FOREWORD
In "Tarrano the Conqueror" is presented a tale of the year 2430 A.D.—a time somewhat farther beyond our present-day era than we are beyond Columbus' discovery of America. My desire has been to create for you the impression that you have suddenly been plunged forward into that time—to give you the feeling Columbus might have had could he have read a novel of our present-day life.
To this end I have conceived myself a writer of that future time, addressing his contemporary public. You are to imagine yourself reading a present day translation of my original text—a translation so free that a thousand little colloquialisms will have crept into it that could not possibly have their counterparts in the year 2430.
Apart from the text, you will occasionally find brief explanatory footnotes. Conceive them as having been put there by the translator.
If you find parts of this tale unusual or bizarre, please remember that we are living now in a comparatively ignorant day. The tale is not intended to be fantastic or full of new and strange ideas. I have used nothing but those developments of our present-day civilization to which we are all looking forward as logical probabilities—woven them into a picture of what life in America very probably will be five hundred years from now. To that extent, the tale itself is intended to be only a love story of adventure and romance—written, not for you, but for that future audience.
RAY CUMMINGS.
CONTENTS
[CHAPTER I. The New Murders]
[CHAPTER II. Warning]
[CHAPTER III. Spy in the House]
[CHAPTER IV. To the North Pole]
[CHAPTER V. Outlawed Flight]
[CHAPTER VI. Man of Destiny]
[CHAPTER VII. Prisoners]
[CHAPTER VIII. Unknown Friend]
[CHAPTER IX. Paralyzed!]
[CHAPTER X. Georg Escapes]
[CHAPTER XI. Recaptured]
[CHAPTER XII. Tara]
[CHAPTER XIII. Love—and Hate]
[CHAPTER XIV. Defying Worlds]
[CHAPTER XV. Escape]
[CHAPTER XVI. Playground of Venus]
[CHAPTER XVII. Violet Beam of Death]
[CHAPTER XVIII. Passing of a Friend]
[CHAPTER XIX. Waters of Eternal Peace]
[CHAPTER XX. Unseen Menace]
[CHAPTER XXI. Love, Music—and a Warning]
[CHAPTER XXII. Revolution!]
[CHAPTER XXIII. First Retreat]
[CHAPTER XXIV. Attack on the Palace]
[CHAPTER XXV. Immortal Terror]
[CHAPTER XXVI. Black Cloud of Death]
[CHAPTER XXVII. Tarrano The Man]
[CHAPTER XXVIII. Thing in the Forest]
[CHAPTER XXIX. A Woman's Scream]
[CHAPTER XXX. The Monster]
[CHAPTER XXXI. Industriana]
[CHAPTER XXXII. Departure]
[CHAPTER XXXIII. First Assault]
[CHAPTER XXXIV. Invisible Assailants]
[CHAPTER XXXV. Attack on the Power House]
[CHAPTER XXXVI. City of Ice Besieged]
[CHAPTER XXXVII. Battle]