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the giants built their cities in such a fashion. They could hardly have been
expecting either the tank or the
Bree.
It seemed a rather impractical way to repel invasion by others of their own
kind, who evidently, from the commonness of the custom, could hardly be taken
by surprise.
Still, there was a possible reason. It was just a hypothesis; but it would
account for the city design, and for the lack of natives in the country
outside, and for the absence of anything resembling farm lands in the
neighborhood of the cities. It involved a lot of "iffing" on Lackland's part
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even to think of such an idea in the first place, and he did not mention it to
Barlennan. For one thing, it left unexplained the fact that they had come this
far unmolested if the idea were sound, they should by now have used up a great
deal more of the quick-firer's ammunition. He said nothing, therefore, and
merely kept his own eyes open; but he was not too surprised, one sunrise when
they had come perhaps two hundred miles from the city where Hars received his
injuries, to see a small hillock ahead of the cavalcade suddenly rear up on a
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MISSION OF GRAVITY
elephantine legs, lift as far as possible a head mounted on a twenty-foot
neck, stare for a long moment out of a battery of eyes, and then come
lumbering to meet the oncoming tank.
Barlennan for once was not riding in his usual station on the roof, but he
responded at once to Lackland's call. The
Earthman had stopped the tank, and there were several minutes to decide on a
course of action before the beast would reach them at its present rate of
speed.
"Barl, I'm willing to bet you've never seen anything like that. Even with
tissue as tough as your planet produces, it could never carry its own weight
very far from the equator."
"You are quite right; I haven't. I have never heard of it, either, and don't
know whether or not it's likely to be dangerous.
I'm not sure I want to find out, either. Still, it's meat; maybe . . ."
"If you mean you don't know whether it eats meat or vegetables, I'll bet on
the former," replied Lackland. "It would be a very unusual plant-eater that
would come toward something even larger than itself immediately upon sighting
it unless it's stupid enough to think the tank is a female of its own species,
which I very much doubt. Also, I was thinking that a large flesh-eater was the
easiest way to explain why the giants never seem to come out of their cities,
and have them built into such efficient traps. They probably lure any of these
things that come to their hilltop by showing themselves at the bottom, as they
did with us, and then kill them with rocks as they tried on the tank. It's one
way of having meat delivered to your front door."
"All that may be true, but is not of present concern," Barlennan replied with
some impatience. "Just what should we do with this one? That weapon of yours
that broke up the rock would probably kill it, but might not leave enough meat
worth collecting; while if we go out with the nets well be too close for you
to use it safely should we get in trouble."
"You mean you'd consider using your nets on a thing that size?"
"Certainly. They would hold it, I'm sure, if only we could get it into them.
The trouble is that its feet are too big to go through the meshes, and our
usual method of maneuvering them into its path wouldn't do much good. We'd
have to get the nets around its body and limbs somehow, and then pull them
tight."
"Have you a method in mind?"
"No and we wouldn't have time to do much of the sort anyway; he'll be here in
a moment."
"Jump down and unhitch the sled. I'll take the tank forward and keep him
occupied for a while, if you want. If you decide to take him on, and get in
trouble later, you all should be able to jump clear before I use the gun."
Barlennan followed the first part of the suggestion without hesitation or
argument, slipping off the rear of the deck and undoing with a single deft
motion the hitch which held the tow cable to the tank. Giving a hoot to let
Lackland know the job was done, he sprang aboard the
Bree and quickly gave his crew the details of the new situation. They could
see for themselves by the time he had finished, for the Flyer had moved the
tank forward and to one side, clearing their line of sight to the great
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animal. For a short time they watched with much interest, some astonishment,
but no fear to speak of as the tank maneuvered with its living counterpart.
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