picked up another, rod-shaped instrument. The cold was forgotten. Edsel was perfectly happy now, playing with all the shiny things.
“Let’s get started,” Faxon said, moving towards the door.
“Started? Where?” Edsel demanded. He picked up another glittering weapon, curved to fit his wrist and hand.
“Back to the port,” Faxon said. “Back to sell this stuff, like we planned. I figure we can ask just about any price, any price at all. A Government would give billions for weapons like these.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” Edsel said. Out of the corner of his eye he was watching Parke. The slender man was walking between the stacks of weapons, but so far he hadn’t touched any.
“Now listen,” Faxon said, glaring at Edsel. “I financed this expedition. We planned on selling the stuff. I have a right to—well, perhaps not.”
The untried weapon was pointed squarely at his stomach.
“What are you going to do?” he asked, trying not to look at the gun.
“To hell with selling it,” Edsel said, leaning against the cave wall where he could also watch Parke. “I figure I can use this stuff myself.” He grinned broadly, still watching both men.
“I can outfit some of the boys back home. With the stuff that’s here, we can knock over one of those little Governments in Central America easy. I figure we could hold it forever.”
“Well,” Faxon said, watching the gun, “I don’t want to be a party to that sort of thing. Just count me out.”
“All right,” Edsel said.
“Don’t worry about me talking,” Faxon said quickly. “I won’t. I just don’t want to be in on any shooting or killing. So I think I’ll go back.”
“Sure,” Edsel said. Parke was standing to one side, examining his fingernails.
“If you get that kingdom set up, I’ll come down,” Faxon said, grinning weakly. “Maybe you can make me a duke or something.”
“I think I can arrange that.”
“Swell. Good luck.” Faxon waved his hand and started to walk away. Edsel let him get twenty feet, then aimed the new weapon and pressed the stud.
The gun didn’t make any noise; there was no flash, but Faxon’s arm was neatly severed. Quickly, Edsel pressed the stud again and swung the gun down on Faxon. The little man was chopped in half, and the ground on either side of him was slashed also.
Edsel turned, realized that he had left his back exposed to Parke. All the man had to do was pick up the nearest gun and blaze away. But Parke was just standing there, his arms folded over his chest.
“That beam will probably cut though anything,” Parke said. “Very useful.”
Edsel had a wonderful half-hour, running back and forth to the door with different weapons. Parke made no move to touch anything, but watched with interest. The ancient Martian arms were as good as new, apparently unaffected by their thousands of years of disuse. There were many blasting weapons, of various designs and capabilities. Then heat and radiation guns, marvelously compact things. There were weapons which would freeze and weapons which would burn; others which would crumble, cut, coagulate, paralyze, and do any of the other things to snuff out life.
“Let’s try this one,” Parke said. Edsel, who had been on the verge of testing an interesting-looking three-barrelled rifle, stopped.
“I’m busy,” he said.
“Stop playing with those toys. Let’s have alook at some real stuff.”
Parke was standing near a squat black machine on wheels. Together they tugged it outside. Parke watched while Edsel moved the controls. A faint hum started deep in the machine. Then a blue haze formed around it. The haze spread as Edsel manipulated the controls until it surrounded the two men.
“Try a blaster on it,” Parke said. Edsel picked up one of the explosive pistols and fired. The charge was absorbed by the haze. Quickly he tested three others. They couldn’t pierce the blue glow.
“I believe,” Parke said softly, “this will stop an atomic
“Let’s get started,” Faxon said, moving towards the door.
“Started? Where?” Edsel demanded. He picked up another glittering weapon, curved to fit his wrist and hand.
“Back to the port,” Faxon said. “Back to sell this stuff, like we planned. I figure we can ask just about any price, any price at all. A Government would give billions for weapons like these.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” Edsel said. Out of the corner of his eye he was watching Parke. The slender man was walking between the stacks of weapons, but so far he hadn’t touched any.
“Now listen,” Faxon said, glaring at Edsel. “I financed this expedition. We planned on selling the stuff. I have a right to—well, perhaps not.”
The untried weapon was pointed squarely at his stomach.
“What are you going to do?” he asked, trying not to look at the gun.
“To hell with selling it,” Edsel said, leaning against the cave wall where he could also watch Parke. “I figure I can use this stuff myself.” He grinned broadly, still watching both men.
“I can outfit some of the boys back home. With the stuff that’s here, we can knock over one of those little Governments in Central America easy. I figure we could hold it forever.”
“Well,” Faxon said, watching the gun, “I don’t want to be a party to that sort of thing. Just count me out.”
“All right,” Edsel said.
“Don’t worry about me talking,” Faxon said quickly. “I won’t. I just don’t want to be in on any shooting or killing. So I think I’ll go back.”
“Sure,” Edsel said. Parke was standing to one side, examining his fingernails.
“If you get that kingdom set up, I’ll come down,” Faxon said, grinning weakly. “Maybe you can make me a duke or something.”
“I think I can arrange that.”
“Swell. Good luck.” Faxon waved his hand and started to walk away. Edsel let him get twenty feet, then aimed the new weapon and pressed the stud.
The gun didn’t make any noise; there was no flash, but Faxon’s arm was neatly severed. Quickly, Edsel pressed the stud again and swung the gun down on Faxon. The little man was chopped in half, and the ground on either side of him was slashed also.
Edsel turned, realized that he had left his back exposed to Parke. All the man had to do was pick up the nearest gun and blaze away. But Parke was just standing there, his arms folded over his chest.
“That beam will probably cut though anything,” Parke said. “Very useful.”
Edsel had a wonderful half-hour, running back and forth to the door with different weapons. Parke made no move to touch anything, but watched with interest. The ancient Martian arms were as good as new, apparently unaffected by their thousands of years of disuse. There were many blasting weapons, of various designs and capabilities. Then heat and radiation guns, marvelously compact things. There were weapons which would freeze and weapons which would burn; others which would crumble, cut, coagulate, paralyze, and do any of the other things to snuff out life.
“Let’s try this one,” Parke said. Edsel, who had been on the verge of testing an interesting-looking three-barrelled rifle, stopped.
“I’m busy,” he said.
“Stop playing with those toys. Let’s have alook at some real stuff.”
Parke was standing near a squat black machine on wheels. Together they tugged it outside. Parke watched while Edsel moved the controls. A faint hum started deep in the machine. Then a blue haze formed around it. The haze spread as Edsel manipulated the controls until it surrounded the two men.
“Try a blaster on it,” Parke said. Edsel picked up one of the explosive pistols and fired. The charge was absorbed by the haze. Quickly he tested three others. They couldn’t pierce the blue glow.
“I believe,” Parke said softly, “this will stop an atomic
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