John Carter Read Online Free PDF Page A

got me. I surrender.”
    â€œJeddak.” The creature pointed toward itself. “Tars Tarkas.”
    â€œJeddak?” Carter repeated.
    â€œTars. Tars Tarkas.”
    The creature grinned, an awful, terrifying grin. Carter tried not to wince. “Captain John Carter. Virginia.”
    â€œVir-gin-ya,” the creature said slowly, then pointed sharply to Carter. “Virginia!”
    â€œNo, no. John Carter. I’m from Virginia.”
    Then Carter grinned, and it was the creature’s turn to wince. While he was distracted, Carter vaulted clear over him, landing neatly next to the pile of discarded alien weapons. The four-armed being stared at Carter in a stunned silence. Clearly, he had never seen anyone with Carter’s abilities before.
    â€œVir-gin-ya!” The leader whirled and took off at a run toward Carter, his eight arms pinwheeling almost comically. “Tet! Tet saal! Tet saal!”
    Carter glanced at the ring of warriors and spotted the broken-tusked one drawing a bead on him. Frantically, Carter snatched up the leader’s enormous pistol from the pile. He fumbled with it, struggling with its firing mechanism. Then the leader slammed into him, knocking him aside—just as a bullet sliced into Carter’s left buttock before exploding in the sand. Carter screamed in pain.
    Somehow he knew his ordeal was just beginning.
    The next part passed almost as if in a dream. The creatures gathered up the newborns from the incubator, trussed and swaddled them, and hung them from the flanks of two of the largest pack creatures. At the leader’s insistence, they dressed Carter’s wound with one of the diapers. Vaguely Carter was aware that he should be humiliated. But all he could think about was the pain in his hindquarters.
    After the babies had been gathered, a small number of eggs remained unhatched: a dozen, perhaps two. The broken-tusked warrior cocked his rifle, and the leader—Tars Tarkas—looked over at him sharply. Then Tars nodded and joined the broken-tusked one over at the incubator.
    Tars issued a short, regretful-sounding order. Then, together, the two warriors opened fire into the incubator, shattering and obliterating the unhatched eggs.
    Much later, when he had gotten to know these creatures, Carter would learn that they were called Tharks and their beasts, thoats. And then he would know the meaning of Tars Tarkas’s hesitant command: leave nothing for the white apes .

B ARSOOM . A world on the brink…
    She shook her head, started over. Rehearsing the words in her mind.
    Zodanga’s newfound power threatens to destroy our city of Helium. And if Helium falls, so falls Barsoom…
    No. Too strong!
    Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, stood alone in the grandly appointed throne room, frowning at a long table. Her life’s work lay upon that table, draped in a silk cover, concealed from view. She tugged at the cloth nervously.
    Your Highness—no, My Lord. My…Jeddak. My Jeddak, after years of tireless research, I present to you…the answer.
    Aloud, she added: “I hope.”
    Dejah was tall, regal, and very beautiful. Half the men of Helium had asked for her hand in marriage at one time or another. One particularly florid suitor had described her haunted eyes as the blue of vanished oceans. Her skin, he’d said, was tinged with the rich crimson of Barsoom itself.
    But Dejah Thoris had no time for romance. She understood the precipice her city—her very world—stood at the brink of. Her every waking moment was devoted to saving her people.
    A clamor of voices, and Dejah snapped to attention. Her father burst in: Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium. He looked agitated, tired. Kantos Kan, the Jeddak’s battle-stained admiral, followed, and then the other members of the High Council.
    Tardos Mors glanced briefly at the covered object on the table, then frowned. Avoided Dejah’s gaze.
    â€œMy Jeddak.” She bowed.