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Volume 8322

MOON MAID AT THE EARTH'S CORE by ANDY NUNEZ

CHAPTER TWELVE - IN THE MINES OF THE MOON

A harsh clanging brought me awake with a start. I immediately looked around for my locker, to get my flight gear on for the scramble alert. Lifting my head, however, sent a shot of pain right to my eyes, reminding me that I was a prisoner deep inside the moon of Pellucidar. I got to my feet in time to see the bottom slot in the door open and two trays of food slide in. Ko-lor was also awake. He went over and got the trays, giving me one.

"This is the last meal until we get back at the end of the shift," he said. "Eat what you can. You see what dietary wonders it has wrought on me."

I looked at the tray. There was some dubious looking chunks of half-cooked meat and an assortment of stalks and tubers that would have made Bugs Bunny's eyes light up. Nobody had bothered to wash them very carefully, either. I knew that I would need my strength, so I ate what I could force down. Ko-lor told me that there would be water at the mine site, as long as you didn't mind it tasting a little funny. After a couple of hours hacking at rocks, he added that most people didn't.

There was a second bell about ten minutes after the first.

"Stand back from the door," Ko-lor said. "It's time to go to work."

We waited near the rear of the cell. There was a grinding sound, and the cell door slid sideways. Outside, I could see an identical cell opening and another full size human inside. There was a third bell. Ko-lor started forward, motioning me to follow. We went out into the hall, to join a troop of about twenty prisoners, about half a dozen of who were of the Race. Most were dressed as Ko-lor, with filthy breechcloths and fur boots. Suddenly, there was a squawking sound above us. I looked up to see uniformed members of the Race on catwalks, all armed with rifles. It reminded me of one of those prison movies.

"Move forward toward the door," came an amplified voice. "Failure to comply will mean execution."

We moved as we were bid. When we reached the door at the end of the hall, it slid open to reveal a dimly lit tunnel. On tracks was a series of cars similar to the one in which I had been escorted away from my P-38. My P-38, I thought, what had become of Lightning? I saw no guards and no driver for the cars. The prisoners ahead of me took their seats, so I followed. As soon as we all had climbed aboard, the cars went on by themselves.

"So, they built the prison right next to the mine," I said as we zipped between domes of yellow light from the ceiling. "How do these cars move, I wonder?"

"The hidden fire in the wires," Ko-lor said. "Once, a prisoner jumped out, and he was burned to death when his foot touched one of the metal strips in the floor. Nobody has jumped out since."

"Great," I said. "Not only is there no exit besides this one going right back to the cells, but the floor is charged with electricity. These guys think of everything. How do the guards get in?"

"They have another exit," someone ahead of me said, turning to look at me. "You are new. By your clothes, you look to be from Sari. I am from Amoz. My uncle is Dacor the Strong One. My name is Larz."

I introduced myself quickly. "We must escape," I whispered so that the Race members in the front would not hear. "I have an aircraft that will take me to Sari so that we can warn the Emperor. I need only rescue my mate before she weds Jehoida of the Race."

"By the Great Peak!" he swore. "Your mate is Ee-la-nah of the Race? Her theft of an airship and escape to the surface many sleeps ago was the talk of the entire place. Jehoida was reduced to a squadron leader in the aftermath. He, who was once a favorite of the Leader of the Race, is now in disgrace. It would be easier for you to try to jump down to the surface."

"I must rescue her. If we can escape, I may be able to find an airship for you all."

"So what?" snarled Larz. "We cannot fly the thing."

"I saw the inside of one. I can teach you the basics if you will listen."

"I will listen," said Ko-lor. "I will also do anything to escape from here. Death is better than digging this brown stone from this black rock."

"What about the Race prisoners?" I asked. "Won't they turn us in?"

"Depends. Some of them are loyal, despite their problems, which are mainly mental. Others are diehard. They think that invading a place that has done them no harm is wrong and that they should come down and have a parley with us."

"I guess they are in the minority."

"Not really. It seems that most of these moon people are not killers, but thinkers and planners. I can't understand that sort of person, since I hunt and kill all the time. Such stuff as thinking is best left to the chief and then only in emergencies. They are far too soft for me, making things instead of lying on your belly in the grass until your prey comes by, then jumping up and killing it with spear or bow. That's the life."

Many agreed with the Thurian. The Race members became curious over our conversation, so we decided to start our plot in the tunnel by telling the Race members that we planned to escape. Some were shocked and said they would tell the guards as soon as we came to the mine until we threatened to throw them on to the tracks where they would be electrocuted. The rest, as Ko-lor believed, actually sided with us. One of them, a bit taller than the others, seemed to lead the dissenters.

"There are many members of the Race that do not agree with this mad scheme of conquest. Your fellow prisoners from the below-world know that I have been here many deka-days. I will help you because I wish Ee-la-nah to escape also. My name is Othniel."

I was immediately suspicious. "Why do you wish this?"

"She is my sister, you big ugly below-worlder," he stated. I was at once relieved. Had this been an actual Burroughs tale, I might have gone for a long time thinking he was a rival lover. It seemed enough coincidence to me that I was in the same car with him. Of course, if he held views similar to his sister, then it was not unrealistic. "So, I will help you, and I will fly the airship if you capture it. First, we must overpower the guards. I don't think we can wait, because these true believers in here will inform on us the moment our back is turned. That is how it is with this new way of the Race. They rule through terror and fear. They inform on each other and get rewarded. The unfortunate victims are usually innocent of all but the mildest nonconformities, but by being fingered, they must go through re-education, which includes having electricity run through your brain. My memory is still fuzzy after the number of treatments I have had."

"Well, then, we must try, even if the odds are against us," I said. "Are there any alarm signals?"

"There is a button on the wall by the door leading to the guard's exit," Othniel said. Most guards carry sidearms, and there is a rack of rifles by the door. If we could get to them, we might stand a chance. There are usually six guards, but at the sound of the alarm, a hundred could arrive."

"We are approaching the mine entrance," Ko-lor warned. "What do we do?"

"Grab those of the Race who will not join us and keep them from speaking."

Fortunately, only two were found to be non-compliant. I suggested that both be given a punch in the stomach just before the guards could see us. Larz and Ko-lor were only too happy to comply. When the car stopped, I could see we were in a domed area laid out similar to pictures of mining operations I had seen up top. There were carts for ore, and large cars for transporting it away. Tools were stacked neatly near the ragged mine entrance. Opposite the entrance was a semi-circular redoubt where six guards were stationed. I could see a large red button in the wall by a steel door. I also saw that there was a rack of rifles nearby with a metal bar keeping them in place. That last part didn't look so good, but we had to try. They were six and we were twenty.

We alighted the cars and dragged the assaulted members of the Race forward. The guards came forward, pistols ready. Just to be sure, Ko-lor and Larz gave them an elbow in the slats, just to keep them howling. Both of them looked pretty green.

"What is going on here?" demanded one of the guards.

"Your boys here are sick," I said. "That top cut meat you dished up didn't agree with them. You ought to see the mess they left back in the car." I jerked my thumb towards the cars and held my nose with the other hand.

"Leave them," the guard commanded. "We will see to them. Go and dig."

"They're all yours, sweetheart," I said. "Let the man have his buddies, fellows."

At my signal, Ko-lor and Larz propelled the two men of the Race at the nearest guards. They tangled, one of them going down in a heap, and we rushed them, trampling two more. We leaped over the barrier, and tried to keep the rest at bay. They were poor shots, but a couple of our men were down already. I checked out the rack of rifles. The bar was locked.

"No good here," I said to Ko-lor as bullets spanged overhead.

"This is moon man stuff," said Larz. "I told you my uncle was Dacor. He is not called the Strong One for nothing."

He grabbed the iron bar and with a grunt and a wrench tore it from the rack. Othniel, Ko-lor, and myself grabbed rifles. Larz merely flung himself across the redoubt at the nearest attack, cudgeling him with the iron bar. We found the rifles loaded and proceeded to unload them at the remaining members of the race. Within a minute, it was all over. The six guards were dead, along with four of our number. Two others had light wounds. Lars waved his bloody cudgel in triumph.

"We have shown them how we make war!" he crowed. "Well, what next? How do we get out of here?"

"Through this door, I imagine," I said. "One of the guards should have a key."

"We will need more than a key," Othniel said. "Those of us from the moon need to don their uniforms. We might be able to say we are transporting prisoners to a new location."

"Hmmm, it might work," I said. "We have to get to Ee-la-nah's and to the airbase."

"One will lead to the other," Othniel assured me. "You will see."

Othniel, now in one of the forbidding ebony uniforms of a soldier of the Race, led the way. The other three remaining members that were with us took positions around us normal sized humans, each carrying a rifle. We had the six pistols of the guards hidden on our persons. Larz insisted on retaining his iron bar, so he stayed in the center where it was less noticeable. Some of the Race looked in the equipment storage and procured what looked to me like explosives and their attendant detonators. Othniel found some transfer records, made them out, stamped them at the guard station, and took some time signing them.

"We are moving you to clean-up duty near Ee-la-nah's apartments," he explained. "This is an official order, signed by Jehoida himself. I have seen his signature enough, so imitating it is rather simple."

I am not sure he will appreciate the irony," I said. "Lead on."

He produced the key and unlocked the iron door. Beyond was a series of ramps that led ever upward. We marched in good order so as not to arouse suspicion, though we were not met on our path.

"Tell me about the Race," I urged Othniel as we walked. His luminous eyes took a note of sadness as he looked back at me.

"We should have been those who brought enlightenment to all of Pellucidar," he sadly glumly. "Except for Sari, we have developed in an orderly fashion since the earliest days. Everything has been done carefully and cautiously. We learned that we had to maintain strict order and discipline to survive. The animals here are much as they are on the surface, though smaller in size. We have no large sea creatures or flying reptiles, but all else abounds here. As our population grew, we threatened to destroy the food animals here, plus use up all the land for homes, so at the dawn of this present Age, we decided to keep the surface as lush and alive as possible and instead go within our world for the good of all.

"It was a wise decision. We still were able to visit the surface to tend farms and animals, but our underground existence forced us to develop new and clever ways to burrow and mine, then to ventilate our cities, and new machines to do all this better, and so on. Our underground civilization, while dull in some ways, is a logical progression of our orderly existence. Everything is laid out in mathematical precision, all nexuses are interconnected, and each nexus is self-sufficient, having all the centers necessary for it to function independent of the central nexus. Our machines run mostly by electricity" Ö the word he used here is too complicated to put down Ö "because to burn coal or oil stinks up our tunnels too much."

"You said you could have brought enlightenment," I noted. "Is that not the aim of your Leader?"

"A perverted sort," Othniel lamented. "We were running out of room, so some heka-days past we developed balloons to visit the surface. There we found a plenty of room, but some parts were occupied by people like Ko-lor. We brought back reports, and the Race was divided on whether to appear openly bearing our gifts of knowledge and trade them for living space, or whether to go in force and take the land, subduing the inhabitants. When spies discovered the firearms down there, the militant faction won. There was a new thrust to unify the minds of the people, first by education, then by re-education. Those wanting war gained control through the passivity and acceptance of the majority, who merely wanted peaceful expansion and coexistence. Now, we have an obedient majority ruled by an aggressive and xenophobic minority. They have built many weapons of war beside aircraft. They are designing giant airship transports to send down fighting machines that roll along the ground firing machine guns and cannons. They are working on light artillery also, and a variety of ground transport vehicles."

"They must be stopped," I said. "Well, we are at the top. Here comes our first test."

At the top was another guard station, flanked by two of the Race armed with rifles. They drew aside and kept their weapons trained on us. An officer appeared from a nearby doorway. I looked about. Here was a wide concourse, wider than any I had seen so far. Electric vehicles purred back and forth. People scurried along also. It was as if ants had been turned to people and the people had redesigned the anthill to look like something out of an issue of Astounding stories. I could see open areas at different levels, shops, garages, where more of the Race worked on vehicles and did other mechanical things. Bright flares from arc welders blossomed here and there. I saw low, lumbering black vehicles with the ugly snouts of cannons protruding from rounded turrets.

Flat cars loaded with crates and machine parts traveled in all directions. Lifts took people to different floors. Squads of soldiers marched in orderly fashion at regular intervals. I focused on the officer. He seemed older than most, a sign that the regimen of time took its toll on the inhabitants of the moon.

"You look as if you have been digging in the mines, yourself, guard," the officer noted, staring with displeasure at Othniel's rumpled uniform. Luckily, the blood had mostly been rinsed out. Othniel saluted and removed his "orders" from his breast pocket.

"I have been instructed to move these prisoners to do clean up at the airship nexus," he told the officer.

"Signed by Jehoida himself!" the man breathed. "I would recognize his signature anywhere. Very well, this signature could get you in to empty the Leader's trashcan if need be. Carry on."

"It may just yet," said Othniel after he had passed the man. I smiled. Othniel noted it and whispered, "Careful that you do not look too happy, prisoner. We are subject to random questionings by any enforcement squads that are in a foul mood. If one of them should call Jehoida for verification. . . ."

"Jehoida must have been something before the scandal," I said. "I thought the officer was going to have a conniption fit when he saw that forgery."

"I am not sure what sort of ailment a conniption fit is, but I get the meaning," Othniel said. "Jehoida's name is still one to conjure with here."

"Why so?"

"Because he is the son of the Leader himself," Othniel admitted.

"Yet he was broken in rank."

Othniel shrugged. "So as not to show favoritism. The loyalty of those siding with the Leader was at stake. If he would spare his own son humiliation, then that would be weakness, and he would be deposed. For the elite of the Race, there is always an itching between the shoulders where they feel the knife waiting for them if they misstep."

"I see," I nodded shortly, so as not to draw attention. "Where to now?"

"It is a good march to the airship nexus. We pass close enough to Jehoida's apartments to rescue my sister. Then, we part company. I will send one of my men with you; the rest of us will procure an airship and escape."

"Sounds like a plan," I said. "I am no good at deviousness, so I am glad you are with me. I prefer a stand up fight."

"You wound me." It was Othniel's turn to smile. "Besides, all methods have a time and a place. Trying to kidnap Jehoida while alone was the wrong tactic at the wrong time."

We marched for what seemed a good mile. Othniel knew exactly which way he was going. Along the way, we got several stares, but only one accosting, which again was quickly settled by the supposed signature of Jehoida. All the while I pondered the things I had been told. Othniel obviously had not told me the entire story. He and Ee-la-nah were certainly from a family of some prominence in the elite of the Race, or she would not have attracted the attention of one as high as Jehoida. Jehoida's rage was the more understandable because of the height he had plunged after his beloved not only spurned him, but also stole government property and left the moon. I again saw parallels in the ascendancy of the ruling elite of the Race to the domination of the Nazis over German society. Like the world above, I was determined that Pellucidar would stamp out fascism also. The thought made me wonder how the war was going on the outer crust, but I had too much happening in the present to give it serious consideration. We had arrived at the same crossroads where I had attempted to take Jehoida hostage.

"Here is our first real test," Othniel said, leading us to the very street where I had been subdued. "You and I will rush up the steps while the rest wait down below. At the first sign of trouble, they will come to our aid. Do you agree fellows?"

They all nodded somberly, Larz looking especially glum. "I was hoping to break a few more heads," he complained.

"Plenty of time for that later, big nose," Othniel grinned. "Just keep that bar of yours out of sight. Come with me, Byron."

We took off at a run toward a set of glass doors. Beyond them was a set of steps leading upwards. At the top of the first landing, Jehoida turned in, counted the doors, and then pointed to one bearing a gold plate with an engraving in an unknown script.

"This is Jehoida's," he said. "We will have a better chance if we take care of him first."

"Fine by me," I agreed. "Shall I take the door down? It doesn't look too substantial."

"Too noisy," he said. "Up here, we are gentlemen. Let us knock."

He rapped his knuckles on the door below the plate, pistol ready in his other hand. The door opened about a third of the way, to reveal an annoyed Jehoida. One look at us and his eyes widened, then he tried to back away and slam the door shut. I lashed out and caught the edge of the panel with my left hand and shoved it open. The force took Jehoida off balance and he staggered back, arms flailing. I dove in after him, clipping him on the jaw before he could say a word. My fist blew out his lights and he dropped like a deflated balloon. Othniel stepped in behind me and quickly shut the door.

"Well, there is something to be said for impulsiveness," he said once the panel was shut. "We'd better truss him up and find my sister."

We used some belts and cloth decorations to tie his hands and feet, stuffing a wad of cloth into his mouth. An ugly bruise rose up on his chin, but otherwise he seemed no worse for the wear. I suppose I should have broken his neck, but it didn't seem very sporting to kill a defenseless man, even though he would probably have no qualms about doing me in if the situation was reversed. At the least, he would be out for a long time. Once we were done, we pocketed as many weapons and other useful items as we could.

"I'd say this would be the door to Ee-la-nah's suite," Othniel said, indicating a door inset on the left. "Let's see what we have among Jehoida's effects." He emptied the unconscious man's pockets and found a set of keys.

Othniel went over and tried the keys until one fit. Without knocking, he went inside. Suddenly, something long and white crashed into his skull, shattering into dozens of tiny fragments. Othniel fell to his knees.

"I told you that you will not enter this room without knocking, tarag-breath!" came a voice I knew all too well. "Get out before I scream."

"I wish you would not," I said. "We are trying to keep a low profile."

Ee-la-nah came into view from her position of ambush. Her shock was obvious, tears starting at her luminous eyes. Not bothering to examine her handiwork, she leaped over her prostrate brother and rushed to my embrace. I was so excited that I lifted her off her tiny feet and pressed my lips to hers; swinging her around in a circle several times with joy. Then, I gently released her and bent to see about Othniel.

"You OK, buddy?" I asked.

"I hope his skull is fractured," Ee-la-nah spat. "He is forever trying to wheedle his way into my boudoir."

"You better hope its not, because he's our ticket out of here," I said, brushing ceramic fragments out of Othniel's hair. I could see no blood. "What did you hit him with?"

"One of his cheap vases," she answered. "To thin, I guess to kill him."

"And this is how you treat your own brother," Othniel groaned.

"Othniel!" She gasped. "I did not know! How did you escape? I thought both you and Byron were dead."

"I just feel like I am dead," Othniel said. "I am not seeing double right now, anyway. We have got to get out of here."

"Let's go," she agreed.

She was dressed in a fur trimmed two-piece outfit, a pocketed black blouse with a calf-length skirt, meeting a dainty set of boots. I thought she looked so good she could knock out a whole row of Hollywood starlets, right down to Veronica Lake and Simone Simon. Taking her by the hand, we rushed back down to the street. When we got to the double doors, we saw our companions fanning out, weapons ready. Faintly now, I could hear a wail like sirens.

I poked my head out the doors. Ko-lor saw me and waved me back with a free hand, while he readied his pistol in the other.

"Somebody must have found the bodies at the mine, or double checked the orders," he yelled. "These little fellows say that this screeching noise is a signal that guards are coming. You stay out of sight, and we'll lead them toward the airfield. One of Othniel's friends here has a plan to buy some time and cause confusion. Keep low. You'll know when to head out."

"Good luck!" I called, and then backed into the hallway.

I turned to the others. "Ko-lor is creating a diversion of some sort. Stay back until we can go."

We retreated until we were not obvious. I saw our friends retreat in the direction opposite the one we had arrived by. The wailing stopped, and I heard feet running, then shots. The shooting intensified and I heard screams, but it was too confusing to make out who was screaming. We then saw at least twenty black-shirted members of the Race rush past, firing as they advanced. Less than a minute later, I heard a tremendous explosion. Smoke billowed past, and the building we were in shook so hard that pieces of the ceiling came down.

"That's our cue," I advised. "Let's move along."

We rushed outside. To the left, all I could see was smoke and rubble. Bodies lay all along the street. I noted a couple were too big to belong to the Race, but could not identify them. We turned right and ran. Smoke and dust choked the hallway. People were rushing from adjoining buildings, crying and screaming in panic.

"One of the fellows had taken some explosives and detonators," Othniel remembered. "I guess he decided to block the passage. The result is creating a real panic. There hasn't been a cave in for heka-days. People don't know what to do and I that's just fine. Maybe they'll be too busy to look for a big-nose like you."

"Just watch it with the big-nose stuff, future brother-in-law," I said, grinning. "We've got to get to a round hangar for pursuit planes. You know where it's at?"

"I trained there," he said. "But, why walk, when we can ride?"

"Huh?" I said.

He indicated several of the electric cars. These had sirens and flashing lights on them. "We can keep you low, and it looks like we are on official business," he outlined.

This we did. I was uncomfortable crammed in the back, but it worked. I kept two pistols ready, while even Ee-la-nah was armed. People were rushing everywhere, and a haze of smoke curled over our heads from the cave-in. We were basically ignored, and people refused to get out of our way even with the siren and lights going. We got to the entrance to the hangar to find only two guards at the entrance. They crossed their rifles as we approached.

"What has happened?" one cried.

"There has been a riot in the mines," Othniel explained. "I am here to make sure the airfield is secure, by verbal order of Jehoida himself."

"The prisoners have done this?" the other guard wondered.

"Yes," Othniel snapped. "Now, let me pass. The prisoners got hold of explosives and tried to destroy Jehoida's personal quarters. There has been a massive cave-in. Hundreds may be dead."

Both guards seemed visibly shook by this revelation. The opened their stance and we passed through into the vast underground airdrome. Ten black planes were lined up, and there, exactly where I left it, was my P-38. We jumped out of the car and looked around. There were half a dozen mechanics, so I stayed crouched behind the car while Othniel went over to them. I couldn't hear what he said, but they took off like the Devil was after them. He returned to me with a big grin on his pale face.

"I told them that the prisoners were raiding the mechanic's apartments and molesting their mates," he said. "They grabbed wrenches and hammers and went to the rescue. We have ten minutes perhaps. I will open the door to the outside. You get your plane ready."

"Fine," I said. "There's a tarag in there, but don't worry. He only eats people I tell him to. It's a shame we have to leave all these planes here untouched."

"Start yours," Othniel said. "I'll handle the other planes."

I took Ee-la-nah and climbed on the P-38's wing. Looking inside the canopy, instead of a frantic Lightning, I found the big cat fast asleep behind my seat. He jumped up when I slid the cover back and gave me a big lap of his rough tongue. I felt like he took two layers of skin off, but I was glad to see him. I did some quick pre-flight checks and started the motors. They hummed normally, and the gauges looked good. Othniel hit the airdrome door switch, and huge hydraulic arms pulled the door back. Once he had accomplished that, he went over to what looked like a gas pump and cranked it on. Fuel began spilling everywhere. Not looking back, he raced to the plane and clambered aboard. He looked askance at Lightning, but I told the tarag to heel and Othniel climbed in with us. I was counting on the odd pull of the moon's gravity to offset the extra weight. Luckily, both Ee-la-nah and Othniel were pretty light.

Othniel pulled his pistol before jumping in and fired off a clip at the river of fuel that was spewing over the concrete floor of the airdrome. The bullets struck sparks and the fuel blossomed into flames. He sat down and I shoved the canopy shut. No sooner had I done so than a wave of heat washed over us. Not waiting around for more, I gunned the motors and shot the Lightning up the incline to the surface. Knowing the runway was short, I gave her full flaps and the P-38 nearly leaped upward at the end of the ramp. Explosions were going off behind me as the plane's fuel tanks ignited. After getting about a thousand feet up, I looked back to see a black-tinged yellow tongue of flame vomit out of the airdrome's opening.

I flew with the moon's curve, staying within its gravity well until I was solidly on its dark side. Below me, I saw Thuria and the Lidi plain. Having a good reference, I headed straight for them, leveling off about two thousand feet above the surface. This time there was only a momentary wave of dizziness, and then I was out of the moon's pull. I saw the group of huts that must have been Thuria's capital before I changed course. Ocean soon passed under me, and the moon dropped farther behind.

"Safe," sighed Ee-la-nah. "I knew that you would come for me, Byron. Jehoida told me he had killed you, but I know how he lies. If I had not seen him gun down the Mahar, I would not have believed that."

"He's one nasty S-O-B, that's for sure," I agreed.

"What is essobee?" she asked. "Some little rodent from your home?"

"Something like that," I said. "I guess it was stupid of me to come after you by myself, but well, I just couldn't stand the thought of living without you. When we get back to Sari, I am not going to let anybody hurt you again."

"I wish it were so," she murmured, leaning against me, "but Jehoida is coming there with all the army of the Race."

"He'll need it," was all I said.