a princess of mars-第39章

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fought　for　me；　but　had　never　asked　me　in　marriage；　and　so

when　you　called　me　your　princess；　you　see；〃　she　faltered；

〃I　was　hurt；　but　even　then；　John　Carter；　I　did　not　repulse　you；

as　I　should　have　done；　until　you　made　it　doubly　worse　by

taunting　me　with　having　won　me　through　combat。〃



〃I　do　not　need　ask　your　forgiveness　now；　Dejah　Thoris；〃

I　cried。　　〃You　must　know　that　my　fault　was　of　ignorance　of

your　Barsoomian　customs。　　What　I　failed　to　do；　through

implicit　belief　that　my　petition　would　be　presumptuous　and

unwelcome；　I　do　now；　Dejah　Thoris；　I　ask　you　to　be　my　wife；

and　by　all　the　Virginian　fighting　blood　that　flows　in　my

veins　you　shall　be。〃



〃No；　John　Carter；　it　is　useless；〃　she　cried；　hopelessly；

〃I　may　never　be　yours　while　Sab　Than　lives。〃



〃You　have　sealed　his　death　warrant；　my　princessSab　Than　dies。〃



〃Nor　that　either；〃　she　hastened　to　explain。　　〃I　may　not

wed　the　man　who　slays　my　husband；　even　in　self…defense。

It　is　custom。　　We　are　ruled　by　custom　upon　Barsoom。　　It　is

useless；　my　friend。　　You　must　bear　the　sorrow　with　me。　　That

at　least　we　may　share　in　common。　　That；　and　the　memory　of

the　brief　days　among　the　Tharks。　　You　must　go　now；　nor　ever

see　me　again。　　Good…bye；　my　chieftain　that　was。〃



Disheartened　and　dejected；　I　withdrew　from　the　room；

but　I　was　not　entirely　discouraged；　nor　would　I　admit　that

Dejah　Thoris　was　lost　to　me　until　the　ceremony　had　actually

been　performed。



As　I　wandered　along　the　corridors；　I　was　as　absolutely

lost　in　the　mazes　of　winding　passageways　as　I　had　been

before　I　discovered　Dejah　Thoris'　apartments。



I　knew　that　my　only　hope　lay　in　escape　from　the　city　of

Zodanga；　for　the　matter　of　the　four　dead　guardsmen　would

have　to　be　explained；　and　as　I　could　never　reach　my　original

post　without　a　guide；　suspicion　would　surely　rest　on　me　so

soon　as　I　was　discovered　wandering　aimlessly　through　the

palace。



Presently　I　came　upon　a　spiral　runway　leading　to　a　lower

floor；　and　this　I　followed　downward　for　several　stories　until

I　reached　the　doorway　of　a　large　apartment　in　which　were　a

number　of　guardsmen。　　The　walls　of　this　room　were　hung　with

transparent　tapestries　behind　which　I　secreted　myself　without

being　apprehended。



The　conversation　of　the　guardsmen　was　general；　and

awakened　no　interest　in　me　until　an　officer　entered　the　room

and　ordered　four　of　the　men　to　relieve　the　detail　who　were

guarding　the　Princess　of　Helium。　　Now；　I　knew；　my　troubles

would　commence　in　earnest　and　indeed　they　were　upon

me　all　too　soon；　for　it　seemed　that　the　squad　had　scarcely

left　the　guardroom　before　one　of　their　number　burst　in

again　breathlessly；　crying　that　they　had　found　their　four

comrades　butchered　in　the　antechamber。



In　a　moment　the　entire　palace　was　alive　with　people。

Guardsmen；　officers；　courtiers；　servants；　and　slaves　ran

helter…skelter　through　the　corridors　and　apartments　carrying

messages　and　orders；　and　searching　for　signs　of　the　assassin。



This　was　my　opportunity　and　slim　as　it　appeared　I　grasped　it；

for　as　a　number　of　soldiers　came　hurrying　past　my　hiding　place

I　fell　in　behind　them　and　followed　through　the　mazes　of　the

palace　until；　in　passing　through　a　great　hall；　I　saw　the　blessed

light　of　day　coming　in　through　a　series　of　larger　windows。



Here　I　left　my　guides；　and；　slipping　to　the　nearest　window；

sought　for　an　avenue　of　escape。　　The　windows　opened

upon　a　great　balcony　which　overlooked　one　of　the　broad

avenues　of　Zodanga。　　The　ground　was　about　thirty　feet　below；

and　at　a　like　distance　from　the　building　was　a　wall　fully

twenty　feet　high；　constructed　of　polished　glass　about　a　foot

in　thickness。　　To　a　red　Martian　escape　by　this　path　would　have

appeared　impossible；　but　to　me；　with　my　earthly　strength

and　agility；　it　seemed　already　accomplished。　　My　only　fear

was　in　being　detected　before　darkness　fell；　for　I　could　not

make　the　leap　in　broad　daylight　while　the　court　below　and

the　avenue　beyond　were　crowded　with　Zodangans。



Accordingly　I　searched　for　a　hiding　place　and　finally　found

one　by　accident；　inside　a　huge　hanging　ornament　which

swung　from　the　ceiling　of　the　hall；　and　about　ten　feet　from

the　floor。　　Into　the　capacious　bowl…like　vase　I　sprang　with

ease；　and　scarcely　had　I　settled　down　within　it　than　I　heard

a　number　of　people　enter　the　apartment。　　The　group　stopped

beneath　my　hiding　place　and　I　could　plainly　overhear　their

every　word。



〃It　is　the　work　of　Heliumites；〃　said　one　of　the　men。



〃Yes；　O　Jeddak；　but　how　had　they　access　to　the　palace？　　I

could　believe　that　even　with　the　diligent　care　of　your

guardsmen　a　single　enemy　might　reach　the　inner　chambers；

but　how　a　force　of　six　or　eight　fighting　men　could　have

done　so　unobserved　is　beyond　me。　　We　shall　soon　know；　however；

for　here　comes　the　royal　psychologist。〃



Another　man　now　joined　the　group；　and；　after　making　his

formal　greetings　to　his　ruler；　said：



〃O　mighty　Jeddak；　it　is　a　strange　tale　I　read　in　the　dead

minds　of　your　faithful　guardsmen。　　They　were　felled　not　by　a

number　of　fighting　men；　but　by　a　single　opponent。〃



He　paused　to　let　the　full　weight　of　this　announcement

impress　his　hearers；　and　that　his　statement　was　scarcely

credited　was　evidenced　by　the　impatient　exclamation　of

incredulity　which　escaped　the　lips　of　Than　Kosis。



〃What　manner　of　weird　tale　are　you　bringing　me；　Notan？〃　he　cried。



〃It　is　the　truth；　my　Jeddak；〃　replied　the　psychologist。

〃In　fact　the　impressions　were　strongly　marked　on　the　brain

of　each　of　the　four　guardsmen。　　Their　antagonist　was　a　very

tall　man；　wearing　the　metal　of　one　of　your　own　guardsmen；

and　his　fighting　ability　was　little　short　of　marvelous　for　he

fought　fair　against　the　entire　four　and　vanquished　them　by

his　surpassing　skill　and　superhuman　strength　and　endurance。

Though　he　wore　the　metal　of　Zodanga；　my　Jeddak；　such　a

man　was　never　seen　before　in　this　or　any　other　country　upon

Barsoom。



〃The　mind　of　the　Princess　of　Helium　whom　I　have　examined

and　questioned　was　a　blank　to　me；　she　has　perfect

control；　and　I　could　not　read　one　iota　of　it。　　She　said　that

she　witnessed　a　portion　of　the　encounter；　and　that　when　she

looked　there　was　but　one　man　engaged　with　the　guardsmen；

a　man　whom　she　did　not　recognize　as　ever　having　seen。〃



〃Where　is　my　erstwhile　savior？〃　spoke　another　of　the

party；　and　I　recognized　the　voice　of　the　cousin　of　Than　Kosis；

whom　I　had　rescued　from　the　green　warriors。　　〃By　the　metal

of　my　first　ancestor；〃　he　went　on；　〃but　the　description　fits

him　to　perfection；　especially　as　to　his　fighting　ability。〃



〃Where　is　this　man？〃　cried　Than　Kosis。　　〃Have　him　brought

to　me　at　once。　　What　know　you　of　him；　cousin？　　It　seemed

strange　to　me　now　that　I　think　upon　it　that　there　should

have　been　such　a　fighting　man　in　Zodanga；　of　whose　name；

even；　we　were　ignorant　before　today。　　And　his　name　too；

John　Carter；　who　ever　heard　of　such　a　name　upon　Barsoom！〃



Word　was　soon　brought　that　I　was　nowhere　to　be　found；

either　in　the　palace　or　at　my　former　quarters　in　the

barracks　of　the　air…scout　squadron。　　Kantos　Kan；　they　had

found　and　questioned；　but　he　knew　nothing　of　my　whereabouts；

and　as　to　my　past；　he　had　told　them　he　knew　as　little；　since　he

had　but　recently　met　me　during　our　captivity　among　the　Warhoons。



〃Keep　your　eyes　on　this　other　one；〃　commanded　Than　Kosis。

〃He　also　is　a　stranger　and　likely　as　not　they　both　hail

from　Helium；　and　where　one　is　we　shall　sooner　or　later

find　the　other。　　Quadruple　the　air　patrol；　and　let　every　man

who　leaves　the　city　by　air　or　ground　be　subjected　to　the

closest　scrutiny。〃



Another　messenger　now　entered　with　word　that　I　was　still

within　the　palace　walls。



〃The　likeness　of　every　person　who　has　entered　or　left　the

palace　grounds　today　has　been　carefully　examined；〃　concluded

the　fellow；　〃and　not　one　approaches　the　likeness　of　this　new

padwar　of　the　guards；　other　than　that　which　was　recorded　of

him　a