Back in the present, Burroughs runs back to Carter's tomb and opens it, finding it empty. Shang, disguised as a man with a bowler hat who has been observing Carter, suddenly appears, having followed Burroughs. As Shang prepares to attack, Carter appears and kills Shang. Carter then tells Burroughs that he never found a medallion. Instead, he devised a scheme to lure a Thern into revealing himself. Carter takes Shang's medallion, whispers the code, and is then transported back to Barsoom.