She looked at me long and earnestly 
and said:  "You are a queer mix
of brute and man, Dotar Sojat. 
I only wish I knew your heart." 

I replied: 
"Look down at your feet, Dejah Thoris. 
There it has lain, 
since the night in Korad, 
and where it will beat for you alone
until death stills it forever."

"John Carter, 
what are you saying to me?" 
she whispered, 
her lovely hands groping plaintively, 
outstretched toward me. 
"To hold your judgment of me 
until you are safe among your own people, 
and let your opinion of me 
not be colored by gratitude."  I answered. 

"Oh, John Carter," 
she murmured, 

"I will respect your wishes. 
Twice I have wronged you 
in my thoughts, 
and again 
I ask your forgiveness."

Just then Sola burst in,
highly agitated 
and unlike her usual calm self, 
crying,

"That horrible Sarkoja has been 
before Tal Hajus, 
and you are both 
to be thrown 
to the wild calots 
in the great games!" 

I exclaimed, 
"Then we must leave, and soon. 
Sola, will you not come with us? 
You have no love for Thark, 
nor them for you, and perhaps--" 

"Yes!" said Dejah Thoris,
"Come with us to Helium, 
to sunshine, and happiness, 
to a home and love! 
We want you with us! 
Oh, say you will!"

Sola murmured 
"A swift thoat could make it
to the waterway in three hours--
we could hide among the trees--" 

Whereupon Dejah Thoris 
began to draw a map 
upon the marble floor 
with a great diamond 
from her hair.

Sola stated, 
pointing thoughtfully, 
that the Tharks would 
pursue us to the gates of Helium,
but we could lose them 
by going north, 
a long way out of our way, 
and we agreed 
to leave immediately.

I directed them 
to gather what supplies 
we would need 
and proceed by 
a less-traveled avenue
to the southern edge of the city, 
where I would meet them 
with my two thoats, 
which I slipped out now 
to fetch. 

It was extremely risky 
entering the dark paddock at night 
among the 
ill-tempered, half-wild herd,
but my kindness 
to my brutes paid off 
as, at my mental call, 
I soon saw 
them shouldering toward me 
through the crowd to my side, 
nuzzling me 
for their usual tidbits.

I led them out quietly 
and closed the gate. 
Soon I had them saddled and we 
slipped stealthily 
through deserted back streets
to the assigned meeting place. 
I did not become alarmed, 
though, until 
an hour and a half had passed 
with still no sign of 
Sola and Dejah Thoris.

Thinking them held 
by some trivial delay,
I hid my animals 
within one of the great buildings,
then suddenly froze at 
the sound of voices 
-- a score of mounted warriors 
passed my hiding place,
obviously on a search. 

We had been discovered; 
my one hope now was
to find Sola and Dejah Thoris.

Suddenly an idea came to me,
based upon the existence 
of a hollow court 
within each block of buildings. 

Unsaddling my animals, 
I led them through 
the tight doors to the courtyard, 
where they would remain 
safely hidden 
from the search parties 
I was sure were about. 

Then I made my way, 
block by block, 
through the courtyards
to the rear 
of Dejah Thoris' apartment. 

There I used my earthly muscles 
to leap to the floor above, 
catching the windowsill to enter. 
Moving silently to the front,
I stopped outside her room
-- to hear men's voices within --

"It will take all four of you 
to disarm him. 
The girl is now 
safely in the arms of Tal Hajus,
so any you hear approaching
is sure to be him. 

The great Sarkoja has done 
a noble night's work. 
Do not fail!"