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Updated: May 23, 2025
His arrival to take possession of Venus had been made the occasion of a great festival. "The Water Festival," they called it, which was held only at times of universal public rejoicing. It was planned now to do honor to Tarrano planned for this same evening. But he postponed it a night; tonight was for Wolfgar. We were still captives in Tarrano's hands, as we had been on Earth in Venia.
But I knew that he was engaged secretly with far sterner things concerning the Cold Country, which lay a day's journey from us. But what they were, I did not know. The Water Festival was all we talked of. That afternoon, Tarrano describing it, said smilingly: "They say it is for me. But, Lady Elza it is I who plan it for you. You have not seen the Red Woman."
A whim of this Tarrano; perhaps a strain of vanity that Elza should see and hear of these events. So much had occurred already during those hours of our trip over the Polar ocean and back that we scarce could fathom it. But gradually we pieced it together. Underlying it all, Tarrano's dream of universal conquest was plain. In the Venus Cold Country he had started his wide-flung plans.
Tell them I declare war! Tarrano the Conqueror declares war on the Earth! Tell them that, with my compliments. Tell them to come down here and overwhelm me it ought to be very easy!" Escape That Tarrano should thus defy the Earth, when by every law of rational circumstance the move seemed to spell only his own disaster, was characteristic of the man.
He had escorted her once to a Venus festival; in a strange, brooding, humble, yet dignified fashion, he had spoken of love. She had laughed, and soon forgot the incident. But Tarrano had not forgotten. The daughter of the great Dr. Brende had fired his youthful imagination. Who knows what dreams even then born of the genius as yet merely latent were within him?
Silent, black and no one saw it as it winged away into the night. Tara I must revert now to those moments in the tower room when Tarrano dissolved the isolation barrage which Wolfgar had thrown around us. Georg escaped, as I have recounted. Tarrano there in the tower room rendered me unconscious. I came to myself on the broad divan and found Elza bending over me.
Tarrano drew Elza with him. Tara led the way. Through glowing white hallways, an arcade; down steps and an incline to burst at last through a tunnel-like passage into a room. "So? What is this, Cretar?" A room littered with apparatus. A dozen men were about. Men scantily dressed in this interior heat. Short, squat men of the Cold Country; flat-nosed, heavy faces; hair long to the base of the neck.
You have promised it to Earth. They demand " Tarrano rasped: "Tell them to wait ... I don't want Venus, Olgan.... Megar! Give me the Earth Mountain Station." He turned to me, and his voice dropped again to that characteristic sardonic drawl: "We must see how your friend Georg Brende is faring." The mirror showed Georg, standing irresolute on the platform before the sending discs.
We crossed it, and entered one of their queerly flat buildings at the ground level; entered through an archway, passed through several rooms and came at last into a room whirring with instruments. Argo said triumphantly, yet humbly: "Tarrano, Master we are here." A man at a table of helio-sending instruments turned and faced us. We were in the presence of the dread Tarrano! Man of Destiny
We would hold to our treaty of friendship with the Central State. We would remain neutral for a time. But Tarrano himself we declared an outlaw. His presence was required in Washington to stand trial for the assassinations, and the delivery in Washington of Dr. Brende's notes and model was demanded.
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