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"Am I in danger?" Ettil dropped his pen, jumping.
"Terrible danger!" she wailed, clanking her tambourine, gazing at the sky. "You need to be saved, brother, in the worst way!"
"I'm inclined to agree," he said, trembling.
"We saved lots already today. I saved three myself, of you Mars people. Ain't that nice?" She grinned at him.
"I guess so."
She was acutely suspicious. She leaned forward with her secret whisper. "Brother," she wanted to know, "you been baptized?"
"I don't know," he whispered back.
"You don't know?" she cried, flinging up hand and tambourine.
"Is it like being shot?" he asked.
"Brother," she said, "you are in a bad and sinful condition. I blame it on your ignorant bringing up. I bet those schools on Mars are terrible--don't teach you no truth at all. Just a pack of made-up lies. Brother, you got to be baptized if you want to be happy."
"Will it make me happy even in this world here?" he said. "Don't ask for everything on your platter," she said. "Be satisfied with a wrinkled pea, for there's another world we're all going to that's better than this one."
"I know that world," he said.
"It's peaceful," she said.
"Yes."
"There's quiet," she said.
"Yes."
"There's milk and honey flowing."
"Why, yes," he said.
"And everybody's laughing."
"I can see it now," he said.
"A better world," she said.
"Far better," he said. "Yes, Mars is a great planet."
"Mister," she said, tightening up and almost flinging the tambourine in his face, "you been joking with me?"
"Why, no." He was embarrassed and bewildered. "I thought you were talking about----"
"Not about mean old nasty Mars, I tell you, mister! It's your type that is going to boil for years, and suffer and break out in black pimples and be tortured----"
"I must admit Earth isn't very nice. You've described it beautifully."
"Mister, you're funning me again!" she cried angrily.
"No, no--please. I plead ignorance."
"Well," she said, "you're a heathen, and heathens are improper. Here's a paper. Come to this address tomorrow night and be baptized and be happy. We shouts and we stomps and we talk in voices, so if you want to hear our all-cornet, all-brass band, you come, won't you now?"
"I'll try," he said hesitantly.
