Shadow Gold by Ray Cummings Read online

  warriors, massed here on the rocks, swarmed

  slowly died. A puff of light here, then another

  forward and engulfed them.

  far away, dimmed by the smoke.

  The confusion was passing. Men came

  The throb of the condensers was gone.

  and peered into the wrecked cone. Then they

  The diabolical mechanism at last was stilled.

  climbed down into it to get Taro’s gold—to

  Darkness and silence came, with only the bring it up and transport it to Bhana, where all wind sucking and whining across the top of

  the available engines, running full, would put

  the giant cone.

  it back as fast as they could into the polluted

  atmosphere.

  Normality to this realm. Taro’s

  CHAPTER V

  menace was past. Then Johnny and Anne

  Johnny’s Treasure

  disclosed themselves. They were taken to

  Jeoh, and then to Johnny’s father, who had

  come here with the Bhana forces.

  FOR an interval Johnny and Anne crouched

  The gold sand was strangely light,

  dazed, huddled together in the smoke filled

  almost weightless. There was only its bulk to

  gloom at the bottom of the cone pit. Then they

  handle. Johnny watched the men carrying and

  became aware that the air was clearing; the

  loading it. On Earth, it would be fabulous

  normal breeze across the cone top brought a

  wealth.

  Thrilling Wonder Stories

  18

  “Yes,” Hall said. “And we are going

  stared at her now and thought he had never

  back to Earth now—without it. Contact with

  seen so quaintly beautiful a girl anywhere.

  our Earth can bring nothing but harm here.”

  She had been crying; the shock of

  “You did magnificently, Johnny. Poor

  losing her brother; and now, to lose Hall, her

  Nido—he deserved to live to see all this master. Hall said gently: triumph.” Hall sighed. “I just want to get back

  “It’s best for us to go, Neena. Our

  to Earth now, Johnny. Destroy my damnable

  Earth must never know of your little world. I

  transition mechanisms.”

  came here, but I brought you nothing but

  He seemed like a man utterly tired, at

  tragedy and death.”

  the end of a task which abruptly was finished.

  She just sat staring. Hall piloted the car

  They stood watching while the gold

  out over the golden lake. The light was

  sand was loaded into a Bhana ship. All the

  growing with the coming dawn. Johnny told

  Bhana craft were still exuding golden streams,

  himself he had never seen so beautiful a sight

  circling off over the forests and back. Johnny

  as this glorious golden landscape.

  had secured the transition mechanisms from

  Hall landed near the clump of giant

  the cone pit. Anne had been wearing one of

  ferns, a mile or so outside the golden glowing

  them; Johnny and his father donned the others.

  city.

  The flight to Bhana was a few hours’ trip

  “You can fly the car back, Neena,” he

  down a steady wind. Triumphant, returning

  said. “You’ll explain for me? Tell everyone I

  fleet. Johnny did not see the main sections of

  always knew they were my sincere friends.”

  Bhana itself.

  Neena gulped and nodded. “You—

  won’t ever come back?”

  THE city, damaged by the storm, was dark,

  Hall suddenly said, “I won’t ever let

  with all its lights cut off—its transportation

  anyone else on Earth have the secret of the

  system stilled by lack of gold fuel. The ships

  transition. But maybe—sometime—we might

  took some of the gold there now. The lights

  come.”

  winked on. The city emerged from darkness

  Neena turned abruptly, and from the

  and impending death. The thousands of car produced a small sack which she had stricken people were treated by small exhaust

  hidden there. And under her arm was a rolled

  jets, as on Earth, oxygen tents are used.

  bundle of fabric. With a quaint, pathetic smile,

  Hall, from his own home, had gathered

  she gazed at Hall as she unrolled it.

  just a few trinkets, mementoes of his years

  “My brother Nido had planned with

  here in this world. He felt that he could not

  me to do this when you left. He—he is not

  stand saying good by to his friends here. here, but I am doing it for him. These clothes Hastily, he, Johnny and Anne got into Hall’s

  from your house—they are yours.”

  little car, to go to that spot outside the city

  She handed Hall two metallic robes,

  where Johnny and Anne had landed. They

  fashioned with many pouches and pockets.

  would leave from there.

  Hall took them, surprised but smiling.

  And in the car, they found Hall’s little

  “Why yes, Neena, thank you.” He was

  serving maid. Her name was Neena, Johnny

  puzzled. He said, “I made them years ago,

  had met her when he first came; he had hardly

  Johnny, anticipating your coming. I was

  noticed her. Nido’s sister. A feminine collecting a little gold fuel I had forgotten, and duplicate of the gentle Nido. The same I used all of it since, in rocket engines.”

  bronzed glistening skin; the same patrician

  But Neena was lifting the small white

  aspect of delicately moulded features. Johnny

  sack. “A present from our world; you were

  Shadow Gold

  19

  very good to us always. Nido gathered it from

  gold of all the realms in all the Universe.

  the little engines. It is not much. Our world

  “I thank you,” Hall was saying gently.

  will not miss it—or need it.”

  “We all thank you very much, Neena.”

  Little golden treasure. Johnny was

  Then presently they were ready to

  standing with his arm around Anne. He start. Neena’s quaint little figure, waving glanced down and met her glowing misty farewell in the growing golden dawn light, eyes, shining with the happiness of her love.

  was the last thing they saw as they swept away

  Treasure so much more precious than all the

  into the transition.