a princess of mars-第21节

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a　chance　and　death　must　take　a　back　seat。　　They　soon　had

me　patched　up　so　that；　except　for　weakness　from　loss　of

blood　and　a　little　soreness　around　the　wound；　I　suffered　no

great　distress　from　this　thrust　which；　under　earthly　treatment；

undoubtedly　would　have　put　me　flat　on　my　back　for　days。



As　soon　as　they　were　through　with　me　I　hastened　to　the

chariot　of　Dejah　Thoris；　where　I　found　my　poor　Sola　with

her　chest　swathed　in　bandages；　but　apparently　little　the

worse　for　her　encounter　with　Sarkoja；　whose　dagger　it　seemed

had　struck　the　edge　of　one　of　Sola's　metal　breast　ornaments

and；　thus　deflected；　had　inflicted　but　a　slight　flesh　wound。



As　I　approached　I　found　Dejah　Thoris　lying　prone　upon

her　silks　and　furs；　her　lithe　form　wracked　with　sobs。　　She　did

not　notice　my　presence；　nor　did　she　hear　me　speaking　with

Sola；　who　was　standing　a　short　distance　from　the　vehicle。



〃Is　she　injured？〃　I　asked　of　Sola；　indicating　Dejah　Thoris

by　an　inclination　of　my　head。



〃No；〃　she　answered；　〃she　thinks　that　you　are　dead。〃



〃And　that　her　grandmother's　cat　may　now　have　no　one　to

polish　its　teeth？〃　I　queried；　smiling。



〃I　think　you　wrong　her；　John　Carter；〃　said　Sola。　　〃I　do　not

understand　either　her　ways　or　yours；　but　I　am　sure　the

granddaughter　of　ten　thousand　jeddaks　would　never　grieve

like　this　over　any　who　held　but　the　highest　claim　upon　her

affections。　　They　are　a　proud　race；　but　they　are　just；　as　are

all　Barsoomians；　and　you　must　have　hurt　or　wronged　her

grievously　that　she　will　not　admit　your　existence　living；

though　she　mourns　you　dead。



〃Tears　are　a　strange　sight　upon　Barsoom；〃　she　continued；

〃and　so　it　is　difficult　for　me　to　interpret　them。　　I　have　seen

but　two　people　weep　in　all　my　life；　other　than　Dejah　Thoris；

one　wept　from　sorrow；　the　other　from　baffled　rage。　　The　first

was　my　mother；　years　ago　before　they　killed　her；　the　other

was　Sarkoja；　when　they　dragged　her　from　me　today。〃



〃Your　mother！〃　I　exclaimed；　〃but；　Sola；　you　could　not

have　known　your　mother；　child。〃



〃But　I　did。　　And　my　father　also；〃　she　added。　　〃If　you

would　like　to　hear　the　strange　and　un…Barsoomian　story

come　to　the　chariot　tonight；　John　Carter；　and　I　will　tell　you

that　of　which　I　have　never　spoken　in　all　my　life　before。　　And

now　the　signal　has　been　given　to　resume　the　march；　you

must　go。〃



〃I　will　come　tonight；　Sola；〃　I　promised。　　〃Be　sure　to　tell

Dejah　Thoris　I　am　alive　and　well。　　I　shall　not　force　myself

upon　her；　and　be　sure　that　you　do　not　let　her　know　I　saw　her　tears。

If　she　would　speak　with　me　I　but　await　her　command。



Sola　mounted　the　chariot；　which　was　swinging　into　its　place

in　line；　and　I　hastened　to　my　waiting　thoat　and　galloped

to　my　station　beside　Tars　Tarkas　at　the　rear　of　the　column。



We　made　a　most　imposing　and　awe…inspiring　spectacle　as

we　strung　out　across　the　yellow　landscape；　the　two　hundred

and　fifty　ornate　and　brightly　colored　chariots；　preceded　by

an　advance　guard　of　some　two　hundred　mounted　warriors

and　chieftains　riding　five　abreast　and　one　hundred　yards

apart；　and　followed　by　a　like　number　in　the　same　formation；

with　a　score　or　more　of　flankers　on　either　side；　the　fifty　extra

mastodons；　or　heavy　draught　animals；　known　as　zitidars；

and　the　five　or　six　hundred　extra　thoats　of　the　warriors

running　loose　within　the　hollow　square　formed　by　the

surrounding　warriors。　　The　gleaming　metal　and　jewels　of

the　gorgeous　ornaments　of　the　men　and　women；　duplicated　in

the　trappings　of　the　zitidars　and　thoats；　and　interspersed

with　the　flashing　colors　of　magnificent　silks　and　furs　and

feathers；　lent　a　barbaric　splendor　to　the　caravan　which　would

have　turned　an　East　Indian　potentate　green　with　envy。



The　enormous　broad　tires　of　the　chariots　and　the　padded

feet　of　the　animals　brought　forth　no　sound　from　the　moss…

covered　sea　bottom；　and　so　we　moved　in　utter　silence；　like

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　up