A Princess of Mars

"And then a light flashed out upon the darkness of the tower chamber,

and there stood Sarkoja, her gleaming, baleful eyes fixed in a frenzy

of loathing and contempt upon my mother. The torrent of hatred and

abuse she poured out upon her turned my young heart cold in terror.

That she had heard the entire story was apparent, and that she had

suspected something wrong from my mother's long nightly absences from

her quarters accounted for her presence there on that fateful night.

"One thing she had not heard, nor did she know, the whispered name of

my father. This was apparent from her repeated demands upon my mother

to disclose the name of her partner in sin, but no amount of abuse or

threats could wring this from her, and to save me from needless torture

she lied, for she told Sarkoja that she alone knew nor would she even

tell her child.

"With final imprecations, Sarkoja hastened away to Tal Hajus to report

her discovery, and while she was gone my mother, wrapping me in the

silks and furs of her night coverings, so that I was scarcely

noticeable, descended to the streets and ran wildly away toward the

outskirts of the city, in the direction which led to the far south, out

toward the man whose protection she might not claim, but on whose face

she wished to look once more before she died.

"As we neared the city's southern extremity a sound came to us from

across the mossy flat, from the direction of the only pass through the

hills which led to the gates, the pass by which caravans from either

north or south or east or west would enter the city. The sounds we

heard were the squealing of thoats and the grumbling of zitidars, with

the occasional clank of arms which announced the approach of a body of

warriors. The thought uppermost in her mind was that it was my father

returned from his expedition, but the cunning of the Thark held her

from headlong and precipitate flight to greet him.

"Retreating into the shadows of a doorway she awaited the coming of the

cavalcade which shortly entered the avenue, breaking its formation and

thronging the thoroughfare from wall to wall. As the head of the

procession passed us the lesser moon swung clear of the overhanging

roofs and lit up the scene with all the brilliancy of her wondrous

light. My mother shrank further back into the friendly shadows, and

from her hiding place saw that the expedition was not that of my

father, but the returning caravan bearing the young Tharks. Instantly

her plan was formed, and as a great chariot swung close to our hiding

place she slipped stealthily in upon the trailing tailboard, crouching

low in the shadow of the high side, straining me to her bosom in a

frenzy of love.