After bidding the shipwrecked people good-bye, our party concluded to
steer for Siam, stopping at the city of Paris on their way, for the
Prince and Princess had never visited this city of styles and
wickedness. They arrived there early one morning just when the first
rays of the Sun were lighting the towers of Notre Dame and the captain
guided them directly to the Eiffel Tower where they landed, planning to
remain in Paris for a few days, the captain, in the meantime, would sail
above the city and wait for them.
I will not stop to tell you all that they saw or did during that
memorable week, for those who have been in Paris can imagine and those
who have not may hold it in anticipation. Suffice it to say that they
all had, as Ione put it, “the time of their lives,” visiting theatres,
Versailles, the Louvre, shopping, driving in the parks, taking dinners
at the best hotels and suppers at the celebrated restaurants. They were
pretty well tired out when they at last returned to the ship on the
appointed morning.
“And now we are off for Siam to see what has taken place during your
absence,” said the captain. “I know you have called up the picture of
Siam on our magic mirror to see how things were going but you could not
talk to your people as you will be able to do now.”
“Magic Mirror is an apt name for the blue vault which pictures the
wonderful views we have seen,” said the Princess.
“A penny for your thoughts, Prince,” said Harold.
“They are not for sale but I will give them to you if you will come
here. I want to consult you about something.”
“I hope it is not that you wish to leave us when we reach Siam,” said
Harold.
“No, indeed! Quite the contrary. I have concluded that I do not wish to
go to Siam even for a visit and if you will come and sit beside me I
will tell you why. You see, if I go to Siam my people will know that I
am alive and then my brother would have to give up his throne which he
so highly prizes, as he would no longer be the rightful heir. Now I care
nothing for the throne so why not let them still think me dead and allow
my brother to live in peace? When we first thought of visiting Siam I
did not realize how my going would complicate matters, but only thought
of the pleasure it would give the Princess and myself to surprise and
see them once more. Now, I feel that we must forego the pleasure.”
“You are right, Prince. I, too, did not think of the trouble your visit
would cause.”
“We must speak to the captain and tell him of our change of plans or we
will be in Siam and landing at the palace before we know it at the rate
of speed we are now traveling,” said the Prince.
So they told the captain their afterthoughts and he said their decision
was a wise one and added that it would have been too bad to shorten the
aerial trip of the Princess. If he had stopped to visit his people they
naturally would not have been willing that he continue his travels after
getting him back, as they thought, from the dead.
“You must not return to Earth to remain until you have first visited
Neptune, that mystic planet far out in space on the very borders of our
solar system, to say nothing of the beautiful and surprising places
bordering on the Milky Way.”
Mercury now spoke, saying that he feared he should not be able to
accompany them longer unless they returned to the heavens immediately,
for his time of leave would expire before he could get to Neptune and
return, it was so very far away. “I want you to see some of the
independent islands also, those not under the influence or sway of any
of the planets.”
“Goodness, gracious, me! If you are thinking of leaving us, we will
return to the heavens this minute rather than lose you, for no other
guide would be acceptable to us after having been led by you,” said
Ione.
“You are very kind, but there are dozens of other guides far superior to
me,” said Mercury.
“Of course you would say that,” said the Prince, “but we don’t know how
good the others are and we do know you, so we are going back at once to
those mysterious, fascinating lands that float in heaven’s blue ether.”
Having all agreed to return with Mercury, the captain pointed the bow of
his trusty ship in a direct oblique line for Uranus, where he was to
hand them over to Mercury once more.
Although “The Queen” traveled with the speed of electricity, it took
several days for our party to reach Uranus as, unlike their magic robes,
she could not quite do away with time and space. On their way to Uranus
the captain told them if they should ever want for money all they had to
do was to go where there was a large deposit of radium and sell enough
to supply their needs, for it was much more valuable than gold itself,
and he then proceeded to tell them where they could always find this
white chemical in the form of crystals, which much resembled salt.
“On Uranus we have no money or specie of any kind,” he continued. “Our
trading is done by giving out thoughts and ideas. Each man’s bank is his
brain and he who has the best brain is considered the wealthiest man,
while he is valued for what he actually has done, and not for what he
says he can do, for the good of his race. No repetition of others’
thoughts or bragging can be either traded or taken in account here. A
man must do what he says he can do and he who does the most for the
public good is looked upon and taken for the guide and ruler of the
island. All questions and decisions are referred to him and all depend
upon his judgment as to ways and means of settlement.”
“How I wish things were arranged in that way on our Earth,” said Harold.
“Then the right man would be in the right place every time, and
prosperity would be ensured.”
“I see it! I see it!” exclaimed Ione.
“See what?” asked Harold.
“Uranus,” replied she.
“True enough, she does,” said the captain. “You have very sharp eyes,
and now that the way is clear I am going to use full speed. Listen to
the varied and peculiar tones the air makes as it rushes by.”
“Does it not sound weird?” said Ione.
“It makes me feel creepy and afraid,” said the Princess.
“Horrors! What is the matter now!” exclaimed Ione, for they had come to
a sudden stop.
“Nothing,” calmly replied the captain, “only that we have reached our
destination and I lessened the speed to allow the ship to sink quietly
down into the enclosure we started from.”
“You mean to tell us we are really back!” they exclaimed in chorus.
“Only a few minutes ago we were leagues away.”
“So we were but, if you remember, I said I intended using full speed,”
replied the captain, “and behold the result. Distance was soon wiped out
and time almost caught up with.”
“We can never thank you enough for this pleasant trip. We have given up
entirely ever being able to pay our indebtedness to you for all the
charming treats you have given us,” said the Princess.
“Do not thank me, for I have had equal joy in seeing the successful
result of my inventions as well as witnessing your pleasure. And now
before we part I wish to give you each a memento of the happy hours we
have spent together. My gift cannot be delivered now, but some fine
morning you will see floating above each of your homes an air-ship the
exact counterpart of the one we are now in.”
They were all too touched by his generosity to be able to speak at
first, but the Princess quickly recovered herself and walked shyly
toward the old man. Throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed him.
Ione did likewise while the Prince and Harold, with moistened eyes,
gripped his hands in silent gratitude and appreciation, only saying that
it was too much for him to do. But the old man only laughed and seemed
exceedingly happy in knowing that he had been the means of giving them
pleasure.
You can well imagine how they lingered in saying good-bye and would not
be satisfied until he had promised that he would visit them when they
were settled in the new homes they were going to prepare when they
returned to Earth.
“Now, Mercury, what can I give you?” asked the old man. “I know that
material things are not desired by those who live in space, and as a
person cannot give a slice of his brains, the only valuable thing here,
I am at a loss to know what to give you to show how much I appreciate
your kindness in bringing these young people to me.”
“The pleasure of being with you all has been sufficient recompense for
me,” replied Mercury, “and if you do not mind I should like to return
and learn from you some of the wonderful secrets of nature you possess.”
“Come, my dear fellow, and come often. I would be delighted to teach you
anything I know, for I am getting to be an old man and some times feel
that I have done my share of work and would be glad to leave in younger
hands the tasks and studies that are still unfinished.”
For a long time after our party had started for Neptune they felt quiet
and subdued. Ione did not talk and Harold forgot to tease. They had
traveled in silence for some distance when Ione in a revery said,
“Neptune, god of the waters. I wonder if we will find the planet’s
Satellite Island nearly all water and its inhabitants floating about in
gondolas or queer-shaped barges and boats, as the Venetians do.”
“I expect we will,” said the Princess, “and I have the funniest feeling,
as if when I reach there I shall have reached the end of space and can
look over the edge as I should if the universe were a plate and Neptune
a big ball on its rim.”
“Oh! you queer girl!” exclaimed Ione. “You have the funniest ideas
sometimes. You make me laugh.”
“I should think you would be afraid our ‘wishes’ would get out of order
and we would get stuck in space like a balky horse or, if our magic
robes failed to work, that we would go whirling and speeding through
space like a comet,” said Harold.
“Harold, you are the worst tease I ever knew,” said the Princess.
“Well, isn’t it true that all things wear out with constant use? We have
kept wishing, wishing, and wishing that we might be first in this place
and then in that, or that we could see this or the other thing until I
should think our robes would at least be threadbare.”
“I am sure it is lucky for us that our robes are made of magical stuff
or, as Harold says, they would not only be threadbare but full of holes
as well,” said the Prince.
“Look sharply and you will see just ahead, first a flash of blue then a
flash of green light,” said Mercury. “Those are from Neptune and as we
draw nearer the lights will shine with steady brilliancy.”