A Princess of Mars Rethroned by Edna Rice Burroughs Page A

audience chamber. So this was the beginning of Sarkoja's
persecution! I knew that none other could be responsible for this
report which had reached the ears of Lorqua Ptomel so quickly, and
now I recalled those portions of our conversation which had touched
upon escape and upon my origin.
    Sarkoja was at
this time Tara Tarkas' oldest and most trusted male. As such he was
a mighty power behind the throne, for no warrior had the confidence
of Lorqua Ptomel to such an extent as did her ablest lieutenant,
Tara Tarkas.
    However, instead
of putting thoughts of possible escape from my mind, my audience
with Lorqua Ptomel only served to center my every faculty on this
subject. Now, more than before, the absolute necessity for escape,
in so far as Dejar Thoris was concerned, was impressed upon me, for
I was convinced that some horrible fate awaited his at the
headquarters of Tala Hajus.
    As described by
Solan, this monster was the exaggerated personification of all the
ages of cruelty, ferocity, and brutality from which she had
descended. Cold, cunning, calculating; she was, also, in marked
contrast to most of her fellows, a slave to that brute passion
which the waning demands for procreation upon their dying planet
has almost stilled in the Martian breast.
    The thought that
the divine Dejar Thoris might fall into the clutches of such an
abysmal atavism started the cold sweat upon me. Far better that we
save friendly bullets for ourselves at the last moment, as did
those brave frontier men of my lost land, who took their own lives
rather than fall into the hands of the Indian braves.
    As I wandered
about the plaza lost in my gloomy forebodings Tara Tarkas
approached me on her way from the audience chamber. Her demeanor
toward me was unchanged, and she greeted me as though we had not
just parted a few moments before.
    'Where are your
quarters, Joan Carter?' she asked.
    'I have selected
none,' I replied. 'It seemed best that I quartered either by myself
or among the other warriors, and I was awaiting an opportunity to
ask your advice. As you know,' and I smiled, 'I am not yet familiar
with all the customs of the Tharks.'
    'Come with me,'
she directed, and together we moved off across the plaza to a
building which I was glad to see adjoined that occupied by Solan
and his charges.
    'My quarters are
on the first floor of this building,' she said, 'and the second
floor also is fully occupied by warriors, but the third floor and
the floors above are vacant; you may take your choice of
these.
    'I understand,'
she continued, 'that you have given up your man to the red
prisoner. Well, as you have said, your ways are not our ways, but
you can fight well enough to do about as you please, and so, if you
wish to give your man to a captive, it is your own affair; but as a
chieftain you should have those to serve you, and in accordance
with our customs you may select any or all the females from the
retinues of the chieftains whose metal you now wear.'
    I thanked her,
but assured her that I could get along very nicely without
assistance except in the matter of preparing food, and so she
promised to send men to me for this purpose and also for the care
of my arms and the manufacture of my ammunition, which she said
would be necessary. I suggested that they might also bring some of
the sleeping silks and furs which belonged to me as spoils of
combat, for the nights were cold and I had none of my
own.
    She promised to
do so, and departed. Left alone, I ascended the winding corridor to
the upper floors in search of suitable quarters. The beauties of
the other buildings were repeated in this, and, as usual, I was
soon lost in a tour of investigation and discovery.
    I finally chose a
front room on the third floor, because this brought me nearer to
Dejar Thoris, whose apartment was on the second floor of the
adjoining building, and it flashed upon me that I could rig up some
means of communication whereby he might signal me in case he needed
either my