Continued from About Farksolia, part 2
The Farksolians had a peculiar cloth something like our crape, but not so heavy and not so rough. The eleven queens were supposed to be all dressed alike, in blue dresses of this material, with some leaf patterns in white, and a white upper part. Then they also had a material much like our silk only much softer. The handmaidens dressed usually in this material usually blue and white, and beautifully draped. The Farksolians uniformly were dark with reddish-brown hair, the young girls not putting their hair up for a long time. Each handmaiden of any queen had to wear an ivory bracelet which the queen presented her when she won service as a handmaiden. This was a true royal sign and no one else was permitted to wear that kind of bracelet. If a handmaiden outside the palace grounds asked someone to walk with her and the person mistrusted the handmaiden, why the handmaiden would only have to show the bracelet and the person might be sure that the girl was a handmaiden.
If Earthans went to Farksolia they would be sick; first from breathing the air. This is because the air is so thin that when you breathe naturally too much flows through the nostrils and into the lungs, it flows so freely there. The breathing movements of a Farksolian are hardly noticeable, and there is no swelling and rising of the chest and stomach in a Farksolian, at least not so much. Then you would be sick from looking at the sea and the sunset, you are so unused to the colours. Probably you would be sick from looking at the sky and from tasting the curious foods. But you would be used to it in no time.
The Farksolians have no division in time such as weeks, months, and years. All the division they have is a division something like seasons, longer than months. There are eight of them and the fifth is the loveliest of all. The first is snow beginning to drip; the second is buds and flowers coming, and warm weather; the third the yellow and crumply grass straightens itself and grows green; the third and fourth are much alike, more blossoms coming and still warmer weather while the birds and butterflies begin to come in the early third. Then the fifth comes with grass at the height of six inches while there is a wonderful wind blowing–a strong wind which blows through you marvellously, but not that cold fierce wind which pierces your bones. The grass in the fifth season is rich and warm and pale green, the flowers are at their highest beauty and haven’t begun to drop, the butterflies fly and sail, the sky is bluest, the sun shines more on the waves and they are a wonderful blue, all the world seems to be at its most beautiful period. Then in the sixth season the grass is much greener, dark green; it is cold and a few of the leaves come off. In the seventh season the grass turns yellow, a few more leaves blow off, but the temperature remains the same–about thirty by our thermometer. Then in the eighth months or season all the snow and ice comes. It is truly a wonderful series.
The Farksolians had one goddess, Virodine, who had charge of everything. They worshipped her more than any living creature. They would even sacrifice their lives to please her. They worshipped her marvellously on these mountains, which were around the city, the sacred Sheheritzadian mountains.
Now about the formation of the Farksolian constellation and stars, or at least some of them, seeing that they have many more than we have. The biggest and to some opinions the most beautiful constellation is called “Peen Flitterveen.” Now “flitterveen” is a Farksolian word meaning “butterfly” and the constellation has the form of a large butterfly showing perfect wings and long graceful strings of stars curving outwards for the feelers. And the strangest thing about this constellation is that all the stars of it are of a golden colour, a marvellous golden [end of page: next page missing]
To be continued in About Farksolia, part 4.