"Out there, beyond the mountains, beyond the dead sea bottoms, over the horizon and to the north, in the caves, far back in the subterrane."
"Why?"
"Why? Now that's hard to say. They were a brilliant race once upon a time. But something happened to them, hybrided them. They are unintelligent creatures now, cruel beasts."
"Does Earth own Mars?" The little boy's eyes were riveted upon the glowing planet overhead, the green planet.
"Yes, all of Mars. Earth has three cities here, each containing one thousand people. The closest city is a mile from here, down the road, a group of small metal bubble-like buildings. The men from Earth move about among the buildings like ants enclosed in their space suits. They are miners. With their huge machines they rip open the bowels of our planet and dig out our precious life-blood from the mineral arteries."
"Is that all?"
"That is all." The old man shook his head sadly. "No culture, no art, no purpose. Greedy, hopeless Earthlings."
"And the other two cities——where are they?"
"One is up the same cobbled road five miles, the third is further still by some five hundred miles."
"I am glad I live here with you, alone." The boy's head nodded sleepily. "I do not like the men from Terra. They are despoilers."