trivial　errand。　　I　liked　and　trusted　Sola；　but　for　some　reason　I
  desired　to　be　alone　with　Dejah　Thoris；　who　represented　to
  me　all　that　I　had　left　behind　upon　Earth　in　agreeable　and
  congenial　companionship。　　There　seemed　bonds　of　mutual
  interest　between　us　as　powerful　as　though　we　had　been　born
  under　the　same　roof　rather　than　upon　different　planets；
  hurtling　through　space　some　forty…eight　million　miles　apart。
  That　she　shared　my　sentiments　in　this　respect　I　was　positive；
  for　on　my　approach　the　look　of　pitiful　hopelessness　left
  her　sweet　countenance　to　be　replaced　by　a　smile　of　joyful
  welcome；　as　she　placed　her　little　right　hand　upon　my　left
  shoulder　in　true　red　Martian　salute。
  〃Sarkoja　told　Sola　that　you　had　become　a　true　Thark；〃　she
  said；　〃and　that　I　would　now　see　no　more　of　you　than　of　any
  of　the　other　warriors。〃
  〃Sarkoja　is　a　liar　of　the　first　magnitude；〃　I　replied；
  〃notwithstanding　the　proud　claim　of　the　Tharks　to
  absolute　verity。〃
  Dejah　Thoris　laughed。
  〃I　knew　that　even　though　you　became　a　member　of　the
  community　you　would　not　cease　to　be　my　friend；　'A　warrior
  may　change　his　metal；　but　not　his　heart；'　as　the　saying
  is　upon　Barsoom。〃
  〃I　think　they　have　been　trying　to　keep　us　apart；〃　she
  continued；　〃for　whenever　you　have　been　off　duty　one　of　the
  older　women　of　Tars　Tarkas'　retinue　has　always　arranged　to
  trump　up　some　excuse　to　get　Sola　and　me　out　of　sight。
  They　have　had　me　down　in　the　pits　below　the　buildings
  helping　them　mix　their　awful　radium　powder；　and　make　their
  terrible　projectiles。　　You　know　that　these　have　to　be
  manufactured　by　artificial　light；　as　exposure　to　sunlight　always
  results　in　an　explosion。　　You　have　noticed　that　their　bullets
  explode　when　they　strike　an　object？　　Well；　the　opaque；　outer
  coating　is　broken　by　the　impact；　exposing　a　glass　cylinder；
  almost　solid；　in　the　forward　end　of　which　is　a　minute　particle
  of　radium　powder。　　The　moment　the　sunlight；　even　though
  diffused；　strikes　this　powder　it　explodes　with　a　violence　which
  nothing　can　withstand。　　If　you　ever　witness　a　night　battle
  you　will　note　the　absence　of　these　explosions；　while　the
  morning　following　the　battle　will　be　filled　at　sunrise　with　the
  sharp　detonations　of　exploding　missiles　fired　the　preceding
  night。　　As　a　rule；　however；　non…exploding　projectiles　are　used
  at　night。〃1
  While　I　was　much　interested　in　Dejah　Thoris'　explanation
  of　this　wonderful　adjunct　to　Martian　warfare；　I　was　more
  concerned　by　the　immediate　problem　of　their　treatment　of
  her。　　That　they　were　keeping　her　away　from　me　was　not　a
  matter　for　surprise；　but　that　they　should　subject　her　to
  dangerous　and　arduous　labor　filled　me　with　rage。
  〃Have　they　ever　subjected　you　to　cruelty　and　ignominy；
  Dejah　Thoris？〃　I　asked；　feeling　the　hot　blood　of　my　fighting
  ancestors　leap　in　my　veins　as　I　awaited　her　reply。
  〃Only　in　little　ways；　John　Carter；〃　she　answered。　　〃Nothing
  that　can　harm　me　outside　my　pride。　　They　know　that　I　am
  the　daughter　of　ten　thousand　jeddaks；　that　I　trace　my
  ancestry　straight　back　without　a　break　to　the　builder　of
  the　first　great　waterway；　and　they；　who　do　not　even　know
  their　own　mothers；　are　jealous　of　me。　　At　heart　they　hate
  their　horrid　fates；　and　so　wreak　their　poor　spite　on　me　who
  stand　for　everything　they　have　not；　and　for　all　they　most
  crave　and　never　can　attain。　　Let　us　pity　them；　my　chieftain；
  for　even　though　we　die　at　their　hands　we　can　afford　them
  pity；　since　we　are　greater　than　they　and　they　know　it。〃
  Had　I　known　the　significance　of　those　words　〃my　chieftain；〃
  as　applied　by　a　red　Martian　woman　to　a　man；　I　should　have
  had　the　surprise　of　my　life；　but　I　did　not　know　at　that　time；
  nor　for　many　months　thereafter。　　Yes；　I　still　had　much　to
  learn　upon　Barsoom。
  〃I　presume　it　is　the　better　part　of　wisdom　that　we　bow　to
  our　fate　with　as　good　grace　as　possible；　Dejah　Thoris；　but　I
  hope；　nevertheless；　that　I　may　be　present　the　next　time　that
  any　Martian；　green；　red；　pink；　or　violet；　has　the　temerity　to
  even　so　much　as　frown　on　you；　my　princess。〃
  Dejah　Thoris　caught　her　breath　at　my　last　words；　and
  I　have　used　the　word　radium　in　describing　this　powder　because　in
  the　light　of　recent　discoveries　on　Earth　I　believe　it　to　be　a　mixture　of
  which　radium　is　the　base。　　In　Captain　Carter's　manuscript　it　is　mentioned
  always　by　the　name　used　in　the　written　language　of　Helium　and　is
  spelled　in　hieroglyphics　which　it　would　be　difficult　and　useless　to
  reproduce。
  gazed　upon　me　with　dilated　eyes　and　quickening　breath；　and
  then；　with　an　odd　little　laugh；　which　brought　roguish　dimples
  to　the　corners　of　her　mouth；　she　shook　her　head　and　cried：
  〃What　a　child！　　A　great　warrior　and　yet　a　stumbling　little
  child。〃
  〃What　have　I　done　now？〃　I　asked；　in　sore　perplexity。
  〃Some　day　you　shall　know；　John　Carter；　if　we　live；　but
  I　may　not　tell　you。　　And　I；　the　daughter　of　Mors　Kajak；　son　of
  Tardos　Mors；　have　listened　without　anger；〃　she　soliloquized
  in　conclusion。
  Then　she　broke　out　again　into　one　of　her　gay；　happy；　laughing　moods；
  joking　with　me　on　my　prowess　as　a　Thark　warrior　as　contrasted　with
  my　soft　heart　and　natural　kindliness。
  〃I　presume　that　should　you　accidentally　wound　an　enemy
  you　would　take　him　home　and　nurse　him　back　to　health；〃
  she　laughed。
  〃That　is　precisely　what　we　do　on　Earth；〃　I　answered。
  〃At　least　among　civilized　men。〃
  This　made　her　laugh　again。　　She　could　not　understand　it；
  for；　with　all　her　tenderness　and　womanly　sweetness；　she　was
  still　a　Martian；　and　to　a　Martian　the　only　good　enemy　is　a
  dead　enemy；　for　every　dead　foeman　means　so　much　more　to
  divide　between　those　who　live。
  I　was　very　curious　to　know　what　I　had　said　or　done　to
  cause　her　so　much　perturbation　a　moment　before　and　so　I
  continued　to　importune　her　to　enlighten　me。
  〃No；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃it　is　enough　that　you　have　said　it
  and　that　I　have　listened。　　And　when　you　learn；　John　Carter；
  and　if　I　be　dead；　as　likely　I　shall　be　ere　the　further
  moon　has　circled　Barsoom　another　twelve　times；　remember
  that　I　listened　and　that　Ismiled。〃
  It　was　all　Greek　to　me；　but　the　more　I　begged　her　to
  explain　the　more　positive　became　her　denials　of　my　request；
  and；　so；　in　very　hopelessness；　I　desisted。
  Day　had　now　given　away　to　night　and　as　we　wandered
  along　the　great　avenue　lighted　by　the　two　moons　of
  Barsoom；　and　with　Earth　looking　down　upon　us　out　of　her
  luminous　green　eye；　it　seemed　that　we　were　alone　in　the
  universe；　and　I；　at　least；　was　content　that　it　should　be　so。
  The　chill　of　the　Martian　night　was　upon　us；　and　removing
  my　silks　I　threw　them　across　the　shoulders　of　Dejah
  Thoris。　　As　my　arm　rested　for　an　instant　upon　her　I　felt　a
  thrill　pass　through　every　fiber　of　my　being　such　as　contact
  with　no　other　mortal　had　even　produced；　and　it　seemed　to
  me　that　she　had　leaned　slightly　toward　me；　but　of　that　I
  was　not　sure。　　Only　I　knew　that　as　my　arm　rested　there
  across　her　shoulders　longer　than　the　act　of　adjusting　the
  silk　required　she　did　not　draw　away；　nor　did　she　speak。
  And　so；　in　silence；　we　walked　the　surface　of　a　dying　world；
  but　in　the　breast　of　one　of　us　at　least　had　been　born　that
  which　is　ever　oldest；　yet　ever　new。
  I　loved　Dejah　Thoris。　　The　touch　of　my　arm　upon　her　naked
  shoulder　had　spoken　to　me　in　words　I　would　not　mistake；
  and　I　knew　that　I　had　loved　her　since　the　first　moment
  that　my　eyes　had　met　hers　that　first　time　in　the　plaza
  of　the　dead　city　of　Korad。
  CHAPTER　XIV
  A　DUEL　TO　THE　DEATH
  My　first　impulse　was　to　tell　her　of　my　love；　and　then　I
  thought　of　the　helplessness　of　her　position　wherein　I　alone
  could　lighten　the　burdens　of　her　captivity；　and　protect　her　in
  my　poor　way　against　the　thousands　of　hereditary　enemies
  she　must　face　upon　our　arrival　at　Thark。　　I　could　not　chance
  causing　her　additional　pain　or　sorrow　by　declaring　a　love
  which；　in　all　probability　she　did　not　return。　　Should　I　be　so
  indiscreet；　her　position　would　be　even　more　unbearable　than
  now；　and　the　thought　that　she　might　feel　that　I　was　taking
  advantage　of　her　helplessness；　to　influence　her　decision　was
  the　final　argument　which　sealed　my　lips。
  〃Why　are　you　so　quiet；　Dejah　Thoris？〃　I　asked。　　〃Possibly
  you　would　rather　return　to　Sola　and　your　quarters。〃
  〃No；〃　she　murmured；　〃I　am　happy　here。　　I　do　not　know
  why　it　is　that　I　should　always　be　happy　and　contented
  when　you；　John　Carter；　a　stranger；　are　with　me；　yet　at　such
  times　it　seems　that　I　am　safe　and　that；　with　you；　I　shall　soon
  return　to　my　father's　court　and　feel　his　strong　arms　about　me
  and　my　mother's　tears　and　kisses　on　my　cheek。〃
  〃Do　people　kiss；　then；　upon　Barsoom？〃　I　asked；　when　she
  had　explained　the　word　she　used；　in　answer　to　my　inquiry　as
  to　its　meaning。
  〃Parents；　brothers；　and　sisters；　yes；　and；〃　she　added　in　a
  low；　thoughtful　tone；　〃lovers。〃
  〃And　you；　Dejah　Thoris；　have　parents　and　b