Read Online 3 - Barbarians of Mars by Edward P. Bradbury - Free Book Online Page A

disease?"
                   "Well, I've had one or two complaints
myself - so have others I know. I was coughing for a couple of days when I lost
myself swimming in the ocean when I was a lad. Is that what you mean?"
                   "No." I described the symptoms of
the green plague that was destroying the folk of Cend-Amrid.
                   He looked rather green himself when I had
finished. "Arc you sure it's that bad?" he said.
                   "It is," I said. "What would
you think if something like that swept throughout this continent, eventually
spreading to your own?"
                   "How can it 'spread'?" he said
unbelievingly.
                   I tried to explain about germs and microbes,
but it meant nothing to him. All I succeeded in doing was weakening my case and
leaving him shaking his head.
                   "What a liar! What a liar!" he
repeated. "Little creatures in our blood! Hoi Hoi
Hoi! You must be a Bagarad. You must have been stolen from us as a baby!"
                   "Believe what I tell you about the plague
or not," I said desperately. "But believe its effects, at least -
even Rokin the Gold is not safe from it."
                   He tapped his armour. "This is gold - it
protects me from anything - man or magic!"
                   "You seem to respect us," I said.
"Then will you release us?"
                   He shook his head. "No." He grinned.
"I think we'll find you useful - if only for ransom."
                   It was impossible, plainly, to reach the
barbarian by appealing to his reason. There was nothing for it but to hope we
could make an early escape, after seeing just what machines he had stolen and,
if possible, making sure he could never use them. This gave rise to another
thought.
                   "What if I can help with the
machines?" I said. "Would you release us then?"
                   "Perhaps," he said, nodding
thoughtfully. "If I decided to trust you."
                   "I am a scientist," I informed him.
"I might throw in my lot with you if you made it worth my while." This
line of attack seemed to be getting better results, for he rubbed his jaw and
nodded again.
                   "I'll think about all this," he said, "and talk to you again in the morning."
He turned and began to stride down the beach. "I'll have some food sent to
you," he called, as an afterthought.
                   The food was brought and it was not bad -
honest, plain meat, herbs and vegetables. It was fed to us by two grinning
barbarians whose weak jokes we were forced to put up with as we ate.
                   When they had gone and the barbarian camp
seemed still, I again began to roll towards Hool Haji, intent on getting at the
knife in his harness.
                   Being tied so firmly, it was hard to tell if
anyone could see us or not. I decided to take the chance.
                   Inch by inch I got closer to my friend, and at
last my teeth were in the pommel of the secret knife.
                   Slowly I worked it out of its hiding place
until it was firmly clamped in my teeth.
                   Hool Haji's hands were tied behind his back,
so that now he had to roll over while I tried to saw at his bonds.
                   After what seemed an age the first strand
parted, then the second. Very soon his hands would be free!
                   I was just starting on the last piece of rope
securing Hool Haji's hands when there came a gruff laugh from above and I
glimpsed gold as the knife was snatched from my teeth.
                   "You're game, the pair of you," came
Rokin's voice, full of rough laughter. "But you're too valuable to let go.
We'd better send you to sleep again."
                   Hool Haji and I made a desperate