Or are you
looking for more than a flower? If so, I hope you will tell me the
truth."
This I said as I was aware that Brother John had a foolish objection
to uttering, or even acting lies.
"Well, Allan, as you put it like that, the truth is that I heard
something more about the Pongo than I told you up country. It was
after I had operated on that Kalubi, or I would have tried to get in
alone. But this I could not do then as I have said."
"And what did you hear?"
"I heard that they had a white goddess as well as a white god."
"Well, what of it? A female gorilla, I suppose."
"Nothing, except that goddesses have always interested me. Good
night."
"You are an odd old fish," I remarked after him, "and what is more you
have got something up your sleeve. Well, I'll have it down one day.
Meanwhile, I wonder whether the whole thing is a lie, no; not a lie,
an hallucination. It can't be--because of that orchid. No one can
explain away the orchid. A queer people, these Pongo, with their white
god and goddess and their Holy Flower.
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