Life in a Thousand Worlds Part 4

For no one thing more than another did I envy the astronomers of Jupiter than for their marvelous magnifying lenses. I knew that if we had such lenses, or the material to make them, we could watch with ease the inhabitants of the Moon or of Mars, and we could study the intelligent life on Mercury and Venus, to say nothing of the great advantages we should have in observing comets and all the numberless starry systems scattered throughout illimitable s.p.a.ce.

The religious life of Jupiter proved to be intensely interesting to me.

They have a sacred book which corresponds to our Bible, and it has always remained in its original form because there is but one language.

Since I left my own world I had not felt so kindred a touch in spirit as when I invisibly entered one of their great temples of wors.h.i.+p, as we might call it. No vocal music was there, but the mute beckoning of several thousand arms, as if to implore the favor of the great Inzoork or Creator, was impressively eloquent to me.

I was thrilled with joy as I learned more of their religion. I found that their love and service were akin to those of our planet, and that these same bonds unite them one to another. My conceptions were enlarging as I saw the family of G.o.d enlarging, and I felt that although I was unlike them in the physical, yet I was their brother in spirit, and that we all have one Father.

Religious liberty was enjoyed until a few centuries ago when certain restrictions were formulated. It was seen that some, in exercising their liberty, proved to be a curse to the state, and consequently a sharp battle ensued against the liberal element.

The Church won the conflict and now the profession of atheism is not allowed. If it can be shown that any sane person takes such a position, he is given a certain period to recant. If recantation is not forthcoming, he is placed in the public work-house until he acknowledges the existence of Deity. Atheists are scarce under this severe ruling.

You may well know how I was startled to see such summary action taken in regard to unbelievers. At first I prided myself that I belonged to a world of free thought and free speech, but when I saw the magnetic effect of these Jupiter regulations I was in doubt as to the superiority of our religious and irreligious liberties.

The soil of Jupiter yields abundantly. The animals are all large and of species unknown to us. They have animals that resemble our elephant and ox; these they use for food. Common birds, as large as geese or turkeys, flourish in the extensive forests and furnish about one-third of the food for the giants.

The vegetation is after the order of our world, except that the curse of weeds and thistles is only one-fourth as great. But the people of Jupiter have learned more than we of the use of these weeds, and certain of them are cultivated to a wide extent.

I spent a long time on the planet. I saw the fiery lakes that are fed by subterraneous streams of lava, and the geysers of blue flame darting their immense tongues high in the air.

As near as fifty miles to these fiery centers can be seen gardens of vegetation and fields under cultivation. I yielded at last to a desire that prompted me to make a personal appearance. So I stopped on a thoroughfare and occupied a rustic seat at the roadside. I was dressed in my earthly costume, and sat composedly awaiting developments.

The first living creature that observed my presence was a pa.s.sing quadruped. It was larger than a wild goat, and was a small specimen after its kind. For want of a better name I will call it a "dog."

As soon as I was spied by this animal he set up a hideous howl and ran at full speed. Knowing my own homeliness, I had all charity for the animal and did not censure him for being so terribly frightened at my appearance.

Soon a full grown giant came along. He chanced to be a learned professor out for an evening walk, as we would say. He seemed to be in deep meditation and did not notice me until he was near my side. Then he stood breathless, while a feeling of fear and surprise evidently possessed him. I sat motionless, looking up into his eyes, and saw the convolutions on his forehead and chin quivering quite perceptibly. He evidently judged me to be some undeveloped species of Mon-go-din, an animal of Jupiter bearing faint resemblance to our man-ape. To my surprise, he suddenly grasped me and tightly held me fast in his gigantic arms. I made no effort to free myself.

His surprise was only intensified at my resignation. He expected a struggle, but I neither made an outcry nor resisted capture. Like an infant I lay in his arms, while he pa.s.sed quick glances all over me. He was baffled beyond all measure, and hurried away toward the great college near by. Upon reaching the museum department, I was placed in a strong cage and the doors were doubly secured.

My captor ran from my presence and, in a few moments, returned with two other professors. They peered into the cage in painful astonishment, while I contented myself by taking my watch apart and occasionally glancing at my select audience.

Then commenced the jibbering consultation, all of which I well understood. My captor related the full circ.u.mstances in connection with his walk in the grove and the manner in which he captured me. He dwelt particularly on the indifference I manifested in all his dealings with me.

"It is a baby Mon-go-din," suggested the one professor, while the other advanced the theory that I was an abnormal child of some Jupiterite.

My watch excited their curiosity. One reached his hand cautiously through the bars and evinced by his actions what he wanted. I looked up into his eyes and spoke my first words.

"Patience, please, till I put the watch together, and you shall have it."

Not only did his arms fly away from the cage, but his whole body fell prostrate to the floor, whether from fright or surprise, I knew not. His two companions were also in a sorry plight. I pretended not to notice their consternation, and kept myself busy in placing the parts of my watch together.

After a while I was addressed by a trembling questioner: "Where is your home, my child?" I did not lift my eyes, but completed my little self-appointed task, and at once raised the watch in fulfillment of my promise.

The timid professor ventured to accept it and, as he received it from my hand, he again asked: "Where is your home?"

"Farther away than the circ.u.mference of your world," I distinctly answered.

At this time the three agreed that I was an insane child, born out of time, and that I satisfied my propensities by gathering to myself such idiotic things as my watch and garments, including my hat and shoes.

A quiet consultation followed, after which one of the professors retired from the room and soon returned with certain morsels of food. Upon handing them to me, I at once remarked: "Keep these morsels for yourself; I have better food to eat, of which you know nothing."

The other two professors had by this time observed that my watch was a marvelous piece of mechanism beyond their most delicate accomplishments, and they announced the fact to their other companion who again looked at me in breathless surprise. "Where did you get this Fot-sil?" (or plaything), he queried in one breath.

"Farther away than the circ.u.mference of your world," was my evasive and, to them, unsatisfactory reply.

"Won't you tell us, child, how far away that is?" asked another with subdued impatience.

"Millions of miles." (Of course I spoke in terms of their linear measurements).

"How many millions?"

"Sometimes five hundred and sometimes six hundred millions."

Without giving them a chance for asking me another question I offered to let them see my home if they would permit me to use the most powerful telescope in their observatory.

My listeners were indeed amazed and were about to pour upon me a volley of interrogations. I a.s.sured them that I would answer no more questions until I knew whether my request would be granted.

This necessitated a consultation with the chief astronomer who, upon learning of my peculiar request and of my unnatural formation, hastened to the museum to see the monstrosity.

I knew from what I had previously learned that this gentleman was the greatest living astronomer on Jupiter. He peered at me in the cage and was dumfounded. He exchanged a few sentences with the professor and again turned to me:

"At what time do you want the telescope?" he asked.

"Immediately."

"You shall have it, just to satisfy our curiosity," he said as he hastened from the room.

I heard the professor caution him strictly to tell no one of my presence, so as to avoid a rush from the student ranks.

In less than an hour I stood at the side of the largest telescope in our Solar System, watching the deepening shadows of night as they fell upon Jupiter.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Viewing Our Earth from Jupiter.]

I spent another hour examining the ponderous machinery that was required to swing this mammoth instrument and to adjust it when scanning the heavens.

By this time my four companions were convinced that I was not an idiot, and I could see by their strange manner that they were regarding me as a spirit.

I gave my directions to the astronomer, and beheld the cylinder, two-hundred feet in length and twenty feet in diameter, swing around until it pointed toward a little flickering light that shone like a distant star.

I looked into the eye-piece, managed to get the tube pointed accurately, and then requested the astronomer to focus the lenses so as to bear upon the planetary light in range.

He knew at once the planet I had singled out. He called it Zo-ide. After the focusing was completed, I looked and, behold, I could readily discern many of the physical features of my own world.

"That is my homeland," I cried triumphantly. "I live on Zo-ide, or Earth, as we call it."

Of course my listeners were incredulous, but I proceeded to explain to them as I looked through the telescope:

"That dark ridge to the left is called 'the Rocky and Andes Mountain Systems'. The s.h.i.+ning belt on the central portion is the 'Mississippi River'. The rough ridge to the right is 'the Allegheny System' of mountains." Then I indicated the location of our larger cities. As I pointed to New York, I saw a mere speck moving. I was convinced that it was one of our large steams.h.i.+ps, and as I so explained the astronomer looked at me with absorbing interest.