a princess of mars-第22节

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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；　from　the　direction　of　the

only　pass　through　the　hills　which　led　to　the　gates；　the　pass

by　which　caravans　from　either　north　or　south　or　east　or

west　would　enter　the　city。　　The　sounds　we　heard　were　the

squealing　of　thoats　and　the　grumbling　of　zitidars；　with　the

occasional　clank　of　arms　which　announced　the　approach　of

a　body　of　warriors。　　The　thought　uppermost　in　her　mind　was

that　it　was　my　father　returned　from　his　expedition；　but　the

cunning　of　the　Thark　held　her　from　headlong　and　precipitate

flight　to　greet　him。



〃Retreating　into　the　shadows　of　a　doorway　she　awaited　the

coming　of　the　cavalcade　which　shortly　entered　the　avenue；

breaking　its　formation　and　thronging　the　thoroughfare

from　wall　to　wall。　　As　the　head　of　the　procession　passed　us

the　lesser　moon　swung　clear　of　the　overhanging　roofs　and　lit

up　the　scene　with　all　the　brilliancy　of　her　wondrous　light。

My　mother　shrank　further　back　into　the　friendly　shadows；

and　from　her　hiding　place　saw　that　the　expedition　was　not

that　of　my　father；　but　the　returning　caravan　bearing　the

young　Tharks。　　Instantly　her　plan　was　formed；　and　as　a　great

chariot　swung　close　to　our　hiding　place　she　slipped　stealthily

in　upon　the　trailing　tailboard；　crouching　low　in　the　shadow

of　the　high　side；　straining　me　to　her　bosom　in　a　frenzy　of

love。



〃She　knew；　what　I　did　not；　that　never　again　after　that

night　would　she　hold　me　to　her　breast；　nor　was　it　likely　we

would　ever　look　upon　each　other's　face　again。　　In　the

confusion　of　the　plaza　she　mixed　me　with　the　other　children；

whose　guardians　during　the　journey　were　now　free　to　relinquish

their　responsibility。　　We　were　herded　together　into　a　great　room；

fed　by　women　who　had　not　accompanied　the　expedition；　and　the　next

day　we　were　parceled　out　among　the　retinues　of　the　chieftains。



〃I　never　saw　my　mother　after　that　night。　　She　was　imprisoned

by　Tal　Hajus；　and　every　effort；　including　the　most　horrible

and　shameful　torture；　was　brought　to　bear　upon　her　to　wring

from　her　lips　the　name　of　my　father；　but　she　remained

steadfast　and　loyal；　dying　at　last　amidst　the　laughter　of

Tal　Hajus　and　his　chieftains　during　some　awful　torture

she　was　undergoing。



〃I　learned　afterwards　that　she　told　them　that　she　had

killed　me　to　save　me　from　a　like　fate　at　their　hands；　and

that　she　had　thrown　my　body　to　the　white　apes。　　Sarkoja

alone　disbelieved　her；　and　I　feel　to　this　day　that　she　suspects

my　true　origin；　but　does　not　dare　expose　me；　at　the　present；

at　all　events；　because　she　also　guesses；　I　am　sure；　the　identity

of　my　father。



〃When　he　returned　from　his　expedition　and　learned　the　story

of　my　mother's　fate　I　was　present　as　Tal　Hajus　told　him；

but　never　by　the　quiver　of　a　muscle　did　he　betray　the　slightest

emotion；　only　he　did　not　laugh　as　Tal　Hajus　gleefully

described　her　death　struggles。　　From　that　moment　on　he　was

the　cruelest　of　the　cruel；　and　I　am　awaiting　the　day　when

he　shall　win　the　goal　of　his　ambition；　and　feel　the　carcass　of

Tal　Hajus　beneath　his　foot；　for　I　am　as　sure　that　he　but

waits　the　opportunity　to　wreak　a　terrible　vengeance；　and　that

his　great　love　is　as　strong　in　his　breast　as　when　it　first

transfigured　him　nearly　forty　years　ago；　as　I　am　that　we　sit

here　upon　the　edge　of　a　world…old　ocean　while　sensible　people

sleep；　John　Carter。〃



〃And　your　father；　Sola；　is　he　with　us　now？〃　I　asked。



〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　〃but　he　does　not　know　me　for　what　I

am；　nor　does　he　know　who　betrayed　my　mother　to　Tal　Hajus。

I　alone　know　my　father's　name；　and　only　I　and　Tal　Hajus

and　Sarkoja　know　that　it　was　she　who　carried　the　tale　that

brought　death　and　torture　upon　her　he　loved。〃



We　sat　silent　for　a　few　moments；　she　wrapped　in　the

gloomy　thoughts　of　her　terrible　past；　and　I　in　pity　for　the

poor　creatures　whom　the　heartless；　senseless　customs　of　their

race　had　doomed　to　loveless　lives　of　cruelty　and　of　hate。

Presently　she　spoke。



〃John　Carter；　if　ever　a　real　man　walked　the　cold；　dead

bosom　of　Barsoom　you　are　one。　　I　know　that　I　can　trust　you；

and　because　the　knowledge　may　someday　help　you　or　him

or　Dejah　Thoris　or　myself；　I　am　going　to　tell　you　the　name

of　my　father；　nor　place　any　restrictions　or　conditions　upon

your　tongue。　　When　the　time　comes；　speak　the　truth　if　it

seems　best　to　you。　　I　trust　you　because　I　know　that　you　are

not　cursed　with　the　terrible　trait　of　absolute　and　unswerving

truthfulness；　that　you　could　lie　like　one　of　your　own　Virginia

gentlemen　if　a　lie　would　save　others　from　sorrow　or　suffering。

My　father's　name　is　Tars　Tarkas。〃









CHAPTER　XVI





WE　PLAN　ESCAPE





The　remainder　of　our　journey　to　Thark　was　uneventful。

We　were　twenty　days　upon　the　road；　crossing　two　sea　bottoms

and　passing　through　or　around　a　number　of　ruined　cities；

mostly　smaller　than　Korad。　　Twice　we　crossed　the　famous

Martian　waterways；　or　canals；　so…called　by　our　earthly

astronomers。　　When　we　approached　these　points　a　warrior

would　be　sent　far　ahead　with　a　powerful　field　glass；　and　if

no　great　body　of　red　Martian　troops　was　in　sight　we　would

advance　as　close　as　possible　without　chance　of　being　seen　and

then　camp　until　dark；　when　we　would　slowly　approach　the

cultivated　tract；　and；　locating　one　of　the　numerous；　broad

highways　which　cross　these　areas　at　regular　intervals；　creep

silently　and　stealthily　across　to　the　arid　lands　upon　the　other

side。　　It　required　five　hours　to　make　one　of　these　crossings

without　a　single　halt；　and　the　other　consumed　the　entire　night；

so　that　we　were　just　leaving　the　confines　of　the　high…walled

fields　when　the　sun　broke　out　upon　us。



Crossing　in　the　darkness；　as　we　did；　I　was　unable　to　see

but　little；　except　as　the　nearer　moon；　in　her　wild　and

ceaseless　hurtling　through　the　Barsoomian　heavens；　lit　up

little　patches　of　the　landscape　from　time　to　time；　disclosing

walled　fields　and　low；　rambling　buildings；　presenting　much

the　appearance　of　earth