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13 - Thuvia, Maid of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs · Daily Sci-Fi Books

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Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen, Turgon, the Panthon the face of Carthoris of Helium,
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Speaker 1: gave no token of the emotions that convulsed him inwardly,
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Speaker 1: as he heard from the lips of hal Vas that
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Speaker 1: Helium was at war with Dusar, and that fate had
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Speaker 1: thrown him into the service of the enemy. That he
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Speaker 1: might utilize this opportunity to the good of Helium scarce
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Speaker 1: sufficed to outweigh the chagrin he felt that he was
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Speaker 1: not fighting in the open at the head of his
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Speaker 1: own loyal troops. To escape the Dusarians might prove an
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Speaker 1: easy matter, and then again it might not, should they
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Speaker 1: suspect his loyalty, and the loyalty of an impressed Panthon
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Speaker 1: was always open to suspicion. He might not find an
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Speaker 1: opportunity to elude their vigilance until after the termination of
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Speaker 1: the war, which might occur within days, or again only
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Speaker 1: after long and weary years of bloodshed. He recalled that
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Speaker 1: his re recorded wars in which actual military operations had
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Speaker 1: been carried on without cessation for five or six hundred years,
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Speaker 1: and even now there were nations upon Barsoom with which
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Speaker 1: Helium had made no peace. Within the history of man.
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Speaker 1: The outlook was not cheering. He could not guess that
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Speaker 1: within a few hours he would be blessing the fate
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Speaker 1: that had thrown him into the service of dussar Ah. Exclaimed,
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Speaker 1: hal vas here is my father, now cow Or vas Kor,
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Speaker 1: here is one you will be glad to meet. A
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Speaker 1: dody Panthon He hesitated, Turgeon 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, vast 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 at 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 thuvon Din, the lone slave that had
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Speaker 1: guarded his own hangar. That night he left upon his
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Speaker 1: ill fated journey for Ptarth, the journey that had brought
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Speaker 1: him so mysteriously to far Anthor vas Kor. He repeated aloud,
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Speaker 1: blessed be your ancestors for this meeting. Nor did the
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Speaker 1: Dusarian guess the wealth of meaning that lay beneath that
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Speaker 1: hackneyed phrase with which a Barsoomian acknowledges an introduction, and
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Speaker 1: blessed be yours. Turjen repeated Vaskor. Now came the introduction
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Speaker 1: of kar Koma to vas Kor. And as Carthoris went
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Speaker 1: through the little ceremony, there came to him the only
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Speaker 1: explanation he might make to account for the white skin
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Speaker 1: and auburn hair of the bowmen, For he feared that
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Speaker 1: the truth might not be believed, and thus suspicion be cast
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Speaker 1: upon them both from the beginning car Coomac, he explained, is,
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Speaker 1: as you can see, a Thurn, he has wandered far
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Speaker 1: from his ice bound southern temples in search of adventure.
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Speaker 1: I came upon him in the pits of Anthor. But
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Speaker 1: though I have known him so short a time, I
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Speaker 1: can vouch for his bravery and loyalty. Since the destruction
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Speaker 1: of the fabric of their false religion by John Carter,
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Speaker 1: the majority of the Thurns had gladly accepted the new
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Speaker 1: order of things, so that it was now no longer
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Speaker 1: uncommon to see them mingling with the multitudes of red
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Speaker 1: men in any of the great cities of the outer world.
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Speaker 1: So vast Kor neither felt nor expressed any great astonishment.
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Speaker 1: All during the interview, Carthoris watched catlike for some indication
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Speaker 1: that Vaskort recognized in the battered panthan the erstwhile gorgeous
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Speaker 1: Prince of Helium. But the sleepless nights, the long days
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Speaker 1: of marching and fighting, the wounds and the dried blood
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Speaker 1: had evidently sufficed to obliterate the last remnant of his
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Speaker 1: likeness to his former self. And then Vaskor had seen
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Speaker 1: him but twice in all his life, little wonder that
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Speaker 1: he did not know him. During the evening, vas Kor
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Speaker 1: announced that on the morrow they should depart north toward Dusar,
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Speaker 1: picking up recruits at various stations along the way. In
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Speaker 1: a great field behind the house, a flier lay a
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Speaker 1: fair sized cruiser transport that would accommodate many men, yet
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Speaker 1: swift and well armed. Also here Carthoris slept, and Karkomak too,
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Speaker 1: with the other recruits, under guard of the regular Dusarian
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Speaker 1: warriors that manned the craft. Toward midnight, vas Kor returned
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Speaker 1: to the vessel from his son's house, repairing at once
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Speaker 1: to his cabin. Carthoris, with one of the Dusarians, was
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Speaker 1: on watch. It was with difficulty that the Helium might
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Speaker 1: repressed a cold smile as the noble passed within a
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Speaker 1: foot of him, within a foot of the long, slim
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Speaker 1: heliumitic blade that swung in his harness. How easy it
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Speaker 1: would have been, how easy to avenge the cowardly trick
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Speaker 1: that had been played upon him, to avenge Helium and
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Speaker 1: Ptarth and Thuvia. But his hand moved not toward the
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Speaker 1: dagger's hilt. For first, vas Kor must serve a better purpose.
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Speaker 1: He might know where Thuvia of Ptarth lay hidden now
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Speaker 1: if it had truly been Dusarians that had spirited her
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Speaker 1: away during the fight before Anthor. And then too, there
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Speaker 1: was the instigator of the entire foul plot. He must
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Speaker 1: pay the penalty. And who better than vas Kor could
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Speaker 1: lead the Prince of Helium to Astok of Dusar. Faintly
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Speaker 1: out of the night, there came to Carthoris's ear the
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Speaker 1: purring of a distant motor. He scanned the heavens. Yes,
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Speaker 1: there it was, far in the north, dimly outlined against
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Speaker 1: the dark void of space that stretched illimitably beyond it,
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Speaker 1: the faint suggestion of a flier passing unlighted through the
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Speaker 1: Barsoomian night Carthoris, knowing not whether the craft might be
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Speaker 1: friend or foe of Dusar, gave no sign that he
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Speaker 1: had seen, but turned his eyes in another direction, leaving
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Speaker 1: the matter to the Dusarian who stood watch with him. Presently,
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Speaker 1: the fellow discovered the oncoming craft and sounded the low alarm,
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Speaker 1: which brought the balance of the watch and an officer
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Speaker 1: from their sleeping silks and furs upon the deck. Near by.
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Speaker 1: The cruiser transport lay without lights, and resting as she
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Speaker 1: was upon the ground, must have been into highly invisible
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Speaker 1: to the oncoming flyer, which all presently recognized as a
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Speaker 1: small craft. It soon became evident that the stranger intended
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Speaker 1: making a landing, for she was now spiraling slowly above them,
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Speaker 1: dropping lower and lower in each graceful curve. It is
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Speaker 1: the Thuria, whispered one of the Dusarian warriors. I would
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Speaker 1: know her in the blackness of the pits among ten
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Speaker 1: thousand other craft. Right you are, exclaimed vas Kor, who
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Speaker 1: had come on deck, And then he hailed Kowor Thuria.
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Speaker 1: Kowor came presently from above, after a brief silence. Then
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Speaker 1: what ship cruiser transport Kalsus vast core of Dusar good
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Speaker 1: came from above? Is there safe landing alongside? Yes, close
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Speaker 1: in to starboard. Wait, we will show our lights. And
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Speaker 1: a moment later, the smaller craft settled close beside the Chalcus,
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Speaker 1: and the lights of the latter were immediately distinguished. Once more,
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Speaker 1: several figures could be seen slipping over the side of
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Speaker 1: the Thuria and advancing toward the Chalcus. Ever suspicious, the
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Speaker 1: Dusarians stood ready to receive the visitors as friends or foes,
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Speaker 1: as closer inspection might prove them. Carthoris stood quite near
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Speaker 1: the rail, ready to take sides with the newcomers, should
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Speaker 1: chance have it that they were Heliumites playing a bold
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Speaker 1: stroke of strategy upon the lone Dusarian ship. He had
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Speaker 1: led like parties himself and knew that such a contingency
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Speaker 1: was quite possible. But the face of the first man
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Speaker 1: to cross the rail undeceived him with a shock that
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Speaker 1: was not at all unpleasurable. It was the face of Astok,
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Speaker 1: Prince of Dusar, scarce. Noticing the others upon the deck
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Speaker 1: of the Chalxus, Astok strode forward to accept Vaskor's greeting.
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Speaker 1: Then he summoned the noble below. The warriors and officers
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Speaker 1: returned to their sleeping silks and furs, and once more
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Speaker 1: the deck was deserted except for the Dusarian warrior and Turgen,
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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 Vaskor.
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Speaker 1: He did not see him stoop with ear close pressed
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Speaker 1: to a tiny ventilator. May the white apes take us all,
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Speaker 1: cried Astok ruefully. If we are not in as ugly
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Speaker 1: a snarl as you have ever seen, Nudis thinks that
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Speaker 1: we have her in hiding far away from Dusar. He
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Speaker 1: has bidden me bring her here, he paused. No man
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Speaker 1: should have heard from his lips the thing he was
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Speaker 1: trying to tell. It should have been forever. The secret
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Speaker 1: of Nudus and Astok, for upon it rested the safety
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Speaker 1: of a throne. With that knowledge, any man could wrest
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Speaker 1: from the Jadak of Dusar whatever he listed. But Astok
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Speaker 1: was afraid, and he wanted from this older man the
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Speaker 1: suggestion of an alternative. He went on. I am to
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Speaker 1: kill her, he whispered, looking fearfully around Nudas merely wishes
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Speaker 1: to see the body, that he may know his commands
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Speaker 1: have been executed. I am now supposed to be gone
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Speaker 1: to the spot where we have her hidden, that I
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Speaker 1: may fetch her in secrecy to Dusar. None is to
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Speaker 1: know that she has ever been in the keeping of
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Speaker 1: a Dusarian. I do not need to tell you what
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Speaker 1: will befall Dusar should Ptarth and Helium and Cowl 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 bit into the 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 do Sar Vaskor was saying, where is she?
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Speaker 1: Astok 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 Vaskor.
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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 last. 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, isis, 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, Astok 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, meaningfully, 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 vas Kor. Bluntly. Astok 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, Astok. 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,
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Speaker 1: vas Kor, he exclaimed, you shall be a jed when
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Speaker 1: the thing is done, and then to himself. Nor will
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Speaker 1: it then be difficult for me to find a jed
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Speaker 1: I do not love. When shall we return to Dusar,
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Speaker 1: asked the noble at once replied Astok. Let us get
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Speaker 1: under way. Now, there is nought to keep you here.
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Speaker 1: I had intended sailing on the morrow, picking up such
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Speaker 1: recruits as the various dwars of the roads might have
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Speaker 1: collected for me as we returned to Dusar. Let the
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Speaker 1: recruits wait, said Astok. Or better still, come you to
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Speaker 1: Dussar upon the Thuria, leaving the Kalsis to follow and
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Speaker 1: pick up the recruits. Yes, acquiesced Vaskor, that is the
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Speaker 1: better plan. Come, I am ready, and he rose to
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Speaker 1: accompany Astok to the latter's flier. The listener at the
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Speaker 1: ventilator came to his feet slowly, like an old man.
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Speaker 1: His face was drawn and pinched, and very white beneath
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Speaker 1: the light copper of his skin. She was to die,
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Speaker 1: and he helpless to avert the tragedy. He did not
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Speaker 1: even know where she was imprisoned. The two men were
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Speaker 1: ascending from the cabin to the deck. Turgen the Panthon
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Speaker 1: crept close to the companionway, his sinuous fingers closing tightly
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Speaker 1: upon the hilt of his dagger. Could he dispatch them
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Speaker 1: both before he was overpowered? He smiled, He could slay
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Speaker 1: an entire uton of her enemies in his present state
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Speaker 1: of mind. They were almost abreast of him. Now Astoc
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Speaker 1: 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 dis batch Astok and
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Speaker 1: Vaskor as well as now to kill them before he
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Speaker 1: knew where Thuvia was hid, was simply to leave her
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Speaker 1: to death at the hands of others, for sooner or
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Speaker 1: later Nutus would learn her whereabouts, and Nutus Jeddak of
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Speaker 1: Dusar could not afford to let her live. Turgeon put
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Speaker 1: himself in the path of vas Kor, that he might
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Speaker 1: not be overlooked. The noble aroused the men sleeping upon
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Speaker 1: the deck, but always before him the strange Panthon, whom
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Speaker 1: he had recruited that same day, found means for keeping
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Speaker 1: himself to the fore. Vaskor turned to his lieutenant, giving
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Speaker 1: instruction for the bringing of the Chalxus to Dusar and
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Speaker 1: the gathering up of the recruits. Then he signed to
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Speaker 1: two warriors who stood close behind the padwar You two
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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 Chalxus, so Vaskor had not a
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Speaker 1: 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 despatch Vaskor, he would be killed
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Speaker 1: by the Dusarian warriors, who now were thick upon the deck.
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Speaker 1: With either one of the two alive, Thuvia was in
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Speaker 1: as great danger as though both lived, it must be both.
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Speaker 1: As vas Kor descended to the ground, Carthoris boldly followed him,
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Speaker 1: nor did any attempt to halt him, thinking doubtless that
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Speaker 1: he was one of the party. After him came kar
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Speaker 1: Komak and the Dusarian warrior who had detailed to duty
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Speaker 1: upon the Thuria. Carthoris walked close to the left side
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Speaker 1: of the ladder. Now they came to the dense shadow
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Speaker 1: under the side of the Thuria. It was very dark there,
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Speaker 1: so that they had to grope for the ladder. Krkomak
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Speaker 1: preceded the Dusarian. The latter reached upward for the swinging rounds,
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Speaker 1: and as he did so, steel fingers closed upon his windpipe,
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Speaker 1: and a steel blade pierced the very center of his heart. Turgin,
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Speaker 1: the Panthon, 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, headed 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 Dusarian. A quick sigh, and Carkomac
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Speaker 1: turned once more to find the Thuria's Duir, that he
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Speaker 1: might report himself for duty. Behind him followed the Panthon.
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Speaker 1: Carthoris blessed the chance that had caused Vascor to choose
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Speaker 1: the bowmen of all others, for had it been another Dusarian,
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Speaker 1: there would have been questions to answer as to the
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Speaker 1: whereabouts of the warrior who lay so quietly in the
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Speaker 1: field beyond the residence of hal Vas, Duar of the
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Speaker 1: Southern Road, And Carthoris had no answer to that question
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Speaker 1: other than his sword point, which alone was scarce adequate
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Speaker 1: to convince the entire crew of the Thuria. The journey
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Speaker 1: to Dusar seemed interminable to the impatient Carthoris, though as
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Speaker 1: a matter of fact it was quickly accomplished. Some time
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Speaker 1: before they reached their destination, they met and spoke with
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Speaker 1: another Dusarian war flier. From it they learned that a
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Speaker 1: great battle was soon to be fought southeast of Dusar.
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Speaker 1: The combined navies of Dusar, Ptarth, and Coool had been
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Speaker 1: intercepted in their advance toward Helium by the mighty Heliumitic Navy,
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Speaker 1: the most formidable upon Barsoom, not alone in numbers and armament,
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Speaker 1: but in the training and courage of its officers and warriors,
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Speaker 1: and the Zidadaric proportions of many of its monster battleships.
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Speaker 1: Not for many a day had there been the promise
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Speaker 1: of such a battle. Four Jeddaks were in direct command
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Speaker 1: of their own fleets, Kulan Tith of Cowol, Fuvon Din
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Speaker 1: of Ptarth, and Nudus of Dusar upon one side, while
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Speaker 1: upon the other was Tardos Moor's Jeddak of Helium. With
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Speaker 1: the latter was John Carter, Warlord of Mars. From the
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Speaker 1: far north, another force was moving south across the Barrier cliffs.
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Speaker 1: The new navy of Talu, Jeddak of Okar, coming in
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Speaker 1: response to the call from the war Lord. Upon the
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Speaker 1: decks of the sullen ships of war, black bearded yellow
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Speaker 1: men looked over eagerly toward the south. Gorgeous were they
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Speaker 1: in their splendid cloaks of oorloc and apt fierce, formidable fighters.
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Speaker 1: From the hot house cities of the frozen North, and
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Speaker 1: from the distant South, from the Sea of Omean and
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Speaker 1: the cliffs of Gold, from the temples of the Ferns
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Speaker 1: and the garden of Isis. Other thousands sailed into the
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Speaker 1: north at the call of the great Man that they
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Speaker 1: had all learned to respect and respecting love. Pacing the
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Speaker 1: flagship of this mighty fleet, second only to the navy
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Speaker 1: of Helium, was the Ebon Zodar Jeddak of the First Born,
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Speaker 1: his heart beating strong in anticipation of the coming moment
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Speaker 1: when he should hurl his savage crews and the weight
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Speaker 1: of his mighty ships upon the enemies of the war Lord.
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Speaker 1: But would these allies reach the theater of war in
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Speaker 1: time to be of avail to Helium, or would Helium
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Speaker 1: need them. Carthoris, with the other members of the crew
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Speaker 1: of the Thuria heard the gossip in the rumors. None
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Speaker 1: knew of the two fleets, the one from the south
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Speaker 1: and the other from the north, that were coming to
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Speaker 1: support the ships of Helium, and all of Dusar were
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Speaker 1: convinced that nothing now could save the ancient power of
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Speaker 1: Helium from being wiped forever from the upper air of Barsoom. Carthoris,
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Speaker 1: too loyal son of Helium that he was, felt that
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Speaker 1: even his beloved navy might not be able to cope
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Speaker 1: successfully with the combined forces of three great powers. Now,
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Speaker 1: the Thuria touched the landing stage above the palace of Astok. Hurriedly,
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Speaker 1: the Prince and Vaskor disembarked and entered the drop that
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Speaker 1: would carry them to the lower levels of the palace.
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Speaker 1: Close beside it was another drop that was utilized by
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Speaker 1: common warriors. Carthoris touched Karkomac upon the arm. Come, he whispered,
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Speaker 1: You are my only friend among a nation of enemies.
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Speaker 1: Will you stand by me to the death? Replied Krkomac.
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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 pouch,
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Speaker 1: as though in search of them. At the same time,
22:14
Speaker 1: entering the cage. Krkomak followed him, closing the door. The
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Speaker 1: 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
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Speaker 1: after Astok and vas kor if they would know whither
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Speaker 1: the two went. Carthoris turned suddenly upon the slave, hurling
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Speaker 1: him to the opposite side of the cage. Bind and
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Speaker 1: gag him, Karkomak, he cried. Then he grasped the control lever,
22:40
Speaker 1: and as the cage shot downward at sickening speed, the
22:43
Speaker 1: bowman grappled with the slave. Carthoris could not leave the
22:47
Speaker 1: control to assist his companion, for should they touch the
22:50
Speaker 1: lowest level at the speed at which they were going,
22:53
Speaker 1: all would be dashed to instant death. Below him, he
22:57
Speaker 1: could see the top of Astok's cage in the parallel shaft,
23:00
Speaker 1: and he reduced the speed of his to that of
23:02
Speaker 1: the other. The slave commenced to scream. Silence him, cried Carthoris.
23:09
Speaker 1: A moment later, a limp form crumpled to the floor
23:12
Speaker 1: of the cage. He is silenced, said Karkomac. Carthoris brought
23:18
Speaker 1: the cage to a sudden stop at one of the
23:20
Speaker 1: higher levels of the palace. Opening the door, he grasped
23:24
Speaker 1: the still form of the slave and pushed it out
23:26
Speaker 1: upon the floor. Then he banged the gate and resumed
23:29
Speaker 1: the downward drop. Once more he sighted the top of
23:32
Speaker 1: the cage that held Astok in Vaskor. An instant later
23:36
Speaker 1: it had stopped, and as he brought his car to
23:39
Speaker 1: a halt, he saw the two men disappear through one
23:41
Speaker 1: of the exits of the corridor beyond end of chapter thirteen,