Part 3

For days they worked ceaselessly on the neutro-pistols. Mark and the Professor together laid out the blueprints, devising a radical and more potent design for the firing coils. The latter was surprised at Mark's knowledge of electronic principles.

"I may surprise you even further, one of these days," Mark promised.

And now the urgency of their work was really impressed upon them. Scouts returning each day from the twilight zone reported that the Perlacs were gathering. Thousands of them swarmed the forests on the dark side, apparently massing for an all-out attack. There had been a few preliminary skirmishes but nothing serious as yet.

Donli undertook the task of setting up barricades at the twilight border. These were huge shields of light but durable metal, arranged in strategic positions, easily movable. And the work at the city went on apace.

Janus and the others directed work at the forges and metal shops. Everyone, men and women alike, who could be spared from the border defenses, were given assignments. Mari was a surprise to the new men. Already she knew the ancient science textbooks by heart, and she thirsted for more knowledge. She was everywhere, directing, helping, learning. She grasped the principle almost at once when Brownell explained:

"Briefly, the atom itself must not be shattered. That has been your mistake. Successive sheathes of electrons must be stripped without disruption of the ultimate atomic structure. That means swift transmutations, not disintegration. Most important of all, the electrons must be propelled along a controlled, directional beam."

Only Ferris was dissatisfied at the hard work. In their quarters, at the end of the first week, he complained:

"What's all this getting us? I thought we came out here to make a fortune! That's the story you gave me, Janus, when you rooked me into this deal."

Janus looked at him distastefully. "Haven't you ever wanted to do a decent act in your life? Lord knows I've done some scandalous things, but these people need our help now and they deserve it!"

"That's not getting back the fortune I sunk into this venture," Ferris grumbled.

"We'll think of that later."

The work was slower than they wished, for it became apparent the Perlac attack was going to materialize any day, any hour. As leader of the defense, the all-out call was left to Donli, who, with his select group, remained at the border constantly now.

And on the tenth day, even before the new pistols had been assembled or tested--the call came. One of the scouts raced into the city with the signal.

* * * * *

Everyone, men and women alike, left their work instantly. Dozens of the electrically-motored surface cars were waiting, and soon they were racing along the road. Within the hour they had reached the twilight zone to reinforce Donli's group.

Each person was equipped with an electric rifle which, at the longer distances, stunned but was not fatal. And there were quantities of atomic grenades. The new Earthmen retained their atomic rifles and neutro-pistols, as they better understood the operation of these weapons and could use them to more advantage.

The attack had not yet come but Donli was expecting it at any minute. Each group took up its assigned position behind a barrier. Mark found himself beside Janus and was glad, for he liked that blustering, red-bearded giant.

"It's going to be hell," Janus promised, peering into the twilight gloom. "We have to wait for them. The Perlacs can come over into our lighter gravity, but their gravity'd be fatal to us!"

Mark nodded. "It means we'll be fighting a strictly defensive battle."

The twilight beyond faded into the darkness of the huge forest, and not a Perlac was to be seen. Not so much as a moving shadow. But they were there, Mark knew, thousands of them; and when they came it would be silently.

And silently they came. Mark's first intimation was the explosion of grenades far down the line, and then he saw them--hordes of Perlacs, heavy of limb, but coming with amazing speed. Most of them were using cross-bows, and Mark realized that some of the shafts were equipped with metal-tipped explosives. Then he was too busy for further observation, as he brought his atomic rifle to bear.

The old style electrics were at work too, all along the line; and the grenades blasted huge gaps in the advancing tide. But still they came, moving now across the lighter zone. Thousands hadn't been an overstatement! The dark tide came rushing over their stunned and dead.

And now those explosive tipped shafts were having effect. Several of them struck a barricade next to Mark, and tore the metal from the foundations. Now Janus, beside him, was bringing the neutro-pistol into play.

Savagely Mark swung his beam in a never-ceasing arc, exulting at the swath it cut before him. Further down, Driscoll, Kaarj and the others were doing the same. Together with the grenades it seemed to stem the tide, but only for a moment.

"Keep it going! Keep it going!" Janus was yelling. "These beams are good for hours!"

The very silence of the attack made it the more terrible. No yells, no screams of fury came from the heavy-furred Perlacs as they littered the terrain by the score.

Then, as suddenly as they had come, they retreated. The seven sweeping beams had done the work well, but in an unexpected manner. Flames were leaping in the lush grass between the defenders and the forest!

"Respite!" Janus yelled. "Ten minutes, maybe. They'll be back when that grass is burned down!"

But there was no resting now. A score of men were dead and twice that many wounded, who had to be carried back from the battle line. Three of the barricades were wrecked, and they strove to get these into place again.

Mark noticed Mari, sweat-grimed and weary, her golden hair streaming down. But she was magnificent still, a tower of strength as she hurried along the line giving aid and encouragement to her people.

"I wonder where the robots are?" Mark suddenly remembered as he worked beside Janus. "If the Perlacs have learned to reactivate those monsters, as Donli thinks--"

"Encouraging, ain't you? As if we're not having a hard enough time as it is!"

And then Mark remembered something else. Remembered so suddenly that he began laughing, a little wildly, and Janus slipped him a light one on the jaw.

"Come out of it, lad! None of that, now--we're not licked yet!"

But Mark had reached to his inner pocket, and brought out his secret flat box. "Remember this, Janus? Good Lord, but I ought to be blasted for forgetting it! You always knew it wasn't a camera--well, now you're going to see it in action!"

"Good, lad! I hope you've got something there. Here they come again!"

* * * * *

This time the Perlacs had massed their forces, and they came in two wide flanking movements aimed at the ends of the barricades.

"Let them get close," Janus passed the word to the men, as they hurried down to the left. "Then give them your grenades--all you've got!"

Grim-faced they waited. Mark once more touched the release stud on his box, exulted as the coils hummed into power.

"Now!" Janus yelled at last, and swept his beam into play. Simultaneously the grenades rained outward. The terrain erupted in geysers of blackened grass and fleshy fragments. But determinedly the Perlacs came, and their cross-bow shafts filled the air.

Despair began to touch the Earthmen now. It was obvious the fanatical Perlacs were going to make this a war to extinction, and there could be but one final result. The Perlacs outnumbered them a hundred to one. If only they could have gotten the new electronic weapons ready in time! Even their grenades were running low now.

Grim-lipped, Mark waited for the next onrush. He passed his neutro to a neighbor and concentrated on his box. Its power had been proven in minor tests, but this would be the maximum!

The wave came. More of them now than before. Mark stepped for a moment into the open, heedless of the shafts. The box, held waist high, looked for all the world like a camera....

But the result was devastatingly different!

The men felt a violent holocaust of air around them, rushing away from all sides. For seconds they couldn't breathe or move! The temperature dropped so suddenly that they were literally frozen where they stood! Then warmer air came pressing in again but still they didn't move, because now they were staring--staring at the miracle.

In a hundred-yard area before their barricade the mass of Perlacs were motionless, many of them arrested in grotesque postures! Others had literally burst outward. But all were dead, and now they began to topple over, like frozen statutes!

Another wave was coming behind, just beyond the area. Now they wheeled and fled for the forest. Quickly Mark adjusted the sights and gave them another burst. The same thing happened. The rush of air, the sudden drop in temperature--and the horde was a mass of frozen corpses. But this time, the box became hot in Mark's hands, burning them severely, and he quickly dropped it.

At the other end of the line the defenders weren't doing so well. The Perlacs had gained that end of the barricade, and the battle was furious and to the death.

"Come on!" Mark raced for that end, followed by the others. But now Mark couldn't use his weapon, for it would mean blasting Earthmen and Perlacs alike!

And then, fantastically, the battle seemed to hang poised.

There came a grinding, shuddering sound. A series of these sounds. The ground seemed to vibrate, and then along the twilight strip came a towering, stalking, fifty-foot shape. One of the robots! It came swiftly, purposefully, huge eyes glaring down--straight for the battle line!

V

"This does it," Janus groaned. "That thing looks mad!" But no other robots came, and he raised his beam-pistol in readiness as the great monster came bearing down.

"Hold it," Mark caught his wrist. "Hold your fire, men!"

For the Perlacs were fleeing! Forgotten now was the fury of battle as they raced _en masse_ back to the darkness of their forest!

And abruptly the robot swerved in its course, went after them with purposeful strides. It bent down a little and swept huge, claw-like hands close to the ground. A few of the Perlacs were caught, dashed to the ground, never to rise. Almost gleefully the metal monster trampled down the edges of the forest. The Earth people could only watch wearily, numbly. It was over. Unbelievably, the battle was over.

Tiring at last of its mad sport, the robot turned and came striding back. Heedless of Mark's warning, Mari stepped forth and faced it defiantly, rifle held in readiness. Tall and straight, her golden hair tumbling down, she was a defender of her people to the last.

And the robot paused! Only for a second, during which it seemed to be surveying her. Then it came on, but stopped some twenty yards away.

Then it spoke! The voice was rasping, metallic, but the words were unmistakable:

"Hi-ya, bud. What's cookin'?"

Janus' voice was a ridiculous gurgle in his throat. He took a step backward and his eyes bulged. For the thing had seemed to be addressing _him_!

At last he got the words out: "Ketrik! By all the red-tailed Zigs on Venus, it's Ketrik! Only he could use an archaic expression like that--what's cookin', indeed!"

There came a rumble of metallic laughter.

"Hi-ya, Janus! Haven't seen you in years. And Kaarj! Last time I saw you was on Deimos, when I robbed the temple of ancients. How are you, kid?" The robot went down, extended a long metal finger as big around as a man's arm. Kaarj retreated hastily!

"Well, ain't any of you glad to see me?" the voice came mockingly. "And after I saved your battle, too!"

"Sure, we're glad to see you," Janus replied shakily. "But good Lord, man, come down out of that thing so we can get a look at you!"

"Hell, no. I'm havin' fun! Anyway, I'm not up here. Not the real Ketrik. My body's lying in an alcove back there at the temple of robots."

Mari had come to stand beside Janus. Her face was flushed from the recent battle, but some of her defiance had fled. The robot bent closer still, seemed to be peering. Then came a long whistle, metallic but shrill, and one of the huge eyes winked!

The girl seemed to recognize that primitive sound and her face turned a deeper red. But she stepped a pace forward.

"Mister--ah--Ketrik, you have saved my people and have earned our undying thanks! But what about the Perlacs--do you think they'll be coming back again?"

The robot chuckled. "Not for a long time! Certainly not when they know I'm around. Those babies have given me a wide berth so far." He added: "I've been intending to pay a visit to your side of the world, but I could tell those dark-skinned brutes were up to something. I decided to hang around and await developments."

"But Ketrik"--Janus hesitated--"what's this about your body?"

"Don't worry, it's safe. This is only the mental part of me. Sure, there's a huge temple about ten miles back, with dozens more of these robots standing around idle." A sudden thought occurred. "Want to take a look? I could carry you across the heavy gravity."

"No thanks!" Janus declined. "My scientific interest doesn't go that far. Maybe the Professor, here--"

"Sure!" Brownell came forward, eager.

"I'll go too," Mark said. "I'd like to see how those robots work."

Ketrik extended a huge hand. Brownell and Mark clung tightly as it swung them up. With the two men perched on its shoulders, the robot went striding back through the forest.

The temple, massive and pillared, rested in a wide clearing.

They saw the robots, dozens of them lining the walls. The quartz discs of their eyes were now dull and lifeless. And near each robot, fifty feet high in the wall, were alcoves.

"Gravity here is normal!" Mark noticed suddenly.

"Yes," Ketrik replied. "That's probably what saved my life. I crashed right through the roof!"

They saw Ketrik's spacer on the floor below them, its nose and forward tubes crumpled beyond recognition.

"I'll show you my body." He strode to one of the alcoves, and the men stepped from his shoulders onto a stone ledge. Before them was a thick glass coffin. Resting in it was the material Ketrik!

* * * * *

It was a large body, as large as Janus, but clean shaven. The blue eyes were open and staring, and even in this suspended state there seemed to be a quality of recklessness, even amusement, about them.

"How do you get the mental self into the robot?" Brownell asked.

"Damned if I know how it works," there was almost a shrug in Ketrik's robot voice. "I just experimented with the thing."

He just experimented! Mark marvelled at this man.

"Don't touch it," Ketrik warned, "but you'll notice there are two cathodes attached to the temples of my earth body. See how the wires lead out, and up to that panelled board on the wall? There are all kinds of coils and things behind that board. Those other cathodes, that you see dangling, were attached to the brain plate of the robot. I suppose the molecules of your mental self flow through the wires. When the transference is complete, you merely detach the cathodes and start walking about, a full-fledged robot! I tell you it's wonderful!"

"Ketrik," Brownell said, as they went back through the forest, "we should be returning to Earth as soon as we complete the new weapon for Man's people. Don't you want to return with us?"

"No, I think I'll stay. I want to be sure those Perlacs don't cause any more trouble for a while."

"There wouldn't be any other reason?" Mark grinned.

"There would and is." The smile was in Ketrik's voice, if not on his metal lips. "I like that golden-haired Amazon--what's her name--Mari?"

"But why return at all?" Mari wanted to know, when the Professor announced the plans. "You have said you wanted a base for the manufacture of your Frequency Tuners. What better place than here?"

"Thank you, my dear. I had thought of that, but after all this is your world, and we are intruders."

Mari was hurt. "After all that you've done for us? And you can do so much more!"

"Then rest assured we'll be back, possibly within a month. True, there is much to be done here but we need new supplies, tools, equipment of every sort."

Janus said: "And with your permission, we'll want to bring back some new men. Not rogues and adventurers like me, but scientific men who can come here and work out their ideas without fear of that stupid Earth Bureau. Men like Mark, here, and the Professor."

Brownell nodded agreement. "I see a new regime. The Tri-Planet Council will have to cooperate with expanding endeavors, or take a back seat. Already I know two men on Earth, and four on Mars, who'll be delighted to come here to carry on their work. And Mark, that reminds me. That new weapon of yours. I think we can ask about it now?"

"Oh, it's nothing much, but I wasn't going to let the Bureau have it on their terms! It's merely an advanced frigidation idea. Works along an extended magnetic beam, absorbing all heat in a given area, almost to absolute zero."

"And he says it's nothing much!" came from Janus.

"It still needs some working out. The coils didn't stand up, the last time I applied it out there."

In two more days they were turning out the neutro weapons in quantity. During that time nothing more was seen of the Perlacs, as the robot-Ketrik maintained a vigilance. Brownell made a last check-up of the spaceship, and more important still, he strengthened the Frequency Tuner to counteract the gravity.

* * * * *

On the last night, Mark tossed restlessly in his bed. He could not sleep, and he didn't know why. Was it something they had forgotten? He didn't think so. Nevertheless he had a preternatural awareness of something wrong....

He arose, dressed quickly. There was never "night" on this side of the little world, but the rooms were automatically dimmed. Silently he tip-toed through the rooms. Brownell was there, sleeping peacefully. And Janus, and all the others.

No! Ferris was gone.

Mark's heart leaped. He had never liked that man, never quite trusted him. Now it came back. Ferris' eternal harping about the fortune he had put into this expedition.

If that little rat was planning--Mark hurried outside. The city was deathly quiet, immersed in sleep. The eternal light struck his eyes and brought him fully alert. He hurried along the street toward the outskirts, toward the base of the hill where the spaceship waited.

As he neared the hill, he spied Ferris. The man was coming down the slope. Ferris saw him, and waved a hand in greeting.

"Hi! Is it you, Travers? What's the matter, can't you sleep either?"

Mark's steps slowed, and he breathed in relief. He'd been wrong. After all, the man had a right to be up.

They met near the spaceship, and Ferris waved a hand toward the crest of the hill. "I was just looking at the Stone. It's the damnedest thing!"

"Yes. Brownell tells me--"

Ferris' hand moved like lightning. Mark found himself staring into the stub end of a neutro-gun. Ferris was no longer smiling and casual.

"In!" he snarled. "Get in there--quick!" He gestured toward the ship, and Mark noticed the door was open. He moved toward it slowly, then paused, started to turn.

"I'll blast you, Travers!"

Mark shrugged, entered. Ferris came quickly behind him.

"That's better. I don't want to rouse any of the others. Sounds carry far on this world." He paused and grinned, with all but his eyes. "Sure, Travers, I was looking at the Stone. I'd like to get it back to Earth, but it's too much for me. Guess I'll just have to be satisfied with the Frequency Tuner. The Bureau of Inventions will pay me a handsome price for it, no questions asked."

"You sneaking, double-crossing rat," Mark said slowly. "You'll never get away with this!"

"_This_ says I will," Ferris sneered, gesturing with the neutro. "And since you came snooping out here, I'll just take that new weapon of yours."

"It doesn't work any more."

"I'll take it anyway. Hand it over. Careful!"

Mark shrugged, tossed the box-like weapon to him. But his mind was racing. Ferris had the upper hand, all right, and he _would_ get away with this if Mark didn't do something quick. Mark glanced around. They were in the control room, and he knew the Frequency Tuner was ready. He said:

"What about Brownell--Janus--the others?"

"What about 'em? They wanted to come out here, so let 'em stay. Yeah--for the next hundred years!"

"What about me?"

"You know, I think I'll just take you along--for a short distance, anyway."

Mark's voice was taunting. "Because you're not quite sure how to handle this Frequency control. You'll need me."

"And that's where you're wrong. I've studied it plenty. It's easy!"

Mark dropped suddenly to his knees, and with the same movement his body lashed forward--low and hard. He heard the neutro sing, and felt the swirling heat of it over his shoulder. But Ferris was quick. He danced lithely back. His right hand with the gun in it came swinging up.

The heavy gun caught Mark squarely under the chin.

* * * * *

He came struggling back to consciousness, aware that he was still lying prone. He allowed his brain to clear before opening his eyes, but already he could tell they were in space.

He thought of his friends on Perlac--stranded! It would be a miracle if they ever succeeded in building another spaceship there, with their limited equipment.

"Hi, Travers. We're on our way. So I can't handle the Tuner, eh?"

Mark groaned, rolled his head a little, feigning grogginess. But he was alert now, and he cursed himself for a fool for underestimating Ferris. He heard the man's voice go on:

"And to show how much I need you, I'll just toss you out somewhere between Perlac and Pluto. Or maybe between Pluto and Neptune. Which would you prefer?"

Mark's heart leaped. They couldn't have come far, then! He was lying near the control-console and he knew they were on robot control. Ferris must have set the course already. He was confident now, watching Mark, for he knew it took minutes to adjust that complex set-up.

Mark stirred, grasped a metal stanchion to help hoist himself erect. His plan was made. To the right of the console was an auxiliary unit, feeding emergency power to the Tuner. He wondered if Ferris knew of it. He glimpsed Ferris coming toward him. Mark surged erect, his right hand darted out. It came down in a full sweep against the auxiliary impellator.

The spacer leaped ahead, sickeningly, as acceleration multiplied in a split second. Mark glimpsed Ferris flying backward. He hadn't time to see more. Both hands gripped the stanchion now as intolerable pressure built up. His arms seemed to be wrenching from their sockets. Slowly, agonizingly, he managed to encircle the stanchion with his left arm. His right hand seemed to weigh a ton as it reached out. It touched the impellator stud ... reversed it.

Mark sagged limply forward as acceleration lowered. He hadn't the strength left to turn his head, see what had happened to Ferris.

When he did, minutes later, he saw a limp figure against the far wall. The limbs were twisted beyond recognition. The head was crushed. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Mark changed direction, headed in a sweeping parabola back toward Perlac. He avoided Brownell's previous mistake and swung wide of the planet, approaching it from the light side. He landed safely near the city. The others had already missed the ship, and they received him joyously.

They left the next day, after a final check-up. Mari had prepared long lists of items for them to bring back to her people.

The robot-Ketrik was there too, to bid them bon voyage. Brownell said:

"Ketrik, you can reclaim that body of yours. Sure you won't change your mind and go back with us?"

Again Ketrik resorted to archaic expression: