“That is quite unnecessary,” said the Prince calmly. “You are already in love.”
There was a stirring around the table. Smiles. Friendly faces. “Your Majesty,” one man began, “this is the best news I’ve heard in—” He must have seen the expression on her face, because he faltered into silence.
She said, as if she had not heard the interruptions, “Prince, I am amazed. And who is the lucky young man?”
“Possibly one of the most formidable men whom I have ever met, but charming for all of his vitality and well worthy of your hand. He came to the palace about eight months ago, and you were immediately impressed with him, but unfortunately because of his antecedents, politically speaking, there was a conflict in your mind between your natural desires and your obsession.”
She was aware now of whom he was talking, and she tried to head him off, “Surely, you are not referring to that young man whom I ordered hanged two months ago, but to whom I subsequently granted mercy.”
Prince del Curtin smiled. “I admit your violent judgment against him puzzled me for a while, but actually it was merely another facet of the equally violent conflict going on in your mind.”
Innelda was cool as she answered. “I seem to remember that you offered no great objections to the execution order.”
“I was bowled over, I have an innate loyalty to your person, and your positive statements against him confused me. It was only afterwards that I realized it all fitted.”
“You don’t think I was sincere in giving the order?”
The Prince said, “In this world, people continually destroy those they love. They even commit suicide, thus destroying the one they love most of all.”
“And what has all this to do with the conflict that is going on in my mind, and which—ironically—is making a shrew out of me?”
“Two months ago you told me that you had informed Captain Hedrock—” She tensed slightly as the name was mentioned for the first time—“that you would invite him back to the palace in two months. The time is up, and you cannot make up your mind to do so.”
“You mean, my love has dimmed?”
“No.” He was patient. “You have suddenly realized that calling him back would be an act far more significant than anything you imagined when you first named the time limit. In your mind it will be tantamount to an admission that the situation is exactly as I have stated.”
Innelda stood up. “Gentlemen,” she said with a faint, tolerant smile, “all this has been a revelation to me.
I am sure that my cousin means well, and in a way it might be an excellent thing for me to get married.
But I confess that I had never , thought of Captain Hedrock as the individual who would have’ to hear my nagging all the rest of his life. Unfortunately, there is another reason why I have hesitated to marry, and so a third conflict should be added to the two mentioned by the Prince. I—”
Beside her chair the telestat clicked on. “Your Majesty, the Weapon Makers’ Council has just issued a statement in connection with the giant.”
Innelda sat down. She felt a vague shock at the realization that she had forgotten about the meaningless titan with his seemingly senseless program of destruction. Now she gripped the edge of the long table.
“I’ll obtain a copy of it later,” she said. “What is the gist?”
There was a pause, and then another, deeper voice took over: “A special statement has just been issued by the Weapon Makers’ Council denouncing the hundred and fifty foot giant, who has now devastated the business districts of the cities of Denar and Lenton. The Weapon Makers state that the rumor that the giant is a Weapon Shop machine is absolutely false, and they emphasize that they will do all in their power to help capture the giant. As was reported earlier, the giant ran—”
She shut it off with a flick of her fingers, “Gentlemen,” she said, “I think you had all better go back to your headquarters and stand by. The State is in danger, and this time—” She stared at her cousin—“this time it does not seem to be a product of any calculation on my part.”
She broke off.“Good day to you, gentlemen.”
As was customary, the cabinet lords remained at their places until she had left the room.
When she got back to her apartment, she waited a few minutes, and then put a call through to Prince del Curtin’s office. His face came onto the plate; almost immediately. His eyes grew questioning.
“Mad?” he asked.
“Of course not. You know better than that.” She broke off. “Del, is there any information yet as to what the giant wants?”
“He wants release of the interstellar drive.”
“Oh! Then it is the Shops.”
The Prince shook his head. “I don’t think so, Innelda,” he said seriously. “They’ve issued a second statement within the past few minutes, apparently realizing that their propaganda of six weeks ago would be connected with the giant. They reiterate their demand that you release the drive, but deny any connection with the giant, and once more offer to help catch him.”
“Their denial is ridiculous on the face of it.”
Prince del Curtin said earnestly, “Innelda, if this giant continues his destruction, you’ll have to do something besides make accusations against the Shops.”
“Are you coming down to breakfast?” she asked.
“No, I’m going to Denar.”
She stared at him anxiously. “Be careful, Del.”
“Oh, I have no intention of getting killed.”
She laughed abruptly. “I’m sure of it. You can tell me later what your reason is for going.”
“It’s no secret. I’ve been invited by the navy. I think they want a responsible witness to the efforts they are making, ,so that no charges can later be made that they aren’t doing everything in their power.” He broke off.“So long.”
“Goodbye,” said Innelda. And clicked off her ’stat.
She felt tired, and so she lay down for an hour. And she must have slept, because she woke up to the sound of her private bedside ’stat. It was Prince del Curtin, looking and sounding very worried. “Innelda, have you been keeping track of the giant?”
She felt a sudden emptiness. It was still hard for her to grasp that such a menace had come out of nothingness only that morning, and was now threatening the nature of things Isher. She managed finally,
“Is there anything special? I’ve been busy.”
“Thirty-four cities, Innelda. Only one person killed yet, and that an accident. But think of it. It’s real; it’s no joke. The continent’s beginning to boil like a toppled ant hill. He destroyed small establishments only, leaving the big companies untouched. A regular tidal wave of rumors have started about that, and I don’t think any amount of propaganda is of value so long as that damned thing is at large.” He broke off,
“What is this about you hiding an interstellar drive? Is there any truth in it?”
She hesitated; then, “Why do you ask?”
“Because,” he said grimly, “if it’s true, and if that’s what’s behind the giant, then you’d better start thinking seriously of handing the secret over with the best possible grace. You can’t stand another day of the giant.”
“My dear—” she was cold, determined, “we’ll stand a hundred days, if necessary. If an interstellar drive should be developed, the House of Isher would under present circumstances be opposed to it!”
“Why?”
“Because—” her voice was a resonant force, “our population would shoot off in all directions. In two hundred years; there’d be thousands of upstart royal families and sovereign governments ruling hundreds of planets, declaring wars like kings and dictators of old. And of all the people they would hate most would be the ancient House of Isher, whose living presence would make their loud pretensions ridiculous.
Life on Earth would become one long series of wars against other star systems.” She went on tautly, “It may seem silly to think of a situation as it would be two h
undred years hence, but a family like ours, that has ruled in unbroken line for more than forty-seven hundred years, has learned to think in terms of centuries.” She finished, “On the day that an administration method is developed whereby controlled stellar emigration is possible, on that day we could regard with approval such an invention. Until then—”
She stopped, because he was nodding, his lean, strong face thoughtful. “You’re right, of course. That angle didn’t occur to me. No chaos like that can be permitted. But our situation is becoming more serious every hour. Innelda, let me make a suggestion.”
“Yes.”
“You’re going to be shocked.”
A tiny frown creased her forehead. “Go ahead.”
“All right. Listen: The Weapon Shops’ propaganda is benefiting from the giant’s handiwork, and at the same time they keep denouncing the giant. Let’s take them up on that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Let me get in touch with them. We’ve got to identify the people behind that giant.”
“You mean, work with them! ” She found her voice in an explosive outburst. “After three thousand years, an Empress of Isher begs the aid of the Weapon Makers? Never!”
“Innelda, the giant is at the present moment destroying the city of Lakeside .”
“Oh!”
She was silent. For the first time, she felt dismayed. Glorious Lakeside, second only to Imperial City in splendor and wealth. She tried to picture the shining giant crashing through the wonder city of lakes. And, slowly, she nodded agreement. There was no longer any doubt. After one short day, the giant, with a single exception, had become the most important factor in a shattering world.
She hesitated then, “Prince!”
“Yes.”
“Captain Hedrock left me an address. Will you try to get in touch with him, and ask him to come to the palace, tonight if possible?”
Her cousin looked at her thoughtfully, said finally, simply, “What’s the address?”
She gave it, and then sat back, forcing herself to relax. It was relieving after a minute to realize that she had made two great decisions.
It was a few minutes before five o’clock when the automatically relayed and recorded message from the Empress reached Hedrock. The request that he come to the palace star tied him. It was hard to believe that Innelda had become so panicky about the future of the House of Isher.
He ended his destructive campaign, and returned to his secret laboratory. Arrived there, he tuned in to the secret wavelength of the Weapon Makers’ Council, or rattier the wave-’length they thought secret; and, disguising his voice, said, “Members of the Weapon Makers’ Council, I am sure that you have already realized the great advantage to your own cause of what the giants are doing.”
It seemed to Hedrock that he must keep stressing that there were more than one involved. The Weapon Shops knew only too well that a normal human being was aged five years every thirty minutes when enlarged. He went on urgently, “The giants need immediate assistance. The Weapon Makers must now take over, must send out volunteers to play the role of giant for fifteen minutes, or half an hour per person. They do not have to destroy, but their appearance will give an effect of continuity. It is also important that the Shops now resume in full force their propaganda to compel the Empress to surrender the secret of the interstellar drive. It is essential that the first giant appear sometime early this evening. For the sake of the progressive forces of man, do not fail.”
He was still in his hideout fifteen minutes later when the first of the giants appeared, so quick was the response. It was too quick. It showed private plans. It showed that the greatest power in the solar system was reacting like a finely poised steel spring; and he had no doubt that the plans included a determination to penetrate the identity of the person who knew their secrets. He was even prepared to believe that they knew who he was.
Accordingly, the time had come to bring into use one of his secret inventions. To begin with, he must make a trip through the one he had here in his hideout. Later, when the crisis came, he could make an attempt to utilize a replica that, long ago, he had secreted in the tombs of the palace. The next twelve hours would be decisive; and the great question was, would the spider beings let him carry through? They showed no sign.
Fourteen
THE WARM, CLOUDY NIGHT WAS ABLAZE, THE LONG STREET, the notorious Avenue of Luck, scintillated like a jewel as Gonish walked along. Mile on mile of jewels, fusing in the remote distance in either direction to a shimmer of mingled white and color. Signs glowed at the No-man, a glory of light-engraved messages:
WIN A FORTUNE
WALK IN WITH TEN CREDITS
WALK OUT WITH A MILLION
THE DIAMOND PALACE
10,000,000 DIAMONDS BLAZON INTERIOR
TRY YOUR LUCK IN A
SETTING OF DIAMONDS
There were more of that type as Gonish walked on the RUBY PALACE—GOLD PALACE—EMERALD PALACE—intermingled with hundreds of no less gaudy structures. He came finally to his destination.
LUCKY EMPORIUM
BETS AS LOW AS FIVE PENNIES
NO LIMIT
The No-man paused, smiling gravely. It was fitting that the Empress had selected as their rendezvous one of her properties that catered to the masses. He must find out if she knew where-Hedrock was, draw the information out of her, and escape with his life.
Gonish studied the crowds of predominantly young people who were streaming in and out of the garish building. Their laughter, the rich young voices of them, quickened the splendor of the blazing night. It all seemed normal, but he stood with practiced patience measuring the faces that moved by, assessing the characters of the loungers from their expressions; and it didn’t take long to grasp the reality. The sidewalks swarmed with Imperial Government agents.
Gonish stood grim. The Weapon Makers’ Council had insisted that the place of meeting be public. It was understandable that the great precautions should be taken by the government secret police, and also that Her Majesty would not be anxious to have it known that she was dealing with the Weapon Shops so soon after the appearance of the giants. The conference was scheduled for the small hour of 2:30 a.m. It was now—Gonish glanced at his watch—exactly 1:55.
He remained where he was, conscious of a gathering sadness that it was his duty to attempt to ensnare Hedrock. But the identification of Hedrock from his message, as the man behind the giants had been shockingly convincing and, it seemed to Gonish, fully justifying the fears of the Council. Hedrock had shown by his actions that he was dangerous, and since he had made no attempt to explain his purposes when given the opportunity to do so, he must be considered guilty as charged.
It was unthinkable that a man who possessed the basic secrets of the Weapon Shops could be permitted at large. And if, as the Council believed, the Empress knew his whereabouts, the information would have to be cleverly extracted from her at the meeting which she herself had suggested. His friend Hedrock must die. And meanwhile he had better go inside and look around.
The interior sparkled with gardens and fountains and mechanical games. It was bigger than it had seemed from outside, both longer and wider. It was crowded with about equal numbers of men and women. Many of the women wore masks. Gonish nodded with comprehension—The Empress Isher would be simply one more masked woman. He paused before a game that was all flashing fire, a spray of violently glittering numbers twisting over the velvet blackness of a great board. Thoughtfully, the No-man watched several games run their course, trying each time to impress the over-all structure of the game into the ultra-trained region that was his brain. Finally, he placed ten credits on each of three numbers.
The fire slowed its gyrations in its coruscating fashion, and became a dazzling pillar of numbers piled one on top of another. The croupier intoned: “74, 29, 86, paying odds this time of 17 to 1.”
As Gonish collected his five hundred ten credits, the croupier stared at him. “Say,” he said in an astonish
ed voice, “that’s only the second time since I’ve been at this table that anybody’s ever won on all three numbers.”
The No-man smiled. “Mind over matter,” he said gently; and, disinterested, wandered off. He could almost feel the croupier’s astounded gaze boring into his back. What he wanted was a game he couldn’t solve with his special abilities. And there was still nearly twenty-five minutes in which to find it. He came to an enormous machine with balls and an involved series of wheels under wheels. The balls, sixty of them, all numbered, started at the top, and, as the wheels spun, the balls rolled gradually downward, progressing from wheel to wheel. The farther down they went, the more they paid; but the first half of that complicated though swift journey didn’t count, and few ever got lower.
The great attraction, so far as Gonish could make out, was the sensation of watching one’s ball go down, down, with hope not fading until the last second. It turned out to be too simple. His ball went farthest four times in a row. Gonish pocketed his winnings, and came finally to a game that was a sphere of black and white light. The two lights merged into a single, spinning beam, and came out all white or all black. The bet was, which would it be?
Not once was he sure. He finally laid his first wager on the gambler’s basis that white was the symbol of purity. White lost. He watched his money whisked off, and decided to forget the purity. Black lost.
Beside him, a woman’s rich laughter tinkled; and then, “I hope, Mr. Gonish, that you can do better than that with the giant. But please follow us to the private rooms.”
Gonish turned. Three men and a woman stood there. One of the men was Prince del Curtin. The woman’s face under its mask seemed long and the mouth itself was unmistakably Isher. Her eyes through the mask slits glinted green and her familiar, golden voice completed the recognition picture.
The No-man bowed low and said, “I’m sure I shall.”
They went in silence to a luxuriously furnished drawing room, and sat down. Gonish took his time. There were questions he wanted to ask. The strange thing was, his casual references to Hedrock produced only silence. After a while, that was astounding. Gonish leaned back, studying the faces of the three men and the woman, genuinely disturbed. He said at last, very carefully, “My feeling is that you are withholding information.”
The Empire of Isher Page 31
