The Fall of Nu-Yok

My position among the Hans, in this period, was a peculiar one. I was at once a closely guarded prisoner and an honored guest. San-Lan told me frankly that I would remain the latter only so long as I remained an object of serious study or mental diversion to himself or his court. I made bold to ask him what would be done with me when I ceased to be such.

My position among the Hans at this time was unusual. I was both a closely guarded prisoner and an honored guest. San-Lan told me plainly that I would remain an honored guest only as long as I interested or entertained him or his court. I dared to ask what would happen to me when I no longer did.

"Naturally," he said, "you will be eliminated. What else? It takes the services of fifteen men altogether, to guard you; and men, you understand, cannot be produced and developed in less than eighteen years." He meditated frowningly for a moment. "That, by the way, is something I must take up with the Birth and Educational Bureau. They must develop some method of speeding growth, even at the cost of mental development. With your wild forest men getting out of hand this way, we are going to need greater resources of population, and need them badly.

"Naturally," he said, "you will be eliminated. What else could we do? It takes fifteen men to guard you. And men, you understand, take at least eighteen years to grow up and develop." He frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "That, by the way, is something I must discuss with the Birth and Educational Bureau. They must find a way to speed up growth, even if it slows mental development. Your wild forest men are getting out of hand this way. So we are going to need a larger population, and need it badly.

"But," he continued more lightly, "there seems to be no need for you to disturb yourself over the prospect at present. It is true you have been able to resist our psychoanalysts and hypnotists, and so have no value to us from the viewpoint of military information, but as a philosopher, you have proved interesting indeed."

"But," he continued in a lighter tone, "there seems to be no need for you to worry about that prospect now. You have resisted our psychoanalysts and hypnotists, so you are of no value to us for military information. But as a philosopher, you have proved very interesting indeed."

He broke off to give his attention to a gorgeously uniformed official who suddenly appeared on the large viewplate that formed one wall of the apartment. So perfectly did this mechanism operate, that the man might have been in the room with us. He made a low obeisance, then rose to his full height and looked at his ruler with malicious amusement.

He stopped speaking to pay attention to an official in a magnificent uniform. The man had suddenly appeared on the large viewplate that formed one wall of the apartment. The viewplate worked so perfectly that he might have been in the room with us. He bowed low, then stood up straight and looked at his ruler with malicious amusement.

"Heaven-Born," he said, "I have the exquisite pain of reporting bad news."

"Heaven-Born," he said, "it pains me deeply to report bad news."

San-Lan gave him a scathing look. "It will be less unpleasant if I am not distracted by the sight of you while you report."

San-Lan gave him a scathing look. "It will be less unpleasant if I don't have to look at you while you report."

At this the man disappeared, and the viewplate once more presented its normal picture of the mountains North of Lo-Tan; but the voice continued:

At this, the man disappeared, and the viewplate again showed its usual view of the mountains north of Lo-Tan. But the voice continued:

"Heaven-Born, the Nu-Yok fleet has been destroyed, the city is in ruins, and the newly formed ground brigades, reduced to 10,000 men, have taken refuge in the hills of Ron-Dak (the Adirondacks) where they are being pressed hard by the tribesmen, who have surrounded them."

"Heaven-Born, the Nu-Yok fleet has been destroyed, and the city is in ruins. The newly formed ground brigades have been reduced to 10,000 men. They have taken refuge in the hills of Ron-Dak (the Adirondacks). The tribesmen have surrounded them and are pressing them hard."

For an instant San-Lan sat as though paralyzed. Then he leaped to his feet, facing the viewplate.

For a moment, San-Lan sat as if paralyzed. Then he jumped to his feet and faced the viewplate.

"Let me see you!" he snarled. Instantly the mountain view disappeared and the Intelligence Officer appeared again, this time looking a little frightened.

"Let me see you!" he snarled. The mountain view vanished instantly, and the Intelligence Officer appeared again, looking a little frightened.

"Where is Lui-Lok?" he shouted. "Cut him in on my North plate. The commander who loses his city dies by torture. Cut him in. Cut him in!"

"Where is Lui-Lok?" he shouted. "Put him on my North plate. A commander who loses his city is tortured to death. Put him on. Put him on!"

"Heaven-Born, Lui-Lok committed suicide. He leaped into a ray, when the rockets of the tribesmen began to penetrate the ray-wall. Lip-Hung is in command of the survivors. We have just had a message from him. We could not understand all of it. Reception was very weak because he is operating with emergency apparatus on Bah-Flo power. The Nu-Yok power broadcast plant has been blown up. Lip-Hung begs for a rescue fleet."

"Heaven-Born, Lui-Lok killed himself. He jumped into a ray when the tribesmen's rockets began to penetrate the ray-wall. Lip-Hung is in command of the survivors. We just received a message from him, but we could not understand all of it. Reception was very weak because he is using emergency equipment powered by Bah-Flo. The Nu-Yok power broadcast plant has been blown up. Lip-Hung begs for a rescue fleet."

San-Lan, his expression momentarily becoming more vicious, now was striding up and down the room, while the poor wretch in the viewplate, thoroughly scared at last, stood trembling.

San-Lan's expression grew more vicious for a moment as he paced the room. The poor man in the viewplate was finally terrified and stood trembling.

"What!" shrieked the tyrant. "He begs a rescue. A rescue of what? Of 10,000 beaten men and nothing better than makeshift apparatus? No fleet? No city? I give him and his 10,000 to the tribesmen! They are of no use to us now! Get out! Vanish! No, wait! Have any of the beasts' rockets penetrated the ray-walls of other cities?"

"What!" shrieked the tyrant. "He begs to be rescued. Rescue what? Ten thousand defeated men with nothing but makeshift equipment? No fleet? No city? I give him and his 10,000 men to the tribesmen! They are no use to us now! Get out! Vanish! No, wait! Have any of the beasts' rockets penetrated the ray-walls of other cities?"

"No, Heaven-Born, no. It is only at Nu-Yok that the tribesmen used rockets sheathed in the same mysterious substance they use on their little aircraft and which cannot be disintegrated by the ray." (He meant inertron, of course.)

"No, Heaven-Born, no. Only at Nu-Yok did the tribesmen use rockets coated in the same mysterious substance they use on their small aircraft. The ray cannot disintegrate this substance." (He meant inertron, of course.)

San-Lan waved his hand in dismissal. The officer dissolved from view, and the mountains once more appeared, as though the whole side of the room were of glass.

San-Lan waved his hand to dismiss the officer. The officer faded from view, and the mountains appeared again. It was as if the entire side of the room were made of glass.

More slowly he paced back and forth. He was the caged tiger now, his face seamed with hate and the desperation of foreshadowed doom.

He paced back and forth more slowly. He was the caged tiger now, his face lined with hate and despair at his approaching doom.

"Driven out into the hills," he muttered to himself. "Not more than 10,000 of them left. Hunted like beasts—and by the very beasts we ourselves have hunted for centuries. Cursed be our ancestors for letting a single one of the spawn live!" He shook his clenched hands above his head. Then, suddenly remembering me, he turned and glared.

"Driven out into the hills," he muttered to himself. "No more than 10,000 of them left. Hunted like beasts, and by the very beasts we have hunted for centuries. Curse our ancestors for letting a single one of their spawn live!" He shook his clenched fists above his head. Then he suddenly remembered me and turned to glare at me.

"Forest man, what have you to say?" he demanded.

"Forest man, what do you have to say?" he demanded.

Thus confronted, there stole over me that same detached feeling that possessed me the day I had been made Boss of the Wyomings.

Faced with this, I felt the same detachment that had come over me the day I was made Boss of the Wyomings.

"It is the end of the Air Lords of Han," I said quietly. "For five centuries command of the air has meant victory. But this is so no longer. For more than three centuries your great, gleaming cities have been impregnable in all their arrogant visibility. But that day is done also. Victory returns once more to the ground, to men invisible in the vast expanse of the forest which covers the ruins of the civilization destroyed by your ancestors. Ye have sown destruction. Ye shall reap it!

"This is the end of the Air Lords of Han," I said quietly. "For five centuries, control of the air has meant victory. But it no longer does. For more than three centuries, your great, gleaming cities have been impossible to attack, despite their arrogant visibility. But those days are over too. Victory belongs to the ground once more. It belongs to men hidden in the vast forest covering the ruins of the civilization your ancestors destroyed. You have sown destruction. You shall reap it!

"Your ancestors thought they had made mere beasts of the American race. Physically you did reduce them to the state of beasts. But men do have souls, San-Lan, and in their souls the Americans still cherished the spark of manhood, of honor, of independence. While the Hans have degenerated into a race of sleek, pampered beasts themselves, they have unwittingly bred a race of super-men out of those they sought to make animals. You have bred your own destruction. Your cities shall be blasted from their foundations. Your air fleets shall be brought crashing to earth. You have your choice of dying in the wreckage, or of fleeing to the forests, there to be hunted down and killed as you have sought to destroy us!"

"Your ancestors thought they had turned the American race into mere beasts. Physically, you did reduce them to beasts. But men have souls, San-Lan. In their souls, the Americans still cherished the spark of manhood, honor, and independence. The Hans have become sleek, pampered beasts themselves. At the same time, they have unknowingly bred a race of supermen from those they tried to make into animals. You have bred your own destruction. Your cities will be blasted from their foundations. Your air fleets will be sent crashing to earth. You can choose to die in the wreckage or flee to the forests. There, you will be hunted down and killed, just as you have tried to destroy us!"

And the ruler of all the Hans shrank back from my outstretched finger as though it had been in truth the finger of doom.

And the ruler of all the Hans shrank back from my outstretched finger as if it really were the finger of doom.

But only for a moment. Suddenly he snarled and crouched as though to spring at me with his bare hands. By a mighty convulsion of the will he regained control of himself, however, and assumed a manner of quiet dignity. He even smiled—a slow, crooked smile.

But only for a moment. Suddenly, he snarled and crouched as if to attack me with his bare hands. With a great effort of will, he regained control and became quietly dignified. He even smiled, a slow, crooked smile.

"No," he said, answering his own thought. "I will not have you killed now. You shall live on, my honored guest, to see with your own eyes how we shall exterminate your animal-brethren in their forests. With your own ears you shall hear their dying shrieks. The cold science of Han is superior to your spurious knowledge. We have been careless. To our cost we have let you develop brains of a sort. But we are still superior. We shall go down into the forests and meet you. We shall beat you in your own element. When you have seen and heard this happen, my Council shall devise for you a death by scientific torture, such as no man in the history of the world has been honored with."

"No," he said, answering his own thought. "I won't have you killed now. You will live on as my honored guest. You will see with your own eyes how we exterminate your animal brothers in their forests. You will hear their dying screams with your own ears. The cold science of Han is superior to your false knowledge. We have been careless. We let you develop brains of a sort, and it has cost us. But we are still superior. We will go down into the forests and face you. We will defeat you in your own element. Once you have seen and heard this, my Council will devise a death for you through scientific torture. No man in the history of the world has ever been honored with such a death."

I must digress here a bit from my own personal adventures to explain briefly how the fall of Nu-Yok came about, as I learned it afterward.

I must pause in my own story to briefly explain how Nu-Yok fell, as I learned afterward.

Upon my capture by the Hans, my wife, Wilma, courageously had assumed command of my Gang, the Wyomings.

After the Hans captured me, my wife, Wilma, bravely took command of my Gang, the Wyomings.

Boss Handan, of the Winslows, who was directing the American forces investing Nu-Yok, contented himself for several weeks with maintaining our lines, while waiting for the completion of the first supply of inertron-jacketed rockets. At last they arrived with a limited quantity of very high-powered atomic shells, a trifle over a hundred of them to be exact. But this number, it was estimated, would be enough to reduce the city to ruins. The rockets were distributed, and the day for the final bombardment was set.

Boss Handan, of the Winslows, was directing the American forces besieging Nu-Yok. For several weeks, he simply held our lines while waiting for the first supply of inertron-jacketed rockets. At last the rockets arrived, along with a limited supply of extremely powerful atomic shells. There were a little over a hundred shells, to be exact. But this number, it was estimated, would be enough to reduce the city to ruins. The rockets were distributed, and the day for the final bombardment was set.

The Hans, however, upset Handan's plans by launching a ground expedition up the west bank of the Hudson. Under cover of an air raid to the southwest, in which the bulk of their ships took part, this ground expedition shot northward in low-flying ships.

The Hans, however, disrupted Handan's plans by sending a ground expedition up the west bank of the Hudson. Most of their ships took part in an air raid to the southwest. Under cover of the raid, the ground expedition sped north in low-flying ships.

The raiding air fleet ploughed deep into our lines in their famous "cloud-bank" formation, with down-playing disintegrator rays so concentrated as to form a virtual curtain of destruction. It seared a scar path a mile and a half wide fifteen miles into our territory.

The raiding air fleet drove deep into our lines in its famous "cloud-bank" formation. Its downward disintegrator rays were so concentrated that they formed a virtual curtain of destruction. They burned a path a mile and a half wide, reaching fifteen miles into our territory.

Everyone of our rocket gunners caught in this section was annihilated. Altogether we lost several hundred men and girls.

Every one of our rocket gunners caught in this section was killed. Altogether, we lost several hundred men and girls.

Gunners to each side of the raiding ships kept up a continuous fire on them. Most of the rockets were disintegrated, for Handan would not permit the use of the inertron rockets against the ships. But now and then one found its way through the playing beams, hit a repeller ray and was hurled up against a Han ship, bringing it crashing down.

Gunners on both sides of the raiding ships fired at them continuously. Most of the rockets disintegrated because Handan would not allow inertron rockets to be used against the ships. But now and then a rocket made it through the sweeping beams and hit a repeller ray. The ray hurled it up against a Han ship, bringing the ship crashing down.

The orders that Handan barked into his ultrophone were, of course, heard by every long-gunner in the ring of American forces around the city, and nearly all of them turned their fire on the Han airfleet, with the exception of those equipped with the inertron rockets.

Of course, every long-gunner in the ring of American forces around the city heard the orders Handan barked into his ultrophone. Nearly all of them turned their fire on the Han airfleet. The only exceptions were those equipped with inertron rockets.

These latter held to the original target and promptly cut loose on the city with a shower of destruction which the disintegrator-ray walls could not stop. The results produced awe even in our own ranks.

The latter stayed on their original target and quickly unleashed a shower of destruction on the city. The disintegrator-ray walls could not stop it. The results inspired awe even among our own ranks.

Where an instant before had stood the high-flung masses and towers of Nu-Yok, gleaming red, blue and gold in the brilliant sunlight, and shimmering through the iridescence of the ray "wall," there was a seething turmoil of gigantic explosions.

Just a moment before, Nu-Yok's towering buildings had gleamed red, blue and gold in the brilliant sunlight. They had shimmered through the iridescence of the ray "wall." Now, in their place, gigantic explosions churned.

Surging billows of debris were hurled skyward on gigantic pulsations of blinding light, to the detonations that shook men from their feet in many sections of the American line seven and eight miles away.

Great waves of debris were hurled skyward by enormous pulses of blinding light. The explosions knocked men off their feet in many sections of the American line, seven and eight miles away.

As I have said, there were only some hundred of the inertron rockets among the Americans, long and slender, to fit the ordinary guns, but the atomic laboratories hidden beneath the forests, had outdone themselves in their construction. Their release of atomic force was nearly 100 per cent, and each one of them was equal to many hundred tons of trinitrotoluol, which I had known in the First World War, five hundred years before, as "T.N.T."

As I have said, the Americans had only about a hundred inertron rockets. They were long and slender, made to fit ordinary guns. But the atomic laboratories hidden beneath the forests had outdone themselves in building them. The rockets released nearly 100 percent of their atomic force. Each one was equal to many hundreds of tons of trinitrotoluol. I had known it as "T.N.T." during the First World War, five hundred years before.

It was all over in a few seconds. Nu-Yok had ceased to exist, and the waters of the bay and the rivers were pouring into the vast hole where a moment before had been the rocky strata beneath lower Manhattan.

It was all over in a few seconds. Nu-Yok was gone. Water from the bay and rivers poured into a vast hole. A moment before, layers of rock beneath lower Manhattan had filled that space.

Naturally, with the destruction of the city's power-broadcasting plant the Han air fleet had plunged to earth.

Naturally, when the city's power-broadcasting plant was destroyed, the Han air fleet plunged to earth.

But the ships of the ground expedition up the river, hugging the tree tops closely, had run the gauntlet of the American long-gunners who were busily shooting at the other Han fleet, high in the air to the southwest, and about half of them had landed before their ships were robbed of their power. The other half crashed, taking some 10,000 or 12,000 Han troops to destruction with them. But from those which had landed safely, emerged the 10,000 who now were the sole survivors of the city, and who took refuge in wooded fastnesses of the Adirondacks.

But the ships carrying the ground expedition up the river flew close to the treetops. They ran the gauntlet of the American long-gunners, who were busy firing at the other Han fleet, high in the sky to the southwest. About half the ships landed before they lost power. The other half crashed, killing some 10,000 or 12,000 Han troops. But 10,000 troops emerged from the ships that had landed safely. They were now the city’s sole survivors, and they took refuge in the wooded strongholds of the Adirondacks.

The Americans with their immensely greater mobility, due to their jumping belts and their familiarity with the forest, had them ringed in within twenty-four hours.

The Americans could move much more easily because of their jumping belts and their familiarity with the forest. They surrounded them within twenty-four hours.

But owing to the speed of the maneuvers, the lines were not as tightly drawn as they might have been, and there was considerable scattering of both American and Han units. The Hans could make only the weakest short-range use of their newly developed disintegrator-ray field units, since they had only distant sources of power-broadcast on which to draw. On the other hand, the Americans could use their explosive rockets only sparingly for fear of hitting one another.

But the maneuvers were so fast that the lines were not as tightly drawn as they could have been. Many American and Han units were scattered. The Hans could use their newly developed disintegrator-ray field units only weakly and at short range. This was because they could draw power only from distant power-broadcast sources. On the other hand, the Americans could use their explosive rockets only sparingly, for fear of hitting one another.

So the battle was finished in a series of desperate hand-to-hand encounters in the ravines and mountain slopes of the district.

So the battle ended in a series of desperate hand-to-hand fights in the district's ravines and on its mountain slopes.

The Mifflins and Altoonas, themselves from rocky, mountainous sections, gave a splendid account of themselves in this fighting, leaping to the craggy slopes above the Hans, and driving them down into the ravines, where they could safely concentrate on them the fire of depressed rocket guns.

The Mifflins and Altoonas came from rocky, mountainous regions themselves, and they fought splendidly. They leaped onto the craggy slopes above the Hans and drove them down into the ravines. From there, they could safely aim their rocket guns downward and concentrate their fire on the Hans.

The Susquannas, with their great inertron shields, which served them well against the weak rays of the Hans, pressed forward irresistibly every time they made a contact with a Han unit, their short-range rocket guns sending a hail of explosive destruction before them.

The Susquannas carried great inertron shields that protected them well against the Hans' weak rays. Whenever they encountered a Han unit, they pressed forward irresistibly. Their short-range rocket guns sent a hail of explosive destruction ahead of them.

But the Delawares, with their smaller shields, inertron leg-guards and helmets, and their ax-guns, made faster work of it. They would rush the Hans, shooting from their shields as they closed in, and finish the business with their ax-blades and the small rocket guns that formed the handles of their axes.

But the Delawares worked faster with their smaller shields, inertron leg-guards and helmets, and ax-guns. They rushed the Hans, firing from behind their shields as they closed in. They finished them off with their ax-blades and the small rocket guns that formed the handles of their axes.

It was my own unit of Wyomings, equipped with bayonet guns not unlike the rifles of the First World War, that took the most terrible toll from the Hans.

My own unit of Wyomings inflicted the heaviest losses on the Hans. They carried bayonet guns much like the rifles used in the First World War.

They advanced at the double, laying a continuous barrage before them as they ran, closing with the enemy in great leaps, cutting, thrusting and slicing with those terrible double-ended weapons in a vicious efficiency against which the Hans with their swords, knives and spears were utterly helpless.

They ran forward, laying down a continuous barrage ahead of them. They closed on the enemy in great leaps, cutting, thrusting, and slicing with their terrible double-ended weapons. Their vicious efficiency left the Hans utterly helpless, despite their swords, knives, and spears.

And so my prediction that the war would develop hand-to-hand fighting was verified at the outset.

And so my prediction that the war would involve hand-to-hand fighting was proven right from the start.

None of the details of this battle of the Ron-Daks were ever known in Lo-Tan. Not more than the barest outlines of the destruction of the survivors of Nu-Yok were ever received by San-Lan and his Council. And of course, at that time I knew no more about it than they did.

None of the details of the Ron-Daks’ battle were ever known in Lo-Tan. San-Lan and his Council received only the barest outline of how the survivors of Nu-Yok were destroyed. And of course, at the time, I knew no more about it than they did.