Doc ran into the office and through the port he saw debris still flying through the air—the tangled wreckage of machines and blasted ore.
The radium pits disrupted in another flash of blue-white flame and again thunder blanketed and rocked the dome. The two remaining watch towers vanished in the upheaval and disintegrated in the blast, losing their identity in the clouts of flung-up earth.
“He’s using high explosives,” yelled Garrison.
“Of course,” gasped Doc. “He wouldn’t dare use radioactive stuff or he’d blast the planet to bits. No one would dare use anything but high explosives in a war on Venus.”
The door swung open and Mac stumbled in.
“Thanks for the call,” he said.
Men were running now out in the pits, scurrying like frightened ants, heading for the one spaceship which had escaped the shells.
The dust settled slowly over the battered field, now plunged in gloom with the shattering of the lights. And, as if by signal, the howling wind swept a sheet of snow down to blot out the sight.
When the snow cleared, the pits were empty of life—there was no movement in the blasted gouges. Fire spurted from the launching rockets of the one undamaged spaceship, the dome vibrating to the monster’s take-off. Momentarily a trail of flame climbed into the clouds and then silence and grayness clamped down over the deserted mine and dome.
“That settles it,” Mac commented. “We’re left alone. We’ll have to wait until the military comes and then—”
“You’re wrong,” said Doc. “There’s a ship waiting out north in the hills for you two fellows. A ship that Archie built. Better take Sparks along with you. He’s probably still around.”
“For the two of us?” asked Mac. “Why not all of us?”
“I can’t go,” said Doc. “I have to stay. I have a job to do.”
“Forget it, Doc,” urged Garrison. “Archie really built that ship for you. You were the one he liked. You were the only one he liked.”
Doc shook his head stubbornly. “No, I’ve thought it out. I can’t go along. Archie says the ship is fast. If I were you, I’d head for the asteroids. Stick around there for a while. Maybe after a time you can come out. Things are apt to be different then.”
“You’re afraid of what R.C. would do to you if he caught you,” jeered Mac.
“No. I’m not afraid of that,” Doc protested. “He couldn’t do any more to me then than if he had me now. And, anyhow, R.C. is through. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s through for good and all.”
“Mac,” said Garrison, “let’s tie the stubborn old fool up and take him along whether he wants to go or not.”
“Look, Johnny,” declared Doc. “I’d never forgive you if you did. Take my word for it. I have to stay.”
“O.K.,” said Mac. “If the benighted old goat doesn’t want to go, let the rest of us get moving. I’ll go hunt up Sparks. We don’t want to have that war fleet Streeter called for pick us up as they are coming in.”
Garrison nodded dumbly and moved toward the door. With the knob in his hand, he turned back.
“I don’t suppose I’ll be seeing you again, Doc.”
“I don’t imagine you will. I’m sorry the way things turned out, Johnny. It was a dirty shame. And you so near to Earth and that easy-chair.”
“Aw, hell,” said Garrison, “who cares for easy-chairs?”
Doc watched through the port until he saw the flare of a ship painting the northern hills. His gaze followed the streak of flame that climbed up and out toward the Sun.
Up and out toward the Sun. Out where one could see the stars. Out to take their place with a race that could conquer those stars. A race that could stretch out its hand and handiwork to the farthest reaches of the Universe. A race that could trace new pathways between the galaxies. A race that could hang its signposts on distant solar systems.
But a race that needed leadership to do it—a leadership that would strike off its shackles, shackles such as Radium, Inc., would weave. Shackles born of hate and greed and jealousies.
Perhaps Man had gotten off on the wrong foot. Perhaps his philosophy had been all wrong even from the start. Perhaps a bit of alien philosophy, weird as it might seem at first, would be good for him.
With a sigh, Doc turned back to the room.
A mournful silence hung there. Machinery still throbbed and occasionally there was a whine of fans, but aside from that there was no other sound.
Doc selected a fresh cigar from his vest pocket and carefully cut it in two. One half he stuck in his mouth, the other went back into the pocket.
He headed for the laboratory, shutting the door behind him.
“Howdy, Archie,” he said.
“You’re a fool,” said Archie.
“What’s the matter now?”
“I gave you a chance,” rasped Archie. “You threw it away. Don’t blame me for anything that happens now.”
“I had to have a little talk with you,” said Doc.
“You could have had it before.”
“No,” persisted Doc. “This one had to be private. No chance for anyone to hear.”
“All right,” said Archie, impatiently, “go ahead and spill it.”
“I just wanted to tell you something,” Doc explained. “Something that might make you easy in your mind. I destroyed those notes Boone made before he died.”
“You did what?”
“I destroyed them. I didn’t want to see you vulnerable. Because as soon as anything becomes vulnerable to the human race it’s a goner, sure as shooting.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Archie rumbled.
“Because I couldn’t make up my mind,” Doc told him. “I had to think it out.”
“You had a long time to make it up.”
Doc swiveled the cigar from east to west. “Yeah, that’s right. But somehow I couldn’t seem to do it. I made the decision just a little while ago.”
“What decided you?”
“A spaceship,” said Doc. “A spaceship that you made.”
“I understand,” said Archie.
“You aren’t as tough as you would like to have us think,” declared Doc. “You might not have had them before, but since Masterson found you, you’ve absorbed some conception of human emotions. The spaceship proved it.”
“I like you, doctor,” Archie said. “You remind me of Masterson.”
“I’m giving you the human race to carry out your experiment,” said Doc. “It can be a great experiment. You have good material to work with. All you need to do is handle it right. Point it toward the stars and keep it going straight. I’m backing you against Radium, Inc. I think the human race will get a better break from you. Don’t disappoint me, Archie.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Archie rumbled. “Maybe your race does deserve a break.”
“They aren’t such bad folks. And, anyhow,” Doc chuckled, “if they don’t like the way you do things they can turn their backs on you. If they don’t insist on radium, you have no hold on them. But if Radium, Inc., could beat you, there’d be no hope for them. They’d only fall deeper and deeper into slavery.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Archie grumbled. “You had the knowledge that would have broken me. You haven’t used it. You say you aren’t going to. Why not let it go at that?”
“If you were a man,” declared Doc, “I’d slap you down for that. I’m not trying to pose as a hero. There is something else.”
“Yes?”
“Look, Boone was the only man who stumbled on the clue. Even he, perhaps, didn’t realize all he had. But he might have. Given time, he certainly would have. But you killed him first. You had intended to all along as a means of escaping yourself. But his stumbling on the clue made you hurry up the job.”