a princess of mars-第36章

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〃You　gave　me　a　bad　half　minute　my　friend；〃　he　continued；

after　I　had　briefly　outlined　my　adventures　since　parting

with　him　in　the　arena　at　Warhoon。　　〃Were　my　name

and　city　known　to　the　Zodangans　I　would　shortly　be　sitting

on　the　banks　of　the　lost　sea　of　Korus　with　my　revered　and

departed　ancestors。　　I　am　here　in　the　interest　of　Tardos

Mors；　Jeddak　of　Helium；　to　discover　the　whereabouts　of

Dejah　Thoris；　our　princess。　　Sab　Than；　prince　of　Zodanga；

has　her　hidden　in　the　city　and　has　fallen　madly　in　love

with　her。　　His　father；　Than　Kosis；　Jeddak　of　Zodanga；　has

made　her　voluntary　marriage　to　his　son　the　price　of　peace

between　our　countries；　but　Tardos　Mors　will　not　accede　to

the　demands　and　has　sent　word　that　he　and　his　people

would　rather　look　upon　the　dead　face　of　their　princess　than

see　her　wed　to　any　than　her　own　choice；　and　that　personally

he　would　prefer　being　engulfed　in　the　ashes　of　a　lost　and

burning　Helium　to　joining　the　metal　of　his　house　with　that

of　Than　Kosis。　　His　reply　was　the　deadliest　affront　he　could

have　put　upon　Than　Kosis　and　the　Zodangans；　but　his　people

love　him　the　more　for　it　and　his　strength　in　Helium　is

greater　today　than　ever。



〃I　have　been　here　three　days；〃　continued　Kantos　Kan；

〃but　I　have　not　yet　found　where　Dejah　Thoris　is　imprisoned。

Today　I　join　the　Zodangan　navy　as　an　air　scout　and　I　hope

in　this　way　to　win　the　confidence　of　Sab　Than；　the　prince；

who　is　commander　of　this　division　of　the　navy；　and　thus

learn　the　whereabouts　of　Dejah　Thoris。　　I　am　glad　that　you

are　here；　John　Carter；　for　I　know　your　loyalty　to　my　princess

and　two　of　us　working　together　should　be　able　to

accomplish　much。〃



The　plaza　was　now　commencing　to　fill　with　people　going

and　coming　upon　the　daily　activities　of　their　duties。　　The

shops　were　opening　and　the　cafes　filling　with　early　morning

patrons。　　Kantos　Kan　led　me　to　one　of　these　gorgeous　eating

places　where　we　were　served　entirely　by　mechanical　apparatus。

No　hand　touched　the　food　from　the　time　it　entered　the

building　in　its　raw　state　until　it　emerged　hot　and　delicious

upon　the　tables　before　the　guests；　in　response　to　the　touching

of　tiny　buttons　to　indicate　their　desires。



After　our　meal；　Kantos　Kan　took　me　with　him　to　the

headquarters　of　the　air…scout　squadron　and　introducing　me

to　his　superior　asked　that　I　be　enrolled　as　a　member　of　the

corps。　　In　accordance　with　custom　an　examination　was　necessary；

but　Kantos　Kan　had　told　me　to　have　no　fear　on　this　score　as　he

would　attend　to　that　part　of　the　matter。　　He　accomplished

this　by　taking　my　order　for　examination　to　the　examining

officer　and　representing　himself　as　John　Carter。



〃This　ruse　will　be　discovered　later；〃　he　cheerfully

explained；　〃when　they　check　up　my　weights；　measurements；

and　other　personal　identification　data；　but　it　will　be

several　months　before　this　is　done　and　our　mission　should

be　accomplished　or　have　failed　long　before　that　time。〃



The　next　few　days　were　spent　by　Kantos　Kan　in　teaching

me　the　intricacies　of　flying　and　of　repairing　the　dainty


little　contrivances　which　the　Martians　use　for　this　purpose。

The　body　of　the　one…man　air　craft　is　about　sixteen　feet

long；　two　feet　wide　and　three　inches　thick；　tapering　to　a

point　at　each　end。　　The　driver　sits　on　top　of　this　plane　upon

a　seat　constructed　over　the　small；　noiseless　radium　engine

which　propels　it。　　The　medium　of　buoyancy　is　contained

within　the　thin　metal　walls　of　the　body　and　consists　of

the　eighth　Barsoomian　ray；　or　ray　of　propulsion；　as　it　may

be　termed　in　view　of　its　properties。



This　ray；　like　the　ninth　ray；　is　unknown　on　Earth；　but

the　Martians　have　discovered　that　it　is　an　inherent　property

of　all　light　no　matter　from　what　source　it　emanates。　　They

have　learned　that　it　is　the　solar　eighth　ray　which　propels

the　light　of　the　sun　to　the　various　planets；　and　that　it　is

the　individual　eighth　ray　of　each　planet　which　〃reflects；〃　or

propels　the　light　thus　obtained　out　into　space　once　more。

The　solar　eighth　ray　would　be　absorbed　by　the　surface　of

Barsoom；　but　the　Barsoomian　eighth　ray；　which　tends　to

propel　light　from　Mars　into　space；　is　constantly　streaming

out　from　the　planet　constituting　a　force　of　repulsion　of

gravity　which　when　confined　is　able　to　life　enormous　weights

from　the　surface　of　the　ground。



It　is　this　ray　which　has　enabled　them　to　so　perfect　aviation

that　battle　ships　far　outweighing　anything　known　upon

Earth　sail　as　gracefully　and　lightly　through　the　thin　air　of

Barsoom　as　a　toy　balloon　in　the　heavy　atmosphere　of　Earth。



During　the　early　years　of　the　discovery　of　this　ray　many

strange　accidents　occurred　before　the　Martians　learned　to

measure　and　control　the　wonderful　power　they　had　found。

In　one　instance；　some　nine　hundred　years　before；　the　first

great　battle　ship　to　be　built　with　eighth　ray　reservoirs　was

stored　with　too　great　a　quantity　of　the　rays　and　she　had

sailed　up　from　Helium　with　five　hundred　officers　and　men；

never　to　return。



Her　power　of　repulsion　for　the　planet　was　so　great　that

it　had　carried　her　far　into　space；　where　she　can　be　seen

today；　by　the　aid　of　powerful　telescopes；　hurtling　through

the　heavens　ten　thousand　miles　from　Mars；　a　tiny　satellite

that　will　thus　encircle　Barsoom　to　the　end　of　time。



The　fourth　day　after　my　arrival　at　Zodanga　I　made　my

first　flight；　and　as　a　result　of　it　I　won　a　promotion　which

included　quarters　in　the　palace　of　Than　Kosis。



As　I　rose　above　the　city　I　circled　several　times；　as　I　had

seen　Kantos　Kan　do；　and　then　throwing　my　engine　into　top

speed　I　raced　at　terrific　velocity　toward　the　south；　following

one　of　the　great　waterways　which　enter　Zodanga　from　that

direction。



I　had　traversed　perhaps　two　hundred　miles　in　a　little　less

than　an　hour　when　I　descried　far　below　me　a　party　of

three　green　warriors　racing　madly　toward　a　small　figure　on

foot　which　seemed　to　be　trying　to　reach　the　confines　of　one

of　the　walled　fields。



Dropping　my　machine　rapidly　toward　them；　and　circling

to　the　rear　of　the　warriors；　I　soon　saw　that　the　object　of

their　pursuit　was　a　red　Martian　wearing　the　metal　of　the

scout　squadron　to　which　I　was　attached。　　A　short　distance

away　lay　his　tiny　flier；　surrounded　by　the　tools　with　which

he　had　evidently　been　occupied　in　repairing　some　damage

when　surprised　by　the　green　warriors。



They　were　now　almost　upon　him；　their　flying　mounts

charging　down　on　the　relatively　puny　figure　at　terrific　speed；

while　the　warriors　leaned　low　to　the　right；　with　their　great

metal…shod　spears。　　Each　seemed　striving　to　be　the　first　to

impale　the　poor　Zodangan　and　in　another　moment　his　fate

would　have　been　sealed　had　it　not　been　for　my　timely　arrival。



Driving　my　fleet　air　craft　at　high　speed　directly　behind

the　warriors　I　soon　overtook　them　and　without　diminishing

my　speed　I　rammed　the　prow　of　my　little　flier　between　the

shoulders　of　the　nearest。　　The　impact　sufficient　to　have　torn

through　inches　of　solid　steel；　hurled　the　fellow's　headless　body

into　the　air　over　the　head　of　his　thoat；　where　it　fell　sprawling

upon　the　moss。　　The　mounts　of　the　other　two　warriors

turned　squealing　in　terror；　and　bolted　in　opposite　directions。



Reducing　my　speed　I　circled　and　came　to　the　ground

at　the　feet　of　the　astonished　Zodangan。　　He　was　warm　in

his　thanks　for　my　timely　aid　and　promised　that　my　day's

work　would　bring　the　reward　it　merited；　for　it　was　none

other　than　a　cousin　of　the　jeddak　of　Zodanga　whose　life　I

had　saved。



We　wasted　no　time　in　talk　as　we　knew　that　the　warriors

would　surely　return　as　soon　as　they　had　gained　control　of

their　mounts。　　Hastening　to　his　damaged　machine　we　were

bending　every　effort　to　finish　the　needed　repairs　and　had

almost　completed　them　when　we　saw　the　two　green　monsters

returning　at　top　speed　from　opposite　sides　of　us。　　When

they　had　approached　within　a　hundred　yards　their　thoats

again　became　unmanageable　and　absolutely　refuse