to attend this demonstration, I also felt that the risks I had taken
were too great to go unrewarded by even a glimpse into the life of this
wonderful planet. The future, too, held that element of uncertainty
which made me feel that I might pay dearly for the five hours spent in
another world. If the return current failed to do what was expected of
it, if I had erred in my calculation of the time I could remain on
Mars, or if my room had been broken into and my body moved, the results
would be disastrous.

I must attend this demonstration at any cost, but I would explain to my
host that it was most urgently necessary to return to the observatory
within two hours. I was now ready for the strange journey, and,
approaching my visitor, I said:

"And now, Reon, I will accompany you, but there is no time to be lost,
as an experiment I am conducting with one of these instruments demands
my attention in two hours."

I held back the portières as Reon passed out, and following him down a
short passage, we stepped out upon a wide balcony constructed of white
marble.

A wonderful sight met my astonished gaze. It was a summer evening, and
the dome of the heavens seemed ablaze with the light of myriads of
diamonds, so countless were the stars to be seen and so brilliant did
they appear in this rarefied atmosphere. Below me stretched out what
appeared to be a magnificent park, with white marble buildings scattered
here and there, while floating easily in the air were hundreds of small
canoe-like airships, containing the inhabitants of this fairyland,
reclining on cushions and enjoying sailing through the cool night air.