the gods of mars-第10部分

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She　shuddered。



〃What　death？〃　I　asked。



〃The　Holy　Therns　eat　human　flesh；〃　she　answered　me；　〃but

only　that　which　has　died　beneath　the　sucking　lips　of　a　plant

manflesh　from　which　the　defiling　blood　of　life　has　been

drawn。　　And　to　this　cruel　end　I　have　been　condemned。　　It

was　to　be　within　a　few　hours；　had　your　advent　not　caused　an

interruption　of　their　plans。〃



〃Was　it　then　Holy　Therns　who　felt　the　weight　of　John

Carter's　hand？〃　I　asked。



〃Oh；　no；　those　whom　you　laid　low　are　lesser　therns；　but

of　the　same　cruel　and　hateful　race。　　The　Holy　Therns　abide

upon　the　outer　slopes　of　these　grim　hills；　facing　the　broad

world　from　which　they　harvest　their　victims　and　their　spoils。



〃Labyrinthine　passages　connect　these　caves　with　the　luxurious

palaces　of　the　Holy　Therns；　and　through　them　pass　upon　their

many　duties　the　lesser　therns；　and　hordes　of　slaves；

and　prisoners；　and　fierce　beasts；　the　grim　inhabitants　of

this　sunless　world。



〃There　be　within　this　vast　network　of　winding　passages

and　countless　chambers　men；　women；　and　beasts　who；　born

within　its　dim　and　gruesome　underworld；　have　never　seen

the　light　of　daynor　ever　shall。



〃They　are　kept　to　do　the　bidding　of　the　race　of　therns；　to

furnish　at　once　their　sport　and　their　sustenance。



〃Now　and　again　some　hapless　pilgrim；　drifting　out　upon

the　silent　sea　from　the　cold　Iss；　escapes　the　plant　men　and

the　great　white　apes　that　guard　the　Temple　of　Issus　and　falls

into　the　remorseless　clutches　of　the　therns；　or；　as　was　my

misfortune；　is　coveted　by　the　Holy　Thern　who　chances　to　be

upon　watch　in　the　balcony　above　the　river　where　it　issues

from　the　bowels　of　the　mountains　through　the　cliffs　of　gold

to　empty　into　the　Lost　Sea　of　Korus。



〃All　who　reach　the　Valley　Dor　are；　by　custom；　the　rightful

prey　of　the　plant　men　and　the　apes；　while　their　arms　and

ornaments　become　the　portion　of　the　therns；　but　if　one　escapes

the　terrible　denizens　of　the　valley　for　even　a　few　hours

the　therns　may　claim　such　a　one　as　their　own。　　And　again

the　Holy　Thern　on　watch；　should　he　see　a　victim　he　covets；

often　tramples　upon　the　rights　of　the　unreasoning　brutes　of

the　valley　and　takes　his　prize　by　foul　means　if　he　cannot

gain　it　by　fair。



〃It　is　said　that　occasionally　some　deluded　victim　of

Barsoomian　superstition　will　so　far　escape　the　clutches　of

the　countless　enemies　that　beset　his　path　from　the　moment　that

he　emerges　from　the　subterranean　passage　through　which　the

Iss　flows　for　a　thousand　miles　before　it　enters　the　Valley　Dor

as　to　reach　the　very　walls　of　the　Temple　of　Issus；　but　what

fate　awaits　one　there　not　even　the　Holy　Therns　may　guess；

for　who　has　passed　within　those　gilded　walls　never　has

returned　to　unfold　the　mysteries　they　have　held　since　the

beginning　of　time。



〃The　Temple　of　Issus　is　to　the　therns　what　the　Valley

Dor　is　imagined　by　the　peoples　of　the　outer　world　to　be　to

them；　it　is　the　ultimate　haven　of　peace；　refuge；　and　happiness

to　which　they　pass　after　this　life　and　wherein　an　eternity　of

eternities　is　spent　amidst　the　delights　of　the　flesh　which　appeal

most　strongly　to　this　race　of　mental　giants　and　moral　pygmies。〃



〃The　Temple　of　Issus　is；　I　take　it；　a　heaven　within　a

heaven；〃　I　said。　　〃Let　us　hope　that　there　it　will　be　meted　to

the　therns　as　they　have　meted　it　here　unto　others。〃



〃Who　knows？〃　the　girl　murmured。



〃The　therns；　I　judge　from　what　you　have　said；　are　no

less　mortal　than　we；　and　yet　have　I　always　heard　them　spoken

of　with　the　utmost　awe　and　reverence　by　the　people　of

Barsoom；　as　one　might　speak　of　the　gods　themselves。〃



〃The　therns　are　mortal；〃　she　replied。　　〃They　die　from　the

same　causes　as　you　or　I　might：　those　who　do　not　live　their

allotted　span　of　life；　one　thousand　years；　when　by　the　authority

of　custom　they　may　take　their　way　in　happiness　through　the

long　tunnel　that　leads　to　Issus。



〃Those　who　die　before　are　supposed　to　spend　the　balance

of　their　allotted　time　in　the　image　of　a　plant　man；　and　it

is　for　this　reason　that　the　plant　men　are　held　sacred　by　the

therns；　since　they　believe　that　each　of　these　hideous　creatures

was　formerly　a　thern。〃



〃And　should　a　plant　man　die？〃　I　asked。



〃Should　he　die　before　the　expiration　of　the　thousand　years

from　the　birth　of　the　thern　whose　immortality　abides　within

him　then　the　soul　passes　into　a　great　white　ape；　but　should

the　ape　die　short　of　the　exact　hour　that　terminates　the　thousand

years　the　soul　is　for　ever　lost　and　passes　for　all　eternity

into　the　carcass　of　the　slimy　and　fearsome　silian　whose　wriggling

thousands　seethe　the　silent　sea　beneath　the　hurtling　moons　when

the　sun　has　gone　and　strange　shapes　walk　through　the　Valley　Dor。〃



〃We　sent　several　Holy　Therns　to　the　silians　to…day；　then；〃

said　Tars　Tarkas；　laughing。



〃And　so　will　your　death　be　the　more　terrible　when　it　comes；〃

said　the　maiden。　　〃And　come　it　willyou　cannot　escape。〃



〃One　has　escaped；　centuries　ago；〃　I　reminded　her；　〃and

what　has　been　done　may　be　done　again。〃



〃It　is　useless　even　to　try；〃　she　answered　hopelessly。



〃But　try　we　shall；〃　I　cried；　and　you　shall　go　with　us；　if　you　wish。〃



〃To　be　put　to　death　by　mine　own　people；　and　render

my　memory　a　disgrace　to　my　family　and　my　nation？　　A

Prince　of　the　House　of　Tardos　Mors　should　know　better

than　to　suggest　such　a　thing。〃



Tars　Tarkas　listened　in　silence；　but　I　could　feel　his　eyes

riveted　upon　me　and　I　knew　that　he　awaited　my　answer　as　one　might

listen　to　the　reading　of　his　sentence　by　the　foreman　of　a　jury。



What　I　advised　the　girl　to　do　would　seal　our　fate　as　well；　since　

if　I　bowed　to　the　inevitable　decree　of　age…old　superstition　we　must

all　remain　and　meet　our　fate　in　some　horrible　form　within　this　awful

abode　of　horror　and　cruelty。



〃We　have　the　right　to　escape　if　we　can；〃　I　answered。

〃Our　own　moral　senses　will　not　be　offended　if　we　succeed；

for　we　know　that　the　fabled　life　of　love　and　peace　in　the

blessed　Valley　of　Dor　is　a　rank　and　wicked　deception。　　We

know　that　the　valley　is　not　sacred；　we　know　that　the　Holy

Therns　are　not　holy；　that　they　are　a　race　of　cruel　and

heartless　mortals；　knowing　no　more　of　the　real　life　to　come

than　we　do。



〃Not　only　is　it　our　right　to　bend　every　effort　to　escape

it　is　a　solemn　duty　from　which　we　should　not　shrink　even

though　we　know　that　we　should　be　reviled　and　tortured　by

our　own　peoples　when　we　returned　to　them。



〃Only　thus　may　we　carry　the　truth　to　those　without；　and　though

the　likelihood　of　our　narrative　being　given　credence　is；

I　grant　you；　remote；　so　wedded　are　mortals　to　their　stupid

infatuation　for　impossible　superstitions；　we　should　be

craven　cowards　indeed　were　we　to　shirk　the　plain　duty

which　confronts　us。



〃Again　there　is　a　chance　that　with　the　weight　of　the　testimony

of　several　of　us　the　truth　of　our　statements　may　be　accepted；

and　at　least　a　compromise　effected　which　will　result　in　the

dispatching　of　an　expedition　of　investigation　to　this

hideous　mockery　of　heaven。〃



Both　the　girl　and　the　green　warrior　stood　silent　in　thought　for

some　moments。　　The　former　it　was　who　eventually　broke　the　silence。



〃Never　had　I　considered　the　matter　in　that　light　before；〃

she　said。　　〃Indeed　would　I　give　my　life　a　thousand　times　if　I

could　but　save　a　single　soul　from　the　awful　life　that　I　have

led　in　this　cruel　place。　　Yes；　you　are　right；　and　I　will　go　with

you　as　far　as　we　can　go；　but　I　doubt　that　we　ever　shall　escape。〃



I　turned　an　inquiring　glance　toward　the　Thark。



〃To　the　gates　of　Issus；　or　to　the　bottom　of　Korus；〃　spoke　the

green　warrior；　〃to　the　snows　to　the　north　or　to　the　snows

to　the　south；　Tars　Tarkas　follows　where　John　Carter　leads。

I　have　spoken。〃



〃Come；　then；〃　I　cried；　〃we　must　make　the　start；　for　we

could　not　be　further　from　escape　than　we　now　are　in　the

heart　of　this　mountain　and　within　the　four　walls　of　this

chamber　of　death。〃



〃Come；　then；〃　said　the　girl；　〃but　do　not　flatter　yourself　that　you

can　find　no　worse　place　than　this　within　the　territory　of　the　therns。〃



So　saying　she　swung　the　secret　panel　that　separated　us

from　the　apartment　in　which　I　had　found　her；　and　we　stepped

through　once　more　into　the　presence　of　the　other　prisoners。



There　were　in　all　ten　red　Martians；　men　and　women；　and

when　we　had　briefly　explained　our　plan　they　decided　to　join

forces　with　us；　though　it　was　evident　that　it　was　with　some

considerable　misgivings　that　they　thus　tempted　fate　by

opposing　an　ancient　superstition；　even　though　each　knew

through　cruel　experience　the　fallacy　of　its　entire　fabric。



Thuvia；　the　girl　whom　I　had　first　freed；　soon　had　the

others　at　liberty。　　Tars　Tarkas　and　I　stripped　the　bodies　of　the

two　therns　of　their　weapons；　which　included　swords；　daggers；

and　two　revolvers　of　the　curious　and　deadly　type　manufactured

by　the　red　Martians。



We　distributed　the　weapons　as　far　as　they　would　go　among

our　followers；　giving　the　firearms　to　two　of　the　women；

Thuvia　being　one　so　armed。



With　the　latter　as　our　guide　we　set　off　rapidly　but　cautiously

through　a　maze　of　passages；　crossing　great　chambers　hewn　from

the　solid　metal　of　the　cliff；　following　winding　corridors；

ascending　steep　inclines；　and　now　and　again　concealing　ourselves

in　dark　recesses　at　the　sound　of　approaching　footsteps。



Our　destination；　Thuvia　said；　was　a　distant　storeroom

where　arms　and　ammunition　in　plenty　might　be　found。

From　there　she　was　to　lead　us　to　the　summit　of　the　cliffs；

from　where　it　would　require　both　wondrous　wit　and　mighty

fighting　to　win　our　way　through　the　very　heart　of　the

stronghold　of　the　Holy　Therns　to　the　world　without。



〃And　even　then；　O　Prince；〃　she　cried；　〃the　arm　of　the

Holy　Thern　is　long。　　It　reaches　to　every　nation　of　Barsoom。

His　secret　temples　are　hidden　in　the　heart　of　every　community。　

Wherever　we　go　should　we　escape　we　shall　find　that　word　of　our

coming　has