A small group of men whom our host introduced as the leader, or head of Mars, and some of his assistants, met us at the ship, greeting us enthusiastically. Then we were taken to a slightly elevated platform from which the leader spoke in his native tongue to the people gathered there. In his speech, according to our scientist host, the leader told the people that we were the first visitors from their sister planet, Earth, to ever come to planet Mars and that we have left our ship on the Moon.
When he got through speaking, the applauding and cheering was beyond description.
After this was over, a vehicle which resembled somewhat a beautiful yacht was brought alongside of the platform and we were invited to get in. The leader and his assistants as well as our host on this trip joined us. This vehicle has no wheels, yet it glides very smoothly over the Mars earth without making any sort of noise. It feels as though we are riding on the wings of a bird.
The atmospheric pressure here is lighter than that of Earth but heavier than the Moon's, but we don't realize any difference since we have been on the Moon so long and have become accustomed to the pressure there.
The general appearance of the ground here is very much like that of Earth. This particular spot reminds us of the flat lands of Kansas for the only hills we see are far in the distance. The surface of the ground, with the exception of this wide highway over which we are travelling, is covered with a fine covering of green grassy growth with large patches here and there of beautifully colored flowers.
The distance from the airport to the city proper is quite short but the beauty along the way has been sublime. Conversation was unnecessary, so there was none. The beauty of the surroundings filled us completely.
Now we have reached the city and are stopping in front of a magnificent building towering a thousand feet into the air. Incredible as it may sound, this building appears to be made of pearls. We are spellbound by its grandeur.
As we leave our vehicle and enter the building, our host informs us that this is what we would call a civic center or community social center. Banquets and ceremonies of all sorts are held here and entertainments of all types. There are no business offices of any kind within it, but there are several floors devoted entirely to interesting displays of educational value and art.
Inside we were taken into a room and onto what appeared to be a platform that elevated us to a higher floor. From here we were taken into a very large banquet hall in which, as we later learned, one hundred thousand people could be seated at the same time. The ceiling structure of this large banquet hall has a sort of an interlocking system, thus permitting the elimination of supporters throughout the room, which would otherwise have been necessary in a building of this size.
On the ceiling as well as on the walls were beautiful murals of other planets and their inhabitants, as well as of other systems. In the east end of the building on the wall was a mural of the same Deity as we have seen in the Jupiter ship in the city of the Moon. Only, instead of being a portrait as in the ship, this mural was a full length portrayal of the Deity seated on a throne with such a majestic beauty and state of expression beyond description, yet possessing some mysterious power which really made us feel that we were in the presence of the Almighty, as we already knew we were.