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CHAPTER X
CAPTURED BY A COMET

The Ivenia, the great Martian airship, sped onwards upon its wonderful voyage for a period of nearly two months without anything occurring to interrupt its continuous progress. Then, one night, there came a startling interruption of its smooth, gliding flight through space – one that nearly terminated it for good and all.

It so happened that the two chums were sitting up that night with Mr Armeath in the conning-tower, a privilege but seldom accorded to any one not actually engaged in the navigation of the ship. The officer in charge, however, was one named Malanda, the one who had been in attendance on the king when Gerald had saved his life. He it was who had recognised the lad at the critical moment when he had been a prisoner, and since that time he had treated him with marked kindness.

The conning-tower was a roomy apartment, very curiously constructed. It could be raised or depressed by mechanical means, so that at some times it projected above the outer surface of the ship, while at others it was just level with it. In the former case there was a clear view in all directions except immediately beneath; in the latter there was no direct view save upwards; but the images of outside objects were then thrown on to a screen, as in a camera-obscura.

Upon this eventful night the conning-tower had been raised, and the two chums had been amusing themselves by peering through powerful telescopes at the heavenly bodies around them.

It was truly a wonderful, a fascinating sight, and one which Gerald, especially, was never tired of contemplating. The various constellations blazed out with a vividness and beauty far exceeding their appearance as seen through our atmosphere from the surface of the Earth. Thanks to Malanda, the two lads had learned to distinguish the planets from the far-more distant fixed stars. They knew that the latter were at such tremendous distances that they 'didn't count,' as Jack put it; the only ones they were likely to have anything to do with being the planets, which, like our Earth, are always revolving round our sun.

Of course, as they were going to visit Mars, they watched that orb particularly; and they felt a special interest in noting how its pinkish-red light increased in size and intensity as they drew nearer. Next in interest came our Earth, which they had so recently left, whose bluish light waned exactly in proportion as that of Mars waxed stronger. Then there was beautiful Saturn, with its wondrous rings of light; perhaps they were also to visit that mysterious orb, and learn what those lustrous bands were composed of!

Besides these, there were plenty of curious things to watch and admire. The planets had their moons in attendance upon them – some having two, some as many as eight – all behaving as our own moon does – each, that is to say, showing in turn as a thin crescent, a half-moon, a full-moon, and so on; and the voyagers had watched these changes with interest which never flagged. It seemed such a strange thing to think of: several moons round one planet; one, perhaps, a new moon; and two or three others near the full, all shining at the same time!

Now, it was while they were gazing at these beautiful sights that Jack noticed a tiny speck of light which struck him as unfamiliar. He mentioned it in an undertone to Gerald, who, just then, was half-watching what was to be seen of Saturn, half-dreaming of what lay beyond. Gerald pointed his telescope in the direction indicated, and looked at the speck of light, but seeing nothing particular in its appearance, turned his attention again to other objects.

Jack, however, was more observant. His acute, practical sense had told him that here was something different from anything he had seen before. He promptly recognised two or three very important points in connection with it. One was that its light was different in colour from that of anything else he could see. Another was that it was very unsteady, yet it did not 'twinkle' as do the far-distant stars; and yet another was that it was growing in intensity very quickly.

'Therefore,' said Jack to himself, 'I believe it must be comparatively near, and coming towards us at a most tremendous rate.' Finally, he drew Mr Armeath's attention to the phenomenon.

Armeath in turn pointed it out to Malanda, who had no sooner glanced at it than he rushed across the floor of the chamber to some levers, which he began to manipulate, at the same time setting a number of bells ringing in various parts of the great aerostat. One of these, as it afterwards appeared, rang out its urgent message in the sleeping-apartment of the king, who roused at once from his slumber and hurried to the conning-tower.

Before his arrival, however, the alarm bells had summoned others to the place, and from their excited talk the chums quickly learnt the cause of the excitement. For they had worked at the study of the Martian language to such good purpose that by this time they could understand most of what was said.

There were many confused exclamations, and much incoherent talk; but amidst it all they heard again and again the cry, 'A comet! A comet!'

Just then Jack found the engineer Monck beside him, and he asked for further information.

'I cannot tell you much about it now, my lad,' was the reply; 'but I know that this is one of the gravest dangers of our voyage. Comets have well been called "the spectres of space." The planets and their moons move in certain well-defined orbits or tracks, and you know exactly where you are likely to meet them and what to do if you wish to avoid them. But comets seem to be controlled by no known law, and you never can tell where you may encounter them. Compared with any of the planets, they are, of course, small; but they are enormous compared with our aerostat, and quite big enough to accomplish our destruction if one of them ran against us. So you can understand that great care is necessary when one is sighted.'

'These people seem very excited; do you think there is serious danger, sir?' Gerald asked.

'No, no – a – at least, I hope not. But when a comet is anywhere near it is always a relief when we are safely past it. You will see, however, that all will quiet down when our royal master is here. He is the only one, I believe, who really knows how to meet the danger.'

The words were scarcely spoken when they were verified by the king's arrival. As his stately form strode into the chamber, a great hush fell upon those assembled there, and, like magic, quiet and orderly procedure took the place of what had looked very much like unreasoning panic.

He stood for a few moments gazing around to take in the situation, then he looked at the advancing comet, which could now be plainly seen without any telescope furiously rushing, at tremendous speed, seemingly straight at the ship.

Flashes and bursts of light accompanied it like explosions of mighty bombshells, lighting up the interior of the conning-tower as might flashes of terrible lightning. Already it had grown from a tiny speck of light to a ball of fire as large as our moon looks at the full; and it was rapidly growing bigger and bigger.

Then Ivanta gave a series of orders in sharp, commanding tones, and some of the crowd of officers went off to execute them. The doors of the chamber were closed, and a moment later the conning-tower sank down, and all became dark save for a fiery image which was now to be seen upon a large screen. This gave a view of the comet as it would have appeared if they had still been looking direct at it. From the apparent size of a moon it had now grown to twice as large as our sun looks to us. Its shape was no longer round, but was changing each second, the continual explosions sending out irregular masses of fire upon all sides in turn.

Even as seen upon the screen it was an awful sight to look upon. It seemed like some gigantic, fiery monster bent upon devouring them.

Armeath put a hand affectionately upon each of his wards. He could see that the position of the aerostat was critical, and that they were all in terrible danger. It was not a moment for talk or comment, but he bent down and whispered a few words in the ears of the two lads. 'We are in the hands of God, my boys,' he said devoutly. 'Such things as these are but some of the smallest and most puny of His great works! If He so wills it we shall pass the danger safely, and live to remember it with admiration and wonder in place of fear!'

The fiery shape grew in size till it covered the whole screen, and in intensity till, even as thus reflected, the light from it was almost blinding. Then there came a close, stifling feeling, and the chamber grew so hot as to become almost intolerable. They were conscious of something which whizzed past them with a frightful roar. In a second it was gone, and the heat and light grew perceptibly less.

'It has passed!' murmured Armeath; and he breathed a prayer of thankfulness.

Monck, who had remained alongside them, gave a gasp of relief.

'That's the nearest brush we've ever had since I 've been on board!' he muttered.

'Has it really gone? Are we safe now, do you think, sir?' Gerald asked in a whisper. Both lads had held their breath at the critical moment. Though they had shown no signs of panic, the strain had been pretty severe, and they breathed more freely now.

'Yes, it has gone – shot past us like a flash. And now' —

Suddenly the aerostat gave a lurch, and then swerved from its course so abruptly as almost to throw the voyagers off their feet. To them it felt as if it had swung round in a great half-circle, and was now flying along in the opposite direction to that in which they had been going.

It was the first time since leaving the Earth that the travellers had experienced anything that could be called a jar or swerve; and they now stared at one another in startled surprise.

What could it mean?

Ivanta's voice was heard issuing hurried orders, and his officers hastened to execute them. Malanda crossed the floor to handle a lever near to where Monck was standing.

'What is it, friend Malanda?' asked the engineer, in an anxious undertone.

'We are caught in the attractive power of the comet,' was the answer, 'and it is pulling us along after it. Unless we can manage to fight free, this ship will follow the comet through space as long as it may continue to rush about on its erratic journey, which would probably mean at least a thousand years!'

CHAPTER XI
'WELCOME TO MARS!'

The minutes which followed Malanda's startling announcement were anxious ones indeed for those of the voyagers who had heard it. The great majority on board, however, were happily ignorant of what had happened, and knew nothing about it till subsequently.

Even Armeath and his companions could not afterwards tell much more about it than has been here set down, for the reason that Ivanta ordered the conning-tower to be cleared of every one save two or three of his officers. So they had to march out with the others; and of what went on inside, or whether the aerostat was likely ever to struggle out of its fearful position, they in the meanwhile knew nothing. For what seemed a long, weary time they could only wait on in suspense while the issue was being decided.

It was a good half-hour before the welcome news was brought to them that the king had succeeded in getting his ship free from the comet's sinister influence; and then no further particulars were vouchsafed. How it had been done was again one of those secrets which Ivanta kept strictly to himself. All that was made known was that the aerostat had now resumed her voyage, and that, as it happened, no harm had been done.

A few days later, Gerald was seated in one of the large conservatories, reading a book which he had borrowed. Both he and Jack could now read the Martian language fairly well, and they found in the library on board a new storehouse of wonders of the most fascinating description. Hearing footsteps, he glanced up, and saw that Tom Clinch had come to seek him.

'Could I 'ave a wurd wi' you, Mr Gerald?' Clinch asked.

'Certainly, Tom. What's the trouble?'

'Well, Mr Gerald, it be like this. I've 'eerd – it's odd 'ow things do get about – as we was nearly run down t'other night by a comet or some such blamed foolishness.'

Gerald looked with surprise upon the weather-beaten features of the faithful henchman, and with difficulty repressed a smile as he noted their woe-begone expression.

'I don't know how you managed to learn so much, Tom,' he answered quietly; 'but something of the kind did occur, I believe. Still, there is no occasion for you to take it so seriously. The danger is past; and they tell me it's not likely to happen again during the rest of our journey.'

But Tom Clinch was not so easily comforted. He shook his head with a dissatisfied grunt.

''Ow does they know?' he asked dubiously. 'They doan't keep a proper lookout, Mr Gerald, that's what's the matter, else they 'd 'a sighted this reckless galoot afore she got so near. They'd 'a seen as she wurn't under proper control, an' they should 'a sounded the siren. Why doan't they 'ave somebody perched on the top, outside, in a little sort o' crow's-nest? They could 'ave a speakin'-tube to shout through if ye like.'

'I 'm afraid it wouldn't answer; it would be rather uncomfortable – and, um – well, a little cold for the man outside,' replied Gerald gravely, though his eyes were twinkling. 'But is that all you wish to say?'

'Why, no, sir. Me an' Bob Reid, we've talked it over, an' we's agreed t' offer t' run the look-out for 'em, turn an' turn about, if ye likes. We's old sailors, an' we knows the ropes, an' we 'd keep a proper watch. Seems t' me as the people aboord 'ere be mostly landlubbers, what ain't got no nautical knollidge like.'

Gerald listened with a sympathetic air, for though he was naturally vastly amused, Tom looked so very much in earnest that he had not the heart to seem to ridicule his well-meant suggestion.

Promising, therefore, that he would make the generous offer known in the proper quarter, he dismissed the old sailor, just as his chum Jack came upon the scene.

Gerald did not notice at the moment that Jack looked serious too, and proceeded to tell him, with a laugh, what Clinch had been saying.

'Fancy the two honest old worthies talking this over, and coming sedately to me with such an offer!' said he. 'What an idea – that they should have a lookout placed outside, where the temperature runs far below that of liquid air! Jupiter!'

Then he noticed, for the first time, that his chum was also looking troubled.

'Why, what's amiss?' he asked. 'You and Tom Clinch seem alike to-day – you both remind me of the Knight of the Troubled Countenance. You look as if you wanted cheering up. You should read this book I 've got hold of; it would make you laugh.'

'What is it about?'

'It's written by some old Martian crank of an astronomer, and contains his speculations upon the subject of the Earth. They call us, you know, the evening star; for so our planet appears to them, just as Venus does to us. Well, he is writing and speculating about their evening star – that is, about our world – and he declares his conviction that it cannot be inhabited by human beings like those living on Mars. He argues that because the light from our Earth shines with a bluish tint, therefore, if there are people on it, they must have blue skins. He brings forward a lot of most convincing arguments to support this theory, and winds up by declaring that if our world is really inhabited, it can only be by a race of ape-like creatures, with blue skins and bodies partly covered with green hair!'

'H'm! So much for some people's scientific theories. However, I 've got something else to talk to you about just now. While you 've been reading and dreaming, and going about with your head in the clouds' —

'Above the clouds, Jack – far, far above the clouds! Be practical, now. Consider! Are we not far above the clouds?'

'Will you listen, you incorrigible dreamer?' exclaimed Jack impatiently. 'I want to tell you that I am afraid there is some fresh trouble brewing in which those Zuanstrooms are mixed up. Two or three times lately I have come upon their youngster, Freddy, wandering about in melancholy fashion, and when I asked him why he was alone, he said, each time, that they had sent him out because the "ugly old man" had come there to talk, and he was in the way. Now, by "ugly old man" Freddy means the one you called the Ogre – Kazzaro. The question naturally suggests itself, why should there be secret conferences between that worthy and the Diamond King?'

'Seems funny, doesn't it? Have you mentioned anything about it to our guardian or Mr Monck?'

'Not yet. You see, I haven't anything definite to go upon. But I 'm going to keep my eyes open, and I mean, if I can, to find out what it really is that is going on between the Zuanstrooms and the crowd they've become so thick with.'

'Well, I'll help you to keep an eye on them too. Neither Kazzaro nor Mr Zuanstroom is any friend of ours; that we know. I do believe that if they could have their way they would throw us off the ship, and leave us to go whizzing about in space like a couple of little comets.'

However, time passed on without anything further occurring to strengthen Jack's suspicions; and soon they were almost forgotten in the interest and excitement which sprang up and grew from day to day as they neared the end of the voyage.

The apparent size of Mars was visibly increasing each time they looked at it, till at last it seemed to take up the whole of the firmament in front of them. It was a wonderful, and in many ways an awe-inspiring, sight. For, just as when they had been leaving the Earth it seemed to be our globe which was travelling away from them – not they from the Earth – so now Mars appeared to be coming towards them, and at a frightful pace. Majestic, magnificent, inconceivably grand, it certainly was; but there was something oppressive in its very grandeur, something awful in its swift, silent approach, something terrible in its overwhelming greatness.

Seas and continents began to show upon its surface, till the wondering spectators could see the whole of one side laid out as on a gigantic map. And there, plain to the eye, were the so-called 'canals,' those curious constructions or formations which our earthly astronomers have viewed through their telescopes and puzzled over for so many years, and which are supposed to be artificial canals upon a gigantic scale.

At last, the Ivenia entered the planet's atmosphere, through which they had been viewing everything as through a faint-pinkish haze. Then a great change took place in the outward appearance of the aerostat. The upper covering was removed, the immense wings were spread, a beautifully carved and decorated 'figurehead,' like the head of a colossal bird, was run out at one end and a tail-like addition at the other.

Monck led Mr Armeath and his companions out on to the upper deck.

'You may now safely venture into the open air,' he observed; 'for, unknown to you, the air within the aerostat has been gradually changing, and becoming denser. We are all, therefore, now acclimatised, and you will feel no ill effects.'

As they looked through their glasses, the two lads uttered exclamations of astonishment and admiration.

Below them could be seen an extensive city, built beside an arm of the sea, which, instead of being blue, was of an ethereal, rosy tint. There were towering palaces and noble buildings, vast embankments and terraces, surrounded by beautiful gardens, amidst which could be distinguished stately colonnades, winding streams, and glistening fountains and cascades.

The Ivenia swept downwards with a swift, gliding motion, in a series of wide circles, like some giant bird poised on outstretched wings. There was no vibration, no jar, no motion even of the wide-spreading wings as she sank lightly and gracefully through the air.

And as she descended, the air below became filled with what at first had the appearance of a great flight of birds.

Gerald asked what they were, and Monck bade him look again through his glasses. Then he saw that what he had mistaken for distant birds were in reality numbers of flying-machines mounting upwards to meet the Ivenia.

A little later these smaller air-craft were swarming round the great aerostat, the occupants uttering shouts and cries of joyous welcome to their returning king. These flying-machines were of all shapes and kinds, and they thronged round Ivanta's superb 'chariot of the skies' as might a swarm of steamers, yachts, and other craft round a mighty warship bearing our own king back to England's shores after a foreign trip.

Finally, the wondrous structure landed easily and quietly upon the ground in the midst of a vast crowd of people; and, as she came to rest, King Ivanta stepped out from the conning-tower and showed himself to the shouting throng.

Then, turning to Armeath and the others whom he had brought with him as guests, he said, with a charming mixture of royal dignity and kindly condescension, 'Welcome, my friends! Welcome to our world! Welcome to Mars!'