Zarlah the MartianGrisewood, R. Norman (Robert Norman)
Science
Zarlah the Martian
Grisewood, R. Norman (Robert Norman)
Mars (Planet) -- Fiction; Science fiction
My heart beat fast, therefore, when in a short time a faint glow
appeared on the upper portion of my instrument and rapidly spread until
it covered the entire surface. As it grew brighter I was obliged to turn
away, before I could recognize any image, and, as I stood shielding my
eyes from the strong glare, I felt my heart sink within me. But, before
I could approach the instrument again, I heard my name called in the
clear, ringing tones of Almos' beloved voice.
I reached the instrument with a bound, and there, standing with his
hands extended toward me and a smile of greeting on his handsome face, I
saw my brave Martian brother.
"My dear Almos, how glad I am to see you are safe!" I cried, tears of
joy springing to my eyes at finding that the fears of a moment ago were
unfounded.
"It is entirely due to your forethought in leaving the note, that either
of us are safe," Almos responded. "Had you not done this, disaster to
one or both of us must certainly have resulted, through ignorance of
each other's plans. Let me congratulate you, my brave fellow, for having
so successfully accomplished your remarkable journey. This is the
initial step in the linking together of the destinies of Earth and Mars.
"But now I should like to hear an account of your experiences here, for
although I have gradually become aware of many impressions you left, I
find it is only of the things suggested by my mind that I can gather
anything."
"Then it is evident that the brain is merely a book of reference for the
mind," I replied, "as I was not instantly aware of your knowledge of
Martian affairs, but only upon a subject being suggested by my mind,
was the information regarding it available. Thus, the mind is aware of
impressions it has made on the brain, but is totally ignorant of
impressions made by another mind, unless the thought is suggested."
I now gave Almos a brief description of my journey, explaining that, as
I intended to make another visit to Mars that evening, I would leave the
full account of my experiences until the following night. I was careful
not to make any reference to Zarlah, as I felt that my second meeting
with her would put me in a much better position to approach Almos on
this extremely delicate subject and lay before him my plans. Moreover, I
was anxious that nothing should interfere with those few happy hours to
which I looked forward with such intense desire.
Almos listened to my narrative with wrapt attention, and not until I
concluded by describing the remarkable effects of the regenerating rays,
did he give utterance to a word. Then, to my amazement, he said:
"The result is what I fully expected. The proof that the regenerating
rays exist in the super-radium current, lies in the fact that your body
was perfectly preserved for six hours, and there is no reason for
supposing that they differ, in any way, from the rays which preserve
life here for an unlimited time."
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account