Masquerade on Dicantropus, The-Jack Vance short story

Masquerade on Dicantropus, The-Jack Vance short story

The Masquerade on Dicantropus is a 15 page short story that is an early work, originally published in September, 1951 in Startling Stories magazine.  A couple named Jim and Barbara Root live on the planet Dicantropus where Jim is studying the planet's archeology and Barbara is deeply bored and unhappy. Jim agrees to return to Earth in three months when the next supply ship arrives and suggests that they might engage in more swimming and badminton until then. There is an unusual pyramid on the planet that intrigues Jim but he is afraid to explore it because the alien beings called Dicantropus who live on the planet have warned him to stay away from it.  One day one of the resident creatures swims up to them wearing a diamond necklace.  They converse with the Dicantropus but it will only say that it found the necklace but not where. The Roots suspect it came from the pyramid and Barbara wants Jim to explore the pyramid in case there are more jewels there.  Jim refuses because of the dangers involved but when another man crash lands on the planet, Barbara convinces the new visitor to explore the pyramid.  They will soon find out what the pyramid is and who the Dicantropus are.  I’ve read this story three times and found it fairly interesting.  I rated it a 3 "Liked it" each time.

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled The Narrow Land (1982 DAW)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled The Narrow Land (1984 Coronet)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled When the Five Moons Rise (1992)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Hard-Luck Diggings: The Early Works of Jack Vance, volume 1 (2010)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Golden Girl and Other Stories (2017)

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