Sleepers Of Mars

‘It was unintentional. We could not foresee what would follow when you had revived the man. We had not even been warned. He can’t blame us over-much; but in any case it is our duty to warn him before things go any farther.’ Vinski’s opinion was quite definite. Gordonov backed him up.

‘It may still be possible for him to take steps now which he could not take later,’ he said.

‘And you, Zhatkin?’ the doctor asked.

Zhatkin raised his musing eyes. ‘Yes, that would be best, I think. Though I doubt its use; I fancy the damage is done now.’

Platavinov thought for a moment before he directed Gordonov to take the Martian away and lock him up in one of the other rooms.

By the time the engineer returned, Soantin’s face was visible on the screeen of the television-box. Platavinov was leaning forward, speaking rapidly and intensely in the Martian’ tongue. Soantin’s expression became more serious. He asked, several questions which the doctor answered without hesitation. There was a look of decision upon his face as the conversation came to an end and the picture faded.

‘Well?’ asked Vinski.

‘I don’t think it is quite as serious as we feared. He is going to send the machines against them and stop the opening of further containers until it has been decided what is to be done with the already revived. He says that they are mistaken about the machines, for the method of powering them was not discovered until centuries after the containers were sealed.

‘He does not blame us, for he understands that we acted in ignorance, but he thinks it will be best to get us out of the way as soon as possible. The Tovaritch refuelling is almost finished now, and he is giving orders for the inclination to be altered so that we can take off six hours earlier; he can’t make it sooner than that.’

‘That will make it soon after dawn,’ said Gordonov. ‘Why shouldn’t we go aboard now and sleep there?’

‘Partly because the refuelling is not yet quite complete, andv partly because there is not at present any air in the living-room. They have to finish connecting up the fresh oxygen tanks.’

‘And he is sure he can look after the other business?’ Vinski asked.

‘He hasn’t any doubt about it. A few hundred of the machines can easily handle the situation, he says. So we don’t seem to have done so much damage as we feared after all,’ Platavinov said with satisfaction.

‘Now as to tomorrow-’ he went on, but Zhatkin’s voice cut him short.

‘Platavinov,’ he said, slowly and distinctly, ‘why are you lying?’

The doctor swung round, fists clenched, and glared down upon the smaller man. Zhatkin, without moving from his seat on the divan, looked calmly into the other’s angry face.

‘What do you mean?’ Platavinov shouted. ‘You little rat of a Tartar, I’ll——!’

Vinski intervened, pushing the doctor aside. To Zhatkin he said:

‘What’s all this about? Why did you say he was a liar?’

Zhatkin shrugged. ‘Because he is a liar. He never mentioned the containers, or the people in them, to Soantin just now.’ Platavinov’s jaw dropped. One glance at him was enough to show that the thrust had gone home. He recovered himself, but too late.

‘You don’t know what I said or did not say. You can’t understand a word of their language.’

‘No?’ said Zhatkin, softly.

Platavinov looked away. ‘Well, what if I didn’t tell him? If there’s going to be trouble here, isn’t it better for all of us to get away as soon as we can before it starts? It’s not our affair, and there’s no reason why we should be mixed up in it. The sooner we get out, the better; that’s why I got him to advance the starting time.’

‘Oh, then that part’s true?’ said Gordonov.

‘Of course it is ! But if you’re still fools enough to want Soantin to know about the rest before he must, you’d better get Zhatkin to tell him—for I won’t.’

Zhatkin shook his head. ‘Unfortunately, I can’t. I didn’t need to; you told the lies in our own language.’

‘In that case,’ said Platavinov, ‘it seems that Soantin is going to remain uninformed.’

They rose next morning by the first light. Platavinov spoke into the microphone, ordering the last food they would eat on Mars. Gordonov switched on the visi-screen and focused it once more on the Tovaritch. It cleared, and showed the rocket ready for the take-off, with the morning sun reflecting brightly from her polished hull. The effect of the doctor’s talk with Soantin was noticeable at once, for the whole ship was now tilted several degrees to the left, and the rope ladder which had laid against the side now hung free for the greater part of its length.

All four turned to look at it. It seemed too long expected to be true that they were ready to go at last. In less than an hour now they would be back in the familiar living-room, making themselves comfortable on their couches for the start. In just over an hour they would be out in space, well started on their three months’ fall from planet to planet.

Vinski, to save wasting time later on, was already pulling on his silvery space-suit ready for the walk to the rocket. The others followed his example.

The last meal finished, they set about gathering together their belongings and such specimens as they had decided to take back to Earth. Vinski was decorating himself with his film cameras and pulling out of a cupboard the rifles which had proved a needless precaution. Platavinov was packing together the objects he had acquired before the closing of the hospital, including the flask of green gas taken from Yauadin’s container.