" This one," called out the auctioneer, pointing to the blond woman, " will keep even the most discerning happy. Smile for the gentlemen," he ordered. The blonde pouted, a tiny tear tracking down her cheek. " See, gentlemen? She is without peer."
" She is without more than that. She is without courage to spit on you!" The dark- haired woman started to carry out her threat, but one of the nearby guards tugged strongly on the chain around her neck and forced her to kneel, head bowed.
" And that one has spirit. Only the strongest should bid for her." The auctioneer glanced at the kneeling woman and saw her arms shaking in reaction. Nervously, he gestured to the guard to hold her down until afterward.
Lan heard a voice cry out, " Fifteen crowns for the three remaining," and then realized he' d spoken. His upbringing had been such that the idea of, slavery sickened him. Bidding so openly, so drunkenly, shocked him into sobriety. His mind remained a bit fogged, but he slowly worked out the problem to his own satisfaction. He did not bid for the desire to own a slave- even one as beautiful as the blonde- but to free them.
He would buy them and manumit them immediately. He didn' t bother examining his altruistic urges further. Deep down he realized this was the I first opportunity he' d had to fight against the grey soldiers and the slavery they brought with them. He need no longer fight with sword; he had wealth to do battle now. The bidding became more intense and required his full attention.
" Twenty crowns," came a cold voice from the front of the crowd.
" Twenty- five," countered Lan.
A fat merchant rubbed his hands together, then plunged into a thick pouch before shouting, " Thirty and not one silver piece more!"
Lan laughed at the merchant. The bidding sparked some instinct in him that had remained dormant for most of his life. This thrilled him in some way he didn' t understand. Stalking elusive game gave a similar rush of excitement, but the knowledge that he controlled the destinies of three human beings surged even more powerfully in his veins.
And he thwarted the grey- clads' scheme for domination. By purchasing these three and then freeing them, he formed a cadre of resistance. Given time and his riches, this world would be rid of the soldiers. If he could not return to his own world and fight them there, he' d make his stand on this world and form a bastion of freedom to rally all those who hated the greys.
" Fifty!"
" Fifty- five," said the man in the front. Lan pushed through to find the man sitting in a folding chair, a huge box filled with gold pieces in front of him. Markers from five other slaves dangled on a necklace around the man' s neck. Lan knew he bid against a veteran slaver, one who might go to any lengths for one as lovely as the blonde.
" Sixty," Lan said without hesitation. His wealth was vast. Holding back this churlish slaver' s financial attack amused him.
" I wish to inspect the merchandise before bidding further," the slaver said. The soldier conducting the auction started to motion the man to the platform when Lan interrupted.
" No! Either bid or drop out." He smiled as he saw the flash of consternation cross the slaver' s otherwise impassive face.
Turning to the three on the auction block, Lan saw a complete array of emotion displayed. The man tried to keep his rampaging emotions in check and failed. Sheer terror was mirrored in his bloodshot eyes. The blonde trembled like a thoroughbred before a race, but the dark- haired woman stood with back as straight as a ramrod and glared defiantly at him. For some reason, he had expected some show of gratitude and encouragement from the trio.
Wasn' t he going to free them?
" I bow out," said the slaver, waving his hand as if it no longer mattered.
" Sold," rapped the soldier. A few of the jewels changed hands, and Lan found himself the possessor of three markers indicating ownership of the slaves. He repositioned the jeweled cask under his arm and imperiously waved the trio down from the platform.
" Master," begged the man, " be kind to me. I: I' ll try to please you however I can."
Lan' s gorge rose at the servile attitude. He expected a man to be a man, not a grovelling dog. But the blonde clung seductively to his arm. This made him swell with pride. She, at least, recognized his true intentions.
The black- haired amazon said only, " You are careless with your riches. The soldiers have both eyes and greed."
" Never mind that," Lan said uneasily, recognizing the truth in her words. " Let' s go to the edge of town. I want to tell you what I plan."
" At once, master," came the instant reply from the man. Lan restrained his initial impulse of kicking the man senseless. Instead, he pointed down the road and let the man follow, three paces behind as slaves did. The blonde, however, stayed on his arm.
" I am called Velika, master, and am so grateful to you!" The adoration in her grey- green eyes warmed him and drove away the last tendrils of drunkenness entangling his brain. For a brief moment, he had worried that he hadn' t done the proper thing in buying these three. Now he knew that his wealth had been put to good use keeping them from the clutches of a real slaver.
Just to meet Velika, it had been put to the best use possible.
" And your name?" he asked the other woman.
Her eyes danced with a bright blue ferocity that told him she cared not at all for him. The words dripped ice water.
" I am Inyx, a traveller of the Road and warrior of the Klendalu. I bow to none."
Lan felt obligated to hurry through his explanation of how he intended freeing them all, how he hated the very concept of human ownership of other humans.
" So you see, I wanted nothing more than to free you from those grey- clad tyrants."
" But, master," pleaded Velika, " what am I to do? I cannot defend myself in this world! Not with King Waldron' s soldiers pouring out of thin air. My parents are dead and I am alone. Even my dog has run away. Protect me, I beg you, protect me!" She gripped his arm with a steely need that touched him.
Gently, Lan told her, " Very well, Velika. I' ll be more than happy to protect you."
Inyx cleared her throat and stared across the field at the edge of town.
" Here," Lan said, tossing the keys to their chains to the man. " Free yourself and go home. I have no need of a slave." As Velika tightened her grasp on his upper arm, he hastily added, " But a companion is always a welcome addition to one like myself who walks the Road."
" You," sneered Inyx, " have also followed the Cenotaph Road? Amazing." She stopped and cocked her head to one side, listening. " That roar. What is it?"
Above the treetops some distance away rose a parti- colored globe, a hot- air observation balloon. Lan watched it for some minutes, marvelling at its use on this world. On his, they were little more than toys for the wealthy. The soldiers contrasting greyly against the brilliant colors of the fabric and the multihued banner dangling from the gondola told him that this was a weapon of war on this world.
The roar and hiss of the burners carried across the field as the balloon rose in search of the proper air current. A hundred yards above the ground, the balloon sailed at right angles to its original drift. It glided silently toward the foursome.
" No," cried the man, " not again! They rained fire from the skies on me once, but not again!" He bolted and ran for the cover of trees. Lan called after him, but it was to no avail. He shrugged it off. Let the coward flee from this pretty aerial globe. As long as Lan felt the heft of his fine sword at his side, he could defeat anything this interloper warlord Waldron threw against him.
A jingle of chains indicated Inyx had freed her wrists. She cast her bonds aside and declared, " I agree with him. Standing in the middle of an unprotected area is folly. Let' s find shelter away from their prying eyes." She glanced up at the balloon, now almost overhead. While the man had displayed nothing but fear, Inyx showed only concern.