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"I ought to say," resumed Foedric, "that I have to rely on my friends to tell me the shade of my own voice, for to my ears it is as colorless as a piece of the clearest glass, and this is the common experience." "I would like to ask about the color of Antonia's voice," I said, "and Avis's, too."
Zenith and Avis will accompany us, I think; and as we shall probably fall in with Foedric, we will send for Antonia to go also." "That will make a pleasant party," I said. We found all were glad to go and witness our introduction to a modern air ship, and we were soon off. Not far from the house we found a luxurious carriage of just the right size for us all.
It was beyond all reason, and yet my love for Mona, whom I thought we were soon to find, was such that I undesignedly but still unmistakably made up my mind to keep a close watch on handsome Foedric. We were indeed approaching the surface with great rapidity, and Foedric was obliged to put on power to prevent us from falling too swiftly.
The lightness of her manner, when I was so deeply in earnest, gave me a feeling of uneasiness, which was increased when I saw her easy, familiar way with Foedric and heard her merry song as she chatted with him. I was not very pleasant company for Antonia, for I could not prevent a return of that dreadful jealousy.
"I hope this will make you more affectionate to me, dear Mona," I said; and then, as she made no answer, I continued: "If we reach the shore alive and get home safe you will love me more than you do Foedric, will you not?" I thought this would bring an answer, and I was not disappointed, except in the manner in which it came.
The moon was now well above us, and we were making for a point in the western sky where Foedric hoped to intercept it. We were already so far from the planet that the air was getting weak, so we all put on breathing machines. These were of such perfect construction that our lungs had free play, nor were they cumbersome enough to interfere much with our movements.
We understand too well what is due you as our guests to crowd our attentions upon you, but you will allow me to say that already the main facts in your case are known all over our world, and our scientists are discussing the earth and its inhabitants in the great light of the knowledge which you have brought." Foedric spoke with ease, and yet with entire absence of youthful pedantry.
I hope you are not serious in asking the question." "Forgive me, Antonia," I answered; "I hardly know what I am saying." And then I rose and followed Mona, and said to her when I came near: "Well, my dear, what do you and Foedric find so pleasant to talk about?"
This easy poise of manner would not have surprised us had we known what Thorwald soon told us, and from this experience we learned never to judge a Martian by the work he happened to be doing. "Foedric is a scholar," said Thorwald, "and is engaged just now in writing a treatise on the color of sounds."
"Antonia's is a beautiful green," answered Foedric, looking with a smile at the fair one, "and Avis, both in song and speech, has your color yellow." "Foedric," said Thorwald, "tell our friends what you and others are trying to discover in connection with the air vibrations. It may be suggestive to them." "I can claim but little part in the work," Foedric responded, "but it is this.
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