wherever they discovered the inert bodies of
was I? What was this strange land reached
the ship’s company, dragged them on deck
through a crater?
and piled them in heaps. Shaking with abject
“All these thoughts rushed through my
terror, I crouched back of the bridge, and
brain as I peered cautiously down at the giant
racked my brains for thought of some safe
women who swarmed about the ship. But I
spot in which to bide. Bat before I could make
had not long to wait for an answer to my first
up my mind, one of the terrifying, monstrous
mental question. With a sudden spring, one of
females sprang upon the bridge and rushed
Amazing Stories
10
towards me. With a maniacal scream, I turned
captain’s chair, I thought over the events
and fled. Then, before me, blocking my way,
which had transpired during the past few
there appeared another of the creatures. And
hours and tried to find a reasonable solution to
then a most marvelous and surprising thing
the incredible happenings.
happened. Instead of falling upon me as I
“That I was within the earth seemed
expected her to do, the giantess turned, and
certain, though utterly fantastic, but who the
with a scream that equalled my own, leaped
giant women were, why they had captured the
over the rail and fled to the uttermost Chiriqui or by what unknown, tremendous extremity of the deck.
power their marvelous airship was operated,
“I forgot my terror in my amazement.
were all utterly beyond my comprehension.
Why should this giant, cannibal woman fear
But I must hurry on and relate the more
me? Why should she run from me when, a few
important matters, for my time is limited and
moments before, she had been fighting over a
the important thing is to let the world know
meal of an unconscious sailor? And it was
how the human race may be saved from the
evident that the others were equally afraid of
terrible fate which has befallen me and all
me, for at her cry, and my appearance, all had
those upon the Chiriqui, and upon the
rushed as far from me as possible, and stood
destroyer McCracken, for that vessel, too, has
regarding me with an odd mixture of wonder
fallen a victim to these horrible cannibalistic
and terror on their huge faces. And then it
giantesses here within the center of the earth.
occurred to me that their fear was, perhaps,
due to my gas-mask, to the apparatus that
“HUNGER and thirst drove me at last from
transformed me from a human being to a
my refuge in the captain’s cabin, and armed
weird-looking monster. At any rate, I was
with the loaded rifle and revolver, I cautiously
evidently safe from molestation for the time
peered out and stepped upon the deck. Only
being, and thanking my lucky stars that I had
one woman was in sight, and instantly, at sight
on the mask, I descended from the bridge, the
of me, she fled away. Not a body of the
giantesses retreating as I advanced. I entered
hundreds of men and women aboard the ship
the captain’s cabin and locked the door.
was visible, and feeling relieved that I was for
“Here I breathed more freely, for even
a time safe, I stepped to the ship’s rail and
if the women overcame their fear of me and
peered over. Scores of the women were
attempted to capture me, the steel doors and
carrying the inert forms of the unconscious
defenses. Moreover, upon the wall above the
Stealthily I hurried below in search of food
bunk, was a rifle, in a drawer of the dresser
and drink. Fears assailed me that the women
was a loaded revolver, and a short search
had, in all probability, preceded me and
revealed a plentiful supply of cartridges. Yes,
carried off everything edible. But I need not
if I were attacked, I could give a good account
have worried about food. I was yet to learn the
of myself, and I determined, if worst came to
horrible truth and the gruesome habits of these
the worst, that I would blow out my brains
red giantesses. The saloon, the corridors, the
rather than fall a victim to the female cannibal
staterooms, everything, had been searched,
horde.
and every person upon the vessel removed. In
“Dully, through the thick walls of the
the pantry I found an abundance of food, and
cabin, I could hear the sounds of the women
quickly satisfied my hunger and thirst. I
on the deck, but I had no desire to witness
pondered on my next move. The skipper’s
what was going on, and seated upon the cabin seemed my safest refuge. I placed a
A Voice from the Inner World
11
supply of provisions within it, and locked even with these, they avoid the lower areas myself in the little room again. For several
where the fumes are the worst, and only visit
days nothing of great importance occurred. I
them when necessity arises, which accounts
say days, but there are no days in this terrible
for my being left in peace, with none of the
place. There is no sun, no moon, no stars and
horrible women near the ship, for days at a
no darkness. The whole place is illuminated
time. I discovered the presence of the sulphur
by a brilliant, greenish light that issues from a
gas on the first day when, attempting to eat, I
distant mountain range, and which seems to be
removed my gas-mask. Suffocating as I found
of the same character as that which emanated
the fumes, I was compelled to endure them,
from the spherical air machine. Fortunately I
and gradually I became slightly accustomed to
had presence of mind enough to keep my
them, so that now I have little trouble in
watch going, as well as the captain’s breathing during the short time it takes me to chronometer, for otherwise I would have had
eat my meals. At all other times I must wear
no knowledge of the passage of time. Once or
the apparatus, and I thank God that this is so,
twice the scarlet women visited the ship, but
for I know now that it is the gasmask which so
seemed nervous and wary, and made no effort
far has preserved my life.
to approach or molest me, merely gazed about
“On the tenth day after my arrival I
as if searching for something—perhaps for
noticed a number of the giantesses gathering
me—and then retiring. Several times, too, I
about the huge, spherical airship which still
ventured on deck, and peered over the ship’s
rested on its cradle near the Chiriqui, but
side, but saw none of t
he giantesses, although
which, I have forgotten to state, ceased to emit
with the glasses I could see crowds of the
its green or red lights after it had landed.
beings about the city in the distance.
Lying there it resembled nothing so much as a
“Also, I noticed among them, several
gigantic can-buoy or a floating mine, if one
individuals who were much smaller than the
can imagine a buoy two hundred yards in
rest, and who appeared to be men, although I
diameter.
could not be sure. I also discovered, and
“On the day I mentioned, all interests
almost lost my life in the discovery, that the
seemed to be centered on the thing, and
atmosphere of this place is unfit for human
cautiously peering from the shelter of the
beings to breathe, and is thick with sulphurous
deck-house, I watched the proceedings.
fumes. Close to the ground these fumes are so
Presently several of the women entered the
dense that a person would succumb in a few
sphere through an opening in its middle band;
moments, but at the height of the Chiriqui’s
the aperture closed behind them, and
decks, nearly seventy feet above the rocky bed
immediately there was a low, humming sound
on which she rests, the air is breathable, as of machinery. As the sounds issued from although it causes one to choke and cough
the sphere, the cables to which were attached
after a few minutes. And I am sure that the
the smaller spheres (which glowed red when
houses of these giant beings have been built
carrying the Chiriqui through the air) were
on the summits of the basalt columns in order
drawn in until the two smaller spheres were
to avoid the suffocating fumes of the lower
resting in recesses at the axes of the large
levels. Later, too, I learned that the sphere, and where they appeared merely as membrane-like frills upon these creatures are
hemi-spherical projections. Then, slowly at
a sort of gills, or as I might say, natural gas-
first, but with ever increasing speed, the
masks, which by some means enable the slender rods about the large sphere began to beings to breathe the sulphur-laden air. But
move back and forth, or rather in an
Amazing Stories
12
oscillating manner, until they were vibrating
Chiriqui. Even if gas-masks were worn, it
with such rapidity that they appeared merely
would be most difficult to destroy the machine
rays of light. Slowly, majestically, the as it descended, for it travels with incredible immense globe rose from its cradle, and speed in its descent and, moreover, the terrible gathering headway, leaped upward to an creatures who man the thing would see that immense height. Then, tilting at an angle, it
enemies lurked near and would find some
passed over the city and headed for an means of destroying them, or by the immense pinnacle of rock, which, fully seven
mysterious magnet force they control, would
miles from where I stood, reminded me of a
draw even the heaviest cannon to the machine
gigantic chimney or funnel.
as an ordinary magnet draws needles or iron
“Although it was barely visible to the
filings. So if the thing is to be destroyed, it
naked eye, I could see it distinctly through the
must be done as the machine emerges from
glasses, and I watched it with the most intense
the crater. Would to God that I could tell
and concentrated interest. For a few moments
where the crater is, but beyond feeling sure it
it remained, poised a hundred feet or so above
is at the summit of an Andean peak, I have no
the pinnacle. Then, from the towering, means of locating it.
tapering rock, a terrific jet of steam roared
“But I was telling of what occurred on
forth, and striking the great spherical machine
that tenth day when the spherical airship was
above it, hurled it upward and beyond my
projected from my sight by the blast of steam.
vision. Give close heed to these words, As the machine vanished, the women who had whoever may, by God’s grace, be listening to
watched its departure, returned to their city,
what I say, for upon them may hinge the fate
and I swept the landscape with my glasses,
of the human race. Only by this means, by
wondering at the bleak, terrible scenery and
being shot upward by this titanic jet of steam,
bizarre colors.
can the airship leave this subterranean land
and emerge through the crater by which it
“AS I focused the binoculars upon a level
entered bearing the Chiriqui. Within this place plateau, perhaps a mile from where the
it can sail at will; once above the crater Chiriqui rested, I gasped in surprise. Clearly opening it can travel anywhere, although it
defined, lay the remnants of what had once
cannot land; but by some unknown force or
been a steamship! Had I given the matter
magnetic attraction or freak of gravitation the
thought, I might have known that the Chiriqui
machine cannot ascend through the crater, was not the first vessel to have fallen a victim although, when over it, it will drop like a
to these awful beings; but the sight of another
plummet through the opening. And herein—
ship’s skeleton came to me as a terrific shock.
for the sake of humanity, listen to this and
As nearly as I could judge, the vessel had been
remember my words—lies a means of dismantled, for only the great steel frame destroying the machine, for by surrounding
remained, with the mighty boilers and other
the crater with powerful guns the sphere can
portions of the ship scattered about, and
be shelled as it emerges and utterly destroyed.
gruesomely like some mammoth creature
To attempt to do so as it returns to the crater
lying disemboweled upon the earth.
would be suicidal, for once in the outer air, it
“I was consumed with a mad desire to
emanates vast quantities of most poisonous
visit that pathetic wreck, but I knew not to
gas, and all living things within a radius of
what dangers I would be exposed, once I left
several miles would be struck down the security of my ship. Not a being was in unconscious, as were my companions on the
sight, however, and carefully I studied the
A Voice from the Inner World
13
land, visually measuring the relative distances
manganese, she vanished without word or
between myself and the wreck, and between
trace when off the Barbados during the World
the city and the route I must traverse. Having
War. No doubt, I thought, many a mystery of
already observed that the giantesses moved
the sea had been caused by the damnable work
slowly and cumbrously on foot, I at last of these beings with their infernal machine.
decided that even if they attempted to But why, for what reason, did they capture intercept me I could regain the Chiriqui before ships? Why did th
ey carry off the unconscious
I was overtaken, so I threw caution to the
persons upon the vessels? And why did they
winds and prepared to undertake my tear the vessels apart? It was all a mystery hazardous journey. Slinging the loaded rifle
which, in all its horrible, gruesome, ghoulish
on my back, with the revolver at my belt, and
details I was soon to solve.
still further arming myself with a keen-edged
“There was nothing more to be learned
fire-axe, I hunted up the pilot’s ladder, from the remains of the Cyclops, and in safety lowered it over the lowest side of the ship—
I returned to the Chiriqui to find, to my
which was also the side farthest from the
surprise and terror, that a gang of the
city—and clambering down the Chiriqui’s
monstrous females had boarded the ship in my
lofty sides, leaped down upon the ground. To
absence and were stripping her of everything.
my amazement, I landed in a dense jungle of
But as they caught sight of me, all threw down
dry, tough vegetation which rose to my whatever they had and fled precipitately, shoulders. From the deck, looking directly leaving me once more in undisputed downwards, I had thought this dull-green possession of the ship. I was relieved at this, growth a short, wiry grass, and, of course, in
for it was obvious that I had no need to fear
its relative proportion to the gigantic women,
the creatures. By now, too, I had formulated a
it was no higher than ordinary grass to a
theory to account for this strange dread of a
normal human being. It was a wonderful being who was a puny, miserable thing example of the theory of relativity, but my
compared to them. Unquestionably my gas-
mind was not interested in scientific matters at
mask rendered me a most grotesque and
the time, and I merely gave thanks that the
unknown creature in their eyes. My remaining
miniature jungle—which I saw was composed
alive and active while all others upon the ship
of giant lichens—would afford me cover had succumbed to the noxious gas had through which I might sneak in safety, and
probably caused them to think that I was a