"You're looking at a picture being transmitted some 60 million miles from a satellite camera above the planet Mars-- a picture of the first spaceships to be dispatched to the red planet since Colonel John Wilder and his crew" "left for Mars almost three years ago." "I'm standing in the heart of the Zeus mission control center with General Malcolm Halstead, commanding officer." "This is a big day for Project Mars, General." "Yes, it is." "We've waited a long time for it, but the colonizing fleet is off at last." "is there any expectation of encountering life on Mars?" "No, we don't anticipate that." "To our knowledge, the plague destroyed all life." "That was a dreadful irony, of course-- the germs which actually started the plague being carried there by our first expeditions." "That's still a matter of speculation, of course." "But in any event, it was dreadful." "If you'll excuse me." "Thank you, General." "Now we see again the fleet of spaceships approaching Mars." "Now the rockets come like beating drums-- like silver locusts swarming through the emptiness of space." "And from the rockets come men to beat the strange world into a shape that is familiar to the eye." "They come to find something or leave something or get something." "To dig up something or bury something or leave something alone." "To bludgeon away the strangeness." "And Colonel Wilder becomes chief coordinator of the planet Mars hoping that perhaps he can save some remnant of the old Martian civilization from the advancing thunder of human feet." "It all happens so quickly." "So like the technocrats of Earth who have been transplanted to this strange alien environment, they build their homes to blot out the stars, using the all-purpose modules designed by computers for this or any other purpose." "They plant poles to carry power, dig trenches to bury water pipes, scrape away the land for roads and then pave over the Martian landscape." "In six months, a dozen communities were laid down on the naked planet." "They come to Mars to put their names upon the land." "The place where the Martians killed the first Earth man is called York Plain." "Where the second expedition was destroyed is called Blackville." "Then there is Wilder Mountain." "Spender Hill." "Briggs Canal." "And Lustig Creek." "Some come to find the unattainable." "For each man, it is different." "Leif Lustig is searching for the unattainable." "Anna!" "First rain this season!" "Almost like back home." " Are you homesick?" " No." "Let's get inside. lt's cold!" " lt's good to have a fire." " Yeah." " Only one thing missing." " Oh, please, Leif, please." "All right. I won't start up again. I'm sorry." "At least we're here where he died." "I know." "I won't speak of it anymore." " No, it's my turn." " You're cheating. it's my turn." "Keep your hands off." "Now I get you." "Now you have this one." " Did you hear something?" " Like what?" "Someone whistling." "Who's there?" "Who is it?" "What do you want?" "!" "Who are you?" " Leif?" " Yes?" "Why are you shouting?" "Come here!" "Quickly!" "What is it?" "Who is it?" "A young man." "He looks like David." "He does look like David, doesn't he?" "No." "No." "Go away." "Go away." "What are you doing?" "Come to bed." "Lock the door." "If it's you... if by some chance...it is you... if you're cold and want to warm yourself... I'll leave the door unlatched." "Just come in and..." " Leif?" " Yes?" " Come to bed." " All right." " Don't forget to lock the door." " No." " You're all wet." " l'm sorry. I get the towel." "No, you stay." "It's a terrible night." "It's all right." "Go to sleep." "What if it is him?" "You know it can't be." "My God." "Am I losing my mind?" "I'm losing my mind." "Morning, Father." "It's a nice day." "David?" "You are alive?" "Why shouldn't I be?" "But the second expedition disappeared-- all of you, the ship." "We came from Earth to try and find you--we never did." "I don't understand." "You want me to be here, don't you?" "Of course, but" "Then why ask questions?" "Just accept." "But your mother-- the shock." "Don't worry." "I sang to both of you last night." "It'll help you to accept me more." "Especially her." "I know what shock is, Father." "Great God, I slept so long!" "Good morning, David, good morning, Leif." "You set the table." "How sweet of you." "See?" "I put the kettle on, and you help me make breakfast." " Okay." " Come." "Here, my darling." "I get you some more hot coffee, all right?" "You can't be David." "But you are someone." "Who?" "Don't." "You can tell me..." "Here, my darling." " You finished?" " Yes, Mama." "Okay." "Thank you." " Listen to me." " Please." "There's something about you." "You are David, and yet you are not." "Why can't you accept me?" "Tell me who you are!" "Where's David?" " Has he gone outside?" " Yes." "Good." "Do you remember anything about the second expedition?" "About them never returning?" "Yes, of course, but what has it got to do with David?" "Among the many who came to Mars were a handful of missionaries to prepare those on the new planet for the reception of God's truth." "For Father Peregrine, it was a quest for God himself." "Lord, we have come to a new land." "We shall need new eyes." "We shall hear new sounds, must needs have new ears." "And there will be new sins, for which we ask the gift of better and firmer and purer hearts." "Amen." "Welcome to Mars." " Father Peregrine?" " Yes." " Father Stone." " Hello." "John Wilder." "Let me take your bag." "How did you like space travel?" "It was absolutely remarkable." " More?" " Delicious meal." " Thank you very much." " Excellent." "All right, kids, time for bed." " Do we have to?" " Yes." "Good night, Daddy." "Good night, sweetheart." "Say good night to our guests." "Good night, my dear." " Good night, Mom." " Good night." "Sleep well." "Can I have your plate?" " There you are." " Thanks." "Can I ask you something, Mr. Wilder?" "Certainly." "There was a rumor on the ship-- one of the crewmen spoke of it-- that some prospector broke both his legs up in the Martian hills and would've died there except that something like spheres of light came at him." "When he woke up, he was lying by the side of the road and was rescued?" "Spheres of light?" "You mean, a form of life?" "Yes, that was the rumor." "That has not been substantiated." " Coffee?" " Yes." "There is no scientific evidence of any life here." "Pity." "All destroyed by a child's disease, obliterating an entire civilization." " Yes." " Then you think as I think-- that there's absolutely no truth to this rumor?" "I do." "It would've been so good to exchange ideas with Martians." "Yes, it would've been." "But I'm afraid all that remains of life on Mars are the cities they left behind." "Do you think it would be possible for us to see them?" "Yes." "Tomorrow morning." "Thank you." "We're very glad to have you here." "There's a great need of you on Mars." "Mars is like a frontier like in the Old West or in Alaska." "There are hundreds of miners, laborers, mechanics in our first 12 communities." "And they're in great need of spiritual guidance." "Oh, yes." "is it possible that the colonization process has been too abrupt-- too headlong?" "I wish it could be slowed down." "Too many mistakes are being made." "People taking advantage of what's going on, bringing things from Earth I'd hoped they left behind-- graft, corruption, bureaucracy." "Pity." "You're thinking of that man we spoke of, aren't you?" " What was his name?" " Yeah." "Spender." "Spender." "Yes." "You feel responsible to do what he asked-- to prevent men from-- what did he say-- tearing apart the planet?" "I do feel responsible, Father." "I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone before, except my wife." "When I was with Spender, and he was telling me about his plan to kill everyone who came here in order to save this planet, I remember telling him I couldn't believe it was he saying those things." "And I recalled a strange look on his face when I asked him if there were any Martians left." ""A few," he said." "I've been wondering about it ever since." "That rumor you spoke of last night made me wonder again." "Wondering what?" "Well... if it were really Spender I was talking to, or if it were someone or some thing... that had taken him over." "You think it's still possible there are Martians?" "I'd like to think so, Father." "These are the oldest remnants of Martian culture we've discovered to date." "Our archaeologists estimate they date back over 250 million years." "They look like some ancient ruins I've seen on Earth." "Makes you wonder if there might not have been a common ancestry between Mars and Earth." "What's going on?" "They're dismantling this structure for shipment back to Earth." "Perhaps your friend Spender was right." "Didn't he predict all this would happen?" "Yes." "Surely there's nothing wrong in sending back to Earth examples of this remarkable civilization." "It goes deeper than that." "This is exactly what Spender was trying to prevent-- tearing up the planet." "These ruins belong to another race." "What race?" "Where are they?" " l don't know." " Nobody knows, Father." "I looked after the Spender incident." "I scoured this planet for signs of life." "Nothing." "Yet the feeling that they're here, watching, persists." "I can't explain it." "It's time we went back to First Town." "How about some lunch?" "Good idea." "If you don't mind, we'd rather like to walk back on our own." " Walk?" " Yes." "We'd like to see more of the landscape." " Positive?" " Oh, yes." " Which way is First Town?" " Right..." " We'll find it." " By ourselves?" "You want to stay close to the road." "I'll send a vehicle back in a few hours." "No, we'll be fine." "Hopefully." "I'll send a vehicle back anyway just in case you change your mind." " Why didn't we go with him?" " Not yet." "We should never have left that road." "Never have left that road." " We'll be all right." " All right?" "We are lost." " Keep the faith, Father." " l shall keep the faith." " lt does have its limits." " Not at all." "I'm sure that First Town's just over those hills." "You've been saying that all afternoon." "The sun is going down and soon." "What'll we do then...pray?" "Who knows if we'll even be heard on this outlandish planet?" "We'll be all right." "God is everywhere." "I certainly hope so, because this is nowhere." "We are lost." "We are quite hopelessly lost." "Do you think perhaps if we shouted "Hello," they might reply?" "Who?" "You still haven't given up that rumor, have you?" "You still hope it might be true." " Well..." " That is what we are doing out here." "Father Peregrine, don't you know how much work there is to be done on Mars?" "There are at least a dozen communities of sinners in need of redemption, and here we are, roaming all over the Martian countryside because of some ridiculous rumor." "Well?" " Father Peregrine?" " Wait." "Monsters!" "No, wait." "I knew we shouldn't have come here." "No, don't be afraid." " This is the work of the devil." " No, it's not." "Please, Father, let us go!" "I must speak to them." "No, Father, please, no." "Hello." "We come with God." "Father, don't!" "No, wait!" "Come back!" "Come back!" "Now look what you've done." " What happened?" " The blue lights lifted us." " No, they couldn't." " Yes, they did." "They saved us." "They saved our lives." "No, Father." "We ran." "You know that's not true." "They saved our lives." "It proves that they have souls." "Father, they're not human." "Perhaps not, but I feel something about them." "I know a great revelation is at hand." "They saved our lives." "They think--they had a choice-- let us die or rescue us." "That proves they have free will." "Gotta stay here." " Stay here?" " Spend the night." "Perhaps they'll come back." "You are risking the entire missionary expedition just so these inhuman..." "Can't you recognize the human in the inhuman?" "I would rather recognize the inhuman in the human." "Help me get a fire started." "The air is chilling." "I'm hungry." "We can get food in the morning." "In the morning?" "We should be back in First Town instead of sitting around here waiting for something ludicrous." "What if I proved these creatures know sin-- that they know a moral life and have free will and intellect?" "That would take some proving." "But they may well have killed the members of the first two expeditions." "Isn't that sin?" "There must've been an original sin on Mars." "A Martian Adam and Eve, if you like." "Father, are you thinking of the church, or merely trying to quench your own thirst of curiosity?" "Are you thinking of our work or personally converting Martians?" "That would be a sin of pride." "I know it." "But many prideful things are done out of love for our Lord." "One is not supposed to." "Do you know, Father, at one time, my motivation in joining the church was to meet Christ in person?" "Yes." "I refuse to believe you." "Yes, actually in person." "I don't care what your problems are." "My problem is I need those two reactors desperately." "Don't give me a hard time about customs and permits." "You sound like you're back on Earth." "Hold it." "Yes?" "Your call to General Halstead is ready, sir." "Thank you." "Do what you can." "I'll get back to you tomorrow." " General?" " John, how are you?" "A bit frazzled as we speak." "I'm sending out a search party for two wandering missionaries." "That's not why I called." "Let me guess." "You want to badger me again about immigration." "Exactly." "General, you must get them to exercise a little more discretion." "The great majority of relocators are first-rate, but a few more troublemakers have slipped through." "I'll see what I can do, but you know the situation here on Earth." "Applications to relocate are coming in so fast, we can't process them." "If things get any worse, I may put in for a transfer myself." "Let me know." "Ruth and I would love to have you as neighbors." "Good-bye, General." "George, I'd like an update on that search party." "There's still no word on those two missionaries, sir." "Thank you." "You are aware, aren't you?" "I know you are." "But how to prove it?" "You're following me, aren't you..." "watching me?" "Bet you know what I'm thinking." "Will the Lord understand that I'm doing this for Him?" "You saved me." "You wouldn't let me die." "You knew it was wrong." "You know." "You understand." "Listen to me, please." "My missionaries and I will build a church in these hills." "Instead of a cross, a blue sphere will represent the Martian Christ." "We will live with you, and we will help you to discover God." "No, Father Peregrine." "You speak." "You know my name." "Listen to my voice now, Father Peregrine." "We are the Old Ones." "We left our marble cities long ago and went to the hills." "Once, we had bodies such as yours." "Then we learned to free ourselves and so took on the look of blue globes." "We have lived in the winds and sky since then, apart from those we left behind." "How we came to be has been forgotten, but we shall never die." "We have put away the weaknesses of the body and live in the grace of that being whom you call God." "We covet no one's property, we do not steal, nor kill nor lust nor hate." "We have left sin behind." "We thank you for the thought of building us a church, but we have no need of it, for each of us is a temple unto himself." "Build your church among your own kind and cleanse them." "We are at peace." "Come on, Father Stone, can't sleep all day." " Please." " Got a long journey ahead of us." "So we can go further into the hills?" "Oh, no. I know the way back now." "I'm gonna stay here until we're found." "From here, we can see for miles." "From here, we can signal or..." "Wait a minute." "What do you mean, you know the way back now?" "What is it?" "I saw them again." "They were hovering above us as we slept." "I felt certain that they were intelligent, they were aware, they were understanding." "So I stepped off the cliff." " You what?" " l stepped off the cliff." "I knew they would know that it was wrong for me to do so and that they would stop me." "And they did, Father Stone." "They knew it was wrong, and they saved me." "We've got to get back to the town." "Mr. Wilder'll be worried about us." "Father, wait!" "Father!" "Wait a minute." "Wait!" "Father!" "Please, Father, wait." "Father." "There is something I don't understand." "If, as you say, these globes softened your fall... why did they just leave you there?" "I suppose I could've asked them to take me back, but... somehow, I didn't have the heart, not after what I heard." " Heard?" " Yes, a voice. lt spoke to me." "I had said that I would build a church in the hills with a blue globe in place of a cross." "Father, what are you saying?" "I'll tell you later." " A voice?" " Yes, a voice." "His voice, Father Stone." "His voice." "And so, Father Peregrine leaves the place where he had seen and heard the Old Ones of Mars, thinking that there is truth on every planet-- all parts of a larger truth-- and men will go on to other worlds as well" "adding together the parts of the overall truth until the glorious total stands before them like the light of a new day." "All theirjourneys will have ended then." "They will be at Home." "Leif, I'm worried about David." "Where do you think he went?" "He can't have gone to town-- the boat is here." "Don't worry." "He'll be back." "If he isn't home soon, you'd better look for him." "All right." "Are you going to ask me who I am?" "Good." "Where have you been?" "Near First Town." "I almost got caught." "Caught?" "I don't want to talk about it." "We won't, then." "Wash up, son, it's suppertime." "All right." "Mama?" " Where have you been?" " l went for a long walk." "You went for a long walk, and I worry for you." " l'm sorry." " All right, you're sorry." " Leif, supper is on." "Come." " All right." "No, have some more." "What did you do this afternoon?" " Nothing." "Why?" " No reason." "Just curious." "You know what we do this evening?" "We all go into town." "We haven't been there in months." "I'll stay home if you don't mind, Mama." " Why?" " Just don't feel like going." "Course you do." "We all can use a night out." "I'd rather not." "And why?" "I'm afraid of the town." "You're afraid of the town?" "But, David..." "The people." "I'd just rather not." "Nonsense." "I've never heard such nonsense." "Of course we all go, don't we?" "Anna, if the boy doesn't want to go" "Please, let it be a family evening just for once." "It's been such a long time." "Anna, if he doesn't want to, let's go another time." "No. I've made up my mind." "We go this evening." "Lock the door." "Stay close, Father." "I don't want to get caught." "Nobody is going to catch you." "Except maybe a pretty girl, and I'm going to be very jealous." "Thank you." " Stay by me, please." " l will." "We won't stay long." " l hope not." " Leif!" "Come." "Father..." " lt's happening." " What?" "Come over here." "There's so much to see." "Come!" "All right." "We are coming." "Where's David?" "Where is that boy?" "Why don't you go to a cafe?" "I'll look for him." "I don't understand him anymore." "If I have trouble finding him, I'll see you by the boat in an hour or so." "Are you all right?" "All right." " Mr. Wilder?" " Yes?" "I don't know whether you remember me or not." "My name is Lustig." "I'm living on the canal with my wife." " Yes, Mr. Lustig." "How are you?" " My son is missing." " How young is he?" " 24." "Twenty...well." "He's missing, Mr. Wilder." "How long has he been missing?" "Since we came into town tonight." " He could be anywhere." " lt isn't like that." "There is something wrong." "I see." " What is his name?" " David." "David Lustig?" "Are you by any chance related to the David Lustig of the second expedition?" "Yes, you and your wife came up here in search..." "That must've been another David Lustig." "Yes." "You are probably right, Mr. Wilder." "He's full grown." "He's probably wandering around somewhere." "I go check again." "I'm sorry to have bothered you." "Mr. Lustig, perhaps l-- lt was foolish of me to come here." "You are right, of course." "He's 24." "He'll be wandering around." "24?" "David Lustig was 24." "Mr. Lustig!" "is someone there?" "No, no, no, no." "No, it can't be." "Enough!" "You're trembling." "Let me go." "Let you go?" "But no one keeps you here." "Yes." "You do." "What?" "Avert your gaze." "The more you look, the more I become this!" "I am not what I seem." "I am not that vision." "I didn't mean to come here." "I was in the town square." "One thing, I lost hold, and suddenly, I was many things to many people." "I ran, and they followed." "I fled in here." "Then you came in, and I was trapped." "Oh, yes!" "Trapped!" "You're not...what you seem?" "Forgive me." "I wish that I might be, but I cannot." " l'm going mad." " Oh, no!" "Or I go down in madness with you." "Release me!" "I can't dear Lord, not when you've finally come." "2,000 years we've waited for your return." "Now I'm the one that sees you and hears you speak." "You see nothing but your own dream...your own needs." "Beneath all this, I am another thing." "But what am I to do?" "Look away from me, and at that moment, I'll be gone." "Gone?" "Or you'll kill me!" "Or I'll kill you." "If you force me into this guise much longer, I will die." "It is more than I can hold." "Who are you then?" "You know." "That?" "No more, no less." "And I have made you like this with my thoughts?" "When you came into the church, you looked at the crucifix." "Your old dream of meeting Him seized you once again." "It seized me." "My body still bleeds from the wounds you gave me with your secret mind." "Oh, Lord!" "Oh, my sweet Lord." "Go, before I keep you here forever." "Father Peregrine." " Excuse me, Father-- - l was just on my way to see you." "What is it?" "Do you remember telling me about your crewman who believed in Martians?" " What was his name?" " Spender." "You said you wondered if you were really talking to him, or to something that had taken him over." "Yes." "Well, it may not have been him at all, mentally or physically." "What are you saying?" "I'm saying he may have been a Martian." " There's one in First Town right now." " What?" "!" "One who can make people think that he looks like anyone they have in mind." "Anyone." "How do you know?" "Because I saw him." "That is, I..." "Believe me, John, he is here." "Hello there, Lustig." "Mike Atterbury." " Good evening, Mike." " Care to come and sit a while?" "No, I'm looking for something." " You lost something, have you?" " Yes, l" "Speaking of lost things, you remember Joe Spaulding's girl Lavinnia?" "Yes." "Everyone thought she was drowned in the canal." "They found what they thought was her body, and it was all beat up." "Joe, he started telling everyone it wasn't her, and she was still alive." "What?" "Guess he was right." "Lavinnia showed up tonight." "Showed up where?" "Oak Street, by the church." "Spauldings were walking home from downtown when all of a sudden, there was Lavinnia, running towards them." "She didn't recognize them at first." "They had to call to her." "Then she remembered." "Where is she now?" "Home, I guess." "Isn't that incredible?" "Who's there?" "It's me--your father." "David!" "Please go." "There's nothing you can do." "You have got to come home." "Your mother's waiting." "We should never have come into town." "My wife will die if you don't come back." "She couldn't bear to lose you for a second time." "I'm sorry, but the thoughts in this house are strong." "I can't change back." "They are a family of five." "They can stand your loss better." "I'm tired, weak." "You have got to come back." "I won't let Anna be hurt again." "You belong to us." "Please, don't do this to me." "Come down!" "You will be safer living outside of town, you know that." "There'll only be us." "We'll never come into town again." "Who's down there?" "Vinnie?" "Come back inside." "Don't stop!" "Don't stop!" "Please!" "Hurry!" "Stop!" "No!" "Hurry, David!" "No!" "Lavinnia, come back!" "Lustig, I got a gun!" "Go down that alley and run to the boat." "I'll lead him off." "Lustig, listen to me." "He's not what you think he is." "Let me go!" "You don't understand." "You can't shoot him!" "Dexter!" "Anna, get in the boat." "David's coming." " Where is he?" " He'll be here right away." " There he is." " David!" "Come!" " Lustig!" " ln the boat!" " You're comin' home with me." " Wait a minute!" "This man's my prisoner." "The man's wanted for murder." "No, this is my husband!" " No, no, that's my Lavinnia." " No, it's David!" " He's my prisoner." " No, it's David!" "Stop it." "He's a Martian!" "You don't understand!" "Have you heard the news from Earth?" "There's going to be a war." "Wilder's mind is a confusion of troubled thoughts-- thoughts about the dead Martian who might've taught them something of the planet they're living on." "Thoughts of the planet they had left behind." "The world about to face its final war." "Negotiations have completely broken down." "The President has declared all lines of communication mutually severed, which leaves the world an armed and waiting camp with all military forces on full alert." "I don't believe it." "I just don't believe it." "John, talk to me." "What are we going to do?" "I know what I have to do." "I'm going back to Earth and get my brother and his family up here where it's safe." "But you can't." "George, get me my brother at Mission Control." "Why can't they come up here on the next shuttle?" "Because there won't be another shuttle." "They may never know what hit them." "All right, then we'll go home together, as a family." "No, Ruth." "Don't you understand?" "This may be the only home our family will ever know again." "If what you say is true, then we'll be cut off...isolated." "Forgotten." "There may be no one left on Earth to forget us." "That's why I have to reach Bill, why I've got to save him." "Wilder here." " Bill, it's John." "What in the hell is going on down there?" "John, it's all over." "Everything's fallen apart." "I'm coming down to get you and the family." "John, you can't." "Congress has just cut the entire budget for space exploration." "All our resources are gone to defense." "The president's going to close down the colony." "Halstead's probably trying to get through to you right now." "I'm bringing you up here if I have to drag you up here." "We know enough about Mars for a small group to support life here." "So hang in there." " But..." " Good-bye." "Wilder makes a final effort to warn remote colonists of the coming evacuation." "But Sam Parkhill's dream of making his fortune on Mars has become an obsession." "Hello?" "Anybody here?" "Come on in, partner." "What can I do for--Colonel?" "Sam?" "Colonel Wilder?" "How in the hell are ya?" "I'm fine." " You?" " l just couldn't be better." "You're a sight for sore eyes." "So are you." "You gotta give the folks what they expect." "I haven't seen you in nearly three years." "Wait a minute here." "Turn this darn thing off." "Elma, come on out here." "I want you to meet somebody." " Come on." " All right." "Hurry up." "This is Colonel Wilder, the man I've told you so much about." "Oh, yeah." "It's nice to meet you, Colonel." "It hasn't been Colonel for some time." "I know that, but you'll always be "Colonel" to me." "Quite a place you have here." " Oh, yeah." "We like it." " We sure do." "Get you something to eat." "Hamburger, hot dog?" "Sit down." "Thank you. I can't stay." "Sit down right here." "Are you just passin' through?" "I only came to tell you that war seems inevitable." "Everybody's going back within 48 hours." "There ain't gonna be no war." "They been prophesying' doom for the past 50 years." "It ain't happened yet." "We're not gonna leave here." "We're stayin' right here." "This place is gonna make us rich." "10,000 rockets with 100,000 workers comin' here." "They won't come, Sam." "They won't even get the chance." "Oh, they'll come, and we'll be ready for 'em when they do." "Two main highways intersecting right here." "The minerals out there-- gold and uranium and diamonds." "There'll be trucks rolling by here 24 hours a day." "I hope you're right." "I'm right, you can bet on it." "I have to be going." "Thanks for thinkin' of us." "You know you stay here at your own risk, but if you change your mind, be in town in the morning." "We won't change our mind." "They'll be comin', ya hear?" "!" "They're comin'." "It's so quiet." "Won't be for long." "Probably won't even be able to sleep at night." "What is "hmm" supposed to mean?" "It means that I don't trust those people on Earth." "Well... I'll believe it when I see the rockets coming." "They'll be comin'." "100,000 hungry mouths." "If there's no atomic war." "Honey, there ain't gonna be no war." "We're gonna be rich." "Am I right?" "Am I?" "My God!" "Mr. Parkhill, I've come to speak to you." "A Martian!" "I've come for an important reason." "This is for you." "Hit the dirt!" "This isn't a gun." "Yeah?" "How do you know that?" "Look. it's got some kind of writing on it." "He was just tryin' to give you a message." "How was I supposed to know that?" "What if it had've been a weapon?" "Put it down." "You better go get the shovel." "Go on." "Get the shovel." " Eat, eat." " l can't." "Honey bear, I'm so sorry about what happened." "I really am." "But when he pulled that thing on me, I thought it was a weapon." " l did." " l know." "Yeah." "Besides, there weren't supposed to be any Martians left." "That's what the Colonel told me." "Oh, he wanted to meet one so badly." "Who finally gets to meet one?" "Me." "And what do I do?" "I shoot him." "Her?" "It?" "Who knows what it was?" "There wasn't even any body." "What kind people are they, anyway?" "I thought they were all wiped out with the plague." "They've been hidin' all these years." "It served him right, jumpin' up on me like that" " Sam!" " Surprisin' me." " What?" " Look." "My heavenly day!" "There ain't no more sand ships left." "I bought the last one at an auction!" "There they are!" "There they are." " Let's get out of here!" " What for?" "They're comin' to kill us, that's what for!" "Come on!" "Damn, I never finished fixing' it!" " Now what?" " The sand ship." " What?" "!" " Come on!" "No, I'm not riding in that thing." "I am not letting you drive me in that thing." " l can do it." " No!" "Are you gonna stand here and let 'em kill us?" "!" "Maybe they won't kill us." "Elma, I just killed one of them." "What do you think they're gonna do?" "They killed our first two expeditions." "Come on, woman!" "Do you even know how this thing works?" "It just works!" "That's all." "You see?" " You got a rope." " You don't know." "There goes the sail!" "Wait a minute!" "Wait!" "There we go!" "Oh, my God, they're closin' in on us!" "Come on, you thing, go!" "Get outta here!" " What are you doing?" " What do you think I'm doin'?" "I'm fightin' for our very lives, that's what I'm doin'." "Got one." "You see that?" "I got one." "Help me steer this thing for me." " l can't!" " Come on up here." "They got us!" "Honey, they're all around us!" "I'm afraid we're just gonna be killed, honey." " Earth man." " lt was all a mistake." "I thought your friend had a weapon" " Pick up your weapon." " What?" "Pick up your weapon." " Put it away." " Yes, sir." "Take this." "What is it?" "Take it." "You hold a grant to all of the territories from the Silver Mountains to the Blue Hills." "From the Dead Salt Sea to the distant valleys of moonstone and emerald." "Maybe, maybe..." "that may be half of Mars." "It is yours." "Did you see what he give me?" "I see." "Thank you very much, sir." "I appreciate it." "I don't know what to say." "We leave you now." "Prepare." "Tonight is the night." "This land is yours." "I own half of Mars." "Do you realize that, Elma?" "I own half of Mars!" "Yeah." "I can't figure out why they didn't kill us." "Tonight." "He said tonight." "That must be it." "Sure!" "The rockets are comin'." " 10,000 rockets" " There it is." "What?" "Earth." " Let me look." "Earth?" " Yeah." "There you are, you beautiful Earth." "Hello, you great big green wonderful Earth!" "Send me your teeming' masses, your hungry, starving' millions." "Sam Parkhill will be ready and waitin' for you." "Hamburgers frying', hot dogs broilin', chili cooking', onions peeled and sliced, buns warming' and coffee perking'!" "Come on, you beautiful Earth!" "What is it?" "Okay now... let's turn on the lights, switch on the music, open the door... get those hot dogs broilin'." "This is a perfect spot for a cafe." "Two main highways intersecting." "Out there--mineral deposits." "Trucks goin' by 24 hours a day." "All those hungry men." "Hey, Sam, I wanna let you in on a little secret." "It looks like it's gonna be an off season." "A million years in the future, a million light years away, some civilization will perceive a brief flicker in the heavens." "Will they know us-- that what we had was worth preserving?" "No." "A falling star, perhaps, and their telescopes will continue to gaze into the universe." "But we will be gone."