ied, of course, and the Plutonian was duly sentenced to death
for the murder of the old Mercurian. Execution by dehydration was
decreed, so that the body would be uninjured for scientific study; and
to-day it is considered one of the finest specimens extant.
In his testimony, however, Olear so minimized his own connection with
the case that he received no public recognition. It was not until some
months afterward, when Morones, on leave, rode back with a shipload of
translucene, that the whole story came out, emphatically and
profanely. Olear finally consented to speak a few words for the
Telephoto News Co. As he stepped off the little platform deferential
hands tried to push him back.
"You haven't told them who you are," protested the announcer. "Give
your name and rank."
"Aw, they don't have to know that!" Olear rejoined, keeping on going.
"They know it's one of the Force. That's all they have to know.
Besides there's a blackjack game going on and I'm losing money every
minute I'm out of it."
The Exile of Time
PART THREE OF A FOUR-PART NOVEL
_By Ray Cummings_
WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE
[Illustration: _"Look!" exclaimed Larry._]
[Sidenote: Larry and George from 1935, Mary from 1777--all are caught
up in the treacherous Tugh's revolt of the Robots, in the Time-world
of 2930.]
There came a girl's scream, and muffled, frantic words.
"Let me out! Let me out!"
Then we saw her white face at the basement window. This, which was the
start of the extraordinary incidents, occurred on the night of June
8-9, 1935.
My name is George Rankin, and with my friend, Larry Gregory, we
rescued the girl who was imprisoned in the deserted house on Patton
Place, New York City. We thought at first that she was demented--this
strangely beautiful girl in long white satin dress, white powdered wig
and a black beauty patch on her check. She said she had come from the
year 1777, that her father was Major Atwood, of General Washington's
staff! Her name was Mistress Mary Atwood.
It was a strange story she had to tell us. A cage of shining metal
bars had materialized in her garden, and a mechanical man had come
from it--a Robot ten feet tall. It had captured her; brought her to
1935; left her, and vanished saying it would return.
We went back to that house on Patton Place. The cage did return, and
Larry and I fought the strange monster. We were worsted, and the Robot
seized Mary and me and whirled us back into T
|