The Shisti and the Assistant Shisti of Mars
chose Chicago, U.S.A., for their vacation spot.
No worries; they were invisible. Plenty of rich
food; the joint was loaded. A whole year of
frolicking in store. Only one thing they
overlooked—there was a curious convention going on.
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories May 1953.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The landing on the green planet, Koosh told himself in satisfaction,was one of utmost perfection. Not that that made it unusual, since theMartian craft all but handled itself and invariably performed almostone hundred per cent flawlessly. But Koosh did feel that this landingwas a little, just a little, better than average, and his ability aspilot had made it so.
Thuko apparently thought the same, for he touched the other on the backof the neck in brief compliment.
Twirling his eye-stalks in pleasure, Koosh pressed a button on thecontrol panel and arose to follow Thuko to the opening airlock, hoppingon one leg, which happened to be all that he or any Martian possessed.
They emerged into warm, late summer air. For a moment they stood,filling their lungs, reveling in the rich, heady atmosphere that was sounlike their own.
"Wonderful, Thuko!" Koosh enthused. "And to think we have a full yearof it ahead of us!"
"You are no less pleased than I," Thuko agreed. "But we must take carethat nothing happens to the ship in that time. Loss of it would meanthe end of all this."
He did not need to mention the reason. Koosh knew that it was becausethe small craft was the only one in existence. At least, as far as Marswas concerned. And of course that was because—well, actually it wasnot a Martian ship.
Thousands of years ago a lone, exploring Jovian had landed on Mars.After brief inspection of the machine, the Martians had decided it wasa thing much worth having. They promptly murdered the Jovian, therebyneatly solving the problem of how to gain the gleaming silver spherefor themselves.
Operation of the ship had proved only a matter of learning the rightbuttons to push. And the Martians were more than capable of making thefew simple repairs it required from time to time. But they were stumpedcompletely by the anti-gravity plates that drove it. All attempts toduplicate them had ended fruitlessly. The original would have to servethem until another Jovian came.
"Where shall we put it for safekeeping?" Koosh asked. Then,answering his own question, "I imagine a likely place would be onthe roof of an unoccupied building in whatever city we choose as ourinitial—ah—host."
"That is a good suggestion," said Thuko. "A rooftop would be ideal. Letus proceed to find one in a suitable metropolis."
Reentering the ship they took it aloft and skimmed over Earth'ssurface, presently coming above a large city. A Terran would haverecognized it as Chicago. Eye-stalks pressed to the quartz window, thealien pair scrutinized closely each building they passed over.
"There's one!" exclaimed Koosh. He pointed with the longest three ofhis nine tendril-like appendages. "See it, Thuko?"
"I see it. Yes, it is obviously empty of life and has been for sometime. Set down the sphere, Koosh."
Ten minutes later they were standing on a gravelled rooftop, sucking inmore of the wonderful air of this hospitable world.
"And so we begin our vacation on Earth," Koosh murmured softly,reverently. "A year, Thuko! a year of breathing this nectar ... ofstuffing our poor starved bodies with fine foods unknown to Mars'barren soil. A year o