the gods of mars-第12部分

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way　will　lie　within　the　temples　of　the　therns　and　across　them　to

the　outer　court。　　Then　the　rampartsO　Prince；　it　is　hopeless。　

Ten　thousand　warriors　could　not　hew　a　way　to　liberty　from　out

this　awful　place。



〃Since　the　beginning　of　time；　little　by　little；　stone　by　stone；

have　the　therns　been　ever　adding　to　the　defences　of　their

stronghold。　　A　continuous　line　of　impregnable　fortifications

circles　the　outer　slopes　of　the　Mountains　of　Otz。



〃Within　the　temples　that　lie　behind　the　ramparts　a　million

fighting…men　are　ever　ready。　　The　courts　and　gardens　are

filled　with　slaves；　with　women　and　with　children。



〃None　could　go　a　stone's　throw　without　detection。〃



〃If　there　is　no　other　way；　Thuvia；　why　dwell　upon　the

difficulties　of　this。　　We　must　face　them。〃



〃Can　we　not　better　make　the　attempt　after　dark？〃　asked

Tars　Tarkas。　　〃There　would　seem　to　be　no　chance　by　day。〃



〃There　would　be　a　little　better　chance　by　night；　but　even

then　the　ramparts　are　well　guarded；　possibly　better　than　by

day。　　There　are　fewer　abroad　in　the　courts　and　gardens；

though；〃　said　Thuvia。



〃What　is　the　hour？〃　I　asked。



〃It　was　midnight　when　you　released　me　from　my　chains；〃

said　Thuvia。　　〃Two　hours　later　we　reached　the　storeroom。

There　you　slept　for　fourteen　hours。　　It　must　now　be　nearly

sundown　again。　　Come；　we　will　go　to　some　nearby　window　in

the　cliff　and　make　sure。〃



So　saying；　she　led　the　way　through　winding　corridors

until　at　a　sudden　turn　we　came　upon　an　opening　which

overlooked　the　Valley　Dor。



At　our　right　the　sun　was　setting；　a　huge　red　orb；　below　the

western　range　of　Otz。　　A　little　below　us　stood　the　Holy　Thern

on　watch　upon　his　balcony。　　His　scarlet　robe　of　office　was

pulled　tightly　about　him　in　anticipation　of　the　cold　that　comes

so　suddenly　with　darkness　as　the　sun　sets。　　So　rare　is　the

atmosphere　of　Mars　that　it　absorbs　very　little　heat　from　the

sun。　　During　the　daylight　hours　it　is　always　extremely　hot；　at

night　it　is　intensely　cold。　　Nor　does　the　thin　atmosphere

refract　the　sun's　rays　or　diffuse　its　light　as　upon　Earth。

There　is　no　twilight　on　Mars。　　When　the　great　orb　of　day　disappears

beneath　the　horizon　the　effect　is　precisely　as　that　of　the

extinguishing　of　a　single　lamp　within　a　chamber。　　From　brilliant

light　you　are　plunged　without　warning　into　utter　darkness。　

Then　the　moons　come；　the　mysterious；　magic　moons　of　Mars；

hurtling　like　monster　meteors　low　across　the　face　of　the　planet。



The　declining　sun　lighted　brilliantly　the　eastern　banks　of

Korus；　the　crimson　sward；　the　gorgeous　forest。　　Beneath　the

trees　we　saw　feeding　many　herds　of　plant　men。　　The　adults

stood　aloft　upon　their　toes　and　their　mighty　tails；　their　talons

pruning　every　available　leaf　and　twig。　　It　was　then　that　I

understood　the　careful　trimming　of　the　trees　which　had　led

me　to　form　the　mistaken　idea　when　first　I　opened　my　eyes　upon

the　grove　that　it　was　the　playground　of　a　civilized　people。



As　we　watched；　our　eyes　wandered　to　the　rolling　Iss；

which　issued　from　the　base　of　the　cliffs　beneath　us。

Presently　there　emerged　from　the　mountain　a　canoe　laden　with

lost　souls　from　the　outer　world。　　There　were　a　dozen　of　them。

All　were　of　the　highly　civilized　and　cultured　race　of　red　men

who　are　dominant　on　Mars。



The　eyes　of　the　herald　upon　the　balcony　beneath　us　fell

upon　the　doomed　party　as　soon　as　did　ours。　　He　raised　his

head　and　leaning　far　out　over　the　low　rail　that　rimmed　his

dizzy　perch；　voiced　the　shrill；　weird　wail　that　called　the

demons　of　this　hellish　place　to　the　attack。



For　an　instant　the　brutes　stood　with　stiffly　erected　ears；　then

they　poured　from　the　grove　toward　the　river's　bank；　covering

the　distance　with　great；　ungainly　leaps。



The　party　had　landed　and　was　standing　on　the　sward　as

the　awful　horde　came　in　sight。　　There　was　a　brief　and　futile

effort　of　defence。　　Then　silence　as　the　huge；　repulsive　shapes

covered　the　bodies　of　their　victims　and　scores　of　sucking

mouths　fastened　themselves　to　the　flesh　of　their　prey。



I　turned　away　in　disgust。



〃Their　part　is　soon　over；〃　said　Thuvia。　　〃The　great　white　apes

get　the　flesh　when　the　plant　men　have　drained　the　arteries。　

Look；　they　are　coming　now。〃



As　I　turned　my　eyes　in　the　direction　the　girl　indicated；　I

saw　a　dozen　of　the　great　white　monsters　running　across　the

valley　toward　the　river　bank。　　Then　the　sun　went　down　and

darkness　that　could　almost　be　felt　engulfed　us。



Thuvia　lost　no　time　in　leading　us　toward　the　corridor

which　winds　back　and　forth　up　through　the　cliffs　toward　the

surface　thousands　of　feet　above　the　level　on　which　we　had　been。



Twice　great　banths；　wandering　loose　through　the　galleries；

blocked　our　progress；　but　in　each　instance　Thuvia　spoke　a　low

word　of　command　and　the　snarling　beasts　slunk　sullenly　away。



〃If　you　can　dissolve　all　our　obstacles　as　easily　as　you

master　these　fierce　brutes　I　can　see　no　difficulties　in　our　way；〃

I　said　to　the　girl；　smiling。　　〃How　do　you　do　it？〃



She　laughed；　and　then　shuddered。



〃I　do　not　quite　know；〃　she　said。　　〃When　first　I　came　here　I

angered　Sator　Throg；　because　I　repulsed　him。　　He　ordered　me

to　be　thrown　into　one　of　the　great　pits　in　the　inner　gardens。

It　was　filled　with　banths。　　In　my　own　country　I　had　been

accustomed　to　command。　　Something　in　my　voice；　I　do　not

know　what；　cowed　the　beasts　as　they　sprang　to　attack　me。



〃Instead　of　tearing　me　to　pieces；　as　Sator　Throg　had

desired；　they　fawned　at　my　feet。　　So　greatly　were　Sator　Throg

and　his　friends　amused　by　the　sight　that　they　kept　me　to　train

and　handle　the　terrible　creatures。　　I　know　them　all　by　name。

There　are　many　of　them　wandering　through　these　lower　regions。

They　are　the　scavengers。　　Many　prisoners　die　here　in　their　chains。

The　banths　solve　the　problem　of　sanitation；　at　least　in　this　respect。



〃In　the　gardens　and　temples　above　they　are　kept　in　pits。

The　therns　fear　them。　　It　is　because　of　the　banths　that　they

seldom　venture　below　ground　except　as　their　duties　call　them。〃



An　idea　occurred　to　me；　suggested　by　what　Thuvia　had　just　said。



〃Why　not　take　a　number　of　banths　and　set　them　loose　before　us

above　ground？〃　I　asked。



Thuvia　laughed。




〃It　would　distract　attention　from　us；　I　am　sure；〃　she　said。



She　commenced　calling　in　a　low　singsong　voice　that　was

half　purr。　　She　continued　this　as　we　wound　our　tedious　way

through　the　maze　of　subterranean　passages　and　chambers。



Presently　soft；　padded　feet　sounded　close　behind　us；　and

as　I　turned　I　saw　a　pair　of　great；　green　eyes　shining　in　the

dark　shadows　at　our　rear。　　From　a　diverging　tunnel　a　sinuous；

tawny　form　crept　stealthily　toward　us。



Low　growls　and　angry　snarls　assailed　our　ears　on　every

side　as　we　hastened　on　and　one　by　one　the　ferocious

creatures　answered　the　call　of　their　mistress。



She　spoke　a　word　to　each　as　it　joined　us。　　Like　well…

schooled　terriers；　they　paced　the　corridors　with　us；　but　I

could　not　help　but　note　the　lathering　jowls；　nor　the　hungry

expressions　with　which　they　eyed　Tars　Tarkas　and　myself。



Soon　we　were　entirely　surrounded　by　some　fifty　of　the

brutes。　　Two　walked　close　on　either　side　of　Thuvia；　as　guards

might　walk。　　The　sleek　sides　of　others　now　and　then　touched

my　own　naked　limbs。　　It　was　a　strange　experience；　the

almost　noiseless　passage　of　naked　human　feet　and　padded

paws；　the　golden　walls　splashed　with　precious　stones；　the

dim　light　cast　by　the　tiny　radium　bulbs　set　at　considerable

distances　along　the　roof；　the　huge；　maned　beasts　of　prey

crowding　with　low　growls　about　us；　the　mighty　green　warrior

towering　high　above　us　all；　myself　crowned　with　the　priceless

diadem　of　a　Holy　Thern；　and　leading　the　procession　the

beautiful　girl；　Thuvia。



I　shall　not　soon　forget　it。



Presently　we　approached　a　great　chamber　more　brightly

lighted　than　the　corridors。　　Thuvia　halted　us。　　Quietly　she

stole　toward　the　entrance　and　glanced　within。　　Then　she

motioned　us　to　follow　her。



The　room　was　filled　with　specimens　of　the　strange　beings

that　inhabit　this　underworld；　a　heterogeneous　collection　of

hybridsthe　offspring　of　the　prisoners　from　the　outside

world；　red　and　green　Martians　and　the　white　race　of　therns。



Constant　confinement　below　ground　had　wrought　odd　freaks

upon　their　skins。　　They　more　resemble　corpses　than　living

beings。　　Many　are　deformed；　others　maimed；　while　the

majority；　Thuvia　explained；　are　sightless。



As　they　lay　sprawled　about　the　floor；　sometimes　overlapping

one　another；　again　in　heaps　of　several　bodies；　they　suggested

instantly　to　me　the　grotesque　illustrations　that　I　had

seen　in　copies　of　Dante's　INFERNO；　and　what　more　fitting

comparison？　　Was　this　not　indeed　a　veritable　hell；　peopled

by　lost　souls；　dead　and　damned　beyond　all　hope？



Picking　our　way　carefully　we　threaded　a　winding　path

across　the　chamber；　the　great　banths　sniffing　hungrily　at

the　tempting　prey　spread　before　them　in　such　tantalizing　and

defenceless　profusion。



Several　times　we　passed　the　entrances　to　other　chambers　similarly

peopled；　and　twice　again　we　were　compelled　to　cross　directly

through　them。　　In　others　were　chained　prisoners　and　beasts。



〃Why　is　it　that　we　see　no　therns？〃　I　asked　of　Thuvia。



〃They　seldom　traverse　the　underworld　at　night；　for

then　it　is　that　the　great　banths　prowl　the　dim　corridors

seeking　their　prey。　　The　therns　fear　the　awful　denizens　of

this　cruel　and　hopeless　world　that　they　have　fostered　and　allowed

to　grow　beneath　their　feet。　　The　prisoners　even　sometimes　turn

upon　them　and　rend　them。　　The　thern　can　never　tell　from

what　dark　shadow　an　assassin　may　spring　upon　his　back。



〃By　day　it　is　different。　　Then　the　corridors　and　chambers

are　filled　with　guards　passing　to　and　fro；　slaves　from　the

temples　above　come　by　hundreds　to　the　granaries　and

storerooms。　　All　is　life　then。　　You　did　not　see　it　because　I　led

you　not　in　the　beaten