Latest / Classic Science Fiction Books / 18 - The God's of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs

Transcript

18 - The God's of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs · Classic Science Fiction Books

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter eighteen, Soula's story. Once within the palace, I drew
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Sola to the dining hall, and when she had greeted
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: her father after the formal manner of the green Men,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: she told the story of the pilgrimage and capture of
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: dejah Thoris seven days ago. After her audience was zat Arras,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: dejah Thoris attempted to slip from the palace in the
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: dead of night. Although I had not heard the outcome
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: of her interview with Zadars, I knew that something had
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: occurred then to cause her the keenest mental agony, And
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: when I discovered her creeping from the palace, I did
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: not need to be told her destination. Hastily arousing a
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: dozen of her most faithful guards, I explained my fears
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: to them, and as one they enlisted with me to
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: follow our beloved princess in her wanderings, even to the
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: sacred iss and the valley door. We came upon her
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: but a short distance from the palace. With her was
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: faithful Woola the hound, but none other. When we overtook her,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: she feigned anger and ordered us back to the palace.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: But for once we disobeyed her, and when she found
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: that we would not let her go upon the last
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: long pilgrimage alone. She wept and embraced us, and together
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: we went out into the night toward the south. The
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: following day we came upon a herd of small thoats,
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: and thereafter we were mounted and made good time. We
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: traveled very fast and very far due south, until the
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: morning of the fifth day we sighted a great fleet
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: of battleships sailing north. They saw us before we could
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: seek shelter, and soon we were surrounded by a horde
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: of black men. The princess's guard fought nobly to the end,
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: but they were soon overcome and slain. Only dejah Thoris
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: and I were spared. When she realized that she was
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: in the clutches of the black pirates, she attempted to
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: take her own life, but one of the blacks tore
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: her dagger from her, and then they bound us both
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: so that we could not use our hands. The fleet
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: continued north after capturing us. There were about twenty large
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: battleships and all besides a number of small swift cruisers.
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: That evening. One of the smaller cruisers that had been
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: far in advance of the fleet returned with a prisoner,
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: a young red woman, whom they had picked up in
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: a range of hills under the very noses. They said
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: of a fleet of three red Martian battleships. From scraps
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: of conversation which we overheard, it was evident that the
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: Black pirates were searching for a party of fugitives that
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: had escaped them several days prior that they considered the
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: capture of the young woman important. Was evident from the
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: long and earnest interview the commander of the fleet held
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: with her when she was brought to him. Later, she
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: was bound and placed in the compartment with dejah Thoris
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: and myself. The new captive was a very beautiful girl.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: She told dejah Thoris that many years ago she had
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: taken the voluntary pilgrimage from the court of her father,
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: the Jeddak of Ptarth. She was Thuvia, the Princess of Ptarth.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: And then she asked dejah Thoris who she might be,
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: And when she heard, she fell upon her knees and
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: kissed dejah Thoris's fettered hands and told her that that
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: very morning she had been with John Carter, Prince of Helium,
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: and Carthoris her son. Dejah Thoris could not believe her
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: at first, but finally, when the girl had narrated all
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: the strange adventures that had befallen her since she had
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: met John Carter, and told of the things John Carter
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: and Carthoris and Exodar had narrated of their adventures in
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: the Land of the Firstborn, dejah Thoris knew that it
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: could be none other than the Prince of Helium, for who,
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: she said upon all barsoom other than John Carter could
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: have done the deeds you tell of. And when Thuvia
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: told dejah Thoris of her love for John Carter and
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: his loyalty and devotion to the princess of his choice,
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: dejah Thoris broke down and wept, cursing Zatars and the
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: cruel fate that had driven her from Helium. But a
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: few brief days before the return of her beloved lord,
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: I do not blame you for loving him, Thuvia, she said,
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: and that your affection for him is pure, and sincere
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: I can well believe from the candor of your avowal
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: of it to me. The fleet continued north nearly to Helium,
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: but last night they evidently realized that John Carter had
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: indeed escaped them, and so they turned toward the south
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: once more. Shortly thereafter, a guard entered our compartment and
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: dragged me to the deck. There is no place in
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: the land of the first Born for a green one,
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: he said, and with that he gave me a trerrific
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: shove that carried me toppling from the deck of the battleship.
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: Evidently this seemed to him the easiest way of ridding
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: the vessel of my presence and killing me at the
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: same time. But a kind fate intervened, and by a
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: miracle I escaped with but slight bruises. The ship was
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: moving slowly at the time, and as I lunged overboard
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: into the darkness beneath, I shuddered at the awful plunge
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: I thought awaited me for all day. The fleet had
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: sailed thousands of feet above the ground, But to my
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: utter surprise, I struck upon a soft mass of vegetation
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: not twenty feet from the deck of the ship. In fact,
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: the keel of the vessel must have been grazing the
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: surface of the ground at the time. I lay all
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: night where I had fallen, and the next morning brought
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: an explanation of the fortunate coincidence that had saved me
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: from a terrible death. As the sun rose, I saw
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: a vast panorama of sea bottom and distant hills lying
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: far below me. I was upon the highest peak of
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: a lofty range. The fleet, in the darkness of the
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: preceding night, had barely grazed the crest of the hills,
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: and in the brief span they hovered close to the surface.
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: The black Guard had pitched me as he supposed to
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: my death. A few miles west of me was a
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: great waterway. When I reached it, I found to my
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: delight that it belonged to Helium. Here a thoat was
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: procured for me the rest you know. For many minutes
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: none spoke dejah Thoris and the clutches of the firstborn.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: I shuddered at the thought. But of a sudden the
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: old fire of unconquerable self confidence surged through me. I
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: sprang to my feet, and with back thrown shoulders and
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: upraised sword, took a solemn vow to reach, rescue and
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: revenge my princess. A hundred swords leaped from a hundred scabbards,
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: and a hundred fighting men sprang to the table top
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: and pledged me their lives and fortunes to the expedition.
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: Already my plans were formulated. I thanked each loyal friend,
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: and leaving Carthoris to entertain them withdrew to my own
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: audience chamber with Kanto's can Tars, Tarkas, Exodar, and Horastis.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: Here we discussed the details of our expedition until long
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: after dark. Exodon was positive that Issus would choose both
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: dejah Thoris and Thuvia to serve her for a year.
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: For that length of time, at least they will be
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: comparatively safe, he said, and we will at least know
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: where to look for them. In the matter of equipping
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: a fleet to enter Omean, the details were left to
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: kantos Kan and Exodar. The former agreed to take such
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: vessels as we required into dock as rapidly as possible,
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: where Exodar would direct their equipment with water propellers. For
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: many years, the Black had been in charge of the
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: refitting of captured battleships that they might navigate Omean, and
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: so as familiar with the construction of the propellers, housings
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: and the auxiliary gearing required it was estimated that it
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: would require six months to complete our preparations. In view
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: of the fact that the utmost secrecy must be maintained
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: to keep the project from the ears of Zadarras, kantos
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: Kan was confident now that the man's ambitions were fully aroused,
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: and that nothing short of the title of Jeddak of
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: Helium would satisfy him. I doubt, he said, if he
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: would even welcome dejah Thoris's return, for it would mean
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: another nearer the throne than he. With you and Carthoris
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: out of the way, there would be little to prevent
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: him from assuming the title of Jeddak. And you may
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: rest assured that so long as he is supreme here
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: there is no safety for either of you. There is
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: a way, cried hor Vastus, to thwart him effectually and forever.
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: What I asked, he smiled, I shall whisper it here,
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: but some day I shall stand upon the dome of
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: the Temple of Reward and shout it to cheering multitudes below.
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: What do you mean, asked kantos Kan, John Carter, Jeddak
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: of Helium, said hor Vastus, in a low voice. The
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: eyes of my companions lighted and grim. Smiles of pleasure
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: and anticipation overspread their faces as each eye turned toward
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: me questioningly. But I shook my head. No, my friends,
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: I said, smiling, thank you, But it cannot be, not yet,
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: at least when we know that Tardos Mors and mors
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: Kajak are gone to return no more. If I be here,
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: then I shall join you all to see that the
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: people of Helium are permitted to choose fairly their next Jeddak.
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: Whom they choose may count upon the loyalty of my sword.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: Nor shall I seek the honor for myself until then
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: Tardos Mors is Jeddak of Helium, and zadiras his representative,
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: as you will, John Carter, said hor Vastus. But what
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: was that, he whispered, pointing toward the window overlooking the gardens.
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: The words were scarce out of his mouth. Ere he
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: had sprung to the balcony without there he goes, he
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: cried excitedly. The guards below. There, the guards, we were
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: close behind him, and all saw the figure of a
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: man run quickly across a little piece of sword and
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: disappear in the shrubbery beyond. He was on the balcony
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: when I first saw him, cried hor Vastus, quick, let
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: us follow him. Together we ran to the gardens, But
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: even though we scoured the grounds with the entire guard
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: for hours, no trace could we find of the night marauder.
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: What do you make of it? Kantos Kan asked tars Tarkas,
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: a spy sent by Zadarras. He replied, it was ever
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: his way. Humph, he will have something interesting to report
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: to his masters. Then laughed hor Vastus, I hope he
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: heard only our references to a new Jeddak, I said.
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: If he overheard our plans to rescue dejah Thoris, it
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: will mean civil war, for he will attempt to thwart us,
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: and in that I will not be thwarted. There would
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: I turn against Tardos Mors himself were it necessary, if
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: it throws all Helium into a bloody conflict. I shall
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: go on with these plans to save my princess. Nothing
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: shall stay me now short of death. And should I die,
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: my friends, will you take oath to prosecute the search
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: for her and bring her back in safety to her
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: grandfather's court. Upon the hilt of his sword, each of
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: them swore to do as I had asked. It was
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: agreed that the battleships that were to be remodeled should
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: be ordered to hast Her, another heliumetic city far to
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: the southwest. Kantos Kan thought that the docks there, in
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: addition to their regular work, would accommodate at least six
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: battleships at a time. As he was commander in chief
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: of the navy, it would be a simple matter for
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: him to order the vessels there as they could be handled,
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: and thereafter keep the remodeled fleet in remote parts of
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: the empire until we should be ready to assemble it
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: for the dash upon Omean. It was late that night
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: before our conference broke up, but each man there had
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: his particular duties outlined, and the details of the entire
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: plan had been mapped out. Kantos Kan and Exodar were
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: to attend to the remoeling of the ships. Tars Tarkas
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: was to get into communication with Thark and learn the
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: sentiments of his people toward his return from Dor. If favorable,
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: he was to return immediately to Thark and devote his
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: time to the assembling of a great horde of green warriors,
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: whom it was our plan to send in transports directly
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: to the valley Door and the temple of Issus, while
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: the fleet entered Omean and destroyed the vessels of the
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: First Born. Upon hor Vastus devolved the delicate mission of
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: organizing a secret force of fighting men sworn to follow
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: John Carter wherever he might lead. As we estimated that
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: it would require over a million men to man the
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: thousand great battleships we intended to use on Omean and
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: the transports for the green Men, as well as the
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: ships that were to convoy the transports. It was no
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: trifling job that hor Vastus had before him. After they
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: had left, I bid Carthoris good night, for I was
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: very tired, and going to my own apartments, bathed and
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: lay down upon my sleeping silks and furs for the
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: first good night's sleep I had had an opportunity to
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: look forward to since I had returned to Barsoom. But
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: even now I was to be disappointed. How long I
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: slept I do not know. When I awoke suddenly it
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: was to find a half dozen powerful men upon me,
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: a gag already in my mouth, and a moment later
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: my arms and legs securely bound, so quickly had they worked,
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: and to such good purpose, that I was utterly beyond
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: the power to resist them. By the time I was
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: fully awake, never a word spoke, they and the gag
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: effectually prevented me speaking. Silently, they lifted me and bore
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: me toward the door of my chamber. As they passed
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: the window through which the farther moon was casting its
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: brilliant beams, I saw that each of the party had
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: his face swathed in layers of silk. I could not
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: recognize one of them. When they had come into the
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: corridor with me, they turned toward a secret panel in
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: the wall, which led to the passage that terminated in
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: the pits beneath the palace. That any knew of this
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: panel outside my own household, I was doubtful. Yet the
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: leader of the band did not hesitate a moment. He
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: stepped directly to the panel, touched the concealed button, and
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: as the door swung open, he stood aside while his
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: companions entered with me. Then he closed the panel behind
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: him and followed us down through the passageways to the pits.
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: We went, the leader wrapped upon it with the hilt
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: of his sword. Three quick, sharp blows, a pause, then
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: three more, another pause, and then two. A second later,
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: the wall swung in, and I was pushed within a
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: brilliantly lighted chamber, in which sat three richly trapped men.
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: One of them turned toward me with a sodonic smile
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: upon his thin, cruel lips. It was sat ARUs. End
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: of chapter eighteen.