There is one thing we have noticed about these Martonians. They are so friendly and so comfortable to be with that we feel we have known them all of our lives. Dr. Johnston has been taken in by these scientists as though he was an old classmate of theirs and their ship laboratory has been opened to his use in any way he desires it. The servants are treated with the same respect as every other man in the ship was given yet they were servants in every degree. They were very attentive concerning the comforts and wishes of all, asking every few minutes if we were thirsty or desired anything.
After one such inquiry we asked if it would be proper for us to smoke in the ship. No one understood what we meant by smoking, for cigarettes were unknown to them, but we were told that if that was our pleasure, it was proper. So we smoked. They were all very much interested in the procedure and asked us what was the reason of it, and does everybody on Earth smoke?
As is customary where we came from, we offered cigarettes to all of them but only one of their scientists accepted. He didn't want to smoke but he was interested because here was something new to him. Each one of us smoked a different make cigarette, so we gave one of each make to him. He went to the back of the ship and analyzed them in his laboratory.
When he came back he looked at us with a sort of surprised expression and said, "I can't understand how you men succeeded in getting to the Moon, but I do understand why you can't get our messages if all of your men on Earth smoke these things. This weed which is wrapped up in this paper, as well as the paper itself, has a paralyzing chemical in it which dulls the brain. That is why the brain of the Earth man is not more alert: it is in a sort of stupor. We scientists on Mars could never indulge in things like these, for if we did we could never make the discoveries we have made. If our people used this weed they would be going mad and we could not have the peace and harmony which we now have throughout our planet. Instead, confusion would take the place of understanding, for a stupor brain cannot conceive things clearly."
They were not criticizing us, only analyzing differences between our habits and theirs. If we wanted to smoke, it was still all right with them. So we felt no resentment.
During all this, we were heading straight for Mars at the speed of one and a half million miles per hour, flying on her light beam and the ship kept in contact with Mars steadily.
Noting our interest in their constant communication with planet Mars, our host suggested that we might like to try contacting the Earth with their instruments.
Both Johnny and George replied with an enthusiastic, "Yes."
One of the scientists handed each of us a small disc and told us to hold it in the palm of our hands while speaking through it as we would a microphone. He would operate the sending apparatus, beaming towards the Earth.
We followed his instructions carefully but received no reply to our call.