a princess of mars-第24章

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some　huge　phantasmagoria；　except　when　the　stillness　was

broken　by　the　guttural　growling　of　a　goaded　zitidar；　or　the

squealing　of　fighting　thoats。　　The　green　Martians　converse

but　little；　and　then　usually　in　monosyllables；　low　and　like

the　faint　rumbling　of　distant　thunder。



We　traversed　a　trackless　waste　of　moss　which；　bending　to

the　pressure　of　broad　tire　or　padded　foot；　rose　up　again

behind　us；　leaving　no　sign　that　we　had　passed。　　We　might

indeed　have　been　the　wraiths　of　the　departed　dead　upon　the

dead　sea　of　that　dying　planet　for　all　the　sound　or　sign　we

made　in　passing。　　It　was　the　first　march　of　a　large　body　of

men　and　animals　I　had　ever　witnessed　which　raised　no　dust

and　left　no　spoor；　for　there　is　no　dust　upon　Mars　except　in

the　cultivated　districts　during　the　winter　months；　and　even

then　the　absence　of　high　winds　renders　it　almost　unnoticeable。



We　camped　that　night　at　the　foot　of　the　hills　we　had　been

approaching　for　two　days　and　which　marked　the　southern

boundary　of　this　particular　sea。　　Our　animals　had　been　two

days　without　drink；　nor　had　they　had　water　for　nearly　two

months；　not　since　shortly　after　leaving　Thark；　but；　as　Tars

Tarkas　explained　to　me；　they　require　but　little　and　can　live

almost　indefinitely　upon　the　moss　which　covers　Barsoom；　and

which；　he　told　me；　holds　in　its　tiny　stems　sufficient　moisture

to　meet　the　limited　demands　of　the　animals。

After　partaking　of　my　evening　meal　of　cheese…like　food

and　vegetable　milk　I　sought　out　Sola；　whom　I　found　working

by　the　light　of　a　torch　upon　some　of　Tars　Tarkas'　trappings。

She　looked　up　at　my　approach；　her　face　lighting　with　pleasure

and　with　welcome。



〃I　am　glad　you　came；〃　she　said；　〃Dejah　Thoris　sleeps　and

I　am　lonely。　　Mine　own　people　do　not　care　for　me；　John　Carter；

I　am　too　unlike　them。　　It　is　a　sad　fate；　since　I　must　live

my　life　amongst　them；　and　I　often　wish　that　I　were　a　true

green　Martian　woman；　without　love　and　without　hope；　but　I

have　known　love　and　so　I　am　lost。



〃I　promised　to　tell　you　my　story；　or　rather　the　story　of

my　parents。　　From　what　I　have　learned　of　you　and　the　ways

of　your　people　I　am　sure　that　the　tale　will　not　seem　strange

to　you；　but　among　green　Martians　it　has　no　parallel　within

the　memory　of　the　oldest　living　Thark；　nor　do　our　legends

hold　many　similar　tales。



〃My　mother　was　rather　small；　in　fact　too　small　to　be　allowed

the　responsibilities　of　maternity；　as　our　chieftains　breed

principally　for　size。　　She　was　also　less　cold　and　cruel

than　most　green　Martian　women；　and　caring　little　for　their

society；　she　often　roamed　the　deserted　avenues　of　Thark

alone；　or　went　and　sat　among　the　wild　flowers　that　deck

the　nearby　hills；　thinking　thoughts　and　wishing　wishes

which　I　believe　I　alone　among　Tharkian　women　today　may

understand；　for　am　I　not　the　child　of　my　mother？



〃And　there　among　the　hills　she　met　a　young　warrior；　whose

duty　it　was　to　guard　the　feeding　zitidars　and　thoats　and　see

that　they　roamed　not　beyond　the　hills。　　They　spoke　at　first

only　of　such　things　as　interest　a　community　of　Tharks；　but

gradually；　as　they　came　to　meet　more　often；　and；　as　was

now　quite　evident　to　both；　no　longer　by　chance；　they　talked

about　themselves；　their　likes；　their　ambitions　and　their　hopes。

She　trusted　him　and　told　him　of　the　awful　repugnance　she

felt　for　the　cruelties　of　their　kind；　for　the　hideous；　loveless

lives　they　must　ever　lead；　and　then　she　waited　for　the　storm

of　denunciation　to　break　from　his　cold；　hard　lips；　but　instead

he　took　her　in　his　arms　and　kissed　her。



〃They　kept　their　love　a　secret　for　six　long　years。　　She；　my

mother；　was　of　the　retinue　of　the　great　Tal　Hajus；　while　her

lover　was　a　simple　warrior；　wearing　only　his　own　metal。

Had　their　defection　from　the　traditions　of　the　Tharks　been

discovered　both　would　have　paid　the　penalty　in　the　great

arena　before　Tal　Hajus　and　the　assembled　hordes。



〃The　egg　from　which　I　came　was　hidden　beneath　a　great

glass　vessel　upon　the　highest　and　most　inaccessible　of　the

partially　ruined　towers　of　ancient　Thark。　　Once　each　year　my

mother　visited　it　for　the　five　long　years　it　lay　there　in　the

process　of　incubation。　　She　dared　not　come　oftener；　for　in　the

mighty　guilt　of　her　conscience　she　feared　that　her　every

move　was　watched。　　During　this　period　my　father　gained　great

distinction　as　a　warrior　and　had　taken　the　metal　from　several

chieftains。　　His　love　for　my　mother　had　never　diminished；

and　his　own　ambition　in　life　was　to　reach　a　point　where

he　might　wrest　the　metal　from　Tal　Hajus　himself；　and　thus；

as　ruler　of　the　Tharks；　be　free　to　claim　her　as　his　own；

as　well　as；　by　the　might　of　his　power；　protect　the　child

which　otherwise　would　be　quickly　dispatched　should　the

truth　become　known。



〃It　was　a　wild　dream；　that　of　wresting　the　metal　from　Tal

Hajus　in　five　short　years；　but　his　advance　was　rapid；　and　he

soon　stood　high　in　the　councils　of　Thark。　　But　one　day　the

chance　was　lost　forever；　in　so　far　as　it　could　come　in　time

to　save　his　loved　ones；　for　he　was　ordered　away　upon　a　long

expedition　to　the　ice…clad　south；　to　make　war　upon　the

natives　there　and　despoil　them　of　their　furs；　for　such　is

the　manner　of　the　green　Barsoomian；　he　does　not　labor　for

what　he　can　wrest　in　battle　from　others。



〃He　was　gone　for　four　years；　and　when　he　returned　all

had　been　over　for　three；　for　about　a　year　after　his　departure；

and　shortly　before　the　time　for　the　return　of　an　expedition

which　had　gone　forth　to　fetch　the　fruits　of　a　community

incubator；　the　egg　had　hatched。　　Thereafter　my　mother

continued　to　keep　me　in　the　old　tower；　visiting　me　nightly

and　lavishing　upon　me　the　love　the　community　life　would

have　robbed　us　both　of。　　She　hoped；　upon　the　return　of　the

expedition　from　the　incubator；　to　mix　me　with　the　other　young

assigned　to　the　quarters　of　Tal　Hajus；　and　thus　escape　the

fate　which　would　surely　follow　discovery　of　her　sin　against

the　ancient　traditions　of　the　green　men。



〃She　taught　me　rapidly　the　language　and　customs　of　my　kind；

and　one　night　she　told　me　the　story　I　have　told　to　you　up　to

this　point；　impressing　upon　me　the　necessity　for　absolute

secrecy　and　the　great　caution　I　must　exercise　after　she　had

placed　me　with　the　other　young　Tharks　to　permit　no　one　to

guess　that　I　was　further　advanced　in　education　than　they；

nor　by　any　sign　to　divulge　in　the　presence　of　others　my

affection　for　her；　or　my　knowledge　of　my　parentage；　and

then　drawing　me　close　to　her　she　whispered　in　my　ear　the

name　of　my　father。



〃And　then　a　light　flashed　out　upon　the　darkness　of　the

tower　chamber；　and　there　stood　Sarkoja；　her　gleaming；

baleful　eyes　fixed　in　a　frenzy　of　loathing　and　contempt

upon　my　mother。　　The　torrent　of　hatred　and　abuse　she

poured　out　upon　her　turned　my　young　heart　cold　in　terror。

That　she　had　heard　the　entire　story　was　apparent；　and　that

she　had　suspected　something　wrong　from　my　mother's　long　nightly

absences　from　her　quarters　accounted　for　her　presence　there

on　that　fateful　night。



〃One　thing　she　had　not　heard；　nor　did　she　know；　the

whispered　name　of　my　father。　　This　was　apparent　from　her

repeated　demands　upon　my　mother　to　disclose　the　name　of

her　partner　in　sin；　but　no　amount　of　abuse　or　threats　could

wring　this　from　her；　and　to　save　me　from　needless　torture

she　lied；　for　she　told　Sarkoja　that　she　alone　knew　nor　would

she　even　tell　her　child。



〃With　final　imprecations；　Sarkoja　hastened　away　to　Tal

Hajus　to　report　her　discovery；　and　while　she　was　gone　my

mother；　wrapping　me　in　the　silks　and　furs　of　her　night　coverings；

so　that　I　was　scarcely　noticeable；　descended　to　the　streets

and　ran　wildly　away　toward　the　outskirts　of　the　city；

in　the　direction　which　led　to　the　far　south；　out　toward　the

man　whose　protection　she　might　not　claim；　but　on　whose

face　she　wished　to　look　once　more　before　she　died。



〃As　we　neared　the　city's　southern　extremity　a　sound　came

to　us　from　across　the　mossy　flat；　f