a princess of mars-第16章

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of　love　I　held　my　peace　when　I　might　have　plead　ignorance

of　the　nature　of　my　offense；　or　at　least　the　gravity　of　it；

and　so　have　effected；　at　worst；　a　half　conciliation。



My　duty　dictated　that　I　must　see　that　she　was　comfortable；

and　so　I　glanced　into　her　chariot　and　rearranged　her　silks

and　furs。　　In　doing　so　I　noted　with　horror　that　she　was

heavily　chained　by　one　ankle　to　the　side　of　the　vehicle。



〃What　does　this　mean？〃　I　cried；　turning　to　Sola。



〃Sarkoja　thought　it　best；〃　she　answered；　her　face　betokening

her　disapproval　of　the　procedure。



Examining　the　manacles　I　saw　that　they　fastened　with　a

massive　spring　lock。



〃Where　is　the　key；　Sola？　　Let　me　have　it。〃



〃Sarkoja　wears　it；　John　Carter；〃　she　answered。



I　turned　without　further　word　and　sought　out　Tars　Tarkas；

to　whom　I　vehemently　objected　to　the　unnecessary　humiliations

and　cruelties；　as　they　seemed　to　my　lover's　eyes；　that　were

being　heaped　upon　Dejah　Thoris。



〃John　Carter；〃　he　answered；　〃if　ever　you　and　Dejah　Thoris

escape　the　Tharks　it　will　be　upon　this　journey。　　We　know　that

you　will　not　go　without　her。　　You　have　shown　yourself　a

mighty　fighter；　and　we　do　not　wish　to　manacle　you；　so　we

hold　you　both　in　the　easiest　way　that　will　yet　ensure　security。

I　have　spoken。〃



I　saw　the　strength　of　his　reasoning　at　a　flash；　and　knew

that　it　were　futile　to　appeal　from　his　decision；　but　I　asked

that　the　key　be　taken　from　Sarkoja　and　that　she　be　directed

to　leave　the　prisoner　alone　in　future。



〃This　much；　Tars　Tarkas；　you　may　do　for　me　in　return　for

the　friendship　that；　I　must　confess；　I　feel　for　you。〃



〃Friendship？〃　he　replied。　　〃There　is　no　such　thing；　John

Carter；　but　have　your　will。　　I　shall　direct　that　Sarkoja　cease

to　annoy　the　girl；　and　I　myself　will　take　the　custody　of　the

key。〃



〃Unless　you　wish　me　to　assume　the　responsibility；〃　I　said；

smiling。



He　looked　at　me　long　and　earnestly　before　he　spoke。



〃Were　you　to　give　me　your　word　that　neither　you　nor

Dejah　Thoris　would　attempt　to　escape　until　after　we　have

safely　reached　the　court　of　Tal　Hajus　you　might　have　the

key　and　throw　the　chains　into　the　river　Iss。〃



〃It　were　better　that　you　held　the　key；　Tars　Tarkas；〃　I　replied



He　smiled；　and　said　no　more；　but　that　night　as　we　were

making　camp　I　saw　him　unfasten　Dejah　Thoris'　fetters　himself。



With　all　his　cruel　ferocity　and　coldness　there　was　an

undercurrent　of　something　in　Tars　Tarkas　which　he　seemed

ever　battling　to　subdue。　　Could　it　be　a　vestige　of　some　human

instinct　come　back　from　an　ancient　forbear　to　haunt　him

with　the　horror　of　his　people's　ways！



As　I　was　approaching　Dejah　Thoris'　chariot　I　passed　Sarkoja；

and　the　black；　venomous　look　she　accorded　me　was　the　sweetest

balm　I　had　felt　for　many　hours。　　Lord；　how　she　hated　me！

It　bristled　from　her　so　palpably　that　one　might　almost

have　cut　it　with　a　sword。



A　few　moments　later　I　saw　her　deep　in　conversation　with

a　warrior　named　Zad；　a　big；　hulking；　powerful　brute；　but

one　who　had　never　made　a　kill　among　his　own　chieftains；　and

a　second　name　only　with　the　metal　of　some　chieftain。　　It　was

this　custom　which　entitled　me　to　the　names　of　either　of　the

chieftains　I　had　killed；　in　fact；　some　of　the　warriors

addressed　me　as　Dotar　Sojat；　a　combination　of　the　surnames

of　the　two　warrior　chieftains　whose　metal　I　had　taken；　or；　in

other　words；　whom　I　had　slain　in　fair　fight。



As　Sarkoja　talked　with　Zad　he　cast　occasional　glances　in

my　direction；　while　she　seemed　to　be　urging　him　very　strongly

to　some　action。　　I　paid　little　attention　to　it　at　the　time；　but

the　next　day　I　had　good　reason　to　recall　the　circumstances；

and　at　the　same　time　gain　a　slight　insight　into　the　depths　of

Sarkoja's　hatred　and　the　lengths　to　which　she　was　capable　of

going　to　wreak　her　horrid　vengeance　on　me。



Dejah　Thoris　would　have　none　of　me　again　on　this　evening；

and　though　I　spoke　her　name　she　neither　replied；　nor　conceded

by　so　much　as　the　flutter　of　an　eyelid　that　she　realized

my　existence。　　In　my　extremity　I　did　what　most　other　lovers

would　have　done；　I　sought　word　from　her　through　an　intimate。

In　this　instance　it　was　Sola　whom　I　intercepted　in　another

part　of　camp。



〃What　is　the　matter　with　Dejah　Thoris？〃　I　blurted　out　at　her。

〃Why　will　she　not　speak　to　me？〃



Sola　seemed　puzzled　herself；　as　though　such　strange　actions

on　the　part　of　two　humans　were　quite　beyond　her；　as　indeed

they　were；　poor　child。



〃She　says　you　have　angered　her；　and　that　is　all　she　will

say；　except　that　she　is　the　daughter　of　a　jed　and　the　grand…

daughter　of　a　jeddak　and　she　has　been　humiliated　by　a

creature　who　could　not　polish　the　teeth　of　her　grandmother's

sorak。〃



I　pondered　over　this　report　for　some　time；　finally　asking；

〃What　might　a　sorak　be；　Sola？〃



〃A　little　animal　about　as　big　as　my　hand；　which　the　red

Martian　women　keep　to　play　with；〃　explained　Sola。



Not　fit　to　polish　the　teeth　of　her　grandmother's　cat！　　I　must

rank　pretty　low　in　the　consideration　of　Dejah　Thoris；　I

thought；　but　I　could　not　help　laughing　at　the　strange　figure

of　speech；　so　homely　and　in　this　respect　so　earthly。　　It　made

me　homesick；　for　it　sounded　very　much　like　〃not　fit　to　polish

her　shoes。〃　　And　then　commenced　a　train　of　thought　quite

new　to　me。　　I　began　to　wonder　what　my　people　at　home　were　doing。

I　had　not　seen　them　for　years。　　There　was　a　family　of

Carters　in　Virginia　who　claimed　close　relationship　with　me；

I　was　supposed　to　be　a　great　uncle；　or　something　of　the

kind　equally　foolish。　　I　could　pass　anywhere　for　twenty…five

to　thirty　years　of　age；　and　to　be　a　great　uncle　always　seemed

the　height　of　incongruity；　for　my　thoughts　and　feelings　were

those　of　a　boy。　　There　was　two　little　kiddies　in　the　Carter

family　whom　I　had　loved　and　who　had　thought　there　was

no　one　on　Earth　like　Uncle　Jack；　I　could　see　them　just　as

plainly；　as　I　stood　there　under　the　moonlit　skies　of　Barsoom；

and　I　longed　for　them　as　I　had　never　longed　for　any　mortals

before。　　By　nature　a　wanderer；　I　had　never　known　the

true　meaning　of　the　word　home；　but　the　great　hall　of　the

Carters　had　always　stood　for　all　that　the　word　did　mean　to

me；　and　now　my　heart　turned　toward　it　from　the　cold　and

unfriendly　peoples　I　had　been　thrown　amongst。　　For　did　not

even　Dejah　Thoris　despise　me！　　I　was　a　low　creature；　so　low

in　fact　that　I　was　not　even　fit　to　polish　the　teeth　of　her

grandmother's　cat；　and　then　my　saving　sense　of　humor　came

to　my　rescue；　and　laughing　I　turned　into　my　silks　and　furs

and　slept　upon　the　moon…haunted　ground　the　sleep　of　a　tired

and　healthy　fighting　man。



We　broke　camp　the　next　day　at　an　early　hour　and　marched

with　only　a　single　halt　until　just　before　dark。　　Two　incidents

broke　the　tediousness　of　the　march。　　About　noon　we　espied

far　to　our　right　what　was　evidently　an　incubator；　and　Lorquas

Ptomel　directed　Tars　Tarkas　to　investigate　it。　　The　latter

took　a　dozen　warriors；　including　myself；　and　we　raced　across

the　velvety　carpeting　of　moss　to　the　little　enclosure。



It　was　indeed　an　incubator；　but　the　eggs　were　very　small

in　comparison　with　those　I　had　seen　hatching　in　ours　at　the

time　of　my　arrival　on　Mars。



Tars　Tarkas　dismounted　and　examined　the　enclosure　minutely；

finally　announcing　that　it　belonged　to　the　green　men

of　Warhoon　and　that　the　cement　was　scarcely　dry　where　it

had　been　walled　up。



〃They　cannot　be　a　day's　march　ahead　of　us；〃　he　exclaimed；

the　light　of　battle　leaping　to　his　fierce　face。



The　work　at　the　incubator　was　short　indeed。　　The　warriors

tore　open　the　entrance　and　a　couple　of　them；　crawling

in；　soon　demolished　all　the　eggs　with　their　short…swords。

Then　remounting　we　dashed　back　to　join　the　cavalcade。

During　the　ride　I　took　occasion　to　ask　Tars　Tarkas　if　these

Warhoons　whose　eggs　we　had　destroyed　were　a　smaller　people

than　his　Tharks。



〃I　noticed　that　their　eggs　were　so　much　smaller　than　those

I　saw　hatching　in　your　incubator；〃　I　added。



He　explained　that　the　eggs　had　just　been　placed　there；　but；

like　all　green　Martian　eggs；　they　would　grow　during　the

five…year　period　of　incubation　until　they　obtained　the　size　of

those　I　had　seen　hatching　on　the　day　of　my　arrival　on　Barsoom。

This　was　indeed　an　interesting　piece　of　information；

for　it　had　always　seemed　remarkable　to　me　that　the　green

Martian　women；　large　as　they　were；　could　bring　forth　such

enormous　eggs　as　I　had　seen　the　four…foot　infants　emerging

from。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　new…laid　egg　is　but　little　larger

than　an　ordinary　goose　egg；　and　as　it　does　not　commence　to

grow　until　subjected　to　the　light　of　the　sun　the　chieftains

have　little　difficulty　in　transporting　several　hundreds　of　them

at　one　time　from　the　storage　vaults　to　the　incubators。



Shortly　after　the　incident　of　the　Warhoon　eggs　we　halted

to　rest　the　animals；　and　it　was　during　this　halt　that　the

second　of　the　day's　interesting　episodes　occurred。　　I　was

engaged　in　changing　my　riding　cloths　from　one　of　my　thoats

to　the　other；　for　I　divided　the　day's　work　between　them；

when　Zad　approached　me；　and　without　a　word　struck　my

animal　a　terrific　blow　with　his　long…sword。



I　did　not　need　a　manual　of　green　Martian　etiquette　to　know

what　reply　to　make；　for；　in　fact；　I　was　so　wild　with　anger

that　I　could　scarcely　refrain　from　drawing　my　pistol　and

shooting　him　down　for　the　brute　he　was；　but　he　stood　waiting

with　drawn　long…sword；　and　my　only　choice　was　to　draw　my　own

and　meet　him　in　fair　fight　with　his　choice　of　weapons　or

a　lesser　one。



This　latter　alternative　is　always　permissible；　therefore　I

could　have　used　my　short…sword；　my　dagger；　my　hatchet；　or

my　fists　had　I　wished；　and　been　entirely　within　my　rights；

but　I　could　not　use　firearms　or　a　spear　while　he　held　only

his　long…sword。



I　chose　the　same　weapon　he　had　drawn　because　I　knew　he

prided　himself　upon　his　ability　with　it；　and　I　wished；　if　I

worsted　him　at　all；　to　do　it　with　his　own　weapon。　　The　fight

that　followed　was　a　long　one　and　delayed　the　resumption　of

the　march　for　an　hour。　　The　entire　community　surrounded

us；　leaving　a　clear　space　about　one　hundred　feet　in　diameter

for　our　battle。



Zad　first　attempted　to　rush　me　down　as　a　bull　might　a

wolf；　but　I　was　much　too　quick　for　him；　and　each　time　I

side…stepped　his　rushes　he　would　go　lunging　past　me；　only

to　receive　a　nick　from　my　sword　upon　his　arm　or　back。　　He

was　soon　streaming　blood　from　a　half　dozen　minor　wounds；

but　I　could　not　obtain　an　opening　to　deliver　an　effective

thrust。　　Then　he　changed　his　tactics；　and　fighting　warily　and

with　extreme　dexterity；　he　tried　to　do　by　science　what　he

was　unable　to　do　by　brute　strength。　　I　must　admit　that　he　was

a　magnificent　swordsman；　and　had　it　not　been　for　my　greater

endurance　and　the　remarkable　agility　the　lesser　gravitation

of　Mars　lent　me　I　might　not　have　been　able　to　put　up　the

creditable　figh