[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
more "fuel" to the demands of the Trelandarian "separatists" who demanded a
Trelandar completely independent of the Empire of California. A "return" to
the old system of "independent" city-states perhaps. Life was not "easy" for a
lovely golden head that wore the crown.
"Perhaps you are `right'," Sharon answered, putting her arm around
Darlanis as she sat next to the briefly clad Empress. The thought going
through her mind just then that perhaps Darlanis was a "deeper thinker" than
she had ever given her credit for. A feeling of "love" going over her as she
hugged the tall Empress.
"I can always `change my mind'," Darlanis smiled back, her strong arm
drawing Sharon close. The Earth a blue white ball be- fore them floating
peacefully in the inky blackness of space. "I am a woman and that has always
Page 93
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
been our `privilege' in the past."
*****************************************************************
"Isle of Sandor," Mark smiled, looking down at Sela Dai as she stood
there beside him. She was a short wench, beautifully curved. One who had no
"doubts" about herself a woman either.
"Now we `wait' for Lorraine," Sela answered, seemingly pre- occupied
then. The thoughts now going through her mind unshared.
"It will be `good' to see her again," Mark smiled, fighting back the
urge to pat little Sela on the head, which he knew she didn't like anyone
doing to her. Her dark eyes glowed up into his as she nodded. Sela being very
much "aware" that once the famous Warlady was back in command that they would
be "hunting" down Dularnian ships and attacking them. That being Lorraine's
"plan" which she had worked out earlier with Prince Jers Bisan.
"And no doubt you're looking forward to the `prize money' too," the
Princess answered, her voice a bit "harsher" then than she would have wished
it. Once again she would be "alone" stand- ing on a quarterdeck, directing a
ship in battle. Facing the enemy's missiles, well aware that some of them at
least would be directed at her. That she would have to stand there and be shot
at like a lovely target with nothing that she could do about it!!
And why had she picked such a "life" for herself? That was something
that even Sela couldn't seem to answer. She was a true Princess, she had no
real reason for putting herself "at risk" as she had. Her mother would not
have thought less of her had Sela decided to live out the rest of her life
there in Talon, safe from harm. Eventually to get married, have children, live
the sort of a life that most women of her own station in life lived!!
"Something's bothering you," Mark answered, "picking up" on the tone of
her voice. That was not like his beloved Princess!
"Just a `mood'," Sela answered quickly, then strolling off.
*****************************************************************
"We will be up to the Isle of Sandor tomorrow," Janice said to me late
that afternoon. We had made good time. The winds had been "favorable". I had
driven the ship, its crew, its officers, everyone "hard". They were sharp.
Ready to take on "anything".
"There is smoke there ahead on the shore," I said to her, lowering the
telescope that I had been using to watch the shore as it moved past. One
should always be "alert" for such things.
"Some fisherman's fire?" Janice smiled. There were a number of small
fishing villages along the coast here. The people were culturally "Dularnian",
not "Californian". I did not expect we'd find very many "friends" among them.
Darlanis was in my opinion making a bad mistake trying to "hang on" to these
people, lands.
"We will investigate," I smiled. Janice nodded in reply.
"The wreckage is definitely that of a `North' class," the first officer
spoke as he climbed up onto the deck before me. I had already determined that
for myself with the telescope, the Huntress now lying a couple hundred yards
off the rocky shore. A naked body, female, dead, there in the bottom of the
longboat. I had no doubts that she had been a captive, one who had drowned.
Page 94
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"And?" I challenged, the officer pointing down at the boat.
"There are footprints on the beach, men with boots, women barefooted,"
he answered. The women would of course be captives. The ship was not the North
Star, that I had already determined.
"They either caught fire and had to `beach' or they were forced to
`abandon' their ship," Janice said to me. I suspected the second as being most
likely. My squadron was only a day's sail or so ahead of us now. I suspected
that the Dularnian cap- tain had decided to destroy his vessel rather than let
it fall into Imperial hands. Here too he was likely to receive a "warm"
welcome from the people living in the area. We would most likely not, although
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]