--but I assure you they were worthy of my metal, 
and had me backed against a wall in no time. 
 
 
 

I worked my way into a corner 
so that they could only come at me one at a time, 
and for nigh twenty minutes our ringing steel
produced a veritable Bedlam 
in the little room.

Our noise brought Dejah Thoris and,
behind her, Sola, to the door. 
From their expressions 
I could see that neither recognized me, 
and then a lucky cut reduced 
my opponents to two. 

And I saw it come to her--

“—J-John CARTER!—“ 
and she moaned 
“Oh-h, my Chieftain-That-Was!”

Her beautiful eyes went wide. 

For a moment she reached for me, 
but swayed, then stepped back.
 

In misery she grieved, 
“Oh, too late, too LATE! 
I had thought you DEAD!!! 
Had you but returned 
ONE little HOUR BEFORE! 
B-but now it is TOO LATE! I-
-I am—PROMISED!!!”

I managed
“You mean—you would not have?
—had you known I still live?!”

I retorted 
“But I am NOT dead, my Princess! 
I have come to claim you, 
and all of Zodanga cannot stop me!”

She cried 
“But my promise is given, 
and on Barsoom that is final! 
I am as married now as 
the dead are dead before the funeral! 
The wedding ceremony is 
but a meaningless formality!”

I exclaimed 
“You told me you loved me, 
on the plains of Warhoon! 
And I love you still! 
I ask you to be my wife!”

Then she cried, 
“Oh, NO!  I may not wed the man 
who slays my Betrothed—my Husband, 
not even in self-defense! 
It is our custom. 
We can share but our brief happy memories, 
and our everlasting sorrow. 
Now you must go, My-Chieftain-That-Was, 
nor ever see me again.  Goodbye.”

Disheartened and dejected, I withdrew. 
However, I was not entirely discouraged, 
nor could I feel her lost to me 
until the marriage ceremony 
had been performed.
But at the moment 
I was absolutely lost in the huge palace, 
with the matter of four dead guards 
and my absence from my post 
to answer for very soon.

In the chaos in the corridors
I mixed with the helter-skelter crowd 
until I finally saw the blessed light of day coming in 
through a great balcony 
overlooking a broad avenue. 
My escape route was blocked, however,
by a twenty-foot glass wall
which I dared not leap in daylight 
in sight of so many people.

Accordingly I sought a hiding-place and,
looking up, I found one, 
inside a huge hanging ornament 
some ten feet off the floor.
 Into the capacious bowl-like vessel 
I sprang with ease, 
and had just settled down in it 
when I heard a number of people 
enter the area and stop just beneath me. 
I could hear every word.

“It is the work of HELIUMITES!!”
a male voice said, 
“But how did such a large force
enter my Palace undetected? 
Notan, my Royal Psychologist
—what did you discover in 
the dead minds of my four slain Guardsmen?”

Notan replied 
“O Mighty Jeddak, a strange tale
—‘twas but a single opponent
—very tall and other-worldly strong,
in a fair fight, who slew them all! 
So sayeth also the Princess,
though I could not pry open her mind, 
which she locked against my probing.”

At that Than Kosis yelled 
“FIND HIM!  Quadruple the Guard! 
Check his Squadron, his known friends
—find out who he is, 
and FIND HIM, if you value your feathers!”

Word was soon brought 
that I was nowhere to be found, 
but had not been seen leaving the Palace. 
They had questioned Kantos Kan, 
who knew nothing of my whereabouts, 
but I knew they would be watching him, 
and surely Dejah Thoris, too.
The Jeddak and his underlings 
finally departed the hall.