? ? ? ? Together we ran to the gardens, but even though we scoured the grounds with the entire guard for hours, no trace could we find of the night marauder.
? ? ? ? "What do you make of it, Kantos Kan?" asked Tars Tarkas.
? ? ? ? "A spy sent by Zat Arras," he replied. "It was ever his way."
? ? ? ? "He will have something interesting to report to his master then," laughed Hor Vastus.
? ? ? ? "I hope he heard only our references to a new Jeddak," I said. "If he overheard our plans to rescue Dejah Thoris, it will mean civil war, for he will attempt to thwart us, and in that I will not be thwarted. There would I turn against Tardos Mors himself, were it necessary. If it throws all Helium into a bloody conflict, I shall go on with these plans to save my Princess. Nothing shall stay me now short of death, and should I die, my friends, will you take oath to prosecute the search for her and bring her back in safety to her grandfather's court?"
? ? ? ? Upon the hilt of his sword each of them swore to do as I had asked.
? ? ? ? It was agreed that the battleships that were to be remodelled should be ordered to Hastor, another Heliumetic city, far to the south-west.
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