Bring them to me, Inanna’s voice resounded through the dock, along with their cargo.
Inanna’s audience chamber was more like a large harem room, as it was laden with curtains, cushions and lounges of silk, velvet and exotic fur. There were two scented pools herein: one steaming, the other cool. A large, open firepit was the central feature of the room and hence, for the inside of an ice palace, the atmosphere was very cosy.
‘I don’t see why Inanna doesn’t just strap a mattress to her back,’ Uriah commented aside to Aquilla as they awaited the Goddess’ presence. ‘The Dragon shall be in for a fine time.’
‘Don’t say that,’ Aquilla begged, obviously doing her best not to think about what Inanna would do with the Dragon.
Uriah picked up on her denial at once. ‘Well, you don’t for a minute think that Inanna is going to let a fine figure of a warrior like him go to waste, do you?’
Aquilla hushed Uriah to silence as Inanna made an appearance.
Her presence was a vision. The goddess truly was an astonishing beauty — she was also half naked. The glittering white cloth of her skirt draped up over a shoulder leaving one of her legs and one of her breasts exposed. The Goddess’ unusually large eyes were of sapphire blue. The other features of her face were pixie-like and petite although her tiny mouth had lips that were large and luscious. Milky white, her skin glowed like a newborn’s, and her ash brown hair fell in long loose locks about the body that was poised, long and slender. At close to seven feet in height, Inanna towered over everyone in the room.
What happened to my officials? Inanna demanded a reply from Uriah, her voice eloquent and seductive.
‘They got in the way of this fellow, Maelgwn Gwynedd,’ Uriah explained, motioning to the prisoner. ‘Otherwise known as the Dragon.’
So … this is your alleged immortal ape man. Inanna still appeared sceptical, even though they had managed to produce a real Homo sapiens.
‘Not alleged.’ Uriah pulled the EMS Wand from Maelgwn’s belt, which now sat proudly around his own waist. The wand was still set on ultra-violet, so Uriah sliced Maelgwn right through the middle.
‘You’re sick, Uriah!’ Aquilla snatched the laser sword from his hand.
The pain and discomfort were only momentary, but Maelgwn didn’t appreciate the demonstration all the same.
When he healed up without so much as one drop of blood being spilt on the floor, Inanna was tickled pink.
And this is the control device? She approached to look over the NERGUZ and the man who wore it.
‘Yes, it is linked to the device I am wearing.’ Uriah held out the executor module for her to view. ‘He is bound to do everything I say.’
Really? Inanna smiled a mischievous smile. Then make him kiss me, she encouraged Uriah playfully.
‘You heard the goddess, Dragon. Kiss her,’ Uriah ordered and Aquilla couldn’t watch.
Maelgwn reached down and taking hold of the goddess’ hand he kissed it.
Not exactly what I had in mind, Inanna smiled, but a little bit of verbal refining and this concept could have real potential. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t this man bear a striking resemblance to the one you wish to exchange him for?
‘This man is no relation to Durak,’ Aquilla stated absolutely.
Shows what you know. Inanna mocked Aquilla for her lack of universal knowledge.
It was widely known that the goddess held little love for the deeply emotional Delphinus breed, especially the females. Inanna preferred the fiery, promiscuous nature of the Leonine race.
Tell me, Aquilla. Did you use every means within your power to entrap your victim?
‘Does this really matter?’ Uriah interrupted.
With a wave of her hand, Inanna sent the lad flying backward to the floor. Yes, it matters, Inanna informed him calmly. This man is immortal, a demi-god … we wouldn’t want his genes being passed on to the wrong breed, would we?
‘No.’ Aquilla shook her head. ‘There is no question of that. I am infertile.’
So, Inanna approached Aquilla, having had the truth out of her, you’ve managed to screw him in every regard. You certainly turned out to be far more ruthless than I expected when I first recruited you.
‘When you stole my husband, you mean?’ Aquilla’s resentment only served to delight the Goddess all the more.
And what else have you brought for me? Inanna looked back to Uriah, who was still picking himself up off the floor.
‘Your brother-in-law, Gibal,’ Uriah advised in a precocious fashion, referring her to the small transport cases. ‘I took the liberty of disassembling him for you, as I needed the NERGUZ to restrain the Dragon for transportation.’
Excellent! Inanna strode over to inspect the cases. That will teach you for assisting my enemy, Gibal. She thumped the case that she suspected contained the Lord’s head. And my chariot! Inanna exclaimed, utterly thrilled as she caught sight of it.
‘But I have the crystal that drives it,’ Aquilla informed her. ‘And only my voice will release the Dragon into your control,’ Uriah added, ‘so let’s deal.’
Yes, let’s, replied Inanna as a multitude of Leonine warriors entered the chamber.
If he could have, Maelgwn would have rolled his eyes. It was torture being forced to stand by and watch while those that he cared about destroyed themselves and the future of all the human races.
Uriah pulled Maelgwn’s PKA sonic pulse blaster from the holster he now wore, and remained cool and collected as the armed force surrounded Aquilla and himself.
Inanna raised a hand and Uriah’s weapon was ripped from his clutches and catapulted into the goddess’ possession. You ridiculous little mollusc. How dare you? Inanna set her sights on Uriah and slowly approached him. Do you know why I spend most of my life on my back?
Aquilla was infuriated as she realised that Uriah’s loud mouth had blown any chance they’d had of pulling off this deal.
Inanna’s sights shifted to Maelgwn. I am in search of a male who can get me with child.
The Nefilim, having only ever numbered but a few as a race, had inbred themselves to the point of infertility. Inanna’s best chance of bearing offspring to a Nefilim male had disappeared with Dumuzi, and the Goddess would never forgive Marduk for that. Nefilim males had proven most capable of impregnating human women, but mortal men had failed to impregnate her.
You have brought me new hope, the goddess looked back to Uriah, and for that I shall allow you to live. Inanna’s officials took hold of Uriah and relieved him of all his hardware, except the NERGUZ control band.
‘But, the password?’ Uriah protested, believing he should still hold the upper hand.
If you release the Dragon to me, you shall be reunited with your brother, Inanna advised. If you fail to give him to me, I shall disembowel Durak before your eyes.
‘Let him go!’ Aquilla demanded, holding high the quasi-crystal, ‘or I will smash it.’
Stun, Inanna instructed the weapon she held, whereby Aquilla froze. Thank you, said she, as she plucked the treasure from the fingers of the immobilised Delphinus woman. Take her to the lab, Inanna directed a couple of her guards.
‘What are you going to do with her?’ Uriah tried to struggle against his captors, which only served to exhaust him.
Let us just concentrate on your fate, shall we? Inanna suggested as she moved in to question him at close quarters.
Inanna’s beauty was but a smokescreen harbouring a vengeful and horrid soul underneath; the loss of her husband and her want of a child had obviously disturbed Inanna deeply. The same could be said of Aquilla, Maelgwn realised in retrospect. No other entity in the whole of time and space would ever truly be Tory, but Tory. She was the only woman he would intimately love or trust again.
‘Gotcha.’
As Uriah surrendered to Inanna’s will and handed over the control band, Maelgwn regained control of his body and in so doing he breathed a sigh of relief and stretched his limbs.
Inanna cli
pped the control module onto her wrist and turned to observe her prize in motion. Checkmate, she announced, assuming control of the Dragon at the same time. You will not harm me in any way, she instructed, or attempt to escape.
‘I intended to do neither,’ he assured her.
The night is young, she cautioned, before turning back to deal with Uriah. Take him to his brother, she advised one of the Leonines, before turning to another. You know what to do with Gibal.
The guard nodded, before turning to rally his men to transport the cases containing Gibal’s body parts out of the audience chamber.
The rest of you leave us, she commanded, turning back to feast her eyes on her superhuman toy boy.
‘I should have listened to you, Dragon,’ Uriah conceded as a couple of huge Leonine warriors hauled him from the room.
‘We all make mistakes.’ Maelgwn had to sympathise as he observed Gibal’s bits being transported who knows where. ‘May I ask what you intend to do with my Lord?’
He is not your Lord, Inanna sidestepped the question, but I have a fair idea who is. She tipped her head to one side to observe him, as the door closed behind her guards and the chamber fell quiet. You are really quite something, Dragon. She admired his form as she approached him. I was always partial to your breed, though. You are closer to the Nefilim in appearance than any of the other human breeds. But you are not of the same stock of Homo sapiens I remember from my time on Gaia. Your race has been refined somewhat.
Maelgwn said nothing as the goddess circled, observing him like prey.
Are there more like you back on Gaia? She placed both her hands on his back to extract her answer. How interesting, she concluded after a moment, whereupon she moved around in front of Maelgwn once more. Your desire betrays you, she announced. If you adore this Tory Alexander so much then see her in me.
No! Maelgwn’s protest didn’t make it past his neurones. In a heartbeat, Inanna’s presence transformed into Tory.
Desire me. She removed the wrap she wore and let it drop to the floor. Thrill me.
He was transfixed by the sight of Tory’s naked form approaching him — she appeared so genuine.
Take me, she whispered her final instruction as she wrapped her limbs around his body.
Maelgwn knew it wasn’t Tory. He was aroused only because Inanna had programmed his body to react thus. Her kiss was not Tory’s: she did not taste like her, smell like her, nor did she have the tiniest hint of her tenderness. When he closed his eyes every trace of Tory disappeared and he was left fondling an entirely different entity, one that had little regard for any of the higher emotions and no concept of what it was to really love someone. As he thought upon intimate moments with Tory, it only served to make his present predicament more repulsive. His remorse didn’t seem to be affecting his performance with Inanna, however. His body was having a whale of a time all on its own.
It was hard to determine how long the sexual encounter lasted; to Maelgwn it seemed like days. But when Inanna had finally sucked him dry of energy and information, she confined Maelgwn to one spot in her audience chamber.
Your mind is an amazing place, Dragon, she told him before departing. Most inspiring indeed. Inanna gave a menacing laugh as she glanced to the chariot and vanished.
He didn’t have the strength to move straight away. He’d fought in extended battles that had been less exhausting than the last few hours had been.
In an attempt to revive himself, Maelgwn rolled into the hot, scented pool which was fortunately placed within the part of the room he’d been confined to. The warmth of the pool restored life to his aching muscles. The scented water washed the smell of Inanna from his body and much of his ebbing disgust departed along with her scent.
As he dressed himself, Maelgwn was unable to recall ever feeling quite so low as he did at this moment. Instead of feeling revitalised and inspired, as he did after making love with Tory, he felt drained and violated. It wasn’t the moral abuse that bothered him so much as how helpless it made him feel. Taliesin had always assured him that one was never entirely powerless in any situation, and that there was always an unseen possibility that was usually right under one’s nose.
Maelgwn looked down to challenge the theory and was surprised to note something poking out from beneath a rug at his feet.
It was a tray of food from which Inanna had been feeding them both at one stage of the festivities, which must have gotten covered up during their cavorting. There was a small laser knife on the platter that wouldn’t even scratch the surface of the NERGUZ module. Then the horrid thought occurred that it might just slice through his wrist if he used considerable force.
‘Oh, please.’ Maelgwn appealed to the heavens for another way out, but when no other option presented itself, he shrugged and submitted to the idea. ‘What the heck. I have already been chopped in half today …’
He slammed the laser knife down, hard into his wrist, gritting his teeth as it hit the bone and ground its way slowly through it. Once his hand fell away, Maelgwn was able to rip the NERGUZ module from his person, its penetrative spike tearing additional flesh from his wrist as he did so. To be free of the device felt like being resurrected from the grave. The question now was what to do with the virtually indestructible piece of hardware.
After restoring his hand to its rightful place, whereupon it healed good as new, Maelgwn tried willing the NERGUZ to Marduk to safeguard — which was a feat he should have been able to execute. When nothing came of his attempts, Maelgwn had to figure that although his physical control had been restored immediately upon the device’s removal from his person, his PSI ability was going to take longer to restore itself.
‘There is still one thing I can do.’ Maelgwn shoved the band and the small knife into a pocket in his suit jacket and hurried over to the chariot.
16
Brotherly Love
Upon opening up the nose cone of the chariot to take a look at the inner circuitry, Maelgwn was confused. He had no idea what he was looking at. He had thought some knowledge of his invention would come back to him upon viewing it closely, but he recognised nothing of the design. Inanna was still in possession of the crystal, and without being able to see the drive system functioning, it was hard to tell how best to disable it.
‘Here goes nothing.’ He reached for the half dozen soft-tube connectors, which appeared to be as important as any part of the system.
No! his inner voice cried in warning. If the chariot were to be activated without those feeds, it would blow away half of this planet. Just below them is a small blue chip. Remove this and you cripple the ignition system.
The small blue chip disconnected from its housing easily, and the untrained eye would never notice it missing. ‘Many thanks, Turan.’ Maelgwn acknowledged his advisor as he shoved the chip into another pocket and attempted willing himself back to the vessel he’d arrived on. Unfortunately, movement was not forthcoming. ‘Any more advice?’ With eyes upturned to the ceiling Maelgwn deferred to his higher self, who was now deathly silent.
Obviously he could not will open the entrance door to the audience chamber, and if he used the hand scanner — as mortals had to — it would probably only serve to alert Inanna to the fact that he was mobile.
You’ll be happy to know, Dragon … Inanna made a sudden appearance facing the spot in the room where she expected he’d still be. Dragon? She turned to see him by the chariot. How did you get over there?
Another Nefilim appeared next to Inanna, a male who looked remarkably like her. His hair was snowy white and he had the same magnetic blue eyes, pale skin and subtle features that she did. Maelgwn guessed him to be her twin brother, Shamash.
You haven’t meddled with my chariot, have you? Infuriated, she stormed towards him, then noticed the NERGUZ was missing from her prisoner’s wrist. Her temper cooled and she backed up again.
Maelgwn grinned in response to her query. ‘Have I interfered with the circuitry of this transport?’ He raised his brow. ‘Wh
y don’t you climb aboard and find out.’ He motioned to the chariot with both hands, knowing the goddess would not take him up on the dare.
But my plan won’t work without the chariot, Inanna fretted, looking to her male companion to rectify the situation for her. How shall we get to our Chosen One?
‘Your Chosen One?’ Maelgwn couldn’t allow the comment to pass.
He’s bluffing, stated Shamash, with a smug look upon his face as he completely ignored Maelgwn’s query. He’s removed the chariot’s ignition chip, which is now in the top left pocket of his jacket.
Inanna calmed, realising that Maelgwn hadn’t shielded his mind from them. Fully functional, the Dragon posed a threat to her, but not if his psychic talents were waning in the wake of his detainment. Why have you not willed yourself elsewhere, Dragon? She tested her theory.
Maelgwn didn’t have to say anything. Inanna and Shamash already knew the truth and were clearly overjoyed by his misfortune.
I’ll take that ignition chip you have in your pocket, Shamash held out his hand, and the restraining module and knife you have in your other pocket.
Maelgwn knew it was pointless to resist, as without his own psychic defences to protect him, Inanna and Shamash had the power to completely immobilise him without even lifting a finger. He pulled the chip from his pocket and, on impulse, threw it into the firepit in the centre of the room.
The piece of the chariot never hit the flames — Shamash willed the chip to himself and caught it. Thank you. Now the band and the blade.
No. The NERGUZ is mine! Inanna protested.
I just need you to lend it to me for long enough to duplicate the design. Shamash took his sister in hand to persuade her. Then you’ll have hundreds of the little mongrels at your beck and call.
But how shall I get this one to satisfy my lustful whims?
You’re a beautiful and powerful goddess, said Shamash, as if the answer was obvious. Torture him into submission. He kissed Inanna’s extended neck and managed to persuade her into favouring his request.