faithful aides,” continued Karzz. “You sent me the ultramagnet, which did its work nobly. Now I want you to send the three other machines to the twentieth century, launching three more earth dooms simultaneously.”
He paused to unroll a map that had been folded in his belt, then resumed. “Send the Infrared Beamer to the Antarctic, on your map of ancient earth, at the spot marked X. Have the Vulcan Machine materialize on that marked island in the South Pacific.”
Wasp wondered, suddenly, why an alien should be using an earthly language instead of his own native tongue. But then she realized, listening carefully, that there was no voice at all. He was in reality beaming telepathic waves into his future-phone. Thought-words, of course, were universal, understood by any intelligent mind. That was why the Wasp could eavesdrop on the alien.
“Last,” Karzz was saying, “transport the Storm Satellite Launcher to the Sahara Desert location marked on your map.”
Grim curiosity tantalized the listening insect-girl.
Infrared Beamer…Vulcan Machine…Storm Satellite!
How would those three superscience devices from the future create havoc on earth? Would it be something even more devastating than the ultramagnet pulling down a giant comet to strike earth?
Sitting inside a buttercup flower near Karzz, the Wasp waited to hear more. “As you know,” came from the alien, “the Infrared Beamer will be used to—’
But his words were drowned out by a large buzz and a huge bumblebee came soaring straight toward the flower, evidently seeking its sweet nectar. The Wasp didn’t want to tangle with an insect much bigger than she was, and she flew away to light on the next flower. But the angry bumblebee zoomed after her, obviously considering this patch of blossoms his private territory, from which to drive out all other poaching creatures.
As the buzzing bully put on speed in chasing her, the Wasp realized she couldn’t escape his enormous stinger, which would sooner or later jab her through and through like a spear.
“I’ll fix you,” she thought, willing herself to grow. Seconds later, back to normal size, she swung the fiat of her hand and knocked the surprised bumblebee back into some prickly weeds. “That for you, bumble-bug,” she thought triumphantly.
She had been intent on this insect-world skirmish, but suddenly she noticed two frosty blue eyes turning her way, startled at this abrupt appearance of a full-grown woman out of thin air. She was now exposed to Karzz!
“The Wasp girl of the Avengers,” he hissed. “How much have you heard? Well, you won’t hear any more….” He was already pressing his belt-stud to release a killing ray.
Desperately the Wasp threw herself full length among tall weeds. Karzz raked the green patch with his ray, converting it into blackened ashes. But no human body was there, only a tiny insect that had flitted away unnoticed.
“Whew,” thought the Wasp, “I shrank down again just in time. I’d better not hang around here any more. Karzz will be on the watch for any insect coming near him. I’ll make a bee line back to Avenger headquarters and report what I did hear.”
But it was a long way back to America for a pseudoinsect that could only fly at forty miles an hour, top speed. The Wasp darted high in the air and looked in all directions.
“Ah, an airport to the south, probably in northern India. I’ll hitch a ride there.”
And so it was that an Air India jetliner carried a tiny stowaway to Paris. From there, the Wasp transferred to an overseas plane bound for New York.
“Being an insect has its advantages,” she said to herself. “No fare to pay, and all kinds of seats—on the ceiling.”
At Avenger headquarters, to which the men had meanwhile returned via their rocketplane, they were waiting impatiently.
“If she doesn’t come back…” groaned Goliath for the tenth time, but they all forgave him. Suddenly, all of them turned in unison, as an
He paused to unroll a map that had been folded in his belt, then resumed. “Send the Infrared Beamer to the Antarctic, on your map of ancient earth, at the spot marked X. Have the Vulcan Machine materialize on that marked island in the South Pacific.”
Wasp wondered, suddenly, why an alien should be using an earthly language instead of his own native tongue. But then she realized, listening carefully, that there was no voice at all. He was in reality beaming telepathic waves into his future-phone. Thought-words, of course, were universal, understood by any intelligent mind. That was why the Wasp could eavesdrop on the alien.
“Last,” Karzz was saying, “transport the Storm Satellite Launcher to the Sahara Desert location marked on your map.”
Grim curiosity tantalized the listening insect-girl.
Infrared Beamer…Vulcan Machine…Storm Satellite!
How would those three superscience devices from the future create havoc on earth? Would it be something even more devastating than the ultramagnet pulling down a giant comet to strike earth?
Sitting inside a buttercup flower near Karzz, the Wasp waited to hear more. “As you know,” came from the alien, “the Infrared Beamer will be used to—’
But his words were drowned out by a large buzz and a huge bumblebee came soaring straight toward the flower, evidently seeking its sweet nectar. The Wasp didn’t want to tangle with an insect much bigger than she was, and she flew away to light on the next flower. But the angry bumblebee zoomed after her, obviously considering this patch of blossoms his private territory, from which to drive out all other poaching creatures.
As the buzzing bully put on speed in chasing her, the Wasp realized she couldn’t escape his enormous stinger, which would sooner or later jab her through and through like a spear.
“I’ll fix you,” she thought, willing herself to grow. Seconds later, back to normal size, she swung the fiat of her hand and knocked the surprised bumblebee back into some prickly weeds. “That for you, bumble-bug,” she thought triumphantly.
She had been intent on this insect-world skirmish, but suddenly she noticed two frosty blue eyes turning her way, startled at this abrupt appearance of a full-grown woman out of thin air. She was now exposed to Karzz!
“The Wasp girl of the Avengers,” he hissed. “How much have you heard? Well, you won’t hear any more….” He was already pressing his belt-stud to release a killing ray.
Desperately the Wasp threw herself full length among tall weeds. Karzz raked the green patch with his ray, converting it into blackened ashes. But no human body was there, only a tiny insect that had flitted away unnoticed.
“Whew,” thought the Wasp, “I shrank down again just in time. I’d better not hang around here any more. Karzz will be on the watch for any insect coming near him. I’ll make a bee line back to Avenger headquarters and report what I did hear.”
But it was a long way back to America for a pseudoinsect that could only fly at forty miles an hour, top speed. The Wasp darted high in the air and looked in all directions.
“Ah, an airport to the south, probably in northern India. I’ll hitch a ride there.”
And so it was that an Air India jetliner carried a tiny stowaway to Paris. From there, the Wasp transferred to an overseas plane bound for New York.
“Being an insect has its advantages,” she said to herself. “No fare to pay, and all kinds of seats—on the ceiling.”
At Avenger headquarters, to which the men had meanwhile returned via their rocketplane, they were waiting impatiently.
“If she doesn’t come back…” groaned Goliath for the tenth time, but they all forgave him. Suddenly, all of them turned in unison, as an
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