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  On these words, the graceful child fled, light as a doe. The three Tenaris stared at one another. What must they think of this warning?

  The Venetian in particular was asking himself anxious questions. Was it an insidious trap laid by the Baphomets? Was it possible that the slaves had set afoot a clandestine resistance movement?

  He followed his two companions, leaving the bath, and started at the sight of two metal creatures which waited grimly silent in the salon.

  “Our lords the Baphomets summon you to their apartments,” one said. “Follow us, please.”

  The Tenaris walked in their tracks, wondering if this visit had some connection with the events proceeding.

  Their host’s manner somewhat reassured them.

  “Ah, here are our brave Lyzogans,” exclaimed the Baphomet who had seen them the day before, smiling broadly. “Tell me your name, merchant I forgot to ask you.”

  “Polo, at your service, noble lord.”

  “Weill my dear Polo, you seem to be born under an excellent star. I shared your coming with our emperor, the Venerable Zolial, and he has expressed the desire to make your acquaintance. Follow me. We must be punctual.”

  A lift then brought the three Terrans and their host up to a terrace where a flying machine waited on them. It looked like a great bird with a hideous head, and its wings were only useless ornament. All of them took their places in it and the apparatus lifted at a dizzying speed, then slanted off toward the sun, which was still quite low on the horizon.

  During the passage Marco Polo admired the layout of the city, more than he had been able to do on their arrival. Each tower was decorated with terraces, wondrous gardens, often linked together by footbridges adorned with flowering bushes.

  The machine then flew over a smiling countryside of forests and luxurious vegetation. At last a crystal mountain sketched itself on the horizon.

  uWhat splendor!” Polo exclaimed. "I have never seen the like on my planet"

  “What do you expect merchant? We are esthetes, sybarites, artists who adore beauty. It’s natural that our emperor have a marvelous palace. This mount has been rebuilt piece by piece, from its origins on the planet of the Ethir. Those folk had no use for it, so we moved it here. It has the advantage of being incomparably resistant, and consequently, offering an excellent protection. The towers which top it are telescopic and they can, at need, retreat into the bosom of the mountain."

  “Very useful precaution, when one fears attack,” Marco Polo observed conspiratorially.

  “Ah, it’s practically a superfluous measure. We have nothing to fear here. Our squadrons are powerful, our satellites control neighboring space, and no one dares attack us. Quite to the contrary, we’re ceaselessly increasing our domain. Soon a new planet will be added to our empire, I don’t speak of yours. It goes without saying that we’re going to have peaceful relations with a people who produce such useful artists.”

  “Thanks be paid you, noble lord,” Polo chimed in. “My compatriots’ only desire is to trade profitably with the mighty Baphomets.”

  “So, we understand each other very well, be sure of it. But here we are at our destination, and in a few minutes you’re going to have the very rare honor of being presented to our emperor.”

  Now the machine had slanted for the summit of one of the adamantine towers and came to rest like an eagle in its aerie.

  The four passengers climbed out and were led by a squad of four robots into a little room where all of them had to submit to detection scan.

  “Simple precaution," said the Baphomet. “See, I'm subjected to it too. Our Venerable Zolial never leaves anything to chance.”

  By now their clothing,.the tiniest buttons, their shoes, the houbit itself were scrutinized from all sides. Apparently everything looked harmless, for the visitors recovered their goods without any of them being the least damaged.

  When each of them had put his clothing on again, a door opened on a lift and the Baphomet guided his companions to the secret place where his sovereign sat. This time they saw absolutely nothing of the maneuvers it underwent, for thick shadows enveloped them during the whole descent

  The opening of the hatch revealed a glittering scarlet light which somewhat blinded the Terrans. They recovered normal vision very quickly, and on leaving the machine saw a magnificent spectacle.

  The entry hall had the height of a vast cavern with insubstantial walls, all chatoyant light whose colors fused, constantly making new forms, complex and rainbowed spirals. The ground itself appeared transparent, so much so that the Terrans no longer knew whether they were walking or flying. The lessening of gravity, which rendered their movements easier, contributed to this troubling impression.

  Contrary to the Terrans’ expectation, no eager courtesan attended the pleasure of the sovereign. A few Odeous slaves slipped furtively amid the furnishings arranged tastefully in the room, while an orchestra of Ethir, set apart in a loggia hung along a wall, was playing a melody of touching beauty.

  Marco Polo, for the first time since his arrival, felt an uncontrollable anxiety gathering in him. If by misfortune the master of the Baphomets revealed their origin, they would never see their homework) again. Assuredly their disguise had been done with all desirable perfection, and each button of their costume, the very patterns of their robes, constituted a psionic screen established by Houen-Lun himself, but how to be certain of their effect on such alien beings?

  Of course the guards had found nothing out of the ordinary, and they must have incomparably good equipment. So why would Zolial show himself more perceptive?

  An opening which showed suddenly in the wall put an end to the Venetian’s self-posed questions. An enormous Baphomet, big-bellied as a buddha, gently reclined on a gilded couch, awaiting them.

  ’’Prostrate yourselves," chirped their guide, providing them the example.

  The three Terrans let themselves fall to the floor in a single motion, arms extended. Then a deep voice said, “Rise and draw nigh.”

  They all gathered themselves up and with lowered heads took a few steps in the direction of the august sovereign.

  “So, my brave Fizzur, these are the Lyzogans you told me about You say their artisans surpass us in the creation of psychedelic stimulators to take the senses away.”

  “To be sure, Your Majesty,” replied the Terrans’ companion. “I myself have used it to assure myself of its harmless-ness and the results have surpassed all my hopes.”

  “They don’t appear highly evolved,” growled the emperor. “Recall to me what is their stage of civilization.”

  “Eighth degree, Your Plenitude, with a rather strange asyn-chronism of maturation. They have gone very far in the study of biology and yet haven’t reached the stage of star travel."

  “Normal if they had stimulators capable of bringing them to a state of full contentment What would they need to seek

  in space?”

  “Your sovereign intellect sees it quite correctly. If they can attain to happiness, their civilization would be strongly introverted. According to the information we have from the crew of the starship which discovered their planet they don’t have any weapons, at least in the sense we understand them.”

  “Perfect. So, merchant you come here to sell your famous devices. How does it happen that you’ve brought only one sample?”

  “Your Serenity,” Marco Polo squeaked slavishly, “the reason is that we’re dealing with objects of great value and I didn’t know if their effect would be adapted to your psychic makeup. My cargo is a sample of our production, so how could I know what your rase would most prize? Now I know that our houbits work perfectly and I am completely at your disposal to bring as many as you may desire to your planet.”

  “You have set several conditions on your offer, Fizzur tells me.”

  MI limited myself to asking for a charter assuring me of a monopoly on the sale of this apparatus.”

  “And for what price would you expect to sell them7”

/>   “Your Majesty will decide that himself.”

  “Well. We’ll see later. Unhappily, these devices an relatively fragile, so it’s necessary to recharge them at the end of a year?”

  “Indeed. And only our able artisans can do that work. Tm incapable of it.”

  “Would you be suggesting that our own technicians couldn’t succeed in putting them in order?”

  “If they try to discover the method of function themselves, I fear, alas, that they will get no result But our Lyzogan specialists will be happy to teach them the method to use, which demands a very long apprenticeship....”

  - “We will get into that problem later,” growled the master of the Baphomets. “If these houbits are as marvelous as Fizzur pretends, I will allow my most faithful servants a reward. Now, enough talk; put that gadget there and depart”

  The four visitors withdrew backward, and well escorted, were led back as far as the lift then from there to the terrace.

  An hour later, Marco Polo and the Tholon brothers found themselves again in their apartments, easing their waiting by enjoying glasses of a wondrous-smelling topaz liquor, without worrying about the lascivious Odeous stretched at their feet.

  The Venetian, plunged into his meditations, did not even see the delicate hand which caressed his body and set on his chest a little beauty patch.

  Suddenly a screen lit and the image of Fizzur appeared like an incredibly real nightmare.

  “I have excellent news for you,” he announced jovially. “His Serenity has been fully satisfied with the test he had made. He allots you a monopoly on houbit trade for two years. You are going to leave immediately for your world and bring back five hundred of these wonderful devices. Have you any favor to ask?”

  “Faith, no,” replied Marco Polo. “I will act diligently to satisfy his majesty and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his goodness. . . . Would it be possible to use the same ship on which we came? The crew seemed to me very competent and they knew Lyzogan regions well, so I would be more reassured, for, I confess it, these voyages in starry immensities frighten me.”

  “That seems easy to arrange. Moreover, while we have no well established routes, we would prefer to use the services of the crews who already have experience in the regions of these new planets. Tell me—I am in a hurry to use this marvelous instrument again—will your artisans be long in making them?”

  “I think they are already made,” replied the pseudo Lyzogan. “I only have to go and return.”

  “For security reasons, you’ll deliver your merchandise on satellite 289.”

  "Can I ask the price D1 be paid for each houbit?”

  "It’s true, I forgot. It appears that crystallized carbon is highly prized on your world; you’ll then receive an eye-sized diamond for each apparatus in good working order.”

  "Excellence, you heap upon me. . . .”

  "Fine. Now, go. Each instant delays the moment I can use this extraordinary stimulator again.”

  Marco Polo bowed deeply, hesitant to ask his host to make him a gift of the slaves which were lent to them, but he dared not for fear of awakening suspicion.

  The three Terrans then returned to the car which must take them to the starport, and they were agreeably surprised to find that the Odeous went with them.

  “Will we have the pleasure of having you as traveling companions?” asked the Venetian.

  "Indeed,” his companion replied in a breath. “Our lives depend on it. If you refused us, we would be reduced to the most painful duties. Never would a Baphomet lord deign to use the services of a slave polluted by a barbarian.”

  “Well, we are delighted, believe me,” the three men said at once.

  The starship was resting peacefully on its cradle, where the Terrans had left it a few days before.

  Marco Polo, Guiot and Clement entered the lock and had a joyous reunion with their companions, still made up as Odeous. Houen-Lun, for his part, remained motionless in a corner of the cabin.

  “Well, old man, it’s a pleasure to find you again,” exclaimed Guiot, giving the Templar a friendly slap on the back. “But we were welcomed like princes. We even brought back souvenirs. But you... .”

  So saying, he motioned at the slaves who were coming in to join them.

  “Passengers for Lyzog,” Clement laughed. “The return trip will be more pleasant than the one coming.”

  Joubert, the ship’s captain, did not intend to risk trouble. “My compatriots are going to sit in front,” he ordered. “Gentle damoiselles, would you sit on the back seats? We’re taking off in a few moments.”

  They all obeyed. The lock closed and the Templar sat down at the controls. The ship nosed toward the wide sky, the bow toward satellite 289. -

  Houen-Lun then came out of his trance. “All went very well,” he declared. “I had no trouble controlling the mind of the green Orpheds who came to set the ship in order and I could follow part of your peregrinations, except of course when you visited the Baphomet leader. Speak; you have noth* mg to fear from the Odeous. They are sleeping at my order.” The emperor seemed enchanted with the houbit. He entrusted me with bringing back five hundred from Lyzog. I have to set them out on satellite 289. Do you think it will be possible to get such a quantity of them7”

  “Once we return to Earth, that will be easy. It’s not a question of complicated mechanisms, but rather of configurations harmonized with all the senses through the medium of sight Did you get the other information?”

  “Indeed, and in quantity, thanks to a marvelous device which told me the history of the Baphomets and furnished me all the details of their empire. Alas! I was not able to obtain any details on their crews, not much more on the placement of their squadrons.”

  “I know,” interrupted the Tibetan. “I too did not discover much, for these questions seem jealously hidden and only the highest dignitaries must have knowledge of them. Pity.”

  “And these charming slaves," asked the Venetian. “What are we going to do with them?"

  “I could prolong their sleep for the duration of the journey,” murmured Houen-Lun, “but they seem desirous of talking to us, and maybe they have information of interest. I’m going to wake them.”

  The three Odeous stretched and yawned, and their immense eyes opened, looking about them.

  “Well, we’re now departed far from Tekaph,” murmured die one who had spoken to Marco Polo. “I can scarcely believe that we’re delivered from these monsters.”

  “What monsters are you talking about?” asked Joubert

  “Tile filthy Baphomets, of course! But you must know them if you’re a slave as I am, and condemned to live lodged in disease-ridden barracks when you’re not traveling in space. Surely your passengers are still ignorant of what’s awaiting them, but I’ve warned them.”

  “Indeed,” said Marco Polo. “But Emperor Zolial showed himself very courteous to my way of thinking. He promised to limit himself to establishing peaceful commercial relations with my Lyzogan compatriots.

  “Give up playing this farce,” cried the slave. “If you are a Lyzogan, why are you wearing makeup? My companions quickly unmasked your friends; you're lucky we hate the Baphomets so. I don’t know who you really are. I suppose that you belong to an unknown race and that you came to spy on these demons. Please heaven that we never come back to Tekaph.”

  Marco Polo looked at the Tibetan.

  “You’ve guessed aright,” he said then. “You can see me now as I really am and my friends look like me, except they have white skin. We are inhabitants of planet Earth, and we fear that the Baphomets are going to invade our world. Can you help us fight them?”

  “Indeed. We Odeous only live in the hope of someday regaining our freedom. For generations we have been gathering secrets in the hope of giving them someday to our liberators. Hie blessed day has finally come.”

  So saying, she approached Marco Polo and, opening the collar of his shirt, passed her gentle hand over his chest. The Venetian let her, not
very well knowing what to think, and then the slave drew back holding a finger on which one could see a little dark spot.

  “See this beauty mark. It contains in the form of microfilm . . . invaluable information. All the sites of bases and satellites are on it, as well as the total strength of the fleet of this cruel race. The miserable Baphomets are accustomed to discuss things among themselves when they have sated their

  pleasure, without paying the least attention to us. For them, we are nothing but insignificant creatures, almost cattle. So from year to year we have gathered a mass of information. Our race is expert in electronics and mechanics, and it was easy for us to make this tiny disc which contains all our knowledge. I feared bring searched in detail before my departure. Our foul masters would not have missed it, but I had had the time to put this microdot on Marco’s chest.*’

  “Delightful,” Djaffar chortled. “If this houri tells the truth, our mission will have been a success.”

  Without further waiting, he put the disc on a special reader and plunged himself into the reading of that document.

  Joubert and he, with the aid of Aira, the Odeous slave who confessed to a remarkable education, passed long hours in transcribing it.

  The ship stopped near satellite 289, and Houen-Lun altered the memories of its inhabitants without the learned Terran scholars even interrupting their work. So the ship could change its heading and veer off straight for Earth without arousing the attention of the Baphomets.

  After a peaceful voyage the travelers, mad with joy, saw the increase of the azure world from which they had set out some weeks before. Now, thanks to the golden nets, the Odeous spoke fluent French.*