Part 7 (1/2)
”And what of the Earthmen who trusted you, Nepthalim?” asked Turgan.
”Dozens gave their lives gladly to capture the s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+p in which we came here and thousands have gone cheerfully to annihilation to keep the Sons of G.o.d beleaguered in the Viceregal palace until we return with the weapons which will bring them victory. Think you that they would choose the destruction of enslavement of the whole race to the possible chance of rescuing one person from the grasp of Glavour's minions?”
”Turgan, you are mad!” cried Damis. ”Have you forgotten that Lura is your only child?”
”Since the days of Hortan, Glavour has sought information as to the secret a.s.sembly room. Hundreds of men have gone to torture and death with their lips sealed when they could have bought life and freedom by speaking.”
”Were it my own life, Turgan, I would not hesitate.”
”Think you that never before has an Earthman been faced with the choice of betraying his countrymen or seeing his wife or daughter violated and sacrificed in the games? All have been true to the last and yet they could have done little harm had they spoken. _You_ have the fate of the Earth in your hand, yet you hesitate. I am Lura's father and I know her better, it seems, than do you. If you abandon her countrymen, she will despise you for a coward. It is better that one or that many be lost than that all be lost.”
Damis bowed his head in silence. Raised by the Jovians whose only ideal of life was their own selfish pleasure, the thought that the fate of thousands whom he did not know and in whom he felt little interest could be of more importance than the fate of the one whose safety meant more than life to him was a novel one. The lifelong training he had received from the Sons of G.o.d struggled, and struggled in vain, against the ideals he had inherited from his Earthly mother and his loved sire. With a face drawn with anguish, he raised his head.
”We will take your weapons, Martian, and with them go to Earth. If it be His will that Lura be safe, safe shall she be although the whole force of Jupiter threaten her. If not, His will be done. One promise I exact of you, Turgan. When we have reached Earth and I have taught your followers to use the Martian weapons, you will give me a crew and let me depart to Venus to find her.”
”Gladly will I promise, and if I be spared, I will go with you, Damis,”
said Turgan. ”Do not think that Lura is not dear to me; she is dearer than all else in the Universe save only the keeping bright the ideal of loyalty that has been the guiding light of the Terrestrials for untold ages.”
”Your decision is well made, Nepthalim,” said the Martian, ”and word of it shall be given to the Grand Mognac that he may know that he made no mistake when he entrusted you with the weapons of Mars. Now for your course. When you rise, direct your s.h.i.+p toward Deiphos. The Jovian fleet is now at an ascension of forty-two degrees and at an angle of one hundred and sixty degrees from the sun. Deiphos will hide you from their instruments. Once you reach it, our observers will plot your course and send you a bearing which will take you as far from the Jovian fleet as possible. They are now pa.s.sing Ceres and will soon be out of the asteroid belt. They are larger and more powerful than the s.h.i.+p you are flying and they will make better speed. However, if you use your maximum power, you will easily arrive on your planet before them. Have you fuel enough for your trip at full speed?”
Damis hastily inspected the fuel supply of the s.h.i.+p and made some rapid calculations.
”We have enough to carry us at maximum speed to Earth and to r.e.t.a.r.d us to a safe landing, but very little to spare. Can you give us some?”
”There is no tantalum on Mars except a little scattered through tons of rock. It would take us days to extract enough to do you any good. It is well that you did not plan to fly to Venus for you could have made little speed and the Jovian flyer would have reached there long before you did. Now go, and may our best wishes aid you in your flight.”
Damis turned and instinctively held out his hand. A trace of expression flickered over the face of the nearest Martian slug and he bent forward and clasped the proffered hand in one of the many hands with which he was provided. No further message came to Damis from the Martians and he entered the airlock with Turgan following him. As the lock clanged shut, he turned to his companion.
”Open the reserve air tanks and restore the atmosphere gradually to the pressure of Earth,” he directed. ”Unless you do that, we will be unable to function efficiently.”
While Turgan opened the valve which allowed the reserve supply of compressed air to gradually enter the s.h.i.+p, Damis pulled down the starting lever of the s.h.i.+p. With a terrific lurch the flyer left the surface of Mars and shot up into the trackless realms of s.p.a.ce.
Abandoning his controls for an instant, Damis looked into one of the observers. The plain below them was empty of Martians, but in the distance he could dimly see two of the silvery domes which marked their cities. He made some short calculations and turned on a side motor for a moment. The s.h.i.+p swerved and headed for the Martian satellite to which he had been directed.
In an hour he was holding the s.h.i.+p less than a thousand miles from Deiphos while he received a message from the Grand Mognac as to the location of the Jovian fleet, their speed and course, and the course which he should fly to reach the Earth ahead of them. He noted down the directions and set the cross hairs of his forward observer on Alpha Centauri. His hand sought the controlling lever and the s.h.i.+p rapidly gathered momentum for the trip to Earth.
CHAPTER V
_A Desperate Plan_
Flying the s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+p with a crew of two men instead of the normal nine threw a heavy strain on Damis. Turgan proved to be almost tireless, but while he could act as an observer, Damis devoutly hoped that no wandering celestial body would approach within the danger zone while he was alone on duty. Nothing of the sort happened. The days pa.s.sed with monotonous slowness, yet daily and, indeed, hourly, the planet Mars faded to a red star and the green point of light which marked their destination grew larger. Damis cast many a longing glance at Venus, but he remained steadfast to the faith which Turgan had engendered in him.
During the long hours Turgan had opportunity to tell the Nepthalim of some of the sacrifices made by Terrestrials for the cause of liberty.