Part 1 (1/2)
The Chesshs
PRELUDE
JOHN CARTER COMES TO EARTH
SHEA had just beaten leaned what questionable satisfaction Ihis attention to the nth time to that theory, propounded by certain scientists, which is based upon the assertion that phenomenal chess players are always found to be from the ranks of children under twelve, adults over seventy-two or the nored upon those rare occasions that I win Shea had gone to bed and I should have followed suit, for we are always in the saddle here before sunrise; but instead I sat there before the chess table in the library, idly blowing s
While thus profitably e-roo to speak with me on some matter of tomorroork; but when I raised my eyes to the doorway that connects the two rooiant, his otherwise naked body trapped with a jewel-encrusted harness fro at one side an ornate short-sword and at the other a pistol of strange pattern The black hair, the steel-gray eyes, brave and snized the to my feet I advanced with outstretched hand
”John Carter!” I cried ”You?”
”None other,the other uponhere?” I asked ”It has been long years since you revisited Earth, and never before in the trappings of Mars Lord! but it is good to see you--and not a day older in appearance than when you trotted me on your knee in my babyhood How do you explain it, John Carter, Warlord of Mars, or do you try to explain it?”
”Why attempt to explain the inexplicable?” he replied ”As I have told you before, I am a very old man I do not kno old I a been always as you see me now and as you saw ed, though not asnumber of years, which may be accounted for by the fact that the saed at all I have discussed the question with a noted Martian scientist, a friend of mine; but his theories are still only theories However, I ae, and I love life and the vigor of youth
”And now as to your natural question as to what brings e habiliment We aveuntil at last I have achieved success As you know I have long possessed the power to cross the void in spirit, but never before have I been able to is a similar power Noever, you see me for the first time precisely as my Martian fellows see me--you see the very short-sword that has tasted the blood of e foenia of my rank; the pistol that was presented toyou, which iss fros if I so desire, I have no purpose Earth is not for me My every interest is upon Barsoom--my wife, my children,with you and then back to the world I love even better than I love life”
As he spoke he dropped into the chair upon the opposite side of the chess table
”You spoke of children,” I said ”Have you hter,” he replied, ”only a little younger than Carthoris, and, barring one, the fairest thing that ever breathed the thin air of dying Mars Only Dejah Thoris, her mother, could be more beautiful than Tara of Heliuered the chessame on Mars similar to chess,” he said, ”very siriame jetan It is played on a board like yours, except that there are a hundred squares and we use twenty pieces on each side I never see it played without thinking of Tara of Heliu the chessmen of Barsoom Would you like to hear her story?”
I said that I would and so he told it to me, and now I shall try to re-tell it for you as nearly in the words of The Warlord of Mars as I can recall them, but in the third person If there be inconsistencies and errors, let the blame fall not upon John Carter, but rather upon e tale and utterly Barsoomian
CHAPTER I
TARA IN A TANTRUM
TARA of Helium rose from the pile of silks and soft furs upon which she had been reclining, stretched her lithe body languidly, and crossed toward the center of the rooe table, a bronze disc depended froe was that of health and physical perfection--the effortless harossa over one shoulder rapped about her body; her black hair was piled high upon her head With a wooden stick she tapped upon the bronze disc, lightly, and presently the su, to be greeted siuests arriving?” asked the princess
”Yes, Tara of Helium, they come,” replied the slave ”I have seen Kantos Kan, Overlord of the Navy, and Prince Soran of Ptarth, and Djor Kantos, son of Kantos Kan,” she shot a roguish glance at her mistress as she mentioned Djor Kantos' name, ”and--oh, there were others, many have come”
”The bath, then, Uthia,” said her mistress ”And why, Uthia,” she added, ”do you look thus and smile when you hed gaily ”It is so plain to all that he worshi+ps you,” she replied
”It is not plain to me,” said Tara of Helium ”He is the friend of my brother, Carthoris, and so he is here much; but not to see s him thus often to the palace ofin the north with Talu, Jeddak of Okar,” Uthia reminded her
”My bath, Uthia!” cried Tara of Heliu you to some misadventure yet”
”The bath is ready, Tara of Heliu with merriment, for she well knew that in the heart of her er that could displace the love of the princess for her slave Preceding the daughter of The Warlord she opened the door of an adjoining roo pool of scented water in a old encircling it and leading down into the water on either side of ht, which flooded the interior, glancing from the polished white of the marble walls and the procession of bathers and fishes, which, in conventional design, were inlaid with gold in a broad band that circled the room
Tara of Helium removed the scarf from about her and handed it to the slave Slowly she descended the steps to the water, the temperature of which she tested with a syh heels--a lovely foot, as God intended that feet should be and seldoirl swam leisurely to and fro about the pool With the silken ease of the seal she swa softly beneath her clear skin--a wordless song of health and happiness and grace Presently she eirl, who rubbed the body of herselowing skin was covered with a foa with soft towels, and the bath was over Typical of the life of the princess was the siance of her bath--no retinue of useless slaves, no pomp, no idle waste of precious moments In another half hour her hair was dried and built into the strange, but becos, encrusted with gold and jewels, had been adjusted to her figure and she was ready to uests that had been bidden to the midday function at the palace of The Warlord
As she left her apartuests were congregating, tarriors, the insignia of the House of the Prince of Heliurinored upon Barsooreat natural span of human life, which is estimated at not less than a thousand years
As they neared the entrance to the garden another wouarded, approached thereat palace As she neared thereeting, while her guards knelt with bowed heads in willing and voluntary adoration of the beloved of Helium Thus always, solely at the coreet Dejah Thoris, whose deathless beauty had ht thereat was the love of the people of Helium for the mate of John Carter it ah she were indeed the Goddess that she looked
The entle, Barsooether they entered the gardens where the guests were A huge warrior drew his short-sword and struck hisout above the laughter and the speech
”The Princess comes!” he cried ”Dejah Thoris! The Princess couests arose; the touards fell back upon either side of the entrance-way; a nu and the talking were resuhter estion of differing rank apparent in the bearing of any ere there, though there was le Jeddak and many common warriors whose only title lay in brave deeds, or noble patriotised upon their own h pride of lineage be great
Tara of Heliuuests until presently it halted upon one she sought Was the faint shadow of a frown that crossed her brow an indication of displeasure at the sight that met her eyes, or did the brilliant rays of the noonday sun distress her? Who may say! She had been reared to believe that one day she should wed Djor Kantos, son of her father's best friend It had been the dearest wish of Kantos Kan and The Warlord that this should be, and Tara of Helium had accepted it as a matter of all but accomplished fact Djor Kantos had seemed to accept the matter in the sa that would, as a matter of course, take place in the indefinite future, as, for instance, his promotion in the navy, in which he was now a padwar; or the set functions of the court of her grandfather, Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium; or Death They had never spoken of love and that had puzzled Tara of Heliuht, for she knew that people ere to ere usually much occupied with the matter of love and she had all of a woman's curiosity--she wondered what love was like She was very fond of Djor Kantos and she knew that he was very fond of her They liked to be together, for they liked the sas and the sa was a joy, not only to theine wanting to marry anyone other than Djor Kantos
So perhaps it was only the sun that made her brows contract just the tiniest bit at the sa in earnest conversation with Olvia Marthis, daughter of the Jed of Hastor It was Djor Kantos' duty immediately to pay his respects to Dejah Thoris and Tara of Heliuhter of The Warlord frowned indeed She looked long at Olvia Marthis, and though she had seen her many tih new eyes that saw, apparently for the first tiirl fro those other beautiful women of Helium Tara of Helium was disturbed She attempted to analyze her emotions; but found it difficult Olvia Marthis was her friend--she was very fond of her and she felt no anger toward her Was she angry with Djor Kantos? No, she finally decided that she was not It was merely surprise, then, that she felt--surprise that Djor Kantos could be more interested in another than in herself She was about to cross the garden and join them when she heard her father's voice directly behind her
”Tara of Heliu with a strange warrior whose harness andthe gorgeous trappings of the men of Heliuer were remarkable for their barbaric splendor The leather of his harness was completely hidden beneath ornaments of platinum thickly set with brilliant diamonds, as were the scabbards of his swords and the ornate holster that held his long, Martian pistol Moving through the sunlit garden at the side of the great Warlord, the scintillant rays of his countless geht iestion of Godliness
”Tara of Heliu you Gahan, Jed of Gathol,” said John Carter, after the simple Barsoomian custom of presentation
”Kaor! Gahan, Jed of Gathol,” returned Tara of Helium
”My sword is at your feet, Tara of Heliu chieftain
The Warlord left them and the two seated the sorapus tree
”Far Gathol,” irl ”Ever in my mind has it been connected with otten lore of the ancients I cannot think of Gathol as existing today, possibly because I have never before seen a Gatholian”
”And perhaps too because of the great distance that separates Heliunificance of ht easily be lost in one corner of hty Helium,” added Gahan ”But e lack in poe”We believe ours the oldest inhabited city upon Barsoom It is one of the few that has retained its freedom, and this despite the fact that its ancient diamond mines are the richest known and, unlike practically all the other fields, are today apparently as inexhaustible as ever”
”Tell ht fills me with interest,” nor was it likely that the handsolamour of far Gathol