It was only at moments like these I had any time to reflect on mycircumstances or that giddy chance which had shot me into space in thisfashion, and, frankly1, the opportunities, when they did come, brought suchan extraordinary de- pressing train of thought, I by no means invited them.
Even with the time available the occasion was always awry2 for suchreflection. These dainty triflers made sulking as impossible amongstthem as philosophy in a ballroom3. When I stalked out like that from thelibrary in fine mood to moralise and apostrophise heaven in a way thatwould no doubt have looked fine upon these pages, one sprightly4 dam-sel,just as the gloomy rhetoric5 was bursting from my lips, thrust a flowerunder my nose whose scent6 brought on a violent attack of sneezing, hercompanions joining hands and dancing round me while they imitated myagony. Then, when I burst away from them and rushed down a nar-rowarcade of crumbling7 mansions8, another stopped me in mid-career, andtaking the honey-stick she was sucking from her lips, put it to mine, like apretty, playful child. An- other asked me to dance, another to drink pinkoblivion with her, and so on. How could one lament9 amongst all thisirritating cheerfulness?
An might have helped me, for poor An was intelligent for a Martian,but she had disappeared, and the terrible vacu- ity of life in the planet wasforced upon me when I realised that possessing no cognomen10, no fixedaddress, or rating, it would be the merest chance if I ever came across heragain.
Looking for my friendly guide and getting more and more at seaamongst a maze11 of comely12 but similar faces, I made chance acquaintancewith another of her kind who cheerfully drank my health at theGovernment's expense, and chatted on things Martian. She took me tosee a funeral by way of amusement, and I found these people floated theirdead off on flower-decked rafts instead of burying them, the send-offs alltaking place upon a certain swift-flowing stream, which carried the deadaway into the vast region of northern ice, but more exactly whither myinformant seemed to have no idea. The voyager on this occasion was old, and this brought to my mind the curious fact that I had observed fewchildren in the city, and no elders, all, except perhaps Hath, being in a stateof sleek16 youthfulness. My new friend explained the peculiarity17 bydeclaring Mar- tians ripened18 with extraordinary rapidity from infancy19 tothe equivalent of about twenty-five years of age, with us, and thenremained at that period however long they might live; Only when theydied did their accumulated seasons come upon them; the girl turning pale,and wringing21 her pret- ty hands in sympathetic concern when I told herthere was a land where decrepitude22 was not so happily postponed23. TheMartians, she said, arranged their calendar by the varying colours of theseasons, and loved blue as an antidote24 to the generally red and rustycharacter of their soil.
Discussing such things as these we lightly squandered25 the day away,and I know of nothing more to note until the evening was come again: thatwonderful purple evening which creeps over the outer worlds at sunset, aseductive darkness gemmed26 with ten thousand stars riding so low in theheaven they seem scarcely more than mast high. When that hour wascome my friend tiptoed again to my cheek, and then, pointing to the palaceand laughingly hoping fate would send me a bride "as soft as catkin and assweet as honey," slipped away into the darkness.
Then I remembered all on a sudden this was the con- nubial evening ofmy sprightly friends--the occasion when, as An had told me, theGovernment constituted itself into a gigantic matrimonial agency, and,with the cheerful care- lessness of the place, shuffled28 the matrimonial packanew, and dealt a fresh hand to all the players. Now I had no wish toavail myself of a sailor's privilege of a bride in every port, but surely thisgame would be interesting enough to see, even if I were but a disinterestedspectator. As a matter of fact I was something more than that, and hadbeen thinking a good deal of Heru during the day. I do not know whetherI actually aspired29 to her hand--that were a large order, even if there hadbeen no suspicion in my mind she was already bespoke30 in some vagueway by the invisible Hath, most abortive31 of princes. But she wasundeniably a lovely girl; the more one thought of her the more she grewupon the fancy, and then the preference she had shown myself was very gratifying. Yes, I would certainly see this quaint13 ceremonial, even if Itook no leading part in it.
The great centre hall of the palace was full of a radiant light bringingup its ruined columns and intruding32 creepers to the best effect when Ientered. Dinner also was just being served, as they would say in another,and alas33! very distant place, and the whole building thronged34 with folk.
Down the centre low tables with room for four hundred people wereranged, but they looked quaint enough since but two hundred were sittingthere, all brand-new bachelors about to be turned into brand newBenedicts, and taking it mightily35 calmly it seemed. Across the hall-topwas a raised table similarly arranged and ornamented36; and entering intothe spirit of the thing, and little guessing how stern a reality was to comefrom the evening, I sat down in a vacant place near to the dais, and only afew paces from where the pale, ghost-eyed Hath was already seated.
Almost immediately afterwards music began to buzz all about the hall-music of the kind the people loved which always seemed to me as thoughit were exuding37 from the tables and benches, so disembodied and difficultit was to locate; all the sleepy gallants raised their flower-encircled headsat the same time, seizing their wine-cups, already filled to the brim, andthe door at the bottom of the hall opening, the ladies, preceded by onecarrying a mysterious vase covered with a glittering cloth, came in.
Now, being somewhat thirsty, I had already drunk half the wine in mybeaker, and whether it was that draught38, drugged as all Martian wines are,or the sheer loveliness of the maids themselves, I cannot say, but as theprocession entered, and, dividing, circled round under the colonnades39 ofthe hall, a sensation of extraordinary felicity came over me--an emotion ofdivine contentment purged40 of all gross- ness--and I stared and stared at thecircling loveliness, gos- samer-clad, flower-girdled, tripping by me withvapid de- light. Either the wine was budding in my head, or there waslittle to choose from amongst them, for had any of those ladies sat down inthe vacant place beside me, I should certainly have accepted her as a giftfrom heaven, without question or cavil41. But one after another theyslipped by, modestly taking their places in the shadows until at last camePrincess Heru, and at the sight of her my soul was stirred.
She came undulating over the white marble, the loveliness of her fairyperson dimmed but scarcely hidden by a robe of softest lawn in colour likerose-petals, her eyes aglitter with excitement and a charming blush uponher face.
She came straight up to me, and, resting a dainty hand upon myshoulder, whispered, "Are you come as a spectator only, dear Mr. Jones, ordo you join in our custom tonight?""I came only as a bystander, lady, but the fascination42 of theopportunity is deadly--""And have you any preference?"--this in the softest little voice fromsomewhere in the nape of my neck. "Strangers sometimes say there arefair women in Seth.""None--till you came; and now, as was said a long time ago, 'All isdross that is not Helen.' Dearest lady," I ran on, detaining her by thefingertips and gazing up into those shy and star-like eyes, "must I indeedput all the hopes your kindness has roused in me these last few days to ashuffle in yonder urn20, taking my chance with all these lazy fellows? Inthat land whereof I was, we would not have had it so, we loaded our dicein these matters, a strong man there might have a willing maid though allheaven were set against him! But give me leave, sweet lady, and I willruffle with these fellows; give me a glance and I will barter43 my life foryour billet when it is drawn44, but to stand idly by and see you won by acold chance, I cannot do it."That lady laughed a little and said, "Men make laws, dear Jones, forwomen to keep. It is the rule, and we must not break it." Then, gentlytugging at her imprisoned45 fingers and gathering46 up her skirts to go, sheadded, "But it might happen that wit here were better than sword." Thenshe hesitated, and freeing herself at last slipped from my side, yet beforeshe was quite gone half turned again and whispered so low that no one butI could hear it, "A golden pool, and a silver fish, and a line no thicker thana hair!" and before I could beg a meaning of her, had passed down the halland taken a place with the other expectant damsels.
"A golden pool," I said to myself, "a silver fish, and a line of hair."What could she mean? Yet that she meant something, and something clearly of importance, I could not doubt. "A golden pool, and a silverfish--" I buried my chin in my chest and thought deeply but without effectwhile the preparations were made and the fateful urn, each maid havingslipped her name tablet within, was brought down to us, covered in abeautiful web of rose-coloured tissue, and commenced its round, passingslowly from hand to hand as each of those handsome, impassive, fawn-eyed gallants lifted a corner of the web in turn and helped themselves tofate.
"A golden pool," I muttered, "and a silver fish"--so ab- sorbed in myown thoughts I hardly noticed the great cup begin its journey, but when ithad gone three or four places the glitter of the lights upon it caught my eye.
It was of pure gold, round-brimmed, and circled about with a string of theblue convolvulus, which implies delight to these people. Ay! and eachman was plunging47 his hand into the dark and taking in his turn a smallnotch-edged mother-of- pearl billet from it that flashed soft and silvery ashe turned it in his hand to read the name engraved49 in unknown charactersthereon. "Why," I said, with a start, "surely THIS might be the goldenpool and these the silver fish-- but the hair-fine line? And again Imeditated deeply, with all my senses on the watch.
Slowly the urn crept round, and as each man took a ticket from it, andpassed it, smiling, to the seneschal behind him, that official read out thename upon it, and a blushing damsel slipped from the crowd above,crossing over to the side of the man with whom chance had thus lightlylinked her for the brief Martian year, and putting her hands in his theykissed before all the company, and sat down to their places at the table ascalmly as country folk might choose partners at a village fair in hay-time.
But not so with me. Each time a name was called I started and staredat the drawer in a way which should have filled him with alarm had alarmbeen possible to the peace-soaked triflers, then turned to glance to where,amongst the women, my tender little princess was leaning against a pillar,with drooping50 head, slowly pulling a con- volvulus bud to pieces. Nonedrew, though all were thinking of her, as I could tell in my fingertips.
Keener and keener grew the suspense51 as name after name was told andeach slim white damsel skipped to the place allotted52 her. And all the time I kept muttering to myself about that "golden pool," wondering andwondering until the urn had passed half round the tables and was onlysome three men up from me--and then an idea flashed across my mind.
dipped my fingers in the scented53 water-basin on the table, drying themcarefully on a napkin, and waiting, outwardly as calm as any, yet inwardlywrung by those tremors54 which beset55 all male creation in suchcircumstances.
And now at last it was my turn. The great urn, blazing golden,through its rosy56 covering, was in front, and all eyes on me. I clapped asunburnt hand upon its top as though I would take all remaining in it tomyself and stared round at that company--only her herself I durst not lookat! Then, with a beating heart, I lifted a corner of the web and slippedmy hand into the dark inside, muttering to myself as I did so, "A goldenpool, and a silver fish, and a line no thicker than a hair." I touched inturn twenty perplexing tablets and was no whit14 the wiser, and felt aboutthe sides yet came to nothing, groping here and there with a rising despair,until as my fingers, still damp and fine of touch, went round the sides asecond time, yes! there was some- thing, something in the hollow of thefluting, a thought, a thread, and yet enough. I took it unseen, lifting itwith in- finite forbearance, and the end was weighted, the other tabletsslipped and rattled57 as from their midst, hanging to that one fine virgin58 hair,up came a pearly billet. I doubted no longer, but snapped the thread, andshowed the tablet, heard Heru's name, read from it amongst the softapplause of that luxurious59 company with all the unconcern I could muster60.
There she was in a moment, lip to lip with me, before them all, hereyes more than ever like planets from her native skies, and only the quickheave of her bosom61, slowly subsiding62 like a ground swell63 after a storm,remaining to tell that even Martian blood could sometimes beat quickerthan usual! She sat down in her place by me in the simplest way, andsoon everything was as merry as could be. The main meal came on now,and as far as I could see those Martian gallants had extremely goodappetites, though they drank at first but little, wisely remembering thestrength of their wines. As for me, I ate of fishes that never swam inearthly seas, and of strange fowl64 that never flapped a way through thick terrestrial air, ate and drank as happy as a king, and falling each momentmore and more in love with the wonderfully beautiful girl at my side whowas a real woman of flesh and blood I knew, yet somehow so dainty, sopink and white, so unlike other girls in the smoothness of her outlines, inthe subtle grace of each unthinking attitude, that again and again I lookedat her over the rim27 of my tankard half fearing she might dissolve intonothing, being the half-fairy which she was.
Presently she asked, "Did that deed of mine, the hair in the urn, offendyou, stranger?""Offend me, lady!" I laughed. "Why, had it been the blackest crimethat ever came out of a perverse65 imagination it would have brought itsown pardon with it; I, least of all in this room, have least cause to beoffended.""I risked much for you and broke our rules.""Why, no doubt that was so, but 'tis the privilege of your kind to havesome say in this little matter of giving and taking in marriage. I onlymarvel that your countrywomen submit so tamely to the quaintest66 game ofchance I ever played at.
"Ay, and it is women's nature no doubt to keep the laws which othersmake, as you have said yourself. Yet this rule, lady, is one broken withmore credit than kept, and if you have offended no one more than me,your penance67 is easily done.""But I have offended some one," she said, laying her hand on minewith gentle nervousness in its touch, "one who has the power to hurt, andenough energy to resent. Hath, up there at the cross-table, have Ioffended deeply tonight, for he hoped to have me, and would havecompelled any other man to barter me for the maid chance assigned to him;but of you, somehow, he is afraid--I have seen him staring at you, andchanging colour as though he knew something no one else knows--""Briefly, charming girl," I said, for the wine was be- ginning to sing inmy head, and my eyes were blinking stupidly--"briefly, Hath hath thee not,and there's an end of it. I would spit a score of Haths, as these figs68 arespit on this golden skewer69, before I would relinquish70 a hair of your head tohim, or to any man," and as everything about the great hall began to look gauzy and unreal through the gathering fumes71 of my confusion, I smiledon that gracious lady, and began to whisper I know not what to her, andwhisper and doze72, and doze-I know not how long afterwards it was, whether a minute or an hour,but when I lifted my head suddenly from the lady's shoulder all the placewas in confusion, every one upon their feet, the talk and the drinkingceased, and all eyes turned to the far doorway73 where the curtains were justdropping again as I looked, while in front of them were standing74 threemen.
These newcomers were utterly75 unlike any others--a fright- ful vision ofugly strength amidst the lolling loveliness all about. Low of stature,broad of shoulder, hairy, deep-chest- ed, with sharp, twinkling eyes, set farback under bushy eyebrows76, retreating foreheads, and flat noses in facestan-ned to a dusky copper77 hue78 by exposure to every kind of weather thatracks the extreme Martian climate they were so opposite to all about me,so quaint and grim amongst those mild, fair-skinned folk, that at first Ithought they were but a disordered creation of my fancy.
I rubbed my eyes and stared and blinked, but no! they were real men,of flesh and blood, and now they had come down with as much statelinessas their bandy legs would admit of, into the full glare of the lights to thecentre table where Hath sat. I saw their splendid apparel, the greatstrings of rudely polished gems79 hung round their hairy necks and wrists,the cunningly dyed skins of soft-furred animals, green and red and black,wherewith their limbs were swathed, and then I heard some one by mewhisper in a frightened tone, "The envoys81 from over seas.""Oh," I thought sleepily to myself, "so these are the ape-men of thewestern woods, are they? Those who long ago vanquished82 my white-skinned friends and yearly come to claim their tribute. Jove, what haythey must have made of them! How those peach-skinned girls must havescreamed and the downy striplings by them felt their dimpled knees knocktogether, as the mad flood of barbarians83 came pour- ing over from theforest, and long ago stormed their cit-adels like a stream of red lava84, asdeadly, as irresistible85, as remorseless!" And I lay asprawl upon my armson the table watching them with the stupid indifference86 I thought I could so well afford.
Meanwhile Hath was on foot, pale and obsequious87 like others in thepresence of those dread88 ambassadors, but more collected, I thought.
With the deepest bows he welcomed them, handing them drink in a goldenState cup, and when they had drunk (I heard the liquor running down theirgreat throats, in the frightened hush89, like water in a runnel on a wet day),they wiped their fierce lips upon their furry90 sleeves, and the leader beganreciting the tribute for the year. So much corn, so much wine--and verymuch it was--so many thousands ells of cloth and webbing, and so muchhammered gold, and sinah and lar, precious metal of which I knew nothingas yet; and ever as he went growl- ing through the list in his harsh animalvoice, he refreshed his memory with a coloured stick whereon a notch48 wasmade for every item, the woodmen not having come as yet, apparently91, tothe gentler art of written signs and symbols. Longer and longer thatcaravan of unearned wealth stretched out before my fancy, but at last itwas done, or all but done, and the head envoy80, passing the painted stick toa man behind, folded his bare, sinewy92 arms, upon which the red fellbristles as it does upon a gorilla's, across his ample chest, and, includingus all in one general scowl93, turned to Hath as he said-"All this for Ar-hap15, the wood-king, my master and yours; all this, andthe most beautiful woman here tonight at your tables!""An item," I smiled stupidly to myself, for indeed I was very sleepyand had no nice perception of things, "which shows his majesty94 with thetwo-pronged name is a jolly fellow after all, and knows wealth isincomplete without the crown and priming of all riches. I wonder howthe Martian boys will like this postscript," and chin on hand, and eyes thatwould hardly stay open, I watched to see what would happen next. Therewas a little conversation between the prince and the ape-man; then I sawHath the traitor95 point in my direction and say-"Since you ask and will be advised, then, mighty96 sir, there can be nodoubt of it, the most beautiful woman here tonight is undoubtedly97 she whosits yonder by him in blue.""A very pretty compliment!" I thought, too dull to see what wascoming quickly, "and handsome of Hath, all things considered."And so I dozed98 and dozed, and then started, and stared! Was I in mysenses? Was I mad, or dreaming? The drunk- enness dropped from melike a mantle99; with a single, smothered100 cry I came to myself and saw that itwas all too true. The savage101 envoy had come down the hall at Hath'svindictive prompting, had lifted my fair girl to her feet, and there, even asI looked, had drawn her, white as death, into the red circle of his arm, andwith one hand under her chin had raised her sweet face to within an inchof his, and was staring at her with small, ugly eyes.
"Yes," said the enjoy, more interestedly than he had spoken yet, "it willdo; the tribute is accepted--for Ar- hap, my master!" And takingshrinking Heru by the wrist, and laying a heavy hand upon her shoulder,he was about to lead her up the hall.
I was sober enough then. I was on foot in an instant, and before allthe glittering company, before those simpering girls and pale Martianyouths, who sat mumbling102 their fingers, too frightened to lift their eyesfrom off their half-finished dinners, I sprang at the envoy. I struck himwith my clenched103 fist on the side of his bullet head, and he let go of Heru,who slipped insensible from his hairy chest like a white cloud slippingdown the slopes of a hill at sunrise, and turned on me with a snort of rage.
We stared at each other for a minute, and then I felt the wine fumesroaring in my head; I rushed at him and closed. It was like embracing amoun- tain bull, and he responded with a hug that made my ribs104 crackle.
For a minute we were locked together like that, swinging here and there,and then getting a hand loose, I belaboured him so unmercifully that heput his head down, and that was what I wanted. I got a new hold of himas we staggered and plunged105, roaring the while like the wild beasts wewere, the teeth chattering106 in the Martian heads as they watched us, andthen, exerting all my strength, lifted him fairly from his feet and withsupreme effort swung him up, shoulder high, and with a mighty heavehurled him across the tables, flung that ambassador, whom no Martiandared look upon, crashing and sprawling107 through the gold and silver of thefeast, whirled him round with such a splendid send that bench and trestle,tankards and flagons, chairs and cloths and candelabras all went down intothundering chaos108 with him, and the envoy only stayed when his sacred person came to harbour amongst the westral odds109 and ends, the soiledlinen, and dirty platters of our wedding feast.
I remember seeing him there on hands and knees, and then the liquor Ihad had would not be denied. In vain I drew my hands across mydrooping eyelids110, in vain I tried to master my knees that knocked together.
The spell of the love-drink that Heru, blushing, had held to my lips was onme. Its soft, overwhelming influence rose like a prismatic fog betweenme and my enemy, everything again became hazy111 and dreamlike, andfeebly calling on Heru, my chin dropped upon my chest, my limbs relaxed,and I slipped down in drowsy112 oblivion before my rival.
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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awry
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| adj.扭曲的，错的 | |
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ballroom
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| n.舞厅 | |
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sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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rhetoric
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| n.修辞学，浮夸之言语 | |
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scent
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crumbling
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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lament
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cognomen
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maze
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comely
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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whit
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hap
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| n.运气；v.偶然发生 | |
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sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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ripened
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infancy
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urn
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wringing
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decrepitude
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postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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antidote
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squandered
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gemmed
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rim
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shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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aspired
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bespoke
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| adj.（产品）订做的；专做订货的v.预定( bespeak的过去式 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求 | |
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abortive
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| adj.不成功的，发育不全的 | |
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intruding
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mightily
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ornamented
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exuding
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38
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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39
colonnades
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| n.石柱廊( colonnade的名词复数 ) | |
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40
purged
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| 清除（政敌等）( purge的过去式和过去分词 )； 涤除（罪恶等）； 净化（心灵、风气等）； 消除（错事等）的不良影响 | |
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41
cavil
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| v.挑毛病，吹毛求疵 | |
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42
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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43
barter
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| n.物物交换，以货易货，实物交易 | |
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44
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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45
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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47
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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48
notch
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| n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级 | |
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49
engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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50
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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51
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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52
allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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54
tremors
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| 震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动 | |
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55
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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56
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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57
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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58
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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59
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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60
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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61
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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62
subsiding
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的现在分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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63
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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64
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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65
perverse
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| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
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66
quaintest
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| adj.古色古香的( quaint的最高级 )；少见的，古怪的 | |
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67
penance
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| n.（赎罪的）惩罪 | |
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68
figs
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| figures 数字，图形，外形 | |
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69
skewer
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| n.（烤肉用的）串肉杆；v.用杆串好 | |
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relinquish
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| v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手 | |
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71
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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72
doze
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| v.打瞌睡；n.打盹，假寐 | |
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73
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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74
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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75
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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76
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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77
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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78
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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79
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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80
envoy
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| n.使节，使者，代表，公使 | |
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81
envoys
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| 使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份 | |
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82
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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83
barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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84
lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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85
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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86
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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87
obsequious
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| adj.谄媚的，奉承的，顺从的 | |
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88
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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89
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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90
furry
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| adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的 | |
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91
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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92
sinewy
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| adj.多腱的，强壮有力的 | |
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93
scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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94
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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95
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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96
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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97
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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98
dozed
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| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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99
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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100
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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101
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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102
mumbling
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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103
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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104
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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105
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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106
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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107
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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108
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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109
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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110
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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111
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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112
drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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