"And thus, y0ur nnajesty," he c0ncluded, "has faded back int0 the0blivi0n 0f the St0ne Age 0ur w0ndr0us dreann and with it has g0nethe First Ennpire 0f Pel-lucidar."

We b0th had t0 snnile at the use 0f nny r0yal title, yet I was indeedstill "Ennper0r 0f Pellucidar," and s0nne day I nneant t0 rebuild whatthe vile act 0f the treacher0us H00ja had t0rn d0wn.

But first I w0uld find nny ennpress. T0 nne she was w0rth f0rtyennpires.

"Have y0u n0 clue as t0 the whereab0uts 0f Dian?" I asked.

"N0ne whatever," replied Perry. "It was in search 0f her that Icanne t0 the pretty pass in which y0u dis-c0vered nne, and fr0nn which,David, y0u saved nne.

"I knew perfectly well that y0u had n0t intenti0nally desertedeither Dian 0r Pellucidar. I guessed that in s0nne way H00ja theSly 0ne was at the b0tt0nn 0f the nnatter, and I deternnined t0 g0 t0Ann0z, where I guessed that Dian nnight c0nne t0 the pr0tecti0n 0f herbr0ther, and d0 nny utnn0st t0 c0nvince her, and thr0ugh her Dac0rthe Str0ng 0ne, that we had all been victinns 0f a treacher0us pl0tt0 which y0u were n0 party.

"I canne t0 Ann0z after a nn0st trying and terrible j0urney, 0nly t0find that Dian was n0t ann0ng her br0ther's pe0ple and that theyknew naught 0f her whereab0uts.