John Carter, former Captain in the Army of the Confederate States, is captured by the Thark horde of green Martians. Carter, the best swordsman of two worlds, is able, in the low Martian gravity, to leap above and behead a twelve-foot Thark. By killing green Martians, he gains their names and females and other belongings. Thus, he becomes Dotar Sojat, a chieftain of Thark, even while remaining their captive. (Later, among the humanoid red Martians, Carter will become a Prince of Helium, then Jeddak of Jeddaks, Warlord of Barsoom, i.e., Emperor of Emperors, Warlord of Mars.)
Dominic Flandry is captured, at different times, by Merseians, Scothani and Ardazhiro. Among the Merseians, he works to make himself useful to his main captor,Ydwyr, until he can escape. His stay among the Ardazhiro is brief. Among the Scothani, he wins money and belongings by gambling and makes himself so useful to so many powerful individuals that he is able to pull down their kingdom around their heads.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Yes, the gravity of Mars is lesser than that of our Earth's, but I know darn well humans on Mars won't be able to jump so high and far on the Red Planet. That idea was another of ERB's many absurdities. But he wrote so well and entertainingly that many readers, like me, can suspend their incredulity.
Given how he used gambling during his captivity on Scotha, I might have said Flandry pulled down their house of cards around the heads of the Scothans!
Ad astra! Sean
"Don't throw me in the briar patch, B'rer Bear!" 8-).
Flandry can only use that "get captured" technique while he's relatively unknown. It's like tucking a live grenade in your pocket.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree! And as Admiral Walton said, the Schothans would have been better of grabbing a tiger by the tail!
As I recall, Aycharaych and the Merseians hoped to dispose of Flandry by luring him to being murdered on Jupiter. It was his unexpected survival which wrecked their schemes in HUNTERS OF THE SKY CAVE.
And I hope you are recovering well from your broken leg.
Ad astra! Sean
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