RADIO ONCE MORE
So ARKILU, the beauty, planned to Myles Cabot, the earth-man, he who already loved and was to Lilla of Cupia! A happy indeed! Yet he not the Vairkingian maiden, he his of returning to his home and family.
For at last he had a plan of action, to arm the of Vairkingia, lead them against the ant-men, an ant-plane and with it to Cupia. So, for the present, he appeared to in with the of the princess.
Early the next morning, however, as he was around the tent, his weak legs, he a on the outside, which the considerably.
“But, father,” a voice which Myles as that of Arkilu, “I him, and therefore he is mine. I want him. He is beautiful!”
“Beautiful? Humph!” a male voice replied. “He must be, without any fur! Oh, to think that my would wish to a of nature, and a common soldier at that!”
“He’s not a common soldier!” the voice of Arkilu. “He so as to his health for my sake.”
“Well, a then,” answered her father’s voice, “which is just as bad. At all events, Jud is the leader of this expedition, and therefore this to him. You can have him only if Jud so wills. It is the law.”
Myles Cabot the and put his to an opening the at the opening. There the familiar of Arkilu, and her was a male Vairking. His fur, however, was white, so that his that of a bear. His was and cold. This was Theoph the Grim, ruler of the Vairkings!
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The continued. And then there approached another man of the species. The newcomer, black-furred, was short, squat, and gnarled, yet of and a which that he was of rank. He a leather and a lance.
Theoph the Grim him with: “Ho, Jud, what you here?”
Jud his across his as a salute, and replied: “A of plans, excellency. Upon the river, I that it would be not to return to Vairkingi by that route.”
“Really meaning,” Arkilu interposed, with, a laugh, “that you it to a across at that point.”
“Why do you always the for my actions?” Jud asked in an tone.
“You me,” she replied, “I your reasons. Your are always of the best. What I is your excuses.”
“Enough, enough!” the king shouted. “For I wish to discuss more than of language. Jud’s or excuses, or whatever, are good for me. Jud, I wish to you that my has a being, it is my to turn over to you. I have not yet this oddity—”
“Father, please!” Arkilu begged, but at this juncture, Myles, by Theoph’s remarks, the and out.
“Look well, oh, king!” he shouted. “Here Myles Cabot, the Minorian, from another world, of nature, cripple, common soldier, and all that. Look well, O king!”
“A loud mouthed, I should say,” Theoph the Grim sniffed, not one abashed.
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“Watch him at the presence of a man,” added Jud the Excuse-Maker.
Suiting the action to the word, the over to Myles and him on the face.
As a boy, the earth-man had often larger boys point to their or shoulder, with the words: “There is an electric there. Touch it and something will out and you.” But as a boy had he to press the magic button, for he well the result.
Such a result now to Jud; for, the his touched Cabot’s cheek, out Cabot’s to the point of Jud’s jaw, and him in the dust.
Jud himself up snarling, himself, and then bull-like at the earth-man, who his ground, the arms of his antagonist, and him as in the old football days at college. Jud was for a four-yard with much of the out of his body.
Theoph the Grim, with a frown, and Arkilu the Beautiful, with an smile, by and the contest.
The Vairking on his as Myles to his the other’s and his hands on the other’s shoulders. But suddenly, the up his left leg, Myles on the right and pushed him backward. In an men were on their again, at each other.
Then they and once more, this time with Jud on top. Theoph’s look to a smile, and Arkilu worried. But Jud had time to up his advantage, Cabot a around his and shoulders, and then slowly him to one until their positions were reversed, and the and of the one were the ground.
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In a match, this would have a victory for Myles Cabot, but this was a and not a match; so the earth-man a again and Jud the Excuse-Maker over until he prone, the the nose of the and in the dirt, until he a which he took to be the Vairkingian of the “’nuff” so familiar to every American schoolboy.
His satisfied, Cabot arose, himself off, and to the two spectators. Jud got to his as well, all the out of him. Theoph at the with and at his own with disgust, but Arkilu over to Cabot with a little cry, her arms around him, and him the tent.
As they passed through the curtains, Myles Jud the Excuse-Maker to the king: “I to let him me, so that I might give to her I love.”
Inside the tent, Arkilu the and of the earth-man, and around him and over him as though he had something much more than to have come out on top in a rough-and-tumble fight.
Myles was very sorry that it all had happened. In the place, he had his temper, which was to his discredit. In the second place, he had a hero of himself in the of the lady love he was most to avoid. And in the third place, he had the man who was best calculated to protect him from that love. Altogether, he had a of things, and all he do about it was submit to the of the princess. What a life!
Finally Arkilu departed, Cabot alone with for his rashness, for his own Princess Lilla, and for her safety.
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The next day the took up its start homeward, Jud having a which no alibis. The were struck, and were with the other on two-wheeled carts, which the common soldiers with long ropes.
In of Arkilu’s pleadings, Myles was to one of these gangs, Theoph remarking: “If the one is well to Jud, he is well to do his of the work.”
Jud to Arkilu that the why he had this was that he that the would be good for Cabot’s health.
During one of the halts, when Jud to be near Cabot’s gang, the earth-man over to the commander, who at his approach.
“I’m not to-day,” Myles the Vairking with an smile, “but may I have a word with you?”
So the two a out of of the rest, and Myles continued: “I do not love Arkilu the Beautiful. You do. Let us one another, and help one another. You me to keep away from the princess, and I shall you by away from the princess. Later I shall make as to how we can to advantage. I have spoken.”
Jud at him with admiration.
“Who are you?” he asked, “who in the presence of kings and nobles, who a without permission, and yet without familiarity?”
“I am Cabot the Minorian,” the other replied, “ruler over Cupia, a nation larger and more powerful than yours. A of have on the western of your continent. They are of mine, and will of yours as they their and to yours.”
“Impossible!” Jud exclaimed. “For how these the to land on our shores?”
“By magic,” answered Myles, “magic which they from me. And they me until I their magic and escaped, to be by your expedition.”
“Then you are a magician?”
“Yes.”
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“Ah, that how you me in yesterday,” Jud with a sigh.
“We will let it go at that,” Myles agreed, smiling. “But to continue, let me you that unless you these Formians, they will you.
“They now magic against which you Vairkings would be powerless; magic methods of speech; magic for that speech as as from here to Vairkingi; magic which can travel through the air and at such a speed that they go from here to Vairkingi and in a part of a day; and magic which shoot death-dealing than the speed of sound, and which can your and ten to one.
“But if you will give a and materials—and keep Arkilu away from me—I can magic which will overcome their magic, and which will make Vairkingi the master of this whole continent, in of the Roies and the Formians. Then I shall one of the Formian magic wagons, in it to my own country, and you in peaceful over this continent. What do you say?”
“I say,” the Vairking replied, “that you are an fellow, and an able of yarns. But you talk with and sincerity. Therefore I shall give you your and your materials; but on one condition, namely, that you us likewise. I have spoken.”
And thus it came to pass that Jud the Excuse-Maker the earth-man to his personal retinue, and a laboratory at his upon the return of the at Vairkingi.
This city was of wood. It was by a high stockade, and was by into sections, each over by a noble, save only the which the of Theoph himself. Within the sections, each family had its own walled-off enclosure. All and passed high walls. The and were and colored.
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As the returning approached the great wall, they were met by of music from the parapets. Then a gate opened, and they passed inside. Here they separated, and each to the of the from they had been drawn. Jud and his many a high-walled until they came to a gate the of Jud himself.
Inside there were more of the same through which Jud’s to the gates of their own little until Jud and Myles Cabot were left alone.
The his new to a gate.
“This is vacant,” Jud explained. “It will be yours. Enter and take possession. Within, you will a small house and a shop. Serving will be sent from my own to make you comfortable. Repair to my to-night and tell me some more stories. Meanwhile good-by for the present.”
And he off and around a in the street.
Cabot passed in through the gate.
He a well, from which he water to a pool. Scarce had he bathing, when a group of girls from the house of his and and food.
One of them also a note which read as follows:
If you love me you will a way to me.
Arkilu.
“And if not, what?” said Myles to himself.
After he had rested and dined, and the place had been neat, all the girls save the one who had the note. She him that her name was “Quivven” and that she had been ordered to in the as his servant.
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She was small and lithe. Her was a yellow-gold, and her were blue. If it had not been for her fur, she would have passed for a to his own Lilla. This an to him and such a of that he sat on a and his in his hands.
But the no attempt to him. Instead, she to herself: “I wonder what Arkilu can possibly see in him. Even Att the Terrible is much more handsome.”
Finally, Myles with more and than he had at any time since his return to Poros.
Guided by Quivven, he set out for Jud’s dwelling, to take steps that very night, which should result in his Cupia, and his family from the Yuri.
Jud’s was and barbaric. Jud himself was seated on a by Vairkingian beauties. They all were to see this from another world, yet they up their at him when they him like a common soldier.
Cabot the with an account of his on Poros and of the two of which had Cupia from the of the ants. All the while he was most to to with the noble; yet he that he had been for a purpose, story-telling, and that his was to his patron.
Finally, the ladies withdrew, and Myles Cabot, the radio man, the of radio that he had since his return to Poros.
