01 Kings Of Space

by Captain W E Johns

  'A vegetable hedgehog,' said the Professor. 'Notice how the leaves shine.

  That means there's a varnish to save the water stored in them from excessive evaporation. That form of protection is usual in desert countries, and just what one would expect to find in these conditions.

  There must be some water available, sometimes, even if it is only a very little at rare intervals. This alone is a discovery of outstanding importance. Why those horrid spines, I wonder? They are, of course, another form of protection, normally against grazing animals. But against what were they developed here? Can there be something, a form of rodent perhaps, in these holes I see about?'

  Rex had seen the holes. They might have been rat holes, except that instead of entering the ground at an angle they seemed to plunge straight down, with the excavated earth piled neatly round the top. He also noticed something else, something that gave instant weight to the Professor's suggestion that the holes might be the retreat of creatures of some sort. Several of the plants had been nibbled. In one case the fibrous flesh was still oozing sap, showing that the wound was recent. He pointed it out to the others. Then, as his eyes roved over the scene he saw a movement; and there, sure enough, was one of the creatures. The others saw it, too, and with exclamations they moved towards it, taking care not to step on the bristling plants; but just as they drew near to it, although it moved slowly, it disappeared into one of the holes.

  However, there had been time to have a good look at it, although had it remained still, so much did the colour and texture of the skin resemble the soil, it might easily have been overlooked.

  Rex would have described the thing as an enormous worm. It was not a snake; or at all events, not an ordinary snake. It didn't look like a snake. For one thing it had no discernible head. It was nearly a yard long and about three inches thick. Both ends tapered, and were apparently identical. In fact, the only ways in which it differed from an ordinary worm were its size and the coarse texture of its skin.

  'Another adaption to highly specialized conditions,' said the Professor, in a voice vibrant with excitement. 'My friends, the age-old question is answered. There is life on the Moon

  , both

  animal and vegetable. What a splendid day we are having!'

  'I'd hardly call that an animal,' muttered Rex. 'It looked to me like a whacking great worm.'

  That's just what it was,' agreed the Professor. 'But even a worm, low form of life that it is, comes into the category of animal. The great thing is, there is life. Even if there were nothing more here than worms it's wonderful to know that something has adapted itself to these unique conditions. If one creature can do that it is reasonable to suppose that others have done the same. A thought strikes me - a rather obvious one, perhaps. If there are other creatures, they, too, may have become greatly enlarged. American scientists recently conducted some experiments with extraordinary results. They consisted of subjecting small mammals to certain solar rays, and overdoses of those elemental gases which I mentioned just now. They produced extraordinary changes. In the case of hydrogen, for instance, not only did the animals increase in size, but they sprouted extra teeth. It would not be remarkable, therefore, if we found cases of abnormal enlargement here. Alas! we really know so very little. We still don't know what life is, or how it began. These worms, for judging from the number of holes there must be many, have sought protection from extreme temperatures by going deep into the ground. An earthworm goes down a long way in certain seasons. If these moonworms go down in proportion to their size then they must go down a very long way.

  I would wager that water would be found if we went down far enough. The soil might still hold some of the atmosphere that was certainly here at one period. Look over there!' The Professor pointed to an area of black, twisted objects. 'Those are the roots and stumps of ancient trees - I wouldn't care to say how old - preserved or petrified by these windless, rainless, almost airless conditions. They appear to have been charred by fire. If I were asked for a theory as to how these worms have managed to survive I'd say by boring deep into ground that may be damp and almost unaffected by excessive heat or cold. As I said just now, even our own worms go far down in dry or cold periods of weather, which suggests that they can manage with a minimum of air. That would account for their survival here. Their size raises another interesting question. Were our worms once like this, becoming smaller with changing conditions?

  Conversely, were these worms once small, increasing in size from the presence of something that doesn't occur on Earth?'

  'I wouldn't know the answer to that,' said Tiger.

  'You noticed their protective coloration?'

  'You mean, they have camouflaged themselves, so to speak, by taking on the colour of the ground?'

  'Yes.'

  'I realize it now you mention it. Why?'

  'What was the reason? In nature nothing happens without a reason. Of what were they afraid? Against what did they find it necessary to protect themselves? Clearly there must have been something at one time, if not now. Not that I find anything surprising in that.

  If the worms have managed to hang on in conditions that obviously became increasingly difficult, why not some other creatures?'

  As they walked forward they saw other worms glide into their holes. Here and there a head, or tail, would remain just outside, as if watching the intruders.

  'They must be extremely sensitive to vibration,' asserted the Professor.

  'Although we are walking quietly they are aware of us. They are, in fact, behaving just like earthworms on a lawn at home. That's curious, because they have no reason to be afraid of us. They must be afraid of something.

  I wonder what it is?'

  'What about birds?' suggested Tiger. 'At home it's the birds that make life miserable for the worms. But I wouldn't care to have an argument with a bird capable of pulling one of these worms out of the ground.

  According to the old proverb it's the early bird that gets the worm; so as these worms are out early, the early birds should be about — if there is one.'

  'You need have no fear about that,' stated the Professor emphatically.

  'Wings would be useless in this negligible atmosphere.'

  'Don't forget that there are birds which manage to get along without wings,' reminded Tiger. 'At least, if they have them, they've lost the use of them from having no need to fly. What about the ostrich? He loves dry, dusty places like this. Not only does he keep his feet on the ground but he manages on a diet of grit and gravel — with a few nails and bits of broken glass if he can get 'em. This place should suit him fine. With a whole Moon to peck at he need never be hungry. If he can keep alive without green grass, I don'

  t see why he shouldn't be here.'

  'I stand corrected,' admitted the Professor. 'I was, I confess, thinking only of flying birds. Wings would be quite useless here.'

  As if to prove him wrong a small object on wide transparent wings hurtled past and made a clumsy landing a few yards away.

  'There's your bird, Professor,' bantered Tiger.

  'No — no. That isn't a bird. It appears to be a form of dragonfly.'

  'But it could fly.'

  'Glide — not fly. It could no more fly than a flying fish can fly.

  Forward momentum alone enabled it to remain airborne. It launched itself by the power of its legs and then glided until gravity pulled it down.

  Observe the small body in proportion to a wide wing area — a natural evolution in these conditions.'

  'It chose an unlucky place to land, anyway,' said Tiger.

  Explanation was unnecessary, for they could all see what had happened.

  From under a leaf where apparently it had been waiting and watching sprang a spider, a creature with a black hairy body the size of a small watch. It reached the wretched dragonfly with a single jump that covered at least a yard, seized it, and dragged it, fluttering wildly, back to its hiding-place.

  'A tarantula!' exclaimed the Professor. '
Moreover one that bears a remarkable resemblance to those that occur in the tropics at home. But perhaps there is nothing strange about that, for spiders are most adaptable creatures. They are found everywhere, from the middle of the Sahara Desert to the icy slopes of Mount Everest. I suspect that this fellow shares with our own the nasty faculty of being venomous. That makes three forms of life we have seen in a short time, so I am optimistic about finding more, although I have a growing feeling that we are seeing the few final survivors of a dying, but once well-populated, little world.'

  Tiger indicated the deep tracks, no great distance away. 'Worms didn't make those,' he averred. 'The things that did must have been a lot larger.'

  'I have already remarked that whatever it was that caused the worms to grow so large might well have the same effect on other survivors. Do the tracks, now that you can see them plainly, remind you of any others you have seen elsewhere?'

  'The nearest in my experience are those made by big tropical turtles.

  They come ashore on sandy beaches, dig a hole, lay their eggs in it, cover them up and then drag themselves back through the sand to the sea.'

  'Quite so. But as we are so near the edge of that crater over there, I think we might have a look at it first. I see it has some rays. Is everyone feeling all right?'

  'I feel a bit like an indiarubber ball, otherwise I'm comfortable,'

  answered Tiger.

  They went on at a slow, rolling stride towards the crater, turning a little diagonally to intercept the nearest ray, a broad white band running back from the lip. On reaching it, the Professor stirred it with the toe of his boot, revealing it to be a layer of dirty white powder deposited in a slight depression.

  'It looks remarkably like salt,' said he. 'Unfortunately we're not in a position to test it. Whatever the stuff is it came out of the crater, which at the moment appears to be full of exceptionally nasty-looking mud. I can only think the stuff splashed out in liquid form in the manner Rex suggested. On evaporation any saline content would no doubt dry white.'

  'If it splashed out it must have been with some force, or how did it make that groove?'

  queried Tiger. 'It could hardly have fallen into a groove that was already there.'

  'The pot may have continued to boil over for many years, the liquid always following the same course,' said the Professor pensively. 'The chief point of interest to me is the fact that this crater contains mud, which means that in the not very distant past it must have held water.

  Well, I think we've seen all there is to see here.'

  They were turning away when the mud in one place, not far from where they stood, began to heave. Then the surface broke, and from the centre of the disturbed area appeared a face so monstrous, so unspeakably hideous, that Rex recoiled in horror. It may have been the size of the beast that shocked him, for the face, as he presently realized, was really that of an old toad. The mouth was not less than a foot across.

  Dripping with a chalky slime the creature began to drag itself towards the point where the ray entered the pit, thus solving the mystery. The ray, Rex perceived, was nothing more than the path used by the monster when it left its lair.

  They did not wait for it to emerge, but retired as quickly as their awkward garments would permit. Not until they were well clear did anyone speak. Then the Professor said: '

  Bless my soul! What a truly alarming spectacle — one might also say unbelievable.

  Clearly, either the composition of this particular atmosphere, if we can call it that, must encourage abnormal growth, or there must be some strange property in the ground.'

  Turning, they spent a minute or two looking at the creature, now waddling awkwardly up the ray, shedding its unpleasant coating of slime.

  'You know, Professor, that ugly brute rings a bell in my mind,' said Tiger thoughtfully. '

  One that may provide the explanation of why a toad should survive in an almost airless world. From time to time, at home, there are reports of quarrymen finding toads embedded in rocks, usually limestone or slate, a condition in which no air, or anything else, could possibly reach them.'

  They've been found in the solid wood of trees, too,' put in Rex.

  'I can't recall ever having read an explanation,' continued Tiger. 'In the case of rocks, the creature must have got into the stuff when it was soft and become entombed when it hardened. That's what's going to happen to this fellow if he isn't careful. That anything can live for ages without air, food or water, seems to defy all reason. But if a toad can survive such conditions there's no reason why one shouldn't be quite comfortable here.'

  'You make a good point,' averred the Professor. 'What you say is true.

  I've heard of such cases, and given the matter some thought, without finding any acceptable solution. It will be something for us to talk about when we get home. Here are the tracks, which offer another mystery.

  You will notice that they all end at one or another of the caves that honeycomb the cliffs. That can only mean one thing. The creature that made the tracks lived — and still may live — in a cave.'

  Some of these tracks are fresh,' declared Tiger.

  'You really think so?'

  'I'm sure. Even here the edges of a track couldn't remain as clear-cut as that for very long. On Earth I'd say this one, for instance, was made within the last few hours.'

  'How enthralling!' said the Professor enthusiastically. Let us hope the beast is at home. I wonder does he come out to feed by day or by night? I mean, has he just retired or is he about to come out?'

  'Most wild animals on Earth are active at dawn,' stated Tiger.

  'Then as the day is slowly dawning we may see something of him. The Sun is already above the horizon, but it will take seven of our days to reach its zenith. Perhaps the beast is waiting for it to warm the ground.'

  'I think the plants are already feeling the effects of the Sun,' Rex pointed out. 'I can see more and more flowers opening as it reaches them.'

  The Professor began walking towards the nearest cave. I imagine these holes are used for the same purpose the worms use theirs,' he remarked.

  'Be careful!' warned Tiger. Ìf there's a beast in there he may resent your intrusion.'

  But apparently the Professor's curiosity exceeded his discretion, for he did not stop, and the others had no alternative than to follow. However, he paused and peered inside when he reached the mouth of the cave. 'Can't see anything,' he announced. 'The hole appears to go in for some distance. Unfortunately, my helmet prevents me from learning anything from my nose.'

  As the words ended there came echoing eerily from deep inside the cave a thin, distant sound, so melancholy that they all started to back away.

  The nearest description of it would be a long drawn-out wail, as if something was dying in agony.

  'Did you hear that!' cried the Professor excitedly. 'The creature is in there. Making allowance for the thin atmosphere such a sound must have had considerable volume for us to hear it at all.'

  I think we'd be well advised to move back a bit, in case it's on its way out,' said Tiger.

  We'd look silly if it charged us. We haven't a weapon between us.'

  Ì'd be loath to do it an injury,' said the Professor.

  'It may not feel the same way about us,' returned Tiger grimly.

  At this stage of the proceedings Rex happened to look up the valley; and at the sight that met his gaze his muscles seemed to turn to jelly. Emerging from the dim recess where the cliff walls drew close together came a creature so grotesque, so uncouth, that for a moment or two all he could do was stare at it. The beast had a body about the size of a small rhinoceros, although its shape, if it resembled anything on Earth, was that of a tortoise. From head to tail it was covered with overlapping scales, like those of an armadillo, but of proportionate size. A snake-like head swayed from side to side as it waddled forward on legs that ended in great splayed feet.

  Rex pointed. ' Look I' he managed to gasp. 'Here comes a dragon!'
>
  The others turned and saw what he had seen.

  'A glyptodon, by all that's wonderful!' cried the Professor. 'Here, let's get out of this,'

  said Tiger promptly.

  The beast behaved as though it might have heard the words, for it stopped dead, head up, staring. Its mouth opened. From it came a faint squeal.

  It was enough. There was a quick retreat towards the Space-master, all three of them in their haste bouncing along with fantastic strides that in different circumstances would have been comical. Rex, not a little scared, looking back over his shoulder saw the beast apparently following them. Reaching the point where they had halted to investigate the cave, however, it stopped — much to his relief, for he had an uncomfortable feeling that it was coming after them. The creature's head went down as if it might have been smelling the ground. Then, looking up again, it let out a hoarse croak. This may have been a signal, for first one, then several similar beasts, appeared at the mouths of their caves.

  By this time the party had nearly reached the Spacemaster, but the Professor stopped, doing something with his camera. Rex wanted to say that this was no time to fiddle about taking photographs, but as he was in no position to protest he said nothing. The Professor was obviously determined to get a picture of the scene, and all Rex could do was hope that he wouldn't be long about it, for the beasts were now getting into positions that suggested a general advance.

  Ìf those brutes come charging this way and collide with the ship they won't do it any good, Professor,' remarked Tiger anxiously.

  Shan't be a moment,' was the answer. 'The opportunity may never occur again.'

  'They're coming now,' said Rex tersely.

  He was right, but things turned out differently from what he expected.

  The creatures did advance, in the eager manner of cattle let into a pasture; but it was soon clear that the Spacemaster was not their objective. They hastened to the nearest patch of vegetation as if they intended to graze on it. Rex hoped so, but in this he was mistaken. Heads went down, but soon came up, holding worms in their jaws. These they gobbled, as farmyard hens gobble earthworms, and went on seeking more.