The Man on the Meteor by Ray Cummings

What were we to do? With such a choice, what could we say? Soon Og would return for his answer! The water of the cave still seemed ringing with his grim, sardonic voice.

Hopelessly we sat down for discussion. Nona sat on one of the seats where but a few moments before a Maagog mother had dropped and yielded up her infant to the boiling torrent beyond the grating. I shuddered and pulled Nona away. On the floor, near the center of the cave, we gathered in a huddled group. I braced my feet in the mud, for the current pressed us toward that ghastly grating, beyond which lay death.

The cave was silent save for the sinister hiss of steam beneath it. In the lurid green glow of the lamp overhead our faces were livid, death-like. Death hung all about us. An unseen, imponderable spectre, it seemed to lurk in the very water we breathed.

We were alone-yet not alone either. At the tunnel-mouth those squat black fishes circled back and forth on guard. Occasionally two or three would enter the cave. Poised before us, their eyes seemed gauging us. Uncanny eyes! Eyes almost like those of an intelligent dog whose master has set him to guard an enemy and who is watching suspiciously, expectantly, that enemy's every move. We lowered our voices subconsciously, as though fearing that the black fishes would hear us and understand.

At first we had little to say. It was all so hopeless. We could not allow Og to return us to Rax and yield up Nona to him. That was unthinkable. And yet, if we did not- The memory of those infants' bodies as they slid downward into the boiling torrent made us shudder with a fear that is implanted deep in every human heart.

Cowards? I do not think you could call us that. But the man who tells you he has faced death-in a calm moment of physical inactivity-without fear, is a liar.

We were all of us afraid, numbed, confused. Abruptly Atar laughed. But his laugh was hollow.

"We must plan something," he said. "We sit here like terrified children."

It was Caan who outlined the situation for us. "Og," he said, "undoubtedly wanted us to accept freedom. He could easily kill us now and keep Nona; but he wanted Nona's promise to be his willing, smiling queen. None other would the Maagogs have."

We could, therefore, count upon Og's returning us three men to Rax, if that were our choice. But could we? It was I who voiced the question. Caan had suggested that possibly we could get to Rax and return at once with others to help us rescue Nona.

"How do we know that Og will not betray us at the last moment? " I demanded. "How easily can he take us to the entrance to Marinoid waters, and there murder us! Returning here, he would tell Nona we were safe in Rax, and hold her to her promise."

It was thus, doubtless, the crafty Og was planning. He wanted Nona's promise-and yet certainly he would not want us three men back in Rax, with our knowledge of the Maagog plans, and of the coming war.

Then Nona herself suggested a possible way out of our desperate situation.

"I shall tell Og," she cried, "that we cannot be sure he will live up to his promise. If he returns you to Rax, I will agree to be his queen. His smiling queen. " She shuddered, and her body pressed against mine. "I shall tell him that. And, Nemo, do you not understand? I shall tell him he must take me also to the Marinoid entrance so that I may see you three swim safely into Marinoid waters. He will do that, no doubt. And there-at the last moment-you will fight-we will all fight."

Her white face turned to me; her beautiful lips were pressed grimly together. "Fight, my Nemo! Then we shall escape-if we can surprise him. Or at least we shall all die together."

To such a desperate plan our despair forced us. It seemed the only way. We discussed it-for how long I cannot say. And then, abruptly we saw Og again in the tunnel-mouth. The black fishes were swarming about him-fawning upon him with their grewsome whines of pleasure. He stopped to stroke one of them.

"You have decided? " he said to us.

"Yes," said Atar.

Fear seemed to have dropped from our young prince. For the first time since we left Rax, he dominated Caan and me. He stood now fronting Og unflinching-his face white and set, his eyes smouldering.

But his lips were smiling. "We do not desire death," he said. "We will return to Rax, and she will give the promise you ask."