Edgar Burroughs: The Chessmen of Mars

«What is it?» they demanded, one of the other.

«A great storm has broken over Manator,» said one.

«Mind not the storm until you have slain the creature who dares stand upon the throne of your jeddak,» demanded O-Tar. «Seize him!»

Even as he ceased speaking the arras behind the throne parted and a warrior stepped forth upon the dais. An exclamation of surprise and dismay broke from the lips of the warriors of O-Tar. «U-Thor!» they cried. «What treason is this?»

«It is no treason,» said U-Thor in his deep voice. «I bring you a new jeddak for all of Manator. No lying poltroon, but a courageous man whom you all love.»

He stepped aside then and another emerged from the corridor hidden by the arras. It was A-Kor, and at sight of him there rose exclamations of surprise, of pleasure, and of anger, as the various factions recognized the coup d'etat that had been arranged so cunningly. Behind A-Kor came other warriors until the dais was crowded with them-all men of Manator from the city of Manatos.

O-Tar was exhorting his warriors to attack, when a bloody and disheveled padwar burst into the chamber through a side entrance. «The city has fallen!» he cried aloud. «The hordes of Manatos pour through The Gate of Enemies. The slaves from Gathol have arisen and destroyed the palace guards. Great ships are landing warriors upon the palace roof and in the Fields of Jetan. The men of Helium and Gathol are marching through Manator. They cry aloud for the Princess of Helium and swear to leave Manator a blazing funeral pyre consuming the bodies of all our people. The skies are black with ships. They come in great processions from the east and from the south.»

And then once more the doors from The Hall of Chiefs swung wide and the men of Manator turned to see another figure standing upon the threshold-a mighty figure of a man with white skin, and black hair, and gray eyes that glittered now like points of steel and behind him The Hall of Chiefs was filled with fighting men wearing the harness of far countries. Tara of Helium saw him and her heart leaped in exultation, for it was John Carter, Warlord of Barsoom, come at the head of a victorious host to the rescue of his daughter, and at his side was Djor Kantos to whom she had been betrothed.

The Warlord eyed the assemblage for a moment before he spoke. «Lay down your arms, men of Manator,» he said. «I see my daughter and that she lives, and if no harm has befallen her no blood need be shed. Your city is filled with the fighting men of U-Thor, and those from Gathol and from Helium. The palace is in the hands of the slaves from Gathol, beside a thousand of my own warriors who fill the halls and chambers surrounding this room. The fate of your jeddak lies in your own hands. I have no wish to interfere. I come only for my daughter and to free the slaves from Gathol. I have spoken!» and without waiting for a reply and as though the room had been filled with his own people rather than a hostile band he strode up the broad main aisle toward Tara of Helium.

The chiefs of Manator were stunned. They looked to O-Tar; but he could only gaze helplessly about him as the enemy entered from The Hall of Chiefs and circled the throne room until they had surrounded the entire company. And then a dwar of the army of Helium entered.

«We have captured three chiefs,» he reported to The Warlord, «who beg that they be permitted to enter the throne room and report to their fellows some matter which they say will decide the fate of Manator.»

«Fetch them,» ordered The Warlord.

They came, heavily guarded, to the foot of the steps leading to the throne and there they stopped and the leader turned toward the others of Manator and raising high his right hand displayed a jeweled dagger. «We found it,» he said, «even where I-Gos said that we would find it,» and he looked menacingly upon O-Tar.

«A-Kor, jeddak of Manator!» cried a voice, and the cry was taken up by a hundred hoarse-throated warriors.

«There can be but one jeddak in Manator,» said the chief who held the dagger; his eyes still fixed upon the hapless O-Tar he crossed to where the latter stood and holding the dagger upon an outstretched palm proffered it to the discredited ruler. «There can be but one jeddak in Manator,» he repeated meaningly.

O-Tar took the proffered blade and drawing himself to his full height plunged it to the guard into his breast, in that single act redeeming himself in the esteem of his people and winning an eternal place in The Hall of Chiefs.

As he fell all was silence in the great room, to be broken presently by the voice of U-Thor. «O-Tar is dead!» he cried. «Let A-Kor rule until the chiefs of all Manator may be summoned to choose a new jeddak. What is your answer?»

«Let A-Kor rule! A-Kor, Jeddak of Manator!» The cries filled the room and there was no dissenting voice.

A-Kor raised his sword for silence. «It is the will of A-Kor,» he said, «and that of the Great Jed of Manatos, and the commander of the fleet from Gathol, and of the illustrious John Carter, Warlord of Barsoom, that peace lie upon the city of Manator and so I decree that the men of Manator go forth and welcome the fighting men of these our allies as guests and friends and show them the wonders of our ancient city and the hospitality of Manator. I have spoken.» And U-Thor and John Carter dismissed their warriors and bade them accept the hospitality of Manator. As the room emptied Djor Kantos reached the side of Tara of Helium. The girl's happiness at rescue had been blighted by sight of this man whom her virtuous heart told her she had wronged. She dreaded the ordeal that lay before her and the dishonor that she must admit before she could hope to be freed from the understanding that had for long existed between them. And now Djor Kantos approached and kneeling raised her fingers to his lips.

«Beautiful daughter of Helium,» he said, «how may I tell you the thing that I must tell you-of the dishonor that I have all unwittingly done you? I can but throw myself upon your generosity for forgiveness; but if you demand it I can receive the dagger as honorably as did O-Tar.»

«What do you mean?» asked Tara of Helium. «What are you talking about-why speak thus in riddles to one whose heart is already breaking?»

Her heart already breaking! The outlook was anything but promising, and the young padwar wished that he had died before ever he had had to speak the words he now must speak.

«Tara of Helium,» he continued, «we all thought you dead. For a long year have you been gone from Helium. I mourned you truly and then, less than a moon since, I wed with Olvia Marthis.» He stopped and looked at her with eyes that might have said: «Now, strike me dead!»

«Oh, foolish man!» cried Tara. «Nothing you could have done could have pleased me more. Djor Kantos, I could kiss you!»

«I do not think that Olvia Marthis would mind,» he said, his face now wreathed with smiles. As they spoke a body of men had entered the throne room and approached the dais. They were tall men trapped in plain harness, absolutely without ornamentation. Just as their leader reached the dais Tara had turned to Gahan, motioning him to join them.

«Djor Kantos,» she said, «I bring you Turan the panthan, whose loyalty and bravery have won my love.»

John Carter and the leader of the new come warriors, who were standing near, looked quickly at the little group. The former smiled an inscrutable smile, the latter addressed the Princess of Helium. «'Turan the panthan!'» he cried. «Know you not, fair daughter of Helium, that this man you call panthan is Gahan, Jed of Gathol?»

For just a moment Tara of Helium looked her surprise; and then she shrugged her beautiful shoulders as she turned her head to cast her eyes over one of them at Gahan of Gathol.