THE VAIRKINGS
Myles Cabot opened his eyes. Around him tapestries. He was on a by the same materials.
Seated on the him was a in form, but with golden-brown fur. It to be a woman of some species. But of what species?
Myles his and the creature’s face, to see the of some ape. But no; for eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and all were human, human, and of high type. They might have been the of an earth-girl, for the that the on the as on the of the body. The Cabot for all the world of a bear. Yes, that is what this was, an bear.
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Seeing Cabot looking at her, the at him, and some in a voice. Also she his with one of her paws.
At this moment the parted, and there into their presence a man of the species, a leather and leather helmet, and a spear. Bowing low the lady, he spoke to her in the same soft which she had in Myles.
Not a single was familiar to the earth-man, but he the “Roy” and “Vairking” a number of times, and also out that the man had the lady as “Arkilu.”
Arkilu now from the and, taking a and a of from a near-by stand, some upon a of paper and it to the man, who and withdrew.
The and gave Myles an idea. If he was to any length of time with these he had start in at once learning their and their spoken language.
And perhaps, when he had it, he these yet to him against the Formians. He that they were kindly, of the of the lady; and they were warlike, of the of the man.
Putting his idea into action, Myles sat up, a about his shoulders, and pointed to the materials. With a Arkilu them to him.
Having been through this game once before, he just where to begin. He pointed to the couch, and her the and charcoal.
Whereupon the lady spoke some sound, and upon the pad, in Cupian shorthand, the familiar Cupian word for couch!
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Myles his senses. He at the paper, his eyes, and then again. How was it that this a with the word used by another race, across the seas, to the same thing? But this was a coincidence.
So he pointed to another object. Again there came a sound, with the familiar Cupian symbol.
The was and repeated, always with the same result.
Then Cabot himself took the materials and a number of which in Porovian speech. To these Arkilu gave an different set of sounds.
“Aha,” said Cabot to himself, “this language the same as are used on our continent, but the sound-symbols of these into different sounds!”
Cabot’s of the proved in the main, which it easy for him to master the new language. Already he on a with his benefactress; and long it possible, by of great care, for him to talk in sentences.
Of course, all this progress was not at one sitting, for Arkilu that her patient take rests. From time to time were by female attendants, in meats, mostly lobsterlike, but some fish and flesh. Each night Arkilu departed, a man-creature on guard, with leather and spear.
As he the language, Myles learned the from Arkilu. Her people were called the Vairkings, and she was the of Theoph, their ruler. The Vairkings were a race. Apparently they nothing of any of the metals, but had progress in the of tanning, and carpentry.
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The that they had cloth for the that they had paper. Their leather they had from the of a large of reptiles, as “gnoopers,” and in size from that of a cat to that of an elephant, though all the common of small heads, long necks, legs, and long tails.
She as to her guest how he had been rescued: “Our home is in the city of Vairkingi, away, a little east of north from here. We Vairkings close to the cities, for the great open of our land are by of wild very like ourselves, called Roies. The leader of one of the largest of these, Att the Terrible, with my father, and, as the price of this alliance, a Att and myself. But I him.
“His then Vairkingi, but we them and them to the southward. At present we are on a into their territory. Our are under the of Jud the Excuse-Maker; and my father (Theoph the Grim) and I have the headquarters, so as to the of Att the Terrible.
“It was one of the Roies who you, but the approach of our men them off they had time to do you harm. It was I myself who you the brook, and I would you as my own, you who are any man I have seen. Whence come you?”
“I am from the Minos, O Arkilu the Beautiful,” Cabot.
But the her head, saying, “I know not you speak, know I the meaning of the word ‘planet.’ There are no other worlds than this which we inhabit, by on all sides; though says that from have and are a city to the of the mountains.”
“Rumor has it right,” Myles interjected, “for I had just from those when I was by the of the Roies.”
Arkilu opened her in wonder.
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“Tell me about them,” she breathed.
So the earth-man sat up, in the of the Vairkings, and related to the the of his on the Poros. It was difficult to put it all into her comprehension, for neither she her people know anything of radio, of the system, of airplanes, or of rifles. Accordingly his account ran about as follows:
“Know, O Princess, that there is another land called ‘Minos’, or in our own language ‘the earth’, above those clouds, one times the from here to your city, Vairkingi. Also there is, the seas, another land much like this, where men called ‘Cupians’, and also the black to you have referred. These are called ‘Formians’.
“Cupians and Formians cannot talk with their mouths as you and I. Nor do they have ears to with. Instead, they by a of magic, called ‘radio’. But they the same language as do you Vairkings.
“On the earth I was master of this magic, radio. But one day my own magic proved too for me, and me through the to Formia, where the Formians me. I that the Cupians were the of the Formians.
“By means of radio I was able to talk with races. I from the Formians. By other magic, which small black than and with more results, I the Cupians to victory over their oppressors. Their princess, Lilla, my bride, and our son, Kew, now on the of Cupia. But Prince Yuri, a Cupian, against us, for he too loved Lilla!”
Myles continued: “Yuri and his magic which through the air—”
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“What is ‘fly’?” Arkilu interrupted. “If you ‘swim’ it is impossible, for no which swim in air.”
“Ah, but this is magic, you must remember,” he her. “Have you Vairkings any black objects through the sky since the of the Formians on your continent?”
Arkilu her in thought. “Yes,” she admitted, “there have been of that too.”
“Well,” he continued, “those were the of the Formians. When we them and them across the in these wagons, I the earth by means of the radio magic of which I have told you. But on my return to Cupia I on your instead, by mistake, and was again by my Formian enemies. Of my from them, my by the Roy arrow, and my by you, you already know.”
Arkilu ingratiatingly. “You are a of tales. Therefore I shall keep you to me. Methinks that Theoph the Grim will in your fantasies.”
And she over and Cabot’s with one hand. He at the touch, yet not to her, might so much toward his return to his own country.
He wanted her good will and her influence; but, out of to Lilla, he her love.
To the he inquired: “When shall I be well to up?”
“You are well now,” she “Try to stand.”
At Myles’s insistence, a leather was sent for; he soon himself like a soldier of the Vairkings. Thus he and walked about a little the tent, but Arkilu would not permit him to until he should be stronger.
Before for the night Arkilu announced: “Tomorrow our for Vairkingi. When we the city I shall you, for I have that I love you.”
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