tarzan and the jewels of opar()-第23章
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
religious fanatic whose altar has been desecrated was triply enhanced by
the rage of a woman scorned。 Twice had she thrown her heart at the feet
of the godlike ape…man and twice had she been repulsed。 La knew that
she was beautifuland she was beautiful； not by the standards of
prehistoric Atlantis alone； but by those of modern times was La physically
a creature of perfection。 Before Tarzan came that first time to Opar； La
had never seen a human male other than the grotesque and knotted men of
her clan。 With one of these she must mate sooner or later that the direct
line of high priestesses might not be broken； unless Fate should bring
other men to Opar。 Before Tarzan came upon his first visit； La had had no
thought that such men as he existed； for she knew only her hideous little
priests and the bulls of the tribe of great anthropoids that had dwelt from
time immemorial in and about Opar； until they had come to be looked
upon almost as equals by the Oparians。 Among the legends of Opar were
tales of godlike men of the olden time and of black men who had come
more recently； but these latter had been enemies who killed and robbed。
And； too； these legends always held forth the hope that some day that
nameless continent from which their race had sprung； would rise once
more out of the sea and with slaves at the long sweeps would send her
carven； gold…picked galleys forth to succor the long…exiled colonists。
The coming of Tarzan had aroused within La's breast the wild hope
that at last the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy was at hand； but more
strongly still had it aroused the hot fires of love in a heart that never
otherwise would have known the meaning of that all…consuming passion；
for such a wondrous creature as La could never have felt love for any of
the repulsive priests of Opar。 Custom； duty and religious zeal might have
commanded the union； but there could have been no love on La's part。
She had grown to young womanhood a cold and heartless creature；
daughter of a thousand other cold； heartless； beautiful women who had
never known love。 And so when love came to her it liberated all the pent
passions of a thousand generations； transforming La into a pulsing；
throbbing volcano of desire； and with desire thwarted this great force of
love and gentleness and sacrifice was transmuted by its own fires into one
of hatred and revenge。
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
It was in a state of mind superinduced by these conditions that La led
forth her jabbering company to retrieve the sacred emblem of her high
office and wreak vengeance upon the author of her wrongs。 To Werper
she gave little thought。 The fact that the knife had been in his hand when
it departed from Opar brought down no thoughts of vengeance upon his
head。 Of course； he should be slain when captured； but his death would
give La no pleasureshe looked for that in the contemplated death agonies
of Tarzan。 He should be tortured。 His should be a slow and frightful
death。 His punishment should be adequate to the immensity of his crime。
He had wrested the sacred knife from La； he had lain sacreligious hands
upon the High Priestess of the Flaming God； he had desecrated the altar
and the temple。 For these things he should die； but he had scorned the
love of La； the woman； and for this he should die horribly with great
anguish。
The march of La and her priests was not without its adventures。
Unused were these to the ways of the jungle； since seldom did any venture
forth from behind Opar's crumbling walls； yet their very numbers
protected them and so they came without fatalities far along the trail of
Tarzan and Werper。 Three great apes accompanied them and to these was
delegated the business of tracking the quarry； a feat beyond the senses of
the Oparians。 La commanded。 She arranged the order of march； she
selected the camps； she set the hour for halting and the hour for resuming
and though she was inexperienced in such matters； her native intelligence
was so far above that of the men or the apes that she did better than they
could have done。 She was a hard taskmaster； too； for she looked down
with loathing and contempt upon the misshapen creatures amongst which
cruel Fate had thrown her and to some extent vented upon them her
dissatisfaction and her thwarted love。 She made them build her a strong
protection and shelter each night and keep a great fire burning before it
from dusk to dawn。 When she tired of walking they were forced to carry
her upon an improvised litter； nor did one dare to question her authority or
her right to such services。 In fact they did not question either。 To them
she was a goddess and each loved her and each hoped that he would be
chosen as her mate； so they slaved for her and bore the stinging lash of her
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
displeasure and the habitually haughty disdain of her manner without a
murmur。
For many days they marched； the apes following the trail easily and
going a little distance ahead of the body of the caravan that they might
warn the others of impending danger。 It was during a noonday halt while
all were lying resting after a tiresome march that one of the apes rose
suddenly and sniffed the breeze。 In a low guttural he cautioned the
others to silence and a moment later was swinging quietly up wind into the
jungle。 La and the priests gathered silently together； the hideous little
men fingering their knives and bludgeons； and awaited the return of the
shaggy anthropoid。
Nor had they long to wait before they saw him emerge from a leafy
thicket and approach them。 Straight to La he came and in the language of
the great apes which was also the language of decadent Opar he addressed
her。
〃The great Tarmangani lies asleep there；〃 he said； pointing in the
direction from which he had just come。 〃Come and we can kill him。〃
〃Do not kill him；〃 commanded La in cold tones。 〃Bring the great
Tarmangani to me alive and unhurt。 The vengeance is La's。 Go； but make
no sound！〃 and she waved her hands to include all her followers。
Cautiously the weird party crept through the jungle in the wake of the
great ape until at last he halted them with a raised hand and pointed
upward and a little ahead。 There they saw the giant form of the ape…man
stretched along a low bough and even in sleep one hand grasped a stout
limb and one strong； brown leg reached out and overlapped another。 At
ease lay Tarzan of the Apes； sleeping heavily upon a full stomach and
dreaming of Numa； the lion； and Horta； the boar； and other creatures of the
jungle。 No intimation of
