Strangely enough this thought had not yet impressed itself on me. It was true! I was actually two hundred and eighty years old and in comparison Acquilla with the bloom of her seventy-eight years, was a mere child! I drew a long breath, stretched myself on the points of my toes and was reassured by a feeling of extraordinary youth and vitality. “You are privileged, indeed, Bogardus,” said Doctrina, leading the way in the grove, “for you are going to meet our great Manfreda and the Supreme Council of Amazonia, an honor that never before has been given to a man.” CHAPTER XIV The Supreme Council were seated in a semi-circle at the foot of a magnificent redwood, nine in number, Acquilla’s seat being at one end. At my approach they rose with a curiosity which showed in the alacrity of their greeting, despite all their efforts at repression. I felt no timidity. In fact it was with a certain confident pride that I enjoyed this opportunity of presenting to the leaders of the new matriarchal state, a not at all ill-formed example of the sex which for four thousand years of authentic history had ruled the world. I had of course, no way of estimating their age but their pleasing physical appearance and apparent youth made it very easy to grasp each one strongly by the hand and to look into her eyes with a touch of that possessive masculine admiration which was instinctive in my day. My manly appearance, the deep resonance of my voice, the male challenge in my look and I believe, a certain magnetism in the handshake to which they were not accustomed made a distinct impression. At least this was my belief and I set it down in no spirit of conceit, but simply for its significance as it affected surprising later developments. The introduction over, I took my seat opposite, and studied my distinguished hosts with the same curiosity which they in turn bent on me. In the centre sat the famous philosopher and law giver, Manfreda. She seemed older than her associates, and like Doctrina had the look of a man in the fifties, and this was true of Directa, the executive head of the state. (I learned afterwards that their extreme absorption in the matters of intellect had removed them from the pardonable vanities of the flesh, just as formerly holy men of the east retired to fasting and contemplation.) Outside of this triumvirate that dominated the Amazon civilization by right of authority and achievement, the others were finely cut variations of the prevailing blonde types, Amazons with regular features, blue eyes and the lithe bodies of young males. The composition of the council interested me; Germa representing the sciences of research; Stella, astronomy; Acquilla, medicine in its universal state; Electra, the laboratories and the sources of energy; Candora, history and philosophy, while Dulcina sat as the representative of the caste of the Histriones.