The Complete Margaret of Urbs by Stanley G Weinbaum

Author:Stanley G Weinbaum [Weinbaum, Stanley G]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-24T05:00:00+00:00

THE Master’s face was stern. “Well?”

“I know you can’t control the rate of power. You’ve had the whole world looking for a means of controlling the rate. That’s impossible. Hydrogen has its natural period like radium. You can release the energy at that single rate or all at once, as in our rifles—but you can’t control it other-wise!

There was silence.

“I know what you do in the blast. You detonate your water—a little at a time in an enormously strong firing chamber, and release the blast gradually. It’s no more continuous than the power of a gasoline engine!”

“You’re endangering your life!” whispered the Master. “You can’t live now!”

“With her Satanic Majesty, the Goddess of Mockery, to intercede for me?” Connor jeered, staring steadily into the gray-green eyes of the Princess. In her features now was no slightest trace of a taunt, but something more like admiration. “If I’m to die, it had better be here and now, else I’ll find a way to tell what I know!”

“Here and now!” said Margaret of Urbs.

“Not yet,” said the Master. “Thomas Connor, long ago m my youth I knew men like you. They’re dead, and it’s a great loss to the world. But you’re living. I don’t want to kill you. I’d rather trust the fate of my empire to your word. Having heard my side, then, will you swear allegiance to me?”

“No. I’m not sure of your sincerity.”

“If you were, would you?”

“Gladly. I see more with you than with the Weeds.”

“Then will you swear not to oppose me until such time as you are sure? And will you swear to keep that knowledge you have to yourself?”

“Fair enough!” Connor said, and grinned. He took the bronzed hand the Master extended. “I swear it.” He glanced coolly at the Princess. “And by the three kinds of metamorphs, I’m glad to swear it!”

“Two kinds,” corrected the Master mildly. “Panate and amphimorph.”

But Margaret of Urbs caught his meaning. A faint trace of anger glinted in her eyes.

“The Immortals,” she said coldly, “do not consider themselves metamorphs.”

“Then I don’t consider myself Irish,” said Thomas Connor. “Any freak that comes out of Martin Sair’s ray is a metamorph to me.”

“Enough,” said the Master. “That’s all, Connor.”

But at the door the Princess halted Connor, and he gazed down into her upturned face.

“Do you believe,” she said coldly, “that Joaquin’s promise will protect you—or Evanie Sair—from me? I have my own debt to collect from you.”

He glanced back at the impassive figure at the desk.

“I traded my knowledge for your word,” he called to the Master. “Is it good?”

“I am the Master,” said that individual calmly.

Connor gazed again at the perfect features of the Flame. Slowly he raised his hand, holding her eyes with his. And then, with a sharp gesture, he snapped his finger stingingly against her dainty nose, grinned, and strode away.

At the outer door he turned. The Black Flame, her lovely face a pale mask of fury, held a beam-pistol in her hand, but she made no move as he grinned back at her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.