Fury clouded my judgment. I could see Astrid far acrossthe sunset-hued beach, in the center of the revel. My eyes set on her, I began making a beeline for the Emperor.
“Halt! Stand and identify thyself,” a rough voice shouted in thickly accented Commonwealth Basic. I stopped immediately, slowly raising my hands with fingers outstretched.
“I am Levar Boylan, Sky Captain of Her Majesty’s Royal Cavalry, Slayer of Prince Kerensky, Count Petrokov, and Count Gretsky, Consort to the Emperor,” I declared as I slowly turned to face my accuser. She was an Imperial guard, about nine feet in height, a zeroblade swordstaff leveled at my chest.
“Not likely,” she replied in Imperial. “The Consort belongs at the Emperor’s side, not skulking in the jungles beyond the party boundaries.”
“Damn it, I didn’t choose to go, I was taken. Now bring me to your Emperor this instant, or I’ll tell her it was you who kept me from delivering her vital news,” I raged.
The guard did not hesitate. “And take an assassin to within striking distance of my Emperor? I think not. You shall come with me.”
My heart began to sink into my stomach, but before I could think of a reply, a familiar voice spoke up behind me.
“I vouch for this man’s veracity, guardsman. He is who he says he is.”
The guard immediately put up her swordstaff. “Yes, Champion.”
“I commend your vigilance, but be about your patrol. I take responsibility for the Consort’s safety.” The guard saluted, then turned and began a slow, measured march away from us along the lighted region’s shadowed edge.
I turned about to face Ankhelina. “I must say, I’ve never been happier to see you.”
Ankhelina responded with a fearsome scowl. “You fool,you should know better than to wander unsupervised in this uncertain company.”
Angrily, I repeated the retort I’d given the guard. “I did not plan to leave. I was taken.”
“Yes, that Federation woman positively dragged you away by your thumbs,” Ankhelina replied.
I blushed. “It wasn’t like that. I was taken afterwards.”
Ankhelina’s eyes flashed. “I did not realize you had so many sexual conquests in one evening.”
“Damn your eyes, I was black-bagged by Imperial nobles, not seducing strumpets in the seafoam,” I shouted.
For the first time, Ankhelina looked concerned for my welfare, her eyes quickly flicking over my frame. “Were you harmed?”
“A few bruises, but nothing irreparable,” I replied.
“Good. Then we need to talk.” Her eyes rose to someone behind me, and she nodded. I started to turn around, but before I could so much as incline my head, another black bag fell over it.
“Damn it all, I just did this,” I shouted helplessly as a pair of giant hands slung me over a muscular shoulder and began bouncing me towards a location unknown.
Once again, I was restrained to a chair, but this time the chair was padded, and the restraints were cloth, not metal. Despite the improved comfort of my situation, I was still firmly bound and unable to escape when the bag was pulled from my head.
This pack of kidnappers was less professional than the last band. There were no blinding lights, no deafening sonic attacks. I was able to look around, take in my surroundings. Judging by the shimmering walls and the fine carpet beneath my feet, we were in the Crystal Palace, but not in a room I recognized. The lights were out, but no room in theCrystal Palace was truly dark – the walls reflected too much illumination. Thus, the faces of my kidnappers, who doubtless wished to remain shrouded in shadow, were clearly revealed to me.
I did not recognize most of my kidnappers, but I did my best to memorize their faces. One of them, I realized, was Count Zukov, the trainer of heroes. Most importantly, though, Ankhelina stood immediately before me, making no effort to hide.
When I spoke, the calmness of my voice surprised even me. “Champion. What a surprise. If you wanted to borrow me for yourself, I’m certain you could have asked your Emperor.”
Ankhelina scowled, but instead of speaking to me, she addressed the demons around me. “See what I mean? He is always on the lookout for his next dalliance.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Zukov replied. “He’s trying to put you off-balance.”
“Actually, I was hoping to bring balance to the situation, and maybe some sense,” I said.
Ankhelina growled. “Your involvement with our Emperor makes no sense. All you could do to restore sense would be to remove yourself from this venue.”
I laughed at the absurdity of her statement. “This whole party makes no sense. A twelve-year jubilee with one’s enemies when you’re at war, mere days after a war-winning breakthrough? What’s really going on?”
