Jean Lorrah - Flight to Savage Empire

“Don’t worry about them,” the high priestess said. “They’re happy as gladiators. If you had been able to free them, you would have done better to encourage them to join the army, for the chance to gain glory in battle. None of your fighters are from Madura, Zanos. All along, you’ve failed to consider that living in the far north might not suit those not born there. I was hoping you would come to realize that.”

Zanos swallowed hard. “Meaning that you would prefer to stay here-and that I shouldn’t take Astra?”

“I’m too old to make such changes in my life. Even if I survived the journey, I’m too old to start life over in a strange land. ” She turned to look at Astra, who had been listening without comment. “And I only partly understand why you are so willing to go with him.”

The Reader gave that smile which so intrigued Zanos. “With all due respect, Priestess Serafon, I think you do understand. You have loved and helped Zanos for most of his life. My feelings are very similar, and just as deep.” She linked her arm with his, and he let their fingers intertwine as she continued, “I’ve already told him that I am willing to go anywhere with him, share any danger that threatens him-”

“And risk losing your powers?” Serafon asked.

“We have discussed that,” Zanos said. “Since we don’t know what enemies we may face in Madura, we will remain celibate until we find a place that is safe to live in. We will consummate our love only after we are wed to one another in a proper Maduran ceremony.”

“Which you may not live to see, if you leave here unprepared,” the priestess said firmly. “There are so many things I wish I could explain. I have never had a husband, but I have married many couples, and seen the changes that happen to them in a brief space of time. But with the powers you two possess-

Zanos, I have only one piece of counsel for you, and Astra, I would like to give you Hesta’s blessing. Let me marry you, in the temple, right now. I cannot expect you to understand fully why I must do this, but as the two of you grow to become one, the meaning will become clear.”

Zanos was puzzled, but never in his life had Serafon given him bad advice. A glance at Astra told him that she was willing to do as he chose.

Without another word, they followed the high priestess into the main temple.

The ceremony was brief and simple, involving only the three of them. Other priestesses watched the ritual from a distance, but there was no reason for them to interfere.

Serafon added her personal blessing to the closing prayer, then dramatically spread her arms and commanded Zanos and Astra to rise from their kneeling position. A feeling of joyful disbelief touched Zanos as he hugged his wife and-

“Stop this ceremony!”

Vortius’ voice rang through the temple like a mourning bell. The three at the altar looked around to see the gambler stalking toward them, closely followed by the same city magistrate and half a dozen guards.

“What is the meaning of this intrusion?” Serafon demanded with the full weight of her religious authority.

Her hand settled lightly on Zanos’ shoulder, and he knew she was signaling him to remain silent. Astra’s powers must have warned her to do the same.

“Forgive us, High Priestess,” the magistrate puffed as they approached the altar, “but this couple cannot be married. Zanos’ gambling debts have lost him that right until he has made restitution. That is the law.”

“And this is an old trick, Zanos!” Vortius exclaimed. “Trying to escape servitude by marrying a free citizen. Well, it won’t work! Aventine law does not protect you in this instance-and certainly one of Morella’s girls brings no dowry to-” His arrogant expression changed, his words trailing off as he stared at Astra’s face. He seemed to be trying to place her, and looked greatly puzzled.

The magistrate, though, was only performing his duty. “Unless you have the money, here and now, Zanos, you must come with us to Debtor’s Court, so that justice may be served.”

Zanos wanted to laugh at his choice of words, but could only bring himself to show a contemptuous smile. It would be so simple to stop Vortius’ heart-

Serafon’s hand gripped his shoulder in warning, and the plea in Astra’s eyes required no Reading power to understand. Zanos forced down his anger and wordlessly surrendered himself to the city guard. Let them think they had him; his powers would take him from whatever custody they locked him into, at the first chance to escape without detection. But Astra-

As they led him away, he tried something he had never done before. He projected his thoughts with the greatest intensity he could muster: Astra, don’t worry. I’ll get away from them. Take the horses.

When you reach the border station on the Road of Kings, I will be one day behind you. Do you understand ?

Astra nodded, her worried look easing. He smiled at his wife, then turned away to allow himself to be escorted out of the temple.

The four days that Astra spent on horseback, leading the two horses packed with the possessions she and Zanos shared, went by in a long gray blur. She slept in barns, stealing away before the farmers rose at dawn. Anticipation of being reunited with her husband buoyed her spirits, even though she could not detect his presence when she Read back behind her on the Road of Kings.

She camped about a mile from the border station, well off the road. A day passed. Another. And then a third.

Surely she couldn’t have missed him! And he wouldn’t go on without her. He wouldn’t!

By the morning of the fourth day, she had become desperate enough to search for Zanos out of body. At last, she detected his presence-two miles away, on a different road, approaching a different border station.

He was part of a caravan of over two dozen people-a caravan led by Vortius. And as Astra Read them, she found most of them with the dull, blunted contentment of those locked in the grip of white lotus addiction.

And… Zanos was one of them!

Vortius now truly owned him, body and soul!

The two-mile stretch of land between the roads was wild country, dotted with animal burrows that could break a horse’s leg. Astra Read every foot of it, guiding her mount and the two packhorses across the treacherous ground. She was trying desperately to think of a way to rescue Zanos, but memories kept intruding-her conversation with Serafon after Zanos had been taken away-

“It was Zanos himself that Vortius wanted, wasn’t it?” she had asked the priestess when they were alone in the anteroom. “We thought he was after his property!”

“So did I,” Serafon had replied, “until now. I should have realized that this conflict was over honor, not wealth. Zanos defied Vortius. That could not be allowed. It was all I could do to keep Zanos from using his powers to kill Vortius.”

“Why? The man was overwrought. If he had dropped dead of an apoplexy-” Astra looked sharply at Serafon. “You were protecting Vortius? It was Zanos who needed your help. I thought you and he were like mother and son!”

“They are both my sons,” Serafon said quietly, sinking into a chair. “I am Vortius’ natural mother.”

Astra stared at her in disbelief.

“Thirty years ago,” the priestess went on, “when I was a little younger than you, my Adept powers increased so that I lived in terror of being exposed. I’d never used my powers to harm anyone, only done what I could when someone was very ill or when the weather threatened to destroy our crops.

“A young boy in a nearby town showed Adept powers… and was stoned to death by his own family. I feared that the same thing might happen to me, so I decided to destroy my powers in the one sure way-by giving myself to a man. There was a neighbor it had been assumed I would marry-but he kept saying he couldn’t afford a wife until the next good harvest. I was too frightened to wait, so I tempted him. It wasn’t hard.