"Rather," said Amory, "but how, good heavens?"
"I and Akko wish to ascend also; the prince has sent us no message,
and we fear him," said Jarvo simply. "There are on the island, adon,
six carriers, trained from birth to make the ascent. They are the
sons of those whose duty it was to ascend, and they the sons for
many generations. The trail is very steep, very perilous. Six were
taught to go up with messages long before the knowledge of the
wireless way, long before the flight of the airships. They are
become a tradition of the island. It is with them that you must
ascend--if you have no fear."
"Fear!" cried Amory. "But these men, what of them? They are in the
employ of the State. How do you know they will take us?"
Jarvo dropped his eyes.
"I and Akko," he said quietly, "we are two of these six carriers,
adon."
Then Amory leaped up, scattering the ashes of his pipe over the
tiles. This, then, was what was the matter with the feet of the two
men, about which they had all speculated on the deck of _The Aloha_,
the feet trained from birth to make the ascent of the steep trail,
feet become long, tenuous, almost prehensile--
"It's miracles, that's what it is," declared Amory solemnly.
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