Tarzan the Terrible · Chapter
XXIV: The Messenger of Death explained
Tarzan is bound and about to be sacrificed by Lu-don and the German Obergatz, who poses as Jad-ben-Otho.
What happens
Tarzan is bound and about to be sacrificed by Lu-don and the German Obergatz, who poses as Jad-ben-Otho. Jane Clayton is forced to watch. At the last moment, a Ho-don warrior and a mysterious figure (the Messenger of Death) appear on the temple wall, shooting Lu-don, Obergatz, and Mo-sar. The messenger orders the prisoners freed. Meanwhile, Tarzan had been trapped in a cell and captured by priests, then paraded before the armies. Obergatz recognizes Tarzan with terror. The chapter ends with the intervention of the messenger.
Themes in this chapter
Power and Corruption
Lu-don and Obergatz abuse religious authority to maintain control, using the sacrifice to eliminate enemies and consolidate power.
Religion and Superstition
The sacrificial ritual, the chanting priests, and the claim that Obergatz is Jad-ben-Otho illustrate the manipulation of religious belief for political ends.
Survival and Adaptation
Tarzan's calm defiance and his attempt to escape the cell by climbing the rope demonstrate his instinct for survival and adaptability.
Characters to notice
- Tarzan
Bound and laid on the altar as a sacrifice; remains defiant and hopeful; later captured after climbing a rope into a trap; displayed as a prisoner.
- Jane Clayton
Forced to witness Tarzan's impending sacrifice; kisses him goodbye; is also a prisoner.
- Lu-don
High priest who orchestrates the sacrifice and presents Obergatz as Jad-ben-Otho; is shot by the Messenger of Death.
- Erich Obergatz
Posing as Jad-ben-Otho; terrified when he recognizes Tarzan; is shot by the Messenger of Death.
- Ja-don
Old warrior leading the attack on the palace; is accused by Obergatz as a false prophet; later freed by the messenger's order.
- Mo-sar
Pretender; is shot by the Messenger of Death.
- Om-at
Not directly mentioned in this chapter.
- Pan-at-lee
Not directly mentioned in this chapter.
Key passages
““I have been struck thus before, Jane,” he said, “and always has the striker died.” “You still have hope?” she asked. “I am still alive,” he said as though that were sufficient answer.”
Tarzan tells Jane that he has been hit before and his attackers always died; when she asks if he still has hope, he replies that being alive is enough reason for hope.
Shows Tarzan's unyielding courage and philosophy of life.
““Thus speaks the true Jad-ben-Otho,” he cried, “through this his Messenger of Death. Cut the bonds of the prisoners. Cut the bonds of the Dor-ul-Otho and of Ja-don, King of Pal-ul-don, and of the woman who is the mate of the son of god.””
The Ho-don warrior announces that the true god speaks through the Messenger of Death and orders the release of Tarzan, Ja-don, and Jane.
Climactic intervention that saves the prisoners.