"Here's where we lose the trail!" boomed Grag in dismay.
"They must be somewhere on Venus, close beneath this location," Curt persisted. "We'll have to find them."
The Comet dived sharply through the gray, swirling vapors. The ion trail had long ago been dispersed here, of course, but the ship of the Futuremen sank down through mile after mile of the cloudy atmosphere.
"Venus' atmosphere is far thicker and denser than in our own time, lad," commented the Brain. "The planet's hydrosphere has not yet condensed so much into surface water as in our own age."
They emerged at last into the stratum of clear air close to the surface of the planet. Astonished, they looked across a vista of parklike fields and glades, fringed by a belt of marsh near the ocean.
"But where are all the great swamps of Venus?" demanded Grag, staring.
"It's just as I said," reminded the Brain. "The hydrosphere vapors have not yet condensed enough to saturate the planet with water and make it the swampy world we know. The process, though, is steadily going on."
There began again a weary process of search. The Comet circled in widening spirals above the land beneath. Three superhuman pairs of eyes kept peering for the strange black space ship they were hunting. While they saw nothing of the ship, they did notice stone structures and cities, submerged far out in the ocean, or partly concealed by the coastal marshes.
"There's been a civilization here on Venus, too," said the Brain, "just as on Earth. Just as the glaciation on Earth wrecked that civilization, so has it been destroyed here by the steady rise of the waters."
"I can't make it out," complained Grag. "Who'd have dreamt these worlds had great civilizations on them even longer ago than this?"
"There seem to be still greater ruined cities submerged far out in the sea," reported the Brain, who was peering through instruments. "The nearer the ruins are to shore, the smaller they become. It looks as though the steady rise of the water forced the people out of one city after another, bringing about a gradual retrogression of their civilization."
Curt Newton was too concerned with the search for Otho's captors to give this astonishing fact the attention he would ordinarily have given.
His keen eyes presently descried human figures moving over a field. He sent the Comet diving down toward them. The men appeared to be a hunting party, armed with throwing spears and bows. They were a white-skinned folk of apparently the same stage of primitive culture as the tribesmen on Earth. They bolted in flight the instant they heard and saw the Comet.
"Shall we land and catch some of 'em for questioning?" Grag asked.
"It would be wasting time," Curt said. "They're just primitive descendants of a once-great people. They wouldn't be likely to have any connection with Otho's captors, who must be a fairly civilized people."
"Doesn't look like there are any civilized people on this world," Grag asserted. "The ones who captured Otho couldn't have come from here."
"I'm beginning to think that myself," Curt admitted. His brows knitted together. "Maybe they just stopped here at Venus for some reason and then went on. Let's go out into space and see if we can find their trail."
The Comet roared up through the immense cloudy envelope of the planet and emerged into clear, star-jeweled space. Curt and Simon began once more to sweep space with the powerful electroscope. Again it took weary hours of circling through space before they located a different ion trail than the one they had followed into Venus.
"They did stop at Venus and then go on!" Curt cried. "See? This trail leads out toward Mars."
"Do you think the people who captured Otho and Ahla are Martians?" Grag questioned. Without waiting for an answer, he growled; "What a chase that silly android is leading us!"
THE Comet shot toward the fourth planet with all cycs and tubes throbbing. Captain Future knew that their delay at Venus had again given those they pursued a large lead. He looked worriedly beyond Mars to the distant golden planet, Katain, swinging through space with its little moon, seeming to approach the great white disk of Jupiter.
Katain — doomed member of the solar family, whose cataclysmic end must soon give the System its greatest single tragedy. They must reach that world in time to answer the desperate time plea of its scientist, Darmur!
To Curt, chafing at the delay, it seemed an interminable time before they approached the dull green sphere of Mars. They followed the rocket trail of Otho's captors closely. It was a fresh one and led around the globe of the planet toward its shadowed night side.
Exclamations of wonder came from the Futuremen as they glimpsed the great oceans of Mars, sheening in the starlight, and the countless clusters of lights that betokened the presence of many great cities.
"Seas on Mars?" Grag blurted. "Why, it's crazy! Mars is the desert of the Solar System."
"It is in our time," corrected the Brain. "Eventually the low surface gravity of Mars will permit the molecules of its water envelope to escape, dry up its seas and make it a desert world. But here in the past, the process has not yet gone far."
"It's a crowded world, to judge by the lights of all those cities," marveled Captain Future. "We know there's civilization on Katain. We're seeing it here on Mars. We've seen evidence that it once existed on Venus and Earth. All these worlds, peopled and civilized in some age even before this one — it's almost incredible."
The trail led toward brilliant blinking lights near the shore of one of the great oceans. The trail descended toward those lights and then was lost as they entered the Martian atmosphere.
"That's a big city below," Curt said. "That's where Otho's captors took him and Ahla, if they're still living. We've got to search that city for them."
"Shall I land in the middle of that city?" Grag asked innocently.
"No, of course not!" Curt cried, before the robot could act. "These ancient Martians can't be friendly to strangers, or they wouldn't have grabbed Otho and Ahla. Steer beyond the city and we'll find some place for a secret landing. Then I can spy out the place on foot without being noticed."
With rocket-tubes throttled to a low drone, the Comet passed high above the light of the great Martian city. Finally, after circling a little, they brought it down to a landing on the beach of the ocean, several miles north of the metropolis.
They emerged from the ship into soft, balmy air. The night was illuminated by the two moons. The ocean pounded on the sands around them with a rhythmic sound. It seemed a strangely un-Martian scene.
"I spotted a road leading along the shore toward the city," Curt said. "It's not far away. We'll take a look."
A fat, little, white shape waddled along eagerly after them. It was Oog.
"The blasted little pest seems to miss Otho," boomed Grag. "It wants to hunt for him, I guess, I'll put him back in the ship. He might get us into trouble, he's so much like his master."
AFTER Grag had done so, the three advanced cautiously up the beach and through tall grass toward the highway Captain Future had mentioned. They heard a whizz and roar of passing vehicles and the sound of distant voices as they approached the road. Sinking down in the grass, they peered out.
The road was of white synthetic stone and impressively broad. Along it were moving flat, open vehicles that appeared to be powered by gas motors of some type. In the cars were men and women, dark-haired, white-skinned, looking much like the primitive Earth tribesmen, but dressed in silken cloaks and trousers. Other Martians were trudging along the road on foot. Nearly all seemed to be heading toward the city. Their voices came clearly to the Futuremen.
Curt found he could understand the Martians, for they talked a language similar to that of Ahla's tribe.
"I'm tired!" one woman was complaining to a man as they passed the concealed Futuremen. "Can't we rest?"
"It's almost dawn now," the man told her impatiently. "We want to reach Othar before the festival begins, don't we? You can rest later."
Curt made a sign to Grag and Simon and they drew back into the grass. When th
ey had returned to the Comet, Captain Future spoke rapidly.
"Otho and Ahla must be prisoned somewhere in that city, Othar. I'm going in there and find them. Apparently some kind of festival is going on today. I can pass as a Martian, with luck."
"And I'll go with you!" Grag proposed instantly.
"How the devil could you get by?" Curt demanded. "You'd attract a crowd before we'd gone ten paces. You and Simon will have to wait here."
He took a cloak of white synthe-silk which, over his silken gray zipper-suit, fairly well approximated the ancient Martian dress. He stuffed his proton pistol inside his jacket. He also stowed away there a pocket-televisor and certain other instruments that he thought might be useful.
"It'll soon be daylight," he told his comrades. "The Comet will be quickly spotted here on the beach, so you'll have to keep the ship submerged while I'm gone. I'll call you out by pocket-televisor when I get back here with Otho and Ahla."
"We understand, lad," assured the Brain. "It will give us a chance to examine the nature of the ancient Martian marine life, while we wait."
"Ocean-diving on Mars!" exclaimed Grag bewilderedly. "It's a goofy idea."
Chapter 10: A Conjurer on Mars
CURT left the ship. With Grag at the controls, it rose quietly from the beach, moved a few hundred yards out over the moonlit sea and then sank down under the waters. The Comet, Future knew, could remain without harm beneath the waters for a long time and would be well concealed.
He turned and strode through the tall grass toward the road. Dawn was breaking as he stepped out onto the white highway and started southward. Some miles ahead rose a cluster of brilliant yellow towers and domes, the far-flung, fantastic structures of the city, Othar.
Captain Future began to pass Martian men and women, all moving toward the city and talking gayly of the coming festival. He became uneasily conscious that they stared at him with unusual attention.
"What the devil can be wrong with my appearance?" he wondered.
His dress was much the same as theirs. His stature and features and white skin were little different and he had concealed his red hair by a close-fitting cap.
Yet these ancient Martians continued to stare at him.
One of them, a withered-faced, sly-eyed little man who carried a heavy metal case, came up to him.
"Friend, where did you get that strange beast of yours?" the Martian asked, pointing behind Curt.
Captain Future turned sharply. It took an effort to refrain from breaking forth into profanity at what he saw. Oog was following him!
He realized instantly that the little meteor-mimic, anxious to find its master, had slipped out with him when he had emerged from the Comet the second time. It was the fat, doughy, little white animal that had been attracting all the attention. As Curt knew, in this remote past age the species to which Oog belonged had not yet evolved.
Curt hastily picked up Oog to make him less conspicuous. He told the Martian who had questioned him:
"He is just a pet I caught and tamed in my home in the north."
"He doesn't look like any animal I ever heard of," persisted the sly-eyed little man.
"Oh, they're a common species in the north —" Curt began to explain.
But the little Martian suddenly uttered an exclamation of amazement and shrank back, staring with dilated eyes. Curt looked down and mentally groaned. Oog, feeling playful, had changed himself into an exact replica of the metal case the Martian held.
Captain Future felt that Oog had fatally betrayed him by demonstrating that he was a wholly un-Martian animal and thus inevitably giving rise to the suspicion that his owner also was not an ordinary Martian. Curt expected the little man to set up a cry that would bring a crowd around them. But instead, after his first display of amazement, the sly-eyed Martian showed an eager excitement.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were a conjurer, too?" he demanded.
"A conjurer?" Curt repeated.
Then he began to understand. The fellow thought that Oog's feat was some kind of magical trick.
"I'm Slig, the most famous conjurer in the city Thool," declared the Martian. He slapped his metal case. "I'm on my way to Othar with my bag of tricks. The crowds that'll be there today for the birthday festival of King Luun ought to yield a fine harvest of dugats, eh?"
CURT fell in with the Martian showman's supposition at once.
"Yes, that's why I'm on my way to Othar, too," he answered readily. "My name is Burq. I have quite a reputation as a conjurer up in the north."
Oog, tiring of imitating the metal case, abruptly changed back to his normal shape with his usual swift flow of protean tissues.
"That's certainly a wonderful trick you've worked out," Slig told Captain Future enthusiastically. "How do you do it, Burq?"
"Well, I hardly like to tell that," Curt said reluctantly.
"Sure, I don't blame you for not giving away the trick to a rival conjurer," Slig answered good-humoredly. "But why should we be rivals? Why can't you and I team up together today in Othar? We could give such a show together for the crowd that we'd be rolling in dugats."
Captain Future liked the idea at once. Working with Slig as a conjurer, he'd be far less likely to be suspected as a stranger. And he could easily give the other man the slip when he had got some inkling of where Otho and Ahla were being held in the city.
"I'm willing," he said. "You see, I've never been in Othar before. My home's in the far north."
Slig nodded knowingly. "I could tell you were from way back in the country by the queer, stumbling way you talk and the old-fashioned cut of those clothes. You stick to me, Burq, and I'll send you home with lots of dugats."
Curt grinned inwardly. It was pretty clear that Slig figured him to be a country boy who had developed some clever conjuring tricks, but didn't have much practical experience. That suited Curt.
They trudged together toward the sunlit, yellow towers of Othar. On their left was the rolling green ocean, but on their right stretched intensively cultivated fields of fruit and grain, thickly dotted with small stone homesteads. Curt perceived that, in this ancient time, Mars was a thickly populated world. The crowds of pedestrians surging along the road toward Othar constantly increased. More and more of the gas-powered open vehicles whizzed past them.
As they approached the city, Captain Future looked with intense interest at a spaceport they were passing. A number of long, pencil-like black ships were parked there. Beside his own Comet they were primitive craft, yet capable of long space voyages, as he well knew.
"The one permanent rule in the System appears to be lack of permanence," Curt mused. "This civilization seems intrenched enough to last forever, yet it will soon disappear and be followed by thousands more, on Earth and every other planet."
They passed into the city, Othar. Its brilliant yellow synthestone towers loomed all about them, massive structures surmounted by hexagonal spires or domes. In its sunlit streets thronged countless Martians, drawn here by the birthday festival of their ruler.
"Pretty good crowd," approved Slig, estimating with sharp eyes. "Of course the celebrating's a little dampened this year by worry over the Katainian business, but maybe the dugats are still flowing."
"The Katainian business?" repeated Curt. "What do you mean?"
Slig stared. "You must be from away back in the country, if you don't know. Haven't you heard all these rumors that the Katainians are planning to kill everyone on Mars?"
"Oh, that!" Curt said nonchalantly. "I've heard all those crazy stories, but I don't pay any attention to them."
"A lot of people are scared, nevertheless. Those Katainians have great scientific powers and that devil Zikal is capable of anything."
HE DROPPED the subject, but Captain Future's mind was racing. Who was Zikal? Was it possible that the Katainians were really menacing Mars? Slig interrupted his speculation.
"Here's a good corner, Burq. Let's set up our show here."
The little conjurer ha
d picked a corner of two of the most crowded avenues. All along the street they had passed other showmen, entertaining the throngs with acrobatic feats, exhibiting trained animals, or performing mind-reading feats.
Slig raised his voice in a loud call that pierced through the babel and chatter of the holiday throng of Martians.
"This way, folks! The two greatest conjurers on Mars are about to unfold the most marvelous collection of magical wonders upon which the eye has ever rested. Slig, the master-conjurer of Thool, will show his mystic powers by such feats as the breathing of flame, the magic tree and many others. Burq, his colleague from the mysterious lands of the far north, will exhibit his incredible wonder-beast and other feats too numerous to mention. This way, everyone!"
A good-humored crowd of Martians had soon gathered around them and Slig began his show. Curt had to admit that the conjurer was clever. He kindled a small fire and breathed in the flame with every appearance of enjoyment. He took a seed from his pocket, touched it with a wand and it blossomed into a seedling that grew rapidly to a small tree. He did some amazing juggling with shining metal spheres as a final act. The applause was loud.
"And now Burq, master-sorcerer of the north, will perform for you with his wonder-beast!" announced Slig impressively.
Captain Future held up Oog for the crowd to see. Oog, who was scared by the crowd around them, took refuge in camouflage. His fat little body shifted suddenly into perfect imitation of a yellow rock. The crowd applauded enthusiastically.
"Show us how Eek looks," Curt whispered to Oog.
At once the meteor-mimic shifted into a perfect imitation of a small gray moon-pup. Curt continued to name one object after another and Oog proceeded to flash through a variety of metamorphoses.
When Curt decided that Oog had had enough and bowed to the crowd, the applause was long and fervent.
"We've got 'em all worked up, Burq!" breathed Slig eagerly. "Show them another trick as good as that and we'll get every dugat they have."
Captain Future 08 - The Lost World of Time (Fall 1941) Page 7
