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The Alchemist, v. 1, issue 5, February 1941

Page 37

                Rhythm of the Spheres--Merritt

   Narodny said: "By tomorrow we can amplify the sonor to make it effective in a 3000 mile circle. We will use the upper cavern of course. It means we must take the ship out again. In three days, Marinoff, you would be able to cover the other continents. See to it that the ship is completely proof against the vibrations. To work. We must act quickly--before the robots can discover how to neutralize them."

   It was exactly at noon the next day that over all North America a deep inexplicable droning was heard. It seemed to come not only from deep within earth, but from every side. It mounted rapidly thru a tempest of tingling crystalline notes into a shrill piping and was gone. Then back it rushed from piping to drone; then up and out and down. Again and again. And over all North America the hordes of robots stopped in whatever they were doing. Stopped--and then began to dance--to the throbbing notes of that weirdly fascinating music--that hypnotic rhythm which seemed to flow from the bowels of the earth.

   They danced in the airships and scores of those ships crashed before the human crew could gain control. They danced by the thousands in the streets of the cities--in grotesque rigadoons, in bizarre sarabands;with shuffle and hop and jig the robots danced while the people fled in panic and hundreds of them were crushed and died in those panics. In the great factories and in the tunnels of the lower cities, and in the mines--everywhere the sound was heard--and it was heard everywhere--the robots danced...to the piping of Narodny, the last great poet...the last great musician.

   And then came the crashing note--and over all the country the dance halted. And began again...and ceased...and began again..........

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Rhythm of the Spheres--Merritt Narodny said: "By tomorrow we can amplify the sonor to make it effective in a 3000 mile circle. We will use the upper cavern of course. It means we must take the ship out again. In three days, Marinoff, you would be able to cover the other continents. See to it that the ship is completely proof against the vibrations. To work. We must act quickly--before the robots can discover how to neutralize them." It was exactly at noon the next day that over all North America a deep inexplicable droning was heard. It seemed to come not only from deep within earth, but from every side. It mounted rapidly thru a tempest of tingling crystalline notes into a shrill piping and was gone. Then back it rushed from piping to drone; then up and out and down. Again and again. And over all North America the hordes of robots stopped in whatever they were doing. Stopped--and then began to dance--to the throbbing notes of that weirdly fascinating music--that hypnotic rhythm which seemed to flow from the bowels of the earth. They danced in the airships and scores of those ships crashed before the human crew could gain control. They danced by the thousands in the streets of the cities--in grotesque rigadoons, in bizarre sarabands;with shuffle and hop and jig the robots danced while the people fled in panic and hundreds of them were crushed and died in those panics. In the great factories and in the tunnels of the lower cities, and in the mines--everywhere the sound was heard--and it was heard everywhere--the robots danced...to the piping of Narodny, the last great poet...the last great musician. And then came the crashing note--and over all the country the dance halted. And began again...and ceased...and began again..........