Jean Lorrah - Flight to Savage Empire

“My powers disappeared overnight… but the man lost all interest in me, and began courting another.

Soon I discovered that I was pregnant. The father of my child had just announced his wedding plans.

“I feared the shame I would bring on my family. More than that, I questioned why the gods were putting me through one ordeal after another.”

Astra touched her shoulder in sympathy. “So you ran away to Tiberium?”

“To this very temple. Many unwed mothers are helped here. When Vortius was born, the high priestess saw to it that he was adopted into a good family. Eventually I was allowed to join the order, and befriended his adopted mother. But I never told Vortius or his mother wno I was.”

Astra arrived at the border station a few minutes after Vortius and company had passed through the gate.

She Read soldiers in the nearby barracks happily dividing up the bribe Vortius had given them to open the gates. The few coins she had would never satisfy their greed.

Three guards were on duty as she rode up to the tower. They looked down at her with leering smiles, exchanging muttered jokes that she could Read, but ignored. But it gave her an idea…

“Hey, pretty one, what can we do for you?” one of the guards called down.

“Open the gates!” she demanded, not having to act to sound tired and frustrated. “He’s not getting away from me that easily!”

The three looked at each other, puzzled, then back at Astra again.

“I’ve followed Vortius for two days!” she exclaimed. “The gold he paid you was supposed to include me.

I’ll chase him clear to the edge of the world before I’ll let him desert me after what I did for him! Now let me through the gate!”

The guards started laughing, and Astra Read them envisioning this angry woman set loose on the arrogant gambler. As she had hoped, they resented his wealth enough to pass her through. She spurred her horse down the road, and rode fast until she was out of sight of the guard tower.

Then she slowed to a walk again. It would not do to catch up with Vortius’ caravan until she had a plan to help Zanos escape. Again her memories intruded.

“Your powers returned after Vortius’ birth?” she had asked Serafon.

The old woman had nodded. “By the time I joined the order they were as strong as ever. I found a new home here, and decided that I would have to find a better way to survive than running away again. Then I heard a Dark Moon Reader boast about exposing a secret Adept when he couldn’t Read her surface thoughts. I could pass as a nonAdept if I could project my feelings, give Readers something to detect.

“Eventually, it became a habit to project my thoughts. And then I began to look for other secret Adepts, to help them survive in this land that kills us.”

“Was Zanos the only one you found?” asked the Reader.

“Yes,” Serafon said, smiling at the memory. “He was such a rebellious child. He escaped from his master and hid in the temple. Some instinct drew me to him, but I had to use my powers to prevent him from running away. I was amazed when he tried to counter my powers with his own weaker ones. I persuaded him that it was better for him to learn to control his powers than to reveal them while he was so young that he could be easily caught and killed. Eventually I was able to show him that the discreet use of his powers could be his way out of slavery, and we became friends.”

Astra could Read a sense of apprehension sweeping the territory as she rode through the lands west of Zendi. Here and there she picked up thoughts of people preparing to join the army-an army marching against the Aventine invaders. These were the lands of the sorcerer Lenardo, she remembered. He and his savage friends would soon attack Astra’s people … or defend themselves, depending on your perspective. Right now I, too, could be considered an enemy of the Aventine Empire .

She picked up images of Lenardo. His people saw him as a hero. They trusted him, and the union of Adepts and Readers he had brought together.

Constantly monitoring Vortius’ progress, she Read that the gambler and his party avoided attracting attention. Astra did the same, skirting the places where people were gathering for battle. By evening, Vortius reached the foothills of a mountain range that stretched northward to the limits of her Reading abilities. There he made camp on a hilltop surrounded by dense forest.

The farther from the border she got, the more Astra worried about dangers she could not anticipate.

Lenardo was a Master Reader. Scanning for enemies, he could accidentally discover her. I’H not be turned into one of the savages, as he was ! But that meant rescuing Zanos that very night, so they could flee Lenardo’s territory.

But how could she do it? Her only advantage was that she was a strong Reader, and there seemed to be no Readers in Vortius’ party.

Yes, that was it! Serafon had unwittingly given her a clue. But she would need a place where she could imprison Zanos-and hold him.

She scanned the nearby hills. The area was dotted with underground caverns, but only one was structured to suit her needs. She made careful preparations, and with a prayer to all the gods set off toward Vortius’ camp at twilight.

There were four guards on the camp’s perimeter, each patrolling one quarter-section of the area. Zanos had the southeast quarter, standing like an armed statue, staring sightlessly into the darkness of the forest.

Astra crept to within a dozen yards of him, remaining behind the trees. Slowly and carefully she focused her mind on his, using a technique forbidden except under the strictest control in the healing of sick minds, salving her conscience with the thought that Zanos’ drug-trapped mind was in desperate need of healing.

She projected an image, a belief into his consciousness-a picture of Serafon, weeping like a mother grieving over the death of her child.

Zanos drew his sword and moved in the direction he believed the “sound” came from. He stumbled into a clearing, looking for Serafon. Astra let the illusion fade, then stepped out from behind the trees.

“Zanos,” she said softly, stretching out her arms to him, “come away with me!”

He stared at her, his blue eyes cold and empty. “Why should I go with you?”

The timing was all wrong; both the drug high and the period of suggestibility had worn off. But of course, Vortius would not send any man to patrol his camp in either of those conditions.

“I’m your wife,” she tried. “Zanos, you have fought for your freedom all your life. Are you going to let Vortius make you his property?”

The reminder of his lifelong determination made him frown for a moment, conflicting with the commands Vortius had implanted. Then Zanos shook his head. “I serve Vortius willingly. And you, my wife- you must serve him, too. Come. I will take you to him.”

“No!” Astra took the hand he proffered, but tugged in the opposite direction-a futile gesture against the gladiator’s size and strength. “Not yet, Zanos. Why… we’ve had no time alone together. Please-come with me to my campfire. Warm yourself, and be with me. I have your flute-don’t you miss your music?”

“Music… yes. Our music will entertain Vortius,” said Zanos.

It hurt her to hear him turn every suggestion to pleasing Vortius, but if that would get him to come with her, let him think what he chose. “Yes-we will get our instruments and practice.”

“No-I must stand guard-”

“There are other guards,” she insisted. “Vortius will be so pleased if you charm him with your music.

Come, Zanos-he’ll expect you to be in practice.”

He stared at her coldly. “Astra,” he said at last, as if he had finally remembered her name. “My wife. Yes, there are other guards, but I mustn’t be gone long.”