"Of course, it isn't likely, but--did you see anything like a volcano
anywhere?"
"No," both replied.
"Another thing," Kinney went on. "So far, I've seen nothing that would
indicate lightning, much less the thing itself. Did either of you,"
explicitly, "run across such a thing as a blasted tree?"
They said they had not. Billie hesitated a little with her reply, then
stated that she had noted a tree or two in a state of disintegration,
but none that showed the unmistakable scars due to being struck by
lightning.
"Then we've got the key to the mystery!" declared the doctor. "Remember
how brown and barren everything looks, excepting only where there's
artificial vegetation? Well, putting two and two together, I come to the
conclusion that Sanus differs radically from the earth in this respect.
"The humans have arrived rather late in the planet's history. Or--and
this is more likely--Sanus is somewhat smaller than the earth, and
therefore has cooled off sooner. At any rate, the relationship between
the age of the planet and the age of its human occupancy differs from
what it is on the earth."
"I don't quite see," from Smith, "what that's got to do with it."
"No? Well, go back to the first point: the dried-up appearance of
things. That means, their air and water are both less extensive than
with us, and for that reason there are far fewer clouds; therefore, it
is quite possible that there has been no lightning within the memory of
the humans."
"How so?" demanded the geologist.
"Why, simply because lightning depends upon clouds. Lightning is merely
the etheric electricity, drawn to the earth whenever there is enough
water in the air to promote conductivity."
"Yes," agreed Smith; "but--what of it?"
Kinney went on unheeding. "As for volcanoes--probably the same
explanation accounts for the lack of these also. You know how the earth,
even, is rapidly coming to the end of her 'volcanic period.' Time was
when there were volcanoes almost everywhere on the earth.
"The same is likely true of Sanus as well. The point is," and the doctor
paused significantly, "there have been no volcanic eruptions, and no
lightning discharges within the memory of Sanusian man!"
What was he getting at? The others eyed him closely. Neither Van Emmon
nor Smith could guess what he meant; but Billie, her intuition wide
awake, gave a great jump in her chair.
"I know!" she cried. A flood of light came to her face. "The Sanusians--
no wonder they let the bees put it over on them!
"They haven't got FIRE! They've never had it!"