Free Captain Future 08 - The Lost World of Time (Fall 1941) by Edmond Hamilton

the continent below, but inland the ground was high and firm, consisting of parklike plains dotted by glades of tall trees.
    The Martian ship landed in an inland ravine. The rock sides showed evidence of having been excavated in the past. Through the window, Otho saw the Martians using power-tools to dig masses of rock from the ledges. He guessed that the Martians knew this place well and that they had often secured needed metals from here and from Earth.
    Soon the ores had been loaded and the ship started up again. As they soared above the marshy coastline, Otho glimpsed stone ruins that projected here and there from the tidal swamps. He could also make out other dimly visible structures, completely covered by the sea.
    "So there's a ruined civilization here, as well as on Earth," he thought. "And on Mars and Katain appear to be flourishing civilizations. Imps of Pluto, who'd have thought all these worlds had civilized people in the past? And how come the language of Mars is the same as that of Earth?"
    He worried these puzzling questions as the ship swung out of the immense cloudy atmosphere of Venus and headed through starry space toward the distant green spark of Mars. Finally he had to give it up. Ahla was sleeping with her dark head pillowed on his shoulder. He racked his brain for some means of escape, but there was no chance of that, with two alert Martian guards watching them every minute. He finally drifted off into sleep himself.
    When he awoke, he guessed it was considerably later. The hours dragged on and still the ship throbbed along through the void. When at last the blast of braking rockets indicated that they were nearing their destination, Otho's curiosity was thoroughly aroused. He had seen Earth and Venus of this remote day. Now he was to look at ancient Mars.
    He was disappointed. The ship swung down toward the night side of the planet and he could make out little, except many beds of lights that he knew must be populous cities, and great oceans tossing in the starlight. Oceans on Mars!
    As the ship slanted down into the atmosphere of the planet, it brought into view in the cabin window a field of stars that included the star Deneb. Ahla made her usual reverent gesture toward it. To Otho's amazement, the Martian guards did, too.
    "Do you Martians also worship Deneb — I mean Koom?" he exclaimed.
    "Of course, spy," rasped a guard. "All men worship the Sacred Star."
    "Why do you think that star's sacred?"
    The guard scowled. "Because it is sacred, of course."
    "They don't know why they worship Deneb any more than Ahla's people do," Otho thought. "There's a real cosmic mystery behind this."
    His speculation was forcibly diverted. The ship sank on its flaming keel tubes. Looming stone walls rose around them — the walls of a landing court inside some massive building.
     
    THE two prisoners were hauled roughly out of the ship.
    "Put them with the other hostages," old Thoh ordered Grako.
    Otho and Ahla were dragged through a door, down dark passages and stairs to a row of underground dungeons. A heavy door was unlocked and they were unceremoniously thrust into a dark, musty stone room.
    "Your friends in there can untie you, spies," growled the captain. He relocked the door and departed, leaving guards on duty outside. Otho squirmed around. His keen ears had caught the movement of several figures in the dark room. His eyes dimly made out several men.
    Ahla pressed terrifiedly against him. But Otho, remembering what Grako had just said, spoke out boldly.
    "You other prisoners, are you Katainians?"
    "We are," came a young man's voice. "I am Jhulun of Katain. But who are you? Aren't you and that girl Katainians?"
    "No, but we're friends of Katain," Otho replied quickly. "Untie us and I'll tell you the whole story."
    Jhulun did not comply at once. His voice was suspicious.
    "You may be Katains and yet be our enemies. Are you Zikal's men?"
    "I don't know who Zikal is," Otho snapped exasperated.
    "Do you belong to