Original artwork, not a still
Small Gods · 1992
“Slave is an Ephebian word. In Om we have no word for slave,” said Vorbis. “So I understand,” said the Tyrant. “I imagine that fish have no word for water.”
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
One character says the word for slave exists only elsewhere, and the other answers that fish probably lack a word for water. The retort suggests people cannot see what surrounds them so completely that it feels natural. Having no word can conceal a reality rather than prove it is absent.
Context reviewed
