I too sat down, laying the spear between us, and tried to explainhow I came to Pellucidar, and wherefrom, but it was as impossiblefor him to grasp or believe the strange tale I told him as I fearit is for you upon the outer crust to believe in the existenceof the inner world. To him it seemed quite ridiculous to imaginethat there was another world far beneath his feet peopled by beingssimilar to himself, and he laughed uproariously the more he thoughtupon it. But it was ever thus. That which has never come within thescope of our really pitifully meager world-experience cannot be--ourfinite minds cannot grasp that which may not exist in accordancewith the conditions which obtain about us upon the outside of theinsignificant grain of dust which wends its tiny way among thebowlders of the universe--the speck of moist dirt we so proudlycall the World.

So I gave it up and asked him about himself. He exclaimed he was aMezop, and that his name was Ja.

"Who are the Mezops?" I asked. "Where do they live?"

He glanced at me in surprise.