Later they descended to the ground and passed into the superb public
gardens of the city. Seating themselves beside one of the numerous
fountains sparkling with colored waters and perfumed with strange
aquatic plants, they watched the brilliant scene that surrounded
them. Aerial chariots flashed above, and men, women, and children
moved through the air entirely regardless of the law of gravitation.
Occasionally a passer-by would nod to Ah Ben, who returned the salute
familiarly, as if in recognition of an old friend; but no one stopped
to talk.
"And you know some of these people!" cried Paul in astonishment.
"Some of them." But a look of intense sadness had settled upon the
old man's face, quite different from anything Henley had seen. For a
moment neither spoke, and then Ah Ben, passing the back of his hand
across his forehead, said: "Yes, Mr. Henley, I know them, but I am
not of them; and as you see, they shun me."
"I can not understand why that should be," answered Paul, who was
conscious of a growing attachment for his guide.
"I can not explain; but some day, perhaps, you may know. Let us
continue our walk."
Looking up at the marvelous examples of architecture that surrounded
them, Paul observed that many of the houses had no windows, and
inquired the reason.
"Windows and doors are here only a matter of taste, and not of
necessity," answered the elder man; "the denizens of Levachan enter
their houses wherever they please without experiencing the slightest
obstruction. Likewise light and air are not here confined to special
material and apertures for their admission. We are only just
beginning to discover some of the possibilities of matter upon our
plane of existence. Here these things are understood; for matter and
spirit are one, their apparent difference lying in us."
"Yes," said Paul, "and I perceive that the inhabitants move from
place to place through the upper atmosphere in defiance of all law!"
"Law, Mr. Henley, is the operation of man's will. Where man through
uncounted eons of time has believed himself the slave of matter, it
becomes his master. I mean that the belief enslaves him, and not
until he has worked his way out of the false belief, will he become
free."
They continued their walk through gardens of bewitching beauty, and
amid lights so far transcending any previous experience of Henley's
that he no longer even tried to comprehend Ah Ben's labored
explanations. At last his guide, turning, abruptly said: "Come, let us return; the time is growing short!"