READ THE NOVEL- Chapters 1-31 - ERBzine

Tarzan on Mars
thoughts to conduct the hunt successfully for his guests.
This was the last day of their visit and he could not now
discard the tradition of Greystoke hospitality which it devolved
upon him to preserve. But while he accompanied them he
allowed Muviro, his Waziri chief, to be the hunter. His mind
was filled with apprehension concerning La, whom he had
once promised to protect. The appeal of the mystified
Oparians for his help in finding La their offer of all the
contents of the treasure vaults as a reward, and their startling
presentation of the ancient diadem as a possible clue to the
mystery—all these things and more filled his mind with
conjecture to such an extent that he could hardly pay even lip
service to the social amenities required of him by his guests.
He had promised the men of Opar an investigation into
the matter before he should leave Africa, and on this subject
he and Jane Clayton had conversed in private until long after
midnight. At first his wife had remonstrated, but when he
showed her the ancient diadem everything had changed like
magic. And this was the strangest mystery of all.
As though mesmerized by the great jewel in the center
of the diadem, Jane Clayton had suddenly become fascinated.
For from being repelled by the evil aura of the thing, she had
hardly been able to contain her wonder and enthusiasm.
"This is positively the most exquisite, gorgeous and
priceless gem I have ever seen or heard of, John!" she had
exclaimed. And at once she had begged him to let her keep it.
Inasmuch as Jane Clayton had never been the type of
woman to have recourse to the outward appearances of
wealth in order to advertise her distinguished station in life,
and as hers had always been a practical nature relative to the
utilization of all things of great value, this reaction of hers to
the ancient diadem had mystified Tarzan most of all. Actually,
his wife contemplated keeping the diadem as and addition to
her personal jewelry—an object of tremendous archaeological
value which was probably worth a king's ransom, or ten times
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