I thought of the golden-haired woman saying,“There’s no time—you’re leaving our galaxy.”I frowned—that had been part of my dream. Why couldn’t I remember more of it?
But there was no time to try and piece together my strange dream—Sir was already getting me out of bed and hustling me to the shower.
It was time to meet the Sovereign of Korrigon Four—I just hoped I wouldn’t screw things up.
FORTY-FOUR
ELLI
We stepped out of Sir’s spaceship on the edge of an enormous city. Towering buildings rose all around us and all of them were a brilliant, spotless white. The roads seemed to be paved with gold, making me think of Heaven. People of all kinds—some Korrigon like Sir but many more of different alien races—were bustling all around.
There was a tall Korrigon warrior with full-black eyes and a fierce face waiting for Sir. His gray skin had a bluish tinge to it, unlike Sir’s purplish undertones, and his horns were slightly curlier. Hiscandallawas completely covered from tip to root in silver rings. I wondered if it was some kind of armor for his tail.
“Overlord,” he said, bowing deeply as we stepped off the ship’s gangplank and down onto the golden street. “We are deeply relieved to have you home again.”
“And I am glad to be home, Captain Tau’rex,” Sir said, nodding his head. “How fares the Northern Continent in my absence?”
“Very well indeed, my Lord—you made certain everything was in order before you left and we have maintained it that way,” the Korrigon warrior said. “We had a few brief skirmishes with battalions from the South—Southern warriors dressed as mercenaries, mostly—but we repelled them easily enough and liberated them of their Mind-Control chips. They are living peacefully in the Northern Continent now and have no wish to return to their former mindless servitude.”
“Mind-Control chips?” I asked, frowning.
The warrior looked down at me.
“Is this the pet you sought, Overlord?”
“She is. This is little one,” Sir looked at me gravely. “I will answer all your questions as we make our way to the throne room, little one,” he told me. “For now, be patient—I must know if there is any news that Captain Tau’rex can tell me before we see the Sovereign, Splendara the Third and Thirtieth.”
“Yes, Sir,” I said, frowning a little at being dismissed. But we were in his home world now—of course he was going to treat me as a pet and not as an equal, as he had been mostly doing on the ship.
“What news of Court?” Sir asked, turning back to the Captain.
“Nothing good, I’m afraid.” The other man grimaced. “Sir Gra’multh has been buzzing in the Sovereign’s ear day and night about taking possession of the Goddess’s Cloak galaxy for as long as you’ve been gone.”
“Gods damn him!” Sir growled. “He’s already subjugated every free world in our own galaxy—the male has no shame and nothing but greed in his black heart.”
“I fear you’re right, Overlord,” Captain Tau’rex said grimly. “But I further fear that he may be swaying the Sovereign to his point of view. He has offered to tithe fifty percent of his profits to the crown and he talks constantly of how grand it would be for her to be the ruler of not one buttwogalaxies.”
Sir gritted his teeth.
“As if ruling one is not taxing enough! The Sovereign is too young and impressionable to be left alone with a snake like Gra’multh. Our last Sovereign, her older sister, would never have listened to his lies and enticements.”
“Be that as it may, Overlord, I fear she is close to agreeing with Sir Gra’multh that the Goddess’s Cloak galaxy should be subjugated. You will have to make a powerful argument to sway her to your side.”
“I believe I have just such an argument,” Sir said. “I have spent the last two solar months collecting data about the Twelve Peoples of the Goddess’s Cloak and the worlds they live on. They may not be as advanced as we are, but they are sentient beings who should be allowed to live as they choose, unmolested by a greedy bastard like Gra’multh.”
“Then I pray to the Goddess Eternal the Sovereign will listen to you.” Captain Tau’rex bowed his head briefly. “I have brought your royal chariot to carry you to the throne room,” he added and nodded at a strange looking contraption I hadn’t seen before.
It really did look a little like a chariot made of pure gold but there were no horses pulling it. Instead, it hovered in midair as though waiting patiently for us to board it.
“Thank you, Captain Tau’rex,” Sir said, nodding his head to the warrior. “I shall make my ascent to the throne room. Come along, little one,” he added, tugging lightly on my leash.
“Yes, Sir,” I murmured and followed him to the golden chariot.
Sir lifted me into it, since it was hovering about three feet off the ground, and instructed me to stand beside him on the left.
“Why isn’t there a place to sit?” I asked, as he climbed in beside me and put the golden control circlet that would doubtless help him drive the chariot, over his horns and around his temples.
“One does not sit in the presence of the Sovereign,” he said shortly. “We must arrive standing on our feet, with our heads bowed to acknowledge her glory.”