The Queen of Zamba (original Illustrated) by L. Sprague de Camp

Author:L. Sprague de Camp [Camp, L. Sprague De]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sci Fi & Fantasy
Publisher: Astounding Science Fiction
Published: 1949-08-28T00:00:00+00:00

“They don’t seem to be coming after us,” said Hasselborg, leaning out of the buggy and looking to the rear. “I guess they were as badly scared as we were, and didn’t know their- chosen victim was in this rig.”

“What mean you, chosen victim?”

Hasselborg told her what he had overheard.

“That foul unha!” she cried. “Not satisfied with forcing me to flee his court, Djám hires cutthroats to kidnap me! I’ll make him pay for this, the way Queen Nirizi made the jeweler pay for what he did.”

Although Hasselborg w ould like to have known what drastic fate Queen Nirizi inflicted upon the jeweler, he had other things to occupy him at the moment. They passed the place where the caravan had been attacked.

Aside from a brief glimpse of the ruins of the bishtar cart and a couple of unburied bodies, nothing remained.

Hasselborg said: “I think I see what happened. The bandits thought they had everything under control, and so they did until a couple of them tore away after that fellow who rode off on his aya, and some more came after us, which left only a • couple guarding the prisoners. Seeing which, the prisoners grabbed up the weapons they’d just laid down and smote the robbers hip and thigh. When the other came back after hunting for us, the caravan was miles away, and they didn’t dare follow* it out of Djám’s territory, since they’d bought their protection from him.” “Then my people may still live! We should catch them ere they reach Hershíd, think you not ?”

“Don’t know; I’d have to scale it off on the map, and I don’t know how accurate that is.”

“Well then, will you take over the driving now?”

“In a minute.” Hasselborg gave another look to the rear. The robbers’ fire slid out of sight. A couple of miles more and he said: “Let’s stop long enough to light the lanterns. This tearing around in the dark à la Ben Hur gives me the bleeps.”

“Is that an expression in your native tongue? Surely my lord showed courage enough on that ride through the hills. I could have done nought without you, O man of might.”

“Oh, I’m not as hot as all that,” he said, fumbling with the lanterns and glad that she could not see his look of embarrassment. “In fact the whole idea—” He was about to say that the whole idea of rescuing her had been a piece of irrational folly, which he’d never have undertaken if he had stopped to think, but judged such a remark tactless. “There, now at least we shan’t miss a turn and smash up.”

He took up the reins again. Since her costume was inadequate protection against the coolth of the long Krishnan night, he wrapped his cloak around both of them. She snuggled up to him, tickled his face with her antennae, and presently kissed the angle of his jaw.

So, sex was raising its beautiful head? How nice that the Krishnans had adopted this Earthly

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