Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

250 _Kinst had drawn back strangely. “No!” he burst out. ‘‘ No, not for any- thing you could give me. Not even to save my life, or my woman! I am no spy.” | “Yet you just said you would do any- thing!” ‘Not that. You think I have no honor because I am of the Folk? You think I am a traitor, eh? Ah, yes, you think any man of the. Folk would sell himself—tell me, would you betray your friends?” “You mangy whelp!” Fortune raised his fist to strike. ‘‘ You’ presume to ask that! You—oh, yes, I forgot, you think all men are born equals. Well, you are answered.”’ “Then,” cried Kinst, striking himself a blow on the chest, ‘‘ 1am aman, too! Any- thing but that, yes! I am no traitor.” “ Very well.” Fortune shrugged indiffer- ently. ‘‘I merely offered you a chance to do better. Let it go. But tell me, Kinst, what do you expect from this crazy revo- lution? Power? Money? A tower to live in? Youre not smart enough—they’ll trample you in the crush. Suppose it did succeed—what then?” “Power? No. Money? No. A tower, no, no!” Kinst spoke with a curious, proud confidence. ‘‘ But, great sir, when my son is born! He will find a better world. He’ll learn the hidden knowledge of the ancients, he’ll have his chance with the best of them! Is that nothing to hope for?” ‘Oh, hope for it, by all means. You'll never get il. Now be off with you, you and your woman—ah, what’s this?” The door in the wall vibrated to a heavy knocking. ‘‘ Open in the name of Wolff’s guard!”’ a voice shouted. “ Come, quick about it! We saw you go in there, and you're surrounded. Come out!” ‘“Qh-h-h!” gasped Kinst. “ Betrayed! You’ve tricked me—” ‘‘ Shut up, you fool.” Fortune seized the gold-worker by the arm and shook him harshly. “If I’d betrayed you d’you think I’d have gone about it this way, without my soldiers? Be still. Here’s a fine mess. I can’t be found with you—that won’t do! Kinst, run, look from the other wall, straight back there, where there’s a little gate. If no one is watching it slip out quick. You can dodge till you escape them.” THE ARGOSY. Kinst sped away with Anna. The knock- ing continued. “Hurry!” warned the voice. ‘ We’re going to break in, and it will be the worse for you.” The court was walled in on two sides by the ruinous shells of old buildings, crum- bling heaps, but with walls too high for. a man to climb them in the dark. The other two sides were fenced by masonry, twice as high as a man’s head. He saw that the thing for him to do was to get rid of Kinst and the woman. For- tune hurried to the rear door. There Kinst and Anna huddled, two fig- ures of stupid dismay. “‘ Ssst!” the gold- worker breathed. ‘‘Soldiers—against the door, outside!”’ Fortune heard a mutter of voices. Press- ing his ear against the panel, he listened. ‘What'd they turn us out for?” one grumbled. “Runaway from the Under City,” said another. A third voice added: “‘ Well, let him run! A fine way to use the Tower Guard!” ‘ [ hear it’s a gold-worker that Wolff has been petting,” the first voice began again. He’s been missing, and His Greatness is furious about it. He was seen going in the court to-night—”’ “A fine stir for nothing—hark, they’re breaking in the other door. Hear that?” Fortune turned to Kinst. ‘“ Do as I say and you'll get away safely,” he whispered. “Hide here, just beside this door, until after I’ve taken that guard away. Then slip out; you won’t have much time before they break in from the other side! Back, both of you, deeper in the shadow! That’s better, crawl under that stuff!” Fortune swung the door open sharply. “You men!” he cried. “‘ Tower Guard, eh? Good! This way, and hurry—that little rat went over the wall, yes, up at that far corner. Come—” ‘““Who are you—wait boys. I don’t know—” One of the soldiers hesitated. “Come, see my face, my uniform then, but be quick. I’m Fortune, over-captain, police guard, Cantonment Six, and that man’s a fugitive from my district.” “Certainly, captain—all right, lads.” Mmicbdoo (C cS (C@) (E@)