warlord of mars-第29章

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extended　below　the　surface　of　the　court；　for　he　who　held　the　rope

passed　it　about　my　body　in　such　a　way　that　it　could　be　released

from　above　at　any　time；　and　then；　as　all　the　warriors　grasped　it；

he　pushed　me　forward；　and　I　fell　into　the　yawning　abyss。

　

After　the　first　jerk　as　I　reached　the　end　of　the　rope　that

had　been　paid　out　to　let　me　fall　below　the　pit's　edge　they

lowered　me　quickly　but　smoothly。　　The　moment　before　the　plunge；

while　two　or　three　of　the　men　had　been　assisting　in　adjusting　the

rope　about　me；　one　of　them　had　brought　his　mouth　close　to　my　cheek；

and　in　the　brief　interval　before　I　was　cast　into　the　forbidding

hole　he　breathed　a　single　word　into　my　ear：

　

〃Courage！〃

　

The　pit；　which　my　imagination　had　pictured　as　bottomless；　proved　to　be

not　more　than　a　hundred　feet　in　depth；　but　as　its　walls　were　smoothly

polished　it　might　as　well　have　been　a　thousand　feet；　for　I　could　never

hope　to　escape　without　outside　assistance。

　

For　a　day　I　was　left　in　darkness；　and　then；　quite　suddenly；

a　brilliant　light　illumined　my　strange　cell。　　I　was　reasonably

hungry　and　thirsty　by　this　time；　not　having　tasted　food　or　drink

since　the　day　prior　to　my　incarceration。

　

To　my　amazement　I　found　the　sides　of　the　pit；　that　I　had

thought　smooth；　lined　with　shelves；　upon　which　were　the　most

delicious　viands　and　liquid　refreshments　that　Okar　afforded。

　

With　an　exclamation　of　delight　I　sprang　forward　to　partake　of

some　of　the　welcome　food；　but　ere　ever　I　reached　it　the　light

was　extinguished；　and；　though　I　groped　my　way　about　the　chamber；

my　hands　came　in　contact　with　nothing　beside　the　smooth；　hard　wall

that　I　had　felt　on　my　first　examination　of　my　prison。

　

Immediately　the　pangs　of　hunger　and　thirst　began　to　assail　me。

Where　before　I　had　had　but　a　mild　craving　for　food　and　drink；

I　now　actually　suffered　for　want　of　it；　and　all　because　of　the

tantalizing　sight　that　I　had　had　of　food　almost　within　my　grasp。

　

Once　more　darkness　and　silence　enveloped　me；　a　silence　that　was

broken　only　by　a　single　mocking　laugh。

　

For　another　day　nothing　occurred　to　break　the　monotony　of　my

imprisonment　or　relieve　the　suffering　superinduced　by　hunger

and　thirst。　　Slowly　the　pangs　became　less　keen；　as　suffering

deaded　the　activity　of　certain　nerves；　and　then　the　light

flashed　on　once　again；　and　before　me　stood　an　array　of　new

and　tempting　dishes；　with　great　bottles　of　clear　water　and

flagons　of　refreshing　wine；　upon　the　outside　of　which　the

cold　sweat　of　condensation　stood。

　

Again；　with　the　hunger　madness　of　a　wild　beast；　I　sprang

forward　to　seize　those　tempting　dishes；　but；　as　before；

the　light　went　out　and　I　came　to　a　sudden　stop　against　a　hard　wall。

　

Then　the　mocking　laugh　rang　out　for　a　second　time。

　

The　Pit　of　Plenty！

　

Ah；　what　a　cruel　mind　must　have　devised　this　exquisite；

hellish　torture！　　Day　after　day　was　the　thing　repeated；

until　I　was　on　the　verge　of　madness；　and　then；　as　I　had

done　in　the　pits　of　the　Warhoons；　I　took　a　new；　firm　hold

upon　my　reason　and　forced　it　back　into　the　channels　of　sanity。

　

By　sheer　will…power　I　regained　control　over　my　tottering　mentality；

and　so　successful　was　I　that　the　next　time　that　the　light　came　I　sat

quite　still　and　looked　indifferently　at　the　fresh　and　tempting　food

almost　within　my　reach。　　Glad　I　was　that　I　had　done　so；　for　it　gave　me

an　opportunity　to　solve　the　seeming　mystery　of　those　vanishing　banquets。

　

As　I　made　no　move　to　reach　the　food；　the　torturers　left　the　light

turned　on　in　the　hope　that　at　last　I　could　refrain　no　longer　from

giving　them　the　delicious　thrill　of　enjoyment　that　my　former　futile

efforts　to　obtain　it　had　caused。

　

And　as　I　sat　scrutinizing　the　laden　shelves　I　presently　saw

how　the　thing　was　accomplished；　and　so　simple　was　it　that　I

wondered　I　had　not　guessed　it　before。　　The　wall　of　my　prison　was　of

clearest　glassbehind　the　glass　were　the　tantalizing　viands。

　

After　nearly　an　hour　the　light　went　out；　but　this　time　there　was

no　mocking　laughterat　least　not　upon　the　part　of　my　tormentors；

but　I；　to　be　at　quits　with　them；　gave　a　low　laugh　that　none　might

mistake　for　the　cackle　of　a　maniac。

　

Nine　days　passed；　and　I　was　weak　from　hunger　and　thirst；　but　no

longer　sufferingI　was　past　that。　　Then；　down　through　the

darkness　above；　a　little　parcel　fell　to　the　floor　at　my　side。

　

Indifferently　I　groped　for　it；　thinking　it　but　some　new

invention　of　my　jailers　to　add　to　my　sufferings。

　

At　last　I　found　ita　tiny　package　wrapped　in　paper；　at　the

end　of　a　strong　and　slender　cord。　　As　I　opened　it　a　few　lozenges

fell　to　the　floor。　　As　I　gathered　them　up；　feeling　of　them　and

smelling　of　them；　I　discovered　that　they　were　tablets　of

concentrated　food　such　as　are　quite　common　in　all　parts　of　Barsoom。

　

Poison！　I　thought。

　

Well；　what　of　it？　　Why　not　end　my　misery　now　rather　than　drag　out

a　few　more　wretched　days　in　this　dark　pit？　　Slowly　I　raised　one

of　the　little　pellets　to　my　lips。

　

〃Good…bye；　my　Dejah　Thoris！〃　I　breathed。　　〃I　have　lived　for

you　and　fought　for　you；　and　now　my　next　dearest　wish　is　to　be

realized；　for　I　shall　die　for　you；〃　and；　taking　the　morsel

in　my　mouth；　I　devoured　it。

　

One　by　one　I　ate　them　all；　nor　ever　did　anything　taste　better

than　those　tiny　bits　of　nourishment；　within　which　I　knew　must　lie

the　seeds　of　deathpossibly　of　some　hideous；　torturing　death。

　

As　I　sat　quietly　upon　the　floor　of　my　prison；　waiting　for　the　end；

my　fingers　by　accident　came　in　contact　with　the　bit　of　paper

in　which　the　things　had　been　wrapped；　and　as　I　idly　played　with　it；

my　mind　roaming　far　back　into　the　past；　that　I　might　live　again　for

a　few　brief　moments　before　I　died　some　of　the　many　happy　moments　of

a　long　and　happy　life；　I　became　aware　of　strange　protuberances　upon

the　smooth　surface　of　the　parchment…like　substance　in　my　hands。

　

For　a　time　they　carried　no　special　significance　to　my　mindI

merely　was　mildly　wondrous　that　they　were　there；　but　at　last　they

seemed　to　take　form；　and　then　I　realized　that　there　was　but　a

single　line　of　them；　like　writing。

　

Now；　more　interestedly；　my　fingers　traced　and　retraced　them。

There　were　four　separate　and　distinct　combinations　of　raised　lines。

Could　it　be　that　these　were　four　words；　and　that　they　were　intended

to　carry　a　message　to　me？

　

The　more　I　thought　of　it　the　more　excited　I　became；　until　my

fingers　raced　madly　back　and　forth　over　those　bewildering

little　hills　and　valleys　upon　that　bit　of　paper。

　

But　I　could　make　nothing　of　them；　and　at　last　I　decided

that　my　very　haste　was　preventing　me　from　solving　the　mystery。

Then　I　took　it　more　slowly。　　Again　and　again　my　forefinger

traced　the　first　of　those　four　combinations。

　

Martian　writing　is　rather　difficult　to　explain　to　an　Earth　man

it　is　something　of　a　cross　between　shorthand　and　picture…writing；

and　is　an　entirely　different　language　from　the　spoken　language　of　Mars。

　

Upon　Barsoom　there　is　but　a　single　oral　language。

　

It　is　spoken　today　by　every　race　and　nation；　just　as　it　was　at

the　beginning　of　human　life　upon　Barsoom。　　It　has　grown　with　the

growth　of　the　planet's　learning　and　scientific　achievements；　but　so

ingenious　a　thing　it　is　that　new　words　to　express　new　thoughts　or

describe　new　conditions　or　discoveries　form　themselvesno　other

word　could　explain　the　thing　that　a　new　word　is　required　for　other

than　the　word　that　naturally　falls　to　it；　and　so；　no　matter　how　far

removed　two　nations　or　races；　their　spoken　languages　are　identical。

　

Not　so　their　written　languages；　however。　　No　two　nations　have　the

same　written　language；　and　often　cities　of　the　same　nation　have

a　written　language　that　differs　greatly　from　that　of　the　nation

to　which　they　belong。

　

Thus　it　was　that　the　signs　upon　the　paper；　if　in　reality　they

were　words；　baffled　me　for　some　time；　but　at　last　I　made　out

the　first　one。

　

It　was　〃courage；〃　and　it　was　written　in