warlord of mars-第24节

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〃You　ARE　free！〃　he　cried。　　〃John　Carter；　Prince　of　Helium；　is　dead。〃

　

〃I　know　better　than　that；　but　even　were　he　dead；　and　I　must

needs　choose　another　mate；　it　should　be　a　plant　man　or　a　great

white　ape　in　preference　to　either　Matai　Shang　or　you；　black　calot；〃

she　answered　with　a　sneer　of　contempt。

　

Of　a　sudden　the　vicious　beast　lost　all　control　of　himself；

as　with　a　vile　oath　he　leaped　at　the　slender　woman；　gripping　her

tender　throat　in　his　brute　clutch。　　Thuvia　screamed　and　sprang　to

aid　her　fellow…prisoner；　and　at　the　same　instant　I；　too；　went　mad；

and　tearing　at　the　bars　that　spanned　my　window　I　ripped　them　from

their　sockets　as　they　had　been　but　copper　wire。

　

Hurling　myself　through　the　aperture　I　reached　the　garden；

but　a　hundred　feet　from　where　the　black　was　choking　the　life

from　my　Dejah　Thoris；　and　with　a　single　great　bound　I　was　upon　him。

I　spoke　no　word　as　I　tore　his　defiling　fingers　from　that　beautiful

throat；　nor　did　I　utter　a　sound　as　I　hurled　him　twenty　feet　from　me。

　

Foaming　with　rage；　Thurid　regained　his　feet　and　charged　me

like　a　mad　bull。

　

〃Yellow　man；〃　he　shrieked；　〃you　knew　not　upon　whom　you　had

laid　your　vile　hands；　but　ere　I　am　done　with　you；　you　will

know　well　what　it　means　to　offend　the　person　of　a　First　Born。〃

　

Then　he　was　upon　me；　reaching　for　my　throat；　and　precisely　as

I　had　done　that　day　in　the　courtyard　of　the　Temple　of　Issus　I　did

here　in　the　garden　of　the　palace　of　Salensus　Oll。　　I　ducked　beneath

his　outstretched　arms；　and　as　he　lunged　past　me　I　planted　a

terrific　right　upon　the　side　of　his　jaw。

　

Just　as　he　had　done　upon　that　other　occasion　he　did　now。　　Like　a　top

he　spun　round；　his　knees　gave　beneath　him；　and　he　crumpled　to　the

ground　at　my　feet。　　Then　I　heard　a　voice　behind　me。

　

It　was　the　deep　voice　of　authority　that　marks　the　ruler　of　men；

and　when　I　turned　to　face　the　resplendent　figure　of　a　giant

yellow　man　I　did　not　need　to　ask　to　know　that　it　was　Salensus　Oll。

At　his　right　stood　Matai　Shang；　and　behind　them　a　score　of　guardsmen。

　

〃Who　are　you；〃　he　cried；　〃and　what　means　this　intrusion　within

the　precincts　of　the　women's　garden？　　I　do　not　recall　your　face。

How　came　you　here？〃

　

But　for　his　last　words　I　should　have　forgotten　my　disguise

entirely　and　told　him　outright　that　I　was　John　Carter；

Prince　of　Helium；　but　his　question　recalled　me　to　myself。

I　pointed　to　the　dislodged　bars　of　the　window　above。

　

〃I　am　an　aspirant　to　membership　in　the　palace　guard；〃　I　said；

〃and　from　yonder　window　in　the　tower　where　I　was　confined　awaiting

the　final　test　for　fitness　I　saw　this　brute　attack　the　this　woman。

I　could　not　stand　idly　by；　O　Jeddak；　and　see　this　thing　done　within

the　very　palace　grounds；　and　yet　feel　that　I　was　fit　to　serve　and

guard　your　royal　person。〃

　

I　had　evidently　made　an　impression　upon　the　ruler　of　Okar　by　my

fair　words；　and　when　he　had　turned　to　Dejah　Thoris　and　Thuvia　of

Ptarth；　and　both　had　corroborated　my　statements　it　began　to　look

pretty　dark　for　Thurid。

　

I　saw　the　ugly　gleam　in　Matai　Shang's　evil　eyes　as　Dejah　Thoris

narrated　all　that　had　passed　between　Thurid　and　herself；　and

when　she　came　to　that　part　which　dealt　with　my　interference　with

the　dator　of　the　First　Born　her　gratitude　was　quite　apparent；

though　I　could　see　by　her　eyes　that　something　puzzled　her　strangely。

　

I　did　not　wonder　at　her　attitude　toward　me　while　others　were　present；

but　that　she　should　have　denied　me　while　she　and　Thuvia　were　the　only

occupants　of　the　garden　still　cut　me　sorely。

　

As　the　examination　proceeded　I　cast　a　glance　at　Thurid

and　startled　him　looking　wide…eyed　and　wonderingly　at　me；

and　then　of　a　sudden　he　laughed　full　in　my　face。

　

A　moment　later　Salensus　Oll　turned　toward　the　black。

　

〃What　have　you　to　say　in　explanation　of　these　charges？〃　he　asked

in　a　deep　and　terrible　voice。　　〃Dare　you　aspire　to　one　whom

the　Father　of　Therns　has　chosenone　who　might　even　be　a　fit　mate

for　the　Jeddak　of　Jeddaks　himself？〃

　

And　then　the　black…bearded　tyrant　turned　and　cast　a　sudden

greedy　look　upon　Dejah　Thoris；　as　though　with　the　words　a　new

thought　and　a　new　desire　had　sprung　up　within　his　mind　and　breast。

　

Thurid　had　been　about　to　reply　and；　with　a　malicious　grin　upon

his　face；　was　pointing　an　accusing　finger　at　me；　when　Salensus

Oll's　words　and　the　expression　of　his　face　cut　him　short。

　

A　cunning　look　crept　into　his　eyes；　and　I　knew　from　the　expression　of

his　face　that　his　next　words　were　not　the　ones　he　had　intended　to　speak。

　

〃O　Mightiest　of　Jeddaks；〃　he　said；　〃the　man　and　the　women　do　not

speak　the　truth。　　The　fellow　had　come　into　the　garden　to　assist

them　to　escape。　　I　was　beyond　and　overheard　their　conversation；

and　when　I　entered；　the　woman　screamed　and　the　man　sprang　upon

me　and　would　have　killed　me。

　

〃What　know　you　of　this　man？　　He　is　a　stranger　to　you；　and　I

dare　say　that　you　will　find　him　an　enemy　and　a　spy。　　Let　him　be　put

on　trial；　Salensus　Oll；　rather　than　your　friend　and　guest；　Thurid；

Dator　of　the　First　Born。〃

　

Salensus　Oll　looked　puzzled。　　He　turned　again　and　looked　upon

Dejah　Thoris；　and　then　Thurid　stepped　quite　close　to　him　and

whispered　something　in　his　earwhat；　I　know　not。

　

Presently　the　yellow　ruler　turned　to　one　of　his　officers。

　

〃See　that　this　man　be　securely　confined　until　we　have　time　to

go　deeper　into　this　affair；〃　he　commanded；　〃and　as　bars　alone　seem

inadequate　to　restrain　him；　let　chains　be　added。〃

　

Then　he　turned　and　left　the　garden；　taking　Dejah　Thoris　with

himhis　hand　upon　her　shoulder。　　Thurid　and　Matai　Shang　went　also；

and　as　they　reached　the　gateway　the　black　turned　and　laughed　again

aloud　in　my　face。

　

What　could　be　the　meaning　of　his　sudden　change　toward　me？

Could　he　suspect　my　true　identity？　　It　must　be　that；　and　the　thing

that　had　betrayed　me　was　the　trick　and　blow　that　had　laid　him　low

for　the　second　time。

　

As　the　guards　dragged　me　away　my　heart　was　very　sad　and　bitter　indeed；

for　now　to　the　two　relentless　enemies　that　had　hounded　her　for　so　long

another　and　a　more　powerful　one　had　been　added；　for　I　would　have　been

but　a　fool　had　I　not　recognized　the　sudden　love　for　Dejah　Thoris　that　had

just　been　born　in　the　terrible　breast　of　Salensus　Oll；　Jeddak　of　Jeddaks；

ruler　of　Okar。

　

　

　

　

THE　PIT　OF　PLENTY

　

　

I　did　not　languish　long　within　the　prison　of　Salensus　Oll。

During　the　short　time　that　I　lay　there；　fettered　with　chains　of　gold；

I　often　wondered　as　to　the　fate　of　Thuvan　Dihn；　Jeddak　of　Ptarth。

　

My　brave　companion　had　followed　me　into　the　garden　as　I　attacked　Thurid；

and　when　Salensus　Oll　had　left　with　Dejah　Thoris　and　the　others；

leaving　Thuvia　of　Ptarth　behind；　he；　too；　had　remained　in　the　garden

with　his　daughter；　apparently　unnoticed；　for　he　was　appareled

similarly　to　the　guards。

　

The　last　I　had　seen　of　him　he　stood　waiting　for　the　warriors

who　escorted　me　to　close　the　gate　behind　them；　that　he　might　be

alone　with　Thuvia。　　Could　it　be　possible　that　they　had　escaped？

I　doubted　it；　and　yet　with　all　my　heart　I　hoped　that　it　might　be　true。

　

The　third　day　of　my　incarceration　brought　a　dozen　warriors　to

escort　me　to　the　audience　chamber；　where　Salensus　Oll　himself　was

to　try　me。　　A　great　number　of　nobles　crowded　the　room；　and　among

them　I　saw　Thurid；　but　Matai　Shang　was　not　there。

　

Dejah　Thoris；　as　radiantly　beautiful　as　ever；　sat　upon　a　small

throne　beside　Salensus　Oll。　　The　expression　of　sad　hopelessness

upon　her　dear　face　cut　deep　into　my　heart。

　

Her　position　beside　the　Jeddak　of　Jeddaks　boded　ill　for　her　and　me；

and　on　the　instant　that　I　saw　her　there；　there　sprang　to　my　mind

the　firm　intention　never　to　leave　that　chamber　alive　if　I　must

leave　her　in　the　clutches　of　this　powerful　tyrant。

　

I　had　killed　better　men　than　Salensus　Oll；　and　killed　them

with　my　bare　hands；　and　now　I　swore　to　myself　that　I　should　kill

him　if　I　found　that　the　only　way　to　save　the　Princess　of　Helium。

That　it　would　mean　almost　instant　death　for　me　I　cared　not；　except

that　it　would　remove　me　from　further　efforts　in　behalf　of　Dejah

Thoris；　and　for　this　reason　alone　I　would　have　chosen　another　way；

for　even　though　I　should　kill　Salensus　Oll　that　act　would　not

restore　my　beloved　wife　to　her　own　people。　　I　determined　to

wait　the　final　outcome　of　the　trial；　that　I　might　learn　all　that　I

could　of　the　Okarian　ruler's　intentions；　and　then　act　accordingly。

　

Scarcely　had　I　come　before　him　than　Salensus　Oll　summoned　Thurid　also。

　

〃Dator　Thurid；〃　he　said；　〃you　have　made　a　strange　request　of　me；

but；　in　accordance　with　your　wishes　and　your　promise　that　it　will

result　only　to　my　interests；　I　have　decided　to　accede。

　

〃You　tell　me　that　a　certain　announcement　will　be　the　means　of

convicting　this　prisoner　and；　at　the　same　time；　open　the　way　to　the

gratification　of　my　dearest　wish。〃

　

Thurid　nodded。

　

〃Then　shall　I　make　the