A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper CylinderDe Mille, James
Philosophy
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder
De Mille, James
Science fiction
On going forth into the outer grotto I saw the table spread with a
sumptuous repast, and the apartment in a blaze of light. Almah was not
here; and though some servants made signs for me to eat, yet I could
not until I should see whether she was coming or not. I had to wait
for a long time, however; and while I was waiting the chief entered,
shading his eyes with his hand from the painful light. He bowed
low with the most profound courtesy, saying, "Salonla," to which I
responded in the same way. He seemed much pleased at this, and made a
few remarks, which I did not understand; whereupon, anxious to lose no
time in learning the language, I repeated to him all the words I knew,
and asked after others. I pointed to him and asked his name. He said,
"Kohen." This, however, I afterward found was not a name, but a title.
The "Kohen" did not remain long, for the light was painful. After his
departure I was alone for some time, and at length Almah made her
appearance. I sprang to meet her, full of joy, and took her hand in
both of mine and pressed it warmly. She smiled, and appeared quite
free from the melancholy of the previous day.
We ate our breakfast together, after which we went out into the world
of light, groping our way along through the dark passages amid the
busy crowd. Almah could see better than I in the darkness; but she was
far from seeing well, and did not move with that easy step and perfect
certainty which all the others showed. Like me, she was a child of
light, and the darkness was distressing to her. As we went on we were
seen by all, but were apparently not considered prisoners. On the
contrary, all looked at us with the deepest respect, and bowed low
or moved aside, and occasionally made little offerings of fruit or
flowers to one or the other of us. It seemed to me that we were
treated with equal distinction; and if Almah was their queen, I, their
guest, was regarded with equal honor. Whatever her rank might be,
however, she was to all appearance the most absolute mistress of
her own actions, and moved about among all these people with the
independence and dignity of some person of exalted rank.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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