a princess of mars-第15节

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you　leave　her；　unless　it　was　to　follow　you　and　crave　your

protection；　and　ask　your　pardon　for　the　cruel　thoughts　she

has　harbored　against　you　these　past　few　days？〃



〃You　are　right；〃　I　answered；　〃there　is　no　escape　for　either

of　us　unless　we　go　together。〃



〃I　heard　your　challenge　to　the　creature　you　call　Tars　Tarkas；

and　I　think　I　understand　your　position　among　these　people；

but　what　I　cannot　fathom　is　your　statement　that　you　are

not　of　Barsoom。〃



〃In　the　name　of　my　first　ancestor；　then；〃　she　continued；

〃where　may　you　be　from？　　You　are　like　unto　my　people；

and　yet　so　unlike。　　You　speak　my　language；　and　yet　I　heard

you　tell　Tars　Tarkas　that　you　had　but　learned　it　recently。

All　Barsoomians　speak　the　same　tongue　from　the　ice…clad

south　to　the　ice…clad　north；　though　their　written　languages

differ。　　Only　in　the　valley　Dor；　where　the　river　Iss　empties

into　the　lost　sea　of　Korus；　is　there　supposed　to

be　a　different　language　spoken；　and；　except　in　the　legends　of

our　ancestors；　there　is　no　record　of　a　Barsoomian　returning

up　the　river　Iss；　from　the　shores　of　Korus　in　the　valley　of

Dor。　　Do　not　tell　me　that　you　have　thus　returned！　　They

would　kill　you　horribly　anywhere　upon　the　surface　of　Barsoom

if　that　were　true；　tell　me　it　is　not！〃



Her　eyes　were　filled　with　a　strange；　weird　light；　her　voice

was　pleading；　and　her　little　hands；　reached　up　upon　my

breast；　were　pressed　against　me　as　though　to　wring　a　denial

from　my　very　heart。



〃I　do　not　know　your　customs；　Dejah　Thoris；　but　in　my

own　Virginia　a　gentleman　does　not　lie　to　save　himself；　I　am

not　of　Dor；　I　have　never　seen　the　mysterious　Iss；　the　lost

sea　of　Korus　is　still　lost；　so　far　as　I　am　concerned。　　Do　you

believe　me？〃



And　then　it　struck　me　suddenly　that　I　was　very　anxious　that

she　should　believe　me。　　It　was　not　that　I　feared　the　results

which　would　follow　a　general　belief　that　I　had　returned

from　the　Barsoomian　heaven　or　hell；　or　whatever　it　was。

Why　was　it；　then！　　Why　should　I　care　what　she　thought？

I　looked　down　at　her；　her　beautiful　face　upturned；　and　her

wonderful　eyes　opening　up　the　very　depth　of　her　soul；　and

as　my　eyes　met　hers　I　knew　why；　andI　shuddered。



A　similar　wave　of　feeling　seemed　to　stir　her；　she　drew

away　from　me　with　a　sigh；　and　with　her　earnest；　beautiful

face　turned　up　to　mine；　she　whispered：　〃I　believe　you；　John

Carter；　I　do　not　know　what　a　'gentleman'　is；　nor　have　I　ever

he　does　not　wish　to　speak　the　truth　he　is　silent。　　Where　is

this　Virginia；　your　country；　John　Carter？〃　she　asked；　and　it

seemed　that　this　fair　name　of　my　fair　land　had　never　sounded

more　beautiful　than　as　it　fell　from　those　perfect　lips　on　that

far…gone　day。



〃I　am　of　another　world；〃　I　answered；　〃the　great　planet

Earth；　which　revolves　about　our　common　sun　and　next　within

the　orbit　of　your　Barsoom；　which　we　know　as　Mars。　　How　I

came　here　I　cannot　tell　you；　for　I　do　not　know；　but　here　I

am；　and　since　my　presence　has　permitted　me　to　serve　Dejah

Thoris　I　am　glad　that　I　am　here。〃



She　gazed　at　me　with　troubled　eyes；　long　and　questioningly。

That　it　was　difficult　to　believe　my　statement　I　well　knew；

nor　could　I　hope　that　she　would　do　so　however　much　I　craved

her　confidence　and　respect。　　I　would　much　rather　not　have

told　her　anything　of　my　antecedents；　but　no　man　could　look

into　the　depth　of　those　eyes　and　refuse　her　slightest　behest。



Finally　she　smiled；　and；　rising；　said：　〃I　shall　have　to

believe　even　though　I　cannot　understand。　　I　can　readily

perceive　that　you　are　not　of　the　Barsoom　of　today；　you　are

like　us；　yet　differentbut　why　should　I　trouble　my　poor　head

with　such　a　problem；　when　my　heart　tells　me　that　I　believe

because　I　wish　to　believe！〃



It　was　good　logic；　good；　earthly；　feminine　logic；　and　if　it

satisfied　her　I　certainly　could　pick　no　flaws　in　it。　　As　a

matter　of　fact　it　was　about　the　only　kind　of　logic　that　could

be　brought　to　bear　upon　my　problem。　　We　fell　into　a　general

conversation　then；　asking　and　answering　many　questions　on　each

side。　　She　was　curious　to　learn　of　the　customs　of　my　people

and　displayed　a　remarkable　knowledge　of　events　on　Earth。

When　I　questioned　her　closely　on　this　seeming　familiarity

with　earthly　things　she　laughed；　and　cried　out：



〃Why；　every　school　boy　on　Barsoom　knows　the　geography；

and　much　concerning　the　fauna　and　flora；　as　well　as　the

history　of　your　planet　fully　as　well　as　of　his　own。　　Can　we

not　see　everything　which　takes　place　upon　Earth；　as　you　call

it；　is　it　not　hanging　there　in　the　heavens　in　plain　sight？〃



This　baffled　me；　I　must　confess；　fully　as　much　as　my　statements

had　confounded　her；　and　I　told　her　so。　　She　then　explained

in　general　the　instruments　her　people　had　used　and　been

perfecting　for　ages；　which　permit　them　to　throw　upon

a　screen　a　perfect　image　of　what　is　transpiring　upon　any

planet　and　upon　many　of　the　stars。　　These　pictures　are　so

perfect　in　detail　that；　when　photographed　and　enlarged；

objects　no　greater　than　a　blade　of　grass　may　be　distinctly

recognized。　　I　afterward；　in　Helium；　saw　many　of　these

pictures；　as　well　as　the　instruments　which　produced　them。



〃If；　then；　you　are　so　familiar　with　earthly　things；〃　I　asked；

〃why　is　it　that　you　do　not　recognize　me　as　identical　with　the

inhabitants　of　that　planet？〃



She　smiled　again　as　one　might　in　bored　indulgence　of　a

questioning　child。



〃Because；　John　Carter；〃　she　replied；　〃nearly　every　planet

and　star　having　atmospheric　conditions　at　all　approaching

those　of　Barsoom；　shows　forms　of　animal　life　almost

identical　with　you　and　me；　and；　further；　Earth　men；　almost

without　exception；　cover　their　bodies　with　strange；　unsightly

pieces　of　cloth；　and　their　heads　with　hideous　contraptions

the　purpose　of　which　we　have　been　unable　to　conceive；　while

you；　when　found　by　the　Tharkian　warriors；　were　entirely

undisfigured　and　unadorned。



〃The　fact　that　you　wore　no　ornaments　is　a　strong　proof　of

your　un…Barsoomian　origin；　while　the　absence　of　grotesque

coverings　might　cause　a　doubt　as　to　your　earthliness。〃



I　then　narrated　the　details　of　my　departure　from　the　Earth；

explaining　that　my　body　there　lay　fully　clothed　in　all　the；　to

her；　strange　garments　of　mundane　dwellers。　　At　this　point

Sola　returned　with　our　meager　belongings　and　her　young

Martian　protege；　who；　of　course；　would　have　to　share　the

quarters　with　them。



Sola　asked　us　if　we　had　had　a　visitor　during　her　absence；

and　seemed　much　surprised　when　we　answered　in　the　negative。

It　seemed　that　as　she　had　mounted　the　approach　to　the

upper　floors　where　our　quarters　were　located；　she　had　met

Sarkoja　descending。　　We　decided　that　she　must　have　been

eavesdropping；　but　as　we　could　recall　nothing　of　importance

that　had　passed　between　us　we　dismissed　the　matter　as　of

little　consequence；　merely　promising　ourselves　to　be　warned

to　the　utmost　caution　in　the　future。



Dejah　Thoris　and　I　then　fell　to　examining　the　architecture　and

decorations　of　the　beautiful　chambers　of　the　building　we　were

occupying。　　She　told　me　that　these　people　had　presumably

flourished　over　a　hundred　thousand　years　before。

They　were　the　early　progenitors　of　her　race；　but　had　mixed

with　the　other　great　race　of　early　Martians；　who　were　very

dark；　almost　black；　and　also　with　the　reddish　yellow　race

which　had　flourished　at　the　same　time。



These　three　great　divisions　of　the　higher　Martians　had

been　forced　into　a　mighty　alliance　as　the　drying　up　of　the

Martian　seas　had　compelled　them　to　seek　the　comparatively　few

and　always　diminishing　fertile　areas；　and　to　defend　themselves；

under　new　conditions　of　life；　against　the　wild　hordes　of　green　men。



Ages　of　close　relationship　and　intermarrying　had　resulted

in　the　race　of　red　men；　of　which　Dejah　Thoris　was　a　fair

and　beautiful　daughter。　　During　the　ages　of　hardships　and

incessant　warring　between　their　own　various　races；　as　well

as　with　the　green　men；　and　before　they　had　fitted　themselves

to　the　changed　conditions；　much　of　the　high　civilization

and　many　of　the　arts　of　the　fair…haired　Martians　had

become　lost；　but　the　red　race　of　today　has　reached　a　point

where　it　feels　that　it　has　made　up　in　new　discoveries　and　in

a　more　practical　civilization　for　all　that　lies　irretrievably

buried　with　the　ancient　Barsoomians；　beneath　the　countless

intervening　ages。



These　ancient　Martians　had　been　a　highly　cultivated　and

literary　race；　but　during　the　vicissitudes　of　those　trying

centuries　of　readjustment　to　new　conditions；　not　only　did　their

advancement　and　production　cease　entirely；　but　practically

all　their　archives；　records；　and　literature　were　lost。



Dejah　Thoris　related　many　interesting　facts　and　legends

concerning　this　lost　race　of　noble　and　kindly　people。　　She

said　that　the　city　in　which　we　were　camping　was　supposed

to　have　been　a　center　of　commerce　and　culture　known　as

Korad。　　It　had　been　built　upon　a　beautiful；　natural　harbor；

landlocked　by　magnificen