До Адама

           Theonlyplacesonhimwherethehairdidnotgrowwerethesolesofhishandsandfeetandbeneathhiseyes.Hewasfrightfullyugly,hisferociousgrinningmouthandhugedown-hangingunder-lipbeingbutinharmonywithhisterribleeyes.

           ThiswasRed-Eye.Andrightgingerlyhecreptoutorhiscaveanddescendedtotheground.Ignoringme,heproceededtoreconnoitre.Hebentforwardfromthehipsashewalked;andsofarforwarddidhebend,andsolongwerehisarms,thatwitheverystephetouchedtheknucklesofhishandstothegroundoneithersideofhim.Hewasawkwardinthesemi-erectpositionofwalkingthatheassumed,andhereallytouchedhisknucklestothegroundinordertobalancehimself.Butoh,Itellyouhecouldrunonall-fours!Nowthiswassomethingatwhichwewereparticularlyawkward.Furthermore,itwasarareindividualamonguswhobalancedhimselfwithhisknuckleswhenwalking.Suchanindividualwasanatavism,andRed-Eyewasanevengreateratavism.

           Thatiswhathewas—anatavism.Wewereintheprocessofchangingourtree-lifetolifeontheground.Formanygenerationswehadbeengoingthroughthischange,andourbodiesandcarriagehadlikewisechanged.ButRed-Eyehadrevertedtothemoreprimitivetree-dwellingtype.Perforce,becausehewasborninourhordehestayedwithus;butinactualityhewasanatavismandhisplacewaselsewhere.

           Verycircumspectandveryalert,hemovedhereandthereabouttheopenspace,peeringthroughthevistasamongthetreesandtryingtocatchaglimpseofthehuntinganimalthatallsuspectedhadpursuedme.