world. The new picture was more leisurely.

"The planet Alma. Can any one explain why it is of special interest
to us?"

For a moment there was no comment, and the doctor found himself
studying a "panorama" of some exceedingly striking people. There was
quite a crowd; and the doctor was amazed to note how much like the
Venusians they were. Without exception they were delicately built,
with thin, shriveled legs; all were seated, none standing, in
cigar-shaped aircraft of a type entirely new to the doctor.

"The people of Alma," spoke up a boy out of sight of Ernol, "are
especially interesting to us because they are, so far as is known,
the most highly developed beings in existence."

"In what way are they like us?"

"They are vertebrates, mammals, primates, just as we are."

"And how do they differ from us?"

"They are 'cooperative democrats'; that is, they do not compete with
each other for a living, but work together in all things, in
complete equality. In this way they have become so wonderfully
advanced that--"

The professor interrupted. "We will not go into that." The scene
shifted from people to things: a large, complicated-looking column
of some sort was being shown. "What does this tell us?"