Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 151: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE RADIO MAN. As I respectfully withdrew from the audience chamber, an attendant softly rad- iated into my antennae that the princess desired to see me at once in her apartments. ~ More trouble! But I was wrong, for Lilla received me most tenderly and graciously. Supper was laid for two. “Oh, Cabot, Cabot,” said she, “ how can I ever forgive myself for mistrusting you? I have just listened-in on the ex- planation which you gave to my father, the king, and of course, I do not believe it, any more than he. But this very disbelief makes me glad. You do love me. You love me enough to incur the royal wrath. And now the sarkari can never get you.” And in an instant she was clasped tightly in my arms, pressing hot kisses on my love- starved lips. At last we seated ourselves side by side on a couch by the table, and the meal was served. Lilla then explained to me her movements on my wedding eve. ‘“] was unable to bear your marriage to another,” said she, ‘“ especially as you did not seem to be trying to do anything about it.” “But how can a mathlab struggle in the jaws of a woofus?” I interjected, quoting one of Poblath’s proverbs. Lilla smiled indulgently, and continued her story. ‘“‘ There was no one here whom J could trust, so I finally called upon Doggo. He met me on the outskirts of the city, and carried me to Ktuth in his kerkool; then returned to Kuana, to try and devise with you some means of escaping from Bthuh. But his kerkool broke down when almost at his destination, thus necessitating his con- tinuing on foot; and, by the time that he reached the city, you had disappeared. When you failed to show up for the wed- cing, Bthuh acted like one drunk with saffra-root, and has continued so ever since. Doggo sent word to me at Ktuth, and I re- turned.” Then I told her of my adventures, she sympathizing tenderly with my misfortunes, and thrilling at the conquest of the woofus. ‘“ Now that Poblath is our friend again, we have little to fear from Bthuh,” she _ Said. = Bthuh is a mad little wanton, and 785 will cool off if let alone. But Poblath, for all his philosophy, is a commoner, and so was to have been expected to misunderstand the situation.” I wanted to say that Lilla herself had entertained exactly the same misunderstand- ing as Poblath, but instead I merely re- marked: “I too am a commoner, Lilla dearest.” “You are not!” she replied, ‘“ you are a bar-sarkar, and have the.heart of a king. Could the Princess Lilla love a commoner?”’ “The Princess Lilla once spent a whole night in the arms of a commoner,” I remon- strated. ~ ‘“‘ And was just as safe and free from in- sult as she would have been in the arms of her mother,’ she added. “ But Yuri be- lieved otherwise, or said that he did; and threatened that, unless I would by my silence assent to his version of my rescue, he would tell the king, who would have be- lieved the worst and would have cast me out. So, as long as I thought that you were hopelessly doomed, I held my peace. But I was very sad.” Never before had Lilla offered an ex- planation of Yuri’s hold upon her; and I, respecting her privacy, had not intruded. But I was glad to know. Oh, what a cad her cousin was! Atavism! Thus cropped out among the truly regal present rulers of Cupia, the strain of the first pro-ant king. I itched to get my fingers on the rene- gade. After the meal, Lilla and I sat for a long time together on her little balcony, pledging an undying love. “I shall marry you,” assented my prin- cess, “‘ even if we have to flee together to islands beyond the boiling seas.” That was all very well, but quite im- practical. The boiling seas were impass- able, unapproachable even. Formia was barred to us by my criminal record and by the presence and influence there of Yuri. Cupia was barred to us by the wrath of King Kew, due to my treatment of his favorite. And Formia and Cupia made up the entire world. A flight in disguise was impossible, because of my earthborn de- formities. So, although I gloried in Lilla’s love, oO Eomichbooks (S@)