from worlds far apart. Yet there was one thing all of them had in common—men of villainous look, criminals banded together here by a common outlawry.
Their rough laughter rose at intervals. Drink was in a great flagon beside them. Some of them were flushed with it. Then in the humming silence of the time-ship, from down the dim, opalescent corridor came the murmured frightened voices of girls. One of the men laughted raucously.
"Our big day, when we arrive, eh Greggson? Hope I get a good one—it will be nice to start married life again."
At the ship's controls I saw Tork sitting, with a great bank of whirring mechanisms before him—levers and little switches, electronic pressure guages and whirring time-dials. Weird, almost gruesome figure now with the glowing opalescent light tinting his sleek black clothes. His grim, hawk-nosed face was gray, bloodless in the light-sheen. He turned to survey the man who had spoken.
"The drawing will be fair, you may be sure of that, Thomass."
The group assented jovially. The one called Greggson a burly, bullet-headed giant in red silk shirt, blue tight trousers and big flaring gaudy boots—retorted ironically:
"Quite so, Master. And you, crowned Emperor and for Empress we have Rhadana? She is worthy of any man—I would like her myself." He raised his cup with an applauding gesture. "To Rhadana—Mistress of the New Era. If I had lived in 5140, where she came from, I might have had her myself, long before this, eh fellows?"
Then I saw Doris sitting in a little chair across the room; Doris with terror on her white face, but seemingly unharmed. And beside me here on the floor, Jim Blake was lying. He was hitched up on one elbow, aware that I had stirred, that my eyes were open; and his hand touched me.
"Doris, she's all right," he murmured.
"Yes, I see—"
Our guard heard us and called Tork. He left his dials and came with a pounce, standing over us.
"So? You have recovered?"
"Yes," I said. "What's the idea of this—you—"
His waxen hand, with long lean fingers heavily jeweled, rose to silence me.
"So you would trick me? Telling your friend—"
The red-shirted giant across the control turret suddenly laughed,
"What will we do with them, Master, Why not kill them? Or should we toss them out?"
Tork's thin smile widened. "They shall be the first criminals of the New Era. That will be interesting—punishing them with death after our festival. “He stood with his eyes flashing as he drew himself erect. "And it will show the rest of you that Tork will tolerate nothing."
HE turned, went back to his controls; and as he passed Doris, his hand lightly touched her hair with a caress. It made her cry out; and Blake exclaimed:
"You let her alone, damn you—"
"Oh she shall not be harmed," Tork smiled. "She is too gentle. . . . You two—sit with her, if you like. You want them by you, little Doris?"
"Oh yes—yes, please," she murmured.
"Whatever you wish," he said grandiloquently. "You see, little Doris, how kind Tork can be to you? It will be that way, always in our New Era. Look out the window—certainly there is much to see. You can tell her about it," he added to me.
