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"I grow weary of fighting," Darlanis smiled back in reply.
"I'm going to drop a note telling them who we are," I said.
"That would probably be wise," Darlanis agreed with a smile.
"You're going to freeze your balls off," I warned Darlanis. Getting out of the
plane there at the palace dock as men tied it to cast iron rings set in the
stone. Feeling the chill there in the air that made me glad for my lined
leather jacket. A couple dozen warrioresses, twice as many warriors, many big
burly "Vik- ings", watching us. They had bows, lances, long heavy swords. The
royal palace of Dularn towering up before us. A number of other men and women.
All well armed. Dularn has true "Universal
Armament". It is against the law in Dularn to appear in public without a sword
at your hip. These people do take "The Right To Keep And Bear Arms" extremely
seriously! That is also why they have the advanced democratic political system
that they do. Why no one will ever be able to conquer them by sheer force of
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arms. Our own "New Order" is based upon their own political order to a degree,
although
I have made "improvements" based upon my person- al knowledge and experience.
We are, for example, much less "pu- ritanical" than they are. Our society is
more "colorful", less "equalitarian" perhaps, but yet just as "free" as their
own is.
"Freeze my `what' off?" Darlanis smiled, a bit puzzled. The cloudy sun glowed
off her golden mesh.
She had refused to wear a cloak or cover herself in any way. I hoped she
wouldn't take sick from exposure. I could already see the goose pimples there
forming on her skin. The temperature was in the high forties if all of that,
with a chilly breeze blowing off the sea. I under- stand that it even snows
here in Dularn two-three months out of the year. There have been major
climatic changes due to The War.
"Never mind," I smiled, hoping they would not make her wait. I could already
hear her teeth start to chatter. Sometimes she isn't too "bright" in some
ways. This was certainly a prime ex- ample! On the other hand she was
certainly impressive enough standing there, her golden mesh glowing in the
sunlight.
Like a heroine out of some fantasy tale. Darlanis does have a high tol- erance
for personal discomfort. A
stoic disregard for pain that reminds me so much of one who will always live
in my memories...
"Maris Marn!" I gasped, seeing a golden haired beautiful woman step forward to
greet us. She wore the colorful and im- pressive uniform of a Sealady of
Dularn, a position of awesome status within
Dularn's own military. I had heard rumors that she was soon to become the
Princess of Dularn. Gayle's sister had indeed done well for herself! I
recalled Sharon's comment to Gayle there on the Janis. Smiled to myself as
Darlanis stood there miserable at my side. If there ever was a "jumped up
slave girl" Maris was certainly one! She had done well for herself!
"And how is little Mara?" Maris asked, ignoring Darlanis as if she wasn't even
there. I recalled what
Darlanis had told me about her earlier teenage years. About her mother
disowning her. Apparently orders had been given out. Darlanis was to be
ignored! Completely! Just as if she didn't exist at all here!
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"She still speaks of you from time to time," I answered. It was the truth. She
had been to Mara almost like another mother. Why she had fled my slavery to
risk her life at sea was a ques- tion for which I had never been able to
obtain a suitable answer.
Maris Marn (Now Queen Maris Jord of Dularn as I write this, I should state
here.) is a beautiful blonde of about 5'8". She is well proportioned, and
quite striking. I tend to be somewhat "prejudiced"
against her for personal reasons, and will only say here that she is a
beautiful woman who is also very capable and competent. The book of her
adventures in sailing from my estates to Arsana is well worth reading,
although whether or not she is truthful in her writing is another matter. Her
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