a princess of mars-第28章

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believe　it。　　I　must　search　out　her　apartments　and　force　her

to　repeat　the　cruel　truth　to　me　alone　before　I　would　be

convinced；　and　so　I　deserted　my　post　and　hastened　through

the　passage　behind　the　tapestries　toward　the　door　by　which

she　had　left　the　chamber。　　Slipping　quietly　through　this

opening　I　discovered　a　maze　of　winding　corridors；　branching

and　turning　in　every　direction。



Running　rapidly　down　first　one　and　then　another　of　them

I　soon　became　hopelessly　lost　and　was　standing　panting

against　a　side　wall　when　I　heard　voices　near　me。　　Apparently

they　were　coming　from　the　opposite　side　of　the　partition

against　which　I　leaned　and　presently　I　made　out　the　tones

of　Dejah　Thoris。　　I　could　not　hear　the　words　but　I　knew

that　I　could　not　possibly　be　mistaken　in　the　voice。



Moving　on　a　few　steps　I　discovered　another　passageway

at　the　end　of　which　lay　a　door。　　Walking　boldly　forward　I

pushed　into　the　room　only　to　find　myself　in　a　small　ante…

chamber　in　which　were　the　four　guards　who　had　accompanied

her。　　One　of　them　instantly　arose　and　accosted　me；　asking

the　nature　of　my　business。



〃I　am　from　Than　Kosis；〃　I　replied；　〃and　wish　to　speak

privately　with　Dejah　Thoris；　Princess　of　Helium。〃



〃And　your　order？〃　asked　the　fellow。



I　did　not　know　what　he　meant；　but　replied　that　I　was　a

member　of　The　Guard；　and　without　waiting　for　a　reply

from　him　I　strode　toward　the　opposite　door　of　the　ante…

chamber；　behind　which　I　could　hear　Dejah　Thoris　conversing。



But　my　entrance　was　not　to　be　so　easily　accomplished。

The　guardsman　stepped　before　me；　saying；



〃No　one　comes　from　Than　Kosis　without　carrying　an

order　or　the　password。　　You　must　give　me　one　or　the　other

before　you　may　pass。〃



〃The　only　order　I　require；　my　friend；　to　enter　where　I

will；　hangs　at　my　side；〃　I　answered；　tapping　my　long…sword；

〃will　you　let　me　pass　in　peace　or　no？〃



For　reply　he　whipped　out　his　own　sword；　calling　to　the

others　to　join　him；　and　thus　the　four　stood；　with　drawn

weapons；　barring　my　further　progress。



〃You　are　not　here　by　the　order　of　Than　Kosis；〃　cried

the　one　who　had　first　addressed　me；　〃and　not　only　shall

you　not　enter　the　apartments　of　the　Princess　of　Helium　but

you　shall　go　back　to　Than　Kosis　under　guard　to　explain

this　unwarranted　temerity。　　Throw　down　your　sword；　you

cannot　hope　to　overcome　four　of　us；〃　he　added　with　a　grim

smile。



My　reply　was　a　quick　thrust　which　left　me　but　three

antagonists　and　I　can　assure　you　that　they　were　worthy　of

my　metal。　　They　had　me　backed　against　the　wall　in　no　time；

fighting　for　my　life。　　Slowly　I　worked　my　way　to　a　corner

of　the　room　where　I　could　force　them　to　come　at　me　only

one　at　a　time；　and　thus　we　fought　upward　of　twenty　minutes；

the　clanging　of　steel　on　steel　producing　a　veritable　bedlam

in　the　little　room。



The　noise　had　brought　Dejah　Thoris　to　the　door　of　her

apartment；　and　there　she　stood　throughout　the　conflict　with

Sola　at　her　back　peering　over　her　shoulder。　　Her　face　was

set　and　emotionless　and　I　knew　that　she　did　not　recognize

me；　nor　did　Sola。



Finally　a　lucky　cut　brought　down　a　second　guardsman

and　then；　with　only　two　opposing　me；　I　changed　my　tactics

and　rushed　them　down　after　the　fashion　of　my　fighting

that　had　won　me　many　a　victory。　　The　third　fell　within　ten

seconds　after　the　second；　and　the　last　lay　dead　upon　the

bloody　floor　a　few　moments　later。　　They　were　brave　men

and　noble　fighters；　and　it　grieved　me　that　I　had　been　forced

to　kill　them；　but　I　would　have　willingly　depopulated　all

Barsoom　could　I　have　reached　the　side　of　my　Dejah　Thoris

in　no　other　way。



Sheathing　my　bloody　blade　I　advanced　toward　my　Martian

Princess；　who　still　stood　mutely　gazing　at　me　without

sign　of　recognition。



〃Who　are　you；　Zodangan？〃　she　whispered。　　〃Another　enemy

to　harass　me　in　my　misery？〃



〃I　am　a　friend；〃　I　answered；　〃a　once　cherished　friend。〃



〃No　friend　of　Helium's　princess　wears　that　metal；〃　she　replied；

〃and　yet　the　voice！　　I　have　heard　it　before；　it　is　notit

cannot　beno；　for　he　is　dead。〃



〃It　is；　though；　my　Princess；　none　other　than　John　Carter；〃

I　said。　　〃Do　you　not　recognize；　even　through　paint　and

strange　metal；　the　heart　of　your　chieftain？〃



As　I　came　close　to　her　she　swayed　toward　me　with　outstretched

hands；　but　as　I　reached　to　take　her　in　my　arms　she　drew　back

with　a　shudder　and　a　little　moan　of　misery。



〃Too　late；　too　late；〃　she　grieved。　　〃O　my　chieftain　that　was；

and　whom　I　thought　dead；　had　you　but　returned　one　little

hour　beforebut　now　it　is　too　late；　too　late。〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　Dejah　Thoris？〃　I　cried。　　〃That　you

would　not　have　promised　yourself　to　the　Zodangan　prince

had　you　known　that　I　lived？〃



〃Think　you；　John　Carter；　that　I　would　give　my　heart　to　you

yesterday　and　today　to　another？　　I　thought　that　it　lay　buried

with　your　ashes　in　the　pits　of　Warhoon；　and　so　today　I　have

promised　my　body　to　another　to　save　my　people　from　the

curse　of　a　victorious　Zodangan　army。〃



〃But　I　am　not　dead；　my　princess。　　I　have　come　to　claim

you；　and　all　Zodanga　cannot　prevent　it。〃



〃It　is　too　late；　John　Carter；　my　promise　is　given；　and　on

Barsoom　that　is　final。　　The　ceremonies　which　follow　later　are

but　meaningless　formalities。　　They　make　the　fact　of　marriage

no　more　certain　than　does　the　funeral　cortege　of　a　jeddak

again　place　the　seal　of　death　upon　him。　　I　am　as　good　as

married；　John　Carter。　　No　longer　may　you　call　me　your

princess。　　No　longer　are　you　my　chieftain。〃



〃I　know　but　little　of　your　customs　here　upon　Barsoom；

Dejah　Thoris；　but　I　do　know　that　I　love　you；　and　if　you

meant　the　last　words　you　spoke　to　me　that　day　as　the　hordes

of　Warhoon　were　charging　down　upon　us；　no　other　man　shall

ever　claim　you　as　his　bride。　　You　meant　them　then；　my

princess；　and　you　mean　them　still！　　Say　that　it　is　true。〃



〃I　meant　them；　John　Carter；〃　she　whispered。　　〃I　cannot

repeat　them　now　for　I　have　given　myself　to　another。　　Ah；

if　you　had　only　known　our　ways；　my　friend；〃　she　continued；

half　to　herself；　〃the　promise　would　have　been　yours　long

months　ago；　and　you　could　have　claimed　me　before　all　others。

It　might　have　meant　the　fall　of　Helium；　but　I　would　have

given　my　empire　for　my　Tharkian　chief。〃



Then　aloud　she　said：　〃Do　you　remember　the　night　when

you　offended　me？　　You　called　me　your　princess　without　having

asked　my　hand　of　me；　and　then　you　boasted　that　you　had

fought　for　me。　　You　did　not　know；　and　I　should　not　have

been　offended；　I　see　that　now。　　But　there　was　no　one　to　tell

you　what　I　could　not；　that　upon　Barsoom　there　are　two

kinds　of　women　in　the　cities　of　the　red　men。　　The　one　they

fight　for　that　they　may　ask　them　in　marriage；　the　other　kind

they　fight　for　also；　but　never　ask　their　hands。　　When　a　man

has　won　a　woman　he　may　address　her　as　his　princess；　or　in

any　of　the　several　terms　which　signify　possession。　　You　had

fought　for　me；　but　had　never　asked　me　in　marriage；　and　so

when　you　called　me　your　princess；　you　see；〃　she　faltered；

〃I　was　hurt；　but　even　then；　John　Carter；　I　did　not　repulse　you；

as　I　should　have　done；　until　you　made　it　doubly　worse　by

taunting　me　with　having　won　me　through　combat。〃



〃I　do　not　need　ask　your　forgiveness　now；　Dejah　Thoris；〃

I　cried。　　〃You　must　know　that　my　fault　was　of　ignorance　of

your　Barsoomian　customs。　　What　I　failed　to　do；　through

implicit　belief　that　my　petition　would　be　presumptuous　and

unwelcome；　I　do　now；　Dejah　Thoris；　I　ask　you　to　be　my　wife；

and　by　all　the　Virginian　fighting　blood　that　flows　in　my

veins　you　shall　be。〃



〃No；　John　Carter；　it　is　useless；〃　she　cried；　hopelessly；

〃I　may　never　be　yours　while　Sab　Than　lives。〃



〃You　have　sealed　his　death　warrant；　my　princessSab　Than　dies。〃



〃Nor　that　either；〃　she　hastened　to　explain。　　〃I　may　not

wed　the　man　who　slays　my　husband；　even　in　self…defense。

It　is　custom。　　We　are　ruled　by　custom　upon　Barsoom。　　It　is

useless；　my　friend。　　You　must　bear　the　sorrow　with　me。　　That

at　least　we　may　share　in　common。　　That；　and　the　memory　of

the　brief　days　among　the　Tharks。　　You　must　go　now；　nor　ever

see　me　again。　　Good…bye；　my　chieftain　that　was。〃



Disheartened　and　dejected；　I　withdrew　from　the　room；

but　I　was　not　entirely　discouraged；　nor　would　I　admit　that

Dejah　Thoris　was　lost　to　me　until　the　ceremony　had　actually

been　performed。



As　I　wandered　along　the　corridors；　I　was　as　absolutely

lost　in　the　mazes　of　winding　passageways　as　I　had　been

before　I　discovered　Dejah　Thoris'　apartments。



I　knew　that　my　only　hope　lay　in　escape　from　the　city　of

Zodanga；　for　the　matter　of　the　four　dead　guardsmen　would

have　to　be　explained；　and　as　I　could　never　reach　my　original

post　without　a　guide；　suspicion　would　surely　rest　on　me　so

soon　as　I　was　discovered　wandering　aimlessly　through　the

palace。



Presently　I　came　upon　a　spiral　runway　leading　to　a　lower

floor；　and　this　I　followed　downward　for　several　stories　until

I　reached　the　doorway　of　a　large　apartment　in　which　were　a

number　of　guardsmen。　　The　walls　of　this　room　were　hung　with

transparent　tapestries　behind　which　I　secreted　myself　without

being　apprehended。



The　conversation　of　the　guardsmen　was　general；　and

awakened　no　interest　in　me　until　an　officer　entered　the　room

and　ordered　four　of　the　men　to　relieve　the　detail　who　were

guarding　the　Princess　of　Helium。　　Now；　I　knew；　my　troubles

would　commence　in　earnest　and　indeed　they　were　upon

me　all　too　soon；　for　it　seemed　that　the　squad　had　scarcely

left　the　guardroom　before　one　of　their　number　burst　in

again　breathlessly；　crying　that　they　had　found　their　four

comrades　butchered　in　the　antechamber。



In　a　moment　the　entire　palace　was　alive　with　people。

Guardsmen；　officers；　courtiers；　servants；　and　slaves　ran

helter…skelter　through　the　corridors　and　apartments　carrying

messages　and　orders；　and　searching　for　signs　of　the　assassin。



This　was　my　opportunity　and　slim　as　it　appeared　I　grasped　it；

for　as　a　number　of　soldiers　came　hurrying　past　my　hiding　place

I　fell　in　behind　them　and　followed　through　the　mazes　of　the

palace　until；　in　passing　through　a　great　hall；　I　saw　the　blessed

light　of　day　coming　in　through　a　series　of　larger　windows。



Here　I　left　my　guides；　and；　slipping　to　the　nearest　window；

sought　for　an　avenue　of　escape。　　The　windows　opened

upon　a　great　balcony　which　overlooked　one　of　the　broad

avenues　of　Zodanga。　　The　ground　was　about　thirty　feet　below；

and　at　a　like　distance　from　the　building　was　a　wall　fully

twenty　feet　high；　constructed　of　polished　glass　about　a　foot

in　thickness。　　To　a　red　Martian　escape　by　this　path　would　have

appeared　impossible；　but　to　me；　with　my　earthly　strength

and　agility；　it　seemed　already　accomplished。　　My　only　fear

was　in　being　detected　before　darkness　fell；　for　I　could　not

make　the　leap　in　broad　daylight　while　the　court　below　and

the　avenue　beyond　were　crowded　with　Zodangans。



Acc