the gods of mars-第44部分

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matterfor　John　Carter。〃



〃I　do　not　know　that　the　fleet　has　missed　me　as　yet；〃　I

said；　but　of　course　he　did　not　grasp　my　meaning；　and

only　looked　puzzled。



〃Many　prisoners　travel　to　Issus　in　your　grim　craft；　Yersted？〃

I　asked。



〃Very　many；〃　he　assented。



Might　you　remember　one　whom　men　called　Dejah　Thoris？〃



〃Well；　indeed；　for　her　great　beauty；　and　then；　too；　for　the

fact　that　she　was　wife　to　the　first　mortal　that　ever　escaped

from　Issus　through　all　the　countless　ages　of　her　godhood。

And　they　way　that　Issus　remembers　her　best　as　the　wife　of

one　and　the　mother　of　another　who　raised　their　hands

against　the　Goddess　of　Life　Eternal。〃



I　shuddered　for　fear　of　the　cowardly　revenge　that　I　knew

Issus　might　have　taken　upon　the　innocent　Dejah　Thoris　for

the　sacrilege　of　her　son　and　her　husband。



〃And　where　is　Dejah　Thoris　now？〃　I　asked；　knowing　that

he　would　say　the　words　I　most　dreaded；　but　yet　I　loved　her

so　that　I　could　not　refrain　from　hearing　even　the　worst

about　her　fate　so　that　it　fell　from　the　lips　of　one　who

had　seen　her　but　recently。　　It　was　to　me　as　though　it

brought　her　closer　to　me。



〃Yesterday　the　monthly　rites　of　Issus　were　held；〃　replied

Yersted；　〃and　I　saw　her　then　sitting　in　her　accustomed

place　at　the　foot　of　Issus。〃



〃What；〃　I　cried；　〃she　is　not　dead；　then？〃



〃Why；　no；〃　replied　the　black；　〃it　has　been　no　year

since　she　gazed　upon　the　divine　glory　of　the　radiant　face　of〃



〃No　year？〃　I　interrupted。



〃Why；　no；〃　insisted　Yersted。　　〃It　cannot　have　been　upward

of　three　hundred　and　seventy　or　eighty　days。〃



A　great　light　burst　upon　me。　　How　stupid　I　had　been！　　I

could　scarcely　retain　an　outward　exhibition　of　my　great

joy。　　Why　had　I　forgotten　the　great　difference　in　the　length

of　Martian　and　Earthly　years！　　The　ten　Earth　years　I　had

spent　upon　Barsoom　had　encompassed　but　five　years　and

ninety…six　days　of　Martian　time；　whose　days　are　forty…one

minutes　longer　than　ours；　and　whose　years　number　six　hundred

and　eighty…seven　days。



I　am　in　time！　　I　am　in　time！　　The　words　surged　through

my　brain　again　and　again；　until　at　last　I　must　have　voiced

them　audibly；　for　Yersted　shook　his　head。



〃In　time　to　save　your　Princess？〃　he　asked；　and　then　without

waiting　for　my　reply；　〃No；　John　Carter；　Issus　will　not　give

up　her　own。　　She　knows　that　you　are　coming；　and　ere　ever　a

vandal　foot　is　set　within　the　precincts　of　the　Temple　of　Issus；

if　such　a　calamity　should　befall；　Dejah　Thoris　will　be　put

away　for　ever　from　the　last　faint　hope　of　rescue。〃



〃You　mean　that　she　will　be　killed　merely　to　thwart　me？〃　I　asked。



〃Not　that；　other　than　as　a　last　resort；〃　he　replied。　　〃Hast

ever　heard　of　the　Temple　of　the　Sun？　　It　is　there　that　they

will　put　her。　　It　lies　far　within　the　inner　court　of　the　Temple

of　Issus；　a　little　temple　that　raises　a　thin　spire　far　above　the

spires　and　minarets　of　the　great　temple　that　surrounds　it。

Beneath　it；　in　the　ground；　there　lies　the　main　body　of　the

temple　consisting　in　six　hundred　and　eighty…seven　circular

chambers；　one　below　another。　　To　each　chamber　a　single

corridor　leads　through　solid　rock　from　the　pits　of　Issus。



〃As　the　entire　Temple　of　the　Sun　revolves　once　with

each　revolution　of　Barsoom　about　the　sun；　but　once　each

year　does　the　entrance　to　each　separate　chamber　come

opposite　the　mouth　of　the　corridor　which　forms　its　only

link　to　the　world　without。



〃Here　Issus　puts　those　who　displease　her；　but　whom　she

does　not　care　to　execute　forthwith。　　Or　to　punish　a　noble

of　the　First　Born　she　may　cause　him　to　be　placed　within

a　chamber　of　the　Temple　of　the　Sun　for　a　year。　　Ofttimes

she　imprisons　an　executioner　with　the　condemned；　that

death　may　come　in　a　certain　horrible　form　upon　a　given

day；　or　again　but　enough　food　is　deposited　in　the　chamber

to　sustain　life　but　the　number　of　days　that　Issus　has

allotted　for　mental　anguish。



〃Thus　will　Dejah　Thoris　die；　and　her　fate　will　be　sealed

by　the　first　alien　foot　that　crosses　the　threshold　of　Issus。〃



So　I　was　to　be　thwarted　in　the　end；　although　I　had　performed

the　miraculous　and　come　within　a　few　short　moments　of　my

divine　Princess；　yet　was　I　as　far　from　her　as　when　I　stood

upon　the　banks　of　the　Hudson　forty…eight　million　miles　away。









CHAPTER　XXI





THROUGH　FLOOD　AND　FLAME





Yersted's　information　convinced　me　that　there　was　no　time

to　be　lost。　　I　must　reach　the　Temple　of　Issus　secretly　before

the　forces　under　Tars　Tarkas　assaulted　at　dawn。　　Once　within

its　hated　walls　I　was　positive　that　I　could　overcome　the

guards　of　Issus　and　bear　away　my　Princess；　for　at　my　back

I　would　have　a　force　ample　for　the　occasion。



No　sooner　had　Carthoris　and　the　others　joined　me　than

we　commenced　the　transportation　of　our　men　through　the

submerged　passage　to　the　mouth　of　the　gangways　which　lead

from　the　submarine　pool　at　the　temple　end　of　the　watery

tunnel　to　the　pits　of　Issus。



Many　trips　were　required；　but　at　last　all　stood　safely

together　again　at　the　beginning　of　the　end　of　our　quest。

Five　thousand　strong　we　were；　all　seasoned　fighting…men

of　the　most　warlike　race　of　the　red　men　of　Barsoom。



As　Carthoris　alone　knew　the　hidden　ways　of　the　tunnels

we　could　not　divide　the　party　and　attack　the　temple　at

several　points　at　once　as　would　have　been　most　desirable；

and　so　it　was　decided　that　he　lead　us　all　as　quickly　as

possible　to　a　point　near　the　temple's　centre。



As　we　were　about　to　leave　the　pool　and　enter　the　corridor；

an　officer　called　my　attention　to　the　waters　upon　which

the　submarine　floated。　　At　first　they　seemed　to　be　merely

agitated　as　from　the　movement　of　some　great　body　beneath　the

surface；　and　I　at　once　conjectured　that　another　submarine

was　rising　to　the　surface　in　pursuit　of　us；　but　presently　it

became　apparent　that　the　level　of　the　waters　was　rising；　not

with　extreme　rapidity；　but　very　surely；　and　that　soon　they

would　overflow　the　sides　of　the　pool　and　submerge　the　floor

of　the　chamber。



For　a　moment　I　did　not　fully　grasp　the　terrible　import

of　the　slowly　rising　water。　　It　was　Carthoris　who　realized　the

full　meaning　of　the　thingits　cause　and　the　reason　for　it。



〃Haste！〃　he　cried。　　〃If　we　delay；　we　all　are　lost。　　The　pumps

of　Omean　have　been　stopped。　　They　would　drown　us　like　rats

in　a　trap。　　We　must　reach　the　upper　levels　of　the　pits　in

advance　of　the　flood　or　we　shall　never　reach　them。　　Come。〃



〃Lead　the　way；　Carthoris；〃　I　cried。　　〃We　will　follow。〃



At　my　command；　the　youth　leaped　into　one　of　the　corridors；

and　in　column　of　twos　the　soldiers　followed　him　in　good　order；

each　company　entering　the　corridor　only　at　the　command　of

its　dwar；　or　captain。



Before　the　last　company　filed　from　the　chamber　the　water

was　ankle　deep；　and　that　the　men　were　nervous　was　quite

evident。　　Entirely　unaccustomed　to　water　except　in　quantities

sufficient　for　drinking　and　bathing　purposes　the　red　Martians

instinctively　shrank　from　it　in　such　formidable　depths　and

menacing　activity。　　That　they　were　undaunted　while　it　swirled

and　eddied　about　their　ankles；　spoke　well　for　their　bravery

and　their　discipline。



I　was　the　last　to　leave　the　chamber　of　the　submarine；　and

as　I　followed　the　rear　of　the　column　toward　the　corridor；　I

moved　through　water　to　my　knees。　　The　corridor；　too；　was

flooded　to　the　same　depth；　for　its　floor　was　on　a　level　with

the　floor　of　the　chamber　from　which　it　led；　nor　was　there

any　perceptible　rise　for　many　yards。



The　march　of　the　troops　through　the　corridor　was　as　rapid

as　was　consistent　with　the　number　of　men　that　moved

through　so　narrow　a　passage；　but　it　was　not　ample　to　permit

us　to　gain　appreciably　on　the　pursuing　tide。　　As　the　level　of

the　passage　rose；　so；　too；　did　the　waters　rise　until　it　soon

became　apparent　to　me；　who　brought　up　the　rear；　that　they

were　gaining　rapidly　upon　us。　　I　could　understand　the　reason

for　this；　as　with　the　narrowing　expanse　of　Omean　as　the　waters

rose　toward　the　apex　of　its　dome；　the　rapidity　of　its　rise　would

increase　in　inverse　ratio　to　the　ever…lessening　space　to　be　filled。



Long　ere　the　last　of　the　column　could　hope　to　reach　the

upper　pits　which　lay　above　the　danger　point　I　was　convinced

that　the　waters　would　surge　after　us　in　overwhelming　volume；

and　that　fully　half　the　expedition　would　be　snuffed　out。



As　I　cast　about　for　some　means　of　saving　as　many　as

possible　of　the　doomed　men；　I　saw　a　diverging　corridor

which　seemed　to　rise　at　a　steep　angle　at　my　right。　　The

waters　were　now　swirling　about　my　waist。　　The　men　directly

before　me　were　quickly　becoming　panic…stricken。　　Something

must　be　done　at　once　or　they　would　rush　forward　upon　their

fellows　in　a　mad　stampede　that　would　result　in　trampling

down　hundreds　beneath　the　flood　and　eventually　clogging　the

passage　beyond　any　hope　of　retreat　for　those　in　advance。



Raising　my　voice　to　its　utmost；　I　shouted　my　command

to　the　dwars　ahead　of　me。



〃Call　back　the　last　twenty…five　utans；〃　I　shouted。

〃Here　seems　a　way　of　escape。　　Turn　back　and　follow　me。〃



My　orders　were　obeyed　by　nearer　thirty　utans；　so　that　some

three　thousand　men　came　about　and　hastened　into　the　teeth

of　the　flood　to　reach　the　corridor　up　which　I　directed　them。



As　the　first　dwar　passed　in　with　his　utan　I　cautioned　him

to　listen　closely　for　my　commands；　and　under　no　circumstances

to　venture　into　the　open；　or　leave　the　pits　for　the　temple

proper　until　I　should　have　come　up　with　him；　〃or　you　know

that　I　died　before　I　could　reach　you。〃



The　officer　saluted　and　left　me。　　The　men　filed　rapidly　past

me　and　entered　the　diverging　corridor　which　I　hoped　would

lead　to　safety。　　The　water　rose　breast　high。　　Men　stumbled；

floundered；　and　went　down。　　Many　I　grasped　and　set　upon

their　feet　again；　but　alone　the　work　was　greater　than　I　could

cope　with。　　Soldiers　were　being　swept　beneath　the　boiling

torrent；　never　to