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Horizons, v. 2, issue 1, whole no. 5, October 1940

Page 5

HORIZONS     5
THE HOLLOW GLOBE

and graciously lowered a rope ladder for Sam. He climbed up and found himself in a small room--a sort of hall with an open stairway leading upward.
     "And now, old Bean," said Cherry Blossom, "I have the honor to bid you adieu. I go to my private room. You go on upstairs and knock on the first door you see. That will be Spud's room. Spud is my husband. he'll be glad to see you, I'm sure. Good bye, old Bean."
     The woman ascended through a hole in the ceiling leaving Sam alone.

The Conversation

     Spud was certainly an odd-looking man, Sam thought, as eh sat at dinner, with a man-servant bringing in food--an endless array of dishes containing the various soups and stews suitable for the toothless men of that time.
     An odd-looking man, indeed. A long point nose, huge ears, enormous eyes, and a tiny mouth. Yet he looked intelligent.
     "Yes, our grandparents came out of the earth," he said. "They were so tired of staying inside. A number of children were born inside the earth. They thought it would be wonderful to come out and see the sun, moon and stars. It was a shock to their faith in their parents when they found out there weren't any stars!"
     "But, but," sputtered Sam, "What do you mean? There have always been stars. I've seen them myself."
     "Have you indeed? How interesting! Our ancestors said the earth must have been surrounded by a cloud of cosmic dust which hid them from our view. They hoped the cloud would dissolved, but it evidently hasn't. We of the present time have decided it was all a preposterous legend. There never were any stars!"
     "But I've seen them myself," insisted Sam. "I was there before--ah, they disappeared."
     "Impossible," declared Spud. "Unless you are over one hundred years old. No other living man has ever seen them. Unless you lived before the shower--and escaped--"
     Vague memories tried to struggle through Sam's mind--memories of a mountain cave where he had hidden--of a boat he had made for himself when the melting of the polar ice brought floods--of years of lonely wandering--
     "You do look old," continued Spud. "No doubt, under a return to primitive conditions many barbarians have experienced a lengthening of the life span. We scientists are not so fortunate. We began our new life with a high degree of scientific knowledge--and we couldn't go back to primitive life. And we're not very happy. We're sort of cynical."
     "If you won't be offended," said Sam, "I'd like to know why you look so different from the people of my time."
     "Our noses and ears are bigger," admitted Spud. "Well, it seemed that we reached a turning point in evolution. And, during the time when our ancestors were inside, many of them amused themselves by drawing caricatures of humans. Indeed, in the twentieth century, and later, real art gave way to ridiculous caricatures. And now we are born looking that way. We have come to consider it a new ideal of beauty."
     "Will you permit me to attend the meeting of scientists who are to discuss space travel?" asked Sam.
     "Oh, certainly, glad to have you. And if you've seen those mythical stars, you may be able to put a new note into the discussion. And it's time we were starting. Hey, you big hunk of dried cheese," he called to his man servant. "Get the car out and drive us to the auditorium."
     "But, respected master," protested the servant, "the dishes have not been washed. The missus will be very mad."
     "Well, she can't fire you," said Spud. "And she doesn't care one way or the other anyhow. We'll be too late if we don't start immediately."
     The servant departed; Sam and Spud descended the stairs.
     Spud paused beneath the hole in the ceiling and called to his wife:

Saving...

HORIZONS 5 THE HOLLOW GLOBE and graciously lowered a rope ladder for Sam. He climbed up and found himself in a small room--a sort of hall with an open stairway leading upward. "And now, old Bean," said Cherry Blossom, "I have the honor to bid you adieu. I go to my private room. You go on upstairs and knock on the first door you see. That will be Spud's room. Spud is my husband. he'll be glad to see you, I'm sure. Good bye, old Bean." The woman ascended through a hole in the ceiling leaving Sam alone. The Conversation Spud was certainly an odd-looking man, Sam thought, as eh sat at dinner, with a man-servant bringing in food--an endless array of dishes containing the various soups and stews suitable for the toothless men of that time. An odd-looking man, indeed. A long point nose, huge ears, enormous eyes, and a tiny mouth. Yet he looked intelligent. "Yes, our grandparents came out of the earth," he said. "They were so tired of staying inside. A number of children were born inside the earth. They thought it would be wonderful to come out and see the sun, moon and stars. It was a shock to their faith in their parents when they found out there weren't any stars!" "But, but," sputtered Sam, "What do you mean? There have always been stars. I've seen them myself." "Have you indeed? How interesting! Our ancestors said the earth must have been surrounded by a cloud of cosmic dust which hid them from our view. They hoped the cloud would dissolved, but it evidently hasn't. We of the present time have decided it was all a preposterous legend. There never were any stars!" "But I've seen them myself," insisted Sam. "I was there before--ah, they disappeared." "Impossible," declared Spud. "Unless you are over one hundred years old. No other living man has ever seen them. Unless you lived before the shower--and escaped--" Vague memories tried to struggle through Sam's mind--memories of a mountain cave where he had hidden--of a boat he had made for himself when the melting of the polar ice brought floods--of years of lonely wandering-- "You do look old," continued Spud. "No doubt, under a return to primitive conditions many barbarians have experienced a lengthening of the life span. We scientists are not so fortunate. We began our new life with a high degree of scientific knowledge--and we couldn't go back to primitive life. And we're not very happy. We're sort of cynical." "If you won't be offended," said Sam, "I'd like to know why you look so different from the people of my time." "Our noses and ears are bigger," admitted Spud. "Well, it seemed that we reached a turning point in evolution. And, during the time when our ancestors were inside, many of them amused themselves by drawing caricatures of humans. Indeed, in the twentieth century, and later, real art gave way to ridiculous caricatures. And now we are born looking that way. We have come to consider it a new ideal of beauty." "Will you permit me to attend the meeting of scientists who are to discuss space travel?" asked Sam. "Oh, certainly, glad to have you. And if you've seen those mythical stars, you may be able to put a new note into the discussion. And it's time we were starting. Hey, you big hunk of dried cheese," he called to his man servant. "Get the car out and drive us to the auditorium." "But, respected master," protested the servant, "the dishes have not been washed. The missus will be very mad." "Well, she can't fire you," said Spud. "And she doesn't care one way or the other anyhow. We'll be too late if we don't start immediately." The servant departed; Sam and Spud descended the stairs. Spud paused beneath the hole in the ceiling and called to his wife: