Adventures in the Far Future & Tales of Outer Space — page 243: what you’re looking at

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

“I can’t see your objection,” said Page flatly. “After all, these Candles—” “You're not capturing any Candles,” said Craig. “Your idea is the most crackpot, from more than one viewpoint, that | have ever heard.” “| can’t understand this strange attitude of yours,” argued Page. “I was assured at Washington—” Craig’s anger flared. “I don’t give a damn _ what Washington assured you. You’re going back as soon as the oxygen ship comes in. And you're going back without a Candle.” “It would do no harm. And I’m prepared to pay well for any services you—” Craig ignored the hinted bribe, leveled a pencil at Page. “Let me explain it to you once again,” he said. “I'll explain it very carefully and in full, so you will understand. “The Candles are natives of Mercury. They were here first. THEY were here when men came, and they'll probably be here long after men depart. They have let us be and we have let them be. And we have let them be for just one reason— one damn good reason. You see, we don’t know what they could do if we stirred them up. We are afraid of what they might do.” Page opened his mouth to speak, but Craig waved him into silence and went on. “They are organisms of pure energy: things that draw their life substance directly from the Sun—just as you and | do. Only we get ours by a roundabout way. They’re a lot more efficient than we are by that very token, for they absorb their energy direct, while we get ours by chemical processes. CORniclooo SS CO