Giants on the Earth | Page 6

well, for never has a breath of suspicion
reached him that Turgan was one of the conspirators who plotted to
overthrow the reign of the Sons of God."
"Let that, Damis, be a sample of the earnestness and loyalty of your
new brethren," said the Kildare. "There are hundreds of Earthmen who
know where this place is and what secrets it holds, yet none has ever
betrayed it. Scores have gone to torture and to the sacrifice of the
games without unsealing their lips. Would a Jovian have done
likewise?"
"To give them due credit, I think they would have," replied Damis
thoughtfully, "yet their motive would not have been loyalty, but
stubbornness and a refusal to subordinate their will to another's. I
thought you said that Lura would join us here?"
* * * * *
As Damis spoke a door on the far side of the chamber opened and a
half dozen women entered. Lura was among them and with a cry of joy,
she ran lightly forward and threw herself into Damis' outstretched arms.
Turgan smiled paternally at them for a moment and then touched his
daughter lightly on the shoulder.
"I have freely and gladly given my blessing to your union with Damis,"
he said. "He is now one with us. His presence makes victory possible
and enables us to act at once instead of planning for years. Damis, you
can operate a space flyer, can you not?"
"Certainly. That is knowledge which all Nepthalim possess."
A suppressed cheer greeted his words and the Earthmen crowded
around him, vibrant with excitement.
"The time is at hand!" cried a stern-faced man in the crimson robe
which marked him an Akildare, an under-officer of the Earthmen.

"Before I can operate a space flyer, I will have to have one to operate,"
objected Damis.
"That will be supplied," cried a dozen voices. Turgan's voice rose
above the hubbub of sound.
"Let us proceed in orderly fashion," he cried.
* * * * *
The noise died down to silence and at a gesture from their ruler, the
Earthmen took seats. Turgan stood beside Damis.
"For the enlightenment of our new-found brother, I will recite what has
happened and what we have done, although most of you know it and
many of you have done your part in bringing it about.
"Forty years ago, the Earth was prosperous, peopled with free men, and
happy. While we knew little of science and lived in mere huts, yet we
worshipped beauty and Him who ruled all and loved his children. It
was to such a world that the Jovians came.
"When the first space flyer with a load of these inhuman monsters
arrived on the earth, we foolishly took them for the angels whom we
had been taught to believe spent eternity in glorifying Him. We
welcomed them with our best and humbly obeyed when they spoke.
This illusion was fostered by the name the Jovians gave themselves, the
'Sons of God.' Hortan, their leader and the father of our new brother,
was a just and kindly man and he ruled the earth wisely and well. We
learned from them and they learned from us. That was the golden age.
And the Sons of God saw that the Daughters of Man were fair, and they
took of them wives, such as they chose. And sons were born to them,
the Nepthalim, the mighty men of the Earth.
"In time other flyers came from the heavens above and brought more of
the Sons of God to rule over us. Then Hortan, the Viceroy, died, and
Damis, know you how he died? You were a babe at the time and you
know nothing. Your father and your mother, who was my distant

kinswoman, died under the knives of assassins. It was given out that
they had gone to Jupiter, yet there were some who knew the truth. You,
the killers sought, but one of the Earthmen whose heart bled for your
dead mother, spirited you away. When you had grown to boyhood, he
announced your name and lineage, although his life paid for his
indiscretion. The same hand which struck down your father and your
mother struck at him and struck not unavailingly. You, since all knew
your name and lineage, he dared not strike, lest those who love him not,
would appeal to Tubain. Know you the name of the monster, the traitor
to his ruler and the murderer of your parents?"
* * * * *
Damis' face had paled during the recital and when the old Kildare
turned to him, he silently shook his head.
"It was the monster who now rules over us as Viceroy and who
profanes the name of God by conferring it on his master and who
would, if