a princess of mars-第16章

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Hajus　it　is　the　will　of　Lorquas　Ptomel　that　you　be　accorded

the　respect　your　acts　have　earned　you。　　You　will　be　treated　by

us　as　a　Tharkian　chieftain；　but　you　must　not　forget　that　every

chief　who　ranks　you　is　responsible　for　your　safe　delivery　to

our　mighty　and　most　ferocious　ruler。　　I　am　done。〃



〃I　hear　you；　Tars　Tarkas；〃　I　answered。　　〃As　you　know　I

am　not　of　Barsoom；　your　ways　are　not　my　ways；　and　I　can

only　act　in　the　future　as　I　have　in　the　past；　in　accordance

with　the　dictates　of　my　conscience　and　guided　by　the　standards

of　mine　own　people。　　If　you　will　leave　me　alone　I　will　go

in　peace；　but　if　not；　let　the　individual　Barsoomians　with

whom　I　must　deal　either　respect　my　rights　as　a　stranger

among　you；　or　take　whatever　consequences　may　befall。　　Of

one　thing　let　us　be　sure；　whatever　may　be　your　ultimate

intentions　toward　this　unfortunate　young　woman；　whoever

would　offer　her　injury　or　insult　in　the　future　must　figure　on

making　a　full　accounting　to　me。　　I　understand　that　you　belittle

all　sentiments　of　generosity　and　kindliness；　but　I　do　not；

and　I　can　convince　your　most　doughty　warrior　that　these

characteristics　are　not　incompatible　with　an　ability　to　fight。〃



Ordinarily　I　am　not　given　to　long　speeches；　nor　ever　before

had　I　descended　to　bombast；　but　I　had　guessed　at　the　keynote

which　would　strike　an　answering　chord　in　the　breasts　of　the

green　Martians；　nor　was　I　wrong；　for　my　harangue　evidently

deeply　impressed　them；　and　their　attitude　toward　me

thereafter　was　still　further　respectful。



Tars　Tarkas　himself　seemed　pleased　with　my　reply；　but　his

only　comment　was　more　or　less　enigmatical　　〃And　I　think　I

know　Tal　Hajus；　Jeddak　of　Thark。〃



I　now　turned　my　attention　to　Dejah　Thoris；　and　assisting

her　to　her　feet　I　turned　with　her　toward　the　exit；　ignoring

her　hovering　guardian　harpies　as　well　as　the　inquiring

glances　of　the　chieftains。　　Was　I　not　now　a　chieftain　also！

Well；　then；　I　would　assume　the　responsibilities　of　one。

They　did　not　molest　us；　and　so　Dejah　Thoris；　Princess　of

Helium；　and　John　Carter；　gentleman　of　Virginia；　followed

by　the　faithful　Woola；　passed　through　utter　silence　from　the

audience　chamber　of　Lorquas　Ptomel；　Jed　among　the　Tharks

of　Barsoom。









CHAPTER　XI





WITH　DEJAH　THORIS





As　we　reached　the　open　the　two　female　guards　who　had

been　detailed　to　watch　over　Dejah　Thoris　hurried　up　and

made　as　though　to　assume　custody　of　her　once　more。　　The

poor　child　shrank　against　me　and　I　felt　her　two　little　hands

fold　tightly　over　my　arm。　　Waving　the　women　away；　I　informed

them　that　Sola　would　attend　the　captive　hereafter；　and　I

further　warned　Sarkoja　that　any　more　of　her　cruel　attentions

bestowed　upon　Dejah　Thoris　would　result　in　Sarkoja's　sudden

and　painful　demise。



My　threat　was　unfortunate　and　resulted　in　more　harm

than　good　to　Dejah　Thoris；　for；　as　I　learned　later；　men　do

not　kill　women　upon　Mars；　nor　women；　men。　　So　Sarkoja

merely　gave　us　an　ugly　look　and　departed　to　hatch　up

deviltries　against　us。



I　soon　found　Sola　and　explained　to　her　that　I　wished　her

to　guard　Dejah　Thoris　as　she　had　guarded　me；　that　I　wished

her　to　find　other　quarters　where　they　would　not　be　molested

by　Sarkoja；　and　I　finally　informed　her　that　I　myself　would

take　up　my　quarters　among　the　men。



Sola　glanced　at　the　accouterments　which　were　carried　in

my　hand　and　slung　across　my　shoulder。



〃You　are　a　great　chieftain　now；　John　Carter；〃　she　said；

〃and　I　must　do　your　bidding；　though　indeed　I　am　glad　to　do

it　under　any　circumstances。　　The　man　whose　metal　you　carry

was　young；　but　he　was　a　great　warrior；　and　had　by　his

promotions　and　kills　won　his　way　close　to　the　rank　of　Tars

Tarkas；　who；　as　you　know；　is　second　to　Lorquas　Ptomel　only。

You　are　eleventh；　there　are　but　ten　chieftains　in　this

community　who　rank　you　in　prowess。〃



〃And　if　I　should　kill　Lorquas　Ptomel？〃　I　asked。



〃You　would　be　first；　John　Carter；　but　you　may　only　win

that　honor　by　the　will　of　the　entire　council　that　Lorquas

Ptomel　meet　you　in　combat；　or　should　he　attack　you；　you

may　kill　him　in　self…defense；　and　thus　win　first　place。〃



I　laughed；　and　changed　the　subject。　　I　had　no　particular

desire　to　kill　Lorquas　Ptomel；　and　less　to　be　a　jed　among

the　Tharks。



I　accompanied　Sola　and　Dejah　Thoris　in　a　search　for　new

quarters；　which　we　found　in　a　building　nearer　the　audience

chamber　and　of　far　more　pretentious　architecture　than　our

former　habitation。　　We　also　found　in　this　building　real

sleeping　apartments　with　ancient　beds　of　highly　wrought

metal　swinging　from　enormous　gold　chains　depending　from　the

marble　ceilings。　　The　decoration　of　the　walls　was　most　elaborate；

and；　unlike　the　frescoes　in　the　other　buildings　I　had　examined；

portrayed　many　human　figures　in　the　compositions。

These　were　of　people　like　myself；　and　of　a　much　lighter

color　than　Dejah　Thoris。　　They　were　clad　in　graceful；

flowing　robes；　highly　ornamented　with　metal　and　jewels；　and

their　luxuriant　hair　was　of　a　beautiful　golden　and　reddish

bronze。　　The　men　were　beardless　and　only　a　few　wore　arms。

The　scenes　depicted　for　the　most　part；　a　fair…skinned；

fair…haired　people　at　play。



Dejah　Thoris　clasped　her　hands　with　an　exclamation　of

rapture　as　she　gazed　upon　these　magnificent　works　of　art；

wrought　by　a　people　long　extinct；　while　Sola；　on　the　other

hand；　apparently　did　not　see　them。



We　decided　to　use　this　room；　on　the　second　floor　and

overlooking　the　plaza；　for　Dejah　Thoris　and　Sola；　and

another　room　adjoining　and　in　the　rear　for　the　cooking　and

supplies。　　I　then　dispatched　Sola　to　bring　the　bedding　and

such　food　and　utensils　as　she　might　need；　telling　her　that

I　would　guard　Dejah　Thoris　until　her　return。



As　Sola　departed　Dejah　Thoris　turned　to　me　with　a　faint　smile。



〃And　whereto；　then；　would　your　prisoner　escape　should

you　leave　her；　unless　it　was　to　follow　you　and　crave　your

protection；　and　ask　your　pardon　for　the　cruel　thoughts　she

has　harbored　against　you　these　past　few　days？〃



〃You　are　right；〃　I　answered；　〃there　is　no　escape　for　either

of　us　unless　we　go　together。〃



〃I　heard　your　challenge　to　the　creature　you　call　Tars　Tarkas；

and　I　think　I　understand　your　position　among　these　people；

but　what　I　cannot　fathom　is　your　statement　that　you　are

not　of　Barsoom。〃



〃In　the　name　of　my　first　ancestor；　then；〃　she　continued；

〃where　may　you　be　from？　　You　are　like　unto　my　people；

and　yet　so　unlike。　　You　speak　my　language；　and　yet　I　heard

you　tell　Tars　Tarkas　that　you　had　but　learned　it　recently。

All　Barsoomians　speak　the　same　tongue　from　the　ice…clad

south　to　the　ice…clad　north；　though　their　written　languages

differ。　　Only　in　the　valley　Dor；　where　the　river　Iss　empties

into　the　lost　sea　of　Korus；　is　there　supposed　to

be　a　different　language　spoken；　and；　except　in　the　legends　of

our　ancestors；　there　is　no　record　of　a　Barsoomian　returning

up　the　river　Iss；　from　the　shores　of　Korus　in　the　valley　of

Dor。　　Do　not　tell　me　that　you　have　thus　returned！　　They

would　kill　you　horribly　anywhere　upon　the　surface　of　Barsoom

if　that　were　true；　tell　me　it　is　not！〃



Her　eyes　were　filled　with　a　strange；　weird　light；　her　voice

was　pleading；　and　her　little　hands；　reached　up　upon　my

breast；　were　pressed　against　me　as　though　to　wring　a　denial

from　my　very　heart。



〃I　do　not　know　your　customs；　Dejah　Thoris；　but　in　my

own　Virginia　a　gentleman　does　not　lie　to　save　himself；　I　am

not　of　Dor；　I　have　never　seen　the　mysterious　Iss；　the　lost

sea　of　Korus　is　still　lost；　so　far　as　I　am　concerned。　　Do　you

believe　me？〃



And　then　it　struck　me　suddenly　that　I　was　very　anxious　that

she　should　believe　me。　　It　was　not　that　I　feared　the　results

which　would　follow　a　general　belief　that　I　had　returned

from　the　Barsoomian　heaven　or　hell；　or　whatever　it　was。

Why　was　it；　then！　　Why　should　I　care　what　she　thought？

I　looked　down　at　her；　her　beautiful　face　upturned；　and　her

wonderful　e