"These are flying wings," he said. "I am putting them on in case of
accident. Before we reach my home I want to tell you something that may
please you. The medical reports about you and your friends are very
satisfactory. After a few months with us, if you follow our health
habits, we expect you to become just as healthy and vigorous as any one
of our young Martians. But you will never acquire our sixth sense of
thought reading and transmission, or our bird-flying motions. But by
following our way of living, your life span will be extended far beyond
Earth standards, even if it does not reach our span of 300 years.
"Our head examiner said it was safe for us to take you to our homes.
If you men desire, you may remain indefinitely among us, and look for
wives among our girls. You all are able to rear families of healthy
Martians. But after consulting with members of our council, they said
that if you decided to remain on Mars, you would first have to deserve
and earn the Martian citizenship. They decided if you will help me
in my plans for your Earth people you will be elected to honorable
citizenship of Mars.
"We are, as you notice, flying very slowly. My home is in the suburbs
of the city, near by, about 500 miles distant. My wife and my
fourth-generation granddaughter, together with other members of our
household are waiting to receive you. I am sure they will find you
a welcome guest. I also wish to tell you that we have learned your
English language. Every one will be able to converse freely with you.
You will feel quite at home. It would be wise if you men learned our
Martian language so that you could mingle with other Martians."
While we were flying, I was constantly looking above and below us at
the innumerable, beautiful airships of all kinds, designs, and sizes
flying in all directions.
Glancing below I was astounded to see a garden of Eden with angel
figures winging their way over an oasis of blended color. While he had
been talking, my companion was preparing to land on his own landing
platform. Attendants were on hand to assist us from the plane. A woman
of dignity and beauty and a charming young girl were awaiting our
arrival. They seemed from another world. No marks of care and anxiety
on their faces. They looked to me like the angels I remembered from
childhood on Christmas cards. They were dressed in flowing Roman
stolas, that appeared to be of very fine linen, falling to their feet,
fastened at the shoulders and upper arms by ornamented atomic battery
buttons. They wore beautiful bracelets on their arms. Their stolas,
girdled at the waist, were semi-décolleté reflecting their healthy,
white skin. Two ribbons running over the shoulders crossed themselves
in front and back to reach the girdle belt. On the sides under the
arms, the gowns were ornamented and fell in a cascade effect into
folds, open from the knees down and trailing on the ground at the back.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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