The Black Sword Trilogy: The Four Nations (25 page)

Seeing the Admiral take a female partner, all the women paired with each other and then all of the men fell into their seats as if having run for miles.

              It was a slow waltz and Terri with Janna floated gracefully in a circle around the floor.  At first, Terri was held at a courteous distance from the Admiral, but then felt herself being pulled closer.  Janna’s hand reached further down the back of Terri’s dress to the very top of her waist and Janna pressed her chest against hers.  Terri then saw the look of a hunter in Janna’s eyes.

             
“Why Madam,” Terri started to say.  Janna interrupted her.

             
“You can call me anything you want after I’m finished with Kenner.” She whispered in Terri’s ear.

After that dance, Terri was e
scorted to her seat by Janna, holding her hand.  Janna then skipped back to the dance floor and pulled Kenner away from a pack of wild ladies.

             
“My turn!” She shouted at them.

Terri watched the two of them dance to a similarly slow song and then saw a surp
rised, almost frightened expression cross Kenner’s face after Janna whispered in his ear. 

             
Kenner returned to his seat after the dance, looking exhausted.  As another song played and the guests all danced, Kenner looked down at Shela.

             
“Why didn’t you save me from those she-wolves?” He drunkenly stuttered at her.  For an instant he thought he heard her say, “You needed no saving from me.”  “Impossible,” he thought to himself.  He fell into his chair and looked over at Terri.

             
“Do you think she likes me?” He asked, breathlessly.

             
“I have an announcement!” Janna shouted.

The music stopped and all the guests went quiet.

              “Tonight I deflower a virgin!” She shouted again and then howled like a wolf.

             
“I think it’s a possibility.” Terri said.

             
“Table dance!” Janna then shouted.  All of the women squealed and then leapt onto the tops of the tables.  Fast and furious music was played and all of the women pulled up their skirts over their knees and danced suggestively in front of the seated men.

             
“Oh, I have to get in on this!” Terri yelled.  She jumped up and started dancing next to Janna and then the two faced each other and seemed to dancing as if trying to seduce one another.  At one point, the two women hooked each other by the arms and spun each other around.  They hooked the opposite arms and spun the other direction.  When the song was over, they both collapsed, the table broke and they fell in a heap onto the floor.  A gasp went through the room, but when the Admiral sat up laughing hysterically, the whole room laughed with her.

             
Later, more slow music was playing than fast and many of the guests began to leave the hall.  Kenner unsteadily raised himself from the table and grabbed the Sword.

             
“Where do you think you’re going?” Terri asked him.

             
“To bed,” He answered.  “Not all of us can sleep like vampires.”

             
“I was up before sundown.”

             
“Only because eight women poured cold water on you.”

             
“Yes, and when I catch them I’m going to beat them all like mules.”

‘
              Shela stood up with Kenner and he thought he heard her tell him, “Climb on my back or you’ll never make it back to your room.”  He felt too drunk to either argue or question whether it was really Shela talking to him or not.  He complied and she began moving toward the door.

             
“And just where do you think you’re going, young man?” The Admiral shouted at him.

             
“Bed,” he answered wearily.

             
“Well, don’t forget to leave your door unlocked or I’ll be very cross with you.” She said with other women laughing.  “I may even have to spank you.”

             
Much later, Terri was awakened from whispering dreams by someone shaking her.  She looked up with bleary eyes and saw Janna standing over her.

             
“Do you intend to sleep there all night?” Janna asked her.

             
“Not unless I can connect my legs to the rest of my body again.” Terri slurred.

Janna motioned over to someone that Terri couldn’t see and then she felt hands under her shoulders and she was hoisted to her feet.

              “Come along, farm girl.” Janna said like a scolding mother.  “Let’s get you to bed.”

             
Terri was helped along the corridors as if she was wounded.  More than once, she stumbled and was barely prevented from falling to the floor by the hands helping her.  Janna was with her two and she heard lusty words and invitations escaping her lips.

             
“Have you ever been with a farm girl before?” Terri slurred.

             
“I can’t say that I have.” Janna answered almost distantly.

             
“You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve learned from all those horny animals.”

             
“I’m sure you’ve learned a lot, now come on, we’re getting closer.  Just stay with me a little while more.”

Terri then fell out of the arms and then face down on the floor.

              As she was helped to turn over and sit up, Terri then saw Edum approaching with some men in black armor with him.

             
“Is there any trouble, Madam?” He said to Janna.

             
“Just helping our guest back to her room.  Who are these men?”

             
“Just some friends, Madam.  May we help?”

             
“Yes,” Janna said absently.  “Hold this,” she said handing him the Golden Spear. 

Terri then felt something hard hit her on the back of the head and then
she passed out.

Chapter Twenty Nine

             
Terri awoke with a splitting headache.  She heard screams, cries and moans; people begging for their lives.  She heard both women and men sobbing like children; one person crying out in pain and terror and then another.  She opened her eyes and saw a horrifying sight.  She found herself on the stage and saw that the tables in the hall where she had just been feasting and dancing had the bodies of dead women and men strewn about them and more dead littered the dance floor.  Soldiers in black armor crept around the hall and when they saw someone move, they thrust a spear into their flesh.  Spattered blood covered the wall.

             
Suddenly she heard a woman cry out in terror.  Looking in her direction, she saw a woman she had just danced with being dragged to the center table, kicking and wailing.  She was lifted on to the table and then she saw Edum with the Golden Spear in his hands standing over her.

             
“You have been sentenced to death in the name of the blessed nation of Sheyron.” He told as she begged for her life.  Tulles then stepped forward and held his hand over her face.

             
“In the name of the Great Lady I pray for the forgiveness of your sins and that the Lady may have mercy on your soul.”

After Tulles had f
inished with his prayer, Edum raised the Spear and then plunged it into her chest.  She screamed and gurgled as blood spewed from her throat.  Her head fell back on the table and then a soldier took her lifeless body and threw it on the floor like garbage.  Edum then looked to his right and made a simple nodding motion.  Two soldiers then began dragging a terrified man to the table, pleading for his life to be spared.

             
“Father, I beg of you,” said the voice of Firth.  “You must stop this!”

Terri looked to w
here the voice was coming from and saw him tied up and seated on the floor.  Edum looked over at a soldier standing next to Firth and nodded at him.  The soldier struck Firth hard across the face.

             
“I’m sorry, my son,” He said to Firth.  “This is not easy for me.  It will be even harder for me to take my own son’s life.”

             
“It must be done, my Lord.” Tulles told him.  “He was defiled by the harlot with the Bow and all impurities must be cleansed.”

             
The next victim was placed on the table.

             
“You should not have defied me, Turs.” Edum said to the man, pleading desperately. 

             
“Please, Edum,” He beseeched Edum, “We’ve known each other since we were children.  I beg of you; I’ll do anything.”

             
“You should not have voted with the heathens.” Edum spat at him and then raised the Spear. 

Tulles prayed over him and then the Spear was thrust through his heart.  He too was tossed onto the floor like trash.

              Next, the speaker for the ‘Boots’ was dragged onto the table, but she did not beg or plead.

             
“You bastard!” She screamed defiantly.  “You heartless bastard!  You will be punished for this!  You will all pay for this!”

             
“Oh yes, Violane,” Edum said to her.  “I was hoping for defiance from you.  It’s not your style to plead for mercy like the rest of these cowards.”

             
“You’re the coward, Edum!  You’re the one slaughtering these people like cattle!”

             
“For too long you and your liberal cohorts have sought to take from those chosen by the Lady to rule and give it to the unwashed masses.  For too long you have sought to weaken the power of the ones who bear true faith to our shores and our Lady.  You and your guilds will hold no more power over us.”

             
“The people will never stand for this!  They will not be enslaved!”

Tulles prayed over her, the Spear was thru
st and then she was silent.

             
Terri tried to get up but found her hands and feet tied.  She looked around the hall for Janna and then found her sitting next to her.  She was awake, but making no sounds.  She had an expression of hate and fury on her face and her face was flush red.

             
“Where are your guards?” Terri asked her.

             
“Dead,” Janna said in a hiss, “All dead.”

             
“But surely there is someone…”

             
“Edum has killed everyone who could stop him.  He even sent an entire company of troops to Kenner’s room.  And by now, he has the Bow as well.”

Terri struggled and pulled at the bindings, but they were too well tied.

              “There’s nothing I can do.” Janna said in a hateful hiss.

             
Two soldiers then came up to the stage and to Janna.

             
“You needn’t bother dragging me, you asses.” She spat at them.  “I’ll not lower myself by begging for my life.”

             
“Neither will I spare you your dignity, Madam.” Edum said haughtily.

The soldiers cut away her clothes and stripped her naked.  They laughed and made lurid noises.  One grabbed
her breast and another plunged his hand in between her thighs.

             
“Stop that!” Edum shouted at them.  “I will not allow her any pleasure from these proceedings.”

The soldiers both shared a vulgar laugh and then carried Janna to the table.  Edum looked down a
t her as though gloating.  She looked up at him with defiant hate.

             
“You…Admiral,” Edum said in a low growl.  “You have defiled our sacred nation with your lascivious nature and your liberal ideals.  You would have robbed our wealth and given it to our enemies.”

             
“Save your damned speech and get this over with.” She said with her hissing voice.

             
“Another day of your rule and we would suffered the wrath of the Lady through hurricane or great wave.  After this night, this nation will be returned to righteous rule and a policy by faith.”

He raised the Spear over her naked chest.

              “In the name of the Great Lady I pray for the forgiveness of your sins and that the Lady may have mercy on your soul.”