large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_14_various_64kb_24
large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_14_various_64kb
English
10361
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!" 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
 Plutonians had mastered interplanetary travel--only to forget the secret until human ingenuity should reveal it once more. The modern Plutonian in that dank cave was over ten feet tall, and it is easy to see why he dominated the assemblage. His black visage was set in an evil smile; his ebony body glistened in the firelight. He held a three-pronged spear in one hand, and sat on a pile of rocks, a sort of rough throne, so that he towered magnificently above all others. He spoke the Mercurian language, although the liquid intonations came harshly from his sneering lips. "Are ye assembled, frogfolk, that ye may hear the decision of your Thinking Ones?" he asked. * * * * * A 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. E OUT OF THEIR CAVES TO BUILD HOUSES THE PLUTONIANS HAD MASTERED INTO PLANETARY TRAVEL ONLY TO FORGET THE SECRET UNTIL HUMAN INGENUITY SHOULD REVEAL IT ONCE MORE THE MODERN PLUTONIAN IN THAT DAMP CAVE WAS OVER TEN FEET TALL AND IT IS EASY TO SEE WHY HE DOMINATED THE ASSEMBLAGE HIS BLACK VISAGE WAS SET IN AN EVIL SMILE HIS EBONY BODY GLISTENED IN THE FIRELIGHT HE HELD A THREE PRONGED SPEAR IN ONE HAND AND SAT ON A PILE OF ROCKS A SORT OF ROUGH THRONE SO THAT HE TOWERED MAGNIFICENTLY 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
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