Chapter XV. About the City of Seth
Gullivar Jones sat astride the thoat called Thuria and looked out across the dead sea bottom. He was interested in the vast expanse that lay to the south away from the mountains that surrounded Seth and its lands. He had ridden from the city with Heru, who was mounted on Cluros. They had left the stable and ridden to the narrow passes through the volcanoes and ridges that encircled the lands of Jeddak Hath. Now he viewed the real Barsoom, the dying planet, its red sands rolling away to the horizon, endless, arid, and barren. This scene he drank in was not to his liking. He missed the sea, the roll of the waves. Heru had told him that little water remained on this world. That it was dying and that each city state warred with one another. She had said only Helium tried to make peace. None of the others, strange names like Zodanga, Amhor, Dusar, many others, wanted peace. Always wars and strife occurred for the remaining resources.
"You live in a harsh world, Heru," said Gullivar. "About Seth it is beautiful and yet now I see nothing but red sand and little life."
"Do not be fooled, Gullivar Jones. If we left this mountain pass that is well concealed from the dead ocean bottom below, we would soon met up with either Thurds or Warhoon. In the north of Barsoom one or the other moves about sowing their death and ruin. We would either be killed or taken for their amusement during their games. Yet generally we are safe here at Seth due to the mountains encircling our home."
"So these green men have never attacked Seth?"
"No, I do not believe that they are aware of our city. The mountains are difficult to cross. It appears that all the races on Barsoom loath to travel far from home. I have never seen a green man. Father does not believe they exist. Mother knows and I believe her."
"If these green men are so vicious, how do the cities of the Reds survive?"
"Mother says her people have better technology and ships that have great guns to defeat the green tribes."
"Ships, how is that possible, you said no oceans exist, unless there are oceans far from here that we cannot see. The little sea by Seth is but a lake and true you have small boats but ships?"
"My mother tells me that her people build ships that float in the sky and sail on light."
"Float in the sky? Sail on light? I do not understand. Seth does not have such ships."
"No my father does not believe my mother since none of us have seen such vessels. Yet once I was here where we stand and I saw what I thought was a ship. It was far out floating above the desert."
"Heru you saw one?"
"Yes, I described it to my mother and she confirmed that it was one of the ships that the Reds have. It sailed through the sky, it was beautiful. I wished to leave for one of the Red cities but my mother prevented it due to the dangers and also we always fear the Thithers."
Gullivar mused for a short moment, thinking, "Their ships fly. Perhaps like balloons back on Earth. I remember we used them for observation during the war. These Red Martians must be very advanced in technology."
"Gullivar?" said Heru interrupting his thoughts.
"Sorry Heru I was just thinking. You tell me so much that seems strange. Yet it is very interesting. A question."
Heru nodded and looked at Gullivar's eyes.
"Why does not your father contact the Reds from Helium? Perhaps they would aid you."
"We have not the means Gullivar. We are trapped within the volcanic ridges that surround us. Our only contact is with the yellow-skinned Thither people. While we do not war with each other, my father is nothing more than a vassal of their Jeddak. Each year they exact a tribute from us of food, precious metals, raw material, and the most fair," Heru's voice trailed off as she looked at Gullivar.
"I do not understand this tribute. Seth has many men, why not organize and resist the Thithers?"
"My father and his people are weak and idle Gullivar, surely you see that. We require a strong leader to aid us if we wish to resist them."
"Where do the Thithers reside, Heru?"
She backed up her thoat and indicated to Gullivar to follow her. Any from the pass and ridge they rode down tree lined trails leading lower into the volcanic basin. Miles they rode, first back toward Seth, then away to the east and finally they started to climb a ridge. Gullivar estimated they have ridden perhaps twenty miles of Earth distance. His legs and rear were sore from being on the thoat. Yet glancing at Heru, she seemed unaffected. Her figure sat the thoat well; he could tell she was a natural rider, very at ease in the saddle. Finally they stopped. She turned and said,
"We dismount and be very still."
Gullivar nodded and then they crept up to the top of a ridge after securing the thoats to a tree. Heru grasped Gullivar's hand and pulled him down. The crawled to the top and she peeped over. She then said, "Look Gullivar and you will see the valley and land of the Thithers."
Gullivar warily looked over the ridge top and saw lying before his eyes another valley surrounded by the volcanoes. Very green, yet more rugged and to the north, a wide river, whitish in colour, meandering in oxbowish patterns in and out of valleys formed by the mountains. He noted a decaying city not far from their location. Further away he saw evidence of a primitive city. He saw rough farms scattered about the valley. He could detect trails and primitive roads winding through the forests and open areas.
"Heru is that the Iss you spoke of earlier?"
"No the Iss flows south from the equator and is many karads away. That is the Oya and it flows to the northern pole from our opal sea by Seth."
She then pointed to the decaying ruins nearest to them. "Gullivar that old city is the lost city of Queen Yang. It is legend that her spirit resides in the city. No one enters it from fear of her ghost. Mother says they call her the Boora Witch in the Red cities. She is said to have been very evil and that she sacrificed many children to sate her blood lust. If you are near the city they say you can hear the mournful cries of endless despair from the restless spirits of these children."
"Have you heard them?"
Heru's eyes grew wide with fright. "Never would I approach the lost city of Queen Yang."
She moved closer to Gullivar, he felt her tremble. He thought, "Interesting, I would have thought the princess not afraid of anything."
"Not true Gullivar, I fear the ghost of Queen Yang, the Thithers, and the Greens."
"Heru, it appears that you can read my mind," said Gullivar surprised.
She smiled and rolled upon her back and looked at Gullivar Jones. "Yes, so I have, it seems you protect your thoughts less now."
"What do you mean, Heru?"
"I told you that we Barsoomians are telepathic to an extent. We read each other's thought that is why we often guard them. I had thought that you guarded yours very well. Then earlier today, I caught some of your thoughts. This caused me to believe that you from Earth are not capable of telepathy, yet it appears now that I was wrong. Tell me what do I think now?"
Heru pictured an image she wished and smiled her blue eyes bright with humor. Gullivar just stared at her wondering; he tried yet could sense nothing. After a tal, he said, "I cannot tell what you are thinking, only guess."
She smiled in an enticing manner then laughed softly. "It is probably well that I guard my thoughts Gullivar Jones."
She rolled back on her belly and then pointed out across the valley. Gullivar followed her movements. He again looked at the crude city in the distance. It was far enough away so it was difficult to discern a good picture of this place.
"That is the city of the Thithers, where Ar-hap, their Jeddak has his palace." At this statement, she snorted a sneering laugh. "The stable we left this morning is a finer home than anything the Thithers own. If they did not steal from us, they would be little better than the white apes that inhabit the deserted cities out on the dead sea bottom."
"Heru you hold these Thithers such much contempt yet you fear them."
"There are many reasons for my feelings. Soon the day of tribute will arrive. Ar-hap's minions will arrive in Seth and demand their payments. Mother will fume as Father just hands over what they desire. No men will confront them. I will need to hide on that day, somewhere deep in the city and pray to Issus that no one betrays me as they did poor Didu."
Gullivar pulled Heru away from the ridge and looked into her sad and angry face. "What are you telling me, Heru? Who was Didu?"
"The tribute we pay includes one of the maidens, whoever is thought to be most beautiful. She is taken, one a year, to be the wife of Ar-hap. Two years ago, my younger sister, Didu was taken. We had both hidden, yet someone told the Thithers of us. Didu was produced and taken. We have never seen her since. Mother was furious with Father, she wanted to fight. She had taken her dagger and stabbed one of the Thithers. Father then restrained her and paid the Thithers more gold. She had not forgiven him for this."
Gullivar was speechless after Heru's story ended. She looked at him and saw the shock then anger coat his face. Finally, he said, "It begins to make sense to me. Yes, I respect Thoris of Accer your mother for her anger. It is wrong that your father allows this. No one rose up to stop this? They take a girl each year?"
"Yes Gullivar, last year they took Caleisu, she was my friend. White hair, purple eyes, always laughing. We had grown together. She was my servant yet also my dearest confident after my sister. She will probably travel down the Iss like my poor dear Didu. We think that Ar-hap kills his current Jeddara when the new offering arrives. They are ulsios, rats of Barsoom."
With this, Heru wept some. Gullivar pulled her near and embraced her softly. He stroked her luscious black hair and then whispered, "Fear not Heru, I will not leave and I will try to stop this horror."
Before he knew it Heru had kissed him hard on the mouth, then she pulled back and slipped from him. She smiled, wiped a tear from her soft velvety cheek and rose. "I wish what you say were true. Come let us leave and return to Seth. I have told you more than I should. Yet I thank you Gullivar Jones. I feel safe with you." She turned headed for the thoats.
Gullivar slowly rose and adjusted his sword and thought, "Damn her lips were very fine, her breath like lotus blossoms. Oh shit, I do not even know what lotus blossoms would smell or taste like. What is wrong with me? She arouses me with lustful passion yet stays my hands with her... her what?"
Gullivar was confused for a moment. Then he decided. There was not going to be a tribute this year. He needed to plan. What manner of men was these Thithers? They were hairy with yellow skin he remembered that and they enslaved people. Yet they appeared primitive from their structures. They are probably apes? He walked down to the thoats. Heru had already mounted. He felt stiff, in his back and legs from the thoat ride and in his loins from her kiss and the nearness of her body. Then a thought crept into his mind, "Perhaps this Heru is not such an innocent young maid, perhaps she is using me to…no not possible. Besides if she is, so what. She is worth saving from this Ar-hap guy."
He mounted; she smiled and moved close to him. Her face was flushed. Her leg pushed against his thigh. She looked at Gullivar and said, "Did you really mean what you told me? You will help us against the Thithers?"
"Yes, Heru I did. Ar-hap is not going to take my princess."
Heru's eyes grew wide again and she smiled radiantly. She quickly leaned close to Gullivar and went to kiss him. But he gently caught her and pulled her closer and kissed her long. She was breathless when he released her. She blushed and smiled and then rode back toward Seth. Gullivar watched for a tal then followed, quickly overtaking her. They said little as they returned to the city. Night was rapidly approaching as the sun waned on the western horizon. The people of Seth appeared not to take a great interest in Heru and Gullivar as they entered Seth through the eastern archway. He looked about at the stone edifices and thought how it looked so much like old sketches of Hellenic or Sumerian cities from his histories he had studied at Annapolis when he was a cadet, only a decade ago, yet now on this world it seems like a lifetime.
He studied the Orovars, these Hithers. The women were very fine, he would admit. Very lovely, although Heru's beauty easily eclipsed them. Her red skin tone and black hair just stood out against their wan complexions and light coloured tufts. They did seem very delicate. Weak in fact. Heru was much studier, like her mother. Gullivar felt if he had kissed one of these white skinned maids like he did Heru, she may break. The men did not really look much more solid. True they carried swords and knives yet, he doubted they knew how to use these weapons. And the only ones that seemed to do any work were the ones wearing the yellow robes. He laughed yellow togas perhaps would be a better word. Were they slaves or servants? He was not certain. Too much to learn and this was only the end of his third day on Barsoom. Heru's story and his sense of personal honor now had him embroiled in the politics of this world. Did he truly want to get involved with the Okarians, the Thithers if the Orovars were not even willing to defend themselves? Much to dwell upon tonight.