The Mastermind of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Author:Edgar Rice Burroughs [Burroughs, Edgar Rice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction
Published: 2011-01-09T06:00:00+00:00

Hovan Du, so that Gor Hajus and I were able to work our way to the rear of the

desk. I think Hovan Du must have sensed my intention then, for he did the one

thing best suited to attract every eye from us to him and, too, he gave me

notice that the human half of his brain was still alert and watchful of our

welfare.

Heretofore the Phundahlians must have looked upon him as a remarkable specimen

of great ape, marvelously trained, but now, of a sudden, he paralyzed them with

awe, for his roars and growls took the form of words and he spoke with the

tongue of a human. He was near the window now. Several of the nobles were

pushing bravely forward. Among them was Sag Or. Hovan Du reached forth and

seized him, wrenching his weapons from him. "I go," he cried, "but let harm

befall my friends and I shall return and tear the heart from Xaxa. Tell her

that, from the Great Ape of Ptarth."

For an instant the, warriors and the nobles stood transfixed with awe. Every eye

was upon Hovan Du as he stood there with the struggling figure of Sag Or in his

mighty grasp. Gor Hajus and I were forgotten. And then Hovan Du turned and

leaped to the sill of the window and from there lightly to the branches of the

nearest tree; and with him went Sag Or, the favorite of Xaxa, the Jeddara. At

the same instant I drew Gor Hajus with me between the hangings in the rear of

Xaxa's desk, and as they fell behind us we found ourselves in the narrow mouth

of a dark corridor.

Without knowledge of where the passage led we could only follow it blindly,

urged on by the necessity for discovering a hiding place or an avenue of escape

from the palace before the pursuit which we knew would be immediately

instituted, overtook us. As our eyes became accustomed to the gloom, which was

partially dispelled by a faint luminosity, we moved more rapidly and presently

came to a narrow spiral runway which descended into a dark hole below the level

of the corridor and also arose into equal darkness above.

"Which way?" I asked Gor Hajus.

"They will expect us to descend," he replied, "for in that direction lies the

nearest avenue of escape."

"Then we will go up."

"Good!" he exclaimed. "All we seek now is a place to hide until night has

fallen, for we may not escape by day."

We had scarcely started to ascend before we heard the first sound of pursuit –

the clank of accoutrements in the corridor beneath. Yet, even with this urge

from behind, we were forced to move with great caution, for we knew not what lay

before. At the next level there was a doorway, the door closed and locked, but

there was no corridor, nor anywhere to hide, and so we continued on upward. The

second level was identical with that just beneath, but at the third a single

corridor ran straight off into darkness and at our right was a door, ajar. The

sounds of pursuit were appreciably nearer now and the necessity for concealment

seemed

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