Lucifer appeared to puncture like an inflated balloon, then shrivel and implode, swallowing his own substance into itself.
The Nyctalope, astonished, saw Lucifer begin to be sucked into nothingness until he disappeared, screaming. Leo guessed that the villain had been taken to the otherdimensional realm of the Sarvants. To remain a prisoner forever, or perhaps a pet, or even to be eaten in an incomprehensible feast.
He shuddered.
Inside the Core, a wave of energy recreated the golden control sphere and repaired the mechanical arms that had been damaged. On the surface of Rhea, the black bolts of nothingness that had been spreading throughout the planetoid began to disappear.
Then the Nyctalope and Koynos were carried away by the same invisible force that had earlier removed King Kkal and his guards.
They lost consciousness.
When they woke up, they were lying on the tarmac on the Landing Pad in Olbansville.
Epilogue
The Nyctalope got up with difficulty. His clothes were in rags, and he showed the marks of the battle he has just fought.
He looked over at Koynos, who had remained completely motionless and was still lying on the ground.
He bent to take his pulse. There was none.
“Dead,” whispered Leo. “No doubt a victim of the Sarvants’ unfathomable will…”
Koynos’s body began to shimmer, then disappeared.
The Nyctalope wondered if he was being discarded, like a tool whose usefulness was gone, or taken to join the Sarvants in their mysterious dimension. He shook his head. He probably would never know the truth.
Leo stood up again. As he turned, he saw his reflection in one of the glass windows of the control tower. Whatever transformation had been performed on him by Henri d’Olbans, its effects had totally dissipated. He had retuened to his ordinary human form.
Well, perhaps not so ordinary…
He straightened up and walked towards the control tower, just as Akira Mitang ran out towards him.
“Monsieur Saint-Clair! I wasn’t dreaming! It is you! But how…?”
“There will be a time for explanations later, Akira. I assume everything is back to normal?”
“Yes. Whatever threatened to tear Rhea apart is over. All the monitors are back on line and all the signals are green. The Nocturnals and the Diurnals will have some rebuilding to do, depending on where they are, but nothing too dramatic.”
“Excellent. Where is Gisèle?”
The Mayor looked somewhat embarrassed, biting his lips, not knowing how to answer.
“Come on, out with it,” urged Leo.
“Well, er, she chose to go with the back-up plan,” he finally said, adding: “I didn’t say anything; you’re the one who mentioned it to her. When she asked me about it, I had to tell her…”
“You did the right thing, Akira,” said Leo, putting his hand on the Mayor’s shoulder. “Had Koynos and I failed, the back-up plan would have been her only chance of salvation. I’m glad she took it.”
“She left a letter for you, just in case you came back…” said Mitang, handing an envelope to the Nyctalope.
Leo took it and read:
Dearest Leo:
Do not blame Akira for having explained your back-up plan to me. I now know that the three ships, Olb-II, III and IV, that transported the original colonists to Rhea have been refitted with deep sleep capsules for interstellar journeys.
Your plan was that, in the event of a catastrophic even on Rhea, the colonists would be able to leave the planet and still carry out your dream of space exploration by traveling to the nearest star at lightspeed. It was, and still is, a wonderful plan.
I decided the join this new band of explorers, led by Marc de Ciserat. Marc is a good man, and I know he is not insensitive to my charms. I think I can be happy with him, under the light of another star.
I’m giving this letter to Akira in case you return safe and sound. No one has ever been able to truly defeat you in the past, and I hope this will prove true again.
I will always love you,
Gisèle
During the reading of the letter, Akira Mitang had stepped back, as if to give Leo some privacy. Now that he saw the Nyctalope fold the letter and put it inside his pocket, he approached him and asked:
“Will you be staying on Rhea, Great Nyctalope? The readings indicate the entire planet will be shifting to hyperdrive in a few hours…”
“Good! It means that the Sarvants have agreed to let the Human Race spread its wings beyond the confines of the Solar System. But to answer your question: no. I plan to return to Earth on the Olb.-1. There is nothing more for me to do here, while there is still much I can accomplish on our homeworld.”
“You do know we’ll probably catch up with the other ships in a few months…?”
“I realize that, Akira, but I think Gisèle will be happier with Marc. Wish them both a long and happy life together for me. And always abide by the ideals of our great country as your children and your children’s children travel among the cosmos.”
“I will, Great Nyctalope. Vive la France!”
“Vive la France!”
An hour later, the Nyctalope was at the commands of the Olb-1. Alone. His destination: Earth. He didn’t even turn to watch Rhea shrink in size and vanish in the opposite direction behind him as his ship gained in speed.
Once the automatic pilot was set, he went to his bunk and quickly fell asleep.
And in his sleep, he dreamt of the stars.
Timeline
of the events chronicled in this book
1909. Leo meets Koynos in Africa. (“Dangerous Territory” in Night of the Nyctalope)
1910 (Sept.)-1911 (March). The Nyctalope defeats the XV on Mars. Death of Koynos. Leo marries Xavière de Ciserat. (The Nyctalope on Mars)
1912 (March). First encounter with the Sarvants. (novelized by Maurice Renard in The Blue Peril) (July). Birth of Pierre Saint-Clair on Mars.
1917 (July). Destruction of the French Colony on Mars. Leo returns to Earth, severely traumatized, along with three Martian Agents. (“The Hunters of Mars,” “The Children of Heracles” in The Nyctalope Steps In and “Justice and Power” and “The Ides of Mars” in Night of the Nyctalope)
1921 (March-June). Leo defeats Glô von Warteck, a.k.a. Lucifer. (The Nyctalope vs Lucifer) Unbeknownst to him, Lucifer’s mentality is duplicated and stored inside his teledyname. (referenced in this volume)
1932. Leo returns to Mars and destroys the first Martian Agent. (Les Chasseurs de Mystère; “The Ides of Mars” q.v.).
1934 (June)-1935 (Dec.). First visit of Leo to Rhea. (The King of Rhea)
1940 (July). Pierre Saint-Clair joins the Résistance. (“The Lesson of Captain Danrit” in Night of the Nyctalope)
1940-41. The Soviets find the teledyname. The Nazis try to steal it, but Leo stops them. (“A Present for Hitler” in The Nyctalope Steps In) The Soviets later fail to force Lucifer’s mentality to serve them. (referenced in this volume)
1941. Second visit of Leo to Rhea and foundation of the French colony. (referenced in this volume)
1942 (June). Léo helps save Yves Marécourt. (The Nyctalope Steps In)
1950. Leo destroys the second Martian Agent in Pasadena. (“The Ides of Mars” in Night of the Nyctalope)
1995. After the Dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1992, the Russians abandon the teledyname project and Lucifer is free to project his mentality into space. (referenced in this volume)
2008. The Sarvants resurrects Koynos to deal with the situation. Koynos in turn recruits the New Fifteen on Earth. (referenced in this volume)
2011. Koynos arrives on Rhea and begins his mission. (referenced in this volume)
2012. Leo finally defeats the Martian threat. (“The Ides of Mars” in Night of the Nyctalope
) He receives a mental SOS from Akira Mitang who has become aware of Koynos’ presence on Rhea (referenced in this volume)
2014. Leo arrives on Rhea. The Return of the Nyctalope begins.
Notes
1 In the novel that follows, we have assumed instead that Professor Olbans’ spaceship was powered by “heliose,” a substance discovered or rediscovered by Engineer Korridès in La Hire’s Le Trésor dans l’Abîme. (1907). Héliose, indeed, might have been a type of Cavorite, or possibly a sample of the mysterious Doctor Omega’s stellite.
2 The Nyctalope’s wives are: (1) Xavière de Ciserat; (2) Laurence Païli; (3) Sylvie MacDhul; (4) Véronique d’Olbans.
3 Obviously, memories of the defunct Mars colony have now faded.
4 (1861-1950); French novelist, playwright, essayist and writer, and member of theAcadémie.
5 88 degrees Farenheit / 31 degrees Celsius.
6 See The Nyctalope Steps In.
7 See “The Ides of Mars” in Night of the Nyctalope.
8 See The Blue Peril by Maurice Renard.
9 See “A Present for Hitler” in The Nyctalope Steps In.
FRENCH MYSTERIES COLLECTION
M. Allain & P. Souvestre. The Daughter of Fantômas
A. Anicet-Bourgeois, Lucien Dabril. Rocambole: Two Stage plays
Guy d’Armen. Doc Ardan and The City of Gold and Lepers
A. Bernède. Belphegor
A. Bernède. Judex (w/Louis Feuillade)
A. Bernède. The Return of Judex (w/Louis Feuillade)
A. Bernède. The Shadow of Judex (w/Louis Feuillade et al.)
A. Bisson & G. Livet. Nick Carter vs. Fantômas
V. Darlay & H. de Gorsse. Lupin vs. Holmes: The Stage Play
Paul Feval. Gentlemen of the Night / Captain Phantom
Paul Feval. John Devil
Paul Feval. ’Salem Street
Paul Feval. The Invisible Weapon
Paul Feval. The Parisian Jungle
Paul Feval. The Companions of the Treasure
Paul Feval. Heart of Steel
Paul Feval. The Cadet Gang
Paul Feval. The Sword-Swallower
Emile Gaboriau. Monsieur Lecoq
Goron & Gautier. Spawn of the Penitentiary
Jean de La Hire. Enter the Nyctalope
Jean de La Hire. The Nyctalope on Mars
Jean de La Hire. The Nyctalope vs Lucifer
Jean de La Hire. The Nyctalope Steps In
Jean de La Hire. Night of the Nyctalope
Jean de La Hire/J.-M. & Randy Lofficier. Return of the Nyctalope
Maurice Leblanc. Arsène Lupin vs. Countess Cagliostro
Maurice Leblanc. The Blonde Phantom
Maurice Leblanc. The Hollow Needle
Maurice Leblanc. The Many Faces of Arsène Lupin
Gaston Leroux. Chéri-Bibi: The Stage Play
Gaston Leroux. The Phantom of the Opera
Gaston Leroux. Rouletabille & the Mystery of the Yellow Room
Gaston Leroux. Rouletabille at Krupp’s
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. Tales of the Shadowmen 1
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. Tales of the Shadowmen 2
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. Tales of the Shadowmen 3
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. Tales of the Shadowmen 4
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. Tales of the Shadowmen 5
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. Tales of the Shadowmen 6
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. Tales of the Shadowmen 7
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. Tales of the Shadowmen 8
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. Tales of the Shadowmen 9
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. Tales of the Shadowmen 10
Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier. The Shadow of Judex
Frank J. Morlock. Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper
Jean Petithuguenin. The Adventures of Ethel King
Antonin Reschal. The Adventures of Miss Boston
P. de Wattyne & Y. Walter. Sherlock Holmes vs. Fantômas
David White. Fantômas in America
Pierre Yrondy. The Adventures of Therese Arnaud
FRENCH SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY COLLECTION
105 Adolphe Ahaiza. Cybele
102 Alphonse Allais. The Adventures of Captain Cap
02 Henri Allorge. The Great Cataclysm
14 G.-J. Arnaud. The Ice Company
61 Charles Asselineau. The Double Life
118 Henri Austruy. The Eupantophone
119 Henri Austry. The Petitpaon Era
120 Henri Austry. The Olotelepan
103 S. Henry Berthoud. Martyrs of Science
23 Richard Bessière. The Gardens of the Apocalypse
26 Albert Bleunard. Ever Smaller
06 Félix Bodin. The Novel of the Future
92 Louis Boussenard. Monsieur Synthesis
39 Alphonse Brown. City of Glass
89. Alphonse Brown. The Conquest of the Air
98. Emile Calvet. In A Thousand Years
40 Félicien Champsaur. The Human Arrow
81 Félicien Champsaur. Ouha, King of the Apes
91. Félicien Champsaur. The Pharaoh’s Wife
03 Didier de Chousy. Ignis
97 Michel Corday. The Eternal Flame
113 André Couvreur. The Necessary Evil
114 André Couvreur. Caresco, Superman
115 André Couvreur. The Exploits of Professor Tornada (Vol. 1)
116 André Couvreur. The Exploits of Professor Tornada (Vol. 2)
117 André Couvreur. The Exploits of Professor Tornada (Vol. 3)
67 Captain Danrit. Undersea Odyssey
17 C. I. Defontenay. Star (Psi Cassiopeia)
05 Charles Derennes. The People of the Pole
68 Georges T. Dodds. The Missing Link and Other Tales of Ape-Men
49 Alfred Driou. The Adventures of a Parisian Aeronaut
-- J.-C. Dunyach. The Night Orchid;
-- J.-C. Dunyach. The Thieves of Silence
10 Henri Duvernois. The Man Who Found Himself
08 Achille Eyraud. Voyage to Venus
01 Henri Falk. The Age of Lead
51 Charles de Fieux. Lamékis]
108 Louis Forest. Someone Is Stealing Children In Paris
31 Arnould Galopin. Doctor Omega
70 Arnould Galopin. Doctor Omega & The Shadowmen
112 H. Gayar. The Marvelous Adventures of Serge Myrandhal on Mars
88 Judith Gautier. Isoline and the Serpent-Flower
57 Edmond Haraucourt. Illusions of Immortality
24 Nathalie Henneberg. The Green Gods
107 Jules Janin. The Magnetized Corpse
29 Michel Jeury. Chronolysis
55 Gustave Kahn. The Tale of Gold and Silence
30 Gérard Klein. The Mote in Time’s Eye
90 Fernand Kolney. Love in 5000 Years
87 Louis-Guillaume de La Follie. The Unpretentious Philosopher
101 Jean de La Hire. The Fiery Wheel
50 André Laurie. Spiridon
52 Gabriel de Lautrec. The Vengeance of the Oval Portrait
82 Alain Le Drimeur. The Future City
27-28 Georges Le Faure & Henri de Graffigny. The Extraordinary Adventures of a Russian Scientist Across the Solar System (2 vols.)
07 Jules Lermina. Mysteryville
25 Jules Lermina. Panic in Paris
32 Jules Lermina. The Secret of Zippelius
66 Jules Lermina. To-Ho and the Gold Destroyers
15 Gustave Le Rouge. The Vampires of Mars
73 Gustave Le Rouge. The Plutocratic Plot
74 Gustave Le Rouge. The Transatlantic Threat
75 Gustave Le Rouge. The Psychic Spies
76 Gustave Le Rouge. The Victims Victorious
109-110-111 Gustave Le Rouge. The Mysterious Doctor Cornelius
96. André Lichtenberger. The Centaurs
99. André Lichtenberger. The Children of the Crab
72 Xavier Mauméjean. The League of Heroes
78 Joseph Méry. The To
wer of Destiny
77 Hippolyte Mettais. The Year 5865
83 Louise Michel. The Human Microbes
84 Louise Michel. The New World
93. Tony Moilin. Paris in the Year 2000
11 José Moselli. Illa’s End
38 John-Antoine Nau. Enemy Force
04 Henri de Parville. An Inhabitant of the Planet Mars
21 Gaston de Pawlowski. Journey to the Land of the Fourth Dimension
56 Georges Pellerin. The World in 2000 Years
79 Pierre Pelot. The Child Who Walked On The Sky
85 Ernest Perochon. The Frenetic People
100. Edgar Quinet. Ahasuerus
60 Henri de Régnier. A Surfeit of Mirrors
33 Maurice Renard. The Blue Peril
34 Maurice Renard. Doctor Lerne
35 Maurice Renard. The Doctored Man
36 Maurice Renard. A Man Among the Microbes
37 Maurice Renard. The Master of Light
41 Jean Richepin. The Wing
12 Albert Robida. The Clock of the Centuries
62 Albert Robida. Chalet in the Sky
69 Albert Robida. The Adventures of Saturnin Farandoul
95 Albert Robida. The Electric Life
46 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Givreuse Enigma
45 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Mysterious Force
43 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Navigators of Space
48 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. Vamireh
44 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The World of the Variants
47 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. The Young Vampire
71 J.-H. Rosny Aîné. Helgvor of the Blue River
24 Marcel Rouff. Journey to the Inverted World
09 Han Ryner. The Superhumans
106 Brian Stableford. The Conqueror of Death
20 Brian Stableford. The Germans on Venus
19 Brian Stableford. News from the Moon
63 Brian Stableford. The Supreme Progress
64 Brian Stableford. The World Above the World