"11 - John Carter of Mars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Burroughs Edgar Rice)

voice continued.
"Give yourself up, John Carter, or your princess dies." The words were
apparently coming from a concealed loudspeaker somewhere in the room.
"Through the door to your right, earthman, the door to your right."
Carter immediately sensed a trap. He crossed to the door. Warily, he pushed it
open with his foot.
Upon a gorgeous throne at the far end of a huge dome-shaped chamber sat a
hideous, misshapen man. A tiny, bullet head squatted upon massive shoulders.
Everything about the creature seemed distorted. His torso was crooked, his arms
were not equal in length; one foot was larger than the other.
The face in the diminutive head leered at John Carter. A thick tongue hung
partly out over yellowed teeth.
The hulking body was encased in gorgeous trappings of platinum and diamonds. One
claw-like hand stroked the bare head.
From head to foot there was apparently not a hair on his body!
At the man's feet crouched a great, four-armed shaggy brute Ц another white ape.
Its little red eyes were fixed steadily upon the earthman as he stood at the far
end of the chamber.
The man on the throne idly fingered the microphone with which he had summoned
Carter to the room.
"I have trapped you at last, John Carter!" Beady, cocked eyes glared with
hatred. "You cannot cope with the great brain of Pew Mogel!"
Pew Mogel turned to a television screen studded with dials and lights of various
colors.
His face twisted into a smile. "You honor my humble city, John Carter. It is
with the greatest interest I have watched your progress through the many
chambers of the palace with my television machine." Pew Mogel patted the
machine.
"This little invention of my good teacher, Ras Thavas," continued Pew Mogel,
"which I acquired from him, has been an invaluable aid to me in learning of your
intended search for my unworthy person. It was unfortunate that you should
suspect the honorable intentions of my agent that afternoon in the Jeddak's
chambers.
"Fortunately, however, he had already completed his mission; and through an
extension upon this television set, concealed cleverly behind a mirror in the
Jeddak's private throne room, I was able to see and hear the entire
proceedings."
Pew Mogel laughed vacantly, his little unblinking eyes staring steadily at
Carter who remained motionless at the other end of the room.
The earthman could see nothing in the chamber that indicated a trap. The walls
and floor were all of grey, polished ersite slabs. Carter stood at one end of a
long aisle leading to Pew Mogel's throne.
Slowly he advanced toward Pew Mogel, his hand grasping his sword, the muscles of
his arm etched bands of steel.
Halfway down the aisle, the earthman halted. "Where is Dejah Thoris?" His words
cut the air.
The microcephalic* head of Pew Mogel cocked to one side. Carter waited for him
to speak.
* A microcephalic head is one possessing a very small brain capacity. It is the
opposite of megacephalic, which means a large brain capacity. Generally