a princess of mars-第28章

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quartered　in　the　adjacent　buildings；　and　the　warriors

themselves　I　might　expect　to　meet　within　if　I　entered；　but；

fortunately　for　me；　I　had　another　and　safer　method　of　reaching

the　upper　story　where　Dejah　Thoris　should　be　found；　and；

after　first　determining　as　nearly　as　possible　which　of　the

buildings　she　occupied；　for　I　had　never　observed　them　before

from　the　court　side；　I　took　advantage　of　my　relatively　great

strength　and　agility　and　sprang　upward　until　I　grasped　the

sill　of　a　second…story　window　which　I　thought　to　be　in　the

rear　of　her　apartment。　　Drawing　myself　inside　the　room　I

moved　stealthily　toward　the　front　of　the　building；　and　not

until　I　had　quite　reached　the　doorway　of　her　room　was　I

made　aware　by　voices　that　it　was　occupied。



I　did　not　rush　headlong　in；　but　listened　without　to　assure

myself　that　it　was　Dejah　Thoris　and　that　it　was　safe　to

venture　within。　　It　was　well　indeed　that　I　took　this　precaution；

for　the　conversation　I　heard　was　in　the　low　gutturals　of　men；

and　the　words　which　finally　came　to　me　proved　a　most　timely　warning。

The　speaker　was　a　chieftain　and　he　was　giving　orders　to　four　of

his　warriors。



〃And　when　he　returns　to　this　chamber；〃　he　was　saying；　〃as　he

surely　will　when　he　finds　she　does　not　meet　him　at　the　city's　edge；

you　four　are　to　spring　upon　him　and　disarm　him。　　It　will　require

the　combined　strength　of　all　of　you　to　do　it　if　the　reports　they

bring　back　from　Korad　are　correct。　　When　you　have　him　fast　bound

bear　him　to　the　vaults　beneath　the　jeddak's　quarters　and　chain

him　securely　where　he　may　be　found　when　Tal　Hajus　wishes　him。

Allow　him　to　speak　with　none；　nor　permit　any　other　to　enter

this　apartment　before　he　comes。　　There　will　be　no　danger　of

the　girl　returning；　for　by　this　time　she　is　safe　in　the　arms

of　Tal　Hajus；　and　may　all　her　ancestors　have　pity　upon　her；

for　Tal　Hajus　will　have　none；　the　great　Sarkoja　has　done　a

noble　night's　work。　　I　go；　and　if　you　fail　to　capture　him　when

he　comes；　I　commend　your　carcasses　to　the　cold　bosom　of　Iss。〃









CHAPTER　XVII





A　COSTLY　RECAPTURE





As　the　speaker　ceased　he　turned　to　leave　the　apartment　by

the　door　where　I　was　standing；　but　I　needed　to　wait　no

longer；　I　had　heard　enough　to　fill　my　soul　with　dread；　and

stealing　quietly　away　I　returned　to　the　courtyard　by　the

way　I　had　come。　　My　plan　of　action　was　formed　upon　the

instant；　and　crossing　the　square　and　the　bordering　avenue

upon　the　opposite　side　I　soon　stood　within　the　courtyard

of　Tal　Hajus。



The　brilliantly　lighted　apartments　of　the　first　floor　told

me　where　first　to　seek；　and　advancing　to　the　windows　I

peered　within。　　I　soon　discovered　that　my　approach　was　not

to　be　the　easy　thing　I　had　hoped；　for　the　rear　rooms　bordering

the　court　were　filled　with　warriors　and　women。　　I　then

glanced　up　at　the　stories　above；　discovering　that　the　third

was　apparently　unlighted；　and　so　decided　to　make　my　entrance

to　the　building　from　that　point。　　It　was　the　work　of

but　a　moment　for　me　to　reach　the　windows　above；　and

soon　I　had　drawn　myself　within　the　sheltering　shadows　of

the　unlighted　third　floor。



Fortunately　the　room　I　had　selected　was　untenanted；　and

creeping　noiselessly　to　the　corridor　beyond　I　discovered

a　light　in　the　apartments　ahead　of　me。　　Reaching　what

appeared　to　be　a　doorway　I　discovered　that　it　was　but　an

opening　upon　an　immense　inner　chamber　which　towered　from

the　first　floor；　two　stories　below　me；　to　the　dome…like　roof

of　the　building；　high　above　my　head。　　The　floor　of　this

great　circular　hall　was　thronged　with　chieftains；　warriors

and　women；　and　at　one　end　was　a　great　raised　platform

upon　which　squatted　the　most　hideous　beast　I　had　ever　put

my　eyes　upon。　　He　had　all　the　cold；　hard；　cruel；　terrible

features　of　the　green　warriors；　but　accentuated　and　debased

by　the　animal　passions　to　which　he　had　given　himself　over

for　many　years。　　There　was　not　a　mark　of　dignity　or　pride

upon　his　bestial　countenance；　while　his　enormous　bulk　spread

itself　out　upon　the　platform　where　he　squatted　like　some

huge　devil　fish；　his　six　limbs　accentuating　the　similarity　in

a　horrible　and　startling　manner。



But　the　sight　that　froze　me　with　apprehension　was　that

of　Dejah　Thoris　and　Sola　standing　there　before　him；　and

the　fiendish　leer　of　him　as　he　let　his　great　protruding　eyes

gloat　upon　the　lines　of　her　beautiful　figure。　　She　was

speaking；　but　I　could　not　hear　what　she　said；　nor　could　I　make

out　the　low　grumbling　of　his　reply。　　She　stood　there　erect

before　him；　her　head　high　held；　and　even　at　the　distance　I

was　from　them　I　could　read　the　scorn　and　disgust　upon

her　face　as　she　let　her　haughty　glance　rest　without　sign　of

fear　upon　him。　　She　was　indeed　the　proud　daughter　of　a

thousand　jeddaks；　every　inch　of　her　dear；　precious　little　body；

so　small；　so　frail　beside　the　towering　warriors　around　her；

but　in　her　majesty　dwarfing　them　into　insignificance；　she

was　the　mightiest　figure　among　them　and　I　verily　believe

that　they　felt　it。



Presently　Tal　Hajus　made　a　sign　that　the　chamber　be

cleared；　and　that　the　prisoners　be　left　alone　before　him。

Slowly　the　chieftains；　the　warriors　and　the　women　melted

away　into　the　shadows　of　the　surrounding　chambers；　and

Dejah　Thoris　and　Sola　stood　alone　before　the　jeddak　of　the

Tharks。



One　chieftain　alone　had　hesitated　before　departing；　I

saw　him　standing　in　the　shadows　of　a　mighty　column；　his

fingers　nervously　toying　with　the　hilt　of　his　great…sword　and

his　cruel　eyes　bent　in　implacable　hatred　upon　Tal　Hajus。

It　was　Tars　Tarkas；　and　I　could　read　his　thoughts　as　they

were　an　open　book　for　the　undisguised　loathing　upon　his

face。　　He　was　thinking　of　that　other　woman　who；　forty　years

ago；　had　stood　before　this　beast；　and　could　I　have　spoken

a　word　into　his　ear　at　that　moment　the　reign　of　Tal　Hajus

would　have　been　over；　but　finally　he　also　strode　from　the

room；　not　knowing　that　he　left　his　own　daughter　at　the

mercy　of　the　creature　he　most　loathed。



Tal　Hajus　arose；　and　I；　half　fearing；　half　anticipating　his

intentions；　hurried　to　the　winding　runway　which　led　to　the

floors　below。　　No　one　was　near　to　intercept　me；　and　I　reached

the　main　floor　of　the　chamber　unobserved；　taking　my　station

in　the　shadow　of　the　same　column　that　Tars　Tarkas　had　but

just　deserted。　　As　I　reached　the　floor　Tal　Hajus　was　speaking。



〃Princess　of　Helium；　I　might　wring　a　mighty　ransom　from

your　people　would　I　but　return　you　to　them　unharmed；　but　a

thousand　times　rather　would　I　watch　that　beautiful　face

writhe　in　the　agony　of　torture；　it　shall　be　long　drawn　out；

that　I　promise　you；　ten　days　of　pleasure　were　all　too　short　to

show　the　love　I　harbor　for　your　race。　　The　terrors　of　your

death　shall　haunt　the　slumbers　of　the　red　men　through　all

the　ages　to　come；　they　will　shudder　in　the　shadows　of　the

night　as　their　fathers　tell　them　of　the　awful　vengeance　of

the　green　men；　of　the　power　and　might　and　hate　and　cruelty

of　Tal　Hajus。　　But　before　the　torture　you　shall　be　mine　for

one　short　hour；　and　word　of　that　too　shall　go　forth　to

Tardos　Mors；　Jeddak　of　Helium；　your　grandfather；　that　he

may　grovel　upon　the　ground　in　the　agony　of　his　sorrow。

Tomorrow　the　torture　will　commence；　tonight　thou　art　Tal

Hajus'；　come！〃



He　sprang　down　from　the　platform　and　grasped　her　roughly

by　the　arm；　but　scarcely　had　he　touched　her　than　I　leaped

between　them。　　My　short…sword；　sharp　and　gleaming　was　in

my　right　hand；　I　could　have　plunged　it　into　his　putrid　heart

before　he　realized　that　I　was　upon　him；　but　as　I　raised　my

arm　to　strike　I　thought　of　Tars　Tarkas；　and；　with　all　my　rage；

with　all　my　hatred；　I　could　not　rob　him　of　that　sweet

moment　for　which　he　had　lived　and　hoped　all　these　long；

weary　years；　and　so；　instead；　I　swung　my　good　right　fist　full

upon　the　point　of　his　jaw。　　Without　a　sound　he　slipped　to　the

floor　as　one　dead。



In　the　same　deathly　silence　I　grasped　Dejah　Thoris　by　the

hand；　and　mo