It was round and purple and awfully, awfully
sad. And it told the most melancholy story Archie
Simms had ever heard. Yup, 'twas a real million-year
tragedy, this tale of the purple pariah.
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories March 1954.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The rocket ship whirled down from the sky and crashed into thehillside. A cloud of dust rose lazily from the spot and mingled withthe white fumes escaping from the vessel.
The escape hatch opened and Archie Simms jumped down to the surface ofthe planet.
"Oh-oh, Ed—here's the welcoming committee!" he yelled. Ed Bailey'sface appeared in the doorway.
The two men stared grimly at a motionless purple sphere, about eightfeet in diameter, that rested fifty feet from the damaged rocket. Onthe surface of the sphere were two huge, sad eyes that watched therocket ship with melancholy attention.
"What is it?" asked Ed Bailey.
"Damned if I know," snorted Archie Simms. He ambled toward the purplesphere. "Shoo," he said. "Go on, get out of here. Shoo!" The purplesphere did not move, but its two huge eyes regarded him sadly.
"Hey, don't get too close to it."
"Don't worry." Archie procured a rock from the ground and hurled it atthe purple sphere. He missed; the eyes of the sphere contemplated himeven more sadly. The sphere did not move.
"Should I fire the cannon at it?" queried Ed.
"Leave it alone. It just wants to sit there and watch us." He walked upto the purple sphere and examined it closely. He petted it between itstwo huge eyes and it looked at him sadly.
Ed jumped down from the ship with a large book under one arm. He pagedhurriedly through it. Archie ran his hand gently over the purplesphere's fur. The purple sphere eyed him sadly.
"Here's where we are," said Ed. "That meteor rammed us just as we cameto Sector QMA. That star up there's XTM-L-48935; we're on the eighthplanet. Says here the place was explored twenty years ago: No life onit."
"Wonder how they missed this fellow," commented Archie, stroking thesphere sympathetically. The sphere looked at him with great, sad eyes.
"Incompetent bastards," Ed remarked pleasantly. "That's the racket weshould be in, Arch:—space exploring. You get lots of money and youdon't do any work. Why, I've heard stories—"
"Let's see about it when we get back," suggested Archie.
"Funny, though;—here's this thing waiting for us as soon as we smash.They must've been blind drunk when they explored this place. Or elsepurple there's come since."
"Maybe that's it."
"I'll check." He riffled through some more pages. "This damn index isalphabetical. Maybe it's from another planet and just visiting."
"Who knows?"
"What do you think they'll call it in here?"
"I can't ever find anything in that damn catalogue. Try under spheres:Purple spheres."
"Mmmm." He concentrated on the index. "'Parallelopipeds' ...'pseudospheres' ... 'rhombi' ... 'segmented objects' ... here it is:'Spheres.' They've got a lot of spheres here! All sorts of 'em. We'vegot to go by color. You think he's purple?"
"Sort of purple."
"Here's something violet: 'Spheres, violet. Fire-breathing mammalof Planet III, TRP-U-44476, Sector LKW. Approximately three feetin diameter. Females frequently found with yellow polka dots onunderside.'"
"Try again. Melancholy here's three times that big." He stooped downand gazed up at the purple sphere from underneath. "Uh-uh, no yellowpolka dots either." The purple sphere looked down at him with sad eyes.
"What's ochre?" a