A PRINCESS OF MARS
I FIND DEJAH
The major-domo to I reported had been to station me near the person of the jeddak, who, in time of war, is always in great of assassination, as the that all is in to the entire of Martian conflict.
He therefore me to the in which Than Kosis then was. The ruler was in with his son, Sab Than, and of his household, and did not my entrance.
The of the were with which any or doors which may have them. The room was by rays of the proper and what appeared to be a ground-glass false a below.
My one of the tapestries, a passage which the room, the and the of the chamber. Within this passage I was to remain, he said, so long as Than Kosis was in the apartment. When he left I was to follow. My only was to the ruler and keep out of as much as possible. I would be after a period of four hours. The major-domo then left me.
The were of a which gave the of from one side, but from my place I all that took place the room as as though there had been no intervening.
Scarcely had I my post than the at the opposite end of the and four soldiers of The Guard entered, a female figure. As they approached Than Kosis the soldiers to either and there the and not ten from me, her with smiles, was Dejah Thoris.
Sab Than, Prince of Zodanga, to meet her, and hand in hand they approached close to the jeddak. Than Kosis looked up in surprise, and, rising, her.
"To what do I this visit from the Princess of Helium, who, two days ago, with for my pride, me that she would Tal Hajus, the green Thark, to my son?"
Dejah Thoris only the more and with the roguish playing at the of her mouth she answer:
"From the of time upon Barsoom it has been the of woman to her mind as she and to in her heart. That you will forgive, Than Kosis, as has your son. Two days ago I was not sure of his love for me, but now I am, and I have come to of you to my and to accept the of the Princess of Helium that when the time comes she will Sab Than, Prince of Zodanga."
"I am that you have so decided," Than Kosis. "It is from my to push against the people of Helium, and, your promise shall be recorded and a to my people forthwith."
"It were better, Than Kosis," Dejah Thoris, "that the wait the of this war. It would look to my people and to yours were the Princess of Helium to give herself to her country's enemy in the of hostilities."
"Cannot the be ended at once?" spoke Sab Than. "It but the word of Than Kosis to peace. Say it, my father, say the word that will my happiness, and end this strife."
"We shall see," Than Kosis, "how the people of Helium take to peace. I shall at least offer it to them."
Dejah Thoris, after a words, and left the apartment, still by her guards.
Thus was the of my of dashed, broken, to the ground of reality. The woman for I had offered my life, and from I had so a of love for me, had my very and herself to the son of her people's most enemy.
Although I had it with my own ears I not it. I must search out her and her to repeat the truth to me alone I would be convinced, and so I my post and through the passage the toward the door by which she had left the chamber. Slipping through this opening I a of corridors, and in every direction.
Running one and then another of them I soon and was against a when I voices near me. Apparently they were from the opposite of the partition against which I and presently I out the of Dejah Thoris. I not the but I that I not possibly be in the voice.
Moving on a steps I another at the end of which a door. Walking I pushed into the room only to myself in a small in which were the four who had her. One of them and me, the nature of my business.
"I am from Than Kosis," I replied, "and wish to speak privately with Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium."
"And your order?" asked the fellow.
I did not know what he meant, but that I was a of The Guard, and without waiting for a reply from him I toward the opposite door of the antechamber, which I Dejah Thoris conversing.
But my entrance was not to be so easily accomplished. The me, saying,
"No one comes from Than Kosis without an order or the password. You must give me one or the other you may pass."
"The only order I require, my friend, to enter where I will, at my side," I answered, my long-sword; "will you let me pass in peace or no?"
For reply he out his own sword, calling to the others to join him, and thus the four stood, with weapons, my progress.
"You are not here by the order of Than Kosis," the one who had me, "and not only shall you not enter the of the Princess of Helium but you shall go to Than Kosis under to this temerity. Throw your sword; you cannot to overcome four of us," he added with a smile.
My reply was a quick which left me but three and I can you that they were of my metal. They had me against the in no time, for my life. Slowly I my way to a of the room where I them to come at me only one at a time, and thus we of twenty minutes; the of on producing a in the little room.
The noise had Dejah Thoris to the door of her apartment, and there she the with Sola at her over her shoulder. Her was set and and I that she did not me, did Sola.
Finally a lucky cut a second and then, with only two me, I my and them after the fashion of my that had me many a victory. The third ten after the second, and the last upon the a moments later. They were men and fighters, and it me that I had been to kill them, but I would have all Barsoom I have the of my Dejah Thoris in no other way.
Sheathing my I toward my Martian Princess, who still at me without of recognition.
"Who are you, Zodangan?" she whispered. "Another enemy to me in my misery?"
"I am a friend," I answered, "a once friend."
"No friend of Helium's that metal," she replied, "and yet the voice! I have it before; it is not—it cannot be—no, for he is dead."
"It is, though, my Princess, none other than John Carter," I said. "Do you not recognize, through paint and metal, the of your chieftain?"
As I came close to her she toward me with hands, but as I to take her in my arms she with a and a little of misery.
"Too late, too late," she grieved. "O my that was, and I dead, had you but returned one little hour before—but now it is too late, too late."
"What do you mean, Dejah Thoris?" I cried. "That you would not have promised to the Zodangan had you that I lived?"
"Think you, John Carter, that I would give my to you yesterday and today to another? I that it with your in the of Warhoon, and so today I have promised my to another to save my people from the of a Zodangan army."
"But I am not dead, my princess. I have come to you, and all Zodanga cannot prevent it."
"It is too late, John Carter, my promise is given, and on Barsoom that is final. The which later are but meaningless formalities. They make the of marriage no more than the of a again place the seal of death upon him. I am as good as married, John Carter. No longer may you call me your princess. No longer are you my chieftain."
"I know but little of your here upon Barsoom, Dejah Thoris, but I do know that I love you, and if you meant the last you spoke to me that day as the of Warhoon were upon us, no other man shall you as his bride. You meant them then, my princess, and you them still! Say that it is true."
"I meant them, John Carter," she whispered. "I cannot repeat them now for I have myself to another. Ah, if you had only our ways, my friend," she continued, to herself, "the promise would have been yours long months ago, and you have me all others. It might have meant the of Helium, but I would have my for my Tharkian chief."
Then she said: "Do you the night when you me? You called me your without having asked my hand of me, and then you that you had for me. You did not know, and I should not have been offended; I see that now. But there was no one to tell you what I not, that upon Barsoom there are two of in the of the red men. The one they for that they may ask them in marriage; the other they for also, but ask their hands. When a man has a woman he may address her as his princess, or in any of the terms which possession. You had for me, but had asked me in marriage, and so when you called me your princess, you see," she faltered, "I was hurt, but then, John Carter, I did not you, as I should have done, until you it by me with having me through combat."
"I do not need ask your now, Dejah Thoris," I cried. "You must know that my fault was of of your Barsoomian customs. What I failed to do, through that my would be and unwelcome, I do now, Dejah Thoris; I ask you to be my wife, and by all the Virginian blood that in my you shall be."
"No, John Carter, it is useless," she cried, hopelessly, "I may be yours while Sab Than lives."
"You have sealed his death warrant, my princess—Sab Than dies."
"Nor that either," she to explain. "I may not the man who my husband, in self-defense. It is custom. We are by upon Barsoom. It is useless, my friend. You must the with me. That at least we may in common. That, and the memory of the days among the Tharks. You must go now, see me again. Good-bye, my that was."
Disheartened and dejected, I from the room, but I was not discouraged, would I admit that Dejah Thoris was to me until the had actually been performed.
As I along the corridors, I was as in the of as I had been I Dejah Thoris' apartments.
I that my only in from the city of Zodanga, for the of the four would have to be explained, and as I my original post without a guide, would surely on me so soon as I was through the palace.
Presently I came upon a runway leading to a floor, and this I for until I the of a large in which were a number of guardsmen. The of this room were with which I myself without being apprehended.
The of the was general, and no in me until an officer entered the room and ordered four of the men to the detail who were the Princess of Helium. Now, I knew, my would in and they were upon me all too soon, for it that the had left the one of their number in again breathlessly, that they had their four in the antechamber.
In a moment the entire was alive with people. Guardsmen, officers, courtiers, servants, and ran helter-skelter through the and and orders, and for of the assassin.
This was my opportunity and as it appeared I it, for as a number of soldiers came past my place I in them and through the of the until, in through a great hall, I saw the light of day in through a series of larger windows.
Here I left my guides, and, to the nearest window, for an of escape. The opened upon a great which one of the of Zodanga. The ground was about thirty below, and at a like from the was a twenty high, of about a in thickness. To a red Martian by this path would have appeared impossible, but to me, with my and agility, it already accomplished. My only was in being fell, for I not make the in while the and the were with Zodangans.
Accordingly I for a place and one by accident, a ornament which from the of the hall, and about ten from the floor. Into the bowl-like I with ease, and had I settled it than I a number of people enter the apartment. The group stopped my place and I their every word.
"It is the work of Heliumites," said one of the men.
"Yes, O Jeddak, but how had they to the palace? I that with the of your a single enemy might the chambers, but how a of six or eight men have done so is me. We shall soon know, however, for here comes the psychologist."
Another man now joined the group, and, after making his to his ruler, said:
"O Jeddak, it is a I read in the minds of your guardsmen. They were not by a number of men, but by a single opponent."
He paused to let the full weight of this his hearers, and that his was was by the of which the of Than Kosis.
"What manner of are you me, Notan?" he cried.
"It is the truth, my Jeddak," the psychologist. "In the were marked on the brain of each of the four guardsmen. Their was a very tall man, the metal of one of your own guardsmen, and his ability was little of for he against the entire four and them by his skill and and endurance. Though he the metal of Zodanga, my Jeddak, such a man was in this or any other country upon Barsoom.
"The mind of the Princess of Helium I have and questioned was a blank to me, she has perfect control, and I not read one of it. She said that she a of the encounter, and that when she looked there was but one man with the guardsmen; a man she did not as having seen."
"Where is my savior?" spoke another of the party, and I the voice of the of Than Kosis, I had from the green warriors. "By the metal of my ancestor," he on, "but the him to perfection, as to his ability."
"Where is this man?" Than Kosis. "Have him to me at once. What know you of him, cousin? It to me now that I think upon it that there should have been such a man in Zodanga, of name, even, we were today. And his name too, John Carter, who of such a name upon Barsoom!"
Word was soon that I was to be found, either in the or at my in the of the air-scout squadron. Kantos Kan, they had and questioned, but he nothing of my whereabouts, and as to my past, he had told them he as little, since he had but met me our among the Warhoons.
"Keep your on this other one," Than Kosis. "He also is a and likely as not they from Helium, and where one is we shall sooner or later the other. Quadruple the air patrol, and let every man who the city by air or ground be to the scrutiny."
Another messenger now entered with word that I was still the walls.
"The of every person who has entered or left the today has been examined," the fellow, "and not one the of this new of the guards, other than that which was recorded of him at the time he entered."
"Then we will have him shortly," Than Kosis contentedly, "and in the meanwhile we will repair to the of the Princess of Helium and question her in to the affair. She may know more than she to to you, Notan. Come."
They left the hall, and, as had without, I from my place and to the balcony. Few were in sight, and a moment when none near I to the top of the and from there to the the grounds.
