Turning back to Ponkert, he continued, 'They can't get enough in this damned place! They'd have screwed me into an early grave if I'd have given them half the chance!'
Unable to speak because of his laughter, Ponkert just nodded his head in acceptance of the king's words.
Rising from his seat in the white pillows, Tomar called for his clothes.
Two serving girls answered the summons and began dressing him.
'Come along, Baron Ponkert,' he urged the Earthman. 'Forget that willowy piece of fluff you're fondling. I know this other pleasure house down the street where… '
Chapter 8
'Ponkert, look! There-by the roadside-a rose!' Elf's excited words drew him from his idle thoughts of the events that transpired since his emergency landing on this strange planet.
Tugging his loyal Richard, the cowardly mankil, to a halt, the Earthman watched as the girl slid from the back of her mount and trotted toward the deep red bloom.
He smiled to himself, remembering the weapons demonstration Tomar had provided the morning following their night of wenching in the Hortian pleasure houses. The ruler's skill with the various swords and lances of Keller had been enough for the Earthman to reconsider his decision not to take Elf with him. There was no need to duel to the death-especially when there didn't seem to be the least chance that he would emerge the victor from such a battle.
He also had to admit that during his brief stay in Hort the ribald king of that city had grown to be the closest thing to a friend he had on this planet. If for no other reason than that, he had no desire to lock swords with Tomar.
Besides, his decision to take Elf along with him had resulted in Tomar outfitting him with the finest equipment available. The long sword, battle-axe and dagger hanging from his waist were superb. Tempered steel that would stand up to the strongest blows of any foe.
Of course, there was Elf. The young girl had been more than valuable during their week's journey from her home city. Her knowledge of the terrain had saved him at least a week's extra ride. And her woodsmanship had provided a ceaseless variety of delectable repasts each evening. Not to mention her companionship. The girl was a veritable wealth of information about Keller. During their endless hours of bouncing on the backs of their sturdy steeds, he had never tired of her explanations of various sights they passed. She had also provided a history of Keller's development. From what Ponkert could make of the various legends and myths she told, Keller had grown from the remnants of a derelict colonial rocket from Earth. The lost voyage had long been forgotten by the mother planet, which was to his advantage. If the Earth's residents had known about Keller, they would have come in the teeming millions. Of course, this was exactly what he planned once he located Jan.
He fully realized places like Hort, and people like Tomar and his daughter Elf, would be the losers if such a venture succeeded, but then this was a dog-eat-dog universe and if he didn't look out for himself, nobody else would!
'Look, Chad!' Elf panted as she remounted her mankil, which bore the name Harl. Unlike his own Richard, Harl was a stunted animal and entirely docile.
'This is quite a rarity.' the hazel-eyed girl exclaimed, holding the carmine flower out for his examination. 'This rose grows wild in the forest of Hogue, but are seldom found. Some say the petals can be crushed and the slightest drop mixed with wine forms a powerful elixir-an aphrodisiac.'
Ponkert smiled at his impish companion, 'What would you want with a love potion?'
'Milord, I have no need of such a brew,' she glared somewhat contemptuously at him. 'But there are those that do!'
Her heels nudged her mount forward without another word. The girl's eyes stared straight ahead as she settled to the back of her mankil. The rest of the day's journey continued in much the same manner. The silence irritated him for some strange reason. Even when he suggested they stop for the night, she merely grunted and gave a curt nod of her head.
As he bedded their mounts down for the night, the girl went about lighting a small fire and laying out their equipment. With Richard and the diminutive Harl safely hobbled, he announced his plans of scouting the area for direwolf spoor. In reply, Elf curtly informed him of her intention of bathing in a stream running about a hundred yards from their campsite, and that if he needed anything further from her, he could find her easily enough.
More than a little perplexed by her attitude, the Earthman strolled off into the dense forest surrounding the small clearing in which they had made their camp. He had obviously said something that had insulted the girl and now she was retaliating by denying him her companionship. Not quite the way for a woman who had offered her life to him to act.
Although he tried to shrug off the cold shoulder she had presented, it still bothered him for some reason which he couldn't explain.
Trying to take his mind off the girl, he pulled his sword from its scabbard and took a couple of swipes at an imaginary opponent that suddenly appeared before him. The imaginary villain deftly done in by his expert swordsmanship, Ponkert carefully examined, the fine workmanship that went into the blade. Laying the sword aside on the ground, he pulled out his battle-axe and admired it. Although he had yet to use the weapons, they gave him a feeling of security in this world of knights, kings and fair damsels in distress.
At last he slipped his favourite gift from Tomar from its metal sheath, as he placed the battle-axe on the ground next to his sword. The weapon was a long dagger that looked more like a bowie knife than anything else. It was of Tomar's own design and, like the other two blades, a figure of a half-man, half-wolf was etched into its silvered steel near the hilt. A werewolf! Tomar's own reminder of his destroyed ship. Also symbolic of the pack of direwolves he had defeated to save Elf, the king had explained.
Unclasping his cumbersome cape and laser pistol holster, also provided by Elf's grateful father, and laying them on the ground, the Earthman balanced the dagger in his hand. Again an imaginary opponent appeared from out of the forest. Grinning he jumped at the mock foe, whose size and strength rivalled that of King Kong. Stabbing and lashing in a brilliant show of dexterity, the imagined villain was vanquished in a matter of moments.
Smiling, self-assured, Ponkert stepped back and admired his skill with the blade. His grin abruptly faded when an ear-splitting scream pierced the silent forest.
The cry for help had not faded before, the Earthman, clutching his dagger was racing through the thick brambles toward the source of distress-Elf!
Reaching the edge of the small pond, he was immediately met by the sight of a monstrous snake writhing and splashing near the shore to his left.
Elf, struggling uselessly, was caught in the thickness of the creature's green and brown splotched rings. The gigantic snake, a waterboa, was methodically crushing the life from her body.
Hollowness filled him as he rushed forward toward the encoiled woman.
His foolishness in the woods had left him armed with only the dagger he clutched in his right hand. A feeble weapon with which to slay a seventeen foot monster that had just slithered up from the swamps of hell!
With only the thought of freeing the girl from the twisting body, Ponkert lashed out at the hell-creature. The blade struck a deep groove in the shining green near one of its eyes. The action brought what he wanted, the snake's attention was diverted from Elf momentarily.
Like an unholy living whip of flesh, the waterboa's great triangular head struck out, its gaping mouth snapping closed on Ponkert's forearm.
While the beast lacked the teeth that normally line a mouth, it had two wickedly curved fangs which it used to hold its prey. It was these that savagely sunk into the Earthman's arm, burning like twin daggers.
Transferring his blade to his left hand, Ponkert's right hand closed around the thick scaly neck of the creature, gripping as tight as possible to stop those dangerous fangs from adding further torment.
Connected fangs in his flesh and a hand grasping its neck, the dagger-armed man began to step backwards in a straight line to avoid the coils that slithered free from Elf as the devil-snake turned all its attentions to the new challenge.
Repeatedly, the bowie knife-like dagger slashed out trying to cut its way into the white underside of the snake.
