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-CHAPTER XXV THE LOOTING OF ZODANGA
As the great gate where I stood swung open my fifty Tharks, headed by Tars Tarkas
himself, rode in upon their mighty thoats. I led them to the palace walls, which I
negotiated easily without assistance.
Once inside, however, the gate gave me considerable trouble, but I finally was
rewarded by seeing it swing upon its huge hinges, and soon my fierce escort was
riding across the gardens of the jeddak of Zodanga.
As we approached the palace I could see through the great windows of the first
floor into the brilliantly illuminated audience chamber of Than Kosis.
The immense hall was crowded with nobles and their women, as though some important
function was in progress.
There was not a guard in sight without the palace, due, I presume, to the fact that
the city and palace walls were considered impregnable, and so I came close and peered
within.
At one end of the chamber, upon massive golden thrones encrusted with diamonds, sat
Than Kosis and his consort, surrounded by officers and dignitaries of state.
Before them stretched a broad aisle lined on either side with soldiery, and as I
looked there entered this aisle at the far end of the hall, the head of a procession
which advanced to the foot of the throne.
First there marched four officers of the jeddak's Guard bearing a huge salver on
which reposed, upon a cushion of scarlet silk, a great golden chain with a collar
and padlock at each end.
Directly behind these officers came four others carrying a similar salver which
supported the magnificent ornaments of a prince and princess of the reigning house
of Zodanga.
At the foot of the throne these two parties separated and halted, facing each other at
opposite sides of the aisle.
Then came more dignitaries, and the officers of the palace and of the army, and
finally two figures entirely muffled in scarlet silk, so that not a feature of
either was discernible.
These two stopped at the foot of the throne, facing Than Kosis.
When the balance of the procession had entered and assumed their stations Than
Kosis addressed the couple standing before him.
I could not hear his words, but presently two officers advanced and removed the
scarlet robe from one of the figures, and I saw that Kantos Kan had failed in his
mission, for it was Sab Than, Prince of Zodanga, who stood revealed before me.
Than Kosis now took a set of the ornaments from one of the salvers and placed one of
the collars of gold about his son's neck, springing the padlock fast.
After a few more words addressed to Sab Than he turned to the other figure, from
which the officers now removed the enshrouding silks, disclosing to my now
comprehending view Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium.
The object of the ceremony was clear to me; in another moment Dejah Thoris would be
joined forever to the Prince of Zodanga.
It was an impressive and beautiful ceremony, I presume, but to me it seemed
the most fiendish sight I had ever witnessed, and as the ornaments were
adjusted upon her beautiful figure and her
collar of gold swung open in the hands of Than Kosis I raised my long-sword above my
head, and, with the heavy hilt, I shattered the glass of the great window and sprang
into the midst of the astonished assemblage.
With a bound I was on the steps of the platform beside Than Kosis, and as he stood
riveted with surprise I brought my long- sword down upon the golden chain that would
have bound Dejah Thoris to another.
In an instant all was confusion; a thousand drawn swords menaced me from every quarter,
and Sab Than sprang upon me with a jeweled dagger he had drawn from his nuptial
ornaments.
I could have killed him as easily as I might a fly, but the age-old custom of
Barsoom stayed my hand, and grasping his wrist as the dagger flew toward my heart I
held him as though in a vise and with my
long-sword pointed to the far end of the hall.
"Zodanga has fallen," I cried. "Look!"
All eyes turned in the direction I had indicated, and there, forging through the
portals of the entranceway rode Tars Tarkas and his fifty warriors on their great
thoats.
A cry of alarm and amazement broke from the assemblage, but no word of fear, and in a
moment the soldiers and nobles of Zodanga were hurling themselves upon the advancing
Tharks.
Thrusting Sab Than headlong from the platform, I drew Dejah Thoris to my side.
Behind the throne was a narrow doorway and in this Than Kosis now stood facing me,
with drawn long-sword.
In an instant we were engaged, and I found no mean antagonist.
As we circled upon the broad platform I saw Sab Than rushing up the steps to aid his
father, but, as he raised his hand to strike, Dejah Thoris sprang before him and
then my sword found the spot that made Sab Than jeddak of Zodanga.
As his father rolled dead upon the floor the new jeddak tore himself free from Dejah
Thoris' grasp, and again we faced each other.
He was soon joined by a quartet of officers, and, with my back against a
golden throne, I fought once again for Dejah Thoris.
I was hard pressed to defend myself and yet not strike down Sab Than and, with him, my
last chance to win the woman I loved.
My blade was swinging with the rapidity of lightning as I sought to parry the thrusts
and cuts of my opponents.
Two I had disarmed, and one was down, when several more rushed to the aid of their new
ruler, and to avenge the death of the old. As they advanced there were cries of "The
woman!
The woman! Strike her down; it is her plot.
Kill her! Kill her!"
Calling to Dejah Thoris to get behind me I worked my way toward the little doorway
back of the throne, but the officers realized my intentions, and three of them
sprang in behind me and blocked my chances
for gaining a position where I could have defended Dejah Thoris against any army of
swordsmen.
The Tharks were having their hands full in the center of the room, and I began to
realize that nothing short of a miracle could save Dejah Thoris and myself, when I
saw Tars Tarkas surging through the crowd of pygmies that swarmed about him.
With one swing of his mighty longsword he laid a dozen corpses at his feet, and so he
hewed a pathway before him until in another moment he stood upon the platform beside
me, dealing death and destruction right and left.
The bravery of the Zodangans was awe- inspiring, not one attempted to escape, and
when the fighting ceased it was because only Tharks remained alive in the great
hall, other than Dejah Thoris and myself.
Sab Than lay dead beside his father, and the corpses of the flower of Zodangan
nobility and chivalry covered the floor of the bloody shambles.
My first thought when the battle was over was for Kantos Kan, and leaving Dejah
Thoris in charge of Tars Tarkas I took a dozen warriors and hastened to the dungeons
beneath the palace.
The jailers had all left to join the fighters in the throne room, so we searched
the labyrinthine prison without opposition.
I called Kantos Kan's name aloud in each new corridor and compartment, and finally I
was rewarded by hearing a faint response. Guided by the sound, we soon found him
helpless in a dark recess.
He was overjoyed at seeing me, and to know the meaning of the fight, faint echoes of
which had reached his prison cell.
He told me that the air patrol had captured him before he reached the high tower of the
palace, so that he had not even seen Sab Than.
We discovered that it would be futile to attempt to cut away the bars and chains
which held him prisoner, so, at his suggestion I returned to search the bodies
on the floor above for keys to open the padlocks of his cell and of his chains.
Fortunately among the first I examined I found his jailer, and soon we had Kantos
Kan with us in the throne room.
The sounds of heavy firing, mingled with shouts and cries, came to us from the
city's streets, and Tars Tarkas hastened away to direct the fighting without.
Kantos Kan accompanied him to act as guide, the green warriors commencing a thorough
search of the palace for other Zodangans and for loot, and Dejah Thoris and I were
left alone.
She had sunk into one of the golden thrones, and as I turned to her she greeted
me with a wan smile. "Was there ever such a man!" she exclaimed.
"I know that Barsoom has never before seen your like.
Can it be that all Earth men are as you?
Alone, a stranger, hunted, threatened, persecuted, you have done in a few short
months what in all the past ages of Barsoom no man has ever done: joined together the
wild hordes of the sea bottoms and brought
them to fight as allies of a red Martian people."
"The answer is easy, Dejah Thoris," I replied smiling.
"It was not I who did it, it was love, love for Dejah Thoris, a power that would work
greater miracles than this you have seen." A pretty flush overspread her face and she
answered,
"You may say that now, John Carter, and I may listen, for I am free."
"And more still I have to say, ere it is again too late," I returned.
"I have done many strange things in my life, many things that wiser men would not
have dared, but never in my wildest fancies have I dreamed of winning a Dejah Thoris
for myself--for never had I dreamed that in
all the universe dwelt such a woman as the Princess of Helium.
That you are a princess does not abash me, but that you are you is enough to make me
doubt my sanity as I ask you, my princess, to be mine."
"He does not need to be abashed who so well knew the answer to his plea before the plea
were made," she replied, rising and placing her dear hands upon my shoulders, and so I
took her in my arms and kissed her.
And thus in the midst of a city of wild conflict, filled with the alarms of war;
with death and destruction reaping their terrible harvest around her, did Dejah
Thoris, Princess of Helium, true daughter
of Mars, the God of War, promise herself in marriage to John Carter, Gentleman of
Virginia.
CHAPTER XXVI THROUGH CARNAGE TO JOY
Sometime later Tars Tarkas and Kantos Kan returned to report that Zodanga had been
completely reduced.
Her forces were entirely destroyed or captured, and no further resistance was to
be expected from within.
Several battleships had escaped, but there were thousands of war and merchant vessels
under guard of Thark warriors.
The lesser hordes had commenced looting and quarreling among themselves, so it was
decided that we collect what warriors we could, man as many vessels as possible with
Zodangan prisoners and make for Helium without further loss of time.
Five hours later we sailed from the roofs of the dock buildings with a fleet of two
hundred and fifty battleships, carrying nearly one hundred thousand green warriors,
followed by a fleet of transports with our thoats.
Behind us we left the stricken city in the fierce and brutal clutches of some forty
thousand green warriors of the lesser hordes.
They were looting, murdering, and fighting amongst themselves.
In a hundred places they had applied the torch, and columns of dense smoke were
rising above the city as though to blot out from the eye of heaven the horrid sights
beneath.
In the middle of the afternoon we sighted the scarlet and yellow towers of Helium,
and a short time later a great fleet of Zodangan battleships rose from the camps of
the besiegers without the city, and advanced to meet us.
The banners of Helium had been strung from stem to stern of each of our mighty craft,
but the Zodangans did not need this sign to realize that we were enemies, for our green
Martian warriors had opened fire upon them almost as they left the ground.
With their uncanny marksmanship they raked the on-coming fleet with volley after
volley.
The twin cities of Helium, perceiving that we were friends, sent out hundreds of
vessels to aid us, and then began the first real air battle I had ever witnessed.
The vessels carrying our green warriors were kept circling above the contending
fleets of Helium and Zodanga, since their batteries were useless in the hands of the
Tharks who, having no navy, have no skill in naval gunnery.
Their small-arm fire, however, was most effective, and the final outcome of the
engagement was strongly influenced, if not wholly determined, by their presence.
At first the two forces circled at the same altitude, pouring broadside after broadside
into each other.
Presently a great hole was torn in the hull of one of the immense battle craft from the
Zodangan camp; with a lurch she turned completely over, the little figures of her
crew plunging, turning and twisting toward
the ground a thousand feet below; then with sickening velocity she tore after them,
almost completely burying herself in the soft loam of the ancient sea bottom.
A wild cry of exultation arose from the Heliumite squadron, and with redoubled
ferocity they fell upon the Zodangan fleet.
By a pretty maneuver two of the vessels of Helium gained a position above their
adversaries, from which they poured upon them from their keel bomb batteries a
perfect torrent of exploding bombs.
Then, one by one, the battleships of Helium succeeded in rising above the Zodangans,
and in a short time a number of the beleaguering battleships were drifting
hopeless wrecks toward the high scarlet tower of greater Helium.
Several others attempted to escape, but they were soon surrounded by thousands of
tiny individual fliers, and above each hung a monster battleship of Helium ready to
drop boarding parties upon their decks.
Within but little more than an hour from the moment the victorious Zodangan squadron
had risen to meet us from the camp of the besiegers the battle was over, and the
remaining vessels of the conquered
Zodangans were headed toward the cities of Helium under prize crews.
There was an extremely pathetic side to the surrender of these mighty fliers, the
result of an age-old custom which demanded that surrender should be signalized by the
voluntary plunging to earth of the commander of the vanquished vessel.
One after another the brave fellows, holding their colors high above their
heads, leaped from the towering bows of their mighty craft to an awful death.
Not until the commander of the entire fleet took the fearful plunge, thus indicating
the surrender of the remaining vessels, did the fighting cease, and the useless
sacrifice of brave men come to an end.
We now signaled the flagship of Helium's navy to approach, and when she was within
hailing distance I called out that we had the Princess Dejah Thoris on board, and
that we wished to transfer her to the
flagship that she might be taken immediately to the city.
As the full import of my announcement bore in upon them a great cry arose from the
decks of the flagship, and a moment later the colors of the Princess of Helium broke
from a hundred points upon her upper works.
When the other vessels of the squadron caught the meaning of the signals flashed
them they took up the wild acclaim and unfurled her colors in the gleaming
sunlight.
The flagship bore down upon us, and as she swung gracefully to and touched our side a
dozen officers sprang upon our decks.
As their astonished gaze fell upon the hundreds of green warriors, who now came
forth from the fighting shelters, they stopped aghast, but at sight of Kantos Kan,
who advanced to meet them, they came forward, crowding about him.
Dejah Thoris and I then advanced, and they had no eyes for other than her.
She received them gracefully, calling each by name, for they were men high in the
esteem and service of her grandfather, and she knew them well.
"Lay your hands upon the shoulder of John Carter," she said to them, turning toward
me, "the man to whom Helium owes her princess as well as her victory today."
They were very courteous to me and said many kind and complimentary things, but
what seemed to impress them most was that I had won the aid of the fierce Tharks in my
campaign for the liberation of Dejah Thoris, and the relief of Helium.
"You owe your thanks more to another man than to me," I said, "and here he is; meet
one of Barsoom's greatest soldiers and statesmen, Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of Thark."
With the same polished courtesy that had marked their manner toward me they extended
their greetings to the great Thark, nor, to my surprise, was he much behind them in
ease of bearing or in courtly speech.
Though not a garrulous race, the Tharks are extremely formal, and their ways lend
themselves amazingly well to dignified and courtly manners.
Dejah Thoris went aboard the flagship, and was much put out that I would not follow,
but, as I explained to her, the battle was but partly won; we still had the land
forces of the besieging Zodangans to
account for, and I would not leave Tars Tarkas until that had been accomplished.
The commander of the naval forces of Helium promised to arrange to have the armies of
Helium attack from the city in conjunction with our land attack, and so the vessels
separated and Dejah Thoris was borne in
triumph back to the court of her grandfather, Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium.
In the distance lay our fleet of transports, with the thoats of the green
warriors, where they had remained during the battle.
Without landing stages it was to be a difficult matter to unload these beasts
upon the open plain, but there was nothing else for it, and so we put out for a point
about ten miles from the city and began the task.
It was necessary to lower the animals to the ground in slings and this work occupied
the remainder of the day and half the night.
Twice we were attacked by parties of Zodangan cavalry, but with little loss,
however, and after darkness shut down they withdrew.
As soon as the last thoat was unloaded Tars Tarkas gave the command to advance, and in
three parties we crept upon the Zodangan camp from the north, the south and the
east.
About a mile from the main camp we encountered their outposts and, as had been
prearranged, accepted this as the signal to charge.
With wild, ferocious cries and amidst the nasty squealing of battle-enraged thoats we
bore down upon the Zodangans. We did not catch them napping, but found a
well-entrenched battle line confronting us.
Time after time we were repulsed until, toward noon, I began to fear for the result
of the battle.
The Zodangans numbered nearly a million fighting men, gathered from pole to pole,
wherever stretched their ribbon-like waterways, while pitted against them were
less than a hundred thousand green warriors.
The forces from Helium had not arrived, nor could we receive any word from them.
Just at noon we heard heavy firing all along the line between the Zodangans and
the cities, and we knew then that our much- needed reinforcements had come.
Again Tars Tarkas ordered the charge, and once more the mighty thoats bore their
terrible riders against the ramparts of the enemy.
At the same moment the battle line of Helium surged over the opposite breastworks
of the Zodangans and in another moment they were being crushed as between two
millstones.
Nobly they fought, but in vain.
The plain before the city became a veritable shambles ere the last Zodangan
surrendered, but finally the carnage ceased, the prisoners were marched back to
Helium, and we entered the greater city's
gates, a huge triumphal procession of conquering heroes.
The broad avenues were lined with women and children, among which were the few men
whose duties necessitated that they remain within the city during the battle.
We were greeted with an endless round of applause and showered with ornaments of
gold, platinum, silver, and precious jewels.
The city had gone mad with joy.
My fierce Tharks caused the wildest excitement and enthusiasm.
Never before had an armed body of green warriors entered the gates of Helium, and
that they came now as friends and allies filled the red men with rejoicing.
That my poor services to Dejah Thoris had become known to the Heliumites was
evidenced by the loud crying of my name, and by the loads of ornaments that were
fastened upon me and my huge thoat as we
passed up the avenues to the palace, for even in the face of the ferocious
appearance of Woola the populace pressed close about me.
As we approached this magnificent pile we were met by a party of officers who greeted
us warmly and requested that Tars Tarkas and his jeds with the jeddaks and jeds of
his wild allies, together with myself,
dismount and accompany them to receive from Tardos Mors an expression of his gratitude
for our services.
At the top of the great steps leading up to the main portals of the palace stood the
royal party, and as we reached the lower steps one of their number descended to meet
us.
He was an almost perfect specimen of manhood; tall, straight as an arrow,
superbly muscled and with the carriage and bearing of a ruler of men.
I did not need to be told that he was Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium.
The first member of our party he met was Tars Tarkas and his first words sealed
forever the new friendship between the races.
"That Tardos Mors," he said, earnestly, "may meet the greatest living warrior of
Barsoom is a priceless honor, but that he may lay his hand on the shoulder of a
friend and ally is a far greater boon."
"Jeddak of Helium," returned Tars Tarkas, "it has remained for a man of another world
to teach the green warriors of Barsoom the meaning of friendship; to him we owe the
fact that the hordes of Thark can
understand you; that they can appreciate and reciprocate the sentiments so
graciously expressed."
Tardos Mors then greeted each of the green jeddaks and jeds, and to each spoke words
of friendship and appreciation. As he approached me he laid both hands upon
my shoulders.
"Welcome, my son," he said; "that you are granted, gladly, and without one word of
opposition, the most precious jewel in all Helium, yes, on all Barsoom, is sufficient
earnest of my esteem."
We were then presented to Mors Kajak, Jed of lesser Helium, and father of Dejah
Thoris.
He had followed close behind Tardos Mors and seemed even more affected by the
meeting than had his father.
He tried a dozen times to express his gratitude to me, but his voice choked with
emotion and he could not speak, and yet he had, as I was to later learn, a reputation
for ferocity and fearlessness as a fighter
that was remarkable even upon warlike Barsoom.
In common with all Helium he worshiped his daughter, nor could he think of what she
had escaped without deep emotion.