The Venetian commenced by saying, "Do not suppose we arrogate to ourselves anything approaching infallibility. We are but fellow travellers with yourselves toward the great goal—Truth."
A Theory of the Universe Told From Venus
The subject he chose was the Venetian theory of the universe corresponding to what is known as the La Placian theory, but to which it had no resemblance.
"Your theory," he said, "contemplates a universal loss of energy, until space is peopled only by dead suns; a universe with all heat, light, life, extinct; without one ray to wander through its blackness of darkness, or one sigh to break its eternal silence. To minds cultivated as are ours, such a development, with an eternity still to come, would be sufficient refutation."
The Venerian then proceeded to give the theory accepted in his world, and to support it with such evidence that Professor Rudge's acceptance of it was complete and inevitable. It proved to him the perfect and complete conservation of solar energy beyond possibility of dispute.
As soon as the enunciation of the new theory and its demonstration were completed, the Venerian said, "We felt that this was due to you as a first fruit of the information we hope to give you on many subjects in return for the information you have given us respecting your terrestrial affairs; but we must now speak on a subject of more immediately vital importance. Do not repeat mywords to Macrae. What follows is for yourself alone."
At this moment some one was heard knocking at the door of the signal-room. Evidently they were about to be interrupted. In dumb show Macrae imparted the fact. "Go," said the Professor, "and see if the instrument is wanted. If so, ask if we can retain it for a few minutes."
Macrae presently returned from the door to say that Lieutenant Hughes wished to send a message, but that it could wait a few minutes.
On replacing the receivers, that he had removed to hear Macrae's answer, the Professor found that the Venerian had ceased speaking. He had heard the words of Macrae.
Presently the voice resumed: "Are you there, Professor Rudge?"
Danger of Interruption From Mars
On receiving the affirmative reply, the voice proceeded: "Do not speak! Remember that on the subject I am about to speak on nothing must be said to Macrae. There was great anxiety here lest you and he should not arrive in time. By good fortune you did. But every day now the position becomes less secure. When my last interview with Macrae, on his first visit to this Station, was brought to an abrupt interruption, it was on account of an unforeseen interruption from Mars." ("I was right," thought the professor.)
"By an exhibition of powers that we did not even know them to possess, Macrae was reached indirectly, through his rapport with me. I was rapidly being overborne in my defence of him, when I succeeded in entrancing him, and had only just time to give him instructions to remain so until far from the island, and not return to it until the 27th of July.
"My instructions were inadequate, and even faulty, but the situation at the moment of giving them was extremely difficult. We have now taken adequate precautions that the same thing shall not happen to you, but we cannot undo the evil that may have been done in the case of Macrae, nor say, for the present, the extent of it. It is this latter point that we wish to test. We have reason to suppose that it is of a serious nature, in fact fatal, unless guarded against.
"With such extremely little time for thought, my instructions to him were, not to return to the island before the 27th of July, the date suggested by the next conjunction of Mars. With time for reflection, I should have taken a much more drastic course. For this reason I feel, to a certain extent, responsible for the position that has arisen; a position much too full of danger. Our reason now for fearing that the malign influence was successfully brought to bear on him is that, although I did not bid him return, yet he showed an anxious desire to be here by the expiration of the forbidden period. His experiences at the Station were not of a kind to make that desire natural as a spontaneous wish.
"We therefore conclude that he is now, of course quite unconsciously to himself, under the Martian's influence, and that to allow him to go to the receiver after Mars has passed from behind the solar screen would be to run the greatest risk. To-day is safe, probably tomorrow, but it is best to be on the safe side, for those beings always seem to surpass our calculations. My instructions to you are, to see to it, as though your life depended on it, which it may, that Macrae never again puts on the headpiece, and that you find out by watching him, whether he shows any secret desire to do so, of is prompted to do so. That is all. Do not reply. I will be ready to continue our discourse when you next come to the instrument."
"We will now tell Lieutenant Hughes that the signal-room is at his disposal," said the Professor.
"What did the voice say, the last minute or two?" asked Macrae, as they went out.
"He spoke to me about the receiver," said the Professor calmly. "With the instructions he will give me I hope to be able to make improvement in that part of the instrument. Let us take a turn around the island."
Night was falling as they returned to the station-house, and Macrae was told to defer writing out his report until next morning. Being tired, he was glad of this respite, and was soon fast asleep.
Professor Rudge also retired early to his room, but not to sleep. That afternoon had opened up to him novel views, not merely on one, but on many scientific subjects. He was a student again, his whole world revolutionized. Sleep! What man could sleep in such circumstances?
Ultimately, after the first bent of the scientific had had its way with him, he came down to the urgent matter dealt with in the Venerian's last words. Late that night it was not musings on science that kept him awake, but a sense of peril.
