The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Plotters, by Alexander Blade

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Title: The Plotters

Author: Alexander Blade

Release Date: June 13, 2010 [EBook #32801]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE PLOTTERS

By ALEXANDER BLADE

[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Amazing Stories December
1948. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed.]

[Sidenote: He came from a far planet to find some of the Earth's
secrets. But Marko found other things, too--like his love for beautiful
Beth]

It seemed to be the same tree that kept getting in my way. I tried to go
around it but it moved with me and I ran right into it. I found myself
sprawled on my back and my nose was bleeding where I had hit it against
the tree. Then I got up and ran again.

I had to keep running. I didn't know why; I just had to. There was a
puddle of water and I splashed through it and then slipped and fell into
a thorny bush. When I got up there were scratches on my hands and face
and chest.

As yet I felt no pain. That wouldn't come for a while, after I had done
a lot more running. But at the moment I couldn't feel a thing.

In my conscious mind there was only a sort of grayness. I didn't know
where I was, or who I was, or why I was running. I didn't know that if I
ran long enough and bumped into enough trees and scratched myself often
enough I would eventually feel pain. Or that out of the exertion and the
pain would come awareness.

All that must have been there, but buried so deep it didn't come
through. It was only instinct which kept me going.

The same tree was in my way again and this time I didn't even try to go
around it. My breath was knocked out of me. After a few gasps it came
back, and then I was off again.

I went up a rise and down into a hollow and tripped over roots. That
time I didn't fall. I went up the other side of the hollow with the wind
whis