BUT WHY RADIO?
Three of “magic” were open to him, rifle-fire, aviation, and radio. The opportunity for a among people who no metal was slight. To make a radio set should be possible, if he and other natural products, which ought to be available in almost any country. But of all would be to iron from the which he had on his across the mountains, and mechanisms, and make and bullets.
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Therefore it is plain why he did not attempt to airships, but it is hard to see why he did not make than a radio set. Firearms would have him to the Vairkings for against the Formians, radio no useful purpose at the moment.
Yet, he took up radio. I think the in two facts: first, he wanted above all to in touch with his home in Cupia, out the of there, and give to his wife and his supporters, if any of them remained; and secondly, he was a radio engineer, and so his naturally to radio and its difficulties. There would be of time to arm the Vairkings after he out how at home.
So he to Jud his project of a radio set, which would in search of materials. But the Vairking was uninterested.
“I know that you can yarns,” he said, “but I do not know you can do magic. Why, then, should I myself of the of to your stories, just for the of you in a pursuit? First, you must me that you are a magician; then I may to your attempting magic.”
“Very well,” the earth-man replied. “Tomorrow I shall to you some of the more examples of my art. Meanwhile, I shall my time in for the occasion.”
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Then he and withdrew, his lucky that he had learned a of sleight-of-hand while at college.
Myles now of these, and most of the day to preparing a of apparatus. Then he his the golden-furred Quivven, to her complete mystification.
That evening, he again to the of Jud the Excuse-Maker. The same group was there as on the before, and in addition, other Vairking men and their wives.
After an by his host, the earth-man started in. First he did, in succession, some of sleight-of-hand.
He had wanted to perform the well-known “restoration of the cut handkerchief,” but the Vairkings neither scissors, and he was to a variant. Taking a piece of stick, which he had with him for a wand, he a small part of one of the through his closed left the thumb and forefinger, so that it in a gathered-up point about two his hand. Then the over toward one of the open-wick which the chamber, he off the of doth.
Evidently, this was one of Jud’s tapestries, for the a of and rage, and from his divan, the in directions. If he had in time to prevent the burning, it would have the trick, but as it was, the by his played right into Cabot’s hands.
Myles in terror as Jud his and for the hole. But there was no there; the was intact.
Jud looked up into the of his protégé, who stated: “You did not need to worry about your property in the hands of a true magician.”
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“Oh, I was not afraid,” Jud the Excuse-Maker explained. “I fear, so as to try and your magic.”
“Please do not do it again,” the earth-man him.
The Vairking seated himself again.
His guests were enthralled.
This was a for the evening. The low and withdrew.
Quivven was waiting for him at his house, and reported that some one had a small piece out of one of the tapestries. Several days later she the piece, but alas, there was a in the middle of it.
The next Jud the Excuse-Maker called at the of Cabot, the furless. It was a honor, so Cabot answered the door in person. Jud his that the earth-man was a magician, after all, and that therefore he—Jud—was to an to the in search of properties would the of magic. It was soon that Cabot, with a of some twenty Vairking soldiers and a low-ranking officer, should start on the morrow.
Myles was thrilled. Now he was at last! The of the day he to preparing a list of the materials for which he must hunt.
To make a radio-telephone sending and set, he would need dielectrics, copper wire, batteries, tubes, and iron. For dielectrics, and would suffice. Wood was common, and the Vairkings were and carvers. For insulation, would be ideal; and this ought to be in the mountains, nature he had to be granitic.
To make copper wire, he would need copper ore—preferably pyrites—quartz, limestone, and fuel. The necessary he would of brick; any one can into bricks.
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For cement, Myles upon using a and ground mixture of and clay, of which he would have at hand for other purposes.
The Vairkings used in their open fires, and this would do for his fuel.
For the wire-drawing dies he would use steel. This of the copper questions, and him to a of iron, which he would need at places in his apparatus. This metal be from the of the copper furnaces, using an flux, such as fluorspar.
Cabot next his attention to his power source. For some time he the question of or not to a dynamo. But how about the batteries? He wasn’t sure how to or make the necessary red and yellow lead salts for the packing plates.
Thus by the time that Cabot the of having either to or make his lead he to turn his attention to cells. The be of pottery, or from the which was going to be necessary for his anyhow. Charcoal would the elements. Zinc easily be from zincspar, if that particular of were found. Sal be from the of animal refuse, common salt, and acid.
Mass production of should thus be an easy matter, and they would perfectly satisfactorily, as neither was a requisite. The radio man the idea of and in of large of wet cells.
The tubes, it appeared to Myles, would present the problem. Platinum for the filaments, grids, and plates had been common in in Cupia, and so be in Vairkingia. Glass, of course, would be easy to make.
Alcohol for laboratory be from fruit.
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But the was how to the air from his tubes, and how to secure to use in the vacuum. These he would have to to the in the of a idea. For the present there were to be so that he would be for a great many days. Accordingly he off the two lists:
Materials available:
Wood
Wood ashes
Charcoal
Clay
Common salt
White sand
Animal refuse
Decayed fruit
Materials to for:
Mica
Copper ore
Quartz
Limestone
Fluorspar
Galena
Zinc ore
Platinum
Chalk
Magnesium
But that all his plans were by a message reading:
To The Furless One:
You are to appear for my at my to-morrow. Fail not.
Theoph The Grim.
“That puts an end to my trip,” he said to Quivven. “How do you his got wind that I am a conjurer?”
“One of the guests at the last night must have told him,” she replied.
But something in her of voice Myles to look at her intently, and something in her him to say, “You know more than you tell. Out with it!”
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Whereat Quivven her shoulders, and replied, “Why you? Though you are so that it is very easy. Who you the note from Arkilu the night of your here?”
“You did,” Cabot answered. “Why didn’t I put two and two together before? Then you are in some way with Arkilu?”
She laughed contemptuously. “How did you it?” she taunted. “Yes, one would say I am in some way with Arkilu; for I am her sister, set here to on you by with the woman of Jud’s servants, who is an old nurse of ours. I am Quivven the Golden Flame, of Theoph the Grim, and it is from me that he learned of your abilities. What do you think of that, beast?”
“I think,” Myles said noncommittally, “that although you are a flame, you ought to have been named ‘Quivven the Pepper Pot’.”
Whereat she into and out of the room.
“Funny girl,” Myles to himself, as he the list prepared for his trip, and set about the of some stage properties for his performance the King.
It was a Quivven who his that evening, so much so that Cabot her of in his stew. This did not her any more gracious, however.
“If I did not love my sister very much,” she asserted, “I would not for you for one moment.”
The of the was in which Cabot had an idea.
So when the food had been away he asked the maiden, “Can you a note to your sister for me?”
“Yes,” she gloomily, “and I shall tell her how you are me.”
At which he not from remarking, “Do you know, Quivven, I that you are in love with me.”
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“You beast!” she at him. “Oh, I you, I you, I you!” And she her to the wall.
“Come, come!” said Cabot soothingly. “I don’t to you, and we must think of your sister. The note. How long will it take you to deliver it and return?”
“Shall I hurry?” she asked guardedly.
“Yes.”
“Then it will take me less than one-twelfth of a day.”
That would be for his plans. Accordingly he wrote:
Arkilu The Beautiful:
Send word how I can see you after the performance. But of Jud.
Cabot The Magician.
This note he up, it in the of Quivven, and closed her over it.
Whereat she with, “Don’t you touch me like that!” and out of the house, angrily.
Really, he must be more with this creature; for although her him amusement, yet it was possible to go too far. He must at least be to the sister of his benefactress.
But there was no time to be over to about Quivven’s feelings; for the note had been sent to give him a from her eyes, in order that he might out for a with Jud; of he had no of any with Arkilu. Heaven forbid, when he loved his own Lilla so intensely!
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So he to the of the Vairkingian noble, who him gladly, being most in learning there was any to be to the magic of the before. But Myles his by the that all were to and alone, and then got to business, for there was no time to be lost.
Myles told Jud of the note from Theoph the Grim his presence at the palace, and how he that Princess Arkilu was responsible. Also, he related his that his was Quivven the Golden Flame; but he had the to from the of Jud’s ménage.
“I shall have her at once,” the Vairking asserted.
“No, no,” Myles interposed, “that would do; for now that we know she is a spy, it will be easy to her. But a new one we be sure of.”
Then he told how he had of Quivven for the by sending her with a note to Arkilu. Jud’s darkened.
“But,” Myles insisted, “that note will a three-fold purpose; first, it has me to pay this visit to you; secondly, it will Arkilu’s suspicions; and thirdly, it will you to my Theoph to-morrow.”
“Oh, I would have done that anyhow,” Jud insisted. “My plans are all made. I shall send a to Theoph, and him to search Arkilu’s room for your note. When he the note he will the for your performance. Thus will the note a fourth purpose.
“Return now to your quarters, and I will send you word of the outcome.”
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Myles admonished. “For a message from you would to our the of my with you this evening. Let Theoph himself send the word.”
“So be it. You may count on starting on your to-morrow as planned. Good luck to you.”
“Good luck to you, Jud the Great, and may you win Arkilu the Beautiful.”
So the earth-man to his quarters, where Quivven, on her return, him on a divan.
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For a minutes they together, and then she her eyelids, looked at him with a expression, and asked: “Aren’t you the least to know what answer Arkilu to your note?”
That was so; he had Arkilu a note; but now that it had its purpose he had about it. How he square himself with little Quivven? By flattery?
“Of I’m to know,” he asserted, “but I was so to have you come again that for the moment I neglected to ask you.”
Quivven the Golden Flame pouted.
“Now you’re me again,” she said, “and I won’t for it.”
“But I want to know,” he with eagerness. “Please do tell me about your sister.”
“I gave her the note—”
Just then there came a loud on the gate outside; so loud, in fact, that the the house. Quivven stopped talking. She and Myles intently. The continued.
“Evidently we are to have company this evening,” he remarked, to the subject.
Quivven replied, “Such a at this time of night can but ill. Let us approach the gate with care, and question the intruders.”
So saying, she took one of the and opened the door. It was a dark, silent, Porovian evening, for the that the was by the of the the wall, and that the was by the on the gate, and that the was by the of Quivven’s lamp.
“Who is there?” Quivven called.
To this there came the shout: “Open quickly, in the name of Theoph the Grim!”
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The girl recoiled. Even Cabot himself as he the of the disturbance; his plot with Jud had produced results what they had planned; and Theoph upon the note, had not to the sleight-of-hand performance, but also to place his daughter’s under arrest.
“I am your father has my to your sister,” Cabot explained. “I tell you what! You by the door, make your way to Arkilu, and see if the two of you can for me with your parent.”
So saying, he her. The him the light, and into the of the house.
“Cease your noise!” he shouted. “For I, Myles Cabot the Minorian, come to the gate in person!”
He the path. Quickly he the bolts, the gate open, and outside, the lamp with one hand to a view of the disturbers. But his lamp was from him and his arms him.
His were about a dozen Vairking soldiers in leather and helmets, some and some torches, while their leader was but with a rapier.
As soon as the was the him off the street.
Thus were his plans to the ground. On the night all had been for his to secure the for the of a radio set with which to with Cupia and his Lilla. That he had been to his trip, in order to perform Theoph the Grim. And this he was Theoph’s prisoner, for—what?
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