Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Moon Maid Edgar Rice Burroughs

"I had intended telling you my story of the days of the twenty-second century, but itseems best, if you are to understand it, to tell first the story of my great-great-grandfatherwho was born in the year 2000."I must have looked up at him quizzically, for he smiled and shook his head as one who ispuzzled to find an explanation suited to the mental capacity of his auditor."My great-great-grandfather was, in reality, the great-great-grandson of my previousincarnation which commenced in 1896. I married in 1916, at the age of twenty. My sonJulian was born in 1917. I never saw him. I was killed in France in 1918-on Armistice Day."I was again reincarnated in my son's son in 1937. I am thirty years of age. My son wasborn in 1970-that is the son of my 1937 incarnation-and his son, Julian 5th, in whom Iagain returned to Earth, in the year 2000. I see you are confused, but please remember myinjunction that you are to try to keep in mind the theory that there is no such thing as Time. It is now the year 1967 yet I recall distinctly every event of my life that occurred in fourincarnations-the last that I recall being that which had its origin in the year 2100. Whether I actually skipped three generations that time or through some caprice of Fate Iam merely unable to visualize an intervening incarnation, I do not know."My theory of the matter is that I differ only from my fellows in that I can recall theevents of many incarnations, while they can recall none of theirs other than a fewimportant episodes of that particular one they are experiencing; but perhaps I am wrong. Itis of no importance. I will tell you the story of Julian 5th who was born in the year 2000, and then, if we have time and you yet are interested, I will tell you of the torments duringthe harrowing days of the twenty-second century, following the birth of Julian 9th in 2100."I will try to tell the story in his own words in so far as I can recall them, but for variousreasons, not the least of which is that I am lazy, I shall omit superfluous quotation marks-that is, with your permission, of course