warlord of mars-第41章

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and　ceremony　of　court；　to　summon　us　to　the　Temple　of　Reward

〃where　one　is　to　be　judged　this　night；〃　the　summons　concluded。

　

I　racked　my　brain　to　try　and　determine　what　important　case

there　might　be　pending　which　could　call　the　royal　family　from

their　palaces　on　the　eve　of　their　return　to　Helium　after　years

of　absence；　but　when　the　jeddak　summons　no　man　delays。

　

As　our　flier　touched　the　landing　stage　at　the　temple's　top　we

saw　countless　other　craft　arriving　and　departing。　　In　the　streets

below　a　great　multitude　surged　toward　the　great　gates　of　the　temple。

　

Slowly　there　came　to　me　the　recollection　of　the　deferred　doom　that

awaited　me　since　that　time　I　had　been　tried　here　in　the　Temple　by

Zat　Arras　for　the　sin　of　returning　from　the　Valley　Dor　and　the

Lost　Sea　of　Korus。

　

Could　it　be　possible　that　the　strict　sense　of　justice　which

dominates　the　men　of　Mars　had　caused　them　to　overlook　the

great　good　that　had　come　out　of　my　heresy？　　Could　they　ignore　the

fact　that　to　me；　and　me　alone；　was　due　the　rescue　of　Carthoris；

of　Dejah　Thoris；　of　Mors　Kajak；　of　Tardos　Mors？

　

I　could　not　believe　it；　and　yet　for　what　other　purpose　could　I

have　been　summoned　to　the　Temple　of　Reward　immediately　upon　the

return　of　Tardos　Mors　to　his　throne？

　

My　first　surprise　as　I　entered　the　temple　and　approached　the　Throne

of　Righteousness　was　to　note　the　men　who　sat　there　as　judges。

There　was　Kulan　Tith；　Jeddak　of　Kaol；　whom　we　had　but　just　left

within　his　own　palace　a　few　days　since；　there　was　Thuvan　Dihn；

Jeddak　of　Ptarthhow　came　he　to　Helium　as　soon　as　we？

　

There　was　Tars　Tarkas；　Jeddak　of　Thark；　and　Xodar；　Jeddak　of

the　First　Born；　there　was　Talu；　Jeddak　of　Jeddaks　of　the　North；

whom　I　could　have　sworn　was　still　in　his　ice…bound　hothouse　city

beyond　the　northern　barrier；　and　among　them　sat　Tardos　Mors　and

Mors　Kajak；　with　enough　lesser　jeds　and　jeddaks　to　make　up　the

thirty…one　who　must　sit　in　judgment　upon　their　fellow…man。

　

A　right　royal　tribunal　indeed；　and　such　a　one；　I　warrant；　as　never

before　sat　together　during　all　the　history　of　ancient　Mars。

　

As　I　entered；　silence　fell　upon　the　great　concourse　of　people　that

packed　the　auditorium。　　Then　Tardos　Mors　arose。

　

〃John　Carter；〃　he　said　in　his　deep；　martial　voice；　〃take　your　place

upon　the　Pedestal　of　Truth；　for　you　are　to　be　tried　by　a　fair　and

impartial　tribunal　of　your　fellow…men。〃

　

With　level　eye　and　high…held　head　I　did　as　he　bade；　and　as　I　glanced

about　that　circle　of　faces　that　a　moment　before　I　could　have　sworn

contained　the　best　friends　I　had　upon　Barsoom；　I　saw　no　single

friendly　glanceonly　stern；　uncompromising　judges；　there　to

do　their　duty。

　

A　clerk　rose　and　from　a　great　book　read　a　long　list　of　the　more

notable　deeds　that　I　had　thought　to　my　credit；　covering　a　long

period　of　twenty…two　years　since　first　I　had　stepped　the　ocher　sea

bottom　beside　the　incubator　of　the　Tharks。　　With　the　others　he　read

of　all　that　I　had　done　within　the　circle　of　the　Otz　Mountains　where

the　Holy　Therns　and　the　First　Born　had　held　sway。

　

It　is　the　way　upon　Barsoom　to　recite　a　man's　virtues　with　his　sins

when　he　is　come　to　trial；　and　so　I　was　not　surprised　that　all　that

was　to　my　credit　should　be　read　there　to　my　judgeswho　knew　it

all　by　hearteven　down　to　the　present　moment。　　When　the　reading

had　ceased　Tardos　Mors　arose。

　

〃Most　righteous　judges；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃you　have　heard　recited

all　that　is　known　of　John　Carter；　Prince　of　Heliumthe　good

with　the　bad。　　What　is　your　judgment？〃

　

Then　Tars　Tarkas　came　slowly　to　his　feet；　unfolding　all　his　mighty；

towering　height　until　he　loomed；　a　green…bronze　statue；　far　above　us　all。

He　turned　a　baleful　eye　upon　mehe；　Tars　Tarkas；　with　whom　I　had　fought

through　countless　battles；　whom　I　loved　as　a　brother。

　

I　could　have　wept　had　I　not　been　so　mad　with　rage　that　I

almost　whipped　my　sword　out　and　had　at　them　all　upon　the　spot。

　

〃Judges；〃　he　said；　〃there　can　be　but　one　verdict。　　No　longer　may

John　Carter　be　Prince　of　Helium〃he　paused〃but　instead　let

him　be　Jeddak　of　Jeddaks；　Warlord　of　Barsoom！〃

　

As　the　thirty…one　judges　sprang　to　their　feet　with　drawn　and

upraised　swords　in　unanimous　concurrence　in　the　verdict；　the　storm

broke　throughout　the　length　and　breadth　and　height　of　that　mighty

building　until　I　thought　the　roof　would　fall　from　the　thunder　of

the　mad　shouting。

　

Now；　at　last；　I　saw　the　grim　humor　of　the　method　they　had　adopted

to　do　me　this　great　honor；　but　that　there　was　any　hoax　in　the

reality　of　the　title　they　had　conferred　upon　me　was　readily

disproved　by　the　sincerity　of　the　congratulations　that　were

heaped　upon　me　by　the　judges　first　and　then　the　nobles。

　

Presently　fifty　of　the　mightiest　nobles　of　the　greatest　courts

of　Mars　marched　down　the　broad　Aisle　of　Hope　bearing　a　splendid

car　upon　their　shoulders；　and　as　the　people　saw　who　sat　within；

the　cheers　that　had　rung　out　for　me　paled　into　insignificance　beside

those　which　thundered　through　the　vast　edifice　now；　for　she　whom

the　nobles　carried　was　Dejah　Thoris；　beloved　Princess　of　Helium。

　

Straight　to　the　Throne　of　Righteousness　they　bore　her；　and　there

Tardos　Mors　assisted　her　from　the　car；　leading　her　forward　to　my　side。

　

〃Let　a　world's　most　beautiful　woman　share　the　honor　of　her　husband；〃

he　said。

　

Before　them　all　I　drew　my　wife　close　to　me　and　kissed　her　upon　the　lips。

　

　




End