Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction; Tarzan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
They followed him through several chambers until at last he led them
into the presence of a gorgeously garbed warrior who was seated behind
a large table, or desk, upon which were numerous strange instruments,
large, cumbersome looking volumes, pads of heavy Minunian writing paper
and the necessary implements for writing. The man looked up as they
entered the room.
"It is your slave, Zuanthrol, Zertol," announced the fellow who had led
them hither.
"But the other?" Prince Zoanthrohago pointed at Komodoflorensal.
"He speaks the strange language that Zuanthrol speaks, and he was
brought along that you might communicate with Zuanthrol if you so
wished." Zoanthrohago nodded.
He turned to Komodoflorensal. "Ask him," he ordered, "if he feels any
differently since I reduced his size."
When the question was put to Tarzan by Komodoflorensal in the imaginary
language with which they were supposed to communicate the ape-man shook
his head, at the same time speaking a few words in English.
"He says no, illustrious prince," translated Komodoflorensal out of his
imagination, "and he asks when you will restore him to his normal size
and permit him to return to his own country, which is far from Minuni."
"As a Minunian he should know," replied the Zertol, "that he never will
be permitted to return to his own country--Trohanadalmakus never will
see him again."
"But he is not of Trohanadalmakus, nor is he a Minunian," explained
Komodoflorensal. "He came to us and we did not make a slave of him, but
treated him as a friend, because he is from a far country with which we
have never made war."
"What country is that?" demanded Zoanthrohago.
"That we do not know, but he says that there is a great country beyond
the thorns where dwell many millions as large as was he. He says that
his people would not be unfriendly to ours and for this reason we
should not enslave him, but treat him as a guest."
Zoanthrohago smiled. "If you believe this you must be a simple fellow,
Trohanadalmakusian," he said. "We all know that there is naught beyond
Minuni but impenetrable forests of thorn to the very uttermost wall of
the blue dome within which we all dwell. I can well believe that the
fellow is no Trohanadalmakusian, but he most certainly is a Minunian,
since all creatures of whatever kind dwell in Minuni. Doubtless he is
a strange form of Zertalacolol, a member of a tribe inhabiting some
remote mountain fastness, which we have never previously discovered;
but be that as it may, he will never----"
At this juncture the prince was interrupted by the clanging of the
great gong at the outer entrance to his apartments. He paused to count
the strokes and when they reached five and ceased he turned to the
warriors who had conducted Tarzan and Komodoflorensal to his presence.
"Take the slaves into that chamber," he instructed, pointing to a
doorway in the rear of the apartment in which he had received them.
"When the king has gone I will send for them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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