This thought caused me to mull over a
AS I spoke a shadow swept across the desert
further possibility. I wondered what
and the sunlight was temporarily blotted out as
combination of circumstances we would
if by an eclipse. We glanced toward the sky
encounter in the event that a double flow of
and saw a gigantic body, nearly a quarter of a
time, backward as well as into the future,
mile square, hurtling through the air with the
should reveal our presence to these strangely
rapidity of an express train. Accustomed as we
inhuman creatures of the time to come. I
Wonder Stories
10
halted abruptly and turned to Clay.
They spoke and I was astonished
“Let’s take a closer look at them,” I
further to find that their language bore marked
said. “We’re safe if they can’t see us.”
resemblance to the tongue of Thibet, with
The three beings hovering about the
which I had familiarized myself during my
portal of the airship palace seemed posted as a
two years in that land.
guard. The time annihilation machine moved
“Here is the land wherein the great
on as we approached the gate.
Chang Hsu created us,” said the tallest man.
The three guards were clad in robes of
“How interesting are these pilgrimages
silk. They did not glance at us as we drew
in our floating palaces to Pei.”
near. All lurking fear on the score of discovery
“And of Chang Hsu, what gratitude we
vanished and Clay and I were filled with owe him. He raised us up into power in this supreme confidence. We studied the trio and
land of Pei, hidden for many centuries from
were astonished at their stature. The skin of
the outer world by towering mountains.”
their faces was like leather and their eyes as
“Until our race became powerful
narrow and cruel as those of serpents. The
enough to crush humanity. How few of them
great mouths seemed like those of reptiles, but
survive today, and they are our slaves.”
the foreheads were dome-shaped. Despite
“Blessed be the memory of Chang
their resemblance to humanity, we were Hsu.”
convinced that they were not of the races that
All nodded reverently at the mention
had dominated the globe during our era. A
of Chang Hsu. The great heads hinted at
new race possessed the globe.
profound intelligence, godlike in comparison
I recalled Stenson’s remark in the with that of humanity. Clay drew nearer and library on the destruction of human whispered in my ear, questioning me as to my civilization. Now I realized he had stumbled
apparent interest in the conversation; but I
on knowledge hidden to all the generations
motioned him to be silent. I felt I was on the
that had preceded him. The dominance of the
verge of a startling discovery.
earth by humanity had been held inevitable.
Now other creatures had wrested the control
THE torrid desert sun beat down upon our
from mankind.
shelter and my tongue grew swollen from
Had these creatures wiped the human
thirst. I was weak from hunger. I wondered
race off the globe, or did beings kindred to
where we could find water and food. The three
ourselves still exist in serfdom? I thought of
gigantic beings of Pei, the hidden land, stood
the time voyages of Larry Stenson and rigidly before us.
wondered where he had vanished. Somewhere
“Did not Chang Hsu, who crushed
in the long scale of time he had toppled into a
humanity, declare that the land of Pei was to
yawning abyss.
be ever sacred, O Slan Cho?” remarked one of
Perhaps some current of my unspoken
the guards to the gigantic leader.
thoughts were carried to the brains of the
The question was put, not as an
dome-headed men before us. Despite their interrogation but as an affirmation of faith.
great dissimilarity to humanity I thought of
Slan Cho nodded his repulsive head with the
them, as men, through want of a more fitting
air of a religious leader listening to the litany
word. Possibly they were evolved from the
of a devotee. He waved his tenuous arms in
parent human stock, changing their the sultry air. “So Chang Hsu ordered,” he appearance through the course of many replied.
centuries.
“After the power of Chang Hsu
The Time Annihilator
11
brought about the destruction of most of the
“Poor
Stenson.”
human race, did not our forebears spread
The procession, composed of hundreds
about the globe taking over many lands, Slan
of the leather-skinned beings moved toward
Cho?”
the crumbling ruins. At the rear of the column,
“Yes, Chang Hsu left us the rays of
carried on a golden throne, was a being even
death. As we grew strong in numbers, here in
greater in stature than the others. Cries arose
the desolate land of Pei, we plotted the from the throats of the marching pilgrims.
destruction of the worm-men who called
“Hail to the khan, viceroy of the ruler
themselves human.”
of the Eastern World,” the pilgrims shouted.
The litany, for so it was, proceeded
Moving the chamber with the
amid a strange religious spell. Slan Cho procession I stared at the reptile-face of the repeatedly nodded his head, with its reptile
being on the throne. The resemblance to a
features.
serpent was rather far-fetched, I cogitated, for
“It was the wish of Chang Hsu that
the domed head was undoubtedly that of a
humanity be deprived of its rule over the human type. But the wide lips in a jutting jaw globe,” said Slan Cho. “He hated his own
hinted at the crawling order of creation. The
species, white, yellow and black. Such as narrow-lidded eyes were like those of remain alive today are miserable slaves.”
serpents, vicious and inhumanly cunning.
“It is a privilege indeed to come with
The throne was carried on the
the pilgrims to the tomb of Chang Hsu.”
shoulders of a dozen panting human beings,
clad in dark robes. A sharp cry burst from my
THE sound of many voices came from within
lips at the sight. There was something heart-
the gate of the floating palace and the three
rending in the sight of the enslavement of our
men guarding the portal drew back. A own species. The relatively few human beings multitude of gigantic beings emerged, clad in
still existing were crushed into abject slavery.
silken garbs of many colors. Conical hats A guard of nearly a score of domed-headed covered their heads. Clay and I were engulfed
men surrounded the slaves and I watched two
as the pilgrims swarmed about us. I shouted
humans lashed cruelly as they faltered under
; warningly and turned to the control stick to
their heavy burden.
flee.
“I’d like to kill the khan,” I shouted.
The faces of the pilgrims were
“Who? The chap on the throne?”
impassive. The leather skin appeared horrible
“Yes.”
in the sharp light. Clay touched me on the
“You seem to have got quite a drift on
arm. The column of pilgrims started across the
the events taking place.”
desert. If anything was needed to convince me
“I did. The language is somewhat like
that we were among beings of the future, the
that of Thibet.”
utter disregard with which they marched about
The robes of the khan were of cloth of
it was it.
gold, encrusted with precious gems. As I
Their great forms mingled with ours
neared the throne I stared back at the floating
and passed through us as if we existed on
palace. The secret of levitation must have
different planes.
been developed to a remarkable degree by
“This is the strangest experience of
these people, I reflected. Even if the material
all,” said Clay.
which composed the air palace was light as
“And the most interesting. I wonder if
aluminum, the projection of such a great bulk
Stenson ever had a similar experience?”
through the sky was a startling achievement.
Wonder Stories
12
But no doubt if a being of the year 1800 could
There was something strangely human,
have witnessed the flight of a Zeppelin he
indeed, about this desert pilgrimage. I recalled
would have been struck with greater events of my own day. As a child I had been bewilderment.
taken to the tomb of Washington at Mount
“Well Lane, where are we bound for?”
Vernon. My heart had thrilled as I stood at the
“This group is making a pilgrimage to
resting place of the Father of our Country. The
the tomb of Chang Hsu who apparently domed-headed beings had come to this desert developed their species.”
cavern impelled by similar motives. Truly
I hastily sketched the conversation I
there must have been some sentiment about
had overheard from the guardians of the air
these strange creatures to have honored the
palace gate and he whistled in surprise. memory of the man who had evolved their
“Lucky thing you remembered a little of the
species.
lingo,” he remarked grimly. “At least we’ll be
The pilgrims, led by the khan,
able to know a little of where we’re at.”
prostrated themselves before the dead body,
“Maybe. And we might run into some
striking their great foreheads on the stone
wild surprises, too.”
floor. They groveled in the dust. I stared at the
body, fascinated by the high forehead that
THE desert was flushed by the last rays of the
hinted of superior intelligence. My mind dwelt
sun and the beams touched the walls of the
on the talk I had heard between the guards at
lama monastery. The ruins seemed poignant
the palace portal of a death ray left as a
with a tale of resistless time. There was heritage by Chang Hsu to the strange brood something tragic in the inevitable destruction
with which he had crushed the world.
that faced all things. The evil spirit of Chang
“That is the devil that ravaged the
Hsu brooded over the desert, although he had
human race,” I said pointing to the body on
been dead for centuries.
the golden throne.
The hundreds of pilgrims, as we
The next instant I regretted my words.
neared the ruins, gave way before the throne
Bert Clay was hot tempered under certain
of the khan, viceroy of the mysterious ruler of
situations. All caution seemed to desert him
the Eastern World. I stared into a great cavern,
now. A shout of rage burst from his lips as he
of immense proportions, the walls of which
flung open the door and hurled himself toward
were of solid rock. The cavern was below the
the embalmed body as if determined to topple
level of the monastery. Entering, we saw it from the throne. Lights blazed about the another being of human form entombed at the
shrine, blinding in their intensity. The tomb
far end. The form was motionless and I was illuminated by some invisible means.
realized, with startled heart, that I was staring
I shouted a warning to Clay. A sense
at the dead body of the Malevolent Chang
of tragedy swept me as I noted a misty slime
Hsu, to remain here for eternity.
enshroud him.
The thin form of the scourge of
humanity was seated on a golden throne about
which stood a guard of fifty of the breed he
CHAPTER IV
had evoked. An everlasting guard, I realized,
Trapped in Time!
protected the underground tomb. The passing
centuries had but slightly marred the cruel
face, with its wisp of black mustache. The
“CLAY, for heaven’s sake, stop!”
body was attired in yellow robes.
“I’m going to smash—”
The Time Annihilator
13
Cold horror filled my soul as I darted
not of the human slaves that still live on earth.
after him, attempting to seize him before he
You have come from out of the past. Well, we
would be seen. He was only a few feet away
shall see what to do with you.”
from me. A gust of chilly air, a breeze fitting
The ability of this man to understand
for a tomb, swept about us as he darted like a
immediately how we got here rather startled
madman toward the golden throne.
me. These fellows were intellectual giants!
“Clay, you blithering idiot, come
Heavily guarded by a score of the
back.”
khan’s warriors, led by the redoubtable Slan
He turned on me with a blazing face.
Cho, we were conducted toward the flying
Shouts arose about us and I glanced into the
palace. I turned to Slan Cho, overwhelmed
towering forms of hundreds of pilgrims. They
with curiosity. “What makes the palace fly?” I
leaped from their prone positions on the floor
inquired.
of the tomb and advanced toward us. A chill
Strangely enough Slan Cho
of cold fear touched me as I sensed that they
condescended to answer my question. There
saw us now that we had emerged from the
was a boastful note in his voice, I noted with
protective invisibility of the time machine.
an inward smile, as if a man of the vanished
The folly of Clay was reaping a swift reprisal.
twentieth century had been asked by a
“We’re done for Lane,” he cried. “Oh,
survivor of the year 1200 how it was possible
what a fool I’v
e been.”
to fly in an airplane.
“This is the end, I guess.”
“We have discovered the secrets of
“We’ll fight it out,” he shouted. nature to a degree far beyond that ever
“Better be killed that way!”
attained by the human race,” he said. “We
I knew that we had severed every link
have merely nullified the operation of gravity.
that bound us to our own time. My mind
A force known as apergy neutralizes
swept back to New York, with its robust life.
gravitation. The result is that almost
Now I would never see my own time again.
instantaneously we can project great masses of
We were trapped. Doubtless Stenson had material through the air. It is an ocean of committed a similar faux pas, forgetful of the
travel to us.”
fact that only by remaining in the glass-bound
Clay was depressed with worry as we
time chamber could he hope to return to the
approached the gate of the air palace. The
present.
structure I noted idly was composed of
“They are humans,” excited voices fretwork of gold and silver, richly encrusted shouted.
with great jewels with which I was unfamiliar.
Arms circled Clay and me with brutal
Clay turned to me. “Sorry I was such a fool,
force. Clay turned toward me, his face Lane,” he said.
bloodless. The arms about my body and throat
“Forget
it.”
exerted strangling pressure. I battled
By some peculiar mental quirk I had
ferociously to free myself, but the struggle
ceased, at least for the time being, to have any
was hopeless. The khan stood before us, great apprehension. After all, had I lived out staring into my face. At first he was my allotted span of life, I would have been incredulous and then I could feel a great dust these many hundreds of years. I was intelligence working over this strange cheating death, in a sense, by being alive at phenomenon.