“I’ve heard that it wasn’t too much of a job, using helicopters,” Babe explained. “It was worth the trouble because the tourist revenue from it has helped the building projects here.”
Reaching Point Luna, the car was stopped and the tourists got out to look over the view. The space harbor was only a miniature tongue of land beyond the vast spread of canyon behind them. Babe pointed out the Great Crimson Desert in the distance, which looked to Jim like a sea of fire as the heat waves rose from it up into the white sky. Jim thought it odd, not seeing a sun up there. He knew the planet was forever shut off from any view of the outer magnificent solar system because of its dense atmosphere.
The car moved on again, and presently a flock of snow-white birds began circling about. Jim knew these to be the Venus albatrosses, which often accompanied the cable car. The next peak reached was Point Hastings, named for the man who had first set foot on Venus. The spot was a rugged mesa jutting up from the canyon floor. The excited party left the car and trooped down a slope which was thick with salmon-pink umbrella fern.
“Get ready to see Venus’ most interesting and bad-tempered animals,” Babe had told them just before.
Babe led them down to the bottom of the slope and through a dense thicket of gorgeous orange-colored blossoms. At this point the black rock slope dropped away to a sandy plain covered with a herd of giant unicorns. The animals were about the size of elephants, with glossy tan hides and slender antelope legs. Their huge heads carried swordlike horns just above the nose. The unicorns were browsing on patches of blue spider grass.
Mr. Benjamin piped excitedly, “I’ve got to get a picture of one of those babies!” He scrambled recklessly down the slope and took up a position behind a large rock.
“Better be careful, sir!” Babe warned. “It doesn’t take much to rile them.”
“It’s funny how the animals on Venus can get along without breathing oxygen,” Jim commented to Babe.
“They have a huge lung capacity,” Babe explained, “and also take in what little oxygen Venus has while they sleep. They store it up in a special air sac inside their bodies.”
Mr. Benjamin waved his hand to attract the attention of the beasts. Several in the herd raised their heads and peered at the man. One of them decided to investigate. He trotted over toward the rock where Mr. Benjamin was clicking away with his camera, an ugly frown on its wrinkled features. The rock shifted unexpectedly, and the tourist slid around the edge of it. He lost his balance and tumbled down the slope, shouting wildly for help.