Read Red Planet for Free Online Page B

that!’
    'That's what the man says.’
    Jim thought. ‘Tell them to bring Willis here and ask him.'
    Gekko was willing to do that. Willis was carried in, placed upon the floor. He waddled up to Jim and said, ‘Hi, Jim boy! Hi, Frank boy!’
    'Willis,’ said Jim earnestly, ‘Jim is going away. Willis come with Jim?’
    Willis seemed puzzled. ‘Stay here. Jim stay here. Willis stay here. Good.’
    'Willis,’ Jim said frantically, ‘Jim has got to go away. Willis come with Jim?’
    'Jim go?’
    'Jim go.’
    Willis almost seemed to shrug. ‘Willis go with Jim,’ he said sadly.
    'Tell Gekko.’ Willis did so. The Martian seemed surprised, but there was no further argument. He gathered up both boys and the bouncer and started for the door. Another larger Martian—tagged ‘G'kuro’ Jim recalled—relieved Gekko of Frank and tailed along behind. As they climbed the tunnel Jim found suddenly that he needed his mask; Frank put his on, too.
    The withdrawn Martian was still cluttering the passageway; both their porters stepped over him without comment.
    The sun was very low when they got to the surface. Although a Martian cannot be hastened, his normal pace makes very good time; the long-legged pair made nothing of the three miles back to Cynia Station. The sun had just reached the horizon and the air was already bitter when the boys and Willis were dumped on the dock. The two Martians left at once, hurrying back to the warmth of their city.
    'Good-bye, Gekko!’ Jim shouted. ‘Good-bye, G'kuro!’
    The driver and the station master were standing on the dock; it was evident that the driver was ready to start and had been missing his passengers. ‘What in the world?’ said the station master.
    'We're ready to go,’ said Jim.
    'So I see,’ said the driver. He stared at the retreating figures. He blinked and turned to the agent. ‘We should have left that stuff alone, George. I'm seeing things.’ He added to the boys, ‘Well, get aboard.’
    They did so and climbed up to the dome. The car clumped down off the ramp to the surface of the ice, turned left onto Oeroe canal and picked up speed. The Sun dropped behind the horizon; the landscape was briefly illuminated by the short Martian sunset. On each bank the boys could see the plants withdrawing for the night. In a few minutes the ground, so lush with vegetation a half hour before, was bare as the true desert.
    The stars were out, sharp and dazzling. Soft curtains of aurora hung over the skyline. In the west a tiny steady light rose and fought its way upwards against the motion of the stars. ‘There's Phobos,’ said Frank. ‘Look!’
    'I see it,’ Jim answered. ‘It's cold. Let's turn in.’
    'Okay. I'm hungry.’
    'I've got some sandwiches left.’ They munched one each, then went down into the lower compartment and crawled into bunks. In time the car passed the city Hesperidum and turned west-northwest onto the canal Erymanthus, but Jim was unaware of it; Jim was dreaming that Willis and he were singing a duet for the benefit of amazed Martians.
    'All out! End of the line!’ The driver was prodding them.
    'Huh?’
    'Up you come, shipmate. This is it—Syrtis Minor.’

4

    Lowell Academy

Dear Mother and Dad,
The reason I didn't phone you when we got in Wednesday night was that we didn't get in until Thursday morning. When I tried to phone on Thursday the operator told me that Deimos had set for South Colony and then I knew it would be about three days until I could relay a call through Deimos and a letter would get there sooner and save you four and a half credits on a collect phone call. Now I realize that I didn't get this letter off to you right away and maybe you're not going to get it until after I would have been able to make a phone call if I had made it but what you probably don't realize is how busy they keep you at school and how many demands there are on a fellow's time and anyhow you probably heard from Frank's mother that we had gotten here all right