Book Two
Chapter Sixteen
Sa-she-ra leaped away from my sudden thrust like some slim
dark haired nearly naked ballerina. She was "fast", almost unbe-
lievable so. Her skill with the foil even in the three days she
had been with me had reached astounding levels. She had already
well surpassed the skill levels of Sanda Talen! She didn't have
the strength of the Scribe, who was a larger and taller woman,
but she was most definitely "quicker". Fast enough I thought to
myself that if she continued to improve as she had the day might
come when she would be able to give even ME a good match! She
was also surprisingly intelligent, and despite having been born
in a barbaric society where she had worn nothing but beads and
buckskin and lived in a tepee, she was obviously a very able and
capable woman in more ways than one! I had learned much from her
about the customs, the culture of her people. They were not the
simple barbarians as those of California generally believed.
They had the Priestesses, a written language of their own, and a
history and culture that dated back to long before The War. Mara
had taken well to Ta-she-ra, who was eleven going on twelve. The
girl had been sexually abused by her master, as I had suspected.
"You tired, my Lady?" Sa-she-ra asked, standing there, smil-
ing, the sweat gleaming on her copper skin. She was wearing only
clips and a strap like me. I had pierced her nipples myself and
fitted her with clips. She understood that such were a necessary
part of life here on my wide-spread estate, as was the shaving of
the pubic hair and other aspects of California culture. I had no
wish to have her be taunted by children for lack of such things.
"You are very `good'," I smiled. We had become very close.
"This unknown by my people," she smiled, indicating the foil
there in her capable hand. They had no concept of Warrioresses.
I thought it just as well. Darlanis had enough troubles as it
was. A few thousand like Sa-she-ra could spread terror through-
out the Empire. She was small, light. A unicorn could carry her
faster than an heavier armored Californian Warrioress. She had
skills with a bow to a level that exceeded anyone on my estate.
She could track almost as well as Delilah! Delilah followed her
around like a friend. Her people live closer to Nature than we
do. They believe in the "old gods", although they have a concept
of SHE that is surprisingly accurate. Such things and more I had
learned in the past three days. Sa-she-ra was no "savage" de-
spite whatever people thought because of the color of her skin!
"Again?" I ventured, touching her foil with mine. She nod-
ded, delighted with this new skill. Once again the clash of
steel was heard. She was extremely fast. Hard to corner. I had
an surprise coming as I overreached and suddenly I felt her foil
touch my side! She was better than I had thought! I would have
to be more careful with her in the future if I wanted to continue
living up to my awesome "invincible" reputation with the blade!
"O.K.?" Sa-she-ra asked, regarding me, a little concerned.
"Just don't tell anyone about it!" I laughed back. Once
again our foils met. I pushed her hard this time, letting all my
awesome skills come to play. She gave me a good fight before my
foil lightly touched just below her naked breast. She was obvi-
ously all ready fighting at a level that many Warrioresses could-
n't have reached. I might be looking at a new "Queen of Swords"!
"Now you not `hold back'." Sa-she-ra smiled. She had an in-
credible "natural talent" for the sword. One much like my own!
"It was like a Garth, but not like a Garth," the man said,
his terror still visible as he related the tale to us. He was a
Forester, one of my employees. "A `devil' from the `ruins'," he
added. I knew of the "superstitions" of my people. That people
believed that the ruins of Los Angeles some eighty miles to the
south were inhabited by "demons" and "devils" and other "things".
"You saw a Garth and your `imagination' did the rest," Sanda
snapped. She didn't believe in such "fairy tales". She was an
"educated woman". A Scribe. She could read and write, keep
books. Even use a computer! This last only very limitedly! I
smiled to myself. I was often guilty too of the very same "sin"!
"Such do exist," Sa-she-ra spoke softly. "They live where
`humans' don't." Her own people had legends of such things. To
her there were two forms of life on the Earth, "Hu" and "Mu". I
had once showed her a picture of a Lorr. She considered such
"hu", but of a different sort of "hu" than human "hu's". She had
a more accurate view of life, I thought, than did my own society!
Sanda gave me a look that told much without any words of how
she "felt" about such things. How she felt about Sa-she-ra. I
tended to believe that such things could possibly exist even if
Sanda didn't! Atomic radiation can cause strange things to hap-
pen. I did not think that all of the legends of the Nevadas were
nonsense as Sanda did. There is often TRUTH behind such tales!
The reality of "flying saucers" was denied for years. No doubt
the Lorr enjoyed seeing us making fools of ourselves. Not be-
lieving the reality of our own eyes. They have a means of making
their craft invisible to both our visual sense and their radar
sense. I understand from Raspa that they also now generate a
field that is protection against the mental powers of the Priest-
esses of Lys! Perhaps the Lorr "know" more here than we think!!!
"You ever `see' one?" Sanda challenged the Nevada woman.
Delilah came strolling in, Mara and Ta-she-ra with her. They had
become close. Sa-she-ra had to admit that she never had. Sanda
gave me a look that left no doubt what she thought about the mat-
ter. About what she thought of Sa-she-ra and perhaps Ta-she-ra.
"Why Sanda so `dislike' me?" Sa-she-ra asked as she talked
with her daughter a bit later. I had permitted Sa-she-ra to wear
a sword. I wondered if it was a wise move. A duel between her
and my Scribe would have but one outcome. The Nevada woman was a
true mistress of the blade. I would have to talk to Sanda Talen,
explain a few things. Warn her not to provoke the Indian woman.
"Where's Gayle?" I asked as we sat down for dinner. She had
gone riding off a couple hours ago. No one had seen her since!
I recalled the attempt on my life, the attempted kidnaping of my
little Mara. WHERE WAS MY GAYLE? The terror rose in my thoughts
as everyone glanced at each other. No one could tell me of her!
"My Lady! My Lady!" a man at arms burst in as we stared at
each other, fearing the worst. In his hand a note! "It was tied
to her saddle!" the man informed me as I tore it from his hand!
The note read in Gayle's handwriting: LORRAINE: I AM BEING
HELD BY A WOMAN HERE AT THE RUINS OF THE HOUSE YOU SAID ONCE BE-
LONGED TO SOME FRIENDS OF YOURS. SHE SAYS SHE WILL RELEASE ME IF
YOU WILL COME AND TALK TO HER. SHE WILL KILL ME IF ANY COME WITH
YOU. SHE HAS MEN WATCHING THE TRAILS." It was signed "Gayle".
"Have my unicorn saddled," I snapped, standing up. My eyes
fell upon Sa-she-ra. I knew of her skills. It is always wise to
have an "ace in the hole". I wondered if I could trust those
around me. This strange woman seemed to know an awful lot about
me. About my movements. I knew that I could trust Sa-she-ra. I
nodded to the woman, had her rise from the table and follow me.
"My life and Gayle's are in your hands," I said to Sa-she-ra
as we halted there at the edge of the woods. It was growing
dark. I thought of dire wolves, Tigons, Garths, and that strange
creature the Forester had seen. Sa-she-ra nodded. I would ride
on ahead, Sa-she-ra, stripped, her body painted, would follow on
foot. I thought again of Delilah, but put her out of my mind. I
hoped Sa-she-ra was "huntress" enough to follow and not be seen!
****************************************************************
"The Lady Lorraine, I trust," the woman said to me, getting
to her feet there before the fire. She was veiled, wore the
black of the Warrioress. I saw Gayle tied to a tree. She was
gagged, but otherwise appeared unharmed. It was dark now. The
last mile or so I had lead my unicorn, my drawn sword there in my
hand. I hoped that Sa-she-ra was somewhere close by. I noted
the woman's right hand. There was no doubt now as to her identi-
ty! I was face to face with Princess Tara Bisan of Baja! There
was a deer, freshly killed, hanging from a tree. Its abdominal
cavity hanging open. I suspected that Tara knew little of the
risks, the dangers of doing such a thing here deep in the forest.
"Let her go, Tara," I snapped. I saw a man, wearing green,
step out of the woods, a dagger in his hand, and stand behind
Gayle. I could see the glitter of Tara's eyes behind her veil.
I thought of Sa-she-ra's abilities with a bow. She could hit
birds on the wing! Not every time, true, but often enough that I
had been amazed at her abilities. I didn't feel so badly now.
"You are alone?" Tara asked. I recalled Jon's description
of her. How he had sensed something "unclean" about the woman.
I sensed the same sensation. I recalled what Tais had said. The
warning that SHE had given me. I sensed the evil, that darkness!
The term "demonic possession" going through my mind just then...
"I brought a hundred Warrioresses," I snapped back. She no
doubt knew the truth of the matter so far as her men had informed
her. I did not think they knew of Sa-she-ra. Of her bow, the
dagger she wore strapped to her thigh. The sword strapped to her
back so that it would not interfere with her movements through
the brush. I had allowed her to paint herself as she saw fit.
"Remove your clothing, all of it," Tara snapped, her hand on
the hilt of her sword as she stood with the fire there between
us. The hilt had been modified, her wrist braced with leather.
I had no doubt that she was fully able to use her weapon with but
little reduction in her awesome fighting abilities. I had seen
her fighting Darlanis. I was "better", but not by a great deal.
"Free Gayle first," I retorted. I wondered what "plans" she
had for me. I suspected she wanted the secret of NAPALM. Per-
haps she knew of my computer. I knew very "little" about Tara.
"You are not in a position to give orders," she snapped.
The flickering flames lit up the hump there in the forest that
once had been the home of my friends. I saw two other men step
out of the forest. They were armed with swords, bows. A couple
arrows in my hide wouldn't do Gayle any good. I stripped as she
said. Even to my clips and strap. I wondered what Tara wanted!
Next Chapter
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