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

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  Speaker 1: Chapter seventeen, the death sentence. A few moments before the
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  Speaker 1: appointed time on the following morning, a strong guard of
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  Speaker 1: Zadarras's officers appeared at our quarters to conduct us to
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  Speaker 1: the Great Hall of the Temple. In twos. We entered
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  Speaker 1: the chamber, marched down the broad Isle of Hope, as
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  Speaker 1: it is called, to the platform in the center of
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  Speaker 1: the hall. Before and behind us marched armed guards, while
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  Speaker 1: three solid ranks of Zodangan's soldiery lined either side of
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  Speaker 1: the isle from the entrance to the rostrum. As we
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  Speaker 1: reached the ray's enclosure, I saw our judges, as is
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  Speaker 1: the custom upon barsoom, there were thirty one, supposedly selected
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  Speaker 1: by lot from men of the noble class, for nobles
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  Speaker 1: were on trial. But to my amazement, I saw no
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  Speaker 1: single friendly face among them. Practically all were Zodangans. And
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  Speaker 1: it was I to whom Zodanga owed her defeat at
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  Speaker 1: the hands of the Green Hordes, and her subsequent vassalage
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  Speaker 1: to Helium. There could be little justice here for John
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  Speaker 1: Carter or his son, or for the great Thark, who
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  Speaker 1: had commanded the savage tribesmen who overran Zodanga's broad avenues. Looting, burning,
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  Speaker 1: and murdering about us. The vast circular colosseum was packed
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  Speaker 1: to its full capacity. All classes were represented, all ages
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  Speaker 1: in both sexes. As we entered the hall, the hum
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  Speaker 1: of subdued conversation ceased, until as we halted upon the
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  Speaker 1: platform or throne of righteousness, the silence of death enveloped
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  Speaker 1: the ten thousand spectators. The judges were seated in a
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  Speaker 1: great circle about the periphery of the circular platform. We
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  Speaker 1: were assigned seats with our backs toward a small platform
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  Speaker 1: in the exact center of the larger one. This placed
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  Speaker 1: us facing the judges and the audience. Upon the smaller platform.
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  Speaker 1: Each would take his place while his case was being heard.
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  Speaker 1: Zadires himself sat in the golden chair of the presiding magistrate.
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  Speaker 1: As we were seated and our guards retired to the
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  Speaker 1: foot of the stairway leading to the platform, he arose
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  Speaker 1: and called my name, John Carter. He cried, take your
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  Speaker 1: place upon the pedestal truth to be judged impartially according
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  Speaker 1: to your acts, and here to know the reward you
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  Speaker 1: have earned thereby. Then, turning to and fro toward the audience,
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  Speaker 1: he narrated the acts upon the value of which my
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  Speaker 1: reward was to be determined. Know you, o, judges and
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  Speaker 1: people of Helium. He said that John Carter, one time
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  Speaker 1: Prince of Helium, has returned, by his own statement from
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  Speaker 1: the valley door, and even from the temple of Issus itself,
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  Speaker 1: that in the presence of many men of Helium, he
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  Speaker 1: has blasphemed against the sacred iss and against the valley dor,
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  Speaker 1: and the losse of Chorus, and the holy thorns themselves,
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  Speaker 1: and even against Issus, Goddess of death and of life eternal.
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  Speaker 1: And know you further by witness of thine own eyes
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  Speaker 1: that see him here now upon the pedestal of truth,
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  Speaker 1: that he has indeed returned from these sacred precincts, in
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  Speaker 1: the face of our ancient customs, and in violation of
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  Speaker 1: the sanctity of our ancient religion. He who be once
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  Speaker 1: dead may not live again. He who attempts it must
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  Speaker 1: be made dead forever judges. Your duty lies plain before you.
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  Speaker 1: Here can be no testimony in contravention of truth. What
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  Speaker 1: reward shall be meeted to John Carter in accordance with
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  Speaker 1: the axe he has committed death, shouted one of the judges,
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  Speaker 1: and then a man sprang to his feet in the audience,
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  Speaker 1: and raising his hand on high, cried justice, Justice, Justice.
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  Speaker 1: It was kantos Kan And as all eyes turned toward him,
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  Speaker 1: he leaped past the Zodangan soldiery and sprang upon the platform.
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  Speaker 1: What manner of justice be this, he cried to Zadarras.
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  Speaker 1: The defendant has not been heard, nor has he had
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  Speaker 1: an opportunity to call others in his behalf. In the
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  Speaker 1: name of the people of Helium, I demand fair and
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  Speaker 1: impartial treatment for the Prince of Helium. A great cry
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  Speaker 1: arose from the audience. Then justice, Justice, Justice, and Zadarras
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  Speaker 1: dared not deny them. Speak. Then he snarled, turning to me.
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  Speaker 1: But blasphemy, not against the things that are sacred. A
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  Speaker 1: bomb barsoom men of Helium, I cried, turning to the
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  Speaker 1: spectators and speaking over the heads of my judges. How
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  Speaker 1: can John Carter expect justice from the men of Zodanga.
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  Speaker 1: He cannot, nor does he ask it. It is to
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  Speaker 1: the men of Helium that he states his case, nor
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  Speaker 1: does he appeal for mercy to any It is not
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  Speaker 1: in his own cause that he speaks. Now, it is
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  Speaker 1: in thine, in the cause of your wives and daughters,
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  Speaker 1: and of wives and daughters yet unborn. It is to
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  Speaker 1: save them from the unthinkably atrocious indignities that I have
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  Speaker 1: seen heaped upon the fair women of Barsoom in the
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  Speaker 1: place men call the temple of Issus. It is to
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  Speaker 1: save them from the sucking embrace of the plant men,
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  Speaker 1: from the fangs of the great white apes of Dor,
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  Speaker 1: from the cruel lust of the holy theurns, from all
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  Speaker 1: that the cold dead ish carries them to, from homes
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  Speaker 1: of love and life and happiness sits. There no man
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  Speaker 1: here who does not know the history of John Carter,
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  Speaker 1: how he came among you from another world, and rose
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  Speaker 1: from a prisoner among the green men, through torture and persecution,
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  Speaker 1: to a high place among the highest of Barsoom. Nor
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  Speaker 1: ever did you know Jo Carter to lie in his
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  Speaker 1: own behalf, or to say aught that might harm the
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  Speaker 1: people of Barsoom, or to speak lightly of the strange
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  Speaker 1: religion which he respected without understanding. There be no man
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  Speaker 1: here or elsewhere upon Barsoom to day who does not
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  Speaker 1: owe his life directly to a single act of mine
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  Speaker 1: in which I sacrificed myself and the happiness of my princess,
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  Speaker 1: that you might live, And so, men of Helium, I
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  Speaker 1: think that I have the right to demand that I
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  Speaker 1: be heard, that I be believed, and that you let
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  Speaker 1: me serve you and save you from the false hereafter
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  Speaker 1: of dor and Issus, as I saved you from the
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  Speaker 1: real death that other day. It is to you of
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  Speaker 1: Helium that I speak. Now, when I am done, let
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  Speaker 1: the men of Zodanga have their will with me. Zadars
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  Speaker 1: has taken my sword from me, So the men of
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  Speaker 1: Zodanga no longer fear me. Will you listen, speak John Carter,
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  Speaker 1: Prince of Helium, cried a great noble from the audience,
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  Speaker 1: and the multitude echoed his permission until the building rocked
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  Speaker 1: with the noise of their demonstration. Zadar Us knew better
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  Speaker 1: than to interfere with such a sentiment as was expressed
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  Speaker 1: that day in the Temple of Reward, And so for
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  Speaker 1: two hours I talked with the people of Helium. But
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  Speaker 1: when I had finished, Zadiras arose, and, turning to the judges, said,
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  Speaker 1: in a low tone, my nobles, you have heard John
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  Speaker 1: Carter's plea. Every opportunity has been given him to prove
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  Speaker 1: his innocence if he be not guilty but instead he
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  Speaker 1: has but utilized the time in further blasphemy. What, gentlemen,
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  Speaker 1: is your verdict? Death to the blasphemer, cried one, springing
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  Speaker 1: to his feet, and in an instant the entire thirty
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  Speaker 1: one judges were on their feet with upraised swords in
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  Speaker 1: token of their unanimity of their verdict. If the people
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  Speaker 1: did not hear Zadius's charge, they certainly did hear the
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  Speaker 1: verdict of the tribunal. A sullen murmur rose louder and
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  Speaker 1: louder about the packed colosseum. And then kantos Kan, who
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  Speaker 1: had not left the platform since first he had taken
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  Speaker 1: his place near me, raised his hand for silence. When
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  Speaker 1: he could be heard, he spoke to the people in
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  Speaker 1: a cool and level voice. You have heard the fate
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  Speaker 1: that the men of Zodanga would meet to Helium's noblest hero.
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  Speaker 1: It may be the duty of the men of Helium
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  Speaker 1: to accept the verdict as final. Let each man act
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  Speaker 1: according to his own heart. Here is the answer of
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  Speaker 1: kantos Kan, head of the navy of Helium, to Zadars
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  Speaker 1: and his judges. And with that he unbuckled his scabbard
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  Speaker 1: and threw his sword at my feet. In an instant,
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  Speaker 1: soldiers and citizens, officers and nobles were crowding past the
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  Speaker 1: soldiers of Zodanga and forcing their way to the Throne
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  Speaker 1: of Righteousness. A hundred men surged upon the platform. Any
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  Speaker 1: hundred blades rattled and clanked to the floor at my feet.
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  Speaker 1: Zadars and his officers were furious, but they were helpless.
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  Speaker 1: One by one, I raised the swords to my lips
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  Speaker 1: and buckled them again upon their owners. Come, said kantos Kan.
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  Speaker 1: We will escort John Carter and his party to his
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  Speaker 1: own palace. And they formed about us and started toward
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  Speaker 1: the stairs leading to the Isle of Hope. Stop, cried Zadars,
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  Speaker 1: Soldiers of Helium, let no prisoner leave the throne of Righteousness.
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  Speaker 1: The soldiery from Zodanga were the only organized body of
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  Speaker 1: Heliumetic troops within the temple. So Zadarras was confident that
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  Speaker 1: his orders would be obeyed. But I do not think
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  Speaker 1: that he looked for the opposition that was raised. The
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  Speaker 1: moment the soldiers advanced towards the throne, from every quarter
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  Speaker 1: of the colosseum, swords flashed and men rush threatening upon
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  Speaker 1: the Zodangans. Some one raised a cry Tardos Mors is
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  Speaker 1: dead a thousand years to John Carter, Jeddak of Helium.
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  Speaker 1: As I heard that and saw the ugly attitude of
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  Speaker 1: the men of Helium towards the soldiers of Zadarras, I
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  Speaker 1: knew that only a miracle could avert a clash that
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  Speaker 1: would end in civil war. Hold, I cried, leaping to
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  Speaker 1: the pedestal of truth once more. Let no man move
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  Speaker 1: till I am done. A single sword thrust here to
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  Speaker 1: day may plunge Helium into a bitter and bloody war,
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  Speaker 1: the results of which none can foresee. It will turn
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  Speaker 1: brother against brother and father against son. No man's life
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  Speaker 1: is worth that sacrifice. Rather would I submit to the
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  Speaker 1: biased judgment of Zadarras than be the cause of civil
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  Speaker 1: strife in Helium. Let us each give in a point
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  Speaker 1: to the other, and let this entire matter rest until
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  Speaker 1: Tardos Mors returns or Moore's Kajak his son. If neither
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  Speaker 1: be back at the end of a year, a second
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  Speaker 1: trial may be held. The thing has a precedent. And then,
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  Speaker 1: turning to Zadarras, I said, in a low voice, unless
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  Speaker 1: you be a bigger fool than I take you to be,
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  Speaker 1: you will grasp the chance I am offering you. Ere,
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  Speaker 1: it is too late. Once that multitude of swords below
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  Speaker 1: is drawn against your soldiery. No man upon Barsoom, not
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  Speaker 1: even Tardos Morse himself, can avert the consequences. What say
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  Speaker 1: you speak quickly? The Jed of Zodangan Helium raised his
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  Speaker 1: voice to the angry sea beneath us, stay your hands,
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  Speaker 1: men of Helium, he shouted, his voice trembling with rage.
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  Speaker 1: The sentence of the court is passed, but the day
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  Speaker 1: of retribution has not been set. Aye Zadarras, Jed of Zodanga,
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  Speaker 1: appreciating the royal connection of the prisoner and his past
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  Speaker 1: services to Helium and Barsoom, grant a respite of one year,
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  Speaker 1: or until the return of Moore's Kajak or Tardos Mors
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  Speaker 1: to Helium. Disperse quietly to your houses. Go. No one moved. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: they stood in tense silence, with their eyes fastened upon me,
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  Speaker 1: as though waiting for a signal to attack. Clear the
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  Speaker 1: temple commanded Zadarras in a low tone to one of
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  Speaker 1: his officers. Fearing the result of an attempt to carry
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  Speaker 1: out this order by force, I stepped to the edge
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  Speaker 1: of the platform, and, pointing toward the main entrance, bid
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  Speaker 1: them pass out as one man. They turned at my
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  Speaker 1: request and filed, silent and threatening past the soldiers of
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  Speaker 1: Zadarras Jed of Zodanga, who stood scowling in impotent rage.
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  Speaker 1: Kantos Kan, with the others who had sworn allegiance to me,
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  Speaker 1: still stood upon the throne of righteousness. With me. Come,
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  Speaker 1: said kantos Kan to me, we will escort you to
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  Speaker 1: your palace. My prince, Come Cathoris and Exodar, come Tars Tarkas,
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  Speaker 1: And with a haughty sneer for zat Arras upon his
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  Speaker 1: handsome lips, he turned and strode to the throne steps
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  Speaker 1: and up the isle of Hope. We four and the
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  Speaker 1: hundred loyal ones followed behind him. Nor was a hand
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  Speaker 1: raised to stay us. Though glowering eyes followed our triumphant
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  Speaker 1: march through the temple. In the avenues, we found a
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  Speaker 1: pressive people, but they opened a pathway for us, And
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  Speaker 1: many were the swords that were flung at my feet
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  Speaker 1: as I passed through the city of Helium toward my palace.
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  Speaker 1: Upon the outskirts. Here my old slaves fell upon their
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  Speaker 1: knees and kissed my hands as I greeted them. They
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  Speaker 1: cared not where I had been. It was enough that
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  Speaker 1: I had returned to them. Ah Master, cried one. If
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  Speaker 1: our divine princess were but here, this would be a day. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: tears came to my eyes, so that I was forced
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  Speaker 1: to turn away that I might hide my emotions. Carthoris
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  Speaker 1: wept openly as the slaves pressed about him with expressions
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  Speaker 1: of affection and words of sorrow for our common loss.
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  Speaker 1: It was now that tars Tarkas for the first time
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  Speaker 1: learned that his daughter Solah had accompanied dejah Thoris upon
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  Speaker 1: the last long pilgrimage. I had not had the heart
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  Speaker 1: to tell him what kantos Kan had told me. With
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  Speaker 1: the stoism of the green Martian, he showed no sign
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  Speaker 1: of suffering, Yet I knew that his grief was as
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  Speaker 1: poignant as mine. In marked contrast to his kind, he
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  Speaker 1: had in well developed form the kindlier human characteristics of love, friendship,
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  Speaker 1: and charity. It was a sad and somber party that
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  Speaker 1: sat at the feast of Welcome in the Great dining
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  Speaker 1: Hall of the Palace of the Prince of Helium. That day.
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  Speaker 1: We were over a hundred strong, not counting the members
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  Speaker 1: of my little court, for dejah Thoris and I had
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  Speaker 1: maintained a household consistent with our royal rank. The board,
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  Speaker 1: according to red Martian custom, was triangular, for there were
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  Speaker 1: three in our family. Carthoris and I presided in the
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  Speaker 1: center of our sides of the table. Midway of the
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  Speaker 1: third side, dejah Thoris's high backed carved chair stood vacant,
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  Speaker 1: except for her gorgeous wedding trappings and jewels which were
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  Speaker 1: draped upon it. Behind stood a slave, as in the
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  Speaker 1: days when his mistress had occupied her place at the board,
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  Speaker 1: ready to do her bidding. It was the way upon
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  Speaker 1: barsoom so I endured the anguish of it, though it
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  Speaker 1: wrung my heart to see that silent chair where it
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  Speaker 1: should have been my laughing and vivacious princess keeping the
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  Speaker 1: great hall ringing with her merry gaiety. At my right
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  Speaker 1: sat kantos Kan, while to the right of dejah Thoris's
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  Speaker 1: empty place, tars Tarkas sat in a huge chair before
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  Speaker 1: a raised section of the board, which years ago I
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  Speaker 1: had had constructed to meet the requirements of his mighty bulk.
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  Speaker 1: The place of honor at a Martian horde is always
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  Speaker 1: at the hostess's right, and this place was ever reserved
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  Speaker 1: by dejah Thoris for the great thark. Upon the occasions
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  Speaker 1: that he was in Helium, hor Vastus sat in the
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  Speaker 1: seat of honor upon Carthoris's side of the table. There
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  Speaker 1: was little general conversation. It was a quiet and saddened party.
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  Speaker 1: The loss of dejah Thoris was still fresh in the
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  Speaker 1: minds of all, and to this was added fear for
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  Speaker 1: the safety of Tardos, Mors and mors Kajak, as well
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  Speaker 1: as doubt and uncertainty as to the fate of Helium,
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  Speaker 1: should it prove true that she was permanently deprived of
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  Speaker 1: her great Jeddak. Suddenly our attention was attracted by the
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  Speaker 1: sound of distant shouting, as of many people raising their
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  Speaker 1: voices at once, but whether in anger or rejoicing, we
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  Speaker 1: could not tell. Nearer and nearer came the tumult. A
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  Speaker 1: slave rushed into the dining hall to cry that a
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  Speaker 1: great concourse of people was swarming through the palace gates.
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  Speaker 1: A second burst upon the heels of the first, alternately
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  Speaker 1: laughing and shrieking as a madman. Dejah Thoris is found.
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  Speaker 1: He cried a messenger from dejah Thoris. I waited to
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  Speaker 1: hear no more. The great windows of the dining hall
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  Speaker 1: overlook the avenue leading to the main gates. They were
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  Speaker 1: upon the opposite side of the hall from me. With
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  Speaker 1: the table intervening, I did not waste time. Encircling the
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  Speaker 1: great board with a single leap, I cleared table and diners,
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  Speaker 1: and sprang upon the balcony. Beyond thirty feet below lay
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  Speaker 1: the scarlet sword of the Lawn, And beyond were many
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  Speaker 1: people crowding about a great thoat, which bore a rider
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  Speaker 1: headed toward the palace. I vaulted to the ground, bled,
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  Speaker 1: and ran swiftly toward the advancing party. As I came
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  Speaker 1: near to them, I saw that the figure on the
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  Speaker 1: thoat was Sola. Where's the Princess of Helium, I cried.
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  Speaker 1: The green girl slid from her mighty mount and ran
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  Speaker 1: toward me. Oh, my prince, my prince, she cried, She's
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  Speaker 1: gone forever. Even now she may be a captive upon
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  Speaker 1: the lesser moon. The black pirates of Barsoom have stolen her.
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  Speaker 1: End of Chapter seventeen