READ THE NOVEL- Chapters 1-31 - ERBzine

Tarzan on Mars
answered the ape-man.
"Of course," said Gridley, "this opens up a few more
fascinating questions. First of all—how did a jeweled diadem
fashioned on Mars come to Earth in ancient times, and how
did it end up in Opar, a colony of lost Atlantis? And secondly—who
on Mars would want to snare a couple of terrestrial
thin ice, but when there's o other way to cross the
river—"
Now Tarzan stopped pacing. He stood before the desk.
"The Gridley Wave," he repeated. "Can you try it, Jason?—can
you communicate with this—John Carter? At least
that would be a beginning!"
Gridley had foreseen this question. He slumped back in
his chair. "I have done so, some years ago," he answered,
slowly, "but it won't work now."
"Why not?"
"Cosmic rays wreak havoc with it at certain times. For
several years the interference has been completely prohibitive.
Just now conditions are at their worst. It would be of no
use to even try. I -I'm sorry. I know how much it would
mean—"
"When do you expect the interference to lessen?"
Gridley shrugged, sadly. "I have no way of knowing,
really. It could be months—or years...”
The scientist stared at his desk. In the silence which
followed, he found it difficult to look up at the face of the man
who had labored so desperately and waited so long—who
stood at the threshold of discovery and solution, only to be
confronted with a insurmountable barrier.
He heard Tarzan take a deep breath, finally, and he heard
him say, "Then I am afraid that I will have to take matters into
my own hands."
There was something in the tone of that low, level voice
which made Gridley look up quickly. "What do you mean?" he
asked.
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