TURJUN, THE PANTHAN
The of Carthoris of Helium gave no of the that him as he from the of Hal Vas that Helium was at with Dusar, and that had him into the service of the enemy.
That he might this opportunity to the good of Helium to the he that he was not in the open at the of his own troops.
To the Dusarians might prove an easy matter; and then again it might not. Should they his (and the of an was always open to suspicion), he might not an opportunity to their until after the of the war, which might days, or, again, only after long and years of bloodshed.
He that history recorded in which operations had been on without for five or six hundred years, and now there were nations upon Barsoom with which Helium had no peace the history of man.
The was not cheering. He not that a hours he would be the that had him into the service of Dusar.
“Ah!” Hal Vas. “Here is my father now. Kaor! Vas Kor. Here is one you will be to meet—a panthan—” He hesitated.
“Turjun,” Carthoris, upon the that to him.
As he spoke his to the tall who was entering the room. Where had he that figure, that countenance, and the sword-cut from temple to mouth?
“Vas Kor,” Carthoris mentally. “Vas Kor!” Where had he the man before?
And then the spoke, and like a it all came to Carthoris—the upon the landing stage at Ptarth that time that he had been the of his new to Thuvan Dihn; the that had his own that night he had left upon his ill-fated for Ptarth—the that had him so to Aaanthor.
“Vas Kor,” he aloud, “blessed be your for this meeting,” did the Dusarian the of meaning that that phrase with which a Barsoomian an introduction.
“And be yours, Turjun,” Vas Kor.
Now came the of Kar Komak to Vas Kor, and as Carthoris through the little there came to him the only he might make to account for the white skin and of the bowman; for he that the truth might not be and thus be upon them from the beginning.
“Kar Komak,” he explained, “is, as you can see, a thern. He has from his southern temples in search of adventure. I came upon him in the of Aaanthor; but though I have him so a time, I can for his and loyalty.”
Since the of the of their false religion by John Carter, the majority of the had the new order of things, so that it was now no longer to see them with the of red men in any of the great of the world, so Vas Kor neither any great astonishment.
All the Carthoris watched, catlike, for some that Vas Kor in the the Prince of Helium; but the nights, the long days of and fighting, the and the blood had to the last of his to his self; and then Vas Kor had him but twice in all his life. Little wonder that he did not know him.
During the Vas Kor that on the they should north toward Dusar, up recruits at along the way.
In a great the house a lay—a fair-sized cruiser-transport that would many men, yet and well also. Here Carthoris slept, and Kar Komak, too, with the other recruits, under of the regular Dusarian that the craft.
Toward midnight Vas Kor returned to the from his son’s house, repairing at once to his cabin. Carthoris, with one of the Dusarians, was on watch. It was with that the Heliumite a cold as the passed a of him—within a of the long, slim, Heliumitic that in his harness.
How easy it would have been! How easy to the that had been played upon him—to Helium and Ptarth and Thuvia!
But his hand moved not toward the dagger’s hilt, for Vas Kor must a purpose—he might know where Thuvia of Ptarth now, if it had been Dusarians that had her away the Aaanthor.
And then, too, there was the of the entire plot. HE must pay the penalty; and who than Vas Kor lead the Prince of Helium to Astok of Dusar?
Faintly out of the night there came to Carthoris’s ears the of a motor. He the heavens.
Yes, there it was in the north, against the dark of space that it, the of a passing, unlighted, through the Barsoomian night.
Carthoris, not the might be friend or of Dusar, gave no that he had seen, but his in another direction, the to the Dusarian who watch with him.
Presently the the craft, and the low which the of the watch and an officer from their sleeping and upon the near by.
The cruiser-transport without lights, and, as she was upon the ground, must have been to the flier, which all presently as a small craft.
It soon that the making a landing, for she was now slowly above them, and in each curve.
“It is the Thuria,” one of the Dusarian warriors. “I would know her in the of the among ten thousand other craft.”
“Right you are!” Vas Kor, who had come on deck. And then he hailed:
“Kaor, Thuria!”
“Kaor!” came presently from above after a silence. Then: “What ship?”
“Cruiser-transport Kalksus, Vas Kor of Dusar.”
“Good!” came from above. “Is there safe landing alongside?”
“Yes, close in to starboard. Wait, we will our lights,” and a moment later the smaller settled close the Kalksus, and the lights of the were once more.
Several be over the of the Thuria and toward the Kalksus. Ever suspicious, the Dusarians to the visitors as friends or as closer might prove them. Carthoris near the rail, to take with the new-comers should have it that they were Heliumites playing a of strategy upon this Dusarian ship. He had like parties himself, and that such a was possible.
But the of the man to the rail him with a that was not at all unpleasurable—it was the of Astok, Prince of Dusar.
Scarce noticing the others upon the of the Kalksus, Astok to accept Vas Kor’s greeting, then he the below. The and officers returned to their sleeping and furs, and once more the was for the Dusarian and Turjun, the panthan, who guard.
The walked to and fro. The across the rail, for the hour that would him relief. He did not see his approach the lights of the of Vas Kor. He did not see him with ear close pressed to a ventilator.
“May the white take us all,” Astok ruefully, “if we are not in as a as you have seen! Nutus thinks that we have her in away from Dusar. He has me her here.”
He paused. No man should have from his the thing he was trying to tell. It should have been for the of Nutus and Astok, for upon it rested the safety of a throne. With that knowledge any man from the Jeddak of Dusar he listed.
But Astok was afraid, and he wanted from this older man the of an alternative. He on.
“I am to kill her,” he whispered, looking around. “Nutus to see the that he may know his have been executed. I am now to be gone to the spot where we have her that I may her in to Dusar. None is to know that she has been in the of a Dusarian. I do not need to tell you what would Dusar should Ptarth and Helium and Kaol learn the truth.”
The of the at the together with a snap. Before he had but at the identity of the of this conversation. Now he knew. And they were to kill her! His until the into the palms.
“And you wish me to go with you while you her to Dusar,” Vas Kor was saying. “Where is she?”
Astok close and into the other’s ear. The of a the of Vas Kor. He the power that his grasp. He should be a at least.
“And how may I help you, my Prince?” asked the older man suavely.
“I cannot kill her,” said Astok. “Issus! I cannot do it! When she those upon me my water.”
Vas Kor’s narrowed.
“And you wish—” He paused, the unfinished, yet complete.
Astok nodded.
“You do not love her,” he said.
“But I love my life—though I am only a noble,” he meaningly.
“You shall be a noble—a of the rank!” Astok.
“I would be a jed,” said Vas Kor bluntly.
Astok hesitated.
“A must die there can be another jed,” he pleaded.
“Jeds have died before,” Vas Kor. “It would be not difficult for you to a you do not love, Astok—there are many who do not love you.”
Already Vas Kor was to upon his power over the prince. Astok was quick to note and the in his lieutenant. A entered his weak and brain.
“As you say, Vas Kor!” he exclaimed. “You shall be a when the thing is done,” and then, to himself: “Nor will it then be difficult for me to a I do not love.”
“When shall we return to Dusar?” asked the noble.
“At once,” Astok. “Let us under way now—there is to keep you here?”
“I had on the morrow, up such recruits as the Dwars of the Roads might have for me, as we returned to Dusar.”
“Let the recruits wait,” said Astok. “Or, still, come you to Dusar upon the Thuria, the Kalksus to and up the recruits.”
“Yes,” Vas Kor; “that is the plan. Come; I am ready,” and he rose to Astok to the latter’s flier.
The at the came to his slowly, like an old man. His was and and very white the light copper of his skin. She was to die! And he to the tragedy. He did not know where she was imprisoned.
The two men were from the to the deck. Turjun, the panthan, close to the companionway, his upon the of his dagger. Could he them he was overpowered? He smiled. He an entire of her in his present of mind.
They were almost of him now. Astok was speaking.
“Bring a of your men along, Vas Kor,” he said. “We are short-handed upon the Thuria, so did we depart.”
The panthan’s from the dagger’s hilt. His quick mind had here a for Thuvia of Ptarth. He might be as one to the assassins, and once he had learned where the he Astok and Vas Kor as well as now. To kill them he where Thuvia was was to her to death at the hands of others; for sooner or later Nutus would learn her whereabouts, and Nutus, Jeddak of Dusar, not to let her live.
Turjun put himself in the path of Vas Kor that he might not be overlooked. The the men sleeping upon the deck, but always him the he had recruited that same day means for himself to the fore.
Vas Kor to his lieutenant, for the of the Kalksus to Dusar, and the up of the recruits; then he to two who close the padwar.
“You two us to the Thuria,” he said, “and put yourselves at the of her dwar.”
It was dark upon the of the Kalksus, so Vas Kor had not a good look at the of the two he chose; but that was of no moment, for they were but common to with the ordinary upon a flier, and to if need be.
One of the two was Kar Komak, the bowman. The other was not Carthoris.
The Heliumite was with disappointment. He his from his harness; but already Astok had left the of the Kalksus, and he that he overtake him, should he Vas Kor, he would be killed by the Dusarian warriors, who now were thick upon the deck. With either one of the two alive Thuvia was in as great as though lived—it must be both!
As Vas Kor to the ground Carthoris him, did any attempt to him, thinking, doubtless, that he was one of the party.
After him came Kar Komak and the Dusarian who had been to upon the Thuria. Carthoris walked close to the left of the latter. Now they came to the under the of the Thuria. It was very dark there, so that they had to for the ladder.
Kar Komak the Dusarian. The for the rounds, and as he did so closed upon his and a the very centre of his heart.
Turjun, the panthan, was the last to over the rail of the Thuria, the rope in after him.
A moment later the was rapidly, for the north.
At the rail Kar Komak to speak to the who had been to him. His wide as they rested upon the of the man he had met the that Lothar. How had he come in place of the Dusarian?
A quick sign, and Kar Komak once more to the Thuria’s that he might report himself for duty. Behind him the panthan.
Carthoris the that had Vas Kor to choose the of all others, for had it been another Dusarian there would have been questions to answer as to the of the who so in the the of Hal Vas, Dwar of the Southern Road; and Carthoris had no answer to that question other than his point, which alone was to the entire of the Thuria.
The to Dusar to the Carthoris, though as a of it was accomplished. Some time they their they met and spoke with another Dusarian flier. From it they learned that a great was soon to be south-east of Dusar.
The of Dusar, Ptarth and Kaol had been in their toward Helium by the Heliumitic navy—the most upon Barsoom, not alone in numbers and armament, but in the and of its officers and warriors, and the of many of its battleships.
Not for many a day had there been the promise of such a battle. Four were in direct of their own fleets—Kulan Tith of Kaol, Thuvan Dihn of Ptarth, and Nutus of Dusar upon one side; while upon the other was Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium. With the was John Carter, Warlord of Mars.
From the north another was moving south across the cliffs—the new of Talu, Jeddak of Okar, in response to the call from the warlord. Upon the of the ships of black-bearded yellow men looked over toward the south. Gorgeous were they in their of and apt. Fierce, from the of the north.
And from the south, from the sea of Omean and the of gold, from the temples of the and the garden of Issus, other thousands into the north at the call of the great man they all had learned to respect, and, respecting, love. Pacing the of this fleet, second only to the of Helium, was the Xodar, Jeddak of the First Born, his in of the moment when he should his and the weight of his ships upon the of the warlord.
But would these the theatre of in time to be of to Helium? Or, would Helium need them?
Carthoris, with the other members of the of the Thuria, the and the rumours. None of the two fleets, the one from the south and the other from the north, that were to support the ships of Helium, and all of Dusar were that nothing now save the power of Helium from being for from the upper air of Barsoom.
Carthoris, too, son of Helium that he was, that his might not be able to with the of three great powers.
Now the Thuria touched the landing stage above the of Astok. Hurriedly the and Vas Kor and entered the that would them to the of the palace.
Close it was another that was by common warriors. Carthoris touched Kar Komak upon the arm.
“Come!” he whispered. “You are my only friend among a nation of enemies. Will you by me?”
“To the death,” Kar Komak.
The two approached the drop. A it.
“Where are your passes?” he asked.
Carthoris in his pocket as though in search of them, at the same time entering the cage. Kar Komak him, the door. The did not start the downward. Every second counted. They must the level as soon as possible after Astok and Vas Kor if they would know the two went.
Carthoris upon the slave, him to the opposite of the cage.
“Bind and him, Kar Komak!” he cried.
Then he the lever, and as the at speed, the with the slave. Carthoris not the to his companion, for should they touch the level at the speed at which they were going, all would be to death.
Below him he now see the top of Astok’s in the shaft, and he the speed of his to that of the other. The to scream.
“Silence him!” Carthoris.
A moment later a to the of the cage.
“He is silenced,” said Kar Komak.
Carthoris the to a stop at one of the higher of the palace. Opening the door, he the still of the and pushed it out upon the floor. Then he the gate and the drop.
Once more he the top of the that Astok and Vas Kor. An later it had stopped, and as he his car to a halt, he saw the two men through one of the of the beyond.
