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of white marble； the walls of which were inlaid with gold in the
strange hieroglyphics of the First Born。
From the high dome of this mighty apartment a huge circular column
extended to the floor； and as I watched I saw that it slowly revolved。
I had reached the base of the Temple of the Sun！
Somewhere above me lay Dejah Thoris； and with her were Phaidor；
daughter of Matai Shang； and Thuvia of Ptarth。 But how to
reach them； now that I had found the only vulnerable spot
in their mighty prison； was still a baffling riddle。
Slowly I circled the great shaft； looking for a means of ingress。
Part way around I found a tiny radium flash torch； and as
I examined it in mild curiosity as to its presence there in this
almost inaccessible and unknown spot； I came suddenly upon the
insignia of the house of Thurid jewel…inset in its metal case。
I am upon the right trail； I thought； as I slipped the bauble
into the pocket…pouch which hung from my harness。 Then I continued
my search for the entrance； which I knew must be somewhere about；
nor had I long to search； for almost immediately thereafter I came
upon a small door so cunningly inlaid in the shaft's base that it
might have passed unnoticed by a less keen or careful observer。
There was the door that would lead me within the prison； but
where was the means to open it？ No button or lock were visible。
Again and again I went carefully over every square inch of its
surface； but the most that I could find was a tiny pinhole a little
above and to the right of the door's centera pinhole that seemed
only an accident of manufacture or an imperfection of material。
Into this minute aperture I attempted to peer； but whether it
was but a fraction of an inch deep or passed completely through
the door I could not tellat least no light showed beyond it。
I put my ear to it next and listened； but again my efforts
brought negligible results。
During these experiments Woola had been standing at my side
gazing intently at the door； and as my glance fell upon him it
occurred to me to test the correctness of my hypothesis； that this
portal had been the means of ingress to the temple used by Thurid；
the black dator； and Matai Shang； Father of Therns。
Turning away abruptly； I called to him to follow me。 For a
moment he hesitated； and then leaped after me； whining and tugging
at my harness to draw me back。 I walked on； however； some distance
from the door before I let him have his way； that I might see
precisely what he would do。 Then I permitted him to lead me
wherever he would。
Straight back to that baffling portal he dragged me； again
taking up his position facing the blank stone； gazing straight at
its shining surface。 For an hour I worked to solve the mystery of
the combination that would open the way before me。
Carefully I recalled every circumstance of my pursuit of Thurid；
and my conclusion was identical with my original beliefthat
Thurid had come this way without other assistance than his own
knowledge and passed through the door that barred my progress；
unaided from within。 But how had he accomplished it？
I recalled the incident of the Chamber of Mystery in the
Golden Cliffs that time I had freed Thuvia of Ptarth from the
dungeon of the therns； and she had taken a slender； needle…like
key from the keyring of her dead jailer to open the door leading
back into the Chamber of Mystery where Tars Tarkas fought for his
life with the great banths。 Such a tiny keyhole as now defied me
had opened the way to the intricate lock in that other door。
Hastily I dumped the contents of my pocket…pouch upon the ground
before me。 Could I but find a slender bit of steel I might yet
fashion a key that would give me ingress to the temple prison。
As I examined the heterogeneous collection of odds and ends that
is always to be found in the pocket…pouch of a Martian warrior my
hand fell upon the emblazoned radium flash torch of the black dator。
As I was about to lay the thing aside as of no value in my
present predicament my eyes chanced upon a few strange characters
roughly and freshly scratched upon the soft gold of the case。
Casual curiosity prompted me to decipher them； but what I read
carried no immediate meaning to my mind。 There were three sets of
characters； one below another：
3 ｜｜ 50 T
1 ｜｜ 1 X
9 ｜｜ 25 T
For only an instant my curiosity was piqued； and then I
replaced the torch in my pocket…pouch； but my fingers had not
unclasped from it when there rushed to my memory the recollection
of the conversation between Lakor and his companion when the lesser
thern had quoted the words of Thurid and scoffed at them： 〃And what
think you of the ridiculous matter of the light？ Let the light
shine with the intensity of three radium units for fifty tals〃ah；
there was the first line of characters upon the torch's metal case
350 T； 〃and for one xat let it shine with the intensity of one
radium unit〃there was the second line； 〃and then for twenty…five
tals with nine units。〃
The formula was complete； butwhat did it mean？
I thought I knew； and； seizing a powerful magnifying glass
from the litter of my pocket…pouch； I applied myself to a careful
examination of the marble immediately about the pinhole in the door。
I could have cried aloud in exultation when my scrutiny
disclosed the almost invisible incrustation of particles of
carbonized electrons which are thrown off by these Martian torches。
It was evident that for countless ages radium torches had been
applied to this pinhole； and for what purpose there could be but a
single answerthe mechanism of the lock was actuated by light
rays； and I； John Carter； Prince of Helium； held the combination in
my handscratched by the hand of my enemy upon his own torch case。
In a cylindrical bracelet of gold about my wrist was my Barsoomian
chronometera delicate instrument that records the tals and xats
and zodes of Martian time； presenting them to view beneath
a strong crystal much after the manner of an earthly odometer。
Timing my operations carefully； I held the torch to the small
aperture in the door； regulating the intensity of the light by
means of the thumb…lever upon the side of the case。
For fifty tals I let three units of light shine full in the
pinhole； then one unit for one xat； and for twenty…five tals nine
units。 Those last twenty…five tals were the longest twenty…five
seconds of my life。 Would the lock click at the end of those
seemingly interminable intervals of time？
Twenty…three！ Twenty…four！ Twenty…five！
I shut off the light with a snap。 For seven tals I waited
there had been no appreciable effect upon the lock's mechanism。
Could it be that my theory was entirely wrong？
Hold！ Had the nervous strain resulted in a hallucination； or
did the door really move？ Slowly the solid stone sank noiselessly
back into the wallthere was no hallucination here。
Back and back it slid for ten feet until it had disclosed at its
right a narrow doorway leading into a dark and narrow corridor
that paralleled the outer wall。 Scarcely was the entrance
uncovered than Woola and I had leaped throughthen the door
slipped quietly back into place。
Down the corridor at some distance I saw the faint reflection
of a light； and toward this we made our way。 At the point where
the light shone was a sharp turn； and a little distance beyond this
a brilliantly lighted chamber。
Here we discovered a spiral stairway leading up from the
center of the circular room。
Immediately I knew that we had reached the center of the base
of the Temple of the Sunthe spiral runway led upward past the
inner walls of the prison cells。 Somewhere above me was Dejah
Thoris； unless Thurid and Matai Shang had already succeeded in
stealing her。
We had scarcely started up the runway when Woola suddenly
displayed the wildest excitement。 He leaped back and forth；
snapping at my legs and harness； until I thought that he was mad；
and finally when I pushed him from me and started once more to
ascend he grasped my sword arm between his jaws and dragged me back。
No amount of scolding or cuffing would suffice to make him
release me； and I was entirely at the mercy of his brute strength
unless I cared to use my dagger upon him with my left hand； but；
mad or no； I had not the heart to run the sharp blade into that
faithful body。
Down into the chamber he dragged me； and across it to the side
opposite that at which we had entered。 Here was another doorway
leading into a corridor which ran directly down a steep incline。
Without a moment's hesitation Woola jerked me along this rocky passage。
Presently he stopped and released me； standing between me and
the way we h