Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

878 asked Miela. “ Surely there must have been many of them about.” “They were afraid, perhaps,” she an- swered. ‘* And they knew the people were against them. There might have been se- rious trouble; for that is not their way—to fight in the open.” Her face became very grave. ‘‘ We must be very careful, my husband, that they or Tao’s men do not come here to nae you while you sleep.” ‘Why do you suppose they ever hap- pened to bring me here in the first place?” Mercer wanted to know. ‘“ That’s what I can’t figure out.” ‘They knew not that Alan was here,” said Miela. “I think they wanted to show you to our people as their captive—one of the earth-men.” Mercer chuckled. “They didn’t know what a good runner I was, or they’d never have taken a chance like that.” I told Miela then my plan for enlisting the sympathy of the women of the Light Country and for securing the active codp- eration of the girls in ridding us of the disturbing presence of these Tao emissa- ries. We planned that whatever we did should be in secret, so far as possible. Mercer and I talked together, while Miela consulted with Lua at length. I explained to Mercer that Tao might at any time send an expedition to invade the Light Country. ‘“‘ How about that car we came from earth in?” he suggested. ‘‘ He could sail over in that, couldn’t he—if he should want to come over here?” I knew that was not feasible. In the outer realms of space the balancing attrac- tions of the different heavenly bodies made it easy enough to head in any specified di- rection; but for travel over a planet’s sur- face it was quite impractical. Its rise and fall could be perfectly governed; but when it was directed laterally the case was very different. Just where it would go could not be determined with enough exactness. Miela turned back to us from her con- sultation with Lua. “In the mountains, high up and far be- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. yond the Valley of the Sun,” she said, “ lies a Secret place known only to our women, Our mother says that she and I and Anina can spread the news among our virgins to’ gather there to-morrow at the time of sleep, Only to those we know we can trust will we speak—and they will have no men to whom to tell our plans. To-morrow they will gather up there in the clouds, among the Crags, unseen by prying eyes. And yoy and our—our friend Ollie ”—she smiled as' she used the nickname by which he had asked her to call him—“ you two we will take there by the method you have told us. We will arrange, up there in secret, what it is we are to do to help our world. and yours.” This, in effect, was our immediate plan - of procedure. N early all the next day Mer- cer and I stayed about the house, while the three women went through the city quietly, — calling forth all those they could reach to our conclave in the mountains. They returned some time. after midday. — Miela came first, alighting with a swift, triumphant swoop upon the roof where Mercer and I were sitting. One glance at her face told me she had been successful. They will come, my husband,” she an- nounced. ‘‘ And they are ready and eager, all of them, to do what they can.” Anina and Lua brought the same news. When we were all together again Mercer and I took them to the garden behind the house and showed them what we had done while they were away. It was my plan to have the girls carry Mercer and me through the air with them. For that purpose we had built a platform of bamboo, which now lay ready in the garden. Miela clapped her hands at sight of it. ** That is perfect, my husband. No diffi- - culty will there be in taking you with us now.” The platform was six feet wide by ten long. It rested upon a frame with two poles of bamboo some forty feet in length running lengthwise along its edges. These two poles thus projected in —_— eae back of the platform fifteen feet R Om ning under them CrossWise A eso erv 3 ce