Chapter Seven
I stepped up to the bar and met the bartender’s gaze. He wore a smile that I found hard to read.
“How about something with a little less kick this time.” I said.
Grinning broadly he poured a glass of what appeared to be milk. What on Earth were they milking on this planet?
He set it down with a clunk before me and tentatively I sipped from it. Yeah it was milk alright. However from what it had come from I could only guess at.
Continuing to sip at the milk I felt that I was very much on edge as I expected a repeat of the day before to occur at any moment. To my surprise though everyone within the bar seemed to be of a jovial demeanor and were acting as if I was just one of the boys.
A man beside me, which I distinctly remembered taking a punch from raised his tankard, when he noticed my perusal and said, “To a good fight.”
“The old one or a new one?” I asked.
“My lands yuh are crazy! You want to be going about it again?” The man exclaimed and laughing I shook my head no and took a drink of my milk.
The general conversation of the place came to a halt and questioningly those at the bar turned to see why. I already knew though. Zayri had arrived and with gusto she addressed the room at large, “Ladies and gents the Marshal’s brought us a job. What do you say to a bit of excitement or are you all too busy still being lazy?” She asked one and all in a saucy taunt to the room at large.
All eyes in the room swung to me. Marcy looked me up and down before glancing to Zayri, “What be the job?”
“A way to go the straight and narrow and leave this life behind and live like kings and queens with nobody chasing after us. How’s that sound to ya?”
My need for Zayri’s help was becoming slightly embellished and I started to speak when she turned piercing eyes to me and asked, “How does all the wealth to be found in three or four pyramids of the beast men sound to you as a suitable payment for our services?”
Exclamations of excitement broke out around the room and as one they left their stations to crowd in around Zayri.
Marcy looked to me, “Is this be true about the plunder to be had?”
Deciding to go along with the extortion that Zayri had begun I made the deal sweeter, “I believe six pyramids worth of plunder would be more accurate of a tally.”
Joyous excitement broke out around the room upon the faces of Zayri’s crew of henchmen and women.
The bartender managed to break through the many questions being put forward by roaring out loudly, “Plunder aside, what’s the part about living in peace and living the straight and narrow got to do with it?”
Zayri nodded and hopped up to sit on the edge of one of the playing tables as she brought one leather clad leg up to rest on a nearby chair seat. She leaned forward conspiratorially and the whole room seemed to lean into her to hear what she would say.
“Well it’s like this. The good Marshal that we’ve all come to respect is by blood a Melungeon and quite naturally he wants to see this world once held mightily by his people restored to its former glory.”
She held a hand up, “Who here thinks he’s man enough for the job?”
She was immediately seconded boisterously by the room at large and I had to admit to a certain amount of ego enlargement at the easy votes of confidence in me.
“And well you should, as who of you has ever saw a man take on as tough a lot as us and almost come out on top. Now the plan is simple. On the biggest of the four moons are the rest of his people held over in slavery by the weakening brood of vipers who, thanks to them and their heavy handedness, have poisoned this galaxy into such a state of poverty that there’s hardly anything left worth stealing!”
Shouted exclamations of, “Aye!!!” Rang out around the room in agreement with her.
“Aye it’s so! And now comes the time for us to steal back the wealth they’ve stolen from us and while we’re doing it we’ll set the good Marshal’s people free.”
Everyone in the room was so psyched out by the easy picture of success that she had so artfully painted that they were ready to march out the door. Zayri rose up dramatically off the table and motioned down with her hands as if to curb down their excitement, “Now, there’s more to be heard. About the living in peace part, who of you likes being held up in this boring ice bucket of a place?”
No one raised their hand.
“It’s the same for me. Before us lies an opportunity to escape this life of always being on the run. If we help the Marshal free his people then in return not only do we secure for ourselves the richest haul ever, but we also receive a pardon for our past crimes as long as we stay on this world. Let me make that clear. Beyond this world you’ll be hunted as usual, but here you’ll be safe, but you have to give up the life we’ve lead so far and live peaceably. What do you say?”
“We get to keep the treasure and we’re free to stay?” One man asked.
“That’s the way of it.” Zayri affirmed.
“Well then what have we got to lose! When do we go?” The man burst out with in question.
In answer to his first question I couldn’t help but think, his life, as I recalled the heavy defenses and sophisticated weaponry of the enemy.
“Start packing up and get the ships ready and loaded for war. As to when we leave that’s up to the Marshal to decide. He’s in charge of the whole venture.”
The room emptied out busily until only I and Zayri remained. She came to the bar beside me and poured herself a drink.
Regarding her I said, “A bit of an embellishment on our agreement don’t you think? I mentioned nothing about the wealth of the beast men.”
She shrugged with a playful smile, “You’re happy to have the extra help aren’t you?”
“I am. Thank you.”
She took a drink and I asked, “Do you suppose any of them know what they’re up against? I make the count of the enemy forces at around five thousand and I’d hazard to bet that their ships are better than yours.”
She raised her glass to me in a mock salute, “Which is why Marshal I suggest we infiltrate and steal their ships first of all. If we have power and control over the skies it won’t matter how many of them are on the ground.”
What she said had a lot of truth to it. “You think stealing their ships is doable? Surely they protect those assets more than anything else?
“Protect from what?” She asked with a sardonic lift of an eyebrow.
I didn’t follow her reasoning. Sighing she said, “The slaves they lord over are so far removed from being technologically able to operate advanced technology that I bet they focus very few resources on protecting their ships from them. Time is a great equalizer. No successful attempt has ever been made against them yet and with the will of the slaves only weakened with time why would they believe them any threat to their technology? Besides all that, no one to my knowledge, has ever been foolish enough, other than your people of the past, to engage the beast men in outright warfare on their own turf. They won’t be expecting us.”
She had made valid points and nodding I said, “I hope you’re right.”
She turned back to the bar and took another drink. Glancing at her reflection in the bar mirror I saw a look of concern pass across her face before she boisterously said, “I know I’m right.”
Setting the glass down she glanced at me and then back to the glass sitting on the bar, “I suppose you don’t like that I drink?”
I nodded.
“Well there are some things that don’t change.” She said with a fiery light to her eyes.
“I have it on good record from a close friend of mine that happens to be a doctor that hard alcohol consumption has disastrous consequences on unborn children.”
Her look of hard defiance fell apart and with a shocked expression she stuttered out softly, “What?”
I reached out and pulled her to me abruptly with a hand on the small of her back even as my other hand speared into her hair and pulled her head towards mine. She had no choice but to be pressed up against me and quite shaken looking she gazed up into my eyes as I dominantly said, “If you wish to be my wife and the bearer of my children then you’ll do as I say. I wear the pants Zayri. Not you. Got it?”
Her head moved almost imperceptibly in acquiescence and I did then what I’d been dying to do ever since I’d first seen her. I kissed her long and passionately.
Her hands came up to frame around my face as she returned the kiss with equal measure. As the kiss went on I pressed her up against the bar hard as I stole all of her breath.
I pulled back and she gasped deeply for air looking at me with both desire and a little fear. Shakily she felt at her swollen lips all the while looking at me. I stood still waiting for her to decide on something very important.
I let my eyes run down her and I believe it was very clear to her just how passionately I wanted her. My eyes came back up to her eyes and I watched her shiver even as her breathing picked up.
Rawly I said, “Decide now. Either run away or come here. If you come here be warned that I’ll never let you go. You may be able to cajole a rough band of cutthroats such as the likes of your crew to do your bidding, but I expect more and I won’t stand for deception. You see what I am. I won’t hold anything back from you. I loved once and was rejected and I don’t think I can stand to suffer through that again, but I don’t know how to be any other way in a relationship than but to have all my chips cashed into the game. I’m all in how about you? “
Her breathing quick, as her eyes scanned over the tight vibrating knot of tension that I was, I watched her swallow trepidatiously and straighten away from the bar she had collapsed back against. Looking into her eyes I read both a spirit that was unsure and yet excited.
I wasn’t going to do anything to make her choice for her. Flowery words were in the past and what she saw was the raw side of a man whose affections had once been trampled upon, but were now being given flight once more.
Taking a shivery breath she stepped close to me her eyes level with my chest. Something relaxed in me and at the same time broke free.
I captured both of her hands and put them in the grasp of one of mine behind her back, as I tipped her chin up with my other hand. “You’re sure you want me? The real me.”
“Yes.” She breathed out looking more excited now then afraid.
My grip tightened on her hands and I cupped the back of her neck with my other hand as I kissed her again. I kissed her sweetly though instead of overbearingly hard as I had done before.
Her eyes opened to stare into mine and I let go of her hands. Her hands rose to my shoulders as we watched each other.
Breaking contact with my lips she whispered breathlessly, “I want you!”
Smiling, I stepped away and said, “And you will have me once my people are free.”
She looked almost angry then before her face shifted to a self-deprecating smile as she felt at her flushed cheeks and said, “I thought I was the one supposed to be seducing you?”
“Oh you have Zayri. Trust me.” I said, as I led her from the room towards the outside entrance of this den of thievery.