Marina was back in her seat to see Letinza take her own fencing title and dish out the florettes afterwards. Baraneev settled himself at her feet during the fencing final and she took him to lunch not that he had much time to eat. Plavina agreed to sit that afternoon and so Marina did not return until the start of the sprint relay, missing Serengia's win in the High Jump.
Chilka ran the first half kilometre against Ketla from the front and handed over to Lamaza. Lamaza was a great distance runner had not the burst of speed required for sprinting and fell behind Zada and Unzela. Zada led up to her hand-over to Perlza. Unzela was not far behind but Nerova dropped the baton. Belabeza managed a good handover and overtook Nerova. Zada had the lead by the time she handed over to Calzina but Belabeza was not far behind and Marina picked up the baton from her and overtook Calzina. Serengia picked up from Unzela and nearly reached her mother, but was just beaten by her.
Chapter Forty-Six – Substitution
Queen Kerina arrived during the race and relieved Plavina handing out the florettes. There was a half hour recess between the relays and most of the runners from the three teams accepted an on the spot Royal invitation to join her majesty in the reception-room. Marina wondered about the general invitation, but joined the throng of naked bodies by the buffet. Queen Kerina was in deep conversation with Nerova. Plavina, Klivina and Lahoda were hovering close by.
Marina had suggested to Baraneev he might feel a bit out of it and she would see him later that night.
“I’ll call at your hotel as soon as I’m free, but it might be very late.”
Queen Kerina gestured to Marina to join the group. Marina sauntered over.
“Am I needed?”
“Where’s your Zigan boyfriend now?” Queen Kerina asked.
“I told him to make himself scarce, I'll see him tonight. Is there a problem?”
“Nerova, tell Marina, what you've just told me please.” the Queen instructed.
“Falesh my partner got into a fight last night with a couple of Kurgians. The damage is not life-threatening but there's no way he'll be fit for tomorrow night. Vellina says even if she regenerated him herself he wouldn't be up to gymnastics tomorrow.”
“You'll have to use a replacement then.”
“Lahoda offered Jelen but he's never registered his scores.”
“How good is this Zigan Baraneev, Marina, he registered very high scores at the preliminaries,” asked Klivina.
“Good enough.”
“Good enough to win?”
“He's better than the clunk-head I last won with.”
“What chance do you reckon Nerova's got against him?” asked Kerina.
“Depends how good her partner is and how good Baraneev's partner is. Dluc is free, but Baraneev’s partner would have to be pretty lousy to lose against Dluc.”
“What about Charles? Would he win with Nerova against Baraneev?” asked Lahoda.
“I should hope so, but I'm not sure he'd be willing to compete.”
“There's the same problem with Jelen though, he's never taken the preliminaries,” said Plavina.
“There are two ways to achieve the necessary scores,” Marina replied. “Charles is eligible.”
“You've got five registered judges to score him privately?” said Nerova in surprise.
“Of course, he needed the ranking to take his advanced examinations. Klivina, Plavina, Suzela, Kapalina and I are all judges. I have the papers from the four and can write up mine to submit to the committee for him to substitute if he'll agree.”
“You've only got to tell him what you want him to do. If he doesn't win, flog him. That'll motivate him,” said Klivina.
“Charles and I do not have that sort of relationship. He’s free to make his own decisions about important things like this. I couldn't possibly order him to compete in public with a woman other than myself and I'm not volunteering.”
“Then I trust you can persuade him, Marina. It would be a major embarrassment to Zenina if an unchanged Zigan couple took ruby in the sexual Gymnastics. The universe would laugh at us. They’d say we are only second best,” said Kerina scathingly.
“Charles had better agree to partner Nerova or you'll have to perform yourself. We cannot risk losing,” she continued.
“We could always make sure the opposition can't win,” said Marina.
“I won't tolerate cheating. You can't have them kidnapped or beaten up, Marina.”
“I didn't consider anything like that, your majesty. What I had in mind wouldn't be unethical or only border-line. I was thinking of encouraging him to over-train a little, perhaps helping him with a little extra tuition. He's very enthusiastic and a little in love with me. When I saw him at lunch, he begged me to keep him on after the Games, and I asked him if he was asking to become my slave.”
“And... what did he say?” Klivina asked.
“That he could think of nothing he’d like more. Even when I told him about Charles and that I’d no intention of getting rid of him, he said he’d rather be my second slave than return to Ziga.”
“What did you say?” pressed Klivina.
“I said I’d think about it, but he won’t fit into my household. There’d be too much conflict between Charles and him. I thought I’d leave it until after the Games and attach him to someone else.”
“What exactly did you have in mind, Sis?”
“Well I’ve a date to see Baraneev sometime tonight. I thought I might take him to a friend’s house for a party.”
“Any kind of party you had in mind?” said Klivina.
“I believe you put on some very good parties, Klivina. It’s a shame I don’t usually get invited.”
“You get invited to most of the respectable ones. I used to invite you to other parties but you walked out on one, after you stopped performing in public. I thought you’d become too fastidious about group sex.”
“I have, but with a small select guest list, I might make an exception.”
“I suppose you’d like to balance the ratio so there are more women than men.”
“That’s what I had in mind, and with the Hostess’s permission to leave early for my Gymnastics events leaving Baraneev behind. I’m sure you could keep him in action with a little help.”
“Where’s Charles?” asked Lahoda.
“He went off with Jelen, Holo and Cucat for a drink. Don’t you know where your slaves are?”
“I didn’t know,” said Klivina, “best call him and get him over here.”
Marina looked bemused for a second, then her expression changed and she looked concerned and very angry. She called Letinza urgently to follow her before transporting out of the room. Letinza dashed for the transport and found it already set. Klivina stood blankly for a second but noticed Lahoda running after Letinza and followed automatically. They reappeared in a bar in the back streets of Hemithea. The bar was in uproar, a full-scale battle was in progress.
A large group of Kurgian sailors had picked a fight with the Zeninan slaves present. Several had decided discretion was the better part of valour, but Charles, Jelen and Cucat had not backed down. Holo was laid out in the first attack. Marina, still naked from the Games, had knocked out the nearest two Kurgians and was laying into the next. She disarmed him by breaking the arm trying to stick a knife into her. Charles had disposed of one adversary and was still unmarked. Jelen who was clearly quite a scrapper had blacked the nearest Kurgian’s eyes, but Cucat was having problems. Klivina transported across the room to him and threw his adversary through the window. They were evening up the numbers but Charles was still unprotected.
He had clearly learnt a lot from Bromarsh but was becoming hard-pressed and did not want to hurt the Kurgians, so was holding back. Marina finally lost her temper and picked up the nearest Kurgian and spun him into the rest of the Kurgian sailors scattering them in all directions. She ran quickly across the room to where Charles and Jelen faced a couple of mountainous Kurgians. Marina got rid of the nearer Kurgian
by slinging him through the window Klivina had already broken. That left the one facing Charles.
“Back off Charles, I’ll deal with this,” ordered Marina.
“Letting women fight for you, are you Charlie boy?” Sneered the huge Kurgian.
“I can handle him, Marina it’s no problem,” said Charles not wanting to look a coward.
“I understand Charles, but Marina wants you in one piece. I’ll handle Barzad,” said Riyal who had transported into the room.
Letinza and Klivina had been trying to keep the other Kurgians away from Marina and Charles. Now a new group of Kurgians poured in through the bar’s transporters.
“My men,” said Riyal to Marina. The newcomers stepped between the Zeninans and the other Kurgians like a wall. “If Barzad wants a fight, he can fight me,” Riyal added. He was dressed in dull green trousers and soft leather boots from one of which he drew a vicious looking knife.
“Come on Barzad, you usually keep it up your sleeve, don’t you?” The blue giant grinned displaying several missing teeth and an ugly serrated knife showed in his right hand.
“Ga’Barzad to you, at least I know who my father is,” grunted Barzad.
“Give me some space Charles, you’ve handled yourself well, but Barzad is not noted for his fighting etiquette,” said Riyal ignoring Barzad’s insult.
The answer he received was a vicious kick directed at his knee but Riyal was quicker and side-stepped. Charles, who had not wanted Marina to fight Barzad and lose face, was afraid for Riyal. He did not understand why Marina would protect him and let Riyal fight on his behalf. Riyal was lighter than him and had less stamina. What better chance would he have against Barzad?
Klivina turned to Marina and said “Wager you ten thousand crowns the thin one wins.”
“No takers,” said Marina, “I’d back Riyal myself. Letinza you’d best get back to the stadium for the second relay. Good luck.”
Letinza headed for the transporter. Marina need not have worried because the relay was delayed without explanation to the crowd. No one had come out of the reception-room. Nerova was sitting biting her fingernails. Kerina was stalking up and down; the tension among the others was quite tangible.
Barzad charged at Riyal, knife forward, head down. Riyal side-stepped again, kicking out with his boot to the larger man’s gut. Barzad carried too much fat to land a kick at his groin. He doubled up and stumbled into a table. Riyal waited for Barzad ‘s next move and just ducked as a heavy bottle of spirits from the table sailed past where his head had been a few seconds before. The flying bottle smashed on to Holo’s recumbent form. It splashed all those around but no one was hurt by flying glass, not even Holo. Some kind soul, it turned out to have been the bar-owner had covered him with a blanket.
Barzad charged again, slashing low with his knife but this time Riyal’s foot tripped the brawler and his forearm cracked down over the back of his neck as he went down. Barzad’s knife flew from his hand and was caught by Marina as the big man hit the floor hard.
“Thank you, Riyal,” said Marina.
“My pleasure, as always, Princess,” Riyal replied with a bow, slipping his knife back into his boot. Fenzela arrived with some of the Department’s officers.
“Bit late with the cavalry, Fenzela!” said Riyal.
“Marina’s orders were not to interrupt and distract you whilst you fought.”
“I apologize, but I haven’t forgiven you for that flogging.”
“I think I was perhaps overzealous, you seem on the right side now, but I don’t regret the sentence. You got off lightly and I still think you look best naked,” this was said with a glance up and down at Riyal as if mentally undressing him.
“If I heft this lump to the transporter, do you think you can deal with him from the department end Fenzela? I wonder what the Zeninan diet will do for him; might be quite presentable with 20 stone less, a shave and his teeth fixed, eh!” Marina said.
“Takes quite a bit of imagination, but I think I’ll try the diet on him. It’ll make him easier to handle anyway; I don’t think he’ll appreciate it when he wakes up.”
“Tell him it was for the good of his health and keep him locked up. I’d like to see the results,” said Marina.
Riyal doubled up with laughter.
“You wouldn’t really dare to shrink Barzad down to size, would you?” He asked when he finally stopped convulsing.
“Why not?” said Fenzela.
“Why not indeed?” said Marina, but no one answered. There was no answer to the question. Barzad, who had been deposited by Marina unconscious in the transporter. vanished to the department headquarters. Now their leader was dispatched, the rest of the Kurgians promptly departed the wrecked bar leaving behind their fallen comrades. There were five dead Kurgians, of which Marina accounted for three and Klivina one. The last was down to Jelen who had stuck the Kurgian’s own knife in him. There were another three unconscious and a couple with broken bones, they were shipped off to Irzina to deal with after they had been treated.
Out of the Zeninans, there was one dead, a Blue slave no-one could name but who wore Jazna’s badge. He had a fractured skull. Holo was revived by a bucket of cold water and named the corpse as Zeng. Jelen’s hands were rather bruised and he had a cut to his head where someone hit him with a stool. Cucat had quite a lot of bruises but was in very good spirits. He started to say “I can’t remember when I’ve had such a good time…” but then he noticed his mistress was around and never finished the sentence. Charles had broken the smallest finger of his right hand, but was otherwise unmarked.
Klivina started to talk to Riyal.
“There isn’t time Klivina, I’ll bring him to the party tonight. You can get better acquainted then.”
Chapter Forty-Seven – Negotiations
Klivina and Marina transported straight back from whence they came and Charles followed as instructed by the mechanical transporter. Kerina looked Charles over, he certainly looked good. Nerova explained the problem to him and asked if he would replace Falesh.
“I’ve not done the preliminaries,” Charles said.
“You’re eligible with a little paper work,” Marina told him.
There are two ways to enter the Sexual Gymnastics event. The first and most normal way was to enter the preliminaries with your partner and be judged of standard. This Baraneev had done. Either partner would be allowed to use an already eligible substitute. This was called external testing. The second method required the judge to bed the man herself and write his score up.
Five judges’ reports were needed to avoid entering preliminaries. A Princess might prefer to use this more personal method, which was not open to most women. The man did not know he had been tested so a more natural performance was achieved. This method was called internal testing. Any judge could write up the papers on any man with or without their owner’s permission.
The Zeninan Sexual Examinations system had largely fallen into disuse. Five hundred years before every Zeninan woman would take the examinations and most women put their better slaves through the system. Although most high level Zeninans still took primary and elementary levels, few bothered to go higher. The exceptions were Fertility Cultists and Doctors, so Zadina and Marina had taken advanced level examinations, but Dalzina had not bothered.
Charles at first didn’t understand the urgency of Nerova’s problem.
“Can’t Nerova find another substitute?”
“Probably, but perhaps not good enough to win,” replied Marina.
“Then someone else will get the ruby, that’s fair, isn’t it? I don’t see why I’m needed or why it’s important enough for her majesty the queen to be involved?”
“Because the someone else is Zigan,” Marina elucidated.
“Unchanged?”
“Yes.”
“Baraneev?”
“Yes.”
“None of the other couples are good enough to beat them?”
“We don’t want to risk it,
” said Kerina.
“I’m beginning to get the picture.”
“So will you do it?” asked Kerina getting impatient.
“What’s in it for me, ma’am?” said Charles thinking fast.
“The honour of Zenina and the pleasure of Nerova’s body,” said Kerina.
“Then the answer is no thank you ma’am. Please may I go now?”
“What do you want Charles? Your freedom?”
“What would I want my freedom for? Marina offers me my freedom whenever I annoy her. Threatens to sell me too, I won’t go.”
“Well I don’t see what I can give you Charles, you are happy with my daughter and I doubt that you want for anything you couldn’t get with a little serious wheedling.”
“You keep several slaves, your majesty? Did you keep any of them on after you married?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Is there any official rule that says you must get rid of your slaves?”
“No rule I know of.”
“So if Marina were ever to become queen and found herself a mate she wouldn’t be obliged to get rid of me.”
“Not if she didn’t wish to.”
“I’d like a contract to say she won’t free me against my will.”
“I won’t do that Charles, I’d rather perform with Dluc than make a promise I intend to break. I’m not in love with you and one day I may fall in love. Then I’d regret that promise. If there’s nothing else you want for yourself then we can’t agree.”
“I’d like to be able to vote.”
“It’s out of the question,” said Klivina, “Who ever heard of a slave voting?”
“Not just for me, for all slaves,” said Charles.
“Preposterous,” said Klivina.
“I could give you a vote for a slaves’ own parliament. It’d have no powers, advisory status only, but the right to be heard.”
Heroine of Zenina Page 22