The Mutant World (60 page)

“Indeed, my love,” said Bellasaris. “He may even have provided his allies with coordinates to another stronghold secretly just for such an emergency.”

“If that is the case,” said Jawara, then it would be his private holdings at Merkel. That place would be difficult to take even if they had no guns or other such weapons.”

“We move on Dino’s first,” said Bellasaris. “Lady Gorgo and a few thousand elder warriors of the Hidden Realm are there now. We will send word not to attack or advance too near the city until we arrive and are sure of what we’re up against.”

“What will you do if Elder Terrence has an arsenal of such weapons and men craven enough to use them?” ask Jawara.

Bellasaris looked at him coldly and said, “In such circumstances I would have no choice but to respond in kind and level that city or any hole he may be holdup in with airstrikes and high-tech batteries. Pray that this pistol was the only such weapon in his possession.” Bellasaris then looked at his allies again and said, “My, how our people have spread. Lord Jawara, please take me to your camp and introduce me to your friends here properly. I’ve never been so far west. I would very much like to know more about the lands and people there.”

******

Town Of Alba, Empress Beral III’s Base of Operations

Empress Beral III and High Lord Talos sat in private with former Queen Bellasaris and former High Lord Cato. It was late, but servants were about and ready to serve their masters at a moment’s notice. Beral III took a sip of her wine and then shook her head, and said, “To think that an elder of his age would stoop so low.”

“He’s as bad as a human,” said Bellasaris in disgust.

“I’ll find out who supplied him with that disgusting weapon if it’s the last thing I do,” said the empress.”

Bellasaris looked at Beral III and said, “It might be worse than one mere side arm, beloved descendant. I would take no risks in this matter. My suggestion to you is to prepare landing platforms and clear some forested areas near here for air transports, military aircraft and artillery.”

“What,” said Talos in shock.

“A man that would so brazenly interfere in a duel and openly use a gun is capable of anything,” said Bellasaris.

“I agree,” said Cato. “He might have unknown supporters within the empire who may have supplied him with not only firearms, but even more formidable armaments and men trained in their use.”

“I pray this is not the case,” said Beral III miserably.

“This makes it even more urgent that we find the person or persons who supplied Elder Terrence with his gun,” said Talos. “What do we know of this man?”

“Lord…” Bellasaris chuckled and corrected herself, “
Prince
Jawara says that he has served his family since Barrat himself. Indeed, he was Barrat’s closest friend. They were like brothers.”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” said Beral III. “He could not have been so without honor if he was held in such confidence by Barrat and his descendants. Why would he wish to see the house he served so well for so long fall?”

Bellasaris sighed and said, “No, it doesn’t make sense for one as young as you, but I’ve seen this before. People begin to see their way of life, their ideals, everything beginning to change and they become resolved to resist by any means necessary. This was the same with the Mavie. Queen Mavie did things that even she didn’t believe she was capable of when she saw her society changing in a way she didn’t like…and she paid for it later. But I believe there is more to this tale. I would like to question Jawara further on the matter when he arrives.”

“Why isn’t he here now with our daughter?” said Talos.

Bellasaris and Cato chuckled. “You forget my lord,” said Bellasaris, “he has an army to command and new allies to incorporate. He can’t just teleport over here like us and leave his forces behind at this delicate stage.”

“His brothers are there,” said the empress. “He could leave them in command and come on ahead.”

“The western tribes from beyond the mountains will not follow them,” said Cato, “especially the queens. Besides…” Cato gave Bellasaris a mischievous grin, “he has his hands full in other ways. It’s a good thing he has big hands!” Cato then roared with laughter and Bellasaris gave him a look.

Talos shook his head and couldn’t help chuckling himself, but Beral III had the same look of irritation on her face as Bellasaris.

“I know my daughter has inherited certain traits that are insistent in the women of our family,” said the empress, mindful of her own impressive proportions, “but-”

“That’s not what my lord means,” said Bellasaris. “Well…it is, but…”

“But what?” said the empress. Talos too was now curious.

“Lord Jawara or
Prince
Jawara had to make certain promises for some of the western rulers to join him in marching on Barrat,” said Cato. “Miko has three new sisters with which she must share. Frankly, I’m surprised the boy had the strength to fight with Stragg at all, much less so well. Hah!”

Beral sighed. She had been fortunate, but her daughters were not so lucky where keeping an exclusive hold on their men went. “When will Prince Jawara arrive?” she said dryly.

“He’s beginning to sound more like ‘King’ Jawara to me,” said Talos grinning. The bulk of the Barratians follow
him
now, not his brothers. And the tribes of the west have rallied to his call. He is now kin to three royal houses of the western tribes. That doesn’t sound like someone who’ll be anyone’s vassal.” Cato grinned and nodded. The empress and Bellasaris however looked a little green.

“Ye…Yes,” said the empress, “but when will he arrive?”

“With such a large host to manage without sophisticated transports and only horses, domesticated Ceerius and such, I’d say four days” said Bellasaris, maybe three.”

“Well, it’s late,” said Talos. “I’m a bit tired, so if you don’t mind, Ill retire now.” Talos extended his hand to Beral, but she declined.

“I’ll be along, my lord. I wish to talk to Queen Bellasaris and High Lord Cato some more.”

“Actually, it’s past the fourth hour,” said Cato with a chuckle. “I for one have talked enough. We should all get some rest. There is much to do and all must be ready for King…
Prince
Jawara’s arrival, no?”

“I quite agree,” said Bellasaris smiling and kissing Cato on the cheek. “But I too wish to converse with our descendant some more. Indeed, Jawara’s arrival, legitimizing and formal wedding is something that I’m eager to discuss. Where it will be, who we’ll invite, you know. I’m quite excited!”

Talos and Cato looked at each other and grinned. Human or mutant, women were much the same everywhere. They excused themselves and retired.

Once the two men were gone the empress looked at Bellasaris and mentally said,
“Typical men, they actually bought that. You were so convincing.”

“What do you mean?”
said Bellasaris chuckling.
“We are going to talk about just that.”

Beral’s eyes widened. Could the old lady really be okay with what was happening or was it that she doubted its possibility?
“Honored ancestor, my man is right. This is bad! We can’t plan a wedding now.”

“On the contrary,”
said Bellasaris,
“this is the best time to plan a wedding. The public legitimizing and wedding will be in Illyria in our old capital, Ramia, not Illia. Yes, FAR away from the Barratian Mountains and the western tribes. We’ll get his ass there and see to it that he stays.”

“How?”
said Beral.
“If he is truly intent on being his own master and is that well-loved by his people he’ll never stay willingly. Hah! He may not agree at all. The boy is clearly nobody’s fool.”

“It is a delicate situation, true,”
said Bellasaris sipping her wine,
“but the boy has honor. I have already manipulated him by it to some degree. He WILL come to Ramia. Also, by our pact with the late King Roc, he belongs to us anyway because of his brother’s slight against our family for the sake of that human girl…and his carrying off your daughter by force. This was agreed to by his father himself and witnessed by many. Indeed, some were Barratians, the king’s own daughter among them.”

“Prince Jawara may not be obligated to honor his late father’s wishes, honored ancestor,”
said the empress.”

“I agree,”
said Bellasaris,
“but his forcibly carrying Princess Miko away was still a serious offense and one he has sworn to correct.”

“He was in the grips of ‘The Hunger’ and ‘The Bonding’,”
said Beral.
“Besides…my daughter is now his mate willingly.”

“Yes…now,”
chuckled Bellasaris.

“She had already chosen him and was in heat already when he came for her,”
smiled the empress.

“I know,”
Bellasaris chuckled.

“But she was in denial and fled,”
said Beral grinning.
“In fact, she was resisting and he had to fight his way out of the building with her kicking over his shoulder.”

“Which means she was taken by force,”
said Bellasaris.

“You know that technically he wasn’t REALLY responsible for his actions while in the fever,”
said the empress chuckling.

“No,”
said Bellasaris.
“But he was in control when he arrived at her chambers and had planned to fake an attack on the princess in advance. True, we know his reasons for this feigned attack. But, despite his noble intentions, it was consciously planned before ‘The Hunger’ overwhelmed him.”

Beral grinned. The legends of Bellasaris’s cunning did not exaggerate and she was right. By all the laws of Bellasaria, Jawara could be held at least partially responsible for his deeds by reason of prior intent.

“He will not be bound easily to us, but it can be done,”
said Beral III with pleasure.

“Exactly,”
laughed Bellasaris.
“He is in our web and we WILL have him. His exceptional talents and genetics will belong to our house…and the empire. Best of all, he has even opened the way to rulers beyond the rim of our domains now. Bound by unions to their daughters, they will become kin to us by marriage. The empire will grow exponentially from this.”

“But first we move on Dinos,”
said Beral III.
“I will send word that scanners be brought in to detect any signatures of advanced weaponry. Whatever killing toys Elder Terrence may have he’s still no match for a fully equipped imperial strike force. If nothing is detected in Dinos we’ll take the city the old fashioned way, by spear and sword. But at the hint of a single forbidden weapon I’ll take out their defenses with airstrikes!”

“The warriors sent will not be happy,”
said Bellasaris shaking her head.
“Although well-trained with such weapons and military tech, they don’t relish using them. Nor have most of them ever had to.”

“This will be the work of soldiers,”
said Beral III,
“not warriors. Personally, I’d rather not force mutants to use such disgraceful tools, and would send humans instead. Butchery and weapons that kill from cowardly distance appeal to them. But I dare not.”

Bellasaris nodded.

Not far away two other mutants were also in private conversation.
High Lord Talos and former High Lord Cato, each in their own living quarters mentally chuckled amongst themselves.

“Really, Great Ancestor,”
said Talos,
“did they actually think we didn’t know they’re plotting to keep Lord Jawara from becoming ‘King’ Jawara? I swear, in their own way they’re as bad as the people who caused all the trouble to begin with.”

Cato sighed and replied
, “It has always been an issue with the women about men having such high positions. They fear domination. This I understand. You were not even a thought when the humans were our masters. It was bad for everyone naturally, but the humans used the women like dogs. Then later, after we overthrew the humans, a mutant made himself a king and brutalized the women of his defeated enemies most shamefully. It could be rightly said that it was his actions that had women like Mavie so terrified of men being free and equal in society.”

“Tarrack was an Earthborn mutant,”
said Talos.
“They are notoriously odd. Many can be reeducated, but many others are too far gone to be corrected.”

“Yes,”
said Cato nodding,
“that is true. Off to Akkadia I say, and good riddance.”

“So,”
said Talos,
“what are we going to do about our scheming wives?”

“Nothing,”
said Cato.
“The boy will either prove himself up to the challenge of subtle cunning as well as direct action…or not. Besides, the women are right. The empire could use a guy like that and his children would bind the western tribes and Barrat to us more firmly than treaty or conquest.”

“And if he IS skillful enough to avoid those two’s trap?”
said Talos.

“He is family,”
said Cato.
“He will not be an unpleasant neighbor. From what I’ve heard of him, the women have nothing to fear. In fact, I see great reform here if the Barratians do name him king. Now, if I know my wife, she’ll be in a certain type of mood once she’s believed she has finished her perfect plans. I’ll probably be seeing you later in the afternoon, heh!”