we dropped upon it, first as a tremendous lovely
crescent of silver beneath us. A crescent first, and, as hours passed,
the darkened area took shape. A ball hanging there in space. Growing
almost momentarily larger. Soon we could distinguish cloud areas. Then
the land--the water. A ball filling half our lower segment of sky. Then
all of it.

We reached the Venus atmosphere, passed through cloud masses, and out
again into the brilliant sunshine. Below us, glowing with the glory of
mid-day, lay the Venus Central State. Rolling hills with distant
mountain peaks, the highest of them far-away, glittering white with the
sunlight on their snow-caps.

A land of warmth and beauty. Dazzling green, with a luxuriant
vegetation, tropical yet strange.

As we dropped lower, I sat alone, gazing downward. We were passing over
the land now, at an altitude of no more than twenty thousand feet. A
vivid land. Vivid sunlight; inky shadows; a green to everything--a
solid, brilliant green. Amid it, spots of other colors; splashes of
yellow; patches of scarlet as though some huge field were massed with
scarlet blossoms. And trailing silver threads--rivers and streams. Or
again glittering silver lakes nestling in the hills.

A fairyland of beauty. Yet as I gazed, it seemed not the fairyland of a
child. Not childish, but mature; for I could not miss in its aspect, a
warmth, a quality of sensuousness. A land of dalliance and pleasure of
the senses. And I realized then why the Venus people derived all their
advancement of science and industry from Earthly and Martian sources. A
hand of luxury and physical ease. People, not primitive--but decadent.

I became aware of Wolfgar at my elbow. "It is very beautiful, eh, Jac
Hallen?"

"Beautiful--yes. You've been here before, Wolfgar?"

He nodded. "Oh yes. Soon we will reach the Great City. That too is
strange and beautiful."

Elza saw us together and joined us. The Great City presently came into
distant view. Wolfgar, with that gentle voice and smile characteristic
of him began to describe to us what we should see. Abruptly Elza said:

"I have never really thanked you, Wolfgar. You saved my life--there when
Tara attacked me."

He gestured. "Your thanks are more than such a service deserves."

As though the subject had suggested Georg and Maida to him, he added,
"I am wondering where Georg Brende and the Princess Maida may be."

I fancied then that I saw a quality of wistfulness in his eyes.