There he hung helpless for a moment, glaring up at me in impotent
rage.
"Xodar," I said, "let us be friends. For a year, possibly, we
may be forced to live together in the narrow confines of this tiny
room. I am sorry to have offended you, but I could not dream that
one who had suffered from the cruel injustice of Issus still could
believe her divine.
"I will say a few more words, Xodar, with no intent to wound your
feelings further, but rather that you may give thought to the fact
that while we live we are still more the arbiters of our own fate
than is any god.
"Issus, you see, has not struck me dead, nor is she rescuing her
faithful Xodar from the clutches of the unbeliever who defamed her
fair beauty. No, Xodar, your Issus is a mortal old woman. Once
out of her clutches and she cannot harm you.
"With your knowledge of this strange land, and my knowledge of the
outer world, two such fighting-men as you and I should be able to
win our way to freedom. Even though we died in the attempt, would
not our memories be fairer than as though we remained in servile
fear to be butchered by a cruel and unjust tyrant--call her goddess
or mortal, as you will."
As I finished I raised Xodar to his feet and released him. He did
not renew the attack upon me, nor did he speak. Instead, he walked
toward the bench, and, sinking down upon it, remained lost in deep
thought for hours.
Pages:
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153