Jesus On Mars

'I would think that that'd make for a lot of unhappy marriages.'

'No. Why should it?'

He didn't think he had the answer to that. He'd have to know even more about these people's attitudes before he could argue about this. Terrestrial conditions were obviously not always, or not often, like those here.

She pointed to the sun.

'He wouldn't like it.'

'Ah, he! But why should fear of him make for happiness?'

'We love him,' she said. 'We would adore him if he would permit it. But he keeps warning us that he is not the Merciful One.'

Orme decided to change the subject. All this talk, though informative, was irrelevant to his purpose. Since she was so frank, why shouldn't he be? And perhaps surprise might work.

He said, 'By the way, where is the entrance to the tu

'Over there.'

She pointed past him at the blue wall of the cavern. He followed the invisible extension of her finger, but he could not see anything significant.

'If you'll drive to the road that parallels this one five miles from here, and then go straight towards the wall, you'll come to the road that winds up the side. Then you'll come to a shelf of rock on which will be a small building striped blue and red. Behind it is the entrance.'

How easy it had been. Perhaps too easy.

'Is it a guardhouse?'

'No. Why should there be guards?'

Was she putting him on? Or did she really believe that the Earthmen would no more think of escape than a fat steer in a lush meadow? Did the authorities believe that?

'If you get lost, you can ask directions at the village of Gamaliel. Slow down, please. That's Wang Ben-Hebhel's farm. I teach his son and daughter.'

Orme turned on to the cement-paved horseshoe-shaped driveway and stopped in front of the house. Like most of the residences it was of wood and seven-sided. (The number seven had great symbolic meaning in this culture.) It was a storey and a half tall, and the wood composing it would be, he knew, very hard (of Krsh origin) and very thin. The boards were vertical, and there were big windows everywhere. The pagoda-like roof was red; a light-blue veranda surrounded the house. The eaves were very broad because of the Jewish tradition that, if a man fell off the roof, no blood should touch the house itself.

A big animal that looked like a black wolf, but whose ancestors had come from Krsh, rose from the veranda floor and chirruped loudly. A moment later two youngsters, about ten and thirteen, ran out. A slim dark woman, a beauty, followed them a few seconds later.

All three looked surprised on seeing Orme. When Gulthilo introduced him - as if they didn't know who he was - they smiled broadly and seemed genuinely delighted. Gulthilo thanked him for the ride, at the same time giving him an enigmatic look. Apparently, he was dismissed. But before he could turn away for the car, she said, 'Wait a minute,' and she rattled off Krsh to the woman, Ester.

Gulthilo said, 'Are you hungry?'

'I did skip lunch, but...'

'You're invited to eat with us. Please accept.'

'With you?'

'Yes. Ester told me she just heard over the TV that the Council has decided that you Terrans may eat at our tables. You aren't able to eat unfit food now since your provisions ran out, and there's no harm in eating with us. Of course, this applies only to ordinary meals. Feast days and holy days are out for you. And you must observe the rules.'

'It's nice not to be treated like a pariah,' Orme said.

He thanked her and followed them through a wide doorway on the sides of which were mezuzahs, little boxes containing holy writings. The only residences on Mars that did not have them were the two in which the Earth people lived. The first room was tall and airy. The wall boards were painted alternately in pale white and pale blue. No wallpaper. From the storey-and-a-half-high ceiling hung three large chandeliers of cut quartz, each bearing six huge electric lights. The only wall decorations were two big, very thin TV sets and a gigantic spear on brackets. Every household had at least one such weapon. It had been an ancient Krsh custom for the father to give his son this ceremonial spear when he got married. The humans had adopted this custom about the time the sixth cave was hollowed out.

The floor was polished mahogany with bright patterned throw rugs here and there. The furniture consisted of a very large table in the centre, five sofas, some small sidetables, a lectern, and a huge desk. The latter had at each corner a tall round post on which were carved six-pointed stars and floral designs.

The room led directly into a square central court. Every room had access to the court, a most charming place. Polished granite slabs formed its floor. In the centre was a large seven-sided pool from the centre of which there were openings in the floor from which grew twenty-foot-high trees with wide-reading branches. Yellow and scarlet canarylike birds sang or twittered in the branches or pecked at purple, apple-sized, pear-shaped fruit.

In one corner a lion-coloured cat the same size as its Terrestrial counterpart watched her three kittens play. Its great ears and facial markings and large green eyes were lynxish.

Ester led the way along the edge of the court to the other end of the square. Here they entered a hallway, where he was shown a large bathroom. After closing the door, he relieved himself and washed his face and hands. The bathtub was large enough to hold three people comfortably and was cut out of a single block of glossy black basalt.

He joined the others, who had also washed, and they led him into a gigantic kitchen with a fireplace big enough to roast a calf. It didn't look as if it was used much, however. One wall contained racks of knives, saws, cleavers, and table utensils. Another held dishes, pots, and kettles. A big chopping block stood by the sink. In one corner was a large electric range with a microwave oven above it. There were also a dishwasher, two towering refrigerators, and, in the centre of the room, a table large enough to seat twenty or so. It was set, however, for six.

Ester bustled around putting dishes of food and bowls of fruit on the table. The little girl helped her, but the boy stood staring at Orme until his mother sent him down into the cellar, the trapdoor to which was at one corner. He came out a minute later with two large bottles of wine. At the same time the head of the household Wang Elkanah Ben-Hebhel, entered. Gulthilo introduced Orme. They bowed to each other, the farmer frankly curious about this fabulous creature, the black Terrestrial. His stare would have been rude on Earth, but here it was only good ma

Ben-Hebhel had just come in from the fields, where he had been inspecting the barley. He had, however, hastened to wash and to doff his working robe and put on a clean white robe. His hat, which looked like a cowboy's sombrero, was also white. Over his shoulders he wore a silvery prayer shawl, a tallith. The boy ran out of the room and returned with prayer shawls for the rest of the family and for Orme.

Gulthilo said, 'You aren't of our faith - as yet - but the Council has also decreed that you may pray with us. If you wish. However, the woman, Danton, can't share in the prayers as long as she remains an atheist.'

'I'll be happy to pray with you,' Orme said.

Here, however, the blessing and the thanksgiving came after the meal was eaten.

They began eating the delicious vegetable soup, the tasty black bread, the salad, and the cheese. On Mars lunch was a light meal. Since there was no meat on the table, they did not have to be careful to keep it separate from the dairy products.

Orme had to answer a lot of questions, though mostly from the children. With the help of Gulthilo, he answered them as best as he could.