An Air Scout For Zodanga

: A Princess Of Mars

As I proceeded on my journey toward Zodanga many strange and

interesting sights arrested my attention, and at the several farm

houses where I stopped I learned a number of new and instructive things

concerning the methods and manners of Barsoom.



The water which supplies the farms of Mars is collected in immense

underground reservoirs at either pole from the melting ice caps, and

pumped through long condui s to the various populated centers. Along

either side of these conduits, and extending their entire length, lie

the cultivated districts. These are divided into tracts of about the

same size, each tract being under the supervision of one or more

government officers.



Instead of flooding the surface of the fields, and thus wasting immense

quantities of water by evaporation, the precious liquid is carried

underground through a vast network of small pipes directly to the roots

of the vegetation. The crops upon Mars are always uniform, for there

are no droughts, no rains, no high winds, and no insects, or destroying

birds.



On this trip I tasted the first meat I had eaten since leaving

Earth--large, juicy steaks and chops from the well-fed domestic animals

of the farms. Also I enjoyed luscious fruits and vegetables, but not a

single article of food which was exactly similar to anything on Earth.

Every plant and flower and vegetable and animal has been so refined by

ages of careful, scientific cultivation and breeding that the like of

them on Earth dwindled into pale, gray, characterless nothingness by

comparison.



At a second stop I met some highly cultivated people of the noble class

and while in conversation we chanced to speak of Helium. One of the

older men had been there on a diplomatic mission several years before

and spoke with regret of the conditions which seemed destined ever to

keep these two countries at war.



"Helium," he said, "rightly boasts the most beautiful women of Barsoom,

and of all her treasures the wondrous daughter of Mors Kajak, Dejah

Thoris, is the most exquisite flower.



"Why," he added, "the people really worship the ground she walks upon

and since her loss on that ill-starred expedition all Helium has been

draped in mourning.



"That our ruler should have attacked the disabled fleet as it was

returning to Helium was but another of his awful blunders which I fear

will sooner or later compel Zodanga to elevate a wiser man to his

place."



"Even now, though our victorious armies are surrounding Helium, the

people of Zodanga are voicing their displeasure, for the war is not a

popular one, since it is not based on right or justice. Our forces

took advantage of the absence of the principal fleet of Helium on their

search for the princess, and so we have been able easily to reduce the

city to a sorry plight. It is said she will fall within the next few

passages of the further moon."



"And what, think you, may have been the fate of the princess, Dejah

Thoris?" I asked as casually as possible.



"She is dead," he answered. "This much was learned from a green

warrior recently captured by our forces in the south. She escaped from

the hordes of Thark with a strange creature of another world, only to

fall into the hands of the Warhoons. Their thoats were found wandering

upon the sea bottom and evidences of a bloody conflict were discovered

nearby."



While this information was in no way reassuring, neither was it at all

conclusive proof of the death of Dejah Thoris, and so I determined to

make every effort possible to reach Helium as quickly as I could and

carry to Tardos Mors such news of his granddaughter's possible

whereabouts as lay in my power.



Ten days after leaving the three Ptor brothers I arrived at Zodanga.

From the moment that I had come in contact with the red inhabitants of

Mars I had noticed that Woola drew a great amount of unwelcome

attention to me, since the huge brute belonged to a species which is

never domesticated by the red men. Were one to stroll down Broadway

with a Numidian lion at his heels the effect would be somewhat similar

to that which I should have produced had I entered Zodanga with Woola.



The very thought of parting with the faithful fellow caused me so great

regret and genuine sorrow that I put it off until just before we

arrived at the city's gates; but then, finally, it became imperative

that we separate. Had nothing further than my own safety or pleasure

been at stake no argument could have prevailed upon me to turn away the

one creature upon Barsoom that had never failed in a demonstration of

affection and loyalty; but as I would willingly have offered my life in

the service of her in search of whom I was about to challenge the

unknown dangers of this, to me, mysterious city, I could not permit

even Woola's life to threaten the success of my venture, much less his

momentary happiness, for I doubted not he soon would forget me. And so

I bade the poor beast an affectionate farewell, promising him, however,

that if I came through my adventure in safety that in some way I should

find the means to search him out.



He seemed to understand me fully, and when I pointed back in the

direction of Thark he turned sorrowfully away, nor could I bear to

watch him go; but resolutely set my face toward Zodanga and with a

touch of heartsickness approached her frowning walls.



The letter I bore from them gained me immediate entrance to the vast,

walled city. It was still very early in the morning and the streets

were practically deserted. The residences, raised high upon their

metal columns, resembled huge rookeries, while the uprights themselves

presented the appearance of steel tree trunks. The shops as a rule

were not raised from the ground nor were their doors bolted or barred,

since thievery is practically unknown upon Barsoom. Assassination is

the ever-present fear of all Barsoomians, and for this reason alone

their homes are raised high above the ground at night, or in times of

danger.



The Ptor brothers had given me explicit directions for reaching the

point of the city where I could find living accommodations and be near

the offices of the government agents to whom they had given me letters.

My way led to the central square or plaza, which is a characteristic of

all Martian cities.



The plaza of Zodanga covers a square mile and is bounded by the palaces

of the jeddak, the jeds, and other members of the royalty and nobility

of Zodanga, as well as by the principal public buildings, cafes, and

shops.



As I was crossing the great square lost in wonder and admiration of the

magnificent architecture and the gorgeous scarlet vegetation which

carpeted the broad lawns I discovered a red Martian walking briskly

toward me from one of the avenues. He paid not the slightest attention

to me, but as he came abreast I recognized him, and turning I placed my

hand upon his shoulder, calling out:



"Kaor, Kantos Kan!"



Like lightning he wheeled and before I could so much as lower my hand

the point of his long-sword was at my breast.



"Who are you?" he growled, and then as a backward leap carried me fifty

feet from his sword he dropped the point to the ground and exclaimed,

laughing,



"I do not need a better reply, there is but one man upon all Barsoom

who can bounce about like a rubber ball. By the mother of the further

moon, John Carter, how came you here, and have you become a Darseen

that you can change your color at will?"



"You gave me a bad half minute my friend," he continued, after I had

briefly outlined my adventures since parting with him in the arena at

Warhoon. "Were my name and city known to the Zodangans I would shortly

be sitting on the banks of the lost sea of Korus with my revered and

departed ancestors. I am here in the interest of Tardos Mors, Jeddak

of Helium, to discover the whereabouts of Dejah Thoris, our princess.

Sab Than, prince of Zodanga, has her hidden in the city and has fallen

madly in love with her. His father, Than Kosis, Jeddak of Zodanga, has

made her voluntary marriage to his son the price of peace between our

countries, but Tardos Mors will not accede to the demands and has sent

word that he and his people would rather look upon the dead face of

their princess than see her wed to any than her own choice, and that

personally he would prefer being engulfed in the ashes of a lost and

burning Helium to joining the metal of his house with that of Than

Kosis. His reply was the deadliest affront he could have put upon Than

Kosis and the Zodangans, but his people love him the more for it and

his strength in Helium is greater today than ever.



"I have been here three days," continued Kantos Kan, "but I have not

yet found where Dejah Thoris is imprisoned. Today I join the Zodangan

navy as an air scout and I hope in this way to win the confidence of

Sab Than, the prince, who is commander of this division of the navy,

and thus learn the whereabouts of Dejah Thoris. I am glad that you are

here, John Carter, for I know your loyalty to my princess and two of us

working together should be able to accomplish much."



The plaza was now commencing to fill with people going and coming upon

the daily activities of their duties. The shops were opening and the

cafes filling with early morning patrons. Kantos Kan led me to one of

these gorgeous eating places where we were served entirely by

mechanical apparatus. No hand touched the food from the time it

entered the building in its raw state until it emerged hot and

delicious upon the tables before the guests, in response to the

touching of tiny buttons to indicate their desires.



After our meal, Kantos Kan took me with him to the headquarters of the

air-scout squadron and introducing me to his superior asked that I be

enrolled as a member of the corps. In accordance with custom an

examination was necessary, but Kantos Kan had told me to have no fear

on this score as he would attend to that part of the matter. He

accomplished this by taking my order for examination to the examining

officer and representing himself as John Carter.



"This ruse will be discovered later," he cheerfully explained, "when

they check up my weights, measurements, and other personal

identification data, but it will be several months before this is done

and our mission should be accomplished or have failed long before that

time."



The next few days were spent by Kantos Kan in teaching me the

intricacies of flying and of repairing the dainty little contrivances

which the Martians use for this purpose. The body of the one-man air

craft is about sixteen feet long, two feet wide and three inches thick,

tapering to a point at each end. The driver sits on top of this plane

upon a seat constructed over the small, noiseless radium engine which

propels it. The medium of buoyancy is contained within the thin metal

walls of the body and consists of the eighth Barsoomian ray, or ray of

propulsion, as it may be termed in view of its properties.



This ray, like the ninth ray, is unknown on Earth, but the Martians

have discovered that it is an inherent property of all light no matter

from what source it emanates. They have learned that it is the solar

eighth ray which propels the light of the sun to the various planets,

and that it is the individual eighth ray of each planet which

"reflects," or propels the light thus obtained out into space once

more. The solar eighth ray would be absorbed by the surface of

Barsoom, but the Barsoomian eighth ray, which tends to propel light

from Mars into space, is constantly streaming out from the planet

constituting a force of repulsion of gravity which when confined is

able to lift enormous weights from the surface of the ground.



It is this ray which has enabled them to so perfect aviation that

battle ships far outweighing anything known upon Earth sail as

gracefully and lightly through the thin air of Barsoom as a toy balloon

in the heavy atmosphere of Earth.



During the early years of the discovery of this ray many strange

accidents occurred before the Martians learned to measure and control

the wonderful power they had found. In one instance, some nine hundred

years before, the first great battle ship to be built with eighth ray

reservoirs was stored with too great a quantity of the rays and she had

sailed up from Helium with five hundred officers and men, never to

return.



Her power of repulsion for the planet was so great that it had carried

her far into space, where she can be seen today, by the aid of powerful

telescopes, hurtling through the heavens ten thousand miles from Mars;

a tiny satellite that will thus encircle Barsoom to the end of time.



The fourth day after my arrival at Zodanga I made my first flight, and

as a result of it I won a promotion which included quarters in the

palace of Than Kosis.



As I rose above the city I circled several times, as I had seen Kantos

Kan do, and then throwing my engine into top speed I raced at terrific

velocity toward the south, following one of the great waterways which

enter Zodanga from that direction.



I had traversed perhaps two hundred miles in a little less than an hour

when I descried far below me a party of three green warriors racing

madly toward a small figure on foot which seemed to be trying to reach

the confines of one of the walled fields.



Dropping my machine rapidly toward them, and circling to the rear of

the warriors, I soon saw that the object of their pursuit was a red

Martian wearing the metal of the scout squadron to which I was

attached. A short distance away lay his tiny flier, surrounded by the

tools with which he had evidently been occupied in repairing some

damage when surprised by the green warriors.



They were now almost upon him; their flying mounts charging down on the

relatively puny figure at terrific speed, while the warriors leaned low

to the right, with their great metal-shod spears. Each seemed striving

to be the first to impale the poor Zodangan and in another moment his

fate would have been sealed had it not been for my timely arrival.



Driving my fleet air craft at high speed directly behind the warriors I

soon overtook them and without diminishing my speed I rammed the prow

of my little flier between the shoulders of the nearest. The impact

sufficient to have torn through inches of solid steel, hurled the

fellow's headless body into the air over the head of his thoat, where

it fell sprawling upon the moss. The mounts of the other two warriors

turned squealing in terror, and bolted in opposite directions.



Reducing my speed I circled and came to the ground at the feet of the

astonished Zodangan. He was warm in his thanks for my timely aid and

promised that my day's work would bring the reward it merited, for it

was none other than a cousin of the jeddak of Zodanga whose life I had

saved.



We wasted no time in talk as we knew that the warriors would surely

return as soon as they had gained control of their mounts. Hastening

to his damaged machine we were bending every effort to finish the

needed repairs and had almost completed them when we saw the two green

monsters returning at top speed from opposite sides of us. When they

had approached within a hundred yards their thoats again became

unmanageable and absolutely refused to advance further toward the air

craft which had frightened them.



The warriors finally dismounted and hobbling their animals advanced

toward us on foot with drawn long-swords.



I advanced to meet the larger, telling the Zodangan to do the best he

could with the other. Finishing my man with almost no effort, as had

now from much practice become habitual with me, I hastened to return to

my new acquaintance whom I found indeed in desperate straits.



He was wounded and down with the huge foot of his antagonist upon his

throat and the great long-sword raised to deal the final thrust. With



a bound I cleared the fifty feet intervening between us, and with

outstretched point drove my sword completely through the body of the

green warrior. His sword fell, harmless, to the ground and he sank

limply upon the prostrate form of the Zodangan.



A cursory examination of the latter revealed no mortal injuries and

after a brief rest he asserted that he felt fit to attempt the return

voyage. He would have to pilot his own craft, however, as these frail

vessels are not intended to convey but a single person.



Quickly completing the repairs we rose together into the still,

cloudless Martian sky, and at great speed and without further mishap

returned to Zodanga.



As we neared the city we discovered a mighty concourse of civilians and

troops assembled upon the plain before the city. The sky was black

with naval vessels and private and public pleasure craft, flying long

streamers of gay-colored silks, and banners and flags of odd and

picturesque design.



My companion signaled that I slow down, and running his machine close

beside mine suggested that we approach and watch the ceremony, which,

he said, was for the purpose of conferring honors on individual

officers and men for bravery and other distinguished service. He then

unfurled a little ensign which denoted that his craft bore a member of

the royal family of Zodanga, and together we made our way through the

maze of low-lying air vessels until we hung directly over the jeddak of

Zodanga and his staff. All were mounted upon the small domestic bull

thoats of the red Martians, and their trappings and ornamentation bore

such a quantity of gorgeously colored feathers that I could not but be

struck with the startling resemblance the concourse bore to a band of

the red Indians of my own Earth.



One of the staff called the attention of Than Kosis to the presence of

my companion above them and the ruler motioned for him to descend. As

they waited for the troops to move into position facing the jeddak the

two talked earnestly together, the jeddak and his staff occasionally

glancing up at me. I could not hear their conversation and presently

it ceased and all dismounted, as the last body of troops had wheeled

into position before their emperor. A member of the staff advanced

toward the troops, and calling the name of a soldier commanded him to

advance. The officer then recited the nature of the heroic act which

had won the approval of the jeddak, and the latter advanced and placed

a metal ornament upon the left arm of the lucky man.



Ten men had been so decorated when the aide called out,



"John Carter, air scout!"



Never in my life had I been so surprised, but the habit of military

discipline is strong within me, and I dropped my little machine lightly

to the ground and advanced on foot as I had seen the others do. As I

halted before the officer, he addressed me in a voice audible to the

entire assemblage of troops and spectators.



"In recognition, John Carter," he said, "of your remarkable courage and

skill in defending the person of the cousin of the jeddak Than Kosis

and, singlehanded, vanquishing three green warriors, it is the pleasure

of our jeddak to confer on you the mark of his esteem."



Than Kosis then advanced toward me and placing an ornament upon me,

said:



"My cousin has narrated the details of your wonderful achievement,

which seems little short of miraculous, and if you can so well defend a

cousin of the jeddak how much better could you defend the person of the

jeddak himself. You are therefore appointed a padwar of The Guards and

will be quartered in my palace hereafter."



I thanked him, and at his direction joined the members of his staff.

After the ceremony I returned my machine to its quarters on the roof of

the barracks of the air-scout squadron, and with an orderly from the

palace to guide me I reported to the officer in charge of the palace.