Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
289
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, August 1930
·
Various
54
"My
father
had
an
old
one,"
said
the
chief
mate,
Barnes.
"How
many
times
can
they
be
fired
without
reloading?"
Nat
asked
the
old
guard.
"Ten
times;
sometimes
more;
and
they
were
all
freshly
loaded
yesterday."
"Take
us
to
where
Axelson
is."
"First
you
must
destroy
the
guards.
I
sent
the
one
on
duty
here
away
on
some
pretext.
But
the
others
may
be
here
at
any
moment.
Talk
lower.
Are
you
going
to
kill
them?"
"We
must,"
said
Nat.
The
old
fellow
began
to
sob.
"We
were
companions
together.
They
seized
us
and
imprisoned
us
together,
the
capitalists,
years
ago.
I
thought
the
proletariat
would
have
won,
and
you
say
it
is
all
different.
I
am
an
old
man,
and
life
is
sad
and
strange."
"Listen.
Is
Axelson
in
the
house?"
demanded
Nat.
"He
is
in
his
secret
room.
I
do
not
know
the
way.
None
of
us
has
ever
entered
it."
"And
Madge?"
"She
was
with
him.
I
do
not
know
anything
more."
He
sank
down,
groaning,
broken.
Nat
pushed
his
way
past
him.
It
was
fast
growing
light
now.
A
ray
of
sunshine
shot
from
beneath
the
edge
of
the
dark
sphere
overhead,
which
still
filled
almost
all
the
heavens.
At
that
moment
the
hideous
face
and
squat
body
of
one
of
the
Moon
men
came
into
view
at
the
end
of
the
path.
The
creature
stopped,
gibbering
with
surprise,
and
then
rushed
forward,
mewing
like
a
cat.
Nat
aimed
his
ray-rod
and
pressed
the
button.
The
streak
of
light,
not
quite
aimed,
in
Nat's
excitement,
sheared
off
one
side
of
the
Moon
man's
face.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
