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"Poised between intransigent scepticism and uncritical credulity, it [science fiction] is par excellence the literature of the open mind."
- John Brunner
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| Hell-Stone | ||
| An incomparably beautiful and rare jewel. |
This description is a <* SPOILER *> for the story, so don't read it if you would still like to enjoy the story - it's still a good read!
That's a hell-stone!
The jewel, against the black velvet,
was a drop of living, incredible light.
A little crystal sphere, no larger than
the end of his thumb. But the dancing color and splendor within it some-
how filled his eyes with tears.
| Haldane was trained to deal with
minds, not with machines. He recognized a big atomic converter, but most
of the gleaming silent bulky things
were strange to him. There was a wide
crystal disk, with a metal star set in
the middle of it. A huge open glass
tube was suspended below — or, really,
above it.
"You needn’t be afraid, Miss Carnadon.” Then she was the kidnaped heiress! "I’m not going to kill you.” Brand made a short, harsh laugh. “On the contrary, I am going to make you virtually immortal.” Brand touched buttons at an intricate control-board. Motors hummed. The huge transparent tube descended, to enclose the helpless girl. Brand nodded, and the two men went clicking out of the room. The atomic converter began to thrum. Presently a second star-shaped electrode, in the tube above the girl, was tufted with hissing blue fire. Arms of terrible crackling flame reached down from the points of the star, toward the screaming girl. A thick luminous mist filled the tube and hid her struggles. At last he stopped the thrumming converter. The shining mist disappeared and the star ceased to glow. The girl was gone. There were only her empty garments and the stretcher — and a tiny point of shimmering fire. A hell-stone! |
| Technovelgy from Star of Dreams,
by Jack Williamson. Published by Comet in 1941 Additional resources -
|
Compare with the star stone from Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny - also a <* spoiler*>!
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'He was in a high-ceilinged windowless cell with walls of glittering white porcelain.'
'I don't have to tell you about the seven two-mile-diameter orbital mirrors...'
'The robant and the tiny old woman entered the control room slowly...'
'Guy named Otto Octavius winds up with eight limbs... What are the odds?'
'It is as you thought when you constructed the time crystal, my master Vaylan.'
'This was their world, their planet — this swift-traveling, yet seemingly moveless vessel.'
