the gods of mars-第18部分

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temples　of　the　therns；　they　would　mete　out　a　frightful

death　to　you。　　Not　even　mymy〃　　Again　she　flushed；

and　started　over。　　〃Not　even　I　could　save　you。〃



I　said　no　more。　　Evidently　it　was　useless。　　She　was　even　more

steeped　in　superstition　than　the　Martians　of　the　outer　world。

They　only　worshipped　a　beautiful　hope　for　a　life　of　love

and　peace　and　happiness　in　the　hereafter。　　The　therns

worshipped　the　hideous　plant　men　and　the　apes；　or　at

least　they　reverenced　them　as　the　abodes　of　the　departed

spirits　of　their　own　dead。



At　this　point　the　door　of　our　prison　opened　to　admit　Xodar。



He　smiled　pleasantly　at　me；　and　when　he　smiled　his　expression

was　kindlyanything　but　cruel　or　vindictive。



〃Since　you　cannot　escape　under　any　circumstances；〃　he　said；

〃I　cannot　see　the　necessity　for　keeping　you　confined　below。

I　will　cut　your　bonds　and　you　may　come　on　deck。　　You　will

witness　something　very　interesting；　and　as　you　never　shall

return　to　the　outer　world　it　will　do　no　harm　to　permit　you

to　see　it。　　You　will　see　what　no　other　than　the　First　Born

and　their　slaves　know　the　existence　ofthe　subterranean

entrance　to　the　Holy　Land；　to　the　real　heaven　of　Barsoom。



〃It　will　be　an　excellent　lesson　for　this　daughter　of　the　therns；〃

he　added；　〃for　she　shall　see　the　Temple　of　Issus；　and　Issus；

perchance；　shall　embrace　her。〃



Phaidor's　head　went　high。



〃What　blasphemy　is　this；　dog　of　a　pirate？〃　she　cried。

〃Issus　would　wipe　out　your　entire　breed　an'　you　ever

came　within　sight　of　her　temple。〃



〃You　have　much　to　learn；　thern；〃　replied　Xodar；　with　an

ugly　smile；　〃nor　do　I　envy　you　the　manner　in　which　you

will　learn　it。〃



As　we　came　on　deck　I　saw　to　my　surprise　that　the　vessel

was　passing　over　a　great　field　of　snow　and　ice。　　As　far　as　the

eye　could　reach　in　any　direction　naught　else　was　visible。



There　could　be　but　one　solution　to　the　mystery。　　We　were

above　the　south　polar　ice　cap。　　Only　at　the　poles　of　Mars　is

there　ice　or　snow　upon　the　planet。　　No　sign　of　life　appeared

below　us。　　Evidently　we　were　too　far　south　even　for　the　great

fur…bearing　animals　which　the　Martians　so　delight　in　hunting。



Xodar　was　at　my　side　as　I　stood　looking　out　over　the　ship's　rail。



〃What　course？〃　I　asked　him。



〃A　little　west　of　south；〃　he　replied。　　〃You　will　see　the　Otz

Valley　directly。　　We　shall　skirt　it　for　a　few　hundred　miles。〃



〃The　Otz　Valley！〃　I　exclaimed；　〃but；　man；　is　not　there　where

lie　the　domains　of　the　therns　from　which　I　but　just　escaped？〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　Xodar。　　〃You　crossed　this　ice　field　last

night　in　the　long　chase　that　you　led　us。　　The　Otz　Valley　lies

in　a　mighty　depression　at　the　south　pole。　　It　is　sunk　thousands

of　feet　below　the　level　of　the　surrounding　country；　like　a

great　round　bowl。　　A　hundred　miles　from　its　northern　boundary

rise　the　Otz　Mountains　which　circle　the　inner　Valley　of

Dor；　in　the　exact　centre　of　which　lies　the　Lost　Sea　of　Korus。

On　the　shore　of　this　sea　stands　the　Golden　Temple　of　Issus

in　the　Land　of　the　First　Born。　　It　is　there　that　we　are　bound。〃



As　I　looked　I　commenced　to　realize　why　it　was　that　in

all　the　ages　only　one　had　escaped　from　the　Valley　Dor。　　My

only　wonder　was　that　even　the　one　had　been　successful。　　To

cross　this　frozen；　wind…swept　waste　of　bleak　ice　alone　and

on　foot　would　be　impossible。



〃Only　by　air　boat　could　the　journey　be　made；〃　I　finished　aloud。



〃It　was　thus　that　one　did　escape　the　therns　in　bygone

times；　but　none　has　ever　escaped　the　First　Born；〃　said　Xodar；

with　a　touch　of　pride　in　his　voice。



We　had　now　reached　the　southernmost　extremity　of　the

great　ice　barrier。　　It　ended　abruptly　in　a　sheer　wall　thousands

of　feet　high　at　the　base　of　which　stretched　a　level　valley；

broken　here　and　there　by　low　rolling　hills　and　little　clumps

of　forest；　and　with　tiny　rivers　formed　by　the　melting　of　the

ice　barrier　at　its　base。



Once　we　passed　far　above　what　seemed　to　be　a　deep

canyon…like　rift　stretching　from　the　ice　wall　on　the　north

across　the　valley　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach。　　〃That　is　the

bed　of　the　River　Iss；〃　said　Xodar。　　〃It　runs　far　beneath　the

ice　field；　and　below　the　level　of　the　Valley　Otz；　but　its　canyon

is　open　here。〃



Presently　I　descried　what　I　took　to　be　a　village；　and　pointing

it　out　to　Xodar　asked　him　what　it　might　be。



〃It　is　a　village　of　lost　souls；〃　he　answered；　laughing。　　〃This

strip　between　the　ice　barrier　and　the　mountains　is　considered

neutral　ground。　　Some　turn　off　from　their　voluntary　pilgrimage

down　the　Iss；　and；　scaling　the　awful　walls　of　its　canyon　below

us；　stop　in　the　valley。　　Also　a　slave　now　and　then　escapes

from　the　therns　and　makes　his　way　hither。



〃They　do　not　attempt　to　recapture　such；　since　there　is　no

escape　from　this　outer　valley；　and　as　a　matter　of　fact　they

fear　the　patrolling　cruisers　of　the　First　Born　too　much　to

venture　from　their　own　domains。



〃The　poor　creatures　of　this　outer　valley　are　not　molested

by　us　since　they　have　nothing　that　we　desire；　nor　are　they

numerically　strong　enough　to　give　us　an　interesting　fightso

we　too　leave　them　alone。



〃There　are　several　villages　of　them；　but　they　have　increased

in　numbers　but　little　in　many　years　since　they　are　always

warring　among　themselves。〃



Now　we　swung　a　little　north　of　west；　leaving　the　valley　of

lost　souls；　and　shortly　I　discerned　over　our　starboard　bow

what　appeared　to　be　a　black　mountain　rising　from　the　desolate

waste　of　ice。　　It　was　not　high　and　seemed　to　have　a　flat　top。



Xodar　had　left　us　to　attend　to　some　duty　on　the　vessel；

and　Phaidor　and　I　stood　alone　beside　the　rail。　　The　girl　had

not　once　spoken　since　we　had　been　brought　to　the　deck。



〃Is　what　he　has　been　telling　me　true？〃　I　asked　her。



〃In　part；　yes；〃　she　answered。　　〃That　about　the　outer　valley

is　true；　but　what　he　says　of　the　location　of　the　Temple

of　Issus　in　the　centre　of　his　country　is　false。　　If　it　is　not

false〃　she　hesitated。　　〃Oh　it　cannot　be　true；　it　cannot　be

true。　　For　if　it　were　true　then　for　countless　ages　have　my

people　gone　to　torture　and　ignominious　death　at　the　hands

of　their　cruel　enemies；　instead　of　to　the　beautiful　Life　Eternal

that　we　have　been　taught　to　believe　Issus　holds　for　us。〃



〃As　the　lesser　Barsoomians　of　the　outer　world　have　been

lured　by　you　to　the　terrible　Valley　Dor；　so　may　it　be　that　the

therns　themselves　have　been　lured　by　the　First　Born　to　an

equally　horrid　fate；〃　I　suggested。　　〃It　would　be　a　stern　and

awful　retribution；　Phaidor；　but　a　just　one。〃



〃I　cannot　believe　it；〃　she　said。



〃We　shall　see；〃　I　answered；　and　then　we　fell　silent　again　for　we

were　rapidly　approaching　the　black　mountains；　which　in　some

indefinable　way　seemed　linked　with　the　answer　to　our　problem。



As　we　neared　the　dark；　truncated　cone　the　vessel's　speed　was

diminished　until　we　barely　moved。　　Then　we　topped　the　crest

of　the　mountain　and　below　us　I　saw　yawning　the　mouth　of　a

huge　circular　well；　the　bottom　of　which　was　lost　in　inky　blackness。



The　diameter　of　this　enormous　pit　was　fully　a　thousand　feet。

The　walls　were　smooth　and　appeared　to　be　composed　of　a

black；　basaltic　rock。



For　a　moment　the　vessel　hovered　motionless　directly　above

the　centre　of　the　gaping　void；　then　slowly　she　began　to　settle

into　the　black　chasm。　　Lower　and　lower　she　sank　until　as

darkness　enveloped　us　her　lights　were　thrown　on　and　in　the

dim　halo　of　her　own　radiance　the　monster　battleship　dropped

on　and　on　down　into　what　seemed　to　me　must　be　the　very

bowels　of　Barsoom。



For　quite　half　an　hour　we　descended　and　then　the　shaft

terminated　abruptly　in　the　dome　of　a　mighty　subterranean

world。　　Below　us　rose　and　fell　the　billows　of　a　buried　sea。　　A

phosphorescent　radiance　illuminated　the　scene。　　Thousands　of

ships　dotted　the　bosom　of　the　ocean。　　Little　islands　rose　here

and　there　to　support　the　strange　and　colourless　vegetation　of

this　strange　world。



Slowly　and　with　majestic　grace　the　battleship　dropped　until

she　rested　on　the　water。　　Her　great　propellers　had　been

drawn　and　housed　during　our　descent　of　the　shaft　and　in

their　place　had　been　run　out　the　smaller　but　more　powerful

water　propellers。　　As　these　commenced　to　revolve　the

ship　took　up　its　journey　once　more；　riding　the　new　element

as　buoyantly　and　as　safely　as　she　had　the　air。



Phaidor　and　I　were　dumbfounded。　　Neither　had　either　heard　or

dreamed　that　such　a　world　existed　beneath　the　surface　of　Barsoom。



Nearly　all　the　vessels　we　saw　were　war　craft。　　There　were

a　few　lighters　and　barges；　but　none　of　the　great　merchantmen

such　as　ply　the　upper　air　between　the　cities　of　the　outer　world。



〃Here　is　the　harbour　of　the　navy　of　the　First　Born；〃

said　a　voice　behind　us；　and　turning　we　saw　Xodar　watching

us　with　an　amused　smile　on　his　lips。



〃This　sea；〃　he　continued；　〃is　larger　than　Korus。　　It　receives

the　waters　of　the　lesser　sea　above　it。　　To　keep　it　from　filling

above　a　certain　level　we　have　four　great　pumping　stations　that

force　the　oversupply　back　into　the　reservoirs　far　north　from　which

the　red　men　draw　the　water　which　irrigates　their　farm　lands。〃



A　new　light　burst　on　me　with　this　explanation。　　The　red

men　had　always　considered　it　a　miracle　that　caused　great

columns　of　water　to　spurt　from　the　solid　rock　of　their

reservoir　sides　to　increase　the　supply　of　the　precious

liquid　which　is　so　scarce　in　the　outer　world　of　Mars。



Never　had　their　learned　men　been　able　to　fathom　the

secret　of　the　source　of　this　enormous　volume　of　water。

As　ages　passed　they　had　simply　come　to　accept　it　as　a

matter　of　course　and　ceased　to　question　its　origin。



We　passed　several　islands　on　which　were　strangely　shaped

circular　buildings；　apparently　roofless；　and　pierced　midway

between　the　ground　and　their　tops　with　small；　heavily　barred

windows。　　They　bore　the　earmarks　of　prisons；　which　were

further　accentuated　by　the　armed　guards　who　squatted　on

low　be