THE DISCOVERY AT THE MARTIAN OBSERVATORY.
Although I well knew the fatal consequences of arriving at the
observatory too late, and realized that in this slow travelling aerenoid
my chances of covering the five miles in time were but slight, so
depressed and desperate was I that I gave the matter little thought.
Indeed, my mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of Zarlah. Vainly
did I search Almos' scientific knowledge for a means of transportation
over millions of miles of space. All my theories led to but one
conclusion--that no material transit over such an enormous distance was
possible. My heart sank within me as I thought how brief my happiness
had been. But then came the bewildering realization that an eternity of
loneliness would not be too much to pay for the unutterable joy which
nothing could take from me. Raised aloft to the highest pinnacle of
happiness, I had been permitted to experience the joy of Zarlah's
love--a love that I had thought was for Almos--only to be dashed down
into still deeper despair. Then a great anguish filled my heart as I
realized that before I was alone in my misery, which, through a
thoughtless action, I had brought upon myself, but now my agony was
shared by a loving and trusting heart that had been joined to mine by
the decree of Fate.
The thought of the unhappiness I had brought into Zarlah's life maddened
me, and when at last the aerenoid rested upon the balcony of the
observatory, I stepped out, caring little whether wave contact had
ceased or not. I would enter the virator in any case, and at once fulfil
my obligation to Almos, through whose generosity I had been permitted to
visit this veritable paradise. Then, if wave contact with Paris still
existed my spirit would return to my body which lay there, but if not, I
felt that Fate would have thus solved the hopeless tangle into which it
had precipitated me.
As I proceeded across the balcony, I was astonished to observe a
high-speed aerenoid lying close to the one I knew belonged to Almos.
What could it mean! That a visitor would enter the observatory knowing
Almos to be absent, I could not conceive, as I was well aware of the
sanctity of a dwelling in the Martian mind, especially when that
dwelling was the theatre of such experiments and observations as the
observatory conducted by Almos.
Greatly perturbed I turned and entered the building, and, with all
haste, proceeded down the corridor. As I reached the portières of the
large room, the sound of someone within moving about caused my heart to
beat wildly, and, thrusting aside the curtains, I beheld Reon.
For a moment I was mute with astonishment, then, as he smilingly
advanced with extended hand, I knew instantly that he was present at
Almos' request. Without further time for thought, I grasped his hand and
greeted him cordially, realizing that no matter what the object of his
visit was, it was known to Almos, and under no circumstances must I
appear surprised. Without waiting to be questioned, Reon offered me a
slip of paper on which I observed Almos' handwriting.
"I carefully followed your instructions, Almos, regarding the virator,
and, half an hour later, I turned off the current of super-radium. I was
just preparing to leave. You are late in returning, are you not?"
While Reon thus spoke, I had gained time to glance hastily over the
instructions that Almos had written upon the slip of paper which I held
in my hand, and I now replied, with every nerve strung in an effort to
appear calm:
"I am, Reon, a whole hour late, and very sorry, indeed, to have kept you
waiting so long. But now, my good fellow, you must be off; I will not
detain you a moment longer than it takes to thank you for your kindness
from the bottom of my heart."
So saying, I shook his hand warmly, and accompanying him to the balcony,
waved him adieu.
The gratitude which I had thus expressed to Reon, was by no means mere
acting. My hasty glance at the instructions had convinced me that he had
been the means of saving my life. Without noticing the hour mentioned, I
had just time enough, while Reon was speaking, to note that he was
instructed to turn on the current from the upper chamber of the
virator, and, half an hour later, to shut off the super-radium current.
I felt that Almos had in this way prepared to save my life, in case I
arrived at the observatory too late to return to Earth. With wonderful
forethought--perhaps even a premonition of my late return--he had
requested Reon to visit the observatory and instructed him what to do at
a certain time, with the result that Almos' spirit had been transferred
to my body in Paris, before it was lost forever by passing out of wave
contact.
Hastening to the virator, I now examined it, and found that Reon had
faithfully carried out the instructions, although he was unaware that in
so doing he had saved a life, doubtless thinking that in Almos' absence,
he had merely attended to the details of an important experiment.
I felt that I could never repay Almos for all he had undertaken for my
safety. The following evening I would enter the virator, and do
precisely as Almos had done on previous evenings. When Almos' spirit had
arrived, he would then change the current to an outflowing one, and
dispatch my spirit to Earth.
Although my thoughts of Zarlah had been interrupted by the excitement
incident to finding Reon at the observatory, I was soon absorbed once
more in the subject ever foremost in my mind. With my head resting on my
hands, I sat hour after hour, endeavoring to conceive some plan--no
matter how hazardous--that would result in my being able to remain on
Mars with Zarlah. But the gloom of despair only deepened, and all
solutions were perforce dismissed.
At my feet lay the slip of paper which bore the instructions for Reon.
Many times during the long hours of deep thought, had my eyes rested
upon it, only to seek a new object as a new problem confronted me.
Suddenly, starting to my feet and snatching the paper from the ground, I
uttered an exclamation of astonishment. For the first time, I noticed
the hour at which Reon was to carry out his instructions--_it was three
hours before the time for my departure_!
Almos had, then, deliberately planned to take my place on Earth, and in
return to give me his on Mars. How I had been kept in ignorance of these
plans, I knew not, but, as I stood staring at the paper in my hand, my
mind gradually comprehended all that Almos had, until now, so
successfully hidden from me.
Impelled by these strange revelations, I hastened to the sleeping
chamber, and glanced eagerly around in search of some message that would
explain more fully the reason for Almos' departure to Earth. Nor was I
disappointed, for upon the couch lay a letter addressed to "Harold
Lonsdale." Almos had naturally supposed that I would retire soon after
making the discovery that he had gone to Earth, and that I would then
find the letter which, in this chamber, was safe from Reon's
observation.
As I read the contents my eyes filled with tears of overwhelming
gratitude, and my heart went out in sincere affection to him who, in
this brief message, which was the sacrifice of a strong and noble
character, offered me his life on Mars with the love that he had known
was mine, but which otherwise I could never possess.
Pacing the room under the influence of strong emotions, I laid the
letter down, only to pick it up again and reread its contents carefully.
No other man, living on Earth or Mars, could have done as much for me
as had Almos this night. He had not only saved my life, but had given to
me the thing that was far dearer. It was a princely gift, and my mind,
trained as it had been to the cramped confines of a sordid existence in
a mercenary world, was slow to comprehend the limitless wealth of
happiness and love which it bestowed upon me. Sleep was impossible, and
I longed for the morning, that I might hasten to my beloved, and tell
her of the happiness that was ours.