A Princess of Mars: The Last Breath

The egg tapped beneath Dejah's hand. Their child was ready to hatch. The air gauge was falling.

Across Helium, lamps died and airships lost lift. By dusk, every city on Mars would be gasping.

The Last Air

Dejah knew the atmosphere plant. John remembered its three sealed doors—and almost remembered the nine sounds that opened them.

John asked her to stay with their child. ‘There is nowhere safe to stay,’ she said. She placed the egg beside Woola. ‘Guard him.’

A Plan Without Time

Their flier skimmed the red sand, racing the setting sun. Every breath felt borrowed.

At the edge of the desert, the atmosphere plant rose like a second city. Its blue conduits were dim. Its doors were shut.

The Flight

John reached for the first lock. Eight lights answered his memory. The ninth stayed dark.

‘Look at me,’ Dejah said. ‘Breathe with me.’ John heard the missing sound. The ninth light woke.

One door opened. Then another. Then the last. Beyond them, the silent pump waited.

The Thought-Key

The reservoir was full, but the feed was closed. Dejah found the first wheel. John found the second. Together, they forced the machinery awake.

The great machine caught. Blue light surged through the pipes. Dejah felt the first current of air against her face.

One Pump

John fell as the air returned. Dejah reached for him, but his hand faded from hers.

The pump kept turning. Dejah was alone. Far away, their child was still waiting for a breath.

The Cost

John woke beneath an Earth sky. Mars shone red above the desert. He could not know whether the air had reached Dejah, Woola, and their child.

A Red Star

A Princess of Mars: The Last Breath
By An illustrated adaptation after Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Last Air
The egg tapped beneath Dejah's hand. Their child was ready to hatch. The air gauge was falling.
Across Helium, lamps died and airships lost lift. By dusk, every city on Mars would be gasping.
A Plan Without Time
Dejah knew the atmosphere plant. John remembered its three sealed doors—and almost remembered the nine sounds that opened them.
John asked her to stay with their child. ‘There is nowhere safe to stay,’ she said. She placed the egg beside Woola. ‘Guard him.’
The Flight
Their flier skimmed the red sand, racing the setting sun. Every breath felt borrowed.
At the edge of the desert, the atmosphere plant rose like a second city. Its blue conduits were dim. Its doors were shut.
The Thought-Key
John reached for the first lock. Eight lights answered his memory. The ninth stayed dark.
‘Look at me,’ Dejah said. ‘Breathe with me.’ John heard the missing sound. The ninth light woke.
One door opened. Then another. Then the last. Beyond them, the silent pump waited.
One Pump
The reservoir was full, but the feed was closed. Dejah found the first wheel. John found the second. Together, they forced the machinery awake.
The great machine caught. Blue light surged through the pipes. Dejah felt the first current of air against her face.
The Cost
John fell as the air returned. Dejah reached for him, but his hand faded from hers.
The pump kept turning. Dejah was alone. Far away, their child was still waiting for a breath.
A Red Star
John woke beneath an Earth sky. Mars shone red above the desert. He could not know whether the air had reached Dejah, Woola, and their child.

A Princess of Mars: The Last Breath — Story Book