"And so that was the earth at which I looked," mused the professor. "No wonder I didn't recognize it. The topography has changed so much. How different the sun appears--it must have been over a million years ago when I died!" "Many millions," corrected 25X-987. "Suns of such size as this one do not cool in so short a time as you suggest." Professor Jameson, in spite of all his amazing computations before his death, was staggered by the reality. "Who are you?" he suddenly asked. "We are the Zoromes from Zor, a planet of a sun far across the Universe." 25X-987 then went on to tell Professor Jameson something about how the Zoromes had attained their high stage of development and had instantly put a stop to all birth, evolution and death of their people, by becoming machine men. CHAPTER IV _The Dying World_ "And now tell us of yourself," said 25X-987, "and about your world." Professor Jameson, noted in college as a lecturer of no mean ability and perfectly capable of relating intelligently to them the story of the earth's history, evolution and march of events following the birth of civilization up until the time when he died, began his story. The mental speech hampered him for a time, but he soon became accustomed to it so as to use it easily, and he found it preferable to vocal speech after a while. The Zoromes listened interestedly to the long account until Professor Jameson had finished. "My nephew," concluded the professor, "evidently obeyed my instructions and placed my body in the rocket I had built, shooting it out into space where I became the satellite of the earth for these many millions of years." "Do you really want to know how long you were dead before we found you?" asked 25X-987. "It would be interesting to find out." "Yes, I should like very much to know," replied the professor. "Our greatest mathematician, 459C-79, will tell it to you." The mathematician stepped forward. Upon one side of his cube were many buttons arranged in long columns and squares. "What is your unit of measuring?" he asked. "A mile." "How many times more is a mile than is the length of your rocket satellite?" "My rocket is fifteen feet long. A mile is five thousand two hundred and eighty feet." The mathematician depressed a few buttons. "How far, or how many miles from the sun was your planet at that time?" "Ninety-three million miles," was the reply. "And your world's satellite--which you call moon from your planet--earth?" "Two hundred and forty thousand miles." "And your rocket?" "I figured it to go about sixty-five thousand miles from the earth." "It was only twenty thousand miles from the earth when we picked it up," said the mathematician, depressing a few more buttons. "The moon and sun are also much nearer your planet now." * * * * * Professor Jameson gave way to a mental ejaculation of amazement.