A Trip to Mars

'Is there any way of telling by means of that little instrument whether, as we move about, we are getting nearer to them or farther away?' asked Jack. 'In our world, when, as children, we played at hide-and-seek, we used to say we were getting "cold" when we were on the wrong track, and "hot" when we were on the right one. Now, is there any way of telling with the help of that little contrivance whether, as we move about, we are getting "hot" or "cold"?'

'Why, yes, to some extent,' Alondra returned, but not without hesitation. 'I think I shall be able to form an idea, as we go on, by the sound it gives out. The nearer we are, the stronger the current, and the louder the little bells ring.'

'Exactly! That's what I was hoping for,' said Jack. 'With that to guide us, it ought not to be such a very long business.'

And then there began the most extraordinary hunt for the airships hidden in the mist that can well be imagined.

It proved to be more difficult and perplexing than the searchers had at first thought would be the case. They went up and down, to and fro, going too far in one direction, then turning, only soon to find that they had travelled too far in the opposite track. It was a veritable game of blindman's-buff, and as time went on, and Fumenta's prediction about the mist clearing seemed likely to be realised, the seekers became first anxious and then seriously alarmed. It was true that the sounds given out by Alondra's wondrous little instrument varied according to their distance from those who were signalling to them; but the differences were so slight as to be extremely difficult to detect.

At last, however, their perseverance was rewarded. Gerald was the first to catch sight of what they sought. A half-smothered exclamation from him drew the attention of the others to what seemed no more than a dark shadow. They were all actually passing it, and in another moment or two would have lost sight of it. But when Gerald pointed it out, Alondra made a dart towards it, and quickly called to his companions to follow him.

A few minutes later they were standing on the deck of the king's yacht, and Alondra was folded in his father's arms.

'What has happened, father?' he asked. 'Where is the Ivenia?'

'Ah, that is what I want to know!' Ivanta confessed. 'Some strange, unforeseen occurrence – an accident, or treachery, I know not what – has hidden her away. Thanks to the machinations of Agrando and Zuanstroom, the whole of the people of my realm seem to have gone mad and turned against me. For the time being, Alondra, your father is an exile, a fugitive, with scarce a friend in the world.'

'You have one friend, oh king! – one who has some followers you may depend upon,' said Fumenta, stepping forward. 'If you will accept my services' —

'Who are you?' the king asked, turning to him wonderingly.

Alondra explained, and Ivanta frowned.

'Fumenta! The one who is in rebellion against me!' he exclaimed, eying the outlaw chief keenly and coldly.

'Not so, oh king!' Fumenta answered, drawing himself up proudly. 'No rebel against you have I ever been! No one can say it! But against your vassal Agrando, yes! I have been his sworn enemy for many a year, and not without good reason; but against you I have had no other complaint to make than that you supported him against me. Doubtless you were misled by false and lying misrepresentations, and had you known the truth – But there is no time for the discussion of such matters now. I offer you safe asylum, not for yourself and your followers only, but for your airships. You will find that I and all my people are loyal to you, and will fight to the death against Agrando and his allies.'

'But how can you hide my airships away?' asked the king doubtfully.

'You shall soon see, oh king! Do not delay, I pray you. The mist is already getting thinner. A little longer, and our chance will be gone.'

Ivanta looked at Alondra, and the two conferred apart for a brief space. Then Ivanta returned to Fumenta, and, holding out his hand, said, 'I hear you have been a good friend to my son and his companions in the time of their need. That is enough for me! Henceforth you are my friends – you and all your followers.'

Fumenta thereupon took charge of the craft as a pilot might, issuing instructions in low tones to the officers. Under his guidance, the Nelda glided slowly through the mist, closely followed by the Lokris, which had been resting a few yards away.

Then, as they went along, Alondra asked for tidings of their friends, and heard bad news indeed.

Many of the party who had accompanied Alondra to Agrando's court had been treacherously seized.

Monck, it seemed, had got away in the Lokris, bringing with him the two sailors and – somewhat curiously – Zuanstroom's nephew Freddy, who had sought shelter with him and begged piteously not to be left behind. These were all safe on board the other yacht.

'But of others,' said the king, 'I am sorry to say that they are now held as prisoners by Agrando. Aveena and several of your friends, Alondra, are amongst them, and,' he went on, slowly and bitterly, 'most humiliating of all, for me to have to confess it – for it seems as though I had failed in a host's first duty – so, I am deeply pained to tell you, is our friend Armeath.'

CHAPTER XXXIV

A NIGHT EXPEDITION

It was getting near dawn, and the mist was perceptibly clearing away, when the two air-yachts approached the great funnel-shaped opening leading down to the ancient volcano.

Ivanta, who had been wondering how Fumenta was going to keep the promise he had made that he would hide the airships away, looked with great curiosity at the dark, uninviting cavity.

'Are we to try to squeeze in there, friend Fumenta?' he asked. 'Is that your idea?'

For answer the outlaw asked what was the length of the larger of the two vessels, and Ivanta gave him the measurement upon the Martian scale.

'I thought so. Then there is room,' he declared.

And so it turned out. By means of a little manoeuvring, the two vessels were induced to sink slowly through the opening, without touching the sides. And when once through the funnel there was plenty of room for them in the great dome-like space below to rest, all upstanding, on the ground.

Then, upon some metal staging round the base of the funnel, high up in the domed roof, fires were lighted, and upon them, after a time, when they had started a sufficient draught, quantities of sulphur were thrown.

The draught was so great from the maze of underground galleries that all the fumes were carried up into the sky, while below the air was fresh and pure.

'There!' said Fumenta, in well-satisfied tones, when all was in working order, 'those sulphur fumes are carried thousands of feet up into the air. That I know to be the fact, because I have been up to make sure. No airships will come near us – they cannot do so without running the risk of asphyxiating every soul on board!'

King Ivanta laughed good-humouredly. His was just the nature to appreciate a clever scientific stratagem such as he saw this was.

'Fumenta, you are a man after my own heart!' he cried. 'I love a man who can use his brains and bend adverse circumstances to his will! You and I ought to have been acquainted before. I can see you have the capacity for ruling, by the way you have drilled and disciplined those ragged followers of yours. By the stars, I would have made you a king!'

'Perhaps I have been nearer to that than you think, King Ivanta,' was the unexpected answer.

Ivanta started and eyed him searchingly. He frowned and puckered his lips, and seemed to be thinking deeply.

'It almost seems to me that we have met before, and that I ought to know who you are,' he mused. 'Yet I don't see how such a thing could be.'

'Let us speak of the present and the future, oh king!' returned Fumenta, evidently desirous of changing the subject. 'What are your plans, sir?'

'My friend, I have not yet formed any. Until I know where my great airship is I am tied down, I fear me, to playing a waiting game. It is a strange experience for one like myself, Fumenta,' he went on philosophically, 'to find one's self a fugitive. I, who have solved the great problem of navigating space itself, who have visited distant planets, have been outwitted by men of grovelling instincts like Agrando and Zuanstroom; tricked, deceived, betrayed, and driven to welcome the protection and hospitality of outlaws!'

'Of outlaws, truly, but not of criminals, King Ivanta,' Fumenta answered firmly. 'All my followers are honest men, patriots, honourable fighters for their own and their country's rights, though their manner of life has made them rough and perhaps somewhat soured. Now, sir, let me make a suggestion. In Iraynia I have a much larger following than I have here. Let us go and show ourselves together there, and I warrant you the whole land will rise in your favour, and you will find you have at least one country loyal to you.'

Ivanta looked curiously at the old man, and hesitated.

'But we have need of airships,' he said.

'They have them.'

'And – the sinews of war – money – gold, my friend, gold! My treasure-house is by this time in the hands of my foes. Not only that, but they have in their control the fascination of diamonds too. But that would not matter so much if I had my own treasury. Without gold, even a king is helpless, my friend. We can do nothing without gold.'

'That I can supply also,' was the startling reply, made quite quietly, and without the least resemblance of boastfulness.

Again Ivanta started, and this time his keen eyes scrutinised the other's face as if doubtful whether he were a madman or a magician. Suddenly he inclined his head and said, 'That your statement astonished me I need scarcely say. As, however, you have performed all that you promised thus far, I will not pay you so poor a compliment as to doubt you in this. Well, now then, since you say you have plenty of gold, there is only one other thing necessary – machinery. Airships are of no use without a supply-station.'

'We will seize one,' answered the outlaw chief, with unexpected decision. 'Lend me your yacht and your outfit, and I will undertake to seize one of Agrando's chief power-stations. It is, as I happen to know, weakly held just now. But when we have captured it I will show you how you can defend it against the whole strength of your enemies. It is now daylight. The airships prowling around above us will draw off during the day when they find you have disappeared; and at night I will guide you to the place I have told you of, and we will seize it and hold it for you.'

'If you do that, Fumenta, you shall be made' —

But the old chief held up his hand. 'I am asking for no reward, oh king – or, at least, none of the kind you have in your mind. I have lived a hard, adventurous life, and am now getting old. Those I loved are dead, and I have none to care for, and no ambition for myself. I may, however, ask for some recognition in another form; one which, when the time comes, it will give you no trouble, cost you nothing, to grant. I crave your permission to keep my own counsel, and say no more in the meanwhile.'