Robert Silverberg - Lost Race of Mars

“The plant stores water in the pods, you see,” he told Jim and Sally. “It’s roots go far down into the underground springs that lie below the cave and it brings the water up for its own use. But it brings more than it needs, and stores the extra water in these pods. As soon as we break a pod off, a new one begins to grow and the end of the stem. But we must be careful not to use up the water faster than the plan can store it. Since I have had a drink now, I will not be allowed another for three days.”

“Don’t you get thirsty?” Sally asked.

“Over the centuries our bodies have changed to match the changing conditions of our world,”

the Martian said. “My body requires very little water. One drink every few days is enough. But without this plant, we could not survive at all.”

Jim and Sally exchanged glances. It was amazing to see how these beings had managed to last. Once, hundreds of centuries ago, these people might have had splendid cities, magnificent buildings, navies and armies, all the pomp and glamor of a mighty civilization. Now they burrowed away in cramped caves, seeing by the dim light of luminous plants, and rationing themselves to one gulp of water every three days.

But they had survived. That was the impressive thing.

“What do you eat?” Jim asked.

“We raise other plants for food,” was the telepathic reply. “Our food needs are as limited as our need for water. We can go for a week of your time without eating at all before we begin to feel hungry.”

“You’re lucky,” Sally said. “It’s only a few hours since Jim and I had breakfast and we’re famished!”

They came to the end of the cave. It widened out here into a larger room that could hold several dozen people. The Martians nearly filled the room. They sat cross-legged, staring at Jim and Sally, who took seats on the floor next to their guide.

Several Mars kittens were wandering around the room. Mitten, who had followed along for the entire tour of the cave, sat down between Jim and Sally and curled himself up comfortably.

Jim said, “You know, all of the Earth people on Mars think that you Old Martians died out long ago.”

“Yes. We wanted them to think this.”

“Why?” Sally asked.

The mental voice of their guide sounded very old and weary. “We are an ancient people. You Earth men are young. We are small and fragile and helpless. Earth people are large and powerful. We live quietly, by our old ways. You of Earth are energetic and aggressive. We are the race of yesterday, you of tomorrow. We wish no contact with the Earth people. We wish to live our own lives, alone.”

“But the colonists wouldn’t harm you—” Jim began.

“We wish no contact,” repeated the Old Martian and there was a note of stubbornness in the quiet voice. “We fear and mistrust the Earth people. Earth people are so big, so strong, so active.”

“If you don’t like Earth people,” asked Sally, “Then how come you’ve been so nice to us?

We’re Earth people, too, you know.”

“You were kind to our missing animal,” the Old Martian replied. “We know that you are young.

We are not afraid for the young ones. It is the older ones who are dangerous, who threaten our age-old peace.”

“But supposed we were to go back to the colony and bring the grownups out here to see you?” Jim asked.

“You will not do this,” said the Martian. “We have looked into your minds and we know that you will not betray us. But even if you wanted to, it would be impossible.”

“Impossible?” Sally questioned.

“Once you leave this cave, you will not be able to find it again. How do you think we have remained hidden from your kind for so long? We use our mental powers to conceal the entrance to the cave. To Earth eyes, no entrance is visible— unless we wish it to be. When you came along, following the animal, we allowed the mouth of the cave to be visible because we wished you to see us. But you will not be able to return with other humans.”

“Well,” Jim said, “we won’t try it. We wouldn’t do anything you don’t want us to do. We promise. We’re grateful that you let us come here once, at least.”

“And we’d better start back soon,” Sally added. “I don’t know what time it is, but probably Mom and Dad are wondering what has happened to us.”

Jim nodded. “Yes,” he said to the Martian, “we’ll have to go back now. But we’ll have to radio our location to the dome, and they may find out about the cave -”

“No. You will not need to make contact with your people. I will guide you back to the colony myself.”

Jim’s heart leaped. If they didn’t have to ask for a rescue mission, perhaps no one art the colony would be angry about the expedition.

There was one problem, though. As Jim stood up, he picked Mitten up. “Do you think we could possibly keep him longer?” he asked. “We’ll promise to take very good care of him. And we aren’t permanent settlers on Mars, you know. We’ll be leaving in a short time, and when we do, we’ll bring him out to the desert and let him go back to you again.”

The Martian hesitated. “The animals are needed here. There protect us from vermin of the deserts that sometimes enter the cave.”

“But you have so many others,” Sally pleaded. “And we like him so much!”

“Very well,” the Martian said. “You may keep the creature a while longer. I see that he is happy with you, and you are happy with him. Come, let us leave.”

The other Martians watched with the same intense curiosity as Jim and Sally left. They returned to the mouth of the cave and mounted the tiny steps, with their gnomelike guide close behind them and Mitten clutched tight in Sally’s arms.

When they reached the surface, they could see by the way the sun had dropped in the sky that it was late. They had spent several hours in the fascinating Martian cave. It was probably three or four in the afternoon by now. They were both tremendously hungry, and they knew they would have some explaining to do when they returned to the dome.

After they had walked a few steps, the Martian said, “Look behind you and see if you can find the entrance.”

Jim and Sally turned. “Why, it’s right behind us, over—here,” Jim said, and frowned. The sand seemed unbroken. There was no even a trace of the mouth of the cave. He retraced his steps, walking very carefully, scuffing the sand with his boots. It seemed solid wherever he went.

“We have had many centuries to develop our mental powers,” the Martian said. “This is only a simple illusion. I see the entrance plainly—but, look as long as you wish, you could never find it.”

Jim shook his head in wonderment. “It’s like magic! I could have sworn I knew where the entrance was!”

The sled still remained where they had left it. Jim and Sally buckled themselves into their seats while Mitten and the Martian sat down at the rear of the sled.

The Martian told Jim in which direction to head. Jim drove quickly, and nobody said much. The sun was dropping fast. Jim and Sally had their suit-heaters turned up high, but still they felt the chill breath of the late-afternoon winds. The sky was rapidly growing dark, and the stars were starting to come out. Large and clear in the sky over their heads was a dot of blue-green light. With a little tingle of awe, Jim realized that the dot of light was Earth, forty million miles away. All of Earth’s teaming cities and great oceans and broad jungles were, at this distance, packed away into a tiny speck in the sky.

After some time the dome came into sight, far ahead. Jim was about to tell the Martian that it was no longer necessary for him to accompany them when the droning sound of another motorsled became audible.