"Stanley G. Weinbaum - Margaret Of Urbs 01 - The Black Flame" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weinbaum Stanley G)

where lights glowed and wheels turned. Men came from every part of the continent to see, and among
these were two called Mar-tin Sair and Joaquin Smith, come out of Mexico with the half-sister of
Joaquin, the Satanically beautiful being some-times called Black Margot.

"Martin Sair was a genius. He found his field in the study of medicine, and it was less than ten years
before he had uncovered the secret of the hard rays. He was studying sterility but he
foundтАФimmortality!"

"Then the Immortals are immortal!" murmured Hull.

"It may be, Hull. At least they do not seem to age, butтАФтАФтАФ Well, Joaquin Smith was also a
genius, but of a different sort. He dreamed of the re-uniting of the peoples of the country. I think he
dreams of even more, Hull; people say he will stop when he rules a hundred cities, but I think he
dreams of an American Empire, or"тАФOld Einar's voice droppedтАФ"a world Empire. At least, he took
Martin Sair's immortality and traded it for power. The Second Enlightenment was dawning and there
was genius in N'Orleans. He traded immortality to Kohlmar for a weapon, he offered it to Olin for
atomic power, but Olin was already past youth, and refused, partly because he didn't want it, and
partly because he was not entirely in sympathy with Joaquin Smith. So the Master seized the secret of
the atom despite Olin, and the Conquest began.

"N'Orleans, directly under the influence of the Master's magnetic personality, was ready to yield,
and yielded to him cheering. He raised his army and marched north, and everywhere cities fell or
yielded willingly. Joaquin Smith is magnificent, and men flock to him, cities cheer him, even the wives
and children of the slain swear allegiance when he forgives them in that noble manner of his. Only
Joaquin Smith was marching. Hull Tarvish leaned against the door of File Ormson's iron worker's shop
in Ormiston, and stared across the fields and across the wood-here and there men hate him bitterly,
and speak such words as tyrant, and talk of freedom."

"Such are the mountainies," said Hull. "Not even the mountainies can stand the ionic beams that
Kohlmar dug out of ancient books, nor the Erden resonator that explodes gunpowder miles away. I
think that Joaquin Smith will succeed, Hull. Moreover, I do not think it entirely bad that he should,
for he is a great ruler, and a bringer of civilization."

"What are they like, the Immortals?"

"Well, Martin Sair is as cold as mountain rock, and the Princess Margaret is like black fire. Even
my old bones feel younger only to look at her, and it is wise for young men not to look at her at all,
because she is quite heartless, ruthless, and pitiless. As for Joaquin Smith, the MasterтАФI do not know
the words to describe so complex a character, and I know him well. He is mild, perhaps, but
enormously strong, kind or cruel as suits his purpose, glitteringly intelligent, and dangerously
charm-ing."

"You know him!" echoed Hull, and added curiously, "What is your other name, Old Einar, you who
know the Immortals?"

The old man smiled. "When I was born," he said, "my parents called me Einar Olin"



CHAPTER THREE