"They lay in piles," she murmured. "There were thousands of them but a minute ago."
"And now," continued Carthoris, "there remain but the banths and the carcasses of the green men."
"It is impossible!" replied Carthoris. "Thousands of dead lay there upon the field but a moment since. It would have required many hours to have removed them. The thing is uncanny."
"I had hoped," said Thuvia, "that we might find an asylum2 with these fair-skinned people. Notwithstanding their valour upon the field of battle, they did not strike me as a ferocious4 or warlike people. I had been about to suggest that we seek entrance to the city, but now I scarce know if I care to venture among people whose dead vanish into thin air."
"Let us chance it," replied Carthoris. "We can be no worse off within their walls than without. Here we may fall prey5 to the banths or the no less fierce Torquasians. There, at least, we shall find beings moulded after our own images.
"All that causes me to hesitate," he added, "is the danger of taking you past so many banths. A single sword would scarce prevail were even a couple of them to charge simultaneously6."
"Do not fear on that score," replied the girl, smiling. "The banths will not harm us."
As she spoke7 she descended8 from the platform, and with Carthoris at her side stepped fearlessly out upon the bloody9 field in the direction of the walled city of mystery.
They had advanced but a short distance when a banth, looking up from its gory10 feast, descried11 them. With an angry roar the beast walked quickly in their direction, and at the sound of its voice a score of others followed its example.
Carthoris drew his long-sword. The girl stole a quick glance at his face. She saw the smile upon his lips, and it was as wine to sick nerves; for even upon warlike Barsoom where all men are brave, woman reacts quickly to quiet indifference12 to danger—to dare-deviltry that is without bombast13.
"You may return your sword," she said. "I told you that the banths would not harm us. Look!" and as she spoke she stepped quickly toward the nearest animal.
Carthoris would have leaped after her to protect her, but with a gesture she motioned him back. He heard her calling to the banths in a low, singsong voice that was half purr.
Instantly the great heads went up and all the wicked eyes were riveted14 upon the figure of the girl. Then, stealthily, they commenced moving toward her. She had stopped now and was standing3 waiting them.
One, closer to her than the others, hesitated. She spoke to him imperiously, as a master might speak to a refractory15 hound.
The great carnivore let its head droop16, and with tail between its legs came slinking to the girl's feet, and after it came the others until she was entirely17 surrounded by the savage18 maneaters.
Turning she led them to where Carthoris stood. They growled19 a little as they neared the man, but a few sharp words of command put them in their places.
"How do you do it?" exclaimed Carthoris.
"Your father once asked me that same question in the galleries of the Golden Cliffs within the Otz Mountains, beneath the temples of the therns. I could not answer him, nor can I answer you. I do not know whence comes my power over them, but ever since the day that Sator Throg threw me among them in the banth pit of the Holy Therns, and the great creatures fawned20 upon instead of devouring21 me, I ever have had the same strange power over them. They come at my call and do my bidding, even as the faithful Woola does the bidding of your mighty22 sire."
With a word the girl dispersed23 the fierce pack. Roaring, they returned to their interrupted feast, while Carthoris and Thuvia passed among them toward the walled city.
As they advanced the man looked with wonder upon the dead bodies of those of the green men that had not been devoured24 or mauled by the banths.
He called the girl's attention to them. No arrows protruded25 from the great carcasses. Nowhere upon any of them was the sign of mortal wound, nor even slightest scratch or abrasion26.
Before the bowmen's dead had disappeared the corpses27 of the Torquasians had bristled28 with the deadly arrows of their foes30. Where had the slender messengers of death departed? What unseen hand had plucked them from the bodies of the slain31?
Despite himself Carthoris could scarce repress a shudder32 of apprehension33 as he glanced toward the silent city before them. No longer was sign of life visible upon wall or roof top. All was quiet—brooding, ominous34 quiet.
Yet he was sure that eyes watched them from somewhere behind that blank wall.
He glanced at Thuvia. She was advancing with wide eyes fixed35 upon the city gate. He looked in the direction of her gaze, but saw nothing.
His gaze upon her seemed to arouse her as from a lethargy. She glanced up at him, a quick, brave smile touching36 her lips, and then, as though the act was involuntary, she came close to his side and placed one of her hands in his.
He guessed that something within her that was beyond her conscious control was appealing to him for protection. He threw an arm about her, and thus they crossed the field. She did not draw away from him. It is doubtful that she realized that his arm was there, so engrossed37 was she in the mystery of the strange city before them.
They stopped before the gate. It was a mighty thing. From its construction Carthoris could but dimly speculate upon its unthinkable antiquity38.
It was circular, closing a circular aperture39, and the Heliumite knew from his study of ancient Barsoomian architecture that it rolled to one side, like a huge wheel, into an aperture in the wall.
Even such world-old cities as ancient Aaanthor were as yet undreamed of when the races lived that built such gates as these.
As he stood speculating upon the identity of this forgotten city, a voice spoke to them from above. Both looked up. There, leaning over the edge of the high wall, was a man.
His hair was auburn, his skin fair—fairer even than that of John Carter, the Virginian. His forehead was high, his eyes large and intelligent.
The language that he used was intelligible40 to the two below, yet there was a marked difference between it and their Barsoomian tongue.
"Who are you?" he asked. "And what do you here before the gate of Lothar?"
"We are friends," replied Carthoris. "This be the princess, Thuvia of Ptarth, who was captured by the Torquasian horde41. I am Carthoris of Helium, Prince of the house of Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium, and son of John Carter, Warlord of Mars, and of his wife, Dejah Thoris."
"'Ptarth'?" repeated the man. "'Helium'?" He shook his head. "I never have heard of these places, nor did I know that there dwelt upon Barsoom a race of thy strange colour. Where may these cities lie, of which you speak? From our loftiest tower we have never seen another city than Lothar."
"In that direction lie Helium and Ptarth," he said. "Helium is over eight thousand haads from Lothar, while Ptarth lies nine thousand five hundred haads north-east of Helium."[1]
Still the man shook his head.
"I know of nothing beyond the Lotharian hills," he said. "Naught43 may live there beside the hideous44 green hordes45 of Torquas. They have conquered all Barsoom except this single valley and the city of Lothar. Here we have defied them for countless46 ages, though periodically they renew their attempts to destroy us. From whence you come I cannot guess unless you be descended from the slaves the Torquasians captured in early times when they reduced the outer world to their vassalage47; but we had heard that they destroyed all other races but their own."
Carthoris tried to explain that the Torquasians ruled but a relatively48 tiny part of the surface of Barsoom, and even this only because their domain49 held nothing to attract the red race; but the Lotharian could not seem to conceive of anything beyond the valley of Lothar other than a trackless waste peopled by the ferocious green hordes of Torquas.
After considerable parleying he consented to admit them to the city, and a moment later the wheel-like gate rolled back within its niche50, and Thuvia and Carthoris entered the city of Lothar.
All about them were evidences of fabulous51 wealth. The facades52 of the buildings fronting upon the avenue within the wall were richly carven, and about the windows and doors were ofttimes set foot-wide borders of precious stones, intricate mosaics53, or tablets of beaten gold bearing bas-reliefs depicting54 what may have been bits of the history of this forgotten people.
He with whom they had conversed55 across the wall was in the avenue to receive them. About him were a hundred or more men of the same race. All were clothed in flowing robes and all were beardless.
Their attitude was more of fearful suspicion than antagonism56. They followed the new-comers with their eyes; but spoke no word to them.
Carthoris could not but notice the fact that though the city had been but a short time before surrounded by a horde of bloodthirsty demons57 yet none of the citizens appeared to be armed, nor was there sign of soldiery about.
He wondered if all the fighting men had sallied forth in one supreme58 effort to rout59 the foe29, leaving the city all unguarded. He asked their host.
The man smiled.
"No creature other than a score or so of our sacred banths has left Lothar to-day," he replied.
"But the soldiers—the bowmen!" exclaimed Carthoris. "We saw thousands emerge from this very gate, overwhelming the hordes of Torquas and putting them to rout with their deadly arrows and their fierce banths."
Still the man smiled his knowing smile.
"Look!" he cried, and pointed down a broad avenue before him.
Carthoris and Thuvia followed the direction indicated, and there, marching bravely in the sunlight, they saw advancing toward them a great army of bowmen.
"Ah!" exclaimed Thuvia. "They have returned through another gate, or perchance these be the troops that remained to defend the city?"
Again the fellow smiled his uncanny smile.
"There are no soldiers in Lothar," he said. "Look!"
Both Carthoris and Thuvia had turned toward him while he spoke, and now as they turned back again toward the advancing regiments60 their eyes went wide in astonishment61, for the broad avenue before them was as deserted62 as the tomb.
"And those who marched out upon the hordes to-day?" whispered Carthoris. "They, too, were unreal?"
The man nodded.
"Let us go before Tario," replied the Lotharian. "He will tell you that which he deems it best you know. I might tell you too much."
"Who is Tario?" asked Carthoris.
"Jeddak of Lothar," replied the guide, leading them up the broad avenue down which they had but a moment since seen the phantom64 army marching.
For half an hour they walked along lovely avenues between the most gorgeous buildings that the two had ever seen. Few people were in evidence. Carthoris could not but note the deserted appearance of the mighty city.
At last they came to the royal palace. Carthoris saw it from a distance, and guessing the nature of the magnificent pile wondered that even here there should be so little sign of activity and life.
Not even a single guard was visible before the great entrance gate, nor in the gardens beyond, into which he could see, was there sign of the myriad65 life that pulses within the precincts of the royal estates of the red jeddaks.
"Here," said their guide, "is the palace of Tario."
As he spoke Carthoris again let his gaze rest upon the wondrous66 palace. With a startled exclamation67 he rubbed his eyes and looked again. No! He could not be mistaken. Before the massive gate stood a score of sentries68. Within, the avenue leading to the main building was lined on either side by ranks of bowmen. The gardens were dotted with officers and soldiers moving quickly to and fro, as though bent69 upon the duties of the minute.
What manner of people were these who could conjure70 an army out of thin air? He glanced toward Thuvia. She, too, evidently had witnessed the transformation71.
With a little shudder she pressed more closely toward him.
"What do you make of it?" she whispered. "It is most uncanny."
"I cannot account for it," replied Carthoris, "unless we have gone mad."
Carthoris turned quickly toward the Lotharian. The fellow was smiling broadly.
"I thought that you just said that there were no soldiers in Lothar," said the Heliumite, with a gesture toward the guardsmen. "What are these?"
"Ask Tario," replied the other. "We shall soon be before him."
Nor was it long before they entered a lofty chamber72 at one end of which a man reclined upon a rich couch that stood upon a high dais.
As the trio approached, the man turned dreamy eyes sleepily upon them. Twenty feet from the dais their conductor halted, and, whispering to Thuvia and Carthoris to follow his example, threw himself headlong to the floor. Then rising to hands and knees, he commenced crawling toward the foot of the throne, swinging his head to and fro and wiggling his body as you have seen a hound do when approaching its master.
Thuvia glanced quickly toward Carthoris. He was standing erect73, with high-held head and arms folded across his broad chest. A haughty74 smile curved his lips.
The man upon the dais was eyeing him intently, and Carthoris of Helium was looking straight in the other's face.
"O Tario, most glorious Jeddak," replied Jav, "these be strangers who came with the hordes of Torquas to our gates, saying that they were prisoners of the green men. They tell strange tales of cities far beyond Lothar."
"Arise, Jav," commanded Tario, "and ask these two why they show not to Tario the respect that is his due."
Jav arose and faced the strangers. At sight of their erect positions his face went livid. He leaped toward them.
"Creatures!" he screamed. "Down! Down upon your bellies76 before the last of the jeddaks of Barsoom!"
[1] On Barsoom the AD is the basis of linear measurement. It is the equivalent of an Earthly foot, measuring about 11.694 Earth inches. As has been my custom in the past, I have generally translated Barsoomian symbols of time, distance, etc., into their Earthly equivalent, as being more easily understood by Earth readers. For those of a more studious turn of mind it may be interesting to know the Martian table of linear measurement, and so I give it here:
10 sofads = 1 ad
200 ads = 1 haad
100 haads = 1 karad
360 karads = 1 circumference77 of Mars at equator.
A haad, or Barsoomian mile, contains about 2,339 Earth feet. A karad is one degree. A sofad about 1.17 Earth inches.
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1
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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8
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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9
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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gory
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| adj.流血的；残酷的 | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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bombast
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| n.高调，夸大之辞 | |
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14
riveted
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| 铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意 | |
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15
refractory
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| adj.倔强的，难驾驭的 | |
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droop
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| v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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fawned
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| v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的过去式和过去分词 )；巴结；讨好 | |
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21
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
abrasion
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| n.磨（擦）破，表面磨损 | |
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corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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bristled
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| adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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31
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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hordes
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| n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落 | |
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46
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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47
vassalage
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| n.家臣身份，隶属 | |
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48
relatively
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| adv.比较...地，相对地 | |
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49
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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50
niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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51
fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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52
facades
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| n.（房屋的）正面( facade的名词复数 )；假象，外观 | |
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mosaics
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| n.马赛克( mosaic的名词复数 )；镶嵌；镶嵌工艺；镶嵌图案 | |
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54
depicting
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| 描绘，描画( depict的现在分词 )； 描述 | |
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55
conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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56
antagonism
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| n.对抗，敌对，对立 | |
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57
demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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58
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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rout
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| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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62
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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64
phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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myriad
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| adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量 | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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67
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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68
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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71
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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72
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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73
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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74
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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75
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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76
bellies
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| n.肚子( belly的名词复数 )；腹部；（物体的）圆形或凸起部份；腹部…形的 | |
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77
circumference
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| n.圆周，周长，圆周线 | |
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