Chapter 15

Below the Ancient Mariner, the great buildings of the alien city jutted up in the gray light of this gray world; their massiveness seemed only to accentuate the depressing light.

On the broad roofs, they saw hundreds of people coming out to watch them as they moved across the city. According to Torlos, they were the first friendly strangers they had ever seen. They had explored all the planets of this system without finding friendly life.

The buildings sloped up toward the center of the city, and the mass of the great central building loomed before them.

The fleet that was leading the Earth ship settled down to a wide courtyard that surrounded the building. Arcot dropped the Ancient Mariner down beside them. The men from Torlos’ ship formed into two squads as they came out of the airlocks and marched over to the great shining ship of Earth. They formed two neat rows, one on each side of the airlock.

“Come on, Morey,” said Arcot. “We’re wanted. Wade, keep the radio going at full amplification; the building may cut out some of the power. I’ll try to keep you posted on what’s going on, but we’ll probably be busy answering questions telepathically.”

Arcot and Morey followed Torlos out into the dim light of the gray sky, walking across the courtyard between the ranks of the soldiers from Torlos’ ship.

Before them was a heavy gate of solid bronze which swung on massive bronze hinges. The building seemed to be made of a dense, gray stone, much like granite, which was depressing in its perfectly unrelieved front. There were no bright spots of color as there were on all Earthly and Venerian structures. Even the lines were grimly utilitarian; there seemed to be no decoration.

Through the great bronze door they walked, and across a small vestibule. Then they were in a mighty concourse, a giant hallway that went completely through the structure. All around them great granite pillars rose to support the mighty building above. Square cut, they lent but little grace to the huge room, but the floor and walls were made of a hard, light green stone, almost the same color as foliage.

On one wall there was a giant tablet, a great plaque fifteen feet high, made of a deep violet stone, and inlaid with a series of characters in the language of this world. Like English letters, they seemed to read horizontally, but whether they read from left to right or right to left there was no way of knowing. The letters themselves were made of some red metal which Arcot and Morey didn’t recognize.

Arcot turned to Torlos and projected a thought: “What is that tablet?”

“Ever since the beginning of the war with the other planet, Nansal, the names of our mighty leaders have been inscribed on that plaque in the rarest metal.”

The term “rarest metal” was definite to Torlos, and Arcot decided to question him further on the meaning of it when time permitted.

They crossed the great hall and came to what was evidently an elevator. The door slid open, and the two Earthmen followed Torlos and his lieutenant into the cubicle. Torlos pushed a small button. The door slid shut, and a moment later, Arcot and Morey staggered under the sudden terrific load as the car shot upward under an acceleration of at least three gravities!

It continued just long enough for the Earthmen to get used to it, then it snapped off, and they went flying up toward the ceiling as it continued upward under its own momentum. It slowed under the influence of the planet’s gravitation and came to a stop exactly opposite the doorway of a higher floor.

“Wow! Some elevator!” exclaimed Morey as he stepped out, flexing his knees as he tried to readjust himself. “That’s what I call a violent way of getting upstairs! It wasn’t designed by a lazy man or a cripple! I prefer to walk, thanks! What I want to know is how the old people get upstairs. Or do they die young from using their elevators?”

“No,” mused Arcot. “That’s the funny thing. They don’t seem to be bothered by the acceleration. They actually jumped a little off the floor when we started, and didn’t seem to experience much difficulty when we stopped.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “You know, when Torlos was bending that crowbar back there in the ship, I picked up a curious thought--I wonder if--” He turned to the giant alien. “Torlos, you once gave me the thought-idea ‘bone metal’; what is that?”

Torlos looked at him in surprise and then pointed mutely to a heavy belt he wore--made of closely woven links of iron wire!

“I was right, Morey!” Arcot exclaimed. “These men have iron bones! No wonder he could bend that crowbar! It would be as easy as it would for you or me to snap a human arm bone!”

“But, wait a minute!” Morey objected. “How could iron grow?”

“How can stone grow?” countered Arcot. “That’s what your bones are, essentially--calcium phosphate rock! It’s just a matter of different body chemistry. Their body fluids are probably alkaline, and iron won’t rust in an alkaline solution.” Arcot was talking rapidly as they followed the aliens down the long corridor.

“The thing that confirms my theory is that elevator. It’s merely an iron cage in a magnetic beam, and it’s pulled up with a terrific acceleration. With iron bones, these men would be similarly influenced, and they wouldn’t notice the acceleration so much.”

Morey grinned. “I’ll be willing to bet they don’t use cells in their prisons, here! Just magnetize the floor, and the poor guy could never get away!”

Arcot nodded. “Of course, the bones must be pure iron; their bones evidently don’t retain any of the magnetism when they leave the field.”

“We seem to be here,” Morey interrupted. “Let’s continue the discussion later.”

Their party had stopped just outside a large, elaborately carved door, the first sign of ornamentation the Earthmen had seen. There were four guards armed with pistols, which, they discovered later, were powered by compressed air under terrific pressure. They hurled a small metal slug through a rifled barrel, and were effective over a distance of about a mile, although they could only fire four times without reloading.

Torlos spoke briefly with the guard, who saluted and opened the door. The two Earthmen followed Torlos into a large room.

Before them was a large, crescent-shaped table, around which were seated several men. At the center of the crescent curve sat a man in a gray uniform, but he was so bedecked with insignia, medals, ribbons, and decorations that his uniform was scarcely visible.

The entire assemblage, including the leader, rose as the Earthmen entered. Arcot and Morey, taking the hint, snapped to attention and delivered a precise military salute.

“We greet you in the name of our planet,” said Arcot aloud. “I know you don’t understand a word I’m saying, but I hope it sounds impressive enough. We salute you, O High Muckymuck!”

Morey, successfully keeping a straight face, raised his hand and said sonorously: “That goes double for me, bub.”

In his own language, the leader replied, putting his hands to his hips with a definite motion, and shaking his head from side to side at the same time.

Arcot watched the man closely while he spoke. He was taller than Torlos, but less heavily built, as were all the others here. It seemed that Torlos was unusually powerful, even for this world.

When the leader had finished, Arcot smiled and turned to project this thoughts at Torlos.

“Tell your leader that we come from a planet far away across the vast depths of space. We come in peace, and we will leave in peace, but we would like to ask some favors of him, which we will repay by giving him the secret of our weapons. With them, he can easily conquer Nansal.

“All we want is some wire made from the element lead and some information from your astronomers.”

Torlos turned and spoke to his leader in a deep, powerful voice.