Edgar Rice Burroughs

Thuvia Edgar Rice Burroughs

Upon a massive bench of polished ersite beneath the gorgeous blooms of a giant pimalia awoman sat. Her shapely, sandalled foot tapped impatiently upon the jewel-strewn walk thatwound beneath the stately sorapus trees across the scarlet sward of the royal gardens of ThuvanDihn, Jeddak of Ptarth, as a dark-haired, red-skinned warrior bent low toward her, whisperingheated words close to her ear."Ah, Thuvia of Ptarth," he cried, "you are cold even before the fiery blasts of my consuminglove! No harder than your heart, nor colder is the hard, cold ersite of this thrice happy benchwhich supports your divine and fadeless form! Tell me, O Thuvia of Ptarth, that I may stillhope-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 headwas poised haughtily upon her smooth red shoulders. Her dark eyes looked angrily into those ofthe man."You forget yourself, and the customs of Barsoom, Astok," she said. "I have given you noright 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 othercome between Astok, Prince of Dusar, and his heart's desire. Tell me that there is another, and Ishall 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, forthe persons of the royal women of the courts of Mars are held but little less than sacred. The actof 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.