ground_truth.txt

a man said to the universe sir i exist
sweat covered brion's body trickling into the tight loincloth that was the only garment he wore
the cut on his chest still dripping blood the ache of his overstrained eyes even the soaring arena around him with the thousands of spectators were trivialities not worth thinking about
his instant of panic was followed by a small sharp blow high on his chest
one minute a voice said and the time buzzer sounded
a minute is not a very large measure of time and his body needed every fraction of it
the buzzer's whirr triggered his muscles into complete relaxation
only his heart and lungs worked on at a strong measured rate
he was in reverie sliding along the borders of consciousness
the contestants in the twenties needed undisturbed rest therefore nights in the dormitories were as quiet as death
particularly so on this last night when only two of the little cubicles were occupied the thousands of others standing with dark empty doors
the other voice snapped with a harsh urgency clearly used to command
i'm here because the matter is of utmost importance and brandd is the one i must see now stand aside
the twenties
he must have drawn his gun because the intruder said quickly put that away you're being a fool out
there was silence then and still wondering brion was once more asleep
ten seconds
he asked the handler who was kneading his aching muscles
a red haired mountain of a man with an apparently inexhaustible store of energy
there could be little art in this last and final round of fencing
just thrust and parry and victory to the stronger
every man who entered the twenties had his own training tricks
there appeared to be an immediate association with the death trauma as if the two were inextricably linked into one
the strength that enables someone in a trance to hold his body stiff and unsupported except at two points the head and heels
this is physically impossible when conscious
others had died before during the twenties and death during the last round was in some ways easier than defeat
breathing deeply brion softly spoke the auto hypnotic phrases that triggered the process
when the buzzer sounded he pulled his foil from his second's startled grasp and ran forward
irolg looked amazed at the sudden fury of the attack then smiled
he thought it was a last burst of energy he knew how close they both were to exhaustion
brion saw something close to panic on his opponent's face when the man finally recognized his error
a wave of despair rolled out from irolg brion sensed it and knew the fifth point was his
then the powerful twist that thrust it aside in and under the guard
mister quilter is the apostle of the middle classes and we are glad to welcome his gospel
nor is mister quilter's manner less interesting than his matter
he tells us that at this festive season of the year with christmas and roast beef looming before us similes drawn from eating and its results occur most readily to the mind
he has grave doubts whether sir frederick leighton's work is really greek after all and can discover in it but little of rocky ithaca
linnell's pictures are a sort of up guards and at em paintings and mason's exquisite idylls are as national as a jingo poem mister birket foster's landscapes smile at one much in the same way that mister carker used to flash his teeth and mister john collier gives his sitter a cheerful slap on the back before he says like a shampooer in a turkish bath next man
it is obviously unnecessary for us to point out how luminous these criticisms are how delicate in expression
on the general principles of art mister quilter writes with equal lucidity
painting he tells us is of a different quality to mathematics and finish in art is adding more fact
as for etchings they are of two kinds british and foreign
he laments most bitterly the divorce that has been made between decorative art and what we usually call pictures makes the customary appeal to the last judgment and reminds us that in the great days of art michael angelo was the furnishing upholsterer
near the fire and the ornaments fred brought home from india on the mantel board
in fact he is quite severe on mister ruskin for not recognising that a picture should denote the frailty of man and remarks with pleasing courtesy and felicitous grace that many phases of feeling
only unfortunately his own work never does get good
mister quilter has missed his chance for he has failed even to make himself the tupper of painting
by harry quilter m a
because you were sleeping instead of conquering the lovely rose princess has become a fiddle without a bow while poor shaggy sits there a cooing dove
he has gone and gone for good answered polychrome who had managed to squeeze into the room beside the dragon and had witnessed the occurrences with much interest
i have remained a prisoner only because i wished to be one and with this he stepped forward and burst the stout chains as easily as if they had been threads
the little girl had been asleep but she heard the raps and opened the door
the king has fled in disgrace and your friends are asking for you
i begged ruggedo long ago to send him away but he would not do so
i also offered to help your brother to escape but he would not go
he eats and sleeps very steadily replied the new king
i hope he doesn't work too hard said shaggy
he doesn't work at all
in fact there is nothing he can do in these dominions as well as our nomes whose numbers are so great that it worries us to keep them all busy
not exactly returned kaliko
where is my brother now
inquired shaggy in the metal forest
where is that
the metal forest is in the great domed cavern the largest in all our dominions replied kaliko
kaliko hesitated
however if we look sharp we may be able to discover one of these secret ways
oh no i'm quite sure he didn't
that's funny remarked betsy thoughtfully
i don't believe ann knew any magic or she'd have worked it before
i do not know confessed shaggy
true agreed kaliko
kaliko went to the big gong and pounded on it just as ruggedo used to do but no one answered the summons
having returned to the royal cavern kaliko first pounded the gong and then sat in the throne wearing ruggedo's discarded ruby crown and holding in his hand the sceptre which ruggedo had so often thrown at his head