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language, swinging the stubby muzzle of the blaster and the knob-tipped twin
tubes of the needler to cover the group around the throne, "Come forward,
before I start blasting!"
Labdurg raised his hands and stepped forward. So did two of the priests of
Yat-Zar. They were quickly seized by Paratime Policemen who swarmed up onto
the platform and disarmed. All three were carrying sigma-ray needlers, and
Labdurg had a blaster as well.
King Kurchuk was clinging to the arms of his throne, a badly frightened
monarch trying desperately not to show it. He was a big man, heavy-shouldered,
black-bearded; under ordinary circumstances he would probably have cut an
imposing figure, in his gold-washed mail and his golden crown. Now his face
was a dirty gray, and he was biting nervously at his lower lip. The others on
the platform were in even worse state. The Hulgun nobles were grouped
together, trying to disassociate themselves from both the king and the priests
of Muz-Azin. The latter were staring in a daze at the blazing cart from which
their idol had just been blasted. And the dozen men who were to have done the
actual work of the torture-sacrifice had all dropped their whips and were
fairly gibbering in fear.
Yat-Zar, manipulated by the robed paratimer, had taken a position directly
above the throne and was lowering slowly. Kurchuk stared up at the massive
idol descending toward him, his knuckles white as he
clung to the arms of his throne. He managed to hold out until he could feel
the weight of the idol pressing on his head. Then, with a scream, he hurled
himself from the throne and rolled forward almost to the edge of the platform.
Yat-Zar moved to one side, swung slightly and knocked the throne toppling, and
then settled down on the platform. To Kurchuk, who was rising cautiously on
his hands and knees, the big idol seemed to be looking at him in contempt.
"
Where are my holy priests, Kurchuk?
" Stranor Sleth demanded in to his sleeve-hidden radio. "
Let them be brought before me, alive and unharmed, or it shall be better for
you had you never been born!
"
The six priests of Yat-Zar, it seemed, were already being brought onto the
platform by one of Kurchuk's nobles. This noble, whose name was Yorzuk, knew a
miracle when he saw one, and believed in being on the side of the god with the
heaviest artillery. As soon as he had seen Yat-Zar coming through the gate
without visible means of support, he had hastened to the dungeons with half a
dozen of his personal retainers and ordered the release of the six
captives. He was now escorting them onto the platform, assuring them that
he had always been a faithful servant of Yat-Zar and had been deeply grieved
at his sovereign's apostasy.
"
Hear my word, Kurchuk
," Stranor Sleth continued through the loud-speaker in the idol. "
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
You have sinned most vilely against me, and were I a cruel god, your fate
would be such as no man has ever before suffered. But I am a merciful god;
behold, you may gain forgiveness in my sight. For thirty days, you shall
neither eat meat nor drink wine, nor shall you wear gold nor fine raiment, and
each day shall you go to my temple and beseech me for my forgiveness. And on
the thirty-first day, you shall set out, barefoot and clad in the garb of a
slave, and journey to my temple that is in the mountains over above Yoldav,
and there will I forgive you, after you have made sacrifice to me. I, Yat-Zar,
have spoken!
"
The king started to rise, babbling thanks.
"
Rise not before me until I have forgiven you!
" Yat-Zar thundered. "
Creep out of my sight upon your belly, wretch!
"
The procession back to the temple was made quietly and sedately along an empty
roadway. Yat-Zar seemed to be in a kindly humor; the people of Zurb had no
intention of giving him any reason to change his mood. The priests of
Muz-Azin and their torturers had been flung into the dungeon.
Yorzuk, appointed regent for the duration of Kurchuk's penance, had taken
control and was employing Hulgun spearmen and hastily-converted Chuldun
archers to restore order and, incidentally, purge a few of his personal
enemies and political rivals. The priests, with the three prisoners who had
been found carrying
First Level weapons among them and Yat-Zar floating triumphantly in front,
entered the temple. A few of the devout, who sought admission after them, were
told that elaborate and secret rites were being held to cleanse the profaned
altar, and sent away.
Verkan Vall and Brannad Klav and Stranor Sleth were in the conveyer
chamber, with the Paratime
Policemen and the extra priests; along with them were the three prisoners.
Verkan Vall pulled off his false
beard and turned to face these. He could see that they all recognized him.
"Now," he began, "you people are in a bad jam. You've violated the Paratime
Transposition Code, the
Commercial Regulation Code, and the First Level Criminal Code, all together.
If you know what's good for you, you'll start talking."
"I'm not saying anything till I have legal advice," the man who had been using
the local alias of Labdurg replied. "And if you're through searching me, I'd
like to have my cigarettes and lighter back."
"Smoke one of mine, for a change," Verkan Vall told him. "I don't know what's
in yours beside tobacco."
He offered his case and held a light for the prisoner before lighting his own
cigarette. "I'm going to be sure you get back to the First Level alive."
The former Overseer of the Kingdom of Zurb shrugged. "I'm still not talking,"
he said.
"Well, we can get it all out of you by narco-hypnosis, anyhow," Verkan Vall
told him. "Besides, we got that man of yours who was here at the temple when
we came in. He's being given a full treatment, as a presumed outtime native
found in possession of First Level weapons. If you talk now it'll go easier
with you." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]