clearly
outraged by his presence in their village. Several spat in his
direction and stalked away. Some young girls stared at him with
open curiosity, their eyes filled with wonder. From their
fascination, he gathered that they had never seen a full grown man
before. They giggled, whispered and pointed, pinching and poking
each other as they blushed and squirmed.
The guards
swatted the girls' backsides with their spear butts, sending them
squealing, but they ignored the boys who gathered. Other idle
warrior women joined the mob, leant on their spears and chatted to
the guards. They treated Sabre as if he was no more important than
a dog or goat, and about as intelligent. Most of the boys, after
studying him for a while, grew bored and wandered off, but a few
settled down to wait for something interesting to happen.
Tassin was
ushered through painted leather curtains into a room where the
primitive queen held court. A fire roared in a central grate, the
smoke funnelled out through the apex of the high, thatched roof.
Two bead-hung windows added to the illumination provided by the
fire and a few torches. Several older women reclined on soft pelts
spread over benches next to the walls, smoking pipes, nibbling food
or sipping drinks. Tassin halted in the middle of the room as the
women's chatter ceased, aware of the intent stares of many sets of
blue eyes.
A fat woman
sprawled on a fur-draped throne, dressed in soft white leather and
adorned with strings of beads, teeth and feathers. Her greying hair
was plaited and coiled around her head to form a crude crown, and
carved bracelets clattered on her wrists when she moved. She had a
strong, large-featured face, and might have been called handsome in
her youth, but not beautiful.
Shizana
stopped before her and bowed, indicating Tassin. "This woman claims
to be Queen Tassin, from across the Badlands."
Tassin shot
her an angry look. "I am Queen Tassin."
The matriarch
studied Tassin with hard eyes, then smiled. "You speak strangely,
so you must come from afar. You sound like a queen, but all women
are queens, so welcome to my village, Tassin. I'm Molla."
Tassin nodded,
as was polite between peers, though she hardly considered this
barbarian queen her equal. If Sabre thought her primitive, these
women were savages by comparison. Nevertheless, they seemed
friendly. A woman gave her a cup of sweet beverage and showed her
to a seat on a bench. Another offered her a selection of strange
food, which smelt appetising, and she filled the bowl she had been
given.
Molla invited
her to tell her story, and Tassin omitted nothing. More lamps were
lighted as it grew dark outside, and an apparently endless supply
of food circulated amongst the women. The sweet drink flowed,
although she found, to her relief, that it was not alcoholic. When
the story ended, the barbarian queen studied her, looking
intrigued.
"Why did this
man carry you out of the Death Zone?"
"He's my
servant."
"And he didn't
violate you while you were helpless?"
"Of course
not!" Tassin cheeks warmed with embarrassment.
The women
murmured, and Molla gestured for quiet. "He would fight to defend
you?"
"Yes." Tassin
wondered where this was leading.
"Because of
this thing on his head."
"Yes,
partly."
"Why
else?"
"He's loyal."
Tassin frowned, uncertain if that was true, since she had no idea
of Sabre's real motives. The cyber was loyal, and Sabre had made a
bargain with it, so it was close to the truth. Would he have come
after her, had it not been for that?
"Do you know
how to make this thing on his head?" Molla enquired.
"No." Tassin
suppressed a smile, understanding.
Molla looked
disappointed, her vision of cyber-controlled slaves clearly
shattered. "Who made it?"
"Other men in
a faraway place."
"Other men?
Why would they want to enslave their own?"
Tassin
shrugged. "For the same reason as you."
Molla nodded
sagely. "You may keep your pet man, but he's not allowed in any
house, nor may he eat with women.
outraged by his presence in their village. Several spat in his
direction and stalked away. Some young girls stared at him with
open curiosity, their eyes filled with wonder. From their
fascination, he gathered that they had never seen a full grown man
before. They giggled, whispered and pointed, pinching and poking
each other as they blushed and squirmed.
The guards
swatted the girls' backsides with their spear butts, sending them
squealing, but they ignored the boys who gathered. Other idle
warrior women joined the mob, leant on their spears and chatted to
the guards. They treated Sabre as if he was no more important than
a dog or goat, and about as intelligent. Most of the boys, after
studying him for a while, grew bored and wandered off, but a few
settled down to wait for something interesting to happen.
Tassin was
ushered through painted leather curtains into a room where the
primitive queen held court. A fire roared in a central grate, the
smoke funnelled out through the apex of the high, thatched roof.
Two bead-hung windows added to the illumination provided by the
fire and a few torches. Several older women reclined on soft pelts
spread over benches next to the walls, smoking pipes, nibbling food
or sipping drinks. Tassin halted in the middle of the room as the
women's chatter ceased, aware of the intent stares of many sets of
blue eyes.
A fat woman
sprawled on a fur-draped throne, dressed in soft white leather and
adorned with strings of beads, teeth and feathers. Her greying hair
was plaited and coiled around her head to form a crude crown, and
carved bracelets clattered on her wrists when she moved. She had a
strong, large-featured face, and might have been called handsome in
her youth, but not beautiful.
Shizana
stopped before her and bowed, indicating Tassin. "This woman claims
to be Queen Tassin, from across the Badlands."
Tassin shot
her an angry look. "I am Queen Tassin."
The matriarch
studied Tassin with hard eyes, then smiled. "You speak strangely,
so you must come from afar. You sound like a queen, but all women
are queens, so welcome to my village, Tassin. I'm Molla."
Tassin nodded,
as was polite between peers, though she hardly considered this
barbarian queen her equal. If Sabre thought her primitive, these
women were savages by comparison. Nevertheless, they seemed
friendly. A woman gave her a cup of sweet beverage and showed her
to a seat on a bench. Another offered her a selection of strange
food, which smelt appetising, and she filled the bowl she had been
given.
Molla invited
her to tell her story, and Tassin omitted nothing. More lamps were
lighted as it grew dark outside, and an apparently endless supply
of food circulated amongst the women. The sweet drink flowed,
although she found, to her relief, that it was not alcoholic. When
the story ended, the barbarian queen studied her, looking
intrigued.
"Why did this
man carry you out of the Death Zone?"
"He's my
servant."
"And he didn't
violate you while you were helpless?"
"Of course
not!" Tassin cheeks warmed with embarrassment.
The women
murmured, and Molla gestured for quiet. "He would fight to defend
you?"
"Yes." Tassin
wondered where this was leading.
"Because of
this thing on his head."
"Yes,
partly."
"Why
else?"
"He's loyal."
Tassin frowned, uncertain if that was true, since she had no idea
of Sabre's real motives. The cyber was loyal, and Sabre had made a
bargain with it, so it was close to the truth. Would he have come
after her, had it not been for that?
"Do you know
how to make this thing on his head?" Molla enquired.
"No." Tassin
suppressed a smile, understanding.
Molla looked
disappointed, her vision of cyber-controlled slaves clearly
shattered. "Who made it?"
"Other men in
a faraway place."
"Other men?
Why would they want to enslave their own?"
Tassin
shrugged. "For the same reason as you."
Molla nodded
sagely. "You may keep your pet man, but he's not allowed in any
house, nor may he eat with women.
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