The Amethyst City. John Russell Fearn
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Lord of Atlantis
A gigantic ridge of land rises from the Atlantic floor, causing massive tidal waves on either side of the ocean. Even stranger, both England and America are then assailed by an invasion of prehistoric monsters! A gigantic domed city rests on the newly risen plateau, whilst out in space an alien spacecraft orbits the Earth. Such are the mysteries and challenges facing the Golden Amazon, self-appointed governess of Earth, as she struggles to unravel the maze of mystery that was the deadly legacy of Atlantis!
Book Three: Triangle of Power
The marriage of Violet Ray Brant—better known as The Golden Amazon—and Abna of Atlantis should have ushered in an era of peace and scientific prosperity to the people of Earth. But an unexpected turn of events finds Abna betrayed and marooned on a satellite of Jupiter, and the Amazon flung far beyond the Solar System. With Earth’s two protectors removed, the planet is now at the mercy of another Atlantean, the master scientist Sefnor Quorne.…
CHAPTER ONE
ATTEMPT TO KILL
The people of Earth and the neighbouring colony worlds were enjoying one of the quietest periods they had ever known. The period when the people had been under the subjection of Sefner Quorne, master-scientist of Jupiter, was mere history. Sefner Quorne had disappeared and with him had gone the menace of his personality.
In fact the latter days of the twenty-first century were quite a pleasant time in which to live. Most of the people knew they owed their lives and present tranquillity to Violet Ray Brant, the Golden Amazon, but so completely did the superwoman disdain praise that there did not seem to be any point in publicly thanking her. In fact, this would have been impractical anyway.
She was 20,000 miles from Earth in her space machine, the Ultra. She was just at the close of destroying a small but dangerous planetoid, which had fallen into an orbit about the Earth. Brought to this position by four-dimensional mechanics, the planetoid had been used by the Amazon as a thought reflector, which ingenious scheme had brought Sefner Quorne to disaster and freed Earth from his domination. But that the planetoid should remain as an added satellite of Earth was unthinkable. It was too sensitive an object, and too useful a weapon for enemies.
Now it floated in space in the form of dust, a shimmering grey cloud catching the light of the sun, a cloud that was nothing more than cosmic drift and no longer of use in any form.
“A very necessary job completed, Relka,” the Amazon commented, gazing out into space.
Her sole companion was a squat, ugly, crocodile-like man of Jupiter, a clever scientist despite his extraordinary physical vestment. He breathed the Earth-normal atmosphere aboard the Amazon’s ship as easily as his native ammoniated hydrogen, thanks to an amazingly adaptive metabolism. He did not respond to the Amazon’s comment. Instead, he was looking at the Amazon intently, struck by her queer expression. In all the time he had known her, he had never seen her looking introspective. Yet that mood seemed to be gripping her now.
The prominence-girdled sun threw her features into strong relief, features so breathtakingly lovely they were phenomenal. But the Golden Amazon was no ordinary woman. Science had made of her a creature of tremendous scientific attainments, and matched it with an incomparably perfect body and almost eternal youth. The Golden Amazon was more of a legend than a woman. Only one thing stopped her being altogether desirable—the streak of ruthless cruelty in her makeup. It was this that isolated her from normal beings—isolated her from everybody indeed save one. And he was dead.
“I find it difficult to understand your mood, Amazon,” Relka commented at length, standing by the switchboard. “I had expected you would be particularly cheerful at having destroyed that planetoid; instead, I find you moody, somehow different.”
The Amazon started out of her preoccupation and glanced up. It was hard to read anything from the deep violet of her eyes. Though Relka spoke entirely by telepathy, and could read thoughts clearly, he found it impossible to penetrate the mask the Amazon had drawn over her mind. Long since she had discovered how to keep her innermost thoughts private.
“I am entitled sometimes to think of things beyond the immediate present,” she answered, giving a little sigh. “I spend most of my life straightening out difficulties for other people—so much so that when I think of something concerning myself, I am looked at in wonder.”
“Concerning yourself?” the Jovian repeated. “What could there be?”
The Amazon turned a little in the controlling seat and looked out across space. There on the rim of the solar system floated the magnificent ringed world of Saturn. Relka looked toward it.
“You are thinking of what we saw there? That amethyst city amidst the screaming winds? That something which we could not explain?”
“I am thinking not only of that, Relka, but of Sefner Quorne as well. He is not dead, remember—or at least we have not proved that he is. As long as he remains alive, anything can happen. It’s over a year since he disappeared, and nothing has happened in the interval. But I am not comfortable. I never shall be until I know he is obliterated. I have had many enemies, but none so dangerous as Quorne.”
The Amazon’s extraordinary eyes moved to look at nearer Jupiter. She contemplated it for a long time, going again over the moments that had been her last with Abna, the god-like master of Jupiter. He had died in the collapse of his laboratory, a collapse brought about by Quorne, formerly Abna’s chief adviser. Abna! There had only been one man in all the universe whom the Amazon had found it impossible to overcome. Though she pretended indifference to his death, she inwardly knew better. His demise had left a far bigger gap in her life than she had ever thought possible.
“We had better return to Earth,” she said, arousing herself. “Our work here is done.”
Closing the power switches, she turned the enormous Ultra around in a sweeping arc and headed its nose toward the not far distant Earth. Relka was silent for a while, contemplating space, then he turned to the Amazon again.
“Do you think any good purpose could be served by going to Saturn again and exploring it? Quorne may be somewhere on that planet—even in that amethyst city we saw.”
“That city was an illusion,” the Amazon replied. “It defied all natural laws. Such a beautiful place surrounded by soft green pastures and illuminated by a hidden golden sun just couldn’t really be there. Saturn is too far from the sun to have so much light, for one thing, and for another his composition is such that one can only expect raging storms, eternal mist, and complete lack of inhabitants. No, I shall not return to Saturn. From here on I shall pursue my own particular scientific hobbies on Earth. I have lost my taste for roaming.”
“Because you have no congenial companion?” Relka asked, and the Amazon flashed him a sharp glance.
“Why do you say that? I couldn’t have a more loyal friend than you.”
“We work well together, Amazon, because we are of different worlds and cannot, therefore, be physically attracted toward one another. But that is not what you want. I get glimpses of your thoughts sometimes—usually they are centred on Abna. You miss him. You have never forgiven yourself for reviling him when he lived. You would like the chance to do it again.”
“I shall never forget Abna,” the Amazon admitted ambiguously, then she ceased speaking and her mind was masked again.
She returned the machine to Earth, settling it in the big hangar at the rear of her own residence. The Jovian paused as he opened the hangar’s door preparatory to stepping into her home.
“You wish me to remain, Amazon?” he questioned.
“If you will not find it dull, yes. I enjoy your scientific outlook. You can always return to your own planet if you tire of inactivity.”
The Jovian nodded, and entered the silence of the great residence, and thereafter it housed two of the most diverse beings it was possible to imagine—one a lovely woman, and the other a terrifying-looking creature with a skin like a crocodile. Yet they understood each