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lack objects, like visors, and placed
them over their eyes.
With their visors in place the Martians
stepped down the ladder, carefully
and rather slowly, and approached the
officers, following behind President
Roosevelt.
Roosevelt and the soldiers exchanged
salutes, then the President introduced
the Martians to the men, and the
general introduced most of the men
present to the Martians. The Martians
remained nearly as still as statues, but
one of them turned his head and nodded
slightly as some of the officers were
introduced.
“General,” Roosevelt began once the
introductions were over. “Will you show
us around the facility?”
“Certainly,” the general said. “This
way please, gentlemen. If you have any
questions or would like to examine
anything more closely please feel free to
ask, and to pause the tour at any time.”
“Understood,” one of the Martians said.
Now that he saw the Martians up
close, Nathan noticed something else
about them which had been left out of
the intelligence reports and briefings
he had been exposed to. They all had
pointed ears.
Well, I guess there’s no denying it now. This
has to be real. Certainly this is way too
much to be faked.
Then for the first time since the project
began, Nathan felt genuinely excited. He
was going to visit another planet, with
an advanced alien civilization. He could
only imagine what might be there.
All this time humanity has speculated
about life on Mars, while the life on
Mars had been secretly watching and
observing humanity!
As the tour went on the Martians
occasionally exchanged words with
one another in their native language,
but they asked very few questions. At
the end of the tour an elaborate dinner
was held, and at this point some of the
Martians began to ask questions.
“What is this substance?” one asked
as he lifted a glass of Champaign. “It
is clearly not water. Is it a type of fruit
juice, or an intoxicant?”
When that question was answered,
all of the other Martians pushed the
Champaign glasses back away from their
plates, while the man who asked the
question lifted the glass to his mouth
and took a cautious sip.
“What manner of animal was this?” one
of the Martians asked as he pointed to a
platter of ribs.
When the dinner was over the President
and the Martian envoys returned to
their airplane, but paused at the base of
the ladder.
“We are satisfied that you are prepared
to receive the Advocate,” one of the
Martians said. “We will send word to
the Fathership that the advocate is to be
immediately dispatched.”
“Will the esteemed Advocate be
landing in Washington DC?” the
President asked.
“The Advocate will land in Washington
DC to confer with you briefly, but after
that the Advocate must be transferred
to this base as swiftly as possible,”
the Martian said. “The work of the
Advocate is here.”
“I understand,” Roosevelt said.
After formal farewells were exchanged
the President and the Krenth delegation
boarded the airplane and left.
“Dismissed!” the general said to the men
after the plane took off.
As the soldiers and scientists dispersed,
Nathan, Blake, and Kenneth stood
around for some time watching as the
airplane faded off into the distance.
“I wonder what this ‘advocate’ is
supposed to do?” Nathan said.
“Well, if it’s what it sounds like, then
probably nothing good,” Blake said.
“What does it sound like?” Kenneth
asked.
“A lawyer,” Blake replied.
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