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So it happened I took her into my heart and gave her the answer she asked for。
For a long time we sat in the dusky grandeur of the royal library； my mind revolving between wonder and ad… miration of the neglected knowledge all about； and the stir… rings of a new love； while Heru herself； lapsed again into Martian calm； lay half sleeping on my shoulder； but pre… sently； unwinding her arms； I put her down。
〃There； sweetheart；〃 I whispered； 〃enough of this for the moment； tonight； perhaps； some more； but while we are here amongst all this lordly litter； I can think of nothing else。〃 Again I bid her turn the pages； noting as she did so how each chapter was headed by the coloured configuration of a world。 Page by page we turned of crackling parchment； until by chance； at the top of one； my eye caught a coloured round I could not fail to recognise'twas the spinning but… ton on the blue breast of the immeasurable that yesterday I inhabited。 〃Read here；〃 I cried； clapping my finger upon the page midway down； where there were some signs looking like Egyptian writing。 〃Says this quaint dabbler in all knowledge anything of Isis； anything of Phra； of Am… mon； of Ammon Top？〃
〃And who was Isis？ who Ammon Top？〃 asked the lady。
〃Nay； read；〃 I answered； and down the page her slender fingers went awandering till at a spot of knotted signs they stopped。 〃Why； here is something about thy Isis；〃 ex… claimed Heru； as though amused at my perspicuity。 〃Here； halfway down this chapter of earth…history； it says；〃 and putting one pink knee across the other to better prop the book she read：
〃And the priests of Thebes were gone； the sand stood un… trampled on the temple steps a thousand years； the wild bees sang the song of desolation in the ears of Isis； the wild cats littered in the stony lap of Ammon； ay； another thou… sand years went by； and earth was tilled of unseen hands and sown with yellow grain from Paradise； and the thin veil that separates the known from the unknown was rent； and men walked to and fro。〃
〃Go on；〃 I said。
〃Nay；〃 laughed the other； 〃the little mice in their eager… ness have been before yousee； all this corner is gnawed away。〃
〃Read on again；〃 I said； 〃where the page is whole； those sips of knowledge you have given make me thirsty for more。 There； begin where this blazonry of initialed red and gold looks so like the carpet spread by the scribe for the feet of a sovereign truthwhat says he here？〃 And she； half pouting to be set back once more to that task； half won… dering as she gazed on those magic letters； let her eyes run down the page； then began：
〃And it was the Beginning； and in the centre void pres… ently there came a nucleus of light： and the light brightened in the grey primeval morning and became definite and articulate。 And from the midst of that natal splendour； behind which was the Unknowable； the life came hitherward； from the midst of that nucleus undescribed； undescribable； there issued presently the primeval sigh that breathed the breath of life into all things。 And that sigh thrilled through the empty spaces of the illimitable： it breathed the breath of promise over the frozen hills of the outside planets where the night…frost had lasted without beginning： and the waters of ten thousand nameless oceans； girding nameless planets； were stirred； trembling into their depth。 It crossed the il… limitable spaces where the herding aerolites swirl forever through space in the wake of careering world； and all their whistling wings answered to it。 It reverberated through the grey wastes of vacuity； and crossed the dark oceans of the Outside； even to the black shores of the eternal night beyond。
〃And hardly had echo of that breath died away in the hollow of the heavens and the empty wombs of a million barren worlds； when the light brightened again； and draw… ing in upon itself became definite and took form； and therefrom； at the moment of primitive conception； there came〃
And just then； as she had read so far as that； when all my faculties were aching to know what came next whether this were but the idle scribbling of a vacuous fool； or something elsethere rose the sound of soft flutes and tinkling bells in the corridors； as seneschals wandered pip… ing round the palace to call folk to meals； a smell of roast meat and grilling fish as that procession lifted the curtains between the halls； and
〃Dinner！〃 shouted my sweet Martian； slapping the cov… ers of The Secret of the Gods together and pushing the stately tome headlong from the table。 〃Dinner！ 'Tis worth a hundred thousand planets to the hungry！〃
Nothing I could say would keep her； and； scarcely know… ing whether to laugh or to be angry at so unseemly an interruption； but both being purposeless I dug my hands into my pockets； and somewhat sulkily refusing Heru's invita… tion to luncheon in the corridor （Navy rations had not fitted my stomach for these constant debauches of gos… samer food）； strolled into the town again in no very pleasant frame of mind。
CHAPTER VII
It was only at moments like these I had any time to reflect on my circumstances or that giddy chance which had shot me into space in this fashion； and； frankly； the opportunities； when they did come； brought such an extraordinary de… pressing train of thought； I by no means invited them。 Even with the time available the occasion was always awry for such reflection。 These dainty triflers made sulking as impossible amongst them as philosophy in a ballroom。 When I stalked out like that from the library in fine mood to moralise and apostrophise heaven in a way that would no doubt have looked fine upon these pages； one sprightly dam… sel； just as the gloomy rhetoric was bursting from my lips； thrust a flower under my nose whose scent brought on a violent attack of sneezing； her companions joining hands and dancing round me while they imitated my agony。 Then； when I burst away from them and rushed down a nar… row arcade of crumbling mansions； another stopped me in mid…career； and taking the honey…stick she was sucking from her lips； put it to mine； like a pretty； playful child。 An… other asked me to dance； another to drink pink oblivion with her； and so on。 How could one lament amongst all this irritating cheerfulness？
An might have helped me； for poor An was intelligent for a Martian； but she had disappeared； and the terrible vacu… ity of life in the planet was forced upon me when I realised that possessing no cognomen； no fixed address； or rating； it would be the merest chance if I ever came across her again。
Looking for my friendly guide and getting more and more at sea amongst a maze of comely but similar faces； I made chance acquaintance with another of her kind who cheerfully drank my health at the Government's expense； and chatted on things Martian。 She took me to see a funeral by way of amusement； and I found these people floated their dead off on flower…decked rafts instead of burying them； the send…offs all taking place upon a certain swift…flowing stream； which carried the dead away into the vast region of northern ice； but more exactly whither my informant seemed to have no idea。 The voyager on this occasion was old； and this brought to my mind the curious fact that I had observed few children in the city； and no elders； all； except perhaps Hath； being in a state of sleek youthfulness。 My new friend explained the peculiarity by declaring Mar… tians ripened with extraordinary rapidity from infancy to the equivalent of about twenty…five years of age； with us； and then remained at that period however long they might live； Only when they died did their accumulated seasons come upon them； the girl turning pale； and wringing her pret… ty hands in sympathetic concern when I told her there was a land where decrepitude was not so happily postponed。 The Martians； she said； arranged their calendar by the varying colours of the seasons； and loved blue as an antidote to the generally red and rusty character of their soil。
Discussing such things as these we lightly squandered the day away； and I know of nothing more to note until the evening was come again： that wonderful purple evening which creeps over the outer worlds at sunset； a seductive darkness gemmed with ten thousand stars riding so low in the heaven they seem scarcely more than mast high。 When that hour was come my friend tiptoed again to my cheek； and then； pointing to the palace and laughingly hoping fate would send me a bride 〃as soft as catkin and as sweet as honey；〃 slipped away into the darkness。
Then I remembered all on a sudden this was the con… nubial evening of my sprightly friendsthe occasion when； as An had told me； the Government constituted itself into a gigantic matrimonial agency； and； with the cheerful care… lessness of the place； shuffled the matrimonial pack anew； and dealt a fresh hand to all the players。 Now I had no wish to avail myself of a sailor's privilege of a bride in every port； but surely this game would be interesting enough to see； even if I were but a disinterested spectator。 As a matter of fact I was something more than that； and had been thinking a good deal of Heru during the day。 I do not know whether I actually aspired to her handthat were a large