Page:Amazing Stories Volume 21 Number 06.djvu/27

Rh spider or a wasp," she replied, "we see only an exact repetition of all other spiders or wasps, just as leaves on a tree are like the other leaves on the same tree. Their whole lives are exact repetitions of the lives of all other spiders and wasps of the same kind. This is also almost true of men: they are merely repetitions of each other and the past and the whole future of their lives is predictable from the past. Only when the intake of growth material is greater than the intake of detrimental material for long periods is there any growth into new ways of life. There have been many Mulas in the past of the caverns, and they have almost all followed the same course as the present Mula. Some parts of the thing are ritualistic and traditional: the red-horned masks, the torture—all are repetitions of ancient times. Mula adapted them to his own uses, which have also turned out to be the same."

"This conflict is endless, then?"

"It has been going on for untold centuries in these caverns with infinite slight variations, of course, but always the same theme: intelligent people trying to rebuild the ancient wisdom and way of life always thwarted by the degenerate creatures who are, as you have seen, wholly destructive. The ancient mechanisms do not wear out, so the war needs no vast supply of weapons. There are always more of the creatures and even if there were no intelligent people to fight, they would still fight each other."

We strolled back into the great throne room. Fanny de Moina ran up to us and took my arm.

"Look," she said in amazement, "I thought I could dance!"

A welcome dance had been organized. Under the very slight gravity these people had evolved a most complicated and acrobatic dance routine wholly impossible to those not accustomed to weighing so little. We could only watch, and the envious eyes of the chorus girls, probably as good dancers as surface earth produced, subtly amused me. The flying, graceful limbs and easy, almost floating movements of young bodies whose feet only touched the floor at intervals of seconds were an infinitely finer picture of the dance than I had ever seen before.

The Queen sent a page to summon the rest of the newly arrived surface people.

"The ruler has sent for you all."

E ENTERED an elevator. We came out on the roof of a tower which overlooked the whole city of Loer. Like a pent-house garden the roof was adorned with living trees and plants and was bathed in a rich, warm light more pleasant than any sun. In the center was a round building. As we approached it, soft invisible emanations exquisitely stimulating ran over us, reading us and at the same time waking us to an intense sense of pleasure, of anticipation. Before the door was a statue of many-breasted Tanit; not by surface sculptors, but something by the ancients. Its beauty was indescribable, unthinkable, in truth. Their art always leaves a man gasping. We entered softly.

She sat in one of the ancient god seats. It was not too big. If earth has anything approaching the ancient Gods in strength, and in beauty, she is it. She was very old, we knew; but time had left only a wise crinkling about her eyes and humor marks at her lips. Her skin was soft and fresh and within her perfect body one could sense the strength. About her were several snail men and a trio of very young maidens sat at her feet, one of whom softly strummed a harp.

About her played a greenish ray. It said to my nerves all things that nerves need to hear, and all the things nerves are pleased to feel.

Her hair was flame red; her skin that white that often goes with red hair. Her eyes were very dark and brooding, yet very welcome to look at. One did not turn away but looked deeper and saw a friend. On her shoulder sat a crested bird and at her feet lounged a huge lion-like dog. Her feet were sandaled; her gown a severe transparent Grecian drape. On her large breast some huge emeralds glittered. She was woman—all wise, desiring woman-flesh and she was beautiful. The force in her gaze was tremendous; one could not help desiring her.

She talked and her voice filled the room with woman-sound and the sensing of a mind too big to comprehend. Queen Shola swiftly translated into English.

"You will have to stay with us a while. The ways to the surface are not at present open to us. We will try to make your stay pleasant and of value to you and to us."

We talked a while, but our audience was disappointing in that we had, in truth,