Janus stepped forward and introduced himself, shook hands.
"My name is Donli," the other said. He pronounced it that way, crisply, running the syllables together. Mark suddenly wondered if this could be a contraction of "Donnolly".
Donli and his men were speechless for a moment, staring in turn at the spaceship, the new-type weapons, and Ral Kaarj.
"You have never seen a Martian before?" Kaarj grinned at them in a friendly manner.
"Pardon our staring," Donli replied. "We have never seen a Martian, nor such a spaceship as this, nor any other world. We have waited long for this! Long!"
"You've seen no other world. But you are Earthmen."
"We have been here always."
"I begin to understand," Brownell said. "There are others of you here? Where do you stay?"
"Our city is only fifty miles from here. We shall be happy if you accompany us there. We have good roads, and surface cars. Our leader, Mari, will explain everything to you." Donli paused, glancing nervously into the twilight strip. "You should be of great help to us against the Perlacs, with your new weapons."