*CHAPTER VIII.*
*A NARROW ESCAPE.*
The first part of the time which followed upon the departure from theEarth of the _Ivenia_ on her long journey through space was one of greatenjoyment to the two chums. The marvels and mysteries of the greatairship--or aerostat, as Mr Armeath preferred to call her--seemed to beinexhaustible. 'Every day' the young people found something new andstrange, to puzzle over. Every time they moved about they came uponsome unexpected revelation of the wondrous inventions and contrivanceswhich it had been necessary to bring to perfection before the greatmachine could start upon the adventurous journeys she had undertaken.
The above words, 'every day,' require an explanation. Of course, oncethey were really out in 'the realms of starry space,' there were reallyno alternations of day and night, for the sun shone upon themcontinuously. But within the aerostat artificial nights, so to speak,were produced by drawing huge screens across the semi-transparent outercasing.
Mr Monck explained this to the young voyagers, giving them,incidentally, a little lecture, as it were, in astronomy and generalscience; and on this occasion he had as his auditors all four of theyoung passengers--including, that is to say, the two cousins, Silas andFreddy.
'I expect you all know,' he said, 'that out in what is called space,where there is no atmosphere--no air--the sun's rays seem to have noheat. The cold there is most intense--far greater than anything everexperienced upon Earth. You feel the sun's rays warm on your globebecause they pass through the Earth's atmosphere, which acts like a lensor magnifying-glass. Here the same effect is obtained by passing themthrough the wonderful semi-transparent metal of which the outer shell ofthe airship is composed. It is harder than the hardest steel, yetalmost transparent like glass, without being brittle, while it is farlighter than aluminium. It was discovered by King Ivanta, and is called"ivantium" after him. He found that when the sun's rays were passedthrough it the result was exactly the same as when they pass through theatmosphere of the Earth or of Mars. That is how it is we are so warmand comfortable on board here. But for the discovery of that metal sucha journey as we are taking would be impossible. We should be frozen todeath.'
'Then there is no need to have day and night unless you like,' Freddyobserved, his blue eyes opening in surprise. He was a fair,good-looking youngster, and a great favourite with Monck and the chums.
'No, my lad. But King Ivanta considers it best to keep up the samehabits as those you and his people are all accustomed to "at home;" forMars turns on its axis in about the same time as the Earth--namely,twenty-four hours or thereabouts. That is to say, the average day onMars is just about the same length as the average day on the Earth.'
On many other occasions, when he had the time and opportunity, thegood-natured engineer 'trotted them round' and explained to the youngpeople, in similar fashion, the why and the wherefore of many of thethings that puzzled them--so far, that is, as he himself understoodthem. But as to a great many, and those some of the most surprising, hewas obliged to confess his own entire ignorance.
'There are most essential secrets connected with the structure andworking of this remarkable "chariot of the skies" which no one but mymaster understands, and he takes good care to keep them to himself,' hedeclared. 'When you reach Mars, for instance, you will see therenumerous airships and flying-machines of many kinds. It has, indeed,been much easier for the Martians to learn to build such contrivancesthan for the dwellers upon the Earth, because, as I have beforementioned, the air upon Mars is so much denser. But though you will seemany such things flying about, you will not see one that can comparewith this; not one that can venture out into space, or, indeed, very farabove the surface of the planet.'
Often Mr Armeath accompanied the young people, and listened withinterest to the engineer's explanations; for, scientist though he was,he found he had almost as much to learn in their new surroundings asthey had.
Truly, the great airship was a wonder from every point of view. It mayassist readers to understand the stupendous scale upon which she hadbeen designed if it is explained that she was more than twice the sizeof Britain's great warship the _Dreadnought_. But nothing less in bulkwould have been of any use if we consider the tremendous strengthrequired, and the accommodation necessary for the number of people shecarried--of whom there were between two and three thousand. Inaddition, room had to be provided for enormous quantities of stores andother equipment.
Another feature which illustrates the gigantic scale upon whicheverything was carried out was to be found in the fact that a largespace was given up to ornamental gardens and conservatories. In thesewere graceful, waving, palm-like trees, wondrous flowers and shrubs, andtrees growing delicious fruits, interspersed amongst fountains andpleasant walks, with what appeared to be a sunny sky overhead. Therewas even a sort of 'Zoo' or menagerie on board, in which were many verycurious animals which the new passengers had never seen or heard ofbefore. To these had now been added quite a collection of more familiarcreatures which King Ivanta had acquired during his stay upon Earth, andwas taking back for the edification of his subjects at home.
The chums were fond of wandering about in this miniature zoologicalgarden, looking at those creatures which were new to them, and studyingtheir ways and habits. Some were natives of Mars; these were mostlysmall, for--as they soon learned from Monck--just as Mars was a smallerglobe than the Earth, so the animals generally were smaller inproportion. But in this Zoo were specimens brought, as it appeared,from the great planet Saturn, some of which were large and terriblecreatures.
It was with one of these that Gerald met with an unpleasant adventureone day when they had been but a short time 'out.' He had strolled inalone, in the early morning, as was now his almost constant habit, andwent towards the cage of a creature called by the Martians an _amalpi_.Gerald was especially interested in it on account of its resemblance toan immense unicorn. It was, indeed, something between that fabledcreature and a rhinoceros. It had a very long, straight, sharp hornupon the frontal bone, and a body very much like a heavily-builtcart-horse, covered with skin almost as thick as that of an elephant.It was a most savage, dangerous creature, and all attempts to tame it,even in the smallest degree, had failed.
When Gerald walked up to its cage on this particular occasion he metwith a surprise, for the cage was empty and the barred gate was standingajar. Ere he had time to consider what this might mean he received asecond surprise. There was a loud, bellowing roar, and the next he knewwas that the creature itself was charging down upon him with loweredhead like a bull, the terrible, long, sharp horn pointed straight athim.
For an instant the young fellow stood as if spell-bound; then, by ahappy flash of thought, he dashed into the empty cage and pulled thegate to after him. It fastened, as he knew, automatically, with a hugespring-catch. A moment later there was a frightful crash as theferocious animal ran full tilt at the bars, its long horn pushingbetween them, and just failing to reach Gerald by some few inches.
For some time he had the novel experience of being a prisoner in thegreat cage, while his enemy, furious with disappointment, charged againand again at the bars. Such was the strength and determination of itsrushes that it seemed almost as if the bars must give way.
At last the noise of its bellowing brought some of the keepers upon thescene. Then Gerald had an opportunity of learning more of the weaponsthe Martians were armed with, and how they used them. Each keepercarried in his hand one of the large wands or staves, with triple pointsat the top, similar to those the soldiers had carried who had marchedGerald as a prisoner before the 'Ogre' and his chief. Gerald had seensimilar wands many times since, but had never seen how they were used.Nor was he, indeed, much the wiser now. All he saw was a slight flashof very brilliant light which seemed to leap from the tridents towardsthe great roaring animal, as it stood for a moment tossing its head andstamping its feet ere charging clown upon the rescue-party. But
itnever started upon its rush, for, lo! it suddenly sank upon its kneesand rolled helplessly over upon the ground, where it lay quiet andstill--a big, inert mass.
The keepers opened the gate, and Gerald walked out, wondering greatly atwhat he had seen, but unable to ask any questions, because he could notspeak their language.
Just then, however, Monck arrived upon the scene. He looked very gravewhen informed what had occurred, and examined the lock with a perplexedair and many dubious shakes of the head.
'What will they do with the dead _amalpi_?' Gerald asked, as he walkedaway with the engineer.
'Put it back again. It is not dead; it will recover in a few hours, andto-morrow will be as lively as ever,' was the answer. Then the speakerwent on to explain. 'Those tridents,' he said, alluding to thethree-pronged wands, 'are really a kind of electric gun, if I may usethe term. This weapon also--like so many of the Martians' greatestdiscoveries--is the invention of our royal master, King Ivanta. Hetried for years to discover a weapon which would stun or paralyse andnot kill. He has a horror of bloodshed, and he set himself to devise aweapon which should do away with the horrors of war by rendering killingand maiming unnecessary. He found it at last in this weapon, whichsimply paralyses the muscles for a certain time, without killing orinflicting any permanent injury. People or animals--even the largestand most ferocious creatures, as you have here seen--struck in this wayare merely rendered quite helpless for a time, so that you can bindthem, or do what you please with them.'
'Ah! like I was! I understand now!' cried Gerald. 'All I felt was aslight prick, as if some one had hurt me with a needle, and immediatelyI collapsed and rolled over, utterly unable to move, yet notunconscious.'
Monck nodded thoughtfully. 'Ay, I remember,' said he.
'So do I,' said Gerald, in a tone which indicated that the remembrancewas a sore one. 'And that reminds me that you have never given me anyexplanation as to why I was treated in that fashion! I frequently seethe chap I have to thank for it--who, I have been given to understand,is a sort of king in his own country--and his confederate, the one Icalled the Ogre. I know their names too--Agrando and Kazzaro. Wheneverthey catch sight of me they glare at me as though they would like to eatme!'
'Well, they got a precious good wigging from King Ivanta over thataffair before the whole Court,' Monck declared with a smile. 'So it isnot surprising that they do not exactly fall upon your neck and embraceyou.'
'But what was their object?' Gerald persisted.
Monck seemed to be ruminating. 'I cannot say with certainty; I can onlyguess,' he answered thoughtfully. 'Agrando, you must know, is the rulerof one of the last countries which Ivanta conquered and brought underhis sway. He reigned over a numerous and powerful nation, and there wasa long and bitter struggle ere Ivanta was completely successful.Agrando did not like giving in, and I don't think he has become quitereconciled to it even yet.'
'Was that why King Ivanta brought him with him--so that he might be ableto keep an eye on him?' asked Gerald shrewdly.
Monck laughed. 'Perhaps,' he said.
'Well, my impression is--and always has been--that the old ruffianintended to keep me there as prisoner in secret, and carry me secretlyto his own country, and there exhibit me as a raree-show, or keep me asa slave to wait on him, or some infamy of that sort.'
Monck looked puzzled. 'I hardly know what to say as to that,' he saidmusingly. 'But I feel sure that you have no friend in him or his chiefcouncillor. I should keep clear of them if I were you. Have you anyother enemies, think you, on board?'
Gerald started. 'Why do you ask?' he queried.
'Because this little business of the _amalpi_ is a rather strangeaffair. It looks to me as if it had been done on purpose. That lockdid not open itself, nor did the animal burst it open. It is notinjured in any way. Now, you are in the habit of going there regularlyin the early morning, are you not?'
'Yes, Mr Monck,' returned Gerald gravely. 'But I don't like to thinkthere is any one on board who hates me enough to plan such a wickedthing! I know, of course, that the Zuanstrooms are anything but pleasedat the fact that King Ivanta invited us to come with you on this trip;and Silas has behaved very strangely once or twice, just as if he werejealous, or envious, or something. But still--I could not imagine theywould carry their dislike as far as that!'
'Well, to me it looks very much as though it had not been altogether anaccident,' Monck declared bluntly. 'So, take my advice, my lad, andkeep your eyes open; and if you get into any trouble, or suspect anydanger, do not hesitate to let me know at once.'