large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_14_various_64kb_95
large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_14_various_64kb
English
10361
] A raucous laugh interrupted the Mercurian's feeble voice, and it echoed eerily from the walls of the chamber. A RAUCOUS LAUGH INTERRUPTED THE MERCURIAN'S FEEBLE VOICE AND IT ECHOED EERILY FROM THE WALLS OF THE CHAMBER
ed before the oblong stone. His back was to the Plutonian, his face to the crescent of chiefs. "The Old Wise One!" A twittering murmur went around the assemblage. "Hear the Old Wise One!" "My people, I like this not!" began the ancient. "The Lords of the Green Star[1] have dealt with us fairly. Each phase[2] they have brought us the things we wanted"--he touched his spear and a few gaudy ornaments on his otherwise naked body--"in exchange for the worthless white sap of our trees. If we longer offend the Lords of the Green Star--" [Footnote 1: In their various languages, almost all solar races call Earth "The Green Star." Although conditions on Mercury are unfavorable, Earth can be seen from the dark star, on mountain tops, during occasional dispersals of the cloud masses.] [Footnote 2: The Mercurians had no conception of time before the Earthmen came. A "phase" is the time between calls of the freight ships, and is therefore variable; but in those days it was about six or seven months. IFICENTLY ABOVE ALL OTHERS HE SPOKE THE MERCURIAN LANGUAGE ALTHOUGH THE LIQUID INTONATIONS CAME HARSHLY FROM HIS SNEERING LIPS ARE YE ASSEMBLED FROG FOLK THAT YOU MAY HEAR THE DECISION OF YOUR THINKING ONES HE ASKED HER RESPECTFUL PEEPING CHORUS SIGNIFIED ASSENT BUT IN THAT THERE WAS A HINT OF UNREST EVEN OF FEAR SPEAK YE THINKING ONE YOUR COMMANDS HEAR ME FIRST AN OLD MERCURIAN UNUSUALLY TALL FADED AND DRY LOOKING HIS THICK HIDE WRINKLED LIKE CRUSHED LEATHER ROSE SLOWLY TO HIS FEET AND STEPPED BEFORE THE OBLONG STONE HIS BACK WAS TO THE PLUTONIAN HIS FACE TO THE CRESCENT OF CHIEF THE OLD WISE ONE A TWITTERING MURMUR WENT AROUND THE ASSEMBLAGE HEAR THE OLD WISE ONE MY PEOPLE I LIKE THIS NOT BEGAN THE ANCIENT THE LORDS OF THE GREEN STAR HAVE DEALT WITH US FAIRLY EACH PHASE THEY HAVE BROUGHT US THE THINGS WE WANTED HE TOUCHED HIS SPEAR AND A FEW GAUDY ORNAMENTS ON HIS OTHERWISE NAKED BODY IN EXCHANGE FOR THE WORTHLESS WHITE SAP OF OUR TREES IF WE LONGER OFFEND THE LORDS OF THE GREEN STAR
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