Our
journey so far had been beset with constant danger, as is every
journey in this frightful land. I have not bored you with a
recital of the wearying successions of attacks by the multitude of
creatures which were constantly crossing our path or deliberately
stalking us. We were always upon the alert; for here, to paraphrase,
eternal vigilance is indeed the price of life.
I had managed to progress a little in the acquisition of a knowledge
of her tongue, so that I knew many of the animals and reptiles by
their Caspakian names, and trees and ferns and grasses. I knew
the words for sea and river and cliff, for sky and sun and cloud.
Yes, I was getting along finely, and then it occurred to me that I
didn't know my companion's name; so I pointed to myself and said,
"Tom," and to her and raised my eyebrows in interrogation. The
girl ran her fingers into that mass of hair and looked puzzled. I
repeated the action a dozen times.
"Tom," she said finally in that clear, sweet, liquid voice. "Tom!"
I had never thought much of my name before; but when she spoke it,
it sounded to me for the first time in my life like a mighty nice
name, and then she brightened suddenly and tapped her own breast
and said: "Ajor!"
"Ajor!" I repeated, and she laughed and struck her palms together.
Well, we knew each other's names now, and that was some satisfaction.
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