Counting the cost of that miserable fight was a melancholy affair. We'd lost good men and women. The dead—the pieces of the dead—were duly buried and appropriate ceremonies held and words spoken. But the memories weighed heavily upon us.
When I made inquiries concerning the man who had spoken so ill at the beginning, calling out that we could not slay men already dead, the escort wheeled up Hikdar Ortyg Voman. I was astonished.
He looked in a terrible state. Sushi Vannerlan had been badly wounded and it was feared for her life. This had unnerved him, clearly. Yet...
“Well, Hikdar. What have you to say?"
“Nothing, majister. I know only that Sushi is near death and I am frantic—"
“Yes. You have my sympathy. But you called out when the fight began. You did not act as I expected."
Miserable he was, his uniform torn and bloodied, mud over his knees, all his handsome good looks shrunken away.
“I do not recall—"
“You don't remember?"
“No, majister."
Delia said: “Khe-Hi?"
“Yes, yes, it would fit.” Khe-Hi turned to me there in the Headquarters tent with the escort holding onto Voman, more to keep him upright than to restrain him. “I was not in Vondium at the time of the first werewolf outbreaks. But—"
I nodded, sick with the revelation. “Hikdar Ortyg Voman turned up late at Marion's party, after the werewolf struck. And now Csitra spies on us again—"
Hikdar Ortyg Voman said: “Dray Prescot, you are a stubborn man! Is there nothing in all this world or the other world that will move you?"
I said, “You know the answer to that, Csitra."
“My uhu grows impatient."
“What other world do you mean?” I did not think she referred to Earth but to the mystic other dimension in which so much of the traffic of these Witches and Wizards of Loh was carried on.
“A world open to me and not to you. But I would have you share much of what I can offer—will you not visit me in the Coup Blag? Phunik can be—"
Instead of blurting out: “Phunik can be hanged!” I said, “You released Wenerl the Lightfoot from his thralldom to you when his usefulness had gone. Will you now release this man?"
Staring into Voman's eyes and seeing only human eyes regarding me blankly, I wondered for a fleeting moment if he could feel or understand what was going on through his brain. Far away south in Pandahem, in the Coup Blag, this woman, this Witch of Loh, and her malignant brat planned to make over the world in the way they wanted. But so, of course, did I.
Voman stood unseeing, supported by his escort. The others in the tent, comrades all, watched silently. I tried again.
“You know I would think better of you, Csitra, if—"
“Perhaps that is not enough, Dray Prescot!"
“Then you condemn this man to death."
“Which means nothing to me."
“Therein lies the barrier."
What the Star Lords had told me, what Delia and I had discussed, all tended to the same answer. It would not be easy and it would not be pretty, but, by Zair! I could see precious little else to do.
I said: “You are proving an obstacle to my own plans, Csitra. You are an inconvenience. Maybe Phunik will grow into powers greater than yours or his father's. Maybe he will fall down a great pit and impale himself on spikes. Should I care about that?"
“You would not dare to ask me to choose between you!"
“Not dare, Csitra, care."
“Visit me. Come to see me. You know what I can offer you in the Coup Blag."
I knew that all right, by Krun, I knew that!
“Maybe I will visit you. Will you release this man?"
“If I do, do I have your promise?"
Delia touched my arm and I put my fingers on hers. The touch gave me strength.
“Yes."
Hikdar Ortyg Voman closed his eyes. Then, just before he opened them, he said: “And can I rely on your promise?"
My fingers held Delia's and I could feel the warm firmness there without a tremble as Voman's eyes snapped open and he gasped out: “What—? Where—?"
I didn't know if the Witch of Loh could hear me or not but I said, “Oh, yes, Csitra the Witch. Oh, yes. You can rely on my promise to come to visit you."
* * *
About the author
Alan Burt Akers was a pen name of the prolific British author Kenneth Bulmer, who died in December 2005 aged eighty-four.
Bulmer wrote over 160 novels and countless short stories, predominantly science fiction, both under his real name and numerous pseudonyms, including Alan Burt Akers, Frank Brandon, Rupert Clinton, Ernest Corley, Peter Green, Adam Hardy, Philip Kent, Bruno Krauss, Karl Maras, Manning Norvil, Chesman Scot, Nelson Sherwood, Richard Silver, H. Philip Stratford, and Tully Zetford. Kenneth Johns was a collective pseudonym used for a collaboration with author John Newman. Some of Bulmer's works were published along with the works of other authors under “house names” (collective pseudonyms) such as Ken Blake (for a series of tie-ins with the 1970s television programme The Professionals), Arthur Frazier, Neil Langholm, Charles R. Pike, and Andrew Quiller.
Bulmer was also active in science fiction fandom, and in the 1970s he edited nine issues of the New Writings in Science Fiction anthology series in succession to John Carnell, who originated the series.
More details about the author, and current links to other sources of information, can be found at www.mushroom-ebooks.com, and at wikipedia.org.
* * *
The Dray Prescot Series
The Delian Cycle:
1. Transit to Scorpio
2. The Suns of Scorpio
3. Warrior of Scorpio
4. Swordships of Scorpio
5. Prince of Scorpio
Havilfar Cycle:
6. Manhounds of Antares
7. Arena of Antares
8. Fliers of Antares
9. Bladesman of Antares
10. Avenger of Antares
11. Armada of Antares
The Krozair Cycle:
12. The Tides of Kregen
13. Renegade of Kregen
14. Krozair of Kregen
Vallian cycle:
15. Secret Scorpio
16. Savage Scorpio
17. Captive Scorpio
18. Golden Scorpio
Jikaida cycle:
19. A Life for Kregen
20. A Sword for Kregen
21. A Fortune for Kregen
22. A Victory for Kregen
Spikatur cycle:
23. Beasts of Antares
24. Rebel of Antares
25. Legions of Antares
26. Allies of Antares
Pandahem cycle:
27. Mazes of Scorpio
28. Delia of Vallia
29. Fires of Scorpio
30. Talons of Scorpio
31. Masks of Scorpio
32. Seg the Bowman
Witch War cycle:
33. Werewolves of Kregen
34. Witches of Kregen
35. Storm over Vallia
36. Omens of Kregen
37. Warlord of Antares
Lohvian cycle:
38. Scorpio Reborn
39. Scorpio Assassin
40. Scorpio Invasion
41. Scorpio Ablaze
42. Scorpio Drums
43. Scorpio Triumph
Balintol cycle:
44. Intrigue of Antares
45. Gangs of Antares
46. Demons of Antares
47. Scourge of Antares
48. Challenge of Antares
49. Wrath of Antares
50. Shadows over Kregen
Phantom cycle:
51. Murder on Kregen
52. Turmoil on Kregen
* * *
Visit www.mushroom-ebooks.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.
hes of Kregen [Dray Prescot #34]
Witches of Kregen [Dray Prescot #34] Page 18
