The Greatest SF Classics of Stanley G. Weinbaum. Stanley G. Weinbaum

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СКАЧАТЬ neared the ruler. But Connor stood erect and stared at Margaret of Urbs, who sat in a chair by the window, a book on her lap, a black cigarette in her fingers spiraling smoke as she stared back at him.

      The Master's eyes flickered over them.

      "May I ask how you two managed to arrive here?" he inquired mildly.

      Connor tossed the medallion on the desk, and his lips twisted in wry amusement when he saw the quivering start that twitched the dainty lips of the Princess. She arose quickly and moved to the Master's side. She and Evanie gazed at each other across the desk. The eyes of Margaret of Urbs were faintly disdainful, but Evanie's were hostile.

      It was Tom Connor's first opportunity to make a first–hand comparison of the two. He hated himself for making it, but here it was thrust upon him.

      The Princess was a trifle taller, a bit more slender than Evanie, and infinitely more beautiful, lovely as Evanie was. It wasn't fair, Connor told himself bitterly—terribly unfair, in fact, to compare Evanie's beauty with the unearthly beauty of the Black Flame of Urbs. It was like contrasting the simple loveliness of a wild rose to the splendor ofan orchid, or a blown milkweed butterfly to a starflying Luna moth.

      The Master spoke.

      "I presume you have a reason for coming."

      "Yes," said Evanie. "I can't stand it—being imprisoned in a single room. I had to see you." Her lips quivered. She was a consummate actress, Connor suddenly realized. "You know I—I have—metamorphic blood in me. You know what that means. I have to move about in the open to breathe air that comes from the sky, not from Palace ventilators. So I've come to ask you for a little freedom. Just permission to walk now and then in the Inner Gardens."

      Connor wondered how walking in the square of the Inner Gardens could encompass her escape, since the Palace surrounded it.

      "It is my intention to release you, but not yet," the Master said. "Not until I have had what I wish from Thomas Connor."

      "But I can't stand it!" the girl pleaded tremulously. The Master turned to Connor.

      "Remembering your oath," he said, "do you second this request? This is no move against me?"

      "I do not break my word," Connor said.

      "Well, I see no harm in it." The Master called a few syllables into the box beside him, then spoke to Evanie. "You have the liberty of the halls and the Inner Gardens —no more. As for you"—his eyes flickered over Connor —"apparently you manage without my permission. That's all."

      Evanie dropped again to her knee, rose and moved toward the archway. As Connor followed, the Master called: "Not you, Thomas Connor."

      Connor turned again toward the faintly amused face of the ruler.

      "I perceive," the Master said, "that my sister has disobeyed me."

      The Princess laughed in that mocking way of hers. "Do I ever obey you, Joaquin?"

      "Nominally, at times." He paused, studying his sister coolly for a moment, then again turned his attention to the man before him. "As you may know," he remarked, "I have summoned a Conclave for day after tomorrow. I am completely occupied. But I do not forget your promise, Thomas Connor, nor have I lost interest in the stores of ancient knowledge. Therefore, you will accompany the Princess to the chambers behind the Throne Room and fulfill your promise by explaining to her as much as time permits of mathematics, particularly of the meaning of logarithms and of the device I have heard termed the slide–rule. She will understand you. That's all."

      He met the eyes of the Princess. "I may obey you this time, Joaquin," she said, and moved out of the door.

      Connor followed her. The halls betrayed the activity of the coming Conclave, and were more crowded than he had observed before. Twice grave–faced, long–haired Immortals passed them, raising respectful hands in salute to Margaret of Urbs.

      She turned into the South Corridor.

      "This isn't the way," he objected.

      "We're going to the Tower." She glanced sideward at him. "You'll see soon why the Palace needs all of its size. There'll be twenty thousand Immortals here, and we have room for all of them—half the Immortals in the world."

      "Half! Evanie said there were three million."

      She gave him an inscrutable smile.

      "It does no harm to let the Weeds over–estimate our strength."

      "Then why tell me?"

      Her smile was the unfathomable one of the Mona Lisa. "I never do anything without reason," was her only reply.

      He laughed. When once again they reached the aspiring pinnacle of the Tower, without a glance at the mighty city below, the Princess pulled pen and paper from a table, seated herself, and faced Connor.

      "Well?" she queried. "Begin."

      He did. It was a new Margaret of Urbs he saw now, unknown before save possibly in that brief moment when he had mentioned the Venus of Milo, or when earlier in the woods she had shown him how vast was her knowledge of and interest in history and world events.

      She was eager, curious, questioning, avid for knowledge and uncannily quick to comprehend. There were queer gaps in her learning. Often he had to stop to explain terms utterly elementary, while at other times she followed him through the most complex maze of reasoning without a question.

      The afternoon waned, dusk crept over the great vista, and at length she threw down her pen.

      "Enough," she said. "We must have ten–place logarithm tables worked out. They'll be priceless at Earth–eye." Not until then did a trace of mockery creep into her voice. "I suppose you realize," she taunted, "that once we have your knowledge all reasons to keep you alive are gone, but the reasons to kill you remain."

      He laughed.

      "You'd like to frighten me, wouldn't you? Haven't you tried that often enough? The Master trusts my word. I trust his—but not yours." His lips twisted. "Had I not trusted him, I could have escaped this morning. What was to prevent me from taking your weapon away, dropping you on a deserted shore—or even kidnapping you—and escaping in the Sky–Rat? I never promised not to escape. What kept me here was my trust in his word, and a desire to see this game played out!"

      "There is no safety anywhere in the world for you, Thomas Connor," said the Flame softly, "except in my favor. And why you still live is a mystery, so much so that I wonder at it. I have never before been so indulgent to one I hate." She flashed her glorious emerald eyes to his face. "Do I hate you?"

      "You should know hatred better than I."

      "Yes—and yet I wonder." She smiled slowly. "If ever I love the way I hate, not death itself could thwart me. But there is no man strong enough to conquer me."

      "Or perhaps," he retorted, "that one isn't interested." She smiled again with almost a trace of wistfulness. "You're very strong," she admitted. "I should have loved to have lived in your ancient days. To have lived among your great fighters and great makers of beauty.

      At least those were men—your ancients. I could have loved one of those."

      "And СКАЧАТЬ