the gods of mars-µÚ25²¿·Ö
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had¡¡been¡¡paper¡¡men¡£
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the¡¡arena's¡¡barrier¡¡wall¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨Ten¡¡of¡¡us¡¡can¡¡take¡¡the¡¡throne£»¡¨
for¡¡I¡¡had¡¡seen¡¡that¡¡Issus'¡¡guards¡¡had¡¡for¡¡the¡¡most¡¡part
entered¡¡the¡¡fray¡¡within¡¡the¡¡arena¡£
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and¡¡nobles¡¡of¡¡the¡¡First¡¡Born£»¡¡closed¡¡in¡¡between¡¡us¡¡and
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which¡¡at¡¡best¡¡could¡¡but¡¡partially¡¡recompense¡¡them¡¡for¡¡the
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¡¨Rise¡¡slaves£¡¡¨
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and¡¡Issus¡£¡¡¡¡Her¡¡face¡¡was¡¡blue¡¡with¡¡terror¡£¡¡¡¡Foam¡¡flecked
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Born¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡the¡¡fellow¡¡went¡¡down¡¡I¡¡snatched¡¡his¡¡sword¡¡from
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the¡¡one¡¡whose¡¡quick¡¡hand¡¡had¡¡saved¡¡me¡¡from¡¡the¡¡first¡¡cut¡¡of
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longer¡£¡¡¡¡All¡¡within¡¡the¡¡arena¡¡are¡¡dead¡£¡¡¡¡All¡¡who¡¡charged
the¡¡throne¡¡are¡¡dead¡¡but¡¡you¡¡and¡¡this¡¡youth¡£¡¡¡¡Only¡¡among
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and¡¡the¡¡slave¡¡women¡¡are¡¡fast¡¡being¡¡cut¡¡down¡£¡¡¡¡Listen£¡¡¡¡¡You
can¡¡scarce¡¡hear¡¡the¡¡battle¡cry¡¡of¡¡the¡¡women¡¡now¡¡for¡¡nearly
all¡¡are¡¡dead¡£¡¡¡¡For¡¡each¡¡one¡¡of¡¡you¡¡there¡¡are¡¡ten¡¡thousand
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you¡¡may¡¡yet¡¡win¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Golden¡¡Cliffs¡¡and¡¡the¡¡templed¡¡gardens
of¡¡the¡¡Holy¡¡Therns¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡tell¡¡your¡¡story¡¡to¡¡Matai¡¡Shang£»
my¡¡father¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡will¡¡keep¡¡you£»¡¡and¡¡together¡¡you¡¡may¡¡find¡¡a¡¡way
to¡¡rescue¡¡me¡£¡¡¡¡Fly¡¡while¡¡there¡¡is¡¡yet¡¡a¡¡bare¡¡chance¡¡for¡¡flight¡£¡¨
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be¡¡preferred¡¡in¡¡the¡¡cruel¡¡hospitality¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Holy¡¡Therns
to¡¡that¡¡of¡¡the¡¡First¡¡Born¡£
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turned¡¡to¡¡flee¡£¡¡¡¡Directly¡¡behind¡¡her¡¡a¡¡black¡¡gulf¡¡suddenly
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opening¡¡with¡¡the¡¡youth¡¡and¡¡I¡¡close¡¡at¡¡her¡¡heels¡£¡¡¡¡Her¡¡scattered
guard¡¡rallied¡¡at¡¡her¡¡cry¡¡and¡¡rushed¡¡for¡¡us¡£¡¡¡¡A¡¡blow¡¡fell
upon¡¡the¡¡head¡¡of¡¡the¡¡youth¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡staggered¡¡and¡¡would¡¡have
fallen£»¡¡but¡¡I¡¡caught¡¡him¡¡in¡¡my¡¡left¡¡arm¡¡and¡¡turned¡¡to¡¡face
an¡¡infuriated¡¡mob¡¡of¡¡religious¡¡fanatics¡¡crazed¡¡by¡¡the¡¡affront
I¡¡had¡¡put¡¡upon¡¡their¡¡goddess£»¡¡just¡¡as¡¡Issus¡¡disappeared¡¡into
the¡¡black¡¡depths¡¡beneath¡¡me¡£
CHAPTER¡¡XII
DOOMED¡¡TO¡¡DIE
For¡¡an¡¡instant¡¡I¡¡stood¡¡there¡¡before¡¡they¡¡fell¡¡upon¡¡me£»¡¡but
the¡¡first¡¡rush¡¡of¡¡them¡¡forced¡¡me¡¡back¡¡a¡¡step¡¡or¡¡two¡£¡¡¡¡My
foot¡¡felt¡¡for¡¡the¡¡floor¡¡but¡¡found¡¡only¡¡empty¡¡space¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡had
backed¡¡into¡¡the¡¡pit¡¡which¡¡had¡¡received¡¡Issus¡£¡¡¡¡For¡¡a¡¡second
I¡¡toppled¡¡there¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡brink¡£¡¡¡¡Then¡¡I¡¡too¡¡with¡¡the¡¡boy
still¡¡tightly¡¡clutched¡¡in¡¡my¡¡arms¡¡pitched¡¡backward¡¡into¡¡the
black¡¡abyss¡£
We¡¡struck¡¡a¡¡polished¡¡chute£»¡¡the¡¡opening¡¡above¡¡us¡¡closed
as¡¡magically¡¡as¡¡it¡¡had¡¡opened£»¡¡and¡¡we¡¡shot¡¡down£»¡¡unharmed£»
into¡¡a¡¡dimly¡¡lighted¡¡apartment¡¡far¡¡below¡¡the¡¡arena¡£
As¡¡I¡¡rose¡¡to¡¡my¡¡feet¡¡the¡¡first¡¡thing¡¡I¡¡saw¡¡was¡¡the¡¡malignant
countenance¡¡of¡¡Issus¡¡glaring¡¡at¡¡me¡¡through¡¡the¡¡heavy¡¡bars
of¡¡a¡¡grated¡¡door¡¡at¡¡one¡¡side¡¡of¡¡the¡¡chamber¡£
¡¨Rash¡¡mortal£¡¡¨¡¡she¡¡shrilled¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨You¡¡shall¡¡pay¡¡the¡¡awful
penalty¡¡for¡¡your¡¡blasphemy¡¡in¡¡this¡¡secret¡¡cell¡£¡¡¡¡Here¡¡you¡¡shall
lie¡¡alone¡¡and¡¡in¡¡darkness¡¡with¡¡the¡¡carcass¡¡of¡¡your¡¡accomplice
festering¡¡in¡¡its¡¡rottenness¡¡by¡¡your¡¡side£»¡¡until¡¡crazed¡¡by
loneliness¡¡and¡¡hunger¡¡you¡¡feed¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡crawling¡¡maggots¡¡that
were¡¡once¡¡a¡¡man¡£¡¨
That¡¡was¡¡all¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡another¡¡instant¡¡she¡¡was¡¡gone£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡dim
light¡¡which¡¡had¡¡filled¡¡the¡¡cell¡¡faded¡¡into¡¡Cimmerian¡¡blackness¡£
¡¨Pleasant¡¡old¡¡lady£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡a¡¡voice¡¡at¡¡my¡¡side¡£
¡¨Who¡¡speaks£¿¡¨¡¡I¡¡asked¡£
¡¨'Tis¡¡I£»¡¡your¡¡companion£»¡¡who¡¡has¡¡had¡¡the¡¡honour¡¡this¡¡day¡¡of
fighting¡¡shoulder¡¡to¡¡shoulder¡¡with¡¡the¡¡greatest¡¡warrior¡¡that
ever¡¡wore¡¡metal¡¡upon¡¡Barsoom¡£¡¨
¡¨I¡¡thank¡¡God¡¡that¡¡you¡¡are¡¡not¡¡dead£»¡¨¡¡I¡¡said¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨I¡¡feared¡¡for
that¡¡nasty¡¡cut¡¡upon¡¡your¡¡head¡£¡¨
¡¨It¡¡but¡¡stunned¡¡me£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡replied¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨A¡¡mere¡¡scratch¡£¡¨
¡¨Maybe¡¡it¡¡were¡¡as¡¡well¡¡had¡¡it¡¡been¡¡final£»¡¨¡¡I¡¡said¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨We
seem¡¡to¡¡be¡¡in¡¡a¡¡pretty¡¡fix¡¡here¡¡with¡¡a¡¡splendid¡¡chance¡¡of
dying¡¡of¡¡starvation¡¡and¡¡thirst¡£¡¨
¡¨Where¡¡are¡¡we£¿¡¨
¡¨Beneath¡¡the¡¡arena£»¡¨¡¡I¡¡replied¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨We¡¡tumbled¡¡down¡¡the
shaft¡¡that¡¡swallowed¡¡Issus¡¡as¡¡she¡¡was¡¡almost¡¡at¡¡our¡¡mercy¡£¡¨
He¡¡laughed¡¡a¡¡low¡¡laugh¡¡of¡¡pleasure¡¡and¡¡relief£»¡¡and¡¡then
reaching¡¡out¡¡through¡¡the¡¡inky¡¡blackness¡¡he¡¡sought¡¡my
shoulder¡¡and¡¡pulled¡¡my¡¡ear¡¡close¡¡to¡¡his¡¡mouth¡£
¡¨Nothing¡¡could¡¡be¡¡better£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡whispered¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨There¡¡are¡¡secrets
within¡¡the¡¡secrets¡¡of¡¡Issus¡¡of¡¡which¡¡Issus¡¡herself¡¡does¡¡not¡¡dream¡£¡¨
¡¨What¡¡do¡¡you¡¡mean£¿¡¨
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remodelling¡¡of¡¡these¡¡subterranean¡¡galleries£»¡¡and¡¡at¡¡that
time¡¡we¡¡found¡¡below¡¡these¡¡an¡¡ancient¡¡system¡¡of¡¡corridors
and¡¡chambers¡¡that¡¡had¡¡been¡¡sealed¡¡up¡¡for¡¡ages¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡blacks
in¡¡charge¡¡of¡¡the¡¡work¡¡explored¡¡them£»¡¡taking¡¡several¡¡of¡¡us
along¡¡to¡¡do¡¡whatever¡¡work¡¡there¡¡might¡¡be¡¡occasion¡¡for¡£
I¡¡know¡¡the¡¡entire¡¡system¡¡perfectly¡£
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the¡¡gardens¡¡and¡¡the¡¡temple¡¡itself£»¡¡and¡¡there¡¡is¡¡one¡¡passage
that¡¡leads¡¡down¡¡to¡¡and¡¡connects¡¡with¡¡the¡¡lower¡¡regions¡¡that
open¡¡on¡¡the¡¡water¡¡shaft¡¡that¡¡gives¡¡passage¡¡to¡¡Omean¡£
¡¨If¡¡we¡¡can¡¡reach¡¡the¡¡submarine¡¡undetected¡¡we¡¡may¡¡yet
make¡¡the¡¡sea¡¡in¡¡which¡¡there¡¡are¡¡many¡¡islands¡¡where¡¡the
blacks¡¡never¡¡go¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡we¡¡may¡¡live¡¡for¡¡a¡¡time£»¡¡and¡¡who
knows¡¡what¡¡may¡¡transpire¡¡to¡¡aid¡¡us¡¡to¡¡escape£¿¡¨
He¡¡had¡¡spoken¡¡all¡¡in¡¡a¡¡low¡¡whisper£»¡¡evidently¡¡fearing¡¡spying
ears¡¡even¡¡here£»¡¡and¡¡so¡¡I¡¡answered¡¡him¡¡in¡¡the¡¡samesubdued¡¡tone¡£
¡¨Lead¡¡back¡¡to¡¡Shador£»¡¡my¡¡friend£»¡¨¡¡I¡¡whispered¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨Xodar£»¡¡the
black£»¡¡is¡¡there¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡were¡¡to¡¡attempt¡¡our¡¡escape¡¡together£»
so¡¡I¡¡cannot¡¡desert¡¡him¡£¡¨
¡¨No£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡the¡¡boy£»¡¡¡¨one¡¡cannot¡¡desert¡¡a¡¡friend¡£
It¡¡were¡¡better¡¡to¡¡be¡¡recaptured¡¡ourselves¡¡than¡¡that¡£¡¨
Then¡¡he¡¡commenced¡¡groping¡¡his¡¡way¡¡about¡¡the¡¡floor¡¡of
the¡¡dark¡¡chamber¡¡searching¡¡for¡¡the¡¡trap¡¡that¡¡led¡¡to¡¡the
corridors¡¡beneath¡£¡¡¡¡At¡¡length¡¡he¡¡summoned¡¡me¡¡by¡¡a¡¡low£»
¡¨S¡s¡t£»¡¨¡¡and¡¡I¡¡crept¡¡toward¡¡the¡¡sound¡¡of¡¡his¡¡voice¡¡to
find¡¡him¡¡kneeling¡¡on¡¡the¡¡brink¡¡of¡¡an¡¡opening¡¡in¡¡the¡¡floor¡£
¡¨There¡¡is¡¡a¡¡drop¡¡here¡¡of¡¡about¡¡ten¡¡feet£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡whispered¡£
¡¨Hang¡¡by¡¡y