Astounding Science Fiction (UK Edition) — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

42 in which the missing Marathon had made its landing.. It was roughly circular, its sur- face level and carpeted with close-growing moss of a rich, emerald green. The sun, now well up in the sky, poured a flood of pale- green beams into this strange amphitheater around the fringes of which clustered a horde of silent, expectant natives. The middle of the glade captured our attention. Here, as outstanding as the big- gest skyscraper in the old home town, soared a veritable monster among trees. How high it went was quite impossible to estimate, but it was quite large enough to make Terra’s giant redwoods look puny by comparison. Its bole was a full forty feet in diameter, and the spread of its oaklike branches looked immense even though they were way, way up there. So enormous was this mighty growth that we just couldn’t keep our eyes off it. If these transcosmic Zulus were going to hang us, well, they sure intended to do it high and handsome. Our kicking bodies wouldn’t look more than a few struggling bugs dangling between Earth and heaven. Minshull must have been afflicted by the same thought, for I heard him say to McNulty, “There’s the Christmas tree! We're the ornaments. They'll draw lots for us, and the boob who gets the ace of spades will be the fairy at the top.” “Don’t be morbid,” snapped McNulty. “They'll be nothing so illegal.” Then a native pointed at the positive skipper and six pounced on him before he could dilate further on the subject of inter- cosmic law. With complete disregard for all the customs which the victim held holy, they bore him toward the waiting tree. VI. Up to that moment we’d failed to notice the drumming sound which thundered dully from all around the glade. It was strong - now, and held a sinister quality in its muffled, insistent beat. The weird, elusive sound had been with us from the start; we'd got used to it, had become unconscious of it in the same way that one becomes insensitive to the ticking of a familiar clock. But now, perhaps because it lent emphasis to the dramatic scene, we were keenly aware of that deadly throb, throb, throb. The green light made the skipper’s face ghastly as hé went forward. All the same, he still managed to lend importance to his characteristic strut, and his features had the ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION air of one who has unshakable faith in the virtue of sweet reasonableness. I’ve never encountered a man with more confidence in the law. As he walked forward, I know he was supported by the profound conviction that these poor people could do nothing drastic with him unless they first filled in the necessary forms and got them properly stamped and signed. Whenever M‘Nulty died, it was going to be with official ap- proval. 3 Halfway to the tree the skipper and his guard were met by nine tall natives. The latter were dressed in no way different from their fellows, yet, in some vague manner, managed to convey the impression that they were beings apart from the common herd. Witch doctors, dicided my agitated mind. Those holding McNulty promptly handed him over to the newcomers, then beat it toward the fringe of the glade as if the devil himself had appeared in the middle. There wasn’t any devil; there was only that monstrous tree. Still, knowing what some growths could and did do in this green- wrapped world it was highly probable that this, .the grandpappy of all trees, was capable of some unique wickedness. Of that lump of statuesque timber one thing was certain—it possessed a damned good dollop of gamish. ; Briskly, the nine ‘stripped McNulty to the waist. He was talking to them all the time, but he was too far away for us to get the gist of his lecture, and his captors took not the slightest notice. Again they examined his chest, conferred among themselves, abruptly started dragging him nearer to the tree. McNulty resisted with appropriate dig- nity. Picking him up bodily, they carried him forward. Armstrong said, in harsh tones, “We’ve still got legs, haven’t we?” and forthwith kicked his nearest guardian’s feet from be- neath him. But before any of us could follow his example and start another useless melee an interruption came from the sky. Upon the steady drumming from the forest was super- imposed another fiercer, more rapid roll which quickly merged its beasts to a rising howl. The howl waxed to an explosive roar as, swift and silvery, the pinnace swooped low over the fateful tree. Something dropped from the belly of the bulleting boat, something which blew out to mushroomlike shape, hesitated in its fall, then lowered gently into the head of the tree. It was a parachute! I could see a figure hang- oO comiclooks (©