Princess of Mars / Принцесса Марса. Уровень 2

But the evidences of extreme antiquity of these buildings demonstrated they could belong to some long-extinct and forgotten race of Mars.

The leader and I proceeded into the audience chamber. There were few formalities observed in approaching the Martian chieftain. The chieftain rose to his feet and uttered the name of my escort. In turn, he halted and repeated the name of the ruler followed by his title.

My captor, whose name was Tars Tarkas, was virtually the vice-chieftain of the community, and a man of great ability as a statesman and warrior.

He explained briefly the incidents connected with his expedition, including my capture. When he concluded, the chieftain addressed me at length.

I replied in our good old English tongue merely to convince him that neither of us could understand the other. But I noticed that when I smiled slightly on concluding, he smiled back. It convinced me that we had at least something in common – the ability to smile, therefore to laugh.

But I was to learn that the Martian smile is merely perfunctory, and that the Martian laugh may cause strong men to blanch in horror[22 - blanch in horror – побледнеть от ужаса].

The ideas of humor among the green men of Mars are widely at variance with our conceptions. The death agonies of a fellow being are provocative of the wildest hilarity. Their chief form of commonest amusement is to inflict death on their prisoners of war in various ingenious and horrible ways.

The assembled warriors and chieftains examined me closely, feeling my muscles and the texture of my skin. The principal chieftain then signified a desire to see me perform. He started with Tars Tarkas for the open plaza and motioned me to follow.

On the way here, Tars Tarkas was holding my arm and I could walk properly. Now, I was not attempting to walk, but went skipping and flitting about among desks and chairs like some monstrous grasshopper.

After bruising myself[23 - bruising myself – набив синяки] severely, I tried to creep, but this did not suit the Martians and a towering fellow roughly jerked me to my feet.

As he banged me down upon my feet, his face was bent close to mine and I did the only thing a gentleman might do under such circumstances. I swung my fist squarely to his jaw and he went down like a felled ox[24 - felled ox – поверженный бык].