The Chessmen of Mars Read online

  CHAPTER VI

  IN THE TOILS OF HORROR

  What the creature had told her gave Tara of Helium food for thought.She had been taught that every created thing fulfilled some usefulpurpose, and she tried conscientiously to discover just what was therightful place of the kaldane in the universal scheme of things. Sheknew that it must have its place but what that place was it was beyondher to conceive. She had to give it up. They recalled to her mind alittle group of people in Helium who had forsworn the pleasures of lifein the pursuit of knowledge. They were rather patronizing in theirrelations with those whom they thought not so intellectual. Theyconsidered themselves quite superior. She smiled at recollection of aremark her father had once made concerning them, to the effect that ifone of them ever dropped his egotism and broke it it would take a weekto fumigate Helium. Her father liked normal people--people who knew toolittle and people who knew too much were equally a bore. Tara of Heliumwas like her father in this respect and like him, too, she was bothsane and normal.

  Outside of her personal danger there was much in this strange worldthat interested her. The rykors aroused her keenest pity, and vastconjecture. How and from what form had they evolved? She asked Ghek.

  "Sing to me again and I will tell you," he said. "If Luud would let mehave you, you should never die. I should keep you always to sing to me."

  The girl marvelled at the effect her voice had upon the creature.Somewhere in that enormous brain there was a chord that was touched bymelody. It was the sole link between herself and the brain whendetached from the rykor. When it dominated the rykor it might haveother human instincts; but these she dreaded even to think of. Aftershe had sung she waited for Ghek to speak. For a long time he wassilent, just looking at her through those awful eyes.

  "I wonder," he said presently, "if it might not be pleasant to be ofyour race. Do you all sing?"

  "Nearly all, a little," she said; "but we do many other interesting andenjoyable things. We dance and play and work and love and sometimes wefight, for we are a race of warriors."

  "Love!" said the kaldane. "I think I know what you mean; but we,fortunately, are above sentiment--when we are detached. But when wedominate the rykor--ah, that is different, and when I hear you sing andlook at your beautiful body I know what you mean by love. I could loveyou."

  The girl shrank from him. "You promised to tell me the origin of therykor," she reminded him.

  "Ages ago," he commenced, "our bodies were larger and our headssmaller. Our legs were very weak and we could not travel fast or far.There was a stupid creature that went upon four legs. It lived in ahole in the ground, to which it brought its food, so we ran our burrowsinto this hole and ate the food it brought; but it did not bring enoughfor all--for itself and all the kaldanes that lived upon it, so we hadalso to go abroad and get food. This was hard work for our weak legs.Then it was that we commenced to ride upon the backs of these primitiverykors. It took many ages, undoubtedly, but at last came the time whenthe kaldane had found means to guide the rykor, until presently thelatter depended entirely upon the superior brain of his master to guidehim to food. The brain of the rykor grew smaller as time went on. Hisears went and his eyes, for he no longer had use for them--the kaldanesaw and heard for him. By similar steps the rykor came to go upon itshind feet that the kaldane might be able to see farther. As the brainshrank, so did the head. The mouth was the only feature of the headthat was used and so the mouth alone remains. Members of the red racefell into the hands of our ancestors from time to time. They saw thebeauties and the advantages of the form that nature had given the redrace over that which the rykor was developing into. By intelligentcrossing the present rykor was achieved. He is really solely theproduct of the super-intelligence of the kaldane--he is our body, to dowith as we see fit, just as you do what you see fit with your body,only we have the advantage of possessing an unlimited supply of bodies.Do you not wish that you were a kaldane?"

  For how long they kept her in the subterranean chamber Tara of Heliumdid not know. It seemed a very long time. She ate and slept and watchedthe interminable lines of creatures that passed the entrance to herprison. There was a laden line passing from above carrying food, food,food. In the other line they returned empty handed. When she saw themshe knew that it was daylight above. When they did not pass she knew itwas night, and that the banths were about devouring the rykors that hadbeen abandoned in the fields the previous day. She commenced to growpale and thin. She did not like the food they gave her--it was notsuited to her kind--nor would she have eaten overmuch palatable food,for the fear of becoming fat. The idea of plumpness had a newsignificance here--a horrible significance.

  Ghek noted that she was growing thin and white. He spoke to her aboutit and she told him that she could not thrive thus beneath theground--that she must have fresh air and sunshine, or she would witherand die. Evidently he carried her words to Luud, since it was not longafter that he told her that the king had ordered that she be confinedin the tower and to the tower she was taken. She had hoped against hopethat this very thing might result from her conversation with Ghek. Evento see the sun again was something, but now there sprang to her breasta hope that she had not dared to nurse before, while she lay in theterrible labyrinth from which she knew she could never have found herway to the outer world; but now there was some slight reason to hope.At least she could see the hills and if she could see them might therenot come also the opportunity to reach them? If she could have but tenminutes--just ten little minutes! The flier was still there--she knewthat it must be. Just ten minutes and she would be free--free foreverfrom this frightful place; but the days wore on and she was neveralone, not even for half of ten minutes. Many times she planned herescape. Had it not been for the banths it had been easy ofaccomplishment by night. Ghek always detached his body then and sankinto what seemed a semi-comatose condition. It could not be said thathe slept, or at least it did not appear like sleep, since his lidlesseyes were unchanged; but he lay quietly in a corner. Tara of Heliumenacted a thousand times in her mind the scene of her escape. She wouldrush to the side of the rykor and seize the sword that hung in itsharness. Before Ghek knew what she purposed, she would have this andthen before he could give an alarm she would drive the blade throughhis hideous head. It would take but a moment to reach the enclosure.The rykors could not stop her, for they had no brains to tell them thatshe was escaping. She had watched from her window the opening andclosing of the gate that led from the enclosure out into the fields andshe knew how the great latch operated. She would pass through and makea quick dash for the hill. It was so near that they could not overtakeher. It was so easy! Or it would have been but for the banths! Thebanths at night and the workers in the fields by day.

  Confined to the tower and without proper exercise or food, the girlfailed to show the improvement that her captors desired. Ghekquestioned her in an effort to learn why it was that she did not growround and plump; that she did not even look as well as when they hadcaptured her. His concern was prompted by repeated inquiries on thepart of Luud and finally resulted in suggesting to Tara of Helium aplan whereby she might find a new opportunity of escape.

  "I am accustomed to walking in the fresh air and the sunlight," shetold Ghek. "I cannot become as I was before if I am to be always shutaway in this one chamber, breathing poor air and getting no properexercise. Permit me to go out in the fields every day and walk aboutwhile the sun is shining. Then, I am sure, I shall become nice and fat."

  "You would run away," he said.

  "But how could I if you were always with me?" she asked. "And even if Iwished to run away where could I go? I do not know even the directionof Helium. It must be very far. The very first night the banths wouldget me, would they not?"

  "They would," said Ghek. "I will ask Luud about it."

  The following day he told her that Luud had said that she was to betaken into the fields. He would try that for a time and see if sheimproved.

  "If you do not grow fatter he will send for y
ou anyway," said Ghek;"but he will not use you for food."

  Tara of Helium shuddered.

  That day and for many days thereafter she was taken from the tower,through the enclosure and out into the fields. Always was she alert foran opportunity to escape; but Ghek was always close by her side. It wasnot so much his presence that deterred her from making the attempt asthe number of workers that were always between her and the hills wherethe flier lay. She could easily have eluded Ghek, but there were toomany of the others. And then, one day, Ghek told her as he accompaniedher into the open that this would be the last time.

  "Tonight you go to Luud," he said. "I am sorry as I shall not hear yousing again."

  "Tonight!" She scarce breathed the word, yet it was vibrant with horror.

  She glanced quickly toward the hills. They were so close! Yet betweenwere the inevitable workers--perhaps a score of them.

  "Let us walk over there?" she said, indicating them. "I should like tosee what they are doing."

  "It is too far," said Ghek. "I hate the sun. It is much pleasanter herewhere I can stand beneath the shade of this tree."

  "All right," she agreed; "then you stay here and I will walk over. Itwill take me but a minute."

  "No," he answered. "I will go with you. You want to escape; but you arenot going to."

  "I cannot escape," she said.

  "I know it," agreed Ghek; "but you might try. I do not wish you to try.Possibly it will be better if we return to the tower at once. It wouldgo hard with me should you escape."

  Tara of Helium saw her last chance fading into oblivion. There wouldnever be another after today. She cast about for some pretext to lurehim even a little nearer to the hills.

  "It is very little that I ask," she said. "Tonight you will want me tosing to you. It will be the last time, if you do not let me go and seewhat those kaldanes are doing I shall never sing to you again."

  Ghek hesitated. "I will hold you by the arm all the time, then," hesaid.

  "Why, of course, if you wish," she assented. "Come!"

  The two moved toward the workers and the hills. The little party wasdigging tubers from the ground. She had noted this and that nearlyalways they were stooped low over their work, the hideous eyes bentupon the upturned soil. She led Ghek quite close to them, pretendingthat she wished to see exactly how they did the work, and all the timehe held her tightly by her left wrist.

  "It is very interesting," she said, with a sigh, and then, suddenly;"Look, Ghek!" and pointed quickly back in the direction of the tower.The kaldane, still holding her turned half away from her to look in thedirection she had indicated and simultaneously, with the quickness of abanth, she struck him with her right fist, backed by every ounce ofstrength she possessed--struck the back of the pulpy head just abovethe collar. The blow was sufficient to accomplish her design,dislodging the kaldane from its rykor and tumbling it to the ground.Instantly the grasp upon her wrist relaxed as the body, no longercontrolled by the brain of Ghek, stumbled aimlessly about for aninstant before it sank to its knees and then rolled over on its back;but Tara of Helium waited not to note the full results of her act. Theinstant the fingers loosened upon her wrist she broke away and dashedtoward the hills. Simultaneously a warning whistle broke from Ghek'slips and in instant response the workers leaped to their feet, onealmost in the girl's path. She dodged the outstretched arms and wasaway again toward the hills and freedom, when her foot caught in one ofthe hoe-like instruments with which the soil had been upturned andwhich had been left, half imbedded in the ground. For an instant sheran on, stumbling, in a mad effort to regain her equilibrium, but theupturned furrows caught her feet--again she stumbled and this time wentdown, and as she scrambled to rise again a heavy body fell upon her andseized her arms. A moment later she was surrounded and dragged to herfeet and as she looked around she saw Ghek crawling to his prostraterykor. A moment later he advanced to her side.

  The hideous face, incapable of registering emotion, gave no clue towhat was passing in the enormous brain. Was he nursing thoughts ofanger, of hate, of revenge? Tara of Helium could not guess, nor did shecare. The worst had happened. She had tried to escape and she hadfailed. There would never be another opportunity.

  "Come!" said Ghek. "We will return to the tower." The deadly monotoneof his voice was unbroken. It was worse than anger, for it revealednothing of his intentions. It but increased her horror of these greatbrains that were beyond the possibility of human emotions.

  And so she was dragged back to her prison in the tower and Ghek took uphis vigil again, squatting by the doorway, but now he carried a nakedsword in his hand and did not quit his rykor, only to change to anotherthat he had brought to him when the first gave indications ofweariness. The girl sat looking at him. He had not been unkind to her,but she felt no sense of gratitude, nor, on the other hand, any senseof hatred. The brains, incapable themselves of any of the finersentiments, awoke none in her. She could not feel gratitude, oraffection, or hatred of them. There was only the same unceasing senseof horror in their presence. She had heard great scientists discuss thefuture of the red race and she recalled that some had maintained thateventually the brain would entirely dominate the man. There would be nomore instinctive acts or emotions, nothing would be done on impulse;but on the contrary reason would direct our every act. The propounderof the theory regretted that he might never enjoy the blessings of sucha state, which, he argued, would result in the ideal life for mankind.

  Tara of Helium wished with all her heart that this learned scientistmight be here to experience to the full the practical results of thefulfillment of his prophecy. Between the purely physical rykor and thepurely mental kaldane there was little choice; but in the happy mediumof normal, and imperfect man, as she knew him, lay the most desirablestate of existence. It would have been a splendid object lesson, shethought, to all those idealists who seek mass perfection in any phaseof human endeavor, since here they might discover the truth thatabsolute perfection is as little to be desired as is its antithesis.

  Gloomy were the thoughts that filled the mind of Tara of Helium as sheawaited the summons from Luud--the summons that could mean for her butone thing; death. She guessed why he had sent for her and she knew thatshe must find the means for self-destruction before the night was over;but still she clung to hope and to life. She would not give up untilthere was no other way. She startled Ghek once by exclaiming aloud,almost fiercely: "I still live!"

  "What do you mean?" asked the kaldane.

  "I mean just what I say," she replied. "I still live and while I live Imay still find a way. Dead, there is no hope."

  "Find a way to what?" he asked.

  "To life and liberty and mine own people," she responded.

  "None who enters Bantoom ever leaves," he droned.

  She did not reply and after a time he spoke again. "Sing to me," hesaid.

  It was while she was singing that four warriors came to take her toLuud. They told Ghek that he was to remain where he was.

  "Why?" asked Ghek.

  "You have displeased Luud," replied one of the warriors.

  "How?" demanded Ghek.

  "You have demonstrated a lack of uncontaminated reasoning power. Youhave permitted sentiment to influence you, thus demonstrating that youare a defective. You know the fate of defectives."

  "I know the fate of defectives, but I am no defective," insisted Ghek.

  "You permitted the strange noises which issue from her throat to pleaseand soothe you, knowing well that their origin and purpose had nothingwhatever to do with logic or the powers of reason. This in itselfconstitutes an unimpeachable indictment of weakness. Then, influenceddoubtless by an illogical feeling of sentiment, you permitted her towalk abroad in the fields to a place where she was able to make analmost successful attempt to escape. Your own reasoning power, were itnot defective, would convince you that you are unfit. The natural, andreasonable, consequence is destruction. Therefore you will be destroyedin such a way that the example will be benefic
ial to all other kaldanesof the swarm of Luud. In the meantime you will remain where you are."

  "You are right," said Ghek. "I will remain here until Luud sees fit todestroy me in the most reasonable manner."

  Tara of Helium shot a look of amazement at him as they led her from thechamber. Over her shoulder she called back to him: "Remember, Ghek, youstill live!" Then they led her along the interminable tunnels to whereLuud awaited her.

  When she was conducted into his presence he was squatting in a cornerof the chamber upon his six spidery legs. Near the opposite wall layhis rykor, its beautiful form trapped in gorgeous harness--a dead thingwithout a guiding kaldane. Luud dismissed the warriors who hadaccompanied the prisoner. Then he sat with his terrible eyes fixed uponher and without speaking for some time. Tara of Helium could but wait.What was to come she could only guess. When it came would besufficiently the time to meet it. There was no necessity foranticipating the end. Presently Luud spoke.

  "You think to escape," he said, in the deadly, expressionless monotoneof his kind--the only possible result of orally expressing reasonuninfluenced by sentiment. "You will not escape. You are merely theembodiment of two imperfect things--an imperfect brain and an imperfectbody. The two cannot exist together in perfection. There you see aperfect body." He pointed toward the rykor. "It has no brain. Here,"and he raised one of his chelae to his head, "is the perfect brain. Itneeds no body to function perfectly and properly as a brain. You wouldpit your feeble intellect against mine! Even now you are planning toslay me. If you are thwarted in that you expect to slay yourself. Youwill learn the power of mind over matter. I am the mind. You are thematter. What brain you have is too weak and ill-developed to deservethe name of brain. You have permitted it to be weakened by impulsiveacts dictated by sentiment. It has no value. It has practically nocontrol over your existence. You will not kill me. You will not killyourself. When I am through with you you shall be killed if it seemsthe logical thing to do. You have no conception of the possibilitiesfor power which lie in a perfectly developed brain. Look at that rykor.He has no brain. He can move but slightly of his own volition. Aninherent mechanical instinct that we have permitted to remain in himallows him to carry food to his mouth; but he could not find food forhimself. We have to place it within his reach and always in the sameplace. Should we put food at his feet and leave him alone he wouldstarve to death. But now watch what a real brain may accomplish."

  He turned his eyes upon the rykor and squatted there glaring at theinsensate thing. Presently, to the girl's horror, the headless bodymoved. It rose slowly to its feet and crossed the room to Luud; itstooped and took the hideous head in its hands; it raised the head andset it on its shoulders.

  "What chance have you against such power?" asked Luud. "As I did withthe rykor so can I do with you."

  Tara of Helium made no reply. Evidently no vocal reply was necessary.

  "You doubt my ability!" stated Luud, which was precisely the fact,though the girl had only thought it--she had not said it.

  Luud crossed the room and lay down. Then he detached himself from thebody and crawled across the floor until he stood directly in front ofthe circular opening through which she had seen him emerge the day thatshe had first been brought to his presence. He stopped there andfastened his terrible eyes upon her. He did not speak, but his eyesseemed to be boring straight to the center of her brain. She felt analmost irresistible force urging her toward the kaldane. She fought toresist it; she tried to turn away her eyes, but she could not. Theywere held as in horrid fascination upon the glittering, lidless orbs ofthe great brain that faced her. Slowly, every step a painful struggleof resistance, she moved toward the horrific monster. She tried to cryaloud in an effort to awaken her numbing faculties, but no sound passedher lips. If those eyes would but turn away, just for an instant, shefelt that she might regain the power to control her steps; but the eyesnever left hers. They seemed but to burn deeper and deeper, gatheringup every vestige of control of her entire nervous system.

  As she approached the thing it backed slowly away upon its spider legs.She noticed that its chelae waved slowly to and fro before it as itbacked, backed, backed, through the round aperture in the wall. Mustshe follow it there, too? What new and nameless horror lay concealed inthat hidden chamber? No! she would not do it. Yet before she reachedthe wall she found herself down and crawling upon her hands and kneesstraight toward the hole from which the two eyes still clung to hers.At the very threshold of the opening she made a last, heroic stand,battling against the force that drew her on; but in the end shesuccumbed. With a gasp that ended in a sob Tara of Helium passedthrough the aperture into the chamber beyond.

  The opening was but barely large enough to admit her. Upon the oppositeside she found herself in a small chamber. Before her squatted Luud.Against the opposite wall lay a large and beautiful male rykor. He waswithout harness or other trappings.

  "You see now," said Luud, "the futility of revolt."

  The words seemed to release her momentarily from the spell. Quickly sheturned away her eyes.

  "Look at me!" commanded Luud.

  Tara of Helium kept her eyes averted. She felt a new strength, or atleast a diminution of the creature's power over her. Had she stumbledupon the secret of its uncanny domination over her will? She dared nothope. With eyes averted she turned toward the aperture through whichthose baleful eyes had drawn her. Again Luud commanded her to stop, butthe voice alone lacked all authority to influence her. It was not likethe eyes. She heard the creature whistle and knew that it was summoningassistance, but because she did not dare look toward it she did not seeit turn and concentrate its gaze upon the great, headless body lying bythe further wall.

  The girl was still slightly under the spell of the creature'sinfluence--she had not regained full and independent domination of herpowers. She moved as one in the throes of some hideousnightmare--slowly, painfully, as though each limb was hampered by agreat weight, or as she were dragging her body through a viscous fluid.The aperture was close, ah, so close, yet, struggle as she would, sheseemed to be making no appreciable progress toward it.

  Behind her, urged on by the malevolent power of the great brain, theheadless body crawled upon all-fours toward her. At last she hadreached the aperture. Something seemed to tell her that once beyond itthe domination of the kaldane would be broken. She was almost throughinto the adjoining chamber when she felt a heavy hand close upon herankle. The rykor had reached forth and seized her, and though shestruggled the thing dragged her back into the room with Luud. It heldher tight and drew her close, and then, to her horror, it commenced tocaress her.

  "You see now," she heard Luud's dull voice, "the futility ofrevolt--and its punishment."

  Tara of Helium fought to defend herself, but pitifully weak were hermuscles against this brainless incarnation of brute power. Yet shefought, fought on in the face of hopeless odds for the honor of theproud name she bore--fought alone, she whom the fighting men of amighty empire, the flower of Martian chivalry, would gladly have laindown their lives to save.