The Land of the Changing Sun Part 8

"Here," and a human form loomed up before him.

For a moment neither spoke, then the strange figure said: "I thought at first that you were some one sent to rescue me, but I see you are alone--d.a.m.ned like myself."

"It looks that way," replied Johnston.

"When did they bring you?"

"Only a moment ago."

"My G.o.d, it is awful! A week ago I did not dream of such a fate as this.

I had enemies. The medical men were bribed to vote against me. Am I not strong? Am I not muscular? Feel my arms and thighs."

He held out an arm and Johnston felt of it. The muscles were like stone.

"You are a giant."

"Ah! you are right; but they reported that there was a taint in my blood. I was to marry Lallio, the most beautiful creature in our village--Madryl, you know, the nearest hamlet to the home of the Sun. I was rich, and the best farmer there. But Lyngale wanted her. She hated him and spat at him when he spoke against me. He proved by others that my lungs were weak, and showed them the blood of a slain dog in my fields that they said had come from my lungs. Ah, they were curs! My lungs weak! Strike my chest with all your might. Does it not sound like the king's thunder? Strike, I say!" and as the enfeebled American struck his bare breast he cried:--"Harder, harder! Pooh, you are a child, see this, and this," and he emphasized his words with thunderous blows on his resounding chest.

"But it has been so for a century," he panted; "hundreds have been unjustly buried alive here. The king thinks it is not murder because they die of starvation. I have stumbled over the bones of giants here in the dark lands, and have met dying men that are stronger than the king's athletes."

"What, are there others here?" gasped the American.

The Alphian was silent in astonishment.

"Why, where did you come from?" he asked, after a pause.

"From New York City."

"I don't know of it, and yet I thought I knew of all the places inside the great endless wall."

Johnston was mystified in his turn. "It is not in your country--your world, or whatever you call it. It is far away."

"Ah, under the white sun! In the 'Ocean Country,' and the world of fierce winds and disease. And you are from there. I had heard of it before they banished me; but two days since I came across a dying man, away over there. He was huddled against the wall, and had fallen and killed himself in his efforts to climb back to food and light.

"I saw him die. He told me that he had come from your land when he was a child. His trouble was the lungs and he had fallen off to a skeleton. He talked to me of your wide ocean land. Is it, indeed so great? And has it no walls about it?"

"No, it is surrounded by water."

"I cannot understand," and, after a pause, in which Johnston could hear the great fellow's heart beating, he continued; "That must be the Heaven the man spoke about. And beyond the water is it always dark like this, and do they banish people there as the king has us?"

"No; beyond are other countries. But is there no chance for us to escape from here?"

The Alphian laughed bitterly. "None. What were you banished for?"

"I hardly know."

"Hold out your arm. There," as he grasped Johnston's arm in a clasp of iron, "I see; you are undeveloped, unfit--none but the healthy and strong are allowed to live in Alpha. It is right, of course; but it is hard to bear. But I must lie down. I am wearied with constant rambling.

I am nervous too. I fell asleep awhile ago and dreamt I heard all my friends in a great clamoring body calling my name, 'Branasko!' and then I awoke and cried for help."

As he spoke he sank with a sigh to the ground and rested his head on his elbows and knees and seemed asleep. The American sat down beside him, and, for a long time, neither spoke. Branas...o...b..oke the silence; he awoke with a start and eyed his companion in sleepy wonder.

"Ugh, I dreamt again," he grunted, "are you asleep?"

"No," was Johnston's reply. "I am hungry and thirsty and cannot sleep."

"So am I, but we must wait till it is lighter, then we can go in search of food. When I was a boy I learned to catch fish in pools with my hands and it has prolonged my life here. When the light comes again, I shall show you how I do it."

"Then the day does break? I thought it was eternally dark here."

"It does not get very light, because we are behind the sun; but it is lighter than now, for we get the sun's reflection, enough at least to keep us from falling into the chasms."

Branasko lowered his head to his knees and slept again, but the American, though wearied, was wakeful. Several hours pa.s.sed. The Alphian was sleeping soundly, his breathing was very heavy and he had rolled down on his side.

Far away in the east the darkness gradually faded into purple, and then into gray, and slowly hints of pink appeared in the skies. It was dawn.

Johnston touched his companion. The man awoke and looked at him from his great swollen eyes.

"It is day," he yawned, rising and stretching himself.

"But the sun is not in sight."

"No; it shows itself only in the middle of the day, and then but for a few minutes. We must go now and search for food. I will show you how to catch the eyeless fish in the black caverns over there." And he led the American into the blackness behind them. Every now and then, as they stumbled along, Johnston would look longingly back toward the faint pink light that shone above the high black wall. But Branasko hastened on.

Presently they came to the edge of a black chasm and the American was filled with awe, for, from the seemingly fathomless depths, came a great roaring sound like that of a mighty wind and the air that came from it was hot, though pure and free from the odor of gas.

"What is this?" he asked.

"They are everywhere," answered Branasko, "if it were not for their hot breathing the Land of the Changing Sun would be cold and damp."

"Then the sun does not give out heat?"

"No."

"It is cold?"

"I believe so, I have never thought much about it."

The American was mystified, but he did not question farther, for Branasko was carefully lowering himself into the hot gulf.

"Follow me," he said; "we must cross it to reach the caves. I will guide you. I have been over this way before."

"But can we stand the heat?"

"Oh, yes; when we get used to it, it is invigorating. I perspire in streams, but I feel better afterward. Come on."

Branasko's head only was above the ground. "I am standing on a ledge,"

he said. "Get down beside me. Fear nothing. It is solid; besides, what does it matter? You can die but once, and it would really be better to fall down there into the internal fires than to starve slowly."

Johnston shuddered convulsively as he let himself down beside Branasko.