Chapter 17 - The God's of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs - The Gods of Mars

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(00:00):
Chapter seventeen, the death sentence.A few moments before the appointed time on
the following morning, a strong guardof Zadarus's officers appeared at our quarters to
conduct us to the Great Hall ofthe Temple. In twos. We entered
the chamber, marched down the broadAisle of Hope, as it is called,
to the platform in the center ofthe hall. Before and behind us
marched armed guards, while three solidranks of Zodangon's soldiery lined either side of

(00:24):
the isle from the entrance to therostrum. As we reached the raised enclosure,
I saw our judges, as isthe custom upon barsoom, there were
thirty one, supposedly selected by lotfrom men of the noble class, for
nobles were on trial. But tomy amazement, I saw no single friendly
face among them. Practically all wereZodangon's. And it was I to whom

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Zodanga owed her defeat at the handsof the Green Hordes, and her subsequent
vassilage to Helium. There could belittle justice here for John Carter or his
son, or for the great Thark, who had commanded the savage tribesmen who
overran Zodanga's broad avenues Loo burning andmurdering about us. The vast circular colisseum
was packed to its full capacity.All classes were represented, all ages in

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both sexes. As we entered thehall, the hum of subdued conversation ceased,
until as we halted upon the platformor a throne of righteousness, the
silence of death enveloped the ten thousandspectators. The judges were seated in a
great circle about the periphery of thecircular platform. We were assigned seats with
our backs toward a small platform inthe exact center of the larger one.

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This placed us facing the judges andthe audience. Upon the smaller platform.
Each would take his place while hiscase was being heard. Zadars himself sat
in the golden chair of the presidingmagistrate. As we were seated and our
guards retired to the foot of thestairway leading to the platform, he arose
and called my name, John Carter. He cried, take your place upon

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the pedestal of truth, to bejudged impartially according to your acts, and
here to know the reward you haveearned thereby. Then, turning to and
fro toward the audience, he narratedthe acts upon the value of which my
reward was to be determined. Knowyou, o, judges and people of
Helium. He said that John Carter, one time Prince of Helium, has

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returned, by his own statement fromthe valley door, and even from the
temple of Issus itself, that inthe presence of many men of Helium,
he has blasphemed against the sacred ish, and against the valley door, and
the loss Sea of Chorus, andthe Holytherns themselves, and even against Issus,
Goddess of death and of life eternal. And know you further by witness

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of thine own eyes that see himhere now upon the pedestal of truth,
that he has indeed returned from thesesacred precincts, in the face of our
ancient customs, and in violation ofthe sanctity of our ancient religion. He
who be once dead may not liveagain. He who attempts it must be
made dead forever judges. Your dutylies plain before you. Here can be

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no testimony in contravention of truth.What reward shall be meted to John Carter
in accordance with the acts he hascommitted. Death, shouted one of the
judges, and then a man sprangto his feet in the audience, and
raising his hand on high, criedjustice, Justice, Justice. It was
Kanto's can, And as all eyesturned toward him, he leaped past the

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Zodangon soldiery and sprang upon the platform. What manner of justice be this,
he cried to Zadarus. The defendanthas not been heard, nor has he
had an opportunity to call others inhis behalf. In the name of the
people of Helium, I demand fairand impartial treatment for the Prince of Helium.
A great cry arose from the audience. Then justice, Justice, Justice,

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and Zadarus dared not deny them.Speak. Then he snarled, turning
to me, But blasphemy, notagainst the things that are sacred. Ubonm
barsoom men of Helium, I cried, turning to the spectators and speaking over
the heads of my judges. Howcan John Carter expect justice from the men
of Zodanga. He cannot, nordoes he ask it. It is to

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the men of Helium that he stateshis case, nor does he appeal for
mercy to any It is not inhis own cause that he speaks. Now,
it is in thine, in thecause of your wives and daughters,
and of wives and daughters yet unborn. It is to save them from the
unthinkably atrocious indignities that I have seenheaped upon the fair women of Barsoom in

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the place men call the temple ofIssus. It is to save them from
the sucking embrace of the plant men, from the fangs of the great white
apes of Dor, from the cruellust of the holy Therns, from all
that the cold, dead ish carriesthem to, from homes of love and
life and happiness sits. There noman here who does not know the history

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of John Carter, how he cameamong you from another world, and rose
from a prisoner among the green men, through torture and persecution, to a
high place among the highest of Barsoom. Nor ever, did you know Carter
to lie in his own behalf,or to say aught that might harm the
people of Barsoom, or to speaklightly of the strange religion which he respected

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without understanding. There be no manhere or elsewhere upon Barsoom to day who
does not owe his life directly toa single act of mine, in which
I sacrificed myself and the happiness ofmy princess, that you might live,
and so men of Helium. Ithink that I have the right to demand
that I be heard, that Ibe believed, and that you let me

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serve you and save you from thefalse hereafter of door and Issus, as
I saved you from the real deaththat other day. It is to you
of Helium that I speak. Now, when I am done, let the
men of Zodanga have their will withme. Zadar's has taken my sword from
me, So the men of Zodangano longer fear me. Will you listen,
speak John Carter, Prince of Helium, cried a great noble from the

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audience, and the multitude echoed hispermission until the building rocked with the noise
of their demonstration. Zadar Us knewbetter than to interfere with such a sentiment,
as was expressed that day in theTemple of Reward, And so for
two hours I talked with the peopleof Helium. But when I had finished,
zadars arose, and, turning tothe judges, said, in a

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low tone, my nobles, youhave heard John Carter's plea. Every opportunity
has been given him to prove hisinnocence if he be not guilty, But
instead he has but utilized the timein further blasphemy. What gentleman, is
your verdict? Death to the blasphemer, cried one, springing to his feet,
and in an instant the entire thirtyone judges were on their feet with

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upraised swords in token of their unanimityof their verdict. If the people did
not hear Zadarus's charge, they certainlydid hear the verdict of the tribunal.
A sullen murmur rose louder and louderabout the packed colosseum. And then kantos
Kan, who had not left theplatform since first he had taken his place
near me, raised his hand forsilence. When he could be heard,

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he spoke to the people in acool and level voice. You have heard
the fate that the men of Zodangawould meet to Helium's noblest hero. It
may be the duty of the menof Helium to accept the verdict is final.
Let each man act according to hisown heart. Here is the answer
of kantos Kan, head of thenavy of Helium, to zat Arras and
his judges. And with that heunbuckled his scabbard and threw his sword at

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my feet. In an instant,soldiers and citizens, officers and nobles were
crowding past the soldiers of Zodanga andforcing their way to the Throne of Righteousness.
A hundred men surged upon the platform, and a hundred blades rattled and
clank to the floor at my feet. Zat Arras and his officers were furious,
but they were helpless. One byone, I raised the swords to

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my lips and buckled them again upontheir owners come, said kantos Kan.
We will escort John Carter and hisparty to his own palace. And they
formed about us and started toward thestairs leading to the Isle of Hope.
Stop, cried Zadarras. Soldiers ofHelium, let no prisoner leave the throne
of Righteousness. The soldiery from Zodangawere the only organized body of Heliumetic troops

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within the temple. So zat Arraswas confident that his orders would be obeyed.
But I do not think that helooked for the opposition that was raised
the moment the soldiers advanced towards thethrone, from every quarter of the colosseum,
swords flashed and men rushed threatening uponthe zodangons. Someone raised a cry
Tardos Mors is dead a thousand yearsto John Carter, Jeddak of Helium.

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As I heard that and saw theugly attitude of the men of Helium towards
the soldiers of Zadarras, I knewthat only a miracle could avert a class
that would end in civil war.Hold, I cried, leaping to the
pedestal of truth once more. Letno man move till I am done.
A single sword thrust here to daymay plunge Helium into a bitter and bloody
war, the results of which nonecan foresee. It will turn brother against

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brother and father against son. Noman's life is worth that sacrifice. Rather,
would I submit to the biased judgmentof zat Arras than be the cause
of civil strife in Helium. Letus each give any point to the other,
and let this entire matter rest untilTardos Morris returns or Mors Kajak his
son. If neither be back atthe end of a year, a second

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trial may be held. The thinghas a precedent. And then, turning
to zat Arras, I said,in a low voice, unless you be
a bigger fool than I take youto be, you will grasp the chance
I am offering you. Ere,it is too late. Once that multitude
of swords below is drawn against yoursoldiery, no man upon Barsoom, not
even Tardos Mors himself, can avertthe consequences. What say you speak quickly?

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The Jet of Zodangan Helium raised hisvoice to the angry sea beneath us.
Stay your hands, men of Helium, he shouted, his voice trembling
with rage. The sentence of thecourt is passed, but the day of
retribution has not been set. Ayzat Arras, Jet of Zodanga, appreciating
the royal connection of the prisoner inhis past services to Helium and Barsoom,

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grant a respite of one year oruntil the return of mors Kajak or Tardos
Mors to Helium. Dispersed quietly toyour houses. Go. No one moved.
Instead, they stood in tense silence, with their eyes fastened upon me,
as though waiting for a signal toattack. Clear the temple commanded zat
Arras in a low tone to oneof his officers. Fearing the result of

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an attempt to carry out this orderby force, I stepped to the edge
of the platform and pointing toward themain entrance, bid them pass out as
one man. They turned at myrequest and filed, silent and threatening past
the soldiers of zat Arras Jet ofZodanga, who stood scowling in impotent rage.
Kantos Kan, with the others whohad sworn allegiance to me, still

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stood upon the throne of righteousness.With me. Come, said kantos Kan
to me, We will escort youto your palace. My prince, Come
Cathoris and Exodar, come Tars Tarkas, And with a haughty sneer for zat
Arras upon his handsome lips, heturned and strode to the throne steps and
up the isle of Hope. Wefour and the hundred loyal ones followed behind

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him. Nor was a hand raisedto stay us, though glowering eyes followed
our triumphant march through the temple.In the avenues we found a press of
people, but they opened a pathwayfor us, And many were the swords
that were flung at my feet asI passed through the city of Helium toward
my palace. Upon the outskirts.Here my old slaves fell upon their knees
and kissed my hands as I greetedthem. They cared not where I had

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been. It was enough that Ihad returned to them. Ah Master,
cried one. If our divine princesswere but here, this would be a
day. Indeed, tears came tomy eyes, so that I was forced
to turn away that I might hidemy emotions. Carthoris wept openly as the
slaves pressed about him with expressions ofaffection and words of sorrow for our common

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loss. It was now that tarsTarkas for the first time learned that his
daughter Sola had accompanied dejah Thoris uponthe last long pilgrimage. I had not
had the heart to tell him whatkantos Kan had told me. With the
stoism of the green Martian, heshowed no sign of suffering, Yet I
knew that his grief was as poignantas mine. In marked contrast to his

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kind, he had in well developedform the kindlier human characteristics of love,
friendship, and charity. It wasa sad and somber party that sat at
the feast of Welcome in the GreatDining Hall of the Palace of the Prince
of Helium. That day. Wewere over a hundred strong, not counting
the members of my little court,for dejah Thoris and I had maintained a

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household consistent with our royal rank.The board, according to red Martian custom,
was triangular, for there were threein our family. Carthoris and I
presided in the center of our sidesof the table. Midway of the third
side, dejah Thoris's high backed carvenchair stood vacant except for her gorgeous wedding
trappings and jewels which were draped uponit. Behind stood a slave, as

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in the days when his mistress hadoccupied at her place at the board,
ready to do her bidding. Itwas the way upon barsoom so I endured
the anguish of it, though itwrung my heart to see that silent chair
where it should have been my laughingand vivacious princess keeping the great hall ringing
with her merry gaiety. At myright sat kantos Kan, while to the

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right of dejah Thoris's empty place,tars Tarkas sat in a huge chair before
a raised section of the board,which years ago I had had constructed to
meet the requirements of his mighty bulk. The place of honor at a Martian
horde is always at the hostess's right, and this place was ever reserved by
dejah Thoris for the great thark.Upon the occasions that he was in Helium,

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hor Vastus sat in the seat ofhonor upon Carthoris's side of the table.
There was little general conversation. Itwas a quiet and saddened party.
The loss of dejah Thoris was stillfresh in the minds of all, and
to this was added fear for thesafety of Tardos, Mors and mors Kajak,
as well as doubt an uncertainty asto the fate of Helium should it

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prove true that she was permanently deprivedof her great jeddak. Suddenly our attention
was attracted by the sound of distantshouting, as of many people raising their
voices at once, but whether inanger or rejoicing, we could not tell.
Nearer and nearer came the tumult.A slave rushed into the dining hall
to cry that a great concourse ofpeople was swarming through the palace gates.

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A second burst upon the heels ofthe first, alternately laughing and shrieking as
a madman. Dejah Thoris has foundhe cried a messenger from dejah Thoris,
I waited to hear no more.The great windows of the dining hall overlooked
the avenue leading to the main gates. They were upon the opposite side of
the hall from me. With thetable intervening, I did not waste time

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in circling the great board. Witha single leap, I cleared table and
diners, and sprang upon the balcony. Beyond thirty feet below lay the scarlet
Sword of the Lawn, And beyondwere many people crowding about a great thoat,
which bore a rider headed toward thepalace. I vaulted to the ground
low and ran swiftly toward the advancingparty. As I came near to them,
I saw that the figure on thethoat was Sola. Where's the Princess

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of Helium, I cried. Thegreen girl slid from her mighty mount and
ran toward me. O, myprince, My prince, she cried,
She's gone forever. Even now shemay be a captive upon the lesser moon.
The black pirates of Barsoom have stolenher. End of Chapter seventeen.

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Chapter 17 - The God's of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs

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