"THE WARLADY OF DULARN"
2567 A.D.!
By Jerome Bigge
Chapter Twenty Three
"I never was a `threat' to your marriage," Lorraine said to me as we stepped down on to the dock, Maris at my side, men busy at work repairing the damage done the night before by the North Star's fire weapons. Darlanis greeting Sharon, who had flown ahead back to the estates. I wondered what Carol was doing now? Lady Tirana standing there regarding us, not overly "delighted"! And here was Keri, giving me a big smile as she greeted Lorraine. I felt Maris' arm tighten about me as she held me "close" to her.
"I don't think Carol saw it in that light," I told her, Keri looking at me curiously while Maris now helped me along. I saw boats being lowered now from the Squala to take off its crew for shore leave. I suspected there would be a "shortage" of slave girls considering that Lorraine had now "lost" all of hers. Lady Tirana of course had slave girls of her own, and I supposed that they might be used now in "pleasing" the men from the ships along with the slave girls that were carried aboard the two warships.
"Perhaps you should also consider the `possibility' that Tais could be responsible for your wife being as she is, and the way that you yourself have become," Lorraine answered, that awe- some mind I had once so "admired" once again now hard at work. I supposed I had never "considered" that. There had been a severe thunderstorm shortly after Lorraine had disappeared through the "GATEWAY" into the 26th Century, and it was only after that storm that my wife started to become the way that she is now. Did Tais go back into the past? Find Carol alone in the house, use her awesome mental powers to "reprogram" my wife's mind? Making her into another like Lorraine? And Carol would remember nothing about it, considering the nature of hypnosis as practiced by the Priestesses of Lys. While it is Lorraine's belief that they do rely upon electronic equipment to induce a state of hypnosis, it is my belief that some of the Priestesses are capable of hypno- tizing anyone that they wish with the sheer power of their minds. On the other hand Tais once said to me that Carol was a woman of "many amazing talents", and Carol could have been what she is now for years before such "traits" actually showed up in her actions. Carol's own "toughness" being one of the reasons I married her!
"And what is going to happen to Maris?" I asked, glad to have her "support", stumbling a bit before Keri reached around me and added her welcome strength to that of the Queen of Dularn. I liked this golden haired Queen, who represented an "alternative" to the sort of society that Lorraine and Darlanis represented...
"She can `nurse' you back to health while I see if I can lo- cate the North Star," Lorraine answered. She had said that I had a bad concussion, perhaps even a cracked skull, and that I needed to have someone watching over me on a constant basis for several days. As Lorraine is a "Physician" as well as a "Warrioress", I had no doubts that she knew about what she was talking about here. Keri immediately "volunteering" her services for the task!
"How is my `patient' doing?" Lorraine asked, quickly check- ing me over with a skill that left little doubt of her abilities. Darlanis giving me a smile, while Maris frowned a bit to herself, perhaps a bit "jealous" of Darlanis for all I know. Maris having gotten the dye mostly out of her hair, so she was once again the "blonde" she had been before. She wore a long gown, a bit "snug" I thought, as it definitely left no doubts as to the "delights" there beneath. Especially as she was being kept "nude" beneath it, much to her own embarrassment, which I found puzzling as Car- ol has always gone "nude" beneath all her own evening gowns ever since we were first married some twelve years ago! Maris however like most women of the Twenty Sixth Century has a "nipple taboo" that seems to have no rational basis for its being. The exposure of the nipple beneath one's clothing being considered very "risque" and something that no woman of "breeding" ever does! My wife once attended a royal ball "bare nippled" beneath her gown, and while she got a lot of "attention", she also got a lot of frowns from the other women present. Maris later on taking her aside and giving her a set of "clips" to properly cover herself!
"My `nurses' are beautiful, my doctor is `attractive', and I seem to find myself constantly `visited' by beautiful women," I told Lorraine. My last "visitor" having been Princess Sela Dai, a little brunette "spitfire" who Maris certainly had no love for! And the Queen of Dularn wasn't too "delighted" about Keri either! There was a "tension" now between the two women that you could have cut with a sword. Like two cats "spitting" at each other! I think Keri thought that she'd soon be "free" of Maris, and that Lorraine would solve the "wife" problem by killing her in battle!
"There is also a `shortage' of slave girls," Lorraine smiled back, glancing at Maris. Six of them had fled with us to the North Star. I knew of at least one who had died here on these same estates only last night, taking a crossbow bolt through her heart. I had watched her die. I was "tired" of war, of "death". I saw Maris blush, "cower" just a bit, a hand over her breasts. I had no doubt that Lorraine "knew" what she was doing here too! She wanted to "break" Maris' "spirit", and such was a good way of doing it too, as Maris found it embarrassing to be bare nippled. Maris actually seeming to "react" the same as say my wife would if she was forced to go bare breasted in public before everyone!
"I assume when your ship returns from Dularn the problem will be `rectified'," Maris now answered Lorraine in level tones. The Empire having a big three masted schooner lurking off the Du- larnian coast. It had attacked several villages, taking women and gold. Even a woman of ordinary appearance is worth crowns in a slave market, and a ready market always exists for a nice girl!
"Human slavery and legalized prostitution help keep us `free women' from getting too `uppity'," Lorraine smiled back in reply. I recalled the book "M.P.S." that I had once read. The author had stated almost the same conclusions about legalized prostitu- tion, although he had not advocated the enslavement of women! On the other hand I am glad that I live in a society where there are slave girls. Where one may "admire" a saucy little collared wench strolling down the street, her skirt as short as the law will allow. It being "necessary" of course to "protect children" from seeing too much of such creatures, and "learning things" that they should not "know" until they are "older" and "wiser".* * We had these types in the 20th Century, I might add too. (R.S.)
"Would you want to be a slave girl?" Maris challenged back. Darlanis giving me a big smile, almost a "grin" as she sat there taking this all in. The gold mesh she wore didn't really "con- ceal" that much. She is "sexy", but not in the way that Carol is, for example. She reminds me of Lana Clarkson, although her face is more like that of Nina Arvesen, a soap opera actress of the 20th Century. She is tall, 5'10", and quite "muscular", a true "big blonde" in the full sense of the word I can assure you! Her daughter, "Domino Tremaine", was an almost perfect "clone". I had told Darlanis about "Domino", although I had held much back as I had no way of knowing of Darlanis' reaction to such "news". Domino having been a woman who had lead a rather "exotic" life. I assume too that she possessed the anti-aging serums of the 26th Century, as at the time of her death she really didn't look all that much "older" than when Carol and I met her there in Spain!
"I doubt if I would be `worth much'," Lorraine smiled back. Keri giving me a smile as she sat there beside the bedroom win- dow, the soft breeze off the sea now gently blowing the curtains. I recalled what she had said to me there last night in the brush. I wondered what sort of sexual fantasies that she masturbated to. Some of the "scenes" in my wife's books were quite "revealing" of Carol's own sexual fantasies. Women tend to have sexual fanta- sies that are quite "romantic" and "involved" whereas those of men are more just "sexual" in the ordinary meaning of the term. This is, as my wife once said, because women are interested in the "game", where men are usually only interested in the "goal".
"I spent three years as a slave girl," Maris smiled in turn.
"You'd be a `fifty gold piece' girl in Trella," Lorraine smiled in reply, "Although I'd sweat a bit of that `lard' off you before I put you up for sale," the tall slender Warlady added. I tend to like a bit of "meat" on a woman, and I found Maris quite nice the way that she was, although she was bit full in the rump!
"I think I can find a better `use' for the Queen of Dularn," Darlanis then smiled, her eyes glowing into those of Maris Marn. Maris shuddered, and averted her eyes, leaving no "doubts" in my mind as to the fate that Darlanis had in mind for the Dularnian.
"I hope Lorraine wasn't too `hard' on you," I said to Lady Tirana when she came to visit. I suspected she'd had a good "roasting" from Lorraine for doing the things to us that she did!
"You are `important' to her in a way I don't understand," the old Warlady smiled, "Although I think that wife of yours had better `watch out'," Lorraine not being that "delighted" when she saw the damage that had been done to her estate, her property! I saw Maris nod, her eyes for a brief moment then meeting Tirana's. Keri giving me another "smile", her blouse undone almost to the waist so that I could see the sides of her lovely firm breasts. It was a rather "warm" day, and Keri had commented on the "heat". I had not mentioned to anyone what had passed between Keri and me the night before. Such might be quite "embarrassing" to Tirana's granddaughter should it become known she had "offered" herself!
"I'm taking Sandi with me," Carol said, Lars nodding. Every married man on the ship had said "good bye" to his wife, seeing that she carried his sperm in her vagina when she went with this strange new "Warlady" of theirs. Few ever expected to see their wives again, every woman on the ship with the exception of their Physician and Kathi having been ordered to see to her weapons, see that she had sharp arrows, two quivers full each. That she had left her "will" there on the ship in case that she never re- turned to it. That had been "something" Carol had thought to do.
"Anis should do a good job," he smiled, regarding the woman standing there next to Carol. She had been a "ship's girl", a slave slut kept aboard for the pleasure of the single men. A big "hard looking" woman, who Queen Maris had saved from the hanging she faced for slitting her husband's throat because she had found him with another woman. Putting her sword through the other wom- an's heart in a short, but brief sword duel in Arsana. More im- portantly the woman having been a "Princess of the Arrow" at one time, Carol knew, the best archer on the ship besides herself. A woman who could draw a compound almost as "stiff" as any man's!
"Just carry out my orders, that's all I ask," Carol said, dismissing the former bosun then, fighting against the exhaustion that now wanted to overwhelm her. She had gotten a few hours of restless half sleep, just enough to make her more tired even yet!
"You `Dulies' are strange ducks," Lorraine smiled as we sat there at dinner, Maris raising her head, regarding her. I sus- pected that the term "strange ducks" wasn't one used in this era. Keri there on the other side of me, regal in a fine fitted gown.
"I suppose it gives you pleasure to `insult' me," Maris said in reply, chewing, her jaws yet working on the bit of tough beef. Lorraine had ordered an old bull slaughtered for the meat. I had no doubts that he'd been around for a long time too, judging from the toughness of his meat. I had eaten the vegetables, the soft foods. My head still ached, and I didn't really feel too great. Maris' breasts were outlined underneath that dark blue silk, her nipples being quite clearly displayed much to her embarrassment. I thought of what it might be like to have to live with a woman like that day after day, both of us "wanting" each other, and how long would it be before we both gave in to our own sexual lusts? And Keri was making a number of little "hints" I couldn't ignore! Running her left hand over my thigh under the table in a way that left no doubts as to the thoughts that now went through her mind! I wondered what Lady Tirana "thought" of all this sitting there across the table from us seated on Lorraine's left. Darlanis and Sharon sitting together, and looking much like they belonged so.
"I think Lorraine means that you have a different `culture' than ours," Sharon translated, Darlanis giving her a smile as she nodded. Made up, fixed up as she was, the burns didn't show so bad, although I could tell that she was still "tender" from the way that she "favored" certain parts of her body. Also, she had a "bad" leg from having an arrow shot through her left thigh. I myself had been "dressed" for dinner, Maris doing the work, fuss- ing over me just like Carol used to do back home, getting every- thing just "right". She and Keri had gotten into quite a "spat"!
"Ours is superior to yours," Maris answered back. "In our land women are the equal of men, and we only enslave criminals."* * This was a part of Maris' own political propaganda that she used against the Empire of California. It was "true" in the "le- gal sense", so far as the government of Dularn was concerned. It was not actually "true" otherwise, as most Dularnian raiders were quite willing to take women and gold wherever they could find it. Maris also considers women such as La-ra as being "not of Dularn" in the same way that Aurora might for example view us of Earth as not being "civilized". Darlanis also engaged in a bit of propa- ganda of her own, painting a "picture" of the Empire that is for most purposes quite unlike the "reality" of her society. (R.S.)
"A third of the crew of that raider of yours are women," the Warlady pointed out in reply. It was true. Queen Maris had done so for some very good reasons in my opinion. Life aboard a raid- er is not for the faint of heart, and sometimes a ship never re- turns. Dularnian culture is different than that of California, and is in my opinion "superior" in that a wife is "expected" to be more than just a household drudge and mother. Most Dularnian women tend to be well educated, intelligent women. They may have their sexual "hang-ups" like any, but on the other hand they tend to form the very same sorts of marriages that last and last. And a Dularnian wife expects to be at your side when "battle" comes. It is a social order that has a lot of wives like my own beloved.
"I find married couples superior to single men," Maris said. "I don't have the `discipline' problems you have on your ships." Lorraine nodding, perhaps well aware of the "truth" of her words.
"You might be interested in this," Lorraine smiled back, ringing a small bell she kept near at hand. A burly man now car- rying in what I recognized as the "bow" section of one of the new compound ballistae, and setting one end down there on the floor. They are five feet in length, and weigh about a hundred pounds.
"I see your spies are `competent'," Maris smiled in reply.
"There is a new warship now being commissioned at Trella," Lorraine smiled. "It will carry sixteen of these per side," she added. "I plan to `take' that damn North Star of yours." I saw the look in her eyes. I feared much then for my beloved Carol!