Part 1 (2/2)
He paused in thought, and then shook his head ”Nothing, Thuvia, that is true; yet I could have sworn you loved me Indeed, you well kne near to worshi+p has been ht I know it, Carthoris?” she asked innocently ”Did you ever tell me as much? Ever before have words of love for me fallen from your lips?”
”But you MUST have known it!” he exclaimed ”I am like my father--witless in matters of the heart, and of a poor oarden paths--the trees, the flowers, the sward--all must have read the love that has filledyour perfect face and form; so how could you alone have been blind to it?”
”Do the maids of Helium pay court to theirwith , and that after all you love me, Thuvia!”
”I cannot tell you that, Carthoris, for I am promised to another”
Her tone was level, but was there not within it the hint of an infinite depth of sadness? Who may say?
”Promised to another?” Carthoris scarcely breathed the words His face went almost white, and then his head came up as befitted him in whose veins flowed the blood of the overlord of a world
”Carthoris of Helium wishes you every happiness with the man of your choice,” he said ”With--” and then he hesitated, waiting for her to fill in the name
”Kulan tith, Jeddak of Kaol,” she replied ”My father's friend and Ptarth'sain
”You love him, Thuvia of Ptarth?” he asked
”I am promised to him,” she replied simply
He did not press her ”He is of Barsoohters,” mused Carthoris ”My father's friend and ht have been another!” he ht was hidden by the ed only by a little shadow of sadness that ht have been for Carthoris, herself, or for theh he noted it, for his loyalty to Kulan tith was the loyalty of the blood of John Carter of Virginia for a friend, greater than which could be no loyalty
He raised a jewel-encrusted bit of the girl's s to his lips
”To the honour and happiness of Kulan tith and the priceless jewel that has been bestowed upon hih his voice was husky there was the true ring of sincerity in it ”I told you that I loved you, Thuvia, before I knew that you were prolad that you know it, for there is no dishonour in it either to you or to Kulan tith or to myself My love is such that it may embrace as well Kulan tith--if you love him” There was almost a question in the statement
”I am promised to him,” she replied
Carthoris backed sloay He laid one hand upon his heart, the other upon the po-sword
”These are yours--always,” he said A one froht
Had he returned at once he would have found her prone upon the ersite bench, her face buried in her ar? There was none to see
Carthoris of Helium had come all unannounced to the court of his father's friend that day He had come alone in a small flier, sure of the same welcome that always awaited hi there was no need of for
To Thuvan Dihn he explained that he had been but testing an invention of his ohich his flier was equipped--a clever improvement of the ordinary Martian air compass, which, when set for a certain destination, will re it only necessary to keep a vessel's proays in the direction of the coiven point upon Barsoom by the shortest route
Carthoris' improvement upon this consisted of an auxiliary device which steered the craft mechanically in the direction of the compass, and upon arrival directly over the point for which the coht the craft to a standstill and lowered it, also autoround
”You readily discern the advantages of this invention,” he was saying to Thuvan Dihn, who had accoe upon the palace roof to inspect the co friend farewell
A dozen officers of the court with several body servants were grouped behind the jeddak and his guest, eager listeners to the conversation--so eager on the part of one of the servants that he ice rebuked by a noble for his forwardness in pushi+ng himself ahead of his betters to view the intricatedestination co was called
”For exaht trip before ht-hand dial which represents the eastern hemisphere of Barsooitude of Heliu silks and furs, and with lights burning, race through the air toward Heliuently toward the landing-stage upon my own palace, whether I aested Thuvan Dihn, ”you do not chance to collide with soht wanderer in the er of that,” he replied ”See here,” and he indicated a device at the right of the destination compass ”This is my `obstruction evader,' as I call it This visible device is the switch which throws the eared both to the steering apparatus and the control levers
”It is quite si radio-activity in all directions to a distance of a hundred yards or so fro force be interrupted in any direction a delicate instruularity, at the sanetic device which in turn actuates the steeringthe bow of the flier away from the obstacle until the craft's radio-activity sphere is no longer in contact with the obstruction, then she falls once more into her normal course Should the disturbance approach fro me, the ear, and the flier shoots ahead and either up or down, as the oncoher plane than herself
”In aggravated cases, that is when the obstructions are many, or of such a nature as to deflect the bow rees in any direction, or when the craft has reached its destination and dropped to within a hundred yards of the ground, thea loud alarm which will instantly awaken the pilot You see I have anticipated alency”
Thuvan Dihn smiled his appreciation of the marvellous device The forward servant pushed almost to the flier's side His eyes were narrowed to slits
”All but one,” he said
The nobles looked at hirasped the fellow none too gently by the shoulder to push him back to his proper place Carthoris raised his hand
”Wait,” he urged ”Let us hear what the man has to say--no creation of mortal mind is perfect Perchance he has detected a weakness that it will be well to know at once Coency I have overlooked?”
As he spoke Carthoris observed the servant closely for the first tiiant stature and handsome, as are all those of the race of Martian red men; but the fellow's lips were thin and cruel, and across one cheek was the faint, white line of a sword-cut froht teed the Prince of Helium ”Speak!”
The retted the temerity that had made hi no alternative, he spoke
”It ht be tampered with,” he said, ”by an enemy”
Carthoris drew a small key from his leathern pocket-pouch
”Look at this,” he said, handing it to the ht of locks, you will know that theof a picker of locks It guards the vitals of the instru Without it an ene his handiwork apparent to the lanced at it shrewdly, and then as he ging Turning to look for it he planted the sole of his sandal full upon the glittering object For an instant he bore all his weight upon the foot that covered the key, then he stepped back and with an exclamation as of pleasure that he had found it, stooped, recovered it, and returned it to the Heliumite Then he dropped back to his station behind the nobles and was forgotten
A moment later Carthoris had hts twinkling had risen into the star-shot void of the Martian night
CHAPTER II