City of The Living Flame
By HENRY HASSE
The legendary city of M'Tonak lay hidden beneath
Mar's Polar cap, its heart a pulsing flame from
outer space. Jim Landor found the fabulous green
flame, found it sentiently, evilly alive—and
that its living meant death for all mankind.
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories Fall 1942.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Startled into action, Jim Landor straightened in his seat. He peeredeagerly through the forward visiplate of the tiny rocket-plane.
From the Martian metropolis that nestled in the opposite hemisphere,thirteen hundred miles away, he had taken the poorly-mapped, wearisome,rocket-course of the Polar route in order to save time. Thus heavoided being hampered by the magnetic storms raging over the RedDesert at this season. At least, so he'd told his friends.
But the real, the all-important reason he had kept to himself. It wasnot only that they would have laughed at him, that mattered little; butthat a growing, nameless dread made him even more reserved than usual.He smiled thinly now as he visualized their reactions had he daredmention the mythical city of M'Tonak. M'Tonak, city of forgotten men,where reposed the fabulous emerald large enough to ransom a world!
Yes, Jim thought without bitterness; at last he had joined the fatalnumber of men, usually Earthmen, who had searched for M'Tonak. He waspersuaded against all reason that it did exist somewhere among thepolar wastes, and it was most imperative that he find it! He was surethat then he would find his brother too, who had disappeared scarcely amonth before. In his perilous passage above the Cap, Jim had zig-zaggedthe rocket-plane dangerously off its course, searching the limitlesswhite wastes with the intentness of desperation. But in vain.
"Well," he murmured now, "no M'Tonak, so I'll settle for Riida—for thetime being."
The tiny Martian town was beneath him, its crazy conical structuresreaching up like pointing forefingers. Jim's hand came down on thedescent lever. A ghostly whirr disturbed the stillness as the plane'sstubby wings sliced the atmosphere on its downward glide. It contactedgently, plowing a shallow furrow in the powdery sand that rosecloud-fine to engulf him as he climbed out. Already he saw two menhurrying toward him from the town.
"One of them must be Conley," he decided and went forward to meet themine superintendent.
"Hello, Jim Landor, welcome to Riida!" Conley shook hands with a quiet,unobtrusive pleasure that seemed sincere. Jim liked him immediately. Henoted his straight-forward eyes, the faint burr of his booming Irishvoice and the little mannerism of thoughtfully rubbing his hand acrosshis massive chin.
The other Earthman, Conley introduced as Wessel, the newly arrivedsurveying engineer for "Tri-Planetary Mining." As Jim glanced at thethin features and small wiry frame, he sensed something hard behind theman's clouded eyes. Wessel remained silent, smiling inscrutably as helistened to their conversation.
"So you came across the Cap, eh Landor?" Conley said friendily, takingJim's arm as they trudged toward the town. "Any sign of M'Tonak?" Andas Jim looked at him sharply he hastened to add: "Not that I'm pokingfun at you, lad. But you're news now, you know, same as anyone who goesseeking for M'Tonak. Heard a news-story about you on the Trans-telectornot more'n a couple hours ago."
"I thought my flig