CHAPTER XXV
_Immortal Terror_
To Elza, approaching with Tarrano on the tiny flying platform the Cityof Ice, the place seemed truly like a child's dream of Fairyland. Therude snow huts of the Arctic of our Earth were all that she had everconceived could be built of frozen water. Here, in the outskirts of thecity, she saw indeed, quite similar huts. But further in--ornatebuildings several stories high. She caught a vague glimpse of them only,as the platform flew above them and descended in the center of the city.
They had passed over great outer encircling ramparts--a huge wall many_helans_ long--built entirely of ice blocks--fortifications like thatfabled wall which in the dim history of our Earth had once encircled aportion of the domain of the Yellow Race.
The platform came down before a central building--the Palace of Ice.Even in this dim daylight of the Cold Country summer, the great buildinggleamed and glittered resplendent. A building of many levels, storiedand winged, with spider bridges and aerial arcades connecting the wings.Frescoed everywhere! ornate with carved design chipped in ice blockshard as marble. Rolling terraces of snow and ice surrounded it--lawns ofsmooth white, with winding paths of ice. A many balconied building;towers, spires and minarets crowning it. All blue-white. Glittering.Seemingly fragile; from a distance, a toy--a sample of the ultra-skillof some master confectioner, as though the whole thing were a toy ofsugar for children to admire. But at close range--solid; in the cold ofthis terrible region, as solid as though constructed of blocks of stone.
With the flying platform landed, and its warming rays cut off,attendants rushed forward. Tarrano and Elza were wrapped in furs atonce--heavy furs which covered them from head to foot.
"Well! Well, Graten!" Tarrano greeted his subordinate smilingly. "Thingsare in condition here? You got my message?"
"Yes, Master. All is in good fashion here. We welcome you."
In his furs, with face almost hidden, Elza could not see what manner ofman this was.
They entered the palace. Frescoed; carved everywhere, within as without.The main doorway led into a palatial hall, carpeted with furs. It waswarm. Tarrano discarded his fur, and helped Elza out of hers.
"You like my home, Lady Elza?"
"It's--beautiful," she answered.
His smile showed amusement at the wonder and awe which stamped herexpression. He added very gently:
"I had in mind when I built it, the hope that you would be pleased."
A comfortable interior warmth. Elza noticed little blurs of red lightbehind wire cages here and there. The warmth came from them; and a glowof pale white light from the tubes along the wall.
A woman hurried to them. Tara! Elza recognized her at once. Tara,looking very pretty in a pale blue robe, with her hair done high uponher head. The woman who loved Tarrano; he had sent her on here to be ridof her, when he went to the Great City. She came forward. Pleasure wason her face at seeing Tarrano; but her glance as she turned itmomentarily toward Elza, held again that smouldering jealousy.
Tarrano was evidently in a mood of high good humor.
"You welcome me prettily, Tara." She had flung her arms about him."Tara, my dear is----"
"Master--you come but in time. They are working the Brende instrument.Already they have----"
"They? Who?" He frowned. His words were hard and cold as the ice-blocksaround him.
"Woolff. And the son of Cretar. Many of them--using it now!"
Tarrano drew Elza with him. Tara led the way. Through glowing whitehallways, an arcade; down steps and an incline--to burst at last througha tunnel-like passage into a room.
"So? What is this, Cretar?"
A room littered with apparatus. A dozen men were about. Men scantilydressed in this interior heat. Short, squat men of the Cold Country;flat-nosed, heavy faces; hair long to the base of the neck. In a cornerstood the Brende instrument, fully erected. A light from it seemedpenetrating the bared chest of a man who was at that moment standing inits curative rays.
He whom Tarrano called Cretar, took a step forward.
"Master, we----"
"Making yourselves immortal?" The anger had left Tarrano's voice; ironywas there instead.
"Master----"
"Have you done that?"
"Master--yes! Yes! We did! Forgive us, Master."
The man before the instrument had retreated from it. Elza saw now thatall the men were shrinking back in terror. All save Cretar, who hadfallen tremblingly to his knees. Yet Tarrano showed no anger. Helaughed.
"I would not hurt you, Cretar! Get up, man! I am not angry--not evenannoyed. Why, your skin is turning orange. See the mottles!"
On the flesh of all the men--save the one who had been checked in theact of using the instrument--a bright orange mottling was apparent.Cretar exclaimed:
"The immunity to all diseases, master. It is itself adisease--harmless--and it combats every other." He laughed a littlewildly. "We cannot get sick now. We cannot die--we are immortal. Come,Master--let us make you so!"
Tarrano whispered: "You see, Lady Elza? The orange spots! These men ofmedicine here have used the Brende secret to its full. Immune fromdisease!"
"Let us treat _you_, Master. This immortality----"
On Cretar's face was a triumphant smile, but in his eyes lay a terror.The man who had not been treated stood against the wall watching withinterest and curiosity. But the others! They crouched; wary; alert eyeslike animals at bay.
Tarrano laughed. "Treat me! Cretar, you know not with what you have beentrifling. Immortal? You are indeed. Disease cannot touch you! You cannotdie--save by violence!"
He swung to Elza. "These men, Lady Elza--they are strong-muscled. Inhealth now more perfect than any other humans. _You_ are frail--a fraillittle woman. And unarmed. I bid you--strike one of them!"
She stared; but as she suddenly faced about, she caught in part hismeaning. Before her Cretar shrank back, his face gone white, his teethchattering.
"What's that behind you?" Tarrano's voice simulated sudden alarm; hescuffled his feet on the floor. The men jumped with fright; nervesunstrung, they cowered.
"What manner of men!" Tarrano's laugh was contemptuous. "Oh, Lady Elza,let this be a lesson to all of us! To cure disease is well. To preventit--that too is good. But immortality--Dr. Brende never intended it,_you_ know he did not, Lady Elza--the belief that we have everlastinglife here on this plane--the Creator never intended that. With alldanger of death gone--save violence--these immortals here fear violenceso greatly that they are men no longer!
"Immortal terror! God forbid _I_ should ever feel it! Or you, Lady Elza.A lesson for us all, who would be so un-Godly as to seek and think wehave found what only the Creator Himself can bestow!"