Aleriel/Part 3/Chapter 7
CHAPTER VII.
THE FEAST.
He led me through a large garden, over-shadowed with ruddy foliage, amidst which could be seen flowers of every colour. It was a most gorgeous scene, but the colours were glaring and almost feverish—less pleasing to me far than the soft tints of our lovely world, and even than the grateful green verdure of the earth. Here all was glowing, and the very sunlight burst through leaves blood-tinted on the red ground. It was magnificent and gorgeous, but it had at last grown wearisome. Amid all this were the green cascades and fountains of the Martian waters, making a striking contrast to the red.
At length, about a mile off, we came to a large palace with lofty façade, flanked with metal towers. We entered its portals. There was a huge hall, as huge as any in Europe, with galleries around. Here were a number of Martians crouching on cushions on the ground. My guide led me to a place, and here we sat down ready for a meal.
The loud blare of a trumpet sounded, and then a report as of a cannon. Then all stood as in an attitude of adoration, and there swelled a strange and mighty hymn of praise to God, the giver of all good. Then all reposed again, and the meals were laid before each—messes of food such as you have not on the earth, and as I cannot well describe. The very elements were somewhat different from those which men require in food. One thing was peculiar. With the meals was served out in cups a ruddy fluid of fragrant odour but metallic taste. I asked my guide what it was.
"It is a blood mixture, made by science to represent the elements of our blood. In our early and defective state, when war existed in our world, we used to kill animals, and even drink their blood. We were to a great extent carnivora. Now this is changed. Science provides us the same elements as flesh, and we can live on mere fruits with the aid of this metallic compound, which is more grateful, and I think more suitable, than the flesh or the blood of dead animals. It does just as well."
After the feast, we went forth into the next hall, and I saw many strange sights not easy to describe. The Martians seemed a race full of energy and of high development. Many games of skill were going on, and as the young Martians cast off their garments, I saw that they were really not so entirely like men as they seemed when clothed. Their limbs were more muscular, and they had more hair about them than human beings. When clad as I said, they were extremely like men. Their heads were quite human in intelligence, but their lower limbs showed as much resemblance to the carnivora as the human limbs do to the quadrumana.
I passed from here into another hall—very splendid and ornate—where music was going on, and then into another, where a drama was being performed. Another hall was beyond, where science was expounded, and beyond this we came to a library with books. Everything showed that the Martians, though they had to work (as men have), still strove to make life pleasant. **** It is impossible for me to describe all the strange sights I beheld on Mars, while I traversed again, with my Martian friend, the oceans of this strange world. Earthly words are only fit for earthly things, and so are imperfect and, therefore, deceptive, when applied do the things of another world. There were, however, many matters on which you might learn from the people of your sister orb. The main point I learnt there was, that all our three worlds are in many points akin, but that earth is the least happy of the three. With us little evil exists; on Mars, though there may once have been quite as much as on earth, and the Martians quite as wicked as men, yet nearly all great evils have been put down and stamped out by the courage and good sense of the Martian rulers. If we are better than men, the Martians are braver, and so have crushed evil which you have left to fester horribly, and render earth one of the most miserable of the many worlds that roll around the King of Day—our mighty sun.
I saw, on my journey, many wonderful things—great cities; long, straight ranges of hills, and equally straight lines of inlets and sounds of green sea; forests and fields of many forms and of varied vegetations; hundreds of fine rivers, of green waters, and canals without number. The land of Mars is nearlv as extensive as that of earth (the seas being much less), and so there is as much to see of interest on Mars as on your world; indeed, there is more —larger populations, more developed civilisation, a society more advanced in intelligence, progress, and good government than any you have ever yet known on earth.
Thanks to my friend, I was enabled to see a good deal, and yet to keep my secret unsuspected; but, except on the occasion I mentioned, in his own village and at his request, never went to any place of public resort, nor did I venture to converse with the Martians, except when obliged to do so. I thus had more restraint put on me than in your world, where I managed to disguise myself perfectly, and mix freely with mankind. I appeared only as a child under the tutelage of my guide, and such a disguise was essential to me.
At length, having seen much of this strange and beautiful world, we returned to Tycho Island, and I parted, with many prayers and blessings for his welfare, from my kind Martian friend. I again joined my companions, Ezariel and Arauniel, whom I found near where I had left them in the rendezvous awaiting me. They had seen most of the natural beauties of the planet, having flown from mountain to mountain, mostly by night and at great heights, resting in remote and inaccessible places, lest they should be discovered. Perhaps they had had more bird's-eye views than I had had. They had visited both the North and South Pole, even in the regions of perpetual ice. Once they had noticed me sailing in our little vessel over the Terby Sea. Their far-seeing instrument had enabled them to detect me at a great distance, but they had purposely made no sign by which I might recognise them. They had examined the peaks of the loftiest mountains of Mars, and had flown over most of the great cities both by night and by day. Once or twice they thought they had been noticed by the Martians, but on each occasion had soared out of sight directly. They had also collected many specimens of curious things.
We flew together to the mountain where we had left our ether-car, and then, once more developing the anti-gravitating power, darted forth into space.