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Read Ebook: Coming of the Gods by Whitehorn Chester
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Ebook has 125 lines and 9895 words, and 3 pages
They set off in the direction of the sphere. Ro carried a stone in either hand, ready for instant use.
Carlson urged them constantly to hurry. But Ro needed no urging. He led them at a fast pace through the forest. In a short while they could see the gleaming sides of the sphere.
Ro signaled a halt. He moved on alone, cautiously. His eyes strained ahead for a sign of the enemy, but all was still. Even at the edge of the clearing, he met silence.
Then the door to the sphere swung wide. Grimm stepped out, smiling widely. He waved a greeting.
Ro called to Na and Carlson and stepped into the clearing.
Grimm advanced a few steps, still smiling. Then his expression changed to one of fearful surprise. His eyes were fixed on a spot to Ro's right.
Ro followed his glance. He saw three rat men standing some thirty feet away.
They were half hidden by foliage, but Ro could see that one carried a ray gun. He was sighting along the barrel, aiming at Grimm.
Ro drew back the stone in his hand. He knew in that instant, his throw would be too late.
Grimm threw up his arms instinctively to ward off the burning death he expected.
But the rat man never fired. A lance of flame seared past Ro from behind him. The rat man holding the gun screamed in pain as the charge burned into his chest. He fell forward.
Ro released the rock in his hand, but it went wild. The remaining rat men fled.
Ro turned to find Carlson holding a smoking gun.
"Lucky I happened to pick this up back there," the Earthman said.
"Very lucky," said Ro. "For Grimm's sake."
"Into the sphere," Grimm called. "Those other two will be bringing the whole tribe back."
Carlson retrieved the dead rat man's ray gun. Ro ushered Na across the clearing to the door of the sphere. Na hesitated a bit, then entered reluctantly. Ro followed, then Grimm and finally Carlson.
"I guess I owe my life to you," Grimm said, as Carlson closed the door. "And I owe you an apology for the way I acted this morning. I didn't understand how it was between you and Charlotte. She explained. It was quite a shock, but I guess I'll live. Apology accepted?"
He extended his hand.
Carlson took it sheepishly.
"Tell me," Ro interrupted, "did you meet any rat men when you took the sphere?"
Grimm shook his head.
"Those three just now are the first we've seen since we left you. When we got here the place was deserted. We--"
A cry from another section of the sphere made them turn. It was the professor's voice.
"Here they come," he shouted. "Hundreds of them."
Carlson and Grimm dashed through a doorway in the direction of the cry. Ro followed, entering a spacious room. He was taken back by the intricate machinery he saw. There were countless numbers of dials and levers, gauges and indicators.
Carlson and Grimm took their places at tiny portholes. Ro found an unoccupied post and peered out. He saw a mass of grey bodies charging toward the sphere. There were more rat men than he'd ever seen at one time before. They seemed to be climbing over one another as they raced from the forest.
A sudden whirring of machinery within the sphere caused Ro to turn from the porthole. The three Earthmen were working levers and twisting dials frantically. Additional portholes appeared in the sides of the sphere. Long tubes rose on folding legs from the floor and slid through the openings.
"Take aim," the professor shouted in a commanding voice.
The whirring within the sphere grew louder. The floor seemed to quiver underfoot as giant motors generated energy.
"Fire!"
The entire sphere shuddered. Earthquaking explosions sounded outside as charges of force left the tubes to expel their power on the grey mass in the clearing.
Charge after charge was poured into the attacking rat men.
Ro leaped back to the porthole. He saw giant craters opening in the ground. Hoarse screams of pain and terror reached his ears. Scores of Oan were literally torn apart. Others disappeared completely. Those of the attackers who lived retreated in disorder. Ro noticed that one of the retreating Oan carried a ray gun.
"Cease fire," shouted the professor.
Carlson and Grimm turned from their guns laughing.
"They won't be back," chuckled Grimm. "They'll keep running for a week."
Ro moved silently to the post Carlson had occupied. He picked up the ray gun the Earthman had laid aside.
"What do you want with that?" asked the professor. "The battle is over. There won't be any use for ray guns now. We've beaten them."
"How does it work?" Ro asked grimly. His face was hard with determination.
The professor was puzzled, but explained the workings of the gun. He finished his explanation with, "But why?"
Ro walked to the door.
"The Oan still have a gun," he said. "When you are gone, they will return to use it on my people. That must not happen."
He said no more, but left the room. Na and the others heard the door of the sphere open and slam shut.
Carlson was the first to recover his wits.
"Come on," he said. "He may need help."
The three Earthmen armed themselves and left the ship. They saw Ro disappear into the wood and took after him.
Ro moved swiftly and silently. He slipped through the underbrush like an elusive phantom.
Some distance from the sphere he saw a grey shadow running ahead of him. He drew a bead on the creature and fired. A feeling of power surged through him as the rat man screamed and died.
He ran on.
Minutes passed before he saw the second Oan. The furry beast died a flaming death without uttering a sound.
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