warlord of mars-第7章

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while　he　jerked　suddenly　upon　the　other　end；　throwing　me

heavily　upon　my　back。

　

Then；　like　leaping　panthers；　they　were　upon　me；　but　they　had

reckoned　without　Woola；　and　before　ever　a　blade　touched　me；

a　roaring　embodiment　of　a　thousand　demons　hurtled　above　my

prostrate　form　and　my　loyal　Martian　calot　was　upon　them。

　

Imagine；　if　you　can；　a　huge　grizzly　with　ten　legs　armed　with

mighty　talons　and　an　enormous　froglike　mouth　splitting　his　head

from　ear　to　ear；　exposing　three　rows　of　long；　white　tusks。　　Then

endow　this　creature　of　your　imagination　with　the　agility　and

ferocity　of　a　half…starved　Bengal　tiger　and　the　strength　of　a　span

of　bulls；　and　you　will　have　some　faint　conception　of　Woola　in　action。

　

Before　I　could　call　him　off　he　had　crushed　Lakor　into　a　jelly　with

a　single　blow　of　one　mighty　paw；　and　had　literally　torn　the　other

thern　to　ribbons；　yet　when　I　spoke　to　him　sharply　he　cowed　sheepishly

as　though　he　had　done　a　thing　to　deserve　censure　and　chastisement。

　

Never　had　I　had　the　heart　to　punish　Woola　during　the　long　years　that

had　passed　since　that　first　day　upon　Mars　when　the　green　jed　of　the

Tharks　had　placed　him　on　guard　over　me；　and　I　had　won　his　love　and

loyalty　from　the　cruel　and　loveless　masters　of　his　former　life；

yet　I　believe　he　would　have　submitted　to　any　cruelty　that　I　might

have　inflicted　upon　him；　so　wondrous　was　his　affection　for　me。

　

The　diadem　in　the　center　of　the　circlet　of　gold　upon　the　brow　of

Lakor　proclaimed　him　a　Holy　Thern；　while　his　companion；　not　thus

adorned；　was　a　lesser　thern；　though　from　his　harness　I　gleaned　that

he　had　reached　the　Ninth　Cycle；　which　is　but　one　below　that　of　the

Holy　Therns。

　

As　I　stood　for　a　moment　looking　at　the　gruesome　havoc　Woola

had　wrought；　there　recurred　to　me　the　memory　of　that　other　occasion

upon　which　I　had　masqueraded　in　the　wig；　diadem；　and　harness　of

Sator　Throg；　the　Holy　Thern　whom　Thuvia　of　Ptarth　had　slain；　and

now　it　occurred　to　me　that　it　might　prove　of　worth　to　utilize

Lakor's　trappings　for　the　same　purpose。

　

A　moment　later　I　had　torn　his　yellow　wig　from　his　bald　pate

and　transferred　it　and　the　circlet；　as　well　as　all　his　harness；　to

my　own　person。

　

Woola　did　not　approve　of　the　metamorphosis。　　He　sniffed　at　me

and　growled　ominously；　but　when　I　spoke　to　him　and　patted　his　huge

head　he　at　length　became　reconciled　to　the　change；　and　at　my

command　trotted　off　along　the　corridor　in　the　direction　we　had

been　going　when　our　progress　had　been　interrupted　by　the　therns。

　

We　moved　cautiously　now；　warned　by　the　fragment　of　conversation

I　had　overheard。　　I　kept　abreast　of　Woola　that　we　might　have

the　benefit　of　all　our　eyes　for　what　might　appear　suddenly

ahead　to　menace　us；　and　well　it　was　that　we　were　forewarned。

　

At　the　bottom　of　a　flight　of　narrow　steps　the　corridor　turned

sharply　back　upon　itself；　immediately　making　another　turn　in　the

original　direction；　so　that　at　that　point　it　formed　a　perfect

letter　S；　the　top　leg　of　which　debouched　suddenly　into　a　large

chamber；　illy　lighted；　and　the　floor　of　which　was　completely

covered　by　venomous　snakes　and　loathsome　reptiles。

　

To　have　attempted　to　cross　that　floor　would　have　been　to　court

instant　death；　and　for　a　moment　I　was　almost　completely　discouraged。

Then　it　occurred　to　me　that　Thurid　and　Matai　Shang　with　their　party

must　have　crossed　it；　and　so　there　was　a　way。

　

Had　it　not　been　for　the　fortunate　accident　by　which　I　overheard

even　so　small　a　portion　of　the　therns'　conversation　we　should

have　blundered　at　least　a　step　or　two　into　that　wriggling

mass　of　destruction；　and　a　single　step　would　have　been　all…

sufficient　to　have　sealed　our　doom。

　

These　were　the　only　reptiles　I　had　ever　seen　upon　Barsoom；

but　I　knew　from　their　similarity　to　the　fossilized　remains　of

supposedly　extinct　species　I　had　seen　in　the　museums　of　Helium

that　they　comprised　many　of　the　known　prehistoric　reptilian　genera；

as　well　as　others　undiscovered。

　

A　more　hideous　aggregation　of　monsters　had　never　before　assailed

my　vision。　　It　would　be　futile　to　attempt　to　describe　them

to　Earth　men；　since　substance　is　the　only　thing　which　they　possess

in　common　with　any　creature　of　the　past　or　present　with　which　you

are　familiareven　their　venom　is　of　an　unearthly　virulence　that；

by　comparison；　would　make　the　cobra　de　capello　seem　quite　as

harmless　as　an　angleworm。

　

As　they　spied　me　there　was　a　concerted　rush　by　those　nearest

the　entrance　where　we　stood；　but　a　line　of　radium　bulbs　inset　along

the　threshold　of　their　chamber　brought　them　to　a　sudden　halt

evidently　they　dared　not　cross　that　line　of　light。

　

I　had　been　quite　sure　that　they　would　not　venture　beyond　the

room　in　which　I　had　discovered　them；　though　I　had　not　guessed　at

what　deterred　them。　　The　simple　fact　that　we　had　found　no　reptiles

in　the　corridor　through　which　we　had　just　come　was　sufficient

assurance　that　they　did　not　venture　there。

　

I　drew　Woola　out　of　harm's　way；　and　then　began　a　careful　survey

of　as　much　of　the　Chamber　of　Reptiles　as　I　could　see　from　where

I　stood。　　As　my　eyes　became　accustomed　to　the　dim　light　of　its

interior　I　gradually　made　out　a　low　gallery　at　the　far　end　of

the　apartment　from　which　opened　several　exits。

　

Coming　as　close　to　the　threshold　as　I　dared；　I　followed　this

gallery　with　my　eyes；　discovering　that　it　circled　the　room　as　far

as　I　could　see。　　Then　I　glanced　above　me　along　the　upper　edge　of

the　entrance　to　which　we　had　come；　and　there；　to　my　delight；　I　saw

an　end　of　the　gallery　not　a　foot　above　my　head。　　In　an　instant　I

had　leaped　to　it　and　called　Woola　after　me。

　

Here　there　were　no　reptilesthe　way　was　clear　to　the　opposite

side　of　the　hideous　chamberand　a　moment　later　Woola　and　I　dropped

down　to　safety　in　the　corridor　beyond。

　

Not　ten　minutes　later　we　came　into　a　vast　circular　apartment

of　white　marble；　the　walls　of　which　were　inlaid　with　gold　in　the

strange　hieroglyphics　of　the　First　Born。

　

From　the　high　dome　of　this　mighty　apartment　a　huge　circular　column

extended　to　the　floor；　and　as　I　watched　I　saw　that　it　slowly　revolved。

　

I　had　reached　the　base　of　the　Temple　of　the　Sun！

　

Somewhere　above　me　lay　Dejah　Thoris；　and　with　her　were　Phaidor；

daughter　of　Matai　Shang；　and　Thuvia　of　Ptarth。　　But　how　to

reach　them；　now　that　I　had　found　the　only　vulnerable　spot

in　their　mighty　prison；　was　still　a　baffling　riddle。

　

Slowly　I　circled　the　great　shaft；　looking　for　a　means　of　ingress。

Part　way　around　I　found　a　tiny　radium　flash　torch；　and　as

I　examined　it　in　mild　curiosity　as　to　its　presence　there　in　this

almost　inaccessible　and　unknown　spot；　I　came　suddenly　upon　the

insignia　of　the　house　of　Thurid　jewel…inset　in　its　metal　case。

　

I　am　upon　the　right　trail；　I　thought；　as　I　slipped　the　bauble

into　the　pocket…pouch　which　hung　from　my　harness。　　Then　I　continued

my　search　for　the　entrance；　which　I　knew　must　be　somewhere　about；

nor　had　I　long　to　search；　for　almost　immediately　thereafter　I　came

upon　a　small　door　so　cunningly　inlaid　in　the　shaft's　base　that　it

might　have　passed　unnoticed　by　a　less　keen　or　careful　observer。

　

There　was　the　door　that　would　lead　me　within　the　prison；　but

where　was　the　means　to　open　it？　　No　button　or　lock　were　visible。

Again　and　again　I　went　carefully　over　every　square　inch　of　its

surface；　but　the　most　that　I　could　find　was　a　tiny　pinhole　a　little

above　and　to　the　right　of　the　door's　centera　pinhole　that　seemed

only　an　accident　of　manufacture　or　an　imperfection　of　material。

　

Into　this　minute　aperture　I　attempted　to　peer；　but　whether　it

was　but　a　fraction　of　an　inch　deep　or　passed　completely　through

the　door　I　could　not　tellat　least　no　light　showed　beyond　it。

I　put　my　ear　to　it　next　and　listened；　but　again　my　efforts

brought　negligible　results。

　

During　these　experiments　Woola　had　been　standing　at　my　side

gazing　intently　at　the　door；　and　as　my　glance　fell　upon　him　it

occurred　to　me　t