Sword Empire by Robert Leader Page B

swords. Maryam was not sure whether they acted from friendship and loyalty, or whether this was more political expedience. It seemed that here only military politics were important, supported by the Gheddan law of the sword.
    â€œCaid and Landis have both chosen to stay with their women,” Garl said with contempt.
    â€œIt is their choice.” Raven shrugged as he climbed into the co-pilot seat of the vehicle.
    Maryam was left with no option but to get into the back of the vehicle, squeezing in beside Taron and Garl behind the pilot. The two Gheddans gave her cautious leers of welcome. She knew they lusted for her, but while she was Raven’s woman, she was inviolate. She wondered what would happen if Raven was killed in his next sword duel, and guessed that they would probably fight to decide which of them would own her. She shuddered and tried to keep both the thought and the reaction hidden.
    The flight was a short one, and as soon as they had landed and disembarked, their pilot took off again and whirled the sky-car away. They had been emptied out beside a long, hard road runway where a two-winged flying vehicle waited for them. It was much smaller than the Solar Cruiser space ship with which Maryam was familiar. Raven looked round the otherwise empty runway and his face hardened. His immediate displeasure was obvious.
    The Sword Lord Karn waited by the flying machine to greet them. He came forward stiffly, and the anger in his face was evident behind the fixed grey mask of pain. They all exchanged open palm salutes.
    â€œI ordered a rotor-flyer to take you all of the way,” Karn said flatly. “But it seems that Doran chose yesterday to order a military exercise that would involve every rotor-flyer on the base. They are all unavailable.”
    Taron eyed the fixed wing aircraft. “How close can we get?”
    â€œMy stronghold is deep in the mountains above the forest,” Raven answered. “The nearest landing field for anything other than a hovering rotor-flyer is at least three days away by horseback.”
    â€œTwo days,” Taron repeated gloomily. “And no doubt it is all excellent terrain for an ambush.”
    â€œThick forest trails, and then rugged foothills leading up into the mountains,” Raven agreed.
    â€œYours is a private matter, outside the empire.” Karn shrugged. “I cannot order an escort. I would accompany you myself, but with my guts burning I would now be more of a liability than an extra sword.”
    Raven smiled and clapped the older man firmly on the shoulder. “Have the aircraft return for us in five days. We will be back here by the sixth dawn. Until then, watch your back with Doran.”
    Karn shrugged. “Doran only needs to wait for me to die. He is only scheming out of habit, and possibly from concern that I may use you as my sword against him.”
    The aircraft was fuelled and ready for its flight with its engines already fired and running. They filed aboard and took their seats. Raven saluted again through the glass window of the cockpit and Karn returned the salute as the aircraft began to move. The pilot at the controls was silent as he concentrated on his take-off procedures and within minutes they were gaining height and flying.
    Karn watched until they were out of sight, before closing his eyes and seeming to collapse inside his uniform. He fought the pain for several minutes before he was able to brace himself again and walk slowly back to where his sky-car waited to return him to The City of Swords.
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    The flight took seven long hours. At first Maryam was fascinated, peering through the window at the passing landscape far below. The land was rugged, split with silvery streams and rivers and belts of woodland and forest between the rolling hills. There were towns or villages in every small valley, and the land around them was cultivated and clearly marked into fields. There were mechanical things