The Diary of Zartoon

ENTRY 20

ENTRY 20

31.03.63.19.10

Man, what a hangover! I think maybe I smoked a couple too many of those things they gave me. Yeah, it was fun, but now... holy crap!

Well, I got myself straightened out, fed whatever the creature was, and started out to the south. It wasn't long until I saw a tower like a minaret, then another and another. They glistened like gemstones against the red sky. They were still miles and miles away, but they were beautiful!

I crossed over a ridge and found myself standing at the edge of a mile-wide canal. I think part of my memory is coming back, but no personal stuff. I wonder why? Oh well, maybe in time. The scientist Schiaparelli was right. There is a canal on Mars! I had no idea who built it or when it was built, but it was there and, from what I could see, it was heading straight south.

In the "water" of the canal, I could see iridescent blue/green creatures. They looked beautiful. They looked sort of human, but in place of arms were gentle, veil-like fins and each had a tail with flukes that looked as if they were powerful and still very fragile. Each one looked at me as it passed. They all smiled, with their faces just below the surface. At that moment I truly could understand where the legend of mermaids had come from so long ago.

I rode my animal alongside the canal for miles. I observed many different kinds of life along the way. There were even a couple of birdlike creatures that buzzed my head as I rode by them. The funny thing was no matter what I saw I never had a shred of fear. I felt completely relaxed.

I am probably still a day and a half away from the castle, and it is so massive that I could easily see what I guessed was the top half of the building. I did see one thing that confused me... every hour a ball of plasma shot from one of the minarets and out into space where it exploded into a fantastic light show. Even in the middle of the day, it was easy to see, and it easily took my breath away.

How could these creatures be anything other than friendly, I thought. Nothing could create beauty like that and have hatred in their hearts?

There was plenty to eat for both me and the creature; the grass was as soft as the best down mattress I could remember, and damn, it was just so damn restful. "Why don't I crash here," I asked. I think the creature must have understood the question because it walked over to a nearby tree, walked around it a couple of times and then just dropped to the ground and went to sleep. I took its cue and did the same thing. God, it was so nice for a change to be once again alone observing this strange, bewildering land!