The pursuers were not yet in sight, but I knew from
the nearness of the sound of approaching footsteps
that it would be impossible to complete the splicing
of the spears, to find a secure place for the hook above,
and for me to scramble upward to the rim of the crater
and haul Moh-goh after me before they should be upon
us. Our position looked almost hopeless. I could think
of no avenue of escape, and yet I tried, and as I stood there
with bent head, my eyes cast upon the floor of the tunnel,
they fell upon the neatly coiled rope lying at my feet, one
end of which was fastened securely about my waist. Instantly
there flashed into my mind a mad inspiration. I
glanced up at the overhanging rim above me. Could I do
it? There was a chance—the lesser gravity of the Moon
placed the thing within the realm of possibility, and yet by
all earthly standards it was impossible. I did not wait, I
could not wait, for had I given the matter any thought I
doubt that I would have had the nerve to attempt it. Behind
me lay a cavern opening into the depths of space, into
which I should be dashed if my mad plan failed; but, what
of it? Better death than slavery. I stooped low, then, and
concentrating every faculty upon absolute coordination of
mind and muscles, I leaped straight upward with all the
strength of my legs.
And in that instant during which my life hung in the
balance, of what did I think? Of home, of Earth, of the
friends of my childhood? No—of a pale and lovely face,
with great, dark eyes and a perfect forehead, surmounted
by a wealth of raven hair. It was the image of Nah-ee-lah,
the Moon Maid, that I would have carried with me into
eternity, had I died that instant.
But, I did not die. My leap carried me above the rim of
the crater, where I lunged forward and fell sprawling, my
arms and upper body upon the surface of the ground. Instantly
I turned about and lying upon my belly, seized the
rope in both hands.
“Quick, Moh-goh!” I cried to my companion below;
“make the rope fast about you, keep hold of the spears
and I will drag you up!”
“Pull away,” he answered me instantly, “I have no time
to make the rope fast about me. They are almost upon
me, pull away and be quick about it.”
I did as he bade, and a moment later his hands grasped
the rim of the crater and with my assistance he gained the
top, dragging the spears after him. For a moment he stood
there in silence looking at me with a most peculiar expression
upon his face; then he shook his head.
“I do not understand, yet,” he said, “how you did it, but
it was very wonderful.”
“I scarcely expected to accomplish it in safety, myself,”
I replied, “but anything is better than slavery.”
From below us came the voices of the Kalkars in angry
altercation. Moh-goh picked up a fragment of rock, and
leaning over the edge of the crater, threw it down among
them. “I got one,” he said, turning to me with a laugh,
“he tumbled off into nothing; they hate that. They believe
that there is no reincarnation for those who fall into a
crater.”
“Do you think that they will try to follow us?” I asked.
“No,” he said, “they will be afraid to use their hooked
poles here for a long time, lest we should be in the neighborhood
and shove them off into the crater. I will drop another
rock down if any of them are in sight and then we will go
upon our way. I do not fear them here in the hills, anyway.
There is always plenty of broken stone upon the level places,
and we of Laythe are trained to use it most effectively—almost
as far as I can throw, I can score a hit.”
The Kalkars had withdrawn into the tunnel, so Moh-goh
lost his opportunity to despatch another, and presently
turned away from the crater and set out into the mountains,
I following close behind.
I can assure you that I felt much better, now that I was
armed with a spear and a knife, and as we walked I practiced
casting stones, at Moh-goh’s suggestion and under his
instruction, until I became rather proficient in the art.
I shall not weary you with a narration of our journey to
Laythe. How long it took, I do not know. It may have
consumed a day, a week, or a month, for time seemed quite
a meaningless term in Va-nah, but at length, after clambering
laboriously from the bottom of a deep gorge, we stood
upon the edge of a rolling plateau, and at some little distance
beheld what at first appeared to be a cone-shaped
mountain, rising fully a mile into the air above the surface
of the plateau.
“There,” cried Moh-goh, “is Laythe! The crater where
lies the entrance to the tunnel leading to the city is beyond
it.”
As we approached the city, the base of which we must
skirt in order to reach the crater beyond, I was able to
obtain a better idea of the dimensions and methods of construction
of this great interior lunar city, the base of which
was roughly circular and about six miles in diameter, ranging
from a few hundred to a thousand feet above the level
of the plateau. The base of the city appeared to be the
outer wall of an ancient extinct volcano, the entire summit
of which had been blown off during some terrific eruption
of a bygone age. Upon this base the ancient Laytheans had
commenced the construction of their city, the houses of
which rose one upon another as did those of the Kalkar
city from which we had just escaped. The great age of Laythe
was attested by the tremendous height to which these
superimposed buildings had arisen, the loftiest wall of Laythe
now rising fully a mile above the floor of the plateau.
Narrow terraces encircled the periphery of the towering
city, and as we approached more closely I saw doors and
windows opening upon the terraces and figures moving to
and fro, the whole resembling closely an enormous hive
of bees. When we had reached a point near the base of
the city, I saw that we had been discovered, for directly
above us there were people at various points who were unquestionably
looking down at us and commenting upon us.
“They have seen us from above,” I said to Moh-goh,
“why don’t you hail them?”
“They take us for Kalkars,” he replied. “It is easier
for us to enter the city by way of the tunnel, where I shall
have no difficulty in establishing my identity.”
“If they think we are Kalkars,” I said, “will they not
attack us?”
“No,” he replied, “Kalkars often pass Laythe. If they
do not try to enter the city, we do not molest them.”
“Your people fear them, then?” I asked.
“It practically amounts to that,” he replied. “They
greatly outnumber us, perhaps a thousand to one, and as
they are without justice, mercy or honor we try not to antagonize
them unnecessarily.”
We came at length to the mouth of the crater, and here
Moh-goh looped his rope about the base of a small tree
growing close to the rim and slipped down to the opening
of the tunnel directly beneath. I followed his example, and
when I was beside him Moh-goh pulled the rope in, coiled
it about his waist, and we set off along the passageway leading
toward Laythe.
After my long series of adventures with unfriendly people
in Va-nah, I had somewhat the sensation of one returning
home after a long absence, for Moh-goh had assured
me that the people of Laythe would receive me well and
that I should be treated as a friend. He even assured me
that he would procure for me a good berth in the service
of Ko-tah. My greatest regret now was for Nah-ee-lah,
and that she was not my companion, instead of Moh-goh.
I was quite sure that she was lost, for had she escaped,
falling back into the crater outside the Kalkar city, I
doubted that she could successfully have found her way
to Laythe. My heart had been heavy since we had been
separated, and I had come to realize that the friendship
of this little Moon Maid had meant a great deal more to
me than I had thought. I could scarcely think of her now
without a lump coming into my throat, for it seemed cruel,
indeed, that one so young and lovely should have met so
untimely an end.
The distance between the crater and the city of Laythe
is not great, and presently we came directly out upon the
lower terrace within the city. This terrace is at the very
rim of the crater around which Laythe is built. And here
we ran directly into the arms of a force of about fifty
warriors.
Moh-goh emerged from the tunnel with his spear grasped
in both hands high above his head, the point toward the
rear, and I likewise, since he had cautioned me to do so.
So surprised were the warriors to see any creatures emerge
from this tunnel, which had been so long disused, that we
were likely to have been slain before they realized that we
had come before them with the signal of peace.
The guard that is maintained at the inner opening of the
tunnel is considered by the Laytheans as more or less of an
honorary assignment, the duties of which are performed
perfunctorily.
“What do you here, Kalkars?” exclaimed the commander
of the guard.
“We are not Kalkars,” replied my companion. “I am
Moh-goh the Paladar, and this be my friend. Can it be
that you, Ko-vo the Kamadar, do not know me?”
“Ah!” cried the commander of the guard, “it is, indeed,
Moh-goh the Paladar. You have been given up as lost.”
“I was lost, indeed, had it not been for this, my friend,”
replied Moh-goh, nodding his head in my direction. “I
was captured by the Kalkars and incarcerated in City No.
337.”
“You escaped from a Kalkar city?” exclaimed Ko-vo, in
evident incredulity. “That is impossible. It never has been
accomplished.”
“But we did accomplish it,” replied Moh-goh, “thanks
to my friend here,” and then he narrated briefly to Ko-vo
the details of our escape.
“It scarce seems possible,” commented the Laythean,
when Moh-goh had completed his narrative, “and what
may be the name of your friend, Moh-goh, and from what
country did you say he came?”
“He calls himself Ju-lan-fit,” replied Moh-goh, for that
was as near as he could come to the pronunciation of my
name. And so it was that as Ju-lan-fit I was known to the
Laytheans as long as I remained among them. They thought
that fifth, which they pronounced “fit,” was a title similar
to one of those which always followed the name of its possessor
in Laythe, as Sagroth the Jemadar, or Emperor; Ko-vo
the Kamadar, a title which corresponds closely to that
of the English Duke; and Moh-goh the Paladar, or Count.
And so, to humor them, I told them that it meant the same
as their Javadar, or Prince. I was thereafter called sometimes
Ju-lan-fit, and sometimes Ju-lan Javadar, as the spirit
moved him who addressed me.
At Moh-goh’s suggestion, Ko-vo the Kamadar detailed
a number of his men to accompany us to Moh-goh’s dwelling,
lest we have difficulty in passing through the city in
our Kalkar garb.
As we had stood talking with Ko-vo, my eyes had been
taking in the interior sights of this lunar city. The crater
about which Laythe is built appeared to be between three
and four miles in width, the buildings facing it and rising
terrace upon terrace to a height of a mile at least, were
much more elaborate of architecture and far richer in carving
than those of the Kalkar City No. 337. The terraces
were broad and well cultivated, and as we ascended toward
Moh-goh’s dwelling I saw that much pains had been taken
to elaborately landscape many of them, there being pools
and rivulets and waterfalls in numerous places. As in the
Kalkar city, there were Va-gas fattening for food in little
groups upon various terraces. They were sleek and fat and
appeared contented, and I learned later that they were perfectly
satisfied with their lot, having no more conception
of the purpose for which they were bred or the fate that
awaited them than have the beef cattle of Earth.
The U-gas of Laythe have induced this mental state in
their Va-gas herds by a process of careful selection covering
a period of ages, possibly, during which time they have
conscientiously selected, for breeding purposes the most
stupid and unimaginative members of their herds.
At Moh-goh’s dwelling we were warmly greeted by the
members of his family—his father, mother and two sisters—all
of whom, like the other Laytheans I had seen, were
of striking appearance. The men were straight and handsome,
the women physically perfect and of great beauty.
I could see in the affectionate greetings which they exchanged
an indication of a family life and ties similar to
those which are most common upon Earth, while their gracious
and hospitable reception of me marked them as people
of highly refined sensibilities. First of all they must hear
Moh-goh’s story, and then, after having congratulated us and
praised us, they set about preparing baths and fresh apparel
for us, in which they were assisted by a corps of servants,
descendants, I was told, of the faithful servitors who had
remained loyal to the noble classes and accompanied them
in their exile.
We rested for a short time after our baths, and then
Moh-goh announced that he must go before Ko-tah, to
whom it was necessary that he report, and that he would
take me with him. I was appareled now in raiment befitting
my supposed rank and carried the weapons of a
Laythean gentleman—a short lance, or javelin, a dagger
and a sword, but with my relatively darker skin and my
blond hair, I could never hope to be aught than an object
of remark in any Laythean company. Owing to the color
of my hair, some of them thought that I was a Kalkar,
but upon this score my complexion set them right.
Ko-tah’s dwelling was, indeed, princely, stretching along
a broad terrace for fully a quarter of a mile, with its two
stories and its numerous towers and minarets. The entire
face of the building was elaborately and beautifully carved,
the decorations in their entirety recording pictographically
the salient features of the lives of Ko-tah’s ancestors.
Armed nobles stood on either side of the massive entrance
way, and long before we reached this lunar prince I realized
that possibly he was more difficult to approach than
one of earthly origin, but at last we were ushered into his
presence, and Moh-goh, with the utmost deference, presented
me to Ko-tah the Javadar. Having assumed a
princely title and princely raiment, I chose to assume
princely prerogatives as well, believing that my position
among the Laytheans would be better assured and all my
interests furthered if they thought me of royal blood, and
so I acknowledged my introduction to Ko-tah as though
we were equals and that he was being presented to me upon
the same footing that I was being presented to him.
I found him, like all his fellows, a handsome man, but
with a slightly sinister expression which I did not like. Possibly
I was prejudiced against him from what Nah-ee-lah
had told me, but be that as it may, I conceived a dislike
and distrust for him the moment that I laid eyes upon him,
and I think, too, that he must have sensed my attitude, for,
though he was outwardly gracious and courteous, I believe
that Ko-tah the Javadar never liked me.
It is true that he insisted upon allotting me quarters within
his palace and that he gave me service high among his
followers, but I was at that time a novelty among them,
and Ko-tah was not alone among the royalty who would
have been glad to have entertained me and showered favors
upon me, precisely as do Earth Men when a titled stranger,
or famous man from another land, comes to their country.
Although I did not care for him, I was not loth to accept
his hospitality, since I felt that because of my friendship
for Nah-ee-lah I owed all my loyalty to Sagroth the Jemadar,
and if by placing myself in the camp of the enemy I
might serve the father of Nah-ee-lah, I was justified in so
doing.
I found myself in a rather peculiar position in the palace
of Ko-tah, since I was supposed to know little or nothing
of internal condition in Laythe, and yet had learned from
both Nah-ee-lah and Moh-goh a great deal concerning the
intrigues and politics of this lunar city. For example, I
was not supposed to know of the existence of Nah-ee-lah.
Not even did Moh-goh know that I had heard of her; and
so until her name was mentioned, I could ask no questions
concerning her, though I was anxious indeed, to discover if
by any miracle of chance, she had returned in safety to
Laythe, or if aught had been learned concerning her fate.
Ko-tah held me in conversation for a considerable period
of time, asking many questions concerning Earth and my
voyage from that planet to the Moon. I knew that he was
skeptical, and yet he was a man of such intelligence as to
realize that there must be something in the Universe beyond
his understanding or his knowledge. His eyes told him that
I was not a native of Va-nah, and his ears must have corroborated
the testimony of his eyes, for try as I would, I
never was able to master the Va-nahan language so that I
could pass for a native.
At the close of our interview Ko-tah announced that Moh-goh
would also remain in quarters in the palace, suggesting
that if it was agreeable to me, my companion should share
my apartments with me.
“Nothing would give me greater pleasure, Ko-tah the
Javadar,” I said, “than to have my good friend, Moh-goh
the Paladar, always with me.”
“Excellent!” exclaimed Ko-tah. “You must both be
fatigued. Go, therefore, to your apartments and rest. Presently
I will repair to the palace of the Jemadar with my
court, and you will be notified in sufficient time to prepare
yourselves to accompany me.”
The audience was at an end, and we were led by nobles
of Ko-tah’s palace to our apartments, which lay upon the
second floor in pleasant rooms overlooking the terraces down
to the brink of the great, yawning crater below.
Until I threw myself upon the soft mattress that served
as a bed for me, I had not realized how physically exhausted
I had been. Scarcely had I permitted myself to
relax in the luxurious ease which precedes sleep ere I was
plunged into profound slumber, which must have endured
for a considerable time, since when I awoke I was completely
refreshed. Moh-goh was already up and in the bath,
a marble affair fed by a continuous supply of icy water which
originated among the ice-clad peaks of the higher mountains
behind Laythe. The bather had no soap, but used
rough fibre gloves with which he rubbed the surface of his
skin until it glowed. These baths rather took one’s breath
away, but amply repaid for the shock by the sensation of
exhilaration and well being which resulted from them.
In addition to private baths in each dwelling, each terrace
supported a public bath, in which men, women and
children disported themselves, recalling to my mind the ancient
Roman baths which earthly history records.
The baths of the Jemadar which I was later to see in
the palace of Sagroth were marvels of beauty and luxury.
Here, when the Emperor entertains, his guests amuse themselves
by swimming and diving, which, from what I have
been able to judge, are the national sports of the Laytheans.
The Kalkars care less for the water, while the Va-gas only
enter it through necessity.
I followed Moh-goh in the bath, in which my first sensation
was that I was freezing to death. While we were
dressing a messenger from Ko-tah summoned us to his
presence, with instructions that we were to be prepared to
accompany him to the palace of Sagroth the Jemadar.
