No premonition of impending6 ill cast gloom over his anticipations7 for the coming day, for Bradley was a man who, while taking every precaution against possible danger, permitted no gloomy forebodings to weigh down his spirit. When danger threatened, he was prepared; but he was not forever courting disaster, and so it was that when about one o'clock in the morning of the fifteenth, he heard the dismal8 flapping of giant wings overhead, he was neither surprised nor frightened but idly prepared for an attack he had known might reasonably be expected.
The sound seemed to come from the south, and presently, low above the trees in that direction, the man made out a dim, shadowy form circling slowly about. Bradley was a brave man, yet so keen was the feeling of revulsion engendered9 by the sight and sound of that grim, uncanny shape that he distinctly felt the gooseflesh rise over the surface of his body, and it was with difficulty that he refrained from following an instinctive10 urge to fire upon the nocturnal intruder. Better, far better would it have been had he given in to the insistent11 demand of his subconscious12 mentor13; but his almost fanatical obsession14 to save ammunition15 proved now his undoing16, for while his attention was riveted17 upon the thing circling before him and while his ears were filled with the beating of its wings, there swooped18 silently out of the black night behind him another weird19 and ghostly shape. With its huge wings partly closed for the dive and its white robe fluttering in its wake, the apparition20 swooped down upon the Englishman.
So great was the force of the impact when the thing struck Bradley between the shoulders that the man was half stunned21. His rifle flew from his grasp; he felt clawlike talons22 of great strength seize him beneath his arms and sweep him off his feet; and then the thing rose swiftly with him, so swiftly that his cap was blown from his head by the rush of air as he was borne rapidly upward into the inky sky and the cry of warning to his companions was forced back into his lungs.
The creature wheeled immediately toward the east and was at once joined by its fellow, who circled them once and then fell in behind them. Bradley now realized the strategy that the pair had used to capture him and at once concluded that he was in the power of reasoning beings closely related to the human race if not actually of it.
Past experience suggested that the great wings were a part of some ingenious mechanical device, for the limitations of the human mind, which is always loath24 to accept aught beyond its own little experience, would not permit him to entertain the idea that the creatures might be naturally winged and at the same time of human origin. From his position Bradley could not see the wings of his captor, nor in the darkness had he been able to examine those of the second creature closely when it circled before him. He listened for the puff25 of a motor or some other telltale sound that would prove the correctness of his theory. However, he was rewarded with nothing more than the constant flap-flap.
Presently, far below and ahead, he saw the waters of the inland sea, and a moment later he was borne over them. Then his captor did that which proved beyond doubt to Bradley that he was in the hands of human beings who had devised an almost perfect scheme of duplicating, mechanically, the wings of a bird—the thing spoke26 to its companion and in a language that Bradley partially27 understood, since he recognized words that he had learned from the savage races of Caspak. From this he judged that they were human, and being human, he knew that they could have no natural wings—for who had ever seen a human being so adorned28! Therefore their wings must be mechanical. Thus Bradley reasoned—thus most of us reason; not by what might be possible; but by what has fallen within the range of our experience.
What he heard them say was to the effect that having covered half the distance the burden would now be transferred from one to the other. Bradley wondered how the exchange was to be accomplished29. He knew that those giant wings would not permit the creatures to approach one another closely enough to effect the transfer in this manner; but he was soon to discover that they had other means of doing it.
He felt the thing that carried him rise to a greater altitude, and below he glimpsed momentarily the second white-robed figure; then the creature above sounded a low call, it was answered from below, and instantly Bradley felt the clutching talons release him; gasping30 for breath, he hurtled downward through space.
For a terrifying instant, pregnant with horror, Bradley fell; then something swooped for him from behind, another pair of talons clutched him beneath the arms, his downward rush was checked, within another hundred feet, and close to the surface of the sea he was again borne upward. As a hawk32 dives for a songbird on the wing, so this great, human bird dived for Bradley. It was a harrowing experience, but soon over, and once again the captive was being carried swiftly toward the east and what fate he could not even guess.
It was immediately following his transfer in mid-air that Bradley made out the shadowy form of a large island far ahead, and not long after, he realized that this must be the intended destination of his captors. Nor was he mistaken. Three quarters of an hour from the time of his seizure33 his captors dropped gently to earth in the strangest city that human eye had ever rested upon. Just a brief glimpse of his immediate23 surroundings vouchsafed34 Bradley before he was whisked into the interior of one of the buildings; but in that momentary35 glance he saw strange piles of stone and wood and mud fashioned into buildings of all conceivable sizes and shapes, sometimes piled high on top of one another, sometimes standing36 alone in an open court-way, but usually crowded and jammed together, so that there were no streets or alleys38 between them other than a few which ended almost as soon as they began. The principal doorways39 appeared to be in the roofs, and it was through one of these that Bradley was inducted into the dark interior of a low-ceiled room. Here he was pushed roughly into a corner where he tripped over a thick mat, and there his captors left him. He heard them moving about in the darkness for a moment, and several times he saw their large luminous41 eyes glowing in the dark. Finally, these disappeared and silence reigned42, broken only by the breathing of the creature which indicated to the Englishman that they were sleeping somewhere in the same apartment.
It was now evident that the mat upon the floor was intended for sleeping purposes and that the rough shove that had sent him to it had been a rude invitation to repose43. After taking stock of himself and finding that he still had his pistol and ammunition, some matches, a little tobacco, a canteen full of water and a razor, Bradley made himself comfortable upon the mat and was soon asleep, knowing that an attempted escape in the darkness without knowledge of his surroundings would be predoomed to failure.
When he awoke, it was broad daylight, and the sight that met his eyes made him rub them again and again to assure himself that they were really open and that he was not dreaming. A broad shaft44 of morning light poured through the open doorway40 in the ceiling of the room which was about thirty feet square, or roughly square, being irregular in shape, one side curving outward, another being indented45 by what might have been the corner of another building jutting46 into it, another alcoved by three sides of an octagon, while the fourth was serpentine48 in contour. Two windows let in more daylight, while two doors evidently gave ingress to other rooms. The walls were partially ceiled with thin strips of wood, nicely fitted and finished, partially plastered and the rest covered with a fine, woven cloth. Figures of reptiles50 and beasts were painted without regard to any uniform scheme here and there upon the walls. A striking feature of the decorations consisted of several engaged columns set into the walls at no regular intervals51, the capitals of each supporting a human skull52 the cranium of which touched the ceiling, as though the latter was supported by these grim reminders53 either of departed relatives or of some hideous54 tribal55 rite—Bradley could not but wonder which.
Yet it was none of these things that filled him with greatest wonder—no, it was the figures of the two creatures that had captured him and brought him hither. At one end of the room a stout56 pole about two inches in diameter ran horizontally from wall to wall some six or seven feet from the floor, its ends securely set in two of the columns. Hanging by their knees from this perch57, their heads downward and their bodies wrapped in their huge wings, slept the creatures of the night before—like two great, horrid58 bats they hung, asleep.
As Bradley gazed upon them in wide-eyed astonishment59, he saw plainly that all his intelligence, all his acquired knowledge through years of observation and experience were set at naught60 by the simple evidence of the fact that stood out glaringly before his eyes—the creatures' wings were not mechanical devices but as natural appendages61, growing from their shoulderblades, as were their arms and legs. He saw, too, that except for their wings the pair bore a strong resemblance to human beings, though fashioned in a most grotesque62 mold.
As he sat gazing at them, one of the two awoke, separated his wings to release his arms that had been folded across his breast, placed his hands upon the floor, dropped his feet and stood erect63. For a moment he stretched his great wings slowly, solemnly blinking his large round eyes. Then his gaze fell upon Bradley. The thin lips drew back tightly against yellow teeth in a grimace64 that was nothing but hideous. It could not have been termed a smile, and what emotion it registered the Englishman was at a loss to guess. No expression whatever altered the steady gaze of those large, round eyes; there was no color upon the pasty, sunken cheeks. A death's head grimaced65 as though a man long dead raised his parchment-covered skull from an old grave.
The creature stood about the height of an average man but appeared much taller from the fact that the joints66 of his long wings rose fully68 a foot above his hairless head. The bare arms were long and sinewy69, ending in strong, bony hands with clawlike fingers—almost talonlike in their suggestiveness. The white robe was separated in front, revealing skinny legs and the further fact that the thing wore but the single garment, which was of fine, woven cloth. From crown to sole the portions of the body exposed were entirely70 hairless, and as he noted71 this, Bradley also noted for the first time the cause of much of the seeming expressionlessness of the creature's countenance—it had neither eye-brows or lashes72. The ears were small and rested flat against the skull, which was noticeably round, though the face was quite flat. The creature had small feet, beautifully arched and plump, but so out of keeping with every other physical attribute it possessed73 as to appear ridiculous.
After eyeing Bradley for a moment the thing approached him. "Where from?" it asked.
"Where is England and what?" pursued the questioner.
"It is a country far from here," answered the Englishman.
"Are your people cor-sva-jo or cos-ata-lu?"
"I do not understand you," said Bradley; "and now suppose you answer a few questions. Who are you? What country is this? Why did you bring me here?"
Again the sepulchral75 grimace. "We are Wieroos—Luata is our father. Caspak is ours. This, our country, is called Oo-oh. We brought you here for (literally76) Him Who Speaks for Luata to gaze upon and question. He would know from whence you came and why; but principally if you be cos-ata-lu."
"And if I am not cos—whatever you call the bloomin' beast—what of it?"
The Wieroo raised his wings in a very human shrug77 and waved his bony claws toward the human skulls78 supporting the ceiling. His gesture was eloquent79; but he embellished80 it by remarking, "And possibly if you are."
"I'm hungry," snapped Bradley.
The Wieroo motioned him to one of the doors which he threw open, permitting Bradley to pass out onto another roof on a level lower than that upon which they had landed earlier in the morning. By daylight the city appeared even more remarkable81 than in the moonlight, though less weird and unreal. The houses of all shapes and sizes were piled about as a child might pile blocks of various forms and colors. He saw now that there were what might be called streets or alleys, but they ran in baffling turns and twists, nor ever reached a destination, always ending in a dead wall where some Wieroo had built a house across them.
Upon each house was a slender column supporting a human skull. Sometimes the columns were at one corner of the roof, sometimes at another, or again they rose from the center or near the center, and the columns were of varying heights, from that of a man to those which rose twenty feet above their roofs. The skulls were, as a rule, painted—blue or white, or in combinations of both colors. The most effective were painted blue with the teeth white and the eye-sockets rimmed82 with white.
There were other skulls—thousands of them—tens, hundreds of thousands. They rimmed the eaves of every house, they were set in the plaster of the outer walls and at no great distance from where Bradley stood rose a round tower built entirely of human skulls. And the city extended in every direction as far as the Englishman could see.
All about him Wieroos were moving across the roofs or winging through the air. The sad sound of their flapping wings rose and fell like a solemn dirge83. Most of them were appareled all in white, like his captors; but others had markings of red or blue or yellow slashed84 across the front of their robes.
His guide pointed85 toward a doorway in an alley37 below them. "Go there and eat," he commanded, "and then come back. You cannot escape. If any question you, say that you belong to Fosh-bal-soj. There is the way." And this time he pointed to the top of a ladder which protruded86 above the eaves of the roof near-by. Then he turned and reentered the house.
Bradley looked about him. No, he could not escape—that seemed evident. The city appeared interminable, and beyond the city, if not a savage wilderness filled with wild beasts, there was the broad inland sea infested87 with horrid monsters. No wonder his captor felt safe in turning him loose in Oo-oh—he wondered if that was the name of the country or the city and if there were other cities like this upon the island.
Slowly he descended88 the ladder to the seemingly deserted89 alley which was paved with what appeared to be large, round cobblestones. He looked again at the smooth, worn pavement, and a rueful grin crossed his features—the alley was paved with skulls. "The City of Human Skulls," mused90 Bradley. "They must have been collectin' 'em since Adam," he thought, and then he crossed and entered the building through the doorway that had been pointed out to him.
Inside he found a large room in which were many Wieroos seated before pedestals the tops of which were hollowed out so that they resembled the ordinary bird drinking- and bathing-fonts so commonly seen on suburban91 lawns. A seat protruded from each of the four sides of the pedestals—just a flat board with a support running from its outer end diagonally to the base of the pedestal.
As Bradley entered, some of the Wieroos espied92 him, and a dismal wail93 arose. Whether it was a greeting or a threat, Bradley did not know. Suddenly from a dark alcove47 another Wieroo rushed out toward him. "Who are you?" he cried. "What do you want?"
"Fosh-bal-soj sent me here to eat," replied Bradley.
"Do you belong to Fosh-bal-soj?" asked the other.
"That appears to be what he thinks," answered the Englishman.
"Are you cos-ata-lu?" demanded the Wieroo.
"Give me something to eat or I'll be all of that," replied Bradley.
The Wieroo looked puzzled. "Sit here, jaal-lu," he snapped, and Bradley sat down unconscious of the fact that he had been insulted by being called a hyena94-man, an appellation95 of contempt in Caspak.
The Wieroo had seated him at a pedestal by himself, and as he sat waiting for what was next to transpire96, he looked about him at the Wieroo in his immediate vicinity. He saw that in each font was a quantity of food, and that each Wieroo was armed with a wooden skewer97, sharpened at one end; with which they carried solid portions of food to their mouths. At the other end of the skewer was fastened a small clam-shell. This was used to scoop98 up the smaller and softer portions of the repast into which all four of the occupants of each table dipped impartially99. The Wieroo leaned far over their food, scooping100 it up rapidly and with much noise, and so great was their haste that a part of each mouthful always fell back into the common dish; and when they choked, by reason of the rapidity with which they attempted to bolt their food, they often lost it all. Bradley was glad that he had a pedestal all to himself.
Soon the keeper of the place returned with a wooden bowl filled with food. This he dumped into Bradley's "trough," as he already thought of it. The Englishman was glad that he could not see into the dark alcove or know what were all the ingredients that constituted the mess before him, for he was very hungry.
After the first mouthful he cared even less to investigate the antecedents of the dish, for he found it peculiarly palatable101. It seemed to consist of a combination of meat, fruits, vegetables, small fish and other undistinguishable articles of food all seasoned to produce a gastronomic102 effect that was at once baffling and delicious.
When he had finished, his trough was empty, and then he commenced to wonder who was to settle for his meal. As he waited for the proprietor103 to return, he fell to examining the dish from which he had eaten and the pedestal upon which it rested. The font was of stone worn smooth by long-continued use, the four outer edges hollowed and polished by the contact of the countless104 Wieroo bodies that had leaned against them for how long a period of time Bradley could not even guess. Everything about the place carried the impression of hoary105 age. The carved pedestals were black with use, the wooden seats were worn hollow, the floor of stone slabs106 was polished by the contact of possibly millions of naked feet and worn away in the aisles107 between the pedestals so that the latter rested upon little mounds108 of stone several inches above the general level of the floor.
Finally, seeing that no one came to collect, Bradley arose and started for the doorway. He had covered half the distance when he heard the voice of mine host calling to him: "Come back, jaal-lu," screamed the Wieroo; and Bradley did as he was bid. As he approached the creature which stood now behind a large, flat-topped pedestal beside the alcove, he saw lying upon the smooth surface something that almost elicited109 a gasp31 of astonishment from him—a simple, common thing it was, or would have been almost anywhere in the world but Caspak—a square bit of paper!
And on it, in a fine hand, written compactly, were many strange hieroglyphics110! These remarkable creatures, then, had a written as well as a spoken language and besides the art of weaving cloth possessed that of paper-making. Could it be that such grotesque beings represented the high culture of the human race within the boundaries of Caspak? Had natural selection produced during the countless ages of Caspakian life a winged monstrosity that represented the earthly pinnacle111 of man's evolution?
Bradley had noted something of the obvious indications of a gradual evolution from ape to spearman as exemplified by the several overlapping112 races of Alalus, club-men and hatchet113-men that formed the connecting links between the two extremes with which he, had come in contact. He had heard of the Krolus and the Galus—reputed to be still higher in the plane of evolution—and now he had indisputable evidence of a race possessing refinements114 of civilization eons in advance of the spear-men. The conjectures115 awakened116 by even a momentary consideration of the possibilities involved became at once as wildly bizarre as the insane imaginings of a drug addict117.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, the Wieroo held out a pen of bone fixed118 to a wooden holder119 and at the same time made a sign that Bradley was to write upon the paper. It was difficult to judge from the expressionless features of the Wieroo what was passing in the creature's mind, but Bradley could not but feel that the thing cast a supercilious120 glance upon him as much as to say, "Of course you do not know how to write, you poor, low creature; but you can make your mark."
Bradley seized the pen and in a clear, bold hand wrote: "John Bradley, England." The Wieroo showed evidences of consternation121 as it seized the piece of paper and examined the writing with every mark of incredulity and surprise. Of course it could make nothing of the strange characters; but it evidently accepted them as proof that Bradley possessed knowledge of a written language of his own, for following the Englishman's entry it made a few characters of its own.
"You will come here again just before Lua hides his face behind the great cliff," announced the creature, "unless before that you are summoned by Him Who Speaks for Luata, in which case you will not have to eat any more."
"Reassuring122 cuss," thought Bradley as he turned and left the building.
Outside were several Wieroos that had been eating at the pedestals within. They immediately surrounded him, asking all sorts of questions, plucking at his garments, his ammunition-belt and his pistol. Their demeanor123 was entirely different from what it had been within the eating-place and Bradley was to learn that a house of food was sanctuary124 for him, since the stern laws of the Wieroos forbade altercations125 within such walls. Now they were rough and threatening, as with wings half spread they hovered126 about him in menacing attitudes, barring his way to the ladder leading to the roof from whence he had descended; but the Englishman was not one to brook127 interference for long. He attempted at first to push his way past them, and then when one seized his arm and jerked him roughly back, Bradley swung upon the creature and with a heavy blow to the jaw128 felled it.
Instantly pandemonium129 reigned. Loud wails130 arose, great wings opened and closed with a loud, beating noise and many clawlike hands reached forth131 to clutch him. Bradley struck to right and left. He dared not use his pistol for fear that once they discovered its power he would be overcome by weight of numbers and relieved of possession of what he considered his trump132 card, to be reserved until the last moment that it might be used to aid in his escape, for already the Englishman was planning, though almost hopelessly, such an attempt.
A few blows convinced Bradley that the Wieroos were arrant133 cowards and that they bore no weapons, for after two or three had fallen beneath his fists the others formed a circle about him, but at a safe distance and contented134 themselves with threatening and blustering135, while those whom he had felled lay upon the pavement without trying to arise, the while they moaned and wailed136 in lugubrious137 chorus.
Again Bradley strode toward the ladder, and this time the circle parted before him; but no sooner had he ascended138 a few rungs than he was seized by one foot and an effort made to drag him down. With a quick backward glance the Englishman, clinging firmly to the ladder with both hands, drew up his free foot and with all the strength of a powerful leg, planted a heavy shoe squarely in the flat face of the Wieroo that held him. Shrieking139 horribly, the creature clapped both hands to its face and sank to the ground while Bradley clambered quickly the remaining distance to the roof, though no sooner did he reach the top of the ladder than a great flapping of wings beneath him warned him that the Wieroos were rising after him. A moment later they swarmed140 about his head as he ran for the apartment in which he had spent the early hours of the morning after his arrival.
It was but a short distance from the top of the ladder to the doorway, and Bradley had almost reached his goal when the door flew open and Fosh-bal-soj stepped out. Immediately the pursuing Wieroos demanded punishment of the jaal-lu who had so grievously maltreated them. Fosh-bal-soj listened to their complaints and then with a sudden sweep of his right hand seized Bradley by the scruff of the neck and hurled141 him sprawling142 through the doorway upon the floor of the chamber143.
So sudden was the assault and so surprising the strength of the Wieroo that the Englishman was taken completely off his guard. When he arose, the door was closed, and Fosh-bal-soj was standing over him, his hideous face contorted into an expression of rage and hatred144.
"Hyena, snake, lizard145!" he screamed. "You would dare lay your low, vile146, profaning147 hands upon even the lowliest of the Wieroos—the sacred chosen of Luata!"
Bradley was mad, and so he spoke in a very low, calm voice while a half-smile played across his lips but his cold, gray eyes were unsmiling.
"What you did to me just now," he said, "—I am going to kill you for that," and even as he spoke, he launched himself at the throat of Fosh-bal-soj. The other Wieroo that had been asleep when Bradley left the chamber had departed, and the two were alone. Fosh-bal-soj displayed little of the cowardice148 of those that had attacked Bradley in the alleyway, but that may have been because he had so slight opportunity, for Bradley had him by the throat before he could utter a cry and with his right hand struck him heavily and repeatedly upon his face and over his heart—ugly, smashing, short-arm jabs of the sort that take the fight out of a man in quick time.
But Fosh-bal-soj was of no mind to die passively. He clawed and struck at Bradley while with his great wings he attempted to shield himself from the merciless rain of blows, at the same time searching for a hold upon his antagonist's throat. Presently he succeeded in tripping the Englishman, and together the two fell heavily to the floor, Bradley underneath149, and at the same instant the Wieroo fastened his long talons about the other's windpipe.
Fosh-bal-soj was possessed of enormous strength and he was fighting for his life. The Englishman soon realized that the battle was going against him. Already his lungs were pounding painfully for air as he reached for his pistol. It was with difficulty that he drew it from its holster, and even then, with death staring him in the face, he thought of his precious ammunition. "Can't waste it," he thought; and slipping his fingers to the barrel he raised the weapon and struck Fosh-bal-soj a terrific blow between the eyes. Instantly the clawlike fingers released their hold, and the creature sank limply to the floor beside Bradley, who lay for several minutes gasping painfully in an effort to regain150 his breath.
When he was able, he rose, and leaned close over the Wieroo, lying silent and motionless, his wings drooping151 limply and his great, round eyes staring blankly toward the ceiling. A brief examination convinced Bradley that the thing was dead, and with the conviction came an overwhelming sense of the dangers which must now confront him; but how was he to escape?
His first thought was to find some means for concealing153 the evidence of his deed and then to make a bold effort to escape. Stepping to the second door he pushed it gently open and peered in upon what seemed to be a store room. In it was a litter of cloth such as the Wieroos' robes were fashioned from, a number of chests painted blue and white, with white hieroglyphics painted in bold strokes upon the blue and blue hieroglyphics upon the white. In one corner was a pile of human skulls reaching almost to the ceiling and in another a stack of dried Wieroo wings. The chamber was as irregularly shaped as the other and had but a single window and a second door at the further end, but was without the exit through the roof and, most important of all, there was no creature of any sort in it.
As quickly as possible Bradley dragged the dead Wieroo through the doorway and closed the door; then he looked about for a place to conceal152 the corpse154. One of the chests was large enough to hold the body if the knees were bent155 well up, and with this idea in view Bradley approached the chest to open it. The lid was made in two pieces, each being hinged at an opposite end of the chest and joining nicely where they met in the center of the chest, making a snug156, well-fitting joint67. There was no lock. Bradley raised one half the cover and looked in. With a smothered157 "By Jove!" he bent closer to examine the contents—the chest was about half filled with an assortment158 of golden trinkets. There were what appeared to be bracelets159, anklets and brooches of virgin160 gold.
Realizing that there was no room in the chest for the body of the Wieroo, Bradley turned to seek another means of concealing the evidence of his crime. There was a space between the chests and the wall, and into this he forced the corpse, piling the discarded robes upon it until it was entirely hidden from sight; but now how was he to make good his escape in the bright glare of that early Spring day?
He walked to the door at the far end of the apartment and cautiously opened it an inch. Before him and about two feet away was the blank wall of another building. Bradley opened the door a little farther and looked in both directions. There was no one in sight to the left over a considerable expanse of roof-top, and to the right another building shut off his line of vision at about twenty feet. Slipping out, he turned to the right and in a few steps found a narrow passageway between two buildings. Turning into this he passed about half its length when he saw a Wieroo appear at the opposite end and halt. The creature was not looking down the passageway; but at any moment it might turn its eyes toward him, when he would be immediately discovered.
To Bradley's left was a triangular161 niche162 in the wall of one of the houses and into this he dodged163, thus concealing himself from the sight of the Wieroo. Beside him was a door painted a vivid yellow and constructed after the same fashion as the other Wieroo doors he had seen, being made up of countless narrow strips of wood from four to six inches in length laid on in patches of about the same width, the strips in adjacent patches never running in the same direction. The result bore some resemblance to a crazy patchwork164 quilt, which was heightened when, as in one of the doors he had seen, contiguous patches were painted different colors. The strips appeared to have been bound together and to the underlying165 framework of the door with gut166 or fiber167 and also glued, after which a thick coating of paint had been applied168. One edge of the door was formed of a straight, round pole about two inches in diameter that protruded at top and bottom, the projections169 setting in round holes in both lintel and sill forming the axis170 upon which the door swung. An eccentric disk upon the inside face of the door engaged a slot in the frame when it was desired to secure the door against intruders.
As Bradley stood flattened171 against the wall waiting for the Wieroo to move on, he heard the creature's wings brushing against the sides of the buildings as it made its way down the narrow passage in his direction. As the yellow door offered the only means of escape without detection, the Englishman decided172 to risk whatever might lie beyond it, and so, boldly pushing it in, he crossed the threshold and entered a small apartment.
As he did so, he heard a muffled173 ejaculation of surprise, and turning his eyes in the direction from whence the sound had come, he beheld174 a wide-eyed girl standing flattened against the opposite wall, an expression of incredulity upon her face. At a glance he saw that she was of no race of humans that he had come in contact with since his arrival upon Caprona—there was no trace about her form or features of any relationship to those low orders of men, nor was she appareled as they—or, rather, she did not entirely lack apparel as did most of them.
A soft hide fell from her left shoulder to just below her left hip175 on one side and almost to her right knee on the other, a loose girdle was about her waist, and golden ornaments176 such as he had seen in the blue-and-white chest encircled her arms and legs, while a golden fillet with a triangular diadem177 bound her heavy hair above her brows. Her skin was white as from long confinement178 within doors; but it was clear and fine. Her figure, but partially concealed179 by the soft deerskin, was all curves of symmetry and youthful grace, while her features might easily have been the envy of the most feted of Continental180 beauties.
If the girl was surprised by the sudden appearance of Bradley, the latter was absolutely astounded181 to discover so wondrous182 a creature among the hideous inhabitants of the City of Human Skulls. For a moment the two looked at one another in unconcealed consternation, and then Bradley spoke, using to the best of his poor ability, the common tongue of Caspak.
"Who are you," he asked, "and from where do you come? Do not tell me that you are a Wieroo."
"No," she replied, "I am no Wieroo." And she shuddered183 slightly as she pronounced the word. "I am a Galu; but who and what are you? I am sure that you are no Galu, from your garments; but you are like the Galus in other respects. I know that you are not of this frightful184 city, for I have been here for almost ten moons, and never have I seen a male Galu brought hither before, nor are there such as you and I, other than prisoners in the land of Oo-oh, and these are all females. Are you a prisoner, then?"
He told her briefly who and what he was, though he doubted if she understood, and from her he learned that she had been a prisoner there for many months; but for what purpose he did not then learn, as in the midst of their conversation the yellow door swung open and a Wieroo with a robe slashed with yellow entered.
At sight of Bradley the creature became furious. "Whence came this reptile49?" it demanded of the girl. "How long has it been here with you?"
"It came through the doorway just ahead of you," Bradley answered for the girl.
The Wieroo looked relieved. "It is well for the girl that this is so," it said, "for now only you will have to die." And stepping to the door the creature raised its voice in one of those uncanny, depressing wails.
The Englishman looked toward the girl. "Shall I kill it?" he asked, half drawing his pistol. "What is best to do?—I do not wish to endanger you."
The Wieroo backed toward the door. "Defiler185!" it screamed. "You dare to threaten one of the sacred chosen of Luata!"
"Do not kill him," cried the girl, "for then there could be no hope for you. That you are here, alive, shows that they may not intend to kill you at all, and so there is a chance for you if you do not anger them; but touch him in violence and your bleached186 skull will top the loftiest pedestal of Oo-oh."
"And what of you?" asked Bradley.
"I am already doomed," replied the girl; "I am cos-ata-lo."
"Cos-ata-lo! cos-ata-lu!" What did these phrases mean that they were so oft repeated by the denizens187 of Oo-oh? Lu and lo, Bradley knew to mean man and woman; ata; was employed variously to indicate life, eggs, young, reproduction and kindred subjects; cos was a negative; but in combination they were meaningless to the European.
"Do you mean they will kill you?" asked Bradley.
"I but wish that they would," replied the girl. "My fate is to be worse than death—in just a few nights more, with the coming of the new moon."
"Poor she-snake!" snapped the Wieroo. "You are to become sacred above all other shes. He Who Speaks for Luata has chosen you for himself. Today you go to his temple—" the Wieroo used a phrase meaning literally High Place—"where you will receive the sacred commands."
The girl shuddered and cast a sorrowful glance toward Bradley. "Ah," she sighed, "if I could but see my beloved country once again!"
The man stepped suddenly close to her side before the Wieroo could interpose and in a low voice asked her if there was no way by which he might encompass188 her escape. She shook her head sorrowfully. "Even if we escaped the city," she replied, "there is the big water between the island of Oo-oh and the Galu shore."
"And what is beyond the city, if we could leave it?" pursued Bradley.
"I may only guess from what I have heard since I was brought here," she answered; "but by reports and chance remarks I take it to be a beautiful land in which there are but few wild beasts and no men, for only the Wieroos live upon this island and they dwell always in cities of which there are three, this being the largest. The others are at the far end of the island, which is about three marches from end to end and at its widest point about one march."
From his own experience and from what the natives on the mainland had told him, Bradley knew that ten miles was a good day's march in Caspak, owing to the fact that at most points it was a trackless wilderness and at all times travelers were beset189 by hideous beasts and reptiles that greatly impeded190 rapid progress.
The two had spoken rapidly but were now interrupted by the advent191 through the opening in the roof of several Wieroos who had come in answer to the alarm it of the yellow slashing192 had uttered.
"This jaal-lu," cried the offended one, "has threatened me. Take its hatchet from it and make it fast where it can do no harm until He Who Speaks for Luata has said what shall be done with it. It is one of those strange creatures that Fosh-bal-soj discovered first above the Band-lu country and followed back toward the beginning. He Who Speaks for Luata sent Fosh-bal-soj to fetch him one of the creatures, and here it is. It is hoped that it may be from another world and hold the secret of the cos-ata-lus."
The Wieroos approached boldly to take Bradley's "hatchet" from him, their leader having indicated the pistol hanging in its holster at the Englishman's hip, but the first one went reeling backward against his fellows from the blow to the chin which Bradley followed up with a rush and the intention to clean up the room in record time; but he had reckoned without the opening in the roof. Two were down and a great wailing193 and moaning was arising when reinforcements appeared from above. Bradley did not see them; but the girl did, and though she cried out a warning, it came too late for him to avoid a large Wieroo who dived headforemost for him, striking him between the shoulders and bearing him to the floor. Instantly a dozen more were piling on top of him. His pistol was wrenched194 from its holster and he was securely pinioned195 down by the weight of numbers.
At a word from the Wieroo of the yellow slashing who evidently was a person of authority, one left and presently returned with fiber ropes with which Bradley was tightly bound.
"Now bear him to the Blue Place of Seven Skulls," directed the chief Wieroo, "and one take the word of all that has passed to Him Who Speaks for Luata."
Each of the creatures raised a hand, the back against its face, as though in salute196. One seized Bradley and carried him through the yellow doorway to the roof from whence it rose upon its wide-spread wings and flapped off across the roof-tops of Oo-oh with its heavy burden clutched in its long talons.
Below him Bradley could see the city stretching away to a distance on every hand. It was not as large as he had imagined, though he judged that it was at least three miles square. The houses were piled in indescribable heaps, sometimes to a height of a hundred feet. The streets and alleys were short and crooked197 and there were many areas where buildings had been wedged in so closely that no light could possibly reach the lowest tiers, the entire surface of the ground being packed solidly with them.
The colors were varied198 and startling, the architecture amazing. Many roofs were cup or saucer-shaped with a small hole in the center of each, as though they had been constructed to catch rain-water and conduct it to a reservoir beneath; but nearly all the others had the large opening in the top that Bradley had seen used by these flying men in lieu of doorways. At all levels were the myriad199 poles surmounted200 by grinning skulls; but the two most prominent features of the city were the round tower of human skulls that Bradley had noted earlier in the day and another and much larger edifice201 near the center of the city. As they approached it, Bradley saw that it was a huge building rising a hundred feet in height from the ground and that it stood alone in the center of what might have been called a plaza202 in some other part of the world. Its various parts, however, were set together with the same strange irregularity that marked the architecture of the city as a whole; and it was capped by an enormous saucer-shaped roof which projected far beyond the eaves, having the appearance of a colossal203 Chinese coolie hat, inverted204.
The Wieroo bearing Bradley passed over one corner of the open space about the large building, revealing to the Englishman grass and trees and running water beneath. They passed the building and about five hundred yards beyond the creature alighted on the roof of a square, blue building surmounted by seven poles bearing seven skulls. This then, thought Bradley, is the Blue Place of Seven Skulls.
Over the opening in the roof was a grated covering, and this the Wieroo removed. The thing then tied a piece of fiber rope to one of Bradley's ankles and rolled him over the edge of the opening. All was dark below and for an instant the Englishman came as near to experiencing real terror as he had ever come in his life before. As he rolled off into the black abyss he felt the rope tighten205 about his ankle and an instant later he was stopped with a sudden jerk to swing pendulumlike, head downward. Then the creature lowered away until Bradley's head came in sudden and painful contact with the floor below, after which the Wieroo let loose of the rope entirely and the Englishman's body crashed to the wooden planking. He felt the free end of the rope dropped upon him and heard the grating being slid into place above him.
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1
mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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2
dinosaur
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| n.恐龙 | |
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tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
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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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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anticipations
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| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
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8
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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9
engendered
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| v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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11
insistent
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| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
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12
subconscious
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| n./adj.潜意识(的)，下意识(的) | |
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13
mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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14
obsession
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| n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
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15
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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16
undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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17
riveted
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| 铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意 | |
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18
swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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20
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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21
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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22
talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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23
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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24
loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 | |
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25
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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26
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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27
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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28
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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29
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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30
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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31
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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32
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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33
seizure
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| n.没收；占有；抵押 | |
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34
vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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35
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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36
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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37
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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38
alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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39
doorways
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| n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 ) | |
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40
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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41
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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42
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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43
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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44
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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45
indented
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| adj.锯齿状的，高低不平的；缩进排版 | |
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46
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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47
alcove
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| n.凹室 | |
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48
serpentine
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| adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的 | |
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49
reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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50
reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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51
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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52
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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53
reminders
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| n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信 | |
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54
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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55
tribal
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| adj.部族的，种族的 | |
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57
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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58
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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59
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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60
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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61
appendages
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| n.附属物( appendage的名词复数 )；依附的人；附属器官；附属肢体（如臂、腿、尾等） | |
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62
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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63
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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64
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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65
grimaced
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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67
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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68
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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69
sinewy
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| adj.多腱的，强壮有力的 | |
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70
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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71
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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72
lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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73
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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74
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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75
sepulchral
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| adj.坟墓的，阴深的 | |
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76
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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77
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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78
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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79
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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80
embellished
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| v.美化( embellish的过去式和过去分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色 | |
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81
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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82
rimmed
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| adj.有边缘的，有框的v.沿…边缘滚动；给…镶边 | |
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83
dirge
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| n.哀乐，挽歌，庄重悲哀的乐曲 | |
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84
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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85
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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86
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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87
infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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88
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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89
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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90
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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91
suburban
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| adj.城郊的，在郊区的 | |
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92
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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94
hyena
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| n.土狼，鬣狗 | |
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95
appellation
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| n.名称，称呼 | |
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96
transpire
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| v.(使)蒸发，(使)排出 ；泄露，公开 | |
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97
skewer
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| n.（烤肉用的）串肉杆；v.用杆串好 | |
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98
scoop
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| n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出 | |
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99
impartially
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| adv.公平地，无私地 | |
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100
scooping
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| n.捞球v.抢先报道( scoop的现在分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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101
palatable
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| adj.可口的，美味的；惬意的 | |
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102
gastronomic
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| adj.美食（烹饪）法的，烹任学的 | |
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103
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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104
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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105
hoary
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| adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的 | |
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106
slabs
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| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
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107
aisles
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| n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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108
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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109
elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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110
hieroglyphics
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| n.pl.象形文字 | |
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111
pinnacle
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| n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰 | |
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112
overlapping
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| adj./n.交迭（的） | |
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113
hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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114
refinements
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| n.（生活）风雅；精炼( refinement的名词复数 )；改良品；细微的改良；优雅或高贵的动作 | |
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115
conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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116
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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117
addict
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| v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人 | |
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118
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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119
holder
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| n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物 | |
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120
supercilious
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| adj.目中无人的，高傲的；adv.高傲地；n.高傲 | |
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121
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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122
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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123
demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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124
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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125
altercations
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| n.争辩，争吵( altercation的名词复数 ) | |
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126
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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127
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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128
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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129
pandemonium
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| n.喧嚣，大混乱 | |
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130
wails
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| 痛哭，哭声( wail的名词复数 ) | |
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131
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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132
trump
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| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
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133
arrant
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| adj.极端的；最大的 | |
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134
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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135
blustering
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| adj.狂风大作的，狂暴的v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的现在分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹 | |
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136
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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137
lugubrious
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| adj.悲哀的，忧郁的 | |
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138
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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139
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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140
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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141
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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142
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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143
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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144
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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145
lizard
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| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
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146
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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147
profaning
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| v.不敬( profane的现在分词 )；亵渎，玷污 | |
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148
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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149
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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150
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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151
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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152
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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153
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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154
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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155
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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156
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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157
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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158
assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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159
bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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160
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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161
triangular
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| adj.三角（形）的，三者间的 | |
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162
niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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163
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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164
patchwork
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| n.混杂物；拼缝物 | |
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165
underlying
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| adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的 | |
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166
gut
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| n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏 | |
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167
fiber
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| n.纤维，纤维质 | |
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168
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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169
projections
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| 预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物 | |
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170
axis
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| n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线 | |
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171
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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172
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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173
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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174
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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175
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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176
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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177
diadem
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| n.王冠，冕 | |
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178
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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179
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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180
continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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181
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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182
wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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183
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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184
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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185
defiler
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| n.弄脏者，亵渎者 | |
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186
bleached
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| 漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的 | |
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187
denizens
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| n.居民，住户( denizen的名词复数 ) | |
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188
encompass
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| vt.围绕，包围；包含，包括；完成 | |
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189
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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190
impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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191
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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192
slashing
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| adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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193
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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194
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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195
pinioned
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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196
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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197
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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198
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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199
myriad
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| adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量 | |
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200
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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201
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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202
plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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203
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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204
inverted
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| adj.反向的，倒转的v.使倒置，使反转( invert的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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205
tighten
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| v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧 | |
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