"No," ordered Captain Hart, "let it burn. Maybe they'll come see what's happening then, the ignorant fools."
Martin shrugged and withdrew his foot from the spreading fire.
Captain Hart examined h
is watch. "An hour ago we landed here, and does the welcoming committee rush out with a brass band to shake our hands? No indeed! Here we ride millions of miles through space and the fine citizens of some silly town on some unknown planet ignore us!" He snorted, tapping his watch. "Well, I'll just give them five more minutes, and then----"
"And then what?" asked Martin, ever so politely, watching the captain's jowls shake.
"We'll fly over their damned city again and scare hell out of them." His voice grew quieter. "Do you think, Martin, maybe they didn't see us land?"
"They saw us. They looked up as we flew over.
"Then why aren't they running across the field? Are they hiding? Are they yellow?"
Martin shook his head. "No. Take these binoculars, sir. See for yourself. Everybody's walking around. They're not frightened. They--well, they just don't seem to care.
Captain Hart placed the binoculars to his tired eyes. Martin looked up and had time to observe the lines and the grooves of irritation, tiredness, nervousness there. Hart looked a million years old; he never slept, he ate little, and drove himself on, on. Now his mouth moved, aged and drear, but sharp, under the held binoculars.
"Really, Martin, I don't know why we bother. We build rockets, we go to all the trouble of crossing space, searching for them, and this is what we get. Neglect. Look at those idiots wander about in there. Don't they realize how big this is? The first space flight to touch their provincial land. How many times does that happen? Are they that blase?"
Martin didn't know.
Captain Hart gave him back the binoculars wearily. "Why do we do it, Martin? This space travel, I mean. Always on the go. Always searching. Our insides always tight, never any rest."
"Maybe we're looking for peace and quiet. Certainly there's none on Earth," said Martin.
"No, there's not, is there?" Captain Hart was thoughtful, the fire damped down. "Not since Darwin, eh? Not since everything went by the board, everything we used to believe in, eh? Divine power and all that. And so you think maybe that's why we're going out to the stars, eh, Martin? Looking for our lost souls, is that it? Trying to get away from our evil planet to a good one?"
"Perhaps, sir. Certainly we're looking for something."
Captain Hart cleared his throat and tightened back into sharpness. "Well, right now we're looking for the mayor of that city there. Run in, tell them who we are, the first rocket expedition to Planet Forty-three in Star System Three. Captain Hart sends his salutations and desires to meet the mayor. On the double!"
"Yes, sir." Martin walked slowly across the meadow.
"Hurry!" snapped the captain.
"Yes, sir!" Martin trotted away. Then he walked again, smiling to himself.
The captain had smoked two cigars before Martin returned. Martin stopped and looked up into the door of the rocket, swaying, seemingly unable to focus his eyes or think.
"Well?" snapped Hart. "What happened? Are they coming to welcome us?"
"No." Martin had to lean dizzily against the ship.
"Why not?"
"It's not important," said Martin. "Give me a cigarette, please, Captain." His fingers groped blindly at the rising pack, for he was looking at the golden city and blinking. He lighted one and smoked quietly for a long time.
"Say something!" cried the captain. "Aren't they interested in our rocket?"
Martin said, "What? Oh. The rocket?" He inspected his cigarette. "No, they're not interested. Seems we came at an inopportune time."
"Inopportune time!"
Martin was patient. "Captain, listen. Something big happened yesterday in that city. It's so big, so important that we're second-rate--second fiddle. I've got to sit down." He lost his balance and sat heavily, gasping for air.
The captain chewed his cigar angrily. "What happened?" Martin lifted his head, smoke from the burning cigarette in his fingers, blowing in the wind. "Sir, yesterday, in that city, a remarkable man appeared--good, intelligent, compassionate, and infinitely wise!"