? ? ? ? "All life on Barsoom," she said, "is created solely for the support of the race of therns. How else could we live did the outer world not furnish our labour and our food? Think you that a thern would demean himself by labour?"
? ? ? ? "It is true then that you eat human flesh?" I asked in horror.
? ? ? ? She looked at me in pitying commiseration for my ignorance.
? ? ? ? "Truly we eat the flesh of the lower orders. Do not you also?"
? ? ? ? "The flesh of beasts, yes," I replied, "but not the flesh of man."
? ? ? ? "As man may eat of the flesh of beasts, so may gods eat of the flesh of man. The Holy Therns are the gods of Barsoom."
? ? ? ? I was disgusted and I imagine that I showed it.
? ? ? ? "You are an unbeliever now," she continued gently, "but should we be fortunate enough to escape the clutches of the black pirates and come again to the court of Matai Shang I think that we shall find an argument to convince you of the error of your ways. And--," she hesitated, "perhaps we shall find a way to keep you as--as--one of us."
? ? ? ? Again her eyes dropped to the floor, and a faint colour suffused her cheek.
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