Josep shrugged. "He is not accustomed to performing in front of an audience, at least not one with other males. You must keep in mind that, regardless of his heritage, he was raised in a different culture than ours. Perhaps you should take him to your private warren... with the required two witnesses, of course. I would recommend young, unscarred females, similar to his slave." His suggestion implied that Gallant's lust would be amplified by the added efforts of such witnesses.
As Honorbound called for two novitiates, Cherry wondered if she had been wrong about Josep being her mentor but she didn't have time to find out. Honorbound's next order was to have Cherry taken away and safely secured. Cherry tried to get Gallant to look at her as she was being led away but he seemed to be drawn completely inside himself.
The last thing she heard Honorbound say was, "Bring along another special brew for my shy mate."
Holy stars, Cherry thought, as she realized Gallant would be forced to ingest more of the aphrodisiac. He didn't stand a chance of resisting after that and there was nothing she could do to help him. At least he wouldn't have to be further humiliated by her watching his abuse.
Go, her mentor demanded. Bowing her head, she complied, only to become more anxious when she realized the two giants that had been assigned to escort her weren't heading toward the niche where she had spent the previous night. In fact, they were going into an area that had not been included in their tour of the village.
When she balked and tried to turn back, they each grabbed one of her elbows and moved her along. Even if she used her robotic arm on one of them, she had no doubt the other man would break her real arm in the next instant and that wouldn't accomplish anything in the long run. They walked for several minutes and had to climb down two ladders to get to their destination. Cherry didn't need to be told this didn't bode well for her immediate future.
She supposed she should be grateful that her guards either had no interest in her or no desire to mess with the property of the new sovereign. It was difficult to be thankful, however, when they lowered her into a narrow pit, considerably deeper than she was tall, and covered it with a metal grate.
"Please don't do this, guys. I'm claustrophobic. I'll... I'll scream all night and no one will get any sleep. Come on! What will it take for you to forget your orders? Hey! Don't go away!"
The moment she heard their footsteps fade in the distance, she pressed her back against the damp rock wall and used her feet and hands to scale her way up to the top. She wasn't surprised to discover the grate was locked tightly in place.
Unlike the upper caverns, the only light was coming from a burning torch on the wall above the pit. She couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before she was in the dark as well as trapped.
Would anyone ever come back for her? Or would they tell Gallant she simply disappeared? Surely, he wouldn't believe that. But what would he be able to do about it without risking his own life and his mission? What if they all left the planet tomorrow without freeing her? Exactly how long did it take to die of starvation?
That line of thinking caused a terrifying wave of helplessness to wash over her and she ordered herself to think of something positive. If she was still here in a day or two, then she could consider the negatives. Positively speaking, she was alive and more or less unhurt. Also, she and Gallant seemed to have an ally on the council. What else? When nothing came to her quickly, fear started creeping into her mind.
Okay then, happy thoughts. Flashes of memories fluttered by like colorful butterflies. She and Aster on vacation together, tipping over a canoe in an ice-cold lake. Her baby sister Rose playing in the mud with the newborn piglets.
But thoughts of Rose always made her feel sad. If only there had been some way to let her know she hadn't abandoned her all those years ago.
Happy thoughts!
Her amazing discoveries in Innerworld. The first time she was given a starring role. Men.
She tried to focus on her favorite males from all her years as a mature woman but, truthfully, there were only a few whose faces and names were memorable. And those, she realized, she remembered only because they were friends rather than lovers, like Falcon, or lovers that remained friends after the lust waned, like her beautiful Apollo and intense Thor.
Gallant's face loomed in her mind's eye—with and without the patch—frowning, laughing, teasing, loving. Was he so different from all the others or did the prolonged togetherness he had forced upon her only make it seem that way? How could she know for sure, when she had never spent this much time with one man? To be perfectly honest, she couldn't think of another man that she could have tolerated for this long without a break, regardless of the circumstances.
Accepting that as a fact, she decided Gallant Voyager could be placed on her list of Grade A happy thoughts. When she put some concentration into it, she was able to come up with about ten more Grade A experiences before she started on those that she considered Grade B. Despite her best, most optimistic efforts, however, every minute that passed felt like an hour.
Where are you?
Her mentor was back! "I'm in a hole—"
Hush. The guard will hear you. Think of the route you took, and I will come to you.
She imagined herself being led from the main hall, through the maze of corridors and down the two ladders. A few minutes later, a shadow partially blocked the torchlight from above. She looked up through the grate to see Josep's face peering down at her. "It was you!"
"Yes. And I will explain everything but we must free you first. Princess Honorbound intends to kill Gallant as soon as she receives his seed."
"Dear God! Get me out of here." As soon as Cherry heard him unlatch the grate, she began inching her way to the top.
"I have placed a strong suggestion in his mind that should keep him semiconscious and impotent in spite of the drug she gave him. It should last for the time I need to explain a few things to you."
Once again, her robotic arm came in handy as she used it to heft herself out of the pit. He replaced the grate to make it look like she was still in the pit.
"You said there was a guard."
"Yes, on the level above, but I put him to sleep. Fortunately, my mental powers have not lessened with my maturity. Come, I'll talk as we go."
Cherry sped up the first ladder and saw the peacefully napping guard, then had to wait for Josep to slowly climb high enough for her to help pull him the rest of the way up. She was shocked by how fragile he felt.
"It is only old age, little one. The mind may still be strong but the body is failing. Your concern is heartwarming, however."
"Do you butt in on everybody's thoughts without permission?" she asked in an annoyed whisper as he paused to recover his strength.
"Whenever it suits me. I have walked a double path for so long that my special abilities have become my primary means of self-preservation. However, not even the Princess is aware of the extent of my power. Had she known, I doubt I would have survived till now." He motioned her to head toward the second ladder. "Before we rescue our friend, I must tell you some things that you will relay to him for me when he is clearheaded.
"My allegiance to Illusia prompted me to heed the directions outlined in the hundred-year plan. But my oath to Gallant's father, who was my closest friend, has been my greater motivation. Some time ago, I began to worry that the two loyalties would one day conflict."
When they reached the foot of the next ladder, Josep hesitated again. "There was no mention in the royal plan of Honorbound and Gallant mating to secure their family line. She lied this evening but I could not afford to confront her before the council. There are those who doubt my loyalty because of where I spend most of my time. They would have sided with Honorbound and neither I nor Gallant were in any condition to defend ourselves.
"At the time the plan was written, no one suspected that the entire family would be eliminated. Honorbound has always been jealous of Gallant's existence, but she continued to harbor the hope that he wou
ld either not show up as planned or would not accept the responsibilities of sovereign. In the latter case, she had the right to execute him immediately. No one on the council is aware of her personal ambitions and, until today, I did not perceive her true intentions.
"Once she is impregnated with Gallant's child and arranges Gallant's timely death, she becomes guardian of the heir, or heiress, and ruler in that one's stead until he or she comes of age."
"But what about that business of Gallant's image being projected to the people on Earth?"
"She assumes that a few illusionary tricks will establish her in his place when the time comes. For the sake of the council, she had to at least appear to be following the stages of the royal plan. Because of my promise to protect Gallant and his right to inherit and knowing how strong her jealousy was, I never kept her fully advised of all the facts, as you quickly noticed.
"I have known for a very long time that the royal plan would never work as it was first written. However, to reveal that knowledge too soon might have resulted in her ordering a more aggressive war. That would have spelled catastrophe for several civilizations, including ours."
He held up a hand to indicate that he needed a moment to catch his breath before going on. "I have fluctuated between two worlds for too long. The time has come for me to make a choice. I have lived among the Noronians and know they are not the devils Illusians built them up to be. Yet I am first and always an Illusian at heart. I cannot change that. But I have the power to stop my people from taking an action that I am now positive would ultimately cause the extinction of the entire race.
"I could not stop it, however, until Gallant was brought to Princess Honorbound and told of his inheritance. Although I did not believe he would accept the role of sovereign, I could not make that decision for him. By leading Gallant here, I fulfilled my part of the royal plan as promised, but I must now fulfill my vow to his father to protect his life at all costs."
He urged her to climb the ladder to the upper level, where she saw another sleeping guard. "I'm confused about the copy of the plan that was smuggled off Illusia and ended up at the Consociation." She pulled Josep up beside her. He seemed to take even longer this time before he could speak.
"No copy was smuggled out. It was the one given to me by Gallant's father. The Princess had begun to listen to the grumblings of those council members who would have preferred to eliminate me as her chief advisor. You see, I am the only one among them with telepathic abilities, thus I represent a danger they cannot fight with brute strength.
"I needed to give her a fictitious person to focus her suspicions on, instead of me. I also needed to come up with a convincing lure that Gallant couldn't resist following to the ends of the galaxy. By passing the document on to the Consociation and letting her know about it, I accomplished the first goal. By having it stolen before anyone could do more than verify its authenticity, I provided the irresistible incentive for Gallant."
Cherry nodded slowly. "Incredible. I would be impressed with the complex logic of it, if it wasn't for the fact that several people and a beast ended up dead because of your lure."
Josep shrugged. "Casualties of war. It could have been millions had I chosen a different course. At any rate, I am not looking for your approval, only your comprehension." From inside his tunic, he removed a brown parchment that had been folded down to palm-size. "This is the document that could convince the Consociation that the barrier around Illusia must be reinforced immediately. Give it to Gallant. It will be his decision what to do with it but I believe he will do what is just."
As he pressed the small square into her right palm, he enclosed her hand between both of his. Instantly, the usual tingling started again, though it was much milder than when she touched Gallant.
"Shall we go rescue your mate?"
"He's not my—"
"Tch-tch. Remember, I know your thoughts. Remain behind me. If anyone stops us, I will say the Princess ordered you to come assist your master in doing his duty."
Chapter 18
"Get out of here, you useless girls!"
Cherry could hear the rage in Honorbound's voice and quickly cowered behind Josep's bent frame as the novitiates scurried from the Princess's warren. She hoped her fury signified that Josep's mental suggestion had kept Gallant in an uncooperative condition, yet still alive.
Stay here until I call you, Josep thought to Cherry.
"Princess?" he called softly. "I saw the girls leaving. Is everything in order?"
"No!" she replied as she pulled aside the animal hide hanging over the opening.
Cherry held her breath but Josep entered before Honorbound could step outside.
"This is impossible, Josep! There must be something you can—"
The Princess's sentence was completed with the sound of a muffled thud.
Come in now.
In spite of his invitation, Cherry's entrance was cautious. The Princess lay in an awkward sprawl just inside the opening and, in the center of the room, on a deep pile of furs, Gallant looked like a naked corpse. "You can bring him out of it, can't you?" she asked in a worried, yet hushed voice.
"It would be better if I didn't have to but there's no way you and I would be able to carry him out of here."
"Why would it be better?"
"When I withdraw my suggestion, the drug will take over again. With the extra portion the Princess gave him, his sexual need will be uncontrollable. It will be next to impossible to reason with him."
Cherry made a face. "I suppose I could—"
"No, no. You don't understand. One quick release won't even begin to relieve him. It could take hours of continual... activity and we don't have hours to delay."
"Oh, I see. How long before the suggestion wears off on its own?"
"About an hour, but the need will be the same either way," Josep said with a frown.
"Well then, there's only one solution that I can think of." She knelt down, completely wrapped Gallant up in the large fur beneath him and hefted him with her robotic arm around his middle. "Lead the way."
Josep stole into her mind for the explanation and smiled. "And a very good solution it is."
Only once on the way from the Princess's warren did someone see them and Josep put that person to sleep with little more than the blink of his eyes. He did the same to the two council members who had remained in the main hall and the guard on duty at the tunnel entrance. But Cherry didn't begin to relax until they were inside the first enclosed cavern of the tunnel.
Josep pried open a concealed vault in one wall and removed a pile of silver material. "I couldn't take the time to get the protective suits you arrived in. You'll have to use two of our personal shields. They're a bit cumbersome to move around in, so I'll carry them until we reach the top. The air will be safe until we open the final door."
Cherry had a bit of difficulty hauling Gallant up the ladders, though Josep helped as much as he could. She noted that with the exception of the first door he was leaving all the rest open along the way, and she assumed the safety procedure was different working backward. By the time they reached the elevator shaft to the surface, they were both exhausted.
"Shield him, then yourself. With the goggles over your eyes, you should be able to see his ship once you're on the surface. Move as quickly as possible. You will have no more than five minutes to get off-planet."
"Come with us, Josep. You can help Gallant deal with the Consociation."
He shook his head with a sad smile. "My time is done, as is my duty. The responsibility is now his... and yours. You have the document, but there are also two final messages for Gallant. When he contacts the Consociation, he should give his report to no one but the Regent Esquinerra herself. She is the only person besides me who knows his true status and the mission he was on.
"The Princess had not yet arranged for anyone to deliver a message to Illusia letting them know they were ready to act, so there should be sufficient time for the Consociation to reinforce
the barrier before any more ships attempt to leave that planet.
"Once he has made his report, Gallant must go to Terra. Bessima's instructions are this—commencing twelve days from today, she is to be at the front gate of the White House every afternoon from three to four, until the Princess shows up for the rendezvous. Gallant will have to eliminate Bessima. She is power-hungry and vicious, and mustn't be permitted to remain free. There is no telling what she could do with her abilities in a nontelepathic society and no one to control her."
Cherry finished sealing the protective shield around Gallant then, with Josep's assistance, put one on herself. There were built-in boots to make walking possible without tripping over the bottom hem, but other than those and the goggles over her face, it was just one huge, shapeless piece of heavy material. Josep helped her get a hold on Gallant in spite of the lack of separated arm extensions, but it was going to be quite a feat getting back to the ship.
"Don't you need to be wearing one also?" she asked Josep as she dragged Gallant onto the lift. Without answering, Josep grasped one of two levers sticking out from the rock wall and pushed it up. The hatch at the top of the elevator far above them began to open, and Josep took hold of the second lever.
"Josep!" Cherry cried. "The mist is coming in! You're not protected." He raised his hand to her in a farewell gesture and shifted the lever. As the lift took her and Gallant to the top, realization of what Josep was doing set in. There was nothing she could do about it. He wasn't only ending his own life. By leaving the tunnel doors open, the mist would blend with the oxygenated air inside. The Princess's warning came back to her with the clarity of a fire alarm.
Mixing the two atmospheres for any length of time could result in a destructive explosion.
Josep had said she had no more than five minutes to get Gallant aboard his ship and take off. Good God! He must believe the whole planet was going to blow. As she neared the surface, she lost sight of Josep but she knew he could not survive long with the deadly mist swirling into the cavern. She forced herself not to think about how he might suffer and sent up a prayer of thanks that he had chosen to make his final act a heroic one.
GALLANT (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 3) Page 24