"All these menial duties are done only by our young; these menial duties are not so unpleasant as you may think. With our improvements in automatic machinery, pumps, and vacuum cleaners, there is little direct handling. Sanitary gloves and breathing masks are worn when working at malodorous duties; thereby we are completely protected from dirt and contamination."
All this conversation was certainly amazing to me. Finally, however, Xora returned to explaining the city's plan to me.
"Let us go back to our city plan, I want to explain to you so that you will be able soon to get around by yourself and find your Earth friends.
"This oval, which, as you know, we call the center, divides our city from north to south in half, with one part east of it, and the other part west of it. The street number system is similar to yours in part of New York. It is in Martian and not in your roman or arabic numbers. Communities along the center east start with No. 1, First Street. First Street begins at the most southern point near the ocean and runs north, and all the other streets are parallel to it. Buildings around the center are numbered, beginning at the southern end with No. 1, Center Street East and No. 1, Center Street West, and going northward on both sides.
"I have another surprise for you. For the last thousand years, our forebears have anticipated that we would be able to carry off a number of Earth men to our planet. Whenever they started to travel in airplanes through the stratosphere. That is the reason we planned this city when it was recently constructed, in this simple pattern. When the Earth men came, we thought they could find their way about more easily. We do not need such careful marking places for we are like some of your animals, birds and fish. Your homing pigeon can find its home from long distances; so can your fish, and often your dog, cat, and horse. They have an acute development of the sense of direction, and so have we. From land, sea, or in the air, we can easily find our way and destination. When we are back home, you will no doubt receive letters from your friends with their addresses. Would you be able to find them now?"
"Of course I could, quite easily, when I have mastered your number system; but if they live at distant points, I will have to travel. Will you at first take me until I can find my own way?"
"Yes, I shall be happy to," she replied. "In the meantime, I want you to know that my father has made an application for a license for you. You will soon be called to our traffic bureau and instructed how to operate our planes, and about our traffic rules. When you have mastered both, you may select your plane and travel about by yourself. For short distances, we either walk or use underground conveyances. Now we will ride back to my home by underground.
"Our subway transits cover most of our city, going north and south and east and west; every community has its stop-offs, both for freight and for passenger trains."
We were by now on the same street as the community court. We went down the escalator at the corner to the passenger train platform. In place of a ticket window, a trestle, or a coin deposit slot, I saw a very pleasingly decorated space with comfortable seats, an attendant who was very anxious to make us comfortable, and clean comfort stations, which we could safely use without the fear of being bludgeoned and robbed. The train soon arrived; the conductor with courtesy led us to two individual seats similar to those in our Pullman cars. Each seat had a little stand or table upon which were the latest magazines and newspapers. But we were interested in our conversation, and paid no attention to the news of the day.
Xora showed me a daily bulletin printed by her community. She told me that every zone in every city has its own daily newspaper and radio station. I examined it with interest. The east side of this city was divided into three zones, and so was the west side. There were also general dailies for every race on the planet covering all of the globe news or intercontinental happenings without any display, classified or other advertisements.