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disengaged his tusks from Tars’s and turned to address the assembled Tharks. “Who will pledge their metal to mine?”
    Silence.
    Tars Tarkas stepped forward and grabbed Carter like a rag doll. “You will not be Jeddak this day, Tal. Perhaps tomorrow.”
    Tal Hajus glared back at Tars for a long moment.
    â€œTomorrow, then.”
    Tal whirled and strode off into the crowd. Carter let out a sigh of relief—then coughed as Tars Tarkas dragged him toward the crowd.
    â€œSee the prize your Jeddak has found!”
    The Tharks gathered around, staring with undisguised curiosity. “Is it a baby white ape?” one asked.
    â€œNo,” Tars replied proudly. “It is a rare and valuable animal. It is called a Virginia.”
    â€œVir-gin-ya,” the Tharks repeated, haltingly.
    â€œWatch. Step back, everyone.” Tars released Carter, who staggered free. “Show them, Virginia. Jump.”
    Carter still didn’t understand Tars’s words, but the meaning of the Thark’s gesture was clear. And inside Carter, something snapped. He’d been tossed around, swaddled like an infant, treated like a pet and a slave. He was damned if he’d perform tricks on command.
    Tars mimed a jumping motion with three of his hands. “Jump,” he repeated.
    Sola stepped forward, gestured encouragingly.
    â€œNo,” Carter said.
    Tars whacked Carter on the back of the knees. Carter sprawled forward, his face landing just inches from the fallen medallion. The Tharks burst into a storm of laughter, baring their monstrous teeth.
    â€œSola,” Tars said, “chain him. Initiate him with the other hatchlings.”
    Grimacing, Sola clamped a metal collar onto Carter’s neck. As the Thark females dragged him to his feet, he heard Tars Tarkas hiss, “By Issus, you will jump tomorrow, Virginia.”
    That night Carter was shaved, swabbed, cleaned, and powdered along with the other newborns. No Thark woman seemed to know which of the children was her biological spawn. They just adopted whichever ones they could grab, and then all the hatchlings were put through the same rough process of initiation into Thark society. To Carter, it seemed a cold, inhuman system.
    But then, he reminded himself, these people were not human.
    After Sola fed him the translation potion, Carter collapsed in exhaustion. He woke in a sweat and looked around at the crowded floor carpeted with snoring babies. Slowly he rose and began to creep toward the entrance. A long chain still tethered him to the wall, rattling as if to remind him of his helplessness.
    A fearsome creature barred Carter’s way, staring at him with beady eyes. Half lizard, half bulldog, an enormous mouth crammed with rows of sharp teeth. As Carter approached, it rose up on ten stumpy legs.
    â€œEasy, boy,” Carter said softly. “Nice, ugly…dog?”
    The creature settled back down again. Past it, the nursery opened onto a clear spiral ramp leading upward. An easy jump—except for the chain. Carter tugged on his shackle, felt a link begin to give way. The creature opened one eye, then closed it again.
    The next tug broke Carter’s chain. He sprang up and out, vaulting over the surprised animal. He lit easily on top of the spiral ramp, turned to exit—but the animal stood right in front of him. Snuffling.
    â€œHow in the world?” Carter asked.
    The creature grunted, tried to nudge Carter back down into the nursery. He leaped over it again—and this time he saw it follow in a blur of dust. Carter landed farther up the ramp, a few steps closer to freedom.
    The animal didn’t seem to want to hurt Carter. In fact, he had the odd feeling it was concerned for his safety. But it sure was slowing him down.
    A final jump carried Carter out into the heart of the Thark settlement. Tents lay scattered all around the ruins, filled with sleeping Tharks. Carter landed in a crouch, then stopped to gather