The Indian Refusal to Aid Escape
Plot & Structure
Events
- •The explorers request planks and leather thongs from the Indians to bridge the chasm.
- •The old chief and the tribe meet every request with an 'invincible refusal' and a smile.
- •Maretas expresses grief for the explorers' thwarted wishes but cannot counter the tribe's will.
- •The Indians offer each explorer a 'little red-skinned wife' to encourage them to stay.
Origin
manuscript
Tension
- •The risk that the Indians will turn hostile if they discover the party is actively trying to escape.
External
- •The 'good-humored' but absolute obstructionism of the Accala tribe.
- •The isolation from Zambo, who remains the only link to the world below.
Internal
- •The explorers' growing 'bitter chafe' against their comfortable but forced confinement.
Sequence
41
Worldbuilding
- •The Accala believe that the presence of the explorers ensures their continued good fortune and safety.
- •The upper exit of the only known tunnel was destroyed by an earthquake the previous year.
Status Changes
- •The explorers realize they are 'devoted slaves' of the Indians but also their prisoners.
- •The party must now keep their escape plans secret to avoid being held by force.
Narrative Summary
Despite their gratitude, the Accala Indians politely but firmly refuse to help the explorers leave the plateau, wishing to keep their 'supermen' protectors forever. They offer the men wives and caves, but ignore all requests for materials to build a bridge or ropes.
Timeline Event Ids
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Affected Entity Ids
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