"2569-39" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jerome Bigge - Warlady 7 - The Dularnian Queen)2569 A.D.! THE DULARNIAN QUEEN AN ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Thirty Nine "You're Hurt!" Paul said, running up to me as I stood there in the drizzle, the body of my late foe there at my booted feet. I could feel the "sting" of the cut, and was well "aware" of how "close" I'd come to dying myself in this duel between Pharis and myself. She had been "good", if a bit too "overconfident" here. "Tori," I said, my captain standing there at his side, the people now "dispersing" somewhat, aware that Maris Marn was still the Queen of Dularn (I prefer being called "Maris Marn" to "Maris Blue Sky", I might note here). "Go to Darlanis, tell her what you `know', and see if anything can be `done' about Tara now." I saw her nod, dash off in a run, my husband still standing there.* * Neither Darlanis or I knew anything about Tara's "demoness". I suppose that Tais felt it was none of our "business" here. The Priestesses of Lys often keep such matters to themselves. (M.M.) "I never `doubted' that you'd win," he said to me, Salmona Tora there "wiping" at the cut and applying wound compound to it. The people drawing back, well aware that their Queen might not be too "delighted" at what they'd done in supporting her "enemy"... "You're not going to get `rid' of me that easy," I smiled. Some of my guardswomen now gathering up the body of Queen Pharis. Salmona had suggested certain drugs that perhaps she had used on Paul's father. Drugs that are usually "forbidden" to Physicians. I would have her effects searched, see what we could find. I saw Paul's father standing there now with Queen Freydis, with the young Nevada Prince. Several of my guardswomen now surrounding them. Trying to "overthrow" a Queen in her own country is a se- rious crime. On the other hand the "political realities" of the issue were such that there was little that I could do about it... "We `thought'," Queen Freydis spoke, coming up to me, one of my guardswomen following, a drawn sword in her right hand, her round metal shield there on her left, "That you had `betrayed' us to Darlanis." I supposed Pharis had told them "that" about me... "She `lied'," I snapped, standing there, regarding her then. "I will not `kneel' to you," Queen Freydis said to me then. "I doubt that I'd want another `slave girl'," I smiled now. "You could...!" Freydis breathed, aware of the situation... "You are something of a `dumb blonde'..." I smiled back. "My sword is yours to `command'," she answered me back. "Keep it in its sheath for now," I smiled back at her. "We didn't find her," Tori said, Darlanis standing there be- hind her furious at how Tara had once again escaped "justice"... The old woman sitting there weeping, well aware of what might "happen" to both her and her daughter considering the "law" here although I had assured her that I wouldn't do anything about it. It was dinner time, the sun having just set there in the west. I was enjoying a fine meal of roast turkey and dressing along with an ample supply of my finest own wines to help "settle" the meal. "I will offer a `bounty' of three hundred gold crowns for that Lys-damned bitch!" Darlanis snapped, pacing back and forth. I thought of "suggesting" that she sit down and have something to eat, but thought the better of it in the "mood" she was in now. To "search" the entire country for Tara was out of the question. I rather doubted that we'd ever catch up with Princess Tara now. "My daughter?" the old woman ventured. I told her that I would not hold it against her either for her own "actions" here, it being obvious that she'd helped Princess Tara escape us. Dar- lanis listening, shrugging, the look on her face leaving no doubt as to "how" she felt about all this. Tori looked relieved. No doubt thankful to be standing on something solid against after having flown off in the airplane with Darlanis, who is a somewhat "reckless" pilot from what my captain told me later on about her. "We didn't find a trail we could follow far," Tori spoke up. "Let's just hope she doesn't `harm' her daughter," I spoke. I didn't think Tara would, but one could never "tell" with her. The old woman had told me about the "letter", but it didn't mean anything to me as I'd considered the Bajan Princess a "loony" for some time anyway who had finally "gone off the deep end". I sup- pose I should have "believed" it, but "talk" of the "QUEEN OF DARKNESS" and such sounded more like the ravings of a lunatic... "She is badly burned, in considerable pain," the old woman said. Her name was "Clara San", she had told us. Her daughter's was "Mara", a not "uncommon" name in some parts of Dularn now. "Did she ever say anything about `where' she might go?" my husband asked, sitting there across the table from me sipping his brandy. "Any `hint' as to where she might find `safety' now...?" "She once `spoke' of Queen Valeris, of the fact that there were no Priestesses in the territory of the `Free Women'," Clara answered. "She is a very `intelligent' woman, very smart too..." "I think I'll have some of that turkey of yours," Darlanis said to me then, walking over to the table, and helping herself. ***************************************************************** "We cannot `continue' like this," the girl said, squatting there by the fire, wrapped in a blanket, watching Princess Tara. "We'll need a boat, and `supplies' enough to sail a thousand miles," the Princess answered. The sudden arrival of Darlanis to the Princess ample "proof" that the Priestesses had the letter. "I know a fisherman," the girl "ventured", regarding Tara. "I trust he likes `gold'," Tara forced a smile in reply. "They must have `caught' my mother," Mara spoke softly. "I am `sorry' for that," the Princess replied back quietly. "You don't seem to `be' what people say you are," Mara said. "I'm not a `good' person," Tara answered, looking into the flames. "I guess I've `hurt' far too many people now to be any- one that you'd admire," the former Bajan Princess mused in turn. "I've done a lot of `things' that no honorable person should ever do. Let my soul be taken over by an evil `spirit' from Hell..." "It's never too late to decide to `change'," the girl said. "I was a beautiful woman `once'," Tara said, sitting there. "Lys forgives those who ask for forgiveness," Mara smiled. "I don't even `She' will forgive me now," Tara answered. ***************************************************************** "Yes, Tori?" I said, getting ready for bed and wondering why Tori hadn't already now gone home after this "adventuresome" day? "I have a `list' of those who voted against you," she said. "A `list' of `friends' and `enemies'?" I smiled back then. "I think you should `know'," my faithful officer replied. "Thank you," I smiled, taking the list of names from Tori. "Why are you doing that?" Tori breathed in shock as I walked over to the fireplace and tossed the paper on to the flames then! "This is Dularn, not the Empire," I now smiled back at Tori. "And Pharis `was' an excellent public speaker," I grinned at her. "You're an amazing woman," my husband said to me after Tori left for the night. "Anyone else would have kept that `list'..." "We are a `democracy', not a `dictatorship'," I smiled back. In any case votes in the Senate are a matter of public record and the citizens in the next election could make their own decisions. "I believe I can `make' Valeris' capital without refueling," Darlanis said to me as she watched men pouring alcohol into Black Lady. "It's probably `best' that you stay here," she added then. The Empress having changed her attire to something more "fitting" the climate here in Arsana than her "provocative" golden mesh... We knew that Valeris had her "capital" somewhere "inland" from the naval base that the Imperials used during the warmer months of the year, but just "where" was something even she didn't know! There being little "trust" between Valeris and us of the "south". "I'm going with you," I said, meeting her eyes with my own. I couldn't say just "why", but it was something I "had" to do... "You need to stay here and `deal' with your political ene- mies," she answered, well aware of how "close" I'd come to losing my throne to Pharis. "Keep a `tight rein' on things for now..." "You don't understand our political system, do you?" I said. "I was born here, raised here most of my childhood," Darla- nis replied. "I'm familiar with the Dularnian political system." "Pharis raised a `mob', not a `revolution'," I pointed out. While she'd gotten some "support" in the Senate, she had been far from having the necessary three quarters necessary to legally de- pose me as Queen of Dularn, only about a half of the Senate hav- ing actually voted against me and in favor of Pharis' policies... "It's `your decision'," Darlanis answered, regarding me. "Looks like as `good' a spot for the night as any," Darlanis said, circling the frozen lake there surrounded by towering ever- greens. We were a thousand miles north of Dularn, well past the territory claimed by the Northmen themselves. Somewhere ahead of us now was the capital of the "Free Women", as those who were Valeris' "subjects" called themselves. Women who lived under a social order found no where else on the Earth that I knew of. A society much in some ways like that of the Women of Mars, except that the Free Women did keep a few men for reproductive purposes instead of using the drug that is used on Mars for this purpose. "I wouldn't care to try to `walk' back home from here," I "smiled" back, well aware of how "deserted" this area looked now. We had seen few signs of life, despite the fact that Valeris now claimed this entire "territory" as being hers and hers alone too! "No," Darlanis answered thoughtfully, coming about for a landing on the glistening surface of the lake after checking for frozen logs that might damage the floats and "maroon" us here. "Spooky," Darlanis mused, sitting there by the fire we'd built, the flames "highlighting" her face, her rich golden hair. "I suggest we avoid telling `ghost stories'," I smiled back, recalling the contents of the letter that Tara had sent to Tais. "We could always sleep aboard the airplane," she "grinned". 2569 A.D.! THE DULARNIAN QUEEN AN ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Thirty Nine "You're Hurt!" Paul said, running up to me as I stood there in the drizzle, the body of my late foe there at my booted feet. I could feel the "sting" of the cut, and was well "aware" of how "close" I'd come to dying myself in this duel between Pharis and myself. She had been "good", if a bit too "overconfident" here. "Tori," I said, my captain standing there at his side, the people now "dispersing" somewhat, aware that Maris Marn was still the Queen of Dularn (I prefer being called "Maris Marn" to "Maris Blue Sky", I might note here). "Go to Darlanis, tell her what you `know', and see if anything can be `done' about Tara now." I saw her nod, dash off in a run, my husband still standing there.* * Neither Darlanis or I knew anything about Tara's "demoness". I suppose that Tais felt it was none of our "business" here. The Priestesses of Lys often keep such matters to themselves. (M.M.) "I never `doubted' that you'd win," he said to me, Salmona Tora there "wiping" at the cut and applying wound compound to it. The people drawing back, well aware that their Queen might not be too "delighted" at what they'd done in supporting her "enemy"... "You're not going to get `rid' of me that easy," I smiled. Some of my guardswomen now gathering up the body of Queen Pharis. Salmona had suggested certain drugs that perhaps she had used on Paul's father. Drugs that are usually "forbidden" to Physicians. I would have her effects searched, see what we could find. I saw Paul's father standing there now with Queen Freydis, with the young Nevada Prince. Several of my guardswomen now surrounding them. Trying to "overthrow" a Queen in her own country is a se- rious crime. On the other hand the "political realities" of the issue were such that there was little that I could do about it... "We `thought'," Queen Freydis spoke, coming up to me, one of my guardswomen following, a drawn sword in her right hand, her round metal shield there on her left, "That you had `betrayed' us to Darlanis." I supposed Pharis had told them "that" about me... "She `lied'," I snapped, standing there, regarding her then. "I will not `kneel' to you," Queen Freydis said to me then. "I doubt that I'd want another `slave girl'," I smiled now. "You could...!" Freydis breathed, aware of the situation... "You are something of a `dumb blonde'..." I smiled back. "My sword is yours to `command'," she answered me back. "Keep it in its sheath for now," I smiled back at her. "We didn't find her," Tori said, Darlanis standing there be- hind her furious at how Tara had once again escaped "justice"... The old woman sitting there weeping, well aware of what might "happen" to both her and her daughter considering the "law" here although I had assured her that I wouldn't do anything about it. It was dinner time, the sun having just set there in the west. I was enjoying a fine meal of roast turkey and dressing along with an ample supply of my finest own wines to help "settle" the meal. "I will offer a `bounty' of three hundred gold crowns for that Lys-damned bitch!" Darlanis snapped, pacing back and forth. I thought of "suggesting" that she sit down and have something to eat, but thought the better of it in the "mood" she was in now. To "search" the entire country for Tara was out of the question. I rather doubted that we'd ever catch up with Princess Tara now. "My daughter?" the old woman ventured. I told her that I would not hold it against her either for her own "actions" here, it being obvious that she'd helped Princess Tara escape us. Dar- lanis listening, shrugging, the look on her face leaving no doubt as to "how" she felt about all this. Tori looked relieved. No doubt thankful to be standing on something solid against after having flown off in the airplane with Darlanis, who is a somewhat "reckless" pilot from what my captain told me later on about her. "We didn't find a trail we could follow far," Tori spoke up. "Let's just hope she doesn't `harm' her daughter," I spoke. I didn't think Tara would, but one could never "tell" with her. The old woman had told me about the "letter", but it didn't mean anything to me as I'd considered the Bajan Princess a "loony" for some time anyway who had finally "gone off the deep end". I sup- pose I should have "believed" it, but "talk" of the "QUEEN OF DARKNESS" and such sounded more like the ravings of a lunatic... "She is badly burned, in considerable pain," the old woman said. Her name was "Clara San", she had told us. Her daughter's was "Mara", a not "uncommon" name in some parts of Dularn now. "Did she ever say anything about `where' she might go?" my husband asked, sitting there across the table from me sipping his brandy. "Any `hint' as to where she might find `safety' now...?" "She once `spoke' of Queen Valeris, of the fact that there were no Priestesses in the territory of the `Free Women'," Clara answered. "She is a very `intelligent' woman, very smart too..." "I think I'll have some of that turkey of yours," Darlanis said to me then, walking over to the table, and helping herself. ***************************************************************** "We cannot `continue' like this," the girl said, squatting there by the fire, wrapped in a blanket, watching Princess Tara. "We'll need a boat, and `supplies' enough to sail a thousand miles," the Princess answered. The sudden arrival of Darlanis to the Princess ample "proof" that the Priestesses had the letter. "I know a fisherman," the girl "ventured", regarding Tara. "I trust he likes `gold'," Tara forced a smile in reply. "They must have `caught' my mother," Mara spoke softly. "I am `sorry' for that," the Princess replied back quietly. "You don't seem to `be' what people say you are," Mara said. "I'm not a `good' person," Tara answered, looking into the flames. "I guess I've `hurt' far too many people now to be any- one that you'd admire," the former Bajan Princess mused in turn. "I've done a lot of `things' that no honorable person should ever do. Let my soul be taken over by an evil `spirit' from Hell..." "It's never too late to decide to `change'," the girl said. "I was a beautiful woman `once'," Tara said, sitting there. "Lys forgives those who ask for forgiveness," Mara smiled. "I don't even `She' will forgive me now," Tara answered. ***************************************************************** "Yes, Tori?" I said, getting ready for bed and wondering why Tori hadn't already now gone home after this "adventuresome" day? "I have a `list' of those who voted against you," she said. "A `list' of `friends' and `enemies'?" I smiled back then. "I think you should `know'," my faithful officer replied. "Thank you," I smiled, taking the list of names from Tori. "Why are you doing that?" Tori breathed in shock as I walked over to the fireplace and tossed the paper on to the flames then! "This is Dularn, not the Empire," I now smiled back at Tori. "And Pharis `was' an excellent public speaker," I grinned at her. "You're an amazing woman," my husband said to me after Tori left for the night. "Anyone else would have kept that `list'..." "We are a `democracy', not a `dictatorship'," I smiled back. In any case votes in the Senate are a matter of public record and the citizens in the next election could make their own decisions. "I believe I can `make' Valeris' capital without refueling," Darlanis said to me as she watched men pouring alcohol into Black Lady. "It's probably `best' that you stay here," she added then. The Empress having changed her attire to something more "fitting" the climate here in Arsana than her "provocative" golden mesh... We knew that Valeris had her "capital" somewhere "inland" from the naval base that the Imperials used during the warmer months of the year, but just "where" was something even she didn't know! There being little "trust" between Valeris and us of the "south". "I'm going with you," I said, meeting her eyes with my own. I couldn't say just "why", but it was something I "had" to do... "You need to stay here and `deal' with your political ene- mies," she answered, well aware of how "close" I'd come to losing my throne to Pharis. "Keep a `tight rein' on things for now..." "You don't understand our political system, do you?" I said. "I was born here, raised here most of my childhood," Darla- nis replied. "I'm familiar with the Dularnian political system." "Pharis raised a `mob', not a `revolution'," I pointed out. While she'd gotten some "support" in the Senate, she had been far from having the necessary three quarters necessary to legally de- pose me as Queen of Dularn, only about a half of the Senate hav- ing actually voted against me and in favor of Pharis' policies... "It's `your decision'," Darlanis answered, regarding me. "Looks like as `good' a spot for the night as any," Darlanis said, circling the frozen lake there surrounded by towering ever- greens. We were a thousand miles north of Dularn, well past the territory claimed by the Northmen themselves. Somewhere ahead of us now was the capital of the "Free Women", as those who were Valeris' "subjects" called themselves. Women who lived under a social order found no where else on the Earth that I knew of. A society much in some ways like that of the Women of Mars, except that the Free Women did keep a few men for reproductive purposes instead of using the drug that is used on Mars for this purpose. "I wouldn't care to try to `walk' back home from here," I "smiled" back, well aware of how "deserted" this area looked now. We had seen few signs of life, despite the fact that Valeris now claimed this entire "territory" as being hers and hers alone too! "No," Darlanis answered thoughtfully, coming about for a landing on the glistening surface of the lake after checking for frozen logs that might damage the floats and "maroon" us here. "Spooky," Darlanis mused, sitting there by the fire we'd built, the flames "highlighting" her face, her rich golden hair. "I suggest we avoid telling `ghost stories'," I smiled back, recalling the contents of the letter that Tara had sent to Tais. "We could always sleep aboard the airplane," she "grinned". |
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