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READ THE NOVEL- Chapters 1-31 - ERBzine

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Tarzan on Mars<br />

commerce had been borne on the rolling surface of oceans.<br />

Thus, persistent ingenuity and the eternal resilience of the<br />

human mind and spirit had at last succeeded in holding back<br />

the inevitable death of the ancient planet for yet another span<br />

of ages...<br />

All of which startling realization finally had the effect of<br />

launching Tario into a brand new and totally unexpected<br />

phase of his existence. For ages reaching so far into antiquity<br />

that their memory was lost to him, Tario—wizard, mentalist<br />

supreme, Jeddak of Lothar—had lain dreaming in abysmal<br />

loneliness, waiting for the end of creation, only to discover<br />

that the world he had thought dead had come to life. This fact<br />

placed an entirely new interpretation upon the position, the<br />

abnormal powers, and the life purpose of Tario.<br />

"Sorn!" he shouted, at the moment of his great decision.<br />

From the furs and silks of his royal couch he called imperiously<br />

to his aide, servant and advisor.<br />

Sorn, a true Lotharian—as opposed to the realistic<br />

phantoms that often filled the untenanted halls of the<br />

palace—quickly made himself apparent. He entered the royal<br />

chamber and threw himself to his knees, whereupon he<br />

crawled forward toward his lord, waggling his body much in<br />

the manner of a fawning hound.<br />

"Yes, Tario, most glorious jeddak!" cried Sorn. "But<br />

speak thy will, and it shall be done!"<br />

Tario's brows lowered in a frown of disapproval. He<br />

sprang from his couch and stood on the raised dais, legs apart<br />

and arms akimbo, a magnificent figure of a man, richly harnessed,<br />

fair of skin, possessed of light auburn hair and piercing<br />

blue eyes. For white, not red, was the lost race of Lothar.<br />

"Enough of this!" he shouted. "Get up on your feet!"<br />

The astonished Sorn could not have been censured for<br />

not thus instantly breaking a tradition of the ages, yet when<br />

he hesitated, still on his knees, Tario leaped from the dais and<br />

grasped him roughly, dragging him to his feet.<br />

29

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