird. "He was watching for us to leave."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Nathan watched the black ship for hours while Firebird guided the -<i>Corsair</i>. Steadily the strange vessel gained on them.</p> - -<p>"We could outrun him easily," said Firebird, "if it weren't for that -bad motor. Do you know how to handle light cruiser lances?"</p> - -<p>"My father never carried a gun on his ship in his life."</p> - -<p>"I remember," said Firebird. "How I used to argue with him. He said -he wouldn't risk being caught by the police in an armed vessel, so he -never came aboard the <i>Corsair</i>."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps a wiser man than his son," said Nathan.</p> - -<p>He told himself he wanted no part of this. He was an engineer, not a -buccaneer. Yet as the black vessel approached he felt the thrill of its -challenge. The challenge of combat in the impersonal depths of space.</p> - -<p>His father had felt that challenge—the challenge of men and of space -itself, and he had met it with his own bare hands. It was impossible -for Nathan not to feel it.</p> - -<p>They kept their steady pace at an acceleration something more than -fifteen G's. Firebird gave Nathan brief instructions in the operation -of the weapons and controls.</p> - -<p>A viewing screen provided Nathan with sights. Its scale automatically -corrected for the relative motions of the two vessels.</p> - -<p>Abruptly, and without warning, the Black Warrior fired. The <i>Corsair's</i> -defensive screens caught the blast with an absorption of energy that -made the dissipators whine and grow incandescent.</p> - -<p>"He's using high powered stuff," said Nathan. "Those screens can't take -much of that."</p> - -<p>"They weren't meant to. The <i>Corsair's</i> main defense is her speed. -There wasn't room for heavy screens. This time our defense has to be -better shooting. Watch this."</p> - -<p>As she spoke, she caught the enemy ship dead in the sights and -depressed the firing button. A cloud of bright vapor seemed to envelope -the black hull. Then all was as before.</p> - -<p>"He's got our screens beat," said Nathan. "We'll never get through -them."</p> - -<p>Firebird smiled. "That's the first time that's been said in the -<i>Corsair</i>. I hope your pessimism doesn't jinx us."</p> - -<p>The black ship was swinging back, maneuvering closer.</p> - -<p>"Hang on!" Firebird exclaimed. She flung the <i>Corsair</i> into a tight -turn and held it.</p> - -<p>Simultaneously, she fired the four big lances in the stern and left a -trail of flame balls that made it impossible for the enemy to follow -in their wake. Then, forcing the ship into a close spiral, she nosed -towards the black ship and fired the four forward lances together.</p> - -<p>Nathan watched, his hands clenched to knuckle whiteness on the control -panel, as the four flames combined and enveloped the enemy. This time -the Black Warrior's screens flamed lividly. The big ship heeled crazily -away, twisting under the forces unleashed upon it.</p> - -<p>But the black ship was vicious in its death agonies. Nathan saw its -beams lash out and yelled to Firebird, "Don't cross his stern!"</p> - -<p>Firebird saw her mistake. Both of them twisted at the dual controls to -swing the <i>Corsair</i> away from that cone of destruction into which it -was plunging.</p> - -<p>It was too late. They swept across the stern of the Black Warrior which -was blasting with all it had. The <i>Corsair's</i> screen lit momentarily. -Then the dissipators exploded in a crushing blast in the depths of the -ship.</p> - -<p>The interior of the control room came alive with flame. Firebird flung -her hands before her face and her silver helmet was encased in a halo -of fire.</p> - -<p>What protected him, Nathan never knew, but he seemed to be just outside -the sphere of burning destruction that burst through the walls of the -control room in a hundred million pin pricks of flame. For an eternity -he seemed frozen there watching the flame creeping over the slim form -of Firebird—watching it burn and smother her.</p> - -<p>Automatic cells closed the innumerable pin pricks made in the hull by -the entering ions of fire. The control panel was blackened and burned. -Then the flame-points faded out.</p> - -<p>His hypnosis induced by the flame could not have lasted more than a -fraction of a second, Nathan knew. But when he leaped out of the chair -towards Firebird, he shuddered.</p> - -<p>The bronze and pink of her flesh was burned to blackness.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was impossible, he told himself numbly. This couldn't be the end of -the storied Firebird. But it was. That charred corpse could never hold -life again.</p> - -<p>A poignant pain of sorrow filled him as he looked upon the figure and -remembered the beauty of Firebird. He felt lost, and all the supreme -purpose in their flight to Mars had ceased.</p> - -<p>His mind drifted back to the scene in the cave when he had -witnessed his father's death. He recalled the words his father had -spoken—"You'll never rest until you have found all Seven of the -Jewels—or death."</p> - -<p>That's the way it had been with Thymar Ormondy. That's the way it had -been with Firebird. All they had found was death.</p> - -<p>Then, with a shock of horror, Nathan realized that was the way it would -be with him, too. His father's words were true. He would never rest -until he had found the secret of those evil Jewels or suffered the same -fate that had befallen all the other spacemen who'd given their lives -in that vain search.</p> - -<p>But he'd find those Jewels, he knew. And someday he'd know the secret -of the beautiful, the fantastic Firebird.</p> - -<p>He wondered if his father's murder had been avenged with the death of -Firebird. And he knew that he would never be sure as long as he lived.</p> - -<p>Nathan cut the acceleration of the ship, and then bent over to unfasten -the straps that held her in the inertia chair. Tenderly he picked up -the light body that had held the strong will of Firebird.</p> - -<p>He took a step towards the passage leading to the airlocks. And then he -stopped in horror. The blackened lips of Firebird moved.</p> - -<p>There was no sound. Only the ghostly movement of those lips to show -that Firebird lived.</p> - -<p>This was worse than death, Nathan thought. But she could not live long. -He carried her to her own stateroom and laid her on the bed. He bent -down and heard the faint beating of her heart.</p> - -<p>From a cabinet he obtained salves and drugs to ease the pain when and -if she regained consciousness. Even as he finished she began to stir.</p> - -<p>She moved as if in tremendous pain, and facial expression was -impossible for her. Her lips moved again. But there was no sound.</p> - -<p>If she should live, he knew he ought to head for Earth where the only -adequate medical facilities were. But it was a long journey to the -other side of the sun this time of year. The defunct motor would make -it even longer. It seemed impossible that she could survive the trip.</p> - -<p>The lips of Firebird were still moving, and now Nathan caught the trace -of a word. He bent closer. She repeated the same sound over and over -again.</p> - -<p>"Luline—Luline—" was the word she breathed.</p> - -<p>It made no sense to him. He wondered if the name were that of some -unknown relative—or if she were merely delirious.</p> - -<p>"Luline—Luline—take me to Luline—"</p> - -<p>He spoke gently into her ear. "Who is Luline?"</p> - -<p>She struggled mightily within herself against the pain waves attacking -her. She gasped, "Chart C-R-46. Luline."</p> - -<p>Nathan raced to the chart room. There it was. On Chart C-R-46, circled -in red, was the word "Luline" beside a tiny asteroid.</p> - -<p>This was more incomprehensible than ever. Or was the asteroid a burial -place for her mysterious clan?</p> - -<p>He debated heading for Earth. And then another question arose as he -thought of her burned and tortured body. Even if she could live would -she want to? On Earth her existence would be in the double prison of -iron bars and her own damaged body.</p> - -<p>He set the course for the asteroid, Luline.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">V</p> - -<p>Slowly, in the depths of black space there swelled the blob of rock -that was the half mile diameter of Luline.</p> - -<p>As the ship approached, Nathan examined the surface through the screens -for a clue to Firebird's reason for wanting to go there. But it looked -the same as any other of the thousands of rocks floating through the -spacelanes. The only unusual feature was a small bright spot that -appeared to be about ten feet in diameter. It was centered in the -bottom of a large depression on one side of the rock.</p> - -<p>Firebird seemed to sense the presence of the asteroid as they neared. -Her body twitched nervously. Or perhaps it was only her increasing -battle with the powers of death.</p> - -<p>When Nathan told her they had arrived she struggled to rise. She fell -back helplessly. "The pool," she mumbled through lips that barely -moved. "Bury me in the pool of Luline."</p> - -<p>Though he had guessed it, Nathan was moved to pity because Firebird had -known for so many hours that she was going to her own grave.</p> - -<p>But he wondered what she meant by the pool of Luline. Was it that -bright spot he had noticed? There could be no liquid out here in the -depths of space.</p> - -<p>It was difficult to land a familiar ship on an asteroid, and since -Nathan had never landed the <i>Corsair</i> anywhere it was next to -impossible to make an accurate landing. But the urgency of Firebird's -desire told him it was worth the risk of taking the ship down upon the -jagged surface of the strange little rock.</p> - -<p>He swept around it in an ever narrowing spiral until he finally came -low over the wide depression that held the shining "pool". He dropped -the ship rapidly, braking the <i>Corsair</i> and letting it arc upwards to a -stall.</p> - -<p>Swiftly, Nathan cut the propulsion tubes. The forward brakes dropped -the ship to the surface. The <i>Corsair</i> settled with a hard jolt. A poor -landing but good under the circumstances.</p> - -<p>Nathan hurried back to the stateroom of the Firebird. There he halted -in the doorway at the sight that met his eyes. The Firebird had risen -from the bunk and was standing in the middle of the room swaying like -some disjointed robot, gibbering wildly through her nerveless lips. She -was facing the port and shaking the stump of her hand at the shining -pool visible outside.</p> - -<p>Nathan caught her frantic words. "Air there—no suit—"</p> - -<p>She was hysterical. He made up his mind. The life of Firebird was no -more than a candle flame in a hurricane now. The least he could do was -grant her final wishes. If she wanted him to end her life by thrusting -her out into the cold of interplanetary space and bury her in the -"pool" it would be only merciful.</p> - -<p>He donned a space suit quickly and went back to Firebird. She had -collapsed into unconsciousness and lay in a pitiful huddle in the -middle of the floor. Perhaps she was already dead, he thought.</p> - -<p>Carrying her, he entered the airlock and paused the moment it required -for evacuation. It seemed to take an unusually short time to equalize -the pressure, then he stepped out. He had expected the body of Firebird -to become distorted and instantly frozen by the cold, but she changed -not at all as he stepped to the surface of the asteroid, held down by -the traction shoes of the suit.</p> - -<p>He checked the thermometer on his sleeve. Only thirty degrees below -zero, and not falling.</p> - -<p>He approached the pool that glistened like a shining disc of metal in -the brilliant sunlight. He kicked a stone onto it, and ripples arose. -It was liquid, and very dense—like a pool of mercury.</p> - -<p>He came to the edge and looked one last time at the face of Firebird, -the once beautiful Firebird. Then slowly, she dropped from his arms -into the pool.</p> - -<p>He stepped back and watched. For an instant it seemed as if she lay in -the surface, half-submerged and unmoving. Then slow fingers of waves -rose about her and dragged her beneath.</p> - -<p>Abruptly she was gone. It was as if she had disappeared into the -surface of a mirror. The depths of the liquid were invisible. The -unmoving surface reflected only the white-hot light of the pool into -Nathan's eyes.</p> - -<p>Firebird was gone. And with her disappearance there came to Nathan -the conviction that there had been nothing evil in her. She had moved -because she was driven by some wild and secret purpose that would not -give her rest. A purpose bound up in the Seven Jewels of Chamar. And -Nathan knew that somehow he would find the secret of the Jewels that -had driven his own father to death.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He suddenly turned and ran back towards the ship. He wanted to get away -as quickly as possible from this unreal world of Luline. It was a place -that breathed the presence of strange and alien ghosts. He would come -back, though—he would return to solve the mystery of Firebird after he -had been to Mars and obtained the remainder of the Jewels.</p> - -<p>The <i>Corsair</i> rose slowly from Luline. He let the great ship circle -once about the mass of rock, then turned into space towards Mars. He -focused his viewing screen and glanced back at the tiny rock. The pool -reflected the sun's rays like a great heliograph. Even at this distance -it was too bright to gaze at for long.</p> - -<p>His only goal now was possession of all of the Seven Jewels. Firebird -had not shown him her two, but he knew they were somewhere within -the ship. The vision of the glorious depths of the two in his own -possession constantly floated before him as he let his thoughts drift -back to them. He understood now the spell to which his father had -succumbed.</p> - -<p>He reached to turn the viewing screen off, but glanced for one last -time at the asteroid. Suddenly the light reflected from the pool -flickered and wavered. It was as if some hand were holding a giant -mirror and shifting it back and forth—flashing some mysterious message -across the depths of space, he thought. No doubt it was due to some -peculiarity of refraction caused by the remnant of air that seemed to -lie with the cup of the depression.</p> - -<p>He turned to the charts and concentrated on the course. He checked the -position of Mars now and what it would be at his estimated time of -arrival. He put the figures into the computer.</p> - -<p>The answer came out fantastically wrong. He tried again and failed.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was impossible to concentrate. And he knew why. That shifting -reflection from the pool of Luline. That unintelligible message flashed -across space.</p> - -<p>It could have been caused by the breaking of the surface of the pool.</p> - -<p>It had to be caused by that.</p> - -<p>And it would haunt him forever unless he turned back. He swung the -<i>Corsair</i> into a turn that blacked out his vision, but when he could -see again he was headed for the asteroid once more.</p> - -<p>He came in too fast. He had to circle twice to brake his speed. Then -the <i>Corsair</i> sped down into the depression and over the pool.</p> - -<p>Piloting required too much attention to keep a close watch on the shiny -surface, but one brief glance brought a gasp from his throat. There was -something lying at the edge of the pool that had not been there before.</p> - -<p>His landing this time was made with a terrific jolt that rocked the -ship. Then he entered the lock without waiting to don a spacesuit. He -knew that Firebird had been right when she said it was unnecessary.</p> - -<p>He kept the inner door of the lock closed to conserve the heat in the -ship, but he swung the outer door open and plunged out.</p> - -<p>He staggered in sudden pain as the shock of meeting that alien -atmosphere swept over him. It was not atmosphere by any human standard. -It was rarefied beyond capacity to support normal human life. He gasped -in desperate breaths and the ice needles he breathed upon the air were -sucked back in to spear his own lungs.</p> - -<p>Black checkerboard screens flashed across his vision, but he could see -now the object at the edge of the pool.</p> - -<p>There was no questioning the instinct that had driven him to turn back -the <i>Corsair</i>. Firebird lay huddled on the rocks by the pool.</p> - -<p>She lay as if she had been running and had fallen forward on her face. -Nathan reached her and turned her over. He stared in unbelief.</p> - -<p>The swaths and bandages had vanished in the pool and her body lay white -and cold under the strong light of the sun. There was not a mark on -her. The mystic properties that lay in the strange pool had performed a -miraculous resurrection and healed all traces of the ghastly burns.</p> - -<p>Nathan did not know whether she was yet alive or dead. She was icy to -his touch and unconscious, but he picked her up and started back to the -ship.</p> - -<p>The exertion in that atmosphere caused swirls of dizziness in his -brain, and he did not even ponder the question of how gravity could be -great enough to make walking possible. He expended every fraction of -his draining energy to fight back to the ship.</p> - -<p>At last he laid Firebird inside the lock of the <i>Corsair</i> and closed -the outer door with the last dregs of his strength. Automatically, the -lock began to fill with warm air until the inner door swung open.</p> - -<p>Nathan's strength revived shortly. He turned to Firebird. Her black -hair that spilled over the floor of the lock looked as if it had never -been touched by the destroying fire. Her face was molded in the same -lines of perfection as before. And her flesh was beginning to glow with -the pink of life. The final miracle showed itself in her breathing. She -was alive.</p> - -<p>He carried her into the stateroom and wrapped her in blankets. Her body -was still icy from her long exposure. He started to move away to get a -hot drink when she should revive. Then her eyes opened.</p> - -<p>She looked wildly about, then stared at him. "I thought you had -abandoned me. Did your conscience get the better of you?"</p> - -<p>The hardness of her voice shocked him. He looked at her in pained -surprise. "I thought you were dead. I saw the flickering of the light -from the pool when you came out of it. I came back then only because I -couldn't believe you had really died."</p> - -<p>"Of course. You couldn't really know, could you?" Abruptly she was -crying. He sat down and took her hand.</p> - -<p>"There is no one else in the System who would not have been glad to -leave Firebird there forever," she said.</p> - -<p>Nathan made no reply. He could not comprehend her strangeness. But for -the moment she was no longer the fearless Firebird. She was a little -girl, lonely and lost.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">VI</p> - -<p>Mars was wholesome in death before the coming of the spacemen. Now it -was the refuse heap of the Solar System.</p> - -<p>There was Heliopolis, of course, the great, shining, chrome-plated -space port where vessels from all parts of the System touched for -refueling and recreation of the passengers. Recreation that was not -legal on any of the other planets.</p> - -<p>The permanent population of Heliopolis was three fourths confidence -men. The other fourth was made up of fugitives from penal colonies and -thieves and murderers whose crimes had not caught up with them.</p> - -<p>But these were the elite of the population of Mars. The lower types -were found in the five suburbs surrounding Heliopolis.</p> - -<p>The worst of the five was Taurus, where daily morning chores was burial -of those who had been unfortunate in the night's tavern brawls.</p> - -<p>As the <i>Corsair</i> approached the red planet Nathan wondered where the -incomprehensible Firebird fit into this wild and evil city. But she -claimed it for home. Regarding the miracle of Luline she had refused -to say a word and his repeated inquiries only forced her to greater -reticence and widened the gap between them until he was forced to give -up.</p> - -<p>It was night on that side of Mars when they dropped the <i>Corsair</i> onto -the crowded field at the edge of Taurus. Amid the other vessels the -ship stood like a jewel in a handful of gravel.</p> - -<p>There was always a pause in the activities of the field when the ship -of the Firebird came in. Attendants straightened up to stare, and -wizened, space-burned adventurers paused when Firebird strode out of -the port. She went down the ramp as if she were making a grand entrance -into a ballroom. A thousand eyes were upon her, from corners of the -field, from shops and all night eateries, and from the hulls of silent -ships.</p> - -<p>She was a living legend walking in their midst.</p> - -<p>She gave instructions for the needed repairs to the <i>Corsair</i>, then the -two of them started towards the town only a quarter of a mile away.</p> - -<p>"What happens next?" said Nathan.</p> - -<p>"Almost anything, but whatever it is it will require the use of -your flame lance. Keep it handy. There will be a lot of waiting and -listening. If you wait long enough you can hear all the secrets of -the innermost chambers of the System revealed right in the taverns of -Taurus.</p> - -<p>"Our plan will be to let it be known that we have the four Jewels and -are here for the other three. There'll be happenings enough after that. -I'll leave it to you to spread that information."</p> - -<p>Nathan did not question her further. They had arrived at the garish -entrance to the "Orbit", a two story tavern a little larger than -its neighbors. Nathan had heard his father mention the place as the -unofficial headquarters of half the brigands on the spaceways.</p> - -<p>The noise of gambling and of drinking and tavern music poured out upon -them as they neared the place beneath the red brilliance of the sign -overhead.</p> - -<p>As Firebird stepped through the door, she threw back the crimson cape -and tipped her chin a trifle higher. The tinkle of gambling chips and -glasses halted and the babble of noise hushed. Firebird strode towards -the bar, unmindful of the stares.</p> - -<p>Nathan came more slowly. He heard whispering, first at Firebird, then -at himself. His hands stayed close to his flame lances.</p> - -<p>At the bar, the squat-faced bartender, Louey, was pale and flushed by -turns. His mouth gaped at Firebird as she said, "Tokeela, please."</p> - -<p>Louey chattered, "You're supposed to be dead. Somebody seen you. You -were dead for sure."</p> - -<p>"And now I'm alive for sure. I don't know what you are talking about, -but hurry with that Tokeela."</p> - -<p>Louey shook his head as if to clear the vision he had seen. He brought -the drink and some of the same for Nathan who was surprised that the -place even served the mild, nonintoxicating drink.</p> - -<p>Nathan wondered about Louey's remark. How had the rumor of Firebird's -death been started? What was its significance?</p> - -<p>As they picked up their glasses the babble slowly resumed, but Nathan -knew they were still the center of attention.</p> - -<p>Heavy smoke clouds rolled against the lights like miniature -thunderheads. Through it Nathan watched the pale faces of the women who -seldom saw daylight, and the bronze leathered faces of the spacemen. He -could see them wondering who he was and if he were with Firebird, for -he had not spoken to her since they had come in.</p> - -<p>Firebird made it clear. She turned abruptly and faced the room. "Folks, -I want you to meet Nathan Ormondy. You all knew his father. Thymar -was killed on Venus and Nathan has come to take his place on the -spaceways. Come up and have a drink to the new spaceman, who is as good -a man as his father ever was."</p> - -<p>The music died. The room seemed to freeze.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Nathan stared at Firebird. She was smiling as if at some secret joke. -The little fool, Nathan thought. She knew this would happen. Even his -limited knowledge of their codes told him that much.</p> - -<p>A big bronze spaceman at the nearest table looked up from his cards. -"We don't let women buy our drinks," he said. He turned back to the -cards.</p> - -<p>Nathan swore under his breath. What was Firebird trying to do? But it -was his move now.</p> - -<p>The big spaceman picked up a card from his hand and moved to throw it -on the table. The card vanished in midair and flakes of ash fell to the -table. He glanced up at Nathan's flame lance carelessly resting against -his hip.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you would accept an invitation from me," said Nathan slowly.</p> - -<p>The spaceman eyed him narrowly. "We don't let women buy our drinks," he -said.</p> - -<p>His eyes didn't shift, and Nathan's seemed to flicker only for an -instant. But it was long enough for the cards in the spaceman's hand to -puff into flame. He dropped them frantically.</p> - -<p>His face lighted with rage and he half rose from his chair, but he said -nothing. Nathan's lance hung in the same position.</p> - -<p>"I think it would be a good idea for you and me to be friends," said -Nathan.</p> - -<p>"Yeah," said the spaceman, "it could be a good idea at that."</p> - -<p>He rose and stepped slowly to the bar. "Straight Scotch for mine," he -told Louey. He turned to the rest of the crowd. "Come on up, folks. My -friend here is buying us drinks."</p> - -<p>The hubbub resumed slowly as the crowd followed his leadership to the -bar. The spaceman edged close to Nathan.</p> - -<p>"Name's Tompkins," he said. "Kind of taking after your old man, I see. -Hanging around with the Firebird, I mean. I knew Thymar pretty well -when he was trailing her skirts. Kind of always figured that he did the -trigger work and she got the reputation."</p> - -<p>His loud drawl drew the other spacemen in a ring that was growing -tighter about Nathan. It was an old move.</p> - -<p>"Please don't crowd," said Nathan. "There isn't room at the bar for -everybody, but there is plenty of drink."</p> - -<p>The men glanced at Tompkins.</p> - -<p>"Sure. Don't crowd," said Tompkins. "The boy's a little trigger nervous -tonight. Maybe going to do your first job for Firebird, huh? Does she -allow you gambling and drinking money?"</p> - -<p>Nathan lifted his glass slowly and studied Tompkins and the men about -him. He could feel the unplumbed depths of emotion that was being -turned upon him.</p> - -<p>Then he got it. It was their pent up resentment and hatred of Firebird. -They would not have dared bait her like this. It would have led to -shooting, and none of them wanted to be known as her killer.</p> - -<p>Their own peculiar codes were responsible for this. Dueling with -Firebird would be open admission that she was their equal. She was -perfectly safe in the tavern full of thieves and killers who would have -welcomed news of her death at the hand of someone else.</p> - -<p>Nathan felt like laughing at himself for considering himself something -of a noble protector as he had entered the "Orbit" behind Firebird. In -reality, she was safe, but the spacemen didn't mean for him to be alive -when he left.</p> - -<p>"You've got me all wrong, gentlemen," said Nathan. "I think Firebird -killed my father and I'm stringing along to keep tabs on her. And we -have a little agreement that might interest you. Between us we have -four of the Seven Jewels of Chamar—"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Instantly, the smirking, taunting grins became frozen deadliness. The -circle pressed inward.</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't come any closer," Nathan advised.</p> - -<p>"Four of the Seven!" exclaimed Tompkins. "I think you're a liar."</p> - -<p>"We'll take care of that later," said Nathan. "We've come to get the -other three. Then we'll settle who is to keep them, as well as the -matter of my father's murder. I mention it because I thought some of -you gentlemen might help us. In fact, you might have one or more of -the Jewels right here in this room. We'll be glad to relieve you of -them."</p> - -<p>There was a dangerous trick with a flame lance that Nathan had learned -from his father. The flame could be made to reflect from a wooden -surface if the angle of incidence and the intensity of the beam were -just right.</p> - -<p>Nathan had watched the play building up in the circle about him. It was -almost ready to go. Behind Tompkins, one of the spacemen had carefully -drawn his flame lance. Nathan knew it by the slow movement of the man's -shoulders and his attempts to keep his eyes carelessly forward.</p> - -<p>Tompkins was keeping close against the man, one arm on the edge of the -bar. In a moment the point of the lance would appear at Tompkins' waist -and blast—as soon as Nathan's attention was turned away from Tompkins.</p> - -<p>Carefully, Nathan weighed his chances. He had about a fifty-fifty -chance of coming out alive. He wondered just why Firebird had devised -such a trap. Right now she was sitting alone at a table on the opposite -side of the room, apparently not paying any attention to what was going -on.</p> - -<p>He gauged his distance from the killer and moved a step closer to -Tompkins while draining his glass. Then he swung suddenly away, turning -his back on Tompkins. In the faces of the men surrounding him he could -see the sudden change of expression, which they could not hide.</p> - -<p>He called the bartender. "Fill up again, Louey. All around. I feel -lucky tonight."</p> - -<p>Simultaneously, his hand dropped carelessly to his side and twisted the -pocket of his flame lance to point the electrode behind him. His little -finger locked around the trigger and pressed.</p> - -<p>A sharp scream arose from behind Tompkins and a flame lance clattered -to the floor. Nathan whirled. Both his lances were in front of him when -he faced Tompkins.</p> - -<p>But Tompkins was staring down at the dead killer. And he was searching -frantically for the source of the shot. Then his glance fell on the -charred wood of the front of the bar where Nathan's reflection shot had -turned.</p> - -<p>At first his unbelief was amusing. Then anger came like a hurricane -across his face.</p> - -<p>The spacemen were hungry for a brawl. A hunching of Tompkins' shoulders -would send them rushing. Nathan could kill perhaps a dozen before they -got him. But there would be little satisfaction in that.</p> - -<p>He said quietly, "I'll get you first, Tompkins. Better call off your -dogs."</p> - -<p>Tompkins hesitated. If he gave the signal, Nathan would kill him first. -If he failed to give it, some drunk spaceman's shot might easily find -his back.</p> - -<p>Then a bellowing interruption solved Tompkins' problem for him. A -newcomer burst into the tavern and grasped the scene.</p> - -<p>He laughed with a gentle thunder. "Ho—I come to look for the son -of Thymar and find him holding up the brawlingest joint on all -Mars—including my old friend Trigger Tompkins!"</p> - -<p>Nathan glanced out of the corner of his eye as Tabor strode forward.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">VII</p> - -<p>Tabor pushed his way into the crowd and the men backed away to return -to their tables. The mob urge was broken.</p> - -<p>"Put up your guns, Nathan. Can't you see that old Tom here is just -having a little fun? Why, he wouldn't hurt a fly."</p> - -<p>Nathan smiled thinly. "I hope the gentleman on the floor wasn't having -a little fun, too. I'm afraid he won't be able to have it now."</p> - -<p>Tompkins said sourly, "I thought you said Firebird and this young fool -had been killed on the way here."</p> - -<p>Tabor shrugged his shoulders. "That's the way news is here in these -parts of the System. Nothing reliable. Everybody's liars."</p> - -<p>He turned to Nathan. "There was some report about you and Firebird -having gotten into trouble and I guess the story got exaggerated. I'm -plenty glad to see you safe. I came in the <i>Sunbeam</i> to take you back -to Venus."</p> - -<p>"How did you know I was here?"</p> - -<p>"The <i>Corsair</i> was seen leaving. I knew you'd be aboard."</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>Tabor shrugged. "I saw how Firebird twisted your father around her -little finger until he got wise. I knew you'd never be able to kill her -or resist her. She's a witch. Stay aboard the <i>Sunbeam</i> tonight and -we'll start back for Venus in the morning."</p> - -<p>"I'm not going back. I'm staying aboard the <i>Corsair</i>."</p> - -<p>Tabor's face darkened. "Your father warned you, son. She's poison. -Already you are convinced that she didn't kill him, but it'll always be -my personal opinion that she is the one who shot Thymar."</p> - -<p>"I believe so, too, but she has offered to help me find out who did. -I'm seeing it through to find out what she knows."</p> - -<p>"She's a liar and a thief. She'll get the two Jewels your father left -you and do the same to you as she did to him."</p> - -<p>Nathan knew that seemed the obvious conclusion, but it wasn't -reasonable in the face of things he had seen. There was something more -that was far from obvious. There was the mystery of Firebird herself -and the magic pool of Luline. And the mystery of the Jewels themselves.</p> - -<p>"I'll find out my own way," said Nathan.</p> - -<p>Tabor's face broke with a deep laugh then. "I might have known what -your answer would be. In a lifetime of argument with Thymar I never -won yet. I see I'm going to do the same with you. Let's drink. You and -Firebird come aboard the <i>Sunbeam</i> for tonight. I'll leave for Venus -in the morning and wait for you to come back—which won't be long, I'm -predicting."</p> - -<p>Nathan went over to the table where Firebird still seemed to ignore her -surroundings. But there was admiration in her eyes.</p> - -<p>"That was nice handling," she said. "I knew you could do it."</p> - -<p>"It could have been done without shooting," said Nathan.</p> - -<p>"You don't know the 'Orbit'," Firebird replied with a smile. "No man -sets foot in here for the first time without being tried by gunfire. I -gave you the best possible opening. You took it like a veteran of the -spaceways. They'll respect you, now."</p> - -<p>"Tabor wants us to come aboard the <i>Sunbeam</i> for tonight. He's leaving -for Venus in the morning and wants me to go back, but I told him that -I wouldn't."</p> - -<p>"Rather curious—that rumor about our being killed on the way here," -said Firebird.</p> - -<p>"Possibly the Black Warrior was in communication with someone just -before the battle and gave word that he was closing in on us."</p> - -<p>"Possibly—" Firebird's eyes were gazing across the room towards Tabor. -"I'll go aboard the <i>Sunbeam</i> on one condition," she said.</p> - -<p>"What's that?"</p> - -<p>"Let me have your two Jewels in my possession while we are aboard. I'll -return them in the morning."</p> - -<p>Nathan looked at her, trying to fathom her motives, wondering why he -trusted her, why he wanted to trust her—</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"The Jewels are syncro-responsive," said Firebird. "When several of -them are together they indicate the near presence of another one by -becoming warm. The more there are together, the warmer they become. -When the nearby Jewel is very close the effect disappears."</p> - -<p>"I don't see—"</p> - -<p>"Tabor has one of the Jewels, I'm sure. The Pink one."</p> - -<p>"But that's the one that was stolen! That would mean—"</p> - -<p>"Exactly. How do you suppose he obtained the mistaken idea that we were -dead? I'll tell you how it was: He tipped off the Black Warrior who -attacked us in space. Tabor didn't dare do it himself, but he left it -for the other killer to do, then Tabor planned to take our four Jewels -from our attacker. That's why he came here—to look for the man."</p> - -<p>"He came to take me back."</p> - -<p>"Nonsense. That's a tale he thought up on the spur of the moment when -he found that we were victorious in the space battle."</p> - -<p>Nathan frowned. The story was logical even if it wasn't reasonable. But -Firebird had no proof. Unless she could prove Tabor had the Pink Jewel—</p> - -<p>Carefully concealing his emotions from the crowd in the tavern, Nathan -unlocked the belt container of the Jewels and handed them over to -Firebird.</p> - -<p>"Tabor's waiting," he said.</p> - -<p>For Tabor, Firebird donned another cloak of personality, revealing -still another facet of herself to bewilder Nathan. She taunted and -baited Tabor as if trying to rouse his anger.</p> - -<p>But the shaggy spaceman seemed to be in a mood that would not be -ruffled by Firebird's taunts. Aboard the ship, they entered the tiny -lounge cabin.</p> - -<p>"I've got frozen Grier steak direct from Venus," Tabor said. "How does -that sound?"</p> - -<p>"O.K." said Nathan.</p> - -<p>"Then I'll show you how a master cook of the spaceways prepares it."</p> - -<p>He disappeared into the galley. Nathan watched Firebird. Her eyes -darted about the walls of the cabin as if searching every panel and -joint. She edged closer to Nathan on the narrow lounge seat. When Tabor -was out of sight around the corner of the corridor, she took Nathan's -hand and pressed it against the pouch where she had the four Jewels.</p> - -<p>The pouch was almost too hot to touch.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Questions piled upon his lips. Firebird smiled without speaking. "But -we don't know the color of it," said Nathan.</p> - -<p>"Right. We don't know the color of it, except that it's either blue or -pink."</p> - -<p>"We'll find out soon enough," said Nathan. He rose from the seat, his -lips pressed tightly.</p> - -<p>"No!" Firebird grasped his arm. "We don't need to do that. We'll let -him bring it to us when we need it. There's no danger of his going to -Venus, now."</p> - -<p>"What do you mean?" Nathan sat down reluctantly.</p> - -<p>"We'll head for the Pater Mountains where the seventh Jewel is buried. -You did a good job of letting it be known what we were here for. When -we start buying equipment the word will get around that we are going -for the seventh Jewel. You can be sure that Tabor will be there—and -so will the holder of the remaining Jewel. We'll have the seven then. -They'll be ours for the taking."</p> - -<p>Nathan nodded. "Perhaps you are right. It would be easier to force -Tabor to tip his hand out there than here in Taurus."</p> - -<p>The next morning they said goodbye to Tabor and watched the <i>Sunbeam</i> -lift into the Martian sky. For a moment Nathan wondered if they were -right. If Tabor should actually be heading for Venus—</p> - -<p>Since the <i>Corsair</i> was being repaired they had a logical reason for -preparing to go to the Pater Mountains by sand sled, besides the secret -purpose of making it easy to trail them.</p> - -<p>They made elaborate preparations. They visited every supply store in -the Five Cities, pricing and examining sand sleds and boldly discussing -their reason for wanting one.</p> - -<p>By the time their equipment was assembled every spaceman in Taurus knew -of their purpose and destination. And the word passed to the other -towns on Mars as well.</p> - -<p>It was a late afternoon two days later when they left Taurus. Firebird -proposed a late start in order to make it easy for anyone to follow -them. Since their destination was well known they anticipated ambush -from ahead as well as trailing from behind.</p> - -<p>Nathan climbed into the narrow seat of the sand sled beside Firebird. -She took the wheel because she was familiar with the trail to the -Mountains. When the transparent cowling was closed over them they -seemed to be in a tiny, separate world all their own. Behind, the -muffled roar of the propeller cut the air and mounted in intensity as -the sled began to move forward and the runners hissed against the sand.</p> - -<p>Firebird handled the sled as if any vehicle that traveled slower than a -space ship was much too slow for her. She soon had the sled up to top -speed over the level area near Taurus and soon they were weaving among -the giant dunes.</p> - -<p>The great, shifting dunes of the Martian desert were forty to fifty -feet high. Already the valleys between them were filled with purple -shadows and the air was turning cold.</p> - -<p>The sled dipped and careened; sometimes it plunged into deep sand -valleys and whipped around the curved walls of deep blow holes until it -was tipped almost at right angles, clinging only by centrifugal force.</p> - -<p>Nathan had the impression that Firebird was enjoying it. The treachery -of the desert was a challenge to her skillful, daredevil driving.</p> - -<p>Soon the sun was down and the pale light of the twin moons was -deceptive on the sands. Firebird slowed the plunging flight of the sled -and drove cautiously then until near midnight.</p> - -<p>"We should be somewhere near the town of Pheme, such as it is," she -said. "The last time I saw it, it was almost a ghost town. It may have -been completely abandoned by now."</p> - -<p>"I've never heard of it," said Nathan.</p> - -<p>In a moment Firebird exclaimed, "There it is! How's that for navigation -over this desert? Right on the nose."</p> - -<p>Nathan laughed at Firebird's exuberance over her accuracy. He knew that -it was no small job to follow such an unmarked trail across the sands -that shifted constantly and made landmarks impossible.</p> - -<p>When he first saw the town it looked like only another group of dunes -until he saw some of the silhouettes had angular corners. Too angular. -Some of the walls he could see sloped crazily.</p> - -<p>As they came near to the town it appeared more evident that it was -merely abandoned wreckage. There were no lights at all to betray signs -of occupation.</p> - -<p>Slowly, Firebird brought the sled up to the edge of the group of -buildings. The floor of the town, which had been laid over the sands -to prevent the buildings from being buried or undermined by the winds -was itself covered now with shifting sands and the walls of some of the -structures leaned drunkenly under the heavy burden piled against them.</p> - -<p>Instead of driving into the town, Firebird turned her lights onto the -sand directly in front of the sled and began circling the ruin.</p> - -<p>"Where are you going?" Nathan asked.</p> - -<p>"I want to see if there are sled tracks leading into the ruins. -Unless they've been waiting for a couple of days we should be able to -forestall any ambush here."</p> - -<p>They peered ahead as the spot of light moved slowly over the sand. But -nowhere did they see the twin ruts marking the path of a sand sled.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Firebird stopped. "No one would bring a sled up into the town -if they wanted to ambush us. They'd know we would look for tracks. They -would leave the sled at a distance and come in on sand shoes."</p> - -<p>"And it's almost impossible to track those."</p> - -<p>"It can be done," Firebird said slowly. "But I don't think we'll have -to do it."</p> - -<p>"Why not?"</p> - -<p>She placed his hand against the Jewel pouch. It was warm with warning -heat.</p> - -<p>"Whoever is here has one of the Jewels, and he's not more than two -hundred feet away," said Firebird.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">VIII</p> - -<p>As she spoke, a burst of flame spatted sand in front of their sled. The -shower of exploding particles blasted against the cowling.</p> - -<p>Firebird turned off the light and spun the sled in towards the -buildings. She sped into the shadows along what had once been the -short main street of Pheme. Then they darted into a shadow between two -buildings.</p> - -<p>"There may be more than one of them," said Nathan.</p> - -<p>The girl shook her head. "Searchers for the Seven Jewels do not work in -pairs. Not for long, anyway. One of them soon kills the other when they -do," she added enigmatically.</p> - -<p>Nathan glanced at her sharply, wondering if she were reminding him of -their own precarious agreement—or accusing Tabor.</p> - -<p>They emerged cautiously from the sled, each gripping one of their flame -rifles in addition to the smaller lances.</p> - -<p>"That shot came from the flat-roofed building at the end of the -street," said Nathan.</p> - -<p>"We'll get on the roof of this one," said Firebird. "It's a hotel. It's -the highest in town. We can fire the other building and get anyone -trying to escape."</p> - -<p>No other shots came their way. Nathan feared their assailant was -leaving the building on the corner and trailing them up the street.</p> - -<p>They entered the old hotel. A foot of sand covered the first floor. -The stairs were slippery with it. Shattered windows let the cold night -breeze flow through. On the second and third floors they disturbed -coveys of sand bats who fluttered and squeaked and poured out the -windows in a black cloud.</p> - -<p>The enemy would certainly know their location now.</p> - -<p>They came out onto the roof through a broken penthouse door, and in the -faint moonlight they had a clear view of the decaying skeleton of the -town.</p> - -<p>The rifles they carried would shoot flames that spread over a great -area and tended to hover like flaming coronae rather than piercing. -Thus, they would be effective in firing the buildings.</p> - -<p>They took up positions on opposite sides of the roof and sent a dozen -shots into the base of the enemy hideout. But they had miscalculated -as Nathan had feared. A fusillade of shots came from a roof directly -across the street from them and their building burst into torrents of -flame.</p> - -<p>They transferred their fire to the building from which the shots came. -The flames hovered and glowed like demons around the base of the -structure, but they died like wraiths.</p> - -<p>"I remember now," said Firebird. "That's the one fireproof building in -Pheme. It was a special instrument laboratory. We'll have to smoke him -out."</p> - -<p>The tiny orange puffs of a flame lance came steadily from varying -points of the other building as if the enemy were running about, -pausing only long enough to shoot.</p> - -<p>The flames from the burning building had already touched off the -adjacent structures. The entire ghost town would be ablaze in a short -time. Burning brands lit on the roof beside Nathan. They died, but -others were coming in a rain of fire.</p> - -<p>They could see the enemy by the light of the fire now. They fired the -buildings on either side and forced him to keep low. But his shots were -close and accurate. Nathan and Firebird shifted positions after each -shot, but the parapet in front of them was sieved accurately.</p> - -<p>Then Nathan suddenly realized that the building behind them was aflame -and its light silhouetted them against the holes in the parapet. No -wonder the enemy could find them.</p> - -<p>He shouted to Firebird, "Get down!"</p> - -<p>She was too good a flame lancer to be disturbed by his shouting. She -remained calmly in position, taking a bead on the opposite window, -waiting for the appearance of the top of the enemy's head.</p> - -<p>He came up for a quick sight upon the perfect target of the holes which -Firebird blacked out. They fired simultaneously.</p> - -<p>Firebird's shot hit the edge of the window, spraying flame over the -wall and curling it into the window. Some of it must have washed -over the enemy, but too much of its energy had been dissipated to be -effective.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>But Firebird was hit. Her body slumped down over the rifle and lay flat -on the roof. Crawling on his belly, Nathan wriggled over to her and -raised her head. She was unconscious, but no horrible blackening of her -flesh showed the touch of flame lance fire. Then he saw where it had -struck. Her silver helmet.</p> - -<p>It was too hot to touch. He knocked it away with his fist. Beneath it, -her raven hair was singed but slightly. The electric shock had done -most of the damage. He bent over her tenderly and fanned her face with -the edge of her scarlet cloak. She began to stir. She opened her eyes -and looked up at him. In that instant he knew that their lives were -inseparably welded. No word was spoken, but he felt her trembling as if -she suddenly knew it, too, and was afraid of it.</p> - -<p>After a moment she looked about and spoke, her voice unsteady. "We'll -have to get down. The hotel is on fire."</p> - -<p>Nathan followed the direction of her glance. The open door of the -penthouse sent smoke billowing outward.</p> - -<p>"We'll never get down through the interior," said Nathan. He glanced at -the adjacent building. It was one story lower and ten feet away.</p> - -<p>Firebird saw his glance and shook her head. "We can't get over that -way. He'd shoot us the instant we tried it. We'll have to go inside."</p> - -<p>"But it's impossible."</p> - -<p>Firebird smiled. "After you've been to the pool of Luline, many things -are possible. Here—"</p> - -<p>She unclasped the cloak from her throat and threw it about Nathan. -"Protect your head and wrap it around you as much as possible. It won't -burn."</p> - -<p>Before he could protest, she wriggled away over the surface of the -roof, keeping low out of the fire of their assailant. She plunged -through the penthouse door into the inferno.</p> - -<p>The smoke and flame billowed about her, licking at her slender, -unprotected body. Nathan tried to catch her, but the blinding vapors -made him stumble and fall clumsily. He wanted to throw the cloak about -her again, but he was forced to gather it about him in order to make -any headway at all.</p> - -<p>Miraculously, Firebird seemed unharmed by the flames. On the second -floor Nathan made out her figure hurrying far ahead of him. Her -clothing was smouldering but her bare arms and legs seemed to glow with -that same inner light that he had seen back in the cave on Venus.</p> - -<p>He stumbled in the treacherous sand and lost sight of her again. He -slid and fell down the first floor stairway, which was almost burned -away. His weight on it sent ominous vibrations through it, and he tried -to tread lightly.</p> - -<p>Firebird was nowhere to be seen when he reached the street level. He -raced outside in time to see the sand sled start up and disappear -around the corner of the building. A puff of flame smashed against the -sand in front of him. The enemy was watching for them to leave.</p> - -<p>That was why Firebird had moved the sled. He went back into the burning -building and fought his way to a back window out of the enemy's line of -fire. He found Firebird waiting for him there. The smell of smoke was -in her hair, but she seemed unharmed by the flames.</p> - -<p>She gave him no time for questions. "I'm going to drive around the -town. Fire every building with the rifle. That will drive him out -eventually."</p> - -<p>She twisted the sled out through the narrow street to the open desert -and began circling. Nathan pressed the rifle through the open port and -fired continually at the wooden buildings.</p> - -<p>They watched sharply for their assailant, but he was apparently not -aware of their escape. As they finished the circle, Firebird turned the -sled out into the desert and swung up the far side of a high dune.</p> - -<p>"We'll watch for him to make a break for his sled," she said. "When he -does, we'll let him get started and follow closely. He won't be able -to fire while driving, and he won't dare stop because we'll be on him."</p> - -<p>Nathan nodded. As Firebird stopped the sled, he handed her the cloak, a -mere handful of cloth. "I'd like to know what the secret of this cloak -is—and how you made it through that fire without protection."</p> - -<p>Firebird smiled. "So would a lot of other people." Then she sobered and -added, "I think perhaps you will be the one to know—some day."</p> - -<p>She turned away and watched the burning ghost village. It was a -beautiful hell of flame. Every building was yellow with fire. The -desert was lit for miles around, and the sound of the crackling was -like the sound of some great battle.</p> - -<p>"He can't stay in there much longer," said Firebird. The heat was -already strongly felt at the dune.</p> - -<p>"There he is!" Nathan exclaimed.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>A figure burst suddenly out of the inferno and ran towards the far side -of the burning town.</p> - -<p>"We're on the wrong side," said Firebird. "Keep your eye on him and -we'll move over if we can do it without being seen."</p> - -<p>Cautiously, through the blow holes and behind dunes, they made their -way forward. The sound of their engines and propellers was muffled in -the roar of the fire.</p> - -<p>They topped a rise and Nathan exclaimed, "There's his sled. He's -moving."</p> - -<p>"He must think we're dead," said Firebird. "He probably plans to come -back and search the ruins for the Jewels when it's cooled off."</p> - -<p>She added speed to overtake the other sled. It was in sight only part -of the time and it would be easy to lose in the dunes and blow holes.</p> - -<p>Nathan lowered the port a trifle and stuck the nose of the rifle -through. He got a bead on the forward sled. And the instant he pressed -the trigger, their own sled dipped down so that his shot went low.</p> - -<p>But it served to warn their quarry of their presence. He must have -whirled to get a look at them, for the sled wobbled crazily for an -instant.</p> - -<p>He dipped out of sight behind a dune and was gone when they reached -the spot. Dunes blocked sight in all directions and a dozen paths -branched out between them.</p> - -<p>"Over there!" Nathan pointed to a fine sand cloud that betrayed the -presence of the sled beyond the dunes.</p> - -<p>Firebird followed and soon they came in sight again. Nathan fired -another shot that went wide because of the plunging motion of the sled. -Then the enemy suddenly plunged into the depths of an immense blow hole.</p> - -<p>Firebird swung wide of the hole. Nathan glanced at her in puzzlement. -"Where are you going?"</p> - -<p>"Not down there. It would be fatal to get into a dog fight around the -sides of that blow hole. We'll wait for him to come out and hope it is -somewhere near us."</p> - -<p>From the top of a small dune they caught sight of the other sled -speeding around the inside of the hole. But he knew he had failed to -lure them into it where he would have had as good chance as they. He -sped up and over the edge opposite them.</p> - -<p>Firebird started the sled moving again. Nathan kept his eye on the -enemy. Even as he watched the other paused. "He's not running away. -He's going to turn and fight!"</p> - -<p>Firebird held her speed down and let the other build up. He came in -shooting. Puffs of flame spurted from the small lance he was firing -through the port.</p> - -<p>Nathan raised the rifle and fired. The shot struck midway between the -motor and the cabin and the enemy sled burst into flames.</p> - -<p>"Good hit!" exclaimed Firebird. Then her face tensed. "He's going to -ram us. Get his steering runner."</p> - -<p>The blazing sled was hurtling towards them at terrific speed now. It -was impossible to turn aside so that the enemy could not follow easily. -Firebird tried it and the other sled changed to a new collision course.</p> - -<p>Nathan fired again. Then a shot pierced their own housing as Firebird -tried to weave out of the collision course. It made shooting difficult -for Nathan but he put another shot into the motor of the enemy.</p> - -<p>The blazing comet of the enemy sled was less than three hundred feet -away now. Firebird could have turned tail to avoid collision, but that -was apparently what the enemy wanted. His own position was increasingly -desperate with the flames licking about the cabin and threatening the -fuel tank.</p> - -<p>Firebird kept weaving and brought out her own lance. She tried to hit -the pilot, but her shots went wild.</p> - -<p>"Stop weaving," said Nathan. "I've got to get a bead on that runner or -we'll have to turn tail."</p> - -<p>"It'll be your last shot," said Firebird, but she complied. Her slim -hands held the sled steadily on a course towards the flaming wreckage -that bore down upon them like a meteor.</p> - -<p>Nathan raised in his seat and aimed carefully. He pressed the trigger. -It was a hit. The steering runner of the enemy collapsed. The blazing -sled reared end over end into the air hurtling towards them with the -force of its momentum.</p> - -<p>Firebird gave the wheel a mighty jerk and swerved aside as the wreckage -plummeted into the space they had just vacated.</p> - -<p>For moments they simply drove forward without saying anything as they -lost speed.</p> - -<p>"That was too close," Nathan said. "I waited too long for that shot."</p> - -<p>"You got him. That's what counts."</p> - -<p>He looked at Firebird. She was not disturbed by their narrow escape. It -was obviously not in her philosophy to hold post mortems.</p> - -<p>They swung back to the blazing wreckage. The light of dawn streaked -the sky before it was cool enough to approach. There was no tangible -remains of the enemy who had died in the flames.</p> - -<p>"It couldn't have been Tabor. He shoots better than that," said Nathan.</p> - -<p>Firebird poked among the embers, using the pouch containing the four -Jewels as an indicator. Then she caught the sparkle in the sands.</p> - -<p>It was the Blue Jewel.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">IX</p> - -<p>The bloody dawn of Mars lit the ruins of Pheme as they sped past it -again. Though they had not slept they did not feel sleepy as daylight -came.</p> - -<p>Their attack and the acquisition of the Blue Jewel left two horrible -alternatives in Nathan's mind. If it had been Tabor who had attacked -them surely he had not known their identity and would not have fired on -them if he had. In this case, Nathan had slain his father's lifelong -friend without cause.</p> - -<p>Or if it had not been Tabor it meant that Tabor possessed the sixth -Jewel—the pink one—and was the murderer Nathan sought.</p> - -<p>He thrust both thoughts out of his mind and forced himself to think of -the task ahead. The peaks of the Pater Mountains were not even visible -on the horizon. Soon the heat of the desert day made itself felt. They -switched on the air conditioning after Nathan patched the hole in the -cabin housing.</p> - -<p>They ate as they drove, and in the afternoon, Firebird explained the -course and they alternated driving and sleeping.</p> - -<p>Near sunset they glimpsed the distant, ominous crags of the Pater -Mountains. They looked like some gargantuan graveyard where the stark -bones of giants had been heaped.</p> - -<p>The wind was rising and spinning sheets of sand from the desert -surface. The sandstorms of Mars are not simply the whipping, -wind-driven sands of Earth. They are mighty electrical storms in which -clouds of sand gather in the sky and are charged with millions of volts -of potential by their ceaseless grinding against one another.</p> - -<p>It grew dark quickly with the sand clouds masking the twilight. -Streamers of fire began to lace the mountain top. A continuous purple -corona gave it the aspect of luminescence.</p> - -<p>The mountain rose slowly out of the desert and the sand gave way -gradually to a trail of broken rocks that ground and protested against -the runners of the sled.</p> - -<p>"We'll go from here on foot in the morning," said Firebird. As she -brought the sled to a halt she leaped quickly out and started tugging -at a huge boulder nearby.</p> - -<p>Nathan stared in puzzlement. The boulder slowly tipped on its side, -exposing a small cavern.</p> - -<p>"We'll hide the sled in here. I'll show you why in the morning."</p> - -<p>They prepared a place to sleep for the night and alternated watches. -At dawn they gathered their packs of food and water and the weapons. -Firebird carefully closed the cavern over the sled.</p> - -<p>She led the way along the trail that soon rose to increasing heights -above the desert. They came across the burned and blackened ruins of a -sand sled, destroyed with all its equipment.</p> - -<p>"That belonged to someone who came up here for the first time as well -as the last," said Firebird. "There is no love lost between searchers -for the Seven Jewels. They burn each others' sleds when found."</p> - -<p>The corona lightning increased with terrible streamers of blue and -violet light that twisted about the peaks like living things. The air -was charged with ozone and Nathan felt the dry crackling of electric -discharges in his hair and on his body.</p> - -<p>Firebird abruptly left the trails and struck out across the face of the -mountain. Nathan followed and soon they came to a large overhanging -rock. They slipped beneath the overhang and came into a narrow, -half-enclosed passage.</p> - -<p>"Get behind me now and watch carefully," said Firebird. She turned and -faced the opening under the overhang. "We may not have too long to -wait."</p> - -<p>Nathan didn't quite understand, but he waited in silence. Beyond -the opening, the rocks were gathered round to form a sort of small -vestibule and nothing could be seen beyond that.</p> - -<p>But abruptly a man appeared in the vestibule. Firebird shot him without -warning.</p> - -<p>"I just saved twenty lives," she said through thin lips. "Robert the -Dog has killed five innocent men that I know of. He could have been -expected to kill twenty more if he had lived ten more years."</p> - -<p>Nathan stared from the body of the dead man to the marble face of -Firebird as she sat there—judge and executioner. They waited an hour -and another man appeared. She killed him, too.</p> - -<p>"I've saved his mother the agony of knowing him hung for treason. The -police have been ready for a month to pull him in."</p> - -<p>They waited until midday, but no one else appeared. At last Firebird -turned and advanced cautiously along the passageway. Nathan felt now -that killers lurked behind every stone. He didn't need Firebird's -warning to keep a sharp lookout.</p> - -<p>They crept along a mile of the tortuous trail beneath the copper sky, -then dipped suddenly into the blackness of a cavern. The ghostly corona -that hovered over the mountain provided a faint gleam in the darkness -but scarcely enough to guide them.</p> - -<p>"Take my arm," said Firebird. "I can make it in the dark."</p> - -<p>Nathan felt the tremor that was in her slight body. Some emotion beyond -the grasp of his senses was surging through her. But he felt that -before they left the cavern he would know what it was.</p> - -<p>After a time they came to a spiral ramp that seemed to be endless as -it dropped them into the depths of the purple glow. Suddenly Firebird -placed Nathan's hand on the Jewel pouch. It was faintly warm.</p> - -<p>"The buried Jewel?" Nathan whispered.</p> - -<p>"No—the Pink one. We're still not far enough in. Your father's -murderer was waiting for us somewhere inside. He's following us now."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Nathan was filled with pain for either he had slain Tabor unjustly or -else he would shortly kill him to avenge the murder of his father.</p> - -<p>The ramp leveled out shortly and they made a sharp turn. Then Firebird -halted. "This is where we stop. Be careful. He's behind us somewhere."</p> - -<p>"Yes, right behind you."</p> - -<p>Out of the darkness came the unmistakable voice of Tabor.</p> - -<p>Nathan whirled, reaching for his guns, but Firebird gave him a mighty -shove that sent him sprawling into the corner of a deep niche in the -cavern wall.</p> - -<p>"I thought you went to Venus," Nathan gasped in hate and rage. "What do -you want, Tabor?"</p> - -<p>"The Jewels of Chamar. I'm your friend and your father's friend, -Nathan, but first I'm a spaceman, and the Jewels of Chamar are above -all friendship to a spaceman. Still, I'm an honorable man. I'll fight -you for them, Nathan."</p> - -<p>"Why didn't you just shoot us in the back as you did my father?"</p> - -<p>"Why will you misunderstand me, Nathan? I had to do what I did to force -Thymar to reveal where he had hidden the Jewels of Venus. He always -said it was better for just one man to know that at a time. I agreed -with him, but it was too bad that we didn't have the same man in mind."</p> - -<p>"You dirty killer—"</p> - -<p>"He'll accept your challenge on one condition," said Firebird. -"Provided that you place the Pink Jewel in here in a pile with the -others."</p> - -<p>"You'll accept on no conditions at all!" roared Tabor, "if I say so. -But I'd rather like to see them all together. Put them on the floor."</p> - -<p>Firebird placed the five Jewels on the floor. Their rainbow -phosphorescence seemed to Nathan to be a living force that touched him -with strength and with peace.</p> - -<p>From his hiding place behind a jagged boulder Tabor threw in the Pink -Jewel and it landed beside the others. "Now, I've got something to -fight for—!"</p> - -<p>Firebird's flame lance aimed at the point where she had first seen the -glowing Pink Jewel. A bubble of flame exploded.</p> - -<p>Tabor's bellowing laugh ended in a roar of anger. "I'd know your touch -anywhere, Firebird. Your honor was born in a pig pen."</p> - -<p>Nathan tried to sense the direction of the sound. Then he aimed the -rifle carefully. A ball of flame spattered upon the boulder and washed -over its edges. He engraved the lighted scene in his mind.</p> - -<p>"That was you, Nathan? You remember well what I told you about blackout -combat. Use the rifle to illuminate the scene of battle. That is good. -But do you remember what a rifle flame will do in a small space?"</p> - -<p>Instantly, a rifle flame sped towards them. It blasted against the wall -of the niche and flowed around in a sheet of blinding whiteness that -gave off an intolerable heat before it died.</p> - -<p>Nathan and Firebird crouched low at opposite sides of the opening.</p> - -<p>"We'll have to get out," she whispered. "You take the right and I'll -take the left, and we'll close in on him. Get behind cover as soon as -possible."</p> - -<p>"No! You can't risk that. It would be impossible to find cover before -he illuminated you in a rifle flame. Let me try one more thing."</p> - -<p>He sent another shot higher than the previous one. It burst upon the -floor far behind Tabor. Nathan got a glimpse of a distant boulder -directly behind the spot where Tabor was hidden.</p> - -<p>Before he could shoot again another blast exploded within the niche. In -its light, Nathan saw that Firebird was gone.</p> - -<p>A wave of terror, an anxiety such as he had never known before, swept -through him at the thought of her out there in plain view of Tabor. He -aimed carefully with his small flame lance and tried to visualize the -small boulder behind Tabor.</p> - -<p>The flame hit and crashed away. Tabor's voice grunted, "A reflective -shot? Good work, Nathan. Unfortunately I wasn't in the plane of -incidence and reflection. And, Firebird, I hear you coming."</p> - -<p>A sudden flame shot off towards the depths of the cavern at Nathan's -left. There was a single agonizing scream in Firebird's voice.</p> - -<p>Then nothing.</p> - -<p>Tabor broke the silence. "Sorry, Nathan. I guess you'd gone pretty soft -on her."</p> - -<p>"You murderer!"</p> - -<p>"Keep cool. Remember what I always taught you. Never let an enemy make -you commit suicide by making you lose your head."</p> - -<p>The niche was like a coffin in the darkness. Tabor's evil taunting and -Firebird's scream seemed to combine in an echoing song of torment that -swelled and beat upon his senses.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>And then, in the purple darkness, the six Jewels that lay on the -floor seized his attention. Where their color had seemed merely -phosphorescent before, it now seemed to blaze up as if hidden fires had -come to life. Nathan watched to make sure his eyes were not merely -becoming more accustomed to the darkness. But it was more than that. -The light pulsed and rose in the niche. It climbed the walls and filled -the air with twitching streamers that seemed like living things.</p> - -<p>And it was making him an easy target for a reflective shot from Tabor. -But what did it matter what happened to him now that Firebird was gone?</p> - -<p>He fired a half dozen shots in rapid succession.</p> - -<p>"Wild, all wild," taunted Tabor. "You must do it with precision. Like -this!"</p> - -<p>A flame shot through the niche, but it ricocheted from the edge of the -opening and missed Nathan's head by only a foot. The blast seared his -face and blinded his eyes.</p> - -<p>"See what I mean?" said Tabor.</p> - -<p>He had the range now, Nathan knew. That's what the rifle shots had been -for—to enable him to determine a good spot to make a reflective shot -into the depths of the niche.</p> - -<p>But in his own wild shots Nathan had glimpsed something that gave him -new hope.</p> - -<p>He had to move quickly. Another shot from Tabor grazed close to him, -but it reflected from the opposite side of the opening where Tabor had -miscalculated that Nathan would move.</p> - -<p>Nathan said nothing, but dropped to the floor. He adjusted the rifle -to automatic fire, and lay in the opening of the niche. He pressed the -trigger and a river of fire swept across the floor and flowed about the -base of the boulder that hid Tabor—and under it!</p> - -<p>The boulder rested on narrow, jagged faces, between which there were -openings. It was through these that Tabor had been firing and Nathan -had glimpsed the secret of his protection.</p> - -<p>The flame raced about Tabor in a torrent of light. It leaped upon him -and outlined him as if in St. Elmo's fire.</p> - -<p>He jerked up in searing pain, and in that instant a single shot came -from across the cavern and found its mark. The fire died before Tabor -fell, but the sound of his dead body smashing to the floor was loud in -the dark silence.</p> - -<p>"Your father's murder is avenged," said a voice from across the cavern.</p> - -<p>"Firebird. I thought—"</p> - -<p>"I had to make you think what I made Tabor think. I threw a stone to -give him a target. There was no protection out here. I had only one -shot to risk."</p> - -<p>Nathan rushed towards the sound of her voice, and crushed her close -to him to reassure himself that she was unharmed. In the light of the -Jewels that was now pouring from the niche he could almost see her -face. It seemed rich with gladness.</p> - -<p>The light was flickering now like auroral curtains of fire.</p> - -<p>"What is it?" murmured Nathan.</p> - -<p>"Wait—you'll see. This is what I've lived for. My work is finished -now."</p> - -<p>It seemed to Nathan that they stood there for an interminable length of -time while the light rose and fell, but gradually swelled until they -could see each other plainly.</p> - -<p>There came a high note like the far away tinkling of chimes. The Jewels -were rising from the floor. Firebird's hand on his arm restrained -Nathan from rushing forward.</p> - -<p>"Wait," she commanded.</p> - -<p>The Jewels rose higher and then they began to float out of the niche -towards the two Earthlings, carrying their ghostly light with them.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus2.jpg" alt=""/> - <div class="caption"> - <p><i>The Jewels rose higher, carrying their ghostly light with them.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Nathan stared. Where there had been only six Jewels in the niche, there -were now seven floating in the air. Three were end to end, forming a -vertical pillar. Around this pillar the other four formed a rotating -square. As it rotated faster or slower the pitch of the musical note -rose or fell.</p> - -<p>The singing, floating Jewels came nearer ... vibrating with the forces -of life. And then out of the midst of them a voice spoke.</p> - -<p>"You have done well. You have my gratitude. I shall reward you."</p> - -<p>Nathan felt a prickling of the back of his neck. And suddenly Firebird -clutched his arm and was sobbing faintly. "Are we too late?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"The ship of Plar has waited long, but the Envoys are patient. They -await my report."</p> - -<p>The Jewels wheeled in the air and sped towards the tunnel ramp that -bore upward to the surface.</p> - -<p>"Come," the voice said.</p> - -<p>Mechanically, Firebird followed. Nathan moved beside her, not looking -back at the fallen Tabor.</p> - -<p>"What is it?" Nathan whispered hoarsely. "Are the Jewels alive?"</p> - -<p>"Long ago," said Firebird, "the Envoys of Plar came into our System. -They came from a universe so far away that our greatest telescopes have -never given a clue to its presence. The inhabitants of that world are -life forms with a basis of metallic salts and they are formed as you -see this one. They are literally Jewels. The life forces are contained -in mighty storage cells of raw electronic energy reduced to its -simplest form. Some of the creatures are only single Jewels. The Envoys -are of the highest type, having seven.</p> - -<p>"The life in them was dormant until they were brought together again. -The Seventh Jewel was the brain so to speak. Each of the others might -be likened to an arm or other organ of a human body, though that is far -from accurate. The warming of the Jewels as they were brought nearer -was the reaching out of their mutual life forces to seize upon each -other. But no controlling life was there until the Seventh was near. It -was buried deep in the ground, but the attraction between it and the -other six was enough to draw it out to reunite with them."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Nathan watched the weird form as it gyrated in the air before them and -lighted the way through the caverns. "What does it mean?"</p> - -<p>"Centuries ago—in our time—the Jewel Beings of Plar left on an -expedition to explore the universe and study the inhabitants of the -planets they came to. They found their science and skill to be so -vastly superior to any other that they contacted, that they decided to -help the backward peoples they found and share their science with those -who could benefit by it. They hoped to speed the evolutionary advances -of these races and some day establish a congress of the worlds. To -those who had no space flight they revealed the secret of the art. And -so on with other arts and sciences."</p> - -<p>"Do they intend to make such gifts to the Solar System?"</p> - -<p>"Their decision to help a race is determined by the report of one of -the Envoys who is placed on a world for secret investigation. Chamar, -the seven-jeweled one, was the Envoy placed to report on Earth and the -Solar System."</p> - -<p>"Chamar! But how did he get scattered? Wasn't that like death to him?"</p> - -<p>"They are nearly immortal. Chamar was left here by the expedition -and the rest of them went on. My grandfather was the first to whom -Chamar revealed himself. But soon after that the Envoy was blasted in -a laboratory explosion. My grandfather died of the injuries received -there, but first he told my father about the Envoy.</p> - -<p>"My father didn't know what the reaction of the other Envoys would be -when they returned, but he felt they would deny the Solar System their -gifts unless Chamar were restored to them. He spent the rest of his -life in the search. When he died he passed on the responsibility to -me. He forced me to swear I'd spend my life in the search. And I have -done it willingly, for Earth will receive gifts beyond man's wildest -dreaming."</p> - -<p>"But the myth of the Seven Jewels has been in existence for nearly two -hundred years!" Nathan exclaimed.</p> - -<p>Firebird was silent. They came out of the purple darkness into daylight -again. The Envoy was barely visible in the light but the constant, -high-pitched note told of his presence.</p> - -<p>"The legend of Firebird is almost that old, too," she said.</p> - -<p>"But there are supposed to have been many who called themselves -Firebird. Surely you—" Nathan halted and stared at her.</p> - -<p>"There has been only one Firebird," she said. "Chamar made one gift to -my grandfather before the explosion. That was the pool of Luline. When -I was only fifteen my father took me to it and I dipped in it for the -first time. Besides its miraculous healing properties, the pool slows -the rate of decay of animal organisms. It gives a natural life of a -thousand years. It changes human tissue. You have seen the light that -comes from my flesh, and you have seen me walk unharmed in the flames -at Pheme, as well as witnessing my vision in the dark. All these are of -the pool of Luline. But in a hundred and fifty years I have aged only -ten."</p> - -<p>The end of the hidden trail brought them out onto the rocky -mountainside. They walked until the sharp tinkle of bells swelled upon -the air. Their eyes focused in the space ahead of them. At first -they could see nothing. Even the Envoy of Plar had become lost in the -sunlight.</p> - -<p>Then they caught the silken sheen of the almost invisible surface of -the globe that hung in the air above the trail. The ship of Plar.</p> - -<p>They knew instinctively that its substance was no material they could -identify. Rather, it was a pure field, a segment out of another time, -another space that hung there. It was massive, its dimensions uncertain.</p> - -<p>Then a familiar sound came close to them in midair and they turned -quickly.</p> - -<p>"They have come," Chamar said. "I have given my report and now they are -debating your case."</p> - -<p>"Must they debate?" Firebird's voice was suddenly thin and a strange -tremor was in it. "Is there doubt of their granting the gifts which -they have?"</p> - -<p>"Each world must stand upon its own merits."</p> - -<p>"But you are one of them. Can you not tell us?"</p> - -<p>"I am not permitted to vote upon a world which I have examined. That is -the law."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Envoy was suddenly motionless in the air before them, and a wild -tinkling seemed to come from within the great invisible ship of Plar. -An answering sound came from the Envoy.</p> - -<p>"Envoy! What is it?" cried Firebird.</p> - -<p>"They have come to a decision."</p> - -<p>"The Gifts—?"</p> - -<p>"Are not to be given."</p> - -<p>There was no physical change in Firebird. Only her voice seemed as if -her spirit had flown. "What have we done?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"Not you—all the races of the System," said Chamar. "I have seen them -all, felt their thoughts, known their actions in the century and a -half that I have been here. I had to report the wars and bloodshed and -thievery and hate that I have seen. I knew the Envoys would not grant -their Gifts to such a System as yours."</p> - -<p>"Is there only evil?" said Firebird. "Is there no good?"</p> - -<p>"Not all is evil. But too much is. In a world where too many men want -to rule all other men, we cannot bring powers that would be only a -curse to you. Your eyes are too weak to stand the brightness of their -light. Your backs lack strength to carry their burden. In ten thousand -you may be ready, but until then the Envoys shall not return."</p> - -<p>There was a moment of silence, then the Envoy spoke kindly. "You, -Firebird, what would you do? Your self-chosen mission is completed."</p> - -<p>Firebird's head came up slowly. "My mission is not completed. It has -not even begun. I can shorten that ten thousand years. I'll stand in -the way of a thousand men who would have it long. You'll come back to -this System quicker because of me."</p> - -<p>"That is good," Chamar said, and they imagined he was smiling benignly -upon them. "That is what I hoped you would say. Because of your -decision I shall stay even though my companions must go. I shall be -near you all the rest of the days of your life, and when you want my -help it shall be yours for the asking. Powers that I cannot give to you -will be used for you. You won't see me always for I shall do my own -work, but wherever you are, call upon me and I will answer. I go to -arrange with my companions."</p> - -<p>The creature sped into the bubble of light and vanished from their -sight. The bubble itself lifted from the surface and burst into the -sky, leaving them alone.</p> - -<p>The cold wind of the desert broke upon them and whipped their cloaks -about their bodies. They stood as if still in a trance, but Nathan -moved slowly down the trail after a moment, drawing Firebird by the arm.</p> - -<p>They did not speak until they came to the sled. It was safe in the -hiding place where they had left it. Nathan climbed behind the wheel -and pointed the nose of the sled across the desert towards the far -cities of Heliopolis and the Five Towns.</p> - -<p>The sled hissed over the sands, rocked between the high dunes and -challenged the desert winds. And there was exultation in that challenge.</p> - -<p>He spoke at last. "Where are you going, now? Is this the end of -Firebird?"</p> - -<p>She shook her head and smiled wanly at him. "There'll never be an end -to the Firebird. By the time I am dead the legends will be so fabulous -that they will never die. I'll make the name of Firebird a name to -be feared among thieves and murderers in the high and low place of -society. I'll fight the cause of justice in the realms where the law -can never reach. Firebird will be the name to scourge evil on the -spaceways.</p> - -<p>"And what of you, Nathan? Your father's murder is avenged. Will you -return to Venus?"</p> - -<p>She was trying to smile, but Nathan turned and saw the smile waver on -her lips, and his heart beat harder because he thought he knew why it -wavered.</p> - -<p>There was in her mind the vision of endless centuries with no one to -share her secret, no one to love—except the cold Jewel Being from Plar.</p> - -<p>Nathan touched her hand. "I suppose I'll go back to Venus now and then. -But there's somewhere else I must go first."</p> - -<p>"Where?"</p> - -<p>"To the Pool of Luline. Do you think I'm going to let you live the rest -of that thousand years alone?"</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Seven Jewels of Chamar, by Raymond F. 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Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - -</pre> - -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/63886-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/63886-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 28e164f..0000000 --- a/old/63886-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/63886-h/images/illus1.jpg b/old/63886-h/images/illus1.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e59e93a..0000000 --- a/old/63886-h/images/illus1.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/63886-h/images/illus2.jpg b/old/63886-h/images/illus2.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index dee9e46..0000000 --- a/old/63886-h/images/illus2.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/63886.txt b/old/63886.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a3573e4..0000000 --- a/old/63886.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2999 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Seven Jewels of Chamar, by Raymond F. Jones - -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'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Seven Jewels of Chamar - -Author: Raymond F. Jones - -Release Date: November 26, 2020 [EBook #63886] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEVEN JEWELS OF CHAMAR *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - THE SEVEN JEWELS OF CHAMAR - - By RAYMOND F. JONES - - Scattered, they flamed like distant suns, maddening - the beholder. United, they became a godlike power - for the glory of the Solar System. But, their - flame lances still white-hot from killing, young - Ormondy and the fabulous Firebird learned how - impossible was the price of that power. - - [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.] - - -The bearded giant, Thymar Ormondy, raised stiffly on one arm from the -bed of litter on the damp cave floor. He pointed the charred stub of -his other arm at his son. - -"Beware the Firebird!" His voice was distorted with pain. "She'll kill -a thousand men for every one of the Seven Jewels of Chamar." - -Nathan Ormondy threw back his rain cape and knelt beside his dying -father. The great hulk of the old man sank back upon the rags. - -"Did she do this?" Nathan demanded fiercely. His eyes filled with flame -at the sight of the terrible wound that had come from a shot in the -back. - -Thymar lay without answering. His eyes were closed. Nathan heard only -the hushing sound of the eternal Venusian rains that blotted out the -distant hills like a ragged curtain hung over the mouth of the cave. - -Behind Nathan another shaggy spaceman touched his shoulder. It was -Tabor, his father's companion. The two police custodians from Aquatown -shifted uneasily. - -"Was it Firebird?" Nathan demanded of the watchers. - -Before they could answer, Thymar's remaining hand fell upon Nathan's -wrist. "There is more to tell," the old spaceman whispered. - -Nathan hunched lower to seize every word. "What is it?" - -"The Jewels of Chamar--" - -"Curse the Jewels of Chamar! They stink with blood. I'd blast them all -if I could!" - -Thymar's wide, steel eyes opened slowly. The leather of his face -crinkled like finely tanned doeskin. - -"When you have looked into the blue depths of a stone that is like the -eye of all the universe you'll never be able to turn your back upon -it. You'll never rest until you have found all seven of the Jewels--or -death." - -"Death is all that anyone has ever found." - -"Ah," said Thymar, "but one man will find himself the master of all the -universe when once he holds all seven of the Jewels in his hands. That -is the promise of the Jewels--mastery, power. And I know that it is -true. I've held them--as many as five of them at once, and I know what -it means. There's a force in them that sweeps through the brain and the -soul. It lifts a man to power and strength beyond himself." - -"Pah! Autohypnosis--or plain drunkenness. There are a thousand other -names for it." - -"No," said Thymar softly. "It's there--pure life force, or whatever it -might be termed, but with those Jewels one man would be as ten thousand -men, each greater than any Earth has produced. - -"And you can be that man, Nathan!" The old spaceman raised again from -the bed. "I bequeath to you the two Jewels that I have left. There were -three, but--" - -"Firebird?" - -"That does not matter. I warned you of her because she has sworn to -have the Jewels. I know she has two, maybe more. You'll have to kill -her for them. Think what it would mean to the universe if that ruthless -witch possessed the Jewels. Hell would be let loose. - -"The Jewels are no concern of mine. I want to know only who did this to -you." - -Thymar sank back again. His voice whispered almost inaudibly, "Come -closer." - -"In the cave of Lava Mountain," he whispered hoarsely, "do you remember -the Stone Pig? The two Jewels are there. It makes no difference who did -this to me. Nothing matters but the Jewels of Chamar. Take them--and -become master of the universe!" - -"Who did--?" Then Nathan's fury-laden voice ceased. The only sound was -the hush of rain outside. Slowly Nathan's head bent low. His father was -dead. Never again would Thymar Ormondy's voice roar upon the spaceways -or in the thousand tavern rendezvous of the spacemen. - -Tabor put his hand upon Nathan's shoulder. "Sorry, son." - - * * * * * - -Nathan rose. It was as if an electric charge had been thrust between -the other men. - -"I'll find the killer," said Nathan evenly. He looked down at the form -on the cavern floor. "I'll find him if it takes the rest of my life. -Why did he warn me of Firebird? Was it only because of the Jewels or do -you think she could have done this?" - -"He hated Firebird because of an old quarrel. She might have done it, -but I don't know. I was with Thymar in Aquatown when he received a -message saying information concerning the Blue Jewel could be found -here. He went alone and we were to meet a day later to leave for Mars. -He didn't show up so I came here and found him like this." - -Nathan nodded. The policeman, Cleeg, had told him that much after Tabor -had sent word. But that was no help. It only served to fix Nathan's -hatred more intensely upon the cursed Seven Jewels of Chamar. - -"Was my father carrying any of the Jewels when he came here?" - -"He had the Pink one. I tried to warn him, but he said he could take -care of it." - -"And now it's gone, of course." - -Tabor nodded. "The whole thing was a trap by someone who knew he had -it." - -"Who knew of it?" - -"Half of Venus. He was drunk and boasting of it in the taverns the -night before." - -That was Thymar, Nathan thought, a great flagon of wine in one hand, -boasting to the whole assemblage in some tavern, proclaiming his -fabulous deeds upon the spaceways and challenging any one to dispute -his word with flame lances. - -"Take care of things, will you?" Nathan said abruptly. "I'll get back -to the town." - -"What are you going to do?" - -"I think I know a way to trap the killer." - -The policeman and Tabor looked startled. "Be careful, boy," said Tabor. -"Do you want me to go with you?" - -"No. Don't worry about me." - -"Watch out for Firebird. She's on Venus now, and your father must have -had a reason for his warning." - -"Bah! She's nothing but a Calamity Jane legend. Have you ever traded -flames with her?" - -"I've seen men who have. They weren't alive to tell about it." - -"Spacemen dislike combat with a woman so you've built up a myth about -her to give an excuse for not killing her. But if she is the one who -killed my father she's going to pay for it." - -"Then why not let the police bring her in?" - -"What police? Four planets have put a price on her head and she walks -free in the cities of any of them." - -"She's dangerous," Tabor repeated his warning. "And perhaps she is not -the killer after all. There's no use crossing her trail needlessly." - -"We'll soon know," Nathan promised. - -He turned and strode out of the cavern of death while the two police -officers began preparing his father's body for the trip back to the -city under Tabor's direction. He paused a moment at the entrance and -drew up the waterproof hood of his cloak and tied the knot beneath his -chin, then went out into the sheeting rain. - -At the bottom of the steep and slippery trail leading from the cave -waited Perseus, the white stallion imported from Earth. In a world -still battling incessantly against the jungle the horse was one of the -chief means of private transportation, even though practically extinct -on Earth. - -Perseus nuzzled against Nathan's neck and the man rested his face -against the horse's head for a moment. Loneliness and weariness -descended upon Nathan. He was lonelier than he had ever known he could -be, he thought. Thymar had never given much companionship to his son -because their adventurous spirits had led them in opposite directions. -But the mere knowledge of Thymar's existence somewhere in the universe -was the only companionship Nathan had needed. Now that was gone. - -And somewhere on Venus was a murderer he had to kill. - - - II - -It was after dark when Nathan reached Aquatown. The streets of the -Venusian frontier village literally flowed with water, proving the -accuracy of its naming. - -Lights on the corners and in front of the taverns were ghostly blobs -in the rain. Few Earthmen were about, but the little polite Greenies -of Venus swarmed the streets nodding and smiling when they saw Nathan. -They knew and revered him as the great engineer from Earth who had -brought lights and power to their wet, primitive world. - -Aquatown was only a frontier village with more than its quota of -taverns to drain away the savings of the restless spacemen who stopped -for a day or a week, waiting for a new cargo or for ship repairs in the -nearby Universal Yards. - -Nathan's plan was fixed in his mind. He left Perseus at his lodgings -and then headed for the taverns. The night's crowds were beginning to -swarm in as he entered the first one. - -It was hot and steamy inside, and the fog of smoke made it impossible -to see the opposite wall. Bearded miners, lean adventurers, smooth -fingered confidence men were the customers. Dance hall girls who had -come from Earth for the adventure and stayed because of the utter -dejection with which Venus filled them were the men's companions for -the most part. - -Nathan went directly to the bar and began ordering drinks. He grew more -boisterous and his voice grew unsteady as he boasted and shouted of his -good fortune in coming into possession of two of the Jewels of Chamar. - -Then he left. He went to the next tavern and repeated the performance. -During the night he made a tour of the taverns that would have done -credit to old Thymar Ormondy himself. - -And when the first light of Venusian dawn came he was stiff and -immobile in the last of the taverns. The bouncers pitched him out into -the mud and rain as the place closed up. - -When he was alone Nathan rose and shook himself. He had accomplished -his purpose. Every thug and murderer on Venus knew by now that Nathan -Ormondy was going today to the secret cache of Jewels left by his -father. - -And Nathan knew that his father's killer would be not far behind as he -moved up that mountain trail towards the cave in Lava Mountain. - -He made his way through the mud and slime of the streets to his own -lodging. There, after a quick bath and breakfast, he armed and checked -the charge in each of two flame lances. - -The weapons consisted of powerful electrodes with pistol grip handles. -The electrodes were just less than eight inches in length and full -charge was a thousand rounds. Nathan pocketed them solemnly, wondering -if one of those charges would avenge his father's death. - -He dressed in brown riding cape and donned a crimson helmet to make it -easy to be followed. When he went out to the stable, Perseus seemed to -sense the importance of their approaching mission and nickered eagerly. - -Nathan let the horse have his head and they raced along the forest -trail behind the city and upward to the hills. The tree branches -overhead dripped water that was already stagnant. And somewhere in -those trees Nathan knew that outlaws of four planets were silently -watching, waiting for him to lead them to part of the fabulous treasure -for which three generations of adventurers had searched. - -His father's murderer was sure to be foremost among them. - - * * * * * - -Nathan wondered if he could have saved his father's life by following -him to the starways years ago. Born aboard a spaceship, Thymar had -never claimed any planet for his own. He had tried to raise Nathan -to be a starman like himself, but Nathan had seen the advancing wave -of civilization beating upon the shores of alien planets and knew -the only sure foundation would be built by the engineers, not by the -wandering starmen. So he had chosen to fight the battles of engineering -on primitive worlds. He was following the starways in a sense, but it -broke Thymar's heart when Nathan became "civilized." - -Then seven years ago Thymar had dedicated the remainder of his life to -the recovery of the fabled, mysterious Jewels of Chamar. - -The story of the cursed Jewels was obscure. No one knew their origin. -There was little more than the age old myth that to hold all seven -would make a man master of the universe, but to hold less than seven -would bring eventual death. - -The latter at least was no myth, Nathan thought grimly. - -The trail became steep as the trees thinned and the horse broke out -upon the hillside. There was a moment of sunlight blinding in its -beauty. Then dark clouds closed over again. - -Nathan rode out along a ridge trail where he was silhouetted against -the sky. He stood for a moment, making himself as conspicuous as -possible to the unseen followers he knew were behind him. Ahead, the -tall spire of Lava Mountain loomed against the gray blanket of the sky. -It seemed near in its majestic might, but it was nearly midday when -Nathan reached the foot of it. - -The sight of the mountain at close range brought back a thousand -memories to Nathan. He had spent much of his boyhood here and this -was where Thymar had taught him in the rugged ways of living of the -spacemen. Here he had learned from Thymar and Tabor to master the flame -lance until there was hardly a spaceman that could match his skill. - -The mouth of the great cavern was in sight now, high up on the face -of the mountain. He hoped the narrow trail he and Thymar had so -laboriously cut out was still there. It appeared to be. He guided the -horse up the beginning of the steep cut. - -He drew out one of the flame lances now and kept a sharp watch on the -trail below. He knew that he was in no danger from anyone with a sense -of calculation. That type of renegade would wait until Nathan had -recovered the Jewels before attacking. But some brainless fool might -try to pick him off now and search the cave on his own. - -From far down the trail came the sudden clatter of rocks as a slide was -started by a careless step, but no one was visible behind the ridges. -Nathan had a clear view of his last hour's ride. So far, he was in the -clear. - -He looked cautiously at the cliff above him. Attack from that angle was -not entirely impossible--especially if Firebird was in the vicinity. He -knew she would not be with the followers behind him. - -But now the last two hundred feet of the steep trail were before him. -The great maw of the cavern was like a black cloud against the dirty -white rock of the mountain. He touched his heels sharply to the flanks -of the horse, and Perseus leaped up the incline in long jumps that -carried horse and rider on into the black cave. - -Instantly, Nathan leaped off and flung himself behind a giant -stalagmite, half expecting a flame ball to be hurled at him from out of -the darkness. - - * * * * * - -But a flame would have been welcome after the darkness and silence -that pervaded the place. Only the distant sounds of the now emboldened -pursuers came from the ridge below. - -Nathan moved to the entrance and obtained his first glimpse of the -pursuers. A battle skirmish had broken out between them. He had -expected that. A man who had already killed for the Jewels would not -welcome competition. - -Nathan moved back and ordered the horse into a niche in the wall. He -was dismayed somewhat by the number of men he had seen on the trail. -There were at least twenty taking part in the skirmish and doubtless -more were hidden from his sight. Determining the murderer would be -difficult in such a mob. - -The stalagmite which Nathan and his father had called the Stone Pig -was nearly a half mile back into the mountain along a tortuous trail. -He could not be sure that falling stalactites had not blocked the way, -so Nathan was forced to risk a light after leaving the mouth of the -cave. - -The cave was hot. Steamy fog filled the air as he came at last to the -small room of the Stone Pig. He knew that some of his pursuers must -be near the cavern by now. He needed time to get to a hidden gallery -overlooking the path they would have to traverse. - -Nothing seemed changed from the time he had last been near the Stone -Pig. The grotesquely formed stalagmite was shiny with moisture and its -enigmatic grin seemed to challenge Nathan to find out the things it had -seen while he had been gone. - -A sense of excitement and anticipation seized Nathan despite his -efforts to control his feelings. He thought of the boyhood days when he -had hidden secret "maps" and strange and precious "formulae" beneath -the Stone Pig. Now he was to see for the first time the fabulous gems -that had cost so many lives, including his father's. - -He pushed the stalagmite and it toppled over heavily. In the small, -hollow space beneath it lay the same metal can that he had used so long -ago. He pried open the lid. - -There lay the Jewels--one green, one red. - -But the gasp that escaped his lips at their sudden beauty was smothered -in the sudden roar of deafening thunder that came from the cavern mouth -far behind him. - -He jerked to his feet. The air compression waves staggered him so that -he tottered drunkenly for a moment and the sound battered his body. -A flood of dust laden air flowed over him. Then gradually it settled -about the chamber and there was only silence once more. - -Nathan looked back at the box. A cleverly arranged switch had closed -when he opened the lid, exploding the thunderous charge at the mouth of -the cave. He struggled mentally with the problem of who had placed the -explosive and the switch to seal the cave. - -Perhaps Thymar had placed it as protection against robbery and his -mind had been so affected by his wounds that he had forgotten it. -Or someone might have planted it as a trap. But, if so, why were the -Jewels left? - -Almost forgetting that he was sealed in the cavern, he knelt down -beside the box. The inner light of the Jewels pierced his eyes and -seized his mind in a hypnotic trance. For an instant he thought he was -gazing upon the beauties of some fair and alien world. In the red one -there was a fantastic garden of Mars, but a Mars where no red sand -clouds ever covered the cities with smothering death. - -And in the green one he saw a fair and lovely vision of Earth so real -it pierced him with nostalgia. - -Then the visions faded. Whether he actually saw them or they were -figments of imagination he never knew. But he had to shake his head and -tear his sight away from the Jewels in order to pocket them. - -Then, as he turned away, there broke upon the air a high-pitched song -that trilled a moment's melody. It hung as if a crystal were suspended -in the cavern, echoing its vibrations from chamber to chamber. - -It came again. Nathan straightened and put out the light. He whipped -out both flame lances. - -It was the song of the Firebird. - - - III - -Nathan darted out of the room of the Stone Pig, guided by his intimate -knowledge of the cavern. He waited a moment by the entrance, listening -in the darkness. Then he heard the soft scrape of a sandal against a -rock somewhere. And a voice. - -"Nathan Ormondy!" - -It called his name softly, echoing in the cavern, and it was like no -other voice he had ever heard. The music of its overtones was brilliant -and glowing like the inner light of the Jewels of Chamar themselves. - -"I have come for you, Firebird," said Nathan. "Ready your flame lance." - -He darted away, expecting a flame to be hurled at the sound of his -voice. None came. He waited, hoping Firebird would answer and give him -a target. - -That first sound of her voice haunted him. It was the loveliness -of a spring day on Earth, the blue of the sky and the song of the -birds--but it was the song of the Firebird, a song of death. - -Then she answered. "I came to make peace, Nathan. Put up your lance and -make a light." - -He aimed in the darkness--and could not fire at that voice. - -"Do you think I'm a fool?" he muttered savagely. It was to himself as -well as to Firebird. - -"You _are_ a fool!" Firebird hissed in anger. "I came to you -peacefully." - -From across the chamber a ball of fire the size of an orange spurted -with the speed of lightning. It splattered the wall two feet from -Nathan. The heat of its explosion singed his cape to a shred. His face -was scorched and his eyes blinded temporarily. - -Nathan aimed again and unleashed a blast of his own, but it went wide -for he did not even glimpse Firebird in its glow. He leaped away to -hiding behind a large stalagmite. - -"Listen to me!" the voice of Firebird commanded again. "I could have -killed you then. My shot landed two feet to the left of you. Now will -you hear what I have to say?" - -"It's easy to call your shots after they are fired." - -"Here's one neither to the right or left," said Firebird evenly. - -Before she finished speaking a blast of flame burst over the huge -stalagmite in front of Nathan. The fire of it flowed around the sides -and enveloped him in a searing blanket. - -For the first time, Nathan knew fear. The witch could see in the dark! -He was at her mercy. - -Her voice spoke more softly now. "Are you coming out from behind there -or do I have to come and get you?" - -"You'll have to come and get me--the same way you got my father." - -He leaped away to still another stalagmite. He paused midway to unleash -his own burst from the flame lance. It splashed against the cavern -wall, but there was no answering fire. - -He waited tensely in the darkness. Minutes passed. Surely he could not -have killed the Firebird with that blast. The silence could only mean -then that she was holding her fire, creeping up on him in the darkness. - -"You have no excuse for my father's murder?" Nathan taunted. He slipped -away to another protecting rock. - -Then the voice of Firebird came again--and she hadn't moved! Nathan's -eyes tried hopelessly to pierce the blackness to check the evidence of -his ears. - -Firebird said, "I was just wondering what I could say to a fool like -you. If I killed your father for the Jewels why do you suppose that I -didn't take them and go? Why should I have left them, and prepared the -trap to destroy the cave mouth?" - -"Is there anyone who knows the mysterious ways of the thief and killer, -Firebird?" - -"I have never stolen except from thieves. I have never killed--except -murderers." - -"My father was not a murderer!" - -"And I did not kill him. Your father and I were partners for many -years. We searched together for the Seven Jewels." - -"I don't believe that. He warned me against you." - -"Yes. Because we quarrelled. I'll tell you about it some day. Together, -we found five of the Seven Jewels. One of his three was stolen by the -murderer. Now, there are four of the Jewels equally divided between you -and me. It is senseless for us to fight. There is power enough for us -both when the Seven are ours. In return for your cooperation I promise -to help you find your father's murderer. You know my reputation well -enough to know what my promise means. And remember, I could have taken -the Jewels instead of bargaining with you, but the Firebird is not a -thief." - -Nathan didn't believe a word of what she said, but he knew that if -he continued to challenge Firebird with the flame lance it would not -take her a dozen shots to find him in the darkness. Though he had been -taught by Thymar he could not match such shooting. He would be lucky -to find her with a hundred shots. No wonder her prowess had become a -legend. - -"I'll compromise--with one reservation," he said. "I think you killed -my father. I know you can kill me here in the darkness. I don't know -why you don't. I'll accept your offer, but unless you prove you did -not kill my father, you and I will sometime again trade flames to the -death." - -"Done," said Firebird. - - * * * * * - -Almost instantly, a pink glow began filling the chamber. It was like -the rising of the sun over one of Earth's quiet seas. There seemed to -be the perfume of flowers in the air, and the song of birds. - -[Illustration: _There seemed to be the perfume of flowers in the air, -and the song of birds._] - -And then Nathan realized it was Firebird's song--that high-pitched -melody that caused a faint chill to race the length of his spine. - -The glow, too, was coming from her. It heightened with a tremendous, -terrifying crescendo. Nathan had heard babbling outlaws who swore -drunkenly to having seen this sight. - -He stood immobile now, not breathing in the face of the wondrous glory -of that unfolding light. The Firebird herself was so dazzling that the -pink radiance blinded him after the darkness, but when his eyes became -accustomed to it he saw her. - -She was small, almost tiny, and exquisitely shaped. Her head was -encased in a close fitting silver helmet that did not prevent her -flowing, raven hair from tumbling over the nape of her neck. As she -stood there in the rising glow she seemed poised for flight. - -A close fitting tunic that seemed to be of scarlet tinted mail -protected her body, but her arms and legs were bare and from her very -flesh the pink light was emanating. - -Nathan murmured, half to himself, "Beautiful--and inhuman! Who are you?" - -The Firebird smiled. And Nathan moved slowly towards her. It was -incredible that such evil as he had heard of the Firebird could have -come out of such beauty. - -"Perhaps you shall know who I am some day. For now, our agreement does -not call for that. Would you mind pocketing your flame lance before we -go on?" - -Nathan realized his hand still gripped the weapon and it was trained on -the girl. It would take only a squeeze of his finger to erase her evil-- - -"Better not try it," she warned, and the smile did not leave her lips. -He looked down at her hand. Her own weapon was trained with equal -sureness upon him. - -Instinctively, then, he knew that all the stories about the fabulous -quick draw of the Firebird were true. If he so much as thought of -killing her, her finger would squeeze the trigger of her flame lance a -thousand times quicker than his. - -He pocketed the weapon slowly and smiled at her. - -"How do we get out?" he said. "Is the passage blocked?" - -"Completely," Firebird said. "Or else the gentlemen who were so anxious -to meet you here would have arrived by now." - -"You planted the explosive?" - -"Yes. I wanted our interview in private, not amidst a battle." - -"How do you know there is any other way out?" - -"Your father and I built it long ago." - -Nathan remained silent. Was it only some purposeful fiction, or had his -father actually been partners with Firebird? - -She turned her back upon him and led the way out of the chamber by her -own mysterious radiance. He could draw his flame lance now, Nathan -thought. But it was only a thought. He wondered if he could ever seek -vengeance upon such beauty regardless of what she had done in the past. - -There was a temptation almost stronger than vengeance now, a temptation -to see this whole affair all the way through--to find out the true -identity of the fabled Firebird and the secret of the Seven Jewels of -Chamar. - -For a time they walked towards the blocked entrance, then they turned -abruptly aside into a narrow passage. The slim Firebird passed through -easily but for Nathan it was a tight squeeze that grew narrower as he -went. - -A strangling sense of claustrophobia seized him. He pressed almost -frantically to get past the bottleneck. If this were a trap Firebird -could shoot before he could get a hand near a weapon. - -Then he saw her waiting for him ahead in the larger chamber to which -the narrow passage led. She seemed to read his thoughts. - -"Do you trust me now?" - -"Does anyone really trust the Firebird--anyone on the nine worlds?" - -The sudden sobering of her face was a terrible thing to see. She turned -away so hastily that Nathan barely saw the expression, but he saw -enough to know that there was weakness in her. She was not all iron -strength. He saw enough to know that the incredible, storied Firebird -had no friend in all the System and he knew what that fact meant to her. - - - IV - -Nathan had never been in the part of the cavern which they were -entering. He knew the narrow passage must have been covered by a thin -shell of rock in his time. - -They came at last into a chamber that was the equal in size of the main -one. There was daylight visible and the pink radiance from Firebird -began to die. When it was gone she seemed smaller and more fragile -than ever. Only the little blue lights in her eyes seemed hard and -unyielding. - -Within the chamber Nathan stopped and gasped. There was the glistening, -silver hull of a space cruiser. And high on the nose of it was the -dread name: _Corsair_. - -_Corsair_--the famed pirate vessel that had outrun every ship that had -ever pursued it. In a hundred acts of piracy, the Firebird had escaped -without leaving a trace by means of the _Corsair_. - -She watched as he admired the ship. "Like it?" - -"So this is the famous _Corsair_," he said, "--and your hideout. You -must be sure of your ability to win me as an ally or to kill me." - -"I am--sure of both. But I need you more as an ally. Shall we go in?" - -The needle-like hull housed a long, spiral catway that led to the -cabins and control room. Halfway to the nose Firebird showed Nathan a -tiny cabin which he could use. - -"You'll find a supply of clothing," she said. "I find it necessary to -prepare for occasional guests who forget to bring luggage." - -Guests taken from space liners in the midst of interplanetary space, -Nathan thought. He wondered what had become of the many that the -Firebird had kidnapped that way. - -"And now the control room," she said. "I want you to become familiar -with the operation of the ship." - -All the ships that Nathan had ever known seemed like clumsy scows -beside this splendid vessel. Every device known to space navigation -and combat was in the equipment. And many instruments he failed to -recognize. - -"Who designed this ship?" - -"My father." - -"Father--" Somehow Nathan found himself unable to associate the -Firebird with any of the normalcies of life. "Who was your father?" - -Her smile was wry. "A man who was little known during his lifetime." - -He didn't pursue the subject; they could go into that later. He said, -"What I'm interested in is what do we do now?" - -"We are going to find the other three Jewels. One of them is in the -hands of your father's murderer. We do not need to worry about losing -track of that because he will follow us." - -"You know who it is?" - -"Yes--but you would not believe me." - -"Tell me!" He stepped forward, his big hands closing as if upon a -throat. - -"Our bargain," the girl reminded him. "The Jewels first--I swear we'll -not lose him." - -"The other Jewels--where are they, then?" - -"One of them is buried inaccessibly in a mountain on Mars. The other is -in the possession of one of three outlaws, all of whom are on Mars. I -have traced it to one of them. So that is where we are going." - -"How do you know who has them?" - -"That's a long story," said Firebird, "and one that has cost many years -of my life. And would have cost more without Thymar's help." - -"I'd like to know more of your story about him. He never told me until -he died that he had known you." - -"It can wait." - -Satisfied that the controls were in order, the girl turned her -attention to the engines. - -"There's trouble in the port motor," she said. "It can't be repaired -with the facilities available to us here. We'll have to take a chance -using it." - -Nathan was about to protest, then changed his mind. He and his father -had gone into space so often with decrepit and half worn equipment that -it should have made no difference, but this vessel was so sleek and -perfect that danger seemed to lurk in any minor imperfection. - -Nathan strapped himself into the inertia-controlling chair next to -Firebird. He studied the duplicate controls in front of him but kept -his hands off. - -Firebird started the warming coils to preheat the tubes. After a moment -she adjusted the ignition controls and twisted the fuel valve. - -Nathan felt as if he had been slapped suddenly with a giant pillow that -pressed him flat in the chair. The acceleration of the _Corsair_ was -greater than any he had experienced before, and his father's old ship -had never been equipped with inertia chairs. - -He caught no glimpse of the edge of the cavern's maw as the ship passed -upward through it. One instant they were in the cave, the next they -were in the sky and only seconds passed until they were soaring above -the thick cloud layer of Venus. - -After five minutes of such intense acceleration, the Firebird relaxed -and cut the controls to a point where they could breathe more easily. - -"Why the hurry?" Nathan gasped. "Nobody is chasing us!" - -Firebird made no answer. She reached towards the small panel at the -lower edge of the control board and switched on the viewing plate. -Silently, she scanned the heavens behind them and the surface of -the planet they were leaving. The focus of the plate extended and -retreated, then suddenly it concentrated upon a blunt-nosed black -vessel rising somewhere below them. - -"The Black Warrior," said Firebird. "He was watching for us to leave." - - * * * * * - -Nathan watched the black ship for hours while Firebird guided the -_Corsair_. Steadily the strange vessel gained on them. - -"We could outrun him easily," said Firebird, "if it weren't for that -bad motor. Do you know how to handle light cruiser lances?" - -"My father never carried a gun on his ship in his life." - -"I remember," said Firebird. "How I used to argue with him. He said -he wouldn't risk being caught by the police in an armed vessel, so he -never came aboard the _Corsair_." - -"Perhaps a wiser man than his son," said Nathan. - -He told himself he wanted no part of this. He was an engineer, not a -buccaneer. Yet as the black vessel approached he felt the thrill of its -challenge. The challenge of combat in the impersonal depths of space. - -His father had felt that challenge--the challenge of men and of space -itself, and he had met it with his own bare hands. It was impossible -for Nathan not to feel it. - -They kept their steady pace at an acceleration something more than -fifteen G's. Firebird gave Nathan brief instructions in the operation -of the weapons and controls. - -A viewing screen provided Nathan with sights. Its scale automatically -corrected for the relative motions of the two vessels. - -Abruptly, and without warning, the Black Warrior fired. The _Corsair's_ -defensive screens caught the blast with an absorption of energy that -made the dissipators whine and grow incandescent. - -"He's using high powered stuff," said Nathan. "Those screens can't take -much of that." - -"They weren't meant to. The _Corsair's_ main defense is her speed. -There wasn't room for heavy screens. This time our defense has to be -better shooting. Watch this." - -As she spoke, she caught the enemy ship dead in the sights and -depressed the firing button. A cloud of bright vapor seemed to envelope -the black hull. Then all was as before. - -"He's got our screens beat," said Nathan. "We'll never get through -them." - -Firebird smiled. "That's the first time that's been said in the -_Corsair_. I hope your pessimism doesn't jinx us." - -The black ship was swinging back, maneuvering closer. - -"Hang on!" Firebird exclaimed. She flung the _Corsair_ into a tight -turn and held it. - -Simultaneously, she fired the four big lances in the stern and left a -trail of flame balls that made it impossible for the enemy to follow -in their wake. Then, forcing the ship into a close spiral, she nosed -towards the black ship and fired the four forward lances together. - -Nathan watched, his hands clenched to knuckle whiteness on the control -panel, as the four flames combined and enveloped the enemy. This time -the Black Warrior's screens flamed lividly. The big ship heeled crazily -away, twisting under the forces unleashed upon it. - -But the black ship was vicious in its death agonies. Nathan saw its -beams lash out and yelled to Firebird, "Don't cross his stern!" - -Firebird saw her mistake. Both of them twisted at the dual controls to -swing the _Corsair_ away from that cone of destruction into which it -was plunging. - -It was too late. They swept across the stern of the Black Warrior which -was blasting with all it had. The _Corsair's_ screen lit momentarily. -Then the dissipators exploded in a crushing blast in the depths of the -ship. - -The interior of the control room came alive with flame. Firebird flung -her hands before her face and her silver helmet was encased in a halo -of fire. - -What protected him, Nathan never knew, but he seemed to be just outside -the sphere of burning destruction that burst through the walls of the -control room in a hundred million pin pricks of flame. For an eternity -he seemed frozen there watching the flame creeping over the slim form -of Firebird--watching it burn and smother her. - -Automatic cells closed the innumerable pin pricks made in the hull by -the entering ions of fire. The control panel was blackened and burned. -Then the flame-points faded out. - -His hypnosis induced by the flame could not have lasted more than a -fraction of a second, Nathan knew. But when he leaped out of the chair -towards Firebird, he shuddered. - -The bronze and pink of her flesh was burned to blackness. - - * * * * * - -It was impossible, he told himself numbly. This couldn't be the end of -the storied Firebird. But it was. That charred corpse could never hold -life again. - -A poignant pain of sorrow filled him as he looked upon the figure and -remembered the beauty of Firebird. He felt lost, and all the supreme -purpose in their flight to Mars had ceased. - -His mind drifted back to the scene in the cave when he had -witnessed his father's death. He recalled the words his father had -spoken--"You'll never rest until you have found all Seven of the -Jewels--or death." - -That's the way it had been with Thymar Ormondy. That's the way it had -been with Firebird. All they had found was death. - -Then, with a shock of horror, Nathan realized that was the way it would -be with him, too. His father's words were true. He would never rest -until he had found the secret of those evil Jewels or suffered the same -fate that had befallen all the other spacemen who'd given their lives -in that vain search. - -But he'd find those Jewels, he knew. And someday he'd know the secret -of the beautiful, the fantastic Firebird. - -He wondered if his father's murder had been avenged with the death of -Firebird. And he knew that he would never be sure as long as he lived. - -Nathan cut the acceleration of the ship, and then bent over to unfasten -the straps that held her in the inertia chair. Tenderly he picked up -the light body that had held the strong will of Firebird. - -He took a step towards the passage leading to the airlocks. And then he -stopped in horror. The blackened lips of Firebird moved. - -There was no sound. Only the ghostly movement of those lips to show -that Firebird lived. - -This was worse than death, Nathan thought. But she could not live long. -He carried her to her own stateroom and laid her on the bed. He bent -down and heard the faint beating of her heart. - -From a cabinet he obtained salves and drugs to ease the pain when and -if she regained consciousness. Even as he finished she began to stir. - -She moved as if in tremendous pain, and facial expression was -impossible for her. Her lips moved again. But there was no sound. - -If she should live, he knew he ought to head for Earth where the only -adequate medical facilities were. But it was a long journey to the -other side of the sun this time of year. The defunct motor would make -it even longer. It seemed impossible that she could survive the trip. - -The lips of Firebird were still moving, and now Nathan caught the trace -of a word. He bent closer. She repeated the same sound over and over -again. - -"Luline--Luline--" was the word she breathed. - -It made no sense to him. He wondered if the name were that of some -unknown relative--or if she were merely delirious. - -"Luline--Luline--take me to Luline--" - -He spoke gently into her ear. "Who is Luline?" - -She struggled mightily within herself against the pain waves attacking -her. She gasped, "Chart C-R-46. Luline." - -Nathan raced to the chart room. There it was. On Chart C-R-46, circled -in red, was the word "Luline" beside a tiny asteroid. - -This was more incomprehensible than ever. Or was the asteroid a burial -place for her mysterious clan? - -He debated heading for Earth. And then another question arose as he -thought of her burned and tortured body. Even if she could live would -she want to? On Earth her existence would be in the double prison of -iron bars and her own damaged body. - -He set the course for the asteroid, Luline. - - - V - -Slowly, in the depths of black space there swelled the blob of rock -that was the half mile diameter of Luline. - -As the ship approached, Nathan examined the surface through the screens -for a clue to Firebird's reason for wanting to go there. But it looked -the same as any other of the thousands of rocks floating through the -spacelanes. The only unusual feature was a small bright spot that -appeared to be about ten feet in diameter. It was centered in the -bottom of a large depression on one side of the rock. - -Firebird seemed to sense the presence of the asteroid as they neared. -Her body twitched nervously. Or perhaps it was only her increasing -battle with the powers of death. - -When Nathan told her they had arrived she struggled to rise. She fell -back helplessly. "The pool," she mumbled through lips that barely -moved. "Bury me in the pool of Luline." - -Though he had guessed it, Nathan was moved to pity because Firebird had -known for so many hours that she was going to her own grave. - -But he wondered what she meant by the pool of Luline. Was it that -bright spot he had noticed? There could be no liquid out here in the -depths of space. - -It was difficult to land a familiar ship on an asteroid, and since -Nathan had never landed the _Corsair_ anywhere it was next to -impossible to make an accurate landing. But the urgency of Firebird's -desire told him it was worth the risk of taking the ship down upon the -jagged surface of the strange little rock. - -He swept around it in an ever narrowing spiral until he finally came -low over the wide depression that held the shining "pool". He dropped -the ship rapidly, braking the _Corsair_ and letting it arc upwards to a -stall. - -Swiftly, Nathan cut the propulsion tubes. The forward brakes dropped -the ship to the surface. The _Corsair_ settled with a hard jolt. A poor -landing but good under the circumstances. - -Nathan hurried back to the stateroom of the Firebird. There he halted -in the doorway at the sight that met his eyes. The Firebird had risen -from the bunk and was standing in the middle of the room swaying like -some disjointed robot, gibbering wildly through her nerveless lips. She -was facing the port and shaking the stump of her hand at the shining -pool visible outside. - -Nathan caught her frantic words. "Air there--no suit--" - -She was hysterical. He made up his mind. The life of Firebird was no -more than a candle flame in a hurricane now. The least he could do was -grant her final wishes. If she wanted him to end her life by thrusting -her out into the cold of interplanetary space and bury her in the -"pool" it would be only merciful. - -He donned a space suit quickly and went back to Firebird. She had -collapsed into unconsciousness and lay in a pitiful huddle in the -middle of the floor. Perhaps she was already dead, he thought. - -Carrying her, he entered the airlock and paused the moment it required -for evacuation. It seemed to take an unusually short time to equalize -the pressure, then he stepped out. He had expected the body of Firebird -to become distorted and instantly frozen by the cold, but she changed -not at all as he stepped to the surface of the asteroid, held down by -the traction shoes of the suit. - -He checked the thermometer on his sleeve. Only thirty degrees below -zero, and not falling. - -He approached the pool that glistened like a shining disc of metal in -the brilliant sunlight. He kicked a stone onto it, and ripples arose. -It was liquid, and very dense--like a pool of mercury. - -He came to the edge and looked one last time at the face of Firebird, -the once beautiful Firebird. Then slowly, she dropped from his arms -into the pool. - -He stepped back and watched. For an instant it seemed as if she lay in -the surface, half-submerged and unmoving. Then slow fingers of waves -rose about her and dragged her beneath. - -Abruptly she was gone. It was as if she had disappeared into the -surface of a mirror. The depths of the liquid were invisible. The -unmoving surface reflected only the white-hot light of the pool into -Nathan's eyes. - -Firebird was gone. And with her disappearance there came to Nathan -the conviction that there had been nothing evil in her. She had moved -because she was driven by some wild and secret purpose that would not -give her rest. A purpose bound up in the Seven Jewels of Chamar. And -Nathan knew that somehow he would find the secret of the Jewels that -had driven his own father to death. - - * * * * * - -He suddenly turned and ran back towards the ship. He wanted to get away -as quickly as possible from this unreal world of Luline. It was a place -that breathed the presence of strange and alien ghosts. He would come -back, though--he would return to solve the mystery of Firebird after he -had been to Mars and obtained the remainder of the Jewels. - -The _Corsair_ rose slowly from Luline. He let the great ship circle -once about the mass of rock, then turned into space towards Mars. He -focused his viewing screen and glanced back at the tiny rock. The pool -reflected the sun's rays like a great heliograph. Even at this distance -it was too bright to gaze at for long. - -His only goal now was possession of all of the Seven Jewels. Firebird -had not shown him her two, but he knew they were somewhere within -the ship. The vision of the glorious depths of the two in his own -possession constantly floated before him as he let his thoughts drift -back to them. He understood now the spell to which his father had -succumbed. - -He reached to turn the viewing screen off, but glanced for one last -time at the asteroid. Suddenly the light reflected from the pool -flickered and wavered. It was as if some hand were holding a giant -mirror and shifting it back and forth--flashing some mysterious message -across the depths of space, he thought. No doubt it was due to some -peculiarity of refraction caused by the remnant of air that seemed to -lie with the cup of the depression. - -He turned to the charts and concentrated on the course. He checked the -position of Mars now and what it would be at his estimated time of -arrival. He put the figures into the computer. - -The answer came out fantastically wrong. He tried again and failed. - - * * * * * - -It was impossible to concentrate. And he knew why. That shifting -reflection from the pool of Luline. That unintelligible message flashed -across space. - -It could have been caused by the breaking of the surface of the pool. - -It had to be caused by that. - -And it would haunt him forever unless he turned back. He swung the -_Corsair_ into a turn that blacked out his vision, but when he could -see again he was headed for the asteroid once more. - -He came in too fast. He had to circle twice to brake his speed. Then -the _Corsair_ sped down into the depression and over the pool. - -Piloting required too much attention to keep a close watch on the shiny -surface, but one brief glance brought a gasp from his throat. There was -something lying at the edge of the pool that had not been there before. - -His landing this time was made with a terrific jolt that rocked the -ship. Then he entered the lock without waiting to don a spacesuit. He -knew that Firebird had been right when she said it was unnecessary. - -He kept the inner door of the lock closed to conserve the heat in the -ship, but he swung the outer door open and plunged out. - -He staggered in sudden pain as the shock of meeting that alien -atmosphere swept over him. It was not atmosphere by any human standard. -It was rarefied beyond capacity to support normal human life. He gasped -in desperate breaths and the ice needles he breathed upon the air were -sucked back in to spear his own lungs. - -Black checkerboard screens flashed across his vision, but he could see -now the object at the edge of the pool. - -There was no questioning the instinct that had driven him to turn back -the _Corsair_. Firebird lay huddled on the rocks by the pool. - -She lay as if she had been running and had fallen forward on her face. -Nathan reached her and turned her over. He stared in unbelief. - -The swaths and bandages had vanished in the pool and her body lay white -and cold under the strong light of the sun. There was not a mark on -her. The mystic properties that lay in the strange pool had performed a -miraculous resurrection and healed all traces of the ghastly burns. - -Nathan did not know whether she was yet alive or dead. She was icy to -his touch and unconscious, but he picked her up and started back to the -ship. - -The exertion in that atmosphere caused swirls of dizziness in his -brain, and he did not even ponder the question of how gravity could be -great enough to make walking possible. He expended every fraction of -his draining energy to fight back to the ship. - -At last he laid Firebird inside the lock of the _Corsair_ and closed -the outer door with the last dregs of his strength. Automatically, the -lock began to fill with warm air until the inner door swung open. - -Nathan's strength revived shortly. He turned to Firebird. Her black -hair that spilled over the floor of the lock looked as if it had never -been touched by the destroying fire. Her face was molded in the same -lines of perfection as before. And her flesh was beginning to glow with -the pink of life. The final miracle showed itself in her breathing. She -was alive. - -He carried her into the stateroom and wrapped her in blankets. Her body -was still icy from her long exposure. He started to move away to get a -hot drink when she should revive. Then her eyes opened. - -She looked wildly about, then stared at him. "I thought you had -abandoned me. Did your conscience get the better of you?" - -The hardness of her voice shocked him. He looked at her in pained -surprise. "I thought you were dead. I saw the flickering of the light -from the pool when you came out of it. I came back then only because I -couldn't believe you had really died." - -"Of course. You couldn't really know, could you?" Abruptly she was -crying. He sat down and took her hand. - -"There is no one else in the System who would not have been glad to -leave Firebird there forever," she said. - -Nathan made no reply. He could not comprehend her strangeness. But for -the moment she was no longer the fearless Firebird. She was a little -girl, lonely and lost. - - - VI - -Mars was wholesome in death before the coming of the spacemen. Now it -was the refuse heap of the Solar System. - -There was Heliopolis, of course, the great, shining, chrome-plated -space port where vessels from all parts of the System touched for -refueling and recreation of the passengers. Recreation that was not -legal on any of the other planets. - -The permanent population of Heliopolis was three fourths confidence -men. The other fourth was made up of fugitives from penal colonies and -thieves and murderers whose crimes had not caught up with them. - -But these were the elite of the population of Mars. The lower types -were found in the five suburbs surrounding Heliopolis. - -The worst of the five was Taurus, where daily morning chores was burial -of those who had been unfortunate in the night's tavern brawls. - -As the _Corsair_ approached the red planet Nathan wondered where the -incomprehensible Firebird fit into this wild and evil city. But she -claimed it for home. Regarding the miracle of Luline she had refused -to say a word and his repeated inquiries only forced her to greater -reticence and widened the gap between them until he was forced to give -up. - -It was night on that side of Mars when they dropped the _Corsair_ onto -the crowded field at the edge of Taurus. Amid the other vessels the -ship stood like a jewel in a handful of gravel. - -There was always a pause in the activities of the field when the ship -of the Firebird came in. Attendants straightened up to stare, and -wizened, space-burned adventurers paused when Firebird strode out of -the port. She went down the ramp as if she were making a grand entrance -into a ballroom. A thousand eyes were upon her, from corners of the -field, from shops and all night eateries, and from the hulls of silent -ships. - -She was a living legend walking in their midst. - -She gave instructions for the needed repairs to the _Corsair_, then the -two of them started towards the town only a quarter of a mile away. - -"What happens next?" said Nathan. - -"Almost anything, but whatever it is it will require the use of -your flame lance. Keep it handy. There will be a lot of waiting and -listening. If you wait long enough you can hear all the secrets of -the innermost chambers of the System revealed right in the taverns of -Taurus. - -"Our plan will be to let it be known that we have the four Jewels and -are here for the other three. There'll be happenings enough after that. -I'll leave it to you to spread that information." - -Nathan did not question her further. They had arrived at the garish -entrance to the "Orbit", a two story tavern a little larger than -its neighbors. Nathan had heard his father mention the place as the -unofficial headquarters of half the brigands on the spaceways. - -The noise of gambling and of drinking and tavern music poured out upon -them as they neared the place beneath the red brilliance of the sign -overhead. - -As Firebird stepped through the door, she threw back the crimson cape -and tipped her chin a trifle higher. The tinkle of gambling chips and -glasses halted and the babble of noise hushed. Firebird strode towards -the bar, unmindful of the stares. - -Nathan came more slowly. He heard whispering, first at Firebird, then -at himself. His hands stayed close to his flame lances. - -At the bar, the squat-faced bartender, Louey, was pale and flushed by -turns. His mouth gaped at Firebird as she said, "Tokeela, please." - -Louey chattered, "You're supposed to be dead. Somebody seen you. You -were dead for sure." - -"And now I'm alive for sure. I don't know what you are talking about, -but hurry with that Tokeela." - -Louey shook his head as if to clear the vision he had seen. He brought -the drink and some of the same for Nathan who was surprised that the -place even served the mild, nonintoxicating drink. - -Nathan wondered about Louey's remark. How had the rumor of Firebird's -death been started? What was its significance? - -As they picked up their glasses the babble slowly resumed, but Nathan -knew they were still the center of attention. - -Heavy smoke clouds rolled against the lights like miniature -thunderheads. Through it Nathan watched the pale faces of the women who -seldom saw daylight, and the bronze leathered faces of the spacemen. He -could see them wondering who he was and if he were with Firebird, for -he had not spoken to her since they had come in. - -Firebird made it clear. She turned abruptly and faced the room. "Folks, -I want you to meet Nathan Ormondy. You all knew his father. Thymar -was killed on Venus and Nathan has come to take his place on the -spaceways. Come up and have a drink to the new spaceman, who is as good -a man as his father ever was." - -The music died. The room seemed to freeze. - - * * * * * - -Nathan stared at Firebird. She was smiling as if at some secret joke. -The little fool, Nathan thought. She knew this would happen. Even his -limited knowledge of their codes told him that much. - -A big bronze spaceman at the nearest table looked up from his cards. -"We don't let women buy our drinks," he said. He turned back to the -cards. - -Nathan swore under his breath. What was Firebird trying to do? But it -was his move now. - -The big spaceman picked up a card from his hand and moved to throw it -on the table. The card vanished in midair and flakes of ash fell to the -table. He glanced up at Nathan's flame lance carelessly resting against -his hip. - -"Perhaps you would accept an invitation from me," said Nathan slowly. - -The spaceman eyed him narrowly. "We don't let women buy our drinks," he -said. - -His eyes didn't shift, and Nathan's seemed to flicker only for an -instant. But it was long enough for the cards in the spaceman's hand to -puff into flame. He dropped them frantically. - -His face lighted with rage and he half rose from his chair, but he said -nothing. Nathan's lance hung in the same position. - -"I think it would be a good idea for you and me to be friends," said -Nathan. - -"Yeah," said the spaceman, "it could be a good idea at that." - -He rose and stepped slowly to the bar. "Straight Scotch for mine," he -told Louey. He turned to the rest of the crowd. "Come on up, folks. My -friend here is buying us drinks." - -The hubbub resumed slowly as the crowd followed his leadership to the -bar. The spaceman edged close to Nathan. - -"Name's Tompkins," he said. "Kind of taking after your old man, I see. -Hanging around with the Firebird, I mean. I knew Thymar pretty well -when he was trailing her skirts. Kind of always figured that he did the -trigger work and she got the reputation." - -His loud drawl drew the other spacemen in a ring that was growing -tighter about Nathan. It was an old move. - -"Please don't crowd," said Nathan. "There isn't room at the bar for -everybody, but there is plenty of drink." - -The men glanced at Tompkins. - -"Sure. Don't crowd," said Tompkins. "The boy's a little trigger nervous -tonight. Maybe going to do your first job for Firebird, huh? Does she -allow you gambling and drinking money?" - -Nathan lifted his glass slowly and studied Tompkins and the men about -him. He could feel the unplumbed depths of emotion that was being -turned upon him. - -Then he got it. It was their pent up resentment and hatred of Firebird. -They would not have dared bait her like this. It would have led to -shooting, and none of them wanted to be known as her killer. - -Their own peculiar codes were responsible for this. Dueling with -Firebird would be open admission that she was their equal. She was -perfectly safe in the tavern full of thieves and killers who would have -welcomed news of her death at the hand of someone else. - -Nathan felt like laughing at himself for considering himself something -of a noble protector as he had entered the "Orbit" behind Firebird. In -reality, she was safe, but the spacemen didn't mean for him to be alive -when he left. - -"You've got me all wrong, gentlemen," said Nathan. "I think Firebird -killed my father and I'm stringing along to keep tabs on her. And we -have a little agreement that might interest you. Between us we have -four of the Seven Jewels of Chamar--" - - * * * * * - -Instantly, the smirking, taunting grins became frozen deadliness. The -circle pressed inward. - -"I wouldn't come any closer," Nathan advised. - -"Four of the Seven!" exclaimed Tompkins. "I think you're a liar." - -"We'll take care of that later," said Nathan. "We've come to get the -other three. Then we'll settle who is to keep them, as well as the -matter of my father's murder. I mention it because I thought some of -you gentlemen might help us. In fact, you might have one or more of -the Jewels right here in this room. We'll be glad to relieve you of -them." - -There was a dangerous trick with a flame lance that Nathan had learned -from his father. The flame could be made to reflect from a wooden -surface if the angle of incidence and the intensity of the beam were -just right. - -Nathan had watched the play building up in the circle about him. It was -almost ready to go. Behind Tompkins, one of the spacemen had carefully -drawn his flame lance. Nathan knew it by the slow movement of the man's -shoulders and his attempts to keep his eyes carelessly forward. - -Tompkins was keeping close against the man, one arm on the edge of the -bar. In a moment the point of the lance would appear at Tompkins' waist -and blast--as soon as Nathan's attention was turned away from Tompkins. - -Carefully, Nathan weighed his chances. He had about a fifty-fifty -chance of coming out alive. He wondered just why Firebird had devised -such a trap. Right now she was sitting alone at a table on the opposite -side of the room, apparently not paying any attention to what was going -on. - -He gauged his distance from the killer and moved a step closer to -Tompkins while draining his glass. Then he swung suddenly away, turning -his back on Tompkins. In the faces of the men surrounding him he could -see the sudden change of expression, which they could not hide. - -He called the bartender. "Fill up again, Louey. All around. I feel -lucky tonight." - -Simultaneously, his hand dropped carelessly to his side and twisted the -pocket of his flame lance to point the electrode behind him. His little -finger locked around the trigger and pressed. - -A sharp scream arose from behind Tompkins and a flame lance clattered -to the floor. Nathan whirled. Both his lances were in front of him when -he faced Tompkins. - -But Tompkins was staring down at the dead killer. And he was searching -frantically for the source of the shot. Then his glance fell on the -charred wood of the front of the bar where Nathan's reflection shot had -turned. - -At first his unbelief was amusing. Then anger came like a hurricane -across his face. - -The spacemen were hungry for a brawl. A hunching of Tompkins' shoulders -would send them rushing. Nathan could kill perhaps a dozen before they -got him. But there would be little satisfaction in that. - -He said quietly, "I'll get you first, Tompkins. Better call off your -dogs." - -Tompkins hesitated. If he gave the signal, Nathan would kill him first. -If he failed to give it, some drunk spaceman's shot might easily find -his back. - -Then a bellowing interruption solved Tompkins' problem for him. A -newcomer burst into the tavern and grasped the scene. - -He laughed with a gentle thunder. "Ho--I come to look for the son -of Thymar and find him holding up the brawlingest joint on all -Mars--including my old friend Trigger Tompkins!" - -Nathan glanced out of the corner of his eye as Tabor strode forward. - - - VII - -Tabor pushed his way into the crowd and the men backed away to return -to their tables. The mob urge was broken. - -"Put up your guns, Nathan. Can't you see that old Tom here is just -having a little fun? Why, he wouldn't hurt a fly." - -Nathan smiled thinly. "I hope the gentleman on the floor wasn't having -a little fun, too. I'm afraid he won't be able to have it now." - -Tompkins said sourly, "I thought you said Firebird and this young fool -had been killed on the way here." - -Tabor shrugged his shoulders. "That's the way news is here in these -parts of the System. Nothing reliable. Everybody's liars." - -He turned to Nathan. "There was some report about you and Firebird -having gotten into trouble and I guess the story got exaggerated. I'm -plenty glad to see you safe. I came in the _Sunbeam_ to take you back -to Venus." - -"How did you know I was here?" - -"The _Corsair_ was seen leaving. I knew you'd be aboard." - -"Why?" - -Tabor shrugged. "I saw how Firebird twisted your father around her -little finger until he got wise. I knew you'd never be able to kill her -or resist her. She's a witch. Stay aboard the _Sunbeam_ tonight and -we'll start back for Venus in the morning." - -"I'm not going back. I'm staying aboard the _Corsair_." - -Tabor's face darkened. "Your father warned you, son. She's poison. -Already you are convinced that she didn't kill him, but it'll always be -my personal opinion that she is the one who shot Thymar." - -"I believe so, too, but she has offered to help me find out who did. -I'm seeing it through to find out what she knows." - -"She's a liar and a thief. She'll get the two Jewels your father left -you and do the same to you as she did to him." - -Nathan knew that seemed the obvious conclusion, but it wasn't -reasonable in the face of things he had seen. There was something more -that was far from obvious. There was the mystery of Firebird herself -and the magic pool of Luline. And the mystery of the Jewels themselves. - -"I'll find out my own way," said Nathan. - -Tabor's face broke with a deep laugh then. "I might have known what -your answer would be. In a lifetime of argument with Thymar I never -won yet. I see I'm going to do the same with you. Let's drink. You and -Firebird come aboard the _Sunbeam_ for tonight. I'll leave for Venus -in the morning and wait for you to come back--which won't be long, I'm -predicting." - -Nathan went over to the table where Firebird still seemed to ignore her -surroundings. But there was admiration in her eyes. - -"That was nice handling," she said. "I knew you could do it." - -"It could have been done without shooting," said Nathan. - -"You don't know the 'Orbit'," Firebird replied with a smile. "No man -sets foot in here for the first time without being tried by gunfire. I -gave you the best possible opening. You took it like a veteran of the -spaceways. They'll respect you, now." - -"Tabor wants us to come aboard the _Sunbeam_ for tonight. He's leaving -for Venus in the morning and wants me to go back, but I told him that -I wouldn't." - -"Rather curious--that rumor about our being killed on the way here," -said Firebird. - -"Possibly the Black Warrior was in communication with someone just -before the battle and gave word that he was closing in on us." - -"Possibly--" Firebird's eyes were gazing across the room towards Tabor. -"I'll go aboard the _Sunbeam_ on one condition," she said. - -"What's that?" - -"Let me have your two Jewels in my possession while we are aboard. I'll -return them in the morning." - -Nathan looked at her, trying to fathom her motives, wondering why he -trusted her, why he wanted to trust her-- - -"Why?" - -"The Jewels are syncro-responsive," said Firebird. "When several of -them are together they indicate the near presence of another one by -becoming warm. The more there are together, the warmer they become. -When the nearby Jewel is very close the effect disappears." - -"I don't see--" - -"Tabor has one of the Jewels, I'm sure. The Pink one." - -"But that's the one that was stolen! That would mean--" - -"Exactly. How do you suppose he obtained the mistaken idea that we were -dead? I'll tell you how it was: He tipped off the Black Warrior who -attacked us in space. Tabor didn't dare do it himself, but he left it -for the other killer to do, then Tabor planned to take our four Jewels -from our attacker. That's why he came here--to look for the man." - -"He came to take me back." - -"Nonsense. That's a tale he thought up on the spur of the moment when -he found that we were victorious in the space battle." - -Nathan frowned. The story was logical even if it wasn't reasonable. But -Firebird had no proof. Unless she could prove Tabor had the Pink Jewel-- - -Carefully concealing his emotions from the crowd in the tavern, Nathan -unlocked the belt container of the Jewels and handed them over to -Firebird. - -"Tabor's waiting," he said. - -For Tabor, Firebird donned another cloak of personality, revealing -still another facet of herself to bewilder Nathan. She taunted and -baited Tabor as if trying to rouse his anger. - -But the shaggy spaceman seemed to be in a mood that would not be -ruffled by Firebird's taunts. Aboard the ship, they entered the tiny -lounge cabin. - -"I've got frozen Grier steak direct from Venus," Tabor said. "How does -that sound?" - -"O.K." said Nathan. - -"Then I'll show you how a master cook of the spaceways prepares it." - -He disappeared into the galley. Nathan watched Firebird. Her eyes -darted about the walls of the cabin as if searching every panel and -joint. She edged closer to Nathan on the narrow lounge seat. When Tabor -was out of sight around the corner of the corridor, she took Nathan's -hand and pressed it against the pouch where she had the four Jewels. - -The pouch was almost too hot to touch. - - * * * * * - -Questions piled upon his lips. Firebird smiled without speaking. "But -we don't know the color of it," said Nathan. - -"Right. We don't know the color of it, except that it's either blue or -pink." - -"We'll find out soon enough," said Nathan. He rose from the seat, his -lips pressed tightly. - -"No!" Firebird grasped his arm. "We don't need to do that. We'll let -him bring it to us when we need it. There's no danger of his going to -Venus, now." - -"What do you mean?" Nathan sat down reluctantly. - -"We'll head for the Pater Mountains where the seventh Jewel is buried. -You did a good job of letting it be known what we were here for. When -we start buying equipment the word will get around that we are going -for the seventh Jewel. You can be sure that Tabor will be there--and -so will the holder of the remaining Jewel. We'll have the seven then. -They'll be ours for the taking." - -Nathan nodded. "Perhaps you are right. It would be easier to force -Tabor to tip his hand out there than here in Taurus." - -The next morning they said goodbye to Tabor and watched the _Sunbeam_ -lift into the Martian sky. For a moment Nathan wondered if they were -right. If Tabor should actually be heading for Venus-- - -Since the _Corsair_ was being repaired they had a logical reason for -preparing to go to the Pater Mountains by sand sled, besides the secret -purpose of making it easy to trail them. - -They made elaborate preparations. They visited every supply store in -the Five Cities, pricing and examining sand sleds and boldly discussing -their reason for wanting one. - -By the time their equipment was assembled every spaceman in Taurus knew -of their purpose and destination. And the word passed to the other -towns on Mars as well. - -It was a late afternoon two days later when they left Taurus. Firebird -proposed a late start in order to make it easy for anyone to follow -them. Since their destination was well known they anticipated ambush -from ahead as well as trailing from behind. - -Nathan climbed into the narrow seat of the sand sled beside Firebird. -She took the wheel because she was familiar with the trail to the -Mountains. When the transparent cowling was closed over them they -seemed to be in a tiny, separate world all their own. Behind, the -muffled roar of the propeller cut the air and mounted in intensity as -the sled began to move forward and the runners hissed against the sand. - -Firebird handled the sled as if any vehicle that traveled slower than a -space ship was much too slow for her. She soon had the sled up to top -speed over the level area near Taurus and soon they were weaving among -the giant dunes. - -The great, shifting dunes of the Martian desert were forty to fifty -feet high. Already the valleys between them were filled with purple -shadows and the air was turning cold. - -The sled dipped and careened; sometimes it plunged into deep sand -valleys and whipped around the curved walls of deep blow holes until it -was tipped almost at right angles, clinging only by centrifugal force. - -Nathan had the impression that Firebird was enjoying it. The treachery -of the desert was a challenge to her skillful, daredevil driving. - -Soon the sun was down and the pale light of the twin moons was -deceptive on the sands. Firebird slowed the plunging flight of the sled -and drove cautiously then until near midnight. - -"We should be somewhere near the town of Pheme, such as it is," she -said. "The last time I saw it, it was almost a ghost town. It may have -been completely abandoned by now." - -"I've never heard of it," said Nathan. - -In a moment Firebird exclaimed, "There it is! How's that for navigation -over this desert? Right on the nose." - -Nathan laughed at Firebird's exuberance over her accuracy. He knew that -it was no small job to follow such an unmarked trail across the sands -that shifted constantly and made landmarks impossible. - -When he first saw the town it looked like only another group of dunes -until he saw some of the silhouettes had angular corners. Too angular. -Some of the walls he could see sloped crazily. - -As they came near to the town it appeared more evident that it was -merely abandoned wreckage. There were no lights at all to betray signs -of occupation. - -Slowly, Firebird brought the sled up to the edge of the group of -buildings. The floor of the town, which had been laid over the sands -to prevent the buildings from being buried or undermined by the winds -was itself covered now with shifting sands and the walls of some of the -structures leaned drunkenly under the heavy burden piled against them. - -Instead of driving into the town, Firebird turned her lights onto the -sand directly in front of the sled and began circling the ruin. - -"Where are you going?" Nathan asked. - -"I want to see if there are sled tracks leading into the ruins. -Unless they've been waiting for a couple of days we should be able to -forestall any ambush here." - -They peered ahead as the spot of light moved slowly over the sand. But -nowhere did they see the twin ruts marking the path of a sand sled. - -Suddenly Firebird stopped. "No one would bring a sled up into the town -if they wanted to ambush us. They'd know we would look for tracks. They -would leave the sled at a distance and come in on sand shoes." - -"And it's almost impossible to track those." - -"It can be done," Firebird said slowly. "But I don't think we'll have -to do it." - -"Why not?" - -She placed his hand against the Jewel pouch. It was warm with warning -heat. - -"Whoever is here has one of the Jewels, and he's not more than two -hundred feet away," said Firebird. - - - VIII - -As she spoke, a burst of flame spatted sand in front of their sled. The -shower of exploding particles blasted against the cowling. - -Firebird turned off the light and spun the sled in towards the -buildings. She sped into the shadows along what had once been the -short main street of Pheme. Then they darted into a shadow between two -buildings. - -"There may be more than one of them," said Nathan. - -The girl shook her head. "Searchers for the Seven Jewels do not work in -pairs. Not for long, anyway. One of them soon kills the other when they -do," she added enigmatically. - -Nathan glanced at her sharply, wondering if she were reminding him of -their own precarious agreement--or accusing Tabor. - -They emerged cautiously from the sled, each gripping one of their flame -rifles in addition to the smaller lances. - -"That shot came from the flat-roofed building at the end of the -street," said Nathan. - -"We'll get on the roof of this one," said Firebird. "It's a hotel. It's -the highest in town. We can fire the other building and get anyone -trying to escape." - -No other shots came their way. Nathan feared their assailant was -leaving the building on the corner and trailing them up the street. - -They entered the old hotel. A foot of sand covered the first floor. -The stairs were slippery with it. Shattered windows let the cold night -breeze flow through. On the second and third floors they disturbed -coveys of sand bats who fluttered and squeaked and poured out the -windows in a black cloud. - -The enemy would certainly know their location now. - -They came out onto the roof through a broken penthouse door, and in the -faint moonlight they had a clear view of the decaying skeleton of the -town. - -The rifles they carried would shoot flames that spread over a great -area and tended to hover like flaming coronae rather than piercing. -Thus, they would be effective in firing the buildings. - -They took up positions on opposite sides of the roof and sent a dozen -shots into the base of the enemy hideout. But they had miscalculated -as Nathan had feared. A fusillade of shots came from a roof directly -across the street from them and their building burst into torrents of -flame. - -They transferred their fire to the building from which the shots came. -The flames hovered and glowed like demons around the base of the -structure, but they died like wraiths. - -"I remember now," said Firebird. "That's the one fireproof building in -Pheme. It was a special instrument laboratory. We'll have to smoke him -out." - -The tiny orange puffs of a flame lance came steadily from varying -points of the other building as if the enemy were running about, -pausing only long enough to shoot. - -The flames from the burning building had already touched off the -adjacent structures. The entire ghost town would be ablaze in a short -time. Burning brands lit on the roof beside Nathan. They died, but -others were coming in a rain of fire. - -They could see the enemy by the light of the fire now. They fired the -buildings on either side and forced him to keep low. But his shots were -close and accurate. Nathan and Firebird shifted positions after each -shot, but the parapet in front of them was sieved accurately. - -Then Nathan suddenly realized that the building behind them was aflame -and its light silhouetted them against the holes in the parapet. No -wonder the enemy could find them. - -He shouted to Firebird, "Get down!" - -She was too good a flame lancer to be disturbed by his shouting. She -remained calmly in position, taking a bead on the opposite window, -waiting for the appearance of the top of the enemy's head. - -He came up for a quick sight upon the perfect target of the holes which -Firebird blacked out. They fired simultaneously. - -Firebird's shot hit the edge of the window, spraying flame over the -wall and curling it into the window. Some of it must have washed -over the enemy, but too much of its energy had been dissipated to be -effective. - - * * * * * - -But Firebird was hit. Her body slumped down over the rifle and lay flat -on the roof. Crawling on his belly, Nathan wriggled over to her and -raised her head. She was unconscious, but no horrible blackening of her -flesh showed the touch of flame lance fire. Then he saw where it had -struck. Her silver helmet. - -It was too hot to touch. He knocked it away with his fist. Beneath it, -her raven hair was singed but slightly. The electric shock had done -most of the damage. He bent over her tenderly and fanned her face with -the edge of her scarlet cloak. She began to stir. She opened her eyes -and looked up at him. In that instant he knew that their lives were -inseparably welded. No word was spoken, but he felt her trembling as if -she suddenly knew it, too, and was afraid of it. - -After a moment she looked about and spoke, her voice unsteady. "We'll -have to get down. The hotel is on fire." - -Nathan followed the direction of her glance. The open door of the -penthouse sent smoke billowing outward. - -"We'll never get down through the interior," said Nathan. He glanced at -the adjacent building. It was one story lower and ten feet away. - -Firebird saw his glance and shook her head. "We can't get over that -way. He'd shoot us the instant we tried it. We'll have to go inside." - -"But it's impossible." - -Firebird smiled. "After you've been to the pool of Luline, many things -are possible. Here--" - -She unclasped the cloak from her throat and threw it about Nathan. -"Protect your head and wrap it around you as much as possible. It won't -burn." - -Before he could protest, she wriggled away over the surface of the -roof, keeping low out of the fire of their assailant. She plunged -through the penthouse door into the inferno. - -The smoke and flame billowed about her, licking at her slender, -unprotected body. Nathan tried to catch her, but the blinding vapors -made him stumble and fall clumsily. He wanted to throw the cloak about -her again, but he was forced to gather it about him in order to make -any headway at all. - -Miraculously, Firebird seemed unharmed by the flames. On the second -floor Nathan made out her figure hurrying far ahead of him. Her -clothing was smouldering but her bare arms and legs seemed to glow with -that same inner light that he had seen back in the cave on Venus. - -He stumbled in the treacherous sand and lost sight of her again. He -slid and fell down the first floor stairway, which was almost burned -away. His weight on it sent ominous vibrations through it, and he tried -to tread lightly. - -Firebird was nowhere to be seen when he reached the street level. He -raced outside in time to see the sand sled start up and disappear -around the corner of the building. A puff of flame smashed against the -sand in front of him. The enemy was watching for them to leave. - -That was why Firebird had moved the sled. He went back into the burning -building and fought his way to a back window out of the enemy's line of -fire. He found Firebird waiting for him there. The smell of smoke was -in her hair, but she seemed unharmed by the flames. - -She gave him no time for questions. "I'm going to drive around the -town. Fire every building with the rifle. That will drive him out -eventually." - -She twisted the sled out through the narrow street to the open desert -and began circling. Nathan pressed the rifle through the open port and -fired continually at the wooden buildings. - -They watched sharply for their assailant, but he was apparently not -aware of their escape. As they finished the circle, Firebird turned the -sled out into the desert and swung up the far side of a high dune. - -"We'll watch for him to make a break for his sled," she said. "When he -does, we'll let him get started and follow closely. He won't be able -to fire while driving, and he won't dare stop because we'll be on him." - -Nathan nodded. As Firebird stopped the sled, he handed her the cloak, a -mere handful of cloth. "I'd like to know what the secret of this cloak -is--and how you made it through that fire without protection." - -Firebird smiled. "So would a lot of other people." Then she sobered and -added, "I think perhaps you will be the one to know--some day." - -She turned away and watched the burning ghost village. It was a -beautiful hell of flame. Every building was yellow with fire. The -desert was lit for miles around, and the sound of the crackling was -like the sound of some great battle. - -"He can't stay in there much longer," said Firebird. The heat was -already strongly felt at the dune. - -"There he is!" Nathan exclaimed. - - * * * * * - -A figure burst suddenly out of the inferno and ran towards the far side -of the burning town. - -"We're on the wrong side," said Firebird. "Keep your eye on him and -we'll move over if we can do it without being seen." - -Cautiously, through the blow holes and behind dunes, they made their -way forward. The sound of their engines and propellers was muffled in -the roar of the fire. - -They topped a rise and Nathan exclaimed, "There's his sled. He's -moving." - -"He must think we're dead," said Firebird. "He probably plans to come -back and search the ruins for the Jewels when it's cooled off." - -She added speed to overtake the other sled. It was in sight only part -of the time and it would be easy to lose in the dunes and blow holes. - -Nathan lowered the port a trifle and stuck the nose of the rifle -through. He got a bead on the forward sled. And the instant he pressed -the trigger, their own sled dipped down so that his shot went low. - -But it served to warn their quarry of their presence. He must have -whirled to get a look at them, for the sled wobbled crazily for an -instant. - -He dipped out of sight behind a dune and was gone when they reached -the spot. Dunes blocked sight in all directions and a dozen paths -branched out between them. - -"Over there!" Nathan pointed to a fine sand cloud that betrayed the -presence of the sled beyond the dunes. - -Firebird followed and soon they came in sight again. Nathan fired -another shot that went wide because of the plunging motion of the sled. -Then the enemy suddenly plunged into the depths of an immense blow hole. - -Firebird swung wide of the hole. Nathan glanced at her in puzzlement. -"Where are you going?" - -"Not down there. It would be fatal to get into a dog fight around the -sides of that blow hole. We'll wait for him to come out and hope it is -somewhere near us." - -From the top of a small dune they caught sight of the other sled -speeding around the inside of the hole. But he knew he had failed to -lure them into it where he would have had as good chance as they. He -sped up and over the edge opposite them. - -Firebird started the sled moving again. Nathan kept his eye on the -enemy. Even as he watched the other paused. "He's not running away. -He's going to turn and fight!" - -Firebird held her speed down and let the other build up. He came in -shooting. Puffs of flame spurted from the small lance he was firing -through the port. - -Nathan raised the rifle and fired. The shot struck midway between the -motor and the cabin and the enemy sled burst into flames. - -"Good hit!" exclaimed Firebird. Then her face tensed. "He's going to -ram us. Get his steering runner." - -The blazing sled was hurtling towards them at terrific speed now. It -was impossible to turn aside so that the enemy could not follow easily. -Firebird tried it and the other sled changed to a new collision course. - -Nathan fired again. Then a shot pierced their own housing as Firebird -tried to weave out of the collision course. It made shooting difficult -for Nathan but he put another shot into the motor of the enemy. - -The blazing comet of the enemy sled was less than three hundred feet -away now. Firebird could have turned tail to avoid collision, but that -was apparently what the enemy wanted. His own position was increasingly -desperate with the flames licking about the cabin and threatening the -fuel tank. - -Firebird kept weaving and brought out her own lance. She tried to hit -the pilot, but her shots went wild. - -"Stop weaving," said Nathan. "I've got to get a bead on that runner or -we'll have to turn tail." - -"It'll be your last shot," said Firebird, but she complied. Her slim -hands held the sled steadily on a course towards the flaming wreckage -that bore down upon them like a meteor. - -Nathan raised in his seat and aimed carefully. He pressed the trigger. -It was a hit. The steering runner of the enemy collapsed. The blazing -sled reared end over end into the air hurtling towards them with the -force of its momentum. - -Firebird gave the wheel a mighty jerk and swerved aside as the wreckage -plummeted into the space they had just vacated. - -For moments they simply drove forward without saying anything as they -lost speed. - -"That was too close," Nathan said. "I waited too long for that shot." - -"You got him. That's what counts." - -He looked at Firebird. She was not disturbed by their narrow escape. It -was obviously not in her philosophy to hold post mortems. - -They swung back to the blazing wreckage. The light of dawn streaked -the sky before it was cool enough to approach. There was no tangible -remains of the enemy who had died in the flames. - -"It couldn't have been Tabor. He shoots better than that," said Nathan. - -Firebird poked among the embers, using the pouch containing the four -Jewels as an indicator. Then she caught the sparkle in the sands. - -It was the Blue Jewel. - - - IX - -The bloody dawn of Mars lit the ruins of Pheme as they sped past it -again. Though they had not slept they did not feel sleepy as daylight -came. - -Their attack and the acquisition of the Blue Jewel left two horrible -alternatives in Nathan's mind. If it had been Tabor who had attacked -them surely he had not known their identity and would not have fired on -them if he had. In this case, Nathan had slain his father's lifelong -friend without cause. - -Or if it had not been Tabor it meant that Tabor possessed the sixth -Jewel--the pink one--and was the murderer Nathan sought. - -He thrust both thoughts out of his mind and forced himself to think of -the task ahead. The peaks of the Pater Mountains were not even visible -on the horizon. Soon the heat of the desert day made itself felt. They -switched on the air conditioning after Nathan patched the hole in the -cabin housing. - -They ate as they drove, and in the afternoon, Firebird explained the -course and they alternated driving and sleeping. - -Near sunset they glimpsed the distant, ominous crags of the Pater -Mountains. They looked like some gargantuan graveyard where the stark -bones of giants had been heaped. - -The wind was rising and spinning sheets of sand from the desert -surface. The sandstorms of Mars are not simply the whipping, -wind-driven sands of Earth. They are mighty electrical storms in which -clouds of sand gather in the sky and are charged with millions of volts -of potential by their ceaseless grinding against one another. - -It grew dark quickly with the sand clouds masking the twilight. -Streamers of fire began to lace the mountain top. A continuous purple -corona gave it the aspect of luminescence. - -The mountain rose slowly out of the desert and the sand gave way -gradually to a trail of broken rocks that ground and protested against -the runners of the sled. - -"We'll go from here on foot in the morning," said Firebird. As she -brought the sled to a halt she leaped quickly out and started tugging -at a huge boulder nearby. - -Nathan stared in puzzlement. The boulder slowly tipped on its side, -exposing a small cavern. - -"We'll hide the sled in here. I'll show you why in the morning." - -They prepared a place to sleep for the night and alternated watches. -At dawn they gathered their packs of food and water and the weapons. -Firebird carefully closed the cavern over the sled. - -She led the way along the trail that soon rose to increasing heights -above the desert. They came across the burned and blackened ruins of a -sand sled, destroyed with all its equipment. - -"That belonged to someone who came up here for the first time as well -as the last," said Firebird. "There is no love lost between searchers -for the Seven Jewels. They burn each others' sleds when found." - -The corona lightning increased with terrible streamers of blue and -violet light that twisted about the peaks like living things. The air -was charged with ozone and Nathan felt the dry crackling of electric -discharges in his hair and on his body. - -Firebird abruptly left the trails and struck out across the face of the -mountain. Nathan followed and soon they came to a large overhanging -rock. They slipped beneath the overhang and came into a narrow, -half-enclosed passage. - -"Get behind me now and watch carefully," said Firebird. She turned and -faced the opening under the overhang. "We may not have too long to -wait." - -Nathan didn't quite understand, but he waited in silence. Beyond -the opening, the rocks were gathered round to form a sort of small -vestibule and nothing could be seen beyond that. - -But abruptly a man appeared in the vestibule. Firebird shot him without -warning. - -"I just saved twenty lives," she said through thin lips. "Robert the -Dog has killed five innocent men that I know of. He could have been -expected to kill twenty more if he had lived ten more years." - -Nathan stared from the body of the dead man to the marble face of -Firebird as she sat there--judge and executioner. They waited an hour -and another man appeared. She killed him, too. - -"I've saved his mother the agony of knowing him hung for treason. The -police have been ready for a month to pull him in." - -They waited until midday, but no one else appeared. At last Firebird -turned and advanced cautiously along the passageway. Nathan felt now -that killers lurked behind every stone. He didn't need Firebird's -warning to keep a sharp lookout. - -They crept along a mile of the tortuous trail beneath the copper sky, -then dipped suddenly into the blackness of a cavern. The ghostly corona -that hovered over the mountain provided a faint gleam in the darkness -but scarcely enough to guide them. - -"Take my arm," said Firebird. "I can make it in the dark." - -Nathan felt the tremor that was in her slight body. Some emotion beyond -the grasp of his senses was surging through her. But he felt that -before they left the cavern he would know what it was. - -After a time they came to a spiral ramp that seemed to be endless as -it dropped them into the depths of the purple glow. Suddenly Firebird -placed Nathan's hand on the Jewel pouch. It was faintly warm. - -"The buried Jewel?" Nathan whispered. - -"No--the Pink one. We're still not far enough in. Your father's -murderer was waiting for us somewhere inside. He's following us now." - - * * * * * - -Nathan was filled with pain for either he had slain Tabor unjustly or -else he would shortly kill him to avenge the murder of his father. - -The ramp leveled out shortly and they made a sharp turn. Then Firebird -halted. "This is where we stop. Be careful. He's behind us somewhere." - -"Yes, right behind you." - -Out of the darkness came the unmistakable voice of Tabor. - -Nathan whirled, reaching for his guns, but Firebird gave him a mighty -shove that sent him sprawling into the corner of a deep niche in the -cavern wall. - -"I thought you went to Venus," Nathan gasped in hate and rage. "What do -you want, Tabor?" - -"The Jewels of Chamar. I'm your friend and your father's friend, -Nathan, but first I'm a spaceman, and the Jewels of Chamar are above -all friendship to a spaceman. Still, I'm an honorable man. I'll fight -you for them, Nathan." - -"Why didn't you just shoot us in the back as you did my father?" - -"Why will you misunderstand me, Nathan? I had to do what I did to force -Thymar to reveal where he had hidden the Jewels of Venus. He always -said it was better for just one man to know that at a time. I agreed -with him, but it was too bad that we didn't have the same man in mind." - -"You dirty killer--" - -"He'll accept your challenge on one condition," said Firebird. -"Provided that you place the Pink Jewel in here in a pile with the -others." - -"You'll accept on no conditions at all!" roared Tabor, "if I say so. -But I'd rather like to see them all together. Put them on the floor." - -Firebird placed the five Jewels on the floor. Their rainbow -phosphorescence seemed to Nathan to be a living force that touched him -with strength and with peace. - -From his hiding place behind a jagged boulder Tabor threw in the Pink -Jewel and it landed beside the others. "Now, I've got something to -fight for--!" - -Firebird's flame lance aimed at the point where she had first seen the -glowing Pink Jewel. A bubble of flame exploded. - -Tabor's bellowing laugh ended in a roar of anger. "I'd know your touch -anywhere, Firebird. Your honor was born in a pig pen." - -Nathan tried to sense the direction of the sound. Then he aimed the -rifle carefully. A ball of flame spattered upon the boulder and washed -over its edges. He engraved the lighted scene in his mind. - -"That was you, Nathan? You remember well what I told you about blackout -combat. Use the rifle to illuminate the scene of battle. That is good. -But do you remember what a rifle flame will do in a small space?" - -Instantly, a rifle flame sped towards them. It blasted against the wall -of the niche and flowed around in a sheet of blinding whiteness that -gave off an intolerable heat before it died. - -Nathan and Firebird crouched low at opposite sides of the opening. - -"We'll have to get out," she whispered. "You take the right and I'll -take the left, and we'll close in on him. Get behind cover as soon as -possible." - -"No! You can't risk that. It would be impossible to find cover before -he illuminated you in a rifle flame. Let me try one more thing." - -He sent another shot higher than the previous one. It burst upon the -floor far behind Tabor. Nathan got a glimpse of a distant boulder -directly behind the spot where Tabor was hidden. - -Before he could shoot again another blast exploded within the niche. In -its light, Nathan saw that Firebird was gone. - -A wave of terror, an anxiety such as he had never known before, swept -through him at the thought of her out there in plain view of Tabor. He -aimed carefully with his small flame lance and tried to visualize the -small boulder behind Tabor. - -The flame hit and crashed away. Tabor's voice grunted, "A reflective -shot? Good work, Nathan. Unfortunately I wasn't in the plane of -incidence and reflection. And, Firebird, I hear you coming." - -A sudden flame shot off towards the depths of the cavern at Nathan's -left. There was a single agonizing scream in Firebird's voice. - -Then nothing. - -Tabor broke the silence. "Sorry, Nathan. I guess you'd gone pretty soft -on her." - -"You murderer!" - -"Keep cool. Remember what I always taught you. Never let an enemy make -you commit suicide by making you lose your head." - -The niche was like a coffin in the darkness. Tabor's evil taunting and -Firebird's scream seemed to combine in an echoing song of torment that -swelled and beat upon his senses. - - * * * * * - -And then, in the purple darkness, the six Jewels that lay on the -floor seized his attention. Where their color had seemed merely -phosphorescent before, it now seemed to blaze up as if hidden fires had -come to life. Nathan watched to make sure his eyes were not merely -becoming more accustomed to the darkness. But it was more than that. -The light pulsed and rose in the niche. It climbed the walls and filled -the air with twitching streamers that seemed like living things. - -And it was making him an easy target for a reflective shot from Tabor. -But what did it matter what happened to him now that Firebird was gone? - -He fired a half dozen shots in rapid succession. - -"Wild, all wild," taunted Tabor. "You must do it with precision. Like -this!" - -A flame shot through the niche, but it ricocheted from the edge of the -opening and missed Nathan's head by only a foot. The blast seared his -face and blinded his eyes. - -"See what I mean?" said Tabor. - -He had the range now, Nathan knew. That's what the rifle shots had been -for--to enable him to determine a good spot to make a reflective shot -into the depths of the niche. - -But in his own wild shots Nathan had glimpsed something that gave him -new hope. - -He had to move quickly. Another shot from Tabor grazed close to him, -but it reflected from the opposite side of the opening where Tabor had -miscalculated that Nathan would move. - -Nathan said nothing, but dropped to the floor. He adjusted the rifle -to automatic fire, and lay in the opening of the niche. He pressed the -trigger and a river of fire swept across the floor and flowed about the -base of the boulder that hid Tabor--and under it! - -The boulder rested on narrow, jagged faces, between which there were -openings. It was through these that Tabor had been firing and Nathan -had glimpsed the secret of his protection. - -The flame raced about Tabor in a torrent of light. It leaped upon him -and outlined him as if in St. Elmo's fire. - -He jerked up in searing pain, and in that instant a single shot came -from across the cavern and found its mark. The fire died before Tabor -fell, but the sound of his dead body smashing to the floor was loud in -the dark silence. - -"Your father's murder is avenged," said a voice from across the cavern. - -"Firebird. I thought--" - -"I had to make you think what I made Tabor think. I threw a stone to -give him a target. There was no protection out here. I had only one -shot to risk." - -Nathan rushed towards the sound of her voice, and crushed her close -to him to reassure himself that she was unharmed. In the light of the -Jewels that was now pouring from the niche he could almost see her -face. It seemed rich with gladness. - -The light was flickering now like auroral curtains of fire. - -"What is it?" murmured Nathan. - -"Wait--you'll see. This is what I've lived for. My work is finished -now." - -It seemed to Nathan that they stood there for an interminable length of -time while the light rose and fell, but gradually swelled until they -could see each other plainly. - -There came a high note like the far away tinkling of chimes. The Jewels -were rising from the floor. Firebird's hand on his arm restrained -Nathan from rushing forward. - -"Wait," she commanded. - -The Jewels rose higher and then they began to float out of the niche -towards the two Earthlings, carrying their ghostly light with them. - -[Illustration: _The Jewels rose higher, carrying their ghostly light -with them._] - -Nathan stared. Where there had been only six Jewels in the niche, there -were now seven floating in the air. Three were end to end, forming a -vertical pillar. Around this pillar the other four formed a rotating -square. As it rotated faster or slower the pitch of the musical note -rose or fell. - -The singing, floating Jewels came nearer ... vibrating with the forces -of life. And then out of the midst of them a voice spoke. - -"You have done well. You have my gratitude. I shall reward you." - -Nathan felt a prickling of the back of his neck. And suddenly Firebird -clutched his arm and was sobbing faintly. "Are we too late?" she asked. - -"The ship of Plar has waited long, but the Envoys are patient. They -await my report." - -The Jewels wheeled in the air and sped towards the tunnel ramp that -bore upward to the surface. - -"Come," the voice said. - -Mechanically, Firebird followed. Nathan moved beside her, not looking -back at the fallen Tabor. - -"What is it?" Nathan whispered hoarsely. "Are the Jewels alive?" - -"Long ago," said Firebird, "the Envoys of Plar came into our System. -They came from a universe so far away that our greatest telescopes have -never given a clue to its presence. The inhabitants of that world are -life forms with a basis of metallic salts and they are formed as you -see this one. They are literally Jewels. The life forces are contained -in mighty storage cells of raw electronic energy reduced to its -simplest form. Some of the creatures are only single Jewels. The Envoys -are of the highest type, having seven. - -"The life in them was dormant until they were brought together again. -The Seventh Jewel was the brain so to speak. Each of the others might -be likened to an arm or other organ of a human body, though that is far -from accurate. The warming of the Jewels as they were brought nearer -was the reaching out of their mutual life forces to seize upon each -other. But no controlling life was there until the Seventh was near. It -was buried deep in the ground, but the attraction between it and the -other six was enough to draw it out to reunite with them." - - * * * * * - -Nathan watched the weird form as it gyrated in the air before them and -lighted the way through the caverns. "What does it mean?" - -"Centuries ago--in our time--the Jewel Beings of Plar left on an -expedition to explore the universe and study the inhabitants of the -planets they came to. They found their science and skill to be so -vastly superior to any other that they contacted, that they decided to -help the backward peoples they found and share their science with those -who could benefit by it. They hoped to speed the evolutionary advances -of these races and some day establish a congress of the worlds. To -those who had no space flight they revealed the secret of the art. And -so on with other arts and sciences." - -"Do they intend to make such gifts to the Solar System?" - -"Their decision to help a race is determined by the report of one of -the Envoys who is placed on a world for secret investigation. Chamar, -the seven-jeweled one, was the Envoy placed to report on Earth and the -Solar System." - -"Chamar! But how did he get scattered? Wasn't that like death to him?" - -"They are nearly immortal. Chamar was left here by the expedition -and the rest of them went on. My grandfather was the first to whom -Chamar revealed himself. But soon after that the Envoy was blasted in -a laboratory explosion. My grandfather died of the injuries received -there, but first he told my father about the Envoy. - -"My father didn't know what the reaction of the other Envoys would be -when they returned, but he felt they would deny the Solar System their -gifts unless Chamar were restored to them. He spent the rest of his -life in the search. When he died he passed on the responsibility to -me. He forced me to swear I'd spend my life in the search. And I have -done it willingly, for Earth will receive gifts beyond man's wildest -dreaming." - -"But the myth of the Seven Jewels has been in existence for nearly two -hundred years!" Nathan exclaimed. - -Firebird was silent. They came out of the purple darkness into daylight -again. The Envoy was barely visible in the light but the constant, -high-pitched note told of his presence. - -"The legend of Firebird is almost that old, too," she said. - -"But there are supposed to have been many who called themselves -Firebird. Surely you--" Nathan halted and stared at her. - -"There has been only one Firebird," she said. "Chamar made one gift to -my grandfather before the explosion. That was the pool of Luline. When -I was only fifteen my father took me to it and I dipped in it for the -first time. Besides its miraculous healing properties, the pool slows -the rate of decay of animal organisms. It gives a natural life of a -thousand years. It changes human tissue. You have seen the light that -comes from my flesh, and you have seen me walk unharmed in the flames -at Pheme, as well as witnessing my vision in the dark. All these are of -the pool of Luline. But in a hundred and fifty years I have aged only -ten." - -The end of the hidden trail brought them out onto the rocky -mountainside. They walked until the sharp tinkle of bells swelled upon -the air. Their eyes focused in the space ahead of them. At first -they could see nothing. Even the Envoy of Plar had become lost in the -sunlight. - -Then they caught the silken sheen of the almost invisible surface of -the globe that hung in the air above the trail. The ship of Plar. - -They knew instinctively that its substance was no material they could -identify. Rather, it was a pure field, a segment out of another time, -another space that hung there. It was massive, its dimensions uncertain. - -Then a familiar sound came close to them in midair and they turned -quickly. - -"They have come," Chamar said. "I have given my report and now they are -debating your case." - -"Must they debate?" Firebird's voice was suddenly thin and a strange -tremor was in it. "Is there doubt of their granting the gifts which -they have?" - -"Each world must stand upon its own merits." - -"But you are one of them. Can you not tell us?" - -"I am not permitted to vote upon a world which I have examined. That is -the law." - - * * * * * - -The Envoy was suddenly motionless in the air before them, and a wild -tinkling seemed to come from within the great invisible ship of Plar. -An answering sound came from the Envoy. - -"Envoy! What is it?" cried Firebird. - -"They have come to a decision." - -"The Gifts--?" - -"Are not to be given." - -There was no physical change in Firebird. Only her voice seemed as if -her spirit had flown. "What have we done?" she asked. - -"Not you--all the races of the System," said Chamar. "I have seen them -all, felt their thoughts, known their actions in the century and a -half that I have been here. I had to report the wars and bloodshed and -thievery and hate that I have seen. I knew the Envoys would not grant -their Gifts to such a System as yours." - -"Is there only evil?" said Firebird. "Is there no good?" - -"Not all is evil. But too much is. In a world where too many men want -to rule all other men, we cannot bring powers that would be only a -curse to you. Your eyes are too weak to stand the brightness of their -light. Your backs lack strength to carry their burden. In ten thousand -you may be ready, but until then the Envoys shall not return." - -There was a moment of silence, then the Envoy spoke kindly. "You, -Firebird, what would you do? Your self-chosen mission is completed." - -Firebird's head came up slowly. "My mission is not completed. It has -not even begun. I can shorten that ten thousand years. I'll stand in -the way of a thousand men who would have it long. You'll come back to -this System quicker because of me." - -"That is good," Chamar said, and they imagined he was smiling benignly -upon them. "That is what I hoped you would say. Because of your -decision I shall stay even though my companions must go. I shall be -near you all the rest of the days of your life, and when you want my -help it shall be yours for the asking. Powers that I cannot give to you -will be used for you. You won't see me always for I shall do my own -work, but wherever you are, call upon me and I will answer. I go to -arrange with my companions." - -The creature sped into the bubble of light and vanished from their -sight. The bubble itself lifted from the surface and burst into the -sky, leaving them alone. - -The cold wind of the desert broke upon them and whipped their cloaks -about their bodies. They stood as if still in a trance, but Nathan -moved slowly down the trail after a moment, drawing Firebird by the arm. - -They did not speak until they came to the sled. It was safe in the -hiding place where they had left it. Nathan climbed behind the wheel -and pointed the nose of the sled across the desert towards the far -cities of Heliopolis and the Five Towns. - -The sled hissed over the sands, rocked between the high dunes and -challenged the desert winds. And there was exultation in that challenge. - -He spoke at last. "Where are you going, now? Is this the end of -Firebird?" - -She shook her head and smiled wanly at him. "There'll never be an end -to the Firebird. By the time I am dead the legends will be so fabulous -that they will never die. I'll make the name of Firebird a name to -be feared among thieves and murderers in the high and low place of -society. I'll fight the cause of justice in the realms where the law -can never reach. Firebird will be the name to scourge evil on the -spaceways. - -"And what of you, Nathan? Your father's murder is avenged. Will you -return to Venus?" - -She was trying to smile, but Nathan turned and saw the smile waver on -her lips, and his heart beat harder because he thought he knew why it -wavered. - -There was in her mind the vision of endless centuries with no one to -share her secret, no one to love--except the cold Jewel Being from Plar. - -Nathan touched her hand. "I suppose I'll go back to Venus now and then. -But there's somewhere else I must go first." - -"Where?" - -"To the Pool of Luline. Do you think I'm going to let you live the rest -of that thousand years alone?" - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Seven Jewels of Chamar, by Raymond F. Jones - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEVEN JEWELS OF CHAMAR *** - -***** This file should be named 63886.txt or 63886.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/8/8/63886/ - -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 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. 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