Old Mars

The three of them set off to explore the ruins. The first order of business was to find the outlaws’ flyer, and they accomplished that in ten minutes. The outlaws’ hideout was just some fifty yards away. They had raced out the second they realized Scorpio was preparing to land, and they’d left their quarters—the ground floor of an ancient building—illuminated, which made it stand out in the dark. There was a beat-up landcar parked nearby, and Scorpio checked it to make sure it was working, then led his companions into the building. There were bedrolls on the floor, the Earthman had brought along several days of condensed rations, and Quedipai assured his companions that he and Merlin could both eat some of the Titanians’ food with no ill effects.

“We might as well set up housekeeping here,” announced Scorpio. He examined the walks and floor, found a loose floorboard, and stared down beneath it. “I assume no one else is likely to show up, but just the same I’d advise you to leave anything you don’t want to carry and don’t want stolen in this storage area below the floorboard.”

Quedipai walked over to a bedroll, adjusted it so that he could sit and lean against it as it covered the lower section of a wall, and gingerly lowered himself to the floor. Scorpio lay down on a similar bedroll at the far end of the room.

Merlin walked to the doorway. I’ll be back later.

You’re really going to eat an Earthman?

The Venusian wrinkled his nose. Have you ever tried to clean one of those things? I’m off to dine on uncooked Titanian.

And then Merlin was gone, the other two fell asleep, and when they awoke, it was morning and Merlin was sleeping by the doorway.

“Shall we have some breakfast before we begin?” suggested Scorpio.

“I’m too excited to eat!” responded Quedipai. “I’m finally here!”

“You’re going to be a little less excited and a little hungrier after we traipse across the floor of the Crater,” said Scorpio.

“I’ll bring food with me.”

How about you?

I’m dying. My eyes were bigger than my stomach.

Given the size of that bloated section of your body, your eyes must be larger than basketballs.

Whatever they are.

Merlin got painfully to his feet. Scorpio stared at him and smiled.

You ate both of them? Didn’t your parents ever teach you moderation?

Go ahead, make fun of me. I’ll remember this the next time someone’s trying to kill you.

“Shall we begin?” asked Quedipai, walking to the door.

“If we can,” agreed Scorpio, still grinning at his partner.

The three of them walked outside to the landcar and climbed in.

They followed the street, which curved back into itself, took another route that soon ended at a building with no discernible entrance, and after two more false starts, finally found a route to the edge of the city. Scorpio kept melting edges of buildings with his burner so that they could find their way back at the end of the day, and made a mental note to be sure to return before it was totally dark and he couldn’t see the marks he was making.

In another fifteen minutes, they had left the ancient city of Melafona—it had many names, but Scorpio liked the oldest of them—and had taken their first steps on the flat, reddish sand that covered the floor of the Crater.

A comet, do you think? suggested Merlin.

Too big and too fast; not enough damage here. Probably an asteroid, or more likely just part of one. Back then Mars had a little more atmosphere; it would have burned up a good part of it before it hit.

“So,” said Scorpio aloud, “where are these landmarks?”

“You are looking at one of them,” replied Quedipai, indicating a jagged red peak at the far side of the Crater.

“That thing was here eons before your Krang,” remarked Scorpio.

“Of course,” answered the Martian. “It couldn’t have been in the ancient writings if it was not itself ancient.”

“Point taken.” Scorpio looked around. “What else?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“What other landmarks are we looking for?”

“We shall find one of them at the north end of the Crater.”

Scorpio pulled out his positioning device. “Okay, we’re about three-quarters of a mile away from it,” he said, angling off to his left.

They stopped after ten minutes, and Quedipai began walking around the area, examining the ground ahead of them. Finally his entire body tensed.

“I think …” he began. “Yes! Yes, it is!”

“What do you see?” asked Scorpio.