“It would take me a long time,” he replied, “to tell what I think. I confess I am beginning to imbibe a little of the spirit of this place. I have spent my life in the pursuit of material facts, which we supposed were the only substantial and valuable things in life Now I find myself thinking lightly of such matters, with my mind held in the grasp of far different thoughts. I realize now something of the substance and reality of unseen things, and believe that man has a spiritual side to his nature, which must be developed if he is to fulfill the high expectations of our friends in this world. Taught by Thorwald’s words and by all I have seen here, I have come to that point where I can say I am losing my doubts and acquiring a love for things which formerly did not exist for me. If we ever return to the earth we shall find occupation enough for the rest of our lives in teaching the lessons we have learned here.”
“Yes,” I said, “if we ever return. But doesn’t that seem impossible?”
“It certainly is difficult to imagine how it can be accomplished, but going home ought not to be any more impossible than our coming here. Perhaps we had better bestir ourselves, for Mars is now getting farther away from the earth every day. Thorwald says the two planets were nearer each other at the recent opposition than ever before since their records began, and this is probably what drew our moon here, so fortunately for us. For the return trip we might get these generous people to loan us Demios or Phobos.”
“What are they?”
“Why, don’t you know? They are the little satellites of Mars, named after the favorite horses of the war god.”
“But seriously now,” I asked, “how are we to get home?”
“Well, seriously, I don’t know,” the doctor answered. “Some accident may happen to send us away from here in a hurry.”
“You know this is not the right world for accidents,” I said.
“I am not able to see,” he replied, “how they can be sure that they are entirely free from accidents. They have been so long without them that it seems to me it would not be strange if a big one should come almost any day. One must be due, as we say.”
In the morning Thorwald met us with a pleasant greeting, as usual, and then said: