Chapter 6: The Peace Conference

“Here’s a chart of the green system, Mart, with all the motions and the rest of the dope that they’ve been able to get. How’d it be for you to navigate us over to the third planet of the fourteenth sun?”

“While you build a Fenachrone super-generator?”

“Right, the first time. Your deducer is hitting on all eight, as usual. That big ray is hot stuff, and their ray-screen is something to write home about, too.”

“How can their rays be any hotter than ours, Dick?” Dorothy asked curiously. “I thought you said we had the very last word in rays.”

“I thought we had, but those birds we met back there spoke a couple of later words. Their rays work on an entirely different system than the one we use. They generate an extremely short carrier wave, like the Millikan cosmic ray, by recombining some of the electrons and protons of their disintegrating metal, and upon this wave they impose a pure heat frequency of terrific power. The Millikan rays will penetrate anything except a special ray screen or a zone of force, and carry with them--somewhat as radio frequencies carry sound frequencies--the heat rays, which volatilize anything they touch. Their ray screens are a lot better than ours, too--they generate the entire spectrum. It’s a sweet system and when we revamp ours so as to be just like it, we’ll be able to talk turkey to those folks on the third planet.”

“How long will it take you to build it?” asked Crane, who, dexterously turning the pages of “Vega’s Handbuch” was calculating their course.

“A day or so--maybe less. I’ve got all the stuff and with my Osnomian tools it won’t take long. If you find you’ll get there before I get done, you’ll have to loaf a while--kill a little time.”

“Are you going to connect the power plant to operate on the entire vessel and all its contents?”

“No--can’t do it without redesigning the whole thing and that’s hardly worth while for the short time we’ll use this old bus.”

Building those generators would have been a long and difficult task for a corps of earthly mechanics and electricians, but to Seaton it was merely a job. The “shop” had been enlarged and had been filled to capacity with Osnomian machinery; machine tools that were capable of performing automatically and with the utmost precision and speed any conceivable mechanical operation. He put a dozen of them to work, and before the vessel reached its destination, the new offensive and defensive weapons had been installed and thoroughly tested. He had added a third screen-generator, so that now, in addition to the four-foot hull of arenak and the repellers, warding off any material projectile, the Skylark was also protected by an outer, an intermediate, and an inner ray-screen; each driven by the super-power of a four-hundred-pound bar and each covering the entire spectrum--capable of neutralizing any dangerous frequency known to those master-scientists, the Fenachrone.

As the Skylark approached the planet, Seaton swung number six visiplate upon it, and directed their flight toward a great army base. Darting down upon it, he snatched an officer into the airlock, closed the door, and leaped back into space. He brought the captive into the control room pinioned by auxiliary attractors, and relieved him of his weapons. He then rapidly read his mind, encountering no noticeable resistance, released the attractors, and addressed him in his own language.

“Please be seated, lieutenant,” Seaton said courteously, motioning him to one of the seats. “We come in peace. Please pardon my discourtesy in handling you, but it was necessary in order to learn your language and thus to get in touch with your commanding officer.”

The officer, overcome with astonishment that he had not been killed instantly, sank into the seat indicated, without a reply, and Seaton went on:

“Please be kind enough to signal your commanding officer that we are coming down at once, for a peace conference. By the way, I can read your signals, and will send them myself if necessary.”

The stranger worked an instrument attached to his harness briefly, and the Skylark descended slowly toward the fortress.

“I know, of course, that your vessels will attack,” Seaton remarked, as he noted a crafty gleam in the eyes of the officer. “I intend to let them use all their power for a time, to prove to them the impotence of their weapons. After that, I shall tell you what to say to them.”

“Do you think this is altogether safe, Dick?” asked Crane as they saw a fleet of gigantic airships soaring upward to meet them.

“Nothing sure but death and taxes,” returned Seaton cheerfully, “but don’t forget that we’ve got Fenachrone armament now, instead of Osnomian. I’m betting that they can’t begin to drive their rays through even our outer screen. And even if our outer screen should begin to go into the violet--I don’t think it will even go cherry-red--out goes our zone of force and we automatically go up where no possible airship can reach. Since their only space-ships are rocket driven, and of practically no maneuverability, they stand a big chance of getting to us. Anyway, we must get in touch with them, to find out if they know anything we don’t, and this is the only way I know of to do it. Besides, I want to head Dunark off from wrecking this world. They’re exactly the same kind of folks he is, you notice, and I don’t like civil war. Any suggestions? Keep an eye on that bird, then, Mart, and we’ll go down.”

The Skylark dropped down into the midst of the fleet, which instantly turned against her the full force of their giant guns and their immense ray batteries. Seaton held the Skylark motionless, staring into his visiplate, his right hand grasping the zone-switch.

“The outer screen isn’t even getting warm!” he exulted after a moment. The repellers were hurling the shells back long before they reached even the outer screen, and they were exploding harmlessly in the air. The full power of the ray-generators, too, which had been so destructive to the Osnomian defenses, were only sufficient to bring the outer screen to a dull red glow. After fifteen minutes of passive acceptance of all the airships could do, Seaton spoke to the captive.

“Sir, please signal the commanding officer of vessel seven-two-four that I am going to cut it in two in the middle. Have him remove all men in that part of the ship to the ends, and have parachutes in readiness, as I do not wish to cause any loss of life.”

The signal was sent, and, as the officer was already daunted by the fact that their utmost efforts could not even make the strangers’ screens radiate, it was obeyed. Seaton then threw on the frightful power of the Fenachrone super-generators. The defensive screens of the doomed warship flashed once--a sparkling, coruscating display of incandescent brilliance--and in the same instant went down. Simultaneously the entire midsection of the vessel exploded into light and disappeared; completely volatilized.

“Sir, please signal the entire fleet to cease action, and to follow me down. If they do not do so, I will destroy the rest of them.”

The Skylark dropped to the ground, followed by the fleet of warships, who settled in a ring about her--inactive, but ready.

“Will you please loan me your sending instrument, sir?” Seaton asked. “From this point on I can carry on negotiations better direct than through you.”

The lieutenant found his voice as he surrendered the instrument.

“Sir, are you the Overlord of Osnome, of whom we have heard? We had supposed that one was a mythical character, but you must be he--no one else would spare lives that he could take, and the Overlord is the only being reputed to have a skin the color of yours.”

“Yes, lieutenant, I am the Overlord--and I have decided to become the Overlord of the entire green system, as well as of Osnome.”

He then sent out a call to the commander-in-chief of all the armies of the planet, informing him that he was coming to visit him at once, and the Skylark tore through the air to the capital city. No sooner had the earthly vessel alighted upon the palace grounds than she was surrounded by a ring of warships who, however, made no offensive move. Seaton again used the telegraph.

“Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the planet Urvania; greetings from the Overlord of this solar system. I invite you to come into my vessel, unarmed and alone, for a conference. I come in peace and, peace or war as you decide, no harm shall come to you, until after you have returned to your own command. Think well before you reply.”

“If I refuse?”

“I shall destroy one of the vessels surrounding me, and shall continue to destroy them, one every ten seconds, until you agree to come. If you still do not agree. I shall destroy all the armed forces upon this planet, then destroy all your people who are at present upon Osnome. I wish to avoid bloodshed and destruction, but I can and I will do as I have said.”

“I will come.”

The general came out upon the field unarmed, escorted by a company of soldiers. A hundred feet from the vessel he halted the guards and came on alone, erect and soldierly. Seaton met him at the door and invited him to be seated.

“What can you have to say to me?” the general demanded, disregarding the invitation.

“Many things. First, let me say that you are not only a brave man; you are a wise general--your visit to me proves it.”

“It is a sign of weakness, but I believed when I heard those reports, and still believe, that a refusal would have resulted in a heavy loss of our men,” was the General’s reply.

“It would have,” said Seaton. “I repeat that your act was not weakness, but wisdom. The second thing I have to say is that I had not planned on taking any active part in the management of things, either upon Osnome or upon this planet, until I learned of a catastrophe that is threatening all the civilization in this Galaxy--thus threatening my own distant world as well as those of this solar system. Third, only by superior force can I make either your race or the Osnomians listen to reason sufficiently to unite against a common foe. You have been reared in unreasoning hatred for so many generations that your minds are warped. For that reason I have assumed control of this entire system, and shall give you your choice between co-operating with us or being rendered incapable of molesting us while our attention is occupied by this threatened invasion.”

“We will have no traffic with the enemy whatever,” said the general. “This is final.”

“You just think so. Here is a mathematical statement of what is going to happen to your world, unless I intervene.” He handed the general a drawing of Dunark’s plan and described it in detail. “That is the answer of the Osnomians to your invasion of their planet. I do not want this world destroyed, but if you refuse to make common cause with us against a common foe, it may be necessary. Have you forces at your command sufficient to frustrate this plan?”

“No; but I cannot really believe that such a deflection of celestial bodies is possible. Possible or not, you realize that I could not yield to empty threats.”

“Of course not,” said Seaton, “but you were wise enough to refuse to sacrifice a few ships and men in a useless struggle against my overwhelming armament, therefore you are certainly wise enough to refuse to sacrifice your entire race. However, before you come to any definite conclusion, I will show you what threatens the Galaxy.”

He handed the other a headset and ran through the section of the record showing the plans of the invaders. He then ran a few sections showing the irresistible power at the command of the Fenachrone.

“That is what awaits us all unless we combine against them.”

“What are your requirements?” the general asked.

“I request immediate withdrawal of all your armed forces now upon Osnome and full co-operation with me in this coming war against the invaders. In return, I will give you the secrets I have just given the Osnomians--the power and the offensive and defensive weapons of this vessel.”

“The Osnomians are now building vessels such as this one?” asked the general.

“They are building vessels a hundred times the size of this one, with the same armament.”

“For myself, I would agree to your terms. However, the word of the Emperor is law.”

“I understand,” replied Seaton. “Would you be willing to seek an immediate audience with him? I would suggest that both you and he accompany me, and we shall hold a peace conference with the Osnomian Emperor and Commander-in-Chief upon this vessel. We shall be gone less than a day.”

“I shall do so at once.”

“You may accompany your general, lieutenant. Again I ask pardon for my necessary rudeness.”

As the Urvanian officers hurried toward the palace, the other Terrestrials, who had been listening in from another room, entered.

“It sounded as though you convinced him, Dick; but that language is nothing like Kondalian. Why don’t you teach it to us? Teach it to Shiro, too, so he can cook for, and talk to, our distinguished guests intelligently, if they’re going back with us.”

As he connected up the educator, Seaton explained what had happened, and concluded:

“I want to stop this civil war, keep Dunark from destroying this planet, preserve Osnome for Osnomians, and make them all co-operate with us against the Fenachrone. That’s one tall order, since these folks haven’t the remotest notion of anything except killing.”

A company of soldiers approached, and Dorothy got up hastily.

“Stick around, folks. We can all talk to them.”

“I believe that it would be better for you to be alone,” Crane decided, after a moment’s thought. “They are used to autocratic power, and can understand nothing but one-man control. The girls and I will keep out of it.”

“That might be better at that,” and Seaton went to the door to welcome the guests. Seaton instructed them to lie flat, and put on all the acceleration they could bear. It was not long until they were back in Kondal, where Roban, the Karfedix, and Tarnan, the Karbix, accepted Seaton’s invitation and entered the Skylark, unarmed. Back out in space, the vessel stationary, Seaton introduced the emperors and commanders-in-chief to each other--introductions which were acknowledged almost imperceptibly. He then gave each a headset, and ran the complete record of the Fenachrone brain.

“Stop!” shouted Roban, after only a moment. “Would you, the Overlord of Osnome, reveal such secrets as this to the arch-enemies of Osnome?”

“I would. I have taken over the Overlordship of the entire green system for the duration of this emergency, and I do not want two of its planets engaged in civil war.”

The record finished, Seaton tried for some time to bring the four green warriors to his way of thinking, but in vain. Roban and Tarnan remained contemptuous. They would have thrown themselves upon him, but for the knowledge that no fifty unarmed men of the green race could have overcome his strength--to them supernatural. The two Urvanians were equally obdurate. This soft earth-being had given them everything; they had given him nothing and would give him nothing. Finally Seaton rose to his full height and stared at them in turn, wrath and determination blazing in his eyes.