ur's sturdy tramping brought him out of the tangled hills
into civilization. There was a glitter of metal and vita-crystal
dwellings that stood four-square to the sun and the winds. A broad
ribbon-conveyor hurled its shining length in ceaseless rush down the
narrow valley. Human beings--normal homely Earth men with the ordinary
number of legs and arms, with honest-to-God faces and warm living
flesh, were seated on the conveyor-benches as they flashed by. Hilary
could have wept with delight. It was two years since he had seen his
own kind; two years since Hurley's tragic misstep through the breach
in the air-lock made by a meteor as they were nearing Mars.

Hilary leaped on the slow-moving ramp, skilfully worked his way across
the graded speed belts until he was on the express conveyor that led
straight on to New York.

He sank into a cushioned seat next to an oldish man with iron-gray
hair through which the speed of their flight whipped and pulled.
Hilary was bursting for real human conversation again; he grinned to
himself at the excited astonishment of this impassive stranger if he
should announce himself. How should he do it? Should he remark
casually without any preamble: "Pardon me for addressing you, sir, but
I'm Hilary Grendon, you know." Just like that, and lean back for the
inevitable gasp: "What, not _the_ Hilary Grendon!" And he would nod
offhandedly as though he had just taken a little trip to Frisco and
back.

He stole a sidelong glance at the sternly-etched profile. The man was
staring straight in front of him, looking neither to the left nor to
the right. It did not seem as if he were aware of Hilary's existence.
So with a sigh Hilary decided against that method of approach as a
trifle too abrupt.

"Nice day to-day, isn't it?" The sound of his own voice startled him.
English was an alien language to his unaccustomed tongue after the
hissing syllables of the Martians.

With pathetic eagerness he awaited the inevitable answer to this
commonplace introduction; that he might once more hear normal Earth
tones in friendly converse, see the smile of greeting on a real Earth
face.

But there came no answer. The man continued staring straight ahead,
immobile, fixed. There was no slightest turn to the etched profile. It
was as if he had not heard.

* * * * *

Hilary felt a sudden surge of anger. Damn discourteous, this first
Earthman he had met. What had happened to the old