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

AS GORE, THE GREAT WHITE APE with a man's brain crouched to meet John Carter, he
was fully confident of overcoming his puny man opponent.
But to make assurance doubly sure, Gore drew the great blade at his side and
rushed madly at his foe, hacking and cutting viciously.
The momentum of the brute's attack forced Carter backward a few steps as he
deftly warded off the mighty blows.
But the earthman saw his chance. Quickly, surely, his blade streaked. There was
a sudden twist and Gore's sword went hurtling across the room.
Gore, however, reacted with lightning speed. With his four huge hands he grasped
the naked steel of the earthman's sword.
Violently he jerked the blade from Carter's grasp and, raising it overhead,
snapped the strong steel in two as if it had been a splinter of wood.
Now, with a low growl, Gore closed in; and Carter crouched.
Suddenly the man leaped over the ape's head; but again with uncanny speed the
monster shot out a hairy hand and grasped the earthman's ankle.
Gore held John Carter in his four hands, drawing the man closer and closer and
closer to the drooling jowls and gleaming fangs.
But with a surge of his mighty muscles, the earthman jerked free his arm and
sent a terrific blow crashing full into Gore's face.
The ape recoiled, dropping John Carter, and staggered back toward the huge
window on the right wall by Pew Mogel's throne.
Here the beast tottered; and the earthman, seeing his chance, once again leaped
into the air, but this time flew feet foremost toward the ape.
At the moment of contact with the ape's chest, Carter extended his legs
violently; and so, as his feet struck Gore, this force was added to the hurtling
momentum of his body.
With a bellowing cry, Gore hurtled out through the window and his screams ended
only when he landed with a sickening crunch in the courtyard far below.
Dejah Thoris and Tars Tarkas, chained to the pillars, had watched the short
fight, fascinated by the earthman's sure, quick actions.
But when Carter did not succumb instantly to Gore's attack, Pew Mogel had grown
frightened. He began jerking dials and switches; and then spoke swiftly into the
little microphone beside him.
So now, as the earthman regained his feet and advanced slowly toward Pew Mogel,
he did not see the black shadow that obscured the window behind him.
Only when Dejah Thoris screamed a warning did the earthman turn.
But he was too late!
A giant hand, fully three feet across, closed about his body. He was lifted from
the floor and pulled out quickly through the window.
To Carter's ears came the hopeless cry of his princess mingled with the cruel,
hollow laugh of Pew Mogel.
Carter did not need the added assurance of his eyes to know that he was being
held in the grasp of Pew Mogel's synthetic giant. Joog's fetid breath blasting
across his face was ample evidence.
Joog held Carter several feet from his face and contracted his features in the
semblance of a grin, exposing his two great rows of cracked, stained teeth the
size of sharp boulders.
Hoarse, gurgling sounds emanated from Joog's throat as he held the earthman
before his face.
"I, Joog. I, Joog," the monster finally managed. "I can kill! I can kill!"