Flash Gordon 5 - The Witch Queen of Mongo (18 page)

Flash gazed helplessly at her.

“Jado!” she called. “Come here immediately! I have work for you.”

There was an answering voice from down the corridor. Azura turned and watched as the husky courier came down the passageway toward her.

“Jado,” she said. “There has been a change of plan. The Earthman will be put to death immediately. Inform the guards on the execution team right away.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Jado. He glanced at the window through which Flash Gordon’s face was visible.

“Quickly, Jado,” ordered the queen. “Be on your way!” She turned from him and started off down the corridor.

“Yes, oh, queen!” Jado said in a low voice.

Azura was puzzled by the strange quality of Jado’s tone. She was about to turn and study him more closely when she felt his arm close around her neck. And than a muffler was pressed so tightly to her mouth that she could not speak.

“Help!” she tried to scream.

“Sorry about this, Your Majesty,” Jado said in an amused voice.

She kicked at his legs in exasperation.

F
lash Gordon gripped the bars of the window in his cell door, and stared through them in astonishment at the strange antics of the guard who had fed him. It seemed to Flash that nothing made sense anymore—nothing that had happened for as long as he had been in Azuria with the glamorous Witch Queen.

Now, with the guard gripping the queen in the crook of his arm and stuffing a muffler down her throat, Flash knew that there was a deeper game afoot than he knew about.

The struggling guard turned and moved Queen Azura closer to the barred window.

“Flash!” he called out.

Flash straightened. He recognized that voice. It was Prince Barin’s—quite recognizable even after the six years in which he had not heard it. But how?

“It’s me,” said the guard. “I’m Prince Barin. It’s a cosmetic disguise. I didn’t mean to tip off the masquerade just yet, but events have begun to accelerate. We’ve got to get out of here—fast!”

“I understand,” said Flash.

“You were drugged,” Prince Barin explained quickly. “I gave you an antidote.”

Now Flash knew what had happened. “Right,” Flash said. “We can use Queen Azura to escape, but first we’ve got to rescue Willie.”

There was a sound of voices in the corridor.

“What’s that?” Prince Barin asked in dismay.

Flash strained his ears.

He heard: “Guard! The key to Flash Gordon’s cell! Hurry it up!”

“It’s Ming the Second,” Flash told Prince Barin in a whisper. “Take the queen,” Flash ordered, “and stand by. Ming doesn’t know the drug has worn off. I’ve been waiting for a chance like this.” Flash pulled at the cell door. “Let me out in that hall a moment.”

Prince Barin unlatched the cell door, still holding the queen in a tight grip. “Where shall I take her?”

“Down the corridor into another cell,” said Flash. “They’re all empty. This section has been reserved for me.”

“Right,” said Prince Barin. Barin dragged Queen Azura with him into an empty cell beyond that of Flash Gordon.

Flash ran down the corridor and stood in front of a cabinet of guardsmen’s weapons near the turn. He opened the case, removed a sword, and ran back to his cell, closing the door behind him. Once inside, he quickly covered the sword with his blanket and sank into the corner, feigning his usual indolence and fright.

Soon he heard Ming’s footsteps thundering down the corridor.

“Open the door, Guard!” cried Ming.

“Yes sir,” muttered a voice.

The cell door squeaked open and Ming stepped inside, with the guard bowing behind him.

“Ha!” roared Ming, staring into the corner at Flash. “Flash Gordon, my favorite jester. Come on—up! Rise and shine! It’s time to amuse your emperor.”

Flash cringed, but said nothing.

Ming turned in contempt, and ran his fingers up and down a long blacksnake whip he carried with him.

“You can wait outside, Guard.”

“Yes, sir,” said the guard and backed out.

Ming turned and eyed Flash with amusement.

“Now, Flash Gordon, mighty legend. You have no large apartment to run through to elude me. You have no Queen Azura’s skirts to hide behind. Now I can make you dance to the tune my whip plays.”

“Don’t hurt me,” Flash whispered, cowering.

Ming roared with laughter. “At last we meet on an equal basis, Flash Gordon. Now we can test ourselves with one another.”

“Yes,” Flash said in a low voice. “We can test ourselves with one another.”

“Don’t mumble, Earthling.” commanded Ming. “What did you say?”

Flash rose slowly.

Ming moved backward, laughing, and cracked the whip so the tip of it exploded at Flash’s feet.

“Dance, Earthling! Your emperor likes to see strong men dance!”

Flash leaped up as the whip cracked again at his boots.

Have your laughs, Ming, he thought.

Ming backed off again, coiling the whip and raising it. “Once again, mighty Earthman,” Ming said, chuckling. “Let’s see another of your marvelous dance steps. Queen Azura never told me you were so light and nimble on your feet. You should have been a chorus boy, Flash Gordon, instead of a space adventurer.”

The whip cracked harshly and Flash jumped again.

“Not fast enough,” Ming said. “Let’s do that one again, Flash Gordon. Quickly. Step, step—”

He snapped the whip. Flash jumped.

Ming cackled with glee and once again coiled the whip.

Flash stared at him. Now, he thought. This is your last dance step, Ming. We’ll see how you’d like to dance to my tune.

“Dance, Earthman!” cried Ming, and flicked the whip at Flash’s legs. But Flash reached down and grabbed the end of the whip just before it snapped.

“You want a dance, Ming?” Flash called out, as he pulled the end of the whip toward him.

Ming, still holding the handle, was pulled off his feet and catapulted toward Flash.

“Come closer, big man,” Flash said grimly.

Ming threw down the whip, staggering to regain his balance.

“The drug’s worn off!” he said fearfully. “Guard!”

There was a sound outside the cell.

Flash could hear Prince Barin’s tones. “Hold it.”

The guard rattled at the cell door. “Yes, sir.”

“No, you don’t,” Prince Barin called out. “You stay out here with me. That’s a private quarrel.”

There were sounds of a struggle in the corridor.

Ming backed off from Flash. “Guard! I’ll have your life for this disobedience!”

Flash moved toward Ming. “Your guard won’t help, Ming. He’s neutralized.”

“But—?”

“You’ve been wanting to test me. Let’s try it now, shall we? On an equal footing.”

Ming rallied. He straightened, and drew the hidden sword he carried from its sheath under his tunic.

“Still the fool, Flash. Drug or no, I’ll call the terms. My sword against your”—his eyes moved to the floor of the cell—“whip?”

He laughed loudly and lunged toward Flash.

Flash moved quickly, ripping the blanket from the sword he had taken from the guard’s cabinet in the corridor.

“Ah-ha!” Ming said. “So the tricky Flash Gordon has once again resumed his famed ingeniousness, has he?”

“I’m ready, Ming. How about you?”

“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Ming chortled.

“Then let’s have it!” cried Flash.

“If you’re ready to face your death—!” Ming swung his sword at Flash.

“Well, Ming Jr.,” said Flash, “you’ve wanted a showdown. Now you have it.”

Ming chuckled. “You’ll be sniveling like a puppy again before I’m done with you, Flash Gordon.”

Ming slashed and Flash pulled back, returning the thrust.

“Save your breath for the fight, Ming!” he said, laughing.

Ming darted to the side, thrusting again.

Flash parried the thrust and flipped Ming’s sword to the floor.

Ming backed away in terror. “My sword!”

Flash advanced and picked up Ming’s sword. “A lifetime of training for this encounter and you’re no better than that, little Ming?”

Ming’s face swelled with rage. “You don’t call me little Ming, you Earth monster!” screamed Ming.

Flash threw Ming’s sword in the corner.

“You wouldn’t attack an unarmed man,” said Flash, and threw his own sword over his shoulder.

“But, but—”

“This is a job I’d like to do by hand!” Flash thundered, and crouched in a boxer’s stance.

Ming smiled faintly. “I’m your match any day, Earthman,” said Ming, crouching like Flash.

Flash moved in, keeping his feet moving.

Ming backed off, watching for an opening.

Flash feinted with his left. Ming started to react, but saw Flash’s expression and back-pedaled with an arrogant smile.

“None of your tricks, pugilist,” sneered Ming.

Flash laughed. “I haven’t seen your style yet, Ming.”

Ming feinted with his left, then drove in with his right. Flash parried. Ming came in with a haymaker, using his left, and Flash let him land one blow to his shoulder.

Happily, Ming leaped back.

Flash grinned. He bobbed forward and drew one parry by Ming, stepped to the right, feinted. Then to the left and landed a quick right jab, then a left jab, which was blocked, and a hard right to the jaw, which staggered Ming slightly.

Then Flash came in with a quick left-and-right combination, and a left. Ming moved backward against the wall, pumping his legs furiously.

As Flash lunged in for the kill, Ming suddenly crouched, spun, and attacked Flash’s uncovered chest with three triphammer blows that staggered him and threw him off-balance.

Overconfident, Flash thought.

He went down, but immediately on touching the floor uncoiled and sprang to his feet.

Ming, thinking that Flash had been battered to the floor, came in on top of him, reaching out to land the
coup de grâce.

Flash leaped to his feet, coming in on Ming’s exposed neck with a karate chop.

Ming went down hard.

Flash called out, “Barin, are you out there?”

“Yes,” Prince Barin called.

“Have the queen release Willie from the suspension vault.”

“Right,” said Prince Barin through the cell door.

“I’ll truss up Ming and be right with you.”

“Excellent,” said Prince Barin.

Flash heard steps retreating down the corridor.

Ming was shaking his head, clawing at the stone of the cell floor, trying to clear his vision.

“Come on, Ming,” said Flash, moving over to him. “Get on your feet! I’m going to put you where you’ll be safe for a while.”

“Flash,” whimpered Ming, “I’ve had enough. No more. Please!”

Flash laughed, pulling Ming to his feet. “Hands on top of your head, Ming,” he ordered.

Slowly, Ming placed his hands on top of the helmet he wore.

“So?” Flash asked. “You mean you’ve run out of your slippery tricks? All right, Ming. I don’t have the same stomach as you do for brutality. Just come quietly with me.”

“You are a man of honor, Flash Gordon,” Ming said abjectly.

Flash smiled. “Let’s go.”

Quickly Ming twisted his hands, removed the helmet from his head, and slammed it at Flash.

“And I salute you!” shouted Ming, diving for the floor and one of the swords lying there.

Flash was driven back by the fury of the blow, and crashed against the wall. The helmet struck him in the cheek, drawing blood and clouding his vision. It then clattered to the floor.

Flash slumped against the wall and slid to the stones, momentarily stunned.

Ming leaped, his sword aimed directly at Flash’s heart.

G
rasping the guard tightly and holding his thumb on a pressure point in the guard’s neck, Prince Barin propelled the Azurian down the corridor and pushed him into the cell where he had left Queen Azura.

“All right, soldier,” Barin said menacingly. “In you go. And stay quiet, if you value your life!”

“Yes, sir,” said the guard, frowning. “But why does a loyal courier of the queen’s turn against not only the queen, but her loyal ally, too?”

Barin laughed. He turned to Queen Azura, who was sitting, quite subdued, on the prisoner’s cot in the corner.

“It is a fair question, is it not, Queen Azura?”

“What Jado?” the queen asked faintly.

Barin walked over and stood above the queen. He was frowning slightly. “You seem to have been bitten by the same drug you gave Flash Gordon, Queen Azura.”

Azura lifted her head and stared at Barin and he could see the fear in her eyes.

“What did you say, Jado?”

Barin frowned and then laughed. “With whom did you dine last, Queen Azura?”

“I dined with Ming, of course,” she replied without hesitation. “Qilp served us and—”

“Qilp!” Barin suddenly saw the whole plot. “But of course! And you richly deserve what happened, Queen Azura. Don’t you see what they’ve done to you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the Queen replied, but her heart was not in it.

“But it’s true! You are under the effect of the drug you were using on Flash Gordon! Somehow Ming got Qilp to serve you the drug, so he could take over the Kingdom of the Blue Magic, kill Flash Gordon and Prince Barin, and become emperor of your people! Then he would move your troops into Arboria, take over the Free Council of Mongo, and rule the planet!”

The queen’s expression was a combination of sudden understanding—rage, fear, and absolute terror.

“He—he wouldn’t—and Qilp—Qilp wouldn’t.”

“I’m afraid he did, Queen Azura. You know it, but you can’t fight back because of the drug.”

Tears ran down her cheeks. “Jado, I trust you.”

Prince Barin began removing the makeup his cosmeticians had applied in Arboria. Slowly, before her eyes, he changed from the faithful Jado into her old adversary, Prince Barin.

Queen Azura’s eyes widened and her face again broke up into a mask of aversion and terror.

“No! I can’t believe it! You’re Prince Barin!”

Barin smiled. “In person, Queen Azura. And we’re going up to release the Earth teenager from the suspension vault.”

Azura cowered.

Barin grasped her by the arm and lifted her from the cot. She rose, trembling, her hand held fearfully to her mouth.