"IN HARM'S WAY"

AN ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN

By Robert J. Simmons

Chapter Eight

      "Carol!" I breathed, seeing that brownette in her furs, Car- ol's eyes missing little as I helped her from the boat, her arms going about my neck as she pressed those warm sweet lips to mine. A beautiful woman tall and golden haired next alighting from the boat, the Empress of California giving us both a big smile as we broke our embrace. "Like old `home coming week'," I now smiled to her. It is hard to "dislike" Darlanis despite everything. There is something about the woman that is very hard to describe. A sort of innate "goodness" that has been noted by others too... I thought of the "stories" I'd heard, of her half secret daughter who might someday become the "last Leaderess" of the Earth. The woman those of the 21st Century would know as "Domino Tremaine". Once again the "thought" going through my mind that was it possi- ble that this was the same "Domino Tremaine" we'd met in Spain?

      "I thought that I might need a good `Warlady'," Darlanis ex- plained, her eyes like lovely azure jewels glowing into mine as she broke into my train of thought here. Carol's warm smile say- ing more than paragraphs could have just then as we embraced...

      "Thought you might be able to use my `help'," Carol smiled. Darlanis having strode off to greet Lorraine and Queen Valeris. Carol explaining that Darlanis had specificly asked for her help. Apparently the big blonde beauty wasn't as "dumb" as I thought! Darlanis was no doubt well aware of my wife's "military" talents!

      "You could be `IN HARM'S WAY'," I then said to her in reply, thinking of "what" we might be facing when we reached our goal.

      "I may be pregnant, but I'm not that far `gone' yet!" Carol said to me, perhaps not that "delighted" at seeing Lorraine here. On the other hand the idea of putting a pregnant woman "in harm's way" didn't much please me even if I was delighted to see Carol!

      "Lorraine's made `allies' out of these people," Shari said, going on before I could stop her to say that these "women" killed babies if they were of the "wrong" sex. She was obviously muchly "upset" by the idea, much like a "right to lifer" from our time!!

      "She'd make a `bargain' with the `Devil' if she felt it'd do her any good!" Carol laughed, the laugh a bit "forced" I thought! While she was carrying a girl, not a boy, I suppose that any pregnant woman might be a bit "uncomfortable" with such thoughts!

      "These women also practice the most vile of `witchcraft' and even denounce the teachings of the Priestesses of Lys!" Shari ad- ded, carrying on about Lorraine and her "allies". Adding that in her opinion they no doubt secretly worshiped the "EVIL ONE" as part of their dark evil religious rites. Carol quietly listening to all this, her attractive face expressionless as she nodded...

      "They practice hypnosis, which is not `witchcraft' despite what the Priestesses have to say about it, and not all the teach- ings of the Priestesses of Lys have any justification," my wife then spoke in level tones. "Also, infanticide was quite `common- place' in societies living at this level of technology, although usually girls were the ones killed, not boys as these people do."

      "Oh...!" Shari breathed, standing there, looking the "fool".

      "Lieutenant," Carol now said, "I must remind you that you are under military discipline, and if you in any way interfere in this mission I can assure you that I will order a court martial." I saw Shari nod, her surprisingly green eyes wide with surprise! The sun shining brightly down upon us, melting the newly fallen snow. It was, I mused then, turning out to be a rather nice day. On the other hand I suspected that Shari just then didn't agree!

      "We have a problem as to `who' will be in command," Darlanis said to us. I could understand the Empress' concern. While there was no doubt in my mind that Lorraine was the most "compe- tent", Carol on the other hand had no love for the Imperial War- lady, such "dislikes" actually dating back to even before Lor- raine and Sharon first flew through the GATEWAY into this time. The Empress in her heavy furs reminding me of Shannon Tweed, a movie and TV actress of the 20th Century, but more "muscular". I would also mention "Lana Clarkson", although Darlanis is somewhat better looking in the face and doesn't have quite as full a bust.

      "Command at sea should be Lorraine's, command on land should be Carol's," I suggested, seeing the Empress nod in reply. I thought that was a wise decision. Lorraine is a great naval com- mander, but on land Carol had proved herself to be the "superior" last year. Carol is "crafty", something that Lorraine is not...

      "Think you can `work' with Lorraine?" I asked Carol as she settled herself there on the seat beneath the stern windows, the North Star now gathering the wind in her sails and leaving the land behind. Carol had much to my surprise placed Shari with Queen Valeris' forces, who would march north on their gigantic wolves to launch an attack upon the pirates who had taken Sharon. My wife had said that it would "teach" Shari a few things that she needed to learn. I supposed that it just might do just that. The other ships had come sailing up over the horizon shortly af- terwards. I had put Carl Cabot in Shari's place, the oldest mid- shipman, a girl of sixteen, moving up to take his place in turn. Shari had risen to such a position from midshipman, I recalled...

      "I admire the woman for her fighting skills, I just don't care for the fact that she still has `feelings' for you," my wife answered, her lovely hazel eyes looking up into mine as I handed her a glass of wine. One should not drink to excess when preg- nant, but a small amount of alcohol is not harmful to the fetus.

      "I've never considered her seriously as a sexual partner," I answered, sitting down beside her. Shari had not had any more to "say" after Carol had gotten done talking to her. I hoped that would be the "end" of it as I hated to see young Shari court martialled by my wife for her opinions, opinions that might be secretly shared by many aboard the ships of all three nations. I suspected too that my feelings towards Shari were based to a cer- tain extent upon the fact that she reminded me of Carol in a way. Of the way Carol had been years ago when I first met her in 1976.

      "Lorraine's not very good looking," Carol smiled back. She has a rather stern, angular face, one that could not be consid- ered beautiful. She is hard, muscular, rather small breasted. I'd seen her in a bikini once years ago, and while "attractive" in her way, simply didn't compare to a woman like Carol in looks! Carol being the sort of a gal that could have graced centerfolds.

      "While you are one extremely `provocative' wench," I smiled. My wife is not a "beautiful" woman in the objective sense, but she is the sort that leaves no "doubts" either when you see her. I had "informed" Kathi that we would not need her "services" now.

      "I was a `disappointment' to a lot of men there on Lor- raine's estate," Carol smiled, sipping at her wine. She had once been a slave girl there, and while perhaps the most "provocative" of the slave girls save perhaps for Kathi, had been a disappoint- ment to those men who had been allowed the pleasure of "using" the brownette. Carol having simply "laid there" like a corpse!!

      "But never to me," I answered, turning her face to me, kiss- ing her then. Carol is a great "comfort" to have around, the sort of a woman who is always a "pleasure" to be with. Her red lips soft, warm against mine as she returned the kiss with her tongue, letting me know that she was still the "best" there is...

      "Kathi is going to have to `sleep' by herself," she laughed.

      "There is still only one `Carol'," I said to that brownette.

      "It `bothers' me being under the `command' of that `Imperi- al'," captain Sandra Steven said as we had dinner together. My wife nodding, smiling, Kathi quick to be of service to us. The slave girl well aware that while I might allow certain "liber- ties" to be taken, Carol wasn't very likely to permit such stuff! This is why slave girls fear "mistress" more than they do master. Slave girls like Kathi quickly learn how to "appease" a master...

      "She is `competent' at what she does," Carol smiled back. I supposed that was a pretty description of it. Lorraine was far more intelligent than Carol, having a far higher IQ than my wife. On the other hand Carol was "crafty" in a way Lorraine wasn't...

      "That Darlanis is `unpredictable'," the captain smiled. The old term "a loose cannon" was perhaps more "fitting" here regard- ing Darlanis. The Empress was incredibly courageous, but not a good military commander. On the other hand if there is ever an expedition to Hell, I suspect Darlanis would be the one to pick as its leader. She also seems to lead a charmed life, getting out of situations that make you wonder if God doesn't have plans for that big beautiful blonde. I admired Darlanis greatly, al- though she was certainly something of a "dumb blonde" in the full sense of the term and not really a competent military commander. On the other hand she gave a good account of herself against the North Wind last year, so one sometimes "wonders" about the woman.

      "She is concerned about Sharon, as we all are," I answered.

      "Wind's against us now," I said to Carol as she joined us on deck. We'd been forced to shorten sail considerably so that the Athena and Sarnian Queen could keep us with us. Even with their square rigs now furled and the fore and aft stay sails mounted, the two armor plated steam frigates were slow sailing up into a wind. Even using their steam engines to help matters out as they were both now doing required a high consumption of firewood which in turn meant more landings for fuel. Vengeance was far ahead, a dot there on the horizon ahead of us. The two steam frigates were miles behind us. You could see the smoke from their stacks.

      "Maybe the old girl isn't as obsolete as Lorraine says," my wife laughed. The North Star was still sailing as good as ever. While we were no "match" now for a steam frigate with its cata- pults and armor plate, we could sail circles around both of them!

      "You could be risking Sharon's life by an attack," Carol said as we sat together in the stern cabin of the Athena, Queen Valeris of the Free Women with us, smelling much like a wolf too. We were perhaps a hundred miles now from where the Imperial Prin- cess was being held captive, assuming that those we thought to be her captors actually were. That no one really knew for sure now. It was snowing a bit outside, the snowflakes gently drifting down into the restless ocean. Lorraine had steam up, mostly for warmth aboard ship than for any real "need" for it right now. I wondered how long it would be before she needed to make another trip to shore for more firewood. We were supplying Valeris' wom- en with weapons, such food as we could. They now carried short swords manufactured in Trelandar, and the Imperial compound bow as designed two years ago by Lorraine. The same weapon as is manufactured in Dularn now. While I had no doubts that these women could fight, they were unwilling to submit to discipline, and Carol didn't think that we could "rely" upon them too much...

      "I will attempt to ransom her, and if that fails...," the Warlady answered in level tones, glancing at Carol. My wife nod- ding. Then it would be up to Carol to avenge the famous Warlady.

      "I've never liked you, but...," Carol answered her softly.

      "I have `this'," Lorraine answered, drawing her pistol, lay- ing it there on the table before us. "It may be `adequate'..."

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