The gods of Mars
new way. Some two thousand must have passed at a rapid run, when the
stream ceased, but I was not sure that all had been rescued who had not
passed the point of origin of the flames, and so to assure myself that
no poor devil was left behind to die a horrible death, unsuccoured, I
ran quickly up the gallery in the direction of the flames which I could
now see burning with a dull glow far ahead.
It was hot and stifling work, but at last I reached a point where the
fire lit up the corridor sufficiently for me to see that no soldier of
Helium lay between me and the conflagration—what was in it or upon the
far side I could not know, nor could any man have passed through that
seething hell of chemicals and lived to learn.
Having satisfied my sense of duty, I turned and ran rapidly back to the
corridor through which my men had passed. To my horror, however, I
found that my retreat in this direction had been blocked—across the
mouth of the corridor stood a massive steel grating that had evidently
been lowered from its resting-place above for the purpose of
effectually cutting off my escape.
That our principal movements were known to the First Born I could not
have doubted, in view of the attack of the fleet upon us the day
before, nor could the stopping of the pumps of Omean at the
psychological moment have been due to chance, nor the starting of a
chemical combustion within the one corridor through which we were
advancing upon the Temple of Issus been due to aught than
well-calculated design.
And now the dropping of the steel gate to pen me effectually between
fire and flood seemed to indicate that invisible eyes were upon us at
every moment. What chance had I, then, to rescue Dejah Thoris were I to
be compelled to fight foes who never showed themselves. A thousand
times I berated myself for being drawn into such a trap as I might have
known these pits easily could be. Now I saw that it would have been
much better to have kept our force intact and made a concerted attack
upon the temple from the valley side, trusting to chance and our great
fighting ability to have overwhelmed the First Born and compelled the
safe delivery of Dejah Thoris to me.
The smoke from the fire was forcing me further and further back down
the corridor toward the waters which I could hear surging through the
darkness. With my men had gone the last torch, nor was this corridor
lighted by the radiance of phosphorescent rock as were those of the
lower levels. It was this fact that assured me that I was not far from
the upper pits which lie directly beneath the temple.
Finally I felt the lapping waters about my feet. The smoke was thick
behind me. My suffering was intense. There seemed but one thing to do,
and that to choose the easier death which confronted me, and so I moved
on down the corridor until the cold waters of Omean closed about me,
and I swam on through utter blackness toward—what?
The instinct of self-preservation is strong even when one, unafraid and
in the possession of his highest reasoning faculties, knows that
death—positive and unalterable—lies just ahead. And so I swam slowly
on, waiting for my head to touch the top of the corridor, which would
mean that I had reached the limit of my flight and the point where I
must sink for ever to an unmarked grave.
But to my surprise I ran against a blank wall before I reached a point
where the waters came to the roof of the corridor. Could I be mistaken?
I felt around. No, I had come to the main corridor, and still there was
a breathing space between the surface of the water and the rocky
ceiling above. And then I turned up the main corridor in the direction
that Carthoris and the head of the column had passed a half-hour
before. On and on I swam, my heart growing lighter at every stroke, for
I knew that I was approaching closer and closer to the point where
there would be no chance that the waters ahead could be deeper than
they were about me. I was positive that I must soon feel the solid
floor beneath my feet again and that once more my chance would come to
reach the Temple of Issus and the side of the fair prisoner who
languished there.
But even as hope was at its highest I felt the sudden shock of contact
as my head struck the rocks above. The worst, then, had come to me. I
had reached one of those rare places where a Martian tunnel dips
suddenly to a lower level. Somewhere beyond I knew that it rose again,
but of what value was that to me, since I did not know how great the
distance that it maintained a level entirely beneath the surface of the
water!
There was but a single forlorn hope, and I took it. Filling my lungs
with air, I dived beneath the surface and swam through the inky, icy
blackness on and on along the submerged gallery. Time and time again I
rose with upstretched hand, only to feel the disappointing rocks close
above me.
Not for much longer would my lungs withstand the strain upon them. I
felt that I must soon succumb, nor was there any retreating now that I
had gone this far. I knew positively that I could never endure to
retrace my path now to the point from which I had felt the waters close
above my head. Death stared me in the face, nor ever can I recall a
time that I so distinctly felt the icy breath from his dead lips upon
my brow.
One more frantic effort I made with my fast ebbing strength. Weakly I
rose for the last time—my tortured lungs gasped for the breath that
would fill them with a strange and numbing element, but instead I felt
the revivifying breath of life-giving air surge through my starving
nostrils into my dying lungs. I was saved.
A few more strokes brought me to a point where my feet touched the
floor, and soon thereafter I was above the water level entirely, and
racing like mad along the corridor searching for the first doorway that
would lead me to Issus. If I could not have Dejah Thoris again I was at
least determined to avenge her death, nor would any life satisfy me
other than that of the fiend incarnate who was the cause of such
immeasurable suffering upon Barsoom.
Sooner than I had expected I came to what appeared to me to be a sudden
exit into the temple above. It was at the right side of the corridor,
which ran on, probably, to other entrances to the pile above.
To me one point was as good as another. What knew I where any of them
led! And so without waiting to be again discovered and thwarted, I ran
quickly up the short, steep incline and pushed open the doorway at its
end.
The portal swung slowly in, and before it could be slammed against me I
sprang into the chamber beyond. Although not yet dawn, the room was
brilliantly lighted. Its sole occupant lay prone upon a low couch at
the further side, apparently in sleep. From the hangings and sumptuous
furniture of the room I judged it to be a living-room of some
priestess, possibly of Issus herself.
At the thought the blood tingled through my veins. What, indeed, if
fortune had been kind enough to place the hideous creature alone and
unguarded in my hands. With her as hostage I could force acquiescence
to my every demand. Cautiously I approached the recumbent figure, on
noiseless feet. Closer and closer I came to it, but I had crossed but
little more than half the chamber when the figure stirred, and, as I
sprang, rose and faced me.
At first an expression of terror overspread the features of the woman
who confronted me—then startled incredulity—hope—thanksgiving.
My heart pounded within my breast as I advanced toward her—tears came
to my eyes—and the words that would have poured forth in a perfect
torrent choked in my throat as I opened my arms and took into them once
more the woman I loved—Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium.
CHAPTER XXII
VICTORY AND DEFEAT
“John Carter, John Carter,” she sobbed, with her dear head upon my
shoulder; “even now I can scarce believe the witness of my own eyes.
When the girl, Thuvia, told me that you had returned to Barsoom, I
listened, but I could not understand, for it seemed that such happiness
would be impossible for one who had suffered so in silent loneliness
for all these long years. At last, when I realized that it was truth,
and then came to know the awful place in which I was held prisoner, I
learned to doubt that even you could reach me here.
“As the days passed, and moon after moon went by without bringing even
the faintest rumour of you, I resigned myself to my fate. And now that
you have come, scarce can I believe it. For an hour I have heard the
sounds of conflict within the palace. I knew not what they meant, but I
have hoped against hope that it might be the men of Helium headed by my
Prince.
“And tell me, what of Carthoris, our son?”
“He was with me less than an hour since, Dejah Thoris,” I replied. “It
must have been he whose men you have heard battling within the
precincts of the temple.
“Where is Issus?” I asked suddenly.
Dejah Thoris shrugged her shoulders.
“She sent me under guard to this room just before the fighting began
within the temple halls. She said that she would send for me later. She
seemed very angry and somewhat fearful. Never have I seen her act in so
uncertain and almost terrified a manner. Now I know that it must have
been because she had learned that John Carter, Prince of Helium, was
approaching to demand an accounting of her for the imprisonment of his
Princess.”
The sounds of conflict, the clash of arms, the shouting and the
hurrying of many feet came to us from various parts of the temple. I
knew that I was needed there, but I dared not leave Dejah Thoris, nor
dared I take her with me into the turmoil and danger of battle.
At last I bethought me of the pits from which I had just emerged. Why
not secrete her there until I could return and fetch her away in safety
and for ever from this awful place. I explained my plan to her.
For a moment she clung more closely to me.
“I cannot bear to be parted from you now, even for a moment, John
Carter,” she said. “I shudder at the thought of being alone again where
that terrible creature might discover me. You do not know her. None can
imagine her ferocious cruelty who has not witnessed her daily acts for
over half a year. It has taken me nearly all this time to realize even
the things that I have seen with my own eyes.”
“I shall not leave you, then, my Princess,” I replied.
She was silent for a moment, then she drew my face to hers and kissed
me.
“Go, John Carter,” she said. “Our son is there, and the soldiers of
Helium, fighting for the Princess of Helium. Where they are you should
be. I must not think of myself now, but of them and of my husband’s
duty. I may not stand in the way of that. Hide me in the pits, and go.”
I led her to the door through which I had entered the chamber from
below. There I pressed her dear form to me, and then, though it tore my
heart to do it, and filled me only with the blackest shadows of
terrible foreboding, I guided her across the threshold, kissed her once
again, and closed the door upon her.
Without hesitating longer, I hurried from the chamber in the direction
of the greatest tumult. Scarce half a dozen chambers had I traversed
before I came upon the theatre of a fierce struggle. The blacks were
massed at the entrance to a great chamber where they were attempting to
block the further progress of a body of red men toward the inner sacred
precincts of the temple.
Coming from within as I did, I found myself behind the blacks, and,
without waiting to even calculate their numbers or the foolhardiness of
my venture, I charged swiftly across the chamber and fell upon them
from the rear with my keen long-sword.
As I struck the first blow I cried aloud, “For Helium!” And then I
rained cut after cut upon the surprised warriors, while the reds