Smiling, Rom gave her a hug. "It would be interesting to see how you manage that but we still have about two weeks left. She'll be here."
"She'd better be, or I promise you, Gallant Voyager will pay dearly."
Aster blocked Rom from reading the true source of her anxiety. He would probably be hurt if he realized just how important it was that Cherry be with her when their child was born. Rom was a part of her, but he was still a Noronian, someone who belonged there. No matter what else happened, she would always be a stranger.
In the latter months of her pregnancy, she had become dependent on the knowledge that Cherry—one of her own kind—would be there to stand by her and the baby. Cherry's absence would create a void that no one, not even Rom, could fill.
* * *
Bessima listened to the evening news in her motel room as she dressed to go out. Las Vegas was the perfect reward to herself after her spectacular performance in San Francisco. She had heard of this place, but only visiting it could make it real to her.
There was so much she wanted to see and do in the United States—such an erotic mixture of advanced civilization and primitive violence. She had been avoiding the country for fear of being caught, but now she was beginning to believe that this was the place she belonged. Her choices for power and entertainment were unlimited and her chances of discovery were much slimmer than she had imagined.
Of course, she was not fool enough to abandon her mission or the timetable. The Princess could be on her way this very minute. Yet the independence she had experienced this last year, combined with the heady sensation of ultimate power, had her hoping that the plan had fallen apart.
According to the schedule, Gallant Voyager should have gotten to Lore by now and the Princess and her council would be in the process of judging his fitness as their new leader. Assuming he accepted his responsibilities once they were explained to him, a messenger then would be sent to Illusia letting them know the invasion of Terra would move ahead as planned.
The Princess should be arriving with the new sovereign and her troops in Washington, D.C., in fifteen days and the main Illusian force should be no more than a few days behind them. Bessima intended to be at the rendezvous point as agreed, but she was going to take her time getting there.
Chapter 17
Cherry's fighting skills earned her the privilege of tagging along behind Gallant rather than being assigned to a more useful task in the lower caverns. The Princess had readily accepted his explanation that one of his personal slave's duties was to guard his back. The rough-woven sack she was given to wear, however, announced her menial position to anyone observing their passage.
They were given a tour of the underground village, including the areas where animals were bred and butchered for meat. Cherry had to keep reassuring herself that Gallant was only acting out the role these people expected him to fill, and if she ever wanted to get back to Earth, she would have to trust him and behave like an obedient slave.
One enormous cavern was used as the training field for the soldiers and an impromptu demonstration was put on for their new sovereign. For several hours, men fought men, women fought women, and women fought men. They battled with and without lethal weapons. Cherry watched in awe until the first gush of blood poured from a knife wound. After that, she kept her eyes downcast and tried not to think about what each grunt and cry signified.
"How many trained soldiers are here on Lore?" Gallant asked after the winners were duly congratulated and dismissed.
The Princess seemed to grow an inch as she answered, "We are almost one thousand strong. Our men and women have taken their responsibility to reproduce as seriously as they have trained to fight."
"I don't wish to minimize your efforts, Cousin, but how do you plan on conquering Terra with a mere handful of followers? An illusion of strength will only last so long."
With a laugh, she said, "Let us return to the main hall as we talk. The council will be gathering now to eat and we have something very special planned for afterward." As they started walking, she explained how they intended to take over Cherry's home planet without having to raise a single weapon—although they would be ready to do so if necessary.
Cherry was glad she wasn't permitted to speak because she was rendered speechless by the explanation. Gallant managed to hide his shock under a thick blanket of skepticism. "And exactly when am I supposed to be making this grand appearance as the Supreme Being to whom all Terrans will automatically bow down?"
"By this time, Bessima will have warned the inhabitants all over the planet to expect you soon. The precise moment is flexible according to when our fleet arrives but now that you are here, there is no reason to put off our departure. Preparations will begin tomorrow. There is one small adjustment you will need to make though."
"An adjustment?"
"The eye patch you wear. Josep said it is not concealing any flaw and instructed Bessima to project an image of you without it to make you appear less... evil. I hope you can manage without it."
He shrugged, not willing to let her know the reason he wore it. She might interpret his occasional inability to control his illusions as a weakness. "If I must. But I'm still not clear on the rest of the plan after the Terrans accept my supremacy."
"It is quite simple. We know where the twelve doorways in and out of Innerworld are. As soon as we arrive, we will install explosive devices at each location, set to detonate if anyone attempts to open one of the doors. The tunnel beneath would be destroyed in seconds. In other words, we would have the power to seal the colony off from the rest of the universe. Simultaneous to our arrival there, a message will be delivered to the Ruling Tribunal on Norona and the Consociation, informing them that Terra is under our control and we are holding Innerworld hostage."
It was immediately clear to Cherry that Honorbound was seriously underinformed if she truly thought a takeover would be that simple. Why hadn't Josep advised her more realistically?
Gallant nodded and stroked his chin. "So far, so good. What demands will we be making?"
"Of primary importance, of course, they will remove the barrier around Illusia and they will turn over control of the Consociation to us. When pushed for a concession in exchange for a peaceful surrender, we will agree to allow limited trade—controlled and taxed by us, of course—between Norona and Innerworld, as long as they agree not to interfere with our rule on Terra."
They reached the main hall before Gallant had a chance to form another question. Most of the members were already at the table and the Princess motioned for Gallant to take the place he had had last night. Cherry didn't wait to be told to sit down behind him since she wanted to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
The Princess went on to give Gallant more specific details of how the fleet of ships from Lore and Illusia would set up a protective guard around Terra and how they expected to maintain control once it was handed to them.
Cherry was under the impression they had forgotten her presence until Honorbound suddenly snapped her fingers at her.
"Girl! Come here."
Cherry rose and took a few steps forward but stayed well out of her reach.
"Your master has given us permission to question you, and since you do not know the hand language of the slaves, I will allow you to speak. Josep has told us much about your people but he never mentioned that they have great strength. Is your fighting ability typical?"
No!
Cherry blinked in surprise. Someone had sent her a thought without physically touching her. As tempting as it was to glance around the table to see if she could figure out who it was, she carefully kept her gaze lowered and spoke in a humble tone. "No... your highness. I'm... very unusual. My aggressive nature was one of the reasons I was sold into slavery to begin with."
"In that case, would you describe Terrans as a passive race?"
Yes!
Again Cherry sensed rather than heard the words. "Usually, that is true." Based on what she'd listened to so fa
r, she added, "They're a very spiritual people. Religion is very important to them."
Honorbound's face was a picture of satisfaction. "Excellent." She asked Cherry a series of questions about Terra's defenses, which Cherry swore she knew nothing of, being such a lowly slave as she was. With regard to any extrasensory talents of her people or their ability to travel through space, Cherry was able to answer with complete honesty.
"Which country on Terra has the most influence?" the Princess asked.
Cherry hesitated, hoping to be told the correct answer, but her mentor must have decided she was doing fine on her own. "The United States of America—where I'm from."
"Are you then familiar with the White House?"
"Of course. There's where the President lives," Cherry answered in a childlike voice.
"And if this President believes something, will the other countries believe it also?"
"I would think so, yes."
The Princess turned toward Josep, nodded, then smiled at Gallant. "Your slave has answered honestly and confirmed what I had already been told."
Cherry purposely did not glance at Josep. She was almost positive he was the one feeding her and Gallant advice. Why? And if he could send thoughts so easily without touching her, would he also be able to read hers, or, as with Mar-Dot, was it only one way? She needed more information before she could puzzle this one out. With a loud clap, the Princess ordered the food and drink to be served and that was the end of her interrogation as well as all other discussion.
This time she was prepared when a servant tossed her some food that looked like a turkey wing and a purple banana. Although she had witnessed the barbarians' behavior the evening before, she still wondered if talking through the meal would really be worse than all the vile noises they made while they gorged themselves. She almost laughed out loud when Gallant belched in midchew. No one had better table manners than he did. Undoubtedly that was more of his mother's influence but he was doing a fine job of keeping it hidden at the moment.
She tried to imagine what was going on in Gallant's head and was surprised to realize that as long as she let go of any doubt about his loyalty she knew the way his mind worked very well.
He never used force if subterfuge was a viable option.
He could slip in and out of different roles with ease and was a master at instantaneous improvisation, going along with any situation until a solution made itself known.
He would cheat rather than lose.
And he would protect her life with his own.
Damned if she wasn't crazy about that man! A warm memory of his teasing game from the morning flooded into her system. Crazy, yes. But love? No way. That crazy, she wasn't. She asked herself the question she always posed when a man interested her for more than one evening.
Would she miss him if she never saw him again?
Her stomach did an upsetting somersault and she frowned at the greasy bird wing in her hand. Heaven only knew what she was eating but it must not agree with her. With effort, she mentally switched channels to return to the topic of how Gallant intended to get them out of here.
Knowing these Illusians would soon be headed toward Earth with no plans for an offensive attack was the key to everything. Escaping from this underground vault was next to impossible. And after all the trouble they had taken to lure Gallant here, it was unlikely they would simply allow him to leave in his own ship with a promise to return.
The Princess put on the pretense of respecting Gallant's position but Cherry suspected she highly resented his superiority. As for the rest of the council, they had been loyal to her for a lifetime, where Gallant was the new kid on the block as well as an unknown factor.
Conclusion?
Cherry flinched at the intrusion. The mysterious mentor was reading her thoughts. She took a moment to recall the steps in her analysis thus far then spelled out her conclusion. The safest, most logical course of action would seem to be to go along with the Princess and head for Earth with her army. At least it would get them out of this hellhole. Right? She waited a moment but received no response. At least tell me who you are.
Her question fell into an empty void.
An enthusiastic round of rude bodily noises announced the end of the meal and Cherry recalled the Princess's promise of "something very special" for afterward. She only prayed the evening's entertainment didn't require her participation this time.
The servants cleared away the scraps then covered the table with a white cloth. After refilling the tankards around the table, they slipped silently out of the hall.
"A salute!" Honorbound exclaimed, rising from the floor. They all lifted their drinks toward her. "Our gods have smiled on us at every stage of the royal plan. May we hope that their blessings continue."
"Salute!" the council members shouted in unison. Every one gulped down the entire contents of their tankards then slammed the metal vessel down on the stone table.
Honorbound turned to Gallant and held out both her hands. "My lord, will you rise and stand beside me, face our friends with joy, meet our enemies without fear and lead our people to glory?"
Gallant placed his hands in hers but wobbled a bit as he stood up. Cherry wondered if the potent brew was getting to him. As far as she could tell he hadn't had any more than he had the night before.
The Princess's toothy smile was feral as her eyes raked hungrily over him. "As I mentioned before, there is no reason to put off embarking on our journey any longer. So, tonight we will fulfill the next stage in the plan. In order to continue our royal family line, it has been decreed that you, Sovereign Gallant, and I, Princess Honorbound, daughter of the late sovereign, will become life-mates and produce the heir to the sovereignty. As fate has ordained, I am at the height of my fertile season and fully ripe for the royal mating."
Gallant's only reaction to the shocking proclamation was a slight swaying movement. Cherry couldn't believe he was so drunk that he failed to come up with one lousy word of protest. What was wrong with him?
Drugged. Be careful.
The words had barely registered when Honorbound climbed onto the cloth-covered table and tugged Gallant up beside her. Still holding both his hands, she shifted so that they were both facing Josep. "We are ready for you to say the words."
He narrowed his brows and stared at her in such a way that Cherry was certain he was speaking to the Princess telepathically.
"No!" Honorbound shouted at Josep and Gallant swayed away from her voice. "It must be tonight." As abruptly as she had switched from pleasant to angry, she calmed herself. "You will say the words now, Josep."
Clearly disapproving, Josep struggled to his feet. "Sovereign Gallant, Princess Honorbound, although you have walked separately since your births, you are about to step onto a brave new life path together."
My God, Cherry thought, they're actually getting married! She listened to Josep's words, heard Honorbound speak vows and watched Gallant's head bob in a semblance of agreement to everything that was being said, and yet she couldn't believe it was happening. Her mentor's firm warning was the only thing that kept her silent before such a farce.
Finally, Josep said, "The words have been said. Let the consummation begin. Sovereign Gallant, see your life-mate as the Gods formed her." Honorbound unhooked the gold chain at her waist and tossed aside her only covering.
Cherry had the most awful premonition of what was coming next, but until she watched Honorbound removing Gallant's vest and boots, she didn't quite believe it. The Princess flashed Cherry a superior look as she undid Gallant's trousers and pulled them off him.
The applause and cheers of the council members were disgusting, but the sight of Gallant's engorged manhood jutting out from his body was an obscenity. How could he possibly be aroused at a time like this? Surely he didn't desire the grotesque Princess!
Drugged.
Drugged? Cherry thought he looked drunk but that wouldn't explain the state he was in. Unless... Without further assistance from her
mentor, she reasoned that the drug could be an aphrodisiac. This isn't right! She's going to rape him. She pleaded, not knowing if she was being understood. He has tremendous control. Help him use it!
The Princess ran her hand up Gallant's arms and over his abdomen. With lusty appreciation she grasped his swollen sex organ and alternately stroked and squeezed him, all the while growling and showing her teeth like some ferocious beast.
Suddenly, she released him and took a swipe down her own chest with her one long fingernail. As blood seeped from the diagonal line she had drawn, she sliced Gallant in the same manner, then pressed their bodies tightly together.
Cherry cringed back against the wall, fully expecting Gallant to react violently, but he simply stood there. When the Princess stepped back however, Cherry—and everyone else—could see that Gallant had reacted after all.
He had gone limp as a cooked noodle. The council members found it both funny and disappointing and loudly voiced their encouragement. Whether it was his own doing, the Princess's bloodthirsty tactics or help from their mentor, Cherry didn't care. Gallant was back in control. Somewhat. He still looked like a zombie but at least the Princess couldn't rape him in his current condition.
Honorbound's nostrils flared indignantly but she wasn't ready to give up. When her hands failed to bring him to more than a semihard state, she knelt down and took him into her mouth.
Cherry closed her eyes but the loud sucking sounds created an image as vivid as if she were watching. Honorbound's husky laugh caused Cherry to reopen her eyes in spite of her revulsion.
Gallant was once again erect and the Princess had turned away from him on all fours, gyrating her buttocks at him. With a low groan, he dropped to his knees behind her, savagely grasped her hips... and froze.
He appeared to be in excruciating pain as he held himself stiffly in place. Then slowly, unbelievably, he went soft again.
This time, the Princess did not hide her fury as she spun around and slapped his face. In an inhuman voice, she growled at Josep. "What is his problem?" she demanded.
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