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"I wonder," said Graham doggedly.
For a moment he stood downcast.
"But I must see these things for myself," he said,
suddenly assuming a tone of confident mastery.
"Only by seeing can I understand. I must learn.
That is what I want to tell you, Ostrog. I do not
want to be King in a Pleasure City; that is not my,
pleasure. I have spent enough time with aeronautics--and
those other things. I must learn how people
live now, how the common life has developed. Then I
shall understand these things better. I must learn
how common people live--the labour people more
especially--how they work, marry, bear children,
die--"
"You get that from our realistic novelists,"
suggested Ostrog, suddenly preoccupied.
"I want reality," said Graham, "not realism."
"There are difficulties," said Ostrog, and thought.
"On the whole perhaps--
"I did not expect--.
"I had thought--. And yet, perhaps--. You say
you want to go through the Ways of the city and see
the common people."
Suddenly he came to some conclusion. "You
would need to go disguised," he said. "The city is
intensely excited, and the discovery of your presence
among them might create a fearful tumult. Still this
wish of yours to go into this city--this idea of
yours--. Yes, now I think the thing over it seems to
me not altogether--. It can be contrived. If you
would really find an interest in that! You are, of
course, Master. You can go soon if you like. A
disguise for this excursion Asano will be able to manage.
He would go with you. After all it is not a bad idea
of yours."
"You will not want to consult me in any matter?"
asked Graham suddenly, struck by an odd suspicion.
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