Helium is considered by many authorities to have marked the beginning
of a new era of invention. For centuries we seemed to have stagnated
in a quiet pond of self sufficiency, as though we had reached the acme
of perfection beyond which it was useless to seek for improvement upon
what we considered the highest possible achievements of science.
Carthoris of Helium, inheriting the restless, inquiring mind of his
earth-born sire, awoke us. Our best minds took up the challenge and the
result was rapid improvement in design and construction of air ships of
all classes, leading to a revolution in motor building.
We had thought that our light, compact, powerful radium motors never
could be improved upon and that man never would travel, either safely
or economically, at a speed greater than that attained by our swift
one-man scout fliers--about eleven hundred haads per zode (_Note:
Approximately one hundred and sixty-six earth miles per hour_), when a
virtually unknown padwar in the navy of Helium announced that he had
perfected a motor that, with one-half the weight of our present motors,
would develop twice the speed.
It was this type of motor with which my scout flier was equipped--a
seemingly fuelless motor, since it derived its invisible and
imponderable energy from the inexhaustible and illimitable magnetic
field of the planet.
There are certain basic features of the new motor that only the
inventor and the government of Helium are fully conversant with and
these are most jealously guarded. The propeller shaft, which extends
well within the hull of the flier, is constructed of numerous lateral
segments insulated from one another. Around this shaft and supporting
it is a series of armature-like bearings, through the center of which
it passes.
These are connected in series with a device called an accumulator
through which the planet's magnetic energy is directed to the peculiar
armatures which encircle the propeller shaft.
Speed is controlled by increasing or diminishing the number of armature
bearings in series with the accumulator--all of which is simply
accomplished by a lever which the pilot moves from his position on
deck where he ordinarily lies upon his stomach, his safety belt snapped
to heavy rings in the deck.
The limit of speed, the inventor claims, is dependent solely upon the
ratio of strength to weight in the construction of the hull. My one-man
scout flier easily attains a speed of two thousand haads per zode
(_Note: Approximately three hundred miles per hour_), nor could it have
withstood the tremendous strain of a more powerful motor, though it
would have been easy to have increased both the power of one and the
speed of the other by the simple expedient of a longer propeller shaft
carrying an additional number of armature bearings.
In experimenting with the new motor at Hastor last year, an attempt was
made to drive a scout flier at the exceptional speed of thirty-three
hundred haads per zode (_Note: Approximately five hundred miles per
hour; a haad being 1949.0592 earth feet and a zode 2.462 earth hours_),
but before the ship had attained a speed of three thousand haads per
zode it was torn to pieces by its own motor. Now we are trying to
attain the greatest strength with the minimum of weight and as our
engineers succeed we shall see speed increased until, I am sure, we
shall easily attain to seven thousand haads per zode (_Note: Over one
thousand miles per hour_), for there seems to be no limit to the power
of these marvelous motors.
Little less marvelous is the destination control compass of Carthoris
of Helium. Set your pointer upon any spot on either hemisphere; open
your throttle and then lie down and go to sleep if you will. Your ship
will carry you to your destination, drop within a hundred yards or so
of the ground and stop, while an alarm awakens you. It is really a very
simple device, but I believe that John Carter has fully described it in
one of his numerous manuscripts.
In the adventure upon which I had embarked the destination control
compass was of little value to me, since I did not know the exact
location of Jahar. However, I set it roughly at a point about thirty
degrees south latitude, thirty-five degrees east longitude, as I
believed that Jahar lay somewhere to the southwest of that point.
Flying at high speed I had long since left behind the cultivated areas
near Helium and was crossing above a desolate and deserted waste of
ocher moss that clothed the dead sea bottoms where once rolled a mighty
ocean bearing upon its bosom the shipping of a happy and prosperous
people, now but a half-forgotten memory in the legends of Barsoom.
Upon the edges of plateaus that once had marked the shore line of a
noble continent I passed above the lonely monuments of that ancient
prosperity, the sad, deserted cities of old Barsoom. Even in their
ruins there is a grandeur and magnificence that still has power to awe
a modern man. Down toward the lowest sea bottoms other ruins mark the
tragic trail that that ancient civilization had followed in pursuit
of the receding waters of its ocean to where the last city finally
succumbed, bereft of commerce, shorn of power, to fall at last an
easy victim to the marauding hordes of fierce, green tribesmen, whose
descendants now are the sole rulers of many of these deserted sea
bottoms. Hating and hated, ignorant of love, laughter or happiness,
they lead their long, fierce lives quarreling among themselves and
their neighbors and preying upon any chance adventurers who happen
within the confines of their bitter and desolate domain.
Fierce and terrible as are all green men, there are few whose cruel
natures and bloody exploits have horrified the minds of red men to such
an extent as have the green hordes of Torquas.
The city of Torquas, from which they derive their name, was one of
the most magnificent and powerful of ancient Barsoom. Though it has
been deserted for ages by all but roaming tribes of green men, it is
still marked upon every map, and as it lay directly in the path of my
search for Jahar and as I had never seen it, I had purposely laid my
course to pass over it, and when, far ahead, I saw its lofty towers and
battlements I felt the thrill of excitement and the lure of adventure
which these dead cities of Barsoom proverbially exert upon us red men.
As I approached the city I reduced my speed and dropped lower that I
might obtain a better view of it. What a beautiful city it must have
been in its time! Even today, after all the ages that have passed since
its broad avenues surged with the life of happy, prosperous throngs,
its great palaces still stand in all their glorious splendor, that time
and the elements have softened and mellowed, but not yet destroyed.
As I circled low above the city I saw miles of avenues that have not
known the foot of man for countless ages. The stone flagging of their
pavement was overgrown with ocher moss, with here and there a stunted
tree or a grotesque shrub of one of those varieties that somehow find
sustenance in the arid wasteland. Silent, deserted courtyards looked
up at me, gorgeous gardens of another happier day. Here and there
the roof of a building had fallen in, but for the most part they
remained intact, dreaming, doubtless, of the wealth and beauty that
they had known in days of yore, and in imagination I could see the
gorgeous sleeping silks and furs spread out in the sunlight, while the
women idled beneath gay canopies of silks, their jeweled harnesses
scintillating with each move of their bodies. I saw the pennons waving
from countless thousands of staffs and the great ships at anchor in the
harbor rose and fell to the undulations of the restless sea. There were
swaggering sailors upon the avenues, and burly, fighting men before
the doors of every palace. Ah, what a picture imagination conjured
from the death-like silence of that deserted city, and then, as a long
swinging circle brought me above the courtyard of a splendid palace
that faced upon the city's great central square, my eyes beheld that
which shattered my beautiful dream of the past. Directly below me I saw
a score of great thoats penned in what once may have been the royal
garden of a jeddak.
The presence of these huge beasts meant but one thing, and that was
that their green masters were to be found nearby.
As I passed above the courtyard one of the restless, vicious beasts
looked up and saw me and instantly he commenced to squeal angrily.
Immediately the other thoats, their short temper aroused by the
squealing of their fellow and their attention directed by his upward
gaze, discovered me and set up a perfect pandemonium of grunts and
squeals, which brought the result that I had immediately foreseen. A
green warrior leaped into the courtyard from the interior of the palace
and looked up just in time to see me before I passed from his line of
vision above the roof of the building.
Realizing immediately that this was no place for me to loiter, I
opened my throttle and at the same time rose swiftly toward a greater
altitude. As I passed over the building and out across the avenue in
front of it, I saw some twenty green warriors pour out of the building,
their upward gaze searching the skies. The warrior on guard had
apprised them of my presence.
I cursed myself for a stupid fool in having taken this unnecessary
chance merely to satisfy my idle curiosity. Instantly I took a zig-zag,
upward course, rising as swiftly as I could, while from below a savage
war-cry rose plainly to my ears. I saw long, wicked looking rifles
aimed at me. I heard the hiss of projectiles hurtling by me, but,
though the first volley passed close to us, not a bullet struck the
ship. In a moment more I would be out of range and safe and I prayed to
a thousand ancestors to protect me for the few brief minutes that would
be necessary to place me entirely out of harm's way. I thought that
I had made it and was just about to congratulate myself upon my good
luck when I heard the thud of a bullet against the metal of my ship and
almost simultaneously the explosion of the projectile, and then I was
out of range.
Angry cries of disappointment came faintly to my ears as I sped swiftly
toward the southwest, relieved that I had been so fortunate as to be
able to get away without suffering any damage.
I had already flown about seventy karads (_Note: A karad is equivalent
to a degree of longitude_) from Helium, but I was aware that Jahar
might still be fifty to seventy-five karads distant and I made up my
mind that I would take no more chances such as those from which I had
just so fortunately escaped.
I was now moving at great speed again and I had scarcely finished
congratulating myself upon my good fortune when it suddenly became
apparent to me that I was having difficulty in maintaining my altitude.
My flier was losing buoyancy and almost immediately I guessed, what
investigation later revealed, that one of my buoyancy tanks had been
punctured by the explosive bullet of the green warriors.
To reproach myself for my carelessness seemed a useless waste of mental
energy, though I can assure you that I was keenly aware of my fault and
of its possible bearing upon the fate of Sanoma Tora, from the active
prosecution of whose rescue I might now be entirely eliminated. The
results as they affected me did not appall me half so much as did the
contemplation of the unquestioned danger in which Sanoma Tora must be,
from which my determination to rescue her had so obsessed me that there
had not entered into my thoughts any slightest consideration of failure.
The mishap was a severe blow to my hopes and yet it did not shatter
them entirely, for I am so constituted that I know I shall never give
up hope of success in any issue as long as life remains to me.
How much longer my ship would remain afloat it was difficult to say,
and, having no means of making such repairs as would be necessary to
conserve the remaining contents of the punctured buoyancy tank, the
best that I could do was to increase my speed so that I might cover as
much distance as possible before I was forced down. The construction of
my ship was such that at high speed it tended to maintain itself in the
air with a minimum of the Eight Ray in its buoyancy tanks; yet I knew
that the time was not far distant when I should have to make a landing
in this dreary, desolate wasteland.
I had covered something in the neighborhood of two thousand haads
since I had been fired upon above Torquas, crossing what had been a
large gulf when the waters of the ocean rolled over the vast plains
that now lay moss covered and arid beneath me. Far ahead I could see
the outlines of low hills that must have marked the southwestern shore
line of the gulf. Toward the northwest the dead sea bottom extended as
far as the eye could reach, but this was not the direction I wished to
take, and so I sped on toward the hills hoping that I might maintain
sufficient altitude to cross them, but as they swiftly loomed closer
this hope died in my breast and I realized that the end of my flight
was now but a matter of moments. At the same time I discerned the ruins
of a deserted city nestling at the foot of the hills; nor was this an
unwelcome sight since water is almost always to be found in the wells
of these ancient cities, which have been kept in repair by the green
nomads of the wasteland.
By now I was skimming but a few ads above the surface of the ground.
(_Note: An ad is about 9.75 earth feet._) I had greatly diminished my
speed to avoid a serious accident in landing and because of this the
end was hastened so that presently I came gently to rest upon the ocher
vegetation scarcely a haad from the water-front of the deserted city.
III
CORNERED
My landing was most unfortunate in that it left me in plain sight of
the city without any place of concealment in the event that the ruins
happened to be occupied by one of the numerous tribes of green men who
infest the dead sea bottoms of Barsoom, often making their headquarters
in one or another of the deserted cities that line the ancient shore.
The fact that they usually choose to inhabit the largest and most
magnificent of the ancient palaces and that these ordinarily stand back
some little distance from the water-front rendered it quite possible
that even in the event that there were green men in the city I might
reach the concealing safety of one of the nearer buildings before I was
discovered by them.
My flier being now useless, there was nothing to do but abandon it, and
so, with only my weapons, ammunition and a little concentrated rations,
I walked quickly in the direction of the age-old water-front. Whether
or not I reached the buildings unobserved, I was unable to determine,
but at any rate I did reach them without seeing any sign of a living
creature about.
Portions of many of these ancient, deserted cities are inhabited by
the great white apes of Barsoom, which are in many respects more to
be feared than the green warriors themselves, for not only are these
man-like creatures endowed with enormous strength and characterized by
intense ferocity, but they are also voracious man-eaters. So terrible
are they that it is said that they are the only living creatures that
can instill fear within the breasts of the green men of Barsoom.
Knowing the possible dangers that might lurk within the precincts of
this ruin, it may be wondered that I approached it at all, but as
a matter of fact there was no safe alternative. Out upon the dead
monotony of the ocher moss of the sea bottom, I should have been
discovered by the first white ape or green Martian that approached the
city from that direction, or that chanced to come from the interior
of the ruins to the water-front. It was, therefore, necessary for me
to seek concealment until night had fallen, since only by night might
I travel in safety across the sea bottom, and, as the city offered
the only concealment nearby, I had no choice but to enter it. I can
assure you that it was not without feelings of extreme concern that
I clambered to the surface of the broad avenue that once skirted the
shore of a busy harbor. Across its wide expanse rose the ruins of what
once had been shops and warehouses, but whose eyeless windows now
looked down upon a scene of arid desolation. Gone were the great ships!
Gone the busy, hurrying throngs! Gone the ocean!
Crossing the avenue I entered one of the taller buildings, which I
noticed was surmounted by a high tower. The entire structure, including
the tower, seemed to be in an excellent state of preservation and it
occurred to me that if I could ascend into the latter, I should be able
to obtain an excellent view of the city and of the country that lay
beyond it to the southwest, which was the direction in which I intended
to pursue my search for Jahar. I reached the building apparently
unobserved, and, entering, found myself in a large chamber, the nature
and purpose of which it was no longer possible to determine, since such
decorations as may possibly have adorned its walls in the past were
no longer discernible and whatever furniture it may have contained to
give a clue to its identity had long since been removed. There was an
enormous fireplace in the far end of the room and at one side of this
fireplace a ramp led downward, and upon the other a similar ramp led
upward.
Listening intently for a moment I heard no sound, either within or
without the building, so that it was with considerable confidence that
I started to ascend the ramp.
Upward I continued from floor to floor, each of which consisted of
a single large chamber, a fact which finally convinced me that the
building had been a warehouse for the storing of goods passing through
this ancient port.
From the upper floor a wooden ladder extended upward through the
center of the tower above. It was of solid skeel, which is practically
indestructible, so that though I knew it might be anywhere from five
hundred thousand to a million years old, I did not hesitate to trust
myself to it.
The circular interior core of the tower, upward through which the
ladder extended, was rather dark. At each landing there was an opening
into the tower chamber at that point, but as many of these openings
were closed only a subdued light penetrated to the central core.
I had ascended to the second level of the tower when I thought that I
heard a strange noise beneath me.
Just the suggestion of a noise it was, but such utter silence had
reigned over the deserted city that the faintest sound must have been
appreciable to me.
Pausing in my ascent, I looked down, listening; but the sound which I
had been unable to translate was not repeated, and I continued my way
on upward.
Having it in my mind to climb as high up in the tower as possible, I
did not stop to examine any of the levels that I passed.
Continuing upward for a considerable distance my progress was finally
blocked by heavy planking that appeared to form the ceiling of the
shaft. Some eight or ten feet below me was a small door that probably
led to one of the upper levels of the tower and I could not but wonder
why the ladder had been continued on upward above this doorway, since
it could serve no practical purpose if it merely ended at the ceiling.
Feeling above me with my fingers I traced the outlines of what appeared
to be a trap door. Obtaining a firm footing upon the ladder as high
up as I could climb, I placed a shoulder against the barrier. In this
position I was able to exert considerable pressure upward with the
result that presently I felt the planking rise above me and a moment
later, to the accompaniment of subdued groans, the trap door swung
upward upon ancient wooden hinges long unused. Clambering into the
apartment above I found myself upon the top level of the tower, which
rose to a height of some two hundred feet above the avenue below.
Before me were the corroded remains of an ancient and long obsolete
beacon-light, such as were used by the ancients long before the
discovery of radium and its practical and scientific application to
the lighting requirements of modern civilization upon Barsoom. These
ancient lamps were operated by expensive machines which generated
electricity, and this one was doubtless used as a beacon for the safe
guidance of ancient mariners into the harbor, whose waters once rolled
almost to the foot of the tower.
This upper level of the tower afforded an excellent view in all
directions. To the north and northeast stretched a vast expanse of dead
sea bottom as far as the eye could reach. To the south was a range of
low hills that curved gently in a northeasterly direction, forming in
by-gone days the southern shore line of what is still known as the Gulf
of Torquas. Toward the west I looked out over the ruins of a great
city, which extended far back into low hills, the flanks of which it
had mounted as it expanded from the sea shore. There in the distance
I could still discern the ancient villas of the wealthy, while in the
nearer foreground were enormous public buildings, the most pretentious
of which were built upon the four sides of a large quadrangle that
I could easily discern a short distance from the water-front. Here,
doubtless, stood the official palace of the jeddak who once ruled the
rich country of which this city was the capital and the principal port.
There, now, only silence reigns. It was indeed a depressing sight and
one fraught with poignant prophecy for us of present day Barsoom.
Where they battled valiantly but futilely against the menace of a
constantly diminishing water supply, we are faced with a problem
that far transcends theirs in the importance of its bearing upon the
maintenance of life upon our planet. During the past several thousand
years only the courage, resourcefulness and wealth of the red men of
Barsoom have made it possible for life to exist upon our dying planet,
for were it not for the great atmosphere plants conceived and built
and maintained by the red race of Barsoom, all forms of air breathing
creatures would have become extinct thousands of years ago.
As I gazed out over the city, my mind occupied with these dismal
thoughts, I again became aware of a sound coming from the interior of
the tower beneath me, and, stepping to the open trap, I looked down
into the shaft and there, directly below me, I saw that which might
well make the stoutest Barsoomian heart quail--the hideous, snarling
face of a great white ape of Barsoom.
As our eyes met the creature voiced an angry growl and, abandoning
its former stealthy approach, rushed swiftly up the ladder. Acting
almost mechanically I did the one and only thing that might even
temporarily stay its rush upon me--I slammed down the heavy trap door
above its head, and as I did so I saw for the first time that the door
was equipped with a heavy wooden bar, and you may well believe that I
lost no time in securing this, thus effectually barring the creature's
ascent by this route into the veritable _cul de sac_ in which I had
placed myself.
Now, indeed, was I in a pretty predicament--two hundred feet above the
city with my only avenue of escape cut off by one of the most feared of
all the savage beasts of Barsoom.
I had hunted these creatures in Thark as a guest of the great green
Jeddak, Tars Tarkas, and I knew something of their cunning and
resourcefulness as well as of their ferocity. Extremely man-like in
conformation, they also approach man more closely than any other of the
lower orders in the size and development of their brain. Occasionally
these creatures are captured when young and trained to perform, and
so intelligent are they that they can be taught to do almost anything
that man can do that lies within the range of their limited reasoning
capacity. Man has, however, never been able to subdue their ferocious
nature and they are always the most dangerous of animals to handle,
which probably accounts more even than their intelligence for the
interest displayed by the large audiences which they unfailingly
attract.