Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

THE FIRE PEOPLE. owning to gray. She wore a single gar- ment, a pair of silken trousers, drab with dirt. Her clipped wings were covered in the ysual way. I could see now why Miela had said these Twilight women could not fly, for this woman’s torso was fat and flabby. Her ‘skin was curiously pale—a dead, unpleasant white. Her face was broad, heavy and un- intelligent. Her eyes were large and pro- truded slightly. Baar and his men ate breakfast, paying no further attention to Miela and me. Sud- denly Miela spoke in a frightened whisper. “They are going now in a moment to the castle. The king they will kill!” It was evidently a widespread plot we now overheard. Baar’s followers had for some time been talking quietly with the lower classes, and, finding they could count on their support, planned now to murder the king. Then with the queen and the little prince held as hostages, they expected that the men of science, threatened also with a revolt of the peons, would release the light-ray. The light-ray once in his control, Baar could make himself king. It seemed an ab- surd hope, but such was the plan they were now discussing. And what was far worse, I could see no way by which I could prevent the attempt. “‘ They are going to the castle—now—to murder the king?” I whispered, incredu- lous. “Yes,” Miela answered. ‘‘ So they plan. Now—in a moment—before the time of sleep is over.” ‘‘Isn’t -he guarded? Can they get in the castle without arousing others?”’ ‘‘ There are the guards—a few. But Baar has promised them great wealth, and they will stand aside and let him pass. So it is arranged.”’ The arrival of several other men inter- rupted our whispered conversation. Baar, his meal over, consulted with them hurried- ly. He then instructed his wife to watch us, and after a moment they all left the house. The woman, who was now the only oc- cupant of the room with us, shuffled about, clearing away the meal. I tried desper- 889 ately to work my hands loose; I even tried with my teeth to gnaw Miela’s bonds, but without success. Every moment counted, if we were to do anything to save the king. I wondered again where Lua was—perhaps in another part of the house here, bound as we were. . “ Miela,” I whispered, ‘ask for food. Tell her we have had nothing for many hours. Perhaps she will loosen our bonds a little to let us eat. We may be able to do something then.” The woman answered Miela’s pleading by setting us up side by side, with our backs against the wall. She placed food before us, and then, with a knife, cut the cords that bound our arms. My heart leaped exultantly; but, instead of leaving us and going on with her work, she sat down just out of reach, holding the knife in her hand and watching us nar- rowly. “We must eat, Miela,” I said, using as casual a tone as I could:and pointing to the food smilingly. ‘ Eat, and pretend not to notice her. Perhaps I can get to my feet.” We ate the food she had given us. I tensed the muscles of my legs, and believed that, bound as I was, I might be able to leap forward and reach the woman. It was almost hopeless to attempt it, for I realized she would meet my body with the dagger point. © We were still eating, and I was thinking over this plan, when the slave woman ap- peared silently in a doorway across the room, behind the woman who faced us. Something in her attitude made me look away again casually and go on with my eating. Miela had evidently not noticed her. The slave woman came slowly toward us. A moment later she hurled herself upon Baar’s wife from behind. At the same in- stant I threw myself forward, falling prone, but within reach of the seated woman. I gripped her with my hands, fumbling to catch her wrists, but before I could suc- ceed she toppled forward and fell partly over me. I heard Miela give a.cry of, fright. I cl eboohen cote struggled free and’ Oa