A Visit to Sauri Page 4

  "It was a strange and interesting transaction. What could she want with the metal? Was it possible that she could transform it into more food, or was she of some strange race that ate metal? I forgot my hunger in my interest and speculations. Another and another being stopped, handed her metal, secured food and moved on. Yet the female appeared not to desire the metal but dropped it into a receptacle of artificial skin. It was most fascinating, and at last, as she appeared to be friendly, I drew near, and using the tongue of the browns, I asked her what use she made of the metal.

  "She gazed at me in astonishment and then replied that she purchased food with it. But she had food, I reminded her. Yet did she insist that the metal was used to secure food, which she gave in exchange for more metal, which she gave in return for more food. It was incomprehensible to me, yet I found that in this marvelous and preposterous manner do all the Suarians live and that their whole lives are made up of thus acquiring bits of metal which they give unto others in exchange for food and other things, which in turn are given to others for more metal.

  "Those who have nothing to give, give their labor for the same bits of metal, yet the metal is of no use to them. It can be neither eaten nor drunk nor even transformed into the coverings for their skins. Yet ever, especially among the whites, are all ceaselessly, throughout their lives striving, toiling, even fighting and killing one another, to acquire the bits of metal, and even bits of paper, which pass ceaselessly from hand to hand. And yet I could not find that in the end there was any reason for it. Those who had acquired vast amounts of the metal and paper were no stronger, no healthier, no superior to those who had little. To be sure, they dwelt in larger cubicles, they moved about in the machines I have described, and in machines of other sorts; they covered themselves with more colorful and voluminous artificial skins, but they devoured the same food—the flesh of murdered, four-footed beings, the embryos of birds and the plant growths —that were devoured by those who had the least of the metal. And strangely enough, those who secured the most of the coveted stuff were not by any means the most advanced or intelligent. Often were they the lowest, most backward and most stupid of all the Suarians. While others who were intelligent, who were advanced, who were in fact scientists and should have been honored and followed, had little or none of the metal and paper.

  "Of course I did not learn all this while watching the brown female with the food. Rather, my hunger again claiming my attention, I asked her how it was possible to secure the metal with which to obtain the food I craved, and she informed me I must exchange something I possessed for metal or must labor for it. As I stood there wondering what I might do to obtain food, the white being of the machine appeared, and seeing me standing before the female, and perhaps realizing my plight, he came forward and handed me a piece of metal. Thanking him, I gave it to the female who gasped, told me to eat my fill of her food and then returned to me more pieces of metal—together with some of paper—than I had given her. This was the most astonishing thing of all; that she should refuse me food until I gave her the metal and then, when I had done so and had taken the food, she should give back more metal than I had given her!

  "But such I found was the custom of these strange denizens of Suari. To them certain pieces of metal and certain bits of paper have greater value than others and all things that are given for the metal or, as they call it, 'money’ also have their values. For some much money is given, for others little. Even a being's labor has its value and varies with different beings. And if the 'money' of great value is given for something of little value, then is money of little value given with the thing so that all may be equal. For a long time I could see no object gained and no manner of purpose in all this, but in time I learned that each time the thing for which money was paid passed from one being to another, a greater value was placed upon it, so that each time the being who received the money gained somewhat over what money he had given for it. Yet always in the end whatsoever had been thus gained was again given out for some other object. Yet so strongly fixed was this strange custom, especially with the whites, that none may live unless they follow it, and I myself was soon obliged to do the same. I had naught to give for money and I knew nothing of Suarian labor.

  "For a time I was at a loss, until by chance one day I saw a being in an open space, with many beings of all colors about him. He was causing objects to disappear and to reappear at his command and for so doing was being given the money. So, standing near and adjusting my instrument, I so arranged it as to cause both the objects and the money before him to vanish and to be again materialized beside myself. So that I had no lack of money henceforth, nor of food, for with ease I could secure both by means of my device, which being beneath my coverings, attracted no notice, although great wonder was caused by the manner in which stores of food and of money would vanish from sight. Yet I could not see that anyone was harmed by my so doing, for the money that became mine would have been used but to be given for the food and the food would have been given for the money, and by removing both, nothing was lost. Also the money was of need given forth for other things, such as for a cubicle in which to dwell, for by observation and by questions I learned that it was a law of the whites that no being could sleep except in one of the structures. That was a most strange thing; also quite past understanding. I, or any being, might walk about in the open air throughout the night. I might seat myself and remain as long as I saw fit, but I could not repose and sleep within the confines of the nest of structures save within one of them.

  "There were many other laws and rules and customs equally strange. Though these beings bathed— there being an abundance of water in Suari— yet save in the privacy of a tiny cubicle they could not remove the artificial skins they called clothes in order to bathe. Yet neither could they bathe in the open air while thus covered. The clothes must be removed and others placed over their skins before entering the water. And while there were large pools of water convenient to hand within the nests of buildings wherein the beings dwelt, yet in these they could not bathe, but must go for a distance to certain waters allotted for the purpose. And though the coverings that they donned for the purpose of bathing were often beautiful, and revealed the most admirable portions of the bodies, especially of the females, yet there were laws saying that these coverings could not serve elsewhere, but must be discarded for others.

  "Also, it was held barbaric and even punishable, for a male to appear not wholly covered with the artificial skins they called clothing; the females, however, appeared to have a great deal more freedom in that regard. There were many other rules as foolish as it seemed, yet never did I find a being of intelligence who could explain the reason for such things, for all of the beings of Suari are accustomed to yielding in all ways to strange manners and conventions promulgated by others. Thus, while all are much the same in form, they do ever strive to devise such coverings that one should differ from another; yet by the decree of someone, they must be all much the same. Also it was decreed that whereas the females might wear coverings of the most brilliant and beautiful hues, the males must wear clothes of dull and sombre shades.

  "In their cubicles, or as they call them 'houses,' they do the same. Each being will strive to make his home distinct from all others, yet in a way must all be alike. And with all their boasted intelligence and culture— which is that of our ancestors of the times before our history began— they persist in being uncomfortable and unhealthy by nesting together by thousands in these crowds of cubicles of every size. Often one will be erected upon another. Often they will be so small there is barely space to move about. Often they are as dark and dismal as burrows in the earth, yet within them the beings live and go to vast trouble and labor and give great sums in their money to be permitted to exist in such holes. Though there is no limit to the open air and sunshine, yet do they hide themselves away in these vaults and use tiny artificial suns of no value with which to have light. And by some strange twist of their minds they will, at great tro
uble and labor and expense, bring bits of earth and plants and vegetation within their clusters of houses, although on every side the land may be filled with countless things far more beautiful. Even wild birds that abound in the open air are held prisoners within these dwelling-places, and yet, at every occasion, the beings rush forth, and afoot or in their machines; leave the groups of buildings they call 'cities' and in great throngs fare into the outlying country for a day or a week or more and cry aloud and shout how wonderful it is, and yet hurry back once more to their dens, whereas all might dwell happily and free and much easier and better in separate nests amid the verdure and sunshine, which we of Sonko-Huara would give so much to have in such quantities as they exist on Suari.

  ''Why these beings should thus suffer I could never learn fully, but in a way it is due to fear, for fear is ever clutching at the hearts and minds of the Suarians. In the past, enemies were feared, and for protection the beings herded together and built stout walls and dwellings easy to protect. But now, though at times there are quarrels and even wars among the beings of Suari, the clusters of buildings are not needed, and in case of war would be of no avail. Yet the fear of being alone still abides in these beings, and fear of one kind or of another dogs them always. He who has little, fears he may never have more. He who has much, fears he may lose what he has. He who is in good health fears illness, and he who is ill fears he may never be in good health. No one is content; no one is satisfied and nearly all fear death. Yet do they tempt death scores of times each day. They glory in taking risks of health, of loss of life, of everything.

  "Why they should fear death is still a mystery to me. They profess to believe as do we of Sonko-Huara that the spirit never dies but merely departs from the body to another state. Some believe as do we that it finds a place in another body; others believe that it goes to another planet; and some believe that it goes to some special spot where spirits rule, for in Suari there are endless beliefs, faiths and religions instead of one universal religion as with us. Yet despite this belief that death brings to the spirit a better life and that there is nothing to fear, they look upon death with horror and will go to the most extreme measures to preserve life. Even the imbeciles, the hopelessly injured and the crippled are preserved, instead of being mercifully disposed of, as is our custom. And their doctors will cut their bodies or their limbs into bits and will leave them crippled or helpless for the rest of their lives, merely to save them from death. It is not the fear of pain, for they endure a hundred times the agony of death in order to avoid death. Mainly, I think, it is lack of faith in what they hold is their faith. They are never quite sure that their religion is the right one, that their spirits will be better off, which proves how much better it is to have but one faith for all, as do we of Sonko-Huara. And yet, in spite of their dread of death for themselves, they regard the deaths of others quite callously. They ruthlessly destroy thousands of their fellows in a war over some petty trifles or to satisfy the machinations of some men who avariciously desire to add to their power or their wealth. And they do not hesitate to put their fellows to death for the violation of certain laws which they themselves make. Though they thus constitute themselves the judges of their fellows, and claim the right to take that, which they cannot give and cannot restore, yet on the other hand, they will not permit one of the number to take his own life, when he desires death for any reason.

  "And while they see fit to meddle in many, in fact, most affairs of their fellows, and to subject themselves to innumerable ridiculous rules and regulations of no importance to themselves or to anyone else, yet they avoid regulating and controlling the most important of all things—the births of their offspring and their rearing.

  "Unlike our young that are incubated artificially and under scientific rules, the offspring of the Suarians are born alive, and each mother rears her own. Unfit parents are not only allowed to mate and to produce young, instead of limiting the reproduction of the race to scientifically selected parents, neither of whom is aware of the other's identity as with us, but they are permitted to rear their own misbegotten to maturity. As a result, there is no steady weeding out of the mentally and physically unfit, nor a gradual improvement of the whole race. Moreover, the puny, weak, imbecile, crippled and otherwise imperfect offspring are not only permitted to live, but are sedulously cared for, and every effort is made to keep them alive in spite of nature.

  "As a result of this, no two are alike mentally, physically or in training, yet, when these strange beings educate their infinitely varying offspring, they are treated as if all were identical, as if all, like our own, had been scientifically and artificially produced, incubated and reared. There is no attempt to educate and train the young according to their aptitude or their suitability for certain careers. There is no such thing as saying this young being has peculiarities to warrant his becoming a mechanic; this one should be an artist, and then regulating their education and training with that end in view. No, all are put through the same courses of studies, and the ultimate career of each is left to the parents or to the immature being's choice. In this, as in nearly all vital matters concerning these inconceivably inferior Suarians, there is no system, no certainty; everything is left to chance.

  The young Suarian, who decides to become a scientist, may become a good scientist and he may be a failure, it is a question of chance instead of being predetermined by searching analysis of his mentality, his physique, his origin and every other factor. Yet in nearly every other respect these beings are surrounded, buried, overwhelmed with laws. Numbers of beings are ceaselessly laboring to make laws and are being given great quantities of the metal discs called money to make these laws. So many have been made in the past and so many are being made each day, that not even those who make them can remember them. For that reason they are preserved in massive volumes. And if those who make the laws are ignorant of them, it is natural that the other beings, who have no knowledge of what laws have been made, should be quite unaware of them. As a result, everyone is constantly violating some law. But this does not appear to matter, for apparently most of the laws are made to no purpose. Yet there are certain laws that may not be broken with impunity save by certain favored beings, and many of these seemed the most unreasonable and needless of all. No being may take that which belongs to another, even though he be starving and the other has more food than he can use; even though he has nothing and the other has much; even though he takes that which he must have in order to live from one who has taken more than he needs from some other. If a being transgresses this law he is set apart in a cubicle by himself, and is given abundance of food and is cared for, so that by his punishment he is rewarded with that which he sought to obtain. Yet he could not be thus housed and fed and provided for otherwise than by violating the law. But the being from whom the possessions have been taken receives nothing in return, nor is he who is set apart forced to return that which he took. And neither may the being who has been thus robbed of what was his, lay hands upon him who took it, nor take from him aught in return. So it would seem that the violator of the law is rewarded and he who suffers is punished. Neither may a being take the life of another being, no matter what provocation he may have, for if he does, then the law may take his life. Even though the one whose life is taken by the being who has been wronged is of the most inferior class and of no value to the community, whereas the being wronged is of the highest and most intelligent, yet the law demands that the valuable life be sacrificed. Yet may those who are favored, take lives as they may and suffer nothing.

  ''Among these beings there are certain ones whose duty is to see that the laws are not broken, yet often they are themselves the most ignorant of laws and the most inferior in intelligence among the beings. Yet should these beings, in their minds, imagine some being has violated some law— though its violation is not punishable by death—and the one suspected, being innocent, resists, the other may take his life with impunity. Nay, more, if the being employed to enforce the laws a
ttempts to take the life of one violating the law, and instead destroys law-abiding beings who by chance are near at hand, he is not punished for having so destroyed them, nor can their families secure recompense. No, like other matters that concern life and death and even more important things, this too, is governed by chance.

  "In the marriage also, which is the mating of the males and the females of these strange beings, all is governed by chance in the same manner. Neither science nor law enters into the beings choosing their mates, but when chosen the law declares them mated. Yet, should they, one wearying of the other, or finding the mating to have been ill chosen, desire to find other mates, they may not do so without breaking a law and being punished therefore. Yet, strangest of all perhaps, is a law that declares these beings may not partake of certain liquids of which some of the beings are fond. More yet, this law prevails in some portions of Suari and not in others, and of all the laws this is the most often violated. Indeed, few beings there are who do not violate this strange law that controls the beings' own stomachs, and in so violating the law, they appear to gain much delight and pleasure. Though you may find it hard to believe, yet they will go to great trouble and expend many pieces of metal in order to violate this law, not so much that they are desirous of imbibing the proscribed liquids, but to show their derision of a law which they caused to be made.

  "For a long time after I had been living among the whites I marveled greatly at these beings remaining so primitive as to need laws which we of Sonko-Huara abandoned ages ago as worthless things and as tending only to corrupt the morals of officials. But most of all I marveled that, having paid beings to make the laws, and laboring to obtain the metal wherewith to pay others for enforcing them, they should desire to break them at every turn and should find delight in so doing. But having learned more of the whites' ways, and having seen their amusements, I wondered no more, for I then saw clearly that such laws were made to provide a source of amusement, or as they call it in their tongue a 'sport,' sometimes also called a 'game.'