"09 - Synthetic Men of Mars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Burroughs Edgar Rice)

commenced. The Tree of Life is dead, but before it died the plant men learned to
detach themselves from it, their bisexuality permitting them to reproduce
themselves after the manner of true plants."
"I have seen them in the Valley Dor," said John Carter, "with a tiny plant man
growing beneath each arm, dangling like fruit from the stems attached to the
tops of their heads."
"Thus, casually, the present forms of life evolved," continued Ras Thavas, "and
by studying them all from the lowest forms upward I have learned how to
reproduce life."
"Perhaps to your sorrow," I suggested.
"Perhaps," he agreed.
CHAPTER VIII
THE RED ASSASSIN
DAYS PASSED DURING which Ras Thavas kept us almost constantly with him; but
almost invariably there were others around, so that we had few opportunities to
plan, as we never knew the friend from the spy. Thoughts of Janai filled me with
sorrow, and I was ever watchful for some means whereby I might learn her fate.
Ras Thavas warned me not to show too much interest in the girl, as it might
result in arousing suspicions that would lead to my destruction; but he assured
me that he would aid me in any way that he could that would not lay me open to
suspicion, and one day he found the means.
A number of unusually intelligent hormads were to be sent before the Council of
the Seven Jeds to be examined as to their fitness to serve in the personal body
guards which each jed maintained, and Ras Thavas detailed me with other officers
to accompany them. It was the first time I had been outside the laboratory
building, as none of us was permitted to leave it other than on some official
business such as this.
As I entered the great building, which was in effect the palace of the Seven
Jeds, my whole mind was occupied with thoughts of Janai and the hope that I
might catch a glimpse of her. I looked down corridors, I peered through open
doorways, I even considered leaving the party and concealing myself in one of
the rooms we passed and then attempting a search of the palace; but my better
judgment came to my rescue, and I continued on with the others to the great
chamber where the Council of the Seven Jeds sat.
The examination of the hormads was very thorough, and while listening to it
carefully and noting every question and answer and the effect of the answers
upon the jeds, the seeds of a plan were planted in my mind. If I could get
Tor-dur-bar assigned to the body guard of a jed I might thus learn the fate of
Janai. How differently it worked out and what a bizarre plan finally developed,
you shall learn in time.
While we were still in the council chamber a number of warriors entered with a
prisoner, a swaggering red man, a scarred, hard bitten warrior, whose sneering
face and haughty, arrogant manner seemed a deliberate, studied affront to his
captors and the seven jeds. He was a powerful man, and despite the efforts of
the warriors with him he forced his way almost to the foot of the dais before
they could restrain him.
"Who is this man?" demanded one of the jeds.
"I am Gantun Gur, the assassin of Amhor," bellowed the captive in a great voice.
"Give me back my sword, you stinking ulsios, and let me show you what a real
fighting man can do to these deformed monstrosities of yours and to you, too.