tarzan the terrible-第26节
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Tarzan saw that Ko…tan was not entirely convinced of his duplicity as was evidenced by his palpable design to play safe。
〃Let not your warriors seize me；〃 he said to Ko…tan； 〃lest Jad…ben…Otho； mistaking their intention； strike them dead。〃 The effect of his words was immediate upon the men in the front rank of those who faced him； each seeming suddenly to acquire a new modesty that compelled him to self…effacement behind those directly in his reara modesty that became rapidly contagious。
The ape…man smiled。 〃Fear not；〃 he said； 〃I will go willingly to the audience chamber to face the blasphemers who accuse me。〃
Arrived at the great throneroom a new complication arose。 Ko…tan would not acknowledge the right of Lu…don to occupy the apex of the pyramid and Lu…don would not consent to occupying an inferior position while Tarzan； to remain consistent with his high claims； insisted that no one should stand above him； but only to the ape…man was the humor of the situation apparent。
To relieve the situation Ja…don suggested that all three of them occupy the throne； but this suggestion was repudiated by Ko…tan who argued that no mortal other than a king of Pal…ul…don had ever sat upon the high eminence； and that furthermore there was not room for three there。
〃But who；〃 said Tarzan； 〃is my accuser and who is my judge？〃
〃Lu…don is your accuser；〃 explained Ko…tan。
〃And Lu…don is your judge；〃 cried the high priest。
〃I am to be judged by him who accuses me then；〃 said Tarzan。 〃It were better to dispense then with any formalities and ask Lu…don to sentence me。〃 His tone was ironical and his sneering face； looking straight into that of the high priest； but caused the latter's hatred to rise to still greater proportions。
It was evident that Ko…tan and his warriors saw the justice of Tarzan's implied objection to this unfair method of dispensing justice。 〃Only Ko…tan can judge in the throneroom of his palace；〃 said Ja…don； 〃let him hear Lu…don's charges and the testimony of his witnesses； and then let Ko…tan's judgment be final。〃
Ko…tan； however； was not particularly enthusiastic over the prospect of sitting in trial upon one who might after all very possibly be the son of his god； and so he temporized； seeking for an avenue of escape。 〃It is purely a religious matter；〃 he said； 〃and it is traditional that the kings of Pal…ul…don interfere not in questions of the church。〃
〃Then let the trial be held in the temple；〃 cried one of the chiefs； for the warriors were as anxious as their king to be relieved of all responsibility in the matter。 This suggestion was more than satisfactory to the high priest who inwardly condemned himself for not having thought of it before。
〃It is true；〃 he said； 〃this man's sin is against the temple。 Let him be dragged thither then for trial。〃
〃The son of Jad…ben…Otho will be dragged nowhere；〃 cried Tarzan。 〃But when this trial is over it is possible that the corpse of Lu…don； the high priest； will be dragged from the temple of the god he would desecrate。 Think well； then； Lu…don before you commit this folly。〃
His words； intended to frighten the high priest from his position failed utterly in consummating their purpose。 Lu…don showed no terror at the suggestion the ape…man's words implied。
〃Here is one；〃 thought Tarzan； 〃who； knowing more of his religion than any of his fellows； realizes fully the falsity of my claims as he does the falsity of the faith he preaches。〃
He realized； however； that his only hope lay in seeming indifference to the charges。 Ko…tan and the warriors were still under the spell of their belief in him and upon this fact must he depend in the final act of the drama that Lu…don was staging for his rescue from the jealous priest whom he knew had already passed sentence upon him in his own heart。
With a shrug he descended the steps of the pyramid。 〃It matters not to Dor…ul…Otho；〃 he said； 〃where Lu…don enrages his god； for Jad…ben…Otho can reach as easily into the chambers of the temple as into the throneroom of Ko…tan。〃
Immeasurably relieved by this easy solution of their problem the king and the warriors thronged from the throneroom toward the temple grounds； their faith in Tarzan increased by his apparent indifference to the charges against him。 Lu…don led them to the largest of the altar courts。
Taking his place behind the western altar he motioned Ko…tan to a place upon the platform at the left hand of the altar and directed Tarzan to a similar place at the right。
As Tarzan ascended the platform his eyes narrowed angrily at the sight which met them。 The basin hollowed in the top of the altar was filled with water in which floated the naked corpse of a new…born babe。 〃What means this？〃 he cried angrily； turning upon Lu…don。
The latter smiled malevolently。 〃That you do not know；〃 he replied； 〃is but added evidence of the falsity of your claim。 He who poses as the son of god did not know that as the last rays of the setting sun flood the eastern altar of the temple the lifeblood of an adult reddens the white stone for the edification of Jad…ben…Otho； and that when the sun rises again from the body of its maker it looks first upon this western altar and rejoices in the death of a new…born babe each day； the ghost of which accompanies it across the heavens by day as the ghost of the adult returns with it to Jad…ben…Otho at night。
〃Even the little children of the Ho…don know these things； while he who claims to be the son of Jad…ben…Otho knows them not； and if this proof be not enough； there is more。 Come； Waz…don；〃 he cried； pointing to a tall slave who stood with a group of other blacks and priests on the temple floor at the left of the altar。
The fellow came forward fearfully。 〃Tell us what you know of this creature；〃 cried Lu…don； pointing to Tarzan。
〃I have seen him before；〃 said the Waz…don。 〃I am of the tribe of Kor…ul…lul； and one day recently a party of which I was one encountered a few of the warriors of the Kor…ul…ja upon the ridge which separates our villages。 Among the enemy was this strange creature whom they called Tarzan…jad…guru； and terrible indeed was he for he fought with the strength of many men so that it required twenty of us to subdue him。 But he did not fight as a god fights； and when a club struck him upon the head he sank unconscious as might an ordinary mortal。
〃We carried him with us to our village as a prisoner but he escaped after cutting off the head of the warrior we left to guard him and carrying it down into the gorge and tying it to the branch of a tree upon the opposite side。〃
〃The word of a slave against that of a god！〃 cried Ja…don； who had shown previously a friendly interest in the pseudo godling。
〃It is only a step in the progress toward truth；〃 interjected Lu…don。 〃Possibly the evidence of the only princess of the house of Ko…tan will have greater weight with the great chief from the north； though the father of a son who fled the holy offer of the priesthood may not receive with willing ears any testimony against another blasphemer。〃
Ja…don's hand leaped to his knife； but the warriors next him laid detaining fingers upon his arms。 〃You are in the temple of Jad…ben…Otho； Ja…don；〃 they cautioned and the great chief was forced to swallow Lu…don's affront though it left in his heart bitter hatred of the high priest。
And now Ko…tan turned toward Lu…don。 〃What knoweth my daughter of this matter？〃 he asked。 〃You would not bring a princess of my house to testify thus publicly？〃
〃No；〃 replied Lu…don； 〃not in person； but I have here one who will testify for her。〃 He beckoned to an under priest。 〃Fetch the slave of the princess；〃 he said。
His grotesque headdress adding a touch of the hideous to the scene； the priest stepped forward dragging the reluctant Pan…at…lee by the wrist。
〃The Princess O…lo…a was alone in the Forbidden Garden with but this one slave；〃 explained the priest； 〃when there suddenly appeared from the foliage nearby this creature who claims to be the Dor…ul…Otho。 When the slave saw him the princess says that she cried aloud in startled recognition and called the creature by nameTarzan…jad…guruthe same name that the slave from Kor…ul…lul gave him。 This woman is not from Kor…ul…lul but from Kor…ul…ja； the very tribe with which the Kor…ul…lul says the creature was associating when he first saw him。 And further the princess said that when this woman； whose name is Pan…at…lee； was brought to her yesterday she told a strange story of having been rescued from a Tor…o…don in the Kor…ul…gryf by a creature such as this； whom she spoke of then as Tarzan…jad…guru； and of how the two were pursued in the bottom of the gorge by two monster gryfs； and of how the man led them away while Pan…at…lee escaped； only to be taken prisoner in the Kor…ul…lul as she was seeking to return to her own tribe。
〃Is it not plain now；〃 cried Lu…don； 〃that this creature is no god。 Did he tell you that he was the son of god？〃 he almost shouted； turning suddenly upon Pan…at…lee。
The girl shrank back terrified。 〃Answer me； slave！〃 cried the high priest。
〃He seemed more than mortal；〃 parried Pan…at…lee。
〃Did he tell you that he was the son of god？ Answer my question；〃 insisted Lu…don。
〃No；〃 she
