Captain Future 16 - Magic Moon (Winter 1944) by Edmond Hamilton Read Free Book Online Page B

sections of thick, hard Jovian reeds, carefully polished.
    “How in the world is Valdane planning to use these?” he muttered.
    The excitement outside was increasing. The Brain hastily re-entered the ventilator tube.
    He refastened its grating, whose absence had fortunately escaped notice. To it, he attached a tiny instrument.
    Then he made his way rapidly through the dark tubes to the property-room. As he reached that room, Simon Wright felt a shuddering vibration that shook the whole ship.
    He heard a low, thunderous roar from the north, and saw that the flaming brilliance of the heavens had deepened in bloody hue. The Brain was appalled, for he had been on Jupiter enough to know what it meant.
    “Tidal eruption!” a wild voice was yelling outside. “The Fire Sea has erupted right where the telepicture troupe was making scenes!”
     

     
Chapter 6: Wrath of the Fire Sea
     
    BACK in the location-camp by the Fire Sea, Captain Future had felt a sharp anxiety as he saw Otho hurry away on the jungle trail after Kin Kurd and Joan.
    The only thing that moderated his worry about the girl was his confidence in the resourcefulness of Otho.
    Curt had not a doubt that Jon Valdane had sent the Saturnian politician after Joan Randall with a sinister purpose. Why hadn’t he sent Su Thuar? Where was the Venusian criminal? He had disappeared when they first landed. “Chan Carson!” came the angry voice of Jeff Lewis. “Will you stop dreaming and listen to me?”
    Curt Newton had to turn and give his attention to the producer, as Lewis outlined the scenes they were to make in this dangerous location.
    The stocky director appeared insensible to the hazardous nature of this place. The terrific spectacle of the bubbling, infernal Fire Sea that washed the base of this promontory affected him no more than if it had been a painted backdrop, in his intensity of purpose. The others, though, were not so oblivious. Gasping and choking from the sulphurous fumes, they cast anxious glances at the molten ocean whose scorching heat partly penetrated even this zone protected by the anti-heaters. And Curt Newton, playing his part of Chan Carson, was careful to seem openly fearful.
    “Now here’s the plot of this episode of ‘The Ace of Space’,” Jeff Lewis was saying crisply. “Lura and Ron, the two young sweethearts who are trying to give the Futuremen information about the Legion of Doom, are trapped here at the Fire Sea by some of the Legion. They’re going to be killed, when Captain Future and Grag appear.” He turned to bark at the little Martian technical director. “Lo Quior, have you got that automaton ready?”
    “All ready,” affirmed the spectacled little Martian. “Just what will you want it to do?”
    “It’ll come on the scene with Captain Future — Carson, that is,” Lewis explained. “It’s Grag, helping Future to save Ron and Lura. It should run forward, pick up Legion men, and toss them aside.”
    “I can set its controls so it’ll run forward and make the tossing motions,” Lo Quior nodded. “The men can fake the rest.”
    Big Grag was standing, as immobile as the lifeless automaton he impersonated. Curt Newton grinned secretly. He knew how Grag must detest this sham. Lo Quior began setting the control-buttons on the little switchboard on Grag’s back. The Martian never dreamed that this was any other than the dummy automaton the property department had prepared.
    “All right — get those cameras ready to roll,” barked Jeff Lewis. “Ron, you and Lura take your places. You’re breathless, exhausted by your flight from the Legion. You can’t go any farther, for you’re at the very shore of the Fire Sea. They’ve got you trapped —” Lura Lind and Ron King began the scene. They crouched in the sunlight, silhouetted against the angry red immensity of the Fire Sea, gazing behind them in terror and despair. Into the scene rushed the half-dozen actors who represented members of the malign Legion of