by James Cowan
CHAPTER XI
MARS AS IT IS.
The doctor and I looked in the direction indicated and speedily realizedthat the superiority of the dwellers on Mars extended to the sense ofsight, for we could see nothing. But we were sailing so swiftly that theshore we were approaching was before very long brought within our visionalso, and among the alert crew, who were now preparing to bring thevessel into its harbor, there could be none so interested in what was tocome as the doctor and myself. We were to see what had been accomplishedby a race of whose perfections we had been hearing so much.
As we effected a landing and walked up the streets of the city, we werenot nearly so much impressed with the size and beauty of the buildingsand the appearance of the people as we were by the spirit of absolutepeace and quiet which prevailed. With perfect skill, and without noiseor bustle, the ship was brought to its dock and the crew went ashore.The screams and calls, the rattle of vehicles and the babel of sounds wehad been accustomed to on such occasions, were all missing. The silenceand order were almost oppressive because they were so strange. But therewas no lack of activity among the immense creatures who thronged aroundus. Everyone was busy, knowing apparently just what to do withoutdirection from others, and just the best way to do it. Beings with lungspowerful enough to wake the mountain echoes went about with mild andtuneful voices, and, though each one seemed possessed of a giant'sstrength, no severe labor was required of any.
The streets and walks were paved with a soft material, yielding slightlyto pressure, but so firm and tough that it showed no sign of wear, anideal pavement, over which the wheels rolled as noiselessly as theywould over a velvet carpet. It was, moreover, laid in beautiful patternsof the most varied colors. The vehicles, of which there were many kindsfor different uses, were so faultlessly made that they moved with theutmost quiet and apparent ease, the power that propelled them beinginvisible. There were no tracks or wires, but all were guided in anydirection and with any speed at the pleasure of the riders.
Thorwald led me from the vessel, and another stalwart son of Mars tookcharge of the doctor. After walking a few steps up the street we allstepped into an empty carriage without saying as much as "by yourleave," Thorwald touched a button, and we were off.
"This," said Thorwald, "is one of the best illustrations of the mannerin which we are applying electricity. You saw them also unloading theheavy freight from the boat by the same power. So all our work is done.No fleshly limb is strained, no conscious life is burdened, by anyof the labor of our complex society. This subtle force is so wellcontrolled and its laws are so thoroughly understood that it is equal toevery demand."
"I am entranced, Thorwald," said the doctor, "with everything I see. ButI would like to ask if you own this comfortable carriage and had it sentto the wharf to meet you."
"I own it," our friend replied, "just as I own the street we are ridingover or the house I live in. I own this or any other vehicle wheneverI desire to use it. You saw a great number of carriages near the wharf,and there are several over on that corner. Anyone is at perfect libertyto appropriate one to his own use at any time, and when he is through hemerely leaves it at a convenient place by the roadside for some one elseto take."
"I should think they would be stolen," said I.
Thorwald laughed at my ignorance and answered: "Why, who is there tosteal when everybody, either friend or stranger, can use them as oftenand as long as he likes?"
The talk promised to grow more interesting still, but now our attentionwas turned to the delightful scene through which we were passing. Itwill be utterly impossible to describe the beauty of the landscape,where nature and art seemed to be striving to outdo each other. Beforereaching land I had imagined that the houses, if they were to beproportioned to the inhabitants, must pierce the sky. But we weresurprised to find that they were all comparatively low, of not morethan two or three stories. And all, even those near the wharf, weresurrounded with ample grounds. Some of the houses were larger thanothers, some more ornate than their neighbors, and the architecturevaried as much as the size and arrangement of the grounds. But all werebeautiful beyond description. One thing that appeared very strange to uswas that the prevailing color of the vegetation was red, althoughthat shade did not predominate as much as green does on the earth. Forinstance, after we had admired a stretch of lawn brilliant as a crimsonsky, we would come to another which would surprise and please us with alovely shade of blue. Still another was green, and then one glowed witha variety of colors, whose combination showed a most refined taste. Aswith the grass, so it was with the foliage of the trees. The richesttints of our autumnal forests were here present in permanence, but witha much greater wealth of coloring. Flowers, too, of every hue and formwere to be seen on all sides, and their appearance was so perfectlynatural that if they had been set with design then the art itself hadconcealed the art of their arrangement.
With all this mass of color there were no unpleasant contrasts, nodiscordant tones. As, amid the bustle of the landing place, our ears hadnot been shocked with rude noises, so now we received through our eyesonly a delightful sense of quiet beauty.
Riding, now slowly and now more rapidly, through such a scene, we couldthink of nothing better to question our friend about, so the doctorfound his voice and said:
"This far surpasses our anticipations, Thorwald, and I am sure thisplace must be exceptional, even on Mars. I suppose it is a resort wheresome of your wealthy people have built themselves homes in which toenjoy their leisure months."
"Nothing of the kind," replied Thorwald. "These people live here allthe year, they are not wealthy, and there is nothing to distinguish thiscity above others."
"Why, this seems more like a private park than a city. Where are yourcrowded streets and houses for the poor?"
"After all I have told you of our high civilization, Doctor, do you notunderstand that we have long since abolished poverty?"
"Yes," answered the doctor, "I understand that in a general way; but Idid not suppose everybody was rich, as it is certain everybody must beto own such palaces as these."
"You are still wrong," said Thorwald. "We have no such distinctions asrich and poor. All our cities are of this character, only there is greatvariety in the residences and in the way in which the streets and lotsare laid out. These places that we are passing are inferior to many,but no houses are built that are at all mean or uncomfortable. Indeed,I think we have to-day passed some of the poorest that I know of. Asto the word city, we use it only as a convenient expression. It reallymeans nothing more than a certain locality, for, as I told you at thebeginning of our conversation, we have no need of government of anykind. In some sections one city runs into another, so that the wholecountry is filled with the beauty and delight of the landscape which yousee about you."
"But," asked the doctor, "with the population spread out in thismarvelous way, is there room for everybody?"
"Oh, yes," answered Thorwald. "All the surface of our planet is broughtinto use; the waste places are reclaimed, and there is abundant room forall. And now, as this pleasant air and easy motion seem to be agreeableto you, we may as well ride slowly for a while longer.
"In your intercourse with us you will find it is never necessary for usto hurry when, for any good reason, we choose to loiter, and, therefore,if you care to hear me talk, I will take the time to correct anotherwrong impression you seem to have.
"You spoke, Doctor, about the people owning these houses. No one ownsthem."
"Do they belong to the state?" asked the doctor.
"There is no state."
"Well, this is a curious condition of affairs," resumed the doctor."Here is valuable property belonging to no one and no governmentto claim it. I should think anyone that happened along could takepossession."
"Now you are right," said Thorwald. "That is just the state of the case.It is with houses and all other property as I told you it was with thiscarriage. All the right one has to any object is the right to use it.Everything t
hat has been produced by art and skill is just as free asthe bounties of nature, such as air and water and land, which of courseno one would ever dream of subjecting to private ownership."
The doctor winced as he heard Thorwald include land among these freebounties of nature, and the expression of his face did not escape thequick eye of the Martian, who exclaimed:
"So you earth-dwellers are still in the habit of buying and sellingland, are you?"
"That was the practice when we left home," replied the doctor. "And Icannot understand how we can do differently. Your views of property areso strange to us that I am sure my companion will join me in asking youto explain them more fully."
"I certainly do," I said.
"Property," began Thorwald, "we do not have, but we have many of therights of proprietorship in the things we use from time to time. Andwhat other benefit than the free use of what we need could be derivedfrom the possession of things? Suppose I, for example, owned a thousandacres of land and a hundred fine mansions. I could cultivate but a smallpart of the land and occupy but one house at a time, and of what valuewould the remainder be?"
"Would not such palaces as these on this beautiful street bring a goodrent?" I inquired.
"Don't be stupid," replied Thorwald good-naturedly. "You must knowby this time that we are not a race of self-seekers, each one takingadvantage of the necessity of his neighbor. But I suppose it isdifficult for you to appreciate a state of society in which eachindividual considers the feelings and needs of others as much as hisown. With us this principle is not preached any more, but it is actuallypracticed in all our affairs."
"I will try to keep that in mind," I said, "although it is a fact I canhardly realize. But about this matter of houses I want to make anotherinquiry. After you have become established in a beautiful home to whichyou have no more right than anyone else, what is to prevent some otherman (I use the word for convenience) coming forward and asking you togive it up to him?"
"Nothing," answered Thorwald. "In such a case I should immediately moveout and let him have it, knowing he must be entirely unselfish in thematter and that there must be some sufficient reason for the request."
"But would you go to all the trouble of moving without even knowing hisreason?"
"Yes, I would do it to accommodate him, but then the trouble would benothing. We would merely have to go out and take another house."
"But would you not have to move all the furniture?"
"Oh, no. We could take anything we pleased, of course, but it is notusual to make radical changes. Another house would contain all that wasdesirable. As a matter of fact, however, such removals are by no meansfrequent. We usually remain in one place and acquire all the tenderassociations of home which could be possible under any system. But ifa family should increase so that it would be better for them to take alarger house, they could easily find one, or if not they would ask thosewho are fond of that work to build one to their taste. The moment athing is made or produced it belongs to the general store, to be used byany and all who need it."
"Under such conditions," said I, "what we call the eighth commandmentwould be superfluous."
"If that refers to theft," answered Thorwald, "you are certainly right,for it is impossible to steal where everything is free.
"It will be well for you to understand how happily we have solved thisquestion of property, but of course we could not have found such asolution until we had first reached a high spiritual plane and learnedthe lesson of true brotherhood. From your words I know just about thepoint in our development which corresponds with the present state ofyour race, and therefore I know something of the nature of the strugglethrough which the earth is now passing. I warn you that the unrestrictedright of private ownership is a menace to your civilization, all thegreater because its evil is probably not clearly seen. We are assuredby our historians, who try to point out the causes for all the greatconvulsions in our career, that excessive individualism in propertyrights, with its selfish disregard of others, was a potent factor in thedownfall of many of the enlightened nations of our antiquity. We havenoticed that even our animals have the instinct of possession, and it iscertain that the love of ownership and accumulation has been one of thehardest evils to eradicate from our naturally selfish nature. If youshould ever return to the earth, do not neglect to signal for thisdanger."
"But what is the remedy?" asked the doctor. "The system of which youhave been speaking might be called the mainspring of our society. I canhardly imagine what we should be without it. With our note of warning,what message of help will you send?"
"Doctor," answered Thorwald, "it pleases me to hear you ask thatquestion, and I am rejoiced also that I have so good an answer for you.The remedy is to be found in the law of love. Follow that law as closelyas possible. The way will be hard, the progress slow, but every steptaken will be a solid advance. It is the only safe road, and you willfind that every other will lead to disappointment and disaster."
Whenever Thorwald struck these high spiritual themes he spoke with suchenthusiasm and positiveness that our respect for him increased rapidly.