It was the best he could do for Zeena. Never mind the irony, the bitterness, the mine slave married to a mad princess. It was not only the best, it was all he could do.
"It shall be so," boomed the idol. "And now - "
Blade raised his hand. "There is one more thing."
Impatience now. "Then ask it, Blade. And let it be the last."
"There is a friend, a companion of mine, a servant if you will. His name is Pelops. I would have him given safe conduct back to his own land of Sarma."
After a moment: "The man is known to us. But can you vouch that he is no spy? We do not trust Sarma, now in revolt against its lawful master."
"Pelops is no spy. That I vouch, for if he is spy so am I a spy. And I am not."
Hasty whispering. Canda was hardly bothering to conceal her presence now.
At last: "This also is granted. Your friend will be given an escort to the Purple Sea and a ship will be procured for him. That is all I promise."
"It is enough. I thank you again, El Kal." Go, little man, and become a genius in Sarma. Invent the wheel. Blade bowed low to conceal his smile.
The voice again, "Go then, to your quarters and await a summons. You will visit Canda this night. The first of four. Go."
Blade backed away from the idol as he had been instructed. A last shred of girl laughter came to his ears. Oversexed little minx. Playing with fire and men's lives. Canda was the one who stood to lose nothing in this weird upcoming contest. Little nympho! She was the gainer any way you looked at it - she stood to end up well screwed no matter the outcome.
He was met outside the temple and taken to his sumptuous quarters. Pelops, nervous and afraid, but trying to hide his jitters, hovered about as Blade bathed again - one must go clean to the lady - and donned fresh clothing. Blade informed him of the promise extracted from El Kal.
Pelops began to weep great silver tears. "I will not go, sire. I will stay with you. I am not afraid, at least not very much, and I have come to love you. I stay."
"You go," Blade said sternly. "It is your own wish, remember. And you have work to do in Sarma. Have you forgotten the secret I told you? Have you forgotten that you are to be famous and have images built in your likeness? Come, little man. Show a bit of courage now. Anyway it would do you no good to linger in the city - I will not be here."
Another pain skewered his head as he donned a vest. Blade grimaced and sat down for a moment, holding his head in his hands.
Pelops wrung his hands. "You are ill, sire. I know it. So I cannot go. How would you fare without me to look after you? I am greatly skilled in medicine, as you know, and though it may take time I am sure that I can experiment and find this illness of yours and pronounce a cure. If you will just put yourself in my hands and give me full charge. I remember a time, long ago, when - "
"Be quiet!" roared Blade. He pointed to the door. "Out. I want to think and I cannot do it with you gabbling. Go and make your preparations for travel."
Pelops left, still sniveling.
They came for him. A Lieutenant of Guards and a soldier bearing a flambeau. He was led through twisting corridors and up stairs and past open doors whence came the sounds and smells of many women. El Kal was reputed to have a thousand wives. Yet Canda could have but one consort. It hardly seemed fair. Blade, as so often before, reminded himself that life was very seldom fair - in any dimension!
His escort left him at the door to Canda's chamber. A great door of leather, brass studded as were all the palace doors. The Lieutenant halted down the corridor and watched until Blade pushed the door open and entered.
There was a low bed with a stand near it. On the bed lay the naked Canda, her body laved, caressed, by the flames of two tapers nearby. Blade halted and drank in the scene, feeling a hot ache and strain in his groin, reacting immediately to the exposed flesh, the taut upthrusting breasts, the mixture of perfume and musk she exuded.
She spoke softly. "You hesitate, Blade? Why? Surely this is better than a bed of sand and rocks."
"It is that, my lady." Blade slipped off his vest and let it drop. He walked slowly toward the bed.
Canda smiled. Her hair was a night wave, dark as sin, floating about her bare shoulders, tendrils kissing her breasts. Her pubic area was a curly triangle of the same jet black. The wide gray eyes, sparkling gold, watched him in anticipation.
"You are slow, Blade. Formal. You are troubled?"
There was a small box made of some exquisitely carven stone on the bedside taboret. Idly he picked it up and opened it. The contents looked like stringy tobacco, oily and coarse, and gave off a sweetish odor.
"It is called ashi," said the woman. "Chew a little and it dulls the brain, the nerves also. You must swallow the juice. It is said to greatly extend the male powers. Do you need it, Blade?"
He snapped the box shut. "Not I, my lady. As I will show you soon enough."
She extended her arms to him. "Prove that to me, Blade.
Prove it well. I would have you win this trial, you know. In my heart I want you above your twin. But you must prove the better man."
He smiled down at her. "I think you lie in your beautiful teeth, Canda. How is it that you are not sweating? You must have hurried to get here from the temple."
She raised herself to an elbow and frowned at him. Then a glint of teeth. "You know, then?"
He nodded. "That you were in the belly of the idol? Of course. A childish trick, that."
Canda lay back with a sigh of exasperation. "Did you come to talk, Blade?"
He dropped his breeches. Canda gazed at him and her moist red mouth twisted. She darted a pink tongue between her teeth. "That is better. Much better. So come now - and no more talking."
Before the long night was over Blade did think of having recourse to the ashi in the stone box. She was beyond any woman he had ever known in her demands. There was scarcely time to catch his breath between bouts. When she exhausted all known postures she invented new ones.
Dawn saved him, barely in time. As he was leaving she pulled a cover over her glistening moist body and favored him with a last sleepy smile.
"You are indeed a man, Blade. As of this morning I favor you - but who can tell? Tonight it is your brother's turn. He is also a man. Though I admit he uses the drug, the ashi. Still I do not hold that against him so long as he satisfies me. Good morning, Blade."
So it went. Blade was not permitted to see the Russian again. Canda gave him no hint as to her final decision. Pelops left the city with his escort, after a final weeping farewell, and the Russian, in his capacity as Vizier, sent Blade a note stating that Zeena and Chephron were married and given a sinecure in the palace. They would have enough to live on. It was a note of cheer, the only one during a bad time. The pains were getting progressively worse, but still the computer did not take him. And Blade was mortally tired. As he was taken to Canda's chamber on the fourth night he decided that, if he must, he would use the ashi. He was at the end of his tether. Canda was no woman, but a succubus draining the life from men.
As usual the Lieutenant watched until Blade pushed open the leather door. Blade entered the bed chamber.
Canda was on the bed, naked as always. She raised her arms in greeting and invitation.
"I have been longing for you, Blade. I thought the day would never pass. Come to me - hurry - hurry!"
As he moved toward the bed, divesting himself of his garments, he knew something was wrong. Either that or his nerves were beginning to go. He halted and gazed around the chamber. It was the same. No windows, leather hangings on the wall, the same sparse furniture, the stone box of ashi on the taboret. On impulse he opened the box. It was empty.