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Authors: Henry Kuttner
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Mason.
“Kent! They attacked us after you left! They killed Erech, I think. They—”
“Are you all right?” Mason asked, trying to regain his breath. “You’re not hurt?”
She shook her head. “No. But Murdach escaped in the ship.”
The Gorichen waited silently.
“Murdach escaped?” A little flare of hope mounted within Mason. Alasa seemed to read his thought.
“He can’t help. We’re under the ocean. These demons took me underground just as a great wave came out of the east…”
Now Mason realized why the plant-men dwelt underground. The Moon’s nearness caused giant tides that swept resistlessly over the surface of the planet. Now they were far beneath the sea—and would be, until the tide retreated.
Mason grimaced. He tugged unavailingly at his bonds. One of the Gorichen came forward. His thought-message was clear.
“We bear you no hatred. You say you are not of the Deathless Ones, our enemies. Yet you are very like them. For ages we have tried to find a way of defeating the Deathless Ones, and never yet have we succeeded. They cannot be captured. We cannot experiment on them. But you—if we find how you are vulnerable, we may use that knowledge on the Deathless Ones. Certain things we already know. Steel is useless. So are poisonous gases. But there are certain combinations of rays…”
The creature fell silent. His tentacles gestured, and the two captives were lifted, borne toward a glass block that towered near by. A door was opened in its side; Mason was thrust into its hollow interior. Cursing, he struggled with his bonds as the plant-men retreated with Alasa. Rolling over on his side, he peered through the transparent walls. And, watching, he went cold with horror.
To the Gorichen the two humans were guinea-pigs, valuable only as material for their experiments. They dragged Alasa to an altar-like block of stone. Vainly she fought.
The tentacles of the monsters reached out, deftly removing the girl’s clothing. In a moment she lay utterly nude, chained to the stone block so that she could scarcely move. A Gorichen wheeled a lens into position. From it a pale ray-beam fingered out, enveloping Alasa’s ivory body in lambent moonglow.
She was unconscious, or seemed so. For a second the ray was visible; then it snapped out. Working hurriedly, the plant-men unbound the girl, carried her to Mason’s prison, and thrust her within. They remained in little knots outside the glass walls, their blankly glistening heads inclined forward as though they stared attentively at the results of their experiment.
Cursing, Mason struggled to free himself. Useless attempt! The unyielding metal merely chafed and cut his wrists, and presently he stopped to glance at the girl. She was regaining consciousness.
She moaned, lifted a slim hand to brush bronze hair from her face. Slowly she opened her eyes. In them was a blind dreadful staring that made Mason catch his breath, his throat dry.
The girl dragged herself to her hands and knees. Her gaze moved questingly about the prison. She saw Mason.
Silently she crept forward. An angry flush was mounting in her face and bosom, and the glaring eyes grew wider.
“Alasa!” Mason called. “ Alasa! ”
No answer. The nude girl crawled toward him—and stopped. She arose.
Her breasts rose and fell more swiftly. A harsh cry came from her lips.
Then suddenly she sprang at him.
Mason was caught unawares. He felt soft flesh pressed against his face, fever-hot, caught a glimpse of Alasa’s flashing teeth, bared in a snarl. What madness had the Gorichen’s hellish ray worked?
Mason rolled away just in time as Alasa’s teeth drove at his throat. Finger-nails raked his face. Then Alasa leaped again, eyes blazing.
“God Almighty!” Mason groaned. Would he have to kill Alasa to escape being murdered? He drove the thought from his mind; he knew that he could never harm the girl even if she were insane. Yet, for her own sake, he must subdue her somehow. And he
“Kent! They attacked us after you left! They killed Erech, I think. They—”
“Are you all right?” Mason asked, trying to regain his breath. “You’re not hurt?”
She shook her head. “No. But Murdach escaped in the ship.”
The Gorichen waited silently.
“Murdach escaped?” A little flare of hope mounted within Mason. Alasa seemed to read his thought.
“He can’t help. We’re under the ocean. These demons took me underground just as a great wave came out of the east…”
Now Mason realized why the plant-men dwelt underground. The Moon’s nearness caused giant tides that swept resistlessly over the surface of the planet. Now they were far beneath the sea—and would be, until the tide retreated.
Mason grimaced. He tugged unavailingly at his bonds. One of the Gorichen came forward. His thought-message was clear.
“We bear you no hatred. You say you are not of the Deathless Ones, our enemies. Yet you are very like them. For ages we have tried to find a way of defeating the Deathless Ones, and never yet have we succeeded. They cannot be captured. We cannot experiment on them. But you—if we find how you are vulnerable, we may use that knowledge on the Deathless Ones. Certain things we already know. Steel is useless. So are poisonous gases. But there are certain combinations of rays…”
The creature fell silent. His tentacles gestured, and the two captives were lifted, borne toward a glass block that towered near by. A door was opened in its side; Mason was thrust into its hollow interior. Cursing, he struggled with his bonds as the plant-men retreated with Alasa. Rolling over on his side, he peered through the transparent walls. And, watching, he went cold with horror.
To the Gorichen the two humans were guinea-pigs, valuable only as material for their experiments. They dragged Alasa to an altar-like block of stone. Vainly she fought.
The tentacles of the monsters reached out, deftly removing the girl’s clothing. In a moment she lay utterly nude, chained to the stone block so that she could scarcely move. A Gorichen wheeled a lens into position. From it a pale ray-beam fingered out, enveloping Alasa’s ivory body in lambent moonglow.
She was unconscious, or seemed so. For a second the ray was visible; then it snapped out. Working hurriedly, the plant-men unbound the girl, carried her to Mason’s prison, and thrust her within. They remained in little knots outside the glass walls, their blankly glistening heads inclined forward as though they stared attentively at the results of their experiment.
Cursing, Mason struggled to free himself. Useless attempt! The unyielding metal merely chafed and cut his wrists, and presently he stopped to glance at the girl. She was regaining consciousness.
She moaned, lifted a slim hand to brush bronze hair from her face. Slowly she opened her eyes. In them was a blind dreadful staring that made Mason catch his breath, his throat dry.
The girl dragged herself to her hands and knees. Her gaze moved questingly about the prison. She saw Mason.
Silently she crept forward. An angry flush was mounting in her face and bosom, and the glaring eyes grew wider.
“Alasa!” Mason called. “ Alasa! ”
No answer. The nude girl crawled toward him—and stopped. She arose.
Her breasts rose and fell more swiftly. A harsh cry came from her lips.
Then suddenly she sprang at him.
Mason was caught unawares. He felt soft flesh pressed against his face, fever-hot, caught a glimpse of Alasa’s flashing teeth, bared in a snarl. What madness had the Gorichen’s hellish ray worked?
Mason rolled away just in time as Alasa’s teeth drove at his throat. Finger-nails raked his face. Then Alasa leaped again, eyes blazing.
“God Almighty!” Mason groaned. Would he have to kill Alasa to escape being murdered? He drove the thought from his mind; he knew that he could never harm the girl even if she were insane. Yet, for her own sake, he must subdue her somehow. And he
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