Billie hesitated a little with her reply, then
stated that she had noted a tree or two in a state of disintegration,
but none that showed the unmistakable scars due to being struck by
lightning.
"Then we've got the key to the mystery!" declared the doctor. "Remember
how brown and barren everything looks, excepting only where there's
artificial vegetation? Well, putting two and two together, I come to the
conclusion that Sanus differs radically from the earth in this respect.
"The humans have arrived rather late in the planet's history. Or--and
this is more likely--Sanus is somewhat smaller than the earth, and
therefore has cooled off sooner. At any rate, the relationship between
the age of the planet and the age of its human occupancy differs from
what it is on the earth."
"I don't quite see," from Smith, "what that's got to do with it."
"No? Well, go back to the first point: the dried-up appearance of
things. That means, their air and water are both less extensive than
with us, and for that reason there are far fewer clouds; therefore, it
is quite possible that there has been no lightning within the memory of
the humans."
"How so?" demanded the geologist.
"Why, simply because lightning depends upon clouds.
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