Authentic Science Fiction, No. 23 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

58 THE SINGING SPHERES “Therefore,” continued this red, evil horror, “I call not for a thousand—or for ten thousand—but for hundreds of thousands to devote themselves to this experiment, so that I may know I am considered superior in the realm of creation to these peculiar monsters who have thrust themselves among . ; us.” He swelled and pulsated with sheer, grotesque mega- lomania. “The Wise Ones would have wished it to be done. Moreover, I—Makkub—here with you now—demand it!” I snapped off the inter-com and made urgent slapping motions for Hartnell and Tubby to do the same. I think Hartnell was a fraction of a second too late, though, and the first shrieks of enthusiastic tumult needled his ears so pain- fully that his face went white. Meantime, feeling more than slightly sick, I continued to “hear” proceedings over the Mattus. Hostility towards us became inflamed—probably quite a natural sequel to the rush of loyalty to the head that Makkub had engendered. Only here and there did I detect a discordant objection, but such small voices were overwhelmed by great shouts of “Hail, the Wise Ones! Hail, Makkub!”’ “Therefore,” concluded Makkub, gleaming a more baleful crimson than ever, “shall great celebrations be proclaimed in honour of our dedicated multitude of heroes, and as a pre- liminary to the occasion all men shall witness the ceremonial tearing in pieces of these creatures from a far-off world! Afterwards their remains shall be placed in the graves and covered with small rocks, for we are a humane people. More- over, the Machine of Revelation has so decreed it!” . nell, at last. CHAPTER NINE Forgotten Haunt of the Wise Ones Y/E were back in the dark little egg-shaped cell from which we had so recently departed. Occasionally one of the spheres on guard outside loomed for an instant in the entrance aperture like a pale green moon, found we were still among those present, and moved out of sight to join his fellows of the death watch. “Anybody got an idea what we might do?” asked Hart- Nobody had. All the time our minds re-created that pic- ture of three small mounds upon the Kardoon plain, with markers at their heads. Frankly, I didn’t know what to make of it, except that even if the machine had slipped, Makkub meant to employ the incident for his own purposes. | Then Fuzzy-bubble appeared in a state of agitated dis- tress. “Come!” he said. “Come quickly! TI have sent the guards away, but there is no time to lose!” We didn’t stop to ask questions. Panting and stumbling, we followed him through the queer labyrinths of Kardoon, seeing nothing save the monotonous sequence of caverns until after more than half an hour he halted, hovering, before a roughly cut opening scarcely more than eighteen inches in diameter. “Inside,” he said, “is an ancient cave of the Wise ~ Ones. Here is part of their domain known only to a few of us. Take care when you enter, for the way is steep.” Steep? He spoke only half the truth. I suppose, though, it was kind of him to warn us and the precipitous drop into: pitch darkness didn’t hold the same terrors for any being who could float grandly and confidently above. Hartnell hitched the Karlin line again and we followed him down in the approved style until thought of the height above me brought on a copious sweat. That cavern lying im- mediately inside the cliffs was by comparison a mere nut- shell. Down and down we went, deeper into the darkness— a terrifying and apparently endless descent from which } drew only one comforting conclusion—I’d never have been 59 Eomicbooks.co