The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-21
A Period Of Splendid Ruin.
BY PAUL COOK.

regain their normal frame of mind and
they began to think of what the future
had in store. xico a king who occupied
the throne in the year 11,ooo P. A., con-
ceived the idea of having aerial COM
bats to furnish entertainment for the
people. 1t was too cold to venture out
side the domed cities and there was no
room within for any extensive amuse-
ments, but people could go out in airships
with perfect safety. These craft were so
protected for making long aerial voy-
ages that they were not affetNsd by ex-
terror temperature, as they were warmed
by radium, and their occupants were i'm
mune from cold, no matter what its in
tensity might be.
Accordingly xico instituted a series of
spectacular combats above his capital
city of Huilpi. Numbers of airships man.
ned by Martians and armed with the most
powerful weapons known to the race,
engaged in prolonged battles in space,
frequently going far out in order to exc
cute naneuyer or escape pursuer, and
becoming invisible to the naked eye. The
people watched these thrilling maneu-
vers through the transparent domes of
their cities. These domes were but
slight disadvantage to the vision, since
they were almost as transparent as the
air itself.
The custom started by the king rapidly
spread to all the other Marian cities.
Aerial gladiatorial combats became inn
mensely popular and every city had
series at stated intervals. The men who
directed these vessels and fought In them
came to be a professional class, devoting
their time and energies 10 the trade OF
annihilating one another in space In
the year 1000 P. A. a great combat was
fought in friendly rivalry among the
cities and Huilpi was victorious.
Could the Martians have seen mlnutely
what was going on beneath the domed
cities of the Englanians on earth they
would have lost their feeling of security,
but they drfted on in idle Indifference
while the Englanians in their desperation
made preparations to again visit Mars
with great fleet and steal the radium
which now kept the Martians warm while
they themselves fought a losing battle
against the cold on earth But the Mar
tian little dreamed of all this and contin-
ued their riotous course of living. The
ued their riotous course oflYing. The jour-
ney to the Field of Death had been for
gotten and the dead were thrown outside
the cities to lie silently and motionless
on the frozen plain, preserved by the m
tense cold
Xueo lived to be 600 wears old and died.
The elixir, of life had lost its potency,
and before very much longer the Mar
tians were unable to prolong existence
by its use The cold and the twilight be-
gan to increase to marked degree while
the Martians decreased in numbers
alarmingly. The race now numbered
scarcely 100000 people, and If the death
rate continued at it's present figure the
Martians would be extinct in another
500 years Yet the Martians did not
suffer greatly from the cold. and SO long
as their inexhaustible supply of radium
lasted they were safe.
Xaeir who succeeded Xuco on the
throne, endeavored to make his reign the
most spectacular In the history of Mars
Great aerial battles were held and 500
ships were demolished when he assembled
the throne In the banquet hall OF MS
palace at Huilpi there was continual
round of feasting, while in the city
license was unrestrained. AS crown
ing event of his Infamous rule Xacir man.
! aged to steal ten Martians from the
neighboring city of Phucos during an
airship battle and got them to Huilpi un-
detected the residents of Phucos think
ing their warriors had persisted in the
combat These ten men the inhuman
Martians put to death after prolonged
tortue, although they were of the same
blood and the same race Splendid vice
characterized this epoch in Marian his
tory The end of the riot was approach
| ing and the people seemed to have pre-
monition that they would not be per-
mitted to enjoy themselves much longer.
| On that account their wild orgies were
Increased, II possible, in all the Mar