You are always making trouble, growled the First
Jed. You are Tor-dur-bar, the strongest man in Morbus?
And for what reason did The Warlord of Barsoom
search for Ras Thavas? Iam a very important person, Tor-dur-bar.
If I could get Tor-dur-bar assigned to the body
guard of a jed I mightthus learn the fate of Janai.
One was only a great mass ofliving flesh with an
eye somewhere and a single hand.
We found Gantun Gur securely trussed up and heavily
guarded. The officer conducted me to a large guardroom where there were manyother
hormad warriors.
I saw Ras Thavass browclear as though he had
suddenly arrived at the solution of a problem.
The features of manywere grotesquely
misplaced.
I should, however, like a body and face like yours,
said Tor-dur-bar.
None of the rest of you had everheard of
him.
She will have the best of everything andwont have
to go to the vats of Ras Thavas. Perhaps he meant that he would obey you, serve
you.
Yes; now be on your way, and dont come back here
again.
We shall find Tor-dur-barshead and see if it
recalls you.
We shall take a vote on it, said the Fourth Jed. He
may not be beautiful, said the Third Jed, but I shall take himfor my
guard.
All their reactions arepurely mechanical. There are
but two inhabitants of Jasoom on Mars. I succeeded quite beyond my expectations, or
his either. I dont need theassistance of any fifth-rate brain to decide what is best
for me. When I told John Carter and Ras Thavas about it, they had a good laugh.
Perhaps he meant that he would obey you, serve you. I think it an excellent idea, I
said, for I wanted all the friends Icould get. He never saw his own face often
enough to become familiarwith it.
Before that I shall havetrained another assistant,
so that he can transfer my brain to a newbody.