The Emancipatrix | Page 3

of the little books. "I think we will do well to
investigate a planet which the Venusians call 'Sanus.' It belongs to the
tremendous planetary family of the giant star Arcturus. I haven't read
any details at all; I didn't want to know more than you. We can proceed
with our discoveries on an equal footing."
"But," objected Smith, recalling the previous methods, "how are we to
put our minds in touch with any of theirs, unless we know enough
about them to imagine their view-points?"
"Our knowledge of their planet's name and location," replied the doctor,
"makes it easier for us. All we have to do is to go into the telepathic
state, via the Venusian formula; then, at the same time, each must
concentrate upon some definite mental quality, some particular
characteristic of his own mind, which he or she wishes to find on Sanus.
It makes no difference what it may be; all you have to do is, exert your
imaginations a little."
There was a pause, broken by Smith: "We ought to tell each other what
we have in mind, so that we don't conflict."
"Yes. For my part," said the doctor, "I'd like to get in touch with a
being who is mildly rebellious; not a violent radical, but a philosophical
revolutionist. I don't care what sort of a creature he, she, or it may be,
so long as the mind is in revolt against whatever injustice may exist."
"Then I," stated Smith, "will stick to the idea of service. Nobody was
surprised that the engineer should make such a choice; he was, first,
last, and all the time, essentially a useful man."
Van Emmon was not ready with his choice. Instead: "You say, doc, that
you know nothing further about Sanus than what you've already told
us?"

"I was about to mention that. The Venusians say that conditions are
reversed from what we found on Capellette. Instead of Sanus being
ruled by a small body of autocrats, it is--ruled by the working class!"
"Under the circumstances," said Van, "I'll take something different
from what I got last time. No imperiousness this trip." He smiled
grimly. "There was a time when I used to take orders. Suppose you call
my choice 'subordinacy.'"
"How very noble of you!" gibed Billie. "My idea is supremacy, and
plenty of it! I want to get in touch with the man higher up--the worker
who is boss of the whole works!" She flashed a single glance at her
husband, then threw herself back in her chair. "Go ahead!"
And before two minutes were up, the power of concerted thought, aided
by a common objective and the special electrical circuit which joined
them, had projected the minds of the four across the infinite depths of
space. The vast distance which separated their bodies from Sanus was
annihilated, literally as quick as thought.
Neither of the four stirred. To all appearances they were fast asleep.
The room was quite still; only the clock ticked dully on the wall.
Down- stairs, the doctor's wife kept watch over the house.
The greatest marvel in creation, the human mind, was exploring the
unknown.

II
ALMOST HUMAN
Of course, the four still had the ability to communicate with each other
while in the trance state; they had developed this power to a fair degree
while investigating Capellette. However, each was so deeply interested
in what he or she was seeing during the first hour of their Sanusian
experiences that neither thought to discuss the matter until afterward.

When the doctor first made connection with the eyes of his agent, he
instinctively concluded that he, at least, had got in touch with a being
more or less like himself. The whole thing was so natural; he was
surveying a sunny, brush-covered landscape from eyes whose height
from the ground, and other details, were decidedly those of a human.
For a moment there was comparative silence. Then his unknown agent
swiftly raised something--a hand, presumably--to a mouth, and gave
out a piercing cry. Whereupon the doctor learned something that jarred
him a trifle. His agent was--a woman!
He had time to congratulate himself upon the fact that he was (1) a
doctor, (2) a married man, (3) the father of a daughter or two, before his
agent repeated her cry. Almost immediately it was answered by another
exactly like it, from an unseen point not far away. The Sanusian plainly
chuckled to herself with satisfaction.
A moment later there came, rather faintly, two more calls, each from a
different direction in the dun-colored brush. Still without moving from
the spot, the doctor's agent replied two or three times, meanwhile
watching her surroundings very closely. Within half a minute the first
of her friends came in sight.
It was a