"I am Nitha Kel, daughter of Hudar Kel," she explained tersely.
Now he could see that her brief vest of golden cloth and her short skirt were made of the carefully tanned hide of some Earthly beast. Sandals of thick hide were upon her shapely feet and there was a regal unconscious poise to her whole body that stamped her as the princess that she claimed to be.
"And I," he said, forcing himself to speak, "am Rurak Dun, fifth officer of the Tekna, come to rescue your royal father if he yet lives."
"Father is alive," she said puzzled, "and is even now fighting off the attack of one of our renegade crew and his party of Yzaps. But why this sudden interest in our whereabouts? Is it only because our two planets are in apposition? Surely a third son of a Martian emperor is not worthy of a special expedition?"
"Your father is now our Emperor," said Rurak gravely, "if he returns to claim his throne before the New Year. And the time is drawing short. Will you take me to him at once?"
She nodded, then turned and ran back to her strange conveyance. A word of command, and the two giant birds rose gracefully into the air. They did not disappear, but hovered above Nitha Kel and Rurak Dun as they made their way on foot through the jungle.
"They are attacking the South Cliff today," Nitha told Rurak as they walked along. "Jokar Ged and his ferocious Inpo warriors are climbing ladders of lashed poles and young trees to try to take this hilltop. We will beat them back of course but many of our brave Yzaps will die."
"Why do you fight?" Rurak wanted to know. "What does Jokar Ged desire so greatly here upon the hilltop—the wrecked Indra?"
Nitha laughed. "He desires me," she said. "I am the only woman on Earth. My mother died soon after I was born and since then all of the six members of our crew, save Jokar Ged, have cared for me. Last year Jokar Ged tried to take me away with him but I escaped and reported his treachery to Father. There has been war between them since that hour."
"I do not wonder that Jokar Ged was in love with you," Rurak Dun said boldly. "You are lovelier than all the beautiful women of Mars."