They chattered happily mentally together, as Charles drove straight to the stadium. They breakfasted on the filled flat breads Charles had obtained for them before leaving. Charles led them to seats in the back of the Royal Enclosure where they sat with Sebie just behind Princess Plavina. Colonel Bromarsh sat in the row behind the Royal Enclosure with General Stenlina and Vlama on either side of him.
Zadina was already seated in the Enclosure some ten seats away and her plait clinked with the shower of ruby florettes she wore. Prince Ga’Mikkal sat at her feet in Zeninan dress and looked distinctly uncomfortable. Charles did not stay with the children but hovered on the edge of the enclosure talking to Bromarsh. Marina slid into a seat beside Jessina and the children swarmed over her. So as Jazina the Royal Herald, announced the entrance of Queen Kerina and her guests, Marina was the only adult in the stadium to fail to stand. Shaking off Sebie whom she scolded was far too old to bounce on his aunt and gently lowering Orina and Jessina. Princess Marina stood and made a deep graceful obeisance to the Queen.
Marina was already undressed for the Games; her hair had been plaited and was caught up in a series of concentric loops which hung behind her. She wore none of her florettes in her hair but a thick leather band encircled her right wrist. Jazina spoke for some time, welcoming everyone to the Games before announcing the first event, the discus. The first competitors assembled and limbered up on the field. Marina led Jessina through a door in the back of the Royal enclosure. It opened onto a large underground reception room already laid out with an elaborate buffet. Marina showed no interest in the food and sat Jessina down some distance away from it.
Without preamble Marina told her “We’ve found your parents, Jessina you can return to them tomorrow.” Jessina was thunderstruck. She loved her mother, but she was just learning how to use her mind. She was happy in Zenina and had been hoping her stay would not end too soon. Jessina made no answer and Marina picked up the jumble of thoughts and strong emotions.
“I have to tell you something Jessina. I’d like to keep you, but your parents have the right to insist you return. For Floren it is simple, he’ll go back to your parents and settle down as a Markaban citizen. For you it is not such an easy decision. We believe your maternal grandmother was Zeninan. Colonel Vlama is your great-aunt. If you wanted to stay in Zenina, you could claim Zeninan nationality. Then you wouldn’t need to leave. I don’t want to make the decision harder for you, but I’ll miss you.”
Jessina remained silent for a few minutes, her heart pulling her both ways before asking Marina a stream of very pertinent questions. She reached no decision and it was a very quiet little girl whom Marina escorted to her seat to watch the final throws of the discus. Marina left her with Sebie and Orina, before leaving for the field as she was entered for the next event.
Chapter Thirty-Eught - The Zeninan Games
Bromarsh watched the discus event sitting with Vlama on his right hand and Stenlina on his left. They talked in his mind about the people competing in the event taking place below them. Zada was pointed out to him as the title holder. Bromarsh shuddered and told the ladies of the scrap between her, Letinza and himself. He did not recognise the other competitors except for Ketla. The competitors all wore close fitting metal helmets which Stenlina explained prevented cheating by telekinesis. There would be discs going off planet and risk to the audience if they allowed free rein to their mental abilities.
Zada won as Vlama predicted and Ketla came fourth. Jazina announced the winners and Queen Kerina presented the four top contestants with florettes of the relevant colour. Bromarsh did not see Marina as she came out onto the field, but there was no need to have her pointed out. The call went up as the population of Hemithea rose to their feet and bellowed out her name. She waved to the crowd and Bromarsh found himself reacting to the sight of her naked body. With great determination he suppressed both thoughts and feelings.
Vlama noticed his discomfort, “Have you arranged company for the lunch break?” She was clearly using “company” as a euphemism for sexual relations.
“No and I fear, I’ll not last that long,” so Vlama said she would organise it. There was a field of about 50 who were throwing the javelin in turn. Marina as title holder had the right to throw last, which advantage she took. The event was not as he expected. It was not simply a matter of throwing the javelin a distance. There were targets painted on hide covering a thick woollen fleece over a soft wood board set about the field at distances of approximately ten metres apart.
For the throw to count it was necessary to pierce the hide, the fleece and to stick into the board. The closer to the bull’s eye the higher the point score of each throw. Vlama explained that the furthest target was Marina’s current record. Each competitor threw at a target, most aiming for one about 30 metres from the record. Only half hit the target and some of those were ruled out as they had not penetrated the target. Marina’s turn came and she stretched and took her run. Everyone’s eyes followed the spear’s flight; her aim was true straight into the centre of the furthest target and thudded into it. The point of her javelin pierced through the fleece and the board, protruding through the other side. Those who had missed their chosen target withdrew. Bromarsh was surprised.
“Won’t they have another chance?” he enquired of Vlama.
“Not until the next Games, if those targets were wild boar they would be dead.”
“Or qumurski?”
“Even Marina could not kill a qumursk at that distance. You need to put nearly twenty centimetres of spear through hide and bone to kill a qumursk outright.”
Those whose first throw had been disallowed because they had not penetrated the target sufficiently were allowed one more attempt. A few succeeded and joined the fifteen who had been successful at their first attempts. The new group attempted the next target, but only four hit it at all and two failed to penetrate. Marina stepped up again and the furthest target was moved five metres further. Marina’s first javelin had not been removed. It stuck out at a slight angle slap bang in the middle.
Marina ran again and the javelin flew, the crowd hummed as it whistled past striking in the same place as the first, breaking off the shaft of the first javelin and driving through the fleece so that it too stuck out through the other side. Vlama pointed out that Klivina was one of the two who had penetrated the target 25 metres behind Marina’s new record. She and her Silver rival tried to hit the target ten metres out. Klivina threw and just hit the target but it bounced out. The Silver threw but her spear fell short.
The green and blue florettes had thus been decided. The last two who had not succeeded on the last target, a Blue and Silver threw again for the silver florette. Both hit the target but neither penetrated fully. The silver florette was awarded to the Blue because her javelin had scratched the board, but the other had not penetrated the fleece. Having won convincingly Marina turned to collect her florette but the crowd had not had enough. Their thoughts intruded even into Bromarsh’s mind. “Another five,” they yelled. Marina was declining but the target was moved even though she had already won and was not obliged to throw. She was handed another javelin, but she tried to back off. The crowd wouldn’t let her go. The noise was thunderous; the people were not going to be cheated. Marina must throw.
Jazina tried to quiet the crowd and tell them the florettes for the javelin had been awarded but the feet of the audience began to stamp their feet, the tourists joining in with the locals. Both her words and amplified thoughts were drowned out. Kerina stood and silence fell. She turned to her daughter, “Throw,” she said.
Marina bowed as elegantly as possible considering she still carried the javelin, resuming her position for her run. She breathed deeply, ran and flung the javelin once more. It seemed to hang in the air before speeding towards the target. The crowd gasped as it hit the hide dead centre, but this time the point did not appear through the target. The umpires checked the target. The point had gone through the fleece and just nicked the
board. No throw they said; her new record was not improved.
The crowd sighed with dismay. It was not enough to them that she had beaten her own record. Marina was legend; she could do anything, couldn’t she? Marina caught the crowd’s mood and sang back at them.
“Another five!”
They echoed back, “Another five.”
“Seven event!” She sang back in reply.
“Seven event,” the crowd repeated the refrain. The atmosphere changed as they called back. Marina was still their heroine, they believed her promise. Kerina tied her daughter’s first florette of the Games into her hair and kissed both her cheeks, before giving Klivina her green florette and doling out blue and silver to their recipients.
Bromarsh sought explanation from Stenlina.
“What did Marina tell the crowd?”
“She promised them another five, Seven event, Marina was reminding them she could better her score in two days’ time when she’ll attempt to hold her Seven event title. If she betters her score in the Seven event, it will stand as a new Javelin record.”
“And score extra points in the Seven event; which is why she did not want to throw,” said Vlama.”
“With Marina’s archery, she’ll need them.”
“You mean she is actually bad at something?” said Bromarsh.
“Not exactly bad, more erratic, she hates Archery as a sport but can do well if she is motivated, but her performance at the last Games was abysmal for her. She scored so badly in Archery she nearly lost the ruby florette.”
“How would Marina’s throw compare with Markaban athletes?” he wondered.
“The distance alone is double the Markaban Men’s record.”
“That much more, you remember when Marina killed that qumursk,” he trailed off.
“What about it?” Vlama asked.
“Marina threw the Javelin between its eyes. I thought it was normal to aim for the eye socket with large animals, but Marina’s aim is too accurate at that distance to miss.”
“The qumurski skull structure is weird. A thick bone ridge supports the horns and angles down in a curve behind the eyes. The ridge often deflects the spear and qumursk won’t die quickly. The area of bone between the eyes is thinner than the surrounding bone, when the javelin pierces that area it reaches straight into the nerve centres of the brain. Marina’s throw was absolutely correct.”
“There’s one other thing I was curious about. Marina can transport herself, why did she have to run so hard to overtake the qumursk, would it not have been safer to transport ahead of it.”
“Probably, but Marina believed she’d outrun the beast.”
“But that means she took an unnecessary risk to our lives.”
“You were trespassing and interrupting her holiday. She’d have transported if the qumursk was too close to you, she cared about your welfare. I voted for you and the priest to be left behind and volunteered with Letinza to keep you company. Marina overruled us.”
“Nice to know who my friends are.”
Bromarsh was silent for a while, watching the next event. The third event of the day was Stone throwing. There was a smaller group of entrants but Bromarsh recognised Letinza and Zadina amongst them. The Giant ruby in Dalzina’s pelozia team was also throwing. Stenlina said her name was Genza and Zadina held the record. The crowd did not cheer Zadina onto the field when she stood there was a faint hiss. Then a group of Cult Followers garlanded with pink flowers rose and cheered for Zadina.
Chapter Thirty-Nine - The Zigan Entrant
Marina slid in past Vlama, perching herself on Bromarsh’s knee.
“Sorry to interrupt your entertainment but we’ve located Floren and Jessina’s parents. Father Debenden and the children leave tomorrow. Would you like to see them off with me? It will be Archery then, but we’ll only miss one event.”
“Very much, Father Debenden is a bit of a pain and the boy’s pretty thick, but Jessina is an absolute pet. She’ll be upset about leaving; she’s fond of you. Will you come and get me?”
“It will be my pleasure.”
She slipped off his knee, weaving her way through the crowd. Many hands reached out to touch her as she edged past, but she accepted it merrily. One muscled lad, a blond handsome Zigan pulled her into his lap, kissing her to the delight of the crowd. She kissed him back and briefly talked to him. He thrust a small slip of paper into her hands as she disentangled herself.
The young man glowed with joy, Bromarsh watched him, completely missing Zadina’s triumph over Genza. “Letinza came fourth,” Vlama informed him. Bromarsh’s eyes flicked between the awards and the blond Zigan. A few minutes later Lahoda talked briefly with the young man and he followed her out.
***
Blazena was nervous; Zadina planned something, although she was not sure what. Suspecting she would attempt to assassinate Kerina and Marina at the closing ceremony of the Games. Zadina had asked for the names of those who would get close to mother and daughter, including the children chosen to present the bouquets to Kerina and the “Heroine” of the Games, which would almost certainly be Marina. Whatever Zadina planned; Blazena did not want to be around, so she arranged a ship to wait outside the force-rings, she would transport to the ship before the closing ceremony.
Jarminza came over to Bromarsh as everyone was leaving for lunch. She kept him company through a snatched meal after which they exercised horizontally, returning him to Vlama’s care as the afternoon’s events started. Letinza won the knife-throwing contest with Zada the holder managing only third, next came the Sling-shot, Zada won and a Blue Vlama said was Perlza, the agricultural representative on the Imperial Council came second.
There was a mass evacuation of the stadium as the audience had a scant half hour to reach the sea-pool where the water events would take place. Bromarsh was borne along to the transporters where the destination was already set. He stepped in behind Vlama and out to be pushed forward by Stenlina. They linked arms pushing through the throng to their seats.
The sea pool was a natural small bay altered by the addition of a dam from one headland to the other. At high tide the sea covered the top of the dyke bringing in fresh sea water. Two almost semi-circles of seats had been carved into the cliff sides and a promontory between had a long flexible extension overhanging the salt water, steps had been cut into the cliff face up to this diving board. One side of the amphitheatre was occupied by the audience. The other side was lower than the level of water and a thick sheet of glass served as wall to the sea.
The Royal Party including Orina and Jessina were in their enclosure, Marina was not in view. Jazina announced the half kilometre race which was started without audible signal. Folada took the ruby as she had in previous years. The second race was promptly started. Folada led again but was overtaken towards the finish so Lahoda took the ruby.
The third race was ten kilometres long, Marina held the record but was not entered to swim; Jazina announced this, the crowd were not happy. They wanted to see Marina. The shout went up, Marina was summoned. She stepped up beside Jazina quietening the crowd. She talked to them not in the high-flown language Bromarsh had heard her speak at the Banquet but in basic Hemithean, the common language of the people. She repeated her words in Zigan, Kurgian and Markaban, so Bromarsh needed no translation.
“I will not be defending all my titles. I’ve done this before without uproar. I’ll defend my Diving title after the Ten Kilometres race is swum. Tomorrow I compete for the first time in the weight-lift and carry middle-weight event. On the following day I’ll judge the free-fight and compete in the Seven event. On the fourth day I am entered for the jump and climb and on the fifth for the sprint relay. On the final day of the Games I will compete in all the gymnastics events, excluding Zeninan dance and the Sexual Gymnastics event.”
The crowd muttered but fell silent as Marina gestured that she would continue.
“The other competitors have trained for their events. I trust you’ll cheer other winner
s as you cheer me. I’ve been unable to prepare to the standard I expect of myself. I am conserving my strength and competing in fewer events. Please do not delay the Games by these demonstrations of affection for me. There is a tight schedule; the riders will not wish to ride in artificial light this evening. Thank you.”
At the end of the repetition of this speech she blew the audience a kiss and they applauded her loudly, but quietened at another gesture of her hand. Bromarsh noticed the blond Zigan sat at her feet as the race began.
Chapter Forty - Crown Princess
Neman watched the race from the seaward side of the dam. Large windows set into the dam allowed him to follow the race. The race won, Neman and his retinue swam over the dam towards the platform. It jutted out into the sea pool, steps from the sea led to the platform. Neman swam to the top of these steps. The Royal guards stepped forward in alarm but Kerina advanced to welcome him. Marina stepped forward because Neman called her. Her mother awkward in her Royal Regalia stayed back from the water but Marina leant and offered Neman her arm to help him walk from the water’s edge.
His retinue clambered up unassisted, then they knelt. One produced a red coral crown encrusted with huge pearls of every colour and placed it on Neman’s head. Neman’s retinue were dressed alike, in what Marina later described as strategically placed seaweed. Neman and his mermen were over two metres in height. Their hands and feet were elongated, slightly webbed between toes and fingers and all their digits were clawed. Along the sides of their bodies were a number of slits that clearly were gills. Their skin was in muted versions of the metallic colours of Zeninan colours. Neman and two others’ skin were pale Gold, but close to could be seen to be made up of small overlapping scales. The mermen’s hair was plaited with pearls in waist length thin plaits, seaweed green in colour.
Heroine of Zenina Page 19