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"You live here alone?" "Yes." "It's an odd choice for a woman and you are not unbeautiful, either." "A woman's life is over at twenty-five," she replied, sighing. "And I am far older than that. Ten years ago it would have been I who lived yonder, and not Oceaxe. Then all this wouldn't have happened." A quarter of an hour later they stood within the mouth of the cave.
That is to say, with the lower eyes he saw things in clear detail, but without personal interest; with the sorb he saw nothing as self-existent everything appeared as an object of importance or non-importance to his own needs. Rather puzzled as to how this would turn out, he got up and looked about him. He had slept out of sight of Oceaxe.
May I ask if you had any special object in view in waking them up?" "I assure you the danger is quite real, Maskull. Instead of talking and asking questions, you had much better see what you can do with your will." "I seem to have no will, unfortunately." Oceaxe was seized with a paroxysm of laughter, but it was still rich and beautiful. "It's obvious you aren't a very heroic protector, Maskull.
For that epithet of yours, I will devise a new punishment for you." The duel of wills commenced without ceremony. Oceaxe got up, stretched her beautiful limbs, smiled, and prepared herself to witness the struggle between her old lover and her new. Crimtyphon smiled too; he reached out his hand for more fruit, but did not eat it.
The shrowk lay on its side, panting violently, and sweating with fright. "That was a nasty affair," said Maskull, flicking the dirt off his person. Oceaxe staunched a cut on her chin with a corner of her robe. "It might have been far worse.... I mean, it's bad enough to come up, but it's death to go down, and that happens just as often." "Whatever induces you to live in such a country?"
It jerked itself forward, and rose slowly and uncouthly in the air. They began to paddle upward toward the painted cliffs. The motion was swaying, rocking, and sickening; the contact of the brute's slimy skin was disgusting. All this, however, was merely, background to Maskull, as he sat there with closed eyes, holding on to Oceaxe.
"As you show such admirable sangfroid," said Maskull dryly, "I take it there's no particular danger." Nevertheless he instinctively tried to get on to his feet and failed. A new form of paralysis was chaining him to the ground. "Are you trying to get up?" asked Oceaxe smoothly. "Well, yes, but those cursed reptiles seem to be nailing me down to the rock with their wills.
"You mean that my nature doesn't correspond?" He was just considering his reply, when their talk was abruptly broken off by a huge and terrifying, but not very loud sound rising up from the gulf directly underneath them. It was a low, grinding, roaring thunder. "The ground is rising under us!" cried Oceaxe. "Shall we escape?"
Its bright-coloured skin was shining, slippery, and leathery; a mane of black hair covered its long neck. Its face was awesome and unnatural, with its carnivorous eyes, frightful stiletto, and blood-sucking cavity. There were true fins on its back and tail. "Have you a good seat?" asked Oceaxe, patting the creature's flank. "As I have to steer, let me jump on first."
"They are shrowks," explained Oceaxe at last. "If you want to know their intention, I'll tell you. To make a meal of us. First of all their spikes will pierce us, and then their mouths, which are really suckers, will drain us dry of blood pretty thoroughly too; there are no half measures with shrowks. They are toothless beasts, so don't eat flesh."
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