Blood Sabers

by Burbaugh, MF;

  Pat asked the attendant, “Congratulations, young lady, are you aware of who he was?”

  “Yes, but it’s the now I am worried about. I went up the valley half a day and still couldn’t get away,” she said.

  “Old Earth saying, ‘mess with fire you get burned’—you have hold of a super nova, I know, he just gave me a little massage and that was before the swords even existed.” She explained, as Camelot’s lead scientist, she felt the Amazon gift of riding men to their death seemed to be amplified by the twin swords and, in some twist, was passed on to me.

  “Well, enough pleasantries, what did you need?” Pat asked.

  The attendant announced Prince Richard was here.

  I invited him in. He sat and had some coffee. He kept staring.

  Finally, I said, “No, it was only forty-three hours.”

  He broke out laughing. “Sorry, didn’t mean to be so obvious.”

  I looked at Pat, “To business. Can the interceptors, I think we’ll just call them Seekers. Anyway, can they be reprogrammed to attack only the HH ships?”

  “Based on mass only, no visual recognition gear installed yet, but working on it. We have come a long way since you last visited us.” She smiled. “Their ships are big, they exceed even the GCs.”

  “Good. Prince, I need someone to go to New Earth and let them know what we have planned.”

  “Well, I, I don’t…” He was stumbling.

  “You are afraid? I know that; saw it in your eyes when I first met you. Does not matter, I need a diplomat, not a hero,” I said.

  He looked around and realized no one cared. “Then I am at your service.”

  “Rodel has most of the items you need. We will transport the Seekers as soon as we get them reprogrammed.”

  He acknowledged what was needed and was gone.

  “Okay, Pat, fill me in, what can and can’t be made, and how soon can I get a fleet of armed eight man craft?”

  “They have already started building a new craft, problems popping up all over, but first ship, oh two months. We had most of one laid out already, snowball after it of course. We will start retooling some of our manufacturing to speed development.

  “We backed off at nuke level on development. Other than the Seekers for defense we have none. Mass boomer arrows in space is possible, not tested it yet,” she said. “They are simple and a lot cheaper and easier to make than missiles.” She went over other developments and ideas including something she called nail guns. Small slivers of metal shot at hypersonic speeds using mass accelerators.

  Time flew as the attendant came in with tea for us. The wives moved off to handle something. The attendant eyed me questioningly. “Thank you,” I told her.

  “Sylvia said her pregnancy had some importance?” Pat asked.

  I shrugged.

  “Little different than last time, isn’t it? You could have had the only virgin on the planet, but a little push, and instead you gave me to one I love. I would have been happy either way you know.”

  “I think it worked out the best, or do you think me wrong?” I asked.

  “The best I think.” She got up, kissed me, and giggled. “Thank you, my secret love.”

  “Not so secret,” Sylvia said, and laughed as she came back in.

  “Let me dream,” Pat said.

  “Still so young and bubbly, that one,” Kathy said as Pat left.

  “Yes, Aawasa did well picking her soul for rescue,” I said.

  “Yes, no regrets at all,” Sylvia said.

  “We have started to practice our swords. Linda is using your wooden one until she gets one.” You need to stay out of our hair; it is an all wife thing. The Doc will be here in thirty minutes. She has no children yet, is unmarried, and is uncommitted. She is now your official courtesan under contract to have your child the normal way. We did her dirt last round, so make up for it. Let me see, take your time, we seriously are still on the highs from Linda, so you have the bed as long as needed. My period is almost done; I will require you then, my husband,” she stated flatly.

  I went upstairs and was just finishing off some paperwork when Doc was led in by the attendant.

  “Well, Doc. Seems I killed you last time, sure you want to try again?”

  “You made my children Prince and Princess. I rode among gods for three days. I died the happiest human female in the Universe and would gladly do it a thousand lifetimes more,” she said. She sat on the bed.

  The attendant heard three days. “Oh no, no way, can I get to the other side of the planet first, please?”

  “She courtesan too?” Doc asked.

  “Not really, a contract surrogate, but sort of,” I said.

  “I have three gifts, The Chiefs gift of sight, the photographic memory of old, and the medical training. I sense a unique child from this one.” She stood and went to her. “May I touch you?”

  She nodded. Doc went behind her and pulled her against her body and started at the head and slowly ran her hands down the attendant’s body just like Chief does, stopping here and there. She got to the girl’s feet and said, “You already have his babies inside you,” she said.

  “Babies?” the attendant asked.

  “Yes, that may be the uniqueness. In all our recorded history that I have read we have never had twins. Stand proud, you are Legend now! Do not overdo yourself, the birth will be troublesome, but joyful.”

  She kissed the girl’s head. “Leave now, let me try to be so lucky.”

  “Twins! Gee.” She left smiling.

  “Get her tested then send her home, it will take a week for the link to break and by then she will already start her difficulties. She really is frail for such a burden. Well, my doctoring stuff is over.”

  “Busy place,” I said as Linda came strutting in.

  She saw Doc, checked her eyes, kissed her, and said, “My dearest soul mate. To knowingly go to your death that I might live,” Linda bowed, “I will love you always. Sylvia said she has need of him tomorrow, other than that, he is all yours.”

  “The attendant is already pregnant,” Doc said.

  “We know, I did it, surrogate.”

  “Twins,” Doc said.

  “Oh, really? That I didn’t know! Interesting,” Linda said.

  “Well, this is kind of an apology thing from them,” I said.

  “I know, I was deeply moved at Sylvia’s offer,” she said.

  “You set the pace, my senses have been shot to hell lately,” I said.

  “Forty-four hours, we all heard,” she laughed.

  “Forty-three,” I corrected. She just smiled.

  I rode the waves, not real high ones, gentle ones, soothing ones, relaxed ones, wave after wave after wave, and a crest came by, she pointed, and I rode it gently to shore. Doc was arched and we were both sated.

  “I am only human my love, four hours is a bit much for us non-gods. I am glad I set a slow one,” she said.

  “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” I was worried.

  She laughed, long and deep. “Pleasure is itself a hurt. To know it is not there for always, but a fleeting spark is also a hurt. No, you did not hurt me; mentally you healed me, yet again.

  “You have some of the power you know. Did you take up your sword?” she asked.

  “No, tried but it just moves a little. It is stuck to Linda’s,” I said.

  “But it knows your soul is here and tries. You are being fed from it, just a little. I know Linda gets her gift from hers too,” she said.

  She took an old bottle I knew well and applied a little in the necessary places and said, “Now, come ride.” We rode a few more waves.

  About an hour later she said, “Enough, I surrender!” She kissed me and whispered, “Thank you, for that I would gladly die again.”

  We sat on the bed, the other four came in.

  “You done? Or we catch a transoceanic flight today?” Linda said.

  Doc smiled very weakly. “I surrendered.”

  “Shit, we get wore
out just as bad!” Sylvia said. “I have arched so many times the last couple days my back is killing me!”

  To the assistant, Sylvia said, “We are done this day. Go, sleep well.”

  “Is it that intense? I thought you were pulling my leg,” I said.

  “It is real, my husband, we don’t know why, but it is quite real. It gets stronger with each doing,” Linda said. “Now you two move over, I need some sleep, we all do.” Doc started to get up. Linda caught her, “No, this is your fault too, stay and enjoy the blissful misery with us,” and shoved her back down. Turns out it really is a big bed.

  Sometime late morning I awoke, Doc was the only one there, resting in my arms. At my movement, she woke. “I have been awake on and off. The others needed to get some sword practice in while they could still function.” She smiled. “I feel like an intruder. They love you so much, I think they are linked molecule to molecule with you.”

  “Sylvia says the pains of love last but a lifetime. The joys last an eternity. They do what must be done and I am told to do so as well,” I said.

  She soon went off to talk to the others. I went to the attendant’s room. She was sitting on her bed. I went in and said good morning. She wasn’t bubbly, she looked at me and said, “I don’t love you, nor you me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel or care. If I keep the twins will I be shunned by other men I might call husband? Or must I give them to you that I may have a life?” She looked pitiful.

  I hugged her. “I will not tell you what to do. You have made your choices so far. If you keep them men will come, honest, decent men, and they will not care. If you give them up, men will come, honest men, and they will not care either. I promise you that. Is there a someone you didn’t mention?”

  “No, we all have the secret one we wish for, but no, no one. In the other life, I had a child, I was still helping my father with the business, you know. I never found the right guy, the father refused the child,” she said.

  “That wasn’t permitted!” I said.

  “Neither was having sex for profit, but we did it anyway, even after you left, you just never found out. I, um, killed myself at eighteen. I found a Pitaksaabe that was interested in me. I just wish to be sure.”

  “Before you leave you will be famous and the world will know who the father is, I promise. If the twins ever prove a burden to your family life we will gladly take them into our home, but since we go to war, it is just a bit easier on us not to have to try to provide for the children those devil spawns I call wife are forcing upon this world.” I tried to smile.

  She kissed me. “I thought maybe you had changed, the wilder sex and all, but you haven’t, so kind, so caring, so gentle.”

  “I am just a normal, oversexed, over paid and over here Pilot for NASA,” I said.

  “I need to get away from the torture here. With your permission, may I depart for home today? My job is complete and my womb is full.”

  “Not until I get your name for the news people first.” She looked at me, put her hand to her mouth, and giggled. “I never did say, oh my God. I’m sorry! Pawasa,” she said.

  “Fall rain. The harvest rain, let us hope your harvest is bountiful.” I helped her up.

  “Let us go out front and see if any reporter might be interested in our little story, shall we?”

  I found and talked to the others. We all went out front. We were instantly swamped with questions.

  “Please! I wish to impart a tidbit of news is all.”

  They all looked expectantly at me and waited.

  “This delightful young lady has been under courtesan’s contract to my Sylvia for the purpose of bearing my child.” A loud murmur went up. “We, um, ignored certain traditions set up by, um…King Jake.” A little laughter.

  “My wives are not permitted to get pregnant at this time, yet we, as always, wish to help the tribe as much as possible, so Sylvia has found it in her heart to select certain people who may be, err, willing.”

  “To get sexed for forty-four hours straight, maybe?” some reporter in the back hollered.

  “That is false! It was only forty-three and I would not put it so crassly. Besides, that was Linda. This is Pawasa,” I pointed to the attendant.

  “Anyway, she will have the first ever pair of twins to be born on Camelot, I am told.” A huge buzz.

  “Another break in tradition, she has asked for permission to keep and rear her children instead of bringing them into my family. The seed is easy to track, I have agreed to it. For the record she is from the builder’s tribe. Also note any who would harm her or my children in deed or word will answer to three of the meanest hell spawned bitches ever to wield a sword, and one poor male with an old 44cal pistol.” The laughter went on for a while.

  “As her ruler, I decree she is to want for nothing. Let any male who would call her wife know if he hurts her I will cut off his privates and shove them so far up his butt he’ll tickle them with his tongue! Hum, I know I heard that before someplace. Oh well, I so decree, and this meeting is done. She may speak to any, all, or none as she may wish. I do ask one of you kind, rich, reporters insure she gets to her tribe safely. Wait, kill two with one, Doc over there is also under standard courtesan contract and has also requested to keep hers, if she gets lucky. Thank you, I have some, um, matters to attend to.”

  I took Sylvia’s hand and Linda said, “That went well, I think,” and we all snickered as we went inside.

  I told Doc, sorry, cannot wait. Someone had back problems. I picked up Sylvia and took her upstairs. She was giggling all the way.

  I put her down gently on the bed. I closed her eyes and turned her on her stomach and found the lotion. “I heard you had a sore back, let us see what we can do to cure it.”

  She groaned, “Oh no, I didn’t mean it, it has to be done, honest!”

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  “I know.” I felt her smile.

  I worked her, slow, and gentle. I turned her over and worked her top to bottom, kissing as I went. She was arching a bit but I didn’t pull her to the top, just near. “But I’m not—” she started to say.

  “Yes you are. This is all your fault and now you’re gonna pay.” I smiled, “Rodel, Tell them all to run and hide and do not disturb, my first wife is going to pay her dues.”

  I head groans from down stairs. We both laughed, but hers had just a touch of excitement to it.

  I found the biggest cyclone I ever imagined, the waves were higher than the mountains of the Himalayas and seemed packed together. Wave after storm-ripped wave. She was with me, hand in mine. Wave after wave, she never pulled, never pointed, just smiled. Wave after wave, after wave. Finally, the storm calmed, the waves moved further apart and turned gentle. She just held my hand and smiled. The sun shone. Little more than ripples when she pointed to one, and as we headed to shore it got huge as it turned into a full pipeline, we crashed ashore. She squeezed my hand so hard I heard bones snap. I looked; she bounced once and was still. I moved my hand, she broke it, and she wasn’t moving. I screamed for Rodel to get the Doc. This terrible wreck of a human being came around the corner, eyes almost pools of blood. She moved me aside with the ease of a piece of paper. She checked Sylvia carefully. She checked her again and turned to me, barely able to stand, her legs wobbly.

  “She sleeps, almost dead. She never pointed, did she?” Doc asked.

  I said, “No, not until the waves were but ripples. Then the ripple turned into a monster, full pipeline.”

  “She always swore she would make up for last time and ride the god to the end, or die in the attempt. She almost got both, seconds, mere seconds.” She patted my cheek.

  “I mean this, Jake, not John. John is human but when you mount now, Jake the god mounts. You damn near killed us. We went all the way to the builders and you still damn near killed us.” She stared at me. “We sensed the slowdown and headed back. Jake, my love, our love, please, never again, promise, no big storms ever again?” Doc said.

  “How
bad? I didn’t mean to, how bad was it?” I was stunned.

  Doc checked the hand I kept rubbing. “Damn, she broke your bones!”

  She got a splint and taped my hand while she said, “Reporters were having damn orgasm after orgasm on TV. They all had to leave too. No human alive could have taken much more, but damn if she didn’t ride the storm. Not even Linda when she was a Goddess dared ride it all the way, she bailed after three days. I was there, I know. It killed me!”

  “But it was only a few hours, surly I…”

  “Jake, John, my dearest love in the universe, you mounted her five and a half days ago! I swear after three the universe started rocking to the waves, even Rodel shut down, totally. ‘To many random electrons’, he said. We have to order a restart.

  “I’m sorry, contract or no, I am going home for a week to recover. Stay with her. It’s her fault, but you are the cause. Love her, touch her, do your magic.”

  I moved her to the little room. Our bed was a shambles.

  Kathy and Linda showed up in even worse shape than Doc. Kathy was actually bleeding from the nose and one eye.

  I cried as I cleaned Sylvia, and massaged her with my one usable hand.

  “I remember, so long ago, a little cave, an almost dead girl, so helpless, so beautiful.” I never finished; I totally broke down and passed out. I slept for two days.

  I awoke with a start and was to Sylvia’s side in a few seconds.

  Linda sat there holding her hand. “My husband, I know not what we woke in there, we love it, but it might very well be a love to death.”

  I kissed her, and kissed Sylvia and stumbled down and outside. I was weak and tired, but I went to the steam room, got on my knees, and prayed. “If I did this, something to offend, punish me, kill me, I die freely, but damn it, let her live! Please, let her live?” I found I was crying again.

  I went back to the house and sat holding her hand, hour after hour. I cleaned her every day, combed her hair every day, but nothing. A few brave reporters came back around, but were fearful.

  Doc came back. A week already?

  She came up, checked Sylvia, and held my hand. “You haven’t eaten a thing since I left, have you?”