# V: The Perfect Brain explained — The Chessmen of Mars

> Chapter companion for The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

## What happens

Tara of Helium is taken deeper into the lair of the kaldanes, where she witnesses the horrifying sight of heads feeding on a human body. She learns from her captor Ghek that the kaldanes are detached brains that control rykor bodies, and that they view themselves as the pinnacle of evolution, aspiring to become pure brain. She is brought before Luud, the enormous kaldane leader, and struggles to comprehend their emotionless, utilitarian philosophy.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mind vs. Body

The kaldanes have evolved to prioritize brain over body, treating the rykor as a disposable tool, while Tara represents the integrated human experience.

### Slavery and Freedom

Tara is a prisoner, and the rykors are essentially slaves to the kaldanes, bred for labor and food.

### Courage and Resilience

Despite her horror, Tara maintains her composure and asserts her identity, showing resilience in the face of the grotesque.

## Character check-ins

### Tara of Helium

Tara is horrified by the kaldanes' cannibalism and their emotionless nature, but maintains her imperious pride as a princess of Helium.

### Ghek

Ghek is the kaldane who captured Tara; he explains the nature of kaldanes and rykors, and shows a rare hint of kindness by warning her not to antagonize the others.

### Luud

Luud is the enormous, hideous kaldane leader who Tara is brought before; he represents the apex of kaldane society.

### Sept

Sept is a kaldane who acts as a messenger and guard, commanding Tara to be silent and follow.

## Key lines

> “this is a rykor ; but this,” and he touched his head, “is a kaldane . It is the brain, the intellect, the power that directs all things.”

Ghek explains that his body is a rykor, a mere vessel, while his head is the kaldane, the true self that controls everything.

_This introduces the fundamental duality of kaldane existence._

> “They are eating the flesh of the woman,” she whispered in tones of horror. “Why not?” he inquired. “Did you suppose that we kept the rykor for labor alone? Ah, no. They are delicious when kept and fattened.”

Tara is horrified to see kaldanes eating a human body, but Ghek matter-of-factly explains that rykors are also bred as food.

_Highlights the kaldanes' complete lack of empathy and their utilitarian view of life._

> “The future kaldane will be nothing but a great brain. Deaf, dumb, and blind it will lie sealed in its buried vault far beneath the surface of Barsoom—just a great, wonderful, beautiful brain with nothing to distract it from eternal thought.”

Ghek describes the ultimate goal of kaldane evolution: a disembodied brain that exists solely to think, free from physical distractions.

_This encapsulates the kaldane philosophy and the central theme of mind versus body._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/v-the-perfect-brain
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters