The telescope is now being focused on the Moon and here on this large screen we see our ship and all around it in such fine detail that we can even recognize different ones of the natives who were left to care for our things during our absence.
An adjustment is made on the telescope and here we see the Earth focused upon the screen. This is a section of America. We see the towers of different broadcasting stations and their letters. We see cities just as clearly as if we were flying low over them. Now Los Angeles comes into view. We see the city hall and the entire Civic Center as though we were just above them. Moving on up into the shipping district we see people clearly enough to be able to observe their facial expressions as they walk along the sidewalks and in and out of the stores.
It is no wonder they know so much about the Earth. They can see nearly everything that goes on with the aid of this instrument. In fact, they really know more about us than we know about ourselves.
Now the European section of the Earth is brought into view and here is where our friend speaks up, saying, "see what you people on the Earth do. You build and then you destroy. That is why there isn't any true progress in your civilization. You have much to learn. You behave at present as though you were just little children, not knowing the value of each other."
The telescope is being moved again and this time we are told they are going to focus on Pluto, the farthest planet away from the Earth. Here comes Pluto into reflection on the screen. It is a large planet, half again as large as our Earth planet, or planet Venus and almost two and a half times as large as planet Mars, and they show us the whole of Pluto at one time.
This planet, too, is inhabited, we can see, for they are bringing portions of it into magnification showing us its inhabitation. The people seems to be a dwarf type of people, around three and a half feet to four feet tall at the most. They are built rather slender for their height, but well formed.
The cities are built in what we would call miniature but corresponding proportionately with the size of the people. These cities are beautifully laid out, what we see of them, and very artistic, reminding us of a fairyland.
Our host tells us that the inhabitants on planet Pluto really are ahead of those on all the immediate planets in advancement, that they are sort of masters of natural laws. Through being farthest out in our system, they get much knowledge in regards to other solar systems beyond ours and are more in relationship and contact with the near solar systems to them than they are with their own.
"And," he continues, "there is another planet almost on the border line of our system, about three hundred million miles away from Pluto, on the same line to the north of Pluto, where the people are still farther advanced than those on Pluto. It is nearly out of our system. The people on this planet are slightly taller than those on Pluto and in both cases they are almost of an angelic type."
We asked if the people on either of these planets ever come to visit any of our planets.
"No, but they do go to visit other solar systems from their own and transmit the information on to our planets," is the answer.
Johnny asked, "How is the transmission accomplished?"
"It is done through what you on Earth call mental telepathy."
So he wanted to know, "Do the Martonians communicate through the powers of mental telepathy?"
"We have a few who do, but for the most part we depend on instruments just like you people on Earth do, but Saturn, Venus and Jupiter are on constant communication with them, for most of their people use that power. As we in turn are moving between these planets with our ships, we get the information from them, then we check for records with our instruments."
Surrounding this observatory section of the building in which this gigantic telescope is housed are many large rooms of science. In each of these rooms is worked out mechanically to the minutest degree some phase of science. The people of Mars who come to this Temple of Divine Inspiration for greater learning are privileged to come to these rooms as they desire, to use and to study these mechanical developments.
Now we are to be taken through some of these rooms to see for ourselves how these things are worked out that their people might study them.
Our host and guide who is conducting us on this tour explains that in this first room we are entering there is the history, as well as a mechanical conception of the mystery of life as to how an invisible intelligence builds a form in which it later lives.
Here we are shown what we call ideas or thoughts passing through space. They are minute in size and have no special purpose. In form they are similar to dust particles or snowflakes, of perfect geometrical patterns. Separately they are almost like pieces of a jig-saw puzzle, but when they get together they form a complete picture of an idea. Each particle fits into the proper place to form a complete idea as thought, similar to so many pieces put together form a definite picture in a jig-saw puzzle. Or better, like so many vibrations unseen and unheard, condensed in a mechanical device known as radio, producing music or words. The invisible manifestations are prior to form expression.
In the beginning, form is preceded by what might be called an imaginary complete picture of what the form is to be. Once this is gathered in completion, slow-up action of all these minute units making up the imaginary picture starts taking place. As this slow-up action continues, the form gradually begins to come into visibility as a manifestation, for the difference between the visible and invisible is speed, or lower and higher vibrations.
For an example, when an electric fan is standing idle, its blades are an obstruction to things standing behind them, as far as vision is concerned. But when the fan is in high speed, the obstruction ceases to be. An invisibility of the blades takes place to almost such a perfect state that one is inclined to pick up the article that is behind the fan. Yet to do that, his hands would be struck with the blades.
So the invisible thought or picture may be called imaginary but it is real and can be brought into materialistic or solidified manifestation. Of course back of this life force manifestation is its perception and birth. Back of all forms lies the Fatherly intelligence of the Infinite Kingdom, called God. Beyond this, man cannot go.
The next room is of a vast size with a series of operations to be worked through, showing the birth and development of a planet.
Here we see a process taking place where clouds upon clouds of dust particles are floating freely in space. Now through the law of affinity, we see two different particles uniting as one. In doing so they take on a new sphere of action by becoming slightly heavier than they were singularly. Due to this uniting of the two as one, they become sort of masters over all other particles by now having a stronger influence than they had as single particles. It is almost the same as if you made a snowball and kept rolling it in snow until it became of a mammoth size.
So these united particles speeding on through clouds of dust draw more particles of dust unto themselves, thereby becoming a bigger and bigger ball. As it grows larger in size and heavier in weight, its speed also increases. At the same time the increasing speed compresses the particles tighter and tighter to adherence unto each other into more solidification.
During this process of growth and rapid whirling through space, the ball has made its own orbit within the system in which it is moving. Its orbit is a sphere of influence surrounding it, as well as a path that it will travel from now on, governed by the size and the speed of the ball. The larger the ball, the greater distance its influence will be felt.
It is similar to experiences most of us have had, when standing in dead calmness of atmospheric movement to let a car or a train pass by. If we stood too close to the moving object, there was a suction formed by its speed which had a tendency to draw us toward it; while at a certain given distance from it, there was a tendency to blow us away.
So it is with this ever-growing ball, this planet-in-the-making; its speed and size create what we know as gravitational force that pulls things unto itself out of space, while at a certain given distance away from it the force reverses or so-called gravity ceases.
Once the ball becomes a certain size and compression reaches a definite state, combustion within the center takes place. Since each particle of dust contains within itself in minute form, all elements known to man, the different minerals begin to melt and run into separate channels or lanes as the heat from the internal combustion grows in intensity. For instance, gold and silver melt into liquids through this terrific heat and flow within the ball into the channels of least resistance, lodging there in the form of veins. Other minerals do the same. If they happen to be of silica, they will not adhere tightly to each other when they meet, as rougher type minerals do, especially if the consistency of these glassy elements, like quartz, differ slightly from each other. Yet they meet. Because of their differences they do adhere to each other fair enough, but being very smooth, the union is not as firm as other minerals. This makes a weak spot in the ball which can easily slip through any sort of a jolt of sufficient intensity. Such a unification is known to man on Earth as a fault.
After the different ores are melted and flow together, the remaining portion of each tiny particle in the huge fast-whirling ball is tightly compressed into apparently solid or rocky formations, composing by far the greater part of this planet-to-be.
However there is nothing so solid but what is is porous. The gasses which have been freed by the heat of combustion within the center of this planet-in-the-making must escape someplace, so they begin to work through the ball to the surface, forced by a terrific pressure from within.
On their way to the surface a certain amount of the gasses unite while the rest continue outward. During the constant movement going on within the growing ball due to the heat, the melting and separating of the ores, the movement of the freed gasses and so on, pockets or cavities are formed inside the ball. Into these some of the united and condensed gasses flow, forming the underground rivers and lakes, as well as the pockets of oil made by the fatty residue of the particles that have been compressed, heated, and separated.
On reaching the surface of the ball, the gasses expand as they are warmed by the rays of the sun of the system and they also contract due to the cold created by the whirling speed of the ball itself when portions of the ball are shadowed from the sun's rays as it speeds on its path through space. Due to this process, the first moisture, like sweat, is formed upon the surface of the ball. At the same time, the expansion of these various gasses around the ball form what is known as an atmospheric belt, the width of which depends upon the size of the ball.
Within the atmospheric belt from time to time, due to the heat and cold and other disturbances, moisture is formed so that now and then rain falls upon the surface of the growing ball, filling the lower levels and cavities and thereby making the lakes, rivers, and oceans. From time to time these waters spill over other territories of the planet by its tilting one way or another.
As moisture from within and without the new planet dampens its surface and the enfolding atmosphere, the life germ within the dust particles is moved to activity. In the beginning a moss-like vegetation takes form in the creases and crevices of the surface where moisture is most prevalent. As time goes on and activity continues, larger and sturdier forms of vegetation grow forth from the life germ contained within the planet itself, also dependent somewhat on the temperature and moisture as well as the pressure of the enveloping atmosphere.
After food and water have thus been brought forth, insect life appears upon the planet, then fowl life, next the animal, with the human form being the last and finest expression to inhabit this new planet.
Here too is shown that during the growth and development of the planet as well as after inhabitation has taken place, upheavals known as volcanic action or earthquakes come from time to time. These are shown to be nothing but congestion of gasses accumulated in a period of time that eventually must escape in volume to the surface of the planet, for which man should be thankful. For if this wasn't possible, the planet would blow up into billions of parts like a balloon.
As we approach the end of this immense room, we observe the beginning of retrogression towards disintegration of life upon the planet, as well as for the planet itself.
In an adjoining room is a mechanical conception of the solar system complete, showing the sun as the central force and the radiation going out from its body in a terrific bombardment. It shows here that the sun is so cold that it is really hot. We can see how an invisible ray emanating from the body of the sun penetrated a sixty foot thickness of what we would call the hardest type of steel and its penetration turned the other side of that steel red.
Dr. Johnston asked, "what is this power really?"
"It is what men on Earth call atomic for convenience of expression," explained our host. "It is as good a name as any, but one thing we can say about it is, that it is electrical where it is repulsive as well as attractive, composed totally of a positive force; but to name it, we haven't been able to do that as yet. The only thing we know is that it is composed of seven different major elements that govern the solar system, and each tiny atom is made up of these seven elements."
"Would it be possible for people to live on the sun?" asked Bob.
"No," our host replied, "the force of its radiation is too terrific for any kind of form to be upon it. Yet it is possible that a form could be born to be in line with its radiation, for nothing is impossible."
"We have another telescope here," he continued as he pointed to it in the distance, "which analyzes the sun to the minutest part of it. There are thirty-three different types of rays emanating from it that permeate the total solar system. But as far as the sun is concerned, that is one part of our system we still have much to learn about."
From here we are taken into another room in which is a mechanical conception showing the pulsation system of the solar system as well as of each of the planets within it. While in the next room is very much the same kind of a pulsation system which makes up a human being, his brain acting as a receiver.
In the adjoining room is a working out of how ideas that come to men from nowhere are really made up, also how ideas that come from men themselves influence other men.
Now we are leaving this main building of Divine Inspiration and are going into an adjoining section or annex where we are asked to be seated in some beautiful armed chairs before a screen. Here a large picture is being taken of us as a group, including our host. We see ourselves as a picture reflected on the screen. The operator of this picture making machine tells us that by pressing a button on the wall, as he is about to do, our picture as we are will be transmitted to Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter all at one time and that in thirty seconds we will get the acknowledgment from Venus and the other planets back upon the screen. And here it is.
A highly distinguished individual is holding the picture in his hand just as we saw it on the screen a few seconds ago. We are told this man is on Venus and that this is their acknowledgment of receiving the picture.
Now another man appears on the screen, this one is from Saturn.
And here is the third, he is from Jupiter.
At this point our scientist guide steps out of our group, walks over to the screen, pushes two buttons and talks in a language we do not understand, to the individual from Venus who is holding the picture in his hand. This individual is answering. We can hear him but we do not understand what he is saying.
The conversation has finally ended and our guide is telling us that we have a standing invitation to visit Venus. We can accept it and go now from here or we can return some future day and go.
We tell him that we will decide within a short time and let him know.
He asks us why wait?
We answer him that our minds have been so occupied with the beauties and the marvels of the universe as he has been showing them to us, and this invitation has been so unexpected that we don't know just what to answer. We most certainly would enjoy a trip to Venus at this time, but there has been a wondering thought as to whether there might be an evaporation of the fuel for our ship, making us short on our return trip to Earth.
He replied, "you shouldn't worry about that. When the time comes for you to return to Earth we will see that your ship has all the fuel needed. We can make up on short notice, all the fuel you want of the kind you are using."
So without further hesitation we told him we would go to Venus now instead of waiting.
The date was made for two days later because he said, "we are going to groom a ship for that purpose, get it all in readiness for the trip, for we have different types of ships to go to different planets. And," he added, "I am going with you."
After these arrangements had all been made, we are taken to a beach resort along one of the ocean fronts where we will spend the next two days before leaving on our trip to Venus.
There is a beautiful building here, reminding us of some of our most exclusive club buildings in America, yet much more magnificent. In here we are given a suite of rooms containing elegance and comfort beyond our ability to describe. Here, as elsewhere, service is supreme and we are given anything and everything that our hearts can desire. Truly, we are being served as though we are kings of Earth.
After a good rest we venture to the beach along the water front. Many people are bathing in the waters of this ocean, while many others are lying around in the sands of the beach. They are of all ages, pretty much as we see them on Earth, only here we see people of different colors all playing together and having a wonderful time as we can see by their expressions and actions. They are all very carefree. The beauty part of it is that we cannot detect any distinction between the groups, all seem to be one. It is so different than on Earth where you see the poor on one part of a beach, then those a little better off, and very much segregating themselves are the wealthy.
The only distinction that seems to be on this beach is us, for we are of a slightly different structure and they know we are from the Earth planet, but at that we are taken in as though we are one of them, not through curiosity but with a warm feeling of friendliness. No differences in feeling or actions is shown between us and the inhabitants of their own planet.
Their friendliness is so encompassing that we are now talking to a group of citizens who are basking on this beach. To our surprise they too, can speak as well as understand our language, even as their scientists and others have. They are asking us about our Earth and telling us about theirs. All these people are scientifically well learned. Even the little children ask us questions that our scientists on Earth would not think of. Being among such people is beginning to make us feel kind of carefree ourselves, and we like it.
We have been here now one day and one night. During last evening we had a most exhilarating time. We will never forget it as long as we live. In this magnificent building in which we are staying there were many types of entertainment going on. The place was filled with people and all were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Some danced while others only watched. In one large room a drama was being staged to a large and enthusiastic audience. In another section games were being played. Some of them seemed similar to various sports enjoyed on Earth, but others were entirely different than any we had ever seen before. One thing we noticed about those participating in the games. There seemed not the slightest feeling of competition on the part of any of the players, but instead, a whole hearted expression of joy by all. Here, as everywhere else on this planet, we saw some people who were fairly dark, others were white, while still others had an olive color complexion, yet all the body structure is pretty much the same. This showed us that there are at least three races of people here, but the way they mingle together in work and in play, we have been unable to detect the slightest difference of feeling anywhere. And of course all speak the same language which we do not understand. Only when they talk with us they use our language and we can understand them.
Now it is morning of our last day here. We are told that we will be leaving for the airfield during the afternoon in preparation for the trip to Venus.