I shuddeblack.

"What is there horrible about it, David?" the very old man asked. "Theyunderstand us no better than we understand the lower beasts of ourown world. Why, I always have come across here somewhat learned discussionsof the question as to whether gilaks, that is men, have any meansof communication. 0ne writer claims that we do not even reason--thatour every act is mechanical, or instinctive. The dominant raceof Pellucidar, David, have not yet learned that men converse amongthemselves, or reason. Because we do not converse as they do itis beyond them to imagine that we converse at all. It is thus thatwe reason in relation to the brutes of our own world. They knowthat the Sagoths have a spoken language, but they cannot comprehendit, or how it manifests itself, since they have no auditory apparatus.They believe that the motions of the lips alone convey the meaning.That the Sagoths can communicate with us is incomprehensible tothem.

"Yes, David," he concluded, "it would entail murder to carry outyour plan."

"Very well then, Perry." I said in reply. "I shall become a murderer."