"We got out of there just in time, Miss Mystic!"
She nodded, her white smile in the night a beautiful thing.
"What is this Miss Mystic word you use?"
"It means Zoorph, Carna. It is U.S.A. speech."
"U.S.A. speech," she parroted. "Some day I will talk U.S.A. speech, too,
like you!"
"I hope so. This tongue of yours gives me cramps in the jaws."
We plodded on across the grass, heading for the cliff ledge where we had
met. I knew no where else to go.
Quite suddenly came a soft sussuration overhead, a light-beam lanced
down, pinning us there. I tossed Carna aside, rolled myself out of the
path of light. But mercilessly the light beam spread, until we were
again within the circle of illumination.
But no blue death ray followed. The dark shape settled to the earth
beside us, and the door in the side opened.
I sprang to my feet in glad surprise to see Holaf in the round doorway,
motioning us to enter. He cried:
"Come, the day of the Jivro has ended, there is work now for men to do!"
Carna laughed happily, ran to the doorway, and as Holaf caught her waist
and swung her up, she kissed him on the cheek, still laughing in
abandoned joy to know that finally the centuries-long nightmare fastened
on her people was ended. I followed more sedately, wondering what now? I
thought of poor cross-eyed Jake Barto, and of the three fortune-hunters
who had gone the same path--and as I shook Holaf's hand, questioned the
ecstatic confidence of release upon his face.
"Suppose the Empire sends ships here, will they not destroy all you
have gained? Why do you feel so sure their power is broken? They were
but few here?"
"They will not send ships, for no messenger got away. What do you think
the ships of the prince have been doing? This is the beginning of their
end!"
"How did you get out of the palace? The last I saw you, you were
storming the place, gun in hand, and cheering...."
"When the bombs began to burst against the very roof, I got out. I
killed a few Jivros first, though! It has been a good time; the best of
my life!"
"Were you picked up as you picked us up?"
"Of course. Look there who it is that has done us the honor...."
My eyes followed his finger pointing through the far arched doorway to
the control room. At the bank of levers and dials, her face intent upon
the scene through the circular plastic dome, sat Wananda. Inadvertently
my eyes went to Carna's face; she nodded once, vigorously. I knew she
meant:
"See, I have told you the truth. She knew where you were, her heart told
her, who else would descend to pick you up while the fighting was still
going on?"
I went to her, and stood for a moment beside her, watching her swift
hands, the light on her midnight hair, the delicate superb chiseling of
her forehead and nose, the exquisite aura of womanhood about her--she
was every inch a queen.
She turned, startled to find me there, then smiled, and a warm flush
spread slowly from her neck upward to her temples. She knew that I knew!
She laughed a little quiet sound to herself.
"That is why the Zoorphs are hated, earthman. One can never keep a
secret!"
"You must have the powers of Carna yourself, to know that she told me."
I answered.
"I have studied their methods. One comes by such talents hereditarily.
The Zoorph is only an organization which concentrates on taking in and
teaching such gifted children. I, as a princess, had a tutor of their
sect. I know that you love her, too, you know."
"And not yourself. But she confesses that I love her only because of her
skill at hypnosis, or something of the kind. To me that seems unfair,
but I cannot help it. I love her, though I am drawn to you. But why
should we concern ourselves with these matters? You will go back to
space with your ships to carry rebellion to the other Jivro strongholds.
I will be left behind to mourn you both."
"Why should you be left behind? Do you find the Schree or the Zerv
company so repellent?"
"Not at all. I should desire nothing more than to see the worlds of
other suns, other places in the far paths of space. Yet...."
"Yet what? Have you a wife here, children?"
"No, not that. But I have possessions it cost me many years of effort to
acquire."
Carna came silently into the room, stood on the other side of the queen.
For an instant Wananda closed her eyes, and some subtle sense of my own
told me they were talking with each other in a way I could not hear.
Wananda opened her eyes, turned to me, smiling whimsically.
"Carna suggests that she will give your love to me in return for a
certain favor."
"Do you want my love, Wananda?" I asked softly.
She did not stop smiling secretly to some sound she heard and I did
not.
"You see, earthman, our race has never developed the morals and
inhibitions which your people find so necessary. We are polygamous, and
not apt to be jealous. She offers to give you to me as a royal husband
in return for the privilege of being your slave, your housekeeper, your
body-servant as it were. What do you say?"
I was stunned. So openly to be bargained over; frankly to be invited to
marriage, to two women at the same time! Weakly I countered:
"Your people would object to an alien consort!"
"The word is strange to me. Among us you would be a ruler if you married
me. Among us all men have several wives. But women have but one
husband."
"You are offering me the rule of the Schrees?"
"Yes, and if our coming war with the Jivro creatures turns out well, it
will mean not one planet, but many. I cannot say how many, as some of
those never allied with the Schrees before will naturally gravitate to
us in gratitude for our releasing them from the Jivros. I am agreeable
mainly because I know that we need your earth science, your different
culture--as wedded to our own science we would be invincible. We will
need everything finally to conquer the ancient ingrown tyranny of the
Jivros. I am not offering you exactly any bed of roses. Besides, I like
and trust Carna. I can understand why she loves you, and why she
bargains for any part of you. She knows I have but to exert my own
wisdom of Zoorph to release you from her hold on you."
"I see. Let me get this straight. You love me; it is agreeable to you
that I continue to love Carna; but I will love you too. Two wives who
love me, a kingdom, and the chance of knocking over a whole empire of
insects who have parasitized human races in space and meant to do it
here. There is no way I can refuse!"
Carna laughed.
"With two of us working your mind for you, how could you refuse?"
Wananda frowned at Carna's frankness.
"It is stated in the nineteenth law of Zoorph code that no victim is
ever to be told of his enslavement openly, Carna. Why do you break the
law?"
"I don't know, Wananda Highest. I think it is because I want to be fair
to him, and give him a chance to do his own thinking, too."