The feat is one that requires apelike ability. The only thing
that puzzled me is--why did she do it at all?"
"It will have to remain a puzzle until she awakens," said Deltos, rising
from the table. "Lucky for us, Somat, that you saw fit to study the root
tongues. Otherwise we'd have to converse by signs."
Neither Smith nor Van Emmon learned anything further that night. The
twelve were all very tired, apparently, and went right to bed; a
procedure which was straightway seconded by the four watchers on the
earth. Which brings us in the most ordinary manner to the events of the
next day.
After breakfast all but Somat left the place and disappeared in various
directions; and Rolla noted that the robes were, evidently, worn only at
meal time. Most of the men were now dressed in rough working garments,
similar to what one sees in modern factories. Whimsical sort of gods,
Rolla told herself, but gods just the same.
"Tell me," began Somat, as the woman sat on the floor before him--he
could not get her to use a chair--"tell me, what caused thee to leave
thy side of the world? Did ye arouse the wrath of thy fellow creatures?"
"Nay," answered Rolla, and proceeded to explain, in the wrong order, as
a child might, by relating first the crossing of the ridge, the flight
from the bees, the "masters'" cruel method of dealing with Corrus and
Dulnop, and finally the matter of the fire itself, the real cause of the
whole affair.
Pages:
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140