might have any other she among the Galus; but Ajor—no!
The poor child was heartbroken; and as for me, I was slowly realizing the hold that Ajor had upon my heart and wondering how I should get along without her. As I held her in my arms that last night, I tried to imagine what life would be without her, for at last there had come to me the realization that I loved her—loved my little barbarian; and as I finally tore myself away and went to my own hut to snatch a few hours' sleep before we set off upon our long journey on the morrow, I consoled myself with the thought that time would heal the wound and that back in my native land I should find a mate who would be all and more to me than little Ajor could ever be—a woman of my own race and my own culture.
Morning came more quickly than I could have wished. I rose and breakfasted, but saw nothing of Ajor. It was best, I thought, that I go thus without the harrowing pangs of a last farewell. The party formed for the march, an escort of Galu warriors ready to accompany us. I could not even bear to go to Ace's corral and bid him farewell. The night before, I had given him to Ajor, and now in my mind the two seemed quite inseparable.
And so we marched away, down along the street flanked with its stone houses and out through the wide gateway in the stone wall which surrounds the city and on across the clearing toward the forest through which we must pass to reach the northern boundary of Galu, beyond which we would turn south. At the edge of the forest I cast a last backward glance at the city which held my heart, and beside the massive gateway I saw that which brought me to a sudden halt. It was a little figure leaning against one of the great upright posts upon which the gates swing—a crumpled little figure; and even at this distance I could see its shoulders heave to the sobs that racked it. It was the last straw.
Bowen was near me. "Good-bye, old man," I said. "I'm going back."
He looked at me in surprise. "Good-bye, old man," he said, and grasped my hand. "I thought you'd do it in the end."
And then I went back and took Ajor in my arms and kissed the tears from her eyes and a smile to her lips while together we watched the last of the Americans disappear into the forest.
(To be concluded)
Discussions
In this department we shall discuss, every month, topics of interest to all of our readers. The editors invite correspondence on all subjects directly or indirectly related to the stories appearing in this magazine. Only letters of interest to all of our readers will be published, and discussed by the editors. Due to the great influx of mail it is impossible to answer all letters personally, and in case a special personal answer is required, a nominal fee of 25c to cover time and postage is required.
Critics Criticized
Editor, Amazing Stories:
I have read the January issue of Amazing Stories, and certainly enjoyed all the stories, as I did in all the previous issues.
I couldn't resist writing you on the attitude of some of your readers who criticize your methods.
An editor certainly has some job, with the "gimme this," and "gimme that." It's a wonder the magazines don't go to ruin, and the publishers to an asylum.
Now if a correspondent would only consider the other readers as he does himself he could not find fault with your magazine, but no, only he himself enjoys reading to his ideal.
If a reader doesn't like a story why shouldn't he pass it over, and read the next one. The one he almost hates brings joy and an idea to someone else. As an example we may take "The Moon Hoax," if he stopped to realize that the public will pick up everything but "scientific truth," he would see that the "Moon Hoax," truly believed by many, showed the psychology of the many.
Some do not like funny stories. Well as for me, I like a mixture, comic, sober, exciting, spiritualistic, mysterious, gruesome; and your magazine, the one great magazine of scientific literature, has satisfied all these desires.
Fosdick's electroplating story hit me so hard that I immediately coated rats with graphite and plated them with copper, and also insects were coated in the same manner.
Dr. Ox's experiment also hit me hard. I have been constructing a small yard which will be almost airtight, and small animals and insects will be experimented on. These two stories are comic, yet I found an idea in each.
"Station X" I certainly think is a wonderful masterpiece, and I put 15 dollars in a low wave transmitter so I could have a friend of mine, who is a physician and pretty good hypnotist, hypnotize a subject, the experiment failed this once, but I'm going to try again.
If a person would follow the "Science and Invention" motto, "If you do not go beyond fact you rarely get as far as fact," and stop to consider his fellow readers, he would find no fault with your magazine. Am I right?
There were only two stories I really didn't enjoy in the magazine since the first issue, but I soon found out that they were much admired in some circles. Now if I put up my personal objection, how could you please me and them? If I don't like a story I let it pass to the next reader, and I certainly wish the others felt the same.
I can truthfully say that there are seven stories I derived no idea from, but from the rest I got real good and even tried experiments based on them.
But how do I know what emotions these seven stories may have caused in other brains and hearts?
I trust you will be able to publish your flawless magazine, twice a month.
Burlington, Vt.
[Here is a letter that pleases the Editor more, perhaps, than many others that have come in. Here we have at least something constructive to show where a man's imagination was aroused to such a degree that he went out and did things, which is as it should be. This is the fulfillment of our highest hopes, namely, that Amazing Stories will fire the imagination to achieve things in this world. In the editorial of the October, 1926, issue, the Editor stated as follows:
"An author, in one of his fantastic scientifiction stories, may start some one thinking along the suggested lines which the author had in mind, whereas the inventor in the end will finish up with something totally different, and perhaps much more important. But the fact remains that the author provided the stimulus in the first place, which is a most important function to perform."
This is a healthy sign. We hope to hear more from readers who have thus been stimulated.—EDITOR.]
From a Young Reader
Editor, Amazing Stories:
I am sixteen years old, it is true, but just the same I can't resist praising your magazine. There is something in it which grips the imagination and sends it to regions higher than any to which it could be sent by the ordinary type of fiction. I find it hard to wait a month for the issues; this month I secured a February copy at your offices in Park Place several days before the magazine appeared on the newsstalls. I reiterate, with many of your readers, that Amazing Stories should be published twice a month. I would surely purchase it every two weeks; and many of my friends to whom I have recommended it would unhesitatingly do so also.
It may interest you to know that I have met with an allusion to the "Moon Hoax," which may interest you; it is from the North American Review, No. 89, October. 1835 (the writer is discussing Carlyle's Sartor Resortus); "In short, our private opinion is, as we have remarked, that the whole story [i.e.. Sartor Resartus] . . . has about as much foundation in truth as the late entertaining account of Sir John Herschel's discoveries in the moon."
As to having sequels to such stories as "A Columbus of Space," I think it advisable not to have them; first, because sequels are rarely as good as the originals; second, because it would be unwise to introduce too great a number of lengthy stories dealing with the same subject.
[This is a very pleasant letter and our young correspondent, in our opinion, does himself great credit by it. It is perfectly true that many sequels have proved great failures and there is so much good material at hand, that it is hardly worth while to suggest special writing of sequels. The citation about Carlyle's "Herr Teufelsdorsch" in this story about the psychological view of clothes; "Sartort Resartus," is quite interesting. The curious thing is that the "Moon Hoax" was firmly believed by thousands. —EDITOR.]
