a princess of mars- 第14部分

conversation　then；　asking　and　answering　many　questions　on　each

side。　　She　was　curious　to　learn　of　the　customs　of　my　people

and　displayed　a　remarkable　knowledge　of　events　on　Earth。

When　I　questioned　her　closely　on　this　seeming　familiarity

with　earthly　things　she　laughed；　and　cried　out：



〃Why；　every　school　boy　on　Barsoom　knows　the　geography；

and　much　concerning　the　fauna　and　flora；　as　well　as　the

history　of　your　planet　fully　as　well　as　of　his　own。　　Can　we

not　see　everything　which　takes　place　upon　Earth；　as　you　call

it；　is　it　not　hanging　there　in　the　heavens　in　plain　sight？〃



This　baffled　me；　I　must　confess；　fully　as　much　as　my　statements

had　confounded　her；　and　I　told　her　so。　　She　then　explained

in　general　the　instruments　her　people　had　used　and　been

perfecting　for　ages；　which　permit　them　to　throw　upon

a　screen　a　perfect　image　of　what　is　transpiring　upon　any

planet　and　upon　many　of　the　stars。　　These　pictures　are　so

perfect　in　detail　that；　when　photographed　and　enlarged；

objects　no　greater　than　a　blade　of　grass　may　be　distinctly

recognized。　　I　afterward；　in　Helium；　saw　many　of　these

pictures；　as　well　as　the　instruments　which　produced　them。



〃If；　then；　you　are　so　familiar　with　earthly　things；〃　I　asked；

〃why　is　it　that　you　do　not　recognize　me　as　identical　with　the

inhabitants　of　that　planet？〃



She　smiled　again　as　one　might　in　bored　indulgence　of　a

questioning　child。



〃Because；　John　Carter；〃　she　replied；　〃nearly　every　planet

and　star　having　atmospheric　conditions　at　all　approaching

those　of　Barsoom；　shows　forms　of　animal　life　almost

identical　with　you　and　me；　and；　further；　Earth　men；　almost

without　exception；　cover　their　bodies　with　strange；　unsightly

pieces　of　cloth；　and　their　heads　with　hideous　contraptions

the　purpose　of　which　we　have　been　unable　to　conceive；　while

you；　when　found　by　the　Tharkian　warriors；　were　entirely

undisfigured　and　unadorned。



〃The　fact　that　you　wore　no　ornaments　is　a　strong　proof　of

your　un…Barsoomian　origin；　while　the　absence　of　grotesque

coverings　might　cause　a　doubt　as　to　your　earthliness。〃



I　then　narrated　the　details　of　my　departure　from　the　Earth；

explaining　that　my　body　there　lay　fully　clothed　in　all　the；　to

her；　strange　garments　of　mundane　dwellers。　　At　this　point

Sola　returned　with　our　meager　belongings　and　her　young

Martian　protege；　who；　of　course；　would　have　to　share　the

quarters　with　them。



Sola　asked　us　if　we　had　had　a　visitor　during　her　absence；

and　seemed　much　surprised　when　we　answered　in　the　negative。

It　seemed　that　as　she　had　mounted　the　approach　to　the

upper　floors　where　our　quarters　were　located；　she　had　met

Sarkoja　descending。　　We　decided　that　she　must　have　been

eavesdropping；　but　as　we　could　recall　nothing　of　importance

that　had　passed　between　us　we　dismissed　the　matter　as　of

little　consequence；　merely　promising　ourselves　to　be　warned

to　the　utmost　caution　in　the　future。



Dejah　Thoris　and　I　then　fell　to　examining　the　architecture　and

decorations　of　the　beautiful　chambers　of　the　building　we　were

occupying。　　She　told　me　that　these　people　had　presumably

flourished　over　a　hundred　thousand　years　before。

They　were　the　early　progenitors　of　her　race；　but　had　mixed

with　the　other　great　race　of　early　Martians；　who　were　very

dark；　almost　black；　and　also　with　the　reddish　yellow　race

which　had　flourished　at　the　same　time。



These　three　great　divisions　of　the　higher　Martians　had

been　forced　into　a　mighty　alliance　as　the　drying　up　of　the

Martian　seas　had　compelled　them　to　seek　the　comparatively　few

and　always　diminishing　fertile　areas；　and　to　defend　themselves；

under　new　conditions　of　life；　against　the　wild　hordes　of　green　men。



Ages　of　close　relationship　and　intermarrying　had　resulted

in　the　race　of　red　men；　of　which　Dejah　Thoris　was　a　fair

and　beautiful　daughter。　　During　the　ages　of　hardships　and

incessant　warring　between　their　own　various　races；　as　well

as　with　the　green　men；　and　before　they　had　fitted　themselves

to　the　changed　conditions；　much　of　the　high　civilization

and　many　of　the　arts　of　the　fair…haired　Martians　had

become　lost；　but　the　red　race　of　today　has　reached　a　point

where　it　feels　that　it　has　made　up　in　new　discoveries　and　in

a　more　practical　civilization　for　all　that　lies　irretrievably

buried　with　the　ancient　Barsoomians；　beneath　the　countless

intervening　ages。



These　ancient　Martians　had　been　a　highly　cultivated　and

literary　race；　but　during　the　vicissitudes　of　those　trying

centuries　of　readjustment　to　new　conditions；　not　only　did　their

advancement　and　production　cease　entirely；　but　practically

all　their　archives；　records；　and　literature　were　lost。



Dejah　Thoris　related　many　interesting　facts　and　legends

concerning　this　lost　race　of　noble　and　kindly　people。　　She

said　that　the　city　in　which　we　were　camping　was　supposed

to　have　been　a　center　of　commerce　and　culture　known　as

Korad。　　It　had　been　built　upon　a　beautiful；　natural　harbor；

landlocked　by　magnificent　hills。　　The　little　valley　on　the　west

front　of　the　city；　she　explained；　was　all　that　remained　of　the

harbor；　while　the　pass　through　the　hills　to　the　old　sea　bottom

had　been　the　channel　through　which　the　shipping　passed　up

to　the　city's　gates。



The　shores　of　the　ancient　seas　were　dotted　with　just　such

cities；　and　lesser　ones；　in　diminishing　numbers；　were　to　be

found　converging　toward　the　center　of　the　oceans；　as　the

people　had　found　it　necessary　to　follow　the　receding　waters

until　necessity　had　forced　upon　them　their　ultimate　salvation；

the　so…called　Martian　canals。



We　had　been　so　engrossed　in　exploration　of　the　building

and　in　our　conversation　that　it　was　late　in　the　afternoon

before　we　realized　it。　　We　were　brought　back　to　a　realization

of　our　present　conditions　by　a　messenger　bearing　a　summons

from　Lorquas　Ptomel　directing　me　to　appear　before　him

forthwith。　　Bidding　Dejah　Thoris　and　Sola　farewell；　and

commanding　Woola　to　remain　on　guard；　I　hastened　to　the

audience　chamber；　where　I　found　Lorquas　Ptomel　and　Tars

Tarkas　seated　upon　the　rostrum。










CHAPTER　XII





A　PRISONER　WITH　POWER





As　I　entered　and　saluted；　Lorquas　Ptomel　signaled　me　to　advance；

and；　fixing　his　great；　hideous　eyes　upon　me；　addressed　me　thus：



〃You　have　been　with　us　a　few　days；　yet　during　that　time

you　have　by　your　prowess　won　a　high　position　among　us。

Be　that　as　it　may；　you　are　not　one　of　us；　you　owe　us　no

allegiance。



〃Your　position　is　a　peculiar　one；〃　he　continued；　〃you　are

a　prisoner　and　yet　you　give　commands　which　must　be　obeyed；

you　are　an　alien　and　yet　you　are　a　Tharkian　chieftain；　you

are　a　midget　and　yet　you　can　kill　a　mighty　warrior　with　one

blow　of　your　fist。　　And　now　you　are　reported　to　have　been

plotting　to　escape　with　another　prisoner　of　another　race；　a

prisoner　who；　from　her　own　admission；　half　believes　you　are

returned　from　the　valley　of　Dor。　　Either　one　of　these　accusations；

if　proved；　would　be　sufficient　grounds　for　your　execution；

but　we　are　a　just　people　and　you　shall　have　a　trial　on　our

return　to　Thark；　if　Tal　Hajus　so　commands。



〃But；〃　he　continued；　in　his　fierce　guttural　tones；　〃if　you

run　off　with　the　red　girl　it　is　I　who　shall　have　to　account　to

Tal　Hajus；　it　is　I　who　shall　have　to　face　Tars　Tarkas；　and

either　demonstrate　my　right　to　command；　or　the　metal　from

my　dead　carcass　will　go　to　a　better　man；　for　such　is　the

custom　of　the　Tharks。



〃I　have　no　quarrel　with　Tars　Tarkas；　together　we　rule

supreme　the　greatest　of　the　lesser　communities　among　the

green　men；　we　do　not　wish　to　fight　between　ourselves；　and　so

if　you　were　dead；　John　Carter；　I　should　be　glad。　　Under　two

conditions　only；　however；　may　you　be　killed　by　us　without

orders　from　Tal　Hajus；　in　personal　combat　in　self…defense；

should　you　attack　one　of　us；　or　were　you　apprehended　in　an

attempt　to　escape。



〃As　a　matter　of　justice　I　must　warn　you　that　we　only

await　one　of　these　two　excuses　for　ridding　ourselves　of　so

great　a　responsibility。　　The　safe　delivery　of　the　red　girl　to

Tal　Hajus　is　of　the　greatest　importance。　　Not　in　a　thousand

years　have　the　Tharks　made　such　a　capture；　she　is　the

granddaughter　of　the　greatest　of　the　red　jeddaks；　who　is　also

our　bitterest　enemy。　　I　have　spoken。　　The　red　girl　told　us　that

we　were　without　the　softer　sentiments　of　humanity；　but　we

are　a　just　and　truthful　race。　　You　may　go。〃



Turning；　I　left　the　audience　chamber。　　So　this　was　the

beginning　of　Sarkoja's　persecution！　　I　knew　that　none　other

could　be　responsible　for　this　report　which　had　reached　the

ears　of　Lorquas　Ptomel　so　quickly；　and　now　I　recalled　those

portions　of　our　conversation　which　had　touched　upon　escape

and　upon　my　origin。



Sarkoja　was　at　this　time　Tars　Tarkas'　oldest　and　most

trusted　female。　　As　such　she　was　a　mighty　power　behind　the

throne；　for　no　warrior　had　the　confidence　of　Lorquas　Ptomel

to　such　an　extent　as　did　his　ablest　lieutenant；　Tars　Tarkas。



However；　instead　of　putting　thoughts　of　possible　escape

from　my　mind；　my　audience　with　Lorquas　Ptomel　only　served

to　center　my　every　faculty　on　this　subject。　　Now；　more　than

before；　the　absolute　necessity　for　escape；　in　so　far　as　Dejah

Thoris　was　concerned；　was　impressed　upon　me；　for　I　was

convinced　that　some　horrible　fate　awaited　her　at　the

headquarters　of　Tal　Hajus。



As　described　by　Sola；　this　monster　was　the　exaggerated

personification　of　all　the　ages　of　cruelty；　ferocity；　and

brutality　from　which　he　had　descended。　　Cold；　cunning；

calculating；　he　was；　also；　in　marked　contrast　to　most　of　his

fellows；　a　slave　to　that　brute　passion　which　the　waning

demands　for　procreation　upon　their　dying　planet　has　almost

stilled　in　the　Martian　breast。



The　thought　that　the　divine　Dejah　Thoris　might　fall　into

the　clutches　of　such　an　abysmal　atavism　started　the　cold

sweat　upon　me。　　Far　better　that　we　save　friendly　bullets　for

ourselves　at　the　last　mome