Thuvia, Maid of Mars

the chamber beneath it could not have been great, for all

the shock for the girl. Scarce had his feet touched the rough stone flagging of this new chamber than his

rd Jav. The man was p

off your terror long enough to tell me, so I may be prepared to se

Jav. "We are to be

y?" asked

Then he pointed toward a low do

your puny sword, fool. It will but enrage him

ripping his long-sw

fied moan, at the same tim

ome," he

some strange and fearful creature in human form; but to their astonishment they saw the b

and was wriggling his body in the same servile manner that he had adopted toward Tario. He s

nth, his sword ready to contest the beast's

al, your god

and then, brushing past Carthoris, she st

d spoken to the banths of the Golden Cliffs

ead and catlike purr, it came slinking to the

she said. "We have no

oris

for I, too, believed it to be only

ving her fingers in the tawny mane of the huge creature that he had t

your god!" l

so strong is the power of superstition that even though we know that we have been rever

e enemies of Tario have been hurled to this

is chamber to the avenues o

shru

ever have I been here before, n

ia, "let us explore. T

d entered the apartment that was to have witnessed their deaths.

g of an ordinary latch, letting them into a

thy keen blade, red man, and so he hurled us all downward to the pit. I did not know how closely connected were the two chambers. Now we may easily r

ough the seats to an exit at the back of the hall. Beyond this was a straight,

em as they advanced, mighty Ko

horis. "Even in the city streets as we came through I scarce saw sign

si

ere numbered in the millions. Our great city is peopled by the creatures of our own imaginings. For our ow

and children laughing on the balconies-these we are forbidden to materialize; but yet I see them-they are here

tinued. "Would you see

more out of courtesy than because they f

for an instant, then, with a w

ught but deserted pavements and scarlet swards, yawning windows and tenan

ve the old dead past of ancient Lothar-the dead and crumbled Lothar of ant

s and the women smile upon them? See the men greet them with love and respect? Thos

for they crossed the five seas to strange places where dangers were. With their passing passed

e seas dried and the green hordes encroached upon us we could do naught but flee. But we remembered th

d once more, the three took up their way towa

sight of them and the huge banth which they must ha

is bowmen after us. Let us hope that our theory is correct, and that their shafts

have explained to you, that she may meet the arrow

oping. Here Jav set in motion the mechanism that rolled the huge, wheel-like gate aside, and

ing arose behind them. As they turned they saw a company of bowmen debou

jeddak stood glaring at them, evidently concentrating all the forces of his trained mind upon t

of his conviction. The great banth turned back toward the advancing bowmen and growled. Carthoris

spiration came

" he cried to Jav. "Let us see a mater

t the three stood behind solid ranks of huge bowmen who hurled taunt

nd Tario. One could almost have sworn the man believed these cr

men of Tario. Barbed shafts flew thick and fa

knowledge of the truth. They saw utan after utan march from the gate in perfect step

ll about them rolled a sea of fighting, cursing wa

de the struggling bowmen that surged to and fro, fil

Thuvia and Carthoris. The lat

rm the other. They are like two controversialists hurling words at one another. While they are engaged we ma

caught his words. He saw the girl move to accompany the

irst he had laid eyes upon Thuvia of Ptarth. He had not recognized it,

on the Heliumite and t

tening toward him, and it was with a full heart that he let his fingers close upon hers, as together th

em, Thuvia had been surprised to hear

rd him say, "while I go to search f

here was no reason why she should not have accompanied him. Certainly sh

he two and smiled

seated herself apathetically upon the scarlet sward to

the imaginary legions charged and retreated. The sun was about to se

his forces to form themselves in orderly utans and march just within the edge of the wood, where they were soo

care with which Jav's imaginary men attended to each tiny detail

Officers clanked hither and thither issuing commands

urned to

tures when Tario knows quite as well as you that they are but figments of your brain? Why no

eral actions. But thereafter, until I dissolve them, they are as actual as you or I. Their officers command them, under my guidance. I am th

hat some day these materializations will merge into the real-that they will remain, some of them, after we

alists have quite a few among their number who are permanent materializations. It is even said that such i

have existed all these ages without material food and water had we ourselves be

their extinction such wondrous mentalities that some of the stronger minds among them lived

I have all the attributes of corporeal existence. I eat, I sl

words and expression. She turned away with a little s

to her and s

f the world's most ancient race? Your Heliumite? He has gone. H

ifted shoulder turned toward the man, her haugh

s less of disloyalty than he knows of fear, and

But Jav will see that it is a pleasant one. To-morrow we shall return into Lothar at the head of my victoriou

rmlets. Yet still he drew her toward him, until both were suddenly start