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Chapter 8. “Mobilis in Mobili”

           butIadmitthatthenationalityofthetwostrangersishardtodetermine.NeitherEnglish,French,norGerman,thatisquitecertain.However,Iaminclinedtothinkthatthecommanderandhiscompanionwereborninlowlatitudes.Thereissouthernbloodinthem.ButIcannotdecidebytheirappearancewhethertheyareSpaniards,Turks,Arabians,orIndians.Astotheirlanguage,itisquiteincomprehensible."

           "Thereisthedisadvantageofnotknowingalllanguages,"saidConseil,"orthedisadvantageofnothavingoneuniversallanguage."

           Ashesaidthesewords,thedooropened.Astewardentered.Hebroughtusclothes,coatsandtrousers,madeofastuffIdidnotknow.Ihastenedtodressmyself,andmycompanionsfollowedmyexample.Duringthattime,thestewarddumb,perhapsdeafhadarrangedthetable,andlaidthreeplates.

           "Thisissomethinglike!"saidConseil.

           "Bah!"saidtheangryharpooner,"whatdoyousupposetheyeathere?Tortoiseliver,filletedshark,andbeefsteaksfromseadogs."

           "Weshallsee,"saidConseil.

           Thedishes,ofbellmetal,wereplacedonthetable,andwetookourplaces.Undoubtedlywehadtodowithcivilisedpeople,and,haditnotbeenfortheelectriclightwhichfloodedus,IcouldhavefanciedIwasinthedining-roomoftheAdelphiHotelatLiverpool,orattheGrandHotelinParis.Imustsay,however,thattherewasneitherbreadnorwine.Thewaterwasfreshandclear,butitwaswateranddidnotsuitNedLand’staste.Amongstthedisheswhichwerebroughttous,Irecognisedseveralfishdelicatelydressed;butofsome,althoughexcellent,Icouldgivenoopinion,neithercouldItelltowhatkingdomtheybelonged,whetheranimalorvegetable.

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