"Let us be friends," he said. "You will find justice in Havatoo. If you
deserve to remain as a guest, you will be treated as a guest--if not--"
he shrugged.
* * * * *
As we reached the top of the little hillock we saw, just behind it, a
long, low car with transverse seats and no top. It was the first motor
car that I had seen on Venus. The severity of its streamlines and its
lack of ornamentation suggested that it was a military car.
As we entered the rear seat with Ero Shan his men took their places in
the forward seats. Ero Shan spoke a word of command and the car moved
forward. The driver was too far from me, and hidden by the men between
us, to permit me to see how he controlled the car, which moved forward
over the uneven ground smoothly and swiftly.
Presently as we topped a rise of ground we saw the city of Havatoo
lying white and beautiful before us. From our elevation I could see
that it was built in the shape of a half circle with the flat side
lying along the water front, and it was entirely walled.
The river curves to the right below the city, and the direct route
that we followed returning to it brought us to a gate several miles
from the river. The gate itself was of magnificent proportions and an
architectural gem, bespeaking a high order of civilization and culture.
The city wall, of white limestone, was beautifully carved with scenes
that I took to portray the history of the city or of the race that
inhabited it, the work having apparently been conceived and executed
with the rarest taste; and these carvings extended as far as I could
see.
When one considers the fact that the wall on the land side is about
eight miles long and on the river side about five miles, and that all
of it is elaborately carved, one may understand the vast labor and the
time required to complete such an undertaking along both faces of a
twenty foot wall.
As we were halted at the gate by the soldiers on guard I saw emblazoned
above the portal, in the characters of the universal Amtorian language,
"TAG KUM VOO KLAMBAD," Gate of the Psychologists.
Beyond the gate we entered a broad, straight avenue that ran directly
toward the center of the water front. It was filled with traffic--cars
of various sizes and shapes, running swiftly and quietly in both
directions. There was nothing but vehicular traffic on this level,
pedestrians being accommodated on walkways at the level of the second
stories of the buildings, which were connected by viaducts at all
intersections.
There was practically no noise--no tooting of horns, no screeching of
brakes--traffic seemed to regulate itself. I asked Ero Shan about it.
"It is very simple," he said. "All vehicles are energized from a
central power station from which power emanates in three frequencies;
on the control board of each vehicle is a dial that permits the
operator to pick up any frequency he desires. One is for avenues
running from the outer wall to the center of the city, another is for
transverse avenues, and the third for all traffic outside the city.
The first two are cut off and on alternately; when one is on all
traffic moving in the opposite direction is stopped at intersections
automatically."
"But why doesn't the traffic between intersections stop at the same
time?" I asked.
"That is regulated by the third frequency, which is always operative,"
he explained. "A hundred feet before a vehicle reaches an intersection
a photo-electric current moves the dial on the control board to the
proper frequency for that lane."
Nalte was thrilled by all that she saw. She was a mountain girl from a
small kingdom, and this was the first large city that she had ever seen.
"It is marvelous," she said. "And how beautiful the people are!"
I had noticed that fact myself. Both the men and the women in the cars
that passed us were of extraordinary perfection of form and feature.
Ambad Lat, Psychologist Avenue, led us directly to a semicircular civic
center at the water front, from which the principal avenues radiated
toward the outer wall like the spokes of a wheel from the hub toward
the felloe.
* * * * *
Here were magnificent buildings set in a gorgeous park, and here Ero
Shan escorted us from the car toward a splendid palace. There were many
people in the park, going to or coming from the various buildings.
There was no hurry, no bustle, no confusion; nor was there idling or
loitering. All suggested well considered, unhurried efficiency. The
voices of those who conversed were pleasant, well modulated. Like the
people I had seen elsewhere in the city, these were all handsome and
well formed.
We followed Ero Shan through an entrance into a wide corridor. Many
of those we passed spoke pleasant greetings to our companion, and all
of them looked at us with seemingly friendly interest, but without
rudeness.
"Beautiful people in a beautiful city," murmured Nalte.
Ero Shan turned toward her with a quick smile. "I am glad that you like
us and Havatoo," he said. "I hope that nothing will ever alter this
first impression."
"You think that something may?" asked Nalte.
Ero Shan shrugged. "That all depends upon you," he replied, "or rather
upon your ancestors."
"I do not understand," said Nalte.
"You will presently."
He stopped before a door and, swinging it open, bade us enter. We were
in a small anteroom in which several clerks were employed.
"Please inform Korgan Kantum Mohar that I wish to see him," said Ero
Shan to one of the clerks.
The man pressed one of several buttons on his desk and said, "Korgan
Sentar Ero Shan wishes to see you."