THE DEBACLE
Myles his knife, in a of the dark room, and prepared to sell his life dearly. He was for who might come through the room, but he was for the on of the electric lights. As he to his and his eyes, he saw him Nan-nan and the he had sent to the plane to his second radio set. Behind them in the were a score or more of Cupians.
Snatching the new set he it in place, while the others waited. Then, once more, “You have come in the of time. How did it happen?”
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The replied, “Through of our religion I Oya Buh; he up a number of his followers, and we hither. The we unguarded, with a rope down, and at its six soldiers in black togas. We took their arms and the wall, only to be by shots.”
“My shots,” Myles interjected.
“Not all,” Nan-nan replied, “for some came from the arsenal; we tell by the flashes. Several of our party were hit—although not by you, so your may clear—before we put a stop to this by out all the lights. Then we the guardhouse, and here we are. But where are your men?”
“Dead—all dead,” the earth-man sadly replied. “Even Buh Tedn.”
Oya Buh then and his chief.
“Yahoo, Cabot!” he cried. “May the the waves. We, the living, have work to do. Look—the sky pink and in the east! Morning has come. What do you propose?”
“Morning means that the will soon be upon us,” Myles answered. “We must the they arrive.”
The party then took of their supplies. There were thirty-eight rifles, Cupians, and Myles Cabot. One man was sent to the with sticks. When these were recognized, thirty-eight men under arms were up onto the as well. It was for Cabot himself to keep under cover. Then Oya Buh the door and out. An officer from the to meet him. The two each other’s cheek.
The officer, rank was that of pootah, inquired:
“What is the idea of your king, professor?”
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“The idea,” Oya replied, “is that we have come to Kew XIII to the and the Cupians to their proper over the bees. The guardhouse, as you see, is by sharpshooters, armed. A force, but determined, the walls. If you surrender, we shall your lives. If not, we shall the gates while our off any one who opposes, and shall kill all we within. What say you?”
The his shoulders. “What is there to say?” he replied. “We surrender, provided we are safe conduct.”
“Safe without arms?”
“Agreed.”
So the guard, about a hundred in number, in their black togas, out of the arsenal, through the guardhouse, onto the wall, along it, and the rope ladder. The was then up again. The looked around him.
“Where is your army?” he asked.
“On the other of the wall,” Oya Buh replied, with a smile. “Now along away from here, like a good little boy.”
But the officer and his started the to investigate. Before he the main gate, however, it had been opened and, for all he tell, the “vast army” had passed inside. A there him to out of range as as possible, and twelve sentinels, who by now had the wall, out this menace; so, the his men off toward the city.
Thus did Myles Cabot and forty-seven the Kuana from its hundred defenders.
Straggling Cupians now to in from the city. These were put to work arms and out of the and it up in be found. Every Cupian who reported was a and a full of cartridges.
“We may thus arm some enemies,” Myles admitted, “but we must take the risk. The majority will be friends.”
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It was well that they all the which they could. It would have been if they have more. They all for the morning, taking the off the for this purpose, but they had a in the in the when a of appeared on the southern horizon.
In of the menace, Myles and his men to work. The Hymernians low at the arsenal, until a from Cabot’s men two of them and the to into the sky. Whereupon they started on the arsenal, and on the men materials therefrom.
Naturally, this put an end to Cabot’s operations. His men as as possible; and for the city with small of arms, to as well as they could. Cupians from Kuana helped themselves to the rest, and by the were well distributed. The was a ruin.
All through the the bees, low, they saw moving on the streets, such as were rifles; but these by at all that came range, in of which very were killed. Night a of this of warfare.
Emsul and of at once gave up the idea of his peace mission to Yuri. He and Cabot and Nan-nan and Oya Buh the night under at points the city, much-needed sleep. Under of the darkness, many of their in the of the and a quantity of material, being joined in the by the army in from the north.
Before a of thousand Cupians had in the and houses the palace, and at they an attack. They had to the unarmed; but a large quantity of the and ammunition, which had been the city, had their way to the palace, for the was at once by fire from the guards.
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As Cabot’s for a second attack, they were with from above. The bee-people had not returned to their at Wautoosa, but had the night near by, so as to be on hand to protect the palace.
Whenever they a small group of Cupians, or they had to that some was occupied, there they would one of their bombs. Cabot’s were at the of the Hymernians. There was but one thing to do—flee.
In vain, the earth-man and his able to their troops. What was the use in assembling, when was the for a bomb from above? What was the use of the bees?
Myles Cabot in one of the public squares. He was as near to as he had been in his many on the Poros, since his there five earth-years ago. Oh, if only he had with which to the Hymernians as in the days of old! Almost was he to return to the of the arsenal, his one plane was intact, and if so alone in a last attempt to give to his enemies.
The more he of the plan, the more it to him. There to be no other way out. His had crumbled. If he where he was, he would be down, and put to some end by the usurper. How much better, then, to die for his Lilla and his country.
And his baby? He where the little had to. At least the king was out of Yuri’s clutches.
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So, his mind up, Myles set out on a for the the arsenal. After a he it. There his plane. Rapidly he over all the struts, and stays, and engine parts. Everything appeared to be in class order. The fuel of alcohol. How this machine had or was a marvel, but the had been too groups of Cupians, to take the time to the grove.
Myles and was just about to start the engine, when a familiar sound, upon his ears, him to for a moment. From the came the of many motors.
Was the wish the father to the thought? His for an air fleet, with which to the bees, had been so intense; had it his mind and him to which did not exist? Impossible, for the of the was unmistakable.
He his toward the southern horizon, so that they might see what his ears heard; but there was nothing there. The sky was save by an occasional small cloud.
The still up their of the city. He see them low over the housetops, and up and the thoroughfares, out any groups of Cupians who to in Cabot’s cause, on any houses which to the of the Kew in place of the yellow of Yuri.
The did not the from the south. Of not! For the of Poros had no ears. They with their antennae, and only radio at that, in only short-length radio waves.
The noise of a large of on out of the south. Nearer and nearer it came, until it was right over the city, and still not a single plane appeared in sight. Meanwhile the their depredations, and the earth-man sat in his own plane and and waited.
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As he watched, he saw one of the who to be higher than the rest, in a of smoke. And then another and another.
The Hymernians, too, saw this and rose to investigate, there came the shut-off of planes.
Fascinated, Myles into the sky, came these sounds, and saw occasionally, against clouds, a of light.
Several more of the exploded. And now Myles was able to see from time to time, on a of cloud, the of an airship. The bees, too, saw, and to the attack. What was this fleet? Had the of the Cupian of the past returned to free their country from Hymernian domination?
The two fleets, and planes, had now joined battle, and were slowly to the southeast. Myles came out of his trance, started his engine, and rose into the air, on joining the fray.
On his way, he over the city, and gave it a in passing. Then he gave it a second glance, for the Cupians, of the of the bees, were for a second attack on the palace.
Instantly his plans changed. What had he off to watch a sky when right here him a to do what he had so many to accomplish, free his Lilla from the Yuri! Veering sharply, he on one of the upper of the palace.
He still his of cartridges, and still his rifle. Filling the magazine, he into the building. No one the from the air, for they on their to do that for them. The upper rooms were deserted, the were in the and the and Yuri’s other were the attack of Cabot’s Cupians at the ground levels.
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Cabot himself the place and unchallenged. Here he was at last at his journey’s end, but where was Lilla? Lilla the blue-eyed princess, Lilla of the curls, his Lilla!
The rooms which he and she had every of and present occupancy, to the of the king, with the arms of the House of Kew. Cabot looked around the rooms of his wife and child, and then on into the of the palace.
Occasionally he would come upon groups of defenders; but they, naturally that he was one of them—especially as he still the black of the guard—gave him but little heed. Whenever the group was not too he would shoot them. He to do this, but he he had to in order to save his loved ones.
Thus he the whole of the upper of the without his enemy Yuri, or any of the womenfolk. Yuri was no coward. However much of a he might be, no one would him of that. Therefore he was not in hiding. He was not in of the defense. Therefore he must be either away from the palace, or some devilment.
Figuring thus, Cabot to to the ground floor. While these passages, searching, for either Lilla or Yuri, he came upon one of the guards. The was unarmed, so Cabot did not shoot.
Instead he ordered, “Up with your hands.”
The obeyed.
“Now,” said his captor, “the price of your life is to lead me to your king.”
“Indeed, I will with pleasure,” the soldier with a sneer, “for King Yuri will make work of one who to his black garb.”
The earth-man smiled. “I am no traitor,” he announced, “and this black is fur. Do you not know Cabot the Minorian?”
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The other blanched. “Good Builder!” he exclaimed. “We did not the that you had returned from the Minos. But I am at your orders, for I am one of the old who under King Kew the Twelfth, the father of Princess Lilla, may he the waves.”
“Lead on, and no treachery,” Myles replied. “I trust no one who has the of Prince Yuri.”
So the the way through many passages, into the very of the of the palace. What Prince Yuri be doing way here unless he was hiding, which unlikely? Cabot very suspicious, and, in hand and on trigger, his with eye.
Finally they came upon a in an yellow toga, in a corner.
“King Yuri,” said the soldier laconically.
At the of the voice the looked around; and now it that he was there not for fear, but he was in repairing something with a set of Porovian queer-looking tools.
Apparently not at all surprised, he his enemy and as though the were a long friend, “Yahoo, Cabot the Minorian. I you would turn up sooner or later. Just a minute until I this wire, and then I will be at your service. You see, one of my wouldn’t explode; no one else able to at the of the trouble, and so I had to come here in person.”
And so saying he to his work. Myles to see what Prince Yuri was doing. For a moment the earth-man’s scientific got the of his caution. But that moment, as it was, proved long for the soldier, who had him hither, to Myles’ from his hand, and him with its muzzle.
“Up with your hands!” the soldier commanded.
Cabot obeyed. Not to do so would have been suicide.
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Yuri, still unperturbed, remarked, “Well done, Tobo; you shall be promoted for this.”
“Shall I shoot him, sire?” Tobo asked.
“N-no,” the ruminated, his thoughtfully, “not just now. Wait until I with this wire. In the meantime you might let the Minorian against the wall, so that he will be more comfortable.”
So Myles against the and waited, his hands still high, while the around in the corner. Finally, after a period, Yuri arose, his together, one hand against the other, and looked at his with a smile.
“Shall I kill him now?” asked Tobo.
“No. I am that for myself,” the replied. Then to Cabot: “At last, you are in my power. I to shoot you myself. I to shoot you down, unarmed.”
Turning to Tobo, the asked, “How is our going?”
“Very well, sire,” the soldier replied. “We are all assaults, in of the of the to the southward.”
A cloud of spread over the of Prince Yuri. Then he and said, “Doubtless the know what they are about, and will soon return to the fray. So let us with the execution. Follow me!”
Myles followed. Almost was he to upon his enemy and attempt to him the from Tobo do its work. It would be well the of his own life to Cupia of this incubus. But what if Yuri should survive? No, it would do to this. So he followed.
The the way up levels, until they came to a small with curtains. At one was a dais. An electric vapor-lamp on the the light.
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Prince Yuri took the from the guard, Myles in the center of the room, and sat himself on the dais.
Then he Tobo, “Go and the Princess Lilla hither, for I wish her to see me kill this lover of hers, this from another world.”
Myles at the mention of his beloved, and his smiled.
The soldier on his errand. Yuri with the weapon, and his victim, with a on his lips. Myles returned his without flinching.
“You can put your hands now, if you wish, you fur-faced mathlab,” the remarked.
Cabot did so, and of his face. The was unwarranted, for he had only that morning.
“Don’t go too far!” he his captor. “Remember Poblath’s proverb: ‘You cannot kill a Minorian’.”
“I’ve a mind to kill you right now,” the replied, “just to prove to you that your friend is wrong.”
“Go ahead and try it,” Myles challenged, that Yuri would take him at his word, and thus Lilla the pain of the execution.
A look settled on the usurper’s as he slowly the and pointed it at the earth-man’s right side.
“Left side,” Myles admonished. “Remember that my is on the other than is the case with you Cupians.”
“My, but you are a one!” Yuri admired, shifting his arm as directed. “Now, are you prepared to die?”
“Yes,” Myles replied.
It all like a dream. It couldn’t be possible that he was going to die on the far-away Venus. Perhaps all his in the had been a dream, and he was now about to be awakened.
“Thus do I peace to Poros!” the Cupian declaimed.
His closed upon the trigger.
The fire.
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