The Chessmen of Mars | Page 9

for a long time by a window looking out beyond the scarlet tower of Greater
Helium toward the northwest.
Presently she turned angrily away. "I hate him!" she exclaimed aloud.
"Whom?" inquired the privileged Uthia.
Tara of Helium stamped her foot. "That ill-mannered boor, the Jed of Gathol," she
replied.
Uthia raised her slim brows.
At the stamping of the little foot, a great beast rose from the corner of the room and
crossed to Tara of Helium where it stood looking up into her face. She placed her hand
upon the ugly head. "Dear old Woola," she said; "no love could be deeper than yours, yet
it never offends. Would that men might pattern themselves after you!"

CHAPTER II
AT THE GALE'S MERCY
TARA of Helium did not return to her father's guests, but awaited in her own apartments
the word from Djor Kantos which she knew must come, begging her to return to the
gardens. She would then refuse, haughtily. But no appeal came from Djor Kantos. At first
Tara of Helium was angry, then she was hurt, and always she was puzzled. She could not
understand. Occasionally she thought of the Jed of Gathol and then she would stamp her
foot, for she was very angry indeed with Gahan. The presumption of the man! He had

insinuated that he read love for him in her eyes. Never had she been so insulted and
humiliated. Never had she so thoroughly hated a man. Suddenly she turned toward Uthia.
"My flying leather!" she commanded.
"But the guests!" exclaimed the slave girl. "Your father, The Warlord, will expect you to
return."
"He will be disappointed," snapped Tara of Helium.
The slave hesitated. "He does not approve of your flying alone," she reminded her
mistress.
The young princess sprang to her feet and seized the unhappy slave by the shoulders,
shaking her. "You are becoming unbearable, Uthia," she cried. "Soon there will be no
alternative than to send you to the public slave-market. Then possibly you will find a
master to your liking."
Tears came to the soft eyes of the slave girl. "It is because I love you, my princess," she
said softly. Tara of Helium melted. She took the slave in her arms and kissed her.
"I have the disposition of a thoat, Uthia," she said. "Forgive me! I love you and there is
nothing that I would not do for you and nothing would I do to harm you. Again, as I have
so often in the past, I offer you your freedom."
"I do not wish my freedom if it will separate me from you, Tara of Helium," replied
Uthia. "I am happy here with you--I think that I should die without you."
Again the girls kissed. "And you will not fly alone, then?" questioned the slave.
Tara of Helium laughed and pinched her companion. "You persistent little pest," she
cried. "Of course I shall fly--does not Tara of Helium always do that which pleases her?"
Uthia shook her head sorrowfully. "Alas! she does," she admitted. "Iron is the Warlord of
Barsoom to the influences of all but two. In the hands of Dejah Thoris and Tara of
Helium he is as potters' clay."
"Then run and fetch my flying leather like the sweet slave you are," directed the mistress.
Far out across the ochre sea-bottoms beyond the twin cities of Helium raced the swift
flier of Tara of Helium. Thrilling to the speed and the buoyancy and the obedience of the
little craft the girl drove toward the northwest. Why she should choose that direction she
did not pause to consider. Perhaps because in that direction lay the least known areas of
Barsoom, and, ergo, Romance, Mystery, and Adventure. In that direction also lay far
Gathol; but to that fact she gave no conscious thought.
She did, however, think occasionally of the jed of that distant kingdom, but the reaction
to these thoughts was scarcely pleasurable. They still brought a flush of shame to her

cheeks and a surge of angry blood to her heart. She was very angry with the Jed of Gathol,
and though she should never see him again she was quite sure that hate of him would
remain fresh in her memory forever. Mostly her thoughts revolved about another--Djor
Kantos. And when she thought of him she thought also of Olvia Marthis of Hastor. Tara
of Helium thought that she was jealous of the fair Olvia and it made her very angry to
think that. She was angry with Djor Kantos and herself, but she was not angry at all with
Olvia Marthis, whom she loved, and so of course she was not jealous really. The trouble
was, that Tara of Helium had failed for once to have her own way. Djor Kantos