John Carter by Stuart Moore Read Free Book Online Page B

leaped again, ever closer to the strange red woman with the flowing hair.
    Down on the ground, the Thark bookmaker continued his rounds. He stepped over a fallen Zodangan soldier, cocked his head at Tars Tarkas. “Zodanga or Helium?”
    Grimacing, Tars dropped an amulet into the bookmaker’s bowl.
    â€œI bet Virginia,” he said.

T HE T HARK settlement had once been a great port city. Now its stonework stood weathered and chipped, towers and temples torn down by sand, time, and scavenging hordes.
    Carter sprang from rooftop to rooftop, cupola to crumbling parapet, zigzagging his way up toward the listing Helium airship. He paused, darted a glance ahead. Only one thin-ledged cupola stood higher now, and it was at least fifty feet away. He hesitated.
    Then the Helium airship lurched over, tipping onto its side in mid-air. The woman lost her grip, cried out, and began to fall.
    Grimacing, Carter crouched and sprang as high as he could.
    He rose. She fell. Carter stretched in mid-air until he caught her flailing body. She grabbed tight to him and he twisted again, managing to land on the cupola. His chain unspooled down off the platform, almost toppling him from the ledge. He staggered for a second, then recovered, still clutching her in his arms.
    Time seemed to stop as they stared into each other’s eyes. For an instant, he felt that sense of purpose that had been missing for so long.
    Then a gangplank slammed down onto the cupola’s ledge. Carter looked up and saw one of the Zodangan airships hovering just above. Red-garbed soldiers poured down the gangplank, swords and guns drawn.
    Carter set Dejah down on her feet. “Beg your pardon, ma’am.” As she watched in surprise, he grabbed the sword out of her hilt. “If you’ll kindly stay behind me…this might get dangerous.”
    The soldiers swarmed off the gangplank. Carter grabbed the chain still leashed to his body and cracked it like a whip, slamming into the first two soldiers.
    With his other hand, Carter swung the woman’s sword in a wide arc, marveling at how light and flexible it was. One soldier screamed and grabbed his slashed chest. The other was less fortunate—the blade stabbed straight into his heart.
    Carter had done well so far. But as he caught his breath, the last remaining Zodangan swung his gun like a club, knocking the blade clean out of Carter’s hand. Stunned, Carter watched it fly…straight toward the woman. She grabbed it expertly by the hilt, tumbled acrobatically down in front of Carter, and impaled the Zodangan with a single quick, neat motion.
    Carter stared down at the dead man, then up at the fierce woman. “Maybe I ought to stay behind you ,” he said.
    She smiled; it was a warm smile, very unlike the monstrous grins of the Tharks. “Let me know when it gets dangerous,” she said.
    She reached down and wiped her blade clean on Carter’s baby garment. Only then did he realize he was still wearing the loincloth Sola had dressed him in the night before. He felt briefly embarrassed.
    Then a great shadow fell on them both, and Carter looked up to see the other two Zodangan warships converging on their position. One of them, the highest, bore the strange black weapon he’d seen before. The Helium ship still hung next to it, smoking and listing on its side.
    Aboard the nearest Zodangan ship, a fresh contingent of soldiers appeared at the top of the gangplank. Their leader pointed, and they started down toward Carter and the woman at a run.
    â€œI’ve had about enough of these boys,” Carter said. He pointed to a spiral ramp leading down the far side of the cupola to the settlement below. “Ma’am, may I suggest you run?”
    Without waiting for her reply, Carter charged the gangplank and vaulted over the astonished soldiers, landing just above them. Another leap took him onto the deck of their ship, where more surprised Zodangans whirled to face