tarzan the terrible-第51部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ng　thing　of　wood　and　metal　from　the　end　of　which　rose　a　thin　wreath　of　blue…gray　smoke。

And　then　the　voice　of　the　Ho…don　warrior　rang　clear　upon　the　ears　of　the　silent　throng。　〃Thus　speaks　the　true　Jad…ben…Otho；〃　he　cried；　〃through　this　his　Messenger　of　Death。　Cut　the　bonds　of　the　prisoners。　Cut　the　bonds　of　the　Dor…ul…Otho　and　of　Ja…don；　King　of　Pal…ul…don；　and　of　the　woman　who　is　the　mate　of　the　son　of　god。〃

Pan…sat；　filled　with　the　frenzy　of　fanaticism　saw　the　power　and　the　glory　of　the　regime　he　had　served　crumpled　and　gone。　To　one　and　only　one　did　he　attribute　the　blame　for　the　disaster　that　had　but　just　overwhelmed　him。　It　was　the　creature　who　lay　upon　the　sacrificial　altar　who　had　brought　Lu…don　to　his　death　and　toppled　the　dreams　of　power　that　day　by　day　had　been　growing　in　the　brain　of　the　under　priest。

The　sacrificial　knife　lay　upon　the　altar　where　it　had　fallen　from　the　dead　fingers　of　Obergatz。　Pan…sat　crept　closer　and　then　with　a　sudden　lunge　he　reached　forth　to　seize　the　handle　of　the　blade；　and　even　as　his　clutching　fingers　were　poised　above　it；　the　strange　thing　in　the　hands　of　the　strange　creature　upon　the　temple　wall　cried　out　its　crashing　word　of　doom　and　Pan…sat　the　under　priest；　screaming；　fell　back　upon　the　dead　body　of　his　master。

〃Seize　all　the　priests；〃　cried　Ta…den　to　the　warriors；　〃and　let　none　hesitate　lest　Jad…ben…Otho's　messenger　send　forth　still　other　bolts　of　lightning。〃

The　warriors　and　the　people　had　now　witnessed　such　an　exhibition　of　divine　power　as　might　have　convinced　an　even　less　superstitious　and　more　enlightened　people；　and　since　many　of　them　had　but　lately　wavered　between　the　Jad…ben…Otho　of　Lu…don　and　the　Dor…ul…Otho　of　Ja…don　it　was　not　difficult　for　them　to　swing　quickly　back　to　the　latter；　especially　in　view　of　the　unanswerable　argument　in　the　hands　of　him　whom　Ta…den　had　described　as　the　Messenger　of　the　Great　God。

And　so　the　warriors　sprang　forward　now　with　alacrity　and　surrounded　the　priests；　and　when　they　looked　again　at　the　western　wall　of　the　temple　court　they　saw　pouring　over　it　a　great　force　of　warriors。　And　the　thing　that　startled　and　appalled　them　was　the　fact　that　many　of　these　were　black　and　hairy　Waz…don。

At　their　head　came　the　stranger　with　the　shiny　weapon　and　on　his　right　was　Ta…den；　the　Ho…don；　and　on　his　left　Om…at；　the　black　gund　of　Kor…ul…ja。

A　warrior　near　the　altar　had　seized　the　sacrificial　knife　and　cut　Tarzan's　bonds　and　also　those　of　Ja…don　and　Jane　Clayton；　and　now　the　three　stood　together　beside　the　altar　and　as　the　newcomers　from　the　western　end　of　the　temple　court　pushed　their　way　toward　them　the　eyes　of　the　woman　went　wide　in　mingled　astonishment；　incredulity；　and　hope。　And　the　stranger；　slinging　his　weapon　across　his　back　by　a　leather　strap；　rushed　forward　and　took　her　in　his　arms。

〃Jack！〃　she　cried；　sobbing　on　his　shoulder。　〃Jack；　my　son！〃

And　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　came　then　and　put　his　arms　around　them　both；　and　the　King　of　Pal…ul…don　and　the　warriors　and　the　people　kneeled　in　the　temple　court　and　placed　their　foreheads　to　the　ground　before　the　altar　where　the　three　stood。



25

Home

WITHIN　an　hour　of　the　fall　of　Lu…don　and　Mo…sar；　the　chiefs　and　principal　warriors　of　Pal…ul…don　gathered　in　the　great　throneroom　of　the　palace　at　A…lur　upon　the　steps　of　the　lofty　pyramid　and　placing　Ja…don　at　the　apex　proclaimed　him　king。　Upon　one　side　of　the　old　chieftain　stood　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；　and　upon　the　other　Korak；　the　Killer；　worthy　son　of　the　mighty　ape…man。

And　when　the　brief　ceremony　was　over　and　the　warriors　with　upraised　clubs　had　sworn　fealty　to　their　new　ruler；　Ja…don　dispatched　a　trusted　company　to　fetch　O…lo…a　and　Pan…at…lee　and　the　women　of　his　own　household　from　Ja…lur。

And　then　the　warriors　discussed　the　future　of　Pal…ul…don　and　the　question　arose　as　to　the　administration　of　the　temples　and　the　fate　of　the　priests；　who　practically　without　exception　had　been　disloyal　to　the　government　of　the　king；　seeking　always　only　their　own　power　and　comfort　and　aggrandizement。　And　then　it　was　that　Ja…don　turned　to　Tarzan。　〃Let　the　Dor…ul…Otho　transmit　to　his　people　the　wishes　of　his　father；〃　he　said。

〃Your　problem　is　a　simple　one；〃　said　the　ape…man；　〃if　you　but　wish　to　do　that　which　shall　be　pleasing　in　the　eyes　of　God。　Your　priests；　to　increase　their　power；　have　taught　you　that　Jad…ben…Otho　is　a　cruel　god；　that　his　eyes　love　to　dwell　upon　blood　and　upon　suffering。　But　the　falsity　of　their　teachings　has　been　demonstrated　to　you　today　in　the　utter　defeat　of　the　priesthood。

〃Take　then　the　temples　from　the　men　and　give　them　instead　to　the　women　that　they　may　be　administered　in　kindness　and　charity　and　love。　Wash　the　blood　from　your　eastern　altar　and　drain　forever　the　water　from　the　western。

〃Once　I　gave　Lu…don　the　opportunity　to　do　these　things　but　he　ignored　my　commands；　and　again　is　the　corridor　of　sacrifice　filled　with　its　victims。　Liberate　these　from　every　temple　in　Pal…ul…don。　Bring　offerings　of　such　gifts　as　your　people　like　and　place　them　upon　the　altars　of　your　god。　And　there　he　will　bless　them　and　the　priestesses　of　Jad…ben…Otho　can　distribute　them　among　those　who　need　them　most。〃

As　he　ceased　speaking　a　murmur　of　evident　approval　ran　through　the　throng。　Long　had　they　been　weary　of　the　avarice　and　cruelty　of　the　priests　and　now　that　authority　had　come　from　a　high　source　with　a　feasible　plan　for　ridding　themselves　of　the　old　religious　order　without　necessitating　any　change　in　the　faith　of　the　people　they　welcomed　it。

〃And　the　priests；〃　cried　one。　〃We　shall　put　them　to　death　upon　their　own　altars　if　it　pleases　the　Dor…ul…Otho　to　give　the　word。〃

〃No；〃　cried　Tarzan。　〃Let　no　more　blood　be　spilled。　Give　them　their　freedom　and　the　right　to　take　up　such　occupations　as　they　choose。〃

That　night　a　great　feast　was　spread　in　the　pal…e…don…so　and　for　the　first　time　in　the　history　of　ancient　Pal…ul…don　black　warriors　sat　in　peace　and　friendship　with　white。　And　a　pact　was　sealed　between　Ja…don　and　Om…at　that　would　ever　make　his　tribe　and　the　Ho…don　allies　and　friends。

It　was　here　that　Tarzan　learned　the　cause　of　Ta…den's　failure　to　attack　at　the　stipulated　time。　A　messenger　had　come　from　Ja…don　carrying　instructions　to　delay　the　attack　until　noon；　nor　had　they　discovered　until　almost　too　late　that　the　messenger　was　a　disguised　priest　of　Lu…don。　And　they　had　put　him　to　death　and　scaled　the　walls　and　come　to　the　inner　temple　court　with　not　a　moment　to　spare。

The　following　day　O…lo…a　and　Pan…at…lee　and　the　women　of　Ja…don's　family　arrived　at　the　palace　at　A…lur　and　in　the　great　throneroom　Ta…den　and　O…lo…a　were　wed；　and　Om…at　and　Pan…at…lee。

For　a　week　Tarzan　and　Jane　and　Korak　remained　the　guests　of　Ja…don；　as　did　Om…at　and　his　black　warriors。　And　then　the　ape…man　announced　that　he　would　depart　from　Pal…ul…don。　Hazy　in　the　minds　of　their　hosts　was　the　location　of　heaven　and　equally　so　the　means　by　which　the　gods　traveled　between　their　celestial　homes　and　the　haunts　of　men　and　so　no　questionings　arose　when　it　was　found　that　the　Dor…ul…Otho　with　his　mate　and　son　would　travel　overland　across　the　mountains　and　out　of　Pal…ul…don　toward　the　north。

They　went　by　way　of　the　Kor…ul…ja　accompanied　by　the　warriors　of　that　tribe　and　a　great　contingent　of　Ho…don　warriors　under　Ta…den。　The　king　and　many　warriors　and　a　multitude　of　people　accompanied　them　beyond　the　limits　of　A…lur　and　after　they　had　bid　them　good…bye　and　Tarzan　had　invoked　the　blessings　of　God　upon　them　the　three　Europeans　saw　their　simple；　loyal　friends　prostrate　in　the　dust　behind　them　until　the　cavalcade　had　wound　out　of　the　city　and　disappeared　among　the　trees　of　the　nearby　forest。

They　rested　for　a　day　among　the　Kor…ul…ja　while　Jane　investigated　the　ancient　caves　of　these　strange　people　and　then　they　moved　on；　avoiding　the　rugged　shoulder　of　Pastar…ul…ved　and　winding　down　the　opposite　slope　toward　the　great　morass。　They　moved　in　comfort　and　in　safety；　surrounded　by　their　escort　of　Ho…don　and　Waz…don。

In　the　minds　of　many　there　was　doubtless　a　question　as　to　how　the　three　would　cross　the　great　morass　but　least　of　all　was　Tarzan　worried　by　the　problem。　In　the　course　of　his　life　he　had　been　confronted　by　many　obstacles　only　to　learn　that　he　who　will　may　always　pass。　In　his　mind　lurked　an　easy　solution　of　the　passage　but　it　was　one　which　depended　wholly　upon　chance。

It　was　the　morning　of　the　last　day　that；　as　they　were　breaking　camp　to　take　up　the　march；　a　deep　bellow　thundered　from　a　nearby　grove。　The　ape…man　smiled。　The　chance　had　come。　Fittingly　then　would　the　Dor…ul…Otho　and　his　mate　and　their　son　depart　from　unmapped　Pal…ul…don。

He　still　carried　the　spear　that　Jane　had　made；　which　he　had　prized　so　highly　because　it　was　her　handiwork　that　he　had　caused　a　search　to　be　made　for　it　through　the　temple　in　A…lur　after　his　release；　and　it　had　been　found　and　brought　to　him。　He　had　told　her　laughingly　that　it　should　have　the　place　of　honor　above　their　hearth　as　the　ancient　flintlock　of　her　Puritan　grandsire　had　held　a　similar　place　of　honor　above　the　fireplace　of　Professor　Porter；　her　father。

At　the　sound　of　the　bellowing　the　Ho…don　warriors；　some　of　whom　had　accompanied　Tarzan　from　Ja…don's　camp　to　Ja…lur；　looked　questioningly　at　the　ape…man　while　Om…at's　Waz…don　looked　for　trees；　since　the　gryf　was　the　one　creature　of　Pal…ul…don　which　might　not　be　safely　encountered　even　by　a　great　multitude　of　warriors。　Its　tough；　armored　hide　was　impregnable　to　their　knife　thrusts　while　their　thrown　clubs　rattled　from　it　as　futilely　as　if　hurled　at　the　rocky　shoulder　of　Pastar…ul…ved。

〃Wait；〃　said　the　ape…man；　and　with　his　spear　in　hand　he　advanced　toward　the　gryf；　voicing　the　weird　cry　of　the　Tor…o…don。　The　bellowing　ceased　and　turned　to　low　rumblings　and　presently　the　huge　beast　appeared。　What　followed　was　but　a　repetition　of　the　ape…man's　previous　experience　with　these　huge　and　ferocious　creatures。

And　so　it　was　that　Jane　and　Korak　and　Tarzan　rode　through　the　morass　that　hems　Pa…ul…don；　upon　the　back　of　a　prehistoric　triceratops　while　the　lesser　reptiles　of　the　swamp　fled　hissing　in　terror。　Upon　the　opposite　shore　they　turned　and　called　back　their　farewells　to　Ta…den　and　Om…at　and　the　brave　warriors　they　had　learned　to　admire　and　respect。　And　then　Tarza