With the green gloom still swirling about them, some of the alien creatures carried the stricken Trigan to the entrance of a disused sewer. Far below the streets of the capital city, they bore their senseless burden, through long-abandoned corridors hewn out of ancient rock. Presently, they emerged in a vast hall that resembled some kind of barbaric temple to forgotten gods. There, Janno’s captors laid him at the feet of he who was their leader. Later, Janno opened his eyes to stare about him in awe and wonderment. Was he dreaming? Were those voices? The tall figure looming over Janno addressed him in the common tongue of the planet Elekton. So! You have recovered. Who are you? We are descendants of the Dryaks, an ancient and civilised people who inhabited this area long before the Trigans were dreamed of, long before even the Vorg peoples from whom the Trigans are descended were dreamed of . . . The leader continued, and Janno saw it all in his mind’s eye . . . “. . . On these hills, upon which now stands Trigan City, once stood a city more fair and splendid than this planet has ever known since. A city famed throughout Elekton for the wisdom and splendour of its inhabitants!”“Tragically, that splendour was doomed to extinction. From out of the setting suns they came—the barbarians!” Death to the dryaks! Trample them and their city to the dust! “The Dryaks, softened by a long age of peace, were no match for the invaders. Such as escaped the holocaust took refuge in the underground sewers and water-courses.” “With no other means of sustenance, the wretched survivors were forced to eat of a rank-tasting fungus that grew from the underground rocks.” Eat, my darling — eat, and live! I’m hungry. I want some real food! “By a miracle, the fungus provided a perfect balanced diet. Unable to venture forth into the sunlight, the survivors decided to make their underground world habitable, they built houses and temples to their gods.” The speaker paused in his tale and Janno interposed a question. Are you trying to tell me that the Dryaks, and you, their descendants, have been down here all those long ages before recorded history? Yes! And never stirred forth into the sunlight during all those countless centuries. Not until you accursed Trigans sought to destroy us! . . . In return for which, we will destroy your city and you with it!
This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 737 on 28 February 1976.
