The Time Trap by Henry Kuttner

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    The surface of the tower was, perhaps, two miles across, and quite flat. There was an odd flickering in the air above it, and once or twice Mason caught a fugitive glimpse of bright color that flashed out from the gray desolation of the tower and was gone. In the exact center was a round, black opening, and toward this Mason lowered the ship slowly.
    He landed on the rim—almost losing control of the craft in his surprise. For directly beneath him, springing out of empty nothingness, loomed a great granite boulder! It was twenty feet high, and he was slanting toward it, paralyzed with astonishment and horror. With a grating crash the ship landed.
    The shock almost threw him from his feet. The boulder—was gone! He followed the direction of Alasa’s astonished gaze, turned, and saw the boulder behind the ship. Apparently they had passed through it as though it were a phantom.
    Nor was this all. All around, where he had seen nothing but a flat, metallic surface from the air, was a wilderness of tumbled, riven rock. To all sides towered the great boulders, and overhead a blazing white sun glared down.
    “Good lord!” Mason gasped. “We haven’t moved in time! What’s happened?”
    “Magic,” Alasa said, solving the problem to her own satisfaction. “Do you think Erech and Murdach are here?”
    “If they are, they flew in.” As Mason spoke he realized his guess was not too far-fetched. He had seen creatures flying in the air—perhaps the very beings that had captured the vanished pair.
    “I hope Erech is not dead,” the girl murmured. “Shall we search, Kent?”
    Nodding, Mason opened the port, stepped out, followed by the girl. He approached the great rock and tried to touch it. His hand passed through the brown, rugose surface as though it did not exist.
    “It’s a mirage,” Mason said suddenly, with conviction. “An unbelievably perfect one! Three-dimensional! Artificially created, I’m sure. Look at your feet, Alasa.”
    The girl’s slim ankles were hidden, seemingly, in gray, slate-like rock. But she stepped forward without hindrance. Mason moved to her side, felt the smooth surface of the flat tower top beneath him. He got down and felt the cold metal with his hands. Then, smiling a little, he plunged first his hand and then his head into one of the great phantom boulders, and found himself instantly in profound darkness. He heard Alasa cry out.
    He moved back, and there was the white sun pouring down its non-existent, heatless rays, and all around was the tumbled wilderness of jagged rock.
    “Your head,” the girl said shakily. “It—vanished!”
    Mason remembered he had seen no plant or animal life on the surface of the planet. Possibly the Gorichen were the only food of the Deathless Ones…
    The struggle swept away from the tunnel-mouth. With a whispered command Mason gripped Alasa’s arm, sprang out from concealment. They heard a dreadful skirling cry go up, heard feet thudding in pursuit. A hand closed on Mason’s arm; he whirled; struck out blindly with his weapon, felt unclean flesh pulp under the blow. The grip fell away and was gone.
    The two humans fled up the passage, black fear pacing them.
    Were there more of the monsters in the tunnel? Mason gripped the metal bar tighter at the thought. The sounds of pursuit grew fainter, but did not die away.
    Slowly the couple’s speed grew less. Their hearts were throbbing painfully; their throats parched and dry. An increasing tumult from below made them increase their pace. But they could not keep it up. Once more the Deathless Ones gained.
    Alasa stumbled, almost fell. Mason dragged her upright, ran on supporting her with his arm about her waist. “We ought to be near the surface now,” he told the girl, and she looked up with a quick smile.
    “Soon, now, Kent…”
    The pursuers came faster. Mason caught sight of a gleam of silvery daylight lancing down from overhead. The door to the outer Earth!
    They reached the ladder, climbed