The Peace Conference

: Skylark Three

"Here's a chart of the green system, Mart, with all the motions and the

rest of the dope that they've been able to get. How'd it be for you to

navigate us over to the third planet of the fourteenth sun?"



"While you build a Fenachrone super-generator?"



"Right, the first time. Your deducer is hitting on all eight, as usual.

That big ray is hot stuff, and their ray-screen is something to write

ome about, too."



"How can their rays be any hotter than ours, Dick?" Dorothy asked

curiously. "I thought you said we had the very last word in rays."



"I thought we had, but those birds we met back there spoke a couple of

later words. Their rays work on an entirely different system than the

one we use. They generate an extremely short carrier wave, like the

Millikan cosmic ray, by recombining some of the electrons and protons of

their disintegrating metal, and upon this wave they impose a pure heat

frequency of terrific power. The Millikan rays will penetrate anything

except a special ray screen or a zone of force, and carry with

them--somewhat as radio frequencies carry sound frequencies--the heat

rays, which volatilize anything they touch. Their ray screens are a lot

better than ours, too--they generate the entire spectrum. It's a sweet

system and when we revamp ours so as to be just like it, we'll be able

to talk turkey to those folks on the third planet."



"How long will it take you to build it?" asked Crane, who, dexterously

turning the pages of "Vega's Handbuch" was calculating their course.



"A day or so--maybe less. I've got all the stuff and with my Osnomian

tools it won't take long. If you find you'll get there before I get

done, you'll have to loaf a while--kill a little time."



"Are you going to connect the power plant to operate on the entire

vessel and all its contents?"



"No--can't do it without redesigning the whole thing and that's hardly

worth while for the short time we'll use this old bus."



Building those generators would have been a long and difficult task for

a corps of earthly mechanics and electricians, but to Seaton it was

merely a job. The "shop" had been enlarged and had been filled to

capacity with Osnomian machinery; machine tools that were capable of

performing automatically and with the utmost precision and speed any

conceivable mechanical operation. He put a dozen of them to work, and

before the vessel reached its destination, the new offensive and

defensive weapons had been installed and thoroughly tested. He had added

a third screen-generator, so that now, in addition to the four-foot hull

of arenak and the repellers, warding off any material projectile, the

Skylark was also protected by an outer, an intermediate, and an inner

ray-screen; each driven by the super-power of a four-hundred-pound bar

and each covering the entire spectrum--capable of neutralizing any

dangerous frequency known to those master-scientists, the Fenachrone.



As the Skylark approached the planet, Seaton swung number six

visiplate upon it, and directed their flight toward a great army base.

Darting down upon it, he snatched an officer into the airlock, closed

the door, and leaped back into space. He brought the captive into the

control room pinioned by auxiliary attractors, and relieved him of his

weapons. He then rapidly read his mind, encountering no noticeable

resistance, released the attractors, and addressed him in his own

language.



"Please be seated, lieutenant," Seaton said courteously, motioning him

to one of the seats. "We come in peace. Please pardon my discourtesy in

handling you, but it was necessary in order to learn your language and

thus to get in touch with your commanding officer."



The officer, overcome with astonishment that he had not been killed

instantly, sank into the seat indicated, without a reply, and Seaton

went on:



"Please be kind enough to signal your commanding officer that we are

coming down at once, for a peace conference. By the way, I can read your

signals, and will send them myself if necessary."



The stranger worked an instrument attached to his harness briefly, and

the Skylark descended slowly toward the fortress.



"I know, of course, that your vessels will attack," Seaton remarked, as

he noted a crafty gleam in the eyes of the officer. "I intend to let

them use all their power for a time, to prove to them the impotence of

their weapons. After that, I shall tell you what to say to them."



"Do you think this is altogether safe, Dick?" asked Crane as they saw a

fleet of gigantic airships soaring upward to meet them.



"Nothing sure but death and taxes," returned Seaton cheerfully, "but

don't forget that we've got Fenachrone armament now, instead of

Osnomian. I'm betting that they can't begin to drive their rays through

even our outer screen. And even if our outer screen should begin to go

into the violet--I don't think it will even go cherry-red--out goes our

zone of force and we automatically go up where no possible airship can

reach. Since their only space-ships are rocket driven, and of

practically no maneuverability, they stand a big chance of getting to

us. Anyway, we must get in touch with them, to find out if they know

anything we don't, and this is the only way I know of to do it. Besides,

I want to head Dunark off from wrecking this world. They're exactly the

same kind of folks he is, you notice, and I don't like civil war. Any

suggestions? Keep an eye on that bird, then, Mart, and we'll go down."



* * * * *



The Skylark dropped down into the midst of the fleet, which instantly

turned against her the full force of their giant guns and their immense

ray batteries. Seaton held the Skylark motionless, staring into his

visiplate, his right hand grasping the zone-switch.



"The outer screen isn't even getting warm!" he exulted after a moment.

The repellers were hurling the shells back long before they reached even

the outer screen, and they were exploding harmlessly in the air. The

full power of the ray-generators, too, which had been so destructive to

the Osnomian defenses, were only sufficient to bring the outer screen to

a dull red glow. After fifteen minutes of passive acceptance of all the

airships could do, Seaton spoke to the captive.



"Sir, please signal the commanding officer of vessel seven-two-four that

I am going to cut it in two in the middle. Have him remove all men in

that part of the ship to the ends, and have parachutes in readiness, as

I do not wish to cause any loss of life."



The signal was sent, and, as the officer was already daunted by the fact

that their utmost efforts could not even make the strangers' screens

radiate, it was obeyed. Seaton then threw on the frightful power of the

Fenachrone super-generators. The defensive screens of the doomed warship

flashed once--a sparkling, coruscating display of incandescent

brilliance--and in the same instant went down. Simultaneously the entire

midsection of the vessel exploded into light and disappeared; completely

volatilized.



"Sir, please signal the entire fleet to cease action, and to follow me

down. If they do not do so, I will destroy the rest of them."



The Skylark dropped to the ground, followed by the fleet of warships,

who settled in a ring about her--inactive, but ready.



"Will you please loan me your sending instrument, sir?" Seaton asked.

"From this point on I can carry on negotiations better direct than

through you."



The lieutenant found his voice as he surrendered the instrument.



"Sir, are you the Overlord of Osnome, of whom we have heard? We had

supposed that one was a mythical character, but you must be he--no one

else would spare lives that he could take, and the Overlord is the only

being reputed to have a skin the color of yours."



"Yes, lieutenant, I am the Overlord--and I have decided to become the

Overlord of the entire green system, as well as of Osnome."



He then sent out a call to the commander-in-chief of all the armies of

the planet, informing him that he was coming to visit him at once, and

the Skylark tore through the air to the capital city. No sooner had

the earthly vessel alighted upon the palace grounds than she was

surrounded by a ring of warships who, however, made no offensive move.

Seaton again used the telegraph.



"Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the planet Urvania; greetings

from the Overlord of this solar system. I invite you to come into my

vessel, unarmed and alone, for a conference. I come in peace and, peace

or war as you decide, no harm shall come to you, until after you have

returned to your own command. Think well before you reply."



"If I refuse?"



"I shall destroy one of the vessels surrounding me, and shall continue

to destroy them, one every ten seconds, until you agree to come. If you

still do not agree. I shall destroy all the armed forces upon this

planet, then destroy all your people who are at present upon Osnome. I

wish to avoid bloodshed and destruction, but I can and I will do as I

have said."



"I will come."



The general came out upon the field unarmed, escorted by a company of

soldiers. A hundred feet from the vessel he halted the guards and came

on alone, erect and soldierly. Seaton met him at the door and invited

him to be seated.



"What can you have to say to me?" the general demanded, disregarding the

invitation.



"Many things. First, let me say that you are not only a brave man; you

are a wise general--your visit to me proves it."



"It is a sign of weakness, but I believed when I heard those reports,

and still believe, that a refusal would have resulted in a heavy loss of

our men," was the General's reply.



"It would have," said Seaton. "I repeat that your act was not weakness,

but wisdom. The second thing I have to say is that I had not planned on

taking any active part in the management of things, either upon Osnome

or upon this planet, until I learned of a catastrophe that is

threatening all the civilization in this Galaxy--thus threatening my own

distant world as well as those of this solar system. Third, only by

superior force can I make either your race or the Osnomians listen to

reason sufficiently to unite against a common foe. You have been reared

in unreasoning hatred for so many generations that your minds are

warped. For that reason I have assumed control of this entire system,

and shall give you your choice between co-operating with us or being

rendered incapable of molesting us while our attention is occupied by

this threatened invasion."



"We will have no traffic with the enemy whatever," said the general.

"This is final."



"You just think so. Here is a mathematical statement of what is going

to happen to your world, unless I intervene." He handed the general a

drawing of Dunark's plan and described it in detail. "That is the answer

of the Osnomians to your invasion of their planet. I do not want this

world destroyed, but if you refuse to make common cause with us against

a common foe, it may be necessary. Have you forces at your command

sufficient to frustrate this plan?"



"No; but I cannot really believe that such a deflection of celestial

bodies is possible. Possible or not, you realize that I could not yield

to empty threats."



"Of course not," said Seaton, "but you were wise enough to refuse to

sacrifice a few ships and men in a useless struggle against my

overwhelming armament, therefore you are certainly wise enough to refuse

to sacrifice your entire race. However, before you come to any definite

conclusion, I will show you what threatens the Galaxy."



* * * * *



He handed the other a headset and ran through the section of the record

showing the plans of the invaders. He then ran a few sections showing

the irresistible power at the command of the Fenachrone.



"That is what awaits us all unless we combine against them."



"What are your requirements?" the general asked.



"I request immediate withdrawal of all your armed forces now upon Osnome

and full co-operation with me in this coming war against the invaders.

In return, I will give you the secrets I have just given the

Osnomians--the power and the offensive and defensive weapons of this

vessel."



"The Osnomians are now building vessels such as this one?" asked the

general.



"They are building vessels a hundred times the size of this one, with

the same armament."



"For myself, I would agree to your terms. However, the word of the

Emperor is law."



"I understand," replied Seaton. "Would you be willing to seek an

immediate audience with him? I would suggest that both you and he

accompany me, and we shall hold a peace conference with the Osnomian

Emperor and Commander-in-Chief upon this vessel. We shall be gone less

than a day."



"I shall do so at once."



"You may accompany your general, lieutenant. Again I ask pardon for my

necessary rudeness."



As the Urvanian officers hurried toward the palace, the other

Terrestrials, who had been listening in from another room, entered.



"It sounded as though you convinced him, Dick; but that language is

nothing like Kondalian. Why don't you teach it to us? Teach it to Shiro,

too, so he can cook for, and talk to, our distinguished guests

intelligently, if they're going back with us."



As he connected up the educator, Seaton explained what had happened, and

concluded:



"I want to stop this civil war, keep Dunark from destroying this planet,

preserve Osnome for Osnomians, and make them all co-operate with us

against the Fenachrone. That's one tall order, since these folks haven't

the remotest notion of anything except killing."



A company of soldiers approached, and Dorothy got up hastily.



"Stick around, folks. We can all talk to them."



"I believe that it would be better for you to be alone," Crane decided,

after a moment's thought. "They are used to autocratic power, and can

understand nothing but one-man control. The girls and I will keep out of

it."



"That might be better at that," and Seaton went to the door to welcome

the guests. Seaton instructed them to lie flat, and put on all the

acceleration they could bear. It was not long until they were back in

Kondal, where Roban, the Karfedix, and Tarnan, the Karbix, accepted

Seaton's invitation and entered the Skylark, unarmed. Back out in space,

the vessel stationary, Seaton introduced the emperors and

commanders-in-chief to each other--introductions which were acknowledged

almost imperceptibly. He then gave each a headset, and ran the complete

record of the Fenachrone brain.



"Stop!" shouted Roban, after only a moment. "Would you, the Overlord of

Osnome, reveal such secrets as this to the arch-enemies of Osnome?"



"I would. I have taken over the Overlordship of the entire green system

for the duration of this emergency, and I do not want two of its planets

engaged in civil war."



The record finished, Seaton tried for some time to bring the four green

warriors to his way of thinking, but in vain. Roban and Tarnan remained

contemptuous. They would have thrown themselves upon him, but for the

knowledge that no fifty unarmed men of the green race could have

overcome his strength--to them supernatural. The two Urvanians were

equally obdurate. This soft earth-being had given them everything; they

had given him nothing and would give him nothing. Finally Seaton rose to

his full height and stared at them in turn, wrath and determination

blazing in his eyes.



"I have brought you four together, here in a neutral vessel in neutral

space, to bring about peace between you. I have shown you the benefits

to be derived from the peaceful pursuit of science, knowledge, and

power, instead of continuing this utter economic waste of continual war.

You all close your senses to reason. You of Osnome accuse me of being an

ingrate and a traitor; you of Urvania consider me a soft-headed,

sentimental weakling, who may safely be disregarded--all because I think

the welfare of the numberless peoples of the Universe more important

than your narrow-minded, stubborn, selfish vanity. Think what you

please. If brute force is your only logic, know now that I can, and

will, use brute force. Here are the seven disks," and he placed the

bracelet upon Roban's knee.



"If you four leaders are short-sighted enough to place your petty enmity

before the good of all civilization, I am done with you forever. I have

deliberately given Urvanians precisely the same information that I have

given the Osnomians--no more and no less. I have given neither of you

all that I know, and I shall know much more than I do now, before the

time of the conquest shall have arrived. Unless you four men, here and

now, renounce this war and agree to a perpetual peace between your

worlds, I shall leave you to your mutual destruction. You do not yet

realize the power of the weapons I have given you. When you do realize

it, you will know that mutual destruction is inevitable if you continue

this internecine war. I shall continue upon other worlds my search for

the one secret standing between me and a complete mastery of power. That

I shall find that secret I am confident; and, having found it, I shall,

without your aid, destroy the Fenachrone.



"You have several times remarked with sneers that you are not to be

swayed by empty threats. What I am about to say is no empty threat--it

is a most solemn promise, given by one who has both the will and the

power to fulfill his every given word. Now listen carefully to this, my

final utterance. If you continue this warfare and if the victor should

not be utterly destroyed in its course, I swear as I stand here, by the

great First Cause, that I shall myself wipe out every trace of the

surviving nation as soon as the Fenachrone shall have been obliterated.

Work with each other and me and we all may live--fight on and both your

nations, to the last person, will most certainly die. Decide now which

it is to be. I have spoken."



* * * * *



Roban took up the bracelet and clasped it again about Seaton's arm,

saying, "You are more than ever our Overlord. You are wiser than are we,

and stronger. Issue your commands and they shall be obeyed."



"Why did not you say those things first, Overlord?" asked the Urvanian

emperor, as he saluted and smiled. "We could not in honor submit to a

weakling, no matter what the fate in store. Having convinced us of your

strength, there can be no disgrace in fighting beneath your screens. An

armlet of seven symbols shall be cast and ready for you when you next

visit us. Roban of Osnome, you are my brother."



The two emperors saluted each other and stared eye to eye for a long

moment, and Seaton knew that the perpetual peace had been signed. Then

all four spoke, in unison:



"Overlord, we await your commands."



"Dunark of Osnome is already informed as to what Osnome is to do. Say to

him that it will not be necessary for him to build the vessel for me;

the Urvanians will do that. Urvan of Urvania, you will accompany Roban

to Osnome, where you two will order instant cessation of hostilities.

Osnome has many ships of this type, and upon some of them you will

return your every soldier and engine of war to your own planet. As soon

as possible you will build for me a vessel like that of the Fenachrone,

except that it shall be ten times as large, in every dimension, and

except that every instrument, control, and weapon is to be left out."



"Left out? It shall be so built--but of what use will it be?"



"The empty spaces shall be filled after I have returned from my quest.

You will build this vessel of dagal. You will also instruct the Osnomian

commander in the manufacture of that metal, which is so much more

resistant than their arenak."



"But, Overlord, we have...."



"I have just brought immense stores of the precious chemical and of the

metal of power to Osnome. They will share it with you. I also advise you

to build for yourselves many ships like those of the Fenachrone, with

which to do battle with the invaders, in case I should fail in my quest.

You will, of course, see to it that there will be a corps of your most

efficient mechanics and artisans within call at all times in case I

should return and have sudden need for them."



"All these things shall be done."



The conference ended, the four nobles were quickly landed upon Osnome

and once more the Skylark traveled out into her element, the total

vacuum and absolute zero of the outer void, with Crane at the controls.



"You certainly sounded savage, Dick. I almost thought you really meant

it!" Dorothy chuckled.



"I did mean it, Dot. Those fellows are mighty keen on detecting bluffs.

If I hadn't meant it, and if they hadn't known that I meant it, I'd

never have got away with it."



"But you couldn't have meant it, Dick! You wouldn't have destroyed the

Osnomians, surely--you know you wouldn't."



"No, but I would have destroyed what was left of the Urvanians, and all

five of us knew exactly how it would have turned out and exactly what I

would have done about it--that's why they all pulled in their horns."



"I don't know what would have happened," interjected Margaret. "What

would have?"



"With this new stuff the Urvanians would have wiped the Osnomians out.

They are an older race, and so much better in science and mechanics that

the Osnomians wouldn't have stood much chance, and knew it.

Incidentally, that's why I'm having them build our new ship. They'll put

a lot of stuff into it that Dunark's men would miss--maybe some stuff

that even the Fenachrone haven't got. However, though it might seem that

the Urvanians had all the best of it, Urvan knew that I had something up

my sleeve besides my bare arm--and he knew that I'd clean up what there

was left of his race if they polished off the Osnomians."



"What a frightful chance you were taking, Dick!" gasped Dorothy.



"You have to be hard to handle those folks--and believe me, I was a

forty-minute egg right then. They have such a peculiar mental and moral

slant that we can hardly understand them at all. This idea of

co-operation is so new to them that it actually dazed all four of them

even to consider it."



"Do you suppose they will fight, anyway?" asked Crane.



"Absolutely not. Both nations have an inflexible code of honor, such as

it is, and lying is against both codes. That's one thing I like about

them--I'm sort of honest myself, and with either of these races you need

nothing signed or guaranteed."



"What next, Dick?"



"Now the real trouble begins. Mart, oil up the massive old intellect.

Have you found the answer to the problem?"



"What problem?" asked Dorothy. "You didn't tell us anything about a

problem."



"No, I told Mart. I want the best physicist in this entire solar

system--and since there are only one hundred and twenty-five planets

around these seventeen suns, it should be simple to yon phenomenal

brain. In fact, I expect to hear him say 'elementary, my dear Watson,

elementary'!"



"Hardly that, Dick, but I have found out a few things. There are some

eighty planets which are probably habitable for beings like us. Other

things being equal, it seems reasonable to assume that the older the

sun, the longer its planets have been habitable, and therefore the older

and more intelligent the life...."



"'Ha! ha! It was elementary,' says Sherlock." Seaton interrupted.

"You're heading directly at that largest, oldest, and most intelligent

planet, then, I take it, where I can catch me my physicist?"



"Not directly at it, no. I am heading for the place where it will be

when we reach it. That is elementary."



"Ouch! That got to me, Mart, right where I live. I'll be good."



"But you are getting ahead of me, Dick--it is not as simple as you have

assumed from what I have said so far. The Osnomian astronomers have done

wonders in the short time they have had, but their data, particularly on

the planets of the outer suns, is as yet necessarily very incomplete.

Since the furthermost outer sun is probably the oldest, it is the one in

which we are most interested. It has seven planets, four of which are

probably habitable, as far as temperature and atmosphere are concerned.

However, nothing exact is yet known of their masses, motions, or places.

Therefore I have laid our course to intercept the closest one to us, as

nearly as I can from what meager data we have. If it should prove to be

inhabited by intelligent beings, they can probably give us more exact

information concerning their neighboring planets. That is the best I can

do."



"That's a darn fine best, old top--narrowing down to four from a hundred

and twenty-five. Well, until we get there, what to do? Let's sing us a

song, to keep our fearless quartette in good voice."



"Before you do anything," said Margaret seriously, "I would like to know

if you really think there is a chance of defeating those monsters."



* * * * *



"In all seriousness, I do. In fact, I am quite confident of it. If we

had two years, I know that we could lick them cold; and by stepping on

the gas I believe we can get the dope in less than the six months we

have to work in."



"I know that you are serious, Dick. Now you know that I do not want to

discourage any one, but I can see small basis for optimism," Crane spoke

slowly and thoughtfully. "I hope that you will be able to control the

zone of force--but you are not studying it yourself. You seem to be

certain that somewhere in this system there is a race who already knows

all about it. I would like to know your reasons for thinking that such a

race exists."



"They may not be upon this system; they may have been outsiders, as we

are--but I have reasons for believing them to be natives of this system,

since they were green. You are as familiar with Osnomian mythology as I

am--you girls in particular have read Osnomian legends to Osnomian

children for hours. Also identically the same legends prevail upon

Urvania. I read them in that lieutenant's brain--in fact, I looked for

them. You also know that every folk-legend has some basis, however

tenuous, in fact. Now, Dottie, tell about the battle of the gods, when

Osnome was a pup."



"The gods came down from the sky," Dorothy recited. "They were green, as

were men. They wore invisible armor of polished metal, which appeared

and disappeared. They stayed inside the armor and fought outside it with

swords and lances of fire. Men who fought against them cut them through

and through with swords, and they struck the men with lances of flame so

that they were stunned. So the gods fought in days long gone and

vanished in their invisible armor, and----"



"That's enough," interrupted Seaton. "The little red-haired girl has her

lesson perfectly. Get it, Mart?"



"No, I cannot say that I do."



"Why, it doesn't even make sense!" exclaimed Margaret.



"All right, I'll elucidate. Listen!" and Seaton's voice grew tense with

earnestness. "Visitors came down out of space. They were green. They

wore zones of force, which they flashed on and off. They stayed inside

the zones and projected their images outside, and used rays through the

zones. Men who fought against the images cut them through and through

with swords, but could not harm them since they were not actual

substance; and the images directed rays against the men so that they

were stunned. So the visitors fought in days long gone, and vanished in

their zones of force. How does that sound?"



"You have the most stupendous imagination the world has ever seen--but

there may be some slight basis of fact there, after all," said Crane,

slowly.



"I'm convinced of it, for one reason in particular. Notice that it says

specifically that the visitors stunned the natives. Now that thought is

absolutely foreign to all Osnomian nature--when they strike they kill,

and always have. Now if that myth has come down through so many

generations without having that 'stunned' changed to 'killed', I'm

willing to bet a few weeks of time that the rest of it came down fairly

straight, too. Of course, what they had may not have been the zone of

force as we know it, but it must have been a ray of some kind--and

believe me, that was one educated ray. Somebody sure had something, even

'way back in those days. And if they had anything at all back there,

they must know a lot by now. That's why I want to look 'em up."



"But suppose they want to kill us off at sight?" objected Dorothy. "They

might be able to do it, mightn't they?"



"Sure, but they probably wouldn't want to--any more than you would step

on an ant who asked you to help him move a twig. That's about how much

ahead of us they probably are. Of course, we struck a pure mentality

once, who came darn near dematerializing us entirely, but I'm betting

that these folks haven't got that far along yet. By the way, I've got a

hunch about those pure intellectuals."



"Oh, tell us about it!" laughed Margaret. "Your hunches are the world's

greatest brainstorms!"



"Well, I pumped out and rejeweled the compass we put on that funny

planet--as a last resort, I thought we might maybe visit them and ask

that bozo we had the argument with to help us out. I think he--or

it--would show us everything about the zone of force we want to know. I

don't think that we'd be dematerialized, either, because the situation

would give him something more to think about for another thousand

cycles; and thinking seemed to be his main object in life. However, to

get back to the subject, I found that even with the new power of the

compass the entire planet was still out of reach. Unless they've

dematerialized it, that means about ten billion light-years as an

absolute minimum. Think about that for a minute!... I've just got a kind

of a hunch that maybe they don't belong in this Galaxy at all--that they

might be from some other Galaxy, planet and all; just riding around on

it, as we are riding in the Skylark. Is the idea conceivable to a sane

mind, or not?"



"Not!" decided Dorothy, promptly. "We'd better go to bed. One more such

idea, in progression with the last two you've had, would certainly give

you a compound fracture of the skull. 'Night, Cranes."