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Updated: June 20, 2025
"Captain Tradmos ought to be here now," continued the princess, glancing uneasily toward the stairway. "We may not have so good an opportunity as this." Ten minutes went by. "Surely, something has gone wrong," whispered Bernardino. "I have never seen the darkness last so long as this; besides, can't you hear the muttering of the people?" Thorndyke acknowledged that he did.
Statues of white marble, gold and bronze were placed here and there, and, in squares of living green, fountains threw up streams of crystal water. Tradmos paused for them to look down and smiled at their evident admiration. "How far is it down there?" Thorndyke ventured to ask. "Over a thousand feet," replied Tradmos.
"But your balloons are poor, primitive things at best," returned Tradmos in his soft voice. "They can't be compared to this mode of travel, though, of course, our machines would not operate in your atmosphere." "Why not?" impulsively asked the Englishman. "I thought "
It became a threatening roar, broken by an occasional cry of pain and a dismal groan of terror. There was a crash as if a mountain had been burst by explosives. "The swinging bridge has been thrown down!" said Tradmos. Light after light flashed up in different parts of the city, but they were so small and so far apart that they seemed to add to the darkness rather than to lessen it.
Instantly their strength returned, and they felt remarkably buoyant as they were led along over another pavement of polished stone. Tradmos laughed. "You like the atmosphere?" "I never heard of anything like it," said Thorndyke. "It is so delightful I can almost taste it." "It was that which made Alpha what it is the most wonderful country in the universe," said the officer.
No other flying-machines will be in the air, and Captain Tradmos thinks, if we are very careful, we can get away safely before the display of lightning." "If we find my friend what can we do with him?" She hesitated a moment, a look of perplexity on her face, then she said: "We can bring him back and keep him hidden in your chambers till some better arrangement can be made.
They all wore long cloaks that covered them from head to foot and every man was more than six feet in height and finely proportioned. One of them, who seemed to be an officer in command, bowed politely. "I am Captain Tradmos, gentlemen, in the king's service. It is my duty to make you my prisoners. I must escort you to the palace of the king."
Near them was a tall fountain the water of which was playing weird music on great bells of glass, some of which hung in the fountain's stream and others rose and fell, giving forth strange, submerged tones in the foaming basin. "It is a new invention recently placed here by the king's son who is a musical genius," explained Tradmos. "You will be astonished at some of his inventions."
She is much taken with you; I saw it in her eyes when she danced for your entertainment." Thorndyke made no reply, but gazed searchingly into the eyes of the officer. Tradmos laughed. "You are afraid of me." "No, I am not, I trust you wholly; I know that you are honorable; I never make a mistake along that line." Tradmos bowed, pleased by the compliment.
Tradmos motioned to something that in the distance looked like a carriage, but which turned out to be a flying machine. It rose gracefully and glided over the ground and settled at their feet. It was large enough to seat a dozen people, and there was a little glass-windowed compartment at the end in which they could see "the driver," as he was termed by Tradmos.
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