Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 146 No. 4 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

486 “ But it doesn’t radiate much heat itself,” Alan finished. Professor Newland smiled. “The old man doesn’t have much of a show, does he?” Alan sat down somewhat abashed, ut Beth remained standing beside her father, listening intently to everything he said. “This light I conceive to be the chief weapon of warfare of the Mercutians,” the professor went on. ‘“‘ There has been some talk of those two meteors being signals. That’s all nonsense. They were not sig- nals—they were missiles. It was an act of aggression.” I tried to get him to give some ‘Hien of what the inhabitants of Mercury might be like, for that was what my editor chiefly desired. At first he would say nothing along those lines. “ That is pure speculation,” he explained. ‘“‘ And very easy speculation, too. Any one can allow his imagination to run wild and picture strange beings of another world. I don’t predict they will actually land on the earth—and I have no idea what they will look like if they do land. As a matter of fact, they will probably look very much like ourselves. I see no reason to doubt it.” “ Like us?” I ejaculated. : “ Why not?” said Alan. “ Conditions on Mercury are not fundamentally different from here. We don’t have to conceive any very extraordinary sort of being, to fill them.” “ Here’s what you can tell your paper,” said the professor abruptly. “ Take it down.” I took out my notebook, and he dictated briskly. | “Regarding the possible characteristics of inhabitants of Mercury, it is my concep- tion that intelligent life—let us say, human — life—wherever it exists in our universe does not greatly differ in character from that of our own planet. Mars, Venus, Mercury, even Neptune, are relatively close. I be- lieve the Creator has constructed all human life on the same general plan. “T believe that, being neighbors—if I may be permitted the expression—it is in- ‘tended that intercourse between the planets ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. should take place. That we have been iso- lated up to the present time is only because of our ignorance—our inability to bridge the gap. I believe that migration, friendship, commerce, even war, between the inhab- itants of different planets of our solar sys- tem was intended by Almighty God—and, in good time, will come to pass. “This is not science; and yet science does not contradict it, in my opinion. Hu- man life on Mercury, Venus or Mars may ~ meed bodies taller, shorter, heavier, lighter, more fragile or more solid than ours. The organs will differ from ours, perhaps, but not materially so. The senses will be the same. | “In a word, I believe that nearly all the range of diversity of human life existing on any of the planets exists now on this earth, or has existed in the past, or will exist in the future through our own development, or at most the differences would not be greater than a descent into our animal king- dom would give us. ‘* Mercutians may have the sense of smell developed to the point of a dog; the instinct of direction of the homing pigeon; the eyes of a cat in the dark, or an owl ‘in the light; but I cannot conceive of them being so different that similar illustrations would not apply. “T believe the Creator intends inter- course of some kind, friendly or unfriendly, to take place between the worlds. As China was for centuries, so for eons we of this earth have been isolated. That time is past. The first act was one of aggression. Let us wait for the next calmly but soberly, with full realization of the danger. For we may be—indeed, I think we are—ap- proaching the time of greatest peril that human life on this earth has ever had to face!” CHAPTER III. THE LANDING OF THE INVADERS. ARCH 8, 1941, was the date at which Mercury was again to be in inferior conjunction—at her closest point to the earth since her transit over the face of the sun on November 11_of the previous CONNICGCMOOKS .GOnn