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Rh budge? I’ll pull him by the legs while you tramp on his head.”

This suggestion upsets Akai.

“Here, there, cut out the rough stuff.” And he wriggles more desperately than ever.

“Rough stuff be damned. If you’re going to stay on dangling there, the thousands of miners working down below wont’twon’t [sic] be able to get to the surface and will be starved to death. But what’s worrying me more than them is, how I’m going to get out myself?”

“Ow. Don’t pull my legs like that. It’s dangerous. And now you’re tramping on my head with your great clodhoppers.”

“I can’t help that. It’s your own fault for having such a great fat carcase that gets stuck in holes. You’re a blasted nuisance, that’s what you are.”

“What! Do you dare to insult my person? All right. Just wait until I get out and I’ll report you straight to your superior and you’ll be dismissed.”

“Oh you, you damned old impostor. You’re growing fat on the workers, getting yourself made an M.P. and taking bribes from everybody. Buying land and putting up houses, and I guess you’ve got a nice little pile of stocks and shares hoarded up somewhere. I know all about you, you bloody rogue!”

“That hurts, that hurts, I tell you. Stop kicking my head like that.”

“A little bit of booting won’t do any harm to your head. It’s got nothing inside, anyhow.”