Thuvia, Maid of Mars

nts dropped into their places in the rear of their royal or noble masters, and behind the others one lingered t

a sign, none noticed that the forward fellow who had drawn so much attention to hi

of their master, so that a new face is scarcely ever questioned, as the fact that a man has passed within the palace walls is considered proof

urtesy in favour of the retinue of visit

ce gates. Along one broad avenue and then another he strode briskly until he had passed beyond the district of the nobles and had come to the place of shops.

ign powers, or rather in which were located their embassies; for the ministers

o have a word with the minister asked his credentials. The visitor slipped a plain metal armlet from abov

wed the stranger to a seat, and hastened to an inner room with the armlet in his hand.

emerged from the inner office his expression was cast in a smile of sinister satisfacti

e same palace top. One sped its rap

custom before retiring. Her silks and furs were drawn about her, for the air of Mars

would make her empress of Kaol, to the person of the trim young

zed toward the southern heavens where she had watched the lights of

erned the lights of a flier speeding rapidly out of the distance from that very directio

ace until she was positive that it bu

upon the landing-stage for a brief instant, revealing the figures of the Ptarthian

ets, down into court and park and garden to pause at last upon the ersite bench

inguished as suddenly as it had come to life. The flier passed on above her to d

d left her, except that her head was

that he should have returned thus, spying upon her; but she

to transgress the etiquette of nations? For

as shocked and angere

anger that they had not even challenged; but that they had no thought to let the thing go unnoticed was quickly ev

swiftly eastward. So, t

. From its deck keen eyes watched the far-fanning searchlight of the patrol boat. No light shone from the enshadowed craft. Upon its de

estors are with us to-nigh

returned another. "They did pre

ed toward the man who squatt

had evidently been well schooled in each detail of that night's work. Silently

lackness of the trees as the craft topped the buttressed garden wall. She sa

t. Yet she did not cry aloud to alarm the near-by gua

h

rs in reply as she voices the age-old,

und when four men leaped from its de

as though hypnotized. Or could it have b

nearer moon, rising above the surrounding foliage, touched the

s-warriors in the harness of Dusar

ad. She was lifted in strong arms and borne to the deck of the flier. There was the sudden whirl of propelle

of an upturned sandal. With delicate instruments he measured the faint imprint of a small object which appea

leted his task and turned to one who wa

a genius,"

d to spring. Here, take the sketch, Larok, and give all thine ow

aught," he said, "that man may not destroy

ities of Helium-the scarlet tower of one and the yellow t

ach and the evident confidence with which it moved across the city aroused no suspicion in the minds of the sleepy

nant, emasculating peace. Helium had

bout and approached the stranger. At easy speaking dist

days of pleasure in gay Helium sufficed. The air-patrol boat sheered off, passing again upon its way.

time a warrior e

small metal key to the tall noble who had

"You must have worked upon i

rrior

c metal you wrought some da

of his harness with the plainer ornaments of an ordinary fighting man of Helium,

an elevator, and was borne quickly to the street below, where he was soon en

clank with their martial trappings as they pursue their vocations. The schoolboy, coming into the world, as he does, almost adult from the snowy shell that has encompassed his development for five lon

el plain from Lesser Helium. He had landed at the latter city because the air patrol is less s

upon their slender metal columns for the night were dropping gently toward the ground. Among the flowers upon the scarlet sward which lies about the build

l continually upon the ears of the stranger as fri

upon every housetop with gorgeous silks and costly furs, laying them in the sun for airing. Jewel-encrusted women lolled even thus early upon the carven balconies befo

have solved the problem of attuning the nerves pleasantly to the sudden transi

s that tower high into the heavens are for the great international passenger liners. Freighters have other landing-stages at various lower levels, to within a couple

e greater part they skimmed along the surface of the sward, soaring gracefully into the air at times to pass over a slower-going

o the line of traffic. Gay farewells and parting admonitions ming

ands rushing hither and thither, the predominant sugges

bide are the martial sounds of war, the clash of arms, the collision of two

to one of the great pneumatic stations of the city. Here he paid before a little

ed, eight-foot projectiles for some giant gun. In slow procession the things moved in single file along a grooved t

n station in Greater Helium, raised the arched lid of the thing, stepped in and lay down upon the upholstered

to another track, to enter, a moment late

nt of whizzing-a soft, though sudden, stop, and slowly the carrier emerged upon another platform, another attendant raised the lid an

e spoke no word to the slave sitting in the driver's seat. It was evident that he ha

m the broad and crowded avenue into a less congested street. Presently it left the thronged district behind to enter a

ed him toward an inner apartment, giving no further sign of recog

s visitor, salut

nced, but Vas Kor sile

If all has been as carefully carried out as it has been planned, we have no time

lave. These Vas Kor immediately donned. Then the two passed from the shop through a rear door,

public market, where a great concourse of people filled the g

for Carthoris, Prince of Helium

ve block upon which stood their chattels. Briefly and cle

Helium recalled to the block such as had favourabl

aced upon the block. His merchant-master accepted the first offer that was