1899- Journey to Mars

Ian and John looked at each other for a moment, then John said, “We’ve been talking about the same thing. We will agree, and want the same agreement from you about us. We fight to the last man, and we will not allow our enemies to take our friends alive.”

“I agree. The next fight, and mark my words, it will come, is going to have a different outcome for that Chinaman and his carrot-heads.”

“I believe this deserves another toast all around,” Ian said. They tossed the next ones straight back, then talked about less morbid things.

[ 56 ]

Billy, Ekka and Edgar studied the still ongoing battle on the surface of Mars. Edgar said, “It just doesn’t seem right to me.”

“What doesn’t seem right?” Ekka said.

“The name Mars. I’ve been having dreams about it ever since we sailed into the ether. And I had a really vivid one again last night.”

Billy said, “What do you call it in your dreams?”

“It wasn’t me, it was the people in my dreams. Especially the one lady.”

Billy smiled, “It is always a lady behind things like that, mark my words, Eddie.” Ekka poked Billy in the side and made him jump. “Okay, not all women,” he said, and Ekka kissed his cheek.

“Barsoom,” Eddie said. “She calls it Barsoom.”

“That has a nice ring to it.” Billy said.

Ekka leaned toward Edgar, interested, “Tell us more about your dreams, and this woman on...Barsoom.”

“She’s royalty of some ki

nd, I know that. Some parts of the dreams are hazy, but I keep having parts of the same dream every night, so those I can remember.” He looked at Ekka, “She’s young, about my age I think. She looks like what I imagine you looked like at that age, Ekka. She’s not as tall as you, but she’s as athletic as a circus performer, and as beautiful as you.” Edgar blushed, then continued, “Only she’s different, all her people are different. Their skin is red.”

“Like an Indian?” Billy asked.

“Not exactly. Our Indians are more reddish brown than these are. This one, she is more of a reddish copper color, like her skin has a thin film of red ocher covering it, so not really red, but kind of red. Does that make any sense?”

Ekka patted Edgar’s arm, “Perfect sense.”

Billy said, “Just how much of her skin do you see? I need to hear all the details.” He held up his arm in self-defense as Ekka tried not to grin and threatened him with her fist.

Edgar said, “She dresses like those pictures from the stories about Scheherazade, those filmy silk clothes. She has her lady parts covered, but not a lot else. She wears gold bands on her upper arms and wrists, and a thin one around her head.”

“That’s a heck of a description. Like you had a photograph.”

Edgar said, “She’s not like a regular dream.”

Ekka said, “What do you two talk about in your dreams?”

“That they are in danger and need our help. She’s a leader of some kind, of a lot of people. They’re fighting an enemy that sounds a lot like the ones we’ve been battling.”

“I’d like to meet your princess someday.”

Edgar said, “You will, she said so. She said to tell you she is called Dejah. She told me last night that she will meet us in the gold at the end of the canal tomorrow morning.”

Billy glanced at Ekka, then said to Edgar, “I don’t want you to be disappointed if she isn’t there and you find out that these were only strong dreams.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll be fine with it. But you will see. Dejah is real and lives on Barsoom.”

[ 57 ]

Guthrie had his eye lenses at maximum magnification when he caught faint specks following them in the ether. He calculated the numbers, then double-checked the sky to see if he missed any. When he was sure, he left the rear observation area and knew he needed to inform Billy and the others. Bixie waited for him in the passageway as if she expected him, and Guthrie and Bixie gathered the others as they passed through the ship. When they arrived in the command room, everyone was present. Billy said, “This must be important.”