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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..f9399cd --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #64234 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64234) diff --git a/old/64234-0.txt b/old/64234-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9ace3bd..0000000 --- a/old/64234-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1197 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Miss Tweedham's Elogarsn, by Robert Moore -Williams - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Miss Tweedham's Elogarsn - -Author: Robert Moore Williams - -Release Date: January 08, 2021 [eBook #64234] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS TWEEDHAM'S ELOGARSN *** - - - - - Miss Tweedham's Elogarsn - - By ROBERT MOORE WILLIAMS - - _The choice was Miss Tweedham's. Either a thlat - and freedom--or Malovel and his esse. She chose - the latter. Dangerous, yes. But with them came - Sanderson, man among men on this desert star._ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Planet Stories September 1953. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -L'Sor, the Martian, said, "Why don't you humans go back to Earth? -You're too soft to stay alive on Mars." He spoke good English but his -voice was edged with contempt. - -"Maybe you've gone soft in Sandersonville but I haven't," Ed Early -answered. - -"Bah!" L'Sor said. "You talk big, but Malovel will hold you in the -hollow of his hands just as he holds the rest of you humans here. You -humans are all alike, big talk but no action." - -Early looked startled. "I don't know this Malovel," he said. - -"You will know him if you are going to stay here," L'Sor said. "You -will know him, and the esse. But I do not think you will remain. I -think you will tuck your tail between your legs and go sneaking away -like a desert jackal." - -Listening, John Sanderson, the boss of Sandersonville, made no effort -to interfere. Now was a good time to learn what kind of metal was -inside Early and L'Sor was a good instrument for the investigation. The -Martian was completely outspoken. Sanderson waited quietly to see what -Early would say and do. The woman, Miss Tweedham, was also silent. She -watched this scene from startled eyes. - -Early had come riding a thlat across the desert, a tough, grim, bitter -little man with bluster a foot thick all over him. Sanderson had not -asked him his business here. The woman, Miss Tweedham, had arrived in -a rocket taxi from the space port. Both of them had been brought to -him. At first meeting he had rather liked Miss Tweedham. She was a big -woman tired of her work and had come to Mars to find something that had -been missing in her life. At the thought, Sanderson shook his head. She -would find plenty here! - -She would also discover how glad she was that all of it had been -missing from her life. Of course, they would have to send her back -home, otherwise she would end up running screaming across the deserts -toward the space port. In the meantime, she might as well see things as -they really were. It would be something to whisper, in a shocked tone -of voice, to her best friends when she got back to Earth. He watched -her out of the corners of his eyes. - -"Who's going to make me tuck my tail between my legs, Fiddlefoot?" -Early said angrily. - -"Fiddlefoot!" At the word, a violent tremor passed over the Martian. -He reached for the knife bolstered at his belt. The anger of his race -showed in his yellow eyes. - -"The man is a fool," Sanderson spoke. "Overlook his words." - -"Well, Great One--" - -"Let him try to use the knife," Early said, his hand in the pocket of -his ragged coat. "I'll make him eat it." - -"I wouldn't advise--" - -"No fiddlefooted Martian can run a bluff on me. And that goes for this -Malovel too." - -"Maybe he is not bluffing. He is one of Malovel's priests." - -"I don't get this Malovel but what I said still goes, for Fiddlefoot -here and his boss, too." - - * * * * * - -Sanderson gestured through a window to a terraced slope. Beyond it, -mountains rose into the sky. Along the terraces, following the viaducts -that brought water downward from the reservoirs above, Martian crops -grew green and luxuriant. On the lowest level were the human fields, -with the crops drying to stunted stems and twisted leaves. On top of -this slope a square structure sprawled. Sanderson gestured toward it. - -"Malovel is up there. He is the high priest, the ruler of the Martians -here--and of the humans." - -"I thought you bossed the humans," Early said. - -"Malovel controls the water supply," Sanderson answered. - -"Oh, I see!" Understanding gleamed in Early's eyes. "If you don't do -what he says, he won't give you the water for irrigation. That's it, -huh?" - -Sanderson nodded. - -"And you put up with this kind of treatment?" Surprise sounded -in Early's voice. He studied Sanderson carefully as if he were -re-evaluating him. - -Again Sanderson nodded. - -"Well, I'm damned!" Early said. "John Sanderson putting up with this! -John Sanderson letting a local Martian big shot tell him what to do! -Oh, I get it now." Again understanding gleamed in Early's eyes. "You've -lost, your nerve! That's it. Johnny Sanderson has gone soft." Early -seemed very pleased with himself for this computation. - -The silence that followed was broken by a grunt of contempt from L'Sor. -"Give the fool a thlat and send him on his way. We don't want him here." - -Early seemed not to hear. "Hah! By heck! So you've lost your nerve! And -Sandersonville is hanging here like a ripe peach ready to drop into the -pocket of anybody who has the guts to shake the tree! I heard rumors -that this had happened but I just didn't believe it." - -He pulled an object from his pocket. It was a bum-bum gun. Sanderson -seemed not to see it. L'Sor grunted contemptuously. Miss Tweedham -caught her breath. Early moved toward the door. - -"Where are you going?" Sanderson said. - -"I'm going up and put the fix on this Malovel," Early said. "Then -I'm coming back down here and I'm taking over Sandersonville. Johnny -Sanderson has lost his nerve and he's through." He stalked through the -door. - -Through the window, Sanderson watched him go quickly up the slope. In -this light gravity, the man walked rapidly. He was soon out of sight. -L'Sor and Miss Tweedham moved to Sanderson's side at the window. - -"You deliberately needled him into going up there," Miss Tweedham spoke. - -"Why should I do that?" - -"Maybe because you're scared to go yourself." Her voice had a cutting -edge that grated along Sanderson's nerves. Beside him, he heard L'Sor's -sharply indrawn breath, a sure sign of rising anger in the Martian. - -"Why don't you go to this ruler and demand water?" The schoolteacher -continued. "You're the leader here. Are you going to let your people -starve?" - -Sanderson wiped a thin film of sweat from his face. "Nobody has starved -yet." - -"How long before 'yet' becomes 'Died of Starvation A.D. 2179' on a -tombstone? Or will Malovel let you erect tombstones?" - -"He hasn't objected yet." - -"Why don't you do something about this?" - -"There are two reasons. One is our own bargain, our own agreement. The -other is the esse. Malovel has the esse." - -"What's the esse?" - -"It's a weapon," Sanderson said, uncomfortably. "We don't talk much -about it." - -"Which means you're scared and don't knew what you're afraid of. I -still think--EEK!" A gust of sharp, protesting sound exploded from her -lips. A hand came up. With her index finger, she made little jabbing -motions toward the chair where Early had been sitting. - -"What--what is that?" Her voice was suddenly shrill. - -A doll, or an old dwarf, or a worn-out elf was sitting in the chair. -Miss Tweedham pointed at this. The doll was relaxed and at ease. Its -head had fallen forward across its chest. The doll was remarkably -life-like. Every hair was visible on the head, each skin wrinkle was -clear on the back of the neck. The clothing was ragged, holes showed in -the bottoms of the shoes. - -"What--what is that?" the woman repeated. - -"That's Ed Early," Sanderson said. - -"Uh--uh--" - -"The esse." L'Sor breathed. "Malovel used the esse." - -"Early's dead," Sanderson said. "Quite dead." He stepped forward in -time to catch Miss Tweedham before she fell. - - * * * * * - -In trying to be calm, Sanderson found he needed all of his years of -training to grasp even a semblance of what he sought. Behind him, in -the bedroom, he could hear Big Marie moving again. The moaning in there -had stopped. He tried to distract himself by looking through the window -but the sight of the withered crops trying to grow added nothing to the -calm he was seeking. He thought how precarious was the hold of this -little group of humans on Mars--and on life itself. - -Two men carrying a small box came into view. The box was small but the -men carried it as if it were heavy. The esse shrunk the size but did -not reduce the mass. In the box, Early weighed just as much as he had -ever weighed but he would not take up as much room in the graveyard. - -Behind Sanderson the bedroom door opened. He turned quickly. Big Marie -stood there. Her dark face was sullen. - -"How is she?" - -"She's all right. It was a strain on her, suddenly seeing him sitting -there the size of a doll when the last time she had seen him he had -been a full-sized man going up the slope." - -"It always is a strain the first time you see it. Will she be all -right?" - -"Yes. Maybe her dreams won't be so good for a while. Why did she come -here?" - -"I didn't ask her." - -Big Marie stared steadily at him. "What is she to you, John?" - -"Nothing. She just arrived." - -"If she becomes anything to you I will kill her," Big Marie said -calmly. - -"Damn it, Marie, I've got enough trouble on my hands without you trying -to blow a fuse. If I want the woman, I'll take her. If I don't want -her, I won't take her. Is that clear?" - -"Ain't I enough for you?" - -"You're enough for ten men. I'm thinking of establishing polyandry -here, just for your sake. But--Well, hello." Miss Tweedham came through -the door. "How are you feeling?" - -"I'm alive, I guess." Her face was pale but composed, her walk was -steady. "That awful thing." A shudder passed across her face. "How did -it get back there in the chair without us seeing it coming?" - -"Elogarsn, the Martians call such trips. Humans know it as -telportation." - -"But what is it?" - -"You've got a word for it, what more do you want?" - -"Nothing, I guess." She looked from Big Marie to Sanderson. "There was -some talk about taking a woman. Were you talking about me?" - -"What do you think?" - -"I think I may have something to say about it." - -"Then say it." Sanderson waited for the woman to speak. She looked -confused, but did not answer. - -"He is not really this hard," Big Marie said. "It is just that he is -worried." - -"Don't apologize for me." - -The door opened and L'Sor entered without knocking. "They told me I -would find you here," he said. "Malovel will see you at once." - -"All right, I'm coming," Sanderson said. He turned to the door. - -"Wait a minute," Miss Tweedham protested. "Do you mean you're going -to--after what you just saw, you're going to--" - -"What did I just see?" Sanderson said. He went out. L'Sor followed him -without comment. - -Miss Tweedham's lips formed unvoiced sounds. "But--that awful Martian -may kill him." - -"Do you think that would stop him?" Big Marie said. "What kind of a man -do you think he is?" - -"I don't care what kind of a man he is." - -"He has kept us alive when nobody else could have done it," Big Marie -said. "If he says he wants you, Baby, my advice is to play give-inee." -Big Marie went into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. It -opened again an instant later. "You'll be the luckiest woman this side -of heaven." The door slammed shut this time. - - * * * * * - -Malovel was old and wrinkled. His skin hung about his face in loose -folds and his hands were the skinny claws of a bird. He slept, ate, -and defecated in the big padded chair that was his throne. Under the -bird-talon fingers a number of differently colored squares were set -into the arms of the chair. - -Officious priests in blue robes took Sanderson to him. L'Sor was not -invited to accompany them and he did not request the privilege. - -Malovel went straight to the heart of the matter. "There will be no -more water for humans," he said. A slave standing beside his chair gave -him a sip out of a small cup. His yellow eyes twinkled at the human. - -"Eh? What?" Sanderson gasped. "Holy One! A bargain was made." - -"What bargain?" - -"That the humans would keep the peace and that the Holy One would see -that we have adequate water for our fields. Other services of mutual -advantage to both sides were included. Thus the humans taught the -Martians how to raise grain from Earth, and supplied them--" - -"Who made this bargain?" Malovel said. - -"Does not the Holy One remember? He and I made it four years ago when -the human settlement was started here." - -A flicker of surprise passed through Malovel's eyes. The slave hastily -placed the cup to his lips. He sipped the red liquid. - -"Oh, yes, I remember now." The tone of his voice said that remembering -was a matter of no importance. "I have changed my mind. There will be -no more water for humans." - -"But Holy One--" - -"I have spoken. Does the human wish to dispute me?" Malovel's -bird-talon fingers went eagerly to the squares on the arms of the -chair. An eager look crept into his yellow eyes. - -The slob is hoping I will defy him so he can have the pleasure of -using the esse on me, Sanderson thought. Aloud he said: "Your will is -our highest law, Holy One." - -Regret showed on the Martian's face. "Then be gone, all of you, by -the next rising of the sun." The fingers remained on the square as if -Malovel was still treasuring a lingering hope that this human would -defy him. - -"Yes, Holy One," Sanderson said. Backing out of the audience hall, he -wondered how even Malovel expected them to be gone by tomorrow even if -they had a place to go! Inhospitable deserts surrounded them, making -impossible a flight across Mars. Earth would welcome them back--if they -could get there--but not a man or a woman here would welcome Earth. - -Returning to the human settlement he saw that all work had stopped and -that everyone was waiting for him. The news that he had been summoned -to Malovel had gotten around. "Meeting right away," he said to each man -he met. The drift to the assembly hall began immediately. - -He stood in front of them, a tall man with bitterness on his face. Less -than a hundred humans looked up at him, all who lived here. He did not -have to ask for silence. The men and the women who entered here showed -no inclination to talk. - -"We have until tomorrow to leave," he said. - -Silence continued in the big room. These people had already braced -themselves against bad news. - -"If you ask me why we have to leave, I can only tell you it is by order -of Malovel. If you ask me why he gave this order, I can only say he is -an old, tired, worn-out ruler, who is kept alive only by his greed for -power. What better way to demonstrate his power than by ordering the -humans to leave?" - -He paused, took a deep breath. "We made a bargain with him. He has -violated the agreement. This ties up the package. All rules are off." - -At the words, a gust of something seemed to run through the room. It -was partly sound, but more than anything else, it was pure emotion, a -blast of it. - -"What is happening?" Miss Tweedham whispered to Big Marie. - -"He's turning loose his dogs," Big Marie answered. "Almost tamed, all -of them were, until he turned them loose. Now they're pure wolf." - -"I don't know what you're talking about." - -"You'll find out, Baby," Big Marie said. - - * * * * * - -From the front of the room Sanderson's voice caught her ears, pulling -her attention to him. - -"All of you know that we have sincerely hoped that this would not -happen. However, we have always considered the possibility that it -might happen. Thus, we have made our plans down to the last detail." - -Again the thin buzz and the blast of emotion went through the room. - -"Miss Tweedham," Sanderson spoke. "Come forward, please." - -His voice lifted her to her feet and took her to the front of the room. -"Yes? What do you want?" - -His face made a smile. "Since you are new here, and not one of us, you -will want to leave." - -She was confused. She felt it inside her and it showed on her face. - -"It is impossible to call a taxi from the space port. We do not have -radio facilities. However, we can provide a thlat for you to ride, and -food and water for a week. In that time you can reach the space port. -It will not be a comfortable trip but it will be more comfortable than -staying here." - -"I--is that--" - -"I'm sorry but this is the best we can offer you. Our facilities here -are primitive." - -"What happens if I don't want to leave?" Miss Tweedham blurted out. - -"Eh?" Sanderson was startled. He looked again at this rather big woman -with the pleasant, tolerant face. "Do you mean that?" - -"Would I say it if I didn't mean it?" - -"Well--" Sanderson coughed. "In that case, you will be assigned duties." - -"I'll take the duties." - -"Without asking what they will be?" He seemed suddenly uneasy, and yet -at the same time he seemed pleased. - -"Yes." - -He blinked at her, then nodded as if he was even better pleased. "Take -your turn in line, please." - -Men were already moving to the front of the hall. They lifted a large -slab of stone from the floor there, revealing a box-filled cavity -beneath. A man dropped down and began to hand up the boxes. A line -was forming. Miss Tweedham moved into it. Sanderson was taking small -objects from the boxes and was handing one to each person in line. Miss -Tweedham did not see what the objects were until one was handed to her. -Then she saw. - -"But these are bum-bum guns!" she said. She did not take the weapon. - -"Yes, they are," Sanderson said. - -"That man, Early, had one of these." - -"Yes, he did." - -"It didn't do him any good." - -"No, it didn't." - -"Move on, Baby, you're holding up the line," Big Marie said. - -Miss Tweedham took the bum-bum gun. - -"Do you know how to operate it?" Sanderson said. - -She turned the weapon in her fingers. "Yes, I know how to use it." - -"Eh?" Sanderson seemed startled. - -"Move on, Baby," Big Marie said again. Miss Tweedham moved on. Big -Marie took a bum-bum gun. In addition, she requested a knife. From -another box Sanderson supplied her with a blade ten inches long. She -tested the edge on her thumb. "I'll have to hone it," she said. - -"Be sure you remember whose throat you are to cut," Sanderson said. - -"I won't forget that." - -"It isn't my throat," Sanderson said. - -"Isn't it?" Big Marie answered. - -When the guns and knives had been distributed, Sanderson opened -another box. Maps were in it. They were crudely but clearly drawn. -He distributed them to a number of key men. "You will find detailed -instructions here for you and your group. I don't suppose I need to -remind you of the consequences of failure." - -Again the buzz ran through the room. - -"You seem to have everything well organized," Miss Tweedham said: - -"Organization was my line before I came to Mars," Sanderson answered. -He lifted his voice. "Deimos is the signal. When it rises above the -horizon tonight, we go into action." - -The buzz grew louder. To Miss Tweedham, it sounded like a swarm of -angry hornets. - - * * * * * - -Seeming to be a part of the night, four figures crouched against the -wall beside the closed door. Bright stars twinkled overhead. In this -thin air there seemed to be millions of stars sprinkled like arc lights -in the sky. - -Miss Tweedham clutched the bum-bum gun and listened to the sound of her -own heart. Beside her, Big Marie leaned against the wall in nonchalant -ease. On the other side of her, Sanderson and the Martian L'Sor -whispered quietly. - -"Is that Martian all right?" Miss Tweedham said to Big Marie. - -"If he ain't, we're in the soup." - -"But how do we know?" - -"We don't. John Sanderson trusts him. That's enough for me. And anyhow, -if it hadn't been for L'Sor, we would never have learned enough about -the esse to stand a chance against it." - -Miss Tweedham made choking sounds as a vision of the doll came up -before her eyes so real she could see it all over again. - -On the horizon a light appeared. Deimos rising. It was not an -impressive sight. Outlined against the arc lights of the stars, Deimos -hung in the sky like a glow worm at the Feast of the Lanterns. - -"The door, L'Sor," Sanderson said. - -The Martian inserted a key in the slot. The door opened into a -courtyard. The four passed through. - -"Big Marie, you and Miss Tweedham are to stay here and guard this door. -L'Sor and I will be returning this way." - -"Yes, John." - -The two women crouched against the wall. Sanderson and the Martian -moved across the courtyard and vanished. Then Big Marie moved. "You -stay here and guard this door. I'm going after them. Those two damned -fools have assigned themselves the job of tackling Malovel and the esse -all alone." - -For a few minutes Miss Tweedham stayed beside the door. Then, clutching -her bum-bum gun, she followed Big Marie. - -At night, the big throne chair was moved into the sleeping quarters. -Malovel dozed fitfully in it. A slave was constantly beside him, -always ready to pass the precious liquid to lips as parched as the -fields the humans were trying to cultivate. Through thin gauze -curtains, female slaves could be seen sleeping in the adjoining room. -They were at Malovel's beck and call but he had long since passed the -stage where they were of any use to him. - -He existed now as almost pure hate. All that kept him alive was his -hatred of all creatures more nearly alive than he was. Martians, -humans, the sand jackals howling in the deserts, he hated them all -because they were what he was not--alive. - -As he dozed, his fingers played over the squares in the arms of his -chair. He dreamed of using the esse. Even in sleep his hate yearned to -express itself. - -A stir sounded at the door as his private guard challenged a wall -watcher bringing information to him. The sound aroused him, irritated -him. The wall watcher insisted on being brought before him. - -"What is it?" - -The tone sent shivers through the wall watcher. But he thought his news -was important. "Holy One, I heard footsteps outside the walls." - -Malovel considered this information. If it was true, he didn't like it. -If it was untrue, he liked it even less. Most of all he disliked having -his sleep interrupted. - -"Fool! Some lover goes to his mistress and you interrupt my rest -because of this!" - -"But--Holy One--" - -"Out of my sight." - -The wall watcher hastily backed from the room. Malovel watched. Some -residue of his dream remained in his mind. His fingers moved on the -squares. A throb sounded in the room. The wall watcher screamed. -Invisible fingers seemed to come out of nowhere and seize him. The -fingers pressed against him with terrific force. He began to shrink in -size. When he was the size of a doll, Malovel shifted his fingers on -the squares. The doll was lifted upward and out of the room. - -Malovel settled back in his chair. The slave hastily pressed the cup to -his lips. He sucked greedily at the red liquid. Strength surged up in -him. It came as much from the satisfaction of seeing the wall watcher -die as from the red syrup. He had destroyed a wall watcher! He was a -mighty killer! Who dared to oppose him? - -His eyes circled the room, seeking any one who dared to oppose him. -Beside his chair, the male slave froze. Beyond the thin curtains, the -shivering females stopped moving. - -Slowly, Malovel settled back into his chair. Again he dozed. This time -there was satisfaction in him and he slept better than before. Beside -him, the male slave dared to breathe again. His private guards went on -tiptoe from the room. The females huddled down against the pillows and -tried to sleep. - -Sounds came from inside the building. A Martian shouted. The shout went -into quick silence as soft phuts sounded. - -A breathless palace guard again insisted on being admitted to Malovel's -presence. The guards at the door told him what had happened to the wall -watcher. The guard insisted his report was true and important. He was -permitted to enter. Again Malovel awakened. - -"The humans are in the palace, Holy One." - -"What?" - -"You can hear them." - -Listening, Malovel caught an echo of a shout, then a burst of phuts. -For a second he was startled. Then a gleam appeared in his eyes. As -he had thought they would if he stopped the water for the fields, the -humans had attacked the palace. Now he had a chance to use the esse -again, to taste to the full the surge of power that came to him when he -used that weapon. - -At his word of command, the slave swung up in front of him what looked -like a frosted mirror but which revealed what was happening where he -sent the esse. The mirror showed a corridor, with Martians and humans -fighting there. - -A look of vast satisfaction appeared on Malovel's face. He caressed the -squares on the arms of his throne chair. - -"Once a bargain was made, Holy One," a voice said behind him. - -Malovel spun in his chair. He stared in horror at what he saw there. -The human, Sanderson, and the Martian, L'Sor. A Martian traitor! Behind -them a secret door was open in the wall, a relic of the long-gone -days when Malovel had used that exit. He had forgotten its existence. -But L'Sor had smelled it out. Both the human and the Martian held the -little weapons that the humans called bum-bum guns. L'Sor's weapon -menaced the slave, who stood motionless. - -"A bargain was made four years ago," Sanderson said. - -"I changed my mind." - -"Why?" - -"Perhaps to start this fight, to give myself the pleasure of destroying -you." - -As he spoke, Malovel's fingers pressed a square. The human might be -fast with the bum-bum gun but the esse was faster than any human -action, as fast as light itself. As Malovel pressed the square, the -esse formed. - -A scream sounded in the room. Sanderson was shoved to one side. The -esse caught something, Malovel did not quite see what it was. He poured -power into it. Malovel caught a glimpse of the doll forming as the -mighty fingers of the esse squeezed life from it. - -A glimpse was all he caught. A bum-bum slug splashed his head over the -room. The eager glow in his eyes seemed to turn into a yellow aura then -lingered a second after he was gone. Then it went too. - - * * * * * - -Miss Tweedham went forward as quickly as she could. When the shouts -and the phuts began, she was afraid, but she was even more afraid of -losing sight of Big Marie. Then Big Marie did disappear. Miss Tweedham -clutched her gun and waited, her heart up in her throat. A scream rang -out ahead of her. The sound moved her forward and into the throne rooms -of Malovel. - -Malovel, headless, was lying stretched across his throne chair. - -Staring down at something, Sanderson was kneeling on the floor. Miss -Tweedham moved to his side, saw the object at which he stared. - -He glanced up at her, nodded toward the object on the floor. "She -shoved me out of the way and the esse got her. I had no idea it was -that fast." His voice was tight with suppressed feelings. - -"Back on Earth she killed two men. That was why she came to Mars. She -died here, saving the life of a third man." Sanderson's face was wry -and twisted. - -The object on the floor was a doll with the features of Big Marie. - -"Great One, work remains," L'Sor urged. - -Sanderson rose. He lifted the body of Malovel from the throne chair, -threw it across the room. Then he seated himself in the chair and began -to study the controls. In the distance shouts sounded, Martians and -humans locked in battle. The shouting of the Martians went into quick -silence as Sanderson began to operate the controls on the arms of the -chair. - -A little later the humans were crowding into the room. They were a -motley lot. Some were covered with blood, others carried arms in -improvised slings, one supported himself between two companions. They -looked at the occupant of the throne chair and began to grin. - -"Well done, boys," John Sanderson said. "I never pulled a sweeter, -cleaner, tougher job." - -The room echoed with the fierce shouting of triumphant men. - -Miss Tweedham went away. - -When Sanderson found her, the stars were going down and the day was -coming. Clutching her purse in one hand and the bum-bum gun in the -other, she was seated on a bench outside the house where Big Marie had -once lived. Sanderson came up. She moved and made room for him and he -sat down beside her. - -"Look," he said, pointing. "Water is coming down the ditches to our -fields." - -Miss Tweedham could see the water. Already the crops were responding to -the magic touch of it. She could also see the glow on John Sanderson's -face. The glow on his face was one of the nicest sights she had ever -seen in her life. A man watching water come to parched fields.... - -"But I imagine you had a rather exciting night," he said, turning to -her. - -"Yes. Yes. It was that." - -"Well, you will forget the horror of it. Maybe you can even learn to -have fun telling your classes back on Earth about the wild night you -spent on Mars." He grinned at her. "I don't know how you're fixed -financially, but if you're broke, I imagine we can find passage money -among us." - -Miss Tweedham clutched her purse. "But what if I don't want to go back -to Earth?" - -His voice was gentle but with overtones of pain in it. "This is no -place for a woman like you, a woman of refinement and culture." - -"Why not?" she asked. - -"Don't you know the truth about us yet?" he said, surprised. "Haven't -you guessed it? None of us can go back to Earth. We're wanted men -there." - -"Criminals?" Miss Tweedham said, flinching. - -"Yes." Sanderson choked over the word but he got it out. - -"And what were you back on Earth?" - -"I ran the Syndicate," Sanderson answered. - -"Then that explains your genius for organization." - -"I had had some experience in organization before I came here," -Sanderson said, grimly. "That was why the boys made me boss. Now as to -your return to Earth--" - -"As I said before, maybe I don't want to go back." - -Sanderson stared at her. "But you have to go back. You don't belong -here." - -"Maybe I came here for the same reason you and all the others -came. Maybe I knew what I was coming to. Maybe I chose this place -deliberately." - -"What?" Sanderson gasped. - -Miss Tweedham faced him without flinching. "You haven't asked me what I -really was back on Earth." - -"Eh? A school teacher--" - -"You still haven't asked me." - -"Eh? What were you?" - -"A call girl," Miss Tweedham answered, without flinching. - -"Uh--ah--" - -"I'm not going back to that," Miss Tweedham said. - -Sanderson sought for words. He stuttered them out. "Do--do you--do you -think you will ever be a call girl again?" - -"Only when you call," Miss Tweedham answered. - -In the light of the coming dawn, John Sanderson's face showed beet red. -Then, slowly, he began to grin. His eyes lifted from her, his gaze -went to the fields where now the water was flowing in the irrigation -ditches. "That's wonderful," he said. - -Miss Tweedham did not know whether he was talking about what she had -said, or the water bringing life to the parched fields. She decided -that whatever he was talking about, the meaning was the same in the end. - -"I'm going to see about the water," he said, rising. - -She smiled. Deep in her heart she knew he was going there to feel the -new growth beginning. When he was too far away to see what she was -doing, she opened her purse. From it, she took a piece of stiff folded -paper. - -_Lifetime Teaching Certificate_, the paper said. - -Slowly, Miss Tweedham tore the paper into tiny bits. She watched the -dry, restless wind of Mars blow them away. Then she rose and followed -John Sanderson toward the growing fields. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS TWEEDHAM'S ELOGARSN *** - -***** This file should be named 64234-0.txt or 64234-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/6/4/2/3/64234/ - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Miss Tweedham's Elogarsn</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Robert Moore Williams</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: January 08, 2021 [eBook #64234]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS TWEEDHAM'S ELOGARSN ***</div> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>Miss Tweedham's Elogarsn</h1> - -<h2>By ROBERT MOORE WILLIAMS</h2> - -<p><i>The choice was Miss Tweedham's. Either a thlat<br /> -and freedom—or Malovel and his esse. She chose<br /> -the latter. Dangerous, yes. But with them came<br /> -Sanderson, man among men on this desert star.</i></p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Planet Stories September 1953.<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>L'Sor, the Martian, said, "Why don't you humans go back to Earth? -You're too soft to stay alive on Mars." He spoke good English but his -voice was edged with contempt.</p> - -<p>"Maybe you've gone soft in Sandersonville but I haven't," Ed Early -answered.</p> - -<p>"Bah!" L'Sor said. "You talk big, but Malovel will hold you in the -hollow of his hands just as he holds the rest of you humans here. You -humans are all alike, big talk but no action."</p> - -<p>Early looked startled. "I don't know this Malovel," he said.</p> - -<p>"You will know him if you are going to stay here," L'Sor said. "You -will know him, and the esse. But I do not think you will remain. I -think you will tuck your tail between your legs and go sneaking away -like a desert jackal."</p> - -<p>Listening, John Sanderson, the boss of Sandersonville, made no effort -to interfere. Now was a good time to learn what kind of metal was -inside Early and L'Sor was a good instrument for the investigation. The -Martian was completely outspoken. Sanderson waited quietly to see what -Early would say and do. The woman, Miss Tweedham, was also silent. She -watched this scene from startled eyes.</p> - -<p>Early had come riding a thlat across the desert, a tough, grim, bitter -little man with bluster a foot thick all over him. Sanderson had not -asked him his business here. The woman, Miss Tweedham, had arrived in -a rocket taxi from the space port. Both of them had been brought to -him. At first meeting he had rather liked Miss Tweedham. She was a big -woman tired of her work and had come to Mars to find something that had -been missing in her life. At the thought, Sanderson shook his head. She -would find plenty here!</p> - -<p>She would also discover how glad she was that all of it had been -missing from her life. Of course, they would have to send her back -home, otherwise she would end up running screaming across the deserts -toward the space port. In the meantime, she might as well see things as -they really were. It would be something to whisper, in a shocked tone -of voice, to her best friends when she got back to Earth. He watched -her out of the corners of his eyes.</p> - -<p>"Who's going to make me tuck my tail between my legs, Fiddlefoot?" -Early said angrily.</p> - -<p>"Fiddlefoot!" At the word, a violent tremor passed over the Martian. -He reached for the knife bolstered at his belt. The anger of his race -showed in his yellow eyes.</p> - -<p>"The man is a fool," Sanderson spoke. "Overlook his words."</p> - -<p>"Well, Great One—"</p> - -<p>"Let him try to use the knife," Early said, his hand in the pocket of -his ragged coat. "I'll make him eat it."</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't advise—"</p> - -<p>"No fiddlefooted Martian can run a bluff on me. And that goes for this -Malovel too."</p> - -<p>"Maybe he is not bluffing. He is one of Malovel's priests."</p> - -<p>"I don't get this Malovel but what I said still goes, for Fiddlefoot -here and his boss, too."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Sanderson gestured through a window to a terraced slope. Beyond it, -mountains rose into the sky. Along the terraces, following the viaducts -that brought water downward from the reservoirs above, Martian crops -grew green and luxuriant. On the lowest level were the human fields, -with the crops drying to stunted stems and twisted leaves. On top of -this slope a square structure sprawled. Sanderson gestured toward it.</p> - -<p>"Malovel is up there. He is the high priest, the ruler of the Martians -here—and of the humans."</p> - -<p>"I thought you bossed the humans," Early said.</p> - -<p>"Malovel controls the water supply," Sanderson answered.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I see!" Understanding gleamed in Early's eyes. "If you don't do -what he says, he won't give you the water for irrigation. That's it, -huh?"</p> - -<p>Sanderson nodded.</p> - -<p>"And you put up with this kind of treatment?" Surprise sounded -in Early's voice. He studied Sanderson carefully as if he were -re-evaluating him.</p> - -<p>Again Sanderson nodded.</p> - -<p>"Well, I'm damned!" Early said. "John Sanderson putting up with this! -John Sanderson letting a local Martian big shot tell him what to do! -Oh, I get it now." Again understanding gleamed in Early's eyes. "You've -lost, your nerve! That's it. Johnny Sanderson has gone soft." Early -seemed very pleased with himself for this computation.</p> - -<p>The silence that followed was broken by a grunt of contempt from L'Sor. -"Give the fool a thlat and send him on his way. We don't want him here."</p> - -<p>Early seemed not to hear. "Hah! By heck! So you've lost your nerve! And -Sandersonville is hanging here like a ripe peach ready to drop into the -pocket of anybody who has the guts to shake the tree! I heard rumors -that this had happened but I just didn't believe it."</p> - -<p>He pulled an object from his pocket. It was a bum-bum gun. Sanderson -seemed not to see it. L'Sor grunted contemptuously. Miss Tweedham -caught her breath. Early moved toward the door.</p> - -<p>"Where are you going?" Sanderson said.</p> - -<p>"I'm going up and put the fix on this Malovel," Early said. "Then -I'm coming back down here and I'm taking over Sandersonville. Johnny -Sanderson has lost his nerve and he's through." He stalked through the -door.</p> - -<p>Through the window, Sanderson watched him go quickly up the slope. In -this light gravity, the man walked rapidly. He was soon out of sight. -L'Sor and Miss Tweedham moved to Sanderson's side at the window.</p> - -<p>"You deliberately needled him into going up there," Miss Tweedham spoke.</p> - -<p>"Why should I do that?"</p> - -<p>"Maybe because you're scared to go yourself." Her voice had a cutting -edge that grated along Sanderson's nerves. Beside him, he heard L'Sor's -sharply indrawn breath, a sure sign of rising anger in the Martian.</p> - -<p>"Why don't you go to this ruler and demand water?" The schoolteacher -continued. "You're the leader here. Are you going to let your people -starve?"</p> - -<p>Sanderson wiped a thin film of sweat from his face. "Nobody has starved -yet."</p> - -<p>"How long before 'yet' becomes 'Died of Starvation A.D. 2179' on a -tombstone? Or will Malovel let you erect tombstones?"</p> - -<p>"He hasn't objected yet."</p> - -<p>"Why don't you do something about this?"</p> - -<p>"There are two reasons. One is our own bargain, our own agreement. The -other is the esse. Malovel has the esse."</p> - -<p>"What's the esse?"</p> - -<p>"It's a weapon," Sanderson said, uncomfortably. "We don't talk much -about it."</p> - -<p>"Which means you're scared and don't knew what you're afraid of. I -still think—EEK!" A gust of sharp, protesting sound exploded from her -lips. A hand came up. With her index finger, she made little jabbing -motions toward the chair where Early had been sitting.</p> - -<p>"What—what is that?" Her voice was suddenly shrill.</p> - -<p>A doll, or an old dwarf, or a worn-out elf was sitting in the chair. -Miss Tweedham pointed at this. The doll was relaxed and at ease. Its -head had fallen forward across its chest. The doll was remarkably -life-like. Every hair was visible on the head, each skin wrinkle was -clear on the back of the neck. The clothing was ragged, holes showed in -the bottoms of the shoes.</p> - -<p>"What—what is that?" the woman repeated.</p> - -<p>"That's Ed Early," Sanderson said.</p> - -<p>"Uh—uh—"</p> - -<p>"The esse." L'Sor breathed. "Malovel used the esse."</p> - -<p>"Early's dead," Sanderson said. "Quite dead." He stepped forward in -time to catch Miss Tweedham before she fell.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In trying to be calm, Sanderson found he needed all of his years of -training to grasp even a semblance of what he sought. Behind him, in -the bedroom, he could hear Big Marie moving again. The moaning in there -had stopped. He tried to distract himself by looking through the window -but the sight of the withered crops trying to grow added nothing to the -calm he was seeking. He thought how precarious was the hold of this -little group of humans on Mars—and on life itself.</p> - -<p>Two men carrying a small box came into view. The box was small but the -men carried it as if it were heavy. The esse shrunk the size but did -not reduce the mass. In the box, Early weighed just as much as he had -ever weighed but he would not take up as much room in the graveyard.</p> - -<p>Behind Sanderson the bedroom door opened. He turned quickly. Big Marie -stood there. Her dark face was sullen.</p> - -<p>"How is she?"</p> - -<p>"She's all right. It was a strain on her, suddenly seeing him sitting -there the size of a doll when the last time she had seen him he had -been a full-sized man going up the slope."</p> - -<p>"It always is a strain the first time you see it. Will she be all -right?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. Maybe her dreams won't be so good for a while. Why did she come -here?"</p> - -<p>"I didn't ask her."</p> - -<p>Big Marie stared steadily at him. "What is she to you, John?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing. She just arrived."</p> - -<p>"If she becomes anything to you I will kill her," Big Marie said -calmly.</p> - -<p>"Damn it, Marie, I've got enough trouble on my hands without you trying -to blow a fuse. If I want the woman, I'll take her. If I don't want -her, I won't take her. Is that clear?"</p> - -<p>"Ain't I enough for you?"</p> - -<p>"You're enough for ten men. I'm thinking of establishing polyandry -here, just for your sake. But—Well, hello." Miss Tweedham came through -the door. "How are you feeling?"</p> - -<p>"I'm alive, I guess." Her face was pale but composed, her walk was -steady. "That awful thing." A shudder passed across her face. "How did -it get back there in the chair without us seeing it coming?"</p> - -<p>"Elogarsn, the Martians call such trips. Humans know it as -telportation."</p> - -<p>"But what is it?"</p> - -<p>"You've got a word for it, what more do you want?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing, I guess." She looked from Big Marie to Sanderson. "There was -some talk about taking a woman. Were you talking about me?"</p> - -<p>"What do you think?"</p> - -<p>"I think I may have something to say about it."</p> - -<p>"Then say it." Sanderson waited for the woman to speak. She looked -confused, but did not answer.</p> - -<p>"He is not really this hard," Big Marie said. "It is just that he is -worried."</p> - -<p>"Don't apologize for me."</p> - -<p>The door opened and L'Sor entered without knocking. "They told me I -would find you here," he said. "Malovel will see you at once."</p> - -<p>"All right, I'm coming," Sanderson said. He turned to the door.</p> - -<p>"Wait a minute," Miss Tweedham protested. "Do you mean you're going -to—after what you just saw, you're going to—"</p> - -<p>"What did I just see?" Sanderson said. He went out. L'Sor followed him -without comment.</p> - -<p>Miss Tweedham's lips formed unvoiced sounds. "But—that awful Martian -may kill him."</p> - -<p>"Do you think that would stop him?" Big Marie said. "What kind of a man -do you think he is?"</p> - -<p>"I don't care what kind of a man he is."</p> - -<p>"He has kept us alive when nobody else could have done it," Big Marie -said. "If he says he wants you, Baby, my advice is to play give-inee." -Big Marie went into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. It -opened again an instant later. "You'll be the luckiest woman this side -of heaven." The door slammed shut this time.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Malovel was old and wrinkled. His skin hung about his face in loose -folds and his hands were the skinny claws of a bird. He slept, ate, -and defecated in the big padded chair that was his throne. Under the -bird-talon fingers a number of differently colored squares were set -into the arms of the chair.</p> - -<p>Officious priests in blue robes took Sanderson to him. L'Sor was not -invited to accompany them and he did not request the privilege.</p> - -<p>Malovel went straight to the heart of the matter. "There will be no -more water for humans," he said. A slave standing beside his chair gave -him a sip out of a small cup. His yellow eyes twinkled at the human.</p> - -<p>"Eh? What?" Sanderson gasped. "Holy One! A bargain was made."</p> - -<p>"What bargain?"</p> - -<p>"That the humans would keep the peace and that the Holy One would see -that we have adequate water for our fields. Other services of mutual -advantage to both sides were included. Thus the humans taught the -Martians how to raise grain from Earth, and supplied them—"</p> - -<p>"Who made this bargain?" Malovel said.</p> - -<p>"Does not the Holy One remember? He and I made it four years ago when -the human settlement was started here."</p> - -<p>A flicker of surprise passed through Malovel's eyes. The slave hastily -placed the cup to his lips. He sipped the red liquid.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, I remember now." The tone of his voice said that remembering -was a matter of no importance. "I have changed my mind. There will be -no more water for humans."</p> - -<p>"But Holy One—"</p> - -<p>"I have spoken. Does the human wish to dispute me?" Malovel's -bird-talon fingers went eagerly to the squares on the arms of the -chair. An eager look crept into his yellow eyes.</p> - -<p>The slob is hoping I will defy him so he can have the pleasure of -using the esse on me, Sanderson thought. Aloud he said: "Your will is -our highest law, Holy One."</p> - -<p>Regret showed on the Martian's face. "Then be gone, all of you, by -the next rising of the sun." The fingers remained on the square as if -Malovel was still treasuring a lingering hope that this human would -defy him.</p> - -<p>"Yes, Holy One," Sanderson said. Backing out of the audience hall, he -wondered how even Malovel expected them to be gone by tomorrow even if -they had a place to go! Inhospitable deserts surrounded them, making -impossible a flight across Mars. Earth would welcome them back—if they -could get there—but not a man or a woman here would welcome Earth.</p> - -<p>Returning to the human settlement he saw that all work had stopped and -that everyone was waiting for him. The news that he had been summoned -to Malovel had gotten around. "Meeting right away," he said to each man -he met. The drift to the assembly hall began immediately.</p> - -<p>He stood in front of them, a tall man with bitterness on his face. Less -than a hundred humans looked up at him, all who lived here. He did not -have to ask for silence. The men and the women who entered here showed -no inclination to talk.</p> - -<p>"We have until tomorrow to leave," he said.</p> - -<p>Silence continued in the big room. These people had already braced -themselves against bad news.</p> - -<p>"If you ask me why we have to leave, I can only tell you it is by order -of Malovel. If you ask me why he gave this order, I can only say he is -an old, tired, worn-out ruler, who is kept alive only by his greed for -power. What better way to demonstrate his power than by ordering the -humans to leave?"</p> - -<p>He paused, took a deep breath. "We made a bargain with him. He has -violated the agreement. This ties up the package. All rules are off."</p> - -<p>At the words, a gust of something seemed to run through the room. It -was partly sound, but more than anything else, it was pure emotion, a -blast of it.</p> - -<p>"What is happening?" Miss Tweedham whispered to Big Marie.</p> - -<p>"He's turning loose his dogs," Big Marie answered. "Almost tamed, all -of them were, until he turned them loose. Now they're pure wolf."</p> - -<p>"I don't know what you're talking about."</p> - -<p>"You'll find out, Baby," Big Marie said.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>From the front of the room Sanderson's voice caught her ears, pulling -her attention to him.</p> - -<p>"All of you know that we have sincerely hoped that this would not -happen. However, we have always considered the possibility that it -might happen. Thus, we have made our plans down to the last detail."</p> - -<p>Again the thin buzz and the blast of emotion went through the room.</p> - -<p>"Miss Tweedham," Sanderson spoke. "Come forward, please."</p> - -<p>His voice lifted her to her feet and took her to the front of the room. -"Yes? What do you want?"</p> - -<p>His face made a smile. "Since you are new here, and not one of us, you -will want to leave."</p> - -<p>She was confused. She felt it inside her and it showed on her face.</p> - -<p>"It is impossible to call a taxi from the space port. We do not have -radio facilities. However, we can provide a thlat for you to ride, and -food and water for a week. In that time you can reach the space port. -It will not be a comfortable trip but it will be more comfortable than -staying here."</p> - -<p>"I—is that—"</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry but this is the best we can offer you. Our facilities here -are primitive."</p> - -<p>"What happens if I don't want to leave?" Miss Tweedham blurted out.</p> - -<p>"Eh?" Sanderson was startled. He looked again at this rather big woman -with the pleasant, tolerant face. "Do you mean that?"</p> - -<p>"Would I say it if I didn't mean it?"</p> - -<p>"Well—" Sanderson coughed. "In that case, you will be assigned duties."</p> - -<p>"I'll take the duties."</p> - -<p>"Without asking what they will be?" He seemed suddenly uneasy, and yet -at the same time he seemed pleased.</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>He blinked at her, then nodded as if he was even better pleased. "Take -your turn in line, please."</p> - -<p>Men were already moving to the front of the hall. They lifted a large -slab of stone from the floor there, revealing a box-filled cavity -beneath. A man dropped down and began to hand up the boxes. A line -was forming. Miss Tweedham moved into it. Sanderson was taking small -objects from the boxes and was handing one to each person in line. Miss -Tweedham did not see what the objects were until one was handed to her. -Then she saw.</p> - -<p>"But these are bum-bum guns!" she said. She did not take the weapon.</p> - -<p>"Yes, they are," Sanderson said.</p> - -<p>"That man, Early, had one of these."</p> - -<p>"Yes, he did."</p> - -<p>"It didn't do him any good."</p> - -<p>"No, it didn't."</p> - -<p>"Move on, Baby, you're holding up the line," Big Marie said.</p> - -<p>Miss Tweedham took the bum-bum gun.</p> - -<p>"Do you know how to operate it?" Sanderson said.</p> - -<p>She turned the weapon in her fingers. "Yes, I know how to use it."</p> - -<p>"Eh?" Sanderson seemed startled.</p> - -<p>"Move on, Baby," Big Marie said again. Miss Tweedham moved on. Big -Marie took a bum-bum gun. In addition, she requested a knife. From -another box Sanderson supplied her with a blade ten inches long. She -tested the edge on her thumb. "I'll have to hone it," she said.</p> - -<p>"Be sure you remember whose throat you are to cut," Sanderson said.</p> - -<p>"I won't forget that."</p> - -<p>"It isn't my throat," Sanderson said.</p> - -<p>"Isn't it?" Big Marie answered.</p> - -<p>When the guns and knives had been distributed, Sanderson opened -another box. Maps were in it. They were crudely but clearly drawn. -He distributed them to a number of key men. "You will find detailed -instructions here for you and your group. I don't suppose I need to -remind you of the consequences of failure."</p> - -<p>Again the buzz ran through the room.</p> - -<p>"You seem to have everything well organized," Miss Tweedham said:</p> - -<p>"Organization was my line before I came to Mars," Sanderson answered. -He lifted his voice. "Deimos is the signal. When it rises above the -horizon tonight, we go into action."</p> - -<p>The buzz grew louder. To Miss Tweedham, it sounded like a swarm of -angry hornets.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Seeming to be a part of the night, four figures crouched against the -wall beside the closed door. Bright stars twinkled overhead. In this -thin air there seemed to be millions of stars sprinkled like arc lights -in the sky.</p> - -<p>Miss Tweedham clutched the bum-bum gun and listened to the sound of her -own heart. Beside her, Big Marie leaned against the wall in nonchalant -ease. On the other side of her, Sanderson and the Martian L'Sor -whispered quietly.</p> - -<p>"Is that Martian all right?" Miss Tweedham said to Big Marie.</p> - -<p>"If he ain't, we're in the soup."</p> - -<p>"But how do we know?"</p> - -<p>"We don't. John Sanderson trusts him. That's enough for me. And anyhow, -if it hadn't been for L'Sor, we would never have learned enough about -the esse to stand a chance against it."</p> - -<p>Miss Tweedham made choking sounds as a vision of the doll came up -before her eyes so real she could see it all over again.</p> - -<p>On the horizon a light appeared. Deimos rising. It was not an -impressive sight. Outlined against the arc lights of the stars, Deimos -hung in the sky like a glow worm at the Feast of the Lanterns.</p> - -<p>"The door, L'Sor," Sanderson said.</p> - -<p>The Martian inserted a key in the slot. The door opened into a -courtyard. The four passed through.</p> - -<p>"Big Marie, you and Miss Tweedham are to stay here and guard this door. -L'Sor and I will be returning this way."</p> - -<p>"Yes, John."</p> - -<p>The two women crouched against the wall. Sanderson and the Martian -moved across the courtyard and vanished. Then Big Marie moved. "You -stay here and guard this door. I'm going after them. Those two damned -fools have assigned themselves the job of tackling Malovel and the esse -all alone."</p> - -<p>For a few minutes Miss Tweedham stayed beside the door. Then, clutching -her bum-bum gun, she followed Big Marie.</p> - -<p>At night, the big throne chair was moved into the sleeping quarters. -Malovel dozed fitfully in it. A slave was constantly beside him, -always ready to pass the precious liquid to lips as parched as the -fields the humans were trying to cultivate. Through thin gauze -curtains, female slaves could be seen sleeping in the adjoining room. -They were at Malovel's beck and call but he had long since passed the -stage where they were of any use to him.</p> - -<p>He existed now as almost pure hate. All that kept him alive was his -hatred of all creatures more nearly alive than he was. Martians, -humans, the sand jackals howling in the deserts, he hated them all -because they were what he was not—alive.</p> - -<p>As he dozed, his fingers played over the squares in the arms of his -chair. He dreamed of using the esse. Even in sleep his hate yearned to -express itself.</p> - -<p>A stir sounded at the door as his private guard challenged a wall -watcher bringing information to him. The sound aroused him, irritated -him. The wall watcher insisted on being brought before him.</p> - -<p>"What is it?"</p> - -<p>The tone sent shivers through the wall watcher. But he thought his news -was important. "Holy One, I heard footsteps outside the walls."</p> - -<p>Malovel considered this information. If it was true, he didn't like it. -If it was untrue, he liked it even less. Most of all he disliked having -his sleep interrupted.</p> - -<p>"Fool! Some lover goes to his mistress and you interrupt my rest -because of this!"</p> - -<p>"But—Holy One—"</p> - -<p>"Out of my sight."</p> - -<p>The wall watcher hastily backed from the room. Malovel watched. Some -residue of his dream remained in his mind. His fingers moved on the -squares. A throb sounded in the room. The wall watcher screamed. -Invisible fingers seemed to come out of nowhere and seize him. The -fingers pressed against him with terrific force. He began to shrink in -size. When he was the size of a doll, Malovel shifted his fingers on -the squares. The doll was lifted upward and out of the room.</p> - -<p>Malovel settled back in his chair. The slave hastily pressed the cup to -his lips. He sucked greedily at the red liquid. Strength surged up in -him. It came as much from the satisfaction of seeing the wall watcher -die as from the red syrup. He had destroyed a wall watcher! He was a -mighty killer! Who dared to oppose him?</p> - -<p>His eyes circled the room, seeking any one who dared to oppose him. -Beside his chair, the male slave froze. Beyond the thin curtains, the -shivering females stopped moving.</p> - -<p>Slowly, Malovel settled back into his chair. Again he dozed. This time -there was satisfaction in him and he slept better than before. Beside -him, the male slave dared to breathe again. His private guards went on -tiptoe from the room. The females huddled down against the pillows and -tried to sleep.</p> - -<p>Sounds came from inside the building. A Martian shouted. The shout went -into quick silence as soft phuts sounded.</p> - -<p>A breathless palace guard again insisted on being admitted to Malovel's -presence. The guards at the door told him what had happened to the wall -watcher. The guard insisted his report was true and important. He was -permitted to enter. Again Malovel awakened.</p> - -<p>"The humans are in the palace, Holy One."</p> - -<p>"What?"</p> - -<p>"You can hear them."</p> - -<p>Listening, Malovel caught an echo of a shout, then a burst of phuts. -For a second he was startled. Then a gleam appeared in his eyes. As -he had thought they would if he stopped the water for the fields, the -humans had attacked the palace. Now he had a chance to use the esse -again, to taste to the full the surge of power that came to him when he -used that weapon.</p> - -<p>At his word of command, the slave swung up in front of him what looked -like a frosted mirror but which revealed what was happening where he -sent the esse. The mirror showed a corridor, with Martians and humans -fighting there.</p> - -<p>A look of vast satisfaction appeared on Malovel's face. He caressed the -squares on the arms of his throne chair.</p> - -<p>"Once a bargain was made, Holy One," a voice said behind him.</p> - -<p>Malovel spun in his chair. He stared in horror at what he saw there. -The human, Sanderson, and the Martian, L'Sor. A Martian traitor! Behind -them a secret door was open in the wall, a relic of the long-gone -days when Malovel had used that exit. He had forgotten its existence. -But L'Sor had smelled it out. Both the human and the Martian held the -little weapons that the humans called bum-bum guns. L'Sor's weapon -menaced the slave, who stood motionless.</p> - -<p>"A bargain was made four years ago," Sanderson said.</p> - -<p>"I changed my mind."</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps to start this fight, to give myself the pleasure of destroying -you."</p> - -<p>As he spoke, Malovel's fingers pressed a square. The human might be -fast with the bum-bum gun but the esse was faster than any human -action, as fast as light itself. As Malovel pressed the square, the -esse formed.</p> - -<p>A scream sounded in the room. Sanderson was shoved to one side. The -esse caught something, Malovel did not quite see what it was. He poured -power into it. Malovel caught a glimpse of the doll forming as the -mighty fingers of the esse squeezed life from it.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>A glimpse was all he caught. A bum-bum slug splashed his head over the -room. The eager glow in his eyes seemed to turn into a yellow aura then -lingered a second after he was gone. Then it went too.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Miss Tweedham went forward as quickly as she could. When the shouts -and the phuts began, she was afraid, but she was even more afraid of -losing sight of Big Marie. Then Big Marie did disappear. Miss Tweedham -clutched her gun and waited, her heart up in her throat. A scream rang -out ahead of her. The sound moved her forward and into the throne rooms -of Malovel.</p> - -<p>Malovel, headless, was lying stretched across his throne chair.</p> - -<p>Staring down at something, Sanderson was kneeling on the floor. Miss -Tweedham moved to his side, saw the object at which he stared.</p> - -<p>He glanced up at her, nodded toward the object on the floor. "She -shoved me out of the way and the esse got her. I had no idea it was -that fast." His voice was tight with suppressed feelings.</p> - -<p>"Back on Earth she killed two men. That was why she came to Mars. She -died here, saving the life of a third man." Sanderson's face was wry -and twisted.</p> - -<p>The object on the floor was a doll with the features of Big Marie.</p> - -<p>"Great One, work remains," L'Sor urged.</p> - -<p>Sanderson rose. He lifted the body of Malovel from the throne chair, -threw it across the room. Then he seated himself in the chair and began -to study the controls. In the distance shouts sounded, Martians and -humans locked in battle. The shouting of the Martians went into quick -silence as Sanderson began to operate the controls on the arms of the -chair.</p> - -<p>A little later the humans were crowding into the room. They were a -motley lot. Some were covered with blood, others carried arms in -improvised slings, one supported himself between two companions. They -looked at the occupant of the throne chair and began to grin.</p> - -<p>"Well done, boys," John Sanderson said. "I never pulled a sweeter, -cleaner, tougher job."</p> - -<p>The room echoed with the fierce shouting of triumphant men.</p> - -<p>Miss Tweedham went away.</p> - -<p>When Sanderson found her, the stars were going down and the day was -coming. Clutching her purse in one hand and the bum-bum gun in the -other, she was seated on a bench outside the house where Big Marie had -once lived. Sanderson came up. She moved and made room for him and he -sat down beside her.</p> - -<p>"Look," he said, pointing. "Water is coming down the ditches to our -fields."</p> - -<p>Miss Tweedham could see the water. Already the crops were responding to -the magic touch of it. She could also see the glow on John Sanderson's -face. The glow on his face was one of the nicest sights she had ever -seen in her life. A man watching water come to parched fields....</p> - -<p>"But I imagine you had a rather exciting night," he said, turning to -her.</p> - -<p>"Yes. Yes. It was that."</p> - -<p>"Well, you will forget the horror of it. Maybe you can even learn to -have fun telling your classes back on Earth about the wild night you -spent on Mars." He grinned at her. "I don't know how you're fixed -financially, but if you're broke, I imagine we can find passage money -among us."</p> - -<p>Miss Tweedham clutched her purse. "But what if I don't want to go back -to Earth?"</p> - -<p>His voice was gentle but with overtones of pain in it. "This is no -place for a woman like you, a woman of refinement and culture."</p> - -<p>"Why not?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"Don't you know the truth about us yet?" he said, surprised. "Haven't -you guessed it? None of us can go back to Earth. We're wanted men -there."</p> - -<p>"Criminals?" Miss Tweedham said, flinching.</p> - -<p>"Yes." Sanderson choked over the word but he got it out.</p> - -<p>"And what were you back on Earth?"</p> - -<p>"I ran the Syndicate," Sanderson answered.</p> - -<p>"Then that explains your genius for organization."</p> - -<p>"I had had some experience in organization before I came here," -Sanderson said, grimly. "That was why the boys made me boss. Now as to -your return to Earth—"</p> - -<p>"As I said before, maybe I don't want to go back."</p> - -<p>Sanderson stared at her. "But you have to go back. You don't belong -here."</p> - -<p>"Maybe I came here for the same reason you and all the others -came. Maybe I knew what I was coming to. Maybe I chose this place -deliberately."</p> - -<p>"What?" Sanderson gasped.</p> - -<p>Miss Tweedham faced him without flinching. "You haven't asked me what I -really was back on Earth."</p> - -<p>"Eh? A school teacher—"</p> - -<p>"You still haven't asked me."</p> - -<p>"Eh? What were you?"</p> - -<p>"A call girl," Miss Tweedham answered, without flinching.</p> - -<p>"Uh—ah—"</p> - -<p>"I'm not going back to that," Miss Tweedham said.</p> - -<p>Sanderson sought for words. He stuttered them out. "Do—do you—do you -think you will ever be a call girl again?"</p> - -<p>"Only when you call," Miss Tweedham answered.</p> - -<p>In the light of the coming dawn, John Sanderson's face showed beet red. -Then, slowly, he began to grin. His eyes lifted from her, his gaze -went to the fields where now the water was flowing in the irrigation -ditches. "That's wonderful," he said.</p> - -<p>Miss Tweedham did not know whether he was talking about what she had -said, or the water bringing life to the parched fields. She decided -that whatever he was talking about, the meaning was the same in the end.</p> - -<p>"I'm going to see about the water," he said, rising.</p> - -<p>She smiled. Deep in her heart she knew he was going there to feel the -new growth beginning. When he was too far away to see what she was -doing, she opened her purse. From it, she took a piece of stiff folded -paper.</p> - -<p><i>Lifetime Teaching Certificate</i>, the paper said.</p> - -<p>Slowly, Miss Tweedham tore the paper into tiny bits. She watched the -dry, restless wind of Mars blow them away. Then she rose and followed -John Sanderson toward the growing fields.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS TWEEDHAM'S ELOGARSN ***</div> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>This file should be named 64234-h.htm or 64234-h.zip</div> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in https://www.gutenberg.org/6/4/2/3/64234/</div> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -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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