Part 41 (2/2)
”But seriously now,” I asked, ”how are we to get home?”
”Well, seriously, I don't know,” the doctor answered. ”Some accident may happen to send us away from here in a hurry.”
”You know this is not the right world for accidents,” I said.
”I am not able to see,” he replied, ”how they can be sure that they are entirely free from accidents. They have been so long without them that it seems to me it would not be strange if a big one should come almost any day. One must be due, as we say.”
In the morning Thorwald met us with a pleasant greeting, as usual, and then said:
”I have been surprised that you have not shown more curiosity on one subject of vast importance to us. You have not once asked to see our comet.”
”We have talked of it by ourselves,” said the doctor, ”but we have been too much engrossed in studying your history and customs to think much of a topic so far above our comprehension as the comet. Your civilization is much higher than we can appreciate, and I am sure we should make small progress in attempting to investigate a development that is so much beyond yours.”
”Your excuse,” returned Thorwald, ”is as complimentary as it is ingenious. But should you not like to see an object which possesses so much interest for us?”
”Certainly,” the doctor made haste to reply; ”and just as soon as you choose to take us. You told us it was at the door of a large city. Is it far from here?”
”Yes,” Thorwald answered, ”a long way in miles, but not far in minutes if we go by the tubular route. But if it is agreeable to you, suppose we take the air line and make a leisurely excursion of it.”
We both a.s.sured him that we were delighted with the prospect, and I suggested that Zenith and the children should accompany us.
”Yes,” said Thorwald, ”and in antic.i.p.ation of your consent to go on the expedition, I invited some other friends of yours last night to share the pleasure with us. And here they are now,” he continued, rising and stepping to the door.
The doctor and I hurried forward, and were heartily greeted by Proctor, the astronomer, and Foedric of the red voice. The latter was accompanied by a comely-looking ape, which had been trained to act as his body servant. The animal was intelligent, and quick to understand every word addressed to him, but quiet and respectful in demeanor, and, to all appearance, as well fitted to fill the station he occupied as the servants we had been accustomed to seeing on the earth.
Zenith explained to us that in many households the ape and other creatures were employed for light services, and were exceedingly useful.
But as for their own house, she said the work that could not be done by mechanical means she preferred to do herself, a.s.sisted by her children.
It was much better that every child should have some stated work to do.
It was not long before we were all on our way to the aerial station, where we selected a commodious air s.h.i.+p, managed by one of Foedric's friends.
When we were seated comfortably and were enjoying once more the exquisite sensation of sailing so easily through that balmy air, Thorwald said to the doctor and me:
”We all antic.i.p.ate a great deal of pleasure in showing you our big natural curiosity and what it contains. We want to see your surprise when you look upon its vast proportions, and your growing curiosity as you try to make out some of its mysteries. Things which baffle our skill may be plain to you, and perhaps you will even be able to do something with that puzzling language.”
”Yes,” said the doctor, ”if it is beyond your skill we shall no doubt be able to read it at sight.”
”Well, at any rate,” continued Thorwald, ”we shall enjoy the novel experience of exhibiting the marvel of our whole world to those who were, until so recently, entirely ignorant of its existence.”
”I hope,” I said, ”that our behavior will not be such as to disappoint you, when we are brought face to face with the object for which you have so deep a sentiment.
”But, Thorwald, the doctor and I have been talking about going home. Not that we are tiring of your society, but we are filled with a desire to tell the people of the earth what we have found on Mars and try to teach them some of the good lessons you have given us. The doctor, who has a monopoly of the scientific culture in our party, can see no prospect of our getting away from your planet. With your more advanced science, can you suggest any way by which we can take a dignified leave of you?”
”We should regret exceedingly,” replied Thorwald, ”to lose you just as we are becoming well acquainted, but I have no criticism to make on the excuse you offer for wanting to revisit your home. I must say, however, that you present to us too hard a problem to solve. With all our attainments in astronomy and in the navigation of the air, you went one point beyond us when you took pa.s.sage from the earth to Mars, for we have no means by which to express pa.s.sengers from one planet to another.
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