The Magnet Switch explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Heroism and Sacrifice

  John Carter risks his life to free prisoners and throw the switch, sacrificing personal safety for the fleet's salvation.

• Courage in the Face of Death

  Carter charges through enemy warriors and duels Solan despite overwhelming odds.

• Deception and Disguise

  Carter uses the alias 'Prince of Helium' to confuse and break through the guardsmen.

Characters to notice

• John Carter

  Fights guardsmen, frees prisoners, duels Solan, and throws the magnet switch to save the fleet.

• Tardos Mors

  Imprisoned in the armory, freed by John Carter, then helps liberate other prisoners.

• Mors Kajak

  Imprisoned in the armory, freed by John Carter; later observes the approaching fleet and fears the Guardian of the North.

• Solan

  The old miser guarding the magnet switch; duels John Carter and is killed.

• Tars Tarkas

  Seen leading the Tharkian charge across the plaza before the palace.

Key passages

• “The guardsmen paid not the slightest attention to their wards, for the red men could not move over two feet from the great rings to which they were padlocked, though each had seized a weapon upon which he had been engaged when I entered the room, and stood ready to join me could they have but done so.”

  The guards ignored the prisoners because the red men were chained to rings and could only move two feet, but each had grabbed a weapon and was ready to help if they could.

  Describes the prisoners' limited mobility and readiness to fight.

• “I raised the bar and shot it to the right just as the foremost of the guardsmen threw himself against the opposite side of the massive panels. The barrier held—I had been in time, but by the fraction of a second only.”

  I slid the bar into place just as the first guard hit the door; it held, but only by a hair's breadth.

  Carter barely secures the armory door against the charging guards.

• “Never in all my life have I seen such wondrous swordsmanship and such uncanny agility as that ancient bag of bones displayed.”

  I had never witnessed such incredible sword skill and supernatural quickness as that old man showed.

  Carter marvels at Solan's fighting ability.

• “To uncover my breast for an instant would have been to court sudden death, but I saw no other way than to chance it, if by so doing I might rescue that oncoming, succoring fleet; and so, in the face of a wicked sword-thrust, I reached out my point and caught the great switch a sudden blow that released it from its seating.”

  Exposing my chest meant certain death, but I had to risk it to save the fleet; so I parried a deadly thrust and struck the switch with my sword point, knocking it loose.

  Carter risks his life to throw the magnet switch.