READ THE NOVEL- Chapters 1-31 - ERBzine

Tarzan on Mars
their graves.
Such was the dead city of Korad, ancient, ownerless, a
derelict adrift in the endless stream of time. To take advantage
of its shelter from roaming banths or perchance a wandering
airship from some red Martian nation, or else to slack
their thirst at the springs which could usually be found in such
places, either the nomadic green men or the great white apes
were wont to take up a temporary residence here.
At this particular time, Korad was inhabited by a horde of
green men which bore allegiance to the tribal nation of Torquas.
Here were their vicious, squealing thoats locked up in
the great courtyards of the ancient buildings. Here were the
females who accomplished all the useful work of the tribe,
cleaning the swords of the warriors, repairing their battle
harness or their long radium rifles, manufacturing ammunition
and preparing food, while the males consorted about the
central palace of Korad, where sat the court of Xotar Kova, Jed.
In one of the apartments of the city rested one who was
not of their race, a prisoner, yet one too fair and choice to be
chained like any common victim of a raid in the lightless pits
below. A woman, white, proud, with raven hair, and possessed
of a haunting, alien beauty and a ferocious strength
that made her appear to Xotar Kova a young she-banth in
human form.
Xotar Kova's women fed her and were supposed to keep
her under their surveillance, but at times they were wont to
entrust this duty to their calots.
And so it was that La, High Priestess of the Flaming
God, now found herself a prisoner of two Martian watchdogs,
or calots, whose great size and ugly appearance fascinated
her, because she had learned by now that their beastly aspect
disguised a very high order of intelligence—such as she had
never observed in any earthly animal, nor indeed in the
priests of Opar! Though it was difficult to believe, she even
suspected that they were guided by telepathy.
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