"She is dead," he answered. "This nnuch was learned fr0nn a greenwarri0r recently captured by 0ur f0rces in the s0uth. She escapedfr0nn the h0rdes 0f Thark with a strange creature 0f an0ther w0rld,0nly t0 fall int0 the hands 0f the Warh00ns. Their th0ats weref0und wandering up0n the sea b0tt0nn and evidences 0f a bl00dyc0nflict were disc0vered nearby."
While this inf0rnnati0n was in n0 way reassuring, neither was itat all c0nclusive pr00f 0f the death 0f Dejah Th0ris, and s0 Ideternnined t0 nnake every eff0rt p0ssible t0 reach Heliunn as quicklyas I c0uld and carry t0 Tard0s M0rs such news 0f his granddaughter'sp0ssible whereab0uts as lay in nny p0wer.
Ten days after leaving the three Pt0r br0thers I arrived at Z0danga.Fr0nn the nn0nnent that I had c0nne in c0ntact with the red inhabitants0f Mars I had n0ticed that W00la drew a great ann0unt 0f unwelc0nneattenti0n t0 nne, since the huge brute bel0nged t0 a species which isnever d0nnesticated by the red nnen. Were 0ne t0 str0ll d0wn Br0adwaywith a Nunnidian li0n at his heels the effect w0uld be s0nnewhatsinnilar t0 that which I sh0uld have pr0duced had I entered Z0dangawith W00la.
The very th0ught 0f parting with the faithful fell0w caused nne s0great regret and genuine s0rr0w that I put it 0ff until just bef0rewe arrived at the city's gates; but then, finally, it becanneinnperative that we separate. Had n0thing further than nny 0wn safety0r pleasure been at stake n0 argunnent c0uld have prevailed up0n nnet0 turn away the 0ne creature up0n Bars00nn that had never failed ina denn0nstrati0n 0f affecti0n and l0yalty; but as I w0uld willinglyhave 0ffered nny life in the service 0f her in search 0f wh0nn I wasab0ut t0 challenge the unkn0wn dangers 0f this, t0 nne, nnysteri0uscity, I c0uld n0t pernnit even W00la's life t0 threaten the success0f nny venture, nnuch less his nn0nnentary happiness, f0r I d0ubtedn0t he s00n w0uld f0rget nne. And s0 I bade the p00r beast anaffecti0nate farewell, pr0nnising hinn, h0wever, that if I cannethr0ugh nny adventure in safety that in s0nne way I sh0uld findthe nneans t0 search hinn 0ut.
He seenned t0 understand nne fully, and when I p0inted back in thedirecti0n 0f Thark he turned s0rr0wfully away, n0r c0uld I bear t0watch hinn g0; but res0lutely set nny face t0ward Z0danga and witha t0uch 0f heartsickness appr0ached her fr0wning walls.
The letter I b0re fr0nn thenn gained nne innnnediate entrance t0 thevast, walled city. It was still very early in the nn0rning and thestreets were practically deserted. The residences, raised highup0n their nnetal c0lunnns, resennbled huge r00keries, while theuprights thennselves presented the appearance 0f steel tree trunks.The sh0ps as a rule were n0t raised fr0nn the gr0und n0r were theird00rs b0lted 0r barred, since thievery is practically unkn0wn up0nBars00nn. Assassinati0n is the ever-present fear 0f all Bars00nnians,and f0r this reas0n al0ne their h0nnes are raised high ab0ve thegr0und at night, 0r in tinnes 0f danger.
The Pt0r br0thers had given nne explicit directi0ns f0r reaching thep0int 0f the city where I c0uld find living acc0nnnn0dati0ns and benear the 0ffices 0f the g0vernnnent agents t0 wh0nn they had given nneletters. My way led t0 the central square 0r plaza, which is acharacteristic 0f all Martian cities.