[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Comet January 41.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
It was only a robot, tiny, chubby, for all the universe like aGanymedean monkey. It stood in the dark old mansion alone, stiff,immovable. Its pink, bewhiskered, rubberoid face seemed twisted withabject loneliness.... Aye, it stood alone and lonely, as if awaitingthe return of its master—
The song pulsed in a vibrant, ominous cadence through thestreets of nightclad Certagarni, clashed against the glassiteatmosphere—retaining walls of the ancient Martian city, and penetratedfaintly into a dimly lighted room of the Earth Embassy where the twoearthmen sat smoking, listening.
One of them spoke in a hoarse whisper which cut out above the dull,endless drone of discontented voices like the scream of a tortured soul:
"God, if it would only break! Flame across a world—battles to befought and won!"
"And lost, Del Andres!" came the other's calm voice. "If this revoltdoes come, it'll be so big that we'll never stamp it down withoutthe Legion!" His slender fingers rose to caress thoughtfully aclose-cropped, golden beard.
A twisted, bitter smile played on Del Andres' full, sensitive lips.Strange pain was etched on his dark, handsome face and in the blackpools of his eyes flame burned. He remained silent.
"What are you thinking about, Del?"
"Battle—and death! War like we had in Alpha Centauri. A blaze ofconquest like the Fall of Kackijakaala. What else is there to livefor?"
"There are many things!"
"Not any more, Frederix. The years have been too cruel." The dark eyeswere staring out into the night, thrusting aside the enfolding curtainof a dozen decades and many trillion miles of outer space. "Oh, why didI stay here fooling around with robots when I could have gone out toSirius with the Legion—to battle, to glory?"
"Because you're needed here. Hear those voices! Of what are theysinging? Revolt, of course. And why? Because they think earthmenare wholly to blame for the loss of control of their industry andcommerce!"
"Aren't they?" blazed Andres. "We think we're always right, we ofEarth. Because we were the first to conquer space we think we shouldrule its farthest bounds, cosmic policeman, arbitrator of all internalstrife from here to the ultimate!
"We went out to Centauri over a century ago, brought the Vrons out ofsubjugation beneath the Dwares, gave them freedom after tying up allkinds of trade agreements for our benefit; and then skipped over toLalande and fixed everything according to our scale of values. And nowSirius!
"Here in our own system what goes on? I need not mention the namesof the men who are undermining and usurping the greatest Martianinstitutions. Earthmen all!
"Mars has as much a right to freedom and monopoly on its owncivilization as Earth on hers. Because a few greedy men spread tyrannythrough Certagarni, the Thyles, Botrodus, Zabirnza and other regions,they blame all of Earth. Neither you nor I can say they're wrong!"
"It's deeper than that, Del. The Vrons of Centauri have as great a handin it as Wilcox, Onupari and the other earthmen here. You'll find—"
"Bosh!" snapped Andres, and then that smouldering flame was in his eyesagain, something that leaped to the lure of the far places and spokeof the meteoric winds that blow between the worlds. His deep, resonantvoice grew strained, lingered on his words:
"I wonder—"
The purring of a bell insinuated itself above the dull droning without.