The Crystal City

Santoria, which was the capitol city of Teorus, grew even more impressive as they approached. Never before had they seen anything like it. All the buildings consisted of huge quartz crystals, which stood in groupings of various sizes. One was inlaid with pure gold, and shone like a huge golden lamp.

Oiks of various sizes were darting noiselessly between the buildings. Noticing at once that there were no unpleasant exhaust fumes, Susie said, almost whispering, "This is amazing! The air really is as clear as crystal! Why isn’t it like this for us on Earth?"

"It was certainly possible for you, too, but you have squandered too much power and too many resources making war, and killing each other, instead of building a society like this," said Quetzal, almost a little sadly, as he walked ahead of them on their way into the city.

Near the center, they passed a small park with bush-like trees. The leaves were large and looked transparent to Susie. She walked up to one of the trees for a closer look, and cautiously touched a leaf. Immediately an orange liquid ran onto her hand.

From his satchel Quetzal brought out a small golden cup, fashioned like a wine goblet, and embellished with beautiful decorations. Holding the cup under the leaf, he stroked the leaf lightly with his other hand, and the orange-colored juice ran down into the cup. Susie thought it looked remarkably healthy and refreshing. Quetzal gave her the cup, and she drank it all down.

Willie was watching her face.

"You look like Orm getting his first taste of mead after a sword fight," he grinned.

"It’s great! See for yourself," she said, handing him the cup.

He looked into the goblet. It was empty.

Quetzal laughed and refilled the cup from the same leaf. Then he gave it to Willie, who took a taste and asked,

"What kind of juice is it? It tastes like apricot! Is there as much as you want in that tree?"

"It is dew-nectar. It is produced all the time by our suns and contains every kind of vitamin and mineral you need. Drink now . . . you won’t need to eat later. This beverage provides complete nourishment!"

Willie drained the cup and looked at Quetzal with a satisfied expression.

"Super! Do you mean you’re not going to eat anything later? Not even a hamburger?"

"Ugh, no!" Quetzal responded with dismay. "Don’t say that where anyone can hear you! It’s barbaric to kill animals and eat them! Furthermore, you get sick when dead animals sit rotting in your intestines."

"Come now so we can look around the city."

"Hey, Willie, I can help you start a vegetarian organization when we get home!" Susie laughed. "You can call it Pigpeace!"

An Oik whizzed soundlessly by right over their heads, so low that Susie and Willie instinctively ducked.

"Easy to guess who’s at the controls of that one!" said Willie, looking after it with irritation as it disappeared in a sharp turn around one of the crystal buildings.

"You mentioned ‘animals,’" said Susie with interest. "Do you have animals here like the ones on Earth?"

She had already found herself on several occasions missing Spot . . . their long rides through the woods, and taking care of him in his stall.

"Of course!" said Quetzal. "We have horses too, like your Spot. But we fly with them. They are called Pegas."

"Fly with?" questioned Susie, surprised and excited. "What do you mean?"

Quetzal laughed kindly. He enjoyed explaining all these things that were so new for these young people that were so eager to learn.

"They have wings, obviously! Like birds! But we keep them outside the city, mostly for pleasure. Here, of course, they might collide with an Oik. Our young people, Zuma especially, often compete in navigational flight with their Pegas. He is sure to take you on a tour around the mountains to show you the green waterfalls."

Susie couldn’t believe her ears. Being able to fly with a horse! Could you take a creature like that to Earth? Her curiosity was boundless. Now Willie could keep his old magic carriage!