The Project Gutenberg EBook of Atlantida, by Pierre Benoit

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Title: Atlantida

Author: Pierre Benoit

Release Date: December 8, 2004 [EBook #14301]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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"First, I must warn you,
before beginning this work,
not to be surprised to hear
me calling barbarians by
Grecian names."
--PLATO
_Critias_

ATLANTIDA

_Pierre Benoit_

Translated by Mary C. Tongue and Mary Ross

ACE BOOKS, INC. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y. 10036

To Andre Suares

[Illustration]

HASSI-INIFEL, NOVEMBER 8, 1903.

If the following pages are ever to see the light of day it will be
because they have been stolen from me. The delay that I exact before
they shall be disclosed assures me of that.[1]

[Footnote 1: This letter, together with the manuscript which
accompanies it, the latter in a separate sealed envelope, was
entrusted by Lieutenant Ferrieres, of the 3rd Spahis, the day of the
departure of that officer for the Tassili of the Tuareg (Central
Sahara), to Sergeant Chatelain. The sergeant was instructed to deliver
it, on his next leave, to M. Leroux, Honorary Counsel at the Court of
Appeals at Riom, and Lieutenant Ferrieres' nearest relative. As this
magistrate died suddenly before the expiration of the term of ten
years set for the publication of the manuscript here presented,
difficulties arose which have delayed its publication up to the
present date.]

As to this disclosure, let no one distrust my aim when I prepare for
it, when I insist upon it. You may believe me when I maintain that no
pride of authorship binds me to these pages. Already I am too far
removed from all such things. Only it is useless that others should
enter upon the path from which I shall not return.

Four o'clock in the morning. Soon the sun will kindle the hamada with
its pink fire. All about me the bordj is asleep. Through the half-open
door of his room I hear Andre de Saint-Avit breathing quietly, very
quietly.

In two days