Whistling to himself, he let his eyes take in the bountiful beauty surrounding him. He tried to visualize the countryside after he had opened his matter transmitter vacation service to Keller. Immediately scraps of paper and disposable cans that were never disposed of were heaped around his feet. He shook the vision from his mind and the greenery was returned. The prospect of his business venture suddenly sat uneasy with him. Perhaps if he set up regulations…
His thoughts were abruptly ripped from his mind as he stepped into the clearing that had held their campsite an hour ago.
'Elf!' he called out, dropping the heavy bird legs to the ground. 'Elf!'
There was no answer. Like a madman he rushed to the torn sleeping bag and camping equipment scattered in crazy disarray over the small clearing. The girl was gone! And so were the two mankils, Richard and Harl!
Suppressing his urge to panic, he forced logic into his brain when desperation fought for a seat. His mind seemed to take in and process the information his eyes transmitted to it double-time, trying to subdue the hollow sinking that filled the pit of his stomach.
He found the key to the whole riddle at the north edge of the clearing.
Mankil tracks. Enough for at least ten creatures and their riders.
The complete wrecking of the camp and the missing Elf fell into place.
Someone, for some unknown reason, had ridden in and abducted her. There had been a fight, that much he knew. Elf would never have gone submissively. But why? Why?
Suddenly, the thought of some northern Yngvi grabbed his mind like fingers of ice. Some unknown Yngvi and his Elf! His mind screamed and logic fell to blood-lust. Like a lunatic, he wrenched the long sword that hung from his side from its scabbard. The silvered blade flashed in the morning sun as he ran after those who had left an easy trail for his revenge-seeking eyes. He ran, intent on but one thing: to find and kill those that had taken the girl from him.
Chapter 10
Ponkert's temper had cooled to cold determination during the two weeks it had taken to plod along on foot to arrive within the fortified walls of the city-state Lindakar. While the city rivalled Hort in size, its streets were littered with trash and the people didn't display the joviality of Hortians. However, they were friendly enough to explain to an ignorant stranger with certain pride that their ruler, Rololf, had managed to capture the daughter of their most feared enemy-Tomar.
That same enemy's wisdom in giving Ponkert a small pouch of silver, had allowed the Earthman to cross enough palms to find out the exact location of Elf within Rololf's palace. The remainder of his week's stay within Lindakar had been spent plotting his rescue of the red-headed Hortian princess.
It was a good plan. A damn good one. However, it had one major fault, he had to admit. It just didn't work. The four Lindakarian palace guards who surrounded him, their long curved scimitars drawn and held in quite menacing positions, was all the evidence he needed of that.
'I say we should just skewer him now,' one of the burly black guards grunted.
'No! As delightful as his death agonies might be, we have orders that all would-be assassins are to be taken before the queen for sentencing in Rololf's absence,' an even more burly and higher ranking guard answered.
Ponkert winced as a sharp point bit into his back, 'Move!' a voice behind his ordered. He did just that, following two of the guards who positioned themselves before him.
As they marched through the echoing halls of the palace, the Earthman doubted his decision to leave his laser pistol behind at the inn. But then on the other hand, if one of these oafs had gotten their mitts on it, the results would have been disastrous.
He silently cursed himself for not taking more time to lay his plans, but it did no good. There was no way for him to know that as he strolled through the palace garden toward the high-rising tower where Elf was held that he would step smack-dab in the middle of the back of a palace guard taking a rest break with a scullery maid. To say the least, the man's startled cries brought the rest of the guards running.
'Wait here, pig!' one of his rather unfriendly companions ordered, halting the group outside two golden doors.
The guard entered and returned a few moments later ordering him inside.
The Earthman's darting eyes took only a few seconds to confirm the fact that he was being brought before the queen. And by the looks of the pastel draperies and somewhat suggestive marble statues that lined the walls of the expansive room, his audience was to be in her bed chambers-which is where any good queen should be in the middle of the night.
Somewhere before him, he heard a very feminine chuckle. He strained to see around the broad backs of his captors, but was unsuccessful. His ears strained to hear the whispering that followed the soft laughter and managed to pick up 'Thank you… alright… my agent testing the defences of… yes… sure I'll be… '
He twisted from side to side in amazement as his surrounding guards suddenly turned and left him standing alone in the room. His unbelieving eyes strained over his shoulder as the armed men marched through the door and closed it behind them.
'Chadwick Ponkert the Third,' the voice of the queen summoned his gaze back to front centre.
His eyes must have bulged an inch and his jaw dropped to the floor as he focussed on the woman in white robes before him. 'J-Jan!'
In a very familiar bouncy little trot, the woman ran forward and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him with the tight squeezing embrace of old friends-very close old friends!
Chad, I thought I'd never see you again!' she cried, setting off warm tinglings within him. His own arms slipped around her waist.
By the time a flood of warm, wet kisses subsided and they parted slightly, he stared at her, still unbelieving, 'Jan! Woman, I've been searching for you ever since my pod landed on this crazy planet. I just can't believe it! And a queen. Hell, wench, I've only managed to rise to the title of baron!'
Laughing, the very Earthy queen of Lindakar maneuvered him to a couch and poured wine from a silver flask into a silver goblet. Tears of happiness still welling in her eyes, she explained that Rololf had located her fallen, misguided escape pod, while on a hunting trip.
'It was love at first sight, if you can believe that, Chad,' she explained. 'He made me his queen during our first month together. He also made every attempt he could to locate you. I told him everything!
But my damn signal beam locator was smashed in the crash. The signal beacon worked and we turned it on in the hope that you were alive and would try to find me.'
Briefly, he recounted the various adventures and misadventures that had occurred to him on his journey across the face of Keller. He very carefully explained every detail pertaining to Elf, her abduction and somewhat less than successful attempt at rescue.
'Rololf is a fair man,' she said. 'Although he is somewhat dominating … '
And just what you need and want, Ponkert thought, remembering Jan and his master-slave sex games on the now destructed Werewolf.
'… but Hort has been a rival of Lindakar's for centuries. I'll do my best when he returns from his hunt tomorrow, but I can't promise anything.'
'However,' she added, 'I think I'll be able to swing it. Lindakar was a city on the edge of revolt when I first arrived. It's still in bad shape, but under my suggestion, Rololf removed every member of his council. Things are shaping up and the people are beginning to call him their king again. I think it would be hard for him to refuse. But there's a price… '
Ponkert's eyes jumped to hers. 'A price?'
'Yes,' she replied with determination.
'Okay, let's hear it,' he grimaced as he realized his former co-pilot had him over a barrel.
'First, I know I'll never be able to stop you from your plans of setting up the matter transmitter and opening up Keller to Earth. But if you want my help, you'll have to agree to wait at least six months before you take any steps in finding the transmitter.' She paused momentarily, her eyes searching his face for any traces of understanding.
