Lin Carter - Jandar 02 by Black Legion Of Callisto

Author:Black Legion Of Callisto
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-05-26T14:07:23+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

IN THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR

Yes, I knew what Valkar meant when he said that only his great love for the Princess would have driven him to take such a desperate risk as venturing into the very ranks of the Black Legion in disguise.

I knew it all too well! For I, too, loved Darloona with a hopeless and consuming passion. My devotion to her was almost beyond the ability of words to describe. And only the fact that the woman I loved, the peerless Princess to whom I had given my heart, was in terrible danger would have driven me to the

desperate extremity of penetrating the conquered city as an impostor.

Of course I knew exactly what Valkar meant! For I had been driven by the same emotion to risk precisely the same dangers as had he.

I thank God that the parallel did not occur to him, but of course he could have no reason to suspect that my devotion to Darloona was spurred by a passion identical to his own. Had he known this, I think I would have died of shame.

Neither he nor Darloona must ever have reason to suspect that I love her. Never by word or deed, by look or glance, must I permit either my best friend or the woman I love to guess the depths of my adoration.

It is a foolish passion, I admitted, that I, a homeless and wandering adventurer, a stranger come by chance or accident from another world, a lowly born member of an alien race, dared to love the splendid Princess of Shondakor-what a mockery!

I had known that my love was a hopeless one, of course; known it even before discovering that Darloona had sworn to wed Prince Vaspian of the Black Legion. Her contempt for me, freely expressed upon many occasions; her unfortunate experiences at my bungling and incompetent hands; these and many other factors had given an indication to me that I had been most foolish to admit my love, even to myself!

And so my position had long been a hopeless one. But worse was yet to come!

For the hopelessness of my situation was only increased by a feeling of horror and dread, when I came to realize that the woman I loved was being forced into a marriage with a man she despised-a marriage which she dared not oppose or avoid.

But now I had truly descended into the depths of despair.

For if Valkar and Darloona were in love, and sworn to each other, how could I hope to win the woman of my dreams, even if by some miracle I managed to free her from her vows to Vaspian and from the captivity of the Chac Yuul?

Black, bitter depression filled my aching heart. For I remembered that glimpse through the spyhole. I had seen Valkar with Darloona clasped in a passionate embrace, I had seen her shining eyes lifted to his, her tear-wet cheeks, and had heard the soft warmth of her pleading voice.

I had thought that my

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