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13 - Thuvia, Maid of Mars (version 3) by Edgar Rice Burroughs · Thuvia, Maid of Mars (version 3)

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Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen of Thuvia Made of Mars by Edgar Riceborough's
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Thuvia Made
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Speaker 1: of Mars, Chapter thirteen, ter June. The Panthon, the face
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Speaker 1: of Carthoris of Helium, gave no token of the emotions
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Speaker 1: that convulsed him inwardly, as he heard from the lips
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Speaker 1: of hal Vas that Helium was at war with Dusar,
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Speaker 1: and that fate had thrown him into the service of
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Speaker 1: the enemy. That he might utilize this opportunity to the
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Speaker 1: good of Helium scarce suffice to outweigh the chagrin he
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Speaker 1: felt that he was not fighting in the open at
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Speaker 1: the head of his own loyal troops. To escape the
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Speaker 1: Dusarians might prove an easy matter, and then again it
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Speaker 1: might not, should they suspect his loyalty, and the loyalty
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Speaker 1: of an impressed Panthon was always open to suspicion. He
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Speaker 1: might not find an opportunity to elude their vigilance until
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Speaker 1: after the termination of the war, which might occur within days,
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Speaker 1: or again only after long and weary years of bloodshed.
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Speaker 1: He recalled that history recorded wars in which actual military
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Speaker 1: operations had been carried on without cessation for five or
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Speaker 1: six hundred years, and even now there were nations upon
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Speaker 1: Barsoom with which Helium had made no peace within the
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Speaker 1: history of man. The outlook was not cheering. He could
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Speaker 1: not guess that within a few hours he would be
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Speaker 1: blessing the fate that had thrown him into the service
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Speaker 1: of dusar Ah exclaimed, halvas here is my father. Now, Korvascor,
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Speaker 1: here is one you'll be glad to meet. A doughty
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Speaker 1: panthan he hesitated. Ur June interjected Carthoris, seizing upon the
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Speaker 1: first appellation that occurred to him as he spoke, his
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Speaker 1: eyes crossed quickly to the tall warrior who was entering
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Speaker 1: the room. Where before had he seen that giant figure,
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Speaker 1: that taciturn countenance and the livid sword cut from temple
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Speaker 1: to mouth? Vas Kor, repeated Carthoris, mentally, vas Kor, where
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Speaker 1: had he seen the man before? And then the noble spoke,
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Speaker 1: and like a flash, it all came back to Carthoris,
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Speaker 1: the forward servant upon the landing stage at Ptarth, that
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Speaker 1: time that he had been explaining the intricacies of his
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Speaker 1: new compass to thuvan Din, the lone slave that had
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Speaker 1: guarded his own hangar that night he had left upon
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Speaker 1: his ill fated journey for Tarth, the journey that had
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Speaker 1: brought him so mysteriously to far on Thor vas Kor.
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Speaker 1: He repeated aloud, blessed be your ancestors for this meeting.
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Speaker 1: Nor did the Dusarian guess the wealth of meaning that
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Speaker 1: lay beneath that hackneyed phrase with which a Barsoomian acknowledges
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Speaker 1: an introduction, And blessed be yours. Turjune replied, Vaskor. Now
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Speaker 1: came the introduction of kar Komak to vas Kor, And
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Speaker 1: as Carthoris went through the little ceremony, there came to
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Speaker 1: him the only explanation he might make to account for
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Speaker 1: the white skin and auburn hair of the bowmen, For
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Speaker 1: he feared that the truth might not be believed, and
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Speaker 1: thus suspicion be cast upon them both from the beginning.
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Speaker 1: Kar Komak, he explained, is, as you can see a thurn,
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Speaker 1: he has wandered far from his ice bound southern temples
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Speaker 1: in search of adventure. I came upon him in the
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Speaker 1: pits of Nhor. But though I have known him so
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Speaker 1: short a time, I can vouch for his bravery and loyalty.
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Speaker 1: Since the destruction of the fabric of their false religion
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Speaker 1: by John Carter, the majority of the Thurns had gladly
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Speaker 1: accepted the new order of things, so that it was
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Speaker 1: now no longer uncommon to see them mingling with the
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Speaker 1: multitudes of red men in any of the great cities
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Speaker 1: of the so vas Kor neither felt nor expressed any
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Speaker 1: great astonishment. All during the interview, Carthoris watched catlike for
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Speaker 1: some indication that vas Korp recognized in the battered panthon
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Speaker 1: the erstwhile gorgeous prince of Helium. But the sleepless nights,
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Speaker 1: the long days of marching and fighting, the wounds and
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Speaker 1: the dried blood had evidently sufficed to obliterate the last
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Speaker 1: remnant of his likeness to his former self. And then
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Speaker 1: vas Kor had seen him but twice in all his life,
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Speaker 1: Little wondered that he did not know him. During the evening,
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Speaker 1: vas Kor announced that on the morrow they should depart
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Speaker 1: north toward Dusar, picking up recruits at various stations along
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Speaker 1: the way. In a great field behind the house, a
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Speaker 1: flier lay a fair sized cruiser transport that would accommodate
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Speaker 1: many men, yet swift and well armed. Also here Carthoris
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Speaker 1: slept and kar Komak too, with the other recruits, under
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Speaker 1: guard of the regular Dusarian warriors that manned the craft.
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Speaker 1: Toward midnight, vas Kor returned to the vessel from his
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Speaker 1: son's house, repairing at once to his cabin. Carthoris, with
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Speaker 1: one of the Dusarians, was on watch. It was with
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Speaker 1: difficulty that the Heliumite repressed a cold smile as the
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Speaker 1: noble passed within a foot of him, within a foot
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Speaker 1: of the long, slim Heliumitic blade that swung in his harness.
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Speaker 1: How easy it would have been, how easy to avenge
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Speaker 1: the cowardly trick that had been played upon him, to
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Speaker 1: avenge Helium and Ptarth and Thuvia. But his hand moved
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Speaker 1: not toward the dagger's hilt. For first, vas Kor must
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Speaker 1: serve a better purpose. He might know where Thuvia of
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Speaker 1: Ptarth lay hidden now, if it had truly been Dusarians
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Speaker 1: that had spirited her away during the fight before Enthor.
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Speaker 1: And then too, there was the instigator of the entire
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Speaker 1: foul plot. He must pay the penalty. And who better
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Speaker 1: than vast Core could lead the Prince of Helium to
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Speaker 1: Astok of Dusar. Faintly out of the night, there came
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Speaker 1: to Carthoris's ears the purring of a distant motor. He
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Speaker 1: scanned the heavens. Yes, there it was, far in the north,
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Speaker 1: dimly outlined against the dark void of space that stretched
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Speaker 1: illimitably beyond it, the faint suggestion of a flier passing
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Speaker 1: unlighted through the Barsoomian night. Carthoris, knowing not whether the
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Speaker 1: craft might be friend or foe of Dusar, gave no
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Speaker 1: sign that he had seen, but turned his eyes in
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Speaker 1: another direction, leaving the matter to the Dusarian who stood
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Speaker 1: watch with him. Presently, the fellow discovered the oncoming craft
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Speaker 1: and sounded the low alarm, which brought the balance of
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Speaker 1: the watch and an officer from their sleeping silks and
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Speaker 1: furs on the deck near by. The cruiser transport lay
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Speaker 1: without lights, and resting as she was upon the ground,
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Speaker 1: must have been entirely invisible to the oncoming flier, which
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Speaker 1: all presently recognized as a small craft. It soon became
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Speaker 1: evident that the stranger intended making a landing, for she
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Speaker 1: was now spiraling slowly above them, dropping lower and lower
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Speaker 1: in each graceful curve. It is the Thuria, whispered one
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Speaker 1: of the Dusarian warriors. I would know her in the
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Speaker 1: blackness of the pits among ten thousand other craft. Right
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Speaker 1: you are, exclaimed Vaskor, who had come on deck, And
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Speaker 1: then he hailed Kaor Thuria. Kaor came presently from above
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Speaker 1: after a brief silence, Then what ship cruiser transport Kalksus
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Speaker 1: vas Kor of Dusar good came from above? Is there
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Speaker 1: safe landing alongside? Yes, close into starboard. Wait, we will
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Speaker 1: show our lights. And a moment later, the smaller craft
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Speaker 1: settled close beside the Chalcus, and the lights of the
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Speaker 1: latter were immediately extinguished. Once more, several figures could be
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Speaker 1: seen slipping over the side of the Thuria and advancing
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Speaker 1: toward the Chalxus. Ever suspicious, the Dusarians stood ready to
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Speaker 1: receive the visitors as friends or foes, as closer inspection
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Speaker 1: might prove them. Carthoris stood quite near the rail, ready
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Speaker 1: to take sides with the newcomers, should chance have it
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Speaker 1: that they were Heliumites playing a bold stroke of strategy
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Speaker 1: upon this lone Dusarian ship. He had led like parties
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Speaker 1: himself and knew that such a contingency was quite possible,
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Speaker 1: but the face of the first man to cross the
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Speaker 1: rail undeceived him with a shock that was not at
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Speaker 1: all unpleasurable. It was the face of Astok, Prince of Dusar.
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Speaker 1: Scarce Noticing the others upon the deck of the Chalcus,
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Speaker 1: Astok strode forward to accept vas Kor's greeting. Then he
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Speaker 1: summoned the noble below. The warriors and officers returned to
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Speaker 1: their sleeping silks and furs, and once more the deck
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Speaker 1: was deserted except for the Dusarian warrior and tur June,
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Speaker 1: the panthon, who stood guard. The latter walked quietly to
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Speaker 1: and fro The former leaned across the rail, wishing for
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Speaker 1: the hour that would bring him relief. He did not
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Speaker 1: see his companion approach the lights of the cabin of
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Speaker 1: vas Kor. He did not see him stoop with ear
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Speaker 1: close pressed to a tiny ventilator. May the white apes
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Speaker 1: take us all, cried Astok ruefully, if we are not
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Speaker 1: in as ugly a snarl as you have ever seen.
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Speaker 1: Nudis thinks that we have her in hiding far away
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Speaker 1: from Dusar. He has bid me bring her here he paused,
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Speaker 1: no man should have heard from his lips the thing
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Speaker 1: he was trying to tell. It should been forever the
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Speaker 1: secret of Nutus and Astok, for upon it rested the
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Speaker 1: safety of a throne. With that knowledge, any man could
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Speaker 1: rest from the Jeddak of Dusar whatever he listed. But
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Speaker 1: Astok was afraid, and he wanted from this older man
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Speaker 1: the suggestion of an alternative. He went on, I am
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Speaker 1: to kill her, he whispered, looking fearfully around. Nutus merely
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Speaker 1: wishes to see the body, that he may know his
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Speaker 1: commands have been executed. I am now supposed to be
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Speaker 1: gone to the spot where we have her hidden, that
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Speaker 1: I may fetch her in secrecy to Dusar. None is
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Speaker 1: to know that she has ever been in the keeping
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Speaker 1: of a Dusarian. I do not need to tell you
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Speaker 1: what would befall Dusar should Tarthan Helium and Chaole ever
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Speaker 1: learn the truth. The jaws of the listener at the
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Speaker 1: ventilator clicked together with a vicious snap. Before he had
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Speaker 1: but guessed at the identity of the subject of this conversation.
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Speaker 1: Now he knew, and they were to kill her. His
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Speaker 1: muscular fingers clenched until the nails bid into his palms,
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Speaker 1: and you wish me to go with you while you
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Speaker 1: fetch her to Dussar. Vaskor was saying, where is she?
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Speaker 1: Astoc bent close and whispered into the other's ear. The
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Speaker 1: suggestion of a smile crossed the cruel features of vas Kor.
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Speaker 1: He realized the power that lay within his grasp. He
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Speaker 1: should be a Jed at least. And how may I
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Speaker 1: help you, my prince, asked the older man, suavely. I
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Speaker 1: cannot kill her, said Astok. Issus, I cannot do it.
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Speaker 1: When she turns those eyes upon me, my heart becomes water.
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Speaker 1: Vaskor's eyes narrowed, and you wish he paused, the interrogation
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Speaker 1: unfinished yet complete, Astoc nodded. You do not love her,
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Speaker 1: he said, But I love my life. Though I am
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Speaker 1: only a lesser noble, he concluded meaningly, you shall be
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Speaker 1: a greater noble. A noble of the first rank, exclaimed Astok.
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Speaker 1: I would be a Jed, said Vaskor. Bluntly. Astk hesitated,
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Speaker 1: A Jed must die before there can be another Jed,
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Speaker 1: he pleaded. Jeds have died before, snapped Vaskor. It would
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Speaker 1: doubtless be not difficult for you to find a jed
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Speaker 1: you do not love, Vastok. There are many who do
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Speaker 1: not love you. Already, Vaskor was commencing to presume upon
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Speaker 1: his power over the young prince. Astok was quick to
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Speaker 1: note and appreciate the subtle change in his lieutenant. A
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Speaker 1: cunning scheme entered his weak and wicked brain. As you say, Vaskor,
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Speaker 1: he exclaimed, you shall be a jed the thing is done,
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Speaker 1: and then to himself. Nor will it then be difficult
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Speaker 1: for me to find a jed I do not love.
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Speaker 1: When shall we return to Dusar, asked the noble at
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Speaker 1: once replied Astoc, Let us get under way. Now, there
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Speaker 1: is naught to keep you here. I had intended sailing
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Speaker 1: on the morrow, picking up such recruits as the various
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Speaker 1: dwars of the roads might have collected for me as
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Speaker 1: we returned to Dusar. Let the recruits wait, said Astok Or.
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Speaker 1: Better still, come you to Dusar upon the Thuria, leaving
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Speaker 1: the Kalxus to follow and pick up the recruits. Yes,
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Speaker 1: acquiesced Vaskor, that is the better plan. Come I am ready,
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Speaker 1: and he rose to accompany Astok to the latter's flier.
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Speaker 1: The listener at the ventilator came to his feet slowly,
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Speaker 1: like an old man. His face was drawn and pinched,
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Speaker 1: and very white beneath the light copper of his skin.
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Speaker 1: She was to die, and he was helpless to avert
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Speaker 1: the tragedy. He did not even know where she was imprisoned.
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Speaker 1: The two men were ascending from the cabin to the
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Speaker 1: deck trough June. The Panthon crept close to the companionway,
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Speaker 1: his sinuous fingers closing tightly upon the hilt of his dagger.
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Speaker 1: Could he despatch them both before he was overpowered? He smiled,
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Speaker 1: He could slay an entire utine of her enemies in
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Speaker 1: his present state of mind. They were almost abreast of him.
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Speaker 1: Now Astoc was speaking, Bring a couple of your men along, Vaskor,
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Speaker 1: he said, we are short handed upon the Thuria. So
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Speaker 1: quickly did we depart. The Panthon's fingers dropped from the
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Speaker 1: dagger's hilt. His quick mind had grasped here a chance
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Speaker 1: for succoring Thuvia of Ptarth. He might be chosen as
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Speaker 1: one to accompany the assassins, and once he had learned
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Speaker 1: where the captive lay, he could to despatch Astok and
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Speaker 1: vas kor as well as now to kill them before
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Speaker 1: he knew where Thuvia was hid was simply to leave
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Speaker 1: her to death at the hands of others, for sooner
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Speaker 1: or later Nutus would learn her whereabouts, and Nutus Jeddak
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Speaker 1: of Dusar could not afford to let her live. Turjune
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Speaker 1: put himself in the path of vas Kor that he
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Speaker 1: might not be overlooked. The noble aroused the man sleeping
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Speaker 1: upon the deck, but always before him the strange panthon
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Speaker 1: whom he had recruited that same day, found means for
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Speaker 1: keeping himself to the fore. Vas Korp turned to his lieutenant,
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Speaker 1: giving instruction for the bringing of the Chalcus to Dusar
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Speaker 1: and the gathering up of the recruits. Then he signed
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Speaker 1: to two warriors who stood close behind the padwar You too,
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Speaker 1: accompany us to the Thuria, he said, and put yourselves
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Speaker 1: at the disposal of her Duar. It was dark upon
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Speaker 1: the deck of the Chalcus, so vas Korps had not
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Speaker 1: a good look at the faces of the two he chose,
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Speaker 1: But that was of no moment, for they were but
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Speaker 1: common warriors, to assist with the ordinary duties upon a flier,
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Speaker 1: and to fight if need be. One of the two
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Speaker 1: was kar Komak, the bowman, the other was not. Carthoris.
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Speaker 1: The Heliumite was mad with disappointment. He snatched his dagger
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Speaker 1: from his harness, but already Astok had left the deck
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Speaker 1: of the Chalcus, and he knew that before he could
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Speaker 1: overtake him, should he dispatch vast Kor, he would be
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Speaker 1: killed by the Dusarian warriors, who now were thick upon
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Speaker 1: the deck. With either one of the two alive, Thuvia
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Speaker 1: was in as great danger as though both lived, it
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Speaker 1: must be both. As last Kor descended to the ground,
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Speaker 1: Carthoris boldly followed him, nor did any attempt to halt him,
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Speaker 1: thinking doubtless that he was one of the party. After
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Speaker 1: him came kar Komak and the Dusarian warrior who had
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Speaker 1: been detailed to duty upon the Thuria. Carthoris walked close
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Speaker 1: to the left side of the ladder. Now they came
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Speaker 1: to the dense shadow under the side of the Thuria.
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Speaker 1: It was very dark there, so that they had to
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Speaker 1: grope for the ladder. Kar Komak preceded the Dusarian the
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Speaker 1: ladder reached upward for the swinging rounds, and as he
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Speaker 1: did so, steel fingers closed upon his windpipe, and a
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Speaker 1: steel blade pierced the very center of his heart. Ter June,
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Speaker 1: the Pantheon was the last to clamber over the rail
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Speaker 1: of the Thuria, drawing the rope ladder in after him.
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Speaker 1: A moment later, the flier was rising rapidly, heading for
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Speaker 1: the north. At the rail, kar Komak turned to speak
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Speaker 1: to the warrior who had been detailed to accompany him.
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Speaker 1: His eyes went wide as they rested upon the face
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Speaker 1: of the young man whom he had met beside the
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Speaker 1: granite cliffs that guarred mysterious Lothar. How had he come
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Speaker 1: in place of the duc Sarian? A quick sign and
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Speaker 1: Carkomac turned once more to find the Thurius Dwar that
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Speaker 1: he might report himself for duty. Behind him followed the Pantheon.
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Speaker 1: Carthoris blessed the chance that had caused vas Kor to
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Speaker 1: choose the bowmen of all others, for had it been
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Speaker 1: another Dusarian, there would have been questions to answer as
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Speaker 1: to the whereabouts of the warrior who lay so quietly
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Speaker 1: in the field beyond the residence of hal Vas Dwar
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Speaker 1: of the Southern Road, and Carthoris had no answer to
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Speaker 1: that question other than his sword point, which alone was
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Speaker 1: scarce adequate to convince the entire crew of the Thuria.
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Speaker 1: The journey to Dusar seemed interminable to the impatient Carthoris,
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Speaker 1: though as a matter of fact it was quickly accomplished.
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Speaker 1: Some time before they reached their destination, they met and
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Speaker 1: spoke with another Dusarian war flier. From it they learned
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Speaker 1: that a great battle was soon to be fought southeast
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Speaker 1: of Dusar. The combined navies of Dusar, Tarth, and Kaole
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Speaker 1: had been intercepted in their advance toward Helium by the
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Speaker 1: mighty Heliumitic navy, the most formidable upon Barsoom, not alone
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Speaker 1: in numbers and armament, but in the training and courage
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Speaker 1: of its officers and warriors, and the Zidodaric proportions of
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Speaker 1: many of its monster battleships. Not for many a day
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Speaker 1: had there been the promise of such a battle. Four
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Speaker 1: Jeddaks were in direct command of their own fleets, Kulan
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Speaker 1: Tith of Kaol, thuvan Din of Turth, and Nudus of
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Speaker 1: Dusar upon one side, while upon the other was Tardos
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Speaker 1: Mors Jeddak of Helium, with the latter was John Carter,
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Speaker 1: Warlord of Mars. From the far north, another force was
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Speaker 1: moving south across the Barrier cliffs, the new navy of
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Speaker 1: Talu Jeddak of Okar, coming in response to the call
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Speaker 1: from the war Lord. Upon the decks of the sullen
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Speaker 1: ships of war back, bearded yellow men looked over eagerly
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Speaker 1: toward the south. Gorgeous were they in their splendid cokes
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Speaker 1: of orluk enapt fierce, formidable fighters from the hot house
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Speaker 1: cities of the frozen North, and from the distant South,
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Speaker 1: from the Sea of Omean and the cliffs of Gold,
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Speaker 1: from the temples of the Thurns and the Garden of Issus.
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Speaker 1: Other thousands sailed into the north at the call of
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Speaker 1: the great man. They had all learned to respect and
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Speaker 1: respecting love. Pacing the flagship of this mighty fleet, second
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Speaker 1: only to the Navy of Helium, was the eben Zodar
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Speaker 1: Jeddak of the First Born, his heart beating strong in
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Speaker 1: anticipation of the coming moment when he should hurl his
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Speaker 1: savage crews and the weight of his mighty ships upon
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Speaker 1: the enemies of the Warlord. But would these allies reach
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Speaker 1: the theater of war in time to be of avail
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Speaker 1: to Helium, or would Helium need them. Taoris, with the
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Speaker 1: other members of the crew of the Thuria, heard the
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Speaker 1: gossip and the rumors. None knew of the two fleets,
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Speaker 1: the one from the south and the other from the north,
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Speaker 1: that were coming to support the ships of Helium, and
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Speaker 1: all of Dusar were convinced that nothing now could save
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Speaker 1: the ancient power of Helium from being wiped forever from
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Speaker 1: the upper air of Barsoom. Carthoris, two loyal son of
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Speaker 1: Helium that he was, felt that even his beloved navy
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Speaker 1: might not be able to cope successfully with the combined
21:31
Speaker 1: forces of three great powers. Now, the Thuria touched the
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Speaker 1: landing stage above the palace of Astok. Hurriedly, the Prince
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Speaker 1: and Vaskor disembarked and entered the drop that would carry
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Speaker 1: them to the lower levels of the palace. Close beside
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Speaker 1: it was another drop that was utilized by common warriors.
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Speaker 1: Carthoris touched Karkomac upon the arm. Come, he whispered, you
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Speaker 1: are my only friend among a nation of enemies. Will
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Speaker 1: you stand by me to the death? Replied kar Komak.
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Speaker 1: The two approached the drop. A slave operated it. Where
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Speaker 1: are your passes, he asked. Carthoris fumbled in his pocket
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Speaker 1: pouch as though in search of them. At the same
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Speaker 1: time entering the cage. Kar Komak followed him, closing the door.
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Speaker 1: The slave did not start the cage downward. Every second counted.
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Speaker 1: They must reach the lower level as soon as possible
22:30
Speaker 1: after Astok and vas kor if they would know whither
22:34
Speaker 1: the two went. Carthoris turned suddenly upon the slave, hurling
22:39
Speaker 1: him to the opposite side of the cage. Bind and
22:42
Speaker 1: gag him. Karkomak, he cried. Then he grasped the control lever,
22:46
Speaker 1: and as the cage shot downward at sickening speed, the
22:50
Speaker 1: bowman grappled with the slave. Carthoris could not leave the
22:53
Speaker 1: control to assist his companion, for should they touch the
22:56
Speaker 1: lowest level at the speed at which they were going,
22:59
Speaker 1: all would be dashed to instant death. Below him, he
23:03
Speaker 1: could now see the top of Astok's cage in the
23:05
Speaker 1: parallel shaft, and he reduced the speed of his to
23:08
Speaker 1: that of the other. The slave commenced to scream. Silence him,
23:13
Speaker 1: cried Carthoris. A moment later, a limp form crumpled to
23:17
Speaker 1: the floor of the cage. He is silenced, said kar Komac.
23:24
Speaker 1: Carthoris brought the cage to a sudden stop at one
23:27
Speaker 1: of the higher levels of the palace. Opening the door,
23:30
Speaker 1: he grasped the still form of the slave and pushed
23:33
Speaker 1: it out upon the floor. Then he banged the gate
23:36
Speaker 1: and resumed the downward drop. Once more he sighted the
23:40
Speaker 1: top of the cage that held Astok and vast Kor.
23:44
Speaker 1: An instant later it had stopped, and as he brought
23:47
Speaker 1: his car to a halt, he saw the two men
23:49
Speaker 1: disappear through one of the exits of the corridor beyond
23:55
Speaker 1: end of chapter thirteen s