April 2026: The Long Years Summary

Hathaway, the physician/geologist who discovered that the Martian race had been killed by chicken pox in "And the Moon Be Still as Bright" is still living on Mars 25 years later in 2026 with his wife, Alice, two daughters, Marguerite and Susan, and son, John. Twenty years after the Great War on Earth, Hathaway does not know the state of his home planet, but does know that Mars is now a virtual tomb, uninhabited. As dust storms rip across the Martian landscape, the Earth settlements are disappearing, having not been built in a manner to withstand the Martian force of nature. The ancient cities remain, untouched by the elements. As the storm clears, Hathaway announces he is taking a walk, and travels to a nearby graveyard, where he visits four gravesites. He does not cry, but instead asks...