"2566-17" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bigge Jerome - Warlady 4 - 2566 Ad)2566 A.D.! A TALE OF ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Seventeen "You live, my Queen," the first officer of the North Star said to Maris, whose headache felt like she'd been hit with a sledgehammer. The ballistae bolt from the Huntress having struck the rail beside her, spun in the air, and stuck the side of her head, knocking her instantly unconscious! The horrors of the sickbay about her, the men and women moaning and groaning, like some scene out of the "Hell" of the old time "Christians" she'd once heard tell of. The motion of the ship telling her that the North Star was once again under sail, hopefully away from danger! "The `enemy'," Maris breathed, the "enemy" to her being not the enemy ship, but the tall waspish brunette whose flag had flew over its mastheads. Had they killed Lorraine? Was she "free" of the woman finally? Such thoughts raced jumbled through her mind! "We may have `got' Lorraine in our last barrage," he smiled. "I saw her drop to the deck in any case beside their `first'."* * It will be noted here that I was not "hit" at this time, but was attempting to do what I could for the "first". (Lorraine) "And the enemy?" Maris asked, wondering what had happened. "Turned away and sailed towards Sarn," the man smiled back. "We may find Darlanis an even worse enemy now," Maris said, thinking of what the future might hold now for her own country. And then there was her own sister, Gayle. What would she think? Dularn could be in even greater "trouble" now with Lorraine dead! ***************************************************************** "I did not give orders to withdraw," I said, the physician regarding the bloody bolt she had just withdrawn from my thigh. It had been necessary to push it all the way through. I didn't like to think what it would feel like once the drug wore off that kept me from "feeling" such things. Janice nodding, giving me a smile. She had gotten through the battle without a "scratch"! I had not been so "lucky". I would bear the scar there on my thigh for the rest of my life. Limp for several weeks at least now if not longer! I had lost considerable blood, also "weakening" me. "Maris fell," she replied. "You were wounded. I did what I felt was best for the ship and its men. That will be my defense at my court martial if you decide that is what you want to do." Perhaps recalling my orders to carry the fight to the bitter end! I nodded, aware of what could have happened to us all in a fight! She had done the "right thing" to "withdraw" in such a case too! "I'm making you `captain' of the Huntress if you want it," I answered. "And there'll be plenty of Dularnians to fight where we're going to." She nodded, her dark eyes holding my own then. I thought she had done the "right thing" in disobeying my order. With Maris "gone" there was no reason to continue on fighting!!! "You've been wounded!" Darlanis breathed, her azure eyes in- stantly flooded with concern as she regarded me sitting there in the stern cabin of the Huntress with my leg on a cushion. She is stunningly beautiful. Awesome. Like some "goddess" out of an ancient mythology. Captain Janice Hill of the Huntress at my side, helping me write my report. My thigh was painful. I was not in the best of moods. Sharon was fortunately somewhere else. I dismissed Janice and asked her to wait outside. What I had to say to Darlanis was not something I wished any one else to hear. "There are eighteen dead men and women up there on deck for you to say a few last words over before you leave," I said to her as she seated herself beside me. "Brave men and women who died because you refused to even `negotiate' with Maris!" Darlanis nodded, her eyes a deep beautiful azure as they burned into mine. "You know as well as I why I couldn't," Darlanis answered in level tones. We had "discussed" exactly this issue only a short time before. Darlanis felt that allowing the people in the "dis- puted territories" to vote upon which country they wished to be allied with would be "disastrous" in the long run for the Empire. Starting a "precedent" that others might later on "exploit". We did have the "example" of Trelandar, but Darlanis did not consid- er that in quite the same light, saying that it was a one time "thing" that would never happen again. Without me, of course, Sanda Talen would have never been able to start her "Revolution". "Maris may be dead," I answered, telling her of what had happened. What I'd seen. Perhaps it was "better" this way too. "If she is, we're in more `trouble' than ever," the Empress replied. "Maris at least was `decent', which is more than what my `brother' can claim." Dularn is a Queendom, ruled by a woman. There was no doubt in either Darlanis' mind or mine that the next Queen of Dularn would no doubt be a complete puppet of Darl Jord! She would doubtlessly be both "beautiful" and "dumb", I thought! "It could be an `opportunity' for you," I replied, Darlanis' beautiful azure eyes glowing into mine. She was still Tulis' daughter so far as most everyone knew, there being only a handful who knew that she was actually the daughter of Aurora of Mars. I was also aware of the fact that Darlanis was a wonderful public speaker, the sort of a speaker who could "sway" people, and that only the year before she had quite successfully managed to put a halt to the "Revolution" started by Sanda Talen in Trelandar. I knew of the "role" that Sharon had played in all this, but still I had no "doubts" that Darlanis was a woman who once she had put her mind to it, had proved herself to be quite a bit "more" than what even the very "capable" Sanda Talen had ever first believed! "There is too much hatred of me in Dularn," Darlanis smiled. "The `same' was true in Trelandar," I pointed out in return. Yet we nearly "lost" the Revolution to Darlanis. I among others had made the "mistake" believing a woman as beautiful as her was not too "smart". Darlanis had proved me and Sanda both "wrong"! "What do you suggest that I do?" Darlanis smiled in reply. "Dularn could become another `Trelandar'," I smiled back. "If Maris didn't die, there might be `hope'," she answered. "I too hope that she lives," I answered the Empress, recall- ing a conversation that had not been that long ago. I had at the time voiced the "opinion" that it might be "best" for all con- cerned if Darlanis allowed the people living in the territories to the south of Dularn to be allowed to vote on which country they wished to belong to. Dularn or the Empire of California. "Allow the people in the `disputed territories' to 'vote' on whether or not they should `belong' to California or Dularn?" Darlanis had challenged me back. Such made "sense" to me, al- though Darlanis had then pointed out that Lincoln had refused to do just that back in 1861! Maris had proposed such a vote, know- ing fully well what the "outcome" would be. She then had used this as a "propaganda tool" against us, saying that she was will- ing to abide by such a vote, while we were not. The people in the area concerned I might note here being mostly "Dularnian".* * This was ultimately done, but not until late in 2567. (JBB) "You allowed the people of Trelandar to `vote'," I answered. "The `political realities' gave me no other choice," Darla- nis had smiled. "And there is no doubt what would have `hap- pened' to me had we decided to `fight it out'." I nodded, remem- bering. I would have had to kill her, and that would have `cost' me too! There being no doubt in my mind what Sharon would have thought had I ever killed the beautiful Empress in a sword-duel! "There are no `easy answers', are there?" I had smiled back. "Aurora wants one of your ovums, you know," Darlanis smiled, changing the subject as we sat there in the Huntress' stern ca- bin. I knew about that. I had told Aurora I would think it over too. I wasn't too sure that I wanted to do it. I have never had a child of my own. I certainly didn't want her raised by Aurora! "I want to raise her," I said to Darlanis, seeing her nod. "We are further now from `peace' than ever," Darlanis said, returning to our original earlier topic of discussion. If it was true that Maris was dead, then we could look forward to another war of the sort that had just ended last year. One that might drag on year after year without any "end" in sight. On the other hand I was a more "competent" military leader than Darlanis or Princess Tara for that matter, and I did believe that it was just "possible" that we might be able to win this new war with Dularn! "I'm going to Dularn to teach them to `mind their manners'," I said to Darlanis. Hopefully their next Queen might be more willing to see "reason" than Maris had been. I suspected that in Maris' case it had been something "personal" there between the two of us. Just "what" it was I didn't know, and I thought now it would be a secret "buried" at the bottom of the sea with her! "I wish there was `another way'," Darlanis said to me then, filling a goblet, handing it to me, then filling one for herself. "Sometimes I wish we were like the Lorr. They've lived in peace with themselves for over fifty thousand years." I smiled, sipped at the wine. The Lorr are not like human beings. They are more like the insects that they resemble in their appearance. It is a society more like that of the ant nest than anything else I know. "A completely and totally `stagnant' race," I smiled back. I knew much. The Lorr themselves were of the sort that had to be "driven" to do anything. Had their sun not started to turn into a red giant they would have never even developed spaceflight. It is the work of their "Servitors" that made Mars what it is. The lovely Women of Mars who I recently "helped" gain their freedom. "Mars has shown us that human beings can live together in peace for centuries," Darlanis pointed out with a smile in turn. "And they certainly haven't been `stagnant' in their technology." "Would you want to live in a society like that?" I asked. The Women of Mars are all lesbians who reproduce by cloning their own ovums. It is a sociological "dead end". More like a "monas- tery" or nunnery than anything else I can think of. A race of women who look upon us of the Earth as being greatly "inferior" to themselves. I cared little for such a social order. For its own "philosophy" of life. It reminded me too much of the Lorr's. Of certain rabid feminists that I had known in the 20th Century. "I think that deep down inside you like war, fighting," Dar- lanis said to me. "That is why you `are' the way that you are. Why you are so violent a person in your own thinking," she said. "Maybe I'm just a `bitch' who understands a few things," I smiled back. I had shared so many dreams with the young Janet Rogers. Telling how every problem the human race faced could be "solved". She did a pretty good job, although we never agreed upon the subject of "population control" as such. That I believe was perhaps Janet's biggest "mistake". That was what made The War happen, I think now, although there is no way of knowing. Too many people, not enough "resources" left. Mankind had "need- ed" Mars too much for our own good. The Lorr hadn't understood. "You're a `barbarian' despite the fact that you came from the Twentieth Century," Darlanis smiled back, a hint of laughter in her voice. Serak was back with his own people, I knew too. Leading his Nevadas in their fight against Dularn's own allies. "There is a `time', a `place', for such as me," I said. I felt that here in the 26th Century was just the right place too!! "Perhaps there is," Darlanis smiled back, getting to her feet. "And please don't get yourself killed," the Empress spoke, looking down at me at I sat there. "We need you too much." I nodded, reached out, clasped her hands in mine. Looked up into those beautiful azure eyes. We have shared much together, Darla- nis and I. Stood together side by side in battle against a com- mon foe. We do love one another. I have no better friend in this era than Darlanis. We do argue, "disagree" on a lot of things, but yet when it "counts", we stand together, side by side, the two greatest fighting women of all time. Two women, who if only for a brief moment of history, did "make a differ- ence". Darlanis of California, and one "Lorraine of Trelandar". "How's the leg now?" Janice asked as she stood there on the quarterdeck. The newly repaired Huntress taking the wind well, the sails all now full bellied, hard. The spray leaping over the bow, the wind singing in the rigging. The sun shining brightly. "Sore," I smiled, thinking how "lucky" I had been to have survived the battle. The total toll of dead had been nineteen. The last one, a young woman, a "ship's girl", having died there in Sarn, holding the hand of her beautiful golden haired Empress. I had seen Darlanis weeping, the tears running down her cheeks. "There were a few minutes after you fell that I felt as if I was all alone with no one to turn to," she said to me. I nodded, thinking of Maris. We had no way of knowing if she had survived or not. She had been young, beautiful, so full of life. Her own sister was my Princess Gayle, now the Crown Princess of Talon. I dreaded eventually facing Gayle, telling her that I was "respon- sible" for her own sister's death in battle. I had "lost" much. 2566 A.D.! A TALE OF ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Seventeen "You live, my Queen," the first officer of the North Star said to Maris, whose headache felt like she'd been hit with a sledgehammer. The ballistae bolt from the Huntress having struck the rail beside her, spun in the air, and stuck the side of her head, knocking her instantly unconscious! The horrors of the sickbay about her, the men and women moaning and groaning, like some scene out of the "Hell" of the old time "Christians" she'd once heard tell of. The motion of the ship telling her that the North Star was once again under sail, hopefully away from danger! "The `enemy'," Maris breathed, the "enemy" to her being not the enemy ship, but the tall waspish brunette whose flag had flew over its mastheads. Had they killed Lorraine? Was she "free" of the woman finally? Such thoughts raced jumbled through her mind! "We may have `got' Lorraine in our last barrage," he smiled. "I saw her drop to the deck in any case beside their `first'."* * It will be noted here that I was not "hit" at this time, but was attempting to do what I could for the "first". (Lorraine) "And the enemy?" Maris asked, wondering what had happened. "Turned away and sailed towards Sarn," the man smiled back. "We may find Darlanis an even worse enemy now," Maris said, thinking of what the future might hold now for her own country. And then there was her own sister, Gayle. What would she think? Dularn could be in even greater "trouble" now with Lorraine dead! ***************************************************************** "I did not give orders to withdraw," I said, the physician regarding the bloody bolt she had just withdrawn from my thigh. It had been necessary to push it all the way through. I didn't like to think what it would feel like once the drug wore off that kept me from "feeling" such things. Janice nodding, giving me a smile. She had gotten through the battle without a "scratch"! I had not been so "lucky". I would bear the scar there on my thigh for the rest of my life. Limp for several weeks at least now if not longer! I had lost considerable blood, also "weakening" me. "Maris fell," she replied. "You were wounded. I did what I felt was best for the ship and its men. That will be my defense at my court martial if you decide that is what you want to do." Perhaps recalling my orders to carry the fight to the bitter end! I nodded, aware of what could have happened to us all in a fight! She had done the "right thing" to "withdraw" in such a case too! "I'm making you `captain' of the Huntress if you want it," I answered. "And there'll be plenty of Dularnians to fight where we're going to." She nodded, her dark eyes holding my own then. I thought she had done the "right thing" in disobeying my order. With Maris "gone" there was no reason to continue on fighting!!! "You've been wounded!" Darlanis breathed, her azure eyes in- stantly flooded with concern as she regarded me sitting there in the stern cabin of the Huntress with my leg on a cushion. She is stunningly beautiful. Awesome. Like some "goddess" out of an ancient mythology. Captain Janice Hill of the Huntress at my side, helping me write my report. My thigh was painful. I was not in the best of moods. Sharon was fortunately somewhere else. I dismissed Janice and asked her to wait outside. What I had to say to Darlanis was not something I wished any one else to hear. "There are eighteen dead men and women up there on deck for you to say a few last words over before you leave," I said to her as she seated herself beside me. "Brave men and women who died because you refused to even `negotiate' with Maris!" Darlanis nodded, her eyes a deep beautiful azure as they burned into mine. "You know as well as I why I couldn't," Darlanis answered in level tones. We had "discussed" exactly this issue only a short time before. Darlanis felt that allowing the people in the "dis- puted territories" to vote upon which country they wished to be allied with would be "disastrous" in the long run for the Empire. Starting a "precedent" that others might later on "exploit". We did have the "example" of Trelandar, but Darlanis did not consid- er that in quite the same light, saying that it was a one time "thing" that would never happen again. Without me, of course, Sanda Talen would have never been able to start her "Revolution". "Maris may be dead," I answered, telling her of what had happened. What I'd seen. Perhaps it was "better" this way too. "If she is, we're in more `trouble' than ever," the Empress replied. "Maris at least was `decent', which is more than what my `brother' can claim." Dularn is a Queendom, ruled by a woman. There was no doubt in either Darlanis' mind or mine that the next Queen of Dularn would no doubt be a complete puppet of Darl Jord! She would doubtlessly be both "beautiful" and "dumb", I thought! "It could be an `opportunity' for you," I replied, Darlanis' beautiful azure eyes glowing into mine. She was still Tulis' daughter so far as most everyone knew, there being only a handful who knew that she was actually the daughter of Aurora of Mars. I was also aware of the fact that Darlanis was a wonderful public speaker, the sort of a speaker who could "sway" people, and that only the year before she had quite successfully managed to put a halt to the "Revolution" started by Sanda Talen in Trelandar. I knew of the "role" that Sharon had played in all this, but still I had no "doubts" that Darlanis was a woman who once she had put her mind to it, had proved herself to be quite a bit "more" than what even the very "capable" Sanda Talen had ever first believed! "There is too much hatred of me in Dularn," Darlanis smiled. "The `same' was true in Trelandar," I pointed out in return. Yet we nearly "lost" the Revolution to Darlanis. I among others had made the "mistake" believing a woman as beautiful as her was not too "smart". Darlanis had proved me and Sanda both "wrong"! "What do you suggest that I do?" Darlanis smiled in reply. "Dularn could become another `Trelandar'," I smiled back. "If Maris didn't die, there might be `hope'," she answered. "I too hope that she lives," I answered the Empress, recall- ing a conversation that had not been that long ago. I had at the time voiced the "opinion" that it might be "best" for all con- cerned if Darlanis allowed the people living in the territories to the south of Dularn to be allowed to vote on which country they wished to belong to. Dularn or the Empire of California. "Allow the people in the `disputed territories' to 'vote' on whether or not they should `belong' to California or Dularn?" Darlanis had challenged me back. Such made "sense" to me, al- though Darlanis had then pointed out that Lincoln had refused to do just that back in 1861! Maris had proposed such a vote, know- ing fully well what the "outcome" would be. She then had used this as a "propaganda tool" against us, saying that she was will- ing to abide by such a vote, while we were not. The people in the area concerned I might note here being mostly "Dularnian".* * This was ultimately done, but not until late in 2567. (JBB) "You allowed the people of Trelandar to `vote'," I answered. "The `political realities' gave me no other choice," Darla- nis had smiled. "And there is no doubt what would have `hap- pened' to me had we decided to `fight it out'." I nodded, remem- bering. I would have had to kill her, and that would have `cost' me too! There being no doubt in my mind what Sharon would have thought had I ever killed the beautiful Empress in a sword-duel! "There are no `easy answers', are there?" I had smiled back. "Aurora wants one of your ovums, you know," Darlanis smiled, changing the subject as we sat there in the Huntress' stern ca- bin. I knew about that. I had told Aurora I would think it over too. I wasn't too sure that I wanted to do it. I have never had a child of my own. I certainly didn't want her raised by Aurora! "I want to raise her," I said to Darlanis, seeing her nod. "We are further now from `peace' than ever," Darlanis said, returning to our original earlier topic of discussion. If it was true that Maris was dead, then we could look forward to another war of the sort that had just ended last year. One that might drag on year after year without any "end" in sight. On the other hand I was a more "competent" military leader than Darlanis or Princess Tara for that matter, and I did believe that it was just "possible" that we might be able to win this new war with Dularn! "I'm going to Dularn to teach them to `mind their manners'," I said to Darlanis. Hopefully their next Queen might be more willing to see "reason" than Maris had been. I suspected that in Maris' case it had been something "personal" there between the two of us. Just "what" it was I didn't know, and I thought now it would be a secret "buried" at the bottom of the sea with her! "I wish there was `another way'," Darlanis said to me then, filling a goblet, handing it to me, then filling one for herself. "Sometimes I wish we were like the Lorr. They've lived in peace with themselves for over fifty thousand years." I smiled, sipped at the wine. The Lorr are not like human beings. They are more like the insects that they resemble in their appearance. It is a society more like that of the ant nest than anything else I know. "A completely and totally `stagnant' race," I smiled back. I knew much. The Lorr themselves were of the sort that had to be "driven" to do anything. Had their sun not started to turn into a red giant they would have never even developed spaceflight. It is the work of their "Servitors" that made Mars what it is. The lovely Women of Mars who I recently "helped" gain their freedom. "Mars has shown us that human beings can live together in peace for centuries," Darlanis pointed out with a smile in turn. "And they certainly haven't been `stagnant' in their technology." "Would you want to live in a society like that?" I asked. The Women of Mars are all lesbians who reproduce by cloning their own ovums. It is a sociological "dead end". More like a "monas- tery" or nunnery than anything else I can think of. A race of women who look upon us of the Earth as being greatly "inferior" to themselves. I cared little for such a social order. For its own "philosophy" of life. It reminded me too much of the Lorr's. Of certain rabid feminists that I had known in the 20th Century. "I think that deep down inside you like war, fighting," Dar- lanis said to me. "That is why you `are' the way that you are. Why you are so violent a person in your own thinking," she said. "Maybe I'm just a `bitch' who understands a few things," I smiled back. I had shared so many dreams with the young Janet Rogers. Telling how every problem the human race faced could be "solved". She did a pretty good job, although we never agreed upon the subject of "population control" as such. That I believe was perhaps Janet's biggest "mistake". That was what made The War happen, I think now, although there is no way of knowing. Too many people, not enough "resources" left. Mankind had "need- ed" Mars too much for our own good. The Lorr hadn't understood. "You're a `barbarian' despite the fact that you came from the Twentieth Century," Darlanis smiled back, a hint of laughter in her voice. Serak was back with his own people, I knew too. Leading his Nevadas in their fight against Dularn's own allies. "There is a `time', a `place', for such as me," I said. I felt that here in the 26th Century was just the right place too!! "Perhaps there is," Darlanis smiled back, getting to her feet. "And please don't get yourself killed," the Empress spoke, looking down at me at I sat there. "We need you too much." I nodded, reached out, clasped her hands in mine. Looked up into those beautiful azure eyes. We have shared much together, Darla- nis and I. Stood together side by side in battle against a com- mon foe. We do love one another. I have no better friend in this era than Darlanis. We do argue, "disagree" on a lot of things, but yet when it "counts", we stand together, side by side, the two greatest fighting women of all time. Two women, who if only for a brief moment of history, did "make a differ- ence". Darlanis of California, and one "Lorraine of Trelandar". "How's the leg now?" Janice asked as she stood there on the quarterdeck. The newly repaired Huntress taking the wind well, the sails all now full bellied, hard. The spray leaping over the bow, the wind singing in the rigging. The sun shining brightly. "Sore," I smiled, thinking how "lucky" I had been to have survived the battle. The total toll of dead had been nineteen. The last one, a young woman, a "ship's girl", having died there in Sarn, holding the hand of her beautiful golden haired Empress. I had seen Darlanis weeping, the tears running down her cheeks. "There were a few minutes after you fell that I felt as if I was all alone with no one to turn to," she said to me. I nodded, thinking of Maris. We had no way of knowing if she had survived or not. She had been young, beautiful, so full of life. Her own sister was my Princess Gayle, now the Crown Princess of Talon. I dreaded eventually facing Gayle, telling her that I was "respon- sible" for her own sister's death in battle. I had "lost" much. |
|
|