hemesawaslikeashipbecalmedinasraioflioncoloureddushecha

elwoundbeweenprecipiousbanks，andsningfromonewalloheoheracrosshevalleyranasreakofgreenheriverandisfieldsonheprowofhasoneshipinhecenreofhesrai，andseeminglyaparofi，ashapedandgeomericaloucropofhenakedrock，soodhepuebloofmalpaisblockaboveblock，eachsorysmallerhanheonebelow，heallhousesroselikeseppedandampuaedpyramidsinoheblueskyaheirfeeyasraggleoflowbuildings，acrisscrossofwalls；andonhreesidesheprecipicesfellsheerinohepinafewcolumnsofsmokemounedperpendicurlyinohewindlessairandwerelos

“queer，”saidlenina“veryqueer”iwasherordinarywordofcondemnaion“idon’likeiandidon’likehaman”shepoinedoheindianguidewhohadbeenappoinedoakehemupohepuebloherfeelingwasevidenlyreciprocaed；heverybackofheman，ashewalkedalongbeforehem，washosile，sullenlyconempuous

“besides，”sheloweredhervoice，“hesmells”

bernarddidnoaempodenyiheywalkedon

suddenlyiwasashoughhewholeairhadcomealiveandwerepulsing，pulsingwihheindefaigablemovemenofblooduphere，inmalpais，hedrumswerebeingbeaenheirfeefellinwihherhyhmofhamyserioushear；heyquickenedheirpaceheirpahledhemohefooofheprecipicehesidesofhegreamesashipoweredoverhem，hreehundredfeeohegunwale

“iwishwecouldhavebroughhepne，”saidlenina，lookingupresenfullyahebnkimpendingrockface“ihaewalkingandyoufeelsosmallwhenyou’reonhegroundaheboomofahill”

heywalkedalongforsomewayinheshadowofhemesa，roundedaprojecion，andhere，inawaerwornravine，washewayuphecompaniondderheyclimbediwasaveryseeppahhazigzaggedfromsideosideofhegullysomeimeshepulsingofhedrumswasallbuinaudible，aohersheyseemedobebeaingonlyjusroundhecorner

whenheywerehalfwayup，aneagleflewpassocloseohemhahewindofhiswingsblewchillonheirfacesinacreviceofherockyapileofbonesiwasalloppressivelyqueer，andheindiansmelsrongerandsrongerheyemergedasfromheravineinohefullsunlighheopofhemesawasafdeckofsone

“likehecharingower，”waslenina’scommenbushewasnoallowedoenjoyherdiscoveryofhisreassuringresembnceforlongapaddingofsoffeemadehemurnroundnakedfromhroaonavel，heirdarkbrownbodiespainedwihwhielines（“likeasphale

iscours，”leninawaseroexpin），heirfacesinhumanwihdaubingsofscarle，bckandochre，woindianscameru

ingalonghepahheirbckhairwasbraidedwihfoxfurandredf

elcloaksofurkeyfeahersflueredfromheirshoulders；hugefeaherdiademsexplodedgaudilyroundheirheadswiheverysepheyookcameheclinkandraleofheirsilverbraceles，heirheavyneckcesofboneandurquoisebeadsheycameonwihouaword，ru

ingquielyinheirdeerskinmoccasinsoneofhemwasholdingafeaherbrush；heohercarried，ineiherhand，whalookedaadisancelikehreeorfourpiecesofhickropeoneofheropeswriheduneasily，andsuddenlyleninasawhaheyweresnakes

hemencamenearerandnearer；heirdarkeyeslookedaher，buwihougivinganysignofrecogniion，anysmallessignhaheyhadseenherorwereawareofherexisencehewrihingsnakehunglimpagainwihhereshemenpassed

“idon’likei，”saidlenina“idon’likei”

shelikedevenlesswhaawaiedheraheenranceohepueblo，whereheirguidehadlefhemwhileheweninsideforinsrucionshedir，osarwih，hepilesofrubbish，hedus，hedogs，hefliesherfacewrinkledupinoagrimaceofdisgussheheldherhandkerchiefohernose

“buhowcanheylivelikehis？”shebrokeouinavoiceofindignanincreduliy（iwasn’possible）

bernardshruggedhisshouldersphilosophically“anyhow，”hesaid，“hey’vebeendoingiforhesfiveorsixhousandyearssoisupposeheymusbeusedoibynow”

“bucleanlinessisnexofordliness，”sheinsised

“yes，andcivilizaionisserilizaion，”bernardwenon，concludingonaoneofironyhesecondhypnop？diclessoninelemenaryhygiene“buhesepeoplehaveneverheardofourford，andheyaren’civilizedsohere’snopoinin…”

“oh！”shegrippedhisarm“look”

analmosnakedindianwasveryslowlyclimbingdownhedderfromhefirsfloorerraceofaneighboringhouse–rungaferrung，wihheremulouscauionofexremeoldagehisfacewasprofoundlywrinkledandbck，likeamaskofobsidianheoohlessmouhhadfalleninahecornersofhelips，andoneachsideofhechin，afewlongbrislesgleamedalmoswhieagainshedarkskinhelongunbraidedhairhungdowningreywispsroundhisfacehisbodywasbenandemaciaedohebone，almosfleshlessveryslowlyhecamedown，pausingaeachrungbeforehevenuredanohersep

“wha’shemaerwihhim？”whisperedleninahereyeswerewidewihhorrorandamazemen

“he’sold，ha’sall，”bernardansweredascarelesslyashecouldheoowassarled；buhemadeanefforoseemunmoved

“old？”sherepeaed“buhedirecor’sold；losofpeopleareold；hey’renolikeha”

“ha’sbecausewedon’allowhemobelikehawepreservehemfromdiseaseswekeepheirinernalsecreionsarificiallybancedaayouhfulequilibriumwedon’permiheirmagnesiumcalciumraioofallbelowwhaiwasahirywegivehemransfusionofyoungbloodwekeepheirmeabolismpermanenlysimuedso，ofcourse，heydon’looklikehaparly，”headded，“becausemosofhemdielongbeforeheyreachhisoldcreaure’sageyouhalmosunimpairedillsixy，andhen，crack！heend”