“You can’t miss it. I’ve been wondering about it all morning. Now it’s nearly blotting out the sky.”
“That’s tens of thousands of morts and corts up there above the canyon, headed for the Atmosphere Factory. Dejah is going to fight them.”
“No,” Edgar said. “She can’t! She just can’t throw her life away like that. We’ve got to do something.”
“We are doing something. John Carter and Ian are going to fight alongside her. Billy and Avi are going to resuce John Koothrappally at Mort Prime’s castle. They’re flying there now in one of Dejah’s personal fliers. Guthrie has gone to find Dakota, who has wandered off during all this disaster. You and Pat are getting the Argent repaired. And Bixie and I—remember those spiders that attacked us when we arrived?”
“How can I forget that?” he replied with another question.
“Exactly. Bixie and I are going to lure them out. We need them.”
Edgar’s shoulders slumped. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. You’re gonna get the two of you killed as well!”
Ekka smiled at him. “You’ve yet to see me in real action, Edgar. Bixie and I can handle it. How long until the ship is ready?”
“Another hour. No more than that. We won’t have time to test her. She’ll have to either sink or swim.”
“Yes. She’ll swim. Edgar, you are awfully serious about her, aren’t you? I mean, about Dejah?”
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking or dreaming about her.”
“Remember that she’s what Bixie calls a sender. It’s one of the reasons she’s a Princess. Whatever it is you’re feeling, you have to know that all the men who follow her feel the same way. Her people love her because of it.”
“You’re saying...you’re saying my feelings fo
r her aren’t real. I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth.”
Ekka nodded. “I know. But when it comes time to make a choice, make sure it’s your own choice, and not something...else.”
Edgar pursed his lips and his jaws clenched. Ekka touched his cheek.
“You’re a special fellow, Edgar Rice Burroughs. I think you’re a great deal better than you will ever know. Maybe one day the whole world will know it, but I doubt you ever will. Sometimes, when we give away our hearts, we don’t keep any back for ourselves. But you will need to keep a part of your heart, good Mr. Burroughs.”
“But why?” he asked, and a tear slipped down his cheek.
“Because,” Ekka said, “that’s all you have to give. Save some of it for the rest of us. We will need you too.”
“Maybe.” Edgar Burroughs slowly nodded.
“Back to work with you,” Ekka said. “Get our ship flying.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, turned and disappeared back into the ship.
Pat Garrett held the reins of their horses. “Miss Bixie here says you two won’t be needing my services. I beg to differ.”
“Of course you do, Pat,” Ekka said, “but Eddie needs a strong set of arms to help him. If there were any other way, I’d take you with us.”
Pat nodded slowly and handed the two women their horses. Instead of speaking further on it, he tugged at the brim of his hat as they mounted in lieu of a spoken goodbye.
“Goodbye, Pat,” Ekka said, and gave her horse a little rein to get him moving.
“It be’s too bad you is a white fellah, Mistah Garrett. But you handsome enough.”
Pat smiled at Bixie and she blew him a kiss. His face flushed as she took to the trail behind Ekka.
The two women rode for ten minutes before they came to the first cave in the sheer cliff face. Ekka stopped.
“Dis heah be not the cave we come out of when da Ten Legs chase’n us,” Bixie said. “It be’s over theah!” Bixie pointed to the great, yawning hole a few hundred yards down the wall in a curve in the canal.