Air Wonder Stories, May 1930 — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

Iz but whether our people will be willing to accept these strange creatures is a question. Still, I guess these women are beautiful in their own way, But would a man be willing to see his off- spring plunging into the: ocean for its daily dip?” The Japanese had nothing-to say in answer to the astronomer. _ His serious mien revealed that he saw no: humor in the other’s levity. D’Arcy felt his disapproval and smiled wryly,: “Seriously speaking, San,” he observed, “you must admit that there has never been a queerer combat fought. But see, our men are victorious after all |” He pointed to the-ocean below, where they. could see their men rising to the spheres burdened with men and women alike. All fight was.gone from the amphibians, who were submitting docilely enough to the capture, D'Arcy arose from his squatting position on the floor and, followed_by San Tu Ackwa, went through the corridor that led to the sphere’s entrance. Here were the returning men with their captives, who were carried to the chambers above, i Commander Ware was in his own quarters, where he erected the scientists wit smile, “It appears that the victory is ours,” he observed. D’Arcy recounted the enjoyment the battle had brought him, et,” said Ware, “we do not know but that reinforcements are on the way, Surely these—these women haven't shot their entire bow, they will come to succor their defenders! One_ma- chine, you know, slipped away. I am waiting now-to | how many casualties we have to report, Then we will search for Tand.” \ JUST then word was received from the commandants of the spheres to announce that only fifteen men in all were missing. Ware sighed, sorrowful that even these had to be lost. He gave the order for several squads to — to the spheres on the water-to discover whether the mef..were still living: It was then that the squeal of the radio antiounced the return of their unknown friend-on Venus. “Congratulations, friends! It was a pretty fight! However, reinforcements setting out from , . .” but with that the: voice - halted as though the speaker had nee torn from his machine. But: the Earthlings were forewarned: Ware barked his orders for a new formation. Just then the three crippled ships were seen to lift themselves into the air again. Reports came from them announcing: that all was well aboard. A great cry went up from the remainder ofthe fleet when they had séen their fel- ~ lows once more rise to the air, and again the ships were pre- pared for battle. The Visual screens showed a-half-dozen cyl- inders far off in the distance hurrying:to where the Earth ships waited. ‘Ware hesitated no longer. He ordered that the ships be brought down as soon as they came within range! But again the shrill whistle of the Venusian broadcaster _was to be heard. The now familiar voice was more ringing “and exultant than before. “Greetings to the valiant Earthlings from Waltia, Queen of the Zoldans!” ‘he cried. “Waltia acknowledges the Victors.and expresses-a desire for.a conference upon the Isle of Xora. She asks that you permit her ships to aid her defeated flyers. You have the word of the Zoldans that you are safe in their midst, and a Zoldan never breaks her word! One ship will guide you to Xora; the others will come to take their ships in tow. Are you agrecable?” The Commander signified that he was more. than. willing to accept Queen Waltia’s terms, and that the six approaching cylinders were to be allowed to draw near unmolested, He asked more-of the broadcaster, but‘the repeated signals on-his ,wave- length brought no answer,. There was nothing for them to do but follow the single ship that detached itself from the other vessels and turned about preparatory. to leading them to Xora. “We're in for a strange experience,” Ware smiled, “Stranger than fiction,” D’Arcy commented. Ware nodded, CHAPTER VIII Women With Wings! 5 they followed they saw that the Zoldan ships were grappling the helpless cylinders with long metallic arms that-had upon their ends a great circular cup-shaped af- fair, which acted either through a suction or a magnetic field as it fastened itself to the black sides of the crippled machines and bore them aloft. Burdened so, they could mové but slowly and were soon left far behind, The navigators turned to their compasses, which upon enter- ing Venus’ gravitational pull had reacted exactly as they had upon Earth, proving that Venus also had her magnetic pole, The compass showed. that they were moving in a direction cor- . responding to east, with a deviation to the south, For three hours they flew over the yellow ocean. D’Arcy suggested that the captive women in The Mentor be freed from their quarters for a closer examination, so that they might know more about the women of the planet: Ina few. minutes a half dozen or so of the scaled creatures were brought forth. They stood a little less than six feet in height, and appeared-to he well proportioned, The wings were not half so long as Earthly wings, and-were far less powerful for. flying. Evidently the Zoldans did not take very long flights, The fact that they were scaled:like fish pointed to the fact that they spent a great deal more time in the water, Captive as they were, they appeard very docile, and made no attempts to rebel against their captors; but the manner-in which they held themselves, their arrogance of carriage and the pose of their heads showed that they considered the men of Earth an inferior. grade-of be- ing. Moreover, a certain patience of bearing was evident in their faces, and later D’Arcy attested.to the fact that he felt-as though they: considered him naught but a child who needed some humoring. Only one of the women wore any adornment pon her person, and that was a girdle of-a bluish metal incrusted with strange entrancing jewels. No doubt she was a personage, as she held herself aloof from. her fellows with the arrogance on her face more marked than in the others, Had it not been for the minute scales that covered her face and her head like-a cap, she would have been considered beauti- ful according to Earthly standards, The eyes, which were al- most an emerald green, were over-large, and hidden: fires seemed to-live behind them. Her nose was very small, with nostrils that scarcely appeared against the background of the glistening: scales, and her mouth was of tiny proportions, with its edges of the same green color as the eves! The shape of her face was al- most a perfect oval, and the neck’ that supported the well-shaped head was slender and well-poised upon the broad shoulders of a swimmer. Her body was slender-and deep-chested, and the fact that she was without breasts gave her a rather boyish figure. The most startling feature was the fact that between both her, fingers and her toes there were webbed membranes like those of a duck! iN eg W! was she of the girdle to whom Commander Ware now addressed himself: And yet from the beginning he had known that they two could not converse unless she had managed to learn something of the Earthly speech from one of the men they had captured from Earth. He did in fact address several: remarks to her, but the woman made no attempt to answer, but stared with disdain upon her captor, something like a faint sinile-wreathing her strange lips. “Not a bad-looking creature, at that,” remarked D'Arcy. “Ap- pears to havea great deal of spirit and fittle respect-for the genus Man. Doesn't even trouble herself to attempt to converse, However, something about the throat and-lips tells me that these women are not much given to speech. Perhaps they have no spoken language? The ears are very-small and underdeveloped, too—better for receiving sound under water than atop, like the ears of the fish! Fish are not known to make any sound, and % Me Pe