Devil Crystals of Arret
From Astounding Stories September 1931" Facing a six-hour deadline of death, young Larry raids a hostile world of rat-men and tinkling Devil Crystals.Benjamin Marlowe and his young assistant, Larry Powell, opened thedoor of the Marlowe laboratory, then stopped aghast at the sightwhich greeted their startled eyes.There on the central floor-plate directly in the focus of the bigatomic projector stood the slender figure of Joan Marlowe, oldBenjamin Marlowe's niece and Larry Powell's fiancee.The girl had apparently only been awaiting their return to thelaboratory for around her gray laboratory smock was already fastenedone of their Silver Belts, and a cord was already in place runningfrom her wrist to the main switch of the projection mechanism.Joan's clear blue eyes sparkled with the thrill of high adventure asshe swiftly raised a slender hand in a gesture of warning to the twomen."Don't try to stop me," she warned quietly. "I can jerk the switchand be in Arret, before you've taken two st
...eps. I'm going to Arret,anyway. I was only waiting for you to return to the laboratory soI'd be sure of having you here to bring me back to Earth againbefore I have time to get into any serious trouble over there.""But, Joan," Benjamin Marlowe protested, "this is sheer madness! Noone can possibly guess what terrible conditions you may confront inArret. We've never dared to send a human being across the atomicbarrier yet!""We've sent all kinds of animals across, though," Joan retortedcalmly, "and as long as we recalled them within the twelve-hourlimit they always came back alive and unhurt. There's no reason whya human being should not be able to make the round trip just assafely. Ever since our Silver Belts first came back with the weirdplant and mineral fragments which proved that there really is such aplace as Arret, I've been wild to see with my own eyes theincredible things that must exist there..."
MoreLess
Write Review:
Guest
Read Also
User Reviews: