Adventures in the Far Future & Tales of Outer Space — page 237: what you’re looking at

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

venture in quest of the stars, had said good-by and then melted, one by one, day by day, into the silent processions, | managed to see Lya for a final time. There was not much. There was no way to Say all the words I|’d planned so carefully, for | was not a Martian, and my skill to say such words was inadequate. “lam sorry, Learned One,” | said. And there was again a smile on her face; once more, a smile of some inner gratitude, and, | like to think, of understanding of my inadequacy, and of forgiveness for it. “Do not be, Wesley Latham,” she said. And for a moment it was hard for me to see her. “Know that much of your share is left; that the next five hundred thousand years are yours, and that we are glad for you. A happy future, Mr. Latham.” Her smile was radiant as she said it, and she was smiling still as she left to follow the others. Then | found Kruger, and together we made our way to the track. | tried not to hear the blast of our engine as it started, succeeded in not looking back as we left the Enclosures and headed for the E-M-l. It took us less than an hour to reach her, and an hour was just gone by the time we had the track aboard and were ready to blast off. There was the low moaning of the cold wind among the dunes as it raced to play its invisible game of blind-man’s- buff among them, and little clouds of sand whirled with it to make the Enclosures dimly veiled things seven hundred thousand years and twenty miles behind us. “Let’s get aboard,” | said. “Let’s get out of here.” “Wes,” | heard Max say, “I can’t watch a people die any easier than you... .” We didn’t say anything more, but just clambered in and blasted clear. CORniclooo SS CO