Standstill Planet by John Russell Fearn

Author:John Russell Fearn [Fearn, John Russell]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Sci-Fi Short
Published: 2010-03-07T17:35:01.218000+00:00

CHAPTER V

THE Amazon watched the basement door close and Abna snapped the lock into place—then she took the sucker cables from Thania and put them back on Rijilon’s forehead. In cold silence he listened to what she had to say.

“Go in the direction I shall indicate. We’re going to use that heliplane of yours. If when we get to the Ultra, there are any signs of guards about, you will dismiss them under any pretext you care to mention. I’m just warning you, Rijilon: Don’t make a single wrong move or it will be the worse for you. As you have heard, the girl Thania is coming with us. Understand?”

“May I ask if you are intending to carry out your original plan once you’ve reached the Ultra. Flying to Zon with a piece of stone? I beg of you not to do it, Amazon—I beg of you—”

Rijilon went on talking in his own tongue, but it meant nothing, since the Amazon had wrenched away the cables. She folded them into the box and fastened the lid.

“We’ll take this with us. It may be useful,” she said. “I’m going to leave it to you, Abna, to check the course as before. We’d better be off before worse things befall us.”

One by one they boarded the heliplane, which was in the street, red lights around its body giving warning of its presence.

The Amazon climbed into the control cabin. The others came quickly after her as she waved Rijilon to the machine’s driving seat. Although she had had experience by now of piloting one of these machines, she preferred to leave it to an expert.

“Due south—straight ahead.” Abna studied the compass in his hand. The Amazon nodded, tapped Rijilon on the shoulder, and by hand signs indicated an upward movement, then a straight course. With a grim face the aide switched on the magnetic controls and the plane rose slowly from the street; then when it was at a height sufficient to clear the building tops it began to advance through the darkness, keeping on course as Abna gave directions and the Amazon relayed them by pantomime. And, gradually, the brightly lighted mass of the city was left behind and there loomed ahead the dark regions of the surrounding land.

The journey to the Ultra was only a short one, and to the surprise of those within the plane, except Rijilon, the spaceship was picked out clearly in blazing arclights, while around it there stood a party of guards, gazing upwards at the moment toward the slowly descending heliplane.

“Looks as though we’ve got a reception committee.” Abna commented.

“Evidently,” the Amazon agreed. “Here are your orders. Rijilon. Tell these guards that we have been captured and that they can now dismiss. Get rid of them as quickly as possible. Thania here will know what you say.”

“Very well. Amazon. I’ll do that. But can I not ask you again not to attempt doing anything with Zon?

It’s vitally important that you shouldn’t.”

“I daresay it is—to you.” the Amazon agreed; then she snapped: “Our plans are laid and we’re going through with them.

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