The Gilded Man: A Romance of the AndesSmyth, Clifford
Science
The Gilded Man: A Romance of the Andes
Smyth, Clifford
Andes Region -- Fiction; El Dorado -- Fiction; Science fiction
Una betrayed none of her suspicions regarding David in her discussion
of these matters. She had not seen him since that first meeting in
the little portico adjoining his quarters in the palace, hence she was
ignorant of the result of Raoul's experiment. Sajipona had come to her
immediately after its conclusion and, judging by the quiet cheerfulness
of her manner, she fancied everything had gone to her satisfaction. This
was confirmed by the announcement of the festival that was shortly to
take place. This festival, Una had been told, was to be the occasion
for great rejoicing among the cave people. It was a sort of national
day, a celebration that had not been held in many a long generation. It
was intended to recall, she heard, the ancient feast of El Dorado, the
Gilded Man, about which, of course, as it existed among the Chibchas
before the period of the Spanish invasion, Una was familiar through the
traditions as told by David and Leighton. What form this revival of the
old ceremonies would take had not been explained. But it piqued her
curiosity and, in spite of resentment and wounded pride, she cherished a
secret hope that it would bring about a final understanding of David's
position in regard to Sajipona and herself. She felt sure David would
be at the festival, and she had an intuitive feeling as well that his
presence would dispel the mystery that sundered them. She did not look
for, nor did she consciously want a reconciliation. Bitterly she denied
herself the possibility of one. But she wished to know definitely, and
to its full extent, David's faithlessness to her. After she had learned
this, they could not start on their homeward journey too quickly.
Still absorbed in these reflections, Una and her companions, under
Narva's lead, entered the great court of the palace. Una, of course,
had grown familiar with the strange features to be found in this hall
of marvels; but the others, entering it for the first time, were amazed
at what they saw there. In Leighton this feeling of wonder reached its
highest pitch. The shattering of one scientific belief after another
that he had experienced ever since entering the cave left him, it is
true, somewhat callous to new impressions. But this apathy, if it can be
called that, melted away as he stood beneath the great white dome that
soared in flashing lines above them. Looking up at the huge ball of fire
suspended just beyond the apex of this dome, for a moment he remained
speechless. Then, turning to his companions, he voiced the ecstasy that
comes with some unexpected, epoch-making discovery.
"Do you know what that is?" he demanded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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