so much like ours then?"
"Very much, but longer developed. Do you not wonder that I should have the same bodily form as you? This is because of the law of adaptive symmetry, which we have found to be universal. That is, similar conditions always produce similar effects."
"And your conditions on Murashema are similar to ours? ... By the way, this blue stuff tastes uncommonly good. What is it?"
"A protein compound, valuable as a stimulant. Yes, our conditions are similar. Our planet occupies the same relation to its star as this Venus does to your sun. But we have two moons. The geological history is much similar, however. Your own scientists have the beginnings of the correct idea that similar causes produce always similar effects."
"How is that?"
"Do I not find in your knowledge-book and your biological book what they call 'convergence'? Your shark, your fish, your ichthyosaur, your mosasaur, your dolphine, they all have the same outward bodily form. They all have the same mode of life and pursue the same kind of food.
Many internal details are dissimilar, but they have more likenesses than dissimilarity. Your rhinoceros and your monoceratops are equally alike, though both are different to start with, like all the marine animals I have mentioned. It is because in such cases animals are coping with similar environments. That is, the life spirit is dealing with similar causes and produces similar effects."
"I see."
"Attend then. Your scientists have this idea. They only lack the application of it to the evolution of worlds as" like individual forms. But ... Ah, sorrow."
I looked up.
"Not sufficient quantity of pleci in any of these gases or rocks to be of economic recovery. What now?"
"There's another planet—" I began.
"I am aware. There is very good opportunity. We may be able to obtain pleci from the atmosphere of the sun at that distance, since pleci is very light and is driven out to high distances through radiation pressure. With no planetary atmosphere to interfere, it should be present."
He fell silent, absorbed in thought, and after a moment or two began to work the calculating machine he had been using so much on our journey. Finally:
"There is a choice," he said. "It is difficult...
"Yes," I said, encouragingly.
"Three things are to be done. The first is to remain on this Venus and extract quantity of pleci from volcanic gases. Difficulty is that following such operation, we would need a necessary return to your Earth for larger supply of mercury. Also it would take a very long time, four or five of your years. Also it would be a work of danger, but all courses remaining open have parallel dangers.
"The second course is to go on to your inner planet Mercury. How is it that metal and planet have the same name? Danger of this course is that we do not find pleci drive far enough from your sun by radiation pressure. Also there is the danger that we may land on the wrong place on this very minor planet, on the very bright side where quantity of heat would be bothersome, or very dark side, where we could not work. There is also danger that uncareful operation of this Shoraru would cause us to miss the planet entirely and throw us into your sun, then goodbye. Also that we cannot go anywhere else if fuel is all gone and pleci is unobtainable.
"The third course is to return to your Earth, reconstructing now Shoraru with helium power. The danger is that helium power plant would be insufficient after all to return me to Murashema, and thus I would wander for perpetual time in empty space. Not to speak of the delay. But you would arrive home."
"I'm for the second plan. The most dangerous thing is frequently the safest," I said boldly.
Ashembe glanced at me with approval.
"I am glad you say thus. May you be happy." He made the formal salute of courtesy. "What then, let us depart." And he turned to stowing away the various articles that had been taken from their racks.
If the trip from the Earth to Venus had
"Very much, but longer developed. Do you not wonder that I should have the same bodily form as you? This is because of the law of adaptive symmetry, which we have found to be universal. That is, similar conditions always produce similar effects."
"And your conditions on Murashema are similar to ours? ... By the way, this blue stuff tastes uncommonly good. What is it?"
"A protein compound, valuable as a stimulant. Yes, our conditions are similar. Our planet occupies the same relation to its star as this Venus does to your sun. But we have two moons. The geological history is much similar, however. Your own scientists have the beginnings of the correct idea that similar causes produce always similar effects."
"How is that?"
"Do I not find in your knowledge-book and your biological book what they call 'convergence'? Your shark, your fish, your ichthyosaur, your mosasaur, your dolphine, they all have the same outward bodily form. They all have the same mode of life and pursue the same kind of food.
Many internal details are dissimilar, but they have more likenesses than dissimilarity. Your rhinoceros and your monoceratops are equally alike, though both are different to start with, like all the marine animals I have mentioned. It is because in such cases animals are coping with similar environments. That is, the life spirit is dealing with similar causes and produces similar effects."
"I see."
"Attend then. Your scientists have this idea. They only lack the application of it to the evolution of worlds as" like individual forms. But ... Ah, sorrow."
I looked up.
"Not sufficient quantity of pleci in any of these gases or rocks to be of economic recovery. What now?"
"There's another planet—" I began.
"I am aware. There is very good opportunity. We may be able to obtain pleci from the atmosphere of the sun at that distance, since pleci is very light and is driven out to high distances through radiation pressure. With no planetary atmosphere to interfere, it should be present."
He fell silent, absorbed in thought, and after a moment or two began to work the calculating machine he had been using so much on our journey. Finally:
"There is a choice," he said. "It is difficult...
"Yes," I said, encouragingly.
"Three things are to be done. The first is to remain on this Venus and extract quantity of pleci from volcanic gases. Difficulty is that following such operation, we would need a necessary return to your Earth for larger supply of mercury. Also it would take a very long time, four or five of your years. Also it would be a work of danger, but all courses remaining open have parallel dangers.
"The second course is to go on to your inner planet Mercury. How is it that metal and planet have the same name? Danger of this course is that we do not find pleci drive far enough from your sun by radiation pressure. Also there is the danger that we may land on the wrong place on this very minor planet, on the very bright side where quantity of heat would be bothersome, or very dark side, where we could not work. There is also danger that uncareful operation of this Shoraru would cause us to miss the planet entirely and throw us into your sun, then goodbye. Also that we cannot go anywhere else if fuel is all gone and pleci is unobtainable.
"The third course is to return to your Earth, reconstructing now Shoraru with helium power. The danger is that helium power plant would be insufficient after all to return me to Murashema, and thus I would wander for perpetual time in empty space. Not to speak of the delay. But you would arrive home."
"I'm for the second plan. The most dangerous thing is frequently the safest," I said boldly.
Ashembe glanced at me with approval.
"I am glad you say thus. May you be happy." He made the formal salute of courtesy. "What then, let us depart." And he turned to stowing away the various articles that had been taken from their racks.
If the trip from the Earth to Venus had
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