"I will respect your wishes, John Carter, because I understand the

motives which prompt them, and I accept your service no more willingly

than I bow to your authority; your word shall be my law. I have twice

wronged you in my thoughts and again I ask your forgiveness."

Further conversation of a personal nature was prevented by the entrance

of Sola, who was much agitated and wholly unlike her usual calm and

possessed self.

"That horrible Sarkoja has been before Tal Hajus," she cried, "and from

what I heard upon the plaza there is little hope for either of you."

"What do they say?" inquired Dejah Thoris.

"That you will be thrown to the wild calots [dogs] in the great arena

as soon as the hordes have assembled for the yearly games."

"Sola," I said, "you are a Thark, but you hate and loathe the customs

of your people as much as we do. Will you not accompany us in one

supreme effort to escape? I am sure that Dejah Thoris can offer you a

home and protection among her people, and your fate can be no worse

among them than it must ever be here."

"Yes," cried Dejah Thoris, "come with us, Sola, you will be better off

among the red men of Helium than you are here, and I can promise you

not only a home with us, but the love and affection your nature craves

and which must always be denied you by the customs of your own race.

Come with us, Sola; we might go without you, but your fate would be

terrible if they thought you had connived to aid us. I know that even

that fear would not tempt you to interfere in our escape, but we want

you with us, we want you to come to a land of sunshine and happiness,

amongst a people who know the meaning of love, of sympathy, and of

gratitude. Say that you will, Sola; tell me that you will."

"The great waterway which leads to Helium is but fifty miles to the

south," murmured Sola, half to herself; "a swift thoat might make it in

three hours; and then to Helium it is five hundred miles, most of the

way through thinly settled districts. They would know and they would

follow us. We might hide among the great trees for a time, but the

chances are small indeed for escape. They would follow us to the very

gates of Helium, and they would take toll of life at every step; you do

not know them."

"Is there no other way we might reach Helium?" I asked. "Can you not

draw me a rough map of the country we must traverse, Dejah Thoris?"

"Yes," she replied, and taking a great diamond from her hair she drew

upon the marble floor the first map of Barsoomian territory I had ever

seen. It was crisscrossed in every direction with long straight lines,

sometimes running parallel and sometimes converging toward some great

circle. The lines, she said, were waterways; the circles, cities; and

one far to the northwest of us she pointed out as Helium. There were

other cities closer, but she said she feared to enter many of them, as

they were not all friendly toward Helium.




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