A Princess of Mars

Presently Tal Hajus made a sign that the chamber be cleared, and that

the prisoners be left alone before him. Slowly the chieftains, the

warriors and the women melted away into the shadows of the surrounding

chambers, and Dejah Thoris and Sola stood alone before the jeddak of

the Tharks.

One chieftain alone had hesitated before departing; I saw him standing

in the shadows of a mighty column, his fingers nervously toying with

the hilt of his great-sword and his cruel eyes bent in implacable

hatred upon Tal Hajus. It was Tars Tarkas, and I could read his

thoughts as they were an open book for the undisguised loathing upon

his face. He was thinking of that other woman who, forty years ago,

had stood before this beast, and could I have spoken a word into his

ear at that moment the reign of Tal Hajus would have been over; but

finally he also strode from the room, not knowing that he left his own

daughter at the mercy of the creature he most loathed.

Tal Hajus arose, and I, half fearing, half anticipating his intentions,

hurried to the winding runway which led to the floors below. No one

was near to intercept me, and I reached the main floor of the chamber

unobserved, taking my station in the shadow of the same column that

Tars Tarkas had but just deserted. As I reached the floor Tal Hajus

was speaking.

"Princess of Helium, I might wring a mighty ransom from your people

would I but return you to them unharmed, but a thousand times rather

would I watch that beautiful face writhe in the agony of torture; it

shall be long drawn out, that I promise you; ten days of pleasure were

all too short to show the love I harbor for your race. The terrors of

your death shall haunt the slumbers of the red men through all the ages

to come; they will shudder in the shadows of the night as their fathers

tell them of the awful vengeance of the green men; of the power and

might and hate and cruelty of Tal Hajus. But before the torture you

shall be mine for one short hour, and word of that too shall go forth

to Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium, your grandfather, that he may grovel

upon the ground in the agony of his sorrow. Tomorrow the torture will

commence; tonight thou art Tal Hajus'; come!"

He sprang down from the platform and grasped her roughly by the arm,

but scarcely had he touched her than I leaped between them. My

short-sword, sharp and gleaming was in my right hand; I could have

plunged it into his putrid heart before he realized that I was upon

him; but as I raised my arm to strike I thought of Tars Tarkas, and,

with all my rage, with all my hatred, I could not rob him of that sweet

moment for which he had lived and hoped all these long, weary years,

and so, instead, I swung my good right fist full upon the point of his

jaw. Without a sound he slipped to the floor as one dead.