She pinched Joan wickedly, and the girl shrank from her.
“The man will tell,” Toplinsky broke in anxiously. “The girl——”
“Is nothing to you,” Queen Carza interrupted brittlely. “And I do not like her.”
Toplinsky did not reply. Stooping down he removed Epworth’s sandals, and pushed up the pants until his knees were exposed. Queen Carza, noting the soft white skin, rubbed his leg gently.
“Nice. Soft. White.” She spoke very pleasantly. “Almost as soft——”
She removed Joan’s stockings, and pointed at the stream of lava.
“Why the girl?” Toplinsky protested. “We are not making war on women.”
This remark astonished Epworth. He was of the opinion that Toplinsky would not hesitate to war on a child.
“The man may let us burn his legs but he will not permit the delicate coloring of his sister’s legs to be changed by harsh measures.”
Toplinsky shuddered. He really had no intention of burning Epworth’s legs. His act was a bluff in the hope of getting the American to speak up.