登陆注册
5216300000001

第1章 PRELUDE

JOHN CARTER COMES TO EARTH

SHEA had just beaten me at chess, as usual, and, also as usual, Ihad gleaned what questionable satisfaction I might by twitting him with this indication of failing mentality by calling his attention to the nth time to that theory, propounded by certain scientists, which is based upon the assertion that phenomenal chess players are always found to be from the ranks of children under twelve, adults over seventy-two or the mentally defective--a theory that is lightly ignored upon those rare occasions that I win.Shea had gone to bed and I should have followed suit, for we are always in the saddle here before sunrise; but instead I sat there before the chess table in the library, idly blowing smoke at the dishonored head of my defeated king.

While thus profitably employed I heard the east door of the living-room open and someone enter.I thought it was Shea returning to speak with me on some matter of tomorrow's work; but when I raised my eyes to the doorway that connects the two rooms I saw framed there the figure of a bronzed giant, his otherwise naked body trapped with a jewel-encrusted harness from which there hung at one side an ornate short-sword and at the other a pistol of strange pattern.The black hair, the steel-gray eyes, brave and smiling, the noble features--I recognized them at once, and leaping to my feet I advanced with outstretched hand.

"John Carter!" I cried."You?"

"None other, my son," he replied, taking my hand in one of his and placing the other upon my shoulder.

"And what are you doing here?" I asked."It has been long years since you revisited Earth, and never before in the trappings of Mars.Lord! but it is good to see you--and not a day older in appearance than when you trotted me on your knee in my babyhood.

How do you explain it, John Carter, Warlord of Mars, or do you try to explain it?""Why attempt to explain the inexplicable?" he replied."As I have told you before, I am a very old man.I do not know how old I am.

I recall no childhood; but recollect only having been always as you see me now and as you saw me first when you were five years old.You, yourself, have aged, though not as much as most men in a corresponding number of years, which may be accounted for by the fact that the same blood runs in our veins; but I have not aged at all.I have discussed the question with a noted Martian scientist, a friend of mine; but his theories are still only theories.However, I am content with the fact--I never age, and Ilove life and the vigor of youth.

"And now as to your natural question as to what brings me to Earth again and in this, to earthly eyes, strange habiliment.We may thank Kar Komak, the bowman of Lothar.It was he who gave me the idea upon which I have been experimenting until at last Ihave achieved success.As you know I have long possessed the power to cross the void in spirit, but never before have I been able to impart to inanimate things a similar power.Now, however, you see me for the first time precisely as my Martian fellows see me--you see the very short-sword that has tasted the blood of many a savage foeman; the harness with the devices of Helium and the insignia of my rank; the pistol that was presented to me by Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of Thark.

"Aside from seeing you, which is my principal reason for being here, and satisfying myself that I can transport inanimate things from Mars to Earth, and therefore animate things if I so desire, I have no purpose.Earth is not for me.My every interest is upon Barsoom--my wife, my children, my work; all are there.I will spend a quiet evening with you and then back to the world I love even better than I love life."As he spoke he dropped into the chair upon the opposite side of the chess table.

"You spoke of children," I said."Have you more than Carthoris?""A daughter," he replied, "only a little younger than Carthoris, and, barring one, the fairest thing that ever breathed the thin air of dying Mars.Only Dejah Thoris, her mother, could be more beautiful than Tara of Helium."For a moment he fingered the chessmen idly."We have a game on Mars similar to chess," he said, "very similar.

And there is a race there that plays it grimly with men and naked swords.We call the game jetan.It is played on a board like yours, except that there are a hundred squares and we use twenty pieces on each side.I never see it played without thinking of Tara of Helium and what befell her among the chessmen of Barsoom.

Would you like to hear her story?"

I said that I would and so he told it to me, and now I shall try to re-tell it for you as nearly in the words of The Warlord of Mars as I can recall them, but in the third person.If there be inconsistencies and errors, let the blame fall not upon John Carter, but rather upon my faulty memory, where it belongs.It is a strange tale and utterly Barsoomian.

同类推荐
  • Samuel Titmarsh and The Great Hoggarty Diamond

    Samuel Titmarsh and The Great Hoggarty Diamond

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 小八义

    小八义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 本事方续集

    本事方续集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大方广佛华严经金师子章

    大方广佛华严经金师子章

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 晏子春秋集释

    晏子春秋集释

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 你也可以约见奥巴马

    你也可以约见奥巴马

    六度分隔理论,也叫小世界理论,指的是一个人和任何一个陌生人之间所间隔的人不会超过六个,因而可以说,其实我们与美国总统以及与任何一个我们想……
  • 回生集

    回生集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 冷王宠妃:不信吃不到你

    冷王宠妃:不信吃不到你

    他是陵安战无不胜的冷王战神,而她是他侄子的王妃。他不小心亲了她一下,她说:“亲一下一万两,抱一下五千两。给钱”她卖萌打滚扮可爱,他说:“宝宝,本王想吃了你,身家财产都给你好不好。”她眯着眼睛嘿嘿一笑:“不好。”妻子娶进门,吃不吃得到在个人,好不容易吃到嘴了小妮子又丢了。他只好继续追…这次是连人带球一起追……此情绵绵长,王爷追妻忙。【一对一结局甜蜜蜜-喜宠文放心跳坑绝对填满-】
  • 成功的核心机密

    成功的核心机密

    失败的原因也许各种各样,但成功的原因却是大同小异。本书试图通过归纳总结,得出成功者之所以成功的共性原因。本书竭尽全力为你提供一串开启你人生成功潜能的钥匙。只要你愿意遵从它里面的原则,只要你愿意努力具备里面所提到的7个成功要素,你就会终身受益无穷,并获得丰硕的成果。
  • 破绽

    破绽

    千里姐姐,很高兴收到你的邮件。听说家里下了晚霜,虽然已经是四月份,但那边应该还是很冷吧?山里的活肯定也不好干,奶奶的神经痛不要紧吧?等气温回升,辛夷树就该开花了。厨房里,友成千穗正坐在饭桌上敲打着笔记本电脑。虽然她已经能渐渐开始盲打,但输入速度还是快不起来。她指尖轻击着键盘,眼前仿佛看到老家的山里如同画一般的美景,真是令人怀念。山谷里流出清澈的泉水汇集成小河,小河淌水又分流到沿岸的农田。这时节还没有开始灌溉,黑土地上肯定满是绿油油的麦田。农田四周错落着三三两两的农户,四周随处可见高大的辛夷树。一到四月,树上纯白的小花便竞相开放。
  • 形象

    形象

    一个娓娓道来的、关于这本旧书的奇特来源的故事。一种存在于绘画之中的,理想与现实的冲突。一场因为城市而起的失踪。一个异乡人倒霉的梦境。一次情绪低落时的追忆……它就是一段独白,同时也是十个严肃的玩笑。不能把它理解为几个分裂的故事,它们联系紧密;另外,请保持轻松状态,它从不“深入灵魂”。
  • 乱世痞贼

    乱世痞贼

    当云也穿越密道爬进王爷新婚洞房的一刻起,一个痞子的乱世崛起之路就此展开。平行时空列国纷争,奈何统一大势已成,覆灭死局如何化解,是力挽狂澜还是随波逐流。草民教头殴打王爷一生恩怨情仇,皇家海盗奉旨打劫,崛起于东南微末,掠国成瘾发家致富,朝廷鹰犬坏事做尽,丧尽天良,却有人拍手称快,侠肝义胆,不服命运,到手荣华岂能轻言放弃,艰辛之路,最终又有几人能还。既是痞贼,又何言仁义道德,血洒征途终有儿女情长。
  • 毛岸英在朝鲜战场

    毛岸英在朝鲜战场

    伟大的友谊1950年10月,志愿军总部在大榆洞安营扎寨后,彭德怀对毛岸英说:“岸英,我军的士气很高涨,和人民军也协调过了,我看还要和大榆洞周围的老百姓处好关系。语言不通,做群众工作有一定困难,但可以用挑水、扫地等实际行动去沟通,热烈的感情是可以溶化语言障碍的!”毛岸英和保卫人员按照彭德怀的指示,深入到周围的朝鲜群众之中。他们首先来到被松柏掩映的东林里,发现沿山沟一侧有不少住户,大多是靠山吃山的矿工家庭。然而村里竟然没有一座完好的房子,也不见一个村民,惟有断墙残壁在北风中簌簌发抖,像一个衣衫褴褛的驼背老妪在抽泣。
  • 她比星河更闪耀

    她比星河更闪耀

    【电竞宠文】林漾和战队拿了比赛冠军,面对主持的八卦问题,信誓旦旦的说:“不会和队员谈恋爱,所以各位粉丝放心,我不会抢你们老公。”远在座位席上的队员看向一旁的队长,生怕他把座椅拆下来朝舞台砸上去!几日后,江慕川当着直播平台十几万观众和林漾上演了不可描述的事。经理人:是我提不动刀了,还是你俩飘了?粉丝:???说好不抢老公的呢?-唯有爱你与王者,不可辜负!群号码:799530097
  • 凰女妖娆:盛宠逆天王妃

    凰女妖娆:盛宠逆天王妃

    她是上古神兽凤凰的转世,虫窟中百毒噬心凡体变毒体,火山熔岩的侵蚀毒体变神体。驭兽?斗气?自然元素?看她信手拈来!他是杀伐果断的王爷,唯独对她绝宠一世,绝处逢生洗髓逆天,霸气狂妄神魔皆诛!为了她,神挡杀神,佛挡灭佛!凤凰涅槃,浴火重生,凤凰觉醒,她们又该掀起怎样的篇章?