CHAPTER VIII
LANGUAGE WITHOUT SPEECH
"That breaks the ice," said the irrepressible Jack. "We're introduced! Now for the conquest of Venus."
We had all instinctively returned the smile of our beautiful interlocutor, with bows and gestures of amity, and it looked as though we might soon be within touch of her hand, for the vessels continued to drift nearer, when suddenly Juba clambered out of the window and stood beside us, his moon eyes blinking in the unaccustomed light. The greatest agitation was immediately manifest among the crowd on the deck of the air ship. They seemed to be even more startled than they had been by the sound of Jack's voice. They interchanged looks, and, apparently, a few words, spoken in very low voices, and glanced from Juba to us in a way which plainly showed that they were astonished at our being together.
Edmund, whose perspicacity never deserted him, immediately penetrated their thoughts.
"It is clear," he said, "that these people recognize Juba as an inhabitant of the dark hemisphere, while, as to us, they are puzzled, and all the more so now that Juba has made his appearance. I think it certain that they have never actually met any representative of Juba's race before, but no doubt he bears, to their eyes, ethnological characteristics which escape our discernment, and it is likely that tradition has handed down to them facts about the inhabitants of the other side of their planet which accord with his appearance."
"Then, they must conclude that we have come from the other side, and brought Juba along as a captive," I said.
"Undoubtedly."
"And what must they think of us—that we are inhabitants of the dark hemisphere also?"
"What else can they think?"