The Complete Space Adventure Books of Otis Adelbert Kline – All 8 Novels in One Edition. Otis Adelbert Kline
only one weapon. Then he recalled his men from the doorway and began the bombardment, using explosive metal bullets. Only a few sots were required to enlarge the opening to the size of a dozen doorways and at the same time clear the surrounding space of sabits.
Grandon knew that the quarters of the queen and king sabits were in a central chamber on the ground floor, and that four walls intervened between this chamber which was reached by winding passageways, and the outer opening. Moving his mattork closer, he shot down the second, third and fourth walls, while his warriors kept the sabits back.
Then he led a swift charge on the rulers of the white sabits, followed by Oro and the men who carried the manacles.
It was here that be learned a peculiar characteristic of the king and queen sabits, for though the soldier and worker sabits retreated, the sabit rulers showed no disposition to do so. They appeared to have a certain standard of royal dignity which they punctiliously observed. They struggled desperately but unavailingly until the manacles were clamped in place. Then the white sabits became the slaves of men, for as soon as their rulers were made prisoners, all Surrendered docilely.
Placing a guard of twenty-five men around the royal prisoners the Earthman ordered that the community life of the former masters of men be resumed. The fantas and eggs were returned to their respective buildings and the green creatures were conveyed to their leafy pastures—but this time the work was done entirely by sabits. Later, when the community of marsh-people was organized, it was Grandon’s plan that the sabits should fetch and carry for those who once served then.
When he returned to the dormitories, Grandon found Vernia in earnest and animated conversation with a young slave girl. Oro, who entered behind him, raised his visor at sight of the girl and the two embraced in a transport of joyous recognition.
“The girl is Rotha, a former slave of the brown-mouthed sabits,” explained Vernia. “She has just escaped, and brings terrible tidings. This is Grandon of Terra, Rotha—the man of whom I told you. Let him hear your message at once.”
“Today while working with the others,” said Rotha, “I heard the rumor that the eighteen girls whom you left in the mating pens would be tortured to death before the other slaves tonight.”
“But I saw no girls in the mating pens,” said Grandon.
“Nor did I,” answered Vernia. “Rotha says they had been taken to the inner rooms before I arrived.”
Grandon swung on Oro. “Why didn’t you tell me of this? We could have brought them with us.”
The big marsh-man hung his head. “I thought you knew,” he said. “You were in command, and I did not doubt that if you wished them brought with us you would say so. Every evening there are girls in the mating pens.”
“Where are they to be punished, and what will be the manner of their punishment?” asked Grandon.
“All the slaves will be herded before the but of the queen sabit.”
“Yes.”
“Then each girl will be fed, feet first, to a large fanta.”
“Can nothing be done to save them?” asked Vernia.
“We will do our best,” Grandon replied. “Oro, assemble a hundred men at once.”
Chapter 12
From among the hundred warriors marshaled by Oro, Grandon selected five who appeared above the average in intelligence, to act as officers, each to command nineteen men.
Absolute silence was observed as they marched. The Earthman led the column, followed by Oro with twenty men with two sets of sabit-fetters. After this group came the next officer whose crew carried a mattork, a rough tripod that Grandon had made for it, and ammunition. The others brought up the rear.
It was not until they arrived at a point near the mating pens that they saw the torches which had been planted before the central building. The doomed girls were huddled in a little group near the doorway, guarded by a dozen soldier sabits.
The king sabit stood in the glare of the torchlight, but his mate was not in sight. The female slaves and their children sat on the ground facing the entrance. Behind them stood the men, while soldier sabits formed a great circle about the whole scene.
Grandon saw two worker sabits pilot a huge fanta through the doorway. This lusty infant was larger even than the soldier sabits, almost ready to spin its cocoon. It gnashed its huge mandibles continuously, and wiggled from side to side, nearly upsetting its pilots with each jerk.
“We must work fast,” said Grandon, “if we would be in time. The plan is as follows. Oro will take twenty men and the larger set of fetters and circle, coming up behind the buildings. When he hears the report of the mattork, he is to cut a door in the rear of the building, go immediately to the chamber of the queen sabit and make her prisoner.
“You two will take your details and go with Oro’s men to the rear of the building. Upon the second report of the mattork, one detail will charge around the right side of the building and fetter the king sabit while the other charges around the left side and rescues the girls, placing a guard around them.
“The fourth detail will go to a place behind that large surface root to the north of the sabits, while the last one will hide behind the mating pens on the south. At the third report of the mattork they will rush in and surround the slaves assembled before the building.”
“But you thus will be left alone,” remonstrated Oro. “The sabits will overpower and kill you, for you cannot resist an army single-handed.”
“Have no fear for me,” replied Grandon. “Only do as you are bidden. Go now, swiftly and silently as possible. There is no time to lose.”
In a moment Grandon was left entirely alone. He quickly mounted the mattork, meanwhile watching the ceremonies of the sabits from time to time. The king sabit had come out in front of the hungry fanta and was haranguing the slaves in the tone—language, no doubt warning them that if any of their number should ever attempt to escape, a fate similar to that which was to be meted out to the girls awaited them.
After droning out his warnings for a full ten minutes the king sabit stepped to one side, whereupon four worker sabits seized a girl, two on a side, and carried her before the fanta.
Grandon quickly withdrew the clip of explosive bullets he had in the mattork and inserted one of solid missiles instead. The girl was being pushed feet foremost toward those great gaping jaws, and although he knew Oro would not be ready, he took careful aim at the hideous head.
Just as he was ready to press the button the form of a man appeared on a direct line between mattork and target. Grandon lifted his tripod, intending to try a shot from another position, when he saw the man who had momentarily saved the fanta’s life hurl a huge rock fragment straight for its ugly head. The missile struck the mark squarely, and the great soft-bodied monster, after a convulsive shudder, sank over on its side, stone dead.
Once more Grandon put his clip of explosive bullets in the mattork. He saw the man turn and dodge among `the snapping sabits; he succeeded in breaking through the line and in keeping a short distance ahead of his pursuers.
Training his weapon on those sabits immediately behind the fugitive, the Earthman opened fire. The exploding missile tore a great gap in the ranks of the monsters, killing a half dozen and disabling as many more, whereupon the others paused, running this way and that in their endeavor to locate the unseen attacker.
Suddenly Grandon leaped up on the surface root behind him and, turning his pocket flashlight on himself, shouted defiance to the sabits in the tone- language. The king sabit saw him almost immediately, and vibrated his antennae excitedly, whereupon all but a dozen soldier sabits who remained to guard the slaves charged down on Grandon. As he leaped back to the ground and made his mattork ready,