Allan Cole: The Gods Awaken

It was rumored that Rhodes and his subjects were cannibals, although there was no real evidence of this.

There was no doubt, however, that they collected the heads of their enemies. Many wore belts festooned with shrunken skulls, decorated with colorful ribbons worked into the hair.

At any other time this mob would have charged the platform and ripped Palimak and Leiria to shreds.

Leiria glanced upward. Circling overhead was the great airship. Bowmen lined the rails, arrows fixed and ready to fire. They were magical arrows, specially constructed by Palimak-with the help of Gundaree and Gundara-to strike and horribly burn any target they hit.

These, plus the other spell weapons Biner and the crew were armed with, were the only things that kept Leiria and Palimak safe. Rhodes knew from painful experience that any threatening move on his part would bring instant and massive retaliation from above.

Rhodes caught Leiria's glance and his eyes instinctively flickered upward, then back again. She noted a brief, uncontrollable twitch of fear.

Then the king recovered, placing a hairy paw of mock sincerity across his broad, mailed chest. "Here is the truth, young prince," he said to Palimak. "Spoken straight from this old heart. Despite our … ahem …

difficulties in the past, I now find myself thinking of you as the son I never had."

Leiria saw a dangerous glow in Palimak's eyes: she knew he was thinking of Safar and was offended by Rhodesa€™ remark. Sometimes she almost forgot how young Palimak really was. And with youth came a quick and deadly temper.

She broke in before things took a bad turn. "Pardon, majesty," she said to Rhodes, "but there seems to be something missing here." She looked pointedly around the platform. "Such as the matter of the hostage we agreed upon."

Rhodes turned surly. "What has this world come to?" he grumbled. "Not to trust the word of a Syrapian king! I see no reason for this hostage business. You have my personal pledge that this truce and all of its terms will stand."

"And one of the key requirements of those terms," Leiria said, "was that you would provide us with a hostage."

She turned to Palimak. "Apparently, King Rhodes still doesn't think we're serious, my lord," she said to him. "It's my advice that we leave now and allow him more time to reflect."

Palimak eyed the king. "Is that what you want?" he asked. "If you need more thinking time, I'm certainly ready to grant it. Meanwhile, the blockade will stand."

The blockade he was referring to was one of the main things that had forced Rhodes to the bargaining table. Coralean was at this moment standing off Rhodesa€™ main port with a small but well-armed fleet of mercenary warships. Effectively bottling Rhodesa€™ ships up and cutting off all trade with the outside world.

Rhodes sighed heavily. "Very well," he said. "If you insist." He turned and rumbled orders to one of his aides.

A few moments later there was a loud yowl-like someone had just been foolish enough grab hold of a tiger's tail! This was followed by a firestorm of shrill curses and threats.

Palimak heard someone rail, "Get your hands off me, you sons of flea-ridden curs! I'll claw your filthy eyes from your heads and your lying tongues from your mouths!"

Then he gaped as two red-faced soldiers stumbled onto the platform, dragging a biting, kicking, scratching bundle of fury between them. The men's faces and arms were dripping blood from wounds they'd already suffered in the struggle.

It took Palimak a full minute to realize that it was a woman, not a howling animal, that they were hauling before the king.

And what a woman she was! Easily as tall as Leiria, sinuously muscular like a great cat, tawny hair like a lion's and glittering diamond-hard eyes. She was half naked-someone had obviously tried to force her to dress and she wasn't having any of it.

The rich clothing, inlaid with gems and gold bead, had been ripped to shreds by her struggles, revealing an impressive expanse of shapely limbs. Only a narrow breast band and a scanty loin cloth guarded her modesty from full public view.

Not that she seemed to care. The woman was so angry, so bent on getting at the soldiers to rake them with her dagger-like nails, that the remains of her clothing were practically falling off her. Finally, after what seemed like a small eternity, the soldiers wrestled her over to the throne.

King Rhodes lumbered to his feet, drawing himself up like an angry bear. Palimak barely restrained a gulp. He knew Rhodes was big, but, by the gods, he hadn't known he was this big! Seven feet, at least.

With shoulders as wide as a freight wagon.

"Stop this, daughter!" Rhodes thundered. "How dare you humiliate me in front of our friends."

Instantly, the woman ceased her struggles. But there was no fear in her as she quickly straightened up.

She glared at the soldiers, who swallowed hard, gingerly let her loose and backed away.

The woman lifted her head to meet Rhodesa€™ eyes, and sniffed imperiously, saying, "Balls to your humiliation, father dear! Balls, I say!"

She quickly and somehow regally pulled her tattered clothing around her. Making the rags seem like a royal gown.

"I am being treated like a slave hauled to market." She ran strong, slender fingers through her hair.

"Worse than a slave, actually. Slaves have some value, after all. In this kingdom, it has become quickly apparent, a queen has no rights or dignity at all!"

Rhodes face went from purple to its normal drink-induced flush. He turned to Palimak and Leiria, grinning hugely and with relish.

"Allow me to introduce you, noble ones," he said, so mildly polite that they might have been at a fine dinner party, "to my daughter, Queen Jooli.

"Your hostage!"

Leiria coughed, recovered, then dipped her head. "Pleased, I'm, uh, sure."

Palimak could only stare. His entire vocabulary was stuck somewhere in the vicinity of the huge lump in his throat. Leiria jabbed an elbow into his ribs.

"Uh, yes," he croaked, "hap … uh … happy to … uh…" The rest was lost.

To Palimak's dismay, Jooli whirled about to confront him. She studied him, piercing gaze taking him in from toes to crown. Palimak suddenly felt very small and very young. Much like a minnow about to be swallowed by a large female-type fish.

At the same time a little voice whispered in his ear. "Beware, little master. She's a witch!" It was Gundaree, reduced to a flea speck on his shoulder. The moment he heard the Favorite's warning, Palimak felt a spark of sorcery leap across the space between Jooli and himself.

"So, you are to be my captor," Jooli said, in a voice dripping with belittlement.

Before he could react, she turned back to Rhodes. "What's happening, here, father?" she asked, equally sarcastic. "Have you been defeated by a child's army? Or is this one of your rude jests?"

Nonplused, Rhodes shrugged. "Just do what you are told for a change, daughter," he said. "Certain terms were required. And I met them. My honor is at stake here."

Eyes still on her father, Jooli stabbed a long finger at Palimak. "Bugger your honor, father," she said.

"You can't really expect me to go with him!"

Rhodes snorted. "We've gone over this before, Jooli. As my eldest child, you are in line to succeed me.

On the other hand, I'll be damned if a woman will ever take my throne."

He gave her a beseeching look. "Why wouldn't you marry any of the good and honest princes I've brought to your chamber, seeking your favor? It would've been so much simpler that way."

"They were all either boors or cowards, father," Jooli said. "What's worse, they were stupid. You expect me to confer a kingship on stupid men? And simper in their shadows, dropping dim-witted children by the dozen like a brood sow?"