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words puzzling as certainly here we had nothing to fear. This was after all
the center of the Em- pire! Where Darlanis' own awesome power would be the
greatest.
"The Imperial Senate may just decide that lopping off your head would be in
`the best interests of the
Empire'," she said to me with a grim smile. "Especially if Tara got to them
first." I suppose I never had thought of that. We had always thought that Tara
would flee to Baja, but she was still the Prime Minister
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of the Empire. Head of the Senate. Warlady of the Empire of Cali- fornia. I
SUDDENLY REALIZED
THAT DARLANIS TOO HAD NO REASON TO WISH ME TO LIVE! I was a threat to
everyone. It would be "easy" to have an "accident" happen. There could be a
"crossbowman". I recalled that first attempt on my life. The man had not said
that the heavily veiled and disguised woman had a bad hand.
What if that woman had been one of Darlanis' own secret agents? I had always
"suspected" Princess
Tara, but it could have been another! What if it had all been "done" at
Darlanis' orders? After-all, I was far more of a "threat" to Darlanis' own
"interests" than I had been to Tara's! The Princess and I hardly knew each
other!
"Lorraine," Darlanis breathed, reaching out, touching me. I took her hand in
mine, held it, looked into her eyes. Felt shame for what I had thought of her.
I know how my words written here "hurt" my friends. I can only ask their
forgiveness when I speak the truth of my own feelings. I have at times even
distrusted Sharon! For a few moments as I cleaned out the fuel line I won-
dered if she hadn't been just a bit "too careless" about seeing that the fuel
tank was cleaned out after having it repaired. Sometimes I
even fear that I will someday become another like Queen Tulis of Dularn became
before finding that she was dying of an inoperable brain tumor. I am extremely
"paranoid", I note. I sometimes fear what I may someday "become". I know too
much of history. Of what some did "become" in "positions" such as mine.
"At least it will be a fight that the Warrioresses will talk about for a
thousand years," Darlanis smiled then. "I've always wondered how well we'd
`do' side by side, back to back together." Her azure eyes glowed into mine
there in the growing darkness as I reached out and put my arm around her.
There was no need for words then! No longer did I "doubt" Darlanis' friendship
for me!
Next Chapter
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2565 A.D.!
A TALE OF ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN
By Jerome B. Bigge
Book Two
Chapter Forty Two
"We'll load as much alcohol aboard that we can and run for it if we have to,"
Darlanis said to me as we flew over her white marble palace there below, the
flag of Empire still flying from its flagstaff. The blue and gold of her own
personal flag still yet below it visible in the landing lights as I came
around up into the wind. I wondered if we were worrying ourselves need- lessly
about nothing, although I knew that if Princess Tara had somehow managed to
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reach the Senate before us we could be in very serious trouble. She had far
too much power in the Empire! I had no doubt that if she was here she had
doubtlessly already managed to seize control of the Empire. All she would have
to do would be to terrify the Senate with tales of our "Revolution" to get
whatever "emergency" powers that she needed to become a total dictator over
all of Sarn! Make herself into another Napoleon!
"A Queen doesn't run from her people," I said to Darlanis. "What was done in
Trelandar can be done here too by `YOU' too."
"I don't know how!" Darlanis protested, the idea perhaps of overthrowing her
own government seeming unbelievable to her too! She was after all from a
culture to which such things were almost unthinkable. Even our "Revolution"
there in Trelandar had been more in the nature of a coup d'etat than any
actual "revolution".
"All you have to do is go talk to your people," I told her. I would be there
at her side to help her.
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