John is assigned close to the King. All's fair in war and...war, seems to be the Martian motto for conflict.
- Still, it seems odd that they'd assign John as a Royal Bodyguard four days after he shows up. I mean, he's devilishly charming and all, but...I guess one of the technologies they never recovered was vetting.
It's interesting, checking up after he mentions a room being lit by what appeared to be trapped sun rays between the ceiling and ground glass blocks, there's fluorescent lamp patents dating back to the turn of the twentieth century. It's weird, counter to the usual I Want My Jet Pack or Science Marches On feel I usually get from Sci-Fi, reading this more often gives me moments of Older Than They Think.
- Or, you know, it could be a poetically described skylight and mirrors...
He is stationed in the secret passage behind a tapestry in the king's apartment, where he is currently having a meeting. The tapestry is some kind of cloth one-way glass. Just as he takes his post, Dejah Thoris is led in.
She says she's changed her mind and would love to marry Prince Sab Than. She'd prefer that peace were declared first, though, as it would be strange to marry an enemy. She leaves as the king drafts a peace offering.
Heart broken, John Carter dashes off, searching for Dejah's room. He finds it, but there are four guards. "What's the password?" "Sword-In-The-Face!"
- It actually takes him a while to defeat them, as they're no slouches, but he prevails, slightly saddened by the murder but admitting he'd depopulate Barsoom to reach Dejah Thoris.
It takes a moment for Sola and Dejah to recognize him, and Dejah sobs, for on Barsoom, the marriage promise matters much more than the ceremony. Missed the Wedding Deadline by less than an hour.
- Apparently, she was offended earlier because of Barsoom-ian etiquette, that he had addressed her as a wife, without actually asking her hand.
She cannot marry John while Sab Than lives. And, wow, first thing John brings up, for once murder won't work; can't marry your husband's killer.
Heartbroken again, he flees, as the bodies will soon be discovered. Planning to jump over the wall under cover of darkness, he hides in an ornate ceiling vase, where he overhears the guards discussing how the Heliumites could have snuck in six or eight fighters.
The Royal Psychologist shows up, and reports on the last impressions of the dead guards; one man, who, though wearing the metal of Zodanga, was as fantastic a warrior as never seen on Barsoom. The Princess was too well controlled to read, but they recognize John's description, and are now suspicious of the mighty warrior with the weird name popping up out of nowhere.
As night falls, John escapes.
- I can't help but wonder what will happen to Kantos Kan; if nothing else, his information is on file under John's name. Who knows, maybe he's already fled, he seems pretty sharp.
One wonders why the etiquette and custom of Barsoom is so homogeneous. I mean, even the various Romance cultures have reasonably different languages and cultures. Was there some series of Etiquette Wars, in which rude were exterminated? Some kind of Courtesy Jihad?
Comments
- Wonder how different doing a voice commentary on something else might be?
- Soon I'll have delusions of grandeur, thinking I can be That Guy With The Glasses. XP
