The Chessmen of Mars
"Ghek!" he cried and immediately the hideous kaldane crawled out upon
the floor and approached the table. A-Kor drew back with a half-stifled
ejaculation of repulsion. "Do not fear," Turan reassured him. "It is my
friend--he whom I told you held O-Tar while Tara and I escaped."
Ghek climbed to the table top and squatted between the two warriors.
"You are safe in assuming," he said addressing A-Kor, "that Turan the
panthan has no master in all Manator where the art of sword-play is
concerned. I overheard your conversation--go on."
"You are his friend," continued A-Kor, "and so I may explain safely in
your presence the only plan I know whereby he may hope to rescue the
Princess of Helium. She is to be the stake of one of the games and it
is O-Tar's desire that she be won by slaves and common warriors, since
she repulsed him. Thus would he punish her. Not a single man, but all
who survive upon the winning side are to possess her. With money,
however, one may buy off the others before the game. That you could do,
and if your side won and you survived she would become your slave."
"But how may a stranger and a hunted fugitive accomplish this?" asked
Turan.
"No one will recognize you. You will go tomorrow to the keeper of the
Towers and enlist in that game for which the girl is to be the stake,
telling the keeper that you are from Manataj, the farthest city of
Manator. If he questions you, you may say that you saw her when she was
brought into the city after her capture. If you win her, you will find
thoats stabled at my palace and you will carry from me a token that
will place all that is mine at your disposal."
"But how can I buy off the others in the game without money?" asked
Turan. "I have none--not even of my own country."
A-Kor opened his pocket-pouch and drew forth a packet of Manatorian
money.
"Here is sufficient to buy them off twice over," he said, handing a
portion of it to Turan.
"But why do you do this for a stranger?" asked the panthan.
"My mother was a captive princess here," replied A-Kor. "I but do for
the Princess of Helium what my mother would have me do."
"Under the circumstances, then, Manatorian," replied Turan, "I cannot
but accept your generosity on behalf of Tara of Helium and live in hope
that some day I may do for you something in return."
"Now you must be gone," advised A-Kor. "At any minute a guard may come
and discover you here. Go directly to the Avenue of Gates, which
circles the city just within the outer wall. There you will find many
places devoted to the lodging of strangers. You will know them by the
thoat's head carved above the doors. Say that you are here from Manataj
to witness the games. Take the name of U-Kal--it will arouse no
suspicion, nor will you if you can avoid conversation. Early in the
morning seek the keeper of The Towers of Jetan. May the strength and
fortune of all your ancestors be with you!"
Bidding good-bye to Ghek and A-Kor, the panthan, following directions
given him by A-Kor, set out to find his way to the Avenue of Gates, nor
had he any great difficulty. On the way he met several warriors, but
beyond a nod they gave him no heed. With ease he found a lodging place
where there were many strangers from other cities of Manator. As he had
had no sleep since the previous night he threw himself among the silks
and furs of his couch to gain the rest which he must have, was he to
give the best possible account of himself in the service of Tara of
Helium the following day.
It was already morning when he awoke, and rising he paid for his
lodgings, sought a place to eat, and a short time later was on his way
toward The Towers of Jetan, which he had no difficulty in finding owing
to the great crowds that were winding along the avenues toward the
games. The new keeper of The Towers who had succeeded E-Med was too
busy to scrutinize entries closely, for in addition to the many
volunteer players there were scores of slaves and prisoners being
forced into the games by their owners or the government. The name of
each must be recorded as well as the position he was to play and the
game or games in which he was to be entered, and then there were the
substitutes for each that was entered in more than a single game--one
for each additional game that an individual was entered for, that no
succeeding game might be delayed by the death or disablement of a
player.
"Your name?" asked a clerk as Turan presented himself.
"U-Kal," replied the panthan.
"Your city?"
"Manataj."
The keeper, who was standing beside the clerk, looked at Turan. "You
have come a great way to play at jetan," he said. "It is seldom that
the men of Manataj attend other than the decennial games. Tell me of
O-Zar! Will he attend next year? Ah, but he was a noble fighter. If you
be half the swordsman, U-Kal, the fame of Manataj will increase this
day. But tell me, what of O-Zar?"
"He is well," replied Turan, glibly, "and he sent greetings to his
friends in Manator."
"Good!" exclaimed the keeper, "and now in what game would you enter?"
"I would play for the Heliumetic princess, Tara," replied Turan.
"But man, she is to be the stake of a game for slaves and criminals,"
cried the keeper. "You would not volunteer for such a game!"
"But I would," replied Turan. "I saw her when she was brought into the
city and even then I vowed to possess her."
"But you will have to share her with the survivors even if your color
wins," objected the other.
"They may be brought to reason," insisted Turan.
"And you will chance incurring the wrath of O-Tar, who has no love for
this savage barbarian," explained the keeper.
"And I win her O-Tar will be rid of her," said Turan.
The keeper of The Towers of Jetan shook his head. "You are rash," he
said. "I would that I might dissuade the friend of my friend O-Zar from
such madness."
"Would you favor the friend of O-Zar?" asked Turan.
"Gladly!" exclaimed the other. "What may I do for him?"
"Make me chief of the Black and give me for my pieces all slaves from
Gathol, for I understand that those be excellent warriors," replied the
panthan.
"It is a strange request," said the keeper, "but for my friend O-Zar I
would do even more, though of course--" he hesitated--"it is customary
for one who would be chief to make some slight payment."
"Certainly," Turan hastened to assure him; "I had not forgotten that. I
was about to ask you what the customary amount is."
"For the friend of my friend it shall be nominal," replied the keeper,
naming a figure that Gahan, accustomed to the high price of wealthy
Gathol, thought ridiculously low.
"Tell me," he said, handing the money to the keeper, "when the game for
the Heliumite is to be played."
"It is the second in order of the day's games; and now if you will come
with me you may select your pieces."
Turan followed the keeper to a large court which lay between the towers
and the jetan field, where hundreds of warriors were assembled. Already
chiefs for the games of the day were selecting their pieces and
assigning them to positions, though for the principal games these
matters had been arranged for weeks before. The keeper led Turan to a
part of the courtyard where the majority of the slaves were assembled.
"Take your choice of those not assigned," said the keeper, "and when
you have your quota conduct them to the field. Your place will be
assigned you by an officer there, and there you will remain with your
pieces until the second game is called. I wish you luck, U-Kal, though
from what I have heard you will be more lucky to lose than to win the
slave from Helium."
After the fellow had departed Turan approached the slaves. "I seek the
best swordsmen for the second game," he announced. "Men from Gathol I
wish, for I have heard that these be noble fighters."
A slave rose and approached him. "It is all the same in which game we
die," he said. "I would fight for you as a panthan in the second game."
Another came. "I am not from Gathol," he said. "I am from Helium, and I
would fight for the honor of a princess of Helium."
"Good!" exclaimed Turan. "Art a swordsman of repute in Helium?"
"I was a dwar under the great Warlord, and I have fought at his side in
a score of battles from The Golden Cliffs to The Carrion Caves. My name
is Val Dor. Who knows Helium, knows my prowess."
The name was well known to Gahan, who had heard the man spoken of on
his last visit to Helium, and his mysterious disappearance discussed as
well as his renown as a fighter.
"How could I know aught of Helium?" asked Turan; "but if you be such a
fighter as you say no position could suit you better than that of
Flier. What say you?"
The man's eyes denoted sudden surprise. He looked keenly at Turan, his
eyes running quickly over the other's harness. Then he stepped quite
close so that his words might not be overheard.
"Methinks you may know more of Helium than of Manator," he whispered.
"What mean you, fellow?" demanded Turan, seeking to cudgel his brains
for the source of this man's knowledge, guess, or inspiration.
"I mean," replied Val Dor, "that you are not of Manator and that if you
wish to hide the fact it is well that you speak not to a Manatorian as
you did just speak to me of--Fliers! There be no Fliers in Manator and
no piece in their game of Jetan bearing that name. Instead they call
him who stands next to the Chief or Princess, Odwar. The piece has the
same moves and power that the Flier has in the game as played outside
Manator. Remember this then and remember, too, that if you have a
secret it be safe in the keeping of Val Dor of Helium."
Turan made no reply but turned to the task of selecting the remainder
of his pieces. Val Dor, the Heliumite, and Floran, the volunteer from
Gathol, were of great assistance to him, since one or the other of them
knew most of the slaves from whom his selection was to be made. The
pieces all chosen, Turan led them to the place beside the playing field
where they were to wait their turn, and here he passed the word around
that they were to fight for more than the stake he offered for the
princess should they win. This stake they accepted, so that Turan was
sure of possessing Tara if his side was victorious, but he knew that
these men would fight even more valorously for chivalry than for money,
nor was it difficult to enlist the interest even of the Gatholians in
the service of the princess. And now he held out the possibility of a
still further reward.
"I cannot promise you," he explained, "but I may say I have heard that
this day which makes it possible that should we win this game we may
even win your freedom!"
They leaped to their feet and crowded around him with many questions.
"It may not be spoken of aloud," he said; "but Floran and Val Dor know
and they assure me that you may all be trusted. Listen! What I would
tell you places my life in your hands, but you must know that every man
will realize that he is fighting today the greatest battle of his
life--for the honor and the freedom of Barsoom's most wondrous princess
and for his own freedom as well--for the chance to return each to his
own country and to the woman who awaits him there.
"First, then, is my secret. I am not of Manator. Like yourselves I am a
slave, though for the moment disguised as a Manatorian from Manataj. My
country and my identity must remain undisclosed for reasons that have
no bearing upon our game today. I, then, am one of you. I fight for the
same things that you will fight for.
"And now for that which I have but just learned. U-Thor, the great jed
of Manatos, quarreled with O-Tar in the palace the day before yesterday
and their warriors set upon one another. U-Thor was driven as far as