To

MY TWO DEAR ONES

CONTENTS

BOOK I
THE OLD WORLD
(Before the War)
CHAPTER PAGE
I.STRANGERS COME TO MARSHFIELDEN[11]
II.THE CURSE[20]
III.THE LIGHT[33]
IV.THE OUTLET[42]
BOOK II
THE UNDERWORLD
I.A STRANGE MEETING[53]
II.THE ORIGIN OF THE PEOPLE[65]
III.RELATING TO HISTORY[79]
IV.OUT INTO THE GREAT BEYOND[88]
V.A FRIEND FROM THE ENEMY[95]
VI.THE LAIR OF THE SERPENT[102]
VII.ON THE WAY TO THE TOMB OF KORAH[109]
VIII.THE TOMB OF KORAH[115]
IX.THE PAPYRUS[122]
X.THE ESCAPE[129]
BOOK III
EXIT THE WORLD
(After the War)
I.AT WALLA BALLA[139]
II.HOME AGAIN[154]
III.THE AIRSHIP[166]
IV.THE END OF THE WORLD[173]
BOOK IV
THE PERFECT WORLD
I.IN SPACE[187]
II.ADRIFT IN THE SOLAR REGIONS[194]
III.THE VISION OF A NEW WORLD[204]
IV.JUPITER AND THE JOVIANS[211]
V.DEATH IN JUPITER[223]
VI.THE SACRAMENT OF SCHLERIK-ITATA[232]
VII.HATRED ON KEEMAR[244]
VIII.THE UNFORGIVEABLE KISS[256]
IX.ALAN—THE KNIGHT ERRANT[265]
X.THE CAVE OF WHISPERING MADNESS[270]
XI.THE WRAITHS OF THE RORKAS[282]
XII.THE FATE OF KULMERVAN[292]
XIII.THE SENTENCE UPON ARRACK[296]
XIV.THE HALL OF SORROWS[302]
XV.THE TRIUMPH OF AK-ALAN[307]
XVI.THE PERFECT WORLD[316]
ENVOI[320]

BOOK I
THE OLD WORLD
(Before the War)

THE PERFECT WORLD

CHAPTER I
STRANGERS COME TO MARSHFIELDEN

An English summer! The birds sang merrily, and the trees bowed their heads, keeping time with the melody. The breeze whispered its accompaniment, and all the glades and woods were happy.

Marshfielden was, perhaps, one of the prettiest villages in Derbyshire. Nestling among the peaks of that lovely county, its surroundings were most picturesque. Its straggling street, for it had but one, was unspoiled by tripper or tourist, for its charms were unknown to the outside world. The road was cobbled, and boasted of no pavement, and long gardens, shining with marigolds and nasturtiums, reached down to each side of it, forming frames to the pretty, irregular little cottages with their gables and latticed windows.