ruined city, with no one butthe wild beasts and the dead bodies. This will be the end of thisplace."
"You are wrong!" I smiled, thinking the girl was flattering me.
"No, not wrong, dear earthman. I am very much afraid of the future, forI am to lose you, but I have a way of avoiding that."
"And what is that way?"
"You will find out when the time comes, and you may like it very much!"
"Let's get away from this wall where we can see what's going on...."
We plodded across the level, grassy valley floor, walking backward someof the time, watching the great circling ships above the city's center,and the lancing blue paths of their rays stabbing at some dartingadversary high above them.
Then from the western sky came a series of round low shapes, speeding sorapidly the eye could hardly distinguish them from the darkly glowinghorizon. After their passage, in a close series, came the air-scream offalling missiles, high-pitched, then came a terrific cannonading ofexplosions. Fountains of fire sprang up in exact sequence, one after theother. The ground shook and shook underfoot, each shock seeming greater,to add its strength to the one preceding it. I knew that this was forthe Jivros the end of their plans on earth.
Simultaneous with the arrow-swift flight, two great blazing lances ofblue fire shot downward from the ships far overhead, transfixed thecircling spheres one after the other. They tilted, plunged slowly,faster and faster--ended in great splashes of fire and sound somewherein the city below.
I mopped my face. The night was hot, and relief flooded me.
"We got out of there just in time, Miss Mystic!"
She nodded, her white smile in the night a beautiful thing.
"What is this Miss Mystic word you use?"
"It means Zoorph, Carna. It is U.S.A. speech."
"U.S.A. speech," she parroted. "Some day I will talk U.S.A. speech, too,like you!"
"I hope so. This tongue of yours gives me cramps in the jaws."
We plodded on across the grass, heading for the cliff ledge where we hadmet. I knew no where else to go.
Quite suddenly came a soft sussuration overhead, a light-beam lanceddown, pinning us there. I tossed Carna aside, rolled myself out of thepath of light. But mercilessly the light beam spread, until we wereagain within the circle of illumination.
But no blue death ray followed. The dark shape settled to the earthbeside us, and the door in the side opened.
I sprang to my feet in glad surprise to see Holaf in the round doorway,motioning us to enter. He cried:
"Come, the day of the Jivro has ended, there is work now for men to do!"
Carna laughed happily, ran to the doorway, and as Holaf caught her waistand swung her up, she kissed him on the cheek, still laughing inabandoned joy to know that finally the centuries-long nightmare fastenedon her people was ended. I followed more sedately, wondering what now? Ithought of poor cross-eyed Jake Barto, and of the three fortune-hunterswho had gone the same path--and as I shook Holaf's hand, questioned theecstatic confidence of release upon his face.
"Suppose the Empire sends ships here, will they not destroy all youhave gained? Why do you feel so sure their power is broken? They werebut few here?"
"They will not send ships, for no messenger got away. What do you thinkthe ships of the prince have been doing? This is the beginning of theirend!"
"How did you get out of the palace? The last I saw you, you werestorming the place, gun in hand, and cheering...."
"When the bombs began to burst against the very roof, I got out. Ikilled a few Jivros first, though! It has been a good time; the best ofmy life!"
"Were you picked up as you picked us up?"
"Of course. Look there who it is that has done us the honor...."
My eyes followed his finger pointing through the far arched doorway tothe control room. At the bank of levers and dials, her face intent uponthe scene through the circular plastic dome, sat Wananda. Inadvertentlymy eyes went to Carna's face; she nodded once, vigorously. I knew shemeant:
"See, I have told you the truth. She knew where you were, her heart toldher, who else would descend to pick you up while the fighting was stillgoing on?"
I went to her, and stood for a moment beside her, watching her swifthands, the light on her midnight hair, the delicate superb chiseling ofher forehead and nose, the exquisite aura of womanhood about her--shewas every inch a queen.
She turned, startled to find me there, then smiled, and a warm flushspread slowly from her neck upward to her temples. She knew that I knew!She laughed a little quiet sound to herself.
"That is why the Zoorphs are hated, earthman. One can never keep asecret!"
"You must have the powers of Carna yourself, to know that she told me."I answered.
"I have studied their methods. One comes by such talents hereditarily.The Zoorph is only an organization which concentrates on taking in andteaching such gifted children. I, as a princess, had a tutor of theirsect. I know that you love her, too, you know."
"And not yourself. But she confesses that I love her only because of herskill at hypnosis, or something of the kind. To me that seems unfair,but I cannot help it. I love her, though I am drawn to you. But whyshould we concern ourselves with these matters? You will go back tospace with your ships to carry rebellion to the other Jivro strongholds.I will be left behind to mourn you both."
"Why should you be left behind? Do you find the Schree or the Zervcompany so repellent?"
"Not at all. I should desire nothing more than to see the worlds ofother suns, other places in the far paths of space. Yet...."
"Yet what? Have you a wife here, children?"
"No, not that. But I have possessions it cost me many years of effort toacquire."
Carna came silently into the room, stood on the other side of the queen.For an instant Wananda closed her eyes, and some subtle sense of my owntold me they were talking with each other in a way I could not hear.Wananda opened her eyes, turned to me, smiling whimsically.
"Carna suggests that she will give your love to me in return for acertain favor."
"Do you want my love, Wananda?" I asked softly.
She did not stop smiling secretly to some sound she heard and I didnot.
"You see, earthman, our race has never developed the morals andinhibitions which your people find so necessary. We are polygamous, andnot apt to be jealous. She offers to give you to me as a royal husbandin return for the privilege of being your slave, your housekeeper, yourbody-servant as it were. What do you say?"
I was stunned. So openly to be bargained over; frankly to be invited tomarriage, to two women at the same time! Weakly I countered:
"Your people would object to an alien consort!"
"The word is strange to me. Among us you would be a ruler if you marriedme. Among us all men have several wives. But women have but onehusband."
"You are offering me the rule of the Schrees?"
"Yes, and if our coming war with the Jivro creatures turns out well, itwill mean not one planet, but many. I cannot say how many, as some ofthose never allied with the Schrees before will naturally gravitate tous in gratitude for our releasing them from the Jivros. I am agreeablemainly because I know that we need your earth science, your differentculture--as wedded to our own science we would be invincible. We willneed everything finally to conquer the ancient ingrown tyranny of theJivros. I am not offering you exactly any bed of roses. Besides, I likeand trust Carna. I can understand why she loves you, and why shebargains for any part of you. She knows I have but to exert my ownwisdom of Zoorph to release you from her hold on you."
"I see. Let me get this straight. You love me; it is agreeable to youthat I continue to love Carna; but I will love you too. Two wives wholove me, a kingdom, and the chance of knocking over a whole empire ofinsects who have parasitized human races in space and meant to do ithere. There is no way I can refuse!"
Carna laughed.
"With two of us working your mind for you, how could you refuse?"
&
nbsp; Wananda frowned at Carna's frankness.
"It is stated in the nineteenth law of Zoorph code that no victim isever to be told of his enslavement openly, Carna. Why do you break thelaw?"
"I don't know, Wananda Highest. I think it is because I want to be fairto him, and give him a chance to do his own thinking, too."
I grinned.
"Our race has long been familiar with your so-called magic, dear ones.We call it hypnotism, and if you think I cannot resist it, remember thatI shot the Old One with his eyes upon me."
Wananda suddenly set the big lever she held into a notch, turned to me,her face full of a charming surprise which I yet knew was an act.
"So you think you can resist your wives' wills, do you, earthman? Come,Carna, let us humble his boasts once and, for all!"
Their