Stranger in a Strange Land

«Fine.» Mike liked having light up through the ripples; it was a goodness, beauty. They picnicked by the pool, then lay back on the grass and looked at stars.

«Mike, there's Mars. It is Mars, isn't it? Or Antares?»

«It is Mars.»

«Mike? What are they doing on Mars?»

He hesitated; the question was too wide for the sparse English language. «On the side toward the horizon — the southern hemisphere — it is spring; plants are being taught to grow.»

«“Taught to grow”?»

He hesitated. «Larry teaches plants to grow. I have helped him. But my people — Martians, I mean; I now grok you are my people — teach plants another way. In the other hemisphere it is growing colder and nymphs, those who stayed alive through the summer, are being brought into nests for quickening and more growing.» He thought. «Of the humans we left at the equator, one has discorporated and the others are sad.»

«Yes, I heard it in the news.»

Mike had not heard it; he had not known it until asked. «They should not be sad. Mr. Booker T. W. Jones Food Technician First Class is not sad; the Old Ones have cherished him.»

«You knew him?»

«Yes. He had his own face, dark and beautiful. But he was homesick.»

«Oh, dear! Mike … do you ever get homesick? For Mars?»

«At first I was homesick,» he answered. «I was lonely always.» He rolled toward her and took her in his arms. «But now I am not lonely. I grok I shall never be lonely again.»

«Mike darling — » They kissed, and went on kissing.

Presently his water brother said breathlessly. «Oh, my! That was almost worse than the first time.»

«You are all right, my brother?»

«Yes. Yes indeed. Kiss me again.»

A long time later, by cosmic clock, she said, «Mike? Is that — I mean, “Do you know — ”»

«I know. It is for growing closer. Now we grow closer.»

«Well… I've been ready a long time — goodness, we all have, but… never mind, dear; turn just a little. I'll help.»

As they merged, grokking together, Mike said softly and triumphantly: «Thou art God.»

Her answer was not in words. Then, as their grokking made them ever closer and Mike felt himself almost ready to discorporate her voice called him back: «Oh! …Oh! Thou art God!»

«We grok God.»

XXV

ON MARS humans were building pressure domes for the male and female party that would arrive by next ship. This went faster than scheduled as the Martians were helpful. Part of the time saved was spent on a preliminary estimate for a long-distance plan to free bound oxygen in the sands of Mars to make the planet more friendly to future human generations.

The Old Ones neither helped nor hindered this plan; time was not yet. Their meditations were approaching a violent cusp that would shape Martian art for many millennia. On Earth elections continued and a very advanced poet published a limited edition of verse consisting entirely of punctuation marks and spaces;Time magazine reviewed it and suggested that the Federation Assembly Daily Record should be translated into the medium.

A colossal campaign opened to sell more sexual organs of plants and Mrs. Joseph («Shadow of Greatness») Douglas was quoted as saying: «I would no more sit down without flowers on my table than without serviettes.» A Tibetan swami from Palermo, Sicily, announced in Beverly Hills a newly discovered, ancient yoga discipline for ripple breathing which increased both pranha and cosmic attraction between sexes. His chelas were required to assume the matsyendra posture dressed in hand-woven diapers while he read aloud from Rig-Veda and an assistant guru examined their purses in another room — nothing was stolen; the purpose was less immediate.

The President of the United States proclaimed the first Sunday in November as «National Grandmothers' Day» and urged America to say it with flowers. A funeral parlor chain was indicted for price-cutting. Fosterite bishops, after secret conclave, announced the Church's second Major Miracle: Supreme Bishop Digby had been translated bodily to Heaven and spot-promoted to Archangel, ranking with-but-after Archangel Foster. The glorious news had been held up pending Heavenly confirmation of the elevation of a new Supreme Bishop, Huey Short — a candidate accepted by the Boone faction after lots had been cast repeatedly.

L'Unita and Hoy published identical denunciations of Short's elevation,l'Osservatore Romano and the Christian Science Monitor ignored it,Times of India snickered at it, and the Manchester Guardian simply reported it — the Fosterites in England were few but extremely militant.