"2567-06" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jerome Bigge - Warlady 5 - The Warlady Of Dularn)"THE WARLADY OF DULARN" 2567 A.D.! By Jerome Bigge Chapter Six I was suddenly jerked awake by my wife to the sound of a woman's angry cursing! Seeing to my horror a tall brunette wom- an, veiled, wearing a stylish hat, clad in a flowing black silk dress and leather trappings, standing there over us with a drawn sword! Her attire that of a high born Lady of Imperial Califor- nia, one of the caste of "Warrioresses". Her keen point warning us without any need for words not to make a "move"! A number of men, perhaps half a dozen or so, clad in the green of the Caste of Foresters, and guided by a man who appeared to be an American Indian, now surrounding our campsite there on the seaside cliffs! Not the most pleasant way I can assure you to "greet" a new day! "Lorraine," Carol breathed softly. It was an easy mistake to make. This woman could have easily been her older sister! I sensed, however, that she was not. I knew Lorraine's features a bit better than did my wife, and even "veiled" as this woman was, I knew that she was not the famous Imperial Warlady of California even if she certainly did look an awful lot like her! It was our first meeting with Lady Tirana, who is the Warlady of Trelandar. And a very "competent" Warlady she is too, let me assure you too! (Lorraine Richards is of course Warlady of Imperial California!) "Others have made that `mistake'," the woman smiled back, her dark eyes burning into the hazel of my wife as she nodded. I saw Sandi, her hands already tied behind her, now being stripped! And there were Susan and Tula, both naked, bound, tied to a tree! Their eyes wet with tears over the gags that filled their mouths. They had been "taken" in their sleep, bound and gagged before ei- ther one of them could cry out or give a warning. Sandi had been on "guard". Obviously she had not been "alert" enough this time! I knew that she was part of a band of runaway slave girls, women who now lived as best they could out here in the forest, robbing the Peasants of food and supplies, and being a "general nuisance" that I had no doubt many people would be happy to be freed from! "I'll hazard a guess at `Lady Tirana'," I smiled up at her, remembering the description Lorraine had given of Tirana Greyson. The "veil" worn by high born Californian women is like a "net", and does not really conceal the features all that much. The com- pound bows of her men leaving little doubt too, such being a "de- velopment" of Lorraine, who I knew manufactured them in Trella. A similar weapon is manufactured in Arsana of the same design. Both are "eccentric pulley" recurved compounds like the "Dularni- an" crossbow, but of fiberglassed wood, not steel like the cross- bow. An "arrow shelf" is used, allowing the use of a shorter, lighter arrow than those generally used in the 20th Century. The pulleys are of machined steel, set on steel pins at the ends of the bow limbs. It is an expensive weapon to manufacture, and is a "military" weapon. Most people use the more common "longbow", which can be manufactured with simple tools most Peasants have. "I see my `reputation' has even reached Dularn," she smiled back, motioning with her point in a way that left no "doubts" as Carol reached for her clothing beside her. My wife shrugging, no doubt well aware that Lady Tirana now believed us both to be from Dularn. An easy mistake to make, considering our accents! "We are Bob and Carol Simmons from the Twentieth Century," Carol said, being well aware too of just "who" Lady Tirana was. "At least it's an `original' alias for two Dularnian spies," Lady Tirana then laughed, "motioning" with the point of her long slim sword, the blade some thirty inches in length, the sort of a thrusting sword favored by many such professional fighting women. The Warrioress of the Twenty Sixth Century being a "professional" at her "trade" much like a Physician or a Builder is at theirs'. A woman like Lady Tirana being "unlike" anything we of the 20th Century knew. It is, I think, a "state of mind" more than just training in the use of weapons. A Warrioress looks upon "issues" "differently" than would someone not of the Caste, I might note. I do not think a "liberal" of my own era would have liked such. Those like Lady Tirana tend to be quite politically conservative. The "concept" of "civil rights" is virtually unknown in this era. In general the "government" plays little role in day to day life. "We are not `Dularnian spies' whatever you might think," my wife snapped back, getting to her feet, and covering herself with a hand as Lady Tirana "appraised" her as to her "market value" by a long searching glance. My wife's automatic instinctive reac- tion one that left no doubts as to what she thought of all this! "Your nipples are pierced, your pubes are shaved, and you have obviously `sunned' yourself recently wearing no more than clips and strap," Tirana smiled back, her dark eyes gleaming with a certain degree of "pleasure" I suspected over her smiling lips. "You are also `neck chained'," Lady Tirana Greyson then added. "And the women of the Twentieth Century did not `do' any of these things," Lady Tirana laughed back, "My lovely Dularnian delight!" Then adding as she regarded Carol, "And it will be the collar for you, my `lovely', and the `pleasing' of men will be your duties!" "I've always `wanted' to be a `slave girl'," Carol "said". The tone of her voice leaving few doubts how she felt about this! I stepped aside as Tirana's unicorn relieved itself there on the trail just ahead of me, well aware of the rope around my neck and the occasional tugs on it caused by the four women behind me. We were gagged, our wrists bound securely behind us in shackles. I did not think very many slaves ever escaped from Lady Tirana! Tirana had also attempted to obtain from Sandi information as to where the other slave girls had been "hid". Sandi had refused to tell her, despite having her face severely "slapped" by Tirana! We had then watched with horror as Tirana had swiftly built up the fire while her men staked out the helpless woman, Tirana's intention being obviously to extract the "information" she wished from Sandi even if there would be little "left" of Sandi later!!! Carol and I had both watched in shocked horror a few moments later as Tirana had then held a burning brand to Sandi's crotch, the former slave girl screaming in agony and then weepingly sob- bing out the "information" that Tirana had wished to have. I re- called the "incident" Lorraine had related about the "crossbow- man" and Lady Tirana. I understood then as I had not before cer- tain "things" that Lorraine had only "hinted" at in her own writ- ings! Lady Tirana, like many here in the 26th Century, being an "expert" at the "extraction" of "information" from prisoners. I should note here that she had "good reasons" for doing this, the runaway slave girls having had become a considerable "nuisance" to the local Peasants and often to those who entered the forests! Their "activities" much like those of Carol's "libbies" in her own stories, her "libbies" also being a considerable "nuisance" to those of "NEW CALIFORNIA". The "libbies" often serving the "role" in my wife's books of "popping up" when least so "wanted"! Our only "hope" now was that Lorraine would return from her duties as the commanding admiral of an Imperial fleet now fight- ing against the Mexican Empire off the coasts of Baja. Otherwise I muchly feared that Carol and I could only look forward to a life as slaves, in a social order where a dog had as many "legal rights" as we did! I recalled the chapters in Lorraine's first book where she had taken on the role of "slave inspector". She had written much about slavery then, and I feared that we might be getting a first hand view of it if Lady Tirana didn't believe the "truth" that we were actually time travelers from 1991 A.D.! Our biggest "problem" was that Carol had all the "marks" of a woman of the 26th Century except for the "caste mark" on the wrist. She had the pierced nipples, the shaved pubes that most women of this era had, and she also had the sort of "skills" that one might "expect" to find a woman of this era in possession of! Tirana was quite "knowledgeable" about the Twentieth Cen- tury, no doubt due to her close relationship with Lorraine, now the Queen of Trelandar thanks to Sanda Talen's recent "REVOLU- TION". She had pointed out that the women of the 20th Century did not pierce their nipples, or shave their pubic regions (this is of course "untrue" as many did), nor did they "know" the sword as did my wife. Also, Lady Tirana had pointed out that no woman of the 20th Century wore a "neck chain" as did the women of the 26th Century. As Carol was obviously "not" what she claimed to be, thus it seemed logical to Tirana that I was also not what I claimed to be, as I was obviously Carol's husband without doubt! The problem was that while I did appear to be a man of the 20th Century (except for my skill with a sword), Carol certainly didn't appear to be a woman of any era except this one! And her attire certainly didn't match any that Lady Tirana knew about as being the "attire" of a woman of the Twentieth Century! The use of leather attire being quite popular I learned among Dularnians! (It is also rather "popular" among the bird girls of Talon too!) So thus I ended up leading a slave coffle with Carol follow- ing just behind me, Sandi next, with Tula and Susan behind her. Lady Tirana's half dozen armed men and her Nevada "guide" being quite enough to insure that we didn't escape our "proper fates"! We had been "spotted" from the air early the evening before by a bird girl of Talon riding on a Tarl. Lorraine having introduced this new form of warfare the year before in her attack on Dularn. The Priestesses having later suggested to the Queen of Talon that such "assistance" perhaps was not really all that "proper" now... It was a delightful spring morning, much like the ones that Carol and I used to enjoy back in the 20th Century. My Carol be- ing the sort of a woman that it is always a pleasure to be with. However I fear just then that I paid such things little notice, Tirana having told my wife that she'd bring forty gold crowns* in a "good market", which didn't "delight" Carol at all just then or me for that matter, especially as I feared I might not ever see my beloved wife ever again should Carol be sold as a slave girl! * This is a rather good price for a woman, especially one as Lady Tirana pointed out who was obviously "getting up in years", Carol appearing by the standards of the 26th Century considerably older than her actual age of thirty eight. Carol was also rather "put out" by the "fact" that she was appraised this low, feeling with some "justification" that she was "worth more" than some blonde Dularnian teenager just unloaded off an Imperial raider. (R.S) I thought of the books that Carol had written back in the 20th Century. Novels that reminded me much of this strange era! Carol's "NEW CALIFORNIA" being a barbaric society much like this one was, being built upon the ruins of "Western Civilization" af- ter the collision of the Earth with an asteroid in the Twenty First Century. The destruction caused by the asteroid's colli- sion with the Earth much like the destruction done by the Lorr's bombardment from their orbiting battle discs in The War of 2047. I saw Lady Tirana turn in her saddle, glance back at us. I was struck again by her amazing resemblance to Lorraine Richards. While this is not mentioned in Lorraine's own books, they do look quite a bit alike, and even share the same "mannerisms" to some degree. Tirana is also an excellent swordswoman, I might note in passing, although she does not have the awesome "reputation" that Lorraine herself has. Both women are tall and slim, brunette. I would say that Tirana has a slightly more attractive face, but that is a "matter of taste", as I find Carol very "attractive" whereas another, more "objective" in this issue, might point out that there are a lot of women who are better looking than Carol. On the other hand, Carol in a long green fitted silken gown is a woman who can "turn heads" when she walks into a room there on my arm. And she does have the "figure" to wear such clothing too!!! Carol, who has been "helping" me write this tale, comments here that I am a quite "handsome" man, and in my uniform as a Du- larnian naval captain do make an "appearance" that she muchly "enjoys". I suspect here however that Carol would like it some- what better if Queen Maris was not the beautiful blonde that she is. Maris being a lusty young woman whose "company" there on the North Star I much enjoyed, much to my wife's considerable "annoy- ance" too! And perhaps with some degree of "justification" too considering that Maris once "offered" herself to me when we were both captives of the Warlady of California. I turned her down, because I loved Carol too much to "cheat" on her, but fortunately Maris "understood" and never held it against me. Saying that she hoped her own husband would be as "faithful" to her when she re- married. Carol has been trying to "fix her up", but so far with- out any sucess. (My wife comments that Maris "needs" a husband.) I have noted over the years that I am "attractive" to a num- ber of women, Lorraine being "one", even though she "denies" it now. I do recall, however, the times that she seemed quite "in- terested" in me, or why else should she have worn such "brief" a bikini as she had back there that summer the Duvals were staying at the little lake down the road from us? One that was fully as "daring" as any that my own wife ever dared to wear in public? This is of course not a part of her "books", but I do think that the reader should be "aware" here that Lorraine is not exactly the same sort of a person that she "appears" in her own novels.* * In Lorraine's two books, she appears to believe that her rela- tionship with my husband was merely a matter of "friendship". I should note here that she became far too "friendly" with my hus- band for my own liking! That bikini Bob mentions was "imported" from France, and was "skimpier" too than anything you'd see on a public beach back in my own time. I also suspect that Jack Duval "felt" that since his wife was after my husband, that I might be "fair game" in return. Lorraine and I are not "friends", and never have been almost from the start when she started getting "friendly" with my husband, her "violent talk" at first scaring me until I realized that she was doing it mostly for Bob. (Carol) "THE WARLADY OF DULARN" 2567 A.D.! By Jerome Bigge Chapter Six I was suddenly jerked awake by my wife to the sound of a woman's angry cursing! Seeing to my horror a tall brunette wom- an, veiled, wearing a stylish hat, clad in a flowing black silk dress and leather trappings, standing there over us with a drawn sword! Her attire that of a high born Lady of Imperial Califor- nia, one of the caste of "Warrioresses". Her keen point warning us without any need for words not to make a "move"! A number of men, perhaps half a dozen or so, clad in the green of the Caste of Foresters, and guided by a man who appeared to be an American Indian, now surrounding our campsite there on the seaside cliffs! Not the most pleasant way I can assure you to "greet" a new day! "Lorraine," Carol breathed softly. It was an easy mistake to make. This woman could have easily been her older sister! I sensed, however, that she was not. I knew Lorraine's features a bit better than did my wife, and even "veiled" as this woman was, I knew that she was not the famous Imperial Warlady of California even if she certainly did look an awful lot like her! It was our first meeting with Lady Tirana, who is the Warlady of Trelandar. And a very "competent" Warlady she is too, let me assure you too! (Lorraine Richards is of course Warlady of Imperial California!) "Others have made that `mistake'," the woman smiled back, her dark eyes burning into the hazel of my wife as she nodded. I saw Sandi, her hands already tied behind her, now being stripped! And there were Susan and Tula, both naked, bound, tied to a tree! Their eyes wet with tears over the gags that filled their mouths. They had been "taken" in their sleep, bound and gagged before ei- ther one of them could cry out or give a warning. Sandi had been on "guard". Obviously she had not been "alert" enough this time! I knew that she was part of a band of runaway slave girls, women who now lived as best they could out here in the forest, robbing the Peasants of food and supplies, and being a "general nuisance" that I had no doubt many people would be happy to be freed from! "I'll hazard a guess at `Lady Tirana'," I smiled up at her, remembering the description Lorraine had given of Tirana Greyson. The "veil" worn by high born Californian women is like a "net", and does not really conceal the features all that much. The com- pound bows of her men leaving little doubt too, such being a "de- velopment" of Lorraine, who I knew manufactured them in Trella. A similar weapon is manufactured in Arsana of the same design. Both are "eccentric pulley" recurved compounds like the "Dularni- an" crossbow, but of fiberglassed wood, not steel like the cross- bow. An "arrow shelf" is used, allowing the use of a shorter, lighter arrow than those generally used in the 20th Century. The pulleys are of machined steel, set on steel pins at the ends of the bow limbs. It is an expensive weapon to manufacture, and is a "military" weapon. Most people use the more common "longbow", which can be manufactured with simple tools most Peasants have. "I see my `reputation' has even reached Dularn," she smiled back, motioning with her point in a way that left no "doubts" as Carol reached for her clothing beside her. My wife shrugging, no doubt well aware that Lady Tirana now believed us both to be from Dularn. An easy mistake to make, considering our accents! "We are Bob and Carol Simmons from the Twentieth Century," Carol said, being well aware too of just "who" Lady Tirana was. "At least it's an `original' alias for two Dularnian spies," Lady Tirana then laughed, "motioning" with the point of her long slim sword, the blade some thirty inches in length, the sort of a thrusting sword favored by many such professional fighting women. The Warrioress of the Twenty Sixth Century being a "professional" at her "trade" much like a Physician or a Builder is at theirs'. A woman like Lady Tirana being "unlike" anything we of the 20th Century knew. It is, I think, a "state of mind" more than just training in the use of weapons. A Warrioress looks upon "issues" "differently" than would someone not of the Caste, I might note. I do not think a "liberal" of my own era would have liked such. Those like Lady Tirana tend to be quite politically conservative. The "concept" of "civil rights" is virtually unknown in this era. In general the "government" plays little role in day to day life. "We are not `Dularnian spies' whatever you might think," my wife snapped back, getting to her feet, and covering herself with a hand as Lady Tirana "appraised" her as to her "market value" by a long searching glance. My wife's automatic instinctive reac- tion one that left no doubts as to what she thought of all this! "Your nipples are pierced, your pubes are shaved, and you have obviously `sunned' yourself recently wearing no more than clips and strap," Tirana smiled back, her dark eyes gleaming with a certain degree of "pleasure" I suspected over her smiling lips. "You are also `neck chained'," Lady Tirana Greyson then added. "And the women of the Twentieth Century did not `do' any of these things," Lady Tirana laughed back, "My lovely Dularnian delight!" Then adding as she regarded Carol, "And it will be the collar for you, my `lovely', and the `pleasing' of men will be your duties!" "I've always `wanted' to be a `slave girl'," Carol "said". The tone of her voice leaving few doubts how she felt about this! I stepped aside as Tirana's unicorn relieved itself there on the trail just ahead of me, well aware of the rope around my neck and the occasional tugs on it caused by the four women behind me. We were gagged, our wrists bound securely behind us in shackles. I did not think very many slaves ever escaped from Lady Tirana! Tirana had also attempted to obtain from Sandi information as to where the other slave girls had been "hid". Sandi had refused to tell her, despite having her face severely "slapped" by Tirana! We had then watched with horror as Tirana had swiftly built up the fire while her men staked out the helpless woman, Tirana's intention being obviously to extract the "information" she wished from Sandi even if there would be little "left" of Sandi later!!! Carol and I had both watched in shocked horror a few moments later as Tirana had then held a burning brand to Sandi's crotch, the former slave girl screaming in agony and then weepingly sob- bing out the "information" that Tirana had wished to have. I re- called the "incident" Lorraine had related about the "crossbow- man" and Lady Tirana. I understood then as I had not before cer- tain "things" that Lorraine had only "hinted" at in her own writ- ings! Lady Tirana, like many here in the 26th Century, being an "expert" at the "extraction" of "information" from prisoners. I should note here that she had "good reasons" for doing this, the runaway slave girls having had become a considerable "nuisance" to the local Peasants and often to those who entered the forests! Their "activities" much like those of Carol's "libbies" in her own stories, her "libbies" also being a considerable "nuisance" to those of "NEW CALIFORNIA". The "libbies" often serving the "role" in my wife's books of "popping up" when least so "wanted"! Our only "hope" now was that Lorraine would return from her duties as the commanding admiral of an Imperial fleet now fight- ing against the Mexican Empire off the coasts of Baja. Otherwise I muchly feared that Carol and I could only look forward to a life as slaves, in a social order where a dog had as many "legal rights" as we did! I recalled the chapters in Lorraine's first book where she had taken on the role of "slave inspector". She had written much about slavery then, and I feared that we might be getting a first hand view of it if Lady Tirana didn't believe the "truth" that we were actually time travelers from 1991 A.D.! Our biggest "problem" was that Carol had all the "marks" of a woman of the 26th Century except for the "caste mark" on the wrist. She had the pierced nipples, the shaved pubes that most women of this era had, and she also had the sort of "skills" that one might "expect" to find a woman of this era in possession of! Tirana was quite "knowledgeable" about the Twentieth Cen- tury, no doubt due to her close relationship with Lorraine, now the Queen of Trelandar thanks to Sanda Talen's recent "REVOLU- TION". She had pointed out that the women of the 20th Century did not pierce their nipples, or shave their pubic regions (this is of course "untrue" as many did), nor did they "know" the sword as did my wife. Also, Lady Tirana had pointed out that no woman of the 20th Century wore a "neck chain" as did the women of the 26th Century. As Carol was obviously "not" what she claimed to be, thus it seemed logical to Tirana that I was also not what I claimed to be, as I was obviously Carol's husband without doubt! The problem was that while I did appear to be a man of the 20th Century (except for my skill with a sword), Carol certainly didn't appear to be a woman of any era except this one! And her attire certainly didn't match any that Lady Tirana knew about as being the "attire" of a woman of the Twentieth Century! The use of leather attire being quite popular I learned among Dularnians! (It is also rather "popular" among the bird girls of Talon too!) So thus I ended up leading a slave coffle with Carol follow- ing just behind me, Sandi next, with Tula and Susan behind her. Lady Tirana's half dozen armed men and her Nevada "guide" being quite enough to insure that we didn't escape our "proper fates"! We had been "spotted" from the air early the evening before by a bird girl of Talon riding on a Tarl. Lorraine having introduced this new form of warfare the year before in her attack on Dularn. The Priestesses having later suggested to the Queen of Talon that such "assistance" perhaps was not really all that "proper" now... It was a delightful spring morning, much like the ones that Carol and I used to enjoy back in the 20th Century. My Carol be- ing the sort of a woman that it is always a pleasure to be with. However I fear just then that I paid such things little notice, Tirana having told my wife that she'd bring forty gold crowns* in a "good market", which didn't "delight" Carol at all just then or me for that matter, especially as I feared I might not ever see my beloved wife ever again should Carol be sold as a slave girl! * This is a rather good price for a woman, especially one as Lady Tirana pointed out who was obviously "getting up in years", Carol appearing by the standards of the 26th Century considerably older than her actual age of thirty eight. Carol was also rather "put out" by the "fact" that she was appraised this low, feeling with some "justification" that she was "worth more" than some blonde Dularnian teenager just unloaded off an Imperial raider. (R.S) I thought of the books that Carol had written back in the 20th Century. Novels that reminded me much of this strange era! Carol's "NEW CALIFORNIA" being a barbaric society much like this one was, being built upon the ruins of "Western Civilization" af- ter the collision of the Earth with an asteroid in the Twenty First Century. The destruction caused by the asteroid's colli- sion with the Earth much like the destruction done by the Lorr's bombardment from their orbiting battle discs in The War of 2047. I saw Lady Tirana turn in her saddle, glance back at us. I was struck again by her amazing resemblance to Lorraine Richards. While this is not mentioned in Lorraine's own books, they do look quite a bit alike, and even share the same "mannerisms" to some degree. Tirana is also an excellent swordswoman, I might note in passing, although she does not have the awesome "reputation" that Lorraine herself has. Both women are tall and slim, brunette. I would say that Tirana has a slightly more attractive face, but that is a "matter of taste", as I find Carol very "attractive" whereas another, more "objective" in this issue, might point out that there are a lot of women who are better looking than Carol. On the other hand, Carol in a long green fitted silken gown is a woman who can "turn heads" when she walks into a room there on my arm. And she does have the "figure" to wear such clothing too!!! Carol, who has been "helping" me write this tale, comments here that I am a quite "handsome" man, and in my uniform as a Du- larnian naval captain do make an "appearance" that she muchly "enjoys". I suspect here however that Carol would like it some- what better if Queen Maris was not the beautiful blonde that she is. Maris being a lusty young woman whose "company" there on the North Star I much enjoyed, much to my wife's considerable "annoy- ance" too! And perhaps with some degree of "justification" too considering that Maris once "offered" herself to me when we were both captives of the Warlady of California. I turned her down, because I loved Carol too much to "cheat" on her, but fortunately Maris "understood" and never held it against me. Saying that she hoped her own husband would be as "faithful" to her when she re- married. Carol has been trying to "fix her up", but so far with- out any sucess. (My wife comments that Maris "needs" a husband.) I have noted over the years that I am "attractive" to a num- ber of women, Lorraine being "one", even though she "denies" it now. I do recall, however, the times that she seemed quite "in- terested" in me, or why else should she have worn such "brief" a bikini as she had back there that summer the Duvals were staying at the little lake down the road from us? One that was fully as "daring" as any that my own wife ever dared to wear in public? This is of course not a part of her "books", but I do think that the reader should be "aware" here that Lorraine is not exactly the same sort of a person that she "appears" in her own novels.* * In Lorraine's two books, she appears to believe that her rela- tionship with my husband was merely a matter of "friendship". I should note here that she became far too "friendly" with my hus- band for my own liking! That bikini Bob mentions was "imported" from France, and was "skimpier" too than anything you'd see on a public beach back in my own time. I also suspect that Jack Duval "felt" that since his wife was after my husband, that I might be "fair game" in return. Lorraine and I are not "friends", and never have been almost from the start when she started getting "friendly" with my husband, her "violent talk" at first scaring me until I realized that she was doing it mostly for Bob. (Carol) |
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