Thematterwassimpleenoughwhenyoucametolookatitwithphilosophy。TheMartianshadsenttheirdeaddownhereformanythousandyearsandastheycametheywerefrozenin，thebandsandzonesinwhichtheysatindicatingperhapsalternatingseasons。ThenafterNaturehadbeenstoringthemlikethatforlongagessomeup—
heavalhappened，andthiscleftandlakeopenedthroughtheheartofthepreserve。Probablytheriveronceranfaruptherewherethestarlightwascrowningthebluecliffswithasilverdiademoflight，onlywhenthishollowopeneddiditslowlydeepenalowercourse，spreadingoutinalake，andeventuallytumblingdownthoseicystepsloseitselfinthedarkrootsofthehills。Itwasverysimple，nodoubt，butincrediblyweirdandwonderfultomewhostood，thesolelivingthinginthatimmenseconcourseofdeadhumanity。
LookwhereIwoulditwasthesameeverywhere。Thoseendlessrowsoffrozenbodieslying，sitting，orstandingstaredatmefromeverynicheandcornice。Italmostseemed，asthelightveeredslowlyround，asthoughtheysmiledandfrownedattimes，butneverawordwasthereamongstthosemillions；thesilenceitselfwasaudible，andsavethedulllowthunderofthefall，somonotonoustheearbe—
cameaccustomedtoandsoondisregardedit，therewasnotasoundanywhere，notarustle，notawhisperbroketheeternalcalmofthatgreatcaravansaryofthedead。
Theveryrattleoftheshingleundermyfeetandthejingleofmynavyscabbardseemedoffensiveintheperfecthush，and，tooawedtobefrightened，Ipresentlyturnedawayfromthedreadfulshineofthosecliffsandfeltmywayalongthebaseofthewallonmyownside。Therewasnomeansofescapethatway，andpresentlytheshinglebeachitselfgaveoutasstated，wherethecliffwallrosestraightfromthesurfaceofthelake，soIturnedback，andfindingagrottointheicedeterminedtomakemyselfascomfortableasmightbeuntildaylightcame。