There was a vast amount of itchy foot stomping, let me tell you. And plenty of cheers and cries of joy when we had finished. Buoyed up by enthusiasm we played two more numbers before I called a break.
'Thanks folks, thanks much - you're a great audience. Now if you will give us a few minutes we'll be right back…'
'Very well done, well done indeed,' Svinjar said, waddling over and plucking the microphone from my lapel. 'I know that we all have heard these musicians before - on the box - so their delightful entertainment comes as no surprise to us all. Yet still, there is something fine about having them here in person. I am grateful - I know that everyone out there is grateful.' He turned and smiled broadly at me. A smile that, I could see quite clearly, held no warmth or humor at all. He turned back and spread his arms wide.
'I am so grateful that I have prepared a little surprise for all of you out there - do you want to know what it is?'
Absolute silence now - and a sideways shuffling by the audience. They apparently did not like any of Svinjar's little surprises.
They were right.
'Go!' he shouted into the microphone, so loudly that his amplified voice rolled and echoed like thunder. 'Go- go-GO!'
I staggered and almost fell as the platform shook and vibrated. There was a roar of masculine voices as out from under our feet, brushing aside the disguising leafy boughs, burst a mass of armed men. More and more appeared, waving cudgels, howling as they ran, bearing down on the fleeing audience.
We looked on dumbfounded as men and women were clubbed to the ground, chained, tied. The attack was brief and vicious and quickly over with. The fields were empty, the last visitor gone. Those that remained were bound and silent, or groaning with pain. Over their moans of agony Svinjar's laughter sounded clearly. He was rocking in his chair, possessed by sadistic humor, tears rolling down his cheeks.
'But where - ' Madonette said. 'Where did they all come from? There was no one under here when we started the concert.'
I jumped to the ground, kicked some branches aside, saw the gaping mouth of the tunnel. The opening had been concealed by a dirt-covered lid, now thrown aside. There was a heavy thud and Svinjar landed beside me.
'Wonderful, isn't it?' He gestured at the opening. 'I have had my men digging that thing for months now. Stamping the removed dirt into the mud whenever it rains. I had planned a meeting here, some gifts, all very vague. Until you showed up! If I were capable of gratitude I would be grateful. I am not. The blind workings of chance. And victory to those - meaning me - who have the intelligence to seize the opportunity. Now a small celebration. We will have food and drink and you will play for me.'
He turned and issued instructions, kicked one of his new slaves when she stumbled close.
'It would be nice to kill him,' Madonette said. Speaking for all of us, if the nodding heads meant anything.
'Caution,' I cautioned. 'He has all the cards and the thugs right now. Let's play the concert and figure out how we can get out of here after that.'
It wasn't going to be easy. Svinjar's oversized log cabin was filled with his men. Drinking but not drunk, boasting of their feats, drinking even more. We played a number but no one was listening.
Yes; Svinjar was. Listening and looking. Waddling towards us, silencing the music with a swipe of his hand. Dropping into his chair and fingering the hilt of his large sword embedded in the stone close by his hand. Smiling that humorless smile at me again.
'Life is a bit different here, isn't it Jim?'
'You might say that.'
If he was looking for trouble I wasn't going to supply it. I didn't like the odds at all.
'We make our own life - and our own rules here. Out there in the androgynous, settled worlds of the galaxy, the effete intellectuals rule. Men who act like women. Here we hearken back to the days of the primitive, virile, important men. Strength through strength. I like that. And I make the rules here.' He looked at Madonette in a singularly repulsive manner.
'A fine singer - and a lovely woman,' he said, then looked at me. 'Your wife you say? Can anything be done about that? Let me think – yes - something can be done. Out there, in those so-called civilized planets nothing could be done. Here it can. For I am Svinjar - and Svinjar can always do something.'
He lifted one gross hand and tapped me on the forehead. 'By my law and my custom I now divorce you.' He heaved himself to his feet while his henchmen roared with laughter at his subtle humor.
'That is not possible. It can't be done -'
For his size he was fast, whipping out the broadsword from the niche in his throne.
'Here is my first lesson for my new bride. Nobody says no to Svinjar.'
The blade slashed out to slit my throat.
Chapter 9
I jumped back to avoid the slash, stumbled over a man's legs, fell on top of him.
'Hold him!' Svinjar shouted and I was grabbed tightly, struggled to get free, couldn't quite make it.
Svinjar was standing over me, pushing the point of the sword into my throat.
Then he toppled sideways and fell with a great thud. Revealing the fact that Steengo, despite age and overweight, had jumped to the attack and was behind him, had dropped him with a chop to the neck.
What was happening had by this time sunk into even the tiniest of the birdbrains present. Men struggled to draw weapons and roared crude oaths. I saw Floyd laying about the warriors nearest him - but it wouldn't be enough. In about two seconds there was going to be a massacre of musicians if I didn't do something to stop it.
I did. First by planting my elbow in the solar plexus of my captor. Who gurgled and let go of my arms. One second gone. I didn't waste any time trying to stand up but writhed on my side and pulled the black sphere from my pocket, thumbed the actuator and threw it up towards the ceiling.
Two seconds. Weapons swinging on all sides. My best defense was to jam the filter plugs into my nostrils. The gas bomb popped and I spent a busy few seconds more dodging my attackers. Who moved more and more slowly until they dropped. When I looked around I saw that the gas had done a great job. The entire great room was filled with prone and snoring forms. I shook my hands over my head.
'Let's hear it for the good guys!' I had an audience of one, myself, which made the victory no less sweet. The sleep gas had hit my friends as well, though Floyd had been doing quite well before he dropped. A number of crumpled bodies were collapsed around him. I opened my pack and got the gas antidote, one by one I shot up my companions with the styrette. Then went to the door and stared gloomily out at the rain until they revived.
Soft footsteps behind me and Madonette held me lightly by the arms.
'Thanks, Jim.'
'Was nothing.'
'It was something. You saved our lives.'
'We're still in it,' Floyd said. 'And like Madonette said, we owe you a good bit of thanks.' Steengo nodded agreement.
'I wish you didn't. If this operation had been planned better all these emergencies wouldn't be taking place. My fault. I'm under what you might call a certain kind of time pressure. For reasons I can't go into right now we have to find the artifact and finish this operation within twenty days.'
'That's not much time,' Steengo said.
'Right - so let's not waste any of it. Our welcome has worn out around here. Grab weapons because we might have trouble getting out of town empty-handed. Packs on, armed to kill, ruthless and deadly expressions.
