"But the Martians?" protested Scott. "Wouldn't the Martians help you?"
His brother looked at him curiously.
"The Martians?" he asked.
"Yes, the Martians."
"Scott," Hugh said, "I haven't found the Martians."
Scott stared at him. "Let's get this straight now. You mean you don't know who the Martians are?"
Hugh nodded. "That's exactly it. I tried to find them hard enough. I did all sorts of screwy things to contact that intelligence which talked with the Earth and sent the rockets full of seed, but I've gotten exactly nowhere. I've finally given up."
"Those bugs," suggested Scott. "The shining bugs."
Hugh shook his head. "No soap. I got the same idea and managed to bat down a couple of them. But they're mechanical. That's all. Just machines. Operated by radium.
"It almost drove me nuts at first. Those bugs flying around and the building standing there and the Martian lilies all around, but no signs of any intelligence. I tried to get into the building but there aren't any doors or windows. Just little holes the bugs fly in and out of.