"Luar! Dalis!"
Faintly, fearfully, came the answer.
"We hear, O Sarka!"
"Shift the blue column away from the Earth! Do not interfere as we
return to our orbit about the sun! Obey, or I combine the total
knowledge of Mars, the Earth, and the Moon in an attack against you and
your Martian ally! Inform your ally that their people will not return,
that the Earth has need of them--but that two Gens of Earth will be
received by Martians in perfect amity, and these Gens allowed biding
places on Mars! Unless your ally obeys, the Martians in my hands will be
destroyed!"
In an hour the answer came, the snarling thought-answer of Dalis.
"We hear! We obey! But Dalis is never beaten while he lives! His day
will come!"
* * * * *
Sarka found himself feeling even a little sorry for sorely beaten Dalis;
but his face was grim as he sent another command to the people of Dalis
who had passed through the life-source of the Moon.
"Take command of the cubes, and force them to repair the damage which
has been done to the dwellings of men--to repair them completely, over
all the face of the Earth!"
As the glowing people hurried to obey, Sarka softly asked his father:
"But what shall we do with the Martians?"
Sarka the Second smiled.
"Release them and send them to the lowest level where, guarded by the
cubes, they will be set to constructing fireballs like those in which
they arrived for the use of Earth if Dalis, or the Martians, ever attack
again! And, son...."
"Yes, O my father?" said Sarka softly.
"I have another suggestion for the employment of the cubes! Let them
build aircars to be used by the Gens of Prull and of Klaser, as
transportation to Mars whenever you are ready for them to go!"
Sarka smiled boyishly, happily.
"Yes, O my father; and is there anything else?"
"Yes! Take Jaska as your mate! Do you not see that she is waiting for
you to speak?"
Sarka turned to Jaska, whose face was glorious in her surrender, and
whose lips were parted in a loving smile--which faded only when Sarka's
lips caressed it away.
(_The end._)
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