The other drivers argued only less emphatically with other experimenters, and the crowd followed the machines.
“You see,” Maltby was explaining to Tony, “now we know how to use their power, we ought to get other things going besides the vehicles; we ought to get a part of the city, at least, in some sort of operation.”
“Of course,” Tony comprehended. “Of course.” And he led Lady Cynthia aside, with Williamson and Maltby. “When we have power,” he challenged the English girl, “how much of its use can you show us?”
“I know how to get in and out of t
he buildings which have doors operated by electricity—or whatever it is. I know how they run the kitchens and the lights and baths, and things like that.”
Tony said: “Then you had better take these men through a few buildings. Show them everything you’ve seen in operation—how it seemed to work.… Williamson,—Maltby,—you choose the party to go with her. When you’re through with her, please ask her to come back to the Council Hall.”
As Tony turned away, Jack Taylor approached him.
“You don’t want a ride,” he tempted his friend, “in one of the new million-year-old machines through the city?”
“Not yet,” Tony said.
“Why not yet?”
“You,” said Tony, “you take it for me, Jack.”
“All right,” said Jack, staring at him almost understandingly. “Sure. I’ll take the ride for you!”
Tony retired to his deserted Hall of the Central Authority. He would have liked nothing better than to feel free to ride the ramps to the highest pinnacles as, in the square below him, others—many of them no younger than he—were preparing to do. Those allowed to experiment with the vehicles were as eager and excited as children with their first velocipedes. Tony watched them for a time enviously. No one but himself stopped him from rejoining them and claiming his right to ride the amazing highroads of this city. But not yet!
“Why?”
He glanced up toward the sun, the small, distant sun, warm enough yet when the sky was clear, warm enough especially under the splendid shield spread over the city.
He dropped back from the window and slumped down before the beautiful desk which had served its original purpose countless years ago when this world whirled about some other star. He still was alone.
Two tiny images of men—men not of the world, but of this planet—decorated the desk, one standing at each of the far corners of the desk-top. They were not secured to the metal top, but could be plucked from their fastening without breaking. Tony toyed with them; they reminded him of little images brought from Egypt. There had been a name for them in the world. “Ush—ushab—” He could not quite recall it.
Some one entered. It was Eve; and he arose, awaiting her. His mood had returned to readiness for her; and she was calmer than before, and quite collected.
“What are those, Tony?” She gazed at the exquisite little images in his hand.
“You tell me. Eve.”
“Why, they look like ushabtin, Tony.”
“That’s it! The ‘answerers,’ weren’t they? The Respondents.”
“Yes,” she said. “The Answerers, the Respondents for the Dead. For when a man died, the Egyptians could not believe that he would not be called upon to continue his tasks as always he had done them in his life. So they placed in his tomb the ‘Answerer’ to respond when he was called to perform a task after he was dead. ‘O Answerer!’ the soul appealed to the statuette: ‘If I am called, if I am counted upon to do any work that is to be done by the Dead … thou shalt substitute thyself for me at all times, to cultivate the field, to water the shores, to transport sand of the east to the west, and say “Here am I; I am here to do it!”’”
“I see,” said Tony. “Thank you. I remember. I hope your father can feel I am his Answerer, Eve.”
He knew, then, why he had not left the Hall of Authority to ride the ramps of the city: Cole Hendron would not have done it.
CHAPTER XIV
THE FUNERAL OF COLE HENDRON
“WHAT weapons did the Midianites find in their city?”
“Practically none. None at all, that I know of,” Lady Cynthia corrected.
She had returned from her tour with the technicians, having demonstrated all she had learned of the manner of manipulating electric locks, taps, pumping-apparatus and other mechanisms which now were capable of being operated.