John Brosnan - The Sky Lords

“The other members of your community have already paid the price—now it is your turn. You have two choices: death or slavery for the rest of your life. What is it to be. You have a minute to make your decision.”

There was silence. Jan turned and looked at the others. Of the original twenty only thirteen remained alive. Nine women and four men. Of the seven who had died during the night five had been men. As Jan expected, her accuser was the first to speak. And Jan knew what she was going to say even as she opened her mouth. “I say we choose death,” she said. “For the honour of Minerva’s memory and for our dead sisters.”

“Yes, let it be death!” agreed another woman loudly. Three other women murmured their agreement with less enthusiasm. The four men looked anxious. “Well, what does the daughter of Melissa say?” demanded the woman coldly as she turned towards Jan.

Jan didn’t know what to do. Her wish to die had vanished when she had awoken that morning to the sun’s kiss on her skin, yet at the same time she dreaded the idea of submitting herself to the men of the Sky Lord for even a minute, much less the rest of her life. And then there was her mission to consider. She doubted she had even a small chance of success but now she felt honour-bound to make the attempt.

“Just as I thought,” said the woman when Jan didn’t reply.

“Your time is up,” said the man in red. Two Sky Warriors stepped forward and unlocked the cage door. Others drew their swords. “Out, and announce your decision.”

Slowly they climbed out of the cage and formed a line in front of it on the shouted orders of the Warriors. Jan cast a brief glance back at the seven pathetic forms lying in the cage.

“Well, what is it to be?” demanded the High Chamberlain with his high, strained voice. It was as if he was not used to talking so loudly. “Those who choose death step forward.”

Jan’s accuser stepped forward without even a moment’s hesitation. Four other women followed after only a brief pause. Then one by one, and with obvious reluctance, the remaining four women joined the others, leaving only Jan and the four men standing in the original line. Jan felt humiliated. She wanted to take that crucial step forward but couldn’t.

Her accuser looked over her shoulder at her. She said nothing but the contempt in her eyes was plain. Jan looked down at the floor.

“So many of you eager to die?” asked the High Chamberlain. He sounded surprised. And from the surrounding Sky Warriors came disappointed mutters. Jan guessed they had a financial interest in the outcome. Yet if the Sky Warriors wanted them as slaves why had they been so careless with their lives in the cage?

“Better death than the ultimate dishonour,” said Jan’s accuser. Jan continued to envy her. If she had said those same words she was sure she would have sounded merely silly. “All we ask is that our deaths be clean and that our bodies are not despoiled by your touch beforehand.”

“Your deaths will be clean,” said the High Chamberlain, irritably. “And you won’t be molested. But what of that one? Why does she not share your irrational desire for destruction?”

Jan looked up and saw he was pointing at her. Jan’s accuser glanced at her and said coldly, “She’s our secret weapon. She is going to destroy all of you and your Sky Lord single handed. At least, that is what she told us. …”

The High Chamberlain, his female companion and all the other sky men laughed and Jan felt her cheeks grow hot. She wanted to die—but she didn’t want to enough , she knew shamefully, to step forward and join the others.

When the laughter subsided the High Chamberlain sighed and said, “Very well, let us end this distasteful matter. Those of you who choose death will get back into the cage.”

Jan avoided the eyes of the nine women as they filed slowly back into the cage. The four men also stood with their heads bowed. Then Jan was pulled to one side by a Sky Warrior. He had a large black beard. Jan had never seen a beard like it before. Minervan men rarely grew beards.

There came a whine of machine from overhead and the cage rose a few feet from the floor. As it swayed on the rope there was a rumble and the opening appeared beneath it again. Jan felt even sicker. She knew what was going to happen. So did those in the cage. Some of them began to pray aloud to the Mother God. Jan shut her eyes.

“Daughter of Melissa!”

She opened her eyes and saw her accuser glaring at her through the bars of the cage. “Daughter of Melissa! Why are you so modest about yourself? I’m sure that your masters would be flattered to know that you are—”

The cage dropped. There was no warning. It just seemed to vanish. Jan guessed that someone had simply hacked through the flayed rope. She swayed dizzily and for a few moments thought she was going to pass out but the feeling passed. Suddenly she found herself face to face with the High Chamberlain. Waves of a very strong and sickly-sweet perfume filled her nostrils, making her want to gag. The woman was close behind him, staring over his shoulder at Jan with intense curiosity.

“What’s your name, girl?” he demanded.

“Jan. Jan Dorvin.”

“What was that woman talking about just then?”

Jan shook her head. “I don’t know. She didn’t like me. She thinks … thought I was a coward.”

The High Chamberlain stroked his small, pointed beard thoughtfully then said, “For your sake you had better be a coward. For that way you will remain alive. Commit any act of disobedience and you will immediately share the fate of your late compatriots. Understand?”

“Yes,” said Jan in almost a whisper.

“Good.” The High Chamberlain then turned to the four Minervan men. “The same applies to you, though from what I know about you eunuchs disobedience is not in your nature. Even so you have been warned. Understand?”

They all nodded. Jan had a feeling of contempt for them which she quickly stifled. She was in no position to accuse others of cowardice. Nor could she be sure they were cowards. She had seen several Minervan men fighting alongside the sisters during yesterday’s battles. They hadn’t fought well, and had been swiftly cut down by the Sky Warriors but they had made the effort and she had respected them for it. At the same time, however, the sight of Minervan men wielding swords had filled her with deep unease … just as she had expected it would.

The High Chamberlain was glancing about enquiringly. “Presumably some of you have claimed slave rights on these survivors? If so, state your claims.”

“I, Gregory Tanith of the Third Battalion, and on behalf of Warrior Martin Sundin, also of the Third Battalion, claim the slave rights on this female Minervan,” said the Sky Warrior with the black beard who was still gripping her by the arm. Jan, surprised, realized he was ‘first voice’.

The High Chamberlain nodded impatiently and said, “Do you have official verification of this claim?”

“I do. Officer Kaplan of the Third Battalion will verify the claim.”

“Very well, the claim is recognized. Who do you intend selling her to?”

“We were thinking of Guild-Master Bannion. He’s had some losses among his glass walkers.”

The High Chamberlain gave an approving nod. “Good. If there is still any fight left in this amazon, working with Bannion’s mob will soon knock it out of her.”

“Oh Basil, it seems a waste to put her among Bannion’s louts. She’s such a pretty creature. Why not buy her for me? I could have her trained to be my maid.” It was the woman, who hadn’t spoken before. She spoke in a very cautious way. To Jan it seemed as if she was trying to imitate a little girl.