a princess of mars-第40章

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the　fellow；　〃and　not　one　approaches　the　likeness　of　this　new

padwar　of　the　guards；　other　than　that　which　was　recorded　of

him　at　the　time　he　entered。〃



〃Then　we　will　have　him　shortly；〃　commented　Than　Kosis

contentedly；　〃and　in　the　meanwhile　we　will　repair　to　the

apartments　of　the　Princess　of　Helium　and　question　her　in

regard　to　the　affair。　　She　may　know　more　than　she　cared　to

divulge　to　you；　Notan。　　Come。〃



They　left　the　hall；　and；　as　darkness　had　fallen　without；　I

slipped　lightly　from　my　hiding　place　and　hastened　to　the

balcony。　　Few　were　in　sight；　and　choosing　a　moment　when

none　seemed　near　I　sprang　quickly　to　the　top　of　the　glass

wall　and　from　there　to　the　avenue　beyond　the　palace　grounds。









CHAPTER　XXIII





LOST　IN　THE　SKY





Without　effort　at　concealment　I　hastened　to　the　vicinity　of

our　quarters；　where　I　felt　sure　I　should　find　Kantos　Kan。　　As

I　neared　the　building　I　became　more　careful；　as　I　judged；

and　rightly；　that　the　place　would　be　guarded。　　Several　men　in

civilian　metal　loitered　near　the　front　entrance　and　in　the

rear　were　others。　　My　only　means　of　reaching；　unseen；　the

upper　story　where　our　apartments　were　situated　was　through

an　adjoining　building；　and　after　considerable　maneuvering　I

managed　to　attain　the　roof　of　a　shop　several　doors　away。



Leaping　from　roof　to　roof；　I　soon　reached　an　open　window

in　the　building　where　I　hoped　to　find　the　Heliumite；　and　in

another　moment　I　stood　in　the　room　before　him。　　He　was

alone　and　showed　no　surprise　at　my　coming；　saying　he　had

expected　me　much　earlier；　as　my　tour　of　duty　must　have

ended　some　time　since。



I　saw　that　he　knew　nothing　of　the　events　of　the　day　at

the　palace；　and　when　I　had　enlightened　him　he　was　all

excitement。　　The　news　that　Dejah　Thoris　had　promised　her

hand　to　Sab　Than　filled　him　with　dismay。



〃It　cannot　be；〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃It　is　impossible！　　Why　no

man　in　all　Helium　but　would　prefer　death　to　the　selling　of

our　loved　princess　to　the　ruling　house　of　Zodanga。　　She　must

have　lost　her　mind　to　have　assented　to　such　an　atrocious

bargain。　　You；　who　do　not　know　how　we　of　Helium　love

the　members　of　our　ruling　house；　cannot　appreciate　the

horror　with　which　I　contemplate　such　an　unholy　alliance。〃



〃What　can　be　done；　John　Carter？〃　he　continued。　　〃You　are

a　resourceful　man。　　Can　you　not　think　of　some　way　to　save

Helium　from　this　disgrace？〃



〃If　I　can　come　within　sword's　reach　of　Sab　Than；〃　I　answered；

〃I　can　solve　the　difficulty　in　so　far　as　Helium　is　concerned；

but　for　personal　reasons　I　would　prefer　that　another　struck

the　blow　that　frees　Dejah　Thoris。〃



Kantos　Kan　eyed　me　narrowly　before　he　spoke。



〃You　love　her！〃　he　said。　　〃Does　she　know　it？〃



〃She　knows　it；　Kantos　Kan；　and　repulses　me　only　because

she　is　promised　to　Sab　Than。〃



The　splendid　fellow　sprang　to　his　feet；　and　grasping　me

by　the　shoulder　raised　his　sword　on　high；　exclaiming：



〃And　had　the　choice　been　left　to　me　I　could　not　have

chosen　a　more　fitting　mate　for　the　first　princess　of　Barsoom。

Here　is　my　hand　upon　your　shoulder；　John　Carter；　and　my

word　that　Sab　Than　shall　go　out　at　the　point　of　my　sword

for　the　sake　of　my　love　for　Helium；　for　Dejah　Thoris；　and　for

you。　　This　very　night　I　shall　try　to　reach　his　quarters　in　the

palace。〃



〃How？〃　I　asked。　　〃You　are　strongly　guarded　and　a　quadruple

force　patrols　the　sky。〃



He　bent　his　head　in　thought　a　moment；　then　raised　it

with　an　air　of　confidence。



〃I　only　need　to　pass　these　guards　and　I　can　do　it；〃　he　said

at　last。　　〃I　know　a　secret　entrance　to　the　palace　through

the　pinnacle　of　the　highest　tower。　　I　fell　upon　it　by　chance

one　day　as　I　was　passing　above　the　palace　on　patrol　duty。

In　this　work　it　is　required　that　we　investigate　any　unusual

occurrence　we　may　witness；　and　a　face　peering　from　the　pinnacle

of　the　high　tower　of　the　palace　was；　to　me；　most　unusual。

I　therefore　drew　near　and　discovered　that　the　possessor　of

the　peering　face　was　none　other　than　Sab　Than。　　He　was　slightly

put　out　at　being　detected　and　commanded　me　to　keep　the

matter　to　myself；　explaining　that　the　passage　from　the　tower

led　directly　to　his　apartments；　and　was　known　only　to　him。

If　I　can　reach　the　roof　of　the　barracks　and　get　my　machine

I　can　be　in　Sab　Than's　quarters　in　five　minutes；　but　how　am

I　to　escape　from　this　building；　guarded　as　you　say　it　is？〃



〃How　well　are　the　machine　sheds　at　the　barracks　guarded？〃　I　asked。



〃There　is　usually　but　one　man　on　duty　there　at　night　upon

the　roof。〃



〃Go　to　the　roof　of　this　building；　Kantos　Kan；　and　wait

me　there。〃



Without　stopping　to　explain　my　plans　I　retraced　my　way　to

the　street　and　hastened　to　the　barracks。　　I　did　not　dare　to　enter

the　building；　filled　as　it　was　with　members　of　the　air…scout

squadron；　who；　in　common　with　all　Zodanga；　were　on　the

lookout　for　me。



The　building　was　an　enormous　one；　rearing　its　lofty　head

fully　a　thousand　feet　into　the　air。　　But　few　buildings　in

Zodanga　were　higher　than　these　barracks；　though　several　topped

it　by　a　few　hundred　feet；　the　docks　of　the　great　battleships

of　the　line　standing　some　fifteen　hundred　feet　from　the

ground；　while　the　freight　and　passenger　stations　of　the

merchant　squadrons　rose　nearly　as　high。



It　was　a　long　climb　up　the　face　of　the　building；　and　one

fraught　with　much　danger；　but　there　was　no　other　way；　and

so　I　essayed　the　task。　　The　fact　that　Barsoomian　architecture

is　extremely　ornate　made　the　feat　much　simpler　than　I　had

anticipated；　since　I　found　ornamental　ledges　and　projections

which　fairly　formed　a　perfect　ladder　for　me　all　the　way　to　the

eaves　of　the　building。　　Here　I　met　my　first　real　obstacle。　　The

eaves　projected　nearly　twenty　feet　from　the　wall　to　which　I

clung；　and　though　I　encircled　the　great　building　I　could　find

no　opening　through　them。



The　top　floor　was　alight；　and　filled　with　soldiers　engaged

in　the　pastimes　of　their　kind；　I　could　not；　therefore；　reach

the　roof　through　the　building。



There　was　one　slight；　desperate　chance；　and　that　I　decided

I　must　takeit　was　for　Dejah　Thoris；　and　no　man　has　lived

who　would　not　risk　a　thousand　deaths　for　such　as　she。



Clinging　to　the　wall　with　my　feet　and　one　hand；　I　unloosened

one　of　the　long　leather　straps　of　my　trappings　at　the　end

of　which　dangled　a　great　hook　by　which　air　sailors　are　hung

to　the　sides　and　bottoms　of　their　craft　for　various　purposes

of　repair；　and　by　means　of　which　landing　parties　are　lowered

to　the　ground　from　the　battleships。



I　swung　this　hook　cautiously　to　the　roof　several　times

before　it　finally　found　lodgment；　gently　I　pulled　on　it　to

strengthen　its　hold；　but　whether　it　would　bear　the　weight　of

my　body　I　did　not　know。　　It　might　be　barely　caught　upon　the

very　outer　verge　of　the　roof；　so　that　as　my　body　swung　out

at　the　end　of　the　strap　it　would　slip　off　and　launch　me　to

the　pavement　a　thousand　feet　below。



An　instant　I　hesitated；　and　then；　releasing　my　grasp　upon

the　supporting　ornament；　I　swung　out　into　space　at　the　end

of　the　strap。　　Far　below　me　lay　the　brilliantly　lighted　streets；

the　hard　pavements；　and　death。　　There　was　a　little　jerk　at

the　top　of　the　supporting　eaves；　and　a　nasty　slipping；　grating

sound　which　turned　me　cold　with　apprehension；　then　the

hook　caught　and　I　was　safe。



Clambering　quickly　aloft　I　grasped　the　edge　of　the　eaves

and　drew　myself　to　the　surface　of　the　roof　above。　　As　I　gained

my　feet　I　was　confronted　by　the　sentry　on　duty；　into　the

muzzle　of　whose　revolver　I　found　myself　looking。



〃Who　are　you　and　whence　came　you？〃　he　cried。



〃I　am　an　air　scout；　friend；　and　very　near　a　dead　one；

for　just　by　the　merest　chance　I　escaped　falling　to　the　avenue

below；〃　I　replied。



〃But　how　came　you　upon　the　roof；　man？　　No　one　has

landed　or　come　up　from　the　building　for　the　past　hour。

Quick；　explain　yourself；　or　I　call　the　guard。〃



〃Look　you　here；　sentry；　and　you　shall　see　h