warlord of mars-第6章

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〃That　you　shall　die　should　you　elect　to　oppose　me　is　evidenced　by

the　moldering　corpses　of　all　the　many　great　Barsoomian　warriors　who

have　gone　down　beneath　this　bladeI　am　John　Carter；　Prince　of　Helium。〃

　

For　a　moment　that　name　seemed　to　paralyze　the　two　men；　but　only

for　a　moment；　and　then　the　younger　of　them；　with　a　vile　name

upon　his　lips；　rushed　toward　me　with　ready　sword。

　

He　had　been　standing　a　little　behind　his　companion；　Lakor；

during　our　parley；　and　now；　ere　he　could　engage　me；　the　older　man

grasped　his　harness　and　drew　him　back。

　

〃Hold！〃　commanded　Lakor。　　〃There　will　be　plenty　of　time　to

fight　if　we　find　it　wise　to　fight　at　all。　　There　be　good　reasons

why　every　thern　upon　Barsoom　should　yearn　to　spill　the　blood　of

the　blasphemer；　the　sacrilegist；　but　let　us　mix　wisdom　with　our

righteous　hate。　　The　Prince　of　Helium　is　bound　upon　an　errand　which

we　ourselves；　but　a　moment　since；　were　wishing　that　we　might　undertake。

　

〃Let　him　go　then　and　slay　the　black。　　When　he　returns　we　shall

still　be　here　to　bar　his　way　to　the　outer　world；　and　thus　we　shall

have　rid　ourselves　of　two　enemies；　nor　have　incurred　the

displeasure　of　the　Father　of　Therns。〃

　

As　he　spoke　I　could　not　but　note　the　crafty　glint　in　his　evil　eyes；

and　while　I　saw　the　apparent　logic　of　his　reasoning　I　felt；

subconsciously　perhaps；　that　his　words　did　but　veil　some　sinister

intent。　　The　other　thern　turned　toward　him　in　evident　surprise；

but　when　Lakor　had　whispered　a　few　brief　words　into　his　ear　he；　too；

drew　back　and　nodded　acquiescence　to　his　superior's　suggestion。

　

〃Proceed；　John　Carter；〃　said　Lakor；　〃but　know　that　if　Thurid

does　not　lay　you　low　there　will　be　those　awaiting　your　return

who　will　see　that　you　never　pass　again　into　the　sunlight　of

the　upper　world。　　Go！〃

　

During　our　conversation　Woola　had　been　growling　and　bristling

close　to　my　side。　　Occasionally　he　would　look　up　into　my　face　with

a　low；　pleading　whine；　as　though　begging　for　the　word　that　would

send　him　headlong　at　the　bare　throats　before　him。　　He；　too；　sensed

the　villainy　behind　the　smooth　words。

　

Beyond　the　therns　several　doorways　opened　off　the　guardroom；

and　toward　the　one　upon　the　extreme　right　Lakor　motioned。

　

〃That　way　leads　to　Thurid；〃　he　said。

　

But　when　I　would　have　called　Woola　to　follow　me　there　the

beast　whined　and　held　back；　and　at　last　ran　quickly　to　the　first

opening　at　the　left；　where　he　stood　emitting　his　coughing　bark；

as　though　urging　me　to　follow　him　upon　the　right　way。

　

I　turned　a　questioning　look　upon　Lakor。

　

〃The　brute　is　seldom　wrong；〃　I　said；　〃and　while　I　do　not　doubt

your　superior　knowledge；　Thern；　I　think　that　I　shall　do　well　to

listen　to　the　voice　of　instinct　that　is　backed　by　love　and　loyalty。〃

　

As　I　spoke　I　smiled　grimly　that　he　might　know　without　words

that　I　distrusted　him。

　

〃As　you　will；〃　the　fellow　replied　with　a　shrug。　　〃In　the　end

it　shall　be　all　the　same。〃

　

I　turned　and　followed　Woola　into　the　left…hand　passage；　and

though　my　back　was　toward　my　enemies；　my　ears　were　on　the　alert；

yet　I　heard　no　sound　of　pursuit。　　The　passageway　was　dimly　lighted

by　occasional　radium　bulbs；　the　universal　lighting　medium　of　Barsoom。

　

These　same　lamps　may　have　been　doing　continuous　duty　in　these

subterranean　chambers　for　ages；　since　they　require　no　attention

and　are　so　compounded　that　they　give　off　but　the　minutest　of

their　substance　in　the　generation　of　years　of　luminosity。

　

We　had　proceeded　for　but　a　short　distance　when　we　commenced　to　pass

the　mouths　of　diverging　corridors；　but　not　once　did　Woola　hesitate。

It　was　at　the　opening　to　one　of　these　corridors　upon　my　right　that

I　presently　heard　a　sound　that　spoke　more　plainly　to　John　Carter；

fighting　man；　than　could　the　words　of　my　mother　tongueit　was

the　clank　of　metalthe　metal　of　a　warrior's　harnessand　it

came　from　a　little　distance　up　the　corridor　upon　my　right。

　

Woola　heard　it；　too；　and　like　a　flash　he　had　wheeled　and　stood

facing　the　threatened　danger；　his　mane　all　abristle　and　all

his　rows　of　glistening　fangs　bared　by　snarling；　backdrawn　lips。

With　a　gesture　I　silenced　him；　and　together　we　drew　aside　into

another　corridor　a　few　paces　farther　on。

　

Here　we　waited；　nor　did　we　have　long　to　wait；　for　presently　we

saw　the　shadows　of　two　men　fall　upon　the　floor　of　the　main　corridor

athwart　the　doorway　of　our　hiding　place。　　Very　cautiously　they　were

moving　nowthe　accidental　clank　that　had　alarmed　me　was　not　repeated。

　

Presently　they　came　opposite　our　station；　nor　was　I　surprised　to

see　that　the　two　were　Lakor　and　his　companion　of　the　guardroom。

　

They　walked　very　softly；　and　in　the　right　hand　of　each　gleamed

a　keen　long…sword。　　They　halted　quite　close　to　the　entrance　of

our　retreat；　whispering　to　each　other。

　

〃Can　it　be　that　we　have　distanced　them　already？〃　said　Lakor。

　

〃Either　that　or　the　beast　has　led　the　man　upon　a　wrong　trail；〃

replied　the　other；　〃for　the　way　which　we　took　is　by　far　the　shorter

to　this　pointfor　him　who　knows　it。　　John　Carter　would　have　found

it　a　short　road　to　death　had　he　taken　it　as　you　suggested　to　him。〃

　

〃Yes；〃　said　Lakor；　〃no　amount　of　fighting　ability　would　have

saved　him　from　the　pivoted　flagstone。　　He　surely　would　have

stepped　upon　it；　and　by　now；　if　the　pit　beneath　it　has　a　bottom；

which　Thurid　denies；　he　should　have　been　rapidly　approaching　it。

Curses　on　that　calot　of　his　that　warned　him　toward　the　safer　avenue！〃

　

〃There　be　other　dangers　ahead　of　him；　though；〃　spoke　Lakor's

fellow；　〃which　he　may　not　so　easily　escapeshould　he　succeed

in　escaping　our　two　good　swords。　　Consider；　for　example；　what

chance　he　will　have；　coming　unexpectedly　into　the　chamber　of〃

　

I　would　have　given　much　to　have　heard　the　balance　of　that　conversation

that　I　might　have　been　warned　of　the　perils　that　lay　ahead；

but　fate　intervened；　and　just　at　the　very　instant　of　all　other

instants　that　I　would　not　have　elected　to　do　it；　I　sneezed。

　

　

　

THE　TEMPLE　OF　THE　SUN

　

　

There　was　nothing　for　it　now　other　than　to　fight；　nor　did　I

have　any　advantage　as　I　sprang；　sword　in　hand；　into　the　corridor

before　the　two　therns；　for　my　untimely　sneeze　had　warned　them　of

my　presence　and　they　were　ready　for　me。

　

There　were　no　words；　for　they　would　have　been　a　waste　of　breath。

The　very　presence　of　the　two　proclaimed　their　treachery。　　That

they　were　following　to　fall　upon　me　unawares　was　all　too　plain；

and　they；　of　course；　must　have　known　that　I　understood　their　plan。

　

In　an　instant　I　was　engaged　with　both；　and　though　I　loathe　the

very　name　of　thern；　I　must　in　all　fairness　admit　that　they　are

mighty　swordsmen；　and　these　two　were　no　exception；　unless　it　were

that　they　were　even　more　skilled　and　fearless　than　the　average

among　their　race。

　

While　it　lasted　it　was　indeed　as　joyous　a　conflict　as　I　ever

had　experienced。　　Twice　at　least　I　saved　my　breast　from　the　mortal

thrust　of　piercing　steel　only　by　the　wondrous　agility　with　which　my

earthly　muscles　endow　me　under　the　conditions　of　lesser　gravity　and

air　pressure　upon　Mars。

　

Yet　even　so　I　came　near　to　tasting　death　that　day　in　the　gloomy

corridor　beneath　Mars's　southern　pole；　for　Lakor　played　a

trick　upon　me　that　in　all　my　experience　of　fighting　upon　two

planets　I　never　before　had　witnessed　the　like　of。

　

The　other　thern　was　engaging　me　at　the　time；　and　I　was　forcing

him　backtouching　him　here　and　there　with　my　point　until　he　was

bleeding　from　a　dozen　wounds；　yet　not　being　able　to　penetrate　his

marvelous　guard　to　reach　a　vulnerable　spot　for　the　brief　instant

that　would　have　been　sufficient　to　send　him　to　his　ancestors。

　

It　was　then　that　Lakor　quickly　unslung　a　belt　from　his　harness；

and　as　I　stepped　back　to　parry　a　wicked　thrust　he　lashed　one　end

of　it　about　my　left　ankle　so　that　it　wound　there　for　an　instant；

while　he　jerked　suddenly　upon　the　other　end；　throwing　me

heavily　upon　my　back。

　

T