Authentic Science Fiction, No. 23 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

30. THE SINGING SPHERES cavern. Briefest analogy, perhaps, would liken the caves to a series of eggshells laid end to end, with inter-communicating holes punched between. Moreover, these further apertures proved climbable without use of the Karlin line, and for what seemed an eternity we kept climbing up one curved slope, heaving ourselves through the hole slithering down the other side, while all the time those damned spheres accompanied us effortlessly. Then, at last, an approaching tumult sounded over the inter-com—a whistling and singing so intense that it numbed the mind and set teeth on edge—and we knew that somewhere near at hand in the Great Halls a crowded assembly of Kar- doon’s eerie, inorganic inhabitants awaited us. “If they’d got the slightest sense of decency,” panted Tubby, “they'd have used those force-beam affairs to give us a lift—” A purple sphere swooped from the heights and confronted us. It was Fuzzy-bubble. I switched on the Mattus. ‘Now I must leave you,” he said, “to take my place with Makkub and his councillors. My friends will escort you to the Presence at the appointed time.” CHAPTER FIVE ‘It Will Cost a Thousand Lives—’ AN) ELE we stood there in the pitch darkness—for although the hovering spheres glowed brightly they cast no re- flections into the depths of the cavern—I experienced my first doubts. I didn’t like the tone of Fuzzy-bubble’s last remark. He had spoken, as it were, of “The Presence”—in definite capital letters. Although fairly high up in the counsels of Kardoon—I imagined he must have been sent as an official investigator, once news of our approach was received—he obviously stood in some awe and apprehension of this Mak- kub. and we knew from experience that rulers who inspired such frame of mind among their subjects usually. proved to be arrogant and overbearing dictators of some kind. THE SINGING SPHERES 31 The terrible row in the inter-com prevented me from think- ing clearly, but we hesitated to switch off because of need to speak to each other at any moment when the summons came. Fortunately, as matters turned out, we didn’t have to endure the uproar for long, because, without warning, the noise faded and died, letting the blessed relief of silence pour over us in healing waves. “Get ready,” said Hartnell. “This is it.’ He paused a moment. “You know what’s happening, don’t you? Some- where up there—in the throne room, or whatever they call it —your pal Makkub’s made his ceremonial entrance and they’ve all fallen into a respectful silence.” “I don’t know,” remarked Tubby, thoughtfully, “that I altogether care for the sound of Makkub—” Neither did I, for that matter, and I didn’t see why he should be described especially as my “pal.” We never knew whether Fuzzy-bubble intercepted Tubby’s previous remark and realised with remorse that his actions weren't those of a perfect host, or whether no one liked to keep Makkub waiting while we sweated and struggled along steep, curved banks. At any rate, the next we knew was a cluster of spheres suddenly appearing through the aperture in front of us and an alarming sensation of being raised into the air towards them. : “Galloping galaxies!” gasped young Hartnell. “They’ve got us in the force-beams!” It wasn’t exactly pleasant to hurtle through the darkness of those vast caverns, not knowing what lay immediately ahead. Peculiarly enough, I couldn’t tell at what point the force- beams gripped me. There was no particular feeling of being either pulled or lifted—merely a swift, effortless progress, during which I had the uncomfortable thought that we might be accidentally dashed against the rocks. Undoubtedly it was even more unpleasant for Tubby, because the spheres hand- ling him lacked co-ordination at the start and tumbled him over in the air two or three times. Spluttered profanity reached us over the inter-com, but Hartnell said it was only poetic justice. Very soon, however, we saw two large green globes guard- ing an entrance move respectfully aside as our cavalcade approached. We sailed inside and there burst upon us a scene of such outlandish beauty and curiosity that we ex- comicbooks.co