CHAPTER X
IMPRISONMENT AND A WONDERFUL ESCAPE
The shock of this terrible accident, the full import of which must haveflashed simultaneously through the mind of every one of us, drove theblood from Edmund's face, while Jack staggered, uttering a pitiful moan,Henry collapsed, and I stood trembling in every limb. The report of thepistol produced upon the natives the effect that was to have beenexpected. Ingra sprang backward with a cry like that of a startled beast,and many upon the deck fell prostrate, either through terror or theeffect of collision with one another in their wild flight. What occurredamong the waiting crowd on the tower I do not precisely know, but a windof fear seemed to pass through the air--a weird, heart-quaking _shadow ofsound_.
For a few moments, I believe, no one but ourselves understood what hadhappened to Ala. Ingra may have thought, if he thought at all in histerror and surprise, that she had fallen as the result of nervous shock.This moment of paralysis on the part of those whom we had now to regardas our enemies, whatever they may have been before, afforded theopportunity for escape--if there had been any way to escape. But we werecompletely trapped; there was no direction in which we could flee. Yet Idoubt if the thought of flight occurred to any of us. Certainly it didnot to Edmund, who was the first to recover his self-command.
"_We have shot down our only friend!_" he said with terrible emphasis,and, as he spoke, he lifted Ala in his arms and laid her on a seat. Herbreast was stained with blood.
At the sight of this, a flash of comprehension passed over the featuresof Ingra; then, instantly, his face changed to a look of fury, and hesprang upon Edmund. With trembling hand, I tried to draw my pistol, butbefore I could get it from my pocket there was a rush, a hairy formdarted past me, and Ingra lay sprawling on his back. Over him, with footplanted on his breast, stood the burly form of Juba, with his musculararms uplifted, and his enormous eyes blazing fire!
God only knows what would have happened next, but at this instant Ala--tomy amazement, for I had thought that the bullet had gone through herheart--rose to an upright posture, and made a commanding gesture, whicharrested those who were now hurrying to take a part in the scene. All,natives as well as ourselves, stood as motionless as stone. Her face waspale and her eyes were wonderful to look upon. With a gasp ofthankfulness, I noticed that the blood on her breast was but a narrowstreak Juba, staring at her, slowly withdrew his foot from his prostrateopponent, and Ingra first sat up, and then got upon his feet. Ala, whohad been seated, rose at the same moment, and looked Ingra straight inthe face. I saw Edmund glancing from one to the other, and I knew he wastrying to follow the communication that was taking place between them.
The general sense of it I could follow, myself. Ingra, metaphorically,stormed and Ala commanded. That she was defending us was plain, and itwas but natural that my admiration for this wonderful woman should riseto the highest pitch. I thanked God, in my heart, that her wound could beno more than a scratch--and yet it was a wound, inflicted upon the personof her who, there could be no doubt, was the ruler of a powerful empire.It was less majesty, or worse, and she, herself, might not be able toprotect us against its consequences.
At last, it became evident that a decision had been made. Ala turned tous with a smile, which we took for an assurance of encouragement, atleast, and started to leave the deck. Edmund instantly stepped in frontof her, and pointed to the stain of blood, with a gesture and a lookwhich meant, at the same time, an inquiry as to the nature of the woundand an expression of the wish to do something to repair the injury. Sheshook her head and smiled again, in a manner which clearly said that thehurt was not serious and that she understood that it was an accident.Then, surrounded by her female attendants, she passed out of our sight inthe crowd on the landing. Edmund turned to us:
"We shall probably get out of it all right," he said, "but not withoutsome difficulty. They will surely imprison us. Make no resistance. Leaveall to me. Jack's pistol will, no doubt, be seized, but if the rest ofyou keep yours concealed, they may not search for them, as they knownothing about the weapons."
Edmund had spoken hurriedly, and had hardly finished when a dozen stoutfellows, under Ingra's directions, took us in charge, Juba included, andwe were led from the deck, through the vast throng on the platform, whomade room for our passage, while devouring us with curious, thoughfrightened eyes. In a minute we embarked on one of the "elevators," andmade a thrillingly rapid descent. Arrived at the bottom, we wereconducted, through long, stone-walled passages, into a veritable dungeon.And there they left us. I wondered if this had been done at Ala's order,or in defiance of her wishes. After all, I reflected, what claim have weupon her?
In the absolute darkness where we now found ourselves, we remained silentfor a minute or two, feeling about for one another, until the quiet voiceof Edmund said:
"Fortune still favors us."
As he spoke, a light dazzled our eyes. He had turned on a pocket electriclamp. We looked about and found that we were in a square chamber, aboutfifteen feet on a side, with walls of heavy stone.
"They make things solid enough down here," said Jack, with some return ofhis usual spirits, "however airy and fairy they may be above."
"All the better for us," returned Edmund enigmatically.
Henry sank upon the floor, the picture of dejection and despair. Iexpected another outbreak from him, but he spoke not a word. His heartwas too full for utterance, and I pitied him so much that I tried toreanimate his spirits.
"Come, now," I said, "don't take it this way, man. Have confidence inEdmund. He has never yet been beaten."
"I reckon he's got his hands full this time," put in Jack. "What do youthink, Edmund, can your atomic energy bore a hole through these walls?"
"If I had it here, you'd see," Edmund replied. "But there's no occasionto worry, we'll come out all right."
It was his unfailing remark when in difficulties, and somehow it alwaysenheartened us. Juba, more accustomed to such situations, seemed theleast disturbed member of the party. He rolled his huge eyes around theapartment once or twice, and then lay down on the floor, and seemed atonce to fall asleep.
"That's a good idea of Juba's," said Edmund, smiling; "it's a long timesince we have had a nap. Let's all try a little sleep. I may dream ofsome way out of this."
It was a fact that we were all exhausted for want of sleep, and, in spiteof our situation, I soon fell into deep slumber, as peaceful as if I hadbeen in my bed at home. Edmund had turned out the lamp, and the silenceand darkness were equally profound.
I dreamt that I was at the Olympus Club on the point of trumping an ace,when a flash of light in the eyes awoke me. I started up and found Edmundstanding over me. The others were all on their feet. Edmund immediatelywhispered:
"Come quietly; I've found a way out."
"What have you found?"
"Something extremely simple. This is no prison cell, but a part of whatappears to be the engine rooms--probably it is an unused storeroom. Theyhave put us here for convenience, trusting more to the darkness than tothe lock, for the corridors outside are as black as Erebus and as crookedas a labyrinth."
"How do you know?"
"Because, while you were all asleep, I made an exploration. The lock wasnothing; the merest tyro could pick it. Fortunately they never guessedthat I had a lamp. In this world of daylight, it is not likely thatpocket lamps have ever been thought of. Just around the corner, there isanother door opening into a passage that leads by a power house. Thatpassage gives access to a sort of garage of air craft, and when I stoleinto it five minutes ago, there was not a soul in sight. We'll simplyslip in there, and if I can't run away with one of those fliers, then I'mno engineer. To tell the truth, I'm not altogether sure that it is wisefor us to escape, for I have a feeling that Ala will help us; still, whenProvidence throws one a rope, it's best, perhaps, to test its strength.Come on, now, and make no noise."
Accompanied by Juba, we stepped noiselessly outside, extinguishing thelight, and, led by Edmund, pas
sed what he had called the power house,where we saw several fellows absorbed in their work, lighted somehow fromabove. Then we slipped into the "garage." Here light entered fromwithout, through a large opening at the side. There may have been twentysmall air ships resting on cradles. Edmund selected one, which heappeared to have examined in advance, and motioning us to step upon itslittle deck, he began to manipulate the mechanism as confidently as if ithad been his own invention.
"You see that I did not waste my time in examining the air ship thatbrought us," he whispered, and never before had I admired and trusted himas I did now. In less than a minute after we had stepped aboard, we werecircling in the air outside. We rose with stunning rapidity, swoopingaway in a curve like an eagle.
At this instant we were seen!
There was a quick flashing of signals, and two air craft shot into sightabove us.
"Now for a chase!" cried Edmund, actually laughing with exultation.
We darted upward, curving aside to avoid the pursuers. And then theyswooped after us. We rose so rapidly that within a couple of seconds wewere skirting the upper part of the great tower. Then others saw us, andjoined in the chase. Jack's spirits soared with the excitement:
"Sorry to take rogue's leave of these Venuses," he exclaimed. "But nodungeons for us, if you please."
"We're not away, yet," said Edmund over his shoulder; and, indeed, wewere not!
The air ships swarmed out on every side like hornets; the atmosphereseemed full of them. I gave up all hope of escape, but Edmund was like aracer who hears the thud of hoofs behind him. He put on more and morespeed until we were compelled to hang on to anything within reach inorder to save ourselves from being blown off by the wind which we made,or whirled overboard on sharp turns.
Crash! We had run straight into a huge craft that persisted in getting inour way. She dipped and rolled like a floating log. I saw the fellows onher tumble over one another, as we shot by, and I glanced anxiously tosee if any had gone overboard. We could afford to do no killing if wecould avoid it; for, in case of recapture, that would be anotherindictment against us. I saw no one falling from the discomfited airship, and I felt reassured. Occupied as he was, dodging and turning,Edmund did not cease to address a few words to us occasionally.
"There's just one chance to beat them," he said, "and only one. I'm goingto try it as soon as I can get out of this press."
I had no notion of what he meant, but a few minutes later I divined hisintention. I had observed that all the while he was working higher andhigher, and this, as you will presently see, was the key to his plan.
Up and up we shot, Edmund making the necessary circles as short aspossible, and so recklessly did he turn on the speed that it really beganto look as if we might get away after all. Two thirds of our pursuerswere now far below our level, but none showed a disposition to give upthe chase, and those which were yet above tried to cross our bow. While Isaw that Edmund's idea was to hold a skyward course, I was far fromguessing the particular reason he had for doing so, and, finally, Jack,who comprehended it still less, exclaimed:
"See here, Edmund, if you keep on going up instead of running off in onedirection or another, they'll corner you in the middle of the sky. Don'tyou see how they have circled out on all sides so as to surround us? Thenwhen we get as high as we can go, they'll simply close in, and we'll betrapped."
"Oh, no, we won't," Edmund replied.
"I don't see why."
"Because they can't go as high as we can."
"The deuce they can't! I guess they understand these ships as well as youdo."
"Can a fish live out of water?" asked Edmund, laughing.
"What's that got to do with it?"
"Why, it's plain enough. These people are used to breathing an atmospheresurcharged with oxygen and twice as dense as that of the earth. Itdoesn't trouble our breathing, simply giving us more energy; but we canlive where they would gasp for breath. Air impossibly rare for them isall right for us, and that's what I am in search of, and we shall find itif we can get high enough."
The beauty and simplicity of this unexpected plan struck us all withadmiration, and Jack, his doubts instantly turning to enthusiasm, cried:
"By Jo, Edmund, you're a trump! I'd like to get a gaff into the gills ofthat catfish, Ingra, when he begins to blow. By Jo, I'd pickle him andmake a present of him to the Museum of Natural History. '_CatfishiaVenusensis_, presented by Jack Ashton, Esq.'--how'd that look on a label,hey?"
And Jack hugged himself with delight over his conceit.
In a short time the accuracy of Edmund's conjecture became apparent. Ourpursuers, one by one, dropped off. Their own strategy, to which Jack hadcalled attention, was simply a playing into our hands. They had reallythought to catch us in the center of a contracting circle, when, to theiramazement, we rose straight up into air so rare that they could not livein it. Edmund roared with laughter when he saw the assured success of hismaneuver.
But there was one thing which even he had overlooked, and it struck toour hearts when we became aware of it. Poor, faithful Juba, who had sorecently proved his devotion to us, could endure this rare air no betterthan our pursuers. Already, unnoticed in the excitement, he had fallenupon the deck, where he lay gasping.
"Good God, he's dying!" exclaimed Jack.
"He shall not die!" responded Edmund, setting his lips, and turning tohis machinery.
"But, you're not going back down there!"
"I'll run beyond the edge of the circle, and drop down far enough torevive him. Then we can keep dodging up and down just out of their reach,and so be out of danger both ways."
No sooner said than done. We ran rapidly on a horizontal course until wehad cleared the air ships below, and then dropped like a shot. Juba cameto his senses in a few moments after we entered the denser air. But nowour pursuers, thinking, no doubt, that we had found it impracticable toremain where they knew they could not go, began to close in upon us. Ireflected that here was the only mistake that Edmund had made--I mean thebringing along with us of the natives of the dark hemisphere. It was onlytheir presence that had prevented us from sailing triumphantly over thecrystal mountains; it was because of them that we had wrecked the car;and now it was Juba who baffled our best chance of escape. And yet--and Iam glad to be able to say it--I could not regret his presence, for had henot made himself one of us; had he not proved himself entitled to all theprivileges of comradeship?
But Henry (I am sorry to write it) did not share these feelings.
"Edmund," he said, "why do you insist upon endangering our lives for thesake of this--this--animal here?"
Never have I beheld such a blaze of anger as that which burst fromEdmund's eyes as he turned upon Henry:
"You cowardly brute!" he shouted. "I ought to throw you overboard!"
He seemed about to execute his threat, dropping the controller from hishand as he spoke, and Henry, with ashen face, ran from him like a madman.I caught him in my arms, fearing that he would tumble overboard in hisfright, and Edmund, instantly recovering his composure, turned back tohis work.
Finding Juba sufficiently recovered, although yet weak and almosthelpless, he rose again, but more cautiously than before. And now ourpursuers, plainly believing that these maneuvers could have but oneending, began to set their net, and I could not help admiring their plan,which would surely have succeeded if they had not made a fundamentalerror in their calculations, but one for which they were not to blame.There was such a multitude of their craft, fresh ones coming up all thewhile, that they were able to form themselves into the shape of a hugebag net, the edge of which was carried as high as they dared to go, whilethe sides and receding bottom were composed of air ships so numerous thatthey were packed almost as closely as meshes. Edmund laughed again as helooked down into this immense net.
"No, no," he shouted. "We're no gudgeons! You'll have to do better thanthat!"
"See here, Edmund," Jack suddenly exclaimed, "why don't you make off andleave them? By keeping just
above their reach we could easily escape."
"_And leave the car?_" was the reply.
"By Jo," returned Jack, "I never thought of that. But, then, what did yourun away for at all?"
"Because," said Edmund quietly, "I thought it better to parley than tolie in prison."
"Parley! How are you going to parley?"
"That remains to be seen; but I guess we'll manage it."
We were now, as far as I could estimate, five or six miles high. When wewere highest, the great cloud dome seemed to be but a little way aboveour heads, and I thought, at first, that Edmund intended to run up intoit and thus conceal our movements. The highest of our pursuers were abouthalf a mile below us. They circled about, and were evidently parleying ontheir own account, for waves of color flowed all about them, making aspectacle so brilliant and beautiful that sometimes I almost forgot ourcritical situation in watching it.
"I suppose you'll play them a prismatic symphony," said Henry mockingly.
I looked at him in surprise. Evidently his fear of Edmund had vanished;no doubt because he knew in his heart the magnanimity of our greatleader.
"Who knows?" Edmund replied. "I've no doubt the materials are aboard, andif I had been here a month, I'd probably try it. As things stand, weshall have to resort to other methods."
While we were talking, Edmund did not relax his vigilance, and two orthree times, when he had dropped to a lesser elevation for Juba's sake,he baffled a dash of the enemy. At last we noticed a movement in thecrowd which betokened something of importance, and in a moment we sawwhat it was. A splendid air ship, by far the most beautiful that we hadyet seen, was swiftly approaching from below.
"It's the queen," said Edmund. "I thought she'd come."
The approaching ship made its way straight toward us, and, without theslightest hesitation, Edmund dropped down to meet it. Those who had beenour pursuers now made no attempt to interfere with us; they recognizedthe presence of a superior authority. Soon we were so near that we couldrecognize Ala, who looked like Cleopatra in her barge on the charmedwaves of Cydnus. Beside her, to the intense disappointment of Jack andmyself, stood Ingra.
"Confound him!" growled Jack. "He's always got to have his oar in thepuddle. Blamed if I'm not sorry Edmund spoiled my aim. I'd have had hisscalp to hang up at the Olympus to be smoked at!"
Of what now occurred, I can give no detailed account, because it was allbeyond my comprehension. We approached almost within touch, and thenEdmund stood forth, fearless and splendid as Caesar, and conducted his"parley." When it was over, there was a flashing of aerial colors betweenAla's ship and the others, and then all, including ours, set out toreturn to the capital. After a while Edmund, who had been verythoughtful, turned to us and said:
"You can make your minds easy. Of course you'll understand there is acertain amount of guesswork in what I tell you, but you can depend uponthe correctness of my general conclusions. I believe that I have made itperfectly clear that we intended no harm, and that we are not dangerouscharacters. At least Ala understands it perfectly. As for Ingra, perhapshe doesn't want to understand it. I can't make out the cause of hisenmity, but it is certain that he doesn't like us, and if it all dependedupon him, it would go hard with us. I believe that we shall have to standa trial of some kind, but remember that we've got a powerful advocate. Idon't regret our running off, for, as I anticipated, it afforded us theopportunity to establish some sort of terms. The mere fact that we returnwillingly when they know that we might have fled beyond their reachshould count in our favor, for, as I have always insisted, these arehighly intelligent people, with civilized ideas. If I had not been sureof that I should have continued the flight and depended upon some othermeans of recovering the car--or constructing a new one."
We had become so much accustomed to accept Edmund's decisions as finalthat none of us thought of objecting to what he had done; unless it mighthave been Henry, but he kept his thoughts to himself.