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Can you remember?" The child knelt on the hearth, with his head in his mother's lap. "Now I lay me " he began softly, halting over the unfamiliar words. Lylda's fingers stroked his brown curly head as it nestled against her knees; the firelight shone golden in his tousled curls. The Chemist was watching them with moist eyes. "His first Christmas," he murmured, and smiled a little tender smile.
"We had hardly more than entered this last tunnel when I heard the sound of drums and a weird sort of piping music, followed by shouts and cheers. Lylda's clasp on my hand tightened, and she pulled me forward eagerly. As we advanced the crowd became denser, pushing and shoving us about and paying little attention to me.
Indeed, the whole city seemed built of some curious form of opaque glass, newly scrubbed and polished. "Children crowded from the doorways as we advanced, but Lylda dispersed them with a gentle though firm, command. As we approached the sort of castle I have mentioned, the reason for Lylda's authoritative manner dawned upon me.
"Only once, when we played a game in the field beyond my brother's home. Lylda was the queen and I her lady. And do you go to the opera, too? My brother he has told me of the opera. How wonderful must that be! So beautiful more beautiful even it must be than Lylda's music. But never shall it be for me." She smiled sadly: "Never shall I be able to hear it."
Can they own land too?" asked the Very Young Man. "They have identical rights with men in everything," the Chemist answered. "But women surely cannot cultivate their own land?" the Doctor said. Evidently he was thinking of Lylda's fragile little body, and certainly if most of the Oroid women were like her, labour in the fields would be for them quite impossible.
"How can you tell time?" the Very Young Man wanted to know. "There is no sun to go by. You have no clocks, have you?" "There is one downstairs," answered the Chemist, "but you didn't notice it. Lylda's father has a very fine one; he will show it to you."
Then he stopped abruptly and, turning, pulled Lylda and me out upon the balcony. The enthusiasm of the crowd doubled at our appearance. I was pushed forward to the balcony rail, where I bowed to the cheering throng. "Just after I left the king's balcony, I met Lylda's father. He was a kindly-faced old gentleman, and took a great interest in me and my story.
Their faint, shrill, squeaking shrieks had a ghostly semblance to human voices, and he turned suddenly sick and faint. Then he glanced at Lylda's face; it bore an expression of sorrow and of horror that made him shudder.
Then he turned again to Lylda's intent, pleading face, regarding her tenderly. "You are very fine, little mother of my son," he said gently, lapsing for a moment into her own style of speech. "It could do no harm," he added thoughtfully "and perhaps " "Let her try it," said the Doctor. "No harm could come to her." "No harm to me could come," said Lylda quickly. "And I shall make them believe.
He spoke in a low tone, although the men in the other room seemed so far away they would hardly have heard him if he had shouted at the top of his voice. Alone with the girl now in this great silent room, the Very Young Man felt suddenly embarrassed. "I am one of your brother's friends," he said. "My name's Jack; is yours Aura?" "Lylda's sister I am," she answered quietly.
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