Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 97: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE tically. ‘‘ Some kid—that little girl. We get along fine: She understands everything I say to her already. I'll have her talking English like a streak by the time you see her again.” We had removed the cords from our pris- oners’ ankles. I motioned them to get out of the boat. We crowded Tao’s men on the platform. They were surprised, and some of them alarmed, when they saw how we proposed to transport them over the water. Miela silenced their protests, and soon we had them all seated on the platform, with Mercer at the rear end, facing them. The fifty girls grasped the platform han- dies. Another moment and they were in the air, with Mercer waving good-by to us vigorously. Miela and I, left alone, watched them silently as they dwindled to a speck in the haze of the sky. We were about to start back when we saw a girl coming toward us, flying low over the water. One of those we had di- rected to patrol the coast, Miela said when she came closer. She saw us, and came down on the beach. The two girls spoke together hurriedly. “Tao’s men in the Water City - have caused great disturbance, Alan,’’ Miela said to me. “ Where’s the Water City?” “Near the Great City—across the marshlands. We must get back. And when Anina and our friend Ollie have returned Wwe must go to the Water City. It is very bad there, she said.” . Our trip back to the Great City was without unusual incident. We followed the main route at the best speed we could make. “ We shall tell our king, of course, about this disturbance,’ said Miela. ‘“‘ Perhaps he will think there is something he can do. But I fear greatly that unless he appeals directly to the people, and they are with him—” “ He’s an old man,” I said, “and al! his councilors are old. They’re not fit to rule at such a time as this. Suppose he were to die—what would happen? Who would be king then?” “ A little prince there is—a mere child. FIRE PEOPLE. 887 And there is our queen—a younger woman, only married to our king these few years. His first queen died.” I questioned Miela concerning her gov- ernment. It was, I soon learned, an au- tocracy in theory. But of later years the king’s advanced age, and his equally old councilors whom he refused to change, had resulted in a vacillating policy of adminis- tration, which now, I could see plainly, left the government little or no real power. Only by constantly pandering to the wishes of the people could the king hold his throne. The supreme command was held by the king and his aged councilors. At stated intervals the more prominent men of each city met and enacted laws. The cities were each ruled by a governor in similar fashion, paying tribute to the central gov- ernment somewhat after our old feudal sys- tem; but for practical purposes they acted as separate nations. They were united merely by the bonds of their common need of defense against the Twilight People, and of intermarriage, which was frequent, since the virgins, flying about, often found mates in cities other than their own. There were courts in each city, not much more than rude tribunals, and jails in which the offenders were held. The police I have already mentioned. They, like the king’s guards, were inclined in an emergency to do, not so much what they were ordered, as what they thought the people wished. It was all very extraordinary, but like many another makeshift government it served, after a fashion. Hiding the boat in another bayou, we took our way home on foot. That is to say, I ran, and Miela followed me, alter- nately flying and walking. We made our best speed this way, and very soon were back at home in the Great City. We crossed the garden and entered the front door, expecting to find Lua in the living room, but she was not there. The house was quiet. ** She would wait up, she told me,” Miela said, and, raising her voice, called her mother’s name. There was no answer, although now I remember I thought I heard a footfall up- stairs. comnlicbooks.c©