The Coming Race Read online

  Chapter VI.

  I remained in this unconscious state, as I afterwards learned, for manydays, even for some weeks according to our computation of time. WhenI recovered I was in a strange room, my host and all his family weregathered round me, and to my utter amaze my host's daughter accosted mein my own language with a slightly foreign accent.

  "How do you feel?" she asked.

  It was some moments before I could overcome my surprise enough to falterout, "You know my language? How? Who and what are you?"

  My host smiled and motioned to one of his sons, who then took from atable a number of thin metallic sheets on which were traced drawings ofvarious figures--a house, a tree, a bird, a man, &c.

  In these designs I recognised my own style of drawing. Under each figurewas written the name of it in my language, and in my writing; and inanother handwriting a word strange to me beneath it.

  Said the host, "Thus we began; and my daughter Zee, who belongs to theCollege of Sages, has been your instructress and ours too."

  Zee then placed before me other metallic sheets, on which, in mywriting, words first, and then sentences, were inscribed. Under eachword and each sentence strange characters in another hand. Rallying mysenses, I comprehended that thus a rude dictionary had been effected.Had it been done while I was dreaming? "That is enough now," said Zee,in a tone of command. "Repose and take food."