Marina’s final present had been the new weaponry which meant his ship could return fire even at a Kurgian Empire Battleship and not merely run and hide as previously obliged to do. A Zeninan scout-ship could outrun him and a Zeninan Battleship could still tear his ship to shreds, but against his former countrymen he was now as safe as a pirate with a price on his head could ever expect to be.
Riyal’s crew had had a longer-than-planned stay in Zenina, and had now mostly changed in colour themselves, none of them higher than Silver. The new colour changes caused minor squabbles over the pecking order. The vessel’s cook had changed only to Ruby and his assistant had become Blue. The Blue thought that there should be a reversal of roles, but his opinion was soon decided by the rest of the crew to be mistaken. Colour change had not improved his cooking skills or his chances against the much larger Ruby cook who was an accomplished knife fighter.
Two of Riyal’s crew had died during colour change. Three of his crew had been entrapped into Zeninan culture, but were content with their new owners. The others had found safety in numbers and whilst having found female company had remained free.
Chapter Fourteen – Tunnels
Zadina had risked the sortie as most of the crowd who had encamped outside the Temple drifted away to watch the Funeral Procession. The funeral over, the crowd were back in force and still angry. The Cultists were back in the Temple, feeling humiliated, still hungry and no better off. Morale was at its lowest ebb and whilst her followers did not openly discuss rebellion or handing over their High Priestess to Princess Marina, a few of them considered the thought in private. Zadina sat in the Main Temple alone but for Ga’Mikkal, who had been the sole voice counselling against disrupting the funeral. He had therefore borne the worst of Zadina’s anger.
Zadina had curtly dismissed her acolytes and torn the clothes from his body. She beat him first with her bare hands, but he had already learnt not to attempt to fight back. Then she picked up the whip she had used to belabour her chariot team with and thrashed him wildly with that. Mikkal was petrified as her unguarded thoughts were so deranged he feared for his life. Still her anger had not abated. She fetched a chain and collar for a large dog which had been eaten during the previous week by the acolytes.
This she attached to Ga’Mikkal’s neck and kicking him to his hands and knees led him to the altar where she chained him. She sat in her priestess’s throne upon its podium and drugged herself into cheerful stupefaction. When the drugs took effect, Ga’Mikkal unchained himself and healed the considerable damage that Zadina had inflicted on him. She had locked the doors to the Temple and the keys were on her person. He did not want to attract her attention whilst she was oblivious so dismissed the idea of searching her for the keys.
So Mikkal, with time and nothing to do, examined the carvings and daubing on the Temple walls. The pictures were unsubtle, detailing the various positions and sexual acts possible including a number taboo even to ordinary Zeninans. Some of the frescos were so vile he shuddered at the thought of involvement in them. He did not see the pictures as crude decorations, but as things that had actually occurred and might one day involve himself. That he would not consider committing those acts willingly made his fear of forced participation by a mistress who was mentally unhinged all more real. He shook himself, trying to bolster his courage. Then he noticed underneath the vulgar colourings of the scenes were bas-reliefs cut into the Temple walls. These whilst their content reflected the repulsive over painting, were extremely beautifully carved. He ran his hands over the reliefs, shutting his eyes to imagine how the Temple had looked before some modern philistine decided to smother the reliefs with the crude daubings now in place.
He worked his way around the Temple by touch finding the place less intimidating and calmed, admiring the artistry of the earlier Master or he assumed Mistress who had carved the originals. He had gone almost all the way round past the main doors and up behind Zadina’s podium on which she now reclined ungracefully with her mouth wide open and her skirt tucked up around her. The loud pig-like noises coming from her direction was her snoring, something he had never heard before. He wondered about it; concluding he was usually so exhausted by the time Zadina permitted him to sleep he had always fallen asleep first.
He felt something different in the carvings. This piece of wall was carved by someone else and not as well. The depth of the relief was different, the hands and feet of the players portrayed in that particular tangle were more elongated. He opened his eyes, looking at the wall to compare it but visually he could see no difference. He shut his eyes and examined the wall once more. Now the carving was by the original hand. He went over the wall from top to bottom and along it at the top and at intervals all the way down. The new piece was more than two metres wide in the middle, but only half a metre wide at the top, roughly circular in shape.
He pushed his mind through the wall to see what was on the other side, something he had read about in college but never tried. Either side of the new carved block were preparation rooms for the acolytes. The wall to the preparation room on the left was a double wall with a large cavity between the walls. The wall to the right hand wall had a simple single wall between them. He considered transporting himself through it into that room, but had not tried the technique out and his tutor had warned to try it first in an open space not between rooms as that could be dangerous. Pushing his mind through the circular piece of carved wall, he was surprised to find a small room leading to steps down.Could this be the tunnel?
He searched externally for a catch, a switch, some small knob to make the door open. He found nothing. Frustrated he pushed his mind through again and searched the other side of the door. Again he found nothing. In bad temper he swore mentally at the door telling it to open or he would kick it in. The door slid open at his mental command, he stepped through and it shut behind him.
He was in pitch darkness. He felt around for a torch to light; then he thought how silly he was being. He told the light to switch on and the lights did. He followed the steps down finding they went over twenty stairs down. There he found a landing and a lift which conveyed him down to the bottom of a shaft several hundred feet deep.
At the bottom of the shaft the lift opened and he entered a large cavern. The cave was clearly natural but along one side some small solidly constructed rooms had been built and all were securely locked. He walked past these rooms and found a moving floor ride which switched on and off with his thought. He travelled about two miles on the ride going past several other caverns and tunnels some of which were clearly supplied with floor rides of their own. The ride he was travelling ended and he had reached another lift. This he rode upwards until it stopped automatically.
He climbed out and found himself at a dead end. The lift opened out onto a room two metres square with no exit or entrance visible. He swore again but then remembered how difficult it had been to get into the tunnel. So he told what he thought must be a door to open. Obviously the thoughts were too vague for it failed to respond but he rephrased the instruction several times and the wall in front of him slid away. He gasped when he realised where he was. The tunnel had taken him to the cellars of the Golden Palace and in front of him was the underground swimming pool used only by the Royal Family.
Remembering he might be identified, he coloured his skin Blue and climbed the steps seeking the kitchens. This was not difficult as naked Blue slaves looking for the kitchens were not that unusual in the palace. The guards did not recognise him as a Kurgian Prince or as the Gold almost slave of Princess Zadina. The cooks happily fed this enthusiastic taster of all good things. One offered him special delicacies if he would return later that afternoon when she got off duty. What he should do in return was never specified, but she handled him as she fed him and he caressed her back in return.
Having eaten his fill he returned to the Temple as quickly as possible, Zadina was just coming round but had not missed him. He sat at her feet and stroked her legs. She opened her
eyes, he smiled up at her kissing her feet. The drugs had not yet worn off completely, she did not recall the frenzied way she had beaten Ga’Mikkal so his behaviour did not seem odd to her. His behaviour was what she expected of a well-trained slave so she allowed him to please her and in her sluggish mind enjoyed his use of her body. She would not have been contented if she had realised an unknown Green cook had caused his arousal.
Ga’Mikkal didn’t tell her of his discovery. “I might do later, but for now I’ll keep it a secret. She doesn’t deserve such good fortune after beating me like that.”
Not long after, she dismissed him and went to a meeting with her senior acolytes elsewhere in the Temple. They wanted to know what she intended to do about Plavina’s coronation. That, too, was to occur at the cathedral. She must stop it, and she intended to.
“Why didn’t you fight Marina today, whilst she is still weak?” they demanded.
“It wouldn’t have been fair,” she heard herself say. Not understanding what she really meant.
It hadn’t been fair to blow up her niece and her own sister either, but she told herself that was different. “How could I enjoy beating Marina knowing she is as weak as a kitten? I might fight dirty but within unwritten rules, I won’t fight someone who has just staggered from the sick bed. When Plavina is to be crowned will be another matter entirely. Then Marina will be a real adversary.”
Zadina cheered up, going to the Temple gymnasium to tone up her muscles for the forthcoming fight with Marina; for she knew Plavina would not willingly fight her.
Prince Ga’Mikkal decided to risk the tryst with the green cook. The first meal had gone down well and a second would be welcome, besides whilst waiting for her to come off duty he could explore some of the other tunnels and caves. He explored two tunnels; the second came to another lift. This he ascended and it opened onto a similar small room. He was more cautious sending his thoughts through the wall before ordering the door to open. The other side of the wall was a room in Army Headquarters in which were seated Fenzela, Vlama, Stenlina, Calzina and Kabaneev discussing the funeral and how pleased they were Zadina had backed down and not created a really unpleasant scene.
Ga’Mikkal drew his thoughts back quickly and made a swift retreat down the lift to the tunnel and so missed Princess Marina’s entrance into the room. She walked jauntily without any limp or hesitation. He was afraid they might pick up his thoughts. Marina did notice the smell of Ga’Mikkal lingering in the room. As he couldn’t have been there as he was besieged in the Temple she dismissed the thought as one of her anti-Kurgian aberrations and passed onto other matters.
The green cook was very pleased to see him. She accepted his name was Miza and took him to her quarters. Chendela was a very pleasant change from Zadina, she was eager to please and easy to satisfy. Above all she was gentle with him. After a couple of hours she bought him some food which was every bit as good as he had hoped and he made an assignation for the following afternoon if he could get free.
Chendela did not notice the badge he wore was Zadina’s not Kerina’s and would have thought nothing of it if she had. Zadina kept slaves at the Palace. Nor did Chendela notice the badge he wore was not repeated on his skin, but that would not have alerted her to who he was. Slaves on approval would wear the badge but not be marked. Many centuries earlier tattoos had been difficult to remove and owners preferred their slaves to have only their own mark.
He returned to the Temple only to find the Temple occupied. Not only was it occupied but he had been missed. Zadina on the other side of the wall was directing her servants to search for and bring her slave Mikkal to her. So if he used the door, she would know the secret he wanted to keep to himself. Rash as ever he resolved to try self-transportation. He chose an empty store room and transported himself there. He misjudged the coordinates but was lucky. He materialised in the loft space above a false ceiling designed to exclude vermin of all kinds.
He realigned his co-ordinates and tried again. This time appearing exactly where he intended. He arranged a pile of empty sacks and lay upon them so they held his shape as if he had been asleep on them. Then he hammered on the door he knew was locked. It was quickly opened and he bawled out the servant who opened it for locking him in.
“I came here a few hours ago seeking somewhere quiet to sleep as my room was too noisy and some idiot locked me in.”
The servants took him to Zadina who was relieved to see him and did not question his story. After all she knew he could not self-transport yet, could he?
Chapter Fifteen - Coronation Invitation
The eve of Princess Plavina’s Coronation came around but the ship with Kapalina and Dalzina and the hurriedly created new Zigan Ambassador had not arrived. Dalzina slept in a drugged sleep but Kapalina had become extremely well acquainted with the new Ambassador, a handsome man in his early forties who was a widower. He had left behind two teenage sons and a daughter of ten years old. He would not risk his sons coming to Zenina, but might take his daughter out of school and let her join him when he settled in. He was concerned about his superiors finding out about Kapalina’s seduction of him, but finally decided they would not be surprised.
***
Princess Plavina was jumpy about her forthcoming coronation. New Coronation robes had been made for Plavina but she complained they were too heavy. She practiced wearing the Imperial Crown but it made her head ache.
She did not look majestic when fully dressed in her regalia.She resembled an irritable frightened rabbit. Marina demonstrated to her how to walk, kneel and wave in the complete outfit. The lesson did not make much improvement and Plavina was getting weepy. In the end Marina assured Plavina she would do very well tomorrow and advised her to get a good night’s sleep.
Marina had gone over the arrangements of the Coronation with Fenzela and they decided the simplest way to deal with Zadina was to invite her.There was no possibility of avoiding fighting Zadina, but they could prevent a scene. So Fenzela was sent into the hornet’s nest of the Temple to parley with Zadina.
Marina, with a not so generous gesture in the spirit of Christian forgiveness, sent with Fenzela a supply of simple food that would last about three days. Fenzela and the supplies were admitted and she was taken to see Zadina.
Zadina who was in her private apartments was very interested in what the emissary of Princess Marina had to tell her. A naked Prince Ga’Mikkal knelt at her feet.
“I understand you’ve brought with you a gift from my niece, a gift of food. It is much appreciated, we accept it. What does Marina want from me?” asked Zadina.
“I’m instructed to repeat a message to you from Princess Marina:-
To Zadina, High Priestess of the so-called Goddess Demina, greetings from Marina, Princess of Zenina, etc. Auntie, we both know we’ve got to fight tomorrow. Can we avoid a scene at the cathedral? You’ve waited sixty years to be Queen, why not wait a few hours more? Plavina, like you, has always wanted to wear the crown. Why deprive her of her day of triumph? If you beat me, you can have your own coronation tomorrow.
“As a gesture of good faith I offer you a free pass to the cathedral and invite you to attend her coronation tomorrow. It would seem right your challenge should be when you are called upon to swear fealty to the new queen. I will accept that challenge on Plavina’s behalf. An army escort will be at the main Temple door to escort you to your place in the procession. Seats for you and Prince Ga’Mikkal are reserved. I know I will not have to remind you of the correct dress for the occasion, if you do not have what you wish to wear at the Temple, instruct my deputy to have it fetched from your apartments at the palace.
“You are invited as Princess Zadina, sister to the late Queen Kerina, aunt to the queen designate not as High Priestess of the Fertility Cult. I understand the Temple are now too poor to feed its followers, I feel sure this small gift from me will not be misunderstood as a sacrifice to the so-called Goddess Demina, but as the gift of a younger relative to one of more mature years who has
fallen on hard times.
“For what it is worth you have my guarantee that win or lose tomorrow you will be allowed to return to the Temple after our little bout unhindered. I am your most dutiful niece, Marina, Princess,
Please send your reply by my Deputy Fenzela.”
Zadina sat and chuckled at Marina’s message. Fenzela who had thought Marina could not have been much ruder was confounded. She had feared Zadina would rage at Marina’s jibes.
“Marina always did have a way with words. Will you give my reply verbatim too? Good:-
To Marina, much-beloved and desired niece and sparring partner, thank you for my supper. I accept the invitation to the sham coronation of my less loved niece Plavina. I look forward to your embrace as always, your death waits in my arms. I trust you will have my place in the procession in correct precedence. Age before beauty, I believe is the traditional term. In this case age has not lost her beauty so your youth must make do with second best. I hope you’ll enjoy eating my dust.
“I acquiesce to you about my clothes and will order your deputy accordingly. Pink was never my best colour. I trust you are in good health for I prefer you to die when you feel at your best. Give my love to your sweet-tongued Charles. Let him know I look forward to seeing him again. Prince Ga’Mikkal sends his fondest regards and anticipates having you once more after I kill you, in body if not in spirit. I remain your most affectionate and loving aunt, Zadina, Princess.”
She then instructed Fenzela in what to bring from the Palace and Fenzela bowed herself out. Ga’Mikkal had remained silent during their conversation but was filled with revulsion at Zadina’s vile threat. He would never consent to such an action, but he feared he would do exactly what Zadina ordered, because he was terrified of her. He had begun to realise the depths of degradation Zadina was dragging him down to. He must escape her clutches. He was thankful he had not told Zadina about the tunnels.
Champion of Zenina Page 5