do you make of it, Kantos Kan?" asked Tars Tarkas.

"A spy sent by Zat Arras," he replied. "It was ever his way."

"He will have something interesting to report to his master then,"
laughed Hor Vastus.

"I hope he heard only our references to a new Jeddak," I said. "If he
overheard our plans to rescue Dejah Thoris, it will mean civil war, for
he will attempt to thwart us, and in that I will not be thwarted.
There would I turn against Tardos Mors himself, were it necessary. If
it throws all Helium into a bloody conflict, I shall go on with these
plans to save my Princess. Nothing shall stay me now short of death,
and should I die, my friends, will you take oath to prosecute the
search for her and bring her back in safety to her grandfather's court?"

Upon the hilt of his sword each of them swore to do as I had asked.

It was agreed that the battleships that were to be remodelled should be
ordered to Hastor, another Heliumetic city, far to the south-west.
Kantos Kan thought that the docks there, in addition to their regular
work, would accommodate at least six battleships at a time. As he was
commander-in-chief of the navy, it would be a simple matter for him to
order the vessels there as they could be handled, and thereafter keep
the remodelled fleet in remote parts of the empire until we should be
ready to assemble it for the dash upon Omean.

It was late that night before our conference broke up, but each man
there had his particular duties outlined, and the details of the entire
plan had been mapped out.

Kantos Kan and Xodar were to attend to the remodelling of the ships.
Tars Tarkas was to get into communication with Thark and learn the
sentiments of his people toward his return from Dor. If favourable, he
was to repair immediately to Thark and devote his time to the
assembling of a great horde of green warriors whom it was our plan to
send in transports directly to the Valley Dor and the Temple of Issus,
while the fleet entered Omean and destroyed the vessels of the First
Born.

Upon Hor Vastus devolved the delicate mission of organising a secret
force of fighting-men sworn to follow John Carter wherever he might
lead. As we estimated that it would require over a million men to man
the thousand great battleships we intended to use on Omean and the
transports for the green men as well as the ships that were to convoy
the transports, it was no trifling job that Hor Vastus had before him.

After they