THE silence of the tomb lay heavy about him as O-Tar, Jeddak ofManator, opened his eyes in the chamber of O-Mai. Recollection ofthe frightful apparition that had confronted him swept to hisconsciousness. He listened, but heard naught. Within the range ofhis vision there was nothing apparent that might cause alarm.Slowly he lifted his head and looked about. Upon the floor besidethe couch lay the thing that had at first attracted his attentionand his eyes closed in terror as he recognized it for what itwas; but it moved not, nor spoke. O-Tar opened his eyes again androse to his feet. He was trembling in every limb. There wasnothing on the dais from which he had seen the thing arise.

O-Tar backed slowly from the room. At last he gained the outercorridor. It was empty. He did not know that it had emptiedrapidly as the loud scream with which his own had mingled hadbroken upon the startled ears of the warriors who had been sentto spy upon him. He looked at the timepiece set in a massivebracelet upon his left forearm. The ninth zode was nearly halfgone. O-Tar had lain for an hour unconscious. He had spent anhour in the chamber of O-Mai and he was not dead! He had lookedupon the face of his predecessor and was still sane! He shookhimself and smiled. Rapidly he subdued his rebelliously shakingnerves, so that by the time he reached the tenanted portion ofthe palace he had gained control of himself. He walked with chinhigh and something of a swagger. To the banquet hall he went,knowing that his chiefs awaited him there and as he entered theyarose and upon the faces of many were incredulity and amaze, forthey had not thought to see O-Tar the jeddak again after what thespies had told them of the horrid sounds issuing from the chamberof O-Mai. Thankful was O-Tar that he had gone alone to thatchamber of fright, for now no one could deny the tale that heshould tell.

E-Thas rushed forward to greet him, for E-Thas had seen blacklooks directed toward him as the tals slipped by and hisbenefactor failed to return.

"O brave and glorious jeddak!" cried the major-domo. "We rejoiceat your safe return and beg of you the story of your adventure."

"It was naught," exclaimed O-Tar. "I searched the chamberscarefully and waited in hiding for the return of the slave,Turan, if he were temporarily away; but he came not. He is notthere and I doubt if he ever goes there. Few men would choose toremain long in such a dismal place."

"You were not attacked?" asked E-Thas. "You heard no screams, normoans?"

"I heard hideous noises and saw phantom figures; but they fledbefore me so that never could I lay hold of one, and I lookedupon the face of O-Mai and I am not mad. I even rested in thechamber beside his corpse."

In a far corner of the room a bent and wrinkled old man hid asmile behind a golden goblet of strong brew.

"Come! Let us drink!" cried O-Tar and reached for the dagger, thepommel of which he was accustomed to use to strike the gong whichsummoned slaves, but the dagger was not in its scabbard. O-Tarwas puzzled. He knew that it had been there just before heentered the chamber of O-Mai, for he had carefully felt of allhis weapons to make sure that none was missing. He seized insteada table utensil and struck the gong, and when the slaves camebade them bring the strongest brew for O-Tar and his chiefs.Before the dawn broke many were the expressions of admirationbellowed from drunken lips--admiration for the courage of theirjeddak; but some there were who still looked glum.

Came at last the day that O-Tar would take the Princess Tara ofHelium to wife. For hours slaves prepared the unwilling bride.Seven perfumed baths occupied three long and weary hours, thenher whole body was anointed with the oil of pimalia blossoms andmassaged by the deft fingers of a slave from distant Dusar. Herharness, all new and wrought for the occasion was of the whitehide of the great white apes of Barsoom, hung heavily withplatinum and diamonds--fairly encrusted with them. The glossymass of her jet hair had been built into a coiffure of statelyand becoming grandeur, into which diamond-headed pins were stuckuntil the whole scintillated as the stars in heaven upon amoonless night.

But it was a sullen and defiant bride that they led from the hightower toward the throne room of O-Tar. The corridors were filledwith slaves and warriors, and the women of the palace and thecity who had been commanded to attend the ceremony. All the powerand pride, wealth and beauty of Manator were there.

Slowly Tara, surrounded by a heavy guard of honor, moved alongthe marble corridors filled with people. At the entrance to TheHall of Chiefs E-Thas, the major-domo, received her. The Hall wasempty except for its ranks of dead chieftains upon their deadmounts. Through this long chamber E-Thas escorted her to thethrone room which also was empty, the marriage ceremony inManator differing from that of other countries of Barsoom. Herethe bride would await the groom at the foot of the steps leadingto the throne. The guests followed her in and took their places,leaving the central aisle from The Hall of Chiefs to the throneclear, for up this O-Tar would approach his bride alone after ashort solitary communion with the dead behind closed doors in TheHall of Chiefs. It was the custom.

The guests had all filed through The Hall of Chiefs; the doors atboth ends had been closed. Presently those at the lower end ofthe hall opened and O-Tar entered. His black harness wasornamented with rubies and gold; his face was covered by agrotesque mask of the precious metal in which two enormous rubieswere set for eyes, though below them were narrow slits throughwhich the wearer could see. His crown was a fillet supportingcarved feathers of the same metal as the mask. To the leastdetail his regalia was that demanded of a royal bridegroom by thecustoms of Manator, and now in accordance with that same customhe came alone to The Hall of Chiefs to receive the blessings andthe council of the great ones of Manator who had preceded him.

As the doors at the lower end of the Hall closed behind him O-Tarthe Jeddak stood alone with the great dead. By the dictates ofages no mortal eye might look upon the scene enacted within thatsacred chamber. As the mighty of Manator respected the traditionsof Manator, let us, too, respect those traditions of a proud andsensitive people. Of what concern to us the happenings in thatsolemn chamber of the dead?

Five minutes passed. The bride stood silently at the foot of thethrone. The guests spoke together in low whispers until the roomwas filled with the hum of many voices. At length the doorsleading into The Hall of Chiefs swung open, and the resplendentbridegroom stood framed for a moment in the massive opening. Ahush fell upon the wedding guests. With measured and impressivestep the groom approached the bride. Tara felt the muscles of herheart contract with the apprehension that had been growing uponher as the coils of Fate settled more closely about her and nosign came from Turan. Where was he? What, indeed, could heaccomplish now to save her? Surrounded by the power of O-Tar withnever a friend among them, her position seemed at last withoutvestige of hope.

"I still live!" she whispered inwardly in a last brave attempt tocombat the terrible hopelessness that was overwhelming her, buther fingers stole for reassurance to the slim blade that she hadmanaged to transfer, undetected, from her old harness to the new.And now the groom was at her side and taking her hand was leadingher up the steps to the throne, before which they halted andstood facing the gathering below. Came then, from the back of theroom a procession headed by the high dignitary whose office itwas to make these two man and wife, and directly behind him arichly-clad youth bearing a silken pillow on which lay the goldenhandcuffs connected by a short length of chain-of-gold with whichthe ceremony would be concluded when the dignitary clasped ahandcuff about the wrist of each symbolizing their indissolubleunion in the holy bonds of wedlock.

Would Turan's promised succor come too late? Tara listened to thelong, monotonous intonation of the wedding service. She heard thevirtues of O-Tar extolled and the beauties of the bride. Themoment was approaching and still no sign of Turan. But what couldhe accomplish should he succeed in reaching the throne room,other than to die with her? There could be no hope of rescue.

The dignitary lifted the golden handcuffs from the pillow uponwhich they reposed. He blessed them and reached for Tara's wrist.The time had come! The thing could go no further, for alive ordead, by all the laws of Barsoom she would be the wife of O-Tarof Manator the instant the two were locked together. Even shouldrescue come then or later she could never dissolve those bondsand Turan would be lost to her as surely as though deathseparated them.

Her hand stole toward the hidden blade, but instantly the hand ofthe groom shot out and seized her wrist. He had guessed herintention. Through the slits in the grotesque mask she could seehis eyes upon her and she guessed the sardonic smile that themask hid. For a tense moment the two stood thus. The people belowthem kept breathless silence for the play before the throne hadnot passed un-noticed.

Dramatic as was the moment it was suddenly rendered trebly so bythe noisy opening of the doors leading to The Hall of Chiefs. Alleyes turned in the direction of the interruption to see anotherfigure framed in the massive opening--a half-clad figure bucklingthe half-adjusted harness hurriedly in place--the figure ofO-Tar, Jeddak of Manator.

"Stop!" he screamed, springing forward along the aisle toward thethrone. "Seize the impostor!"

All eyes shot to the figure of the groom before the throne. Theysaw him raise his hand and snatch off the golden mask, and Taraof Helium in wide-eyed incredulity looked up into the face ofTuran the panthan.

"Turan the slave," they cried then. "Death to him! Death to him!"

"Wait!" shouted Turan, drawing his sword, as a dozen warriorsleaped forward.

"Wait!" screamed another voice, old and cracked, as I-Gos, theancient taxidermist, sprang from among the guests and reached thethrone steps ahead of the foremost warriors.

At sight of the old man the warriors paused, for age is held ingreat veneration among the peoples of Barsoom, as is true,perhaps, of all peoples whose religion is based to any extentupon ancestor worship. But O-Tar gave no heed to him, leapinginstead swiftly toward the throne. "Stop, coward!" cried I-Gos.

The people looked at the little old man in amazement. "Men ofManator," he cackled in his thin, shrill voice, "wouldst be ruledby a coward and a liar?"

"Down with him!" shouted O-Tar.

"Not until I have spoken," retorted I-Gos. "It is my right. If Ifail my life is forfeit--that you all know and I know. I demandtherefore to be heard. It is my right!"

"It is his right," echoed the voices of a score of warriors invarious parts of the chamber.

"That O-Tar is a coward and a liar I can prove," continued I-Gos."He said that he faced bravely the horrors of the chamber ofO-Mai and saw nothing of the slave Turan. I was there, hidingbehind the hangings, and I saw all that transpired. Turan hadbeen hiding in the chamber and was even then lying upon the couchof O-Mai when O-Tar, trembling with fear, entered the room.Turan, disturbed, arose to a sitting position at the same timevoicing a piercing shriek. O-Tar screamed and swooned."

"It is a lie!" cried O-Tar.

"It is not a lie and I can prove it," retorted I-Gos. "Didstnotice the night that he returned from the chambers of O-Mai andwas boasting of his exploit, that when he would summon slaves tobring wine he reached for his dagger to strike the gong with itspommel as is always his custom? Didst note that, any of you? Andthat he had no dagger? O-Tar, where is the dagger that youcarried into the chamber of O-Mai? You do not know; but I know.While you lay in the swoon of terror I took it from your harnessand hid it among the sleeping silks upon the couch of O-Mai.There it is even now, and if any doubt it let them go thither andthere they will find it and know the cowardice of their jeddak."

"But what of this impostor?" demanded one. "Shall he stand withimpunity upon the throne of Manator whilst we squabble about ourruler?"

"It is through his bravery that you have learned the cowardice ofO-Tar," replied I-Gos, "and through him you will be given agreater jeddak."

"We will choose our own jeddak. Seize and slay the slave!" Therewere cries of approval from all parts of the room. Gahan waslistening intently, as though for some hoped-for sound. He sawthe warriors approaching the dais, where he now stood with drawnsword and with one arm about Tara of Helium. He wondered if hisplans had miscarried after all. If they had it would mean deathfor him, and he knew that Tara would take her life if he fell.Had he, then, served her so futilely after all his efforts?

Several warriors were urging the necessity for sending at once tothe chamber of O-Mai to search for the dagger that would prove,if found, the cowardice of O-Tar. At last three consented to go."You need not fear," I-Gos assured them. "There is naught thereto harm you. I have been there often of late and Turan the slavehas slept there for these many nights. The screams and moans thatfrightened you and O-Tar were voiced by Turan to drive you awayfrom his hiding place." Shamefacedly the three left the apartmentto search for O-Tar's dagger.

And now the others turned their attention once more to Gahan.They approached the throne with bared swords, but they cameslowly for they had seen this slave upon the Field of Jetan andthey knew the prowess of his arm. They had reached the foot ofthe steps when from far above there sounded a deep boom, andanother, and another, and Turan smiled and breathed a sigh ofrelief. Perhaps, after all, it had not come too late. Thewarriors stopped and listened as did the others in the chamber.Now there broke upon their ears a loud rattle of musketry and itall came from above as though men were fighting upon the roofs ofthe palace.

"What is it?" they demanded, one of the other.

"A great storm has broken over Manator," said one.

"Mind not the storm until you have slain the creature who daresstand upon the throne of your jeddak," demanded O-Tar. "Seizehim!"

Even as he ceased speaking the arras behind the throne parted anda warrior stepped forth upon the dais. An exclamation of surpriseand dismay broke from the lips of the warriors of O-Tar."U-Thor!" they cried. "What treason is this?"

"It is no treason," said U-Thor in his deep voice. "I bring you anew jeddak for all of Manator. No lying poltroon, but acourageous man whom you all love."

He stepped aside then and another emerged from the corridorhidden by the arras. It was A-Kor, and at sight of him there roseexclamations of surprise, of pleasure, and of anger, as thevarious factions recognized the coup d'etat that had beenarranged so cunningly. Behind A-Kor came other warriors until thedais was crowded with them--all men of Manator from the city ofManatos.

O-Tar was exhorting his warriors to attack, when a bloody anddisheveled padwar burst into the chamber through a side entrance."The city has fallen!" he cried aloud. "The hordes of Manatospour through The Gate of Enemies. The slaves from Gathol havearisen and destroyed the palace guards. Great ships are landingwarriors upon the palace roof and in the Fields of Jetan. The menof Helium and Gathol are marching through Manator. They cry aloudfor the Princess of Helium and swear to leave Manator a blazingfuneral pyre consuming the bodies of all our people. The skiesare black with ships. They come in great processions from theeast and from the south."

And then once more the doors from The Hall of Chiefs swung wideand the men of Manator turned to see another figure standing uponthe threshold--a mighty figure of a man with white skin, andblack hair, and gray eyes that glittered now like points of steeland behind him The Hall of Chiefs was filled with fighting menwearing the harness of far countries. Tara of Helium saw him andher heart leaped in exultation, for it was John Carter, Warlordof Barsoom, come at the head of a victorious host to the rescueof his daughter, and at his side was Djor Kantos to whom she hadbeen betrothed.

The Warlord eyed the assemblage for a moment before he spoke."Lay down your arms, men of Manator," he said. "I see my daughterand that she lives, and if no harm has befallen her no blood needbe shed. Your city is filled with the fighting men of U-Thor, andthose from Gathol and from Helium. The palace is in the hands ofthe slaves from Gathol, beside a thousand of my own warriors whofill the halls and chambers surrounding this room. The fate ofyour jeddak lies in your own hands. I have no wish to interfere.I come only for my daughter and to free the slaves from Gathol. Ihave spoken!" and without waiting for a reply and as though theroom had been filled with his own people rather than a hostileband he strode up the broad main aisle toward Tara of Helium.

The chiefs of Manator were stunned. They looked to O-Tar; but hecould only gaze helplessly about him as the enemy entered fromThe Hall of Chiefs and circled the throne room until they hadsurrounded the entire company. And then a dwar of the army ofHelium entered.

"We have captured three chiefs," he reported to The Warlord, "whobeg that they be permitted to enter the throne room and report totheir fellows some matter which they say will decide the fate ofManator."

"Fetch them," ordered The Warlord.

They came, heavily guarded, to the foot of the steps leading tothe throne and there they stopped and the leader turned towardthe others of Manator and raising high his right hand displayed ajeweled dagger. "We found it," he said, "even where I-Gos saidthat we would find it," and he looked menacingly upon O-Tar.

"A-Kor, jeddak of Manator!" cried a voice, and the cry was takenup by a hundred hoarse-throated warriors.

"There can be but one jeddak in Manator," said the chief who heldthe dagger; his eyes still fixed upon the hapless O-Tar hecrossed to where the latter stood and holding the dagger upon anoutstretched palm proffered it to the discredited ruler. "Therecan be but one jeddak in Manator," he repeated meaningly.

O-Tar took the proffered blade and drawing himself to his fullheight plunged it to the guard into his breast, in that singleact redeeming himself in the esteem of his people and winning aneternal place in The Hall of Chiefs.

As he fell all was silence in the great room, to be brokenpresently by the voice of U-Thor. "O-Tar is dead!" he cried. "LetA-Kor rule until the chiefs of all Manator may be summoned tochoose a new jeddak. What is your answer?"

"Let A-Kor rule! A-Kor, Jeddak of Manator!" The cries filled theroom and there was no dissenting voice.

A-Kor raised his sword for silence. "It is the will of A-Kor," hesaid, "and that of the Great Jed of Manatos, and the commander ofthe fleet from Gathol, and of the illustrious John Carter,Warlord of Barsoom, that peace lie upon the city of Manator andso I decree that the men of Manator go forth and welcome thefighting men of these our allies as guests and friends and showthem the wonders of our ancient city and the hospitality ofManator. I have spoken." And U-Thor and John Carter dismissedtheir warriors and bade them accept the hospitality of Manator.As the room emptied Djor Kantos reached the side of Tara ofHelium. The girl's happiness at rescue had been blighted by sightof this man whom her virtuous heart told her she had wronged. Shedreaded the ordeal that lay before her and the dishonor that shemust admit before she could hope to be freed from theunderstanding that had for long existed between them. And nowDjor Kantos approached and kneeling raised her fingers to hislips.

"Beautiful daughter of Helium," he said, "how may I tell you thething that I must tell you--of the dishonor that I have allunwittingly done you? I can but throw myself upon your generosityfor forgiveness; but if you demand it I can receive the dagger ashonorably as did O-Tar."

"What do you mean?" asked Tara of Helium. "What are you talkingabout--why speak thus in riddles to one whose heart is alreadybreaking?"

Her heart already breaking! The outlook was anything butpromising, and the young padwar wished that he had died beforeever he had had to speak the words he now must speak.

"Tara of Helium," he continued, "we all thought you dead. For along year have you been gone from Helium. I mourned you truly andthen, less than a moon since, I wed with Olvia Marthis." Hestopped and looked at her with eyes that might have said: "Now,strike me dead!"

"Oh, foolish man!" cried Tara. "Nothing you could have done couldhave pleased me more. Djor Kantos, I could kiss you!"

"I do not think that Olvia Marthis would mind," he said, his facenow wreathed with smiles. As they spoke a body of men had enteredthe throne room and approached the dais. They were tall mentrapped in plain harness, absolutely without ornamentation. Justas their leader reached the dais Tara had turned to Gahan,motioning him to join them.

"Djor Kantos," she said, "I bring you Turan the panthan, whoseloyalty and bravery have won my love."

John Carter and the leader of the new come warriors, who werestanding near, looked quickly at the little group. The formersmiled an inscrutable smile, the latter addressed the Princess ofHelium. "'Turan the panthan!'" he cried. "Know you not, fairdaughter of Helium, that this man you call panthan is Gahan, Jedof Gathol?"

For just a moment Tara of Helium looked her surprise; and thenshe shrugged her beautiful shoulders as she turned her head tocast her eyes over one of them at Gahan of Gathol.

"Jed or panthan," she said; "what difference does it make whatone's slave has been?" and she laughed roguishly into the smilingface of her lover.

His story finished, John Carter rose from the chair opposite me,stretching his giant frame like some great forest-bred lion.

"You must go?" I cried, for I hated to see him leave and itseemed that he had been with me but a moment.

"The sky is already red beyond those beautiful hills of yours,"he replied, "and it will soon be day."

"Just one question before you go," I begged.

"Well?" he assented, good-naturedly.

"How was Gahan able to enter the throne room garbed in O-Tar'strappings?" I asked.

"It was simple--for Gahan of Gathol," replied The Warlord. "Withthe assistance of I-Gos he crept into The Hall of Chiefs beforethe ceremony, while the throne room and Hall of Chiefs werevacated to receive the bride. He came from the pits through thecorridor that opened behind the arras at the rear of the throne,and passing into The Hall of Chiefs took his place upon the backof a riderless thoat, whose warrior was in I-Gos' repair room.When O-Tar entered and came near him Gahan fell upon him andstruck him with the butt of a heavy spear. He thought that he hadkilled him and was surprised when O-Tar appeared to denouncehim."

"And Ghek? What became of Ghek?" I insisted.

"After leading Val Dor and Floran to Tara's disabled flier whichthey repaired, he accompanied them to Gathol from where a messagewas sent to me in Helium. He then led a large party includingA-Kor and U-Thor from the roof, where our ships landed them, downa spiral runway into the palace and guided them to the throneroom. We took him back to Helium with us, where he still lives,with his single rykor which we found all but starved to death inthe pits of Manator. But come! No more questions now."

I accompanied him to the east arcade where the red dawn wasglowing beyond the arches.

"Good-bye!" he said.

"I can scarce believe that it is really you," I exclaimed."Tomorrow I will be sure that I have dreamed all this."

He laughed and drawing his sword scratched a rude cross upon theconcrete of one of the arches.

"If you are in doubt tomorrow," he said, "come and see if youdreamed this."

A moment later he was gone.

JETAN, OR MARTIAN CHESS

FOR those who care for such things, and would like to try thegame, I give the rules of Jetan as they were given me by JohnCarter. By writing the names and moves of the various pieces onbits of paper and pasting them on ordinary checkermen the gamemay be played quite as well as with the ornate pieces used uponMars.

THE BOARD: Square board consisting of one hundred alternate blackand orange squares.

THE PIECES: In order, as they stand upon the board in the firstrow, from left to right of each player.

Warrior: 2 feathers; 2 spaces straight in any direction orcombination.

Padwar: 2 feathers; 2 spaces diagonal in any direction orcombination.

Dwar: 3 feathers; 3 spaces straight in any direction orcombination.

Flier: 3 bladed propellor; 3 spaces diagonal in any direction orcombination; and may jump intervening pieces.

Chief: Diadem with ten jewels; 3 spaces in any direction;straight or diagonal or combination.

Princess: Diadem with one jewel; same as Chief, except may jumpintervening pieces.

Flier: See above.

Dwar: See above.

Padwar: See above.

Warrior: See above.

And in the second row from left to right:

Thoat: Mounted warrior 2 feathers; 2 spaces, one straight and onediagonal in any direction.

Panthans: (8 of them): 1 feather; 1 space, forward, side, ordiagonal, but not backward.

Thoat: See above.

The game is played with twenty black pieces by one player andtwenty orange by his opponent, and is presumed to have originallyrepresented a battle between the Black race of the south and theYellow race of the north. On Mars the board is usually arrangedso that the Black pieces are played from the south and the Orangefrom the north.

The game is won when any piece is placed on same square withopponent's Princess, or a Chief takes a Chief.

The game is drawn when either Chief is taken by a piece otherthan the opposing Chief, or when both sides are reduced to threepieces, or less, of equal value and the game is not won in theensuing ten moves, five apiece.

The Princess may not move onto a threatened square, nor may shetake an opposing piece. She is entitled to one ten-space move atany time during the game. This move is called the escape.

Two pieces may not occupy the same square except in the finalmove of a game where the Princess is taken.

When a player, moving properly and in order, places one of hispieces upon a square occupied by an opponent piece, the opponentpiece is considered to have been killed and is removed from thegame.

The moves explained. Straight moves mean due north, south, east,or west; diagonal moves mean northeast, southeast, southwest, ornorthwest. A Dwar might move straight north three spaces, ornorth one space and east two spaces, or any similar combinationof straight moves, so long as he did not cross the same squaretwice in a single move. This example explains combination moves.

The first move may be decided in any way that is agreeable toboth players; after the first game the winner of the precedinggame moves first if he chooses, or may instruct his opponent tomake the first move.

Gambling: The Martians gamble at Jetan in several ways. Of coursethe outcome of the game indicates to whom the main stake belongs;but they also put a price upon the head of each piece, accordingto its value, and for each piece that a player loses he pays itsvalue to his opponent.

End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Chessmen of Mars by Burroughs