Марсианские хроники
April 2000: The Third Expedition
"Doyouthinkthatthecivilizationsoftwoplanetscanprogressatthesamerateandevolveinthesameway,Hinkston?"
"Iwouldn’thavethoughtso,sir."
CaptainBlackstoodbytheport."Lookoutthere.Thegeraniums.Aspecializedplant.ThatspecificvarietyhasonlybeenknownonEarthforfiftyyears.Thinkofthethousandsofyearsittakestoevolveplants.ThentellmeifitislogicalthattheMartiansshouldhave:one,leaded-glasswindows;two,cupolas;three,porchswings;four,aninstrumentthatlookslikeapianoandprobablyisapiano;andfive,ifyoulookcloselythroughthistelescopiclenshere,isitlogicalthataMartiancomposerwouldhavepublishedapieceofmusictitled,strangelyenough,«BeautifulOhio»?AllofwhichmeansthatwehaveanOhioRiveronMars!"
"CaptainWilliams,ofcourse!"criedHinkston,
"What?"
"CaptainWilliamsandhiscrewofthreemen!OrNathanielYorkandhispartner.Thatwouldexplainit!"
"Thatwouldexplainabsolutelynothing.Asfaraswe’vebeenabletofigure,theYorkexpeditionexplodedthedayitreachedMars,killingYorkandhispartner.AsforWilliamsandhisthreemen,theirshipexplodedtheseconddayaftertheirarrival.Atleastthepulsationsfromtheirradiosceasedatthattime,sowefigurethatifthemenwerealiveafterthatthey’dhavecontactedus.Andanyway,theYorkexpeditionwasonlyayearago,whileCaptainWilliamsandhismenlandedheresometimeduringlastAugust.
