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289
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, August 1930
·
Various
124
"What
I
can
not
understand,"
said
Frank,
during
a
quiet
interval,
"is
why
the
Theronians
have
never
migrated
to
the
surface.
Surely,
with
all
your
command
of
science
and
mechanics,
that
would
be
easy."
"Why?
Why?"
Phaestra's
voice
spoke
volumes.
"Here--I'll
show
you
the
reason."
And
again
the
scene
in
the
sphere
changed.
They
were
on
the
surface
and
a
few
years
in
the
past--at
Chateau
Thierry.
They
saw
their
fellow
men
mangled
and
broken;
saw
human
beings
shot
down
by
hundreds
in
withering
bursts
of
machine-gun
fire;
saw
them
in
hand-to-hand
bayonet
fights;
gassed
and
in
delirium
from
the
horror
of
it
all.
They
traveled
over
the
ocean;
saw
a
big
passenger
liner
the
victim
of
torpedo
fire;
saw
babies
tossed
into
the
water
by
distracted
mothers
who
jumped
in
after
them
to
join
them
in
death.
A
few
years
were
passed
by
and
they
saw
gang
wars
in
Chicago
and
New
York;
saw
militia
and
picketing
strikers
in
mortal
combat;
saw
wealthy
brokers
and
bank
presidents
turn
pistols
on
themselves
following
a
crash
in
the
stock
market;
government
officials
serving
penitentiary
terms
for
betrayal
of
the
people's
trust;
opium
dens,
speakeasies,
sex
crimes.
It
was
a
fearful
indictment.
"Ah,
no,"
said
Phaestra
kindly,
"the
surface
world
has
not
yet
emerged
from
savagery.
We
should
be
unwelcome
were
we
to
venture
outside.
And
now
we
come
to
the
reason
for
your
visit.
You
come
in
search
of
one
Edwin
Leland,
a
fellow
worker
at
one
time.
Your
motives
are
above
reproach.
But
Leland
came
as
a
greedy
searcher
of
riches.
We
brought
him
within
to
teach
him
the
error
of
his
ways
and
to
beg
him
to
desist
from
his
efforts
at
destroying
the
dome
of
silver.
He
alone
knew
the
secret."
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