CHAPTER IV
JUPITER AND THE JOVIANS
The sweet toned bell in the Observatory at Minnaviar rang violently, and startled the students out of their usual calm and placidity.
Kulmervan looked up from his studies. “What is it, my Waiko?” said he in his own language to his friend.
“I know not, my Kulmervan. Let us go to the Turret Room, and see.” The two astronomical students at the most important meteorological college on the whole of Keemar, went swiftly up the wide, marble stairway to their Djoh’s room. Before they were half way up, the bell rang louder than before.
“Haste, my Waiko,” said Kulmervan. “The Djoh is anxious.” As they reached the archway leading into the experimenting room, the Djoh met them.
“At last,” said he testily. “At last you are come. I summoned you as there is a most remarkable phenomenon registered by the sensitive disc. After we recorded the destruction of the planet ‘Quilphis,’ you will remember, we discovered a new comet or meteor that seemed to have separated from the planet itself. We witnessed this extraordinary ‘star’ whirling toward us, daily nearer and nearer. Our learned Ab-Djohs consulted together as to the meaning of this extraordinary thing. At last I was consulted, and by the aid of every scientific means we possessed we tried to discover the substance of this new moving orb. You recollect?”
“Yes, my Djoh,” answered Kulmervan, the senior student.
“Look,” said the Djoh triumphantly, and he led the way to a large disc that stood in front of the large window. This disc was of glass, and was connected by etheric pipes to a large telescopic tube fixed outside the window. It was by the aid of this that the Keemarnians studied the solar system, and learnt about the other worlds in the sky.
As Kulmervan looked into the disc, he saw, by reflection, a peculiar body suspended in the heavens—stationary it rested near Wirmir and Kosli, the twin stars of Gorlan. “What is it?” he asked eagerly, while Waiko, the younger student, stood silent, listening eagerly to the conversation.
“It is the meteor of Marfaroo,” said he. “It is the strange body that detached itself from Quilphis, when the life of that unfortunate planet was run.”