文档介绍：THUVIA, MAID OF MARS
THUVIA, MAID OF
MARS
1
THUVIA, MAID OF MARS
CHAPTER I
CARTHORIS AND THUVIA
Upon a massive bench of polished ersite beneath the gorgeous
blooms of a giant pimalia a woman sat. Her shapely, sandalled foot tapped
impatiently upon the jewel-strewn walk that wound beneath the stately
sorapus trees across the scarlet sward of the royal gardens of Thuvan Dihn,
Jeddak of Ptarth, as a dark-haired, red- skinned warrior bent low toward
her, whispering heated words close to her ear.
"Ah, Thuvia of Ptarth," he cried, "you are cold even before the fiery
blasts of my consuming love! No harder than your heart, nor colder is the
hard, cold ersite of this thrice happy bench which supports your divine and
fadeless form! Tell me, O Thuvia of Ptarth, that I may still hope--that
though you do not love me now, yet some day, some day, my princess, I-
-"
The girl sprang to her feet with an exclamation of surprise and
displeasure. Her queenly head was poised haughtily upon her smooth red
shoulders. Her dark eyes looked angrily into those of the man.
"You forget yourself, and the customs of Barsoom, Astok," she said.
"I have given you no right thus to address the daughter of Thuvan Dihn,
nor have you won such a right."
The man reached suddenly forth and grasped her by the arm.
"You shall be my princess!" he cried. "By the breast of Issus, thou
shalt, nor shall any e between Astok, Prince of Dusar, and his
heart's desire. Tell me that there is another, and I shall cut out his foul
heart and fling it to the wild calots of the dead sea-bottoms!"
At touch of the man's hand upon her flesh the girl went pallid beneath
her coppery skin, for the persons of the royal women of the courts of Mars
are held but little less than sacred. The act of Astok, Prince of Dusar, was
profanation. There was no terror in the eyes of Thuvia of Ptarth--only
horror for the thing the man had done and for its possible consequences.
"Release me." Her voice