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  Giants on the Earth

  By Capt. S. P. Meek

  The yoke of Jovian oppression rests heavily on the dwellers of Earth--until Damis, the Nepthalim, comes forward to lead them in spirited revolt.

  CHAPTER I

  _The Jovian Tyrant_

  Glavour, Jovian Viceroy of the Earth, looked arrogantly about as he layat ease on the cushions of the ornate chariot which bore him through thestreets of his capital city. Like all the Jovians, he was cast in aheroic mold compared to his Earth-born subjects. Even for a Jovian,Glavour was large. He measured a good eight feet from the soles of hishuge splayed feet to the crown of his enormous head, crested with stiffblack hair which even the best efforts of Tonsome, the court barber,failed to make lie in order. His keen black eyes glittered as they sweptover the scene before him. Where only a few years before had been onlytangled tropical jungle on the narrow neck of land separating the twogreat oceans, now rose row after row of stately buildings. SuddenlyGlavour's attention was attracted by a girlish form in a passingchariot.

  "Stop!" he cried.

  _Before them were figures out of a nightmare._]

  Obedient to the driver's touch on a lever, the tiny radium motor of thechariot ceased to revolve and the equipage stopped its forward motion.Glavour turned to an equerry at his side.

  "Havenner," he exclaimed, "did you note that maiden who passed us?"

  "I did, Your Excellency."

  "Bring her before me."

  The equerry sprang lightly to the ground and called out in a stentorianvoice. At the sound every vehicle on the street ceased its movementuntil the will of the Viceroy, the ruler of the Sons of God, should bemade known. In a few steps, his powerful Jovian muscles carrying hishuge body forward at a rate impossible to persons born of Earthlyparentage who had not inherited the power needed to overcome theenormous gravity of Jupiter, Havenner reached the equipage containingthe girl. He gave a curt order and the girl's driver turned his vehicleand brought it alongside the Viceroy's.

  * * * * *

  Glavour's eyes rested on the slim lithesome figure of the Earth-girl.She was just emerging from the grace of girlhood into the full dignityof young womanhood and the soft clinging garb she wore accentuatedrather than concealed the curves of her body. As Glavour's gaze fell onher, she cast down her eyes and a flush crept slowly over her prettyface to the mass of coppery gold hair which crowned her head. Anexpression of brutal lust came into the Viceroy's eyes.

  "Daughter of Man," he said slowly, "how are you named and what is yourfamily?"

  "My name is Lura, Your Excellency," she faltered, "and I am the daughterof Turgan, the Kildare of this province."

  "You please me, girl," said the Viceroy. "Dismiss your chariot and joinme in mine. There is room in my seraglio for you."

  Lura stared with horror at the huge Jovian and shrank back from hissensual gaze. Glavour gazed at her in astonishment and a deep scowlspread over his face.

  "The prospect does not seem to please you, Daughter of Man," he saidslowly. "Perhaps the company of the Viceroy of Tubain, Ruler of theUniverse, is too lowly to please you and you desire more exaltedcompany. Be careful that I do not have you stripped and given to thepalace guards for their sport. Join me in my chariot."

  He half rose and leaned forward to clasp her. Lura gave a cry of horrorand sprang from her chariot to the ground on the side farthest from thevehicle of the Viceroy. Glavour leaped to his feet with a roar of rageand lunged after her. Before he had left his chariot, the hand of hisequerry fell restrainingly on his shoulder. The Viceroy turned arage-maddened face toward his minion.

  "Seize that maiden, Havenner!" he cried. "As I live, she shall besacrificed at the next games."

  * * * * *

  The equerry made no move to obey his superior's orders and Glavour'sface grew purple with rage.

  "Obey my orders or you shall join her as a sacrifice!" he roared.

  The equerry's face paled slightly and grew grim at the Viceroy's wordsbut no trace of fear appeared on his heavy countenance.

  "Save your breath, Glavour," he said shortly, but in so quiet a voicethat no one but the Viceroy heard him. "You may be head of the Sons ofGod on this planet but your power does not extend to life and death overme, who am of the same blood that you are. I have the right to appeal toTubain from such a sentence. Before you strive to haul that girl away toyour already crowded seraglio against her will, listen to me. Do yourealize who she is?"

  The Viceroy's face was a study. For a moment rage predominated and heraised a mighty fist to strike Havenner down, but the equerry looked himfearlessly in the eye. Slowly the hot rage faded and a deadly ferocitytook its place.

  "You try me far, Havenner," he said in a quiet voice, yet with a hint ofsteel in his tones, "yet your loyalty is above suspicion. Heard you notthe girl say she was the daughter of the Kildare of this province?"

  "I heard, Your Excellency," replied the equerry, "but beyond that, sheis someone else. She is the affianced bride of Damis, the son of Hortan,who was Viceroy before you."

  "A Nepthalim!" exclaimed the Viceroy scornfully. "What matters that? Arethe desires of a half-breed bastard to stand above the wishes of theruler of the planet?"

  "It is true that the mother of Damis was a Daughter of Man," said theequerry quietly, "yet Hortan married her in honor. Damis is a man ofgreat influence and it would be well to reflect before you rob him ofhis chosen bride. There is wide discontent with our rule which needsonly a leader to flare up. Remember that we are few and Jupiter is faraway."

  "Havenner, you talk like a frightened woman," sneered the Viceroy. "Lethim join the ranks of the malcontents. For my part, I hope they revolt.They need to be taught a lesson. Stand aside while I seize the maiden."

  * * * * *

  The equerry stood aside with a shrug of his shoulders and the Viceroysprang to the ground. The girl had run as rapidly as her clinging robeswould allow toward one of the beautiful buildings which lined thethoroughfare. She had almost reached the doorway before Glavour reachedthe ground and raced after her. His Jovian muscles carried his bodyforward at a pace which no Terrestrial could equal. It was evident tothe watchers that he would seize Lura before she could reach thesanctuary she sought.

  A mingled chorus of cries of rage and hisses came from the Earthmen whowitnessed the scene. The Jovian guards strove to suppress the outcriesuntil a word from Havenner made them cease their efforts and close inaround the Viceregal chariot. The cries rose to a tumult but as yet noneof the Earthmen dared to raise a hand against the person of therepresentative of Tubain, the far-off Jovian whom they had been forcedto acknowledge as God, and whom many of the ignorant believed _was_ God.

  The Viceroy rapidly overtook his victim and his hand was outstretched tograsp her when there came an interruption. From the doorway which thegirl had been striving to reach, a man burst forth and leaped betweenher and her pursuer. Glavour stopped and glowered at the new obstacle inthe path of his sensuality.

  The newcomer stood five inches over six feet in his flat sandals but itwas only in his unusual height and his enormous strength that he showedthe blood of his Jovian father. His feet were small and shapely with ahigh-arched instep and his whole form was graceful and symmetrical.Crisply curling yellow hair surmounted a head which Praxiteles wouldhave reveled in as a model for his youthful Hermes. As he faced
theViceroy, his usual pleasant smile was gone and his face was set in grimlines, his clear blue eyes as cold as the ice brought from the polarregions to cool the Viceroy's drink.

  * * * * *

  The two stood and stared at one another, the black eyes of the Jovianburning like fire in strange contrast to the cold glare of the blueones. Then tension in the street grew taut. The Earthmen graduallyclosed in about them. At a word from Havenner, the Jovian guards closedup and drew from their garments long black tubes. Presently Glavourbroke the silence.

  "Make way, son of Hortan, for the Viceroy of God," he rumbled in hisdeep-toned voice.

  Damis made no reply, nor did he move a muscle. The rage deepened on theViceroy's face and he strode forward, his hand raised to strike downthis puny assailant who had interposed his slight form between themassive limbs of the Jovian and the object of his desires. With a cry ofrage he brought down his huge hand and then Damis moved. So swiftlythat the eye could hardly follow his movements, he leaped to one sideand his own hand shot up. Fingers of steel circled the hairy wrist ofthe Viceroy and stopped his hand in mid-air. For a moment Glavour wastoo astonished at the idea of physical resistance to move. Damis, withan almost contemptuous air, tossed aside the hand he held and made as ifto turn his back. With an inarticulate roar of rage, the Jovian charged.

  Again Damis sprang to one side and his hand moved. In a long arc hisclenched fist shot up and caught Glavour on the chin and rocked the fourhundred pounds of bone and muscle that made up the Viceroy. For a momentGlavour staggered and then his hand fell on Damis' shoulder. Exertingall of his huge strength, he pulled his opponent toward him and threwhis massive arms about him. Damis made no attempt to wriggle out of thebone-crushing grip, but, instead, threw his arms about the Jovian andmatched muscle against muscle. The Jovian guards, who had witnessed thefeats of strength which were the Viceroy's boast, expected only oneoutcome, but to Havenner, who recalled that Hortan, the father of Damis,had been one of the mightiest men of Jupiter, the issue was not aforegone conclusion. Stealthily as a cat he crept forward, a long blacktube clenched in his hand.

  * * * * *

  Mightily the two strove. The face of the Jovian grew dark red and thenalmost purple as he put forth his last ounce of strength to crush theopponent whom he topped a good eighteen inches. For all of his effort,not an inch did Damis yield. His face grew as pale as the Jovian's grewred and his breath came whistling through his lips, but the strength hehad inherited from his mighty sire stood him in good stead. Inch by inchhe bent the huge form of his opponent backward. With a sudden effort,the Jovian raised one of his huge misshapen feet and strove to bring hismighty thighs to aid him in thrusting away his enemy. Damis' knee cameup and the Jovian dropped his foot with a howl of pain. His breath camein gasps and he stared into the implacable blue eyes before him with asudden spasm of fear. At last Glavour had met his match.

  He opened his lips to call to his guards for help but shame held backthe cry. Once he admitted defeat, the fear in which the Earthmen heldhim would be shaken. With an effort he bent forward his head and buriedhis huge fangs in Damis' shoulder. There was a cry from the watchingEarthmen as they surged forward. The Jovian guards ran to their ruler'sassistance but they were too far away. Havenner was close and he sprangforward, thrusting the black tube which he carried, toward Damis.

  A cry advised Damis of his danger. With a herculean effort he lifted thehuge Jovian from his feet and swung him around until the massive bodywas between him and the threatening weapon of the equerry. As swiftly asstriking snakes his arms uncoiled from around Glavour's body and graspedhim by the shoulders. With one mighty heave he tore the Jovian's mouthfrom his shoulder although the flesh was torn and lacerated by theaction. One arm went under Glavour's arm and back around until the handrested on the back of his neck. The other arm caught the Viceroy's armand twisted it behind his back. Glavour gave a cry of pain as thepunishing hold was applied. Holding his captive before him, Damisturned to the equerry.

  "Put up your tube," he said. "One hostile move and your ruler dies."

  "Disintegrate him, Havenner!" gasped the Viceroy.

  * * * * *

  The equerry hesitated a moment but aid was at hand. The Jovian guardshad come up to the scene of the struggle and surrounded the pair, blacktubes in their hands. The sight of reinforcements roused the Viceroy'slagging courage.

  "Capture him alive!" he gasped. "He will be sacrificed at the nextgames!"

  With a roar the guards closed in on the struggling pair. As hairy handsgrasped his shoulders, Damis lunged back with all his strength. Therewas the crack of a breaking bone and the Viceroy's arm hung dangling anduseless. Damis whirled on the guards, shaking himself loose for a momentfrom their grasp, and his fists flew out. Two of the giants went downbefore well-aimed blows but no one man, no matter what his might, couldfight against a score of the huge Jovians and Damis was borne to theground. Even as he fell, a roar went up from the watching Terrestrialsand with one accord they closed in to attack.

  The Jovian guards who were nearest whirled about and raised the blacktubes threateningly. For a moment the Earthmen hesitated and then cameon with a rush. From the tubes came rays of intensely violet light. Asthey fell on the front ranks of the charging Terrestrials, the form, onwhich the rays impinged grew suddenly tenuous. The sunlight penetratedthrough the bodies for a moment and then there was nothing but a groupof dancing motes of light to mark where they had stood.

  * * * * *

  Undaunted by the fate of their leaders, the balance of the mob surgedforward uttering cries of hate and rage. From all the doorways, freshhordes of Earthmen came rushing to join the fray. Again and again theterrible rays of the Jovian guards blasted scores of their assailantsinto nothingness but more came. Presently the tubes of the Jovians beganto lose their power and the violet light became lighter in shade. With aroar the Earthmen swept forward and the huge guards went down under theonrushing waves of humanity. Half a dozen of them were dragged down andhurled back into the milling crowd where they were torn limb from limb.The balance of the guards, guided by Havenner's stentorian shouts,closed in around Glavour and the prisoner and battered their way bysheer brute force toward the Viceregal chariot. They had reached in andclimbed in when a feminine shout pierced the din of conflict.

  "Damis! They have Damis prisoner! Rescue him!"

  With a roar, the mob charged again. Mightily the Jovians strove but theywere outnumbered by hundreds to one. One after another was torn from thechariot until Damis freed himself by a mighty effort and leaped to theground. As he did so, the driver's hand found the controlling lever andthe chariot shot forward, crushing under its wheels several lucklessEarthmen who stood in its path. A roar of triumph rose from the crowdand Damis was hastily lifted to their shoulders. He looked down on hisrescuers with an anguished face.

  "Lura!" he gasped. "Is she safe?"

  One of the Terrestrials shouted something unintelligible and pointed up.Damis' gaze followed the direction in which he pointed. From an upperwindow of the building into which she had fled, Lura's face, wreathedwith smiles, looked down on him. He smiled and waved in triumph to her.There was a stir on the outskirts of the crowd and an elderly man, tallfor an Earthman and with dignity and authority written large on hiscountenance, made his way through the crowd. At a word from him, Damiswas lowered to his feet to face the newcomer.

  "Damis," said the elderly man, "I never thought to grasp the hand of aNepthalim or of anyone with Jovian blood in his veins in friendship, yetI can do no less than offer my hand. It is the thanks of a father to thesaviour of his daughter."

  * * * * *

  Damis met the outstretched hand with a grip that made the elderly manwince.

  "It is an honor and a pleasure to grasp in friendship the hand ofTurgan, the Kildare of this pro
vince," he said, "the hand of one who wasborn to be ruler in fact, instead of an underling under a Jovianmaster."

  "It is true that my father was king of this country before the Jovianscame, forty years ago," said Turgan gravely, "yet now there is no honoror merit in it. Even the rank of Kildare, which is but that of a slaveruling other more unfortunate slaves, could not have prevented my onlydaughter from being dragged away to the seraglio of that monster. Tosuch a pass has one been brought whose birth made him the peer of any.But now we must plan and plan swiftly, else are we undone. Glavour willreturn with his minions. Safety will be found only in flight, for merenumbers cannot oppose the weapons they will turn against us. Damis, sofar you have been one with our Jovian masters, as have all of theNepthalim. Now it is war to the death between them and us. On which sidedo you stand?"

  Damis hesitated as the Kildare's keen gray eyes bored into his own.

  "My father was Viceroy of the Earth in the days gone by," he saidslowly, "and he planned that I should take his place. His dream was apeaceful union of the strength and science of Jupiter with the beautyand humanity of the Earth. True to his dream, I have cleaved to hispeople and striven to bring it about, but I can see now the folly of hisambition. In stature and mental power he was a Jovian, in all else hewas a Terrestrial. Since his death I have seen you stripped bit by bitof what he left you until now you are lower than the slaves on Jupiter,who can appeal to Tubain against a cruel master. Even I, a Nepthalim,the son of a Viceroy, am forced to revolt to save the maiden I love.Henceforth, I give up my father's dream of peace and do what my hearttells me is right. It is war to the death between the Sons of God andthe Sons of Man, and I, who am descended from a Son of God and aDaughter of Man, cleave to my mother's people."

  * * * * *

  A shout of joy came from all who heard his ringing voice announce hisnew allegiance. Damis had ever a reputation as a humane man and he wasguilty of none of the brutalities which made the Jovians so detested andwhich were bettered by those of the Nepthalim who had the power. It wasonly the influence which Damis had wielded with the Earthmen which hadprevented many an outbreak which would have been ruthlessly crushed bythe Jovian overlords. To know that the son of a Viceroy, reputed one ofthe most brilliant as well as one of the strongest of Jovian blood, wasone with them, made them hope that they might make some headway againsttheir oppressors and wring from them some small measure of liberty.Turgan's face was wreathed with smiles.

  "Again I offer you my hand, Damis," he said. "Before it was as a fatherthanking you for the rescue of his daughter. Now it is a fatherwelcoming the son he has always longed for and whom he feared he wouldnever have. My consent to your union with Lura which was grudginglygiven only to save her from the dishonor of being dragged a slave toGlavour's seraglio, is withdrawn, and in its place I give you a happyfather's joyous consent to the marriage."

  There were tears in the old Kildare's eyes as he grasped the hand of theyoung blond giant. For a moment they stood with clasped hands, twostrong men taking the measure of one another and each found the othergood. The Kildare dropped Damis' hand and turned to the crowd.

  "To your homes!" he cried sharply. "The Sons of God will return with newweapons and it is my wish that none be found to oppose them. All withinsound of my voice who are members of the inner council will join me inthe palace. Damis, come with me."

  Followed by Damis and a score of Earthmen, the Kildare led the way intoa building. As they entered, Damis cast a swift glance around and lookedquestioningly at Turgan.

  "Lura--?" he asked hesitantly.

  "Will join us in the council room," said Turgan with a smile.