ON THE RIVER ISS
In the of the that the plain by the of the Lost Sea of Korus in the Valley Dor, the of Mars, their way close above the of the planet, I along the of a that the places with a that the nature of its errand.
For six long Martian months I had the of the Temple of the Sun, slow-revolving shaft, the surface of Mars, my entombed—but alive or I not. Had Phaidor's that heart? Time only would the truth.
Six hundred and eighty-seven Martian days must come and go the cell's door would again come opposite the tunnel's end where last I had my ever-beautiful Dejah Thoris.
Half of them had passed, or would on the morrow, yet in my memory, every event that had come or after, there the last the of my and the narrow that had me of the of her closed me and the Princess of Helium for a long Martian year.
As if it were yesterday, I still saw the of Phaidor, of Matai Shang, with and as she with upon the woman I loved.
I saw the red girl, Thuvia of Ptarth, to prevent the deed.
The from the temple had come then to out the tragedy, but in my ears the single as the knife fell. Then silence, and when the had cleared, the temple had off all or from the in which the three were imprisoned.
Much there had been to my attention since that terrible moment; but for an had the memory of the thing faded, and all the time that I from the that had upon me in the of the government of the First Born since our and land had them, had been close to the that the mother of my boy, Carthoris of Helium.
The of blacks that for had Issus, the false of Mars, had been left in a of by my of her as more than a old woman. In their they had her to pieces.
From the high of their the First Born had been to the of humiliation. Their was gone, and with her the whole false of their religion. Their had in the ships and men of the red men of Helium.
Fierce green from the sea of Mars had their wild across the gardens of the Temple of Issus, and Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of Thark, of them all, had sat upon the of Issus and the First Born while the were the nation's fate.
Almost was the that I the of the black men, the First Born themselves in it; but I would have none of it. My be with the that had upon my and my son.
At my Xodar Jeddak of the First Born. He had been a dator, or prince, until Issus had him, so that his for the high office was unquestioned.
The peace of the Valley Dor thus assured, the green to their sea bottoms, while we of Helium returned to our own country. Here again was a offered me, since no word had been from the missing Jeddak of Helium, Tardos Mors, of Dejah Thoris, or his son, Mors Kajak, Jed of Helium, her father.
Over a year had since they had set out to the northern in search of Carthoris, and at last their people had as truth the of their death that had in from the region of the pole.
Once again I a throne, for I would not that the Tardos Mors, or his no less son, was dead.
"Let one of their own blood you until they return," I said to the assembled of Helium, as I them from the Pedestal of Truth the Throne of Righteousness in the Temple of Reward, from the very spot where I had a year when Zat Arras the of death upon me.
As I spoke I and my hand upon the of Carthoris where he in the rank of the circle of about me.
As one, the and the people their voices in a long of approbation. Ten thousand on high from as many scabbards, and the men of Helium Carthoris Jeddak of Helium.
His of office was to be for life or until his great-grandfather, or grandfather, should return. Having thus this for Helium, I started the day for the Valley Dor that I might close to the Temple of the Sun until the day that should see the opening of the prison where my love buried.
Hor Vastus and Kantos Kan, with my other lieutenants, I left with Carthoris at Helium, that he might have the of their wisdom, bravery, and in the performance of the which had upon him. Only Woola, my Martian hound, me.
At my tonight the moved in my tracks. As large as a Shetland pony, with and fangs, he was an spectacle, as he after me on his ten short, legs; but to me he was the of love and loyalty.
The ahead was that of the black of the First Born, Thurid, I had that time I him low with my hands in the of the Temple of Issus, and him with his own the men and who had but a moment been his prowess.
Like many of his fellows, he had the new order of with good grace, and had to Xodar, his new ruler; but I that he me, and I was sure that in his he and Xodar, so I had a watch upon his and goings, to the end that of late I had that he was with some manner of intrigue.
Several times I had him the city of the First Born after dark, taking his way out into the and Valley Dor, where no lead any man.
Tonight he moved along the of the until well or of the city, then he across the toward the of the Lost Sea of Korus.
The of the nearer moon, low across the valley, touched his jewel-incrusted with a thousand lights and from the of his hide. Twice he his toward the forest, after the manner of one who is upon an errand, though he must have safe from pursuit.
I did not him there the moonlight, since it best my plans not to his—I him to his unsuspecting, that I might learn just where that and the that the night there.
So it was that I until after Thurid had over the of the bank the sea a of a mile away. Then, with Woola following, I across the open after the black dator.
The of the upon the of death, in its warm the area at the south of the planet. In the the Golden Cliffs their into the heavens, the and that them in the light of Mars's two moons.
At my was the forest, and like the to by the of the plant men.
Before me the Lost Sea of Korus, while on I the of Iss, the River of Mystery, where it out from the Golden Cliffs to empty into Korus, to which for had been the and Martians of the world upon the to this false heaven.
The plant men, with their blood-sucking hands, and the white that make Dor by day, were in their for the night.
There was no longer a Holy Thern upon the in the Golden Cliffs above the Iss to them with to the to their upon the cold, of Iss.
The of Helium and the First Born had the and the temples of the when they had to and accept the new order of that had their false religion from long-suffering Mars.
In a they still their age-old power; but Matai Shang, their hekkador, Father of Therns, had been from his temple. Strenuous had been our to him; but with a of the he had escaped, and was in hiding—where we not.
As I came to the of the low the Lost Sea of Korus I saw Thurid pushing out upon the of the water in a small skiff—one of those of age which the Holy Therns, with their organization of and therns, were to along the banks of the Iss, that the long of their might be facilitated.
Drawn up on the beach me were a score of boats, each with its long pole, at one end of which was a pike, at the other a paddle. Thurid was the shore, and as he passed out of a near-by I one of the into the water and, calling Woola into it, pushed out from shore.
The of Thurid me along the of the sea toward the mouth of the Iss. The moon close to the horizon, a the that the water. Thuria, the nearer moon, had set, would it again for near four hours, so that I was for that length of time at least.
On and on the black warrior. Now he was opposite the mouth of the Iss. Without an instant's he up the river, hard against the current.
After him came Woola and I, closer now, for the man was too upon his up the river to have any for what might be him. He the where the was less strong.
Presently he came to the dark portal in the of the Golden Cliffs, through which the river poured. On into the Stygian he his craft.
It to attempt to him here where I not see my hand my face, and I was almost on the point of up the and to the mouth of the river, there to his return, when a a ahead.
My was visible again, and in the light from the that in great in the of the I had no in him.
It was my upon the of Iss, and the I saw there will live in my memory.
Terrible as they were, they not have to the which must have Tars Tarkas, the great green warrior, Xodar, the black dator, and I the light of truth to the world and stopped the of millions upon the to what they would end in a of peace and and love.
Even now the low which the were with the and of those who, through or a to the truth, had almost at the of their journey.
In the of these and and among the of their feasts; while on those which but clean-picked they with one another, the for the stronger; or with hands at the that with the current.
Thurid paid not the attention to the that either or with him as the mood them—evidently he was familiar with the that him. He up the river for a mile; and then, over to the left bank, his up on a low that almost on a level with the water.
I not across the stream, for he most surely would have me. Instead I stopped close to the opposite an of that a it. Here I watch Thurid without of discovery.
The black was upon the his boat, looking up the river, as though he were one he from that direction.
As I there the dark I noticed that a to directly toward the center of the river, so that it was difficult to my in its position. I into the that I might a upon the bank; but, though I yards, I touched nothing; and then, that I would soon a point from where I no longer see the black man, I was to where I was, my position as best I by against the which from the me.
I not what might this flow, for the main of the river was visible to me from where I sat, and I see the of it and the which had my curiosity.
While I was still upon the phenomenon, my attention was upon Thurid, who had above his in the of Martians, and a moment later his "Kaor!" the Barsoomian word of greeting, came in low but tones.
I my up the river in the direction that his were bent, and presently there came my limited range of a long boat, in which were six men. Five were at the paddles, while the sat in the seat of honor.
The white skins, the yellow which their pates, and the set in of gold about their marked them as Holy Therns.
As they up the upon which Thurid them, he in the of the to step ashore, and then I saw that it was none other than Matai Shang, Father of Therns.
The with which the two men me with wonder, for the black and white men of Barsoom were enemies—nor had I of two meeting other than in battle.
Evidently the that had overtaken had resulted in an these two individuals—at least against the common enemy—and now I saw why Thurid had come so often out into the Valley Dor by night, and that the nature of his might be such as to very close to me or to my friends.
I that I might have a point closer to the two men from which to have their conversation; but it was out of the question now to attempt to the river, and so I them, who would have so much to have how close I to them, and how easily they might have overcome and killed me with their force.
Several times Thurid pointed across the river in my direction, but that his had any to me I did not for a moment believe. Presently he and Matai Shang entered the latter's boat, which out into the river and, round, across in my direction.
As they I moved my and in the wall, but at last it that their was the same course. The five sent the larger ahead at a speed that taxed my to equal.
Every I to my crash against solid rock. The light from the river was no longer visible, but ahead I saw the of a radiance, and still the water me was open.
At last the truth upon me—I was a river which into the Iss at the very point where I had hidden.
The were now close to me. The noise of their own the of mine, but in another the light ahead would me to them.
There was no time to be lost. Whatever action I was to take must be taken at once. Swinging the of my toward the right, I the river's side, and there I while Matai Shang and Thurid approached up the center of the stream, which was much than the Iss.
As they came nearer I the voices of Thurid and the Father of Therns in argument.
"I tell you, Thern," the black was saying, "that I wish only upon John Carter, Prince of Helium. I am leading you into no trap. What I by you to those who have my nation and my house?"
"Let us stop here a moment that I may your plans," the hekkador, "and then we may with a of our and obligations."
To the he the that their in toward the bank not a dozen the spot where I lay.
Had they in me they must surely have me against the of light ahead, but from where they came to I was as secure from as though miles us.
The I had already my curiosity, and I was to learn what manner of Thurid was against me. Nor had I long to wait. I intently.
"There are no obligations, Father of Therns," the First Born. "Thurid, Dator of Issus, has no price. When the thing has been I shall be if you will see to it that I am well received, as is my and rank, at some that is yet to faith, for I cannot return to the Valley Dor or the power of the Prince of Helium; but that I do not demand—it shall be as your own in the directs."
"It shall be as you wish, Dator," Matai Shang; "nor is that all—power and shall be yours if you my daughter, Phaidor, to me, and place my power Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium.
"Ah," he with a snarl, "but the Earth man shall for the he has put upon the of holies, shall any be too to upon his princess. Would that it were in my power to him to the and of the red woman."
"You shall have your way with her another day has passed, Matai Shang," said Thurid, "if you but say the word."
"I have of the Temple of the Sun, Dator," Matai Shang, "but have I that its be the year of their had elapsed. How, then, may you the impossible?"
"Access may be had to any of the temple at any time," Thurid. "Only Issus this; was it Issus' way to more of her than were necessary. By chance, after her death, I came upon an plan of the temple, and there I found, writ, the most minute for the at any time.
"And more I learned—that many men had gone for Issus in the past, always on of death and to the prisoners; but those who thus learned the way were to die they had returned and their reports to Issus."
"Let us proceed, then," said Matai Shang at last. "I must trust you, yet at the same time you must trust me, for we are six to your one."
"I do not fear," Thurid, "nor need you. Our of the common enemy is to our to each other, and after we have the Princess of Helium there will be still for the of our allegiance—unless I mistake the of her lord."
Matai Shang spoke to the paddlers. The moved on up the tributary.
It was with that I myself from upon them and the two plotters; but I saw the of such an act, which would cut the only man who lead the way to Dejah Thoris' prison the long Martian year had its circle.
If he should lead Matai Shang to that spot, then, too, should he lead John Carter, Prince of Helium.
