“What about father?” Dakota asked. “Is he aboard?”
“No. He’s...overdue.”
At that moment Dejah Thoris fell from her saddle to the ground.
“Princess!” John Carter cried and leaped from his horse to kneel by Dejah. Her eyes fluttered open and refocused.
“My Prince,” she said.
John Carter tore open her halter and began feeling for the wound. He found it in her left side. The blood wasn’t copious, but the flow had apparently been steady. “How long have you been wounded?” he asked her.
“The moment we brought our horses...among them. One of them stuck me. I have tried to...ignore it.”
“Quickly!” John Carter looked up to Ian. “A bit of cloth to bind this wound and stop the flow!”
Ian immediately tore a long strip of cloth from his shirt.
Dejah’s head turned toward the battlefield. “No time,” she whispered. “They come.”
Those standing around their Princess looked up as one to see a thousand or more morts advancing.
“Ekka,” John Carter said cooly. “Get your people onto the Argent, lift it above us and fire at that line of clones.” Ekka put her hand on Dakota’s shoulder and turned him toward the ramp.
Bixie stood firm for a moment until Ian turned to her.
“You best get on the ship, lass,” he said. “I must stand with my friend. But just so you know, I do love thee.”
The tears began for Bixie with Ian’s last word.
At their feet, John Carter took the strip of cloth from Ian and began to bind Dejah Thoris’s wound.
“Go lass,” Ian said to Bixie. The plea in his voice was too much for her. She began to turn away, but at the last moment threw her arms around him and kissed him on the lips. “My beautiful Scotsman.”
“Thee be the beautiful one, lass. Now go.”
She left him and turned to the hatchway without looking back. Ian breathed a sigh.
“We’re well into it now,” he said quietly, casting his eyes over the advancing horde.
The Argent began to rise. When it had cleared the heads of the defenders, a great gout of steam arose from the well, and the horses bolted forth. As one passed, John Carter caught the beast’s reins and was pulled away from Dejah’s side.
The Argent opened fire at the advancing enemy, but the laser sputtered several times, as if something was wrong with it.
Inside the closing hatchway, Dakota paused and turned to witness the last horse clearing the mouth ramp of the well and the steam followed after it. Bixie passed him on her way into the ship, her hands wiping tears from her eyes. When she was past him, Dakota looked down to the orb in his hands. Where once it had pulsed a pleasing blue light, it now pulsed red.
“Oh no,” Dakota whispered.
“What is it?” Ekka asked.
“He comes.”
“Who?” she asked.
&n
bsp; “The Golden Man.”
[ 100 ]