The Mutant World (51 page)

Elder Terrence chuckled.
“Did you really believe that anything Tidor ordered in the king’s absence can hold water now,”
he said.
“And it is no secret that I’ve never been fond of you,”
said the elder truthfully,
“but I now begin to think more highly of you.”
Of course, this was not true, but the initial truthful admission made this believable to Stragg.
“I believe you have the right head for this job and you are strong enough to fill the shoes of any Barratian of the blood. Besides…if we secure Princess Sandra and force her to become your mate…”

“You are speaking treason,”
said Stragg.

“I speak for the good of Barrat,”
said Elder Terrence.
“The path the nation is on now under our present leader and his family is the path to disaster! The women will become our masters again if a strong hand isn’t at the helm of this ship! The women here fear you greatly. You are not known for your gentle hand with women. But THAT is the kind of man we need now or the Mavie will have won!”

“Barrat rolls in his grave! His heirs are unworthy of his name,”
said Stragg seriously.

The elder nodded and said,
“So, I’ll ask you again. Do you want to be…king? I have the connections and status to make this happen, and the situation is warranted. That is, unless you believe as the king does, that allowing women to stand beside us again is a good thing?”

“Impossible!”
growled Stragg.
“One will always try to rule the other! We will become their slaves again! Never! Better to hold the leash than wear the collar!”

“You do understand,”
said Elder Terrence, actually surprised that someone as dull as Stragg could see the danger while King Roc could not.
“Then this is what we must do. We must move fast for there is little time. The King, soon to be ‘Late King’, goes forth to intercept Lord Jawara. If you would claim the crown and legitimize your line by claiming the princess we must act quickly and carefully.”

“I can do whatever you require of me,”
said Stragg.

“Good,”
said the elder.
“Now come with me.”

“What of the girl?”
said Stagg.

Terrence looked confused. “What girl?”

“The slave that was here,”
said Stragg, who still had the pretty plump human on his mind despite the very dangerous course he had now taken.
“Is there time to…?”

Terrence struggled to maintain his composure.
“NO. Do you want to rule tomorrow or indulge your sexual urges tonight! You’ll have plenty of THAT once you’re king,”
he said controlling his anger.
“This is more important. Now come along.”

******

CHAPTER NINETEEN
ELDER TERRENCE’S DESPERATE MOVE

“I
hope our worlds can move forward beyond what they did so far,” said President Chambers to Empress Beral III as she and the others were departing Illia via transport to Gath and from there Bain and home.

“As do I, Lady President,” said The Empress. “I would like to thank you for granting my favor.”

“Of course,” said President Chambers, “it was within my power to oblige.”

“I am grateful,” said the empress. “We are happy the young man Luther will remain here as your ambassador. He is human, but he was very well liked everywhere, and by mutants and humans alike. He took to our ways like…How do you say? Ah, like a fish to water.”

President Chambers chuckled and said, “Yes, yes he did. In fact, he was going to be missing Bellasaria in many ways. I would too if I was a young man.”

“Well then,” said the empress with a smile, “problem solved. He can be of great help in bridging the cultural gaps between our peoples. The Lady Lana especially is very pleased that he could remain. She is even related to me, human though she is.”

“Yes, she told me when we first met,” said President Chambers. “I always wondered about that.”

The empress chuckled and said, “One of my ancestors, the High Lord Titus, is an Earthborn mutant. He brought two mutant females to Bellasaria with him as mates when he came here, along with many followers. One was a pure-blood Earth mutant. The other was a half-human gotten on a human female by a Bellasarian before the Bainian War. However, Titus had unknowingly fathered a child with a human girl whom he had known on Earth before coming here. He had been her family’s foster child, more accurately slave, until he rebelled against them. He took his vengeance on the family in many ways, but the daughter had a secret desire for him and he exploited this to further torment her parents. The problem was he unintentionally left her a gift before he left for Bellasaria. Once the seed was detected growing inside her she was determined to find my ancestor. She managed to find one of High Lord Titus’s mutant associates on Earth and joined a team of Bellasarians who were taking mutants back to Bellasaria. Of course, they would never had accepted her if she hadn’t told them she was pregnant by a mutant, and not just any mutant at that. I tell you. Queen Bellasaris, her daughter Princess Beral, now Titus’s chief mate, and the royal family were not pleased with THAT revelation!” The empress giggled and then continued. “The Ramsy clan is of that girl’s bloodline. Because she was human and my ancestor had now joined his mate’s family, taking her clan’s family name, she took the former surname of my ancestor and founded her own house. Naturally, because he was a High Lord, the humans looked upon her half-mutant offspring as noble mutants too, albeit not
high
nobility. I must say, considering who and what their matriarch was, this clan has done very well over the centuries and has well-earned the people’s respect. Were it otherwise, I would never admit any kinship at all to them.”

“I see. Well, I will see what comes of having Luther as a go-between,” said President Chambers with a chuckle. “He can stay for a bit longer, but only so long as he remains in contact with his government and actually does the job he’s supposed to be doing. Also, because of his age and inexperience, I cannot promise he will remain long term once an experienced ambassador has been chosen and an embassy established.”

The empress smiled and nodded in agreement. Many men and women had never returned to Earth after experiencing Bellasarian society. The empress chuckled to herself. All of these people had been mutants and in the service of their former countries, including President Chambers’s. It was no accident that she didn’t bring a single American mutant with her on this trip. However, it would seem that humans were not immune to the lure of the people and culture of Bellasaria either. If the young man wished to stay on Bellasaria he could stay as long as he wanted. Indeed, he could stay forever, which she was certain Lady Lana had in mind, and there would be nothing President Chambers could do about it. The empress waved as President Chambers and the others began to board the shuttle and depart.

Once they got onto the transport and settled down, the First Man, Barry, looked at his wife and said, “Beverly, I wonder…What really came of this summit? Aside from the Akkadians, most of the Bellasarians didn’t seem to trust or even like us. In fact, they were all very nervous about our presence here. So nervous that nations and tribes that didn’t even like each other were here…human and mutant alike.”

“Yes…I wonder,” said President Chambers. “Beral III may have tricked us after all and used us to her advantage.”

“What do you mean?” said Barry.

“Despite the professed desire for new mutant blood from the homeworld and concern for her fellow mutants on Earth, I think the empress had
one
primary reason for opening the realms and inviting us here. Indeed, just our presence was enough to do the job. We got some harmless but useful things out of this, but nothing of what we
really
wanted. But I think we helped
her
a lot. I’ve noticed that these people seem much more like members of a true nation than they did when we first arrived. In the beginning they all seemed like loosely united yet largely independent peoples who did pretty much of what they liked. Indeed, many were at war with one another. But all that seems to have changed. During the course of this summit, I’ve seen mortal enemies become family and independent tribes and nations become part of the empire through new friendships or the bonding of their children. Many of whom would never have come together and met in such numbers if it were not for our presence.”

“A common
human
threat has historically brought these people together,” said Barry, now seeing where his wife was going.

“Beral III played us,” chuckled Beverly. “She used us to help her get her own house in order and expand her domains without bloodshed. Oh, well. But be that as it may, a little good did come of this on our part and the door is now open. It might take a while, but we may yet come out of this ahead. And thanks to that horny kid, Luther, we Americans came out looking pretty good in the eyes of the Bellasarians.”

“I think your diplomatic skills had something to do with it as well,” chuckled Barry.

“Yes,” said President Chambers smiling and shaking her head, “but if that kid hadn’t jumped right into their culture with both feet and made all of those friends among the Bellasarians, especially their women, who hold the
real
power and influence in the empire, we would not have done nearly so well. Other Earth diplomats and aides were prudish or typically tried making ties with the men, forgetting that this wasn’t Earth and the power and rules were different here. They didn’t do so well…except in Akkadia. And we all know that the Akkadians don’t have the power to do shit outside their own country.” With that the president noticed that they were now moving. She hadn’t felt so much as a slight lurch or heard a sound. Somehow she had to get the Bellasarians to share their technical skills in mass transportation and air-car technology. Well, maybe the on the next trip. As she and Barry looked out the window they couldn’t help but to look in envy at the beautiful world around them. These people had managed to reach a high level of technological development without destroying their environment in the process. The shuttle was already beginning to pick up speed. Soon these vast unspoiled expanses dotted with magnificent cities would become a blur, but she had seen the potential of what her own world could achieve. The Bellasarians wanted that to happen and seemed willing to help, but convincing the people and governments’ to change their values and mentalities wouldn’t be easy.

The empress looked at the shuttle as it departed and chuckled. “Well that’s that. Now, once my daughter and Lord Jawara are here and the boy is properly given his birthright and recognized before the world as a true Catonian, I’ll finally have Barrat in my pocket and the women of the empire can sleep easy once again. Even the high elders were pleased with the way this turned out.”

However, after nearly two week had passed with no word from King Roc or Lord Terrence had been heard, the empress sent a delegation to Barrat to investigate. It was a week and a half later when she received the news. It was late and the empress and her consort were relaxing in their chambers.

“You animal,” giggled the empress. She was naked and still trembling a little. Her incredible figure glistened with perspiration.

“Look at the size of these things?!” said Talos with a grin as he admired his wife’s magnificent form. “You’d think after all these years I’d be used to them. But…” With that the High Lord mushed his face between Beral III’s huge breasts, and pressing them together around his face, playfully shook his head around. The empress squealed in delight.

“Beast!” she laughed. Then she shoved him onto his back and sat up on her elbow. She gave him a mischievous look and said, “You up for another round?” Beral III was never one to be satisfied easily.

Talos grinned and replied, “What do you think?”

“Ummm,” said the empress as her hand moved below Talos’s waist. “Goddess!” she exclaimed. “Truly we are well-matched! Now you just hold still, big boy.” Beral licked her lips hungrily. “I’ve got something
good
for you.”

Just then there was a knock at the door of their outer chambers. A servant then knelt before the door on the opposite side.

“What is it?” snapped the empress irritably. The servant was a mutant and quickly sent forth his message mentally. The empress sat up quickly and cried.

“WHAAAAT?!?”

******

Castle Fang, Barratian Western
Border, Two Weeks Earlier

It was two weeks after King Roc left Akkadia to capture his son and the Lord Jawara and Princess Miko were safely in his domains. Frankly, Mother Rainy was surprised that her son and his people were able to arrive so quickly without incident…especially in Jawara’s and the Illyrian girl’s condition.

The group had managed to commandeer a shuttle and make it to the end of the more developed region of the country, but even that shuttle was a ways off from Dinos. There were more convenient transport systems in and around the city though, built by imperial engineers. A gift as a result of Barrat’s semi-joining the empire. It was no accident that the shuttles that carried people (and potential war parties) the farthest distance faced west and
away
from the empire and stopped at a certain point rather than continuing to the farthest reaches of their domain.

Carrie and Roxanne had deliberately (according to Jawara’s plan) avoided the local stations because they knew they would be the first places the Barratian authorities would go to try and intercept them. However, it was expected that there would be
some
trouble at some point before they reached their lord’s domains. King Roc would certainly be back and on the hunt as soon as word reached him, and with the Illyrian’s teleports at his disposal this time, he would be back within mere hours of receiving the news…or less. Out of necessity, their master and the Illyrian girl had been rendered incapable of fighting and there was no one else among them capable of fighting King Roc with any hope of winning. But they had made it to the distant shuttle, to the boonies and even into the heart of Jawara’s domain in record time, exhausted but unchallenged. This could only mean that the summit with the Earthmen had delayed the king…or something else. Well, whatever the cause, it was incredibly good luck. But that luck couldn’t last. Castle Fang was a formidable but small stronghold. If necessary it could withstand a siege of thousands for days or even weeks. But nobody had any illusions about it being able to hold out for long against the legions King Roc could muster. It would have to be abandoned as soon as possible before King Roc or one of his generals arrived with warriors.

In a few days Jawara was in control of himself once more even though the big Illyrian girl followed him around like a puppy. Some found this amusing, others irritating, but all understood. Humans and non-Bainian mutants envied Bellasarian women’s beauty and power, but not what came with it. As for Jawara, he needed to get his people supplied and on the move as soon as possible. Word had spread and people, both mutants and humans who would join him were gathering at Castle Fang with alarming speed. Jawara was shocked that so many Barratians thought so highly of him. His mother and retainers were not. He needed to move fast though. Barratian warriors were sure to be coming. He had to be on the western side of the border beyond his stronghold, out of the foothills and into the lowland forest region fast. The queens there had already been told of what had happened and would not attack him…he hoped.

By the middle of the next week Jawara could wait no longer and although he hated to leave any possible stragglers behind he abandoned his castle and fled west with at least one thousand three hundred people in his band. They entered the domains of Queen Shanis of the Borrenqi, whose warriors met them and escorted them to her capital, the fortress city of Borrenqikan. She wasn’t pleased to see the giant Illyrian girl.

Queen Shanis was a very attractive, curvy and fair complexioned mutant. She had very straight brown hair and blue eyes. Her daughter, Princess Sada, was a chocolate colored woman with curly hair. Her granddaughter, Princess Jayna, (who Shanis had intended to mate with Jawara) was a light golden complexioned girl with long light hair with large loose curls. Her eyes were blue, but it was obvious by their shape that her father was of some equally mixed background himself. Both women shared the queen’s voluptuous figure and impressive assets.