Читать книгу The Emperor's Ride - Tom Ph.D. Anderson - Страница 5

Linda picked up a small beautiful painting of a silver gray bird sitting in a tree with yellow flowers and leaves of green and orange. She also picked up a small sealed bottle, liquid still in the bottom, on a chest next to a bed with the covers thrown back as though someone was about to slip in. Linda opened a drawer and pulled out a scarf of incredible softness, but of a beautiful color she could not put name to. A handful of other souvenirs, then Linda and her guards headed out of the ruins and towards her quarters in the landing craft.

Linda was barely out of the mine when the attack began. Linda heard the screams, saw people covered in blood, some dragging more seriously hurt behind them. After them came a half dozen ghouls which the Imperial Troopers used force rifles to cut to pieces.

Communication in a gloride deposit must be hard wired. The only hard wired line was connected to the safe area at the center of the sight. The Emperor's guards had herded him and the six archaeologists with him into the safe area. The surface was much too far away. The Emperor ordered the guards to make a quick reconnaissance of the immediate area to bring back any other survivors and then come back to wait for help to come. None of his guards returned. Not one. The ghouls smashed against the bars of the enclosure. They could not break them down or slide between them. The Emperor and the other six were safe for now. Linda could not think of all the people who had died. Linda had to concentrate on the fact that her father was still alive and he was safe.

Only 100 of the Emperor’s guards were in the ruins with him. The other 800 assembled outside the entrance. They were men handpicked from across the Empire. Big, well muscled, highly disciplined, and well trained in the weapons they carried. They would march straight down the main corridor to the safe area, pick up the Emperor and march straight out. There were only thirty hours to planetary collapse.

As Linda watched them march into the mine opening she knew her father would get out. It was a three hour march to the safe area and a three hour march back. Her father was safe now and Linda could not imagine those men not bringing him out. Linda's only concern was that the ghouls might find a way to break into the safe area before help arrived.

Linda watched as the minutes passed by. One hour, then two, and finally three, then almost four, when word came from the safe area that the first of the guardsmen had just come around the corner at the far edge of the hallway. Linda felt as if she were a balloon so filled with air as to be about to pop when someone untied the string and let the air out. The half dozen guardsmen were overwhelmed by ghouls and dragged away. Linda's mind couldn't focus on what she had heard. How could they have failed? The hours went by and no more guardsmen came.

There were a handful of Imperial Troopers. They were only armed with force rifles and force rifles were less useful than clubs in the mines. There were thousands more in the transports, but they were mostly men trained to analyze, catalog, and pack Lindle artifacts. The rest were trained only to run the ships. None were trained to fight ghouls, even if ghoul fighting weapons could be found. Less than twenty hours to go. Not enough time to send for help from anywhere.

The Elan representative told Linda that the ghoul hunter who had refused to come had changed his mind and was nearly here. The situation had been explained to him. Linda almost laughed in the Elan representative's face. Only one man, he was the only hope there was. Linda allowed the Elan representative to talk to the event recorders who swarmed around the entrance to the mine. Within minutes word was being spread across the galaxy that there was a possibility that the Emperor might still get out of Lindle 4 alive. Linda even talked to the event recorders herself. Linda put on her most convincing face. Linda told them that she believed this ghoul hunter would get the Emperor out. Even so, other methods were being explored. He was not the last option. The Emperor would get out. Linda lied. This ghoul hunter was the last option. Linda wanted to have the troopers herd the event recorders into the mine opening. Then they could record each other being torn to pieces.

When the Elan courier ship landed Linda expected the ghoul hunter to come in for a moment to be briefed on the situation. Linda wanted to thank him personally for coming, to hold his hand, to look in his eyes, to bless him before he went to his death. He jumped out of the Elan courier ship and talked to an Imperial Trooper for a moment. Then he ran for the entrance to the mine. He ran. The Emperor's personal guard had marched in grimly, every eye alert, every muscle tensed, every hand ready. He ran.

There were only fifteen hours until planetary collapse. Linda was glad he ran. The hours went slowly by. There was no hope. The ghoul hunter was almost certainly long dead. Three long hours went by. Why did Linda bother? Linda was busy coming to terms with never seeing her father again, never feeling her father's arms around her. Never giving her father her biggest, brightest smile because Linda loved the smile her father always gave back.

◊As I got out of the courier craft I ignored the mobs of event recorders being held back by lines of Imperial Troopers. I had been told about the eruption of ghouls that had killed virtually everyone in the Lindle ruins. The Emperor was still in the safe room and if I could get him out of the mine before the gloride deposit’s collapse destroyed the planet, the galaxy might still be spared the Baronies of the Son’s of Shonlin and the Empire of the Lan-Thu going to total war. I grabbed one of the Troopers and made certain that I understood the markers that led to the safe room. Then I ran in the mine. Every time I met a ghoul my ability would take over and use my body to kill it. When I would regain control of my body I again started to run for the safe room. I didn’t even try to keep count of how many ghouls I killed. There seemed to be an endless supply of them. I didn’t have time to be afraid. I filled my mind with thoughts of how many people would die in the war that the Emperor’s death would cause. I went around a bend in the tunnel and saw the entrance of the safe room in the distance.

The men in the safe area saw me at the end of the hallway. A ghoul moved in front of me to block my path. My ability took control and used my body to kill it. As the ghoul fell down I regained control and walked around it. The men just stared at me. They must have lost all hope when the last of the Emperor's Guards had fallen just feet from their enclosure. I smiled at them.

“Could you gentlemen please open the gate?”

They didn't move.

“Please open the gate!”

They still didn't move. Two ghouls came around the corner, snorted, and charged. The men sprang into action. The gate opened, I was pulled in, and the gate closed just as the ghouls smashed into the bars.

I looked around. The six elderly men were the archaeologists. The last man, twice my age but half theirs, was the Emperor. I pointed to the audio sender that was hard wired to the surface. “Does this still work?” One of the elderly men said it did. I knew I had to be gentle. I know they have been under a great deal of strain. Still, they were alive and a great many other people were dead. If I didn't get the Emperor out of here, millions, perhaps billions more will die. I closed the link and talked into the sender. “I am here. The seven gentlemen appear to be undamaged. We are heading for the surface. Nesslun, Done!” I then picked up a large rock and smashed the box.

“Water bottles only. It’s a long walk home,” I told them.

All seven of them picked up their water bottles and strapped them on their belts. They then picked up satchels and papers and other personal belongings. The Emperor picked up a small, delicate piece of art. Its beauty touched me deeply. I could understand why the Emperor held it so carefully.

“Water bottles only gentleman,” I told them as I tried to catch the eye of each one.

They all put down their belongings, except for the Emperor who stared straight ahead still clutching his prize. I grabbed the piece away from the Emperor and hurled it to the floor smashing it into a million pieces. Anger flashed through the Emperor's eyes and he raised his hand to strike, then the Emperor to half the galaxy came back. “Was that really necessary?” the Emperor asked calmly.

I smiled. “Yes it was. You are going to need both hands for the trip back and I need your full attention.”

Smashing that object seemed to bring them all back. I tried to put more iron in my voice than I felt. “Now listen carefully, especially you your Majesty. You’re no Emperor of mine and down here I am in charge. I say move, you move! I say stand still, you stand still! Everyone else listen to me. If we don't get back nothing much changes in the galaxy. If the Emperor doesn't get back the Empire and Baronies will almost certainly go to war and there are no shortages of renegade fleets that will take advantage of the confusion. Whole worlds will be made lifeless, billions will die. The Emperor has to get out.

“I can't be everywhere at once. If I am killing a ghoul on one side of us and a ghoul charges at the other, I expect one of you to jump into the ghoul’s arms rather than let the ghoul harm the Emperor. If I find out that one of you let the Emperor get killed, what I will do to you will make what the ghoul would have done to you look like a lover's embrace.

“If I am fighting, stay out of harm's way, but stay close.” I handed each man two fist sized stones, one for each hand. “Use these if a ghoul gets too close. Throw a stone at the ghoul. You won't stop it, but you might slow it down long enough for me to get there. Do not throw a stone to help me! I don't need help with ghouls. Do not throw a stone at any ghoul that’s anywhere near me! I am much more worried about one of you cracking my head open with a rock than I am worried about any ghoul. Stay close. If I do go down, run like hell. You might make it. But remember, the Emperor must make it out and I might not be dead.”

We opened the gate and stepped out of the enclosure. Two ghouls charged us from out of a side corridor. The Ride took control and I became a powerless spectator in my own body. My body killed the ghouls and I was in control again. The men looked at me, then looked at the ghoul corpses, and then looked at me again. “Come on,” I said.

The men carefully stepped around the ghoul bodies. The ghouls didn't look dead. One of the archaeologists nudged a ghoul body with his shoe. He then gave it a good solid kick. Then he was kicking the ghoul with all his might. “Stop it,” I told him. “You are going to need all you're energy. It's a long walk home,” I said as I started off at a brisk pace.

When someone would lag behind, I would drop back and give them a sharp slap on the butt. It worked with horses; it seemed to work with eminent archaeologists as well. One time I felt the Emperor needed a swat also. Fortunately, he saw me coming and increased his pace. Yelling at an Emperor is one thing, spanking one quite another.

Killing the ghouls became routine, requiring only a few seconds per ghoul. Most of the ghouls were badly smashed up and they all were bleeding. The Emperor's guardsmen had not gone down easily. The floor was thick with blood, both human and ghoul. Someone was always falling and I would have to stop and help him to his feet again. We didn't have time for this. I wasn't worried about planetary collapse; the burst of radiation preceding it would kill us all.

The Emperor fell only once. I hoisted him up by his collar. The look he gave me did not bode well. I almost certainly would see the inside of the Emperor's dungeon. Oh well, at least it's bound to have less blood on the floor than down here. How much less I didn't care to speculate.

At one point one ghoul attacked from the front and at the same time one ghoul attacked from the rear. I was at the front and after my body killed that one I regained control. I ran to the rear as quickly as I could. The other ghoul was already tearing apart one of the archaeologists. I kicked the ghoul away, and when the ghoul came roaring back The Ride took control and my body killed the ghoul. The archaeologist was dead, no question. I pulled his neck tag,

“Let's go,” I told them.

They looked at the fallen man. He was sitting face down, his head between his legs.

“He's dead,” I told them.

The Emperor told one of the archaeologists to check him. “If he is still alive we will carry him.” The man moved forward and pulled the fallen archaeologist to a sitting straight position. The head fell back between the body’s shoulder blades, being held on only by the muscle and skin at the back of its neck. The men sprang back in horror.

At the top of my lungs I screamed, “I know dead! When I say something or someone is dead, they're dead! Now move it!”

The six of them started out with more speed than I thought they were still capable of.

The hours went by. The ghoul killing became easier the more exhausted I became, as though my conscious mind only got in the way. My body would kill one in front and they would wait for me to finish, then they would follow me around it. If one would attack from the back or the side, they would move a few feet away. Wait for me to kill it. Then we would all start out again.

We were about one hour from the opening when the ghouls stopped coming. I didn't know if I had killed them all or if they simply didn't want to hunt anymore because their larders were full. Finally we reached the entrance. There were lines of Imperial Troopers holding back a huge mob of event recorders. The Emperor and each of the archaeologists were surrounded by a group of men who helped them back into the transport.

I was only a few feet into the sunlight when a ghoul came hurtling out of the mine. I turned to meet it. One more to kill I thought. The creature was shot to pieces by the force rifles of the Imperial Troopers before it ever could have touched me.

A group of men surrounded me and helped me into the ship. I handed one of them the identification tag of the fallen archaeologist.

“He’s the real hero. He gave his life so the Emperor could get out,” I told them.

Inside I was sat on a table in a huge spotlessly white room. I could see the archaeologists being treated in various corners of the room. Even the Emperor was being cared for not too far from where I was sitting.

There was a clear wall separation between this room and the adjacent room. The adjacent room was filled with people staring at us, mostly young girls. A very attractive girl on the other side of the wall was looking at me with the strangest expression. I couldn't place that expression. I finally caught her eye and gave her a smile. She looked startled and then gave me back a smile that was the most heartwarming, biggest, brightest smile I had ever seen. I wasn't tired anymore and my head didn't hurt. All I wanted was to be closer to that woman, just to hold her hand and bask in the warmth of that smile.

One of the Emperor's aides came to get me and I reluctantly let myself be led away. I stood there with my head bowed and waited to be acknowledged. “Mr. Nesslun” the Emperor said.

“Yes, your majesty,” I said, my eyes firmly fixed on the point of his chin as I had been told to do. You never look a monarch in the eye. It's disrespectful. He still wasn't my Emperor, but all these eager young men with the force rifles, he was their Emperor. It didn't hurt to show respect.

“I understand you refused payment to come,” the Emperor said.

“Your majesty, I didn't come for the money. I came because my friend Dr Carroll has wanted to visit Lindle 4 since she was a little girl. I was almost here before I found out you needed me here. If I could stop a war from starting by saving the lives of some men I was uniquely qualified to save, I had to try. I didn’t come for a reward.”

“And yet if I ever saw a man who wanted something from me, it's you. Ask me anything. If I can grant it I will,” the Emperor told me.

“Sir, when I came on this transport, all I wanted was to get my head looked at, clean up, and find a bed where I could sleep for a couple of years. A few moments ago I saw this beautiful girl on the other side of the clear wall and she smiled at me. Now I'm not tired anymore and my head doesn't hurt. If you could arrange for me to meet her, I would be very grateful.”

“Meet her, or have her come to your bed?” the Emperor asked me with a grin.

I couldn't help but smile. The thought overwhelmed me. To go to sleep with my arms around that beautiful creature, my face buried in that gorgeous shiny black hair.

“Your majesty, I would like to meet her so that I could ask her myself.”

“Which one is she?” the Emperor asked.

“She is that exquisitely beautiful woman with the incredible shiny black hair. The girl that's...waving at you…”

“That is my daughter Lindwella,” the Emperor said as he gently waved back.

“Am I in trouble?”

“You smash the most beautiful piece of Lindle sculpture I have ever seen. You are disrespectful with your tone and with your words and are very close to being physically disrespectful, and you want to know if you are in trouble because you tell me you think my daughter is beautiful and you want to meet her.”

“I had to get your attention.”

He ignored me.

“I am glad you didn't take me up on my offer to send her to your bed. That would have been awkward. Why don't you come with me now? I am certain she would like to meet you.”

“I really should clean up and put on some clean clothes first.”

“I am certain she would not mind,” the Emperor said with a smile.

“Sir, the last couple of ghouls I killed, I didn't have to touch them. They just got close enough to smell me and they dropped dead.”

He laughed. “Alright, let's get you cleaned up and a change of clothes. Then you can join us for dinner.”

“I would be honored sir.” The Emperor motioned with his hand and men came for me.

◊◊◊

The Emperor walked through the door and Linda grabbed him. “Daddy you came back to me.”

“Was there every any doubt?” the Emperor said.

“Yes there was. I was preparing myself to never see you again. What that man did doesn't seem possible.”

“I was in there with him and it doesn't seem possible. I offered to give him anything. All he wanted was to be introduced to a girl he had seen. I offered to send that girl to his bed. Then I found out the girl he was talking about was you.”

Linda smiled. “I assume that his bed, the one you are going to send me to, will be in my quarters.”

“He told me he just wanted to be introduced to you so he could ask you himself.”

“Why didn't you bring him in with you Father?”

“He wanted a chance to clean up before he met you.”

“Maybe I should go help him clean up.”

“Linda, give the man a chance to look his best the first time he meets you. He will be joining us for dinner.”

An aide walked in the room. “Your majesty, there is a problem with Mr. Nesslun.”

◊They took me to a medical aide to have my head cleaned and healed. The aide cleaned off the dried blood and asked me how I had injured my head. I told him I had not ducked low enough when I came to a low spot in the tunnel.

“And how long ago did this happen?” the aide asked me.

“It happened when I first entered the mine,” I replied.

“Say about nine to ten hours ago,” said the aide as he looked at his notes.

He scanned the wound, turned pale and, in a tone I did not like, told me to lie flat on the bench and not move. He left. Almost immediately a doctor came in. He rescanned my wound, while a larger piece of equipment was wheeled in the room. He used the larger piece of equipment to scan me from head to toe.

He said it appeared that I had the misfortune to bump my head on a chunk of fuel quality gloride and the fibers had spread through my entire body. I would need to be put in suspension until I could be sent to a top line medical facility. Being put in suspension was never done casually. About three percent of those put in suspension never come out. I was already being given injections of medication to start the process.

“Don't I get a say in my treatment?” I asked him.

“No,” the doctor said, “There isn't time. Even in suspension the deterioration of your organs will continue, although at a much slower pace. It's go into suspension or die.”

“If you are going to send me to the planet Udell for treatment, I would rather have you cut my throat right now.”

“Udell, I have heard of Udell. That's a Market Sphere university planet. Their facilities are as good as any in the galaxy.”

“You don't understand. They want to find out how my ability to kill gloride monsters works. In order to do this they would have to dissect me and test the parts while they keep me alive. When they are done I understand that the pieces will be mounted and put on display.”

“Don't worry. You're a hero of the Empire now. We won't let anything bad happen to you,” the Doctor said trying to reassure me.

“The royal we always worries me. It implies that someone else will handle the actual details and no one is really responsible.” The doctor must have seen the stricken expression on my face.

“Mr. Nesslun, I give you my word, you will not go to any medical facility where you will be experimented on.”

I looked in his eyes. I believed him. The question was did he believe me. As consciousness slipped away, I wondered what I would wake up to.

◊◊◊

Linda opened the door and there Nesslun was. Linda looked at him carefully. Nesslun was completely naked, every last hair shaved off, tubes stuck in everywhere, down his throat, up his nose, in his penis, in his wrists, in his ankles, in his neck, in his thigh. His eyes were taped shut.

Linda had to touch him. Linda carefully ran her fingertips over the skin at the top of his head, the line of his jaw, down his chest, over his ribs, around his belly button, then gently following the scars across his belly and down his belly to his upper thigh. Linda wanted to handle Nesslun's penis, but was afraid to because of the tube in it. Linda carefully handled his balls. The skin of the sack they were in was so soft. Her fingers continued their journey down his legs. Linda didn't have much time. When they started the next level of Nesslun's suspension Linda would have to leave.

Dr Carroll watched Bob through the clear wall separating them. She grabbed a technician walking by. “How come she gets to go in with him and I don't?”

“That's the Emperor's daughter Lindwella. She could have Nesslun stuffed and mounted if she wanted to.”

“By the way she's fondling him,” Dr Carroll said as she watched Lindwella through the clear wall, “I think Lindwella's the one who wants to be mounted and stuffed.”

The technician smiled. “Nesslun's a lucky man. I hope he makes it.” His smile faded. “By the way, if it should come up, I didn't hear that last comment you made, okay.”

The technician turned and hurried away.

A soft voice behind Dr Carroll spoke up. “Excuse me; are you Mr. Nesslun's friend?”

Dr Carroll turned around to see an elegantly dressed, perfectly groomed young woman with two large Imperial Troopers standing behind her. Dr Carroll nodded.

“Princess Lindwella would like you to join her for lunch. Would you please follow me?”

Mankind has significant commercial relationships with only three other star traveling species.

THE BARRILLEANS;

The Barrilleans appear to be happy go lucky, almost comical figures. They are the galaxy's universal merchants. The Barrilleans are smaller than humans, with significantly larger heads, hands, and feet. The vast bulk of the Barrillean population lives on huge city sized spacecraft scattered throughout the galaxy.

THE THURIANS;

The Thurians are taller and broader then humans, have feathers rather than hair, and appear to be a cross between an owl and a man. They are the universal negotiators and political strategists of the galaxy. The Thurians have the most highly developed sense of smell of any known sentient race. The Thurians are carnivores. They swallow their food alive and whole, but sedated. The Thurians aren't savages.

THE ELAN;

The Elan are taller and much more slender than humans. Hairless, with nut brown skin, the Elan are the technical wizards of the galaxy. If you want the best of the best and money is no object the Elan will build it or provide the service you require. The only things that the Elan will not provide for sale are weapons of war.

The Emperor was speaking with the Elan representative, the Thurian ambassador, and the Barrillean representative by deep space line. Mr. Nesslun's friend Dr Carroll stood beside the Emperor. The talks were informal, even though the Thurian was quite adamant. “The agreement was that Mr. Nesslun would return to the planet Market as soon as his tasks were completed. Market has facilities to deal with gloride poisoning,” the Thurian said while arching the feathers at the top of his head and down his spine.

The trip to the planet Market was longer than the trip to the planet Court, but the delay would not be life threatening. The Elan representative said little but clearly agreed with the Thurian, as did the Barrillean. The Barony representative, in the far corner of the room, had no opinion and Dr. Carroll felt Mr. Nesslun should go to the closer facility on Court. The Emperor told his doctor to contact the Grand Hospital on the planet Market to make certain they were ready for Mr. Nesslun the moment he arrived.

The Doctor talked to the head of the gloride poisoning facilities at Market's Grand Hospital. The director of the gloride poisoning unit said that Mr. Nesslun should be sent directly to the planet Udell. Udell was marginally closer and they had the best facilities to deal with such extensive gloride poisoning. The Doctor had heard of Udell and knew that their facilities were considered top line in any part of the galaxy. Had he not spoken to Mr. Nesslun about his fear of vivisection, the doctor would have sent Mr. Nesslun to Udell without a qualm.

The doctor went back to the room where Mr. Nesslun's medical treatment was still being discussed. The doctor told the Emperor that he had reevaluated Mr. Nesslun's condition and it was imperative that Mr. Nesslun go to the closest facility. The Barony representative spoke up. “If time is such an important factor, Mr. Nesslun should go to the planet Unity. Their facilities are every bit as good as the facilities on Court and Unity is closer.”

“It’s closer if we go through the Trellian mine field. If we go around it the planet Court is closer,” the Doctor told him.

The Barony representative did not have a star transport available that could carry a man in suspension and he didn't have the authority to give out the safe passage through the mine field to another power. The Barrillean switched his side to Dr Carroll's. Going back to Market immediately was important but it was not worth risking Mr. Nesslun's life. The Thurian reluctantly agreed. Mr. Nesslun would go to the Imperial Hospital on the planet of Court for treatment.

After the others had left or disconnected their links, the Doctor explained to the Emperor what happened. The doctor had done research at Market about Udell by deep space line. The doctor learned about the mining federation squadron sent to take Mr. Nesslun to Udell by force and how Mr. Nesslun was to be tested.

The Emperor motioned over a member of his security staff. “I want people sent to Udell to make certain that this is true. Then I will decide what to do next.”

Wars threatened to break out all across the border between the Empire and the Baronies. The Emperor used the code that only he knew to activate the Emperor’s frequency that let him talk to every Imperial Soldier anywhere in the Empire. The Emperor told his loyal troops that he was safe and he didn't blame the Baronies for what happened on Lindle 4. Still warships chased each other all along the border between the Empire and the Baronies. Udell would have to wait.

When Nesslun walked out of the Lindle mine not only was the event recorded and broadcast live across the galaxy, large numbers of event recorders and their staffs started a massive invasion of the Market Sphere to find out more about the man newly named “The Monster Killer.” The planet Cocuru was especially overrun. As most gloride mines were well covered by point recorders Nesslun was able to take home a recording from every gloride mine of his fight with the gloride monster he had come to kill. Upon returning to Cocuru he would throw a party for his friends and show them his latest battle. Nesslun was always happy to make a copy of the recording for anyone who wanted one. Several hundred recordings of Bob Nesslun killing gloride monsters were soon being broadcast from one end of the galaxy to the other. When he was transferred from the Emperor's flagship to the Imperial Hospital, event recorders were swarming everywhere. Huge amounts of money were being offered to medical personnel for the privilege of being the first to interview Mr. Nesslun. The Emperor put down an iron clad edict. Absolutely no one except approved medical personnel and Dr Carroll were to have any contact with Nesslun. Even the Emperor’s daughter Lindwella was not allowed to see him. Lindwella tried to contact her father. He was too busy trying to prevent the wars that threatened to break out all along the border between the Baronies and the Empire to talk to her.

◊When I woke up I opened my eyes to a bright clean hospital room. Open windows revealing crystal blue sky meant I wasn't on Udell.

Dr Carroll was sitting next to my bed. She was going through still recordings of Lindle relics and making notes in her journal. Dr Carroll had lovely, well cared for, nicely shaped hair, surrounding an intelligent, almost startlingly beautiful face. Even so, I couldn't help but let my attention drift to those exquisitely beautiful hands. I knew those hands were surprisingly strong, while at the same time capable of the most precise, delicate movements.

Again I wondered about that sexual exhaustion technique of hers. Why did the fates always send me to the hospital just as Dr Carroll was about to send me to the hospital in a much nicer way? She said I would have a smile on my face when I got there and I believed her. I had visited a man who had been sent to the hospital by Dr Carroll. He had a grin on his face that made you want to slap him. All he could talk about was getting well enough so that he could leave the hospital and have her send him back.

Dr Carroll was a medical doctor as well as being a trained archaeologist specializing in the Lindle. Her general rule was that she would never sexually exhaust a man more than once a year. She had never killed anyone with her sexual exhaustion technique. A woman would have to be a medical doctor to perform it safely. Dr Carroll’s sexual exhaustion technique took a lot out of a man. She had never had anyone die as a result of her sexual exhaustion technique, but being the first was a chance I was willing to take.

Dr Carroll turned to look at me, realized I was awake, and smiled. “I see you decided to come back to the land of the living.” I tried to speak, but all that came out was a gurgling noise. “They just pulled the tube out of your throat and the anesthetic will take awhile to wear off.”

Dr Carroll took my wrist in her hand for a moment, then looked into my eyes, then listened to my chest. “You're in surprisingly good shape. The equipment they have here is absolute state of the art.” I took her hand in mine and grinned. “You’re not healthy enough for that,” she said. Dr. Carroll bent down to look directly into my eyes and then continued. “The next time you go to the hospital I want to be the one that sends you there,” she told me.

Half a dozen people came in the room and two of them ushered Dr Carroll out. My gown was taken off, more tubes were removed, and I was poked and prodded and pronounced well enough to leave. After I cleaned up and dressed, I was taken to my apartment.

She was waiting, arms wide, to give me a hug. Dr Carroll is a great hugger. It wasn't a bear hug, it wasn't the kind of fierce hug a girl will sometimes give you that really means, you belong to me, let's get naked, and it certainly wasn't the sexless hug of a relative. It was the kind of hug that says I really care about you. I want you to be healthy and happy and I want to be part of your life. The hug was far too short when she pushed me away to speak to the men who followed me in the room. “Could I have at least a couple of minutes alone to talk to him?” Dr Carroll asked.

The men looked at each other than back to Dr Carroll. “Yes, but only a couple of minutes. His presentation ceremony is in only two hours and we have to get him ready.” They turned and left.

The door hadn't closed behind them when I had Dr. Carroll in my arms and was kissing her passionately. The dress she was wearing had far too many buttons.

Dr Carroll gently pushed me away. “I need to talk to you. The Lindle relics are being split three ways. One third is going into a massive museum on the planet of Court. One third is going into a massive museum on the planet of Unity. And one third is to be put in a massive museum on the planet of Market, to be built with Imperial funds, and I am going to be its curator. I'm going to be in charge.”

“Why do I have the feeling this means that you have to leave right away Dr. Carroll?”

“We both have to leave right away. Right after you are given the Emperor's Commendation, they are putting you on one of those massive luxury star transports. It is a virtual pleasure palace. Every entertainment you can think of right on the transport.”

“And you won't be with me?” I asked her sadly.

“I am getting on a courier craft so I can get to Market to supervise the construction of the museum. I'm going to recreate one of the streets of Lindle 4. Bob it's going to be magnificent.”

“Couldn't you take the luxury transport with me Dr Carroll? It won't be any fun alone.”

“They are going to give you a huge suite and they are going to fill it with women. You will have a great time. I contacted the Grand Hospital on Market. They agreed to let me give you your check in physical. Then after we are done I am going to show you the best sexual exhaustion technique I have ever performed.”

“Couldn't you stay for a little while? Dr Carroll I've never even seen you naked.”

“There isn't time for that now. You have a busy day ahead of you, and I have to go.”

“Could you at least tell me your first name? Surely your parents didn't call you Dr Carroll when you were a little girl?”

“My parents called me Lily. When someone calls me Lily it makes me feel like a little girl. When I was a little girl, I didn't like boys.”

“Dr Carroll it is. You will be there to give me my check in physical on Market?”

“You better believe it. Bob if I didn't think they would take good care of you I wouldn't leave.”

“I love you Dr Carroll.”

“I love you too Bob. I'll see you on Market.”

◊◊◊

Dr Carroll was not a citizen of the Empire. She did know enough about the Empire to know that it was a bad idea to get between a Royal and the object of their desire. Dr Carroll had also sexually exhausted the Emperor, a condition which required several weeks of complete rest. The Emperor was being pumped full of stimulants so that he could officiate at Bob's commendation ceremony. Dr Carroll knew that this also was a bad idea. Getting out of the Empire as quickly as possible seemed prudent. Bob would be alright. Princess Lindwella would play with Bob for awhile and let him go. The event recorders would tire of Bob and move on to the next big story. Bob would be alright and after things calmed down Dr Carroll would give him the best sexual exhaustion technique she had ever preformed. Not only once, but every time he was healthy enough for the rest of his life. Bob would be alright.

Now Dr Carroll just needed to avoid the event recorders until her Lindle 4 museum was ready. Her event recorder interviews could be part of the publicity for the museum's grand opening. Bob would be alright. He had to be alright. Dr Carroll would never forgive herself if something happened to him. Bob would be alright.

◊Tirius-bey had the distinction of being the last Emperor of the second Empire and first Emperor of the third Empire. He was fondly remembered for bringing naked noblewomen to the Royal Court.

At the breakup of the second Empire most of the nobility of the Lan-Thu was left behind in the Baronies. Tirius had a relatively large number of single noblemen and single noblewomen, but he had only a handful of married nobles. Tirus told the unmarried nobles it was their duty to marry and begin raising children. Tirius-bey needed noble children. Tirius decreed unmarried childless adults were not allowed to wear clothing to sessions of the Royal Court. Some nobles did their duty to the new empire and married. The unmarried noblemen stopped going to the Royal Court. Many of the noblewomen saw this as an opportunity to display their birthday suit glory without fear of reproach. Noblewomen took control of the balcony over the audience chamber. Sessions of the Royal Court became so packed that the chairs were removed to provide more room. People on the main floor were forbidden to look at the naked noblewomen in the balcony. Everyone looked at the naked noblewomen from the corners of their eyes. Teams of stylists began to occupy rooms just off the balcony to make certain the naked noblewomen looked their best. Sessions of the Royal Court became much more festive events. The prohibition against unmarried childless men wearing clothing at the Royal Court was quietly forgotten.

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