Captain Future 07 - The Magician of Mars (Summer 1941) by Edmond Hamilton

innermost moon. Soon they heard a whistling shriek outside the ship as it penetrated the atmosphere of the satellite.
    “Skal Kar’s laboratory is around on the night side now,” Curt Newton muttered, peering down at the moon.
    The nighted landscape of Ariel, illuminated by the soft green planet-glow of the great sphere overhead, was forbidding. As the Comet flew low over the green-lit jungle, they could make out strange, swarming creatures. They were nearly all of one species — shapeless white masses of flesh that flowed through the vegetation with a gliding jelly-like movement that required no limbs.
    “There they are — the devilish things that give this place the name of Monster Moon,” Otho told young Johnny Kirk.
    “Aw, they don’t look so tough,” declared Johnny skeptically. “They’re so slow I could put the blast on ‘em before they got near me.”
    “You think so, do you?” Otho retorted. “You’d find out different. Those gas-beasts, as they’re called, have a very effective weapon. It’s a stupefying gas they generate inside their bodies and jet out for a hundred feet or more to overcome their prey.”
    Captain Future uttered a relieved exclamation.
    “Ah, there’s what we’re looking for — Skal Kar’s stockade.”
    Ahead yawned a thousand-foot clearing that had been hacked from the jungle. It was surrounded by a wire stockade, to which were connected cables from a squat atomic electric-generator. The generator kept the wire stockade charged, and the gliding white gas-beasts that swarmed outside dared not approach it.
    At the center of the clearing loomed the mysterious laboratory of the murdered scientist. It was a black cement tower, windowless, cylindrical in shape. Curt brought the Comet down to an expert landing inside the stockade. He cut the eyes, then rose to his feet.
    “Looks like the place is deserted,” he told the Futuremen, “but we’ll take no chances. Be ready for a scrap in there.”
    Otho had the airlock door open. Johnny Kirk started out with them, but Captain Future held him back.
    “Not you, Johnny. You stay here — we may meet trouble in there. If you want to help, remain here and watch the Comet.”
    “Okay, Chief,” replied Johnny a little reluctantly. “If anybody comes fooling around our ship, I’ll let ‘em have it.”
    Otho chuckled as he and Grag and the Brain started with Captain Future across the clearing toward the looming black tower.
    “Our ship, eh?” laughed the android. “He’s a Futureman already, to hear him talk.”
    Curt grinned. “I like that youngster, in spite of his tough talk. There’s good stuff in him.”
    They approached the black tower. The only opening in it was a square chromium door. It was locked, but Captain Future fished an “all-wave” master vibration-key from his belt-kit that soon opened it. They entered a Stygian darkness, their hands ready upon their weapons. Groping about, Curt soon found the switch of the tower’s krypton-lights.
    The blue radiance disclosed a bewildering interior. The whole lower two-thirds of the tower was a single enormous room. It had been the laboratory of Skal Kar. An array of scientific instruments, generators and reference books crowded the walls of the circular chamber.
     
    BUT the central part of the big room was empty, except for a curious low framework of very heavy metal stanchions. It was only a few feet high, but was more than eighty feet long.
    Curt Newton’s eyes fastened on it instantly.
    “See that framework, Simon?” he muttered. “Our guess was right.”
    “What the devil was your guess?” Otho demanded puzzledly. “What was this Skal Kar doing here?”
    “Building a small space ship,” Captain Future retorted. “That low framework was the cradle upon which his little ship rested in building.”
    “You’re joking!” Otho protested incredulously. “Who in the Sun’s name would be crazy enough to build a space ship inside this cement tower? How would he