The Secret Island Learn English through story level 3
chapter one
lost and found
i was one of the few lucky passengers on
the lady vane
when the ship went down in the pacific
in february 1887
i found myself in a small boat with
another passenger helmer and a sailor
i never knew the sailor’s name
a fourth man jumped from the ship trying
to reach us
but his head hit the side of the ship
he went down under the water and never
came up again
we had only a little bread and a small
container of water on board
on the first day the sea was very rough
and we were almost thrown out of the
boat
but then the sea became calmer and that
danger passed
we spoke little
most of the time we did not move
we lay under the hot sun looking out
across the ocean
on the fourth day we had no more water
to drink
we became very thirsty
then on the sixth day helmer finally
spoke of the idea that was already in
all our minds
we need to kill someone
then the other two can drink his blood
helmer had two longer sticks and one
shorter one
the person with the short stick had to
die
but the sailor chose the short stick and
he did not accept the result
the love of life was too strong in him
he attacked helmer and the two men
fought
i tried to help helmer but as i was
going towards them the boat moved
suddenly
helmer and the sailor fell straight over
the side together and went down like
stones
in my weak state i lay in the boat
laughing quietly
i did not know why i was laughing
but for many minutes i could not stop
after that i did nothing
i thought about drinking seawater that
way i could die more quickly
but i was too weak even for this
on the eighth day i saw a sail far away
across the sea
i remember thinking how strange
a ship is coming but too late because
i’m already dead
hour after hour i lay with my head on
the side of the boat and the sail came
closer and closer
i did nothing to call the ship to me but
still it came
i remember seeing the side of the ship
next to my boat and then
nothing
i woke in a small untidy room on board
the ship
a young man was sitting by my bed
holding my wrist
he had fair hair a thick moustache and
grey watery eyes
the man started speaking
suddenly from above us came the sound of
metal against metal and then the low
angry growl of an animal
the man showed no surprise but repeated
his question
how do you feel now
i tried to speak but no sound came from
my mouth
luckily the man saw the question in my
eyes
you were found in a small boat
you had no food or drink
i looked at my hand
terribly thin with the skin hanging off
it
suddenly i remembered my long days lost
at sea
have some of this
said the man offering me a red drink
it tasted like blood but i drank it all
i soon felt a bit stronger
you are lucky that i know about medicine
said the man
what ship is this
i asked slowly and painfully
these were my first words for many days
the apeka kwana
oh and i’m montgomery
the noise above us began again
you’ll be okay now
continued montgomery
you’ve been asleep for almost 30 hours
you know
i heard a number of dogs up above
can i eat
i asked
of course
the cook is already preparing a meal for
you
that sounds wonderful
i replied
but tell me what happened to you why
were you alone in that boat
damn that noise
he stood up suddenly and left the room
he shouted at someone for a minute then
returned
well you were starting to tell me your
story he said
i told him my name edward prendick
i was i said travelling in the pacific
because of my interest in natural
history
he was excited by this and told me about
his own days as a biology student in
london
he asked me many questions about his
favorite places in the city
the university the shops and most of all
the clubs
they were happy days he said sadly
but then i did something silly and it
all ended suddenly
ten years ago now
i’ll just go and ask the cook about your
food
the growls above us started again even
louder and angrier
what’s that
i called after him but the door was
already closing
came back a minute later with some food
and in my excitement at the wonderful
smell i forgot about the animal noises
chapter 2
the epeka kwana
i spent the day either eating or
sleeping
the next morning i felt stronger and got
out of bed
montgomery lent me some clothes
they were too big montgomery was a tall
man
but since my own clothes were destroyed
i was very grateful to him
as i dressed he told me about the
epecaquanna’s captain davis
he’s drunk most of the time but i don’t
have to worry about him for much longer
i’m getting off the ship soon
where
i asked surprised
were we not still in the middle of the
pacific ocean
at the island where i live
i don’t think it has a name
he gave me a hard look
no more questions his eyes seemed to say
then i followed him out of the room for
a walk around the ship
on the ladder to the top part of the
ship there was a man in our way
i could only see the man’s back but even
from this view he seemed strange
he was very short and wide with a hairy
neck and a head that was in front of not
above his shoulders
he wore dark blue work clothes and had
long thick black hair
the man heard our steps and looked round
with the speed of an animal
his face was even stranger than his body
he had black skin and dark eyes with
almost no white in them
his mouth was shaped more like a bears
or a dog’s than a man’s with the largest
teeth that you can imagine
the ugliness of this man hit me like a
wave and in my weak state i almost fell
but montgomery held my arm and helped me
towards the ladder
get out of our way emeling
he shouted at the man
you shouldn’t be here your place is at
the front of the ship with the sailors
they don’t want me with them
replied the man called emeling
they don’t want you with them
don’t be so stupid go i say
emily moved away slowly and i followed
montgomery up the ladder
at the top i discovered where all the
animal noises were coming from
there were lots of dogs tied up in one
corner
in another corner was a puma in a cage
that was too small for it
rabbits also in cages filled the rest of
the space
there were bits of animal food
everywhere and the smell was terrible
suddenly there was a cry from the front
of the ship and someone shouted angrily
the strange man with the black face
emeling ran towards us followed by a man
with red hair and a white hat
when the dogs saw emily they became even
noisier than before
he stopped near them for a second
the other man reached him and hit him
hard between the shoulders
emeling fell down next to the dogs
crying out in pain
the dogs growled angrily and jumped on
him
some sailors came to watch with interest
they did not try to help
stop that
shouted montgomery hurrying towards them
emeling finally pushed the dogs away and
stood up
he held onto the side of the ship
clearly afraid of the red-haired man’s
next move
montgomery reached them
this must stop captain
he said angrily holding on to the
red-haired man’s arm
i stood behind montgomery
the captain turned and looked at us
rudely
his body moved from side to side as he
stood there he was clearly drunk
what must stop
he laughed
emling is your passenger keep your hands
off him or
damn you montgomery
this is my ship and i make the rules
embling works for me
don’t hurt him again do you hear
the captain looked at montgomery
sleepily for about a minute
damn scientists
he finally said in reply
montgomery was getting very angry
he’s drunk montgomery i said to him
he won’t listen when he’s like this
he’s always drunk montgomery answered
does that give him permission to hit his
passengers
my ship
the captain said waving his hand at the
cages was a clean ship
look at it now
you agreed to take the animals shouted
montgomery
and why do you want animals like these
on your damn island hey
and that man of yours he’s not a man
he’s a monster
you leave him alone i say continued
montgomery
i’ll cut out his insides if he comes to
the front of the ship again
sailors only at the front
cut out his damn insides i will
damn you and damn your crazy island
the captain continued to shout at
montgomery for some time
montgomery took a step towards him
i did not want a fight on board so i
stopped him
he’s drunk i said just leave him
the captain started shouting rudely
again
that’s enough i shouted back at him
it was not sensible to shout at the
captain of course
i was alive only as a result of his help
and i had no money to pay for my journey
on his ship for some time he shouted
angrily about his kindness to me
but there was no fight between
montgomery and the captain and for that
i was grateful
chapter 3 montgomery’s island
late that evening we saw land far out to
sea and the ship turned towards it
we were nearing montgomery’s island
after supper montgomery and i stood
outside talking under the stars
i was interested to know more about his
animals and his island home
but he seemed uncomfortable with my
questions so i soon changed the subject
we spoke about london and about science
but as we talked my questions grew
stronger in my mind
why was a man of science living on an
unknown island in the middle of the
pacific
why was he taking the puma rabbits and
dogs there
and who was that strange man who worked
for him
i heard a noise behind me and turned
montgomery’s dark assistant was standing
a few steps from us
he looked quickly towards me
for a second or two his eyes shone red
in the lights of the ship
it frightened me terribly
i thought of the stories that i read as
a child of monsters and strange animals
of the night
then the man looked away and montgomery
was saying
i’m going to bed now there’ll be lots to
do in the morning
i followed him down the ladder and went
to my room
i slept little that night
i was woken many times both by the
noises of the dogs and by my terrible
dreams
early the next morning i woke to a new
sound
someone above me was pushing the animal
cages across the ship
i climbed the ladder
at the top six men were carrying the
puma in his cage to the side of the ship
a large man with white hair was now on
board talking to montgomery
next to them was a ladder down to a
small boat that was waiting below the
captain davis was there too
we’ll soon have a clean ship again
he was shouting
it was clear that he was still drunk
when the captain saw me his rudeness
from the night before began again
this was no surprise to me but i never
for a second imagined his next move
pointing to the ladder down the side of
the ship davis shouted
that way
that way mr no money
i don’t understand i said
what do you mean
i mean that we’re cleaning out the ship
no room for mr no money
it’s time for you to go
that way i say
that way
i looked at the captain in surprise
it was clear from his face that this was
not a joke
but i was not too worried the idea of a
journey across the ocean with the drunk
captain and his unfriendly sailors was
not much fun
and i wanted to find out more about
montgomery and his mysterious island
i turned to montgomery but the
white-haired man next to him said
quickly
we can’t have you
you can’t have me
i asked very worried now
well captain
i began
he stopped me
that way now mr no manny
if they don’t want you we’ll put you
back in your boat
the boat from the lady vane
you can’t stay with us
go i say
but montgomery i cried
he shook his head and looked quickly at
the man with white hair
he’s the boss i can’t help you he seemed
to say
i looked from the captain to montgomery
to the man with white hair i cried to
each man to help me but none of them
listened
when all of montgomery’s things were in
his master’s boat it moved away from our
ship towards a beach on the island
with montgomery his master and emeling
on board
the sailors then threw me roughly into
the little boat where my troubles began
12 days before
it was half full of water and had no
food or drink on board
they pushed the boat out to sea
i lay in the water at the bottom of it
crying like a baby
luckily montgomery’s master saw me in my
boat and changed his mind
he turned his boat round to help me
i stopped crying but my need was urgent
with so much water on board my boat was
going down fast
they had no space for me
there were three men from the island in
their boat with montgomery his master
emeling and all the animals and boxes
from the pekkakuana
but i used a cup from their boat to get
out the water in the bottom of mine
then we tied the two boats together and
they pulled me slowly to land
as we traveled in this way i looked more
carefully at the people in the boat
i now saw that montgomery’s master the
white-haired man was quite old 60 or
more
i remembered from the epecaquanna that
he was a very tall man
but as he sat next to the other three
men from the island his head only
reached their shoulders
were the men of this island the tallest
in the world
their height was not the only unusual
thing about them they had long straight
black hair like the hair on a horse’s
neck and they were covered from head to
foot in dirty white cotton
under the cotton i could see dark
strangely shaped faces with bright eyes
and big teeth
as i looked at them i started to feel
ill
i quickly looked away
we were nearing the island
there was a beach of grey sand with tall
trees behind it
between the trees was a simple house
circled by a big stone wall
soon we landed on the beach
the three men in white cotton helped
montgomery to carry the boxes onto the
sand
i realized then that they were not very
tall but their bodies were unusually
long
and the top part of their legs very
short
their knees moved in a very strange way
when they walked
as the white-haired man passed them with
the dogs the dogs growled angrily at
them
i smiled gratefully as montgomery’s
master came towards me
montgomery says that you’re a man of
science he said
we’re scientists here too you know
biologists
you’ll probably be with us for 12 months
or more
ships don’t pass this island very often
chapter four
dr moreau
the white-haired man turned and walked
quickly towards the house up the hill
i went to talk to montgomery
you’ve saved me again i said gratefully
well this island’s not exactly london he
replied
i can’t promise that you’ll enjoy
yourself here
you’ll have to be careful with
he stopped suddenly
can you help me with these rabbits
he carried a cage of rabbits from the
boat to the beach
opened the cage door and threw the
rabbits onto the sand
go and have lots of babies he said as
they ran towards the trees
there isn’t much meat to eat on the
island he explained to me
we’re hoping that the rabbits will make
good food
i helped montgomery with the rabbits
until the white-haired man returned
then the three of us walked together to
the stone wall that circled the house
well montgomery what are we going to do
with him the white-haired man asked
he can’t come into the house
but he can’t stay out here either
we don’t have time to build him a new
house
he should have my room answered
montgomery
he can use the outside door
the white-haired man opened an outside
door with a heavy key and we all went
inside
there was another door on the far side
of the room into the garden behind the
stone wall
the door was half open
montgomery quickly crossed the room and
locked the door
keep that door closed at all times his
master said to me
we don’t want any accidents
he gave montgomery a strange look
and we must get you some food he
continued we didn’t invite you here of
course
but you’re our guest now
we’ll try to make you comfortable
then he walked out of the room by the
outside door
the room was small but pleasant
there was a little bed a table and chair
and some books about medicine
we usually have our meals in here said
montgomery
then he followed his master outside
he shouted
mero
i thought
where have i heard that name before
montgomery’s assistant emeling came into
the room bringing some coffee a plate of
vegetables and a bottle of whiskey
as he put the food on the table his long
hair fell in front of his face
i saw one of his ears
it had a sharp point at the top and was
covered in thick hair
your breakfast mr prendick
he said as he left the room
i started to eat the food gratefully but
i left the whiskey i have never been a
drinker
suddenly i remembered
moreau
he was in all the papers eight maybe ten
years before
an important biologist a very successful
man but then a newspaper sent someone to
work as his assistant
there were terrible stories about the
animals that he used in his experiments
a dog escaped from his laboratory
without any skin on its body other
animals were found there in terrible
pain
the newspapers attacked moreau and his
work and no one in the scientific world
defended him
he had to close his laboratory
i was sure that this was the same man
perhaps it was too hard for maro to stop
his work
perhaps he chose to continue it on an
island far from home
this idea explained the puma and the
other animals from the epecaquanna
but why were moreau and montgomery
trying to keep everything secret from me
laboratory work on animals was not very
pleasant but to a man of science like me
it was not so terrible
was there something more
something about emeling and those other
strange men on the island
my mind filled with possible
explanations each one more terrible than
the last
at about one o’clock montgomery came
into the room
emeling was following him carrying our
lunch some bread a bowl of salad a
bottle of whiskey and some water
moreau isn’t stopping for lunch today
said montgomery he’s too busy with his
work
moreau i said i know that name
damn do you
well
you’ll understand something about the
mysteries in the laboratory then
whiskey
no thanks i replied i don’t drink
very sensible
it was drink that brought me here
i drank too much and did something silly
moreau offered his help and
how stupid i was
montgomery i said suddenly
why has emling got strangely shaped ears
uh emeling
but uh
his hair covers his ears how do you know
about his ears
i’ve seen them montgomery they’ve got a
sharp point at the top and his eyes
shine in the dark
well uh
i don’t know prendick i’ve never seen
his ears
maybe he keeps his hair long to hide
them
from the laboratory
we heard a loud cry of pain
it sounded like the puma
the noise continued for about a minute
and it clearly troubled montgomery
damn damn damn
he was saying quietly to himself
he drank a big glass of whiskey then
left the room
chapter 5 an evening walk
through the afternoon
it seemed that the puma’s pain got worse
the screams grew louder and louder
i put my fingers in my ears but still
the screams filled my head
finally i had to escape from the room
i went outside but the noise from the
laboratory was even louder there
i walked quickly away from the house and
into the forest until i could not hear
the puma anymore
at last
i felt calmer
i came to a stream
it was a pleasant place protected from
the hot afternoon sun by the tall trees
above
i sat down to rest
suddenly i saw something moving in the
shadows on the other side of the stream
it came closer
what was it
it moved towards the stream
it was an animal coming for a drink it
drank thirstily with its head down at
the water
i looked more carefully
it was not an animal
it was a man dressed in blue clothes
but this man was using his hands as feet
and he was drinking like a cat
i moved to see him better
he heard me and looked up
our eyes met
he stood up quickly and dried his mouth
with his hand
his legs were much shorter than his body
he looked at me for a minute then walked
slowly away
i too started walking
i did not feel comfortable by the stream
now i crossed it and went uphill
i was surprised by a bright red piece of
ground in the middle of the green of the
plants
i looked closer
there was a dead rabbit there half
half-eaten and still warm
i thought about its killer
a dangerous animal or
that strange man by the stream
i realized that i knew nothing about the
dangers of the animals or people in the
forest
it was a bad idea to walk alone in a
strange place like this
i decided to go back to the house
i started running
i almost ran straight out into an open
space but stopped myself just in time
in this space between the trees i saw
three strange people
one was clearly female the other two
male
they had rough pink skin and small bits
of red clothes tied around their bodies
their faces were heavy and shapeless and
they had almost no hair on their heads
their legs were unusually short and
their feet were very small with no toes
they talked quietly together
or were they singing
they moved their bodies from side to
side in a kind of dance and repeated the
same words again and again
memories of sundays in church came back
to me
were these strange people practicing
their religion
i continued to watch them
there was something animal about these
people at first this idea was not clear
in my mind
but then one of the men fell to the
ground
for a few seconds he was using his arms
as legs and suddenly i realized
with their rough pink skin and heavy
faces these people were like pigs
i moved away from them as quietly as
possible and walked towards the beach
suddenly 30 meters in front of me i saw
the man who was drinking at the stream
earlier
his eyes shone green as he looked at me
then he disappeared between the trees
i did not move i could still feel his
eyes on me
who are you
i shouted
but there was no answer and i could see
nothing in the shadows of the forest
i realized now that it was getting dark
i needed to reach the house quickly
the idea of a night alone in the middle
of the forest was too terrible to think
about
i started walking again
i felt that someone was following me
but each time i looked back
i saw nothing
for a long time i could not find the
beach
i went one way then another losing hope
but finally i heard the sea
i followed the sound and after a few
minutes the forest opened onto the beach
gratefully i started walking along the
sand
when i stopped for a rest a shadow
behind me stopped too
who’s there i asked shakely
the thing did not reply
as i stepped back my foot hit a stone
with my eyes still on the shadow i
slowly picked it up seeing my movement
the thing moved away
crazy with fear i now ran
i heard feet behind me and i ran faster
the yellow light from the house was in
front of me but still far away too far
the thing behind me was getting closer
and closer it jumped at me and i turned
towards it with the stone in my hand
the stone hit its head and it fell down
onto the sand
chapter six
moroes laboratory
shaking i ran towards the house
i heard montgomery’s voice
frendic he was shouting frendic
when i reached him i fell weakly into
his arms
where have you been
he asked
we were working all afternoon and we
forgot about you we only started looking
half an hour ago
he helped me into the house and i sat
down i was still shaking terribly
a walk in the dark alone
what were you thinking prendick
i was afraid that
please i said quickly please lock that
door
he looked at me carefully
so you’ve met some of our
people
he locked the door and gave me some
whiskey
for the first time in my life i drank it
i described the attack on the beach and
the strange people in the forest
what does it all mean montgomery i asked
it’s nothing too terrible i promise you
he replied
but you’ve had enough for one day
you should get some sleep
but what was that thing on the beach
was it an animal or was it a man
listen prendick you’ve had a terrible
few days and you haven’t had enough
sleep
drink this medicine so you can sleep
through the noise of that damp humor
we’ll talk in the morning
he was right
i was too tired to talk now
i drank his medicine
he helped me into bed like a child and
soon i was asleep
when i woke it was late morning
there was some breakfast on the table
and i ate hungrily
montgomery opened the inside door the
door into the garden for a quick hello
we’re very busy in here i’m afraid no
time to talk
he closed the door again
but i discovered later that he did not
lock it
i returned to my breakfast
suddenly there was a cry of pain from
the laboratory but this time it was not
the puma
it sounded exactly like the cry of a man
i did not move
my ears waited for the sound again but
there was nothing perhaps it was my
imagination i thought
then it came again
this time there could be no mistake
a man in the laboratory was screaming
and crying with pain
i ran straight to the door to the garden
threw it open and went outside
montgomery was near the door
prendick stop he shouted
through an open door on the far side of
the garden i saw something pink tied to
a table
it was covered in blood and bits of
white cloth
then moreau was in front of me
he picked me up and threw me back into
my room
i heard the key in the lock amaro saying
i’m not going to stop the work of a
lifetime because of him
but he doesn’t understand said
montgomery
i could not hear the rest
as i stood up shakily my mind was full
of the most terrible ideas
what were they doing to the man in there
i thought again about those strange
people in the forest
were they the results of mero’s terrible
experiments on ordinary men and women
it seemed the most believable
explanation
and what about me
did they plan to use me in their
experiments too
it was clear to me that my life was in
very great danger
luckily the outside door was still open
i picked up a walking stick to defend
myself against these crazy scientists
then i ran to the door
i heard someone outside it was
montgomery
was he planning to lock me in my room
i ran at him with my stick and he
stepped back
prendick he cried out in surprise
don’t be stupid man
i ran north along the beach
montgomery was behind me shouting
i could not hear his words i turned into
the forest and ran for a kilometer or
two
then i stopped and listened
i heard a dog
then montgomery’s voice but they were
getting further and further away
no one was following me
i found a good place to hide in the
shadows of the trees
there i sat for many hours too afraid to
move
i tried to make a plan
but how could i live alone on the island
i did not know how to catch rabbits or
fish without the right equipment
i did not know what forest fruits and
vegetables to eat
could i ask the strange animal men of
the island for help
how dangerous were they
my hiding place was getting
uncomfortable so i lay on the ground for
a minute
suddenly high above me in the trees i
saw a pair of eyes
a black face
the face moved closer
i held my stick tightly as an ape-like
person dropped from the trees
you you you he said
chapter 7
meeting the animal men
you he said again
in the boat
yes i answered
i came in the boat from the ship
oh
he said
his eyes traveled over me my legs my
body my face my hands the stick that i
was carrying
his eyes returned to my hands
he held out his own hand and counted his
fingers
one
two
three
four
five hey
i guess that he was counting his fingers
as a way to greet me
i did the same
one two three
four five hey
i said
he gave me a wide smile then disappeared
into the trees
i tried to follow
i found him hanging onto a tree by one
arm
excuse me
i said
he dropped to the ground
standing up straight his arms hung below
his knees
do you know where to find food i
continued
food
he said
eat man’s food now
at the huts
but where are the huts i asked
i’m new here you see
together we walked through the forest
i wanted to find out as much as possible
from him
how long have you been here i asked
how long
he repeated
when i asked my question again he held
up three fingers
did he mean three months three years
i was not sure
i tried some other questions
his answers were difficult to understand
some were on a completely different
subject
after mero’s experiments on him this man
was unable to have a sensible
conversation
after a long walk we came to a rocky
place near the sea i followed the ape
man along a narrow path between two
rocks
it went downhill steeply getting darker
and darker
at the bottom in complete darkness the
ape man stopped and said
home
the place had a terrible smell and there
were strange noises all around me
slowly my eyes started to see
i was standing next to a line of huts
that used the steep rock face for their
back walls and bits of tree for their
front walls and roofs
there was old fruit everywhere and some
simple cups made of wood
strange people
large and small and of different shapes
were hiding in the shadows
my ape man went into one of the huts
i held on tightly to my stick and
followed him inside
in the far corner of the hut sat a big
shapeless thing
the hut was too dark to see the thing’s
face
the ape man started talking to it
look
it’s a man
a man
a man like me
it’s a man
agreed the thing in the corner
is he going to live with us
yes i said
then he must learn the law
other people were coming into the hut
now
there was quite a crowd
say their words
said the thing in the corner
don’t go on four legs that is the law
are we not men
i did not know what to do
see the words
said the ape man
say the words said the rest of the crowd
angrily
at last i understood them and repeated
the words
the others repeated them after me and
soon we were all moving from side to
side in the strangest way
this was clearly their religion
i was not in a position to question it
don’t go on four legs that is the law
are we not men we repeated
don’t drink without cups that is the law
are we not men
don’t eat meat or fish that is the law
are we not men
don’t fight with heads or teeth that is
the law are we not men
don’t run after other people that is the
law
are we not men
then the words changed
his house is the house of pain his hands
are the hands that hurt
his hands are the hands that make
his hands are the hands that mend
he is master of the stars in the sky
he is master of the sun and moon
he is master of the deep salt sea
he is our master
at last the strange words ended
my eyes were now seeing better in the
dark
the speaker in the corner was about the
height and weight of an ordinary man but
was covered from head to foot in grey
hair like a big grey dog
what was he
what were they all
he’s a five man a five man like me
said the ape man
the thing in the corner moved to the
light of the hutt’s entrance and took my
hand in his
his hand was hard with three very short
thick fingers
five fingers
five thin fingers that’s good
many have problems with their fingers
he dropped my hand and looked into my
eyes
i am the sayer of the law
he said
new people come to me to learn the law
do not break the law
no one escapes
no one escapes repeated the animal
people
no one no one said the ape man
once i did a little thing a wrong thing
and look
he burned my hand
there
you can see the burn
the master is great
the master is good
different parts of the law are difficult
for different people
explained the sayer of the law
some like to bite and drink blood
others like to fight with their heads or
their hands
others like to move the earth with their
noses in the ground
these things are bad
no one escapes said the men at the door
punishment is quick and terrible
continued the sayer of the law
so learn the law say the words
he began again from the start
don’t go on four legs that is the law
are we not men
we were all making a lot of noise as we
repeated the strange words
because of this i did not notice the
growls of the dogs outside
but suddenly one of the pigmen put his
head round the door and spoke urgently
to the others
everyone hurried out of the hut and i
was left alone
too late i heard the dogs
as i reached the hut’s entrance moreau
montgomery
and the dogs were coming down the steep
path between the rocks
montgomery was pointing his gun at me
end of cd1
chapter 8 on the beach
i held my stick tightly and looked
around
there was a narrow space between the
rocks i ran towards it
hold him
shouted moreau
the animal people moved towards me
i pushed into one man’s shoulder and he
fell against one of his friends
i used my stick on a third as he tried
to catch my legs
then i ran as fast as i could up between
the rocks and into the forest
i could hear cries of catch him hold him
behind me
but luckily the animal man nearest me
was too wide for the narrow space
between the rocks and the others could
not get past him for a minute or two
i went deeper into the forest cutting my
legs on the plants
soon they were following me crying like
hungry and excited animals
i ran and ran
they were getting closer
finally shaking with fear i turned
sharply to the right the noises of my
followers grew quieter as they continued
straight on
for a short time i was safe
but i knew now that the animal people
were as dangerous as monroe and
montgomery i could not ask them for
protection
i decided to go back to the house
maybe i could find a gun or knife there
it was my only hope
i walked along the beach leaving behind
me a thin line of blood from my leg
suddenly far in front of me moreau
montgomery and the dogs came out of the
trees with the animal people close
behind them
as they came towards me i had no more
hope of life
but i could still choose something
better than the pain of moroes
laboratory
i walked straight into the sea
when i was 30 meters out the water was
still only at my waist
from the beach montgomery shouted
what are you doing man
i’m going to kill myself
i said
montgomery looked at moreau
why
more asked
because it’s better to be dead than one
of your experiments
i told you
montgomery said to monroe
why do you think that you’ll be one of
my experiments
asked moreau
i saw him in your laboratory and those
animal people they
stop
said moreau
the animal men were listening to us from
the tree line
i won’t stop i cried
those poor people
they were men but you’ve changed them
you’ve turned them into animals
monsters
montgomery looked very worried
stop that prendick please man stop
the animal people looked at me strangely
they moved closer to hear me better
listen to me for a minute said mero
but in latin
i hope you learnt it at school
he started speaking to me in latin
my latin was not very good but his
meaning was clear
these animal people were not men he
explained they were ordinary animals
until he changed them in his laboratory
i don’t believe you i replied in english
they talk they build houses they use
tools
animals can’t do these things
come back to the house and i’ll explain
he called
no i’m staying here
the sea here is full of dangerous fish
they’ll eat you if you go much further
that’s fine i answered
better than your laboratory
wait a minute
he said
he took a gun out of his pocket and put
it down on the sand
montgomery will do the same
he said
we’ll go up to the top of the beach then
you can get the guns
i won’t i answered
you’ve probably got a third gun
somewhere
think sensibly prendick we didn’t want
to have you on this island
why not if we needed you for our
experiments
why did you tell the animal people to
catch me i asked
this island is dangerous we wanted to
bring you back to the house it’s safer
there
i was silent thinking
was it possible that his words were true
but i saw i said in the laboratory
that was the puma
cried montgomery
listen prendick this is crazy come out
of the water pick up the guns and talk
i was still afraid of moreau but
montgomery seemed an ordinary honest
kind of man
i decided to believe their story
go up the beach with your hands above
your heads i said
we can’t do that said montgomery moving
his eyes towards the animal people
they mustn’t see their masters in a
position of weakness
well okay but go back as far as the
trees
when moreau and montgomery were at the
tree line i picked up the guns and
joined them under the trees
that’s better
said moreau in an unfriendly voice
i’ve lost today’s work because of you
without another word he and montgomery
turned and walked back towards the
house the animal people watched me
silently
were they ordinary animals in the past
perhaps
but in that minute they had the look of
small children
small children who were trying to think
chapter nine
moroes work
you really are an impossible guest
said moreau after supper
if you try to kill yourself again i
won’t stop you
he sat at the table smoking
i sat as far away from him as possible
with the two guns still in my hands
montgomery was not there
i did not feel comfortable yet with both
of them in this small room with me
so prendick
said mero
i’ve shown you the puma in the
laboratory
do you agree that it’s a puma not a man
yes it’s a puma but you’ve done terrible
things to it i hope i never see an
animal hurt like that again
you stop prendick
stop
montgomery spoke like that when he was
first here it’s really very boring
right you agree that it’s the puma
now be quiet so i can give you a lesson
in biology
it’s surprising that no one has done my
kind of work before
doctors have been able to change
people’s bodies and faces for many years
of course they can rebuild a destroyed
nose with skin from above the eyes
they can take teeth from one person and
use them in the mouth of another
and they can even use bits of an
animal’s body to mend the body of a man
but until now no one has tried to change
one type of animal into another type of
animal
the people on this island were built in
my laboratory
their animal bodies were cut and pushed
into new shapes
but the changes to the body were only
the start
i shaped their minds too
i changed their blood
they feel differently think differently
they have even learned to talk
but why i said
why do you turn them into people not
into sheep or horses or
it seemed a dangerous idea to choose the
shape of man
some things should be the business of
religion not science
oh i haven’t only made people
once or twice i’ve
he was silent
for a minute perhaps
how quickly the years pass
but what is the purpose of your
experiments
you hurt these animals terribly but your
science has no useful result
pain is just a little thing prendick
while you worry about pain you are no
better than an animal
each of my experiments gives the answer
to a question a big question
but it also asks a new question
there is always more to find out
i came here with montgomery 11 years ago
we had three boys with us from another
pacific island
they built the house for montgomery and
me
for themselves they built the huts where
the animal people now live
my first experiments here were on sheep
but they weren’t very successful
sheep are too fearful too stupid
then i tried an ape
when my work was finished this ape
looked like a real man
he had no memory of his earlier life
i became his teacher and after three or
four months he could speak quite good
english
he wasn’t very clever but i’ve known
stupider men
i introduced him to the three boys
at first they were very afraid of him
but they soon started to like him more
he lived with them and copied their way
of life
he built a hut like theirs they even
taught him to read
i was very pleased with my first ape man
i planned to write a description of the
experiment for a science magazine
but one day i visited him and he was
making ape noises from the top of a tree
and he was never quite the same after
that
the animal in him grew stronger and
stronger
i decided to make a more successful
animal person before i told the
scientific world about my work
for the last 10 years i have made more
and more successful animal people
the hands and feet are difficult and
none of them can smile
but the main problem is that the animal
in them has always grown back
i haven’t told the world about these
small successes yet because i can do
better i will do better
this puma
he stopped himself suddenly
and that’s the end of the story
the three boys are all dead now
there are a lot of accidents on this
island
but montgomery is still with me and
he stopped
i sat in silence watching his face
how many are there
i asked him finally
more than 60 i think
i’ve made about 120 in total but many
have died
there are a few women and they sometimes
have children
but the children always die
and when you’ve made these monsters you
send them to the huts i said
they choose to go there he explained
most of them stay away from this place a
weak memory of their pain here i think
and they follow the rules that the boys
taught them they call it the law
so what do you think of me now he
continued
are you still afraid of me
to answer his question i gave him back
the guns
keep them he said
he stood up and smiled
i’m glad everything’s clear now
but you’ve had two busy days you should
get some rest
good night
chapter 10 the taste of blood
when i woke the next morning moreau was
already busy in the laboratory
montgomery and i escaped the puma’s
cries and went for a walk around the
island
we soon met the ape man and one of the
pig men
we greet you other with a gun they said
to montgomery
there’s a third with a gun now
montgomery said
so don’t do anything stupid
the pig man looked at me
the third with a gun the walker with
tears in the sea
has a thin white face
he said
he has a thin black gun too
said montgomery
yesterday he was crying and losing blood
you and the master never cry
you never lose blood
said the ape man
you’ll cry and lose blood soon if you’re
not careful
montgomery replied
come on prendick
he took my arm and we walked away
the pigman and ape man stood watching us
men speak
but this one says nothing
said the pigman
yesterday he asked me about things to
eat
said his friend
he didn’t know
i did not hear the rest of their
conversation but they were laughing
later we saw a dead rabbit half-eaten
and without its head
damn
said montgomery
what can this mean
he looked carefully at the rabbit’s body
i saw something like it on my first day
here i said
really on your first day
he asked
yes and i think i know the killer too
i can’t be sure
but just before i found the rabbit i saw
one of your monsters by a stream
it was drinking like an animal without
its hands
don’t drink without cups that is the law
are we not men
said montgomery with a worried laugh
as soon as they’re alone they forget
about the law
and it’s worst in the evening
they’re most like animals when it’s
getting dark
he stopped to think
but that’s interesting he continued
meat eaters always like a drink after a
kill
it’s the taste of blood you see salty
well the thing at the stream was the
same monster that ran after me later on
the beach
will you know him if you see him again
asked montgomery
he looked around us and checked his gun
i didn’t see him very well but i hit him
hard with a stone he’ll probably still
have some blood on his head
i’m sure it was the leopard man
said montgomery or perhaps one of the
other big cats
but how can we prove that he killed the
rabbit too
damned rabbits
it was a big mistake to bring them here
i started to walk back to the house
montgomery did not move
let’s go i called
finally he joined me
this is serious prendick he said
they mustn’t learn to enjoy meat
if they do
well
we’re all in trouble
back at the house moreau agreed that the
problem was very serious
that afternoon the three of us and
embling walked across the island to an
open space near the animal people’s huts
moreau took a little pipe from his
pocket and put it to his mouth
it made a surprisingly loud noise
soon the animal people started to arrive
two of the pig men first then a big
horse person and a terrible bear woman
when they saw moreau they dropped to the
ground
his hands are the hands that hurt
his hands are the hands that make
his hands are the hands that mend they
said throwing earth on their heads
more and more animal people were coming
out of the trees singly or in pairs to
join them in this strange activity
62 63
counted more
there are four more
i can’t see my attacker i said
moreau made the noise with his pipe
again
finally at the back of the crowd i saw
my attacker join the rest there was a
dark line of blood on his head
the leopard man
montgomery said quietly in my ear
stop
said moreau in a loud strong voice
the animal people sat on the ground and
stopped talking
where is the sayer of the law
asked moroe and the hairy grey monster
stood up
say the words
said moreau
the grey monster and the others began
the words of the law
when they reached don’t eat meat or fish
that is the law moreau held up his hand
stop
he cried
the crowd was suddenly silent
they looked nervously at their neighbors
waiting for moreau’s next words
someone has broken that law
he said
no one escapes
said the sayer of the law
no one escapes repeated the rest of the
crowd
who was it
asked moreau looking from face to face
the leopard man looked worried and some
of the other big cats too
moreau stood in front of the leopard man
who was it
he asked again in a terrible voice
if you break the law
he said turning to the crowd
you go back to the house of pain
the crowd continued
the house of pain the house of pain
cried the ape man in excitement
suddenly the leopard man jumped at
moreau
moreau fell back the leopard man ran
away and the crowd followed
i followed with them behind emeling and
moreau
i found myself next to the bear woman
no one escapes
she laughed excitedly as we hurried
through the trees
we ran in the heat of the day for 30
minutes or more
finally the leopard man was in a corner
of the island and could not escape us
but he was hiding
we walked slowly towards the sea in a
long line
careful cried montgomery he’ll move
suddenly when we find him
back to the house of pain the house of
pain the house of pain
sang the ape man
suddenly i saw a pair of green eyes
shining out from under the plants
it was the leopard man
i will never forget the fear in those
eyes
he already knew the pain that waited for
him in moroe’s laboratory
it was kinder to kill him quickly
i got out my gun and shot him between
the eyes
he fell to the ground dead
in the same second two of the other big
cats jumped at him and bit deeply into
his neck
other faces came towards us
don’t kill him
cried moreau
then he saw that it was too late
damn it prendick he said
i wanted him in the laboratory
we pulled the meat-eaters away from the
body then i walked away from the crowd
i watched them take the body into the
sea all the animal people still seemed
very excited
i suddenly felt sick as i thought about
the sad lives of these monsters
the problem was not only their pain in
monroe’s laboratory
they then spent every day of their lives
fighting against the animal in them
it was an impossible fight
in secret they all broke the law in
their different ways
and the fear of the house of pain never
left them
chapter 11
the puma escapes
for the next two months i lived quietly
on the island
my dislike of mero and his work grew
stronger
but soon the strange animal people did
not seem unusual to me
i watched montgomery and emeling
together with interest
emling was probably the most successful
of mero’s experiments
he was made from a bear but he had bits
of dog and horse in him too
he was not as clever as the ape man but
he followed orders much better and
looked more like a man
he lived in a small hut at the back of
our house
not with the other animal people in
their huts
he followed montgomery like a dog and
most of the time montgomery enjoyed his
company
when montgomery spoke kindly to him he
jumped around happily like an excited
child
but after a few whiskies montgomery
sometimes kicked him or threw stones at
him
even then emeling was happy to be at his
master’s side
montgomery and i did not become close
friends
after his long time away from ordinary
people he was too strange
he seemed more comfortable with the
animal people than with me
and i stayed away from the animal people
as much as possible
i dreamed day and night of ways to
escape the island
i spent many hours on the beach looking
for ships
but they never came
and then
something terrible happened that changed
everything
i woke at six one morning had breakfast
and went outside
moreau walked past me and said a quick
hello then he opened the door to his
laboratory and went in
after many weeks on the island i almost
did not notice as the cries of the poor
puma began for another day
then i heard a crash inside the
laboratory
suddenly something was running towards
me not a man not an animal
but a monster
it had no skin no face but terrible
yellow eyes and drops of blood were
coming from all over its body
it jumped at me
i held up my arm to protect myself
the monster crashed into me and i fell
to the ground
as it ran towards the forest i tried to
get up
but there was a terrible pain in my arm
and i could not move
i saw moreau with blood on his face and
a gun in his hand he looked at me for a
second then followed the monster into
the trees
finally i stood up
montgomery arrived
the puma i cried
i was standing near the door and ah
i was silenced by the pain in my arm
montgomery had a look at it
well it’s broken he said
and there’s a lot of blood but it isn’t
too serious you’ll live now what were
you saying about the puma
he cleaned my arm as i told him my story
well there’s no sign of them now
he said
i should go and help moreau that puma
was strong
he gave me a gun and walked into the
forest
still in great pain i went inside
i kept the door open and held the gun in
my good hand
the morning was as calm as death
there was no wind
the sea was like a mirror
i kept my eyes on the place where i last
saw moreau and montgomery where were
they now
i once heard montgomery shouting mero
mero
then nothing
after many hours i heard a gunshot far
away in the forest
a long silence then another shot
a shout closer this time
then silence again
suddenly a shot very near
i looked round the corner and montgomery
was there
there were bits of grass in his hair and
there were holes in the knees of his
trousers
he looked hot and tired and very worried
behind him stood emling with a strange
brown color around his mouth
was that blood
has he come
cried montgomery
moreau i asked no
go back inside he continued
they’re all crazy crazy what’s happening
to them
i need some whiskey
we went inside leaving emily by the door
after a glass of whiskey montgomery told
me about his morning
we’ve seen no sign of moreau or the puma
but the animal people have gone crazy
we met two of the pigmen and they had
blood on their mouths one of them
attacked me
i don’t understand it
no one’s ever done that before not even
the meat eaters
well
i shot one of the pigmen in the head and
embling got the other with a bite in the
neck embling’s damn teeth probably saved
my life today
we met a meat-eater too one of the big
cats with blood on its mouth and a
broken foot
i shot it
well it’s better to be safe
what does it all mean
i asked
montgomery shook his head and picked up
the whiskey bottle
i left him with his drink for some time
but he was clearly getting drunk and
that was dangerous on a day like this
listen montgomery something’s happened
tomorrow i said
he’s been out for too long we need to
find him
montgomery did not want to go but in the
end he agreed we had a quick lunch then
stepped out into the heat of the day
chapter 12
the search for moreau
emeling went in front
montgomery followed with his head down
and his hands in his pockets
he could not walk in a straight line
because of the whiskey
my left arm was tied up and painful
but luckily my right arm was fine
i carried our only gun
we took a narrow path through the trees
suddenly emeling stopped listening
we listened to
some animal people were coming towards
us
he’s dead said one voice
he isn’t dead he isn’t dead
said another
we saw we saw
said some others
there was a few seconds silence then
some crashes in the trees
finally we saw six faces
the ape man the hairy gray sayer of the
law and four horsemen
what did you say
asked montgomery angrily
where’s the master
they all looked at their friends
no one spoke
finally the hairy sayer of the law said
he’s dead
they saw
where is he
continued montgomery
the hairy gray thing pointed away to our
left
is there a law now
asked the ape-man
is it still don’t do this and don’t do
that
is he really dead
is there a law
repeated his friends
is there a law other with a gun
he is dead
said the sayer of the law
they all stood watching us montgomery’s
eyes were still swimming in whiskey
frendic he said
he’s clearly dead so
i thought quickly and stepped towards
the animal men
children of the law
i said loudly
he is not dead
emeling turned his sharp eyes on me but
i continued
he has changed his shape
he has changed his body
for some time you won’t see him
he is
there
i pointed up to the sky
you can’t see him but he can see you
fear the law
they looked unsure
he is great he is good
said the ape man finally looking
fearfully up at the sky
and the other thing
i asked them
the thing with blood and screams is dead
too
said the sayer of the law
good said montgomery to himself
the other with the gun
began the sayer of the law
yes i said
he says the master is dead
montgomery was not too drunk to
understand my purpose in all this
he’s not dead he said now
he’s no more dead than i am
some have broken the law i continued
they will die
some have died already
show us the master’s old body
it is this way walker with tears in the
sea
said the sayer of the law
we were following him through the trees
when suddenly a rabbit crossed our path
behind it came a great bear man too fast
to stop
the sayer of the law stepped out of this
monster’s way
emling jumped at it but was pushed off
montgomery turned to run
quickly i pulled out my gun and shot
straight into the monster’s ugly face
its face was destroyed but still it came
towards us
it caught montgomery in its arms as it
fell to the ground
dead
slowly montgomery shook himself out of
the monster’s lifeless arms
the sayer of the law came nervously to
look
you see i said to him
the law is alive
this man is dead because of the law
no one escapes
no one escapes
he repeated
his friends joined him to look at the
dead bear man
finally we continued our walk
at the west corner of the island we
found the dead puma
it was shot in the shoulder and half
eaten too
then a few meters away we found another
body
it lay face down its white hair covered
in blood
with the animal men’s help we carried
more’s body slowly back to the house
it was getting dark
we heard many strange noises through the
trees but we were not attacked again
emeling went off with the other animal
men
montgomery and i could finally talk
we have to plan our escape from the
island i said
montgomery was not drunk now but his
mind was very troubled
life on the island without moreau was
impossible for him to imagine
no one wants me in the real world he
said it’s okay for you prendick but this
place is the only home that i have
and what about the animal people the
good ones they need our protection
what will happen to them if we go i
asked
the meat eaters will eat the others
they all change back to animals in the
end
he reached for the bottle of whiskey and
drank a large glass of it
he offered some to me but i refused
another glass disappeared down his neck
then another
as he talked about the animal people
emeling is the only person in the world
who has really loved me
he said drunkenly
where’s embling where is he
i want to have a drink with him
emeling
embling
i tried to stop him
you can’t give him drink he’ll
get out of my way shouted montgomery
suddenly his gun was pointing at me i
stepped back
everything’s gone wrong he cried
tomorrow i’ll probably kill myself
but tonight
i’m going to have some fun
i’m going to have a party
chapter 13
montgomery’s party
montgomery turned and went out into the
moonlight
amling
embling old friend he shouted
he found three animal men on the beach
and gave them all a drink
emeling soon joined them
drink and sing
montgomery was shouting
let’s have a party
the noise of this strange party was loud
at first
it got slowly quieter as it moved along
the beach
finally there was silence
i stood in the moonlight for a few
minutes at the door to my room
then i started to prepare for my escape
the next day
i made a pile in the garden of
everything that i needed for the boat
food clothes some sheets for sales
containers for water and much more
a few hours before morning montgomery’s
group returned
they were singing noisily on the beach
and breaking wood for some reason
but i was busy working by the light of
my oil lamp
i soon stopped noticing their noise
when it was getting light montgomery’s
group finally stopped singing
there was a shout of more more
some angry words followed then a loud
scream
the scream worried me i stood and
listened
there were more shouts then suddenly a
gunshot sounded
i picked up my own gun and hurried
towards the noise
as i ran i kicked some of the things in
my pile there was a crash of broken
glass but i did not stop
who had the gun and why were they
shooting
i opened the door and saw a small fire
on the beach
around it was a pile of bodies fighting
montgomery was calling my name
i ran towards the fire i shouted as
loudly as possible and shot into the air
with my gun
someone cried the master the master
the group stopped fighting
a number of animal people ran away in
fear and disappeared into the trees
i then turned to the bodies still by the
fire
montgomery lay on his back with the
hairy gray sayer of the law on top of
him
the hairy monster was dead but still
held montgomery’s neck in its sharp
teeth
emling lay next to them with a big bite
in his neck and a broken whiskey bottle
in his hand
two other bodies lay near the fire
one did not move the other was crying in
pain
it sometimes lifted its head slowly then
dropped it again
i pulled the sayer of the law off
montgomery not an easy job with my
broken arm
montgomery looked terrible but still
alive
i put a few drops of sea water on his
face took off his jacket and rested his
head on it
emling and the person next to him were
dead
the last one’s body was badly burnt in
the fire and after a few minutes
he was dead too
i knew very little about medicine
what could i do to help montgomery
before i could do anything i heard a
strange noise behind me
i looked around
fire and clouds of black smoke were
coming from the house
i thought back
the crash the broken glass
i knew immediately the reason for the
fire
the broken glass was my oil lamp
the fire was already burning strongly
it was impossible to save any of the
things inside
my mind turned to my plan of escape and
i looked for the two boats on the beach
they were not there
slowly i understood
montgomery’s fire used wood the wood of
the two boats the two boats that were my
only hope of escape from this island
i was so angry that i almost killed
montgomery with my gun
then his hand moved and he looked so
weak
i could not hurt him
he shook with pain and opened his eyes
for a minute
i lifted his head up a little his eyes
met mine
i’m sorry
he said
the boats
i’ve been so stupid
his eyes closed
and his head fell to one side
montgomery
i said
montgomery
i felt his heart
he was dead
i sat alone on the beach for about an
hour doing nothing
ideas raced through my head but no
sensible plan came to me
then three animal men came out of the
trees
slowly they walked towards me
the smell of the dead bodies pulled them
closer and closer
alone i faced them with the gun in my
one good hand
get down on your knees
i said loudly
they stopped and looked at me
i repeated my words and moved towards
them
one went down on his knees then the
other two
i walked past the dead bodies keeping my
eyes on the three on their knees
they broke the law
i said putting my foot on the sayer of
the law
and now they are dead
even the sayer of the law
even the other with the gun
the law is great
no one escapes
said one of the men on the ground
no one escapes i repeated
you must follow my orders
now stand up
they stood
i took montgomery’s gun from him then
said
take him
carry him out to the sea
they were afraid to touch montgomery but
they were more afraid of my gun
finally they lifted up his body and
walked into the sea with it
they did the same with the other bodies
then i sent them away
i needed some time to think
how could i live on the island now
how could i escape
the house was destroyed so i could not
even sleep without fear of attack
the animal people’s fear of my gun was
my only hope
i needed to become their master a new dr
moreau
after a short rest i started walking
towards their huts
when i got there i was hungry thirsty
and very tired
as bravely as i could i walked towards a
small group of the animal people
they did not get down on their knees
i was too weak to order it
i just asked politely for food and drink
and they pointed towards one of the huts
i was stupid in that minute i lost my
position as their master
they were never afraid of me as they
were of moreau
in an empty hut i ate some fruit
then with my gun in my hand i fell into
a troubled sleep
when i woke up it was dark outside
my arm was hurting at first i could not
remember where i was
then the terrible memories of the last
two days came back to me
i heard something in the hut
i saw a dark shadow near my legs
it was slowly moving
who or what was it
i waited
suddenly something soft warm and wet
passed over my hand
chapter 14
alone with the animal men
i almost screamed
who’s that
i asked
i master
said the shadow
who are you
they say that there is no master now
but i know i know
i carried the bodies into the waves for
you walker with tears in the sea
i carried the bodies of the people that
you killed
i am yours master
i remembered him on the beach a dog man
he seemed safe
good that’s good i said
his tongue passed over my hand again
but where are the others
they are saying bad things
they are saying the master is dead
the other with a gun is dead the walker
with tears in the sea is like us
we love the law and we will keep it but
we have no master now no house of pain
they say these things but they are wrong
i know
in the darkness i reached for the dog
man’s head and touched it lightly
soon you will kill them all
he continued
if they break the law
i will come for them
master always knows best
said my new friend
we left the hut and found a crowd of
animal men around a fire
he is dead the master is dead
said the ape man
there is no house of pain
he is not dead
i said in a loud voice
even now he is watching us
the house of pain has gone but it will
come again
and the master too will come again
every minute of every day he is watching
you and listening
there will be pain and death for anyone
who breaks the law
true true
said the dog man
they were very surprised by my words
animals can be clever and dangerous but
only a real man can lie
the walker with tears in the sea says a
strange thing
said one of them
can it be true
said another
for an hour we talked and by the end
many believed me
finally they went to their beds and i
went with them
i was safer with a group of them than
with one alone
this was the first night of ten months
alone with the animal men
in the first month i spent a lot of time
with them
i even started to like some of them the
dog man and a few others
but as the months passed the animal
people began to change
it became difficult for them to walk on
two legs their hands became useless
their bodies grew more and more hairy
and they stopped wearing clothes
their language skills suffered too
their words became difficult to
understand
then they stopped using words completely
after about six months the law was
almost completely forgotten
they still let only fruit but for the
meat-eaters this could surely not last
long
every day i watched the sea for ships
three times i saw a sail and lit a fire
but no ship came close to the island
after many months i decided to build my
own boat
but stupidly i built it in the forest
far from the sea
it was destroyed as i pulled it over
rough ground to the beach
then life got worse
as i was walking in the forest i saw
something red
a dead body
the body of my friendly dog man
the meat-eaters were back
no one was living in the huts now most
of the animal people were sleeping by
day some in trees some in holes
following their natural ways
at night they were awake and their
growls and screams filled the darkness
the dogmans was the first of many dead
bodies that i found around the island
i too started to sleep by day
that way i could defend myself more
easily from a night attack
i also started to build another boat
this time on the beach
when it was finished it was stronger
than the last one but i had one problem
that i could not solve
i needed fresh water for the journey
that i was planning
but i had no container
i walked around the island again and
again looking for a possible container
but i found nothing
then a happy day arrived
there was a little sail out at sea and
it was coming closer
i lit a fire and fed it all day
the sail came towards the island slowly
slowly
when night fell it was still a long way
from land
all night i kept my fire bright
in the light of the fire i saw many eyes
watching me
but the animal men could not make their
own fires now and were afraid of mine
in the morning the sail was much nearer
i could see two men in a little boat
they were sitting low down in it one at
each end
when they were very close i started
shouting i waved my jacket but the men
did not notice me
suddenly a great white bird flew up out
of the boat
again the men did not move
a cold fear took hold of me
finally the boat reached the beach
the men long dead fell to pieces when i
pulled them out of the boat
one had bright red hair
the other had a hat with the word
ipecacuana on it
three of the meat-eaters were soon by my
side interested in the smell of the
bodies
i was too weak to keep them away but i
could not watch their terrible meal
i pulled the boat into the water and
sailed it along the beach
that night i slept in the boat
in the morning i filled its water
container at the stream then i shot and
cooked three rabbits and picked a large
amount of fruit
i put the food and drink into the boat
and sailed away from the island
the wind took me slowly southwest and
soon the blue of the ocean was all
around me
after the last few months it felt good
to be completely alone
three days later i was picked up by a
ship
i seemed crazy to the sailors of course
i was wearing almost nothing
it was many months since my last
conversation with a real person
and my description of the island and its
strange population was difficult to
believe
for 30 years i have kept quiet about my
adventures on the island
perhaps even now no one will believe me
but what does it matter
i am an old man
i will soon be dead
i have lived a quiet life since my
return from the pacific
people do not feel comfortable in my
company
they see something strange in me
perhaps i became a little like the
animal people who i lived with for all
those months
and i do not feel comfortable in the
company of others either
i fear that secretly they are animal
people
i fear that the animal in them will soon
grow stronger i fear that one day they
will attack
it is a fear that never completely
leaves me
you