Saknarth

In Short

Saknarth serves as the Master Astrologer in the Martian capital of Lucas Phoenicus, officially spinning fabricated horoscopes to keep the populace docile under the rule of priests and monarchs. Privately, he remembers the cautionary fate of his predecessor, Kwarit, who was condemned decades earlier for studying the third planet, Earth. Driven by a forbidden curiosity, Saknarth infiltrates the Imperial Museum at night to look through a confiscated fifty-inch telescope. Spotting the legendary pattern of city lights on the dark side of Earth, he recognizes the apocalyptic Sign of Dallon, which foretells the end of priestly dominion. Though captured and sentenced to death, Saknarth manages to toss his written revelations down to a perceptive young neophyte, ensuring that the fragile torch of learning and freedom survives his execution.

The Story

The narrative opens in the Martian capital of Lucas Phoenicus, where Saknarth prepares daily horoscopes. While the common folk and rulers believe the stars dictate destiny, Saknarth privately scorns their gullibility, knowing that astrological predictions are merely educated guesses disguised as mystic nonsense. Yet his thoughts drift to a decades-old memory: his mentor Kwarit whispering about the Morning Star, Earth, before being dragged away for heresy.

After completing his court duties, Saknarth visits the Imperial Museum, entering the forbidden Hall of Evil Things. There, behind an iron railing, rests the massive fifty-inch reflector telescope that the priesthood banned and sealed away. Returning later that night under cover of darkness, Saknarth scales the building, breaks through an upper window, and reaches the instrument. Adjusting the heavy mirror toward the dawn sky, he trains the telescope on Earth.

The third planet appears as a brilliant blue-green crescent. Looking into the unlit portion of the disc, Saknarth spots a scattering of tiny white lights—metropolitan centers across Earth's surface. As he studies their arrangement, he realizes they form the precise shape of the Sign of Dallon. According to ancient prophecy, the appearance of this sign means that mankind will finally rise above the gods, breaking the cycle of priestly enslavement.

Before he can process his discovery, guards apprehend him. Dragged before a tribunal, Saknarth is kept gagged and bound to prevent him from speaking his discoveries aloud, and he is swiftly condemned to death for looking through the devilish lens. Confined to a cell overlooking the bustling streets, he grabs a piece of parchment and writes down his findings, exhorting whoever finds the note to pass the knowledge on to men of learning. When a young neophyte passes below his window, Saknarth throws the rolled manuscript down. The youth reads it, understands its gravity, and gives a resolute salute before hurrying away. Satisfied that his mission is complete, Saknarth sits down to await his executioners, knowing the torch of learning has been passed.

How It Unfolds

• The daily deception — Saknarth sits in his observatory drafting false horoscopes, mocking the foolish rulers who believe in astrological destiny while remembering Kwarit's whispered warning about the Morning Star.
• The forbidden room — While walking home through Lucas Phoenicus, Saknarth wanders into the Imperial Museum and locates the outlawed fifty-inch telescope tucked away inside the Hall of Evil Things.
• The midnight climb — Moving through the silent, canal-pump-humming streets before dawn, Saknarth picks a lock, scales a wall with a grappling hook, and slips back into the museum undetected.
• The great revelation — Peering through the massive reflector, Saknarth spots the glowing city lights on the dark hemisphere of Earth and recognizes the ancient, prophesied Sign of Dallon.
• The final transmission — Seized by guards and sentenced to death in a speedy, gagged trial, Saknarth hastily scribbles his discovery onto parchment and tosses it to an intelligent young passerby below.

The People

• Saknarth serves as the Master Astrologer of Mars, initially cynical about his profession but deeply starved for genuine knowledge. He wants to uncover the truth about the universe and break the spiritual tyranny holding his people back. Standing in his way are the oppressive Martian priesthood, strict laws against scientific inquiry, and the constant threat of execution. He ends up a condemned prisoner, but dies fulfilled after successfully passing his dangerous knowledge to the next generation.
• Kwarit is Saknarth's long-lost predecessor who was branded a heretic decades prior for heeding signals from Earth. He wants to preserve and share scientific truth with the world, though his primary obstacle was an unforgiving religious order that silenced him. He remains a guiding phantom in Saknarth's memory, proving that a martyr's vision can outlast institutional suppression.
• The Young Neophyte is an unnamed student walking the streets beneath Saknarth's prison cell. He wants nothing more than to navigate his world, but faces an intellectual vacuum enforced by the state. When he catches Saknarth's falling manuscript, his perspective shifts entirely, and he leaves with a determined expression, ready to carry forward the spark of enlightenment.

In Its Own Voice

From neophyte to the Master Astrologer of the Imperial Observatory, it would be more than forty years by the third planet's hurried pace.

This reflection highlights the passage of time and Saknarth's quiet, lifelong obsession with the mysteries of Earth.

What an upset if they learned how it all originated in the minds of astrologers--no more the guesswork based upon a knowledge of the past.

Saknarth muses on the cynical foundation of his profession, recognizing the vast gulf between state superstition and reality.

The time had come; the priesthood should no longer enslave mankind.

This realization strikes Saknarth at the telescope eyepiece, transforming his scientific awe into a revolutionary crusade.

What It's Really About

The narrative explores the eternal conflict between institutional dogma and the insatiable human drive for discovery. Wollheim examines how ruling authorities maintain power by controlling information, branding forbidden truths as evil or blasphemous to suppress dissent. At the same time, the story considers the fragile transmission of knowledge across generations, suggesting that a single spark of enlightenment, once ignited, cannot be permanently extinguished by censorship or execution. The physical distance between Mars and Earth mirrors the psychological distance between an enslaved populace and the liberating reality of science.

Why Read It Today

Readers who love classic planetary romance, vintage science fiction, and tales of quiet rebellion against oppressive regimes will find much to appreciate here. Reading this story feels like opening a dusty time capsule from the golden age of pulp magazines, blending atmospheric Martian canals with a timeless philosophical parable. While the prose carries a slightly dated, melodramatic rhythm and relies on archaic sci-fi tropes like single-eyed Martians, its brisk pacing and earnest idealism sweep past these period quirks. What stays with you is the striking image of a lonely scholar risking everything in the dark hours before dawn, trading his life for a fleeting chance to wake up his sleeping world.