lp us
make contact and establish amicable relations with the inhabitants--if
there's any way we can do that."

During those five years, no more ships came to Earth from space, as
far as we knew. I guessed that the Martians understood how supremely
hard it would be to make friendly contact between the peoples of two
worlds that had always been separate. There was difference of form,
and certainly difference of esthetic concepts. Of custom, nothing
could be the same. We didn't have even an inkling of what the Martian
civilization would be like.

* * * * *

One thing happened during the third year of Etl's existence. And his
presence on Earth was responsible. Enough serious interest in space
travel was built up to overcome the human inertia that had
counteracted the long-standing knowledge that such things were
possible. A hydrogen-fusion reaction motor was built into a rocket,
which was then hurled to the moon.

Miller went along, ostensibly to help establish the first Army
experimental station there, but mostly to acquire the practical
experience for a far longer leap.

In a way, I wished I could have gone, too; but, after all, the shadows
in Etl's background were far more intriguing than the dead and airless
craters and plains of the lunar surface.

Before Miller and the other moon-voyagers even returned, Detroit was
busy forging, casting and machining the parts for a better, larger and
much longer-range rocket, to be assembled in White Sands, New Mexico.

When Miller got back, he was too eager and busy to say much about the
moon. For the next two and a half years, he was mostly out in White
Sands.

But during the first of our now infrequent meetings, he said to Craig
and Klein and me: "When I go out to Mars, I'd like to keep my old
bunch as crew. I need men I'm used to working with, those who
understand the problems we're up against. I have a plan that makes
sense. The trouble is, to join this expedition, a man has to be part
damn-fool."

Klein chuckled. "I'll sell you some of mine."

I just nodded my way in. I'd never thought of backing out.

Craig grabbed Miller's hand and shook it.

Miller gave Etl a chance to say no. "You can stay on Earth if you want
to, Etl."

But the creature said: "I have lived all my life with the idea of
going, Miller. Thank you."

* * * * *

Miller briefed us about his plan. Then he, Klein, Craig and I all too