CHAPTER XVIII
In the Chamber of Horrors
“It—it—is a chamber of horrors,” Joan gasped. “I know there is a ghostin this place or some living thing. I can feel it; I can hear a slightmovement.”
Epworth strained his eyes in every direction. All was murky darkness,Cimmerian gloom. If there was anything living near, the darknesswrapped it in an envelop impossible to penetrate.
“You are certainly mistaken,” he soothed. “There is no living thinghere. It couldn’t——”
He paused. There came the suspicion of a sound to his ear. It was verysoft. A rat could not move with less noise; a cat in stepping wouldhave sounded like a cannon exploding. What could it be? Noiselesscrickets—a nest of young crickets expecting a mother? The cavernseemed large and the air seemed pure but that animals or things couldlive in such a place seemed impossible. He voiced his thoughts.
“It is strange that there is air in here,” Joan admitted, “andstranger yet that I should think that there is life here. But this isa strange world. We never saw a Thing on earth like these mooncrickets. Nor is there a pigmy on earth like the pigmies that rode onthe crickets; nor are there great hollows in the earth where the airhas congealed and left the outside cold and airless. It is a differentcreation entirely. Mercy! I see—I see—eyes staring at me from out thedarkness. Holy angels, protect me! There are three of them, and theyare running me crazy to look at them.”
Her teeth chattered until Epworth could hear them, and she buried herhead in the young man’s shirt front. Now he also saw the eyes. Therewere three—great red lights that flared in the darkness. Two on alevel, and one in the center. The center eye was enormous andterrifying to the extreme. Brave as he was he shivered with terror.There was something so ghostly, uncanny, about the Thing that hisnerves washed out.
Then it flashed by. A nasty-smelling Thing shot out of the gloom; aThing with a lizard-like, scaly body, long legs and antennas; a Thingthat carried a phosphorus glow that plainly disclosed its proportions.It went by them like a railroad train, an enormous whirling, glidinganimal that chilled them unto death.
Joan screamed at the top of her voice, and fell limp. Epworth stumbledand fell forward on his face. Each second they expected the Thing topounce on them, and mash them flat.
Then oblivion fell on both.
It seemed hours later that the two returned to consciousness. Theywere on the same level, rocky floor, lying side by side, and Epworthwas holding his gun in his hand. It had not been discharged.
When he made this discovery he rose quickly to his feet. His firstthought was of the evil-smelling Thing that had appeared out of thedarkness. Where was it? Were there others back in this chamber ofhorrors? Was the one he saw preparing another attack on them?
He looked around with fearful eyes. He could not see any signs of theanimal. That did not mean that it was not near. He thought that theThing could move with less noise than a cat, and with the swiftness ofan eel.
“W-w-what was it?” Joan stammered.
“I hope to high heaven I never find out,” Epworth breathed fervently.“It was the most gosh-awful horror that ever stirred my nerves. It hasprobably crawled back in its hole, which must be down this chamber. Ihope it dies before I see it again. At least I am going to go in thedirection directly opposite from that taken by the Thing—and I amgoing as fast as my slow feet will let me.”
He sprang up, caught her hand, and ran hurriedly down the chamber,stumbling over big rocks, and against the sides of the tunnel in hisdesperate effort to leave the spot.
He had no idea where he was going. For all he knew he was going backthe way he came. He was getting away from that chamber of horrors asspeedily as possible.
They wandered on for an hour—two hours. There was no end to the darktunnel but they were moving and getting farther and farther away fromthat hidden monster; and they were going swiftly, without thinking offalling into another chasm. In fact any kind of a hole would have beenpreferable to this, and they dared not stop.
Finally Joan looked ahead and saw a streak of light.
“Thank heavens,” she breathed. “At last we are coming to the end ofthis horrible tunnel.”
Epworth did not reply. He was not so sure. On the contrary he couldnot, by his greatest scientific legerdemain, figure how they wouldever get out of this crater.
The end came abruptly—butting up against a pile of large stones. Therewere large cracks between the stones, and it was patent thatintelligent hands had placed them and not Nature. Some being or someintelligent Thing had blocked up the passage purposely with loosestones, to keep out the enormous reptiles.
But the light was streaming through the cracks, and the two were crazyto get to light again. If this darkness enveloped them many hourslonger they would lose their minds. Both fell on the rocks with onethought, and began to tear them aside.
When a crack large enough to see through was made they drew backdismayed. The walls of the chamber ahead were lighted by a stream offiery lava, and there seemed no prospect of escaping from their cavernprison. However the dim light was preferable to the intense gloom thatpervaded the passage they were in, and Epworth decided to dig in.
He attempted to survey the interior of the other chamber but his viewwas shut off by the narrowness of the opening, and again he fell toremoving the loose stones. Soon he had an opening large enough to pushthrough.
When they stepped into the chamber their hearts jumped with surprise.Billy Sand and Herman Toplinsky were lying on the floor near wherethey entered with their hands bound, and their faces against thefloor. On a stone couch near them was a beautiful little woman, nolarger than a ten-year old girl. She was splendidly formed, and herblonde hair was wrapped around her body in a braid and fell almost toher feet. She also was bound hand and foot.
With a leap Epworth was by Billy’s side, slashing the cords that boundhim. When Billy was free Epworth released Toplinsky and the girl onthe couch in the same manner. When freed Toplinsky sat up lazily andstretched his arms and legs.
“Ah, ha, the beautiful Joan—the lady who hates me,” he greetedamiably. “Pleased to meet you—truly am—but before we make merry let ushurriedly get away by the passage through which you entered. I fearthat we have very little time to lose. In fact——”
He was interrupted by a noise at the far end of the chamber. Glancingin the direction they saw a large stone rolled away, and thirtycrickets, marching in military formation, came in, stepping carefullyover the stream of lava. They carried sharp steel-pronged spears, andit was apparent that their intentions were not friendly.
They were led by five men and a woman. And such a woman! Like theblonde girl on the couch she was no larger than a ten-year old childbut she was bewilderingly beautiful although her flesh was coppercolored. Her hair, a deep blue black, was twisted around her waistover a richly colored red breech cloth. Otherwise she was naked. Hereyes, slightly oblique, were slothful at times and at other times fullof fire, transforming her into a menacing dictator. She was ornamentedlike a barbarous queen with bracelets on her arms, and a crown ofjewels on her head.
The men who led the crickets were also copper colored, and small instature, well-formed except their heads, which were just a triflelarge for their bodies. When Joan looked into their faces she closedher eyes. The lines of the faces were badly wrinkled, the mouths werecontorted and there was a smirk of evil stamped over them. That theywere highly intelligent, however, she was soon to learn.
The woman, whose head was better formed, spoke, to their surprise, inbroken English with a peculiar pronunciation that caused them to bendtheir ears attentively to comprehend.
“I am Carza, the queen of the moon.” She drew her form proudly erectand stared arrogantly at the little blonde girl on the couch. “You areaware of that now, Moawha,” she continued addressing the girl. “Fromthis on you are my slave. Perhaps, a little later I shall slay you,and be rid of your pretensions forever.”
She paused, shrugged her shou
lders, and smiled softly. It was not anangelic expression but it exhibited her even, white teeth, and provedexceedingly attractive to Toplinsky, and the others thought that shewas quite exquisite.
“You are earth men.” She turned imperiously to Toplinsky. “You arewondering how I am able to speak to you in your own language? It issimple. For years our scientists have been getting peculiar words outof the air, and recording them on their space records. For a long timethey could make little out of the noises from space but in time theyconcluded that they were hearing the people on the great world aroundwhich our smaller planet revolves every twenty-eight days. Were theycorrect in their surmise?”
She looked inquiringly at Toplinsky. He nodded in the affirmative, andwith the grace of a courtier.
“Ah, ha, it is so, your most gracious majesty. We are charmed to meeta lady of such distinction.”
Carza knitted her eyebrows slightly, and then smiled sweetly at thegiant.
“So they put their intellects to work, and gradually worked out anunderstanding of things that you call earthly as well as an ability totalk in your language.”
“Wonderful! Wonderful!” Toplinsky added. “Did they also discover a wayof sending to the earth?”
She shook her head.
“Our instruments, it seemed, are not of a character that will put usinto direct communication. We can hear but not send. However I do notunderstand how you gained your liberty. I was told that you were boundhand and foot, and that my people only waited word from me to slayyou.”
One of the copper leaders approached deferentially, dropped to hisknees, and began to speak to her in an unknown tongue.
“So, so,” she mused when he had completed his explanation, “there wereonly two men and Moawha when you were left here as prisoners, and youhave been hatching a man and woman.” She smiled artfully, and thesmile was more disagreeable than a threat. “Some of your friends havebeen able to follow and have broken in to help you escape. Seizethem!”
She thundered the command shrilly, and drew back to lean against thewall. The copper men, followed by the crickets, sprang forward givingthe cricket chirp of command.
“Keep them off!” Epworth commanded harshly. “They must not undertaketo touch us.”
“Must not,” sneered Queen Garza. “A bold word, Sir Earth Man. We shallsee. Have at them, Noble Tauran.”
The copper men and the crickets rushed in a body. Epworth knocked downthe leader with the butt of his gun, and Toplinsky, seizing a largecricket by its rear legs, swung the insect around his head, andcharged, knocking the copper men and crickets around like marbles.
Queen Carza leaned negligently against the wall, and dropped her chinnonchalantly into the palm of her hand. These men had been reported toher to be great fighters, and she loved fighters. She watched withkeen interest. Frequently she nodded her head as if well satisfied.
Joan could not understand this satisfaction. The crickets and thepigmy men were obviously unable to do harm to the three earthmen. Butthe queen was only waiting. When she discovered that her body guardwas facing inevitable defeat she chirped through her teeth.
It was the musical chirp of the crickets, calling them to battle. Theycame, swarming through the door and surrounding Toplinsky and the twoAmericans like locusts. Billy, because of his small stature (he wasonly five five) went down quickly; Epworth fought aggressively forseveral moments but his long, fast and strenuous efforts in the cavewithout water had weakened him temporarily, and finally he gave way,his feet slipped, and a hundred crickets had him pinned to the floor.
“Ah, ha, ho, ho! The bantam fighter is down,” Toplinsky roared with alaugh that sounded like a fiend. “It is sad indeed. Some day we willrenew that interesting contest for Lady Joan’s favor. At presenthowever——”
He backed against the wall, and began to use his arms like a windmill,pushing the crickets and pigmies around like chaff. It seemed to theonlookers as if flesh and blood could not battle in this manner. Withhis pale blue eyes flashing fire, his long, shaggy hair whirled backover the crown of his head, and his heavy red beard twisting fromright to left with each movement of his head, he looked like a fiend.
Epworth, Joan and Billy, and the girl called Moawha, by the queen,were bound and placed with their backs to the wall, and stillToplinsky fought. If his strength held out it seemed as if he would beable to stand off a nation of crickets.
“Hold!”
The command came from the queen, and was accompanied by a cricketchirp. Instantly her cohorts ceased fighting, and Toplinsky, smilingas if in the face of death, extended his hand, jerked a toga off ofone of the pigmies, and wiped the blood from his forehead where he hadbeen hit by a spear.
Pushing aside the crickets and soldiers Carza strode fearlessly up tothe giant, and stopped to gaze into his face fascinated.
“You are a great fighter,” she said abruptly.
“I am,” Toplinsky agreed without modesty. “I am the greatest fighteryou ever saw, or ever will see.”
“Bend your head,” she commanded.
With a smile that displayed his huge teeth disagreeably Toplinskyobeyed. The queen took the cloth from his hands, cleaned the bloodfrom his face, and thrust the bloody rag into her waist band.
“I have been looking for a man of mighty valor—a man like you. Yes,you have been the search of my life. Come! Together we will go far.You will aid me in destroying my enemies, and increase my power overthe whole world.”
“But how about me?” Toplinsky objected. “What do I get?”
“You will become the husband of the queen, and if I find that I loveyou as I think I shall, you will become the leader above me.”
Toplinsky picked her up in his left hand, kissed her, and put her backon the floor.
“It shall be as you say.”
“If you take that woman for your queen you must slay thousands ofinnocent people,” Moawha broke out passionately. “They are gentle,kind-hearted, and constantly warred upon by these abominablecrickets—who eat them.”
Moawha also spoke in broken English but her words were not as clear asthose pronounced by the queen.
“I shall have your feet toasted in that nice little stream of fire,”Carza said coldly, turning malevolently on Moawha. “You are notinterested in this.”
Her black eyes were flashing fiercely as she spoke but they clearedinstantly when she turned to Toplinsky.
“Yes, it pleases me. I shall make you king.”
“Ho, comrades!” Toplinsky called out to the little men. “See thatthese Americans do not escape. Also look after this strange littlewoman. Presently we shall slay the two men but not the earth woman.Ha! ha!”
He laughed uproariously.
“Be sure to guard Moawha well,” the queen commanded, recognizing asofficial the authority Toplinsky was grasping. “She shall die duringthe crowning ceremonies.”
The Moon Colony Page 18
