The geologist took one good look at the engineer’s absorbed, unquestioning manner as he listened to the Venusian, and gave up the idea with a sigh.  For a moment he was sour; then he smiled shyly.

“I’m more than anxious to meet the bunch myself,” he admitted; and led the way back to Estra.  The Venusian looked at him with no change of expression, although there was something very disconcerting in the precocious wisdom of his eyes.  Their very kindliness and serenity gave him an appearance of superiority, such as only aggravated the geologist’s suspicions.

But there was nothing to do but to trust him.  They followed him through two sets of doors, which slid noiselessly open before them in response to some mechanism operated by the Venusian’s steps.  This brought them to another of the glass elevators, in which they descended perhaps ten feet, stepping out of it onto a moving platform; this, in turn, extended the length of a low dimly lighted passageway about a hundred yards long.  When they got off, they were standing in a small anteroom.

The Venusian paused and smiled at the four again.  “Do you feel like going on display now?” he asked; then added:  “I should have said:  ’Do you feel like seeing Venus on display, for we all know more or less about you already.’”

But the visitors were braced for the experience.  Estra looked at each approvingly, and then did something which made them wonder.  He stood stock still for perhaps a second, his eyes closed as though listening; and then, without explanation, he led the way through an opal-glass door into a brilliantly lighted space.

Next moment the explorers were standing in the midst of the people of Venus.

VII

THE ULTIMATE RACE

The four were at the bottom of a huge, conelike pit, such as instantly reminded the doctor of a medical clinic.  The space where they stood was, perhaps, twenty feet in diameter, while the walls enclosing the whole hall were many hundreds of feet apart.  And sloping up from the center, on all sides, was tier upon tier of the most extraordinary seats in all creation.

For each and every one of those thousands of Venusians was separately enclosed in glass.  Nowhere was there a figure to be seen who was not installed in one of those small, transparent boxes, just large enough for a single person.  Moreover—­and it came somewhat as a shock to the four when they noted it—­the central platform itself was both covered and surrounded with the same material.

“Make yourselves at home,” Estra was saying.  He pointed to several microphones within easy reach.  “These are provided with my translators, so when you are ready to open up conversation, go right ahead as though you were among your own people.”  And he made himself comfortable in a saddlelike chair, as much as to say that there was no hurry.

For a long time the explorers stood taking it in.  The Venusians, without exception, stared back at them with nearly equal curiosity.  And despite the extraordinary nature of the proceeding, this mutual scrutiny took place in comparative silence; for while the glass gave a certain sense of security to the newcomers, it also cut off all sound except that low humming.