THE HALL OF DOOM
As Thuvia of Ptarth saw Carthoris from the presence of Tario, her alone with the man, a of terror her.
There was an air of the chamber. Its and and culture, and the that the room was often the of functions which it to its capacity.
And yet about her, in or corridor, was there of any other being than herself and the of Tario, the jeddak, who her through half-closed from the of his couch.
For a time after the of Jav and Carthoris the man her intently. Then he spoke.
“Come nearer,” he said, and, as she approached: “Whose are you? Who has his of woman? It is to the and the of Lothar. Tell me, woman, from brain have you sprung? Jav’s? No, do not it. I know that it be no other than that realist. He to me. He would see me the spell of your charms, and then he, your master, would direct my and—my end. I see it all! I see it all!”
The blood of and anger had been to Thuvia’s face. Her was up, a upon her perfect lips.
“I know naught,” she cried, “of what you are prating! I am Thuvia, Princess of Ptarth. I am no man’s ‘creature.’ Never to-day did I upon him you call Jav, upon your city, of which the nations of Barsoom have dreamed.
“My are not for you, such as you. They are not for sale or barter, though the price were a throne. And as for using them to win your than power—” She ended her with a of her shoulders, and a little laugh.
When she had Tario was upon the of his couch, his upon the floor. He was with no longer closed, but wide with a in them.
He did not to note the lèse majesté of her and manner. There was something more and about her speech than that.
Slowly he came to his feet.
“By the of Komal!” he muttered. “But you are real! A woman! No dream! No and of the mind!”
He took a step toward her, with hands outstretched.
“Come!” he whispered. “Come, woman! For have I that some day you would come. And now that you are here I can the of my eyes. Even now, that you are real, I still that you may be a lie.”
Thuvia back. She the man mad. Her hand to the of her dagger. The man saw the move, and stopped. A entered his eyes. Then they at once and as they into the girl’s brain.
Thuvia a over her. What the of it she did not guess; but somehow the man her to assume a new relationship her heart.
No longer was he a and enemy, but an old and friend. Her hand from the dagger’s hilt. Tario came closer. He spoke gentle, words, and she answered him in a voice that hers and yet another’s.
He was her now. His hand was upon her shoulder. His were down-bent toward hers. She looked up into his face. His to through her to some of her.
Her in and wonder at the of her self that was being her consciousness. She had Tario for ever. He was more than friend to her. She moved a little closer to him. In one of light she the truth. She loved Tario, Jeddak of Lothar! She had always loved him.
The man, the success of his strategy, not a of satisfaction. Whether there was something in the of his face, or from Carthoris of Helium in a of the came a more powerful suggestion, who may say? But something there was that the strange, of the man.
As though a had been from her eyes, Thuvia saw Tario as she had him, and, as she was to the of which are common upon Barsoom, she of the truth to know that she was in danger.
Quickly she took a step backward, herself from his grasp. But the had Tario all the long-buried of his existence.
With a he upon her, his arms about her and attempting to her to his.
“Woman!” he cried. “Lovely woman! Tario would make you queen of Lothar. Listen to me! Listen to the love of the last of the of Barsoom.”
Thuvia to free herself from his embrace.
“Stop, creature!” she cried. “Stop! I do not love you. Stop, or I shall for help!”
Tario laughed in her face.
“‘Scream for help,’” he mimicked. “And who the of Lothar is there who might come in answer to your call? Who would enter the presence of Tario, unsummoned?”
“There is one,” she replied, “who would come, and, coming, to cut you upon your own throne, if he that you had offered to Thuvia of Ptarth!”
“Who, Jav?” asked Tario.
“Not Jav, any other soft-skinned Lotharian,” she replied; “but a man, a warrior—Carthoris of Helium!”
Again the man laughed at her.
“You the bowmen,” he her. “What your red against my legions?”
Again he her to him, her his couch.
“If you will not be my queen,” he said, “you shall be my slave.”
“Neither!” the girl.
As she spoke the single word there was a quick move of her right hand; Tario, her, back, hands pressed to his side. At the same the room with bowmen, and then the of Lothar to the marble floor.
At the that he the were about to their into Thuvia’s heart. Involuntarily she gave a single for help, though she that not Carthoris of Helium save her now.
Then she closed her and waited for the end. No her side. She her to see what the hand of her executioners.
The room was empty save for herself and the still of the of Lothar at her feet, a little of the white marble of the him. Tario was unconscious.
Thuvia was amazed. Where were the bowmen? Why had they not their shafts? What it all mean?
An the room had been with men, called to protect their jeddak; yet now, with the of her plain them, they had as as they had come, her alone with the of their ruler, into she had her long, blade.
The girl about, for of the return of the bowmen, and then for some means of escape.
The the was by two small doorways, by hangings. Thuvia was one of these when she the of a warrior’s metal at the end of the her.
Ah, if she had but an more of time she have that and, perchance, have some of it; but now it was too late—she had been discovered!
With a that was to she to meet her fate, and there, her, across the to her side, was Carthoris, his long-sword in his hand.
For days she had the of the Heliumite. She had him a party to her abduction. Since Fate had them together she had him with more than the most to his remarks, unless at such times as the and at Lothar had her out of her reserve.
She that Carthoris of Helium would for her; but to save her for himself or another, she was in doubt.
He that she was promised to Kulan Tith, Jeddak of Kaol, but if he had been in her abduction, his not be by to his friend, or for her honour.
And yet, as she saw him across the marble of the audience of Tario of Lothar, his with for her safety, his all that is in the men of Mars, she not that any of so an exterior.
Never, she thought, in all her life had the of any man been so welcome to her. It was with that she from to meet him.
She that he loved her; but, in time, she that she was promised to Kulan Tith. Not might she trust herself to too great to the Heliumite, he misunderstand.
Carthoris was by her now. His quick had taken in the the room—the still of the upon the floor—the girl toward a exit.
“Did he you, Thuvia?” he asked.
She up her that he might see it.
“No,” she said, “he did not me.”
A Carthoris’ face.
“Praised be our ancestor!” he murmured. “And now let us see if we may not make good our from this city the Lotharians that their is no more.”
With the authority that sat so well upon him in the blood of John Carter of Virginia and Dejah Thoris of Helium, he her hand and, across the hall, toward the great through which Jav had them into the presence of the in the day.
They had almost the when a into the through another entrance. It was Jav. He, too, took in the at a glance.
Carthoris to him, his in his hand, and his great the of the girl.
“Come, Jav of Lothar!” he cried. “Let us the issue at once, for only one of us may this alive with Thuvia of Ptarth.” Then, that the man no sword, he exclaimed: “Bring on your bowmen, then, or come with us as my until we have safely passed the of city.”
“You have killed Tario!” Jav, the other’s challenge. “You have killed Tario! I see his blood upon the floor—real blood—real death. Tario was, after all, as as I. Yet he was an etherealist. He would not his sustenance. Can it be that they are right? Well, we, too, are right. And all these we have been quarrelling—each saying that the other was wrong!
“However, he is now. Of that I am glad. Now shall Jav come into his own. Now shall Jav be Jeddak of Lothar!”
As he finished, Tario opened his and then sat up.
“Traitor! Assassin!” he screamed, and then: “Kadar! Kadar!” which is the Barsoomian for guard.
Jav white. He upon his belly, toward Tario.
“Oh, my Jeddak, my Jeddak!” he whimpered. “Jav had no hand in this. Jav, your Jav, but just this entered the to you upon the and these two about to leave. How it I know not. Believe me, most Jeddak!”
“Cease, knave!” Tario. “I your words: ‘However, he is now. Of that I am glad. Now shall Jav come into his own. Now shall Jav be Jeddak of Lothar.’
“At last, traitor, I have you out. Your own have you as surely as the of these red have sealed their fates—unless—” He paused. “Unless the woman—”
But he got no further. Carthoris what he would have said, and the be he had and the man across the mouth with his open palm.
Tario in and mortification.
“And should you again the Princess of Ptarth,” the Heliumite, “I shall that you wear no sword—not for may I my hand.”
Tario toward the little the dais. He was trying to speak, but so were the of his that he no word for minutes. At last he managed to intelligibly.
“Die!” he shrieked. “Die!” and then he toward the at his back.
Jav forward, in terror.
“Have pity, Tario! Have pity! Remember the long that I have you faithfully. Remember all that I have done for Lothar. Do not me now to the death hideous. Save me! Save me!”
But Tario only laughed a laugh and to toward the that the little doorway.
Jav toward Carthoris.
“Stop him!” he screamed. “Stop him! If you love life, let him not this room,” and as he spoke he in of his jeddak.
Carthoris Jav’s example, but the “last of the of Barsoom” was too quick for them. By the time they the which he had disappeared, they a door their progress.
Jav to the in a of terror.
“Come, man!” Carthoris. “We are not yet. Let us to the and make an attempt to the city. We are still alive, and while we live we may yet to direct our own destinies. Of what avail, to to the floor? Come, be a man!”
Jav but his head.
“Did you not him call the guards?” he moaned. “Ah, if we have but him! Then there might have been hope; but, alas, he was too quick for us.”
“Well, well,” Carthoris impatiently. “What if he did call the guards? There will be time to worry about that after they come—at present I see no that they have any idea of over-exerting themselves to their jeddak’s summons.”
Jav his mournfully.
“You do not understand,” he said. “The have already come—and gone. They have done their work and we are lost. Look to the exits.”
Carthoris and Thuvia their in the direction of the which the of the great chamber. Each was closed by doors.
“Well?” asked Carthoris.
“We are to die the death,” Jav faintly.
Further than that he would not say. He just sat upon the of the jeddak’s and waited.
Carthoris moved to Thuvia’s side, and, there with sword, he let his about the great chamber, that no might upon them unseen.
For what hours no the of their tomb. No gave their of the time or manner of their death. The was terrible. Even Carthoris of Helium to the terrible upon his nerves. If he but know how and the hand of death was to strike, he meet it unafraid, but to longer the of this of the plans of their was telling upon him grievously.
Thuvia of Ptarth close to him. She with the of his arm against hers, and with the of her the man took a new upon himself. With his old-time he toward her.
“It would that they are trying to us to death,” he said, laughing; “and, be upon me that I should it, I think they were close to their designs upon me.”
She was about to make some reply when a from the of the Lotharian.
“The end is coming!” he cried. “The end is coming! The floor! The floor! Oh, Komal, be merciful!”
Thuvia and Carthoris did not need to look at the to be aware of the movement that was taking place.
Slowly the marble was in all toward the centre. At the movement, being gradual, was noticeable; but presently the of the such that one might easily only by one considerably.
Jav was still, and at the that had already to toward the centre of the room, where Thuvia and Carthoris noted a small which in as the more closely a funnel-like contour.
Now it more and more difficult to to the of the and marble.
Carthoris to support Thuvia, but himself to and toward the ever-enlarging aperture.
Better to to the he off his sandals of and with his himself against the tilt, at the same time his arms about the girl.
In her terror her own hands about the man’s neck. Her was close to his. Death, and of unknown form, close upon them, and and more terrifying.
“Courage, my princess,” he whispered.
She looked up into his to see above hers and eyes, by terror, of her own.
Then the and more swiftly. There was a as they were toward the aperture.
Jav’s rose and in their ears, and then the three themselves upon the of Tario, which had the at the of the marble funnel.
For a moment they more freely, but presently they that the was to enlarge. The downward. Jav again. There was a as they all let go them, as they through to an unknown death.
