Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction; Tarzan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
“You do not know what you are talking about,” replied the ape-man. “You
have been gone very long. You will find no friends left back there from
whence you came. You will find deceit, and hypocrisy, and greed, and
avarice, and cruelty. You will find that no one will be interested in
you and that you will be interested in no one there. I, Tarzan of the
Apes, have left my jungle and gone to the cities built by men, but
always I have been disgusted and been glad to return to my jungle—to
the noble beasts that are honest in their loves and in their hates—to
the freedom and genuineness of nature.
“If you return you will be disappointed, and you will realize that you
have thrown away an opportunity of accomplishing a work well worth your
while. These poor creatures need you. I cannot remain to guide them out
of darkness, but you may, and you may so mold them that they will be an
industrious, virtuous, and kindly people, not untrained, however, in the
arts of warfare, for when we have that which is good, there will always
be those who are envious and who, if they are more powerful than we,
will attempt to come and take what we have by force. Therefore, you must
train your people to protect their country and their rights, and to
protect them they must have the ability and the knowledge to fight
successfully, and the weapons wherewith to wage their wars.”
“You speak the truth, Tarzan of the Apes,” replied the old man. “There
is nothing for me in that other world, so, if the Gomangani wish me to
be their chief I will remain here.”
The head-men, when he questioned them, assured Tarzan that if they could
not have him for chief they would be very glad to have the old man, whom
they all knew, either by sight or reputation, as one who had never
perpetrated any cruelties upon the Gomangani.
The few surviving Bolgani who had taken refuge in various parts of the
palace were sought out and brought to the throne room. Here they were
given the option of remaining in the valley as slaves, or leaving the
country entirely. The Gomangani would have fallen upon them and slain
them, but that their new king would not permit.
“But where shall we go if we leave the Valley of the Palace of
Diamonds?” asked one of the Bolgani. “Beyond the city of Opar we know
not what exists, and in Opar may we find only enemies.”
Tarzan sat eyeing them quizzically, and in silence. For a long time he
did not speak, while several of the Gomangani head-men, and others of
the Bolgani, made suggestions for the future of the gorilla-men. Finally
the ape-man arose and nodded toward the Bolgani.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account