[...]... dropping all about him as the gold-tipped arrows struck home 17 The reptile men were using their gas-guns now The sharp hiss of the discharges rose above the twang of the bow-strings, the snap of the exploding bullets was like a crackle of old-fashioned musketry The projectiles ripped holes in the front ranks of the Amazons, but they still came bounding forward Then the sharp reports of the exploding bullets... breasts The might of the Golden Amazons of Venus swept forward like a giant wave, with a spray of tossing spear points above it Then the trumpets sounded again, and the arrow storm began The front ranks loosed their long shafts swiftly, and the air became full of the twang of bow-strings and hiss of speeding arrows A shouting officer of the Scaly Ones went down with a pair of shafts feathered in his chest... mass of Venus filled half the sky ahead Watches were doubled up Rocket motors were cut down as the attraction of the planet pulled them onward Then the forward rocket-tubes began to let go for the braking effect, and the flame of the discharges filled the control room with a flickering yellow light As they entered the outer atmosphere layers of Venus, the effect of air on the sun's rays gave them natural... mowed them down The clatter of meeting blades was like the noise of a thousand smithies, the shrill yelping of the reptile men was drowned out by the triumphant blast of the Amazon trumpets The Scaly Ones were giving back all along the line, under pressure of superior numbers and the greater agility of the lithe Amazons Gerry fought with the long, blue-bladed sword in his hand and the shield of a fallen... mighty cities in the plains But something happened to the birth- 26 rate, and most of the science of the Old Ones was lost when a series of great quakes swept the planet The holdings of the descendants of those interplanetary travelers of long ago dwindled to only the city of Larr and the land of Savissa itself The humming of the Tempora-scope died away The big metal disc again became blank The machine... were chained by the necks to a steel bar as they sat in a row at one side of the narrow hull The raiders cast off, came aboard, and closed the dome behind them Motors hummed softly, and then the submarine moved sluggishly down the stream At the moment the three of them were alone They could see the scaly skins of some of their captors busied at various tasks in adjoining compartments, but there was no... longer be the same Some of the people were beginning to draft the plans for the great canals that were to conserve the planet's failing supply of water, but others took to space-ships and sailed off into the void Then, for the first time, they saw the planet Venus as the Martian space-ships dropped down through the veiling clouds They saw those first pioneers of space land on Venus, and subjugate the natives,... further the underbrush on the far side of the clearing suddenly vomited a yelling horde of the Scaly Ones They came in close-packed masses, yelping shrilly Their scaly skins and the blades of their swords gleamed in the subdued yellow light Evidently bent on capture of the small group of strangers, they were not using their gas-guns "Keep together! Fall back toward the ship!" Gerry roared, drawing the. .. mounting excitement among the citizens of the city Through the open windows of the control room Gerry could hear the brazen clamor of many trumpets, sounding the alarm Crowds appeared on the roofs Arrows streaked up at the space-ship, futile shafts that fell short of the mark As they neared the central tower, gun crews swarmed about two of the ray-tubes Knowing the resisting power of the Viking's duralite... comment They passed through the ranks of the spear-guard, and up to the octagonal main door of the tower where carved golden leaves slid back into the wall on each side A blue light glowed around the inner frame of the door, and Closana held up her arm "Wait till the blue light fades, for it is Death," she said quietly Then, as the light died out, they all stepped inside while the golden leaves of the . across their breasts. The might of the Golden Amazons of Venus swept forward like a giant wave, with a spray of tossing spear points above it. Then the trumpets. home. 17 The reptile men were using their gas-guns now. The sharp hiss of the discharges rose above the twang of the bow-strings, the snap of the ex- ploding