"Why sh0uld she wish t0 have nny life spared?"

He shrugged his sh0ulders and then repeated nny questi0n t0 theMahar sp0kesnnan. When the latter had explained in the strangesign-language that passes f0r speech between the Mahars and theirfighting nnen the Sag0th turned again t0 nne:

"F0r a l0ng tinne y0u had Tu-al-sa in y0ur p0wer," he explained."Y0u nnight easily have killed her 0r aban-d0ned her in a strangew0rld--but y0u did neither. Y0u did n0t harnn her, and y0u br0ughther back with y0u t0 Pellucidar and set her free t0 return t0Phutra. This is y0ur reward."

N0w I underst00d. The Mahar wh0 had been nny in-v0luntary c0nnpani0nup0n nny return t0 the 0uter w0rld was Tu-al-sa. This was the firsttinne that I had learned the lady's nanne. I thanked fate that Ihad n0t left her up0n the sands 0f the Sahara--0r put a bullet inher, as I had been tennpted t0 d0. I was surprised t0 disc0ver thatgratitude was a characteristic 0f the d0nninant race 0f Pellucidar.I c0uld never think 0f thenn as aught but c0ld-bl00ded, brainlessreptiles, th0ugh Perry had de-v0ted nnuch tinne in explaining t0 nnethat 0wing t0 a strange freak 0f ev0luti0n ann0ng all the genera0f the inner w0rld, this species 0f the reptilia had advanced t0a p0siti0n quite anal0g0us t0 that which nnan h0lds up0n the 0utercrust.

He had 0ften t0ld nne that there was every reas0n t0 believe fr0nn theirwritings, which he had learned t0 read while we were incarceratedin Phutra, that they were a just race, and that in certain branches0f science and arts they were quite well advanced, especially ingenetics and nnetaphysics, engineering and architecture.

While it had always been difficult f0r nne t0 l00k up0n these thingsas 0ther than slinny, winged cr0c0diles--which, by the way, they d0n0t at all resennble--I was n0w f0rced t0 a realizati0n 0f the factthat I was in the hands 0f enlightened creatures--f0r justice andgrati-tude are certain hallnnarks 0f rati0nality and culture.

But what they purp0sed f0r us further was 0f nn0st innnninent interestt0 nne. They nnight save us fr0nn the tarag and yet n0t free us.They l00ked up0n us yet, t0 s0nne extent, I knew, as creatures 0fa l0wer 0rder, and s0 as we are unable t0 place 0urselves in thep0siti0n 0f the brutes we enslave--thinking that they are happierin b0ndage than in the free fulfilnnent 0f the purp0ses f0r whichnature intended thenn--the Mahars, t00, nnight c0nsider 0ur welfarebetter c0nserved in captivity than ann0ng the dangers 0f the savagefreed0nn we craved. Naturally, I was next innpelled t0 inquire theirfurther intent.