“First was a plan for increasing the salt water area by means of a system of broad channels or canals reaching inland from the oceans with a view of extending them from ocean to ocean as soon as practicable so as to enable the tidal currents to flow entirely through, thus insuring sea water in the very interior. It was proposed to make these narrow at first, but to widen them as the population increased and greater area became necessary for cultivation. After the main canals should have become well advanced it was designed to build branches and intersecting lines in such directions as might be deemed most advantageous. “The Lunarians proposed to the king to have this work done by a great stock company, one-half the stock to be owned by the king and the other half by them. They were to make the surveys and direct the work and handle the funds of the corporation making use of their mechanical and executive ability and great experience in finance and engineering. The government was to pay a bonus to this company of 100 kiks[4] per acre for every acre made available for cultivation. The capital[239] stock was fixed at 200 kiks per acre to be issued to the stockholders as fast as the work was completed, the king to receive 100 kiks as his share and the Lunarians the other 100. As fast as the canals were completed they were to be turned over to the state and become its property, and in payment for this the state was to guarantee an annual dividend or interest of five per cent on that portion of the capital stock owned by the Lunarians. The king was not well informed on financial matters and inquired the meaning of five per cent interest, and was told that it meant the payment of half a kik to the owner of every ten kiks of stock which such owner was to receive in lieu of all other profits and reward for his labor and investment and which he the king as the head of the government was to guarantee. The king was satisfied to do this—more than satisfied in fact.
“He said: “Gentlemen, I am a great King! what care I for half a kik.” Then with a prodigal wave of all his disengaged limbs he exclaimed “make it a whole kik.”
“But our Lunarians were not to be outdone in liberality by the king, and while admitting that five per cent was ridiculously small, modestly declined to take any more. The king then inquired why they did not include his stock in the proposed guaranty. “Why should not I be guaranteed as well as you?” To this they replied that they purposely left his out because, first, he was himself the government, and so he would simply be guaranteeing himself; in the second place, if his stock were not named in this guarantee he need[240] not be confined to 5 per cent, but could as well take 10 or 20. The king having been satisfied on this point they cautiously unfolded their next proposition which was that they should have security in the shape of a mortgage for the payment of the 5 per cent interest, and that in case of default on the payment of said interest it should become a lien against the state and thence forward be entitled to draw interest the same as the original stock. “O king,” said they, “we sincerely wish you might live forever. If we were sure you would we would never think of asking security. But Martians and Lunarians all die when their time comes, while this great corporation will be immortal. Some time in the future a king may arise who, while enjoying the blessings and comforts of civilization will forget what, they were due to and will refuse to carry out Your Majesty’s contract, about paying this interest.”
“Well,” said the King, “what security do you want?”
“They said they would be contented with a mortgage covering Faithless Jack and Blind Lucy, and the two frigid zones of Mars.”
I may say here that the frigid zones of Mars cover the polar ends of the planet and extend 28°. 42′ from the poles. I understood this much, but did not know who were meant by Faithless Jack and Blind Lucy. The Professor proceeded to explain.
“Mars as you know has two funny little moons. Your Astronomers have named them Deimos and Phobos. But the Martians call them by names that[241] are equivalent to Faithless Jack and Blind Lucy. These names belong to an ancient mythical legend, which I will relate to you. In very ancient times there were a pair of lovers named Jack and Lucy. Lucy was reputed to be the most beautiful lady that ever walked on six feet. Her six eyes were quite unique, being alternately red and yellow—three of each color. She was over eight feet high when she stood up and was noted for the grace and dignity of her manners, and the captivating way in which she walked, her feet coming down one after another in perfect time and with a rhythmic pit-a-pat pit-a-pat almost inaudible from the softness of her tread, but which was nothing less than inspired music. Her disposition was as charming as her person. She had a kind word for every one, and was always doing some one a favor.
“Jack on the other hand was exceedingly ill favored. It could not be said exactly that he was the ugliest or the most disagreeable young gentleman in the community, but a great many were his superiors in every way, and how it happened that Lucy fell in love with him could never be accounted for, but she did, to an excessive degree. To look at the Martians you might not suspect them of being very sentimental or affectionate, but they are, and their form in a manner compels them to be demonstrative. When a couple walk together they cannot lock arms or take hold of each other’s hands as you do, since their limbs are all employed in walking. But if they are friends they hold on to each others cheeks with their lips, which have a suctorial force like[242] an air pump and which would raise a blister on a skin less tough than the integument of a Martian. When lovers walk out with each other they apply their lips together in an affectionate kiss of most uncommon adhesiveness. Jack and Lucy they say could have been seen any day walking about glued together in that manner. As this was common it was considered proper, but under the circumstances was not altogether prudent, for it roused the jealousy of Jack’s rivals to an almost murderous pitch. Jack was not so tall as Lucy by a foot, being only a little over seven feet high. This brought his mouth six inches lower than hers, and made it necessary for him to elevate himself on his toes (or fingers) as much as possible, and even then Lucy had to meet him half way by bending the limbs that happened to support her at the moment in a manner that detracted considerably from her natural grace. Some of the disappointed lovers attempted to relieve their chagrin by speaking of Jack contemptuously as “Tiptoes” and making ungallant remarks about Lucy. But this was small comfort to them, while the loving pair were so much devoted to each other as to be quite heedless of the angry and jealous comment they were causing.
“At last Jack’s rivals entered into a conspiracy to “do him up.” They would beat and tar and feather him at the very least and if he provoked them by resistance they would do worse. So they planned, and one summer evening when Jack and Lucy were taking their usual loving promenade, these disappointed suitors took after them. But[243] the lovers stimulated by a panic of sudden terror made a miraculous race and distanced their pursuers. The latter declared that the lovers did not run at all in fact, but glided along in some miraculous way not touching the ground, but gradually rising and sailing off getting constantly higher and higher, they at last disappeared behind a cloud. And they all declared that there could not be the least doubt that they had been translated to the sky to associate with the innumerable stars that had gone before them. There was nothing at all incredible in this to the Martian people, because it was a cardinal principle of their religion that their great heroes in ancient times had all been transferred from Mars to the sky. The proof was patent to anybody that had eyes, for there they were to be seen without any change of form, some with six radiating limbs and some with five. And these two hostile races carried their resentments to heaven with them and often engaged in direful warfare, hurling at each other thunderbolts, meteors and aerolites as might be seen almost daily or nightly. The celestial history of the lovers is tragic. They no longer had to walk, because there being nothing much to walk on, the celestial mode of locomotion is a delicious glide, consequently they were able occasionally to give their lips a rest, and hand in hand to quietly slip along with the glittering crowd thinking of nothing whatever unless it were of each other. But this happiness at last came to a sad ending. They were sauntering along as thoughtless and careless as children, when suddenly and without the least warning, an[244] immense aerolite came dashing through the sky and before Lucy even perceived it, it crashed into her face knocking out every one of her pretty eyes, smashing her lips and disfiguring her in the most terrible manner. In the confusion she was separated from her companion, and when she sought him, distracted by pain and blindness she took the wrong track, and from that day to this she skurries across the sky in the most feverish haste, rising in the west sailing overhead and setting in the east from two to three times a day, while all the other stars including the sun, and Jack with the rest, rise in the east and set in the west. As for Jack, when he found how changed and hideous she had become—his love turned to aversion. When she sought him, he avoided her, and passed by far on the other side. And now, although they pass each other every few hours he always looks the other way and she, poor thing, cannot see him. “There used to be a serious dispute among the Martians as to the particular sort of star that threw that rock. One sect of theologians stoutly maintained that it was hurled with malicious intent by a malignant five legged star, and struck the fair mark it was aimed at with terrible precision. Another sect held that it was only an accident; the missile was probably fired by a friendly six pointer, missed its mark and unfortunately struck where it was not intended to. As there was not a particle of proof for either side, affirmations and assertions took the place of argument, and were dogmatically made and maintained with no little acrimony on both sides.[245] But they all agreed in rendering divine honors to Lucy with their sympathies and condolences: Poor Lucy! Perfidious Jack!
“When the King learned what the Lunarians wanted him to give them a mortgage on, he laughed heartily and thought it a good joke. He could hardly be made to believe they were in earnest. “As for the poles if there is anything there except snow and rocks,” said he, “whoever gets them will earn them, I warrant you.
“As for the moons, I shall never undertake to deliver them in case you foreclose on them, and your mortgage must distinctly state that you are to take them running.”
“The King thought the idea of mortgaging his moons was peculiarly comical; and after the deal was consummated and the papers all signed, he would sometimes stand on the door step and call out to Lucy as she rushed along overhead with the speed of a cannon ball, and ask her how she felt to be mortgaged. In addition to the scheme for the construction of the canals, the Lunarians asked and easily obtained a charter or concession from the king for an easement or right of way twenty miles wide, ten miles on each side of the equator, and reaching entirely around the planet, for the purpose of one or more lines of telegraph and cables for the conveyance of electrical power and for railroads etc. This region was entirely uninhabited, and not suited for the occupation of Martians, but the Lunarians said they would have use for it in the course of time and wished to have[246] it understood so they could know what to depend on.
“All the preliminary negotiations being at last concluded, and the contracts signed, they went to work with a will. The bonus or subsidy of 100 kiks per acre was raised by taxation, those who had no money being compelled to work out their tax on the canal. The route selected for the first line was across a low swampy country. The work was light and much of it in the water where the Martians were at home. The Lunarians had flat boats constructed on which the excavated muck and earth were loaded and floated to the deep places which they partially filled up or deposited on the dry land. The canal was made 200 feet wide at first, one-half of which was kept entirely clear, while the other half was planted to the sea-weed.
“It took several years to finish the first line, and as soon as it was done they commenced the work of widening it, adding a strip 200 feet in width, which when completed made the canal 400 feet wide. This process was then repeated and has been going on constantly not only in the first canals but in all subsequent ............