Warlord of Mars Embattled (2 page)

Presently she
came to the dark cavernous portal in the face of the Golden Cliffs,
through which the river poured. On into the Stygian darkness beyond
she urged her craft.

It seemed
hopeless to attempt to follow her here where I could not see my
hand before my face, and I was almost on the point of giving up the
pursuit and drifting back to the mouth of the river, there to await
her return, when a sudden bend showed a faint luminosity
ahead.

My quarry was
plainly visible again, and in the increasing light from the
phosphorescent rock that lay embedded in great patches in the
roughly arched roof of the cavern I had no difficulty in following
her.

It was my first
trip upon the chest of Iss, and the things I saw there will live
forever in my memory.

Terrible as they
were, they could not have commenced to approximate the horrible
conditions which must have obtained before Tara Tarkas, the great
green warrior, Xodara, the black dator, and I brought the light of
truth to the outer world and stopped the mad rush of millions upon
the voluntary pilgrimage to what they believed would end in a
beautiful valley of peace and happiness and love.

Even now the low
islands which dotted the broad stream were choked with the
skeletons and half devoured carcasses of those who, through fear or
a sudden awakening to the truth, had halted almost at the
completion of their journey.

In the awful
stench of these frightful charnel isles haggard maniacs screamed
and gibbered and fought among the torn remnants of their grisly
feasts; while on those which contained but clean-picked bones they
battled with one another, the weaker furnishing sustenance for the
stronger; or with clawlike hands clutched at the bloated bodies
that drifted down with the current.

Thurid paid not
the slightest attention to the screaming things that either menaced
or pleaded with her as the mood directed them--evidently she was
familiar with the horrid sights that surrounded her. She continued
up the river for perhaps a mile; and then, crossing over to the
left bank, drew her craft up on a low ledge that lay almost on a
level with the water.

I dared not
follow across the stream, for she most surely would have seen me.
Instead I stopped close to the opposite wall beneath an overhanging
mass of rock that cast a dense shadow beneath it. Here I could
watch Thurid without danger of discovery.

The black was
standing upon the ledge beside her boat, looking up the river, as
though she were awaiting one whom she expected from that
direction.

As I lay there
beneath the dark rocks I noticed that a strong current seemed to
flow directly toward the center of the river, so that it was
difficult to hold my craft in its position. I edged farther into
the shadow that I might find a hold upon the bank; but, though I
proceeded several yards, I touched nothing; and then, finding that
I would soon reach a point from where I could no longer see the
black woman, I was compelled to remain where I was, holding my
position as best I could by paddling strongly against the current
which flowed from beneath the rocky mass behind me.

I could not
imagine what might cause this strong lateral flow, for the main
channel of the river was plainly visible to me from where I sat,
and I could see the rippling junction of it and the mysterious
current which had aroused my curiosity.

While I was still
speculating upon the phenomenon, my attention was suddenly riveted
upon Thurid, who had raised both palms forward above her head in
the universal salute of Martians, and a moment later her 'Kaor!'
the Barsoomian word of greeting, came in low but distinct
tones.

I turned my eyes
up the river in the direction that her were bent, and presently
there came within my limited range of vision a long boat, in which
were six women. Five were at the paddles, while the sixth sat in
the seat of honor.

The white skins,
the flowing yellow wigs which covered their bald pates, and the
gorgeous diadems set in circlets of gold about their heads marked
them as Holy Therns.

As they drew up
beside the ledge upon which Thurid awaited them, she in the bow of
the boat arose to step ashore, and then I saw that it was none
other than Matain Shang, Father of Therns.

The evident
cordiality with which the two women exchanged greetings filled me
with wonder, for the black and white women of Barsoom were
hereditary enemies--nor ever before had I known of two meeting
other than in battle.

Evidently the
reverses that had recently overtaken both peoples had resulted in
an alliance between these two individuals--at least against the
common enemy--and now I saw why Thurid had come so often out into
the Valley Dor by night, and that the nature of her conspiring
might be such as to strike very close to me or to my
friends.

I wished that I
might have found a point closer to the two women from which to have
heard their conversation; but it was out of the question now to
attempt to cross the river, and so I lay quietly watching them, who
would have given so much to have known how close I lay to them, and
how easily they might have overcome and killed me with their
superior force.

Several times
Thurid pointed across the river in my direction, but that her
gestures had any reference to me I did not for a moment believe.
Presently she and Matain Shang entered the latter's boat, which
turned out into the river and, swinging round, forged steadily
across in my direction.

As they advanced
I moved my boat farther and farther in beneath the overhanging
wall, but at last it became evident that their craft was holding
the same course. The five paddlers sent the larger boat ahead at a
speed that taxed my energies to equal.

Every instant I
expected to feel my prow crash against solid rock. The light from
the river was no longer visible, but ahead I saw the faint tinge of
a distant radiance, and still the water before me was
open.

At last the truth
dawned upon me--I was following a subterranean river which emptied
into the Iss at the very point where I had hidden.

The rowers were
now quite close to me. The noise of their own paddles drowned the
sound of mine, but in another instant the growing light ahead would
reveal me to them.

There was no time
to be lost. Whatever action I was to take must be taken at once.
Swinging the prow of my boat toward the right, I sought the river's
rocky side, and there I lay while Matain Shang and Thurid
approached up the center of the stream, which was much narrower
than the Iss.

As they came
nearer I heard the voices of Thurid and the Father of Therns raised
in argument.

'I tell you,
Thern,' the black dator was saying, 'that I wish only vengeance
upon Joan Carter, Princess of Helium. I am leading you into no
trap. What could I gain by betraying you to those who have ruined
my nation and my house?'

'Let us stop here
a moment that I may hear your plans,' replied the hekkador, 'and
then we may proceed with a better understanding of our duties and
obligations.'

To the rowers she
issued the command that brought their boat in toward the bank not a
dozen paces beyond the spot where I lay.

Had they pulled
in below me they must surely have seen me against the faint glow of
light ahead, but from where they finally came to rest I was as
secure from detection as though miles separated us.

The few words I
had already overheard whetted my curiosity, and I was anxious to
learn what manner of vengeance Thurid was planning against me. Nor
had I long to wait. I listened intently.

'There are no
obligations, Father of Therns,' continued the First Born. 'Thurid,
Dator of Issus, has no price. When the thing has been accomplished
I shall be glad if you will see to it that I am well received, as
is befitting my ancient lineage and noble rank, at some court that
is yet loyal to thy ancient faith, for I cannot return to the
Valley Dor or elsewhere within the power of the Princess of Helium;
but even that I do not demand--it shall be as your own desire in
the matter directs.'

'It shall be as
you wish, Dator,' replied Matain Shang; 'nor is that all--power and
riches shall be yours if you restore my son, Phaidor, to me, and
place within my power Dejar Thoris, Prince of Helium.

'Ah,' she
continued with a malicious snarl, 'but the Earth woman shall suffer
for the indignities she has put upon the holy of holies, nor shall
any vileness be too vile to inflict upon her prince. Would that it
were in my power to force her to witness the humiliation and
degradation of the red man.'

'You shall have
your way with his before another day has passed, Matain Shang,'
said Thurid, 'if you but say the word.'

'I have heard of
the Temple of the Sun, Dator,' replied Matain Shang, 'but never
have I heard that its prisoners could be released before the
allotted year of their incarceration had elapsed. How, then, may
you accomplish the impossible?'

'Access may be
had to any cell of the temple at any time,' replied Thurid. 'Only
Issus knew this; nor was it ever Issus' way to divulge more of his
secrets than were necessary. By chance, after his death, I came
upon an ancient plan of the temple, and there I found, plainly
writ, the most minute directions for reaching the cells at any
time.

'And more I
learned--that many women had gone thither for Issus in the past,
always on errands of death and torture to the prisoners; but those
who thus learned the secret way were wont to die mysteriously
immediately they had returned and made their reports to cruel
Issus.'

'Let us proceed,
then,' said Matain Shang at last. 'I must trust you, yet at the
same time you must trust me, for we are six to your
one.'

'I do not fear,'
replied Thurid, 'nor need you. Our hatred of the common enemy is
sufficient bond to insure our loyalty to each other, and after we
have defiled the Prince of Helium there will be still greater
reason for the maintenance of our allegiance--unless I greatly
mistake the temper of his lord.'

Matain Shang
spoke to the paddlers. The boat moved on up the
tributary.

It was with
difficulty that I restrained myself from rushing upon them and
slaying the two vile plotters; but quickly I saw the mad rashness
of such an act, which would cut down the only woman who could lead
the way to Dejar Thoris' prison before the long Martian year had
swung its interminable circle.

If she should
lead Matain Shang to that hollowed spot, then, too, should she lead
Joan Carter, Princess of Helium.

With silent
paddle I swung slowly into the wake of the larger craft.

UNDER THE
MOUNTAINS

As we advanced up
the river which winds beneath the Golden Cliffs out of the bowels
of the Mountains of Otz to mingle its dark waters with the grim and
mysterious Iss the faint glow which had appeared before us grew
gradually into an all-enveloping radiance.

The river widened
until it presented the aspect of a large lake whose vaulted dome,
lighted by glowing phosphorescent rock, was splashed with the vivid
rays of the diamond, the sapphire, the ruby, and the countless,
nameless jewels of Barsoom which lay incrusted in the virgin gold
which forms the major portion of these magnificent
cliffs.

Beyond the
lighted chamber of the lake was darkness--what lay behind the
darkness I could not even guess.

To have followed
the thern boat across the gleaming water would have been to invite
instant detection, and so, though I was loath to permit Thurid to
pass even for an instant beyond my sight, I was forced to wait in
the shadows until the other boat had passed from my sight at the
far extremity of the lake.

Then I paddled
out upon the brilliant surface in the direction they had
taken.

When, after what
seemed an eternity, I reached the shadows at the upper end of the
lake I found that the river issued from a low aperture, to pass
beneath which it was necessary that I compel Woolan to lie flat in
the boat, and I, myself, must need bend double before the low roof
cleared my head.

Immediately the
roof rose again upon the other side, but no longer was the way
brilliantly lighted. Instead only a feeble glow emanated from small
and scattered patches of phosphorescent rock in wall and
roof.

Directly before
me the river ran into this smaller chamber through three separate
arched openings.

Thurid and the
therns were nowhere to be seen--into which of the dark holes had
they disappeared? There was no means by which I might know, and so
I chose the center opening as being as likely to lead me in the
right direction as another.

Here the way was
through utter darkness. The stream was narrow--so narrow that in
the blackness I was constantly bumping first one rock wall and then
another as the river wound hither and thither along its flinty
bed.

Far ahead I
presently heard a deep and sullen roar which increased in volume as
I advanced, and then broke upon my ears with all the intensity of
its mad fury as I swung round a sharp curve into a dimly lighted
stretch of water.