The Chessmen of Mars · Chapter
XII: Ghek Plays Pranks explained
Ghek, imprisoned in the pits beneath Manator, uses his kaldane abilities to survive and explore.
What happens
Ghek, imprisoned in the pits beneath Manator, uses his kaldane abilities to survive and explore. After being chained, he feigns helplessness, then retrieves the key to his fetter and hides it in a burrow. He later explores the vast network of ulsio tunnels beneath the city, discovering a subterranean river and searching for a way to help Tara of Helium. Meanwhile, Turan (Gahan in disguise) awakens to find a Martian rat attacking him, but is hampered by his chain.
Themes in this chapter
Mind vs. Body
Ghek, a kaldane, controls a rykor body and relies on his brain's abilities (e.g., seeing in the dark, surviving without air) while the rykor is a mere physical shell.
Courage and Resilience
Ghek fearlessly explores the dangerous ulsio burrows and faces the Martian rat, while Turan struggles against his physical constraints.
Characters to notice
- Ghek
Imprisoned in the pits, Ghek uses his kaldane abilities to survive without air, retrieves the key to his fetter, and explores the ulsio burrows beneath Manator.
- Turan
Awakens in the pits to find a Martian rat gnawing on his arm; disarmed and chained, he struggles to defend himself.
- Tara of Helium
Mentioned by the officer as having been sent to the Towers of Jetan; Ghek inquires about her.
- O-Tar
Referenced by the officer as the jeddak who sent Tara to the Towers of Jetan and who would deal with Ghek if he is using forbidden powers.
- U-Dor
The dwar (officer) who interrogates Ghek and dismisses the warrior U-Van for his apparent hallucination.
Key passages
“Ghek could see as well in the dark as in the light—better, perhaps.”
Ghek's vision was superior in darkness, allowing him to see even better than in light.
Highlights Ghek's kaldane abilities.
“Let them replace all the air in the chamber with their most deadly fumes; it would be all the same to Ghek, the kaldane, who, having no lungs, required no air.”
Even if they filled the room with poison gas, it wouldn't affect Ghek because he has no lungs and doesn't need air.
Emphasizes Ghek's unique physiology.
“The Martian rat is a fierce and unlovely thing. It is many-legged and hairless, its hide resembling that of a newborn mouse in repulsiveness.”
The Martian rat is a repulsive, many-legged creature with hairless skin like a newborn mouse.
Describes the appearance of the rat that attacks Turan.
“As we breed animals for the transmission of physical attributes, so the kaldanes breed themselves for the transmission of attributes of the mind, including memory and the power of recollection.”
Just as animals are bred for physical traits, kaldanes breed for mental traits like memory and recall.
Explains the kaldane breeding philosophy.