"11 - John Carter of Mars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Burroughs Edgar Rice)

night and day with the entire Helium air force. Whoever discovers Dejah Thoris
first will notify Kantos Kan of his position. Naturally, we can only communicate
to each other through Kantos Kan. The wave length will be constant and secret,
2000 kilocycles."
Tardos Mors turned to the earthman.
"Every resource in my kingdom is at your command, John Carter."
"We leave at once, your majesty; and if Dejah Thoris is alive on Barsoom, we
shall find her," replied John Carter.
Two
THE SEARCH
WITHIN THREE HOURS, John Carter was standing on the roof of the Royal Airdrome
giving last-minute instructions to a fleet of twenty-four fast, one-man scouts.
"Cover all the territory in your district thoroughly. If you discover anything,
don't attempt to handle it by yourself. Notify Kantos Kan immediately." Carter
surveyed the grim faces before him and knew that they would obey him.
"Let's go." Carter jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the ships.
The men scattered and soon their planes were speeding away from Helium.
Carter stayed on the roof long enough to check with Kantos Kan. He adjusted the
earphones around his head and then signalled on 2000 kilocycles. The dots and
dashes of Kantos Kan's reply began coming in immediately.
"Your signal comes in perfectly. Tars Tarkas is just leaving the city. The air
fleet is mobilizing. The entire air force will stand by to come to your aid.
Kantos Kan signing off."
Night found Carter cruising about five hundred miles from Helium. He was very
tired. The search of several ruined cities and canals had been fruitless. The
buzzing of the microset aroused him again.
"Kantos Kan reporting. Tars Tarkas has organized a complete ground search east
to south; other air scouts west to south report nothing. Will acquaint you with
any news that might come in. Await orders. Will stand by. Signing off."
"No orders. No news. Carter signing off."
Wearily he let the ship drift. No need to look further until the moons came up.
The earthman fell into a fitful sleep.
It was midnight when the speaker sounded, jerking Carter to wakefulness. Kantos
Kan was signalling again, excitedly.
"Tars Tarkas has found Dejah Thoris. She is held in a deserted city on the banks
of the dead sea at Korvas." Kantos Kan gave the exact latitude and longitude of
the spot.
"Further instructions from Tars Tarkas request the greatest secrecy in your
movements. He will be at the main bridge leading into the City. Kantos Kan
signing off. Come in, John Carter."
John Carter signed off with Kantos Kan, urging him to stand by constantly to be
ready with the Helium Air Fleet. Now he set his gyro-compass, a device that
would automatically steer him to his destination.
Several hours later, the earthman flew over a low range of hills and saw below
him an ancient city on the banks of the Dead Sea. He circled his plane and
dropped to the bridge where he had been instructed to meet Tars Tarkas. Long,
black shadows filled a dry gulley below him.
Carter climbed out of his plane, keeping to the shadows, and made his way to the
towering ruins of the City. It was so quiet that a lonely bat swooping from a
tower sounded like a falling airship.