Red Men of Mars: Clayton Drew Book 3 by John Russell Fearn

Author:John Russell Fearn [Fearn, John Russell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 9781473209756
Publisher: Orion Publishing Group
Published: 2015-06-30T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

Treasure of the Red Men

Clay did not answer immediately: he was looking ahead towards where Atlantis should have been, and observing nothing but twisted greenery. For a moment or two he was seized with the fear that the city had been completely overwhelmed whilst he and Thalia had been away, but when he came nearer he could seen that certain parts of it were still free, though they would not remain so for long. In this region, too, Atlanteans and green Martians alike were crowded, using all manner of scientific weapons to try and hold back the devouring tide.

Clay brought the helicopter down amidst the battling hundreds as they made way for the machine, closing round it again as he landed. Using the cabin door of the vessel, which perched him some distance above the heads of the crowd, he took the opportunity to address them.

First he gave details of his last interview with Qonal, and then proceeded.

“There is no point, my friends in trying to defeat this vegetation. It now seems more or less certain that it has been fired here by Lexas from some other world—possibly Venus, the nearest planet to us excepting Earth, and he certainly would not go there. Our problem is to find safety until such time as the growth is destroyed and the surface becomes normal again—— That time will come, I am convinced, because Lexas must have a purpose behind his acts. Our only way out of this dilemma is once more to go underground—not to where our cavern was overwhelmed, but lower still into the caverns of the red Martians. There, if Qonal spoke the truth—and I cannot see why he shouldn’t—there are scientific machines which may help us. They may even give us mastery over Lexas if he returns to this world, as I think he will. How many of you are willing to sacrifice the surface for the underworld again until this mad growth has somehow been checked?”

It was a question which was hardly needed. The creaking and swaying of the vegetation steadily advancing down the street and over the buildings was sufficient.

“It is the only course, Highness,” Axion responded, in the forefront of the defence faction. “But how do we get to this underworld of the red Martians? Surely not down through the ocean? It is so clogged with weed——”

“There is another way, on the opposite side of the planet, if I can find it,” Clay answered. “And that is also granting this weed had not covered it. I shall send out a radio call for all the people on the surface, red and green Martians alike, wherever they may be, to follow the course of the aircraft they will presently see crossing the sky, and thereby find temporary sanctuary. Axion, see to it that every available plane is made ready to transport the people. Thalia, you can check the people off into sections, using this helicopter as your headquarters. I’m going to see if the radio still operates.

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