THE BATTLE FOR VAIRKINGI
But the Quivven did not the on the elements. Instead she it from her to the and into her seat, her on her arms on the workbench.
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“I couldn’t do it,” she sobs, “for I too know what it is to love. Talk to her, Myles, and I will help you.”
He with relief. “You wouldn’t all our days and days of labor, I am sure,” he said. “What was the matter? I don’t you.”
“You wouldn’t,” was her reply, as she herself together and work.
After a while one of the soldiers to the laboratory in word that the Roies and Formians were the walls, and that “planes” were around in the sky overhead. Cabot gave word to his men to the laboratory at all and on working.
One by one the were and tested.
From time to time Quivven would step into the yard, at the sky, and then report to Myles. The Formian were low, but were not bombs. Jud had been right in one thing—that the would not the of war, Arkilu and Quivven.
From time to time word of the at the of the city. It would have been an easy for the ant-men to bomb the gates, and thus let in their Roy allies, but they were playing safe there. At last, however, word came that traitors—presumably friends of Tipi—had opened one of the gates, and that the enemy was now the city.
Still Myles on.
Suddenly Quivven returned from one of her in the with the cry, “One of the air has me, and is down!”
At that the Radio Man permitted himself to his bench for a moments and go to the door. True, the plane was down, by a score or so of Cabot’s Vairking soldiers with swords, and bows. As the Formians came they were met with a of arrows, most of which, however, off the of the fuselage.
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The ant-men at once with a of bullets. Two Vairkings to the ground, and the others to the buildings, Myles and his two companions, as the through the door.
“Where is your magic slingshot?” one of them him as they by.
The earth-man himself and passed the of one hand across his brow, then to his room. Seizing his rifle, he approached one of the which the yard, and out. The plane was on the ground. Four were disembarking.
Here at last was a to secure transportation!
Myles opened fire.
The Formians were taken by surprise. Oh, how it did Cabot’s good to see those and as he lead into them! They no attempt to return his fire, but toward their plane.
Only one of them it; but one was to the earth-man of his booty. Up the craft, by a from Myles. Then he to the once more. His soldiers, now that all was over, were already there him, an end to the three ant-men, with and spears.
A and odor the air. Myles sniffed. It was in large quantities. The plane not last long, for he had its fuel tank.
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Each of the had been armed, so that, although Myles failed in his plan to secure the airship, the had at least him three and three of cartridges. These he on Doggo, Quivven, and the captain of his guards, saying, “You three, with four or five others, had go at once to Jud’s the here; for, now that the Formians have Quivven, they are sure to attack again, sooner or later.”
But the golden-furred with him: “Let us together, together, and, if need be, die together.”
“For the Builder’s sake, along,” he testily. “We are valuable time. I will join you if the too thick hereabouts.”
“But how can you?”
“By the way which you me.”
“But you need the help of Doggo and myself.”
“No longer, for the set is complete. All that to be done is to in and either Cupia on the air or not. Now, as you are my true friends, along!”
So, with a and a pout; she left him. And with her Doggo, and the captain, and five of the guard. Much relieved, the Radio Man returned to his workbench. Although the move was wise for the safety of Quivven, the which Myles was a to have her absent, when and if he should talk to his Lilla.
He his against the bench, the near by, and set to work. A more and his was complete. He the assembled set with a great of satisfaction; for, although it was a means to an end, yet it was a end in itself after all, as any radio can appreciate.
Once more Myles Standish Cabot, engineer, had his on two worlds. He had a complete radio set out of natural elements, without the of a single tool, or material! It was an feat. Yet it had been successfully.
With hands, he the controls, and listened. Gradually he in a station. It a station.
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A voice was saying: “We not report before, O master, for we have only just repaired the set which this Cabot wrecked. The Minorian when he told you that he had well in hand, for at that moment he was a fugitive.
“He is now with the Cupians who live to the north of New Formia. Today our are their city. It is only a of a he will be in our hands. I have spoken, and shall now by to receive.”
This was the test. Could Myles Cabot the reply? Adjusting his set to the limit of its sensitivity, he waited, his hands on the wave-length dials.
Faintly but came the answer in the well-known voice of Yuri the usurper: “You have done well. Now I will hand the antenna-phones to the Princess Lilla, and I wish you to repeat to her what you have just told me, so that she may it with her own and believe.”
A pause and then Cabot the ant-man at the on the near Yuriana the of Doggo’s and flight, of Cabot’s the radio set and disappearing, of the Formian with Att the Terrible, of the of Sur, and of the attack on Vairkingi, with the which he had already caught.
As he to this narration, the earth-man was making up his mind what to do, and, as soon as the ant-man off, Cabot cut in with: “Lilla, dearest, do not any of surprise, but intently, as though the Formian were still speaking. This is your own Myles. I am sending from a station which I have only just after many of work.
“It is true that the Formians are now our city but they cannot win. Sur we were taken by surprise, but we were in time to Vairkingi. Already I, myself, have off one plane and killed three Formians.
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“As yet I have been unable to secure an airship, or I should have to you. Please in touch with Toron, or some other of my friends, and them to across the and me back.
“Yuri has it twice, and ‘what man has done, that can man do.’ Now I am about to finish. When I off, Yuri for permission to talk to the Formian at Yuriana, to ask him some questions. Then tell me as much as you can of yourself, our baby, and the in Cupia, Yuri you off. I have spoken, dearest.”
And Myles by to receive.
With what a did he his own Lilla’s voice answer: “Oh, Formian, I have Prince Yuri’s permission to speak to you. You may answer what I ask you, and reply to what I tell you, but he himself will receive, I something which I ought not. This leads me to that are not so with Cabot as you report.”
“She is doing fine,” Myles to himself, admiringly. “So far, Yuri will not that she is talking to me.”
Lilla’s voice continued: “You and the other Formians may be to know that Prince Yuri is in complete here. Baby Kew and I are well, and are being by Prince Yuri as his guests in the at Kuana. He has promised me that if I will him, Kew can have the after his death. And this I might have for the baby’s sake, but now that I know that you still live, this cannot be.”
“She has a slip,” Cabot moaned.
Evidently she it herself, for her voice on: “You see, the bees—”
Then Yuri’s voice cut in with: “Congratulations, Cabot. I don’t see how you did it. Your ex-wife would have across a more to you if she hadn’t let me know to she was talking by her careless use of the word ‘you’. I don’t know what you said to her, but I shall be on my guard. No more radio for the Princess Lilla, until my in New Formia report your death, which I will be soon. Good-by, you spot of sunshine. Yuri, king of Cupia, off for the night.”
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So that was that. Myles off the set, and sat in thought. Lilla and his were safe. He not that she would sooner or later means to send him a plane. He had Yuri to the told by the Formian radio operator. The new set had its mission.
But how had Yuri succeeded in into power again in Cupia, nine-tenths of the of which were to Princess Lilla and the king?
Then Myles her words: “The bees—” It was as little Jacqueline Farley had on her father’s New England farm, Cabot’s to the earth. Cabot had stated: “There can be no peace on any which is by more than one of beings”; little Jacqueline had pointed out that the were beings.
Doubtless, Yuri had up trouble the and their Cupian allies, and had to the on the of this trouble. Portheris, king of the bees, had been deposed; for he was too to Myles to for this.
The earth-man’s was at this point by one of his soldiers who into the laboratory shouting: “Sir, there is in your very yard!”
Cabot the over his shoulders, the straps, up his rifle, and to the door. In the yard, his were in hand-to-hand with a of Roies.
He tell them apart, not only by the the of his own men and of the intruders, but more easily by the the leather of the Vairkings and the of the Roies. So, in the doorway, Myles off the enemy, one by one, with his rifle. It was too easy; almost like trap-shooting.
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But it didn’t last long, for the Roies soon learned what was up, and, away from their opponents, out through the gate, by a of and maledictions.
Cabot’s Vairkings were for following, but their master called them back, and them to the laboratory. It was well that he did so, for presently the of the enemy to appear above the top of the fence. Evidently they had a in the street.
Soon and to at the of the house. The Vairkings with a volley, but Cabot them to their ammunition, and watch him off with his rifle, one by one, the which themselves above the paling.
This soon to be interesting. So, the and to one of the more of his men, and them to the laboratory at all costs, the earth-man set out, in hand, by the way to Doggo and Quivven.
The which he were deserted. He the of Jud’s without event, and passed in to one of the through a small and well gate in the of the wall. Quivven had pointed this out to him before, but had he it than this point. He looked around him. Then he his eyes, and looked again! He his senses!
There a Formian in perfect condition. Approaching it with sword, he it to make sure that it no enemies. But it was deserted. A that was in order, that the fuel was empty.
Probably then, this was the plane at which he had fired. But no, for this plane did not of alcohol. The had been for some time, and there was no of any in it. Gradually the on him that this was Doggo’s plane, which Jud had from them for so long. He must Doggo and tell him.
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At the of the from the at which he had entered, there was a door. Myles toward it, and it open. Beyond it there was a second to the first. Myles across this one as well, and open another door, out a of Roies, him and him upon the ground.
But they were as as he was at the encounter, and this him to his and to his they were upon him again, with and thrust.
Good as he was, they had soon him, his against the wall, to his life with his blade. Time and again one of their points would his tunic, but he his well guarded, and so was able to them off.
When he had his and got his bearings, and his defense had a of routine, he the leader of the enemy as none other than the Tipi. His was to Tipi through for his treachery. But then he that likely Quivven loved Tipi after all. It would be a to kill this boy his love had him to his head.
From then on, Myles had no time to on anything, for he was in the difficult of trying to himself without Tipi.
The Vairking had the earth-man, and was at him, but Myles saved his for his sword-play. Even so, he tired. His hand no longer to every of his brain, and his brain itself less agile. It was only a of time when he would be to make a misplay, and go his opponents. Yet, still he on.
And then a new entered the game, for he was from the arms and was and kicking off the ground.
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