a princess of mars-第31章

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which　Sola　had　told　me　that　night　upon　the　sea　bottom

during　the　march　to　Thark。



He　said　but　little；　but　the　great　muscles　of　his　face

worked　in　passion　and　in　agony　at　recollection　of　the

horrors　which　had　been　heaped　upon　the　only　thing　he　had

ever　loved　in　all　his　cold；　cruel；　terrible　existence。



He　no　longer　demurred　when　I　suggested　that　we　go　before

Tal　Hajus；　only　saying　that　he　would　like　to　speak　to

Sarkoja　first。　　At　his　request　I　accompanied　him　to　her

quarters；　and　the　look　of　venomous　hatred　she　cast　upon

me　was　almost　adequate　recompense　for　any　future　misfortunes

this　accidental　return　to　Thark　might　bring　me。



〃Sarkoja；〃　said　Tars　Tarkas；　〃forty　years　ago　you　were

instrumental　in　bringing　about　the　torture　and　death　of　a

woman　named　Gozava。　　I　have　just　discovered　that　the　warrior

who　loved　that　woman　has　learned　of　your　part　in　the　transaction。

He　may　not　kill　you；　Sarkoja；　it　is　not　our　custom；　but　there　is

nothing　to　prevent　him　tying　one　end　of　a　strap　about　your　neck

and　the　other　end　to　a　wild　thoat；　merely　to　test　your　fitness

to　survive　and　help　perpetuate　our　race。　　Having　heard　that　he

would　do　this　on　the　morrow；　I　thought　it　only　right　to　warn　you；

for　I　am　a　just　man。　　The　river　Iss　is　but　a　short　pilgrimage；

Sarkoja。　　Come；　John　Carter。〃



The　next　morning　Sarkoja　was　gone；　nor　was　she　ever　seen　after。



In　silence　we　hastened　to　the　jeddak's　palace；　where　we　were

immediately　admitted　to　his　presence；　in　fact；　he　could

scarcely　wait　to　see　me　and　was　standing　erect　upon　his

platform　glowering　at　the　entrance　as　I　came　in。



〃Strap　him　to　that　pillar；〃　he　shrieked。　　〃We　shall　see　who

it　is　dares　strike　the　mighty　Tal　Hajus。　　Heat　the　irons；　with

my　own　hands　I　shall　burn　the　eyes　from　his　head　that　he

may　not　pollute　my　person　with　his　vile　gaze。〃



〃Chieftains　of　Thark；〃　I　cried；　turning　to　the　assembled

council　and　ignoring　Tal　Hajus；　〃I　have　been　a　chief　among

you；　and　today　I　have　fought　for　Thark　shoulder　to　shoulder

with　her　greatest　warrior。　　You　owe　me；　at　least；　a　hearing。

I　have　won　that　much　today。　　You　claim　to　be　just　people〃



〃Silence；〃　roared　Tal　Hajus。　　〃Gag　the　creature　and　bind

him　as　I　command。〃



〃Justice；　Tal　Hajus；〃　exclaimed　Lorquas　Ptomel。　　〃Who　are

you　to　set　aside　the　customs　of　ages　among　the　Tharks。〃



〃Yes；　justice！〃　echoed　a　dozen　voices；　and　so；　while　Tal

Hajus　fumed　and　frothed；　I　continued。



〃You　are　a　brave　people　and　you　love　bravery；　but　where

was　your　mighty　jeddak　during　the　fighting　today？　　I　did

not　see　him　in　the　thick　of　battle；　he　was　not　there。　　He

rends　defenseless　women　and　little　children　in　his　lair；　but

how　recently　has　one　of　you　seen　him　fight　with　men？　　Why；

even　I；　a　midget　beside　him；　felled　him　with　a　single　blow

of　my　fist。　　Is　it　of　such　that　the　Tharks　fashion　their　jeddaks？

There　stands　beside　me　now　a　great　Thark；　a　mighty　warrior

and　a　noble　man。　　Chieftains；　how　sounds；　Tars　Tarkas；

Jeddak　of　Thark？〃



A　roar　of　deep…toned　applause　greeted　this　suggestion。



〃It　but　remains　for　this　council　to　command；　and　Tal　Hajus

must　prove　his　fitness　to　rule。　　Were　he　a　brave　man　he　would

invite　Tars　Tarkas　to　combat；　for　he　does　not　love　him；

but　Tal　Hajus　is　afraid；　Tal　Hajus；　your　jeddak；　is　a　coward。

With　my　bare　hands　I　could　kill　him；　and　he　knows　it。〃



After　I　ceased　there　was　tense　silence；　as　all　eyes　were

riveted　upon　Tal　Hajus。　　He　did　not　speak　or　move；　but　the

blotchy　green　of　his　countenance　turned　livid；　and　the　froth

froze　upon　his　lips。



〃Tal　Hajus；〃　said　Lorquas　Ptomel　in　a　cold；　hard　voice；

〃never　in　my　long　life　have　I　seen　a　jeddak　of　the　Tharks

so　humiliated。　　There　could　be　but　one　answer　to　this　arraignment。

We　wait　it。〃　　And　still　Tal　Hajus　stood　as　though　electrified。



〃Chieftains；〃　continued　Lorquas　Ptomel；　〃shall　the　jeddak；

Tal　Hajus；　prove　his　fitness　to　rule　over　Tars　Tarkas？〃



There　were　twenty　chieftains　about　the　rostrum；　and

twenty　swords　flashed　high　in　assent。



There　was　no　alternative。　　That　decree　was　final；　and　so

Tal　Hajus　drew　his　long…sword　and　advanced　to　meet　Tars　Tarkas。



The　combat　was　soon　over；　and；　with　his　foot　upon　the　neck　of

the　dead　monster；　Tars　Tarkas　became　jeddak　among　the　Tharks。



His　first　act　was　to　make　me　a　full…fledged　chieftain　with

the　rank　I　had　won　by　my　combats　the　first　few　weeks

of　my　captivity　among　them。



Seeing　the　favorable　disposition　of　the　warriors　toward

Tars　Tarkas；　as　well　as　toward　me；　I　grasped　the　opportunity

to　enlist　them　in　my　cause　against　Zodanga。　　I　told　Tars　Tarkas

the　story　of　my　adventures；　and　in　a　few　words　had　explained

to　him　the　thought　I　had　in　mind。



〃John　Carter　has　made　a　proposal；〃　he　said；　addressing

the　council；　〃which　meets　with　my　sanction。　　I　shall　put　it

to　you　briefly。　　Dejah　Thoris；　the　Princess　of　Helium；　who

was　our　prisoner；　is　now　held　by　the　jeddak　of　Zodanga；

whose　son　she　must　wed　to　save　her　country　from　devastation

at　the　hands　of　the　Zodangan　forces。



〃John　Carter　suggests　that　we　rescue　her　and　return　her

to　Helium。　　The　loot　of　Zodanga　would　be　magnificent；　and

I　have　often　thought　that　had　we　an　alliance　with　the　people

of　Helium　we　could　obtain　sufficient　assurance　of　sustenance

to　permit　us　to　increase　the　size　and　frequency　of　our　hatchings；

and　thus　become　unquestionably　supreme　among　the　green　men　of

all　Barsoom。　　What　say　you？〃



It　was　a　chance　to　fight；　an　opportunity　to　loot；　and　they

rose　to　the　bait　as　a　speckled　trout　to　a　fly。



For　Tharks　they　were　wildly　enthusiastic；　and　before　another　half

hour　had　passed　twenty　mounted　messengers　were　speeding　across

dead　sea　bottoms　to　call　the　hordes　together　for　the　expedition。



In　three　days　we　were　on　the　march　toward　Zodanga；

one　hundred　thousand　strong；　as　Tars　Tarkas　had　been　able

to　enlist　the　services　of　three　smaller　hordes　on　the　promise

of　the　great　loot　of　Zodanga。



At　the　head　of　the　column　I　rode　beside　the　great　Thark

while　at　the　heels　of　my　mount　trotted　my　beloved　Woola。



We　traveled　entirely　by　night；　timing　our　marches　so　that

we　camped　during　the　day　at　deserted　cities　where；　even

to　the　beasts；　we　were　all　kept　indoors　during　the　daylight

hours。　　On　the　march　Tars　Tarkas；　through　his　remarkable

ability　and　statesmanship；　enlisted　fifty　thousand　more　warriors

from　various　hordes；　so　that；　ten　days　after　we　set　out　we　halted

at　midnight　outside　the　great　walled　city　of　Zodanga；　one　hundred

and　fifty　thousand　strong。



The　fighting　strength　and　efficiency　of　this　horde　of

ferocious　green　monsters　was　equivalent　to　ten　times

their　number　of　red　men。　　Never　in　the　history　of　Barsoom；

Tars　Tarkas　told　me；　had　such　a　force　of　green　warriors　marched

to　battle　together。　　It　was　a　monstrous　task　to　keep　even　a

semblance　of　harmony　among　them；　and　it　was　a　marvel　to

me　that　he　got　them　to　the　city　without　a　mighty　battle

among　themselves。



But　as　we　neared　Zodanga　their　personal　quarrels　were

submerged　by　their　greater　hatred　for　the　red　men；　and

especially　for　the　Zodangans；　who　had　for　years　waged　a

ruthless　campaign　of　extermination　against　the　green　men；

directing　special　attention　toward　despoiling　their　incubators。



Now　that　we　were　before　Zodanga　the　task　of　obtaining

entry　to　the　city　devolved　upon　me；　and　directing　Tars

Tarkas　to　hold　his　forces　in　two　divisions　out　of　earshot

of　the　city；　with　each　division　opposite　a　large　gateway；　I

took　twenty　dismounted　warriors　and　approached　one　of

the　small　gates　that　pierced　the　walls　at　short　intervals。

These　gates　have　no　regular　guard；　but　are　covered　by

sentries；　who　patrol　the　avenue　that　encircles　the　city　just

within　the　walls　as　our　metropolitan　police　patrol　their

beats。



The　walls　of　Zodanga　are　seventy…five　feet　in　height　and

fifty　feet　thick。　　They　are　built　of　enormous　blocks　of

carborundum；　and　the　task　of　entering　the　city　seemed；

to　my　escort　of　green　warriors；　an　impossibility。

The　fellows　who　had　been　detailed　to　accompany　me　were

of　one　of　the　smaller　hordes；　and　therefore　did　not　know　me。



Placing　three　of　them　with　their　faces　to　the　wall　and　arms　locked；

I　commanded　two　more　to　mount　to　their　shoulders；　and　a　sixth　I

ordered　to　climb　upon　the　shoulders　of　the　upper　two。　　The　head

of　the　topmost　warrior　towered　over　forty　feet　from　the　ground。



In　this　way；　with　ten　warriors；　I　built　a　series　of　three

steps　from　the　ground　to　the　shoulders　of　the　topmost　man。

Then　starting　from　a　short　distance　behind　them　I　ran

swiftly　up　from　one　tier　to　the　next；　and　with　a　final　bound

from　the　broad　shoulders　of　the　highest　I　clutched　the　top

of　the　great　wall　and　quietly　drew　myself　to　its　broad　expanse。

After　me　I　dragged　six　lengths　of　leather　from　an　equal　number

of　my　warriors。　　These　lengths　we　had　previously　fastened　together；

and　passing　one　end　to　the　topmost　warrior　I　lowered　the　other　end

cautiously　over　the　opposite　side　of　the　wall　toward　the　avenue　below。

No　one　was　in　sight；　so；　lowering　myself　to　the　end　of　my　leather　strap；

I　dropped　the　remaining　thirty　feet　to　the　pavement　below。



I　had　learned　from　Kantos　Kan　the　secret　of　opening

these　gates；　and　in　another　moment　my　twenty　great　fighting

men　stood　within　the　doomed　city　of　Zodanga。



I　found　to　my　delight　that　I　had　entered　at　the　lower

boundary　of　the　enormous　palace　grounds。　　The　building

itself　showed　in　the　distance　a　blaze　of　glorious　light；　and

on　the　instant　I　determined　to　lead　a　detachment　of　warriors

directly　within　the　palace　itself；　while　the　balance　of

the　great　horde　was　attacking　the　barracks　of　the　soldiery。



Dispatching　one　of　my　men　to　Tars　Tarkas　for　a　detail

of　fifty　Tharks；　with　word　of　my　intentions；　I　ordered　ten

warriors　to　capture　and　open　one　of　the　great　gates　while

with　the　nine　remaining　I　took　the　other。　　We　were　to　do

our　work　quietly；　no　shots　were　to　be　fired　and　no　general

advance　made　until　I　had　reached　the　palace　with　my　fifty

Tharks。　　Our　plans　worked　to　perfection。　　The　two　sentries

we　met　were　dispatched　to　their　fathers　upon　the　banks　of

the　lost　sea　of　Korus；　and　the　guards　at　both　gates　followed

them　in　silence。









CHAPTER　XXV





THE　LOOTING　OF　ZODANGA





As　the　great　gate　where　I　stood　swung　open　my　fifty　Tharks；

headed　by　Tars　Tarkas　himself；　rode　in　upon　their　mighty

thoats。　　I　led　them　to　the　palace　walls；　which　I　negotiated

easily　without　assistance。　　Once　inside；　however；　the　gate

gave　me　considerable　trouble；　but　I　finally　was　rewarded

by　seeing　it　swing　upon　its　huge　hinges；　and　soon　my　fierce

escort　was　riding　across　the　gardens　of　the　jeddak　of　Zodanga。



As　we　approached　the　palace　I　could　see　through　the

great　windows　of　the　first　floor　into　the　brilliantly

illuminated　audience　chamber　of　Than　Kosis。　　The　immense