He discovered himself to be in a bare room which was windowless, nor could he see any other opening than that through which he had been lowered. In one corner was a huddled3 mass that might have been almost anything from a bundle of rags to a dead body.
Almost immediately after he had taken his bearings Bradley commenced working with his bonds. He was a man of powerful physique, and as from the first he had been imbued4 with a belief that the fiber5 ropes were too weak to hold him, he worked on with a firm conviction that sooner or later they would part to his strainings. After a matter of five minutes he was positive that the strands6 about his wrists were beginning to give; but he was compelled to rest then from exhaustion7.
As he lay, his eyes rested upon the bundle in the corner, and presently he could have sworn that the thing moved. With eyes straining through the gloom the man lay watching the grim and sinister8 thing in the corner. Perhaps his overwrought nerves were playing a sorry joke upon him. He thought of this and also that his condition of utter helplessness might still further have stimulated9 his imagination. He closed his eyes and sought to relax his muscles and his nerves; but when he looked again, he knew that he had not been mistaken—the thing had moved; now it lay in a slightly altered form and farther from the wall. It was nearer him.
With renewed strength Bradley strained at his bonds, his fascinated gaze still glued upon the shapeless bundle. No longer was there any doubt that it moved—he saw it rise in the center several inches and then creep closer to him. It sank and arose again—a headless, hideous10, monstrous11 thing of menace. Its very silence rendered it the more terrible.
Bradley was a brave man; ordinarily his nerves were of steel; but to be at the mercy of some unknown and nameless horror, to be unable to defend himself—it was these things that almost unstrung him, for at best he was only human. To stand in the open, even with the odds12 all against him; to be able to use his fists, to put up some sort of defense13, to inflict14 punishment upon his adversary—then he could face death with a smile. It was not death that he feared now—it was that horror of the unknown that is part of the fiber of every son of woman.
Closer and closer came the shapeless mass. Bradley lay motionless and listened. What was that he heard! Breathing? He could not be mistaken—and then from out of the bundle of rags issued a hollow groan15. Bradley felt his hair rise upon his head. He struggled with the slowly parting strands that held him. The thing beside him rose up higher than before and the Englishman could have sworn that he saw a single eye peering at him from among the tumbled cloth. For a moment the bundle remained motionless—only the sound of breathing issued from it, then there broke from it a maniacal16 laugh.
Cold sweat stood upon Bradley's brow as he tugged18 for liberation. He saw the rags rise higher and higher above him until at last they tumbled upon the floor from the body of a naked man—a thin, a bony, a hideous caricature of man, that mouthed and mummed and, wabbling upon its weak and shaking legs, crumpled19 to the floor again, still laughing—laughing horribly.
It crawled toward Bradley. "Food! Food!" it screamed. "There is a way out! There is a way out!"
Dragging itself to his side the creature slumped20 upon the Englishman's breast. "Food!" it shrilled21 as with its bony fingers and its teeth, it sought the man's bare throat.
"Food! There is a way out!" Bradley felt teeth upon his jugular22. He turned and twisted, shaking himself free for an instant; but once more with hideous persistence23 the thing fastened itself upon him. The weak jaws24 were unable to send the dull teeth through the victim's flesh; but Bradley felt it pawing, pawing, pawing, like a monstrous rat, seeking his life's blood.
The skinny arms now embraced his neck, holding the teeth to his throat against all his efforts to dislodge the thing. Weak as it was it had strength enough for this in its mad efforts to eat. Mumbling25 as it worked, it repeated again and again, "Food! Food! There is a way out!" until Bradley thought those two expressions alone would drive him mad.
And all but mad he was as with a final effort backed by almost maniacal strength he tore his wrists from the confining bonds and grasping the repulsive26 thing upon his breast hurled28 it halfway29 across the room. Panting like a spent hound Bradley worked at the thongs30 about his ankles while the maniac17 lay quivering and mumbling where it had fallen. Presently the Englishman leaped to his feet—freer than he had ever before felt in all his life, though he was still hopelessly a prisoner in the Blue Place of Seven Skulls31.
With his back against the wall for support, so weak the reaction left him, Bradley stood watching the creature upon the floor. He saw it move and slowly raise itself to its hands and knees, where it swayed to and fro as its eyes roved about in search of him; and when at last they found him, there broke from the drawn33 lips the mumbled34 words: "Food! Food! There is a way out!" The pitiful supplication35 in the tones touched the Englishman's heart. He knew that this could be no Wieroo, but possibly once a man like himself who had been cast into this pit of solitary36 confinement37 with this hideous result that might in time be his fate, also.
And then, too, there was the suggestion of hope held out by the constant reiteration38 of the phrase, "There is a way out." Was there a way out? What did this poor thing know?
"Who are you and how long have you been here?" Bradley suddenly demanded.
For a moment the man upon the floor made no response, then mumblingly39 came the words: "Food! Food!"
"Stop!" commanded the Englishman—the injunction might have been barked from the muzzle41 of a pistol. It brought the man to a sitting posture42, his hands off the ground. He stopped swaying to and fro and appeared to be startled into an attempt to master his faculties43 of concentration and thought.
Bradley repeated his questions sharply.
"I am An-Tak, the Galu," replied the man. "Luata alone knows how long I have been here—maybe ten moons, maybe ten moons three times"—it was the Caspakian equivalent of thirty. "I was young and strong when they brought me here. Now I am old and very weak. I am cos-ata-lu—that is why they have not killed me. If I tell them the secret of becoming cos-ata-lu they will take me out; but how can I tell them that which Luata alone knows?
"What is cos-ata-lu?" demanded Bradley.
"Food! Food! There is a way out!" mumbled the Galu.
Bradley strode across the floor, seized the man by his shoulders and shook him.
"Tell me," he cried, "what is cos-ata-lu?"
"Food!" whimpered An-Tak.
Bradley bethought himself. His haversack had not been taken from him. In it besides his razor and knife were odds and ends of equipment and a small quantity of dried meat. He tossed a small strip of the latter to the starving Galu. An-Tak seized upon it and devoured44 it ravenously45. It instilled47 new life in the man.
"What is cos-ata-lu?" insisted Bradley again.
An-Tak tried to explain. His narrative48 was often broken by lapses49 of concentration during which he reverted50 to his plaintive51 mumbling for food and recurrence52 to the statement that there was a way out; but by firmness and patience the Englishman drew out piece-meal a more or less lucid53 exposition of the remarkable54 scheme of evolution that rules in Caspak. In it he found explanations of the hitherto inexplicable55. He discovered why he had seen no babes or children among the Caspakian tribes with which he had come in contact; why each more northerly tribe evinced a higher state of development than those south of them; why each tribe included individuals ranging in physical and mental characteristics from the highest of the next lower race to the lowest of the next higher, and why the women of each tribe immersed themselves each morning for an hour or more in the warm pools near which the habitations of their people always were located; and, too, he discovered why those pools were almost immune from the attacks of carnivorous animals and reptiles56.
He learned that all but those who were cos-ata-lu came up cor-sva-jo, or from the beginning. The egg from which they first developed into tadpole57 form was deposited, with millions of others, in one of the warm pools and with it a poisonous serum58 that the carnivora instinctively59 shunned61. Down the warm stream from the pool floated the countless62 billions of eggs and tadpoles63, developing as they drifted slowly toward the sea. Some became tadpoles in the pool, some in the sluggish64 stream and some not until they reached the great inland sea. In the next stage they became fishes or reptiles, An-Tak was not positive which, and in this form, always developing, they swam far to the south, where, amid the rank and teeming65 jungles, some of them evolved into amphibians66. Always there were those whose development stopped at the first stage, others whose development ceased when they became reptiles, while by far the greater proportion formed the food supply of the ravenous46 creatures of the deep.
Few indeed were those that eventually developed into baboons67 and then apes, which was considered by Caspakians the real beginning of evolution. From the egg, then, the individual developed slowly into a higher form, just as the frog's egg develops through various stages from a fish with gills to a frog with lungs. With that thought in mind Bradley discovered that it was not difficult to believe in the possibility of such a scheme—there was nothing new in it.
From the ape the individual, if it survived, slowly developed into the lowest order of man—the Alu—and then by degrees to Bo-lu, Sto-lu, Band-lu, Kro-lu and finally Galu. And in each stage countless millions of other eggs were deposited in the warm pools of the various races and floated down to the great sea to go through a similar process of evolution outside the womb as develops our own young within; but in Caspak the scheme is much more inclusive, for it combines not only individual development but the evolution of species and genera. If an egg survives it goes through all the stages of development that man has passed through during the unthinkable eons since life first moved upon the earth's face.
The final stage—that which the Galus have almost attained68 and for which all hope—is cos-ata-lu, which literally69, means no-egg-man, or one who is born directly as are the young of the outer world of mammals. Some of the Galus produce cos-ata-lu and cos-ata-lo both; the Wieroos only cos-ata-lu—in other words all Wieroos are born male, and so they prey71 upon the Galus for their women and sometimes capture and torture the Galu men who are cos-ata-lu in an endeavor to learn the secret which they believe will give them unlimited72 power over all other denizens73 of Caspak.
No Wieroos come up from the beginning—all are born of the Wieroo fathers and Galu mothers who are cos-ata-lo, and there are very few of the latter owing to the long and precarious74 stages of development. Seven generations of the same ancestor must come up from the beginning before a cos-ata-lu child may be born; and when one considers the frightful75 dangers that surround the vital spark from the moment it leaves the warm pool where it has been deposited to float down to the sea amid the voracious76 creatures that swarm77 the surface and the deeps and the almost equally unthinkable trials of its effort to survive after it once becomes a land animal and starts northward78 through the horrors of the Caspakian jungles and forests, it is plainly a wonder that even a single babe has ever been born to a Galu woman.
Seven cycles it requires before the seventh Galu can complete the seventh danger-infested circle since its first Galu ancestor achieved the state of Galu. For ages before, the ancestors of this first Galu may have developed from a Band-lu or Bo-lu egg without ever once completing the whole circle—that is from a Galu egg, back to a fully1 developed Galu.
Bradley's head was whirling before he even commenced to grasp the complexities79 of Caspakian evolution; but as the truth slowly filtered into his understanding—as gradually it became possible for him to visualize81 the scheme, it appeared simpler. In fact, it seemed even less difficult of comprehension than that with which he was familiar.
For several minutes after An-Tak ceased speaking, his voice having trailed off weakly into silence, neither spoke82 again. Then the Galu recommenced his, "Food! Food! There is a way out!" Bradley tossed him another bit of dried meat, waiting patiently until he had eaten it, this time more slowly.
"What do you mean by saying there is a way out?" he asked.
"He who died here just after I came, told me," replied An-Tak. "He said there was a way out, that he had discovered it but was too weak to use his knowledge. He was trying to tell me how to find it when he died. Oh, Luata, if he had lived but a moment more!"
"They do not feed you here?" asked Bradley.
"No, they give me water once a day—that is all."
"But how have you lived, then?"
"The lizards84 and the rats," replied An-Tak. "The lizards are not so bad; but the rats are foul86 to taste. However, I must eat them or they would eat me, and they are better than nothing; but of late they do not come so often, and I have not had a lizard85 for a long time. I shall eat though," he mumbled. "I shall eat now, for you cannot remain awake forever." He laughed, a cackling, dry laugh. "When you sleep, An-Tak will eat."
It was horrible. Bradley shuddered87. For a long time each sat in silence. The Englishman could guess why the other made no sound—he awaited the moment that sleep should overcome his victim. In the long silence there was born upon Bradley's ears a faint, monotonous88 sound as of running water. He listened intently. It seemed to come from far beneath the floor.
"What is that noise?" he asked. "That sounds like water running through a narrow channel."
"It is the river," replied An-Tak. "Why do you not go to sleep? It passes directly beneath the Blue Place of Seven Skulls. It runs through the temple grounds, beneath the temple and under the city. When we die, they will cut off our heads and throw our bodies into the river. At the mouth of the river await many large reptiles. Thus do they feed. The Wieroos do likewise with their own dead, keeping only the skulls and the wings. Come, let us sleep."
"Do the reptiles come up the river into the city?" asked Bradley.
"The water is too cold—they never leave the warm water of the great pool," replied An-Tak.
"Let us search for the way out," suggested Bradley.
An-Tak shook his head. "I have searched for it all these moons," he said. "If I could not find it, how would you?"
Bradley made no reply but commenced a diligent89 examination of the walls and floor of the room, pressing over each square foot and tapping with his knuckles90. About six feet from the floor he discovered a sleeping-perch91 near one end of the apartment. He asked An-Tak about it, but the Galu said that no Weiroo had occupied the place since he had been incarcerated92 there. Again and again Bradley went over the floor and walls as high up as he could reach. Finally he swung himself to the perch, that he might examine at least one end of the room all the way to the ceiling.
In the center of the wall close to the top, an area about three feet square gave forth93 a hollow sound when he rapped upon it. Bradley felt over every square inch of that area with the tips of his fingers. Near the top he found a small round hole a trifle larger in diameter than his forefinger94, which he immediately stuck into it. The panel, if such it was, seemed about an inch thick, and beyond it his finger encountered nothing. Bradley crooked95 his finger upon the opposite side of the panel and pulled toward him, steadily96 but with considerable force. Suddenly the panel flew inward, nearly precipitating97 the man to the floor. It was hinged at the bottom, and when lowered the outer edge rested upon the perch, making a little platform parallel with the floor of the room.
Beyond the opening was an utterly98 dark void. The Englishman leaned through it and reached his arm as far as possible into the blackness but touched nothing. Then he fumbled99 in his haversack for a match, a few of which remained to him. When he struck it, An-Tak gave a cry of terror. Bradley held the light far into the opening before him and in its flickering100 rays saw the top of a ladder descending101 into a black abyss below. How far down it extended he could not guess; but that he should soon know definitely he was positive.
"You have found it! You have found the way out!" screamed An-Tak. "Oh, Luata! And now I am too weak to go. Take me with you! Take me with you!"
"Shut up!" admonished102 Bradley. "You will have the whole flock of birds around our heads in a minute, and neither of us will escape. Be quiet, and I'll go ahead. If I find a way out, I'll come back and help you, if you'll promise not to try to eat me up again."
"I promise," cried An-Tak. "Oh, Luata! How could you blame me? I am half crazed of hunger and long confinement and the horror of the lizards and the rats and the constant waiting for death."
"I know," said Bradley simply. "I'm sorry for you, old top. Keep a stiff upper lip." And he slipped through the opening, found the ladder with his feet, closed the panel behind him, and started downward into the darkness.
Below him rose more and more distinctly the sound of running water. The air felt damp and cool. He could see nothing of his surroundings and felt nothing but the smooth, worn sides and rungs of the ladder down which he felt his way cautiously lest a broken rung or a misstep should hurl27 him downward.
As he descended103 thus slowly, the ladder seemed interminable and the pit bottomless, yet he realized when at last he reached the bottom that he could not have descended more than fifty feet. The bottom of the ladder rested on a narrow ledge83 paved with what felt like large round stones, but what he knew from experience to be human skulls. He could not but marvel104 as to where so many countless thousands of the things had come from, until he paused to consider that the infancy105 of Caspak dated doubtlessly back into remote ages, far beyond what the outer world considered the beginning of earthly time. For all these eons the Wieroos might have been collecting human skulls from their enemies and their own dead—enough to have built an entire city of them.
Feeling his way along the narrow ledge, Bradley came presently to a blank wall that stretched out over the water swirling106 beneath him, as far as he could reach. Stooping, he groped about with one hand, reaching down toward the surface of the water, and discovered that the bottom of the wall arched above the stream. How much space there was between the water and the arch he could not tell, nor how deep the former. There was only one way in which he might learn these things, and that was to lower himself into the stream. For only an instant he hesitated weighing his chances. Behind him lay almost certainly the horrid107 fate of An-Tak; before him nothing worse than a comparatively painless death by drowning. Holding his haversack above his head with one hand he lowered his feet slowly over the edge of the narrow platform. Almost immediately he felt the swirling of cold water about his ankles, and then with a silent prayer he let himself drop gently into the stream.
Great was Bradley's relief when he found the water no more than waist deep and beneath his feet a firm, gravel108 bottom. Feeling his way cautiously he moved downward with the current, which was not so strong as he had imagined from the noise of the running water.
Beneath the first arch he made his way, following the winding109 curvatures of the right-hand wall. After a few yards of progress his hand came suddenly in contact with a slimy thing clinging to the wall—a thing that hissed110 and scuttled111 out of reach. What it was, the man could not know; but almost instantly there was a splash in the water just ahead of him and then another.
On he went, passing beneath other arches at varying distances, and always in utter darkness. Unseen denizens of this great sewer112, disturbed by the intruder, splashed into the water ahead of him and wriggled away. Time and again his hand touched them and never for an instant could he be sure that at the next step some gruesome thing might not attack him. He had strapped114 his haversack about his neck, well above the surface of the water, and in his left hand he carried his knife. Other precautions there were none to take.
The monotony of the blind trail was increased by the fact that from the moment he had started from the foot of the ladder he had counted his every step. He had promised to return for An-Tak if it proved humanly possible to do so, and he knew that in the blackness of the tunnel he could locate the foot of the ladder in no other way.
He had taken two hundred and sixty-nine steps—afterward he knew that he should never forget that number—when something bumped gently against him from behind. Instantly he wheeled about and with knife ready to defend himself stretched forth his right hand to push away the object that now had lodged115 against his body. His fingers feeling through the darkness came in contact with something cold and clammy—they passed to and fro over the thing until Bradley knew that it was the face of a dead man floating upon the surface of the stream. With an oath he pushed his gruesome companion out into mid-stream to float on down toward the great pool and the awaiting scavengers of the deep.
At his four hundred and thirteenth step another corpse116 bumped against him—how many had passed him without touching117 he could not guess; but suddenly he experienced the sensation of being surrounded by dead faces floating along with him, all set in hideous grimaces118, their dead eyes glaring at this profaning119 alien who dared intrude113 upon the waters of this river of the dead—a horrid escort, pregnant with dire70 forebodings and with menace.
Though he advanced very slowly, he tried always to take steps of about the same length; so that he knew that though considerable time had elapsed, yet he had really advanced no more than four hundred yards when ahead he saw a lessening120 of the pitch-darkness, and at the next turn of the stream his surroundings became vaguely121 discernible. Above him was an arched roof and on either hand walls pierced at intervals122 by apertures124 covered with wooden doors. Just ahead of him in the roof of the aqueduct was a round, black hole about thirty inches in diameter. His eyes still rested upon the opening when there shot downward from it to the water below the naked body of a human being which almost immediately rose to the surface again and floated off down the stream. In the dim light Bradley saw that it was a dead Wieroo from which the wings and head had been removed. A moment later another headless body floated past, recalling what An-Tak had told him of the skull32-collecting customs of the Wieroo. Bradley wondered how it happened that the first corpse he had encountered in the stream had not been similarly mutilated.
The farther he advanced now, the lighter125 it became. The number of corpses126 was much smaller than he had imagined, only two more passing him before, at six hundred steps, or about five hundred yards, from the point he had taken to the stream, he came to the end of the tunnel and looked out upon sunlit water, running between grassy127 banks.
One of the last corpses to pass him was still clothed in the white robe of a Wieroo, blood-stained over the headless neck that it concealed128.
Drawing closer to the opening leading into the bright daylight, Bradley surveyed what lay beyond. A short distance before him a large building stood in the center of several acres of grass and tree-covered ground, spanning the stream which disappeared through an opening in its foundation wall. From the large saucer-shaped roof and the vivid colorings of the various heterogeneous129 parts of the structure he recognized it as the temple past which he had been borne to the Blue Place of Seven Skulls.
To and fro flew Wieroos, going to and from the temple. Others passed on foot across the open grounds, assisting themselves with their great wings, so that they barely skimmed the earth. To leave the mouth of the tunnel would have been to court instant discovery and capture; but by what other avenue he might escape, Bradley could not guess, unless he retraced131 his steps up the stream and sought egress132 from the other end of the city. The thought of traversing that dark and horror-ridden tunnel for perhaps miles he could not entertain—there must be some other way. Perhaps after dark he could steal through the temple grounds and continue on downstream until he had come beyond the city; and so he stood and waited until his limbs became almost paralyzed with cold, and he knew that he must find some other plan for escape.
A half-formed decision to risk an attempt to swim under water to the temple was crystallizing in spite of the fact that any chance Wieroo flying above the stream might easily see him, when again a floating object bumped against him from behind and lodged across his back. Turning quickly he saw that the thing was what he had immediately guessed it to be—a headless and wingless Wieroo corpse. With a grunt133 of disgust he was about to push it from him when the white garment enshrouding it suggested a bold plan to his resourceful brain. Grasping the corpse by an arm he tore the garment from it and then let the body float downward toward the temple. With great care he draped the robe about him; the bloody134 blotch135 that had covered the severed136 neck he arranged about his own head. His haversack he rolled as tightly as possible and stuffed beneath his coat over his breast. Then he fell gently to the surface of the stream and lying upon his back floated downward with the current and out into the open sunlight.
Through the weave of the cloth he could distinguish large objects. He saw a Wieroo flap dismally137 above him; he saw the banks of the stream float slowly past; he heard a sudden wail139 upon the right-hand shore, and his heart stood still lest his ruse140 had been discovered; but never by a move of a muscle did he betray that aught but a cold lump of clay floated there upon the bosom141 of the water, and soon, though it seemed an eternity142 to him, the direct sunlight was blotted143 out, and he knew that he had entered beneath the temple.
Quickly he felt for bottom with his feet and as quickly stood erect144, snatching the bloody, clammy cloth from his face. On both sides were blank walls and before him the river turned a sharp corner and disappeared. Feeling his way cautiously forward he approached the turn and looked around the corner. To his left was a low platform about a foot above the level of the stream, and onto this he lost no time in climbing, for he was soaked from head to foot, cold and almost exhausted145.
As he lay resting on the skull-paved shelf, he saw in the center of the vault146 above the river another of those sinister round holes through which he momentarily expected to see a headless corpse shoot downward in its last plunge147 to a watery148 grave. A few feet along the platform a closed door broke the blankness of the wall. As he lay looking at it and wondering what lay behind, his mind filled with fragments of many wild schemes of escape, it opened and a white robed Wieroo stepped out upon the platform. The creature carried a large wooden basin filled with rubbish. Its eyes were not upon Bradley, who drew himself to a squatting149 position and crouched150 as far back in the corner of the niche151 in which the platform was set as he could force himself. The Wieroo stepped to the edge of the platform and dumped the rubbish into the stream. If it turned away from him as it started to retrace130 its steps to the doorway152, there was a small chance that it might not see him; but if it turned toward him there was none at all. Bradley held his breath.
The Wieroo paused a moment, gazing down into the water, then it straightened up and turned toward the Englishman. Bradley did not move. The Wieroo stopped and stared intently at him. It approached him questioningly. Still Bradley remained as though carved of stone. The creature was directly in front of him. It stopped. There was no chance on earth that it would not discover what he was.
With the quickness of a cat, Bradley sprang to his feet and with all his great strength, backed by his heavy weight, struck the Wieroo upon the point of the chin. Without a sound the thing crumpled to the platform, while Bradley, acting153 almost instinctively to the urge of the first law of nature, rolled the inanimate body over the edge into the river.
Then he looked at the open doorway, crossed the platform and peered within the apartment beyond. What he saw was a large room, dimly lighted, and about the side rows of wooden vessels154 stacked one upon another. There was no Wieroo in sight, so the Englishman entered. At the far end of the room was another door, and as he crossed toward it, he glanced into some of the vessels, which he found were filled with dried fruits, vegetables and fish. Without more ado he stuffed his pockets and his haversack full, thinking of the poor creature awaiting his return in the gloom of the Place of Seven Skulls.
When night came, he would return and fetch An-Tak this far at least; but in the meantime it was his intention to reconnoiter in the hope that he might discover some easier way out of the city than that offered by the chill, black channel of the ghastly river of corpses.
Beyond the farther door stretched a long passageway from which closed doorways155 led into other parts of the cellars of the temple. A few yards from the storeroom a ladder rose from the corridor through an aperture123 in the ceiling. Bradley paused at the foot of it, debating the wisdom of further investigation156 against a return to the river; but strong within him was the spirit of exploration that has scattered157 his race to the four corners of the earth. What new mysteries lay hidden in the chambers159 above? The urge to know was strong upon him though his better judgment160 warned him that the safer course lay in retreat. For a moment he stood thus, running his fingers through his hair; then he cast discretion161 to the winds and began the ascent162.
In conformity163 with such Wieroo architecture as he had already observed, the well through which the ladder rose continually canted at an angle from the perpendicular164. At more or less regular stages it was pierced by apertures closed by doors, none of which he could open until he had climbed fully fifty feet from the river level. Here he discovered a door already ajar opening into a large, circular chamber158, the walls and floors of which were covered with the skins of wild beasts and with rugs of many colors; but what interested him most was the occupants of the room—a Wieroo, and a girl of human proportions. She was standing80 with her back against a column which rose from the center of the apartment from floor to ceiling—a hollow column about forty inches in diameter in which he could see an opening some thirty inches across. The girl's side was toward Bradley, and her face averted165, for she was watching the Wieroo, who was now advancing slowly toward her, talking as he came.
Bradley could distinctly hear the words of the creature, who was urging the girl to accompany him to another Wieroo city. "Come with me," he said, "and you shall have your life; remain here and He Who Speaks for Luata will claim you for his own; and when he is done with you, your skull will bleach166 at the top of a tall staff while your body feeds the reptiles at the mouth of the River of Death. Even though you bring into the world a female Wieroo, your fate will be the same if you do not escape him, while with me you shall have life and food and none shall harm you."
He was quite close to the girl when she replied by striking him in the face with all her strength. "Until I am slain167," she cried, "I shall fight against you all." From the throat of the Wieroo issued that dismal138 wail that Bradley had heard so often in the past—it was like a scream of pain smothered168 to a groan—and then the thing leaped upon the girl, its face working in hideous grimaces as it clawed and beat at her to force her to the floor.
The Englishman was upon the point of entering to defend her when a door at the opposite side of the chamber opened to admit a huge Wieroo clothed entirely169 in red. At sight of the two struggling upon the floor the newcomer raised his voice in a shriek170 of rage. Instantly the Wieroo who was attacking the girl leaped to his feet and faced the other.
"I heard," screamed he who had just entered the room. "I heard, and when He Who Speaks for young, reproduction and kindred subjects shall have heard—" He paused and made a suggestive movement of a finger across his throat.
"He shall not hear," returned the first Wieroo as, with a powerful motion of his great wings, he launched himself upon the red-robed figure. The latter dodged171 the first charge, drew a wicked-looking curved blade from beneath its red robe, spread its wings and dived for its antagonist172. Beating their wings, wailing173 and groaning174, the two hideous things sparred for position. The white-robed one being unarmed sought to grasp the other by the wrist of its knife-hand and by the throat, while the latter hopped175 around on its dainty white feet, seeking an opening for a mortal blow. Once it struck and missed, and then the other rushed in and clinched176, at the same time securing both the holds it sought. Immediately the two commenced beating at each other's heads with the joints177 of their wings, kicking with their soft, puny178 feet and biting, each at the other's face.
In the meantime the girl moved about the room, keeping out of the way of the duelists, and as she did so, Bradley caught a glimpse of her full face and immediately recognized her as the girl of the place of the yellow door. He did not dare intervene now until one of the Wieroo had overcome the other, lest the two should turn upon him at once, when the chances were fair that he would be defeated in so unequal a battle as the curved blade of the red Wieroo would render it, and so he waited, watching the white-robed figure slowly choking the life from him of the red robe. The protruding179 tongue and the popping eyes proclaimed that the end was near and a moment later the red robe sank to the floor of the room, the curved blade slipping from nerveless fingers. For an instant longer the victor clung to the throat of his defeated antagonist and then he rose, dragging the body after him, and approached the central column. Here he raised the body and thrust it into the aperture where Bradley saw it drop suddenly from sight. Instantly there flashed into his memory the circular openings in the roof of the river vault and the corpses he had seen drop from them to the water beneath.
As the body disappeared, the Wieroo turned and cast about the room for the girl. For a moment he stood eying her. "You saw," he muttered, "and if you tell them, He Who Speaks for Luata will have my wings severed while still I live and my head will be severed and I shall be cast into the River of Death, for thus it happens even to the highest who slay180 one of the red robe. You saw, and you must die!" he ended with a scream as he rushed upon the girl.
Bradley waited no longer. Leaping into the room he ran for the Wieroo, who had already seized the girl, and as he ran, he stooped and picked up the curved blade. The creature's back was toward him as, with his left hand, he seized it by the neck. Like a flash the great wings beat backward as the creature turned, and Bradley was swept from his feet, though he still retained his hold upon the blade. Instantly the Wieroo was upon him. Bradley lay slightly raised upon his left elbow, his right arm free, and as the thing came close, he cut at the hideous face with all the strength that lay within him. The blade struck at the junction40 of the neck and torso and with such force as to completely decapitate the Wieroo, the hideous head dropping to the floor and the body falling forward upon the Englishman. Pushing it from him he rose to his feet and faced the wide-eyed girl.
"Luata!" she exclaimed. "How came you here?"
The girl shook her head. "It cannot be," she stated sadly.
"That is what I thought when they dropped me into the Blue Place of Seven Skulls," replied Bradley. "Can't be done. I did it.—Here! You're mussing up the floor something awful, you." This last to the dead Wieroo as he stooped and dragged the corpse to the central shaft182, where he raised it to the aperture and let it slip into the tube. Then he picked up the head and tossed it after the body. "Don't be so glum," he admonished the former as he carried it toward the well; "smile!"
"But how can he smile?" questioned the girl, a half-puzzled, half-frightened look upon her face. "He is dead."
"That's so," admitted Bradley, "and I suppose he does feel a bit cut up about it."
The girl shook her head and edged away from the man—toward the door.
"Come!" said the Englishman. "We've got to get out of here. If you don't know a better way than the river, it's the river then."
The girl still eyed him askance. "But how could he smile when he was dead?"
Bradley laughed aloud. "I thought we English were supposed to have the least sense of humor of any people in the world," he cried; "but now I've found one human being who hasn't any. Of course you don't know half I'm saying; but don't worry, little girl; I'm not going to hurt you, and if I can get you out of here, I'll do it."
Even if she did not understand all he said, she at least read something in his smiling countenance—something which reassured183 her. "I do not fear you," she said; "though I do not understand all that you say even though you speak my own tongue and use words that I know. But as for escaping"—she sighed—"alas, how can it be done?"
"I escaped from the Blue Place of Seven Skulls," Bradley reminded her. "Come!" And he turned toward the shaft and the ladder that he had ascended184 from the river. "We cannot waste time here."
The girl followed him; but at the doorway both drew back, for from below came the sound of some one ascending185.
Bradley tiptoed to the door and peered cautiously into the well; then he stepped back beside the girl. "There are half a dozen of them coming up; but possibly they will pass this room."
"No," she said, "they will pass directly through this room—they are on their way to Him Who Speaks for Luata. We may be able to hide in the next room—there are skins there beneath which we may crawl. They will not stop in that room; but they may stop in this one for a short time—the other room is blue."
"What's that go to do with it?" demanded the Englishman.
"They fear blue," she replied. "In every room where murder has been done you will find blue—a certain amount for each murder. When the room is all blue, they shun60 it. This room has much blue; but evidently they kill mostly in the next room, which is now all blue."
"But there is blue on the outside of every house I have seen," said Bradley.
"Yes," assented186 the girl, "and there are blue rooms in each of those houses—when all the rooms are blue then the whole outside of the house will be blue as is the Blue Place of Seven Skulls. There are many such here."
"And the skulls with blue upon them?" inquired Bradley. "Did they belong to murderers?"
"They were murdered—some of them; those with only a small amount of blue were murderers—known murderers. All Wieroos are murderers. When they have committed a certain number of murders without being caught at it, they confess to Him Who Speaks for Luata and are advanced, after which they wear robes with a slash187 of some color—I think yellow comes first. When they reach a point where the entire robe is of yellow, they discard it for a white robe with a red slash; and when one wins a complete red robe, he carries such a long, curved knife as you have in your hand; after that comes the blue slash on a white robe, and then, I suppose, an all blue robe. I have never seen such a one."
As they talked in low tones they had moved from the room of the death shaft into an all blue room adjoining, where they sat down together in a corner with their backs against a wall and drew a pile of hides over themselves. A moment later they heard a number of Wieroos enter the chamber. They were talking together as they crossed the floor, or the two could not have heard them. Halfway across the chamber they halted as the door toward which they were advancing opened and a dozen others of their kind entered the apartment.
Bradley could guess all this by the increased volume of sound and the dismal greetings; but the sudden silence that almost immediately ensued he could not fathom188, for he could not know that from beneath one of the hides that covered him protruded189 one of his heavy army shoes, or that some eighteen large Wieroos with robes either solid red or slashed190 with red or blue were standing gazing at it. Nor could he hear their stealthy approach.
The first intimation he had that he had been discovered was when his foot was suddenly seized, and he was yanked violently from beneath the hides to find himself surrounded by menacing blades. They would have slain him on the spot had not one clothed all in red held them back, saying that He Who Speaks for Luata desired to see this strange creature.
As they led Bradley away, he caught an opportunity to glance back toward the hides to see what had become of the girl, and, to his gratification, he discovered that she still lay concealed beneath the hides. He wondered if she would have the nerve to attempt the river trip alone and regretted that now he could not accompany her. He felt rather all in, himself, more so than he had at any time since he had been captured by the Wieroo, for there appeared not the slightest cause for hope in his present predicament. He had dropped the curved blade beneath the hides when he had been jerked so violently from their fancied security. It was almost in a spirit of resigned hopelessness that he quietly accompanied his captors through various chambers and corridors toward the heart of the temple.
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1
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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fiber
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| n.纤维，纤维质 | |
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strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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7
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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9
stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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10
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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11
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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12
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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13
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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14
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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15
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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16
maniacal
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| adj.发疯的 | |
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maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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18
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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20
slumped
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| 大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下] | |
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21
shrilled
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| （声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
jugular
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| n.颈静脉 | |
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persistence
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| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
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24
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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25
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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26
repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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27
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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28
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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29
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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30
thongs
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| 的东西 | |
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31
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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33
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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34
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
supplication
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| n.恳求，祈愿，哀求 | |
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36
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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37
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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38
reiteration
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| n. 重覆, 反覆, 重说 | |
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39
mumblingly
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| 说话含糊地，咕哝地 | |
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40
junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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41
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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42
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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43
faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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44
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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45
ravenously
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| adv.大嚼地，饥饿地 | |
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46
ravenous
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| adj.极饿的，贪婪的 | |
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47
instilled
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| v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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49
lapses
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| n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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50
reverted
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| 恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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51
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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52
recurrence
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| n.复发，反复，重现 | |
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53
lucid
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| adj.明白易懂的，清晰的，头脑清楚的 | |
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54
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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55
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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56
reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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57
tadpole
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| n.[动]蝌蚪 | |
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58
serum
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| n.浆液，血清，乳浆 | |
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59
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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60
shun
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| vt.避开，回避，避免 | |
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61
shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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63
tadpoles
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| n.蝌蚪( tadpole的名词复数 ) | |
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64
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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65
teeming
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| adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注 | |
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66
amphibians
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| 两栖动物( amphibian的名词复数 )； 水陆两用车； 水旱两生植物； 水陆两用飞行器 | |
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67
baboons
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| n.狒狒( baboon的名词复数 ) | |
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68
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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69
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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70
dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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71
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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72
unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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73
denizens
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| n.居民，住户( denizen的名词复数 ) | |
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74
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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75
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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76
voracious
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| adj.狼吞虎咽的，贪婪的 | |
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77
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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78
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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79
complexities
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| 复杂性(complexity的名词复数)； 复杂的事物 | |
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80
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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81
visualize
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| vt.使看得见，使具体化，想象，设想 | |
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82
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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83
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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84
lizards
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| n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
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85
lizard
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| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
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86
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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87
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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88
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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89
diligent
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| adj.勤勉的，勤奋的 | |
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90
knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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91
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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92
incarcerated
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| 钳闭的 | |
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93
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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94
forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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95
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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96
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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97
precipitating
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| adj.急落的，猛冲的v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的现在分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀 | |
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98
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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99
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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100
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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101
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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102
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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103
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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104
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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105
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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106
swirling
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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107
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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108
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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109
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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110
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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111
scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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112
sewer
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| n.排水沟，下水道 | |
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113
intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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114
strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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115
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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116
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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117
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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118
grimaces
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| n.（表蔑视、厌恶等）面部扭曲，鬼脸( grimace的名词复数 )v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的第三人称单数 ) | |
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119
profaning
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| v.不敬( profane的现在分词 )；亵渎，玷污 | |
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120
lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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121
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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122
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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123
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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124
apertures
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| n.孔( aperture的名词复数 )；隙缝；（照相机的）光圈；孔径 | |
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125
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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126
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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127
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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128
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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129
heterogeneous
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| adj.庞杂的；异类的 | |
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130
retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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131
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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132
egress
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| n.出去；出口 | |
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133
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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134
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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135
blotch
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| n.大斑点；红斑点；v.使沾上污渍，弄脏 | |
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136
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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137
dismally
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| adv.阴暗地，沉闷地 | |
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138
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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139
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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140
ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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141
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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142
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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143
blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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144
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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145
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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146
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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147
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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148
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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149
squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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150
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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151
niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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152
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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153
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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154
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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155
doorways
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| n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 ) | |
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156
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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157
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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158
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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159
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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160
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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161
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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162
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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163
conformity
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| n.一致，遵从，顺从 | |
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164
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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165
averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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166
bleach
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| vt.使漂白；vi.变白；n.漂白剂 | |
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167
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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168
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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169
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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170
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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171
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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172
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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173
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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174
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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175
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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176
clinched
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| v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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177
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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178
puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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179
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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180
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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181
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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182
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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183
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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184
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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185
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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186
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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187
slash
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| vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩 | |
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188
fathom
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| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
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189
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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190
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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