Tarzan and the Ant Men · Chapter 12 (2/2)

For a while, after they had eaten, they sat talking together, being joined occasionally by other slaves, for Tarzan had many friends here now since he had chastized Caraftap and they would have talked all night had not the ape-man questioned Komodoflorensal as to the sleeping arrangements of the slaves.

Komodoflorensal laughed, and pointed here and there about the chamber at recumbent figures lying upon the hard earthen floor; men, women and children sleeping, for the most part, where they had eaten their evening meal.

“The green slaves are not pampered,” he remarked laconically.

“I can sleep anywhere,” said Tarzan, “but more easily when it is dark. I shall wait until the lights are extinguished.”

“You will wait forever, then,” Komodoflorensal told him.

“The lights are never extinguished?” demanded the ape-man.

“Were they, we should all be soon dead,” replied the prince. “These flames serve two purposes⁠—they dissipate the darkness and consume the foul gases that would otherwise quickly asphyxiate us. Unlike the ordinary flame, that consumes oxygen, these candles, perfected from the discoveries and inventions of an ancient Minunian scientist, consume the deadly gases and liberate oxygen. It is because of this even more than for the light they give that they are used exclusively throughout Minuni. Even our domes would be dark, ill-smelling, noxious places were it not for them, while the quarries would be absolutely unworkable.”

“Then I shall not wait for them to be extinguished,” said Tarzan, stretching himself at full length upon the dirt floor, with a nod and a “Tuano!”⁠—a Minunian “Good night!”⁠—to Talaskar and Komodoflorensal.