CONTENTS
THUVIA,MAIDOFMARS
CHAPTERI
CARTHORISANDTHUVIA
Uponamassivebenchofpolishedersitebeneaththegorgeousbloomsofagiantpimaliaawomansat。
Hershapely,sandalledfoottappedimpatientlyuponthejewel—strewnwalkthatwoundbeneaththestatelysorapustreesacrossthescarletswardoftheroyalgardensofThuvanDihn,JeddakofPtarth,asadark—haired,red—
skinnedwarriorbentlowtowardher,whisperingheatedwordsclosetoherear。
\"Ah,ThuviaofPtarth,\"hecried,\"youarecoldevenbeforethefieryblastsofmyconsuminglove!
Noharderthanyourheart,norcolderisthehard,coldersiteofthisthricehappybenchwhichsupportsyourdivineandfadelessform!Tellme,OThuviaofPtarth,thatImaystillhope——thatthoughyoudonotlovemenow,yetsomeday,someday,myprincess,I——\"
Thegirlsprangtoherfeetwithanexclamationofsurpriseanddispleasure。Herqueenlyheadwaspoisedhaughtilyuponhersmoothredshoulders。Herdarkeyeslookedangrilyintothoseoftheman。
\"Youforgetyourself,andthecustomsofBarsoom,Astok,\"
shesaid。\"IhavegivenyounorightthustoaddressthedaughterofThuvanDihn,norhaveyouwonsucharight。\"
Themanreachedsuddenlyforthandgraspedherbythearm。
\"Youshallbemyprincess!\"hecried。\"BythebreastofIssus,thoushalt,norshallanyothercomebetweenAstok,PrinceofDusar,andhisheart’sdesire。Tellmethatthereisanother,andIshallcutouthisfoulheartandflingittothewildcalotsofthedeadsea—bottoms!\"
Attouchoftheman’shanduponherfleshthegirlwentpallidbeneathhercopperyskin,forthepersonsoftheroyalwomenofthecourtsofMarsareheldbutlittlelessthansacred。TheactofAstok,PrinceofDusar,wasprofanation。TherewasnoterrorintheeyesofThuviaofPtarth——onlyhorrorforthethingthemanhaddoneandforitspossibleconsequences。
\"Releaseme。\"Hervoicewaslevel——frigid。
Themanmutteredincoherentlyanddrewherroughlytowardhim。
\"Releaseme!\"sherepeatedsharply,\"orIcalltheguard,andthePrinceofDusarknowswhatthatwillmean。\"
Quicklyhethrewhisrightarmabouthershouldersandstrovetodrawherfacetohislips。Withalittlecryshestruckhimfullinthemouthwiththemassivebraceletsthatcircledherfreearm。
\"Calot!\"sheexclaimed,andthen:\"Theguard!Theguard!
HasteninprotectionofthePrincessofPtarth!\"
Inanswertohercalladozenguardsmencameracingacrossthescarletsward,theirgleaminglong—swordsnakedinthesun,themetaloftheiraccoutrementsclankingagainstthatoftheirleathernharness,andintheirthroatshoarseshoutsofrageatthesightwhichmettheireyes。
ButbeforetheyhadpassedhalfacrosstheroyalgardentowhereAstokofDusarstillheldthestrugglinggirlinhisgrasp,anotherfiguresprangfromaclusterofdensefoliagethathalfhidagoldenfountaincloseathand。Atall,straightyouthhewas,withblackhairandkeengreyeyes;broadofshoulderandnarrowofhip;
aclean—limbedfightingman。HisskinwasbutfaintlytingedwiththecoppercolourthatmarkstheredmenofMarsfromtheotherracesofthedyingplanet——hewaslikethem,andyettherewasasubtledifferencegreatereventhanthatwhichlayinhislighterskinandhisgreyeyes。
Therewasadifference,too,inhismovements。Hecameoningreatleapsthatcarriedhimsoswiftlyoverthegroundthatthespeedoftheguardsmenwasasnothingbycomparison。
AstokstillclutchedThuvia’swristastheyoungwarriorconfrontedhim。Thenew—comerwastednotimeandhespokebutasingleword。
\"Calot!\"hesnapped,andthenhisclenchedfistlandedbeneaththeother’schin,liftinghimhighintotheairanddepositinghiminacrumpledheapwithinthecentreofthepimaliabushbesidetheersitebench。
Herchampionturnedtowardthegirl。\"Kaor,ThuviaofPtarth!\"
hecried。\"Itseemsthatfatetimedmyvisitwell。\"
\"Kaor,CarthorisofHelium!\"theprincessreturnedtheyoungman’sgreeting,\"andwhatlesscouldoneexpectofthesonofsuchasire?\"
Hebowedhisacknowledgmentofthecomplimenttohisfather,JohnCarter,WarlordofMars。Andthentheguardsmen,pantingfromtheircharge,cameupjustasthePrinceofDusar,bleedingatthemouth,andwithdrawnsword,crawledfromtheentanglementofthepimalia。
AstokwouldhaveleapedtomortalcombatwiththesonofDejahThoris,buttheguardsmenpressedabouthim,preventing,thoughitwasclearlyevidentthatnaughtwouldhavebetterpleasedCarthorisofHelium。
\"Butsaytheword,ThuviaofPtarth,\"hebegged,\"andnaughtwillgivemegreaterpleasurethanmetingtothisfellowthepunishmenthehasearned。\"
\"Itcannotbe,Carthoris,\"shereplied。\"Eventhoughhehasforfeitedallclaimuponmyconsideration,yetishetheguestofthejeddak,myfather,andtohimalonemayheaccountfortheunpardonableacthehascommitted。\"
\"Asyousay,Thuvia,\"repliedtheHeliumite。\"ButafterwardheshallaccounttoCarthoris,PrinceofHelium,forthisaffronttothedaughterofmyfather’sfriend。\"
Ashespoke,though,thereburnedinhiseyesafirethatproclaimedanearer,dearercauseforhischampionshipofthisgloriousdaughterofBarsoom。
Themaid’scheekdarkenedbeneaththesatinofhertransparentskin,andtheeyesofAstok,PrinceofDusar,darkened,too,ashereadthatwhichpassedunspokenbetweenthetwointheroyalgardensofthejeddak。
\"Andthoutome,\"hesnappedatCarthoris,answeringtheyoungman’schallenge。
TheguardstillsurroundedAstok。Itwasadifficultpositionfortheyoungofficerwhocommandedit。
Hisprisonerwasthesonofamightyjeddak;hewastheguestofThuvanDihn——untilbutnowanhonouredguestuponwhomeveryroyaldignityhadbeenshowered。
Toarresthimforciblycouldmeannaughtelsethanwar,andyethehaddonethatwhichintheeyesofthePtarthwarriormeriteddeath。
Theyoungmanhesitated。Helookedtowardhisprincess。
She,too,guessedallthathungupontheactionofthecomingmoment。FormanyyearsDusarandPtarthhadbeenatpeacewitheachother。Theirgreatmerchantshipspliedbackandforthbetweenthelargercitiesofthetwonations。Evennow,farabovethegold—shotscarletdomeofthejeddak’spalace,shecouldseethehugebulkofagiantfreightertakingitsmajesticwaythroughthethinBarsoomianairtowardthewestandDusar。
Byawordshemightplungethesetwomightynationsintoabloodyconflictthatwoulddrainthemoftheirbravestbloodandtheirincalculableriches,leavingthemallhelplessagainsttheinroadsoftheirenviousandlesspowerfulneighbors,andatlastapreytothesavagegreenhordesofthedeadsea—bottoms。
Nosenseoffearinfluencedherdecision,forfearisseldomknowntothechildrenofMars。Itwasratherasenseoftheresponsibilitythatshe,thedaughteroftheirjeddak,feltforthewelfareofherfather’speople。
\"Icalledyou,Padwar,\"shesaidtothelieutenantoftheguard,\"toprotectthepersonofyourprincess,andtokeepthepeacethatmustnotbeviolatedwithintheroyalgardensofthejeddak。Thatisall。Youwillescortmetothepalace,andthePrinceofHeliumwillaccompanyme。\"
WithoutanotherglanceinthedirectionofAstoksheturned,andtakingCarthoris’profferedhand,movedslowlytowardthemassivemarblepilethathousedtherulerofPtarthandhisglitteringcourt。Oneithersidemarchedafileofguardsmen。ThusThuviaofPtarthfoundawayoutofadilemma,escapingthenecessityofplacingherfather’sroyalguestunderforciblerestraint,andatthesametimeseparatingthetwoprinces,whootherwisewouldhavebeenateachother’sthroatthemomentsheandtheguardhaddeparted。
BesidethepimaliastoodAstok,hisdarkeyesnarrowedtomereslitsofhatebeneathhisloweringbrowsashewatchedtheretreatingformsofthewomanwhohadarousedthefiercestpassionsofhisnatureandthemanwhomhenowbelievedtobetheonewhostoodbetweenhisloveanditsconsummation。
AstheydisappearedwithinthestructureAstokshruggedhisshoulders,andwithamurmuredoathcrossedthegardenstowardanotherwingofthebuildingwhereheandhisretinuewerehoused。
ThatnighthetookformalleaveofThuvanDihn,andthoughnomentionwasmadeofthehappeningwithinthegarden,itwasplaintoseethroughthecoldmaskofthejeddak’scourtesythatonlythecustomsofroyalhospitalityrestrainedhimfromvoicingthecontempthefeltforthePrinceofDusar。
Carthoriswasnotpresentattheleave—taking,norwasThuvia。
Theceremonywasasstiffandformalascourtetiquettecouldmakeit,andwhenthelastoftheDusariansclamberedovertherailofthebattleshipthathadbroughtthemuponthisfatefulvisittothecourtofPtarth,andthemightyengineofdestructionhadrisenslowlyfromthewaysofthelanding—stage,anoteofreliefwasapparentinthevoiceofThuvanDihnasheturnedtooneofhisofficerswithawordofcommentuponasubjectforeigntothatwhichhadbeenuppermostinthemindsofallforhours。
But,afterall,wasitsoforeign?
\"InformPrinceSovan,\"hedirected,\"thatitisourwishthatthefleetwhichdepartedforKaolthismorningberecalledtocruisetothewestofPtarth。\"
Asthewarship,bearingAstokbacktothecourtofhisfather,turnedtowardthewest,ThuviaofPtarth,sittinguponthesamebenchwherethePrinceofDusarhadaffrontedher,watchedthetwinklinglightsofthecraftgrowingsmallerinthedistance。Besideher,inthebrilliantlightofthenearermoon,satCarthoris。
Hiseyeswerenotuponthedimbulkofthebattleship,butontheprofileofthegirl’supturnedface。
\"Thuvia,\"hewhispered。
Thegirlturnedhereyestowardhis。Hishandstoleouttofindhers,butshedrewherowngentlyaway。
\"ThuviaofPtarth,Iloveyou!\"criedtheyoungwarrior。
\"Tellmethatitdoesnotoffend。\"
Sheshookherheadsadly。\"TheloveofCarthorisofHelium,\"shesaidsimply,\"couldbenaughtbutanhonourtoanywoman;butyoumustnotspeak,myfriend,ofbestowinguponmethatwhichImaynotreciprocate。\"
Theyoungmangotslowlytohisfeet。Hiseyeswerewideinastonishment。ItneverhadoccurredtothePrinceofHeliumthatThuviaofPtarthmightloveanother。
\"ButatKadabra!\"heexclaimed。\"Andlaterhereatyourfather’scourt,whatdidyoudo,ThuviaofPtarth,thatmighthavewarnedmethatyoucouldnotreturnmylove?\"
\"AndwhatdidIdo,CarthorisofHelium,\"shereturned,\"thatmightleadyoutobelievethatIDIDreturnit?\"
Hepausedinthought,andthenshookhishead。
\"Nothing,Thuvia,thatistrue;yetIcouldhaveswornyoulovedme。Indeed,youwellknewhowneartoworshiphasbeenmyloveforyou。\"
\"AndhowmightIknowit,Carthoris?\"sheaskedinnocently。
\"Didyouevertellmeasmuch?Everbeforehavewordsofloveformefallenfromyourlips?\"
\"ButyouMUSThaveknownit!\"heexclaimed。\"Iamlikemyfather——witlessinmattersoftheheart,andofapoorwaywithwomen;yetthejewelsthatstrewtheseroyalgardenpaths——thetrees,theflowers,thesward——
allmusthavereadthelovethathasfilledmyheartsincefirstmyeyesweremadenewbyimagingyourperfectfaceandform;sohowcouldyoualonehavebeenblindtoit?\"
\"DothemaidsofHeliumpaycourttotheirmen?\"askedThuvia。
\"Youareplayingwithme!\"exclaimedCarthoris。\"Saythatyouarebutplaying,andthatafterallyouloveme,Thuvia!\"
\"Icannottellyouthat,Carthoris,forIampromisedtoanother。\"
Hertonewaslevel,butwastherenotwithinitthehintofaninfinitedepthofsadness?Whomaysay?
\"Promisedtoanother?\"Carthorisscarcelybreathedthewords。Hisfacewentalmostwhite,andthenhisheadcameupasbefittedhiminwhoseveinsflowedthebloodoftheoverlordofaworld。
\"CarthorisofHeliumwishesyoueveryhappinesswiththemanofyourchoice,\"hesaid。\"With——\"andthenhehesitated,waitingforhertofillinthename。
\"KulanTith,JeddakofKaol,\"shereplied。\"Myfather’sfriendandPtarth’smostpuissantally。\"
Theyoungmanlookedatherintentlyforamomentbeforehespokeagain。
\"Youlovehim,ThuviaofPtarth?\"heasked。
\"Iampromisedtohim,\"sherepliedsimply。
Hedidnotpressher。\"HeisofBarsoom’snoblestbloodandmightiestfighters,\"musedCarthoris。\"Myfather’sfriendandmine——wouldthatitmighthavebeenanother!\"
hemutteredalmostsavagely。Whatthegirlthoughtwashiddenbythemaskofherexpression,whichwastingedonlybyalittleshadowofsadnessthatmighthavebeenforCarthoris,herself,orforthemboth。
CarthorisofHeliumdidnotask,thoughhenotedit,forhisloyaltytoKulanTithwastheloyaltyofthebloodofJohnCarterofVirginiaforafriend,greaterthanwhichcouldbenoloyalty。
Heraisedajewel—encrustedbitofthegirl’smagnificenttrappingstohislips。
\"TothehonourandhappinessofKulanTithandthepricelessjewelthathasbeenbestoweduponhim,\"
hesaid,andthoughhisvoicewashuskytherewasthetrueringofsincerityinit。\"ItoldyouthatIlovedyou,Thuvia,beforeIknewthatyouwerepromisedtoanother。
Imaynottellyouitagain,butIamgladthatyouknowit,forthereisnodishonouriniteithertoyouortoKulanTithortomyself。MyloveissuchthatitmayembraceaswellKulanTith——ifyoulovehim。\"Therewasalmostaquestioninthestatement。
\"Iampromisedtohim,\"shereplied。
Carthorisbackedslowlyaway。Helaidonehanduponhisheart,theotheruponthepommelofhislong—sword。
\"Theseareyours——always,\"hesaid。Amomentlaterhehadenteredthepalace,andwasgonefromthegirl’ssight。
Hadhereturnedatoncehewouldhavefoundherproneupontheersitebench,herfaceburiedinherarms。
Wassheweeping?Therewasnonetosee。
CarthorisofHeliumhadcomeallunannouncedtothecourtofhisfather’sfriendthatday。Hehadcomealoneinasmallflier,sureofthesamewelcomethatalwaysawaitedhimatPtarth。Astherehadbeennoformalityinhiscomingtherewasnoneedofformalityinhisgoing。
ToThuvanDihnheexplainedthathehadbeenbuttestinganinventionofhisownwithwhichhisflierwasequipped——acleverimprovementoftheordinaryMartianaircompass,which,whensetforacertaindestination,willremainconstantlyfixedthereon,makingitonlynecessarytokeepavessel’sprowalwaysinthedirectionofthecompassneedletoreachanygivenpointuponBarsoombytheshortestroute。
Carthoris’improvementuponthisconsistedofanauxiliarydevicewhichsteeredthecraftmechanicallyinthedirectionofthecompass,anduponarrivaldirectlyoverthepointforwhichthecompasswasset,broughtthecrafttoastandstillandloweredit,alsoautomatically,totheground。
\"Youreadilydiscerntheadvantagesofthisinvention,\"
hewassayingtoThuvanDihn,whohadaccompaniedhimtothelanding—stageuponthepalacerooftoinspectthecompassandbidhisyoungfriendfarewell。
Adozenofficersofthecourtwithseveralbodyservantsweregroupedbehindthejeddakandhisguest,eagerlistenerstotheconversation——soeageronthepartofoneoftheservantsthathewastwicerebukedbyanobleforhisforwardnessinpushinghimselfaheadofhisbetterstoviewtheintricatemechanismofthewonderful\"controllingdestinationcompass,\"asthethingwascalled。
\"Forexample,\"continuedCarthoris,\"Ihaveanall—
nighttripbeforeme,asto—night。Isetthepointerhereupontheright—handdialwhichrepresentstheeasternhemisphereofBarsoom,sothatthepointrestsupontheexactlatitudeandlongitudeofHelium。ThenI
starttheengine,rollupinmysleepingsilksandfurs,andwithlightsburning,racethroughtheairtowardHelium,confidentthatattheappointedhourIshalldropgentlytowardthelanding—stageuponmyownpalace,whetherIamstillasleeporno。\"
\"Provided,\"suggestedThuvanDihn,\"youdonotchancetocollidewithsomeothernightwandererinthemeanwhile。\"
Carthorissmiled。\"Nodangerofthat,\"hereplied。
\"Seehere,\"andheindicatedadeviceattherightofthedestinationcompass。\"Thisismy`obstructionevader,’
asIcallit。Thisvisibledeviceistheswitchwhichthrowsthemechanismonoroff。Theinstrumentitselfisbelowdeck,gearedbothtothesteeringapparatusandthecontrollevers。
\"Itisquitesimple,beingnothingmorethanaradiumgeneratordiffusingradio—activityinalldirectionstoadistanceofahundredyardsorsofromtheflier。Shouldthisenvelopingforcebeinterruptedinanydirectionadelicateinstrumentimmediatelyapprehendstheirregularity,atthesametimeimpartinganimpulsetoamagneticdevicewhichinturnactuatesthesteeringmechanism,divertingthebowoftheflierawayfromtheobstacleuntilthecraft’sradio—activitysphereisnolongerincontactwiththeobstruction,thenshefallsoncemoreintohernormalcourse。Shouldthedisturbanceapproachfromtherear,asincaseofafaster—movingcraftoverhaulingme,themechanismactuatesthespeedcontrolaswellasthesteeringgear,andthefliershootsaheadandeitherupordown,astheoncomingvesselisuponalowerorhigherplanethanherself。
\"Inaggravatedcases,thatiswhentheobstructionsaremany,orofsuchanatureastodeflectthebowmorethanforty—fivedegreesinanydirection,orwhenthecrafthasreacheditsdestinationanddroppedtowithinahundredyardsoftheground,themechanismbringshertoafullstop,atthesametimesoundingaloudalarmwhichwillinstantlyawakenthepilot。YouseeIhaveanticipatedalmosteverycontingency。\"
ThuvanDihnsmiledhisappreciationofthemarvellousdevice。
Theforwardservantpushedalmosttotheflier’sside。
Hiseyeswerenarrowedtoslits。
\"Allbutone,\"hesaid。
Thenobleslookedathiminastonishment,andoneofthemgraspedthefellownonetoogentlybytheshouldertopushhimbacktohisproperplace。
Carthorisraisedhishand。
\"Wait,\"heurged。\"Letushearwhatthemanhastosay——nocreationofmortalmindisperfect。Perchancehehasdetectedaweaknessthatitwillbewelltoknowatonce。Come,mygoodfellow,andwhatmaybetheonecontingencyIhaveoverlooked?\"
AshespokeCarthorisobservedtheservantcloselyforthefirsttime。Hesawamanofgiantstatureandhandsome,asareallthoseoftheraceofMartianredmen;butthefellow’slipswerethinandcruel,andacrossonecheekwasthefaint,whitelineofasword—cutfromtherighttempletothecornerofthemouth。
\"Come,\"urgedthePrinceofHelium。\"Speak!\"
Themanhesitated。Itwasevidentthatheregrettedthetemeritythathadmadehimthecentreofinterestedobservation。Butatlast,seeingnoalternative,hespoke。
\"Itmightbetamperedwith,\"hesaid,\"byanenemy。\"
Carthorisdrewasmallkeyfromhisleathernpocket—pouch。
\"Lookatthis,\"hesaid,handingittotheman。\"Ifyouknowaughtoflocks,youwillknowthatthemechanismwhichthisunloosesisbeyondthecunningofapickeroflocks。
Itguardsthevitalsoftheinstrumentfromcraftytampering。
Withoutitanenemymusthalfwreckthedevicetoreachitsheart,leavinghishandiworkapparenttothemostcasualobserver。\"
Theservanttookthekey,glancedatitshrewdly,andthenashemadetoreturnittoCarthorisdroppedituponthemarbleflagging。Turningtolookforitheplantedthesoleofhissandalfullupontheglitteringobject。Foraninstantheboreallhisweightuponthefootthatcoveredthekey,thenhesteppedbackandwithanexclamationasofpleasurethathehadfoundit,stooped,recoveredit,andreturnedittotheHeliumite。Thenhedroppedbacktohisstationbehindthenoblesandwasforgotten。
AmomentlaterCarthorishadmadehisadieuxtoThuvanDihnandhisnobles,andwithlightstwinklinghadrisenintothestar—shotvoidoftheMartiannight。
CHAPTERII
SLAVERY
AstherulerofPtarth,followedbyhiscourtiers,descendedfromthelanding—stageabovethepalace,theservantsdroppedintotheirplacesintherearoftheirroyalornoblemasters,andbehindtheothersonelingeredtothelast。Thenquicklystoopinghesnatchedthesandalfromhisrightfoot,slippingitintohispocket—pouch。
Whenthepartyhadcometothelowerlevels,andthejeddakhaddispersedthembyasign,nonenoticedthattheforwardfellowwhohaddrawnsomuchattentiontohimselfbeforethePrinceofHeliumdeparted,wasnolongeramongtheotherservants。
Towhoseretinuehehadbeenattachednonehadthoughttoinquire,forthefollowersofaMartiannoblearemany,comingandgoingatthewhimoftheirmaster,sothatanewfaceisscarcelyeverquestioned,asthefactthatamanhaspassedwithinthepalacewallsisconsideredproofpositivethathisloyaltytothejeddakisbeyondquestion,sorigidistheexaminationofeachwhoseeksservicewiththenoblesofthecourt。
Agoodrulethat,andonlyrelaxedbycourtesyinfavouroftheretinueofvisitingroyaltyfromafriendlyforeignpower。
ItwaslateinthemorningofthenextdaythatagiantservingmanintheharnessofthehouseofagreatPtarthnoblepassedoutintothecityfromthepalacegates。
Alongonebroadavenueandthenanotherhestrodebrisklyuntilhehadpassedbeyondthedistrictofthenoblesandhadcometotheplaceofshops。Herehesoughtapretentiousbuildingthatrosespire—liketowardtheheavens,itsouterwallselaboratelywroughtwithdelicatecarvingsandintricatemosaics。
ItwasthePalaceofPeaceinwhichwerehousedtherepresentativesoftheforeignpowers,orratherinwhichwerelocatedtheirembassies;fortheministersthemselvesdweltingorgeouspalaceswithinthedistrictoccupiedbythenobles。
HerethemansoughttheembassyofDusar。Aclerkarosequestioninglyasheentered,andathisrequesttohaveawordwiththeministeraskedhiscredentials。
Thevisitorslippedaplainmetalarmletfromabovehiselbow,andpointingtoaninscriptionuponitsinnersurface,whisperedawordortwototheclerk。
Thelatter’seyeswentwide,andhisattitudeturnedatoncetooneofdeference。Hebowedthestrangertoaseat,andhastenedtoaninnerroomwiththearmletinhishand。
Amomentlaterhereappearedandconductedthecallerintothepresenceoftheminister。
Foralongtimethetwowereclosetedtogether,andwhenatlastthegiantservingmanemergedfromtheinnerofficehisexpressionwascastinasmileofsinistersatisfaction。
FromthePalaceofPeacehehurrieddirectlytothepalaceoftheDusarianminister。
Thatnighttwoswiftfliersleftthesamepalacetop。
OnespeditsrapidcoursetowardHelium;theother——
ThuviaofPtarthstrolledinthegardensofherfather’spalace,aswashernightlycustombeforeretiring。Hersilksandfursweredrawnabouther,fortheairofMarsischillafterthesunhastakenhisquickplungebeneaththeplanet’swesternverge。
Thegirl’sthoughtswanderedfromherimpendingnuptials,thatwouldmakeherempressofKaol,tothepersonofthetrimyoungHeliumitewhohadlaidhisheartatherfeettheprecedingday。
Whetheritwaspityorregretthatsaddenedherexpressionasshegazedtowardthesouthernheavenswhereshehadwatchedthelightsofhisflierdisappearthepreviousnight,itwouldbedifficulttosay。
So,too,isitimpossibletoconjecturejustwhatheremotionsmayhavebeenasshediscernedthelightsofaflierspeedingrapidlyoutofthedistancefromthatverydirection,asthoughimpelledtowardhergardenbytheveryintensityoftheprincess’thoughts。
Shesawitcirclelowerabovethepalaceuntilshewaspositivethatitbuthoveredinpreparationforalanding。
Presentlythepowerfulraysofitssearchlightshotdownwardfromthebow。Theyfelluponthelanding—stageforabriefinstant,revealingthefiguresofthePtarthianguard,pickingintobrilliantpointsoffirethegemsupontheirgorgeousharnesses。
Thentheblazingeyesweptonwardacrosstheburnisheddomesandgracefulminarets,downintocourtandparkandgardentopauseatlastupontheersitebenchandthegirlstandingtherebesideit,herfaceupturnedfulltowardtheflier。
ForbutaninstantthesearchlighthalteduponThuviaofPtarth,thenitwasextinguishedassuddenlyasithadcometolife。Theflierpassedonabovehertodisappearbeyondagroveofloftyskeeltreesthatgrewwithinthepalacegrounds。
Thegirlstoodforsometimeasithadlefther,exceptthatherheadwasbentandhereyesdowncastinthought。
WhobutCarthoriscouldithavebeen?Shetriedtofeelangerthatheshouldhavereturnedthus,spyinguponher;
butshefounditdifficulttobeangrywiththeyoungprinceofHelium。
Whatmadcapricecouldhaveinducedhimsototransgresstheetiquetteofnations?Forlesserthingsgreatpowershadgonetowar。
Theprincessinherwasshockedandangered——butwhatofthegirl!
Andtheguard——whatofthem?Evidentlythey,too,hadbeensomuchsurprisedbytheunprecedentedactionofthestrangerthattheyhadnotevenchallenged;
butthattheyhadnothoughttoletthethinggounnoticedwasquicklyevidencedbytheskirringofmotorsuponthelanding—stageandthequickshootingairwardofalong—linedpatrolboat。
Thuviawatcheditdartswiftlyeastward。So,too,didothereyeswatch。
Withinthedenseshadowsoftheskeelgrove,inawideavenuebeneatho’erspreadingfoliage,aflierhungadozenfeetabovetheground。Fromitsdeckkeeneyeswatchedthefar—fanningsearchlightofthepatrolboat。
Nolightshonefromtheenshadowedcraft。Uponitsdeckwasthesilenceofthetomb。Itscrewofahalf—dozenredwarriorswatchedthelightsofthepatrolboatdiminishinginthedistance。
\"Theintellectsofourancestorsarewithusto—night,\"
saidoneinalowtone。
\"Noplanevercarriedbetter,\"returnedanother。\"Theydidpreciselyastheprinceforetold。\"
Hewhohadfirstspokenturnedtowardthemanwhosquattedbeforethecontrolboard。
\"Now!\"hewhispered。Therewasnootherordergiven。
Everymanuponthecrafthadevidentlybeenwellschooledineachdetailofthatnight’swork。Silentlythedarkhullcreptbeneaththecathedralarchesofthedarkandsilentgrove。
ThuviaofPtarth,gazingtowardtheeast,sawtheblackerblotagainsttheblacknessofthetreesasthecrafttoppedthebuttressedgardenwall。Shesawthedimbulkinclinegentlydownwardtowardthescarletswardofthegarden。
Sheknewthatmencamenotthuswithhonourableintent。
Yetshedidnotcryaloudtoalarmthenear—byguardsmen,nordidshefleetothesafetyofthepalace。
Why?
Icanseehershrughershapelyshouldersinreplyasshevoicestheage—old,universalanswerofthewoman:Because!
Scarcehadthefliertouchedthegroundwhenfourmenleapedfromitsdeck。Theyranforwardtowardthegirl。
Stillshemadenosignofalarm,standingasthoughhypnotized。
Orcouldithavebeenasonewhoawaitedawelcomevisitor?
Notuntiltheywerequiteclosetoherdidshemove。
Thenthenearermoon,risingabovethesurroundingfoliage,touchedtheirfaces,lightingallwiththebrilliancyofhersilverrays。
ThuviaofPtarthsawonlystrangers——warriorsintheharnessofDusar。Nowshetookfright,buttoolate!
Beforeshecouldvoicebutasinglecry,roughhandsseizedher。Aheavysilkenscarfwaswoundaboutherhead。Shewasliftedinstrongarmsandbornetothedeckoftheflier。Therewasthesuddenwhirlofpropellers,therushingofairagainstherbody,and,fromfarbeneaththeshoutingandthechallengefromtheguard。
RacingtowardthesouthanotherflierspedtowardHelium。
Initscabinatallredmanbentoverthesoftsoleofanupturnedsandal。Withdelicateinstrumentshemeasuredthefaintimprintofasmallobjectwhichappearedthere。
Uponapadbesidehimwastheoutlineofakey,andherehenotedtheresultsofhismeasurements。
Asmileplayeduponhislipsashecompletedhistaskandturnedtoonewhowaitedattheoppositesideofthetable。
\"Themanisagenius,\"heremarked。
\"Onlyageniuscouldhaveevolvedsuchalockasthisisdesignedtospring。Here,takethesketch,Larok,andgiveallthineowngeniusfullandunfetteredfreedominreproducingitinmetal。\"
Thewarrior—artificerbowed。\"Manbuildsnaught,\"
hesaid,\"thatmanmaynotdestroy。\"Thenheleftthecabinwiththesketch。
AsdawnbrokeupontheloftytowerswhichmarkthetwincitiesofHelium——thescarlettowerofoneandtheyellowtowerofitssister——aflierfloatedlazilyoutofthenorth。
UponitsbowwasemblazonedthesigniaofalessernobleofafarcityoftheempireofHelium。Itsleisurelyapproachandtheevidentconfidencewithwhichitmovedacrossthecityarousednosuspicioninthemindsofthesleepyguard。Theirroundofdutynearlydone,theyhadlittlethoughtbeyondthecomingofthosewhoweretorelievethem。
PeacereignedthroughoutHelium。Stagnant,emasculatingpeace。Heliumhadnoenemies。Therewasnaughttofear。
Withouthastethenearestairpatrolswungsluggishlyaboutandapproachedthestranger。Ateasyspeakingdistancetheofficeruponherdeckhailedtheincomingcraft。
Thecheery\"Kaor!\"andtheplausibleexplanationthattheownerhadcomefromdistantpartsforafewdaysofpleasureingayHeliumsufficed。Theair—patrolboatsheeredoff,passingagainuponitsway。Thestrangercontinuedtowardapubliclanding—stage,whereshedroppedintothewaysandcametorest。
Ataboutthesametimeawarriorenteredhercabin。
\"Itisdone,VasKor,\"hesaid,handingasmallmetalkeytothetallnoblewhohadjustrisenfromhissleepingsilksandfurs。
\"Good!\"exclaimedthelatter。\"Youmusthaveworkeduponitallduringthenight,Larok。\"
Thewarriornodded。
\"NowfetchmetheHeliumeticmetalyouwroughtsomedayssince,\"commandedVasKor。
Thisdone,thewarriorassistedhismastertoreplacethehandsomejewelledmetalofhisharnesswiththeplainerornamentsofanordinaryfightingmanofHelium,andwiththeinsigniaofthesamehousethatappeareduponthebowoftheflier。
VasKorbreakfastedonboard。Thenheemergedupontheaerialdock,enteredanelevator,andwasbornequicklytothestreetbelow,wherehewassoonengulfedbytheearlymorningthrongofworkershasteningtotheirdailyduties。
AmongthemhiswarriortrappingswerenomoreremarkablethanisapairoftrousersuponBroadway。AllMartianmenarewarriors,savethosephysicallyunabletobeararms。
Thetradesmanandhisclerkclankwiththeirmartialtrappingsastheypursuetheirvocations。Theschoolboy,comingintotheworld,ashedoes,almostadultfromthesnowyshellthathasencompassedhisdevelopmentforfivelongyears,knowssolittleoflifewithoutaswordathishipthathewouldfeelthesamediscomfitureatgoingabroadunarmedthatanEarthboywouldexperienceinwalkingthestreetsknicker—bockerless。
VasKor’sdestinationlayinGreaterHelium,whichliessomeseventy—fivemilesacrossthelevelplainfromLesserHelium。Hehadlandedatthelattercitybecausetheairpatrolislesssuspiciousandalertthanthatabovethelargermetropoliswhereliesthepalaceofthejeddak。
AshemovedwiththethrongintheparklikecanyonofthethoroughfarethelifeofanawakeningMartiancitywasinevidenceabouthim。Houses,raisedhighupontheirslendermetalcolumnsforthenightweredroppinggentlytowardtheground。Amongtheflowersuponthescarletswardwhichliesaboutthebuildingschildrenwerealreadyplaying,andcomelywomenlaughingandchattingwiththeirneighboursastheyculledgorgeousblossomsforthevaseswithindoors。
Thepleasant\"kaor\"oftheBarsoomiangreetingfellcontinuallyupontheearsofthestrangerasfriendsandneighbourstookupthedutiesofanewday。
Thedistrictinwhichhehadlandedwasresidential——adistrictofmerchantsofthemoreprosperoussort。
Everywherewereevidencesofluxuryandwealth。
Slavesappeareduponeveryhousetopwithgorgeoussilksandcostlyfurs,layingtheminthesunforairing。
Jewel—encrustedwomenlolledeventhusearlyuponthecarvenbalconiesbeforetheirsleepingapartments。Laterinthedaytheywouldrepairtotheroofswhentheslaveshadarrangedcouchesandpitchedsilkencanopiestoshadethemfromthesun。
Strainsofinspiringmusicbrokepleasantlyfromopenwindows,fortheMartianshavesolvedtheproblemofattuningthenervespleasantlytothesuddentransitionfromsleeptowakingthatprovessodifficultathingformostEarthfolk。
Abovehimracedthelong,lightpassengerfliers,plying,eachinitsproperplane,betweenthenumerouslanding—
stagesforinternalpassengertraffic。Landing—stagesthattowerhighintotheheavensareforthegreatinternationalpassengerliners。Freightershaveotherlanding—stagesatvariouslowerlevels,towithinacoupleofhundredfeetoftheground;nordareanyflierriseordropfromoneplanetoanotherexceptincertainrestricteddistrictswherehorizontaltrafficisforbidden。
Alongtheclose—croppedswardwhichpavestheavenuegroundfliersweremovingincontinuouslinesinoppositedirections。
Forthegreaterparttheyskimmedalongthesurfaceofthesward,soaringgracefullyintotheairattimestopassoveraslower—goingdriverahead,oratintersections,wherethenorthandsouthtraffichastherightofwayandtheeastandwestmustriseaboveit。
Fromprivatehangarsuponmanyarooftopfliersweredartingintothelineoftraffic。Gayfarewellsandpartingadmonitionsmingledwiththewhirringofmotorsandthesubduednoisesofthecity。
Yetwithalltheswiftmovementandthecountlessthousandsrushinghitherandthither,thepredominantsuggestionwasthatofluxuriouseaseandsoftnoiselessness。
Martiansdislikeharsh,discordantclamour。Theonlyloudnoisestheycanabidearethemartialsoundsofwar,theclashofarms,thecollisionoftwomightydreadnoughtsoftheair。Tothemthereisnosweetermusicthanthis。
AttheintersectionoftwobroadavenuesVasKordescendedfromthestreetleveltooneofthegreatpneumaticstationsofthecity。Herehepaidbeforealittlewicketthefaretohisdestinationwithacoupleofthedull,ovalcoinsofHelium。
BeyondthegatekeeperhecametoaslowlymovinglineofwhattoEarthlyeyeswouldhaveappearedtobeconical—nosed,eight—footprojectilesforsomegiantgun。
Inslowprocessionthethingsmovedinsinglefilealongagroovedtrack。Ahalfdozenattendantsassistedpassengerstoenter,ordirectedthesecarrierstotheirproperdestination。
VasKorapproachedonethatwasempty。Uponitsnosewasadialandapointer。HesetthepointerforacertainstationinGreaterHelium,raisedthearchedlidofthething,steppedinandlaydownupontheupholsteredbottom。Anattendantclosedthelid,whichlockedwithalittleclick,andthecarriercontinueditsslowway。
Presentlyitswitcheditselfautomaticallytoanothertrack,toenter,amomentlater,oneoftheseriesofdark—mouthedtubes。
Theinstantthatitsentirelengthwaswithintheblackapertureitsprangforwardwiththespeedofarifleball。
Therewasaninstantofwhizzing——asoft,thoughsudden,stop,andslowlythecarrieremergeduponanotherplatform,anotherattendantraisedthelidandVasKorsteppedoutatthestationbeneaththecentreofGreaterHelium,seventy—fivemilesfromthepointatwhichhehadembarked。
Herehesoughtthestreetlevel,steppingimmediatelyintoawaitinggroundflier。Hespokenowordtotheslavesittinginthedriver’sseat。Itwasevidentthathehadbeenexpected,andthatthefellowhadreceivedhisinstructionsbeforehiscoming。
ScarcelyhadVasKortakenhisseatwhentheflierwentquicklyintothefast—movingprocession,turningpresentlyfromthebroadandcrowdedavenueintoalesscongestedstreet。Presentlyitleftthethrongeddistrictbehindtoenterasectionofsmallshops,whereitstoppedbeforetheentrancetoonewhichborethesignofadealerinforeignsilks。
VasKorenteredthelow—ceilingroom。Amanatthefarendmotionedhimtowardaninnerapartment,givingnofurthersignofrecognitionuntilhehadpassedinafterthecallerandclosedthedoor。
Thenhefacedhisvisitor,salutingdeferentially。
\"Mostnoble——\"hecommenced,butVasKorsilencedhimwithagesture。
\"Noformalities,\"hesaid。\"WemustforgetthatI
amaughtotherthanyourslave。Ifallhasbeenascarefullycarriedoutasithasbeenplanned,wehavenotimetowaste。Insteadweshouldbeuponourwaytotheslavemarket。Areyouready?\"
Themerchantnodded,and,turningtoagreatchest,producedtheunemblazonedtrappingsofaslave。TheseVasKorimmediatelydonned。Thenthetwopassedfromtheshopthroughareardoor,traversedawindingalleytoanavenuebeyond,wheretheyenteredaflierwhichawaitedthem。
Fiveminuteslaterthemerchantwasleadinghisslavetothepublicmarket,whereagreatconcourseofpeoplefilledthegreatopenspaceinthecentreofwhichstoodtheslaveblock。
Thecrowdswereenormousto—day,forCarthoris,PrinceofHelium,wastobetheprincipalbidder。
Onebyonethemastersmountedtherostrumbesidetheslaveblockuponwhichstoodtheirchattels。
Brieflyandclearlyeachrecountedthevirtuesofhisparticularoffering。
Whenallweredone,themajor—domoofthePrinceofHeliumrecalledtotheblocksuchashadfavourablyimpressedhim。
Forsuchhehadmadeafairoffer。
Therewaslittlehagglingastoprice,andnoneatallwhenVasKorwasplacedupontheblock。Hismerchant—
masteracceptedthefirstofferthatwasmadeforhim,andthusaDusariannobleenteredthehouseholdofCarthoris。
CHAPTERIII
TREACHERY
ThedayfollowingthecomingofVasKortothepalaceofthePrinceofHeliumgreatexcitementreignedthroughoutthetwincities,reachingitsclimaxinthepalaceofCarthoris。WordhadcomeoftheabductionofThuviaofPtarthfromherfather’scourt,andwithittheveiledhintthatthePrinceofHeliummightbesuspectedofconsiderableknowledgeoftheactandthewhereaboutsoftheprincess。
InthecouncilchamberofJohnCarter,WarlordofMars,wasTardosMors,JeddakofHelium;MorsKajak,hisson,JedofLesserHelium;Carthoris,andascoreofthegreatnoblesoftheempire。
\"TheremustbenowarbetweenPtarthandHelium,myson,\"
saidJohnCarter。\"Thatyouareinnocentofthechargethathasbeenplacedagainstyoubyinsinuation,wewellknow;
butThuvanDihnmustknowitwell,too。
\"Thereisbutonewhomayconvincehim,andthatonebeyou。YoumusthastenatoncetothecourtofPtarth,andbyyourpresencethereaswellasbyyourwordsassurehimthathissuspicionsaregroundless。
BearwithyoutheauthorityoftheWarlordofBarsoom,andoftheJeddakofHeliumtooffereveryresourceofthealliedpowerstoassistThuvanDihntorecoverhisdaughterandpunishherabductors,whomsoevertheymaybe。
\"Go!IknowthatIdonotneedtourgeuponyouthenecessityforhaste。\"
Carthorisleftthecouncilchamber,andhastenedtohispalace。
Hereslaveswerebusyinamomentsettingthingstorightsforthedepartureoftheirmaster。SeveralworkedabouttheswiftflierthatwouldbearthePrinceofHeliumrapidlytowardPtarth。
Atlastallwasdone。Buttwoarmedslavesremainedonguard。Thesettingsunhunglowabovethehorizon。
Inamomentdarknesswouldenvelopall。
Oneoftheguardsmen,agiantofafellowacrosswhoserightcheekthereranathinscarfromtempletomouth,approachedhiscompanion。Hisgazewasdirectedbeyondandabovehiscomrade。Whenhehadcomequiteclosehespoke。
\"Whatstrangecraftisthat?\"heasked。
Theotherturnedaboutquicklytogazeheavenward。
Scarcewashisbackturnedtowardthegiantthantheshort—swordofthelatterwasplungedbeneathhisleftshoulderblade,straightthroughhisheart。
Voiceless,thesoldiersankinhistracks——stonedead。
Quicklythemurdererdraggedthecorpseintotheblackshadowswithinthehangar。Thenhereturnedtotheflier。
Drawingacunninglywroughtkeyfromhispocket—pouch,heremovedthecoveroftheright—handdialofthecontrollingdestinationcompass。Foramomenthestudiedtheconstructionofthemechanismbeneath。
Thenhereturnedthedialtoitsplace,setthepointer,andremoveditagaintonotetheresultantchangeinthepositionofthepartsaffectedbytheact。
Asmilecrossedhislips。Withapairofcuttershesnippedofftheprojectionwhichextendedthroughthedialfromtheexternalpointer——nowthelattermightbemovedtoanypointuponthedialwithoutaffectingthemechanismbelow。Inotherwords,theeasternhemispheredialwasuseless。
Nowheturnedhisattentiontothewesterndial。
Thishesetuponacertainpoint。Afterwardheremovedthecoverofthisdialalso,andwithkeentoolcutthesteelfingerfromtheundersideofthepointer。
Asquicklyaspossiblehereplacedtheseconddialcover,andresumedhisplaceonguard。Toallintentsandpurposesthecompasswasasefficientasbefore;but,asamatteroffact,themovingofthepointersuponthedialsresultednowinnocorrespondingshiftofthemechanismbeneath——andthedevicewasset,immovably,uponadestinationoftheslave’sownchoosing。
PresentlycameCarthoris,accompaniedbybutahandfulofhisgentlemen。Hecastbutacasualglanceuponthesingleslavewhostoodguard。Thefellow’sthin,cruellips,andthesword—cutthatranfromtempletomoutharousedthesuggestionofanunpleasantmemorywithinhim。
HewonderedwhereSaranTalhadfoundtheman——thenthematterfadedfromhisthoughts,andinanothermomentthePrinceofHeliumwaslaughingandchattingwithhiscompanions,thoughbelowthesurfacehisheartwascoldwithdread,forwhatcontingenciesconfrontedThuviaofPtarthhecouldnotevenguess。
Firsttohismind,naturally,hadsprungthethoughtthatAstokofDusarhadstolenthefairPtarthian;butalmostsimultaneouslywiththereportoftheabductionhadcomenewsofthegreatfetesatDusarinhonourofthereturnofthejeddak’ssontothecourtofhisfather。
Itcouldnothavebeenhe,thoughtCarthoris,forontheverynightthatThuviawastakenAstokhadbeeninDusar,andyet——
Heenteredtheflier,exchangingcasualremarkswithhiscompanionsasheunlockedthemechanismofthecompassandsetthepointeruponthecapitalcityofPtarth。
Withawordoffarewellhetouchedthebuttonwhichcontrolledtherepulsiverays,andastheflierroselightlyintotheair,theenginepurredinanswertothetouchofhisfingeruponasecondbutton,thepropellerswhirredashishanddrewbackthespeedlever,andCarthoris,PrinceofHelium,wasoffintothegorgeousMartiannightbeneaththehurtlingmoonsandthemillionstars。
Scarcehadtheflierfounditsspeederetheman,wrappinghissleepingsilksandfursabouthim,stretchedatfulllengthuponthenarrowdecktosleep。
Butsleepdidnotcomeatonceathisbidding。
Instead,histhoughtsranriotinhisbrain,drivingsleepaway。
HerecalledthewordsofThuviaofPtarth,wordsthathadhalfassuredhimthatshelovedhim;forwhenhehadaskedherifshelovedKulanTith,shehadansweredonlythatshewaspromisedtohim。
Nowhesawthatherreplywasopentomorethanasingleconstruction。Itmight,ofcourse,meanthatshedidnotloveKulanTith;andso,byinference,betakentomeanthatshelovedanother。
ButwhatassurancewastherethattheotherwasCarthorisofHelium?
Themorehethoughtuponitthemorepositivehebecamethatnotonlywastherenoassuranceinherwordsthatshelovedhim,butnoneeitherinanyactofhers。
No,thefactwas,shedidnotlovehim。Shelovedanother。
Shehadnotbeenabducted——shehadfledwillinglywithherlover。
Withsuchpleasantthoughtsfillinghimalternatelywithdespairandrage,Carthorisatlastdroppedintothesleepofuttermentalexhaustion。
Thebreakingofthesuddendawnfoundhimstillasleep。
Hisflierwasrushingswiftlyaboveabarren,ochreplain——theworld—oldbottomofalong—deadMartiansea。
Inthedistanceroselowhills。Towardthesethecraftwasheaded。Asitapproachedthem,agreatpromontorymighthavebeenseenfromitsdeck,stretchingoutintowhathadoncebeenamightyocean,andcirclingbackoncemoretoenclosetheforgottenharbourofaforgottencity,whichstillstretchedbackfromitsdesertedquays,animposingpileofwondrousarchitectureofalong—deadpast。
Thecountlessdismalwindows,vacantandforlorn,stared,sightless,fromtheirmarblewalls;thewholesadcitytakingonthesemblanceofscatteredmoundsofdeadmen’ssun—bleachedskulls——thecasementshavingtheappearanceofeyelesssockets,theportals,grinningjaws。
Closercametheflier,butnowitsspeedwasdiminishing——yetthiswasnotPtarth。
Abovethecentralplazaitstopped,slowlysettlingMarsward。
Withinahundredyardsofthegrounditcametorest,floatinggentlyinthelightair,andatthesameinstantanalarmsoundedatthesleeper’sear。
Carthorissprangtohisfeet。BelowhimhelookedtoseetheteemingmetropolisofPtarth。Besidehim,already,thereshouldhavebeenanairpatrol。
Hegazedaboutinbewilderedastonishment。Thereindeedwasagreatcity,butitwasnotPtarth。Nomultitudessurgedthroughitsbroadavenues。Nosignsoflifebrokethedeadmonotonyofitsdesertedrooftops。
Nogorgeoussilks,nopricelessfurslentlifeandcolourtothecoldmarbleandthegleamingersite。
Nopatrolboatlayreadywithitsfamiliarchallenge。
Silentandemptylaythegreatcity——emptyandsilentthesurroundingair。
Whathadhappened?
Carthorisexaminedthedialofhiscompass。ThepointerwassetuponPtarth。Couldthecreatureofhisgeniushavethusbetrayedhim?Hewouldnotbelieveit。
Quicklyheunlockedthecover,turningitbackuponitshinge。Asingleglanceshowedhimthetruth,oratleastapartofit——thesteelprojectionthatcommunicatedthemovementofthepointeruponthedialtotheheartofthemechanismbeneathhadbeensevered。
Whocouldhavedonethething——andwhy?
Carthoriscouldnothazardevenafaintguess。Butthethingnowwastolearninwhatportionoftheworldhewas,andthentakeuphisinterruptedjourneyoncemore。
Ifithadbeenthepurposeofsomeenemytodelayhim,hehadsucceededwell,thoughtCarthoris,asheunlockedthecoveroftheseconddialthefirsthavingshownthatitspointerhadnotbeensetatall。
Beneaththeseconddialhefoundthesteelpinseveredasintheother,butthecontrollingmechanismhadfirstbeensetforapointuponthewesternhemisphere。
Hehadjusttimetojudgehislocationroughlyatsomeplacesouth—westofHelium,andataconsiderabledistancefromthetwincities,whenhewasstartledbyawoman’sscreambeneathhim。
Leaningoverthesideoftheflier,hesawwhatappearedtobearedwomanbeingdraggedacrosstheplazabyahugegreenwarrior——oneofthosefierce,crueldenizensofthedeadsea—bottomsanddesertedcitiesofdyingMars。
Carthoriswaitedtoseenomore。Reachingforthecontrolboard,hesenthiscraftracingplummet—liketowardtheground。
Thegreenmanwashurryinghiscaptivetowardahugethoatthatbrowsedupontheochrevegetationoftheoncescarlet—gorgeousplaza。Atthesameinstantadozenredwarriorsleapedfromtheentranceofanearbyersitepalace,pursuingtheabductorwithnakedswordsandshoutsofragefulwarning。
Oncethewomanturnedherfaceupwardtowardthefallingflier,andinthesingleswiftglanceCarthorissawthatitwasThuviaofPtarth!
CHAPTERIV
AGREENMAN’SCAPTIVE
WhenthelightofdaybrokeuponthelittlecrafttowhosedeckthePrincessofPtarthhadbeensnatchedfromherfather’sgarden,Thuviasawthatthenighthadwroughtachangeinherabductors。
NolongerdidtheirtrappingsgleamwiththemetalofDusar,butinsteadtherewasemblazonedtheretheinsigniaofthePrinceofHelium。
Thegirlfeltrenewedhope,forshecouldnotbelievethatintheheartofCarthoriscouldlieintenttoharmher。
Shespoketothewarriorsquattingbeforethecontrolboard。
\"LastnightyouworethetrappingsofaDusarian,\"
shesaid。\"NowyourmetalisthatofHelium。
Whatmeansit?\"
Themanlookedatherwithagrin。
\"ThePrinceofHeliumisnofool,\"hesaid。
Justthenanofficeremergedfromthetinycabin。Hereprimandedthewarriorforconversingwiththeprisoner,norwouldhehimselfreplytoanyofherinquiries。
Noharmwasofferedherduringthejourney,andsotheycameatlasttotheirdestinationwiththegirlnowiserastoherabductorsortheirpurposethanatfirst。
HerethefliersettledslowlyintotheplazaofoneofthosemutemonumentsofMars’deadandforgottenpast——
thedesertedcitiesthatfringethesadochresea—bottomswhereoncerolledthemightyfloodsuponwhosebosomsmovedthemaritimecommerceofthepeoplesthataregoneforever。
ThuviaofPtarthwasnostrangertosuchplaces。
DuringherwanderingsinsearchoftheRiverIss,thattimeshehadsetoutuponwhat,forcountlessages,hadbeenthelast,longpilgrimageofMartians,towardtheValleyDor,whereliestheLostSeaofKorus,shehadencounteredseveralofthesesadremindersofthegreatnessandthegloryofancientBarsoom。
Andagain,duringherflightfromthetemplesoftheHolyThernswithTarsTarkas,JeddakofThark,shehadseenthem,withtheirweirdandghostlyinmates,thegreatwhiteapesofBarsoom。
Sheknew,too,thatmanyofthemwereusednowbythenomadictribesofgreenmen,butthatamongthemallwasnocitythattheredmendidnotshun,forwithoutexceptiontheystoodamidstvast,waterlesstracts,unsuitedforthecontinuedsustenanceofthedominantraceofMartians。
Why,then,shouldtheybebringinghertosuchaplace?
Therewasbutasingleanswer。Suchwasthenatureoftheirworkthattheymustneedsseektheseclusionthatadeadcityafforded。Thegirltrembledatthoughtofherplight。
Fortwodayshercaptorskeptherwithinahugepalacethatevenindecayreflectedthesplendouroftheagewhichitsyouthhadknown。
Justbeforedawnonthethirddayshehadbeenarousedbythevoicesoftwoofherabductors。
\"Heshouldbeherebydawn,\"onewassaying。\"Haveherinreadinessupontheplaza——elsehewillneverland。
Themomenthefindsthatheisinastrangecountryhewillturnabout——methinkstheprince’splanisweakinthisonespot。\"
\"Therewasnootherway,\"repliedtheother。\"Itiswondrousworktogetthembothhereatall,andevenifwedonotsucceedinluringhimtotheground,weshallhaveaccomplishedmuch。\"
JustthenthespeakercaughttheeyesofThuviauponhim,revealedbythequick—movingpatchoflightcastbyThuriainhermadracethroughtheheavens。
Withaquicksigntotheother,heceasedspeaking,andadvancingtowardthegirl,motionedhertorise。
Thenheledheroutintothenighttowardthecentreofthegreatplaza。
\"Standhere,\"hecommanded,\"untilwecomeforyou。
Weshallbewatching,andshouldyouattempttoescapeitwillgoillwithyou——muchworsethandeath。