Part 14 (2/2)
They do not think--they remember.”
”We've got to make contact with the queen and with Genner and the Croen.
We will be left out of things.” I was wondering what Carna's future plans were.
”You are interested in the beautiful sister of the Prince?” asked Carna.
”You are interested in the so handsome Prince?” I answered in the same tone of voice.
”Of course, what woman would not be! But I am more interested in you, for I fell in love with you. But I can fall out again, and maybe--who knows....” she laughed.
”What's more to the point, Carna, is she interested in me?”
”I could tell you,” said Carna, her eyes mysterious on my own, luminous and huge in the darkness.
”Well, perhaps you had better tell me, then.”
”Why? I love you!”
”You mean she _is_ interested in me!”
”Very much, and she is a very smart woman who has ways of getting what she wants. I am very much afraid she will take you with her to s.p.a.ce when they go, and leave poor Carna in her ruined city, with no one but the wild beasts and the dead bodies. This will be the end of this place.”
”You are wrong!” I smiled, thinking the girl was flattering me.
”No, not wrong, dear earthman. I am very much afraid of the future, for I am to lose you, but I have a way of avoiding that.”
”And what is that way?”
”You will find out when the time comes, and you may like it very much!”
”Let's get away from this wall where we can see what's going on....”
We plodded across the level, gra.s.sy valley floor, walking backward some of the time, watching the great circling s.h.i.+ps above the city's center, and the lancing blue paths of their rays stabbing at some darting adversary high above them.
Then from the western sky came a series of round low shapes, speeding so rapidly the eye could hardly distinguish them from the darkly glowing horizon. After their pa.s.sage, in a close series, came the air-scream of falling missiles, high-pitched, then came a terrific cannonading of explosions. Fountains of fire sprang up in exact sequence, one after the other. The ground shook and shook underfoot, each shock seeming greater, to add its strength to the one preceding it. I knew that this was for the Jivros the end of their plans on earth.
Simultaneous with the arrow-swift flight, two great blazing lances of blue fire shot downward from the s.h.i.+ps far overhead, transfixed the circling spheres one after the other. They tilted, plunged slowly, faster and faster--ended in great splashes of fire and sound somewhere in the city below.
I mopped my face. The night was hot, and relief flooded me.
”We got out of there just in time, Miss Mystic!”
She nodded, her white smile in the night a beautiful thing.
”What is this Miss Mystic word you use?”
”It means Zoorph, Carna. It is U.S.A. speech.”
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