Korad¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡had¡¡been¡¡built¡¡upon¡¡a¡¡beautiful£»¡¡natural¡¡harbor£»
landlocked¡¡by¡¡magnificent¡¡hills¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡little¡¡valley¡¡on¡¡the¡¡west
front¡¡of¡¡the¡¡city£»¡¡she¡¡explained£»¡¡was¡¡all¡¡that¡¡remained¡¡of¡¡the
harbor£»¡¡while¡¡the¡¡pass¡¡through¡¡the¡¡hills¡¡to¡¡the¡¡old¡¡sea¡¡bottom
had¡¡been¡¡the¡¡channel¡¡through¡¡which¡¡the¡¡shipping¡¡passed¡¡up
to¡¡the¡¡city's¡¡gates¡£
The¡¡shores¡¡of¡¡the¡¡ancient¡¡seas¡¡were¡¡dotted¡¡with¡¡just¡¡such
cities£»¡¡and¡¡lesser¡¡ones£»¡¡in¡¡diminishing¡¡numbers£»¡¡were¡¡to¡¡be
found¡¡converging¡¡toward¡¡the¡¡center¡¡of¡¡the¡¡oceans£»¡¡as¡¡the
people¡¡had¡¡found¡¡it¡¡necessary¡¡to¡¡follow¡¡the¡¡receding¡¡waters
until¡¡necessity¡¡had¡¡forced¡¡upon¡¡them¡¡their¡¡ultimate¡¡salvation£»
the¡¡so¡called¡¡Martian¡¡canals¡£
We¡¡had¡¡been¡¡so¡¡engrossed¡¡in¡¡exploration¡¡of¡¡the¡¡building
and¡¡in¡¡our¡¡conversation¡¡that¡¡it¡¡was¡¡late¡¡in¡¡the¡¡afternoon
before¡¡we¡¡realized¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡were¡¡brought¡¡back¡¡to¡¡a¡¡realization
of¡¡our¡¡present¡¡conditions¡¡by¡¡a¡¡messenger¡¡bearing¡¡a¡¡summons
from¡¡Lorquas¡¡Ptomel¡¡directing¡¡me¡¡to¡¡appear¡¡before¡¡him
forthwith¡£¡¡¡¡Bidding¡¡Dejah¡¡Thoris¡¡and¡¡Sola¡¡farewell£»¡¡and
commanding¡¡Woola¡¡to¡¡remain¡¡on¡¡guard£»¡¡I¡¡hastened¡¡to¡¡the
audience¡¡chamber£»¡¡where¡¡I¡¡found¡¡Lorquas¡¡Ptomel¡¡and¡¡Tars
Tarkas¡¡seated¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡rostrum¡£
CHAPTER¡¡XII
A¡¡PRISONER¡¡WITH¡¡POWER
As¡¡I¡¡entered¡¡and¡¡saluted£»¡¡Lorquas¡¡Ptomel¡¡signaled¡¡me¡¡to¡¡advance£»
and£»¡¡fixing¡¡his¡¡great£»¡¡hideous¡¡eyes¡¡upon¡¡me£»¡¡addressed¡¡me¡¡thus£º
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you¡¡have¡¡by¡¡your¡¡prowess¡¡won¡¡a¡¡high¡¡position¡¡among¡¡us¡£
Be¡¡that¡¡as¡¡it¡¡may£»¡¡you¡¡are¡¡not¡¡one¡¡of¡¡us£»¡¡you¡¡owe¡¡us¡¡no
allegiance¡£
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a¡¡prisoner¡¡and¡¡yet¡¡you¡¡give¡¡commands¡¡which¡¡must¡¡be¡¡obeyed£»
you¡¡are¡¡an¡¡alien¡¡and¡¡yet¡¡you¡¡are¡¡a¡¡Tharkian¡¡chieftain£»¡¡you
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plotting¡¡to¡¡escape¡¡with¡¡another¡¡prisoner¡¡of¡¡another¡¡race£»¡¡a
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if¡¡proved£»¡¡would¡¡be¡¡sufficient¡¡grounds¡¡for¡¡your¡¡execution£»
but¡¡we¡¡are¡¡a¡¡just¡¡people¡¡and¡¡you¡¡shall¡¡have¡¡a¡¡trial¡¡on¡¡our
return¡¡to¡¡Thark£»¡¡if¡¡Tal¡¡Hajus¡¡so¡¡commands¡£
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my¡¡dead¡¡carcass¡¡will¡¡go¡¡to¡¡a¡¡better¡¡man£»¡¡for¡¡such¡¡is¡¡the
custom¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Tharks¡£
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if¡¡you¡¡were¡¡dead£»¡¡John¡¡Carter£»¡¡I¡¡should¡¡be¡¡glad¡£¡¡¡¡Under¡¡two
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should¡¡you¡¡attack¡¡one¡¡of¡¡us£»¡¡or¡¡were¡¡you¡¡apprehended¡¡in¡¡an
attempt¡¡to¡¡escape¡£
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await¡¡one¡¡of¡¡these¡¡two¡¡excuses¡¡for¡¡ridding¡¡ourselves¡¡of¡¡so
great¡¡a¡¡responsibility¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡safe¡¡delivery¡¡of¡¡the¡¡red¡¡girl¡¡to
Tal¡¡Hajus¡¡is¡¡of¡¡the¡¡greatest¡¡importance¡£¡¡¡¡Not¡¡in¡¡a¡¡thousand
years¡¡have¡¡the¡¡Tharks¡¡made¡¡such¡¡a¡¡capture£»¡¡she¡¡is¡¡the
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are¡¡a¡¡just¡¡and¡¡truthful¡¡race¡£¡¡¡¡You¡¡may¡¡go¡£¡¨
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beginning¡¡of¡¡Sarkoja's¡¡persecution£¡¡¡¡¡I¡¡knew¡¡that¡¡none¡¡other
could¡¡be¡¡responsible¡¡for¡¡this¡¡report¡¡which¡¡had¡¡reached¡¡the
ears¡¡of¡¡Lorquas¡¡Ptomel¡¡so¡¡quickly£»¡¡and¡¡now¡¡I¡¡recalled¡¡those
portions¡¡of¡¡our¡¡conversation¡¡which¡¡had¡¡touched¡¡upon¡¡escape
and¡¡upon¡¡my¡¡origin¡£
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trusted¡¡female¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡such¡¡she¡¡was¡¡a¡¡mighty¡¡power¡¡behind¡¡the
throne£»¡¡for¡¡no¡¡warrior¡¡had¡¡the¡¡confidence¡¡of¡¡Lorquas¡¡Ptomel
to¡¡such¡¡an¡¡extent¡¡as¡¡did¡¡his¡¡ablest¡¡lieutenant£»¡¡Tars¡¡Tarkas¡£
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from¡¡my¡¡mind£»¡¡my¡¡audience¡¡with¡¡Lorquas¡¡Ptomel¡¡only¡¡served
to¡¡center¡¡my¡¡every¡¡faculty¡¡on¡¡this¡¡subject¡£¡¡¡¡Now£»¡¡more¡¡than
before£»¡¡the¡¡absolute¡¡necessity¡¡for¡¡escape£»¡¡in¡¡so¡¡far¡¡as¡¡Dejah
Thoris¡¡was¡¡concerned£»¡¡was¡¡impressed¡¡upon¡¡me£»¡¡for¡¡I¡¡was
convinced¡¡that¡¡some¡¡horrible¡¡fate¡¡awaited¡¡her¡¡at¡¡the
headquarters¡¡of¡¡Tal¡¡Hajus¡£
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personification¡¡of¡¡all¡¡the¡¡ages¡¡of¡¡cruelty£»¡¡ferocity£»¡¡and
brutality¡¡from¡¡which¡¡he¡¡had¡¡descended¡£¡¡¡¡Cold£»¡¡cunning£»
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stilled¡¡in¡¡the¡¡Martian¡¡breast¡£
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the¡¡clutches¡¡of¡¡such¡¡an¡¡abysmal¡¡atavism¡¡started¡¡the¡¡cold
sweat¡¡upon¡¡me¡£¡¡¡¡Far¡¡better¡¡that¡¡we¡¡save¡¡friendly¡¡bullets¡¡for
ourselves¡¡at¡¡the¡¡last¡¡moment£»¡¡as¡¡did¡¡those¡¡brave¡¡frontier
women¡¡of¡¡my¡¡lost¡¡land£»¡¡who¡¡took¡¡their¡¡own¡¡lives¡¡rather¡¡than
fall¡¡into¡¡the¡¡hands¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Indian¡¡braves¡£
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Tars¡¡Tarkas¡¡approached¡¡me¡¡on¡¡his¡¡way¡¡from¡¡the¡¡audience
chamber¡£¡¡¡¡His¡¡demeanor¡¡toward¡¡me¡¡was¡¡unchanged£»¡¡and¡¡he
greeted¡¡me¡¡as¡¡though¡¡we¡¡had¡¡not¡¡just¡¡parted¡¡a¡¡few
moments¡¡before¡£
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¡¨I¡¡have¡¡selected¡¡none£»¡¨¡¡I¡¡replied¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨It¡¡seemed¡¡best¡¡that¡¡I
quartered¡¡either¡¡by¡¡myself¡¡or¡¡among¡¡the¡¡other¡¡warriors£»¡¡and
I¡¡was¡¡awaiting¡¡an¡¡opportunity¡¡to¡¡ask¡¡your¡¡advice¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡you
know£»¡¨¡¡and¡¡I¡¡smiled£»¡¡¡¨I¡¡am¡¡not¡¡yet¡¡familiar¡¡with¡¡all¡¡the
customs¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Tharks¡£¡¨
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across¡¡the¡¡plaza¡¡to¡¡a¡¡building¡¡which¡¡I¡¡was¡¡glad¡¡to¡¡see
adjoined¡¡that¡¡occupied¡¡by¡¡Sola¡¡and¡¡her¡¡charges¡£
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said£»¡¡¡¨and¡¡the¡¡second¡¡floor¡¡also¡¡is¡¡fully¡¡occupied¡¡by¡¡warriors£»
but¡¡the¡¡third¡¡floor¡¡and¡¡the¡¡floors¡¡above¡¡are¡¡vacant£»¡¡you¡¡may
take¡¡your¡¡choice¡¡of¡¡these¡£
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your¡¡woman¡¡to¡¡the¡¡red¡¡prisoner¡£¡¡¡¡Well£»¡¡as¡¡you¡¡have¡¡said£»
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our¡¡customs¡¡you¡¡may¡¡select¡¡any¡¡or¡¡all¡¡the¡¡females¡¡from¡¡the
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necessary¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡suggested¡¡that¡¡they¡¡might¡¡also¡¡bring¡¡some¡¡of
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repeated¡¡in¡¡this£»¡¡and£»¡¡as¡¡usual£»¡¡I¡¡was¡¡soon¡¡lost¡¡in¡¡a¡¡tour¡¡of
investigation¡¡and¡¡discovery¡£
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this¡¡brought¡¡me¡¡nearer¡¡to¡¡Dejah¡¡Thoris£»¡¡whose¡¡apartment
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flashed¡¡upon¡¡me¡¡that¡¡I¡¡could¡¡rig¡¡up¡¡some¡¡means¡¡of¡¡communication
whereby¡¡she¡¡might¡¡signal¡¡me¡¡in¡¡case¡¡she¡¡needed¡¡either¡¡my
services¡¡or¡¡my¡¡protection¡£
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rooms£»¡¡and¡¡other¡¡sleeping¡¡and¡¡living¡¡apartments£»¡¡in¡¡all¡¡some
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overlooked¡¡an¡¡enormous¡¡court£»¡¡which¡¡formed¡¡the¡¡center¡¡of
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contiguous¡¡streets£»¡¡and¡¡which¡¡was¡¡now¡¡given¡¡over¡¡to¡¡the
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