The Time Annihilator by Edgar A, Manley and Walter Thode

by Monte Herridge

This thought caused me to mull over a

  AS I spoke a shadow swept across the desert

  further possibility. I wondered what

  and the sunlight was temporarily blotted out as

  combination of circumstances we would

  if by an eclipse. We glanced toward the sky

  encounter in the event that a double flow of

  and saw a gigantic body, nearly a quarter of a

  time, backward as well as into the future,

  mile square, hurtling through the air with the

  should reveal our presence to these strangely

  rapidity of an express train. Accustomed as we

  inhuman creatures of the time to come. I

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  10

  halted abruptly and turned to Clay.

  They spoke and I was astonished

  “Let’s take a closer look at them,” I

  further to find that their language bore marked

  said. “We’re safe if they can’t see us.”

  resemblance to the tongue of Thibet, with

  The three beings hovering about the

  which I had familiarized myself during my

  portal of the airship palace seemed posted as a

  two years in that land.

  guard. The time annihilation machine moved

  “Here is the land wherein the great

  on as we approached the gate.

  Chang Hsu created us,” said the tallest man.

  The three guards were clad in robes of

  “How interesting are these pilgrimages

  silk. They did not glance at us as we drew

  in our floating palaces to Pei.”

  near. All lurking fear on the score of discovery

  “And of Chang Hsu, what gratitude we

  vanished and Clay and I were filled with owe him. He raised us up into power in this supreme confidence. We studied the trio and

  land of Pei, hidden for many centuries from

  were astonished at their stature. The skin of

  the outer world by towering mountains.”

  their faces was like leather and their eyes as

  “Until our race became powerful

  narrow and cruel as those of serpents. The

  enough to crush humanity. How few of them

  great mouths seemed like those of reptiles, but

  survive today, and they are our slaves.”

  the foreheads were dome-shaped. Despite

  “Blessed be the memory of Chang

  their resemblance to humanity, we were Hsu.”

  convinced that they were not of the races that

  All nodded reverently at the mention

  had dominated the globe during our era. A

  of Chang Hsu. The great heads hinted at

  new race possessed the globe.

  profound intelligence, godlike in comparison

  I recalled Stenson’s remark in the with that of humanity. Clay drew nearer and library on the destruction of human whispered in my ear, questioning me as to my civilization. Now I realized he had stumbled

  apparent interest in the conversation; but I

  on knowledge hidden to all the generations

  motioned him to be silent. I felt I was on the

  that had preceded him. The dominance of the

  verge of a startling discovery.

  earth by humanity had been held inevitable.

  Now other creatures had wrested the control

  THE torrid desert sun beat down upon our

  from mankind.

  shelter and my tongue grew swollen from

  Had these creatures wiped the human

  thirst. I was weak from hunger. I wondered

  race off the globe, or did beings kindred to

  where we could find water and food. The three

  ourselves still exist in serfdom? I thought of

  gigantic beings of Pei, the hidden land, stood

  the time voyages of Larry Stenson and rigidly before us.

  wondered where he had vanished. Somewhere

  “Did not Chang Hsu, who crushed

  in the long scale of time he had toppled into a

  humanity, declare that the land of Pei was to

  yawning abyss.

  be ever sacred, O Slan Cho?” remarked one of

  Perhaps some current of my unspoken

  the guards to the gigantic leader.

  thoughts were carried to the brains of the

  The question was put, not as an

  dome-headed men before us. Despite their interrogation but as an affirmation of faith.

  great dissimilarity to humanity I thought of

  Slan Cho nodded his repulsive head with the

  them, as men, through want of a more fitting

  air of a religious leader listening to the litany

  word. Possibly they were evolved from the

  of a devotee. He waved his tenuous arms in

  parent human stock, changing their the sultry air. “So Chang Hsu ordered,” he appearance through the course of many replied.

  centuries.

  “After the power of Chang Hsu

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  11

  brought about the destruction of most of the

  “Poor

  Stenson.”

  human race, did not our forebears spread

  The procession, composed of hundreds

  about the globe taking over many lands, Slan

  of the leather-skinned beings moved toward

  Cho?”

  the crumbling ruins. At the rear of the column,

  “Yes, Chang Hsu left us the rays of

  carried on a golden throne, was a being even

  death. As we grew strong in numbers, here in

  greater in stature than the others. Cries arose

  the desolate land of Pei, we plotted the from the throats of the marching pilgrims.

  destruction of the worm-men who called

  “Hail to the khan, viceroy of the ruler

  themselves human.”

  of the Eastern World,” the pilgrims shouted.

  The litany, for so it was, proceeded

  Moving the chamber with the

  amid a strange religious spell. Slan Cho procession I stared at the reptile-face of the repeatedly nodded his head, with its reptile

  being on the throne. The resemblance to a

  features.

  serpent was rather far-fetched, I cogitated, for

  “It was the wish of Chang Hsu that

  the domed head was undoubtedly that of a

  humanity be deprived of its rule over the human type. But the wide lips in a jutting jaw globe,” said Slan Cho. “He hated his own

  hinted at the crawling order of creation. The

  species, white, yellow and black. Such as narrow-lidded eyes were like those of remain alive today are miserable slaves.”

  serpents, vicious and inhumanly cunning.

  “It is a privilege indeed to come with

  The throne was carried on the

  the pilgrims to the tomb of Chang Hsu.”

  shoulders of a dozen panting human beings,

  clad in dark robes. A sharp cry burst from my

  THE sound of many voices came from within

  lips at the sight. There was something heart-

  the gate of the floating palace and the three

  rending in the sight of the enslavement of our

  men guarding the portal drew back. A own species. The relatively few human beings multitude of gigantic beings emerged, clad in

  still existing were crushed into abject slavery.

  silken garbs of many colors. Conical hats A guard of nearly a score of domed-headed covered their heads. Clay and I were engulfed

  men surrounded the slaves and I watched two

  as the pilgrims swarmed about us. I shouted

  humans lashed cruelly as they faltered under

 
; warningly and turned to the control stick to

  their heavy burden.

  flee.

  “I’d like to kill the khan,” I shouted.

  The faces of the pilgrims were

  “Who? The chap on the throne?”

  impassive. The leather skin appeared horrible

  “Yes.”

  in the sharp light. Clay touched me on the

  “You seem to have got quite a drift on

  arm. The column of pilgrims started across the

  the events taking place.”

  desert. If anything was needed to convince me

  “I did. The language is somewhat like

  that we were among beings of the future, the

  that of Thibet.”

  utter disregard with which they marched about

  The robes of the khan were of cloth of

  it was it.

  gold, encrusted with precious gems. As I

  Their great forms mingled with ours

  neared the throne I stared back at the floating

  and passed through us as if we existed on

  palace. The secret of levitation must have

  different planes.

  been developed to a remarkable degree by

  “This is the strangest experience of

  these people, I reflected. Even if the material

  all,” said Clay.

  which composed the air palace was light as

  “And the most interesting. I wonder if

  aluminum, the projection of such a great bulk

  Stenson ever had a similar experience?”

  through the sky was a startling achievement.

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  12

  But no doubt if a being of the year 1800 could

  There was something strangely human,

  have witnessed the flight of a Zeppelin he

  indeed, about this desert pilgrimage. I recalled

  would have been struck with greater events of my own day. As a child I had been bewilderment.

  taken to the tomb of Washington at Mount

  “Well Lane, where are we bound for?”

  Vernon. My heart had thrilled as I stood at the

  “This group is making a pilgrimage to

  resting place of the Father of our Country. The

  the tomb of Chang Hsu who apparently domed-headed beings had come to this desert developed their species.”

  cavern impelled by similar motives. Truly

  I hastily sketched the conversation I

  there must have been some sentiment about

  had overheard from the guardians of the air

  these strange creatures to have honored the

  palace gate and he whistled in surprise. memory of the man who had evolved their

  “Lucky thing you remembered a little of the

  species.

  lingo,” he remarked grimly. “At least we’ll be

  The pilgrims, led by the khan,

  able to know a little of where we’re at.”

  prostrated themselves before the dead body,

  “Maybe. And we might run into some

  striking their great foreheads on the stone

  wild surprises, too.”

  floor. They groveled in the dust. I stared at the

  body, fascinated by the high forehead that

  THE desert was flushed by the last rays of the

  hinted of superior intelligence. My mind dwelt

  sun and the beams touched the walls of the

  on the talk I had heard between the guards at

  lama monastery. The ruins seemed poignant

  the palace portal of a death ray left as a

  with a tale of resistless time. There was heritage by Chang Hsu to the strange brood something tragic in the inevitable destruction

  with which he had crushed the world.

  that faced all things. The evil spirit of Chang

  “That is the devil that ravaged the

  Hsu brooded over the desert, although he had

  human race,” I said pointing to the body on

  been dead for centuries.

  the golden throne.

  The hundreds of pilgrims, as we

  The next instant I regretted my words.

  neared the ruins, gave way before the throne

  Bert Clay was hot tempered under certain

  of the khan, viceroy of the mysterious ruler of

  situations. All caution seemed to desert him

  the Eastern World. I stared into a great cavern,

  now. A shout of rage burst from his lips as he

  of immense proportions, the walls of which

  flung open the door and hurled himself toward

  were of solid rock. The cavern was below the

  the embalmed body as if determined to topple

  level of the monastery. Entering, we saw it from the throne. Lights blazed about the another being of human form entombed at the

  shrine, blinding in their intensity. The tomb

  far end. The form was motionless and I was illuminated by some invisible means.

  realized, with startled heart, that I was staring

  I shouted a warning to Clay. A sense

  at the dead body of the Malevolent Chang

  of tragedy swept me as I noted a misty slime

  Hsu, to remain here for eternity.

  enshroud him.

  The thin form of the scourge of

  humanity was seated on a golden throne about

  which stood a guard of fifty of the breed he

  CHAPTER IV

  had evoked. An everlasting guard, I realized,

  Trapped in Time!

  protected the underground tomb. The passing

  centuries had but slightly marred the cruel

  face, with its wisp of black mustache. The

  “CLAY, for heaven’s sake, stop!”

  body was attired in yellow robes.

  “I’m going to smash—”

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  13

  Cold horror filled my soul as I darted

  not of the human slaves that still live on earth.

  after him, attempting to seize him before he

  You have come from out of the past. Well, we

  would be seen. He was only a few feet away

  shall see what to do with you.”

  from me. A gust of chilly air, a breeze fitting

  The ability of this man to understand

  for a tomb, swept about us as he darted like a

  immediately how we got here rather startled

  madman toward the golden throne.

  me. These fellows were intellectual giants!

  “Clay, you blithering idiot, come

  Heavily guarded by a score of the

  back.”

  khan’s warriors, led by the redoubtable Slan

  He turned on me with a blazing face.

  Cho, we were conducted toward the flying

  Shouts arose about us and I glanced into the

  palace. I turned to Slan Cho, overwhelmed

  towering forms of hundreds of pilgrims. They

  with curiosity. “What makes the palace fly?” I

  leaped from their prone positions on the floor

  inquired.

  of the tomb and advanced toward us. A chill

  Strangely enough Slan Cho

  of cold fear touched me as I sensed that they

  condescended to answer my question. There

  saw us now that we had emerged from the

  was a boastful note in his voice, I noted with

  protective invisibility of the time machine.

  an inward smile, as if a man of the vanished

  The folly of Clay was reaping a swift reprisal.

  twentieth century had been asked by a

  “We’re done for Lane,” he cried. “Oh,

  survivor of the year 1200 how it was possible

  what a fool I’v
e been.”

  to fly in an airplane.

  “This is the end, I guess.”

  “We have discovered the secrets of

  “We’ll fight it out,” he shouted. nature to a degree far beyond that ever

  “Better be killed that way!”

  attained by the human race,” he said. “We

  I knew that we had severed every link

  have merely nullified the operation of gravity.

  that bound us to our own time. My mind

  A force known as apergy neutralizes

  swept back to New York, with its robust life.

  gravitation. The result is that almost

  Now I would never see my own time again.

  instantaneously we can project great masses of

  We were trapped. Doubtless Stenson had material through the air. It is an ocean of committed a similar faux pas, forgetful of the

  travel to us.”

  fact that only by remaining in the glass-bound

  Clay was depressed with worry as we

  time chamber could he hope to return to the

  approached the gate of the air palace. The

  present.

  structure I noted idly was composed of

  “They are humans,” excited voices fretwork of gold and silver, richly encrusted shouted.

  with great jewels with which I was unfamiliar.

  Arms circled Clay and me with brutal

  Clay turned to me. “Sorry I was such a fool,

  force. Clay turned toward me, his face Lane,” he said.

  bloodless. The arms about my body and throat

  “Forget

  it.”

  exerted strangling pressure. I battled

  By some peculiar mental quirk I had

  ferociously to free myself, but the struggle

  ceased, at least for the time being, to have any

  was hopeless. The khan stood before us, great apprehension. After all, had I lived out staring into my face. At first he was my allotted span of life, I would have been incredulous and then I could feel a great dust these many hundreds of years. I was intelligence working over this strange cheating death, in a sense, by being alive at phenomenon.