a princess of mars-第24章

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to　sever　the　jugular　vein；　but　in　this　instance　the　cold

blade　slipped　harmlessly　into　the　sand　of　the　arena。　　In　the

darkness　which　had　now　fallen　none　could　tell　but　that　he

had　really　finished　me。　　I　whispered　to　him　to　go　and　claim

his　freedom　and　then　look　for　me　in　the　hills　east　of　the

city；　and　so　he　left　me。



When　the　amphitheater　had　cleared　I　crept　stealthily　to

the　top　and　as　the　great　excavation　lay　far　from　the　plaza

and　in　an　untenanted　portion　of　the　great　dead　city　I　had

little　trouble　in　reaching　the　hills　beyond。









CHAPTER　XX





IN　THE　ATMOSPHERE　FACTORY





For　two　days　I　waited　there　for　Kantos　Kan；　but　as　he　did

not　come　I　started　off　on　foot　in　a　northwesterly　direction

toward　a　point　where　he　had　told　me　lay　the　nearest　waterway。

My　only　food　consisted　of　vegetable　milk　from　the

plants　which　gave　so　bounteously　of　this　priceless　fluid。



Through　two　long　weeks　I　wandered；　stumbling　through

the　nights　guided　only　by　the　stars　and　hiding　during　the

days　behind　some　protruding　rock　or　among　the　occasional

hills　I　traversed。　　Several　times　I　was　attacked　by　wild　beasts；

strange；　uncouth　monstrosities　that　leaped　upon　me　in　the

dark；　so　that　I　had　ever　to　grasp　my　long…sword　in　my　hand

that　I　might　be　ready　for　them。　　Usually　my　strange；　newly

acquired　telepathic　power　warned　me　in　ample　time；　but

once　I　was　down　with　vicious　fangs　at　my　jugular　and　a

hairy　face　pressed　close　to　mine　before　I　knew　that　I　was

even　threatened。



What　manner　of　thing　was　upon　me　I　did　not　know；　but

that　it　was　large　and　heavy　and　many…legged　I　could　feel。

My　hands　were　at　its　throat　before　the　fangs　had　a　chance　to

bury　themselves　in　my　neck；　and　slowly　I　forced　the　hairy　face

from　me　and　closed　my　fingers；　vise…like；　upon　its　windpipe。



Without　sound　we　lay　there；　the　beast　exerting　every　effort

to　reach　me　with　those　awful　fangs；　and　I　straining　to

maintain　my　grip　and　choke　the　life　from　it　as　I　kept　it　from

my　throat。　　Slowly　my　arms　gave　to　the　unequal　struggle；

and　inch　by　inch　the　burning　eyes　and　gleaming　tusks　of　my

antagonist　crept　toward　me；　until；　as　the　hairy　face　touched

mine　again；　I　realized　that　all　was　over。　　And　then　a　living

mass　of　destruction　sprang　from　the　surrounding　darkness

full　upon　the　creature　that　held　me　pinioned　to　the　ground。

The　two　rolled　growling　upon　the　moss；　tearing　and　rending

one　another　in　a　frightful　manner；　but　it　was　soon　over　and

my　preserver　stood　with　lowered　head　above　the　throat　of

the　dead　thing　which　would　have　killed　me。



The　nearer　moon；　hurtling　suddenly　above　the　horizon

and　lighting　up　the　Barsoomian　scene；　showed　me　that　my

preserver　was　Woola；　but　from　whence　he　had　come；　or　how

found　me；　I　was　at　a　loss　to　know。　　That　I　was　glad　of　his

companionship　it　is　needless　to　say；　but　my　pleasure　at　seeing

him　was　tempered　by　anxiety　as　to　the　reason　of　his　leaving

Dejah　Thoris。　　Only　her　death　I　felt　sure；　could　account　for

his　absence　from　her；　so　faithful　I　knew　him　to　be　to　my

commands。



By　the　light　of　the　now　brilliant　moons　I　saw　that　he　was

but　a　shadow　of　his　former　self；　and　as　he　turned　from　my

caress　and　commenced　greedily　to　devour　the　dead　carcass

at　my　feet　I　realized　that　the　poor　fellow　was　more　than　half

starved。　　I；　myself；　was　in　but　little　better　plight　but　I　could

not　bring　myself　to　eat　the　uncooked　flesh　and　I　had　no

means　of　making　a　fire。　　When　Woola　had　finished　his　meal

I　again　took　up　my　weary　and　seemingly　endless　wandering

in　quest　of　the　elusive　waterway。



At　daybreak　of　the　fifteenth　day　of　my　search　I　was　overjoyed

to　see　the　high　trees　that　denoted　the　object　of　my　search。

About　noon　I　dragged　myself　wearily　to　the　portals　of　a

huge　building　which　covered　perhaps　four　square　miles

and　towered　two　hundred　feet　in　the　air。　　It　showed　no

aperture　in　the　mighty　walls　other　than　the　tiny　door　at　which

I　sank　exhausted；　nor　was　there　any　sign　of　life　about　it。



I　could　find　no　bell　or　other　method　of　making　my　presence

known　to　the　inmates　of　the　place；　unless　a　small　round

role　in　the　wall　near　the　door　was　for　that　purpose。　　It　was

of　about　the　bigness　of　a　lead　pencil　and　thinking　that　it

might　be　in　the　nature　of　a　speaking　tube　I　put　my　mouth　to

it　and　was　about　to　call　into　it　when　a　voice　issued　from　it

asking　me　whom　I　might　be；　where　from；　and　the　nature　of

my　errand。



I　explained　that　I　had　escaped　from　the　Warhoons　and

was　dying　of　starvation　and　exhaustion。



〃You　wear　the　metal　of　a　green　warrior　and　are　followed

by　a　calot；　yet　you　are　of　the　figure　of　a　red　man。　　In　color

you　are　neither　green　nor　red。　　In　the　name　of　the　ninth　day；

what　manner　of　creature　are　you？〃



〃I　am　a　friend　of　the　red　men　of　Barsoom　and　I　am　starving。

In　the　name　of　humanity　open　to　us；〃　I　replied。



Presently　the　door　commenced　to　recede　before　me　until　it　had

sunk　into　the　wall　fifty　feet；　then　it　stopped　and　slid　easily

to　the　left；　exposing　a　short；　narrow　corridor　of　concrete；

at　the　further　end　of　which　was　another　door；　similar　in

every　respect　to　the　one　I　had　just　passed。　　No　one　was　in

sight；　yet　immediately　we　passed　the　first　door　it　slid　gently

into　place　behind　us　and　receded　rapidly　to　its　original　position

in　the　front　wall　of　the　building。　　As　the　door　had　slipped

aside　I　had　noted　its　great　thickness；　fully　twenty　feet；　and

as　it　reached　its　place　once　more　after　closing　behind　us；

great　cylinders　of　steel　had　dropped　from　the　ceiling　behind

it　and　fitted　their　lower　ends　into　apertures　countersunk　in

the　floor。



A　second　and　third　door　receded　before　me　and　slipped　to　one

side　as　the　first；　before　I　reached　a　large　inner　chamber

where　I　found　food　and　drink　set　out　upon　a　great　stone　table。

A　voice　directed　me　to　satisfy　my　hunger　and　to　feed

my　calot；　and　while　I　was　thus　engaged　my　invisible　host

put　me　through　a　severe　and　searching　cross…examination。



〃Your　statements　are　most　remarkable；〃　said　the　voice；　on

concluding　its　questioning；　〃but　you　are　evidently　speaking　the

truth；　and　it　is　equally　evident　that　you　are　not　of　Barsoom。

I　can　tell　that　by　the　conformation　of　your　brain　and　the

strange　location　of　your　internal　organs　and　the　shape　and

size　of　your　heart。〃



〃Can　you　see　through　me？〃　I　exclaimed。



〃Yes；　I　can　see　all　but　your　thoughts；　and　were　you　a　Barsoomian

I　could　read　those。〃



Then　a　door　opened　at　the　far　side　of　the　chamber　and　a

strange；　dried　up；　little　mummy　of　a　man　came　toward　me。

He　wore　but　a　single　article　of　clothing　or　adornment；　a

small　collar　of　gold　from　which　depended　upon　his　chest　a

great　ornament　as　large　as　a　dinner　plate　set　solid　with　huge

diamonds；　except　for　the　exact　center　which　was　occupied

by　a　strange　stone；　an　inch　in　diameter；　that　scintillated　nine

different　and　distinct　rays；　the　seven　colors　of　our　earthly

prism　and　two　beautiful　rays　which；　to　me；　were　new　and

nameless。　　I　cannot　describe　them　any　more　than　you　could

describe　red　to　a　blind　man。　　I　only　know　that　they　were

beautiful　in　the　extreme。



The　old　man　sat　and　talked　with　me　for　hours；　and　the

strangest　part　of　our　intercourse　was　that　I　could　read　his

every　thought　while　he　could　not　fathom　an　iota　from　my

mind　unless　I　spoke。



I　did　not　apprise　him　of　my　ability　to　sense　his　mental

operations；　and　thus　I　learned　a　great　deal　which　proved　of

immense　value　to　me　later　and　which　I　would　never　have

known　had　he　suspected　my　strange　power；　for　the　Martians

have　such　perfect　control　of　their　mental　machinery　that　they

are　able　to　direct　their　thoughts　with　absolute　precision。



The　building　in　which　I　found　myself　contained　the　machinery

which　produces　that　artificial　atmosphere　which　sustains

life　on　Mars。　　The　secret　of　the　entire　process　hinges　on

the　use　of　the　ninth　ray；　one　of　the　beautiful　scintillations

which　I　had　noted　emanating　from　the　great　stone　in　my

host's　diadem。



This　ray　is　separated　from　the　other　rays　of　the　sun　by

means　of　finely　adjusted　instruments　placed　upon　the　roof

of　the　huge　building；　three…quarters　of　which　is　used　for

reservoirs　in　which　the　ninth　ray　is　stored。　　This　product　is

then　treated　electrically；　or　rather　certain　proportions　of

refined　electric　vibrations　are　incorporated　with　it；　and　the

result　is　then　pumped　to　the　five　principal　air　centers　of　the

planet　where；　as　it　is　released；　contact　with　the　ether　of

space　transforms　it　into　atmosphere。



There　is　always　sufficient　reserve　of　the　ninth　ray　stored　in

the　great　building　to　maintain　the　present　Martian　atmosphere　for

a　thousand　years；　and　the　only　fear；　as　my　new　friend　told　me；

was　that　some　accident　might　befall　the　pumping　apparatus。



He　led　me　to　an　inner　chamber　where　I　beheld　a　battery

of　twenty　radium　pumps　any　one　of　which　was　equal　to　the

task　of　furnishing　all　Mars　with　the　atmosphere　compound。

For　eight　hundred　years；　he　told　me；　he　had　watched　these

pumps　which　are　used　alternately　a　day　each　at　a　stretch；　or

a　little　over　twenty…four　and　one…half　Earth　hours。　　He　has　one

assistant　who　divides　the　watch　with　him。　　Half　a　Martian

year；　about　three　hundred　and　forty…four　of　our　days；　each

of　these　men　spend　alone　in　this　huge；　isolated　plant。



Every　red　Martian　is　taught　during　earliest　childhood　the

principles　of　the　manufacture　of　atmosphere；　but　only　two

at　one　time　ever　hold　the　secret　of　ingress　to　the　great　building；

which；　built　as　it　is　with　walls　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet

thick；　is　absolutely　unassailable；　even　the　roof　being　guarded

from　assault　by　air　craft　by　a　glass　covering　five　feet　thick。



The　only　fear　they　entertain　of　attack　is　from　the　green

Martians　or　some　demented　red　man；　as　all　Barsoomians

realize　that　the　very　existence　of　every　form　of　life　of　Mars

is　dependent　upon　the　uninterrupted　working　of　this　plant。



One　curious　fact　I　discovered　as　I　watched　his　thoughts

was　that　the　outer　doors　are　manipulated　by　telepathic

means。　　The　locks　are　so　finely　adjusted　that　the　doors　are

released　by　the　action　of　a　certain　combination　of　thought

waves。　　To　experiment　with　my　new…found　toy　I　thought　to

surprise　him　into　revealing　this　combination　and　so　I　asked

him　in　a　casual　manner　how　he　had　managed　to　unlock　the

massive　doors　for　me　from　the　inner　chambers　of　the　building。

As　quick　as　a　flash　there　leaped　to　his　mind　nine　Martian　sounds；

but　as　quickly　faded　as　he　answered　that　this　was　a　secret

he　must　not　divulge。



From　then　on　his　manner　toward　me　changed　as　though　he　feared

that　he　had　been　surprised　into　divulging　his　great　secret；

and　I　read　suspicion　and　fear　in　his　looks　and　thoughts；

though　his　words　were　still　fair。



Before　I　retired　for　the　night　he　promised　to　give　me　a

letter　to　a　nearby　agricultural　officer　who　would　help　me　on

my　way　to　Zodanga；　whi