Chapter XVI: Malchon’s Gospel

The Professor and the engineer had not had a very pleasant time. With their companion in prison and no longer able to enliven them with his rattling talk, with all their future hopes clouded, separated from their machine, and compelled to work at the most common details of existence, it was no wonder that they grew somewhat disheartened and sad. When they went out they found themselves shunned if not actively disliked, and though they went in fear of no _bodily_ peril, it really seemed as if the whole population had decided to let them severely alone and to do nothing to help them.

Tom was always in a condition of latent hostility, and it was well that he could not speak the native language, considering the number of times he swore in Anglo-Saxon. The very boys and girls in the streets and promenades would sometimes hurl opprobrious epithets at each member of the party; once a child struck Radcliffe as he was passing by; but this was going too far, and the offending youngster would have been severely punished if Radcliffe had not gone to the palace himself and interceded. This act was much talked about in the city, but it did not have the effect that might have been hoped, although he ended the hostility of one family.

One day, being seriously uneasy at this state of things, he went to crave an audience of the Princess Mexitli herself. She received him urbanely enough, but his pleading for the others was the reverse of successful.

“You all had no right to come here,” she said, “and you must put up with what you receive. All I can promise is that when the man Abercromby is set free, which I will not allow till his time of punishment has expired, then you shall all travel in your airship to see the wonders of the southern pole. We shall probably go with you; it will suit the time when we make our annual progress thither. This will be a pleasure to you all, and to that you may look forward. And now I have a command to lay upon you. Will you take us over and explain to us the different parts of the Asteroid?”

“Whenever your Highness shall direct.”

“Then come with me now. This is the hour when we usually take our interval of sleep. But it will be all the better, as fewer eyes will be upon us.”

In a little time the two princesses, each accompanied by an attendant, repaired to that part of the terrace-square on which the Asteroid was fixed. Radcliffe conducted them all over it, explaining the meaning of the different objects, and gave a full account of the mechanism and of the newly discovered force by which it had been propelled in space. He had never felt more free since he had alighted upon the planet; he could forget now that those whom he was addressing could send him by a word to a doom of terror, he felt rather like a lecturer demonstrating to a small class of pupils.

The princesses seemed highly delighted with what they had seen, and declared that they would certainly travel in it. Among the last objects which they noticed was a book lying open upon one of the cabin tables. It was a New Testament. Melanitis took it up, turned over a few pages, and said to Radcliffe, “Why should you not turn this book into Atalantan? We have no print like this, but we have means of reproducing copies of our exquisite public handwriting. I could furnish you with helpers.”

Radcliffe started violently. “Do you know what that book is?” he said.

“How should we, when we speak only our own language?” said Mexitli, with some tartness. “But let me tell you, I will allow no book from another planet to be circulated among the people, unless it be, in my opinion, useful, and not unsettling to their minds.”

“It is the life and teaching of the Saviour Prince, and an account of how those who were faithful to Him carried on His work after His ascension,” replied Radcliffe.

“Indeed!” said the princess, much astonished. “Well, you may translate it for us if you like. My father the King takes a great interest in all such deep subjects. But only a small part can be suitable for _our_ world, I should say.”

“Leave it to me, I will arrange everything for you,” said Melanitis quickly.

“I insist upon having my voice in the matter,” Mexitli struck in. “This is too serious for even my sister to take wholly upon herself. However, religion is about the only thing I should be at all willing to accept from outside, because we have practically none of it ourselves. Sun-worship is ridiculous, but it is perhaps good enough for uncultured minds.”

“Do the people treat the sun as a divinity, or as only the noblest representation of God in the visible creation?”

“You must ask the philosophers about that. It is no duty of us princesses to go about and discover how much or how little the people believe. But come, the heat is too great here for such serious talk; we will return. Set about your book, and work at it till the rain-mist season is over, and then bring it to us.”

The very next day two of the King’s scribes came to their house, much to the astonishment of both Carmichael and Carysfort. When Tom was informed, he said he could not see why they should pull the old Book about; what was good enough for Moses was good enough for him. The Professor had to break it to him that Moses had not been connected with either the English or Atalantan versions.

Radcliffe worked hour after hour dictating and receiving hints in return, until the Gospel of St. Luke and the Acts of the Apostles had been rendered into very decent Atalantan speech, though, of course, there was a great lack of elegance and finish.

While thus engaged the rain-mist season came on in its full intensity. The land was deluged with dew and moisture, fog and rime. The weather was distinctly chilly. Many of the people took occasion to pass the time in rest and sleep, and there was a succession of something like terrestrial mornings and evenings, according as the mist increased or diminished.

Towards the end of the period the King sent for Radcliffe and had a long conversation with him. He praised his diligence, and said that he would do all in his power to further his wishes. But he advised him as a friend not to be too hasty in setting himself up as a teacher of the people. It would be better to induce the Atalantans to teach themselves. “You desire to incline my people to become disciples of Jesus Christ, as you terrestrials appear to call Him. Of course, this is but natural, for every disciple, worthy of the name, seeks to enlist other disciples for the teacher whom he admires. My poor Melanitis seems much disposed to enter into your plans, and you cannot do better than work through her. My other daughter will have probably greater influence than she, when I am gone to the Mansions of the Blest, and you have done well to conciliate her in every way that your conscience allows. I have not much direct power; it may be that Mexitli is impatient for my too prolonged life to end. I blame her not; but I would give much to be sure that my darling Melanitis loves me as she did in the olden days. But a truce to this, though sometimes I feel I can talk more freely to you than to my own people. We are swathed in forms and ceremonies, in pride and social prejudice, and I long to be able to converse freely, even with a stranger.”

“Would your Majesty tell me the story I have desired so much to know: how, and under what circumstances, He, who is the Master whom I serve, came to Atalanta?”

The King paused a moment. Then, inviting Radcliffe to be seated, he said, “This is the pith of a sad and shameful story, the most disgraceful in the whole history of my race. My people lived in much the same place as now, though on the northern shores of the lake of Meloria. Atalanta was not built as a city. We were but few in number then, about twenty thousand maybe. A stranger of noble and gracious aspect came over the Keraunian Hills. We had suffered much from sickness and calamity, flood and fire. He came and nursed our sick back to life; He taught us many useful things; He benefited us in every possible way; He did menial services for us; but He told us that He was the Son of the Mighty God, and that, if we put our trust in Him, He would make us noble and happy and wise while we lived, and then take us to His own Home beyond the stars where we should be His angels and serve Him for ever. But the people of Atalanta would not accept Him; they believed that He came from some other planet, but not that He was the Prince of Heaven. He gave them many proofs of His divine greatness, but very few accepted Him or became His disciples. This went on for some time, and at last the men of Atalanta got exasperated; they accused Him of saying that they were sinners against God, whereas they committed no crimes but were just and upright. At last they arrested Him, and the Council of Elders, for we had no kings and queens then, sentenced Him to work for Atalanta by building a road over the Keraunian Hills. He toiled at this work for a whole year, some of those who loved Him working with Him.

“At last this cursed road was built, and when it was finished they said, ‘We will not hurt You nor ill-treat You; we bid You depart and leave us in peace.’ Then He said, ‘I am going to Karamandra to suffer there for the sins of its people and to proclaim to them the true way of salvation. But as for you, ye shall increase and wax mighty, and have great riches and prosperity, and dwell for many centuries unmolested and unvisited. Ye shall mourn during those days that ye have no sure knowledge of eternal things, but no knowledge shall be given you till the hour comes that, as a people, ye shall humble yourselves. And in the end of the ages I will come again, first to the guiltier world and then to this which is less guilty, and from both take to Myself an elect assembly of those who are My true disciples. Meantime love and serve one another, as I have served you, and the work which I go to do upon Karamandra shall avail for this world also. Believe in Me and My words, and wait, be the time never so long, for the Return of the Light which you now despise.’

“Then He went away, and was seen no more. This is the sum of what I have to tell you, my friend; seek to make the best use of it that you can, and go forward wisely and prudently.”

Radcliffe encountered Melanitis as he left the King’s private cabinet. She smiled upon him, but her eyes showed that she had been weeping intensely. He more than suspected that she must have known of what had passed, but he did not question her.

That same evening Radcliffe was wending his way to the house as well as he could; the mist had lifted somewhat, but showed evident signs of swooping down again. He had just turned into the Grand Avenue when a voice was heard from behind a tree, “Will you oblige, sir, by telling me the way to Professor Carmichael’s house?”

Radcliffe stopped aghast! Here was some one in Venus accosting him in English! For a moment he stood petrified, then a hand was laid on his shoulder. It was Frank Abercromby!

The latest joke had pretty well used him up. He was more like a scarecrow than a man.

“What have they been doing to you?” said Radcliffe, his growing admiration of things Atalantan sinking down to zero.

“Teaching me to love princesses. But come, old man, will there be a good meat tea ready for us when we get back?”

“The Professor and the engineer and Tom scarcely know how to live. We have had to grow our own vegetables and fruits, and Tom, the other day, found he had planted some the wrong end uppermost.”

“Everything seems upside down in this beastly planet. Whatever did we come here for? Why didn’t we pull up half-way and start back? How are the boss and the engineer going to manage?”

“We shall be allowed to travel in the Asteroid to the southern pole when the weather changes.”

“That’s something. I shall vote for going further.”

“But we shall not be allowed to go alone.”

“Not _alone_!” shrieked Frank.

“No; the princesses are going with us.”

“The deuce they are! And did you invite them?”

“Certainly not: they invited themselves.”

Abercromby swore steadily. “Well, we can drop one at either pole and then make off for earth. I am sick of the whole business. So are the others too, I fancy.”

They walked on silent. Then Abercromby said, “How are you getting on about Melanitis?”

“I love her as a sister.”

“Does she love you as a brother?”

“Look here, Frank, all frivolity must end. I am going to give the New Testament to Atalanta; the Royal House have practically settled it.”

“Take care they don’t practically settle you.”

“I believe this whole nation is on the eve of a change.”

“Great Scott!” was all that Abercromby could say.