Air Wonder Stories, May 1930 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

. ae Sy and Saturn were also known to be congenial to human life, And now with the invention. of the space-flyer such a raid could eventually be made, But what if life upon these-planets "was different from our own? Perhaps Nature had not repeated herself-and the beings ofthese other worlds were of a different species. And-even if human life dwelt upon these worlds, the Mentor ‘was still averse to engaging in wholesale kidnapping. To rob another world..of its female population was to leave it in the same predicament as the Earth was now-in. And how could the- Earth's people, whose only religion was Brotherhood, willingly cause-such a condition upon a sister planet? No, the Mentor decided, mankind would not consent to despoil others in an effort to save itself. Other. measures must be used, Wearily he pushed the button that would bring a clerk to him. Fifteen minutes later, two of the most rendwned members of the medical profession stood before him.“ These men had just come from the Medical Congress that had met to take up the studies of a Dr. Moore with regard to changing the present ~ method of bringing children into the world. 4 HAT is the decision of the Congress?” asked the Mentor. - “Sir, to do what he proposes will be a momentous: step for us to take,” answered one of the doctors. “Nature can not be changed in a day, and the time required to make the altera- tions Moore expects will be too long, for by that time thou- sands of our women must be sacrificed! For the sake of womanhood: itself the -Congress agrees that such a project should not be considered, It is too Jate: for us to proceed upon such a course, although there is no doubt about its-feasibility 1” Doctor Horace Wilson sighed as he-finished. The Mentor nodded his head sadly. “And yet, doctor, some- thing has to be done, as you well know. Is: it possible for you to ‘de-wing’ our people as Mentor once winged us?” Wilson nodded slowly, almost unwillingly. “It can be done, sir! Acting on your suggestion of several months previous I have had.a number of my assistants experimenting on such a solution. They only await your commands to manufacture the serums in bulk!” "Tt is not the solution that. we-want,” sighed the Mentor, “but I know your department has done everything possible to save the lives‘ of our women. Howard Mentor, of course, never dreamed of an unknown disease arising, when he set about to give us wings, Of course, we realize it will take generations for us to wndo what he has done, but I wish you God's aid. Else we die!" Here Doctor Herbert Mortis, the second scientist, spoke, “I believe, Mentor, that it-is wrong for us to turn to this means... yet. You know that for many years we have been working upon the possibility of producing our young through mechanical agencies. Up to. this time it is true we've had little success, but now I am beginning to see a glimmering of light We have been working along the wrong lines, but at last re- sults are beginning to show. If you will only consent to wait one more year I am certain that we can produce all the winged children required!” YEAR is a long time,-doctor, and our women die daily.” “T know that, sir, but if you will but give-us that length of time I am positive we can save the rest as well as - bring into ‘being as many females as are needed to- offset the present deficit, Of course when that is-accomplished, it will mean that the duties of childbearing must afterward be left wholly, to our machines, but in doing so we shall stabilize the number of men and women, and man will not be deprived of woman's companionship !” “Tf we could be sure of success, doctor, I would gladly give my permission-to continue your experiments before Dr. Wilson commences: his task of removing the wings from our future WOMEN WITH WINGS race. The loss of our women is appalling!” Morris nodded. He knew that only yesterday there had passed away the Mentor’s own beautiful mate. The nations were grieving with their kindly leader, It was then that Wilson spoke, “Sir,” said he, “I think that my colleague is right. It were best that he be given that single year to accomplish his purpose.. I have been in his — laboratories and have seen the great progress he is making. In the meantime I would suggest that all women be sterilized temporarily |” With that the-Mentor’s dark eyes brightened.- “Well shows, doctor. Why has tio one thought of such a respite sooner? Better we haye no children, than to allow the women to die! Doctor Morris shall: haye his year,-and before night. the word will be sent around the World!" He smiled and held out his hand to Morris, “To your success, sir!” Then he was shak- ing hands with Doctor Wilson. That afternoon word went out that child-bearing was to be forbidden for a year's term. CHAPTER IV The Strange Visitor T was a week later that the Mentor was startled by a mes- sage that-came to him fromthe Lick Astronomical Observa- tory upon the-Pacific Coast. When its-significanee dawned on him he immediately took to the airwith but a single-attend- ant, his eldest. son, Alvin Page, The-world was surprised to hear of his sudden departure, for it-was seldom that the planet ruler ‘ever left the seat of government, For. days now the Earthlings had’ been in a ferment. The- edict forbidding the conception of young-that had followed the meeting of the ten terrestrial leaders had left the populace restless and puzzled, Since they had known that the condition of the womanhood of the world was serious, if was natural that they should see in this unprecedented journey of the Mentor something con- cerning the matter at hand. However, the message requesting the Mentor’s presence at Lick had had nothing to do with the affairs of the globe. Its content was of far different purport. The observatory tpon Mount Hamilton was by far the largest of ‘its kind in the world, the lenses of the telescope measuring fifty feet across! And what the astronomers had sighted*in them had been so'strangely arresting that they had sent immediately for the planet ruler. For what had been seen was indubitably a man-made machine leaving the cloud-shrouded face of the planet Venus! And-it was headed for Earth! For three hours they had watched it before the planet ruler was appraised of the strange fact,though often it disappeared from their lenses, for it showed nothing more than a pencit streak of light-out in the void, It was impossible to determine its shape, but there was no doubt that it was propelled by sentient beings. It was only by an accident, however, that it had ‘been discovered at-all by a student who had for the first time turned his eyes upon that distant-planet, When the strange shape. had-swum into his vision he had called for a more learned astronomer. Photographs had instantly been taken and developed while others still peered at the moving flash of light that appeared to move slowly on its course. ENUS with her all-enfolding shrouds has always been an enigma to Earth. Much has been written about her, but-little is known. For although man with his great telescopes has been enabled to-read the faces of the other planets clearly, Venus. had continued-to hide her secrets. Once or twice through the centuries a-rift had been reported in the Venusian clouds and one astronomer had thought-that he glimpsed a city upon the planet’s surface, but-he could never. be certain. They did Know, however, that the thick, vapory atmosphere differed but little from that of Earth, the clouds themselves acting as a