"A trait that springs from the urge to self-preservation," said Gail. "An individual, seeing a glorified image of himself, feels more secure."
We left the city after taking photographs. A minute or two later our Geiger counter began buzzing wildly. I slammed on the brakes just as we approached a terrific crater.
And now I knew why the city was no longer lived in, why there was no water in the canal, and why the road wasn't used.
"The bomb!" I said, almost in a whisper.
Mars had its own nuclear war! How long ago, I didn't know. Had I the time I might have measured the amount of radiation and determined approximately when the explosion had occurred. The radiation was not dangerously strong now and I knew the blast had taken place many, many years ago.
"You know," said Gail quietly, "maybe this is why the Martians were afraid of us."
"They knew we had the bomb and might use it on Mars?" I asked.
She nodded her head soberly. "I think the Martians must know a great deal about the earth. More than we ever knew about Mars."
"The question is," I told her, "whether they still have the bomb and if they're likely to use it on us."
"Maybe they've outlawed it," she said.