by Hal K. Wells
couldspring forward to stop him, Zehru with a last surge of power ripped thefragile metal strand completely in two.
It was the Xollarian's dying effort. He slumped in a motionless, nearlyliquescent heap. But that last blind blow at the Earthlings threatenedto be a deadly one. The severed cable led to one of the black postssurrounding the enclosure. With the cable's parting an entire section ofone of the gold-flecked barrier walls vanished. Xollar's deadly purplemists were already surging in.
* * * * *
Speed was the Earthlings' only chance now. Helen was as quick to realizethe danger as was Blake. Side by side they started their mad race towardwhere the silver arch-gate loomed nearly a hundred yards away.
They had covered barely half the distance when the air around thembegan to show a definite tinge of purple. With the appearance of thepurple hue there came a strange and swiftly increasing agony, atorturing vibration that seemed to be tearing every atom in their bodiesasunder.
They were within ten yards of the arch when Helen fell. Blake grabbedher up in his arms and stumbled on. There was no longer enough oxygen inthe air to even breathe. Blake's lungs were on fire. Every cell in hisbody seemed vibrating in unbearable torment.
It was all that he could do to struggle up on the low platform. Hestaggered across the space and under the arch. It took the last shred ofstrength in his tortured body for him to lift his hand and pull theblack lever down into place.
Its action was instantaneous. The agony of the purple mists was blottedout in a surging wave of mighty force that swept Blake and Helen up andaway through a Spaceless universe where black chaos reigned awesomelysupreme. There was a long terrible moment of hurtling through distancesinconceivably vast. Blake's brain reeled in nausea.
Then suddenly all motion ceased and everything was normal again. Therewas firm grassy ground under his feet and a cool breeze was blowing inhis face.
He opened his eyes and saw the gray half-light of early dawn. After thefirst swift look around him he sighed in mighty relief. To his left wasthe familiar skyline of Fifth Avenue. To his right was Central ParkWest. They were somewhere in Central Park, safe again in their ownworld.
And somewhere in that other world beneath the twin purple suns, the timemechanism of the silver gate should even now be releasing the explosivethat would forever blot out all trace of the evil handiwork of Zehru,cosmic fisher of Xollar.
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Astounding Stories_ February 1932. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.
