Chapter IX: The Survival of All

Somehow all four were unwilling to press this question. It did not seem possible that Estra was right, or, if he was, that they could possibly understand his explanation, should he give it. The cars flew side by side for perhaps a hundred miles, while the visitors put in the time in examining the landscape with the never-ending interest of all aeronauts.

Here and there, in that closely-packed surface, a particularly large building was to be noted every half mile or so. “Factories?” asked Billie of Estra, but he shook his head.

“I’ll show you factories later on,” said he. “What you see are schools.” But most observers would have considered the structures severely plain for their purpose.

After a long silence: “I’m still looking for streams,” said Van Emmon to Myrin. “Are your rivers as large as ours?”

“We have no rivers,” was the calm reply. “Rivers are entirely too wasteful of water. All our drainage is carried off through underground canals.”

“You haven’t done away with your oceans, too, have you?” the geologist asked, rather sarcastically. But he was scarcely prepared for the reply he got.

“No; we couldn’t get along without them, I am afraid. However, we did the best we could in their case.” And without signaling to Estra she dove the machine towards the ground. Smith looked for the telephone wires to snap, but Estra seemed to know, and instantly followed Myrin’s lead. The doctor noticed, and wondered all the more.

And then came another surprise. As the machines neared the surface, a familiar odor floated in through the open windows of the air-craft; and the four found themselves looking at each other for signs of irrationality. A moment, and they saw that they were not mistaken.

For, although that kaleidoscopic expanse of buildings showed not the slightest break, yet they were now located on the sea. The houses were packed as closely together as anywhere; apparently all were floating, yet not ten square yards of open sea could be seen in any one spot.

Van Emmon almost forgot his resentment in his growing wonder. “That gets me, Myrin! Those houses seem to be merely floating, yet I see no motion whatever! Why are there no waves?”

The doctor snorted. “Shame on you, Van! Don’t let our friends think that you’re an absolute ignoramus.” He added: “Venus has no moon, and no wind, at least under the roof. Therefore, no waves.”

Smith put in: “That being the case, there is no chance to start a wave- motor industry here. Neither,” as he thought further, “neither for water-power. Having no rain in your mountains, Estra, where do you get your power?”

But it was Myrin who answered. “I suppose you are all familiar with radium? It is nothing more or less than condensed sunlight, which in turn is simply electromagnetic waves; although it may take your scientists a good many centuries to reach that conclusion.