Page:Amazing Stories Volume 01 Number 06.djvu/21

petuous onset. We were after him in an instant, pistols in hand.

The sight of the latter had its effect. They knew the power of the mysterious weapon, and their momentary fear gave us an initial advantage. Still, that would have availed us nothing in the end, but for the fact, which Edmund had counted upon, that there was a large portion of the assemblage who were our friends—or, rather, friends of Ala—and disposed to take her part.

Edmund had noted where her advocates were most numerous in the throng, and toward them he pushed. In a few seconds they had closed round us. The uproar became deafening. I doubt if ever so much noise was made on Venus before. It seemed to drive the crowd wild.

But Ala proved her queenly quality. With a proud air she drew herself erect, her eyes flashed, and with a few commanding gestures she reduced those immediately about us to silence. Then, at her order, an escort was formed, we were placed in the midst of it, and slowly we marched through the press toward the entrance to the chamber.

No resistance was offered. The faces about us rather expressed astonishment than any intention at interference. Glancing behind, I saw the white head of the old man on the throne, violently agitated; but if he gave any orders concerning us, they were not executed, and without opposition we passed out of the door.

Turning to the right, we quickly entered an apartment—smaller than the others—but no less splendid. Here there was another throne. Ala advanced to it, mounted the steps, retaining Edmund's hand; and taking her seat, calmly faced the spectators, while we stood close by, at the foot of the throne.

I think it will be best, in view of the dramatic events which were to follow, to tell you, in as few words as possible, the result of the episode that I have just described.

The room in which we now found ourselves was the private audience chamber of the queen. The apartment in which the examination had taken place was a kind of combination of a royal audience chamber and a supreme court-room. It seems that under the laws of Venus there was a sort of joint jurisdiction between the queen and the supreme judge.

In all judicial cases the two presided together. At least, the queen had the right to preside with the judge whenever she chose. It certainly did not strike me as a very wise arrangement, for in case of disagreement how were they to arrive at a decision without a third person to cast a deciding vote?

That, however, was none of our affair, and it was lucky for us that on this occasion the queen had not only chosen to exercise her prerogative, but had bent the law to her authority. I suspect that it usually happened that way whenever her feelings were interested, for a woman will have her way whether she lives on the earth or on Venus.

Owing probably to the fact that the victim of Edmund's pistol was the son of the venerable supreme judge, all of Ala's arguments in extenuation of the offense had been wasted until, seeing the imminent danger—her love though, perhaps, hardly appreciated by herself—suddenly flamed forth, and she determined to save Edmund at any cost.

The essential justice of our case was so evident to any unprejudiced mind that the sympathy of the majority of the audience had really been with the queen all the time, and to that fact we owed our escape.

The insane jealousy of Ala's unfortunate suitor had greatly complicated the situation, and was to be a source of trouble for us in the future; but his adherents were not numerous enough to threaten serious danger after we had once found refuge in the queen's apartment.

Her authority asserted itself in full force, and, as far as we were concerned, the episode seemed to be closed.

After the excitement about the trial and the scene that followed it had died down, we were assigned to a suite of apartments in the palace, Juba always remaining with us. We were continually on our guard, and all kept a sharp lookout for Ingra, the disappointed suitor, and his emissaries, because we had not the least doubt that he would have spies on our track, and would make away with us if he could. But for a long time we saw nothing of him.

Without our calendar clock we lost track of the time; for here, where it was always daylight, there was nothing to count by. Yet sleep, as we found, was no less necessary on Venus than on the earth. These people spent about as much time in bed as we do, retiring for the purpose into unlighted apartments.

Of course we saw Ala frequently; and as it became gradually easier for us to comprehend one another, we learned many interesting things. She had succeeded to the throne on the death of her mother, who had been queen before her. Here there were no kings, the succession passing always to women. Her father was also dead, and she had no brothers or sisters.

If she should die without leaving a daughter, the throne would pass to a collateral line. The question of her marriage was therefore of the first importance. Ingra, the pretender to her hand, was of royal blood, and he had the backing of a strong faction. He was Ala's third cousin, and though a young man of great beauty, she had no liking for him.

Ala herself was an extraordinary person, universally admired, not only for her beauty and her kindly nature, but even more for her intellectual gifts. She possessed a great deal of enlightened curiosity, and the expedition toward the mysterious land of night had been both led and planned by her.

As Edmund had surmised, the inhabitants of their side of Venus were not a warlike people. They all belonged to one race and one kingdom. Only a part of the daylight hemisphere was inhabited, a broad, ring-shaped area, with temperate climate,