Much traveling was done by means of airplanes, such as they had noticed
when first they hovered over the planet. These airplanes had no
engines, but were propelled by wireless from stations on land. Freight
planes, too, sailed prescribed courses, without pilots, guided by a
lone operator in a distant tower.
For a time things ran along smoothly but at last Carl and Sana realized
that they would soon have to return to earth. Life was dear to them
and their days were numbered if they continued to live upon Mars. The
rarity of the atmosphere and the strange mode of living was making
its impression upon them. Besides, they noted, the ever increasing
hostility on the part of some of the Martians.
Carl waited until their baby was born and Sana well on the road to
recovery, before making any definite plans for the future.
Came the day, however, when they went once more to the “Meteor” to
leave that strange land. And just in time. The plane literally swarmed
with Martians, who, from all appearances were doing their utmost to
dismantle it. At Carl’s approach they fell back, taken by surprise.
One of the Martians, in particular, was quite hostile and abusive. With
a snarl he attempted to take baby Charlie from Sana, who screamed to
Carl for help. Carl, with a spring, was at her side. Without hesitating
an instance he swung his arm and landed a mighty blow on the head of
the offender. To the surprise of all, the Martian did not fall, but
went flying through the air, at a height of perhaps twenty feet, to
land in a misshapen heap some hundred yards away.
This sight cowed the rest of them to a certain extent. Carl had time to
help Sana and the baby into the cabin of the plane, give a hasty glance
at the mechanism at the head of the machine, climb inside and shut the
door, which automatically was hermetically sealed.
Once more the Martians swarmed about the “Meteor” in a last attempt
to prevent its leaving the ground. Their efforts were, of course,
useless. No power on earth or Mars could have held the “Meteor,” once
Carl established his electric zone, the airplane would shoot forward
at the speed of electric waves. With a rush they were off, soaring
far out into space, followed, as they saw upon looking back, by a
myriad of Martian airplanes, which, although capable of traveling at
a speed greater than any ordinary airplane of the earth, were soon
out-distanced.
Looking at one of the wings, Carl saw, hanging on, with a desperation
caused by fear and astonishment, a Martian at the end of the wing.
Apparently he had been unable to scramble off when the “Meteor” had
started.
Without saying anything to Sana as to this, Carl flapped the encumbered
wing in the way a bird would, and saw the Martian torn from his grasp
and catapulted far out into space, only to describe a wide arc and
fall like a plummet down into the limitless depths. Would he, Carl
mused, too become a wanderer of the skies?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account