"Otis Adelbert Kline - Man from the Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kline Otis Adelbert)

bench to which my hands and feet had been
bound. Standing over me with a sneering smile on
his pale face was Lido Kan, Supreme Ruler of Mars.
тАЬWhat happened?тАЭ I asked, bewildered. тАЬWhere
are my men?тАЭ
тАЬAll died but you,тАЭ he replied, тАЬwhen we brought
your ships to the ground. I had thought to bring them



10
Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930

down gently, but the rage of my operator got the they continued to add to it. Presently I saw that it
better of him, and he wrecked all four. I cannot was ready to be projected. There was a terrific roar
understand how it happened that you lived through from the machinery in the building around me, and
that crash. It was a miraculous escape.тАЭ the huge globe shot outward, but not in the
тАЬPerhaps I have been saved for a purpose,тАЭ I direction of Magong. It described a short curve and
replied, тАЬThe Supreme Ruler of the Universe is all- began to fall directly upon Mars. Once more there
knowing.тАЭ was a roar from the projector machinery, and once
тАЬI, at least, have kept you for a purpose,тАЭ again the sphere shot outward, only to return,
replied Lido Kan, savagely, тАЬLying here on your drawn by the terrific pull of MarsтАЩ gravity on its
back, you shall witness the destruction of your great mass.
world.тАЭ He pressed a lever and a curved metal A feeling of exultation came over me, as I saw
plate slid back from the ceiling, disclosing a great, that my enemies failed, again and again, in their
dome-like lens which looked out into space. тАЬThe efforts to project the sphere. It appeared to me that
empire of PтАЩan-ku is doomed,тАЭ he continued. they had brought destruction on their own heads.
тАЬWhile this side of our planet is turned toward But Lido Kan was not without resource. Suddenly
Magong, you shall witness its destruction through I heard a more terrific roar from the machinery
this lens. As soon as we turn away the lens will than had occurred before. A great section was split
become a mirror which will give you the battle from the mighty sphere, and simultaneously, the
scenes as witnessed from our station on the other larger and smaller pieces were projected obliquely
side. I pride myself that this is a rather clever out into space. This time they did not fall back, but
invention of mine.тАЭ continued to travel in curved paths. The smaller,
I made no reply, but looked eagerly out moving much more swiftly than the larger, soon
toward Magong. Already the once fair face of my disappeared from view, but it reappeared again in a
planet was growing pock-marked and ugly from few hours. The larger, moving more majestically
the cruel disease called war. across the sky, appeared to travel in a direction
тАЬYou are a clever whelp,тАЭ continued my opposite to that taken by the smaller, because of its
captor, watching my features closely, тАЬbut not slower motion and the axial rotation of the planet. I
clever enough for Lido Kan. Your ships destroyed had witnessed the formation of the moons of Mars.
two hundred of my magnetic wave stations, but it Foiled in his attempt to hurl so huge a
will not take long to rebuild them, and in the projectile, Lido Kan once more turned his attention
meantime the others are functioning quite to the firing of smaller ones. Hour after hour I
successfully, as you will observe. At least half of watched, my lens presently turning to a mirror as
the population of Magong has already been Mars turned her face away from Magong, and each
destroyed by my projectiles.тАЭ hour added to my sorrow as I saw the surface of
тАЬDonтАЩt be too sure of victory,тАЭ I replied. тАЬBy my planet turning to enormous ringed pits.
the time you have destroyed Magong, you may Presently an attendant brought me food and drink.