Айзек Азимов - Before The Golden Age

When I had first started my electronic vibration adjuster, which reduced the amplitude of vibration of the electrons, my switch had jammed and I had broken it in trying to open it. Despite this fact, the adjuster had reduced me to the size of the men of Ulm and had then ceased operation. On each subsequent trip, the same phenomenon had occurred. The reason, on reflection, was obvious. I had reduced the amplitude of vibration to zero and in this minute plane, the electrons did not vibrate.

Once I had that idea in my head, it was a simple matter to explain to Olua the theory of the vibrating atoms of the larger planes. He did not question my theory of simple harmonic vibration of the electrons, which theory had brought so much ridicule on me at one time. He realized at once how the size of a body could be increased under such circumstances but when I told him of the world from which I had first come to Ulm, his eyes opened. He had no more idea of the existence of such a world than we of the larger plane had of the existence of Ulm before my first trip there. His first thought was to flee to the larger plane from the pursuing Kauans.

“There we will be safe,” he said. “They will be after us in a few hours with ships of greater speed equipped with fighting suits against which we have no defence.”

“You may go if you wish, Olua,” I said, “but I have returned to Ulm for a purpose and that purpose has not been accomplished. I will stay and continue my search.”

“Where the Siba Tam of Ulm stays, there stays Olua Alii of Ulm,” he said quietly. “What are your plans?”

“The only place where I can obtain the information I seek is at Kaulani, where the survivors of Ulm are,” I replied. “Let me tell you why I am here and what I seek.”

In a few words I told him of Lamu’s treachery and of my search for my lost princess.

“You will not find her in Kaulani,” he said thoughtfully, “for there were no women brought there. However, some of the prisoners can tell you whether they returned to Ulm before it fell. Since that is your desire, we will wait here until the Kauans come and capture us.”

“No, we won’t,” I replied. “If they come here, they will capture not only us but also my adjuster and the weapons I brought from the larger plane. How long will it be before they are after us?”

“At least four hours.”

“Good. In that length of time, I can teach you how to manipulate a rifle and a pistol as well as the adjuster. There is one other thing you want to learn to use. Here is a wireless transmission set. It will enable you to send messages through the air, which a similar instrument will receive, and also to receive messages sent to you. If I can, I will construct one in Kaulani so that we can get into communication. You are not going back to Kaulani with me.”

“I will stay with my lord.”

“You will obey my orders. If you go there, it will not aid me at all and will result in your death. If you hide out here, it is possible that you may aid me. In the event that I am killed, it is my order that you take up the search for Awlo of Ulm and never abandon it while you live until you have rescued her from Lamu or have looked on her dead body. Do you understand?”

“I do, sire. It will be as you order.”

“Good. Now I want to teach you all I can before we have to pull out of here.”

Olua was an apt pupil and in two hours he was able to manipulate a rifle and a pistol as well as I could and even to shoot fairly well at short ranges. The weapons would be useless against men equipped with fighting suits, the simplest of which threw about the wearer a repulsive screen which no bullet could penetrate, but I felt that no knowledge was useless, since my ability with a pistol had saved us once. The radio set was elementary to him, his only wonder being that no Kauan had ever thought of so simple a device.

When he was fully instructed we entered the adjuster and increased our size slowly until we were perhaps a hundred yards tall, compared to Ulm standards. We stepped out and I used a rifle to start the adjuster and let it reduce its size to Ulmite standards. When this was done, I could pick it and its entire load up and carry it without difficulty. Olua picked up the Kauan ship and together we set out across the hills for the point where I was captured. I resolved to make that cavern our base of operations.

We found it with no trouble and reduced ourselves to our former dimensions. It was quite a task for us to move the adjuster and its load into the cavern but we did so. When the task was completed, I bade a temporary farewell to Olua and entered the Kauan ship. I drove it about thirty miles due east and then landed. I set the controls of the ship for a maximum climb and pulled the power lever to full speed forward. The ship sprang up into the air and I leaped out just in time. Upward it went for several miles before it fell out of control. When it did, it gave a sickening lurch or two and then dove at full speed toward the ground. I sat down and waited for the next Kauan ship to appear.

I did not have long to wait. In less than an hour a speck appeared in the blue to the east. The new ship was a larger one than the first and it seemed to me to be traveling at a higher speed. I was fearful lest the occupants would see the remains of the ship which had crashed but the Gods of Fate were kind to me and it escaped their notice. It probably dove into some deep dark ravine, for none of the scouts which went out from Kau in search of it ever located it. Hunting for so small an object as a five-man cruiser in the wastes of the Kau mountains was a great deal like the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack.

When the ship came in sight, I walked slowly out into the open and stood quietly awaiting its approach. I thought, and as it turned out I thought rightly, that the figure of a man would hardly escape the attention of an airship sent out to seek for one. The ship swung down on a long slant and came to a standstill less than fifty feet from where I stood. A door opened in the side of the cabin and a half a dozen figures wearing eight-armed fighting suits emerged. I advanced toward them confidently.

“Greetings, men of Kau,” I said when I had approached to within twenty feet of them. They paused and their leader stepped a pace in front.

“Greetings, man of Ulm,” he replied in his guttural voice. “What seek you in the mountains of Kau?”

“I seek audience with Kapioma Sibama of Kau,” I said. “The way to Kaulani is long and weary and I ask your aid in traveling there.”

“What manner of man are you?” he demanded. “Your color and speech mark you as a man of Ulm, yet what man of Ulm knows of Kau and Kaulani?”

“I know many things,” I said haughtily, “things which I have come to Kau to impart to your Sibama.”

“What is your name and rank?”

“I am Courtney Siba Tam, Crown Prince of Ulm.”

A peculiar expression flickered for a moment over his face and he bowed low to me.

“Neimeha of Kau is honored to be of service to such a one,” he said smoothly. “My poor ship is at your Highness’ disposal to carry him to the court of Kapioma Sibama. There you may meet some of your compatriots.”

“I believe that a few of my subjects did escape into the Kau mountains when Ulm fell,” I said carelessly, “and I would like to see them again. I will mention your courtesy to Kapioma Sibama.”

He bowed again at my words and motioned to me to precede him into the flyer. I did so, expecting every moment to feel a paralyzing ray strike me, but evidently my bluff had worked. Neimeha followed me in and he and his followers divested themselves of their fighting suits.

“It is fortunate for me that you took this path,” I said cheerfully. “I had little hope of meeting a ship so soon.”