“She is the most beautiful woman in the world!” I cried hotly.
“She is ravishingly beautiful,” he replied; “but no white woman looks quite as she does. She is superb, but——. Take care, Sally, should you tire, as you are apt to—all men do—Centauri would be a dangerous place for us.”
He stretched and yawned, while I, too full of emotion to retort, glared scornfully. He laughed good-humoredly as I hastened to my apartment.
CHAPTER XII.
The following day dawned clear, bright and hot. The heat irritated Sheldon and inspired orative propensities in Saxe.; both were engaged in argument as I entered the room reserved for—er—gossip.
“They are certainly a cold-blooded, soulless race,” agreed Saxe. to Sheldon’s testy exclamation:
“Fish!”
“The result of over-civilization,” continued Saxe. with merciless deliberation. “They have reached the acme of that which we deem impossible, yet gaze upon in all its remarkable rarity—Perfection. And in the whole universe I see nothing so imperfect; yet these people are sublimely satisfied with themselves, their complacency and faith in their superiority is superb—I wouldn’t be one of them! In their marvelous conceit they have dared penetrate and would crush Nature’s final repose. Their indefatigable search for knowledge is spurred by the belief that everlasting existence is accomplished in conquering all mysteries. Death to them is full realization, having solved the problem of joy they forfeited immortality. Earth is their Paradise; they and their world beyond have reached perfection—there is nothing beyond.”
I hastened to change the subject. Saxe.’s words filled me with horror as I thought of the beautiful girl whose supreme ambition was for immortality, which she expected to gain through deeds, not death. Knowledge would be the ruination of this grand race. Saxe. spoke the truth, but I would not believe, and accused him of hasty judgment and ever on the alert for effect. He shook his head, gravely reiterating his statements of the “strange, repellant Centaurians,” from whom he would learn all he could, considering them, from a scientific point of view, most interesting. He emphatically preferred the Potolilis and Octrogonas.
I hurried to the gardens to avoid further discussions, but my friends soon joined me. We strolled beneath gigantic trees, enjoying their cool, quiet protection from the fierce sunlight. Strange flowers grew in profusion, flowers of massive beauty and sickening-sweet fragrance.