She was
shocked. But she did her very best to enlighten me, though much
that she said was as Greek would have been to her. She described
the Mahars largely by comparisons. In this way they were like unto
thipdars, in that to the hairless lidi.
About all I gleaned of them was that they were quite hideous, had
wings, and webbed feet; lived in cities built beneath the ground;
could swim under water for great distances, and were very, very
wise. The Sagoths were their weapons of offense and defense, and
the races like herself were their hands and feet--they were the
slaves and servants who did all the manual labor. The Mahars were
the heads--the brains--of the inner world. I longed to see this
wondrous race of supermen.
Perry learned the language with me. When we halted, as we
occasionally did, though sometimes the halts seemed ages apart, he
would join in the conversation, as would Ghak the Hairy One, he who
was chained just ahead of Dian the Beautiful. Ahead of Ghak was
Hooja the Sly One. He too entered the conversation occasionally.
Most of his remarks were directed toward Dian the Beautiful. It
didn't take half an eye to see that he had developed a bad case; but
the girl appeared totally oblivious to his thinly veiled advances.
Did I say thinly veiled? There is a race of men in New Zealand,
or Australia, I have forgotten which, who indicate their preference
for the lady of their affections by banging her over the head with
a bludgeon.
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