They spoke a sort of dialect English, and Carl had little difficulty
in making himself understood. He informed them that he, too, was an
earth-dweller, who had returned with his wife and baby from a trip to a
distant world. Amazement was plain on every face, but they assured him
of their belief in what he said, adding that they had never before seen
such a thing as the strange ship in which he had come, although their
books taught them that there was a time when earth-men flew about in
some such machines.
Scarcely believing his ears, Carl asked them the name of the country in
which he had landed, and was told it was called “Artonia.”
“Artonia? I have never heard of that. Where is it in location to the
rest of the world?”
He learned, then, that this was the region of the one-time North Pole,
as it was called ages ago.
“Ages ago? What year is it now?” he asked, amazed.
“It is the year 3831,” came the reply.
“3831?” questioned his mind. Unbelievable! Nearly two thousand years of
earth-time had elapsed during their journey, and to them it had seemed
but the matter of a year. Turning to Sana, Carl said, “Is it possible
that Einstein was right?”
If such changes had been wrought at the pole, what had happened to the
rest of the world? What had become of the great cities of the world and
their people? Sadly they realized that they alone of the old order of
things existed. This world, their home, would be as strange to them as
Mars!
They might as well utilize their means of travel and visit the other
parts of the globe. The “Meteor,” although badly strained by the severe
use to which it had been subjected in their flight, would still suffice
them on earth. They, in turn, had become nomads of the earth--wanderers
without a place they could call home. Men without a world!
Their supply of the artificial food had about been exhausted, and Carl
questioned the strange folk as to where he could purchase food. At his
remark, “But I have little money,” they asked curiously, “Money? What
is that?”
Carl tried to explain, but they did not understand. He knew then that
they, in their primitiveness had not yet reached the stage where a
standard form of exchange was required. So he reverted to their method
of barter.
He had not much choice in the way of what to offer. In fact the only
things he had were his books. Perhaps they would serve his purpose.
And serve his purpose they did. Cooked meats, fruits and vegetables
galore were given him in exchange for a single book--a book of wild
game hunt in Africa. He noted with a smile, that it was the pictures
that interested these people. They passed the book from hand to hand,
looking at the highly colored illustrations, like so many amused school
children.
Promising these new made friends that they would return to them, to
tell them of what they had seen in their tour of the world, they said
goodbye, and headed for Europe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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