Aleriel/Part 3/Chapter 1
At length, the day appointed for our departure arrived. We had resolved to start from Saldonio. The ether-car was fixed to the central spire of the chief cathedral of the city — one of the highest points of our world. About two millions of our Venusians had gathered to behold the spectacle, and now they crowded every vantage point in the city—every spire and tower, every battlement and roof, every square and garden, was thronged with the vast host who had gathered from all lands to behold the sight. Their variously coloured robes and ornaments formed a most brilliant scene.
It was about sunset. After the tranquil service in the glorious cathedral, and the solemn blessing of the chief priests of the city, we passed forth into the crowded square, and flew up to the spire where the ether-car was suspended. A sublime spectacle (such as I have never seen in all my wanderings excelled) opened to our vision. At our feet for a hundred miles or more stretched the vast Saldonian territory, the lines of mountain chains and rings, and forest-clad hills, and milky lakes. The shadows of evening were already gathering over the low country, for Saldonio was so lofty that it was in sunlight when the evening had wrapt the plains. The lights of a hundred cities were just glimmering in the grey evening. At our feet was the magnificent city—a city such as you cannot imagine (though Edinburgh might be mentioned as a feeble parody of it), with its thousands of graceful spires, and airy gardens and plazas and public buildings—now one living mass of intelligent beings, in their varied coloured robes. It was a scene not to be described in human words.
"We entered the ether-car. The chiefs of the city bade us farewell, and gave us their blessing. At a signal from the Prince of Saldonio, the great hymn of praise burst from two millions of voices, and just as the sun sank behind the serrated ridge of the Ulcorian mountains we cut the bond, developed the anti-gravitating force, and launched into infinite space. **** I need not describe the long journey into interplanetary space we took. We soon reached one of the meteoric systems which traverse ether in all directions, and swept on by it towards the planet Mars. What you call days and weeks and months passed as we rushed on away and away from the great Sun.
The time did not pass as heavily, however, as I found it on my former lonely journey. Companionship brightens life even to us, more perhaps than to men, for we Venusians have never anything unkind to say, no quarrel, no bitterness, no selfishness, no pride, no envy to trouble each other with. So we talked, or studied the precious books that Arauniel had stored us with, or compared notes and conjectures what we should see in those other worlds which we should visit.
At length we passed the earth's orbit, but at many millions of miles from the earth, and then went on, further and further, into space, till the ruddy orb of Mars grew larger, and then we severed ourselves from the meteors and restored gravitation and dashed at immense velocity to that gorgeous world.