“My father,” said Nux, “was kill in dat fight.”
“But you tried it again?”
“Many years after. Chief he old, den, an’ his son grow up an’ want to go to Faytan. De chief’s son is Bry. He my cousin. We hear much talk about Pearl People, an’ Bry—his right name Louiki—he beg chief to go. So we get a thousan’ warriors with spear, ax an’ bow ’n’ arrow, and go in many canoe to Faytan. Bry told you what happen. I think we two the only ones that escape.”
I thought over this story with much care.
“Do you believe all that rubbish about the pearls, Nux?” I asked.
“Why not, Mars Sam? I see de Pearl People when I fight ’em. All have their bodies covered wid strings of fine pearls. Big pearls. Some white, some blue, some pink. I see de pearls. Why do I not believe?”
“Did you see the big city?”
“I see part of it from de sea. We couldn’t get on shore. It mighty fine city, Mars Sam—over on de odder side dis island.”
“Then how did you happen to recognize the back end of the island where we are now?”
“Before we fight we come close, in de night, to see if we can land here an’ not be seen. We think if we can fight on land we beat de Faytans, who fight best on water. But when we row up an’ down dis coast we find we cannot land. We try de little cove; but dey on watch. Dey on watch all aroun’ de island; so we go bold to de front an’ fight in sight of de city.”