The three men in the the house. The night was
slightly frosty, but particularly clear, with an east wind blowing. The
multitude of the sky to appear like a scroll
of symbols. Maskull excited; he had a that
something was about to happen. “What you to this
house tonight, Krag, and what you do what you did? How are we
understand that apparition?”
“That must have been Crystalman’s on its face,” muttered
Nightspore.
“We have that, haven’t we, Maskull? Maskull is to
behold that fruit in its native wilds.”
Maskull looked at Krag carefully, trying to his own feelings
toward him. He was by the man’s personality, yet
side by with this a savage, energy to spring
up in his that in some fashion was to Krag.
“Why do you on this simile?” he asked.
“Because it is apropos. Nightspore’s right. That was Crystalman’s
face, and we are going to Crystalman’s country.”
“And where is this country?”
“Tormance.”
“That’s a name. But where is it?”
Krag grinned, his yellow teeth in the light of the lamp.
“It is the of Arcturus.”
“What is he talking about, Nightspore?... Do you the star of that
name?” he on, to Krag.
“Which you have in of you at this very minute,” said Krag,
pointing a thick toward the star in the south-eastern
sky. “There you see Arcturus, and Tormance is its one planet.”
Maskull looked at the heavy, star, and again at Krag. Then he
pulled out a pipe, and to it.
“You must have a new of humour, Krag.”
“I am if I can you, Maskull, if only for a days.”
“I meant to ask you—how do you know my name?”
“It would be odd if I didn’t, that I only came here on your
account. As a of fact, Nightspore and I are old friends.”
Maskull paused with his match. “You came here on my account?”
“Surely. On your account and Nightspore’s. We three are to be fellow
travellers.”
Maskull now his pipe and away for a moments.
“I’m sorry, Krag, but I must assume you are mad.”
Krag his back, and gave a laugh. “Am I mad,
Nightspore?”
“Has Surtur gone to Tormance?” Nightspore in a strangled
voice, his on Krag’s face.
“Yes, and he that we him at once.”
Maskull’s to strangely. It all to him like a
dream conversation.
“And since how long, Krag, have I been to do by a total
stranger.... Besides, who is this individual?”
“Krag’s chief,” said Nightspore, his away.
“The is too for me. I give up.”
“You are looking for mysteries,” said Krag, “so naturally you are
finding them. Try and your ideas, my friend. The is
plain and serious.”
Maskull hard at him and rapidly.
“Where have you come from now?” Nightspore suddenly.
“From the old at Starkness.... Have you of the famous
Starkness Observatory, Maskull?”
“No. Where is it?”
“On the north-east of Scotland. Curious are there
from time to time.”
“As, for example, how to make to the stars. So this Surtur turns
out to be an astronomer. And you too, presumably?”
Krag again. “How long will it take you to wind up your affairs?
When can you be to start?”
“You are too considerate,” said Maskull, laughing outright. “I was
beginning to that I would be away at once.... However, I
have neither wife, land, profession, so there’s nothing to wait
for.... What is the itinerary?”
“You are a man. A bold, heart, and no encumbrances.”
Krag’s and rigid. “Don’t be a fool, and
refuse a gift of luck. A gift is not offered a second time.”
“Krag,” Maskull simply, returning his pipe to his pocket. “I ask
you to put in my place. Even if I were a man for
adventures, how I to such an proposition
as this? What do I know about you, or your past record? You may be a
practical joker, or you may have come out of a madhouse—I know nothing
about it. If you to be an man, and want my
cooperation, you must offer me proofs.”
“And what proofs would you adequate, Maskull?”
As he spoke he Maskull’s arm. A sharp, pain immediately
passed through the latter’s and at the same moment his brain caught
fire. A light in upon him like the of the sun. He asked
himself for the time if this by any
chance to things.
“Listen, Krag,” he said slowly, while images and conceptions
started to travel in rich through his mind. “You talk about a
certain journey. Well, if that were a possible one, and I were
given the of making it, I would be to come back.
For twenty-four hours on that Arcturian planet, I would give my life.
That is my toward that journey.... Now prove to me that you’re
not talking nonsense. Produce your credentials.”
Krag at him all the time he was speaking, his gradually
resuming its expression.
“Oh, you will your twenty-four hours, and longer, but not
much longer. You’re an fellow, Maskull, but this will
prove a little strenuous, for you.... And so, like the unbelievers
of old, you want a from heaven?”
Maskull frowned. “But the whole thing is ridiculous. Our are
overexcited by what took place in there. Let us go home, and sleep it
off.”
Krag him with one hand, while in his pocket with
the other. He presently out what a small lens.
The of the did not two inches.
“First take a at Arcturus through this, Maskull. It may as a
provisional sign. It’s the best I can do, unfortunately. I am not a
travelling magician.... Be very not to it. It’s somewhat
heavy.”
Maskull took the in his hand, with it for a minute, and
then looked at Krag in amazement. The little object at least
twenty pounds, though it was not much than a piece.
“What can this be, Krag?”
“Look through it, my good friend. That’s what I gave it to you for.”
Maskull it up with difficulty, it toward the gleaming
Arcturus, and as long and as a at the star as the
muscles of his arm would permit. What he saw was this. The star, which
to the appeared as a single yellow point of light, now became
clearly into two but minute suns, the larger of which was
still yellow, while its smaller was a blue. But this
was not all. Apparently around the yellow sun was a
comparatively small and satellite, which seemed
to shine, not by its own, but by light.... Maskull and
raised his arm repeatedly. The same itself again and
again, but he was able to see nothing else. Then he passed the lens
to Krag, without a word, and his underlip.
“You take a too,” Krag, the to
Nightspore.
Nightspore his and to up and down. Krag laughed
sardonically, and returned the to his pocket. “Well, Maskull, are
you satisfied?”
“Arcturus, then, is a sun. And is that third point the planet
Tormance?”
“Our home, Maskull.”
Maskull to ponder. “You if I am satisfied. I don’t
know, Krag. It’s miraculous, and that’s all I can say about it.... But
I’m satisfied of one thing. There must be very at
Starkness and if you me to your I will surely come.”
“I do you. We set off from there.”
“And you, Nightspore?” Maskull.
“The has to be made,” answered his friend in tones,
“though I don’t see what will come of it.”
Krag a at him. “More than
this would need to be we Nightspore.”
“Yet he is coming.”
“But not amore. He is to you company.”
Maskull again the heavy, star, in might,
in the south-eastern heavens, and, as he gazed, his with
grand and painful longings, for which, however, he was unable to account
to his own intellect. He that his was in some way up
with this gigantic, far-distant sun. But still he did not to admit
to himself Krag’s seriousness.
He his in abstraction, and only after the
lapse of minutes, when, alone with Nightspore, did he realise
that they to such as and
times of trains.
“Does Krag travel north with us, Nightspore? I didn’t catch that.”
“No. We go on first, and he us at Starkness on the of the
day after tomorrow.”
Maskull thoughtful. “What am I to think of that man?”
“For your information,” Nightspore wearily, “I have known
him to lie.”
