M: You look despondent.

H: I guess I am.

M: Why?

H: Because l’d hoped …

M: For what?

H: For this meeting … such a long time. To learn.

M: To learn?

H: Yes, about your people. Your beliefs. The secret of your life on Mars.

M: On Tir.

H: Tir?

M: This is the planet Tir.

H: Ah, yeah. Yes. Tir.

M: Secret? There is no secret. Anyone with eyes can see the way to live.

H: How?

M: By watching life … observing nature and cooperating with it. Making common cause with the process of existence.

H: How?

M: By living life for itself, don’t you see? Deriving pleasure from the gift of pure being.

H: The gift of pure being.

M: Life is its own answer. Accept it and enjoy it day by day. Live as well as possible. Expect no more. Destroy nothing, humble nothing, look for fault in nothing. Leave unsullied and untouched all that is beautiful. Hold that which lives in all reverence. For life is given by the sovereign of our universe—given to be savored, to be luxuriated in, to be respected. But that’s no secret. You’re intelligent. You know as well as I what has to be done. Now I must go. My people are waiting for me.

H: I have people waiting, too.

M: Good. Perhaps we’ll meet again some other night.

H: And I would like to see that carnival of yours.

M: And I would like to see the things you see.

H: Good night … my friend.

M: Good bye.