Avon Fantasy Reader No. 9 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

“The thing is breathing!” he yelled. I looked at him aghast. “Is that alive?” I asked. “No, no. It’s some sort of a machine, a ventilating system for the city and for whatever is below. The planet must be hollow. There are probably hun- dreds or thousands of these, sucking in fresh air and blowing out the stale, whenever night comes. The flame is a signal. It opens the valves with a cer- tain note, just as we whistle for our lights, or as I called the cylinder. How it is produced I can’t even guess, perhaps by some electrical phenomenoa, but that is what it’s for. Here, lay your fingers against the wall. Feel it?” I obeyed. Stire enough, I could faintly feel the throb, throb, throb of great pumps sucking in the life-giving air, belching forth the impure. A sudden thought came to me. Doc!” [ shouted. “They must be like us, they breathe!” Doc shook his head. “Not at all,” he replied. “They may eat it, as men once believed the chameleon did. They may extract certain gases for fuel in b their machines, or whatever they use. They may use it in pneumatic tubes. It’s probable that they do anything but breathe it. We are really freaks of nature, we men. You know that, Jack. The things below may not even be organic. I doubt if they are.” : We were silent for a moment, then: “Doc!” OFest” “Are we going in there? To see what—they look like?” “It 1s our duty as scientists, Jack.” “I know, but is there any good in going? Won’t it be just useless?” “Nothing is useless, Jack. You should know that by now.” “Yes, I suppose so. But aren’t we likely to be trapped? What good could we do the world then? And how can we get in anyway? Those middle valves are closed.” “Don't forget, we have our resonators. If we get in a tight place, we can use them. As to getting in, don’t you remember the glow which we thought we saw during the day? I think that central valve is open in the daytime. We'll go in in the morning, as soon as the pumps stop, and wait for it to open,” “Pm game. How long before we start?” | | “Nearly twelve hours, I think. You know, the nights are twice as long as on our own planet. Let’s go back and take forty winks or so and a bite to eat. We may need it. And we'll have to wear our helmets, or at least, take them along, for we may have to use the resonators.” “All O. K. with me, Doc. A bit of food won’t displease me at all.” At full speed we returned to the pit, and made our final preparations. Two hours before dawn, Doc’s electric alarm-clock awoke us with a slight shock. Screwing on the globes, and overhauling the generator, we set out, each with a good sized pack. The light was just fading from the sphere as we flew posthaste into the topmost opening. Behind us, the crystal disk clashed shut, barring the exit. ‘Ahead, the short dark corridor extended as : . 27 ,00ksS;-EOM