READ THE NOVEL- Chapters 1-31 - ERBzine

Tarzan on Mars
and the arrows disappeared into thin air. But the men were
still very dead, because their minds had told them that their
hearts were torn and bleeding. The nerves controlling their
hearts had reacted to the conviction of the mind, and each
heart had stopped its beating. Indeed, a cold, thin shaft might
just as well have been lodged within each of the warriors, for
the effect was exactly the same.
But still, thought Kar Komak as he gained the deck of
the coveted flier, Tario would recognize this work as his.
Now, for certain, he would have to make good his escape!
It was easier, from there on, than he had imagined. As he
started the ship's powerful engine, the sun sank behind the
valley's walls and the long, deep shadows of approaching night
were like the arms of a kindly fate stretched out to receive
him.
With a tremendous acceleration, he shot out of the
Escarpment and was gone beyond the valley before he could
be detected.
As the Martian night descended upon him and he hurtled
swiftly southward over the great, dead sea bottoms, Kar
Komak had other regrets than having had to dispose of the
Tarnathian guards. First, he regretted that he had not been
able to take Var Koros with him. And secondly, he regretted
that he could not have saved U-Bar Daj from questioning.
Truly, he reasoned, men of state such as John Carter
must have terrible decisions to make at times. For when
more than one's own self is at stake the sacrifice of others to
a cause becomes an unavoidable necessity. He could only
hope that U-Bar Daj would not die for his part in Var Koros'
little plot.
And there was the greatest mystery of all! How would
Var Koros know so much about the secrets of the Holy
Alliance? And how could he have arranged such a thing,
unaided?
Kar Komak had learned what every Tarnathian warrior
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