Read Online Flash Gordon 3 - The Space Circus by Alex Raymond - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alex Raymond
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trek.
The dusk was filled with enormous scarlet-and-gold butterflies. The rain had ceased as the day began to wane. The butterflies drifted silently through the treetops high above.
“Still about five miles to go,” the hawkman told Flash.
“We should be able to keep on for another hour at least before we stop for the night,” decided Flash.
Back at the tail end of the line, Booker said, “When are we going to call a halt? Seems like we must have come fifty miles by now.”
“Why don’t you stop by yourself and rest up?” suggested Sixy. “You can catch up with us later.”
“Are you joking? I’m not about to try making my way through this wilderness by myself,” said Booker. “I’d get lost for sure.”
“That possibility had occurred to me.”
Jape came trotting up to Flash’s side. “I think I’ve got this thing figured out.” He was holding the blue man’s radio in two of his hands, the earphones over his ears.
“So they do communicate by means other than telepathy?” asked Flash.
Removing the earphones, Jape fell in step with Flash. “The whole process isn’t exactly telepathy at all,” he said. “After listening to this radio for a while I began to hear something. It makes sense, because if the people of Mesmo are completely telepathic they’d have no need of earphones at all.”
“You heard something!” said Flash. “What?”
“A human voice,” replied Jape. “So I turned the volume up as high as it will go. Here, listen.”
Flash took the proffered earphone and held it to his ear. “You’re right, Jape, that’s a human voice. Sort of a low muffled growling, though.”
“Here’s what I’ve concluded,” said the four-armed physicist. “The language of the blue men is what you might call ‘ear-mitted.’ That is, they talk by way of their ears.”
“Their ears?” said Huk.
“It’s not that unusual a thing,” continued Jape. “That’s why they all wear earphones. To help transmit and pick up messages. You see, it’s a much less raucous way of communicating than ours. Which explains why they think of us as rough beasts.”
“Then they aren’t using extrasensory powers at all?” said the hawkman.
“I’m not sure of that,” said Jape. “They may be able to communicate telepathically, but only at close range.” He shrugged with all his shoulders. “We may never know, since I don’t think I’m going to have an opportunity for much detailed study.”
“Let’s hope not,” said Huk. “I want to stay as far from the blue men as we can.”
“What you’re listening to on the earphones,” said Flash, “is there any way you can translate it?”
“I’m only guessing at this point,” answered Jape. “The language sounds fairly close to that spoken on the planet of Yasmin. This could mean Mesmo was colonized from there centuries ago. I know a little Yasminian, and if I stick with this radio a few hours longer it’s just possible I can pick up this Mesmo version of the language well enough to understand what they’re saying to each other.”
“It would be helpful to know what they’re saying about us,” said Huk.
“That’s important now,” agreed Jape, “but equally as important is the fact that if I can understand the language we’ll be able to find out a lot more about this planet.”
“Such as the location of the spaceports,” said Flash.
“Well,” said Huk, “you two can handle the long-range planning for the time being. I’m more concerned with seeing we get clear of any blue men who may be tracking us.”
“We’ve been pretty careful,” said Flash. “I don’t think any more trappers are going to sneak up on us.”
“You’ve decided that’s what that fellow was?” asked Jape.
“I have a feeling that snare that caught me was one of his,” said Flash. “And he wasn’t dressed in the style of the blue men we encountered in the city.”
“Yes, he had a woodsman’s look about him,” said Huk.
Darkness
The dusk was filled with enormous scarlet-and-gold butterflies. The rain had ceased as the day began to wane. The butterflies drifted silently through the treetops high above.
“Still about five miles to go,” the hawkman told Flash.
“We should be able to keep on for another hour at least before we stop for the night,” decided Flash.
Back at the tail end of the line, Booker said, “When are we going to call a halt? Seems like we must have come fifty miles by now.”
“Why don’t you stop by yourself and rest up?” suggested Sixy. “You can catch up with us later.”
“Are you joking? I’m not about to try making my way through this wilderness by myself,” said Booker. “I’d get lost for sure.”
“That possibility had occurred to me.”
Jape came trotting up to Flash’s side. “I think I’ve got this thing figured out.” He was holding the blue man’s radio in two of his hands, the earphones over his ears.
“So they do communicate by means other than telepathy?” asked Flash.
Removing the earphones, Jape fell in step with Flash. “The whole process isn’t exactly telepathy at all,” he said. “After listening to this radio for a while I began to hear something. It makes sense, because if the people of Mesmo are completely telepathic they’d have no need of earphones at all.”
“You heard something!” said Flash. “What?”
“A human voice,” replied Jape. “So I turned the volume up as high as it will go. Here, listen.”
Flash took the proffered earphone and held it to his ear. “You’re right, Jape, that’s a human voice. Sort of a low muffled growling, though.”
“Here’s what I’ve concluded,” said the four-armed physicist. “The language of the blue men is what you might call ‘ear-mitted.’ That is, they talk by way of their ears.”
“Their ears?” said Huk.
“It’s not that unusual a thing,” continued Jape. “That’s why they all wear earphones. To help transmit and pick up messages. You see, it’s a much less raucous way of communicating than ours. Which explains why they think of us as rough beasts.”
“Then they aren’t using extrasensory powers at all?” said the hawkman.
“I’m not sure of that,” said Jape. “They may be able to communicate telepathically, but only at close range.” He shrugged with all his shoulders. “We may never know, since I don’t think I’m going to have an opportunity for much detailed study.”
“Let’s hope not,” said Huk. “I want to stay as far from the blue men as we can.”
“What you’re listening to on the earphones,” said Flash, “is there any way you can translate it?”
“I’m only guessing at this point,” answered Jape. “The language sounds fairly close to that spoken on the planet of Yasmin. This could mean Mesmo was colonized from there centuries ago. I know a little Yasminian, and if I stick with this radio a few hours longer it’s just possible I can pick up this Mesmo version of the language well enough to understand what they’re saying to each other.”
“It would be helpful to know what they’re saying about us,” said Huk.
“That’s important now,” agreed Jape, “but equally as important is the fact that if I can understand the language we’ll be able to find out a lot more about this planet.”
“Such as the location of the spaceports,” said Flash.
“Well,” said Huk, “you two can handle the long-range planning for the time being. I’m more concerned with seeing we get clear of any blue men who may be tracking us.”
“We’ve been pretty careful,” said Flash. “I don’t think any more trappers are going to sneak up on us.”
“You’ve decided that’s what that fellow was?” asked Jape.
“I have a feeling that snare that caught me was one of his,” said Flash. “And he wasn’t dressed in the style of the blue men we encountered in the city.”
“Yes, he had a woodsman’s look about him,” said Huk.
Darkness
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