Queen Excerpt

The Queen of Heaven

by Amaranth Rose

A Knight is sworn to uphold the weak, defend the innocent, protect the foolish and balance the strong. A Knight shows valor in conflict, courage in danger, unswerving loyalty, and mercy and compassion to all. A Knight is the custodian of Liberty, Justice, and Peace. A Knight behaves with Honor, Truth, Grace and Courtesy at all times. Thus does a Knight bring light and order to the fabric of the Universe.

The High Council of the Crystal Matrix Knighthood occupied the greater part of a small, rather dry planet with a decidedly pinkish tint to the atmosphere.

“Na’Chotle,” Doug informed Amaranth as it grew in the forward viewscreen. His expression was cautious mixture of anticipation and dread. Watching his face, Amaranth wondered once again about her husband of a few months and the father of the twins she was carrying.

When she’d met him, sitting in a ditch after having dodged a herd of deer between snowstorms in late November, she had no idea how profoundly he was going to change her life. That had been last winter, at home on Earth. Now she’d been on a Ring Ship and to Jeb’s home planet of Craacken, an endless forest of a world, beautiful but dangerous to the uninitiated. The three-foot tall spider that had threatened to end the walk she and Master Shan-ji, Doug’s elderly teacher, had taken to unwind was frightening enough. Doug, Jeb and Shan-ji had hinted at even greater dangers hidden in the forest; she had taken them at their word.

Now, after another short respite on the Ring Ship, a huge rotating artificial world that was part of a vast network that spread far and wide throughout the universe, they were landing on yet another planet. Whatever was going to happen here on Na’Chotle was very significant for the three men, and somehow dangerous, she assumed; they had left her son Shasta and their big, fluffy black-and-white tomcat Char with Jeb’s family on Craacken “for safe-keeping”.

Amaranth still did not know what they were coming to Na’Chotle for. She’d overheard words like “High Council” and “Knighthood” with her receptive mental powers that grew stronger every day, but their thoughts were quickly hidden from her, carefully shielded when they knew she was around or awake. She knew that Doug and Shan-ji were Knights, of some kind, and that Jeb had passed some kind of test and become a Knight while they were on Craacken, but as yet she had no idea what “Knight” meant in their culture; they’d carefully hidden that knowledge from her, even when they were teaching her their language. In response to her occasional inquiries, Doug had told her nothing, only asking her to wait. She knew his marriage to her had somehow placed him in some sort of mortal jeopardy; that much she’d been able to ferret our from Master Shan-ji, the elderly Knight who had been Doug’s Master when he was training to be a Knight. From their behavior she concluded that coming to Na’Chotle meant they were nearing some sort of judgment; the secrecy would end then, she felt certain. She wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

They’d taught her a great deal about her own nascent, developing abilities to manipulate what they called “the Talent” during their time on Craacken. They’d worked desperately to help her gain control of her psychic defense mechanism, a powerful probe that could harm or kill others who had the ability to use the Talent. Working in the forest, away from others, they’d taught her some ways to defend herself, techniques they called “Tricks”. She’d had no trouble learning the tricks themselves; learning to control the power behind them was the hardest part for her. She was prone to overdoing it. Shan-ji had remarked that that was because she had so much to begin with.

Chee, the short, stocky, white-feathered, winged Antillean pilot, brought the shuttle in across the planet’s dark side, and she could see the lights of many cities through gaps in the clouds. They passed through the sunrise and landed at a spaceport near a large city. Doug handed her a small parcel before they disembarked.

“Take this, and take very good care of it. Don’t let anyone take it from you, for any reason. Except me, or Jeb or Master Shan-ji.”

Jeb was the tall, gray-eyed young Knight from Craacken who had been Doug’s most recent Apprentice, in whose custody Doug currently was, and Shan-ji was the decidedly elderly Knight who’d known Doug since birth and had been his teacher and Master when he’d become a Knight.

She looked at him questioningly, reading worry in his dark coffee brown eyes.

“What’s in it?”

He grimaced. “I can’t answer that. It’s worth my life, and yours. Keep it safe. Trust me,” he said, sounding desperate.

She slipped it in the bag she had slung over her shoulder.

“All right,” she said. Then it was time to leave the shuttle.

“Good Luck,” came Chee’s cheery voice over the intercom. Then the shuttle door opened and the ramp extended, and they were faced with two armed guards and a grim looking security officer.

Before any of them could speak, Doug held his hand up and motioned them to silence.

“Before anyone says anything, I request that you address me by my name only. My wife knows nothing of my titles, other than “Master”, and I wish to keep it that way. I request the right of secret-keeping.”

The three looked at one another.

“Very well, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar. It is a very unusual request, considering who and what you are. But we are honor-bound to grant your request.” The security officer bowed slightly.

“However, I must still ask you to come with us, My L—, er, Sir, since you are under arrest. This is Na’Chotle, and there are forms to be filled out and protocol to be observed.”

Doug nodded resignedly and went over to them. One of the guards placed a pair of silvery handcuffs on his wrists in addition to the thin red Shackles Jeb had placed there when he’d arrested Doug at the Ring Ship the first time. They turned toward a branching corridor. Jeb attempted to intervene.

“Can’t he continue in my custody, Sir? I’ve brought him from the Ring Ship. I thought it might be better to keep them together,” he nodded, indicating Amaranth, “for his wife’s sake. She’s a rogue talent, and she seems to be more settled when she’s with him. She’s pregnant, and you know what that can do sometimes,” he said meaningfully.

Doug stared at the floor silently. He could feel her eyes on him, anxiously trying to fathom what this was all about, but he did not meet her gaze.

The officer looked at her for a long moment. He was well aware of the enhancement of some women’s abilities when they were with child. He suddenly seemed slightly nervous. Then he returned his attention to Jeb.

“If you wish, Ja’Bora Jihan-jar, you may request custody officially. But the law is very clear. I must take custody of Dou-Gai-Han Chang-Tsi-Yar until we can complete formal procedures and verify his identity and the charges against him.” He looked apologetic.

“I’m sorry, Sir. I cannot change the law for any prisoner, not even for such a high-ranking person as Master Chang-Tsi-Yar. Nor would he want me to. To do so would be to undermine the authority and power of the law, and he would never wish us to do that.”

Doug nodded affirmation. He left with them then.

Amaranth watched in shock and disbelief as they receded rapidly down the corridor. High-ranking? High-ranking what? Finally the strain reached her breaking point.

“No!” she cried out, a heartbroken sob that was little more than a strangled whisper. She reached toward Doug with one hand and gestured as if to pull him to her. There was a booming sound that echoed down the corridor, and a sudden, intense gust of air blew through the narrow space, forcing Doug, the Security Officer, and the two armed guards back down the corridor several feet like leaves before a hurricane. It turned them back to face her for a moment. Doug raised his hand in a gesture of negation, and she felt him in her mind.

“No, Amaranth, don’t interfere. Go with Jeb and Master Shan-ji. I’ll be all right.” His words formed in her mind. She felt his love wrap itself strongly around her for a moment, warm and sheltering like a comfortable old quilt. Then his attention shifted to Jeb and Shan-ji. The comforting contact faded at last.

Then they turned and continued on, passing around a corner and out of sight.

She took a step as if to follow Doug. Jeb and Shan-ji both put a hand on her shoulders.

“No, Amaranth,” Shan-ji said gently. “This is how it must be.”

She felt totally bereft and alone. A vast weariness settled on her, like a cape of lead, weighing her down heavily. Some of it must have shown in her eyes when she looked at them, for Sham-ji said gently,

“Don’t be troubled. We’ll have him back with us soon enough.” He had seen the light go out of her eyes, as had Jeb.

He glanced at Jeb, and they guided her through the maze of corridors and down broad avenues and side streets to a small bungalow that would serve as their quarters. She paid little attention to her surroundings; the beauty of Na’Chotle was largely lost on her as she sank deep into depression. She glimpsed an ornate symbol on the door on the way in, but she was too weary to do more than glance at it.

Jeb led her to a bedroom where he deposited her belongings and Doug’s. She sank down onto the bed and closed her eyes against her threatening tears. Her last thought before she fell asleep was of Doug’s deep brown eyes gazing into hers. Jeb covered her with a blanket. Then he closed the door and left her to sleep.

“Where in the world did she learn that trick?” Jeb asked at last.

Shan-ji glanced at him.

“I don’t think it’s ever been done before,” he said calmly.

Jeb whistled softly.

“I guess that’s why they call it rogue talent,” he said as he poured them each a cup of tea. “I’ll tell you what, I’m glad she’s on our side.”

Shan-ji glanced up at him and shook his head.

“She’s on his side. And you’d do well not to forget that.”

Jeb nodded soberly.

It was early afternoon when she awoke. She asked Shan-ji where Jeb was.

“He went to run some errands,” he told her quietly. When she didn’t say anything else, he asked, “Would you like something to eat?”

“No,” she said listlessly.

He looked at her reproachfully.

“Amaranth, please, think of them,” he said, gesturing to her belly. “They need to eat, even if you don’t much care to. Let me fix you something, and you at least try to eat?”

“I suppose,” she said at last. She sipped a glass of milk while he fixed the food. She ate mechanically, not paying much attention to the food. She left half of it. He said nothing. Finally she asked him what was foremost in her mind.

“Master, what will they do with Doug?”

He looked at her for a moment.

“Paperwork, I expect, for the most part. Bureaucracy runs on paperwork, and Na’Chotle is a bureaucrat’s heaven. It’s very thickly infested with the beasts.” He saw her downcast look.

“Don’t worry. They won’t harm him. He’s one of their prize laboratory rats. They don’t get many performing seals with his kind of credentials and pedigree.”

She looked at him, startled.

“What do you mean?”

He looked at her kindly. “You are not the only one who has been used harshly by life. He too has been caged and put on display. Do not judge him too severely. He too is in the dark as to what is to come. He knows only enough to make him wisely cautious.”

She mulled that over.

The door to the bungalow opened and Jeb entered. He was holding a piece of paper. He smiled when he saw Amaranth. He handed the paper to Shan-ji, who scanned it rapidly.

“Excellent,” he said quickly, and handed it back. Jeb turned to her.

“Want to come with me to the jail to collect your errant spouse?” he asked jauntily.

She nodded quickly, not trusting her voice.

He’d taken her to a courthouse on the Ring Ship, and now they were going to a jail on Na’Chotle. Well, she thought to herself, at least she wasn’t bored.

Doug was brought out to them by two guards, both of whom looked slightly uneasy. When they saw her, they looked even more uneasy. He thanked them politely and they left as hastily as they could. Jeb noticed their indecent haste.

“What’s wrong with them?” he asked.

Doug nodded subtly toward Amaranth.

“You know how it is. Word gets around pretty fast on Na’Chotle.”

Then he took her in his arms and held her tightly for a long moment. He looked at Jeb finally.

“Thanks,” he said fervently.

Jeb nodded. “Let’s go, before they change their minds,” he suggested.

They returned to the bungalow. She asked Doug about the symbol on the front door. He hesitated before answering.

“It’s the Malledoran Government Crest,” he said slowly at last. “They own this residence. It’s for use by people from Malledore with business on Na’Chotle.”

“Malledore?” she queried.

He looked at her hesitantly. “It’s a planet. That’s where Master Shan-ji and I are from,” he said at last.

“Oh.” She sensed he was hiding something, but she had to be content with that.

They were to appear before the High Council the next morning.

“What does one wear to such an event?” she asked Doug. They all looked at her.

“That’s no problem for the three of us,” he said slowly. He gave her a long, thoughtful look. “Did you bring that green dress you wore when we were in Idaho?” he asked at last.

“Yes, I have it.”

“That will be fine, I think.” He smiled at her. “In fact, I believe it will be perfect.” He looked carefully at her then. “How do you feel?”

“Scared.”

He looked at her steadily. “So am I,” he said softly.

She looked surprised.

“You certainly don’t show it,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

“It is well to be expectant. It helps us be prepared to meet the unexpected and overcome it.” Shan-ji spoke gently. “But too much fear can be crippling.” He looked at Doug, and then at Amaranth. “Be careful that you do not allow it to build up within you and keep you from accomplishing what will be set before you. Look into my mind, Amaranth, one last time before tomorrow comes, and learn what I can teach you.”

He showed her ways of dealing with her fear and frustration, things to do to allow her to remain calm no matter what the circumstances, how to let the feelings flow over and through her without building up and blocking her thoughts and actions. She became visibly calmer. Jeb and Doug, watching them, nodded approvingly.

“Thank you, Master Shan-ji,” she said softly at last.

Then she walked up to him and, reaching up, kissed him on the cheek. He was totally surprised. She turned and headed for the bedroom then. He stared after her in amazement, his hand lightly touching his cheek where she’d kissed him.

When they left for the Council chambers in the morning, Amaranth felt rather conspicuous in her simple jade green dress. Doug, Jeb and Shan-ji were all wearing bright scarlet pants and long tunics, which were covered all over in intricate gold embroidery. At the collars and cuffs were rows of colored bands, which she realized must indicate some sort of rank. Jeb’s were blue, and Shan-ji’s and Doug’s were bound in a series of colors ending in four rows of black and a single band of green.

“It’s time,” Doug said finally. He took her hand, and they walked down the avenue together, Jeb and Shan-ji behind them. They drew many curious glances as they passed.

They made their way to a massive building with translucent deep red walls that were glassy smooth and appeared nearly seamless. It was a huge rectangle, and in the bright sunlight it glistened like a gigantic, flawless ruby. They stopped before a set of tall doors, intricately carved with images and an inscription she could not read.

Doug held up his hand and made a tugging gesture. The doors opened outward to admit them, and they entered a wide, tall passageway. The floor and walls were inlaid with intricate stone and metalwork patterns. They walked slowly to a pair of plain doors at the far end of a long corridor. These too opened outward before them, and they entered the ceremonial chamber of the High Council of the Crystal Matrix Knighthood. The doors closed behind them with a soft click, and Amaranth felt a shiver run down her spine. She felt as if those doors had closed on her life.

She held tightly to Doug’s hand, trying to still the hubbub in her mind as she looked around. The room was filled with people, many of them dressed as Doug was, in scarlet and gold. Amaranth was surprised to see both men and women wearing the scarlet and gold robes. Were there female Knights also? The noise they made in her mind became a dull roar, distracting her. She fought to keep it at bay.

Did she but know it, she looked rare and distinctly exotic, the jade green of her dress accentuating her slender form and highlighting her bright cape of hair. The stark contrast of her gaunt cheeks and pale face in juxtaposition with her bright hair and the dark green of her dress made her look even more youthful and innocent, and deceptively frail. Next to Doug’s height, she looked diminutive.

He surveyed her appearance critically. The overall effect was exactly as he’d wanted, slender, rare, and fragile looking. They would underestimate her, he knew; that was to their advantage.

“Yes,” he whispered, “you look perfectly divine. A tall green lily among the roses.” He raised her hand deliberately to his lips and kissed it.

“Now listen carefully. Walk a few steps behind me, and do exactly as I tell you. Take your directions only from me. Do not obey anyone else’s instructions without my permission. Understand?”

She nodded. He stepped out in front of her. She followed a few steps behind him, and Jeb and Shan-ji took up flanking positions behind her. They proceeded down a long, wide ramp to the floor below, where they faced a high bench on a raised dais. Behind the bench sat three judges in somber black robes. Several rows of seats rose behind them; all of them were currently empty. The other three sides of the room held rows of seating for spectators, and the room seemed full. It was uncannily like being in the center of a large rectangular bowl of people. Doug bowed low before the judges, as did Jeb and Shan-ji. She looked at Doug, who shook his head “no”. She stood and gazed at them then, calm and unmoving.

The center judge spoke to Doug.

“Your wife does not know our customs, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar?”

“No, Judge Rankin, she does not, Your Honor. If you require that she bow before you, I will attempt to instruct her to do so. Customs are very different where she comes from.”

There was a murmured conference.

“That will not be necessary.” The judge looked at Doug. “Does she understand our language, or does she need a translator?”

“She does understand our language, at least as it is spoken. Some subtler gestures elude her yet, thank goodness, but I have no doubt she will catch onto them all too soon.” Doug was smiling. He winked at her.

The judges conferred.

“When did she learn it? There can’t possibly have been enough time!” one of the other judges exclaimed.

“She’s a very fast learner, Mr. Mercer,” Doug said with a touch of sarcasm.

“I suggest you refrain from your impertinence with me, and contain your insolence,” the judge responded tartly. “It would give me a great deal of pleasure to put you in jail for contempt, Dou-Gai-Han Chang-Tsi-Yar. I would remind you, as you have reminded this court so many times before, you are sworn to truth. No one has ever learned our language in less than six months before.”

He studied her for some time, his sharp eyes raking over her as if he were undressing her mentally. She felt her cheeks redden under his scrutiny.

“I see nothing about this woman to suggest that she is particularly remarkable in any way, excepting perhaps that she is remarkably underfed. I’ve seen heftier persons in a famine. Will you retract your statement? Or do you intend to add lying to your list of offences?”

Amaranth sensed some underlying animosity between the two. Doug shrugged.

“I can tell you truthfully, she learned it in one day. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Ja’Bora Jihan-jar and Master Shan-ji are both Knights, and they can attest to this as well, Mr. Mercer. They were there also.”

The judge scowled darkly.

“Master Shan-Ji?” he snapped.

“It is the truth, Judge Mercer,” Shan-ji attested. “I swear it, on my honor as a Knight.” Jeb nodded his concurrence. The judge looked flustered.

“This is highly irregular,” he muttered at last.

Only Doug, with his Lysaran-enhanced senses and reflexes, heard him clearly.

“Everything about Amaranth is highly irregular,” Doug said drolly. “Indeed, if you get to know her, I think you’ll find she is truly unique in all the universe.” He was thinking back to the computer’s extraordinary analysis of her.

“Does she need an interpreter or not, then?” the center judge said, giving Mr. Mercer a warning glance. Doug looked at Amaranth.

“What do you think?” he asked her.

“I understand perfectly everything that has been said so far,” she said truthfully, in their language. She proceeded to summarize their conversation up to that time. The judges seemed surprised.

“Very well, let us continue,” Judge Rankin said after a few moments. “Master Dou-Gai-Han Chang-Tsi-Yar, you are here before this court today on a very serious matter. You are charged with engaging in an illicit emotional relationship with a being of an undeveloped species, conspiracy to remove said being from its home planet, conspiracy to remove two other beings from the same planet, removal of beings from an undeveloped planet for purposes of personal gain or gratification, harboring a potentially dangerous person or being, subverting your former Master and your former Apprentice by coercing them into being your accomplices, and conducting yourself in a manner unbefitting a Crystal Matrix Knight, to wit, fathering illegitimate children. Do you understand the nature and the seriousness of these charges against you?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” He managed to say it with a straight face. Then he glanced at Amaranth, Jeb, and Shan-ji, and he began to giggle.

Shan-ji frowned at him for a moment. Then he too began to chuckle softly. Jeb stood silently staring at the floor, obviously fighting for control. Amaranth looked at all three of them, wondering privately if they’d all suddenly gone mad.

Judge Rankin glared at them all. He struck the gavel sharply several times. Finally the three Knights regained their composure.

“Does your wife understand the nature and the seriousness of the charges against you?”

“No, she does not.” Doug glanced at her before looking back to the judges. “I have a condition to request, Your Honors.”

“What is your condition?”

“I must request that no one attempt to probe my wife’s mind, for any reason.”

“Why?”

“Your Honor, it would be very dangerous for anyone who attempted to do so. Possibly even fatal.”

The judge looked annoyed.

“It is considered a normal part of these proceedings, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar.” He looked at Amaranth intently. She sensed his presence at the edge of her mind, approaching rapidly, obviously intent on probing her thoughts without any consideration of whether or not she was ready or willing. She took a step backwards, looking about quickly for a place to bolt to, to hide from him. Her probe activated suddenly; she controlled it with a great effort. Before anything else happened, three sets of shields snapped shut around Amaranth’s mind.

The noisy hubbub in her mind suddenly ceased. She was alone in silence, just as she’d been in the theatre back home on Earth. Doug gave her a reassuring look. The judge looked startled. He turned to Doug.

“You must allow us to probe her mind. It is required.”

“I cannot allow that. It is very dangerous.” Doug was calm and firm.

The judge was adamant. “I must insist. Do you wish Master Shan-ji and your former Apprentice to suffer for your stubbornness?”

Doug regarded him calmly.

“I have no wish to punish them. But it is very dangerous, and I must ask you to reconsider. There are other ways to do this.”

He motioned to Shan-ji and Jeb. Their shields lifted, and they each took a few steps back from her. Now only Doug’s shields remained.

“Are you asking this as her husband, or as a Knight?”

Doug shrugged. “I ask it as one who knows of the danger of probing her mind. It is to protect you that I request this. It is my duty as a Knight to protect others from danger, even when it is the result of their own folly, Your Honor.”

The judge was clearly irritated by this.

“I will have no more of your impertinence, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar. I demand that you cease this obstructive action at once!”

Doug remained steadfast. “I request that you reconsider, as a Crystal Matrix Knight. I have firsthand experience with this being, and I am telling you that it is extremely dangerous for you, a stranger, to probe her mind. I am formally warning you, as a Crystal Matrix Knight, that if you persist in this course of action I will have to disavow responsibility for any damage she may do to any being or any thing in this room. This disavowal serves to notify the court that they may not prosecute her or in any way hold her responsible for any such damage, as provided in the Knight’s Code.”

A low murmur spread through the courtroom. It was very seldom that a Knight ever invoked such a warning. It was never done without good cause. Coming from a very high-ranking Knight, such as Doug was, it carried even more sway.

The judge looked at her intently, noting her slight figure and gaunt, hollow features. She blushed and turned away.

“She seems quite frail and insignificant to me, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar. She doesn’t look as if she could even throw a rock. In fact, she looks as if one good puff of wind would blow her away. She hardly seems dangerous enough to warrant you invoking the Knight’s Warning. I demand you remove your shield.”

“No, Your Honor, I will not. She is dangerous, I swear to you, on my honor as a Knight.”

“Are you aware of the consequences of refusing to cooperate with this court?”

“Yes, I am, Your Honor. However, at the moment I’m far more concerned with the consequences of your refusal to heed my warning. I have no desire to attend any funerals on her account.” He kept his shield up around her.

“He’s bluffing,” Judge Mercer said coldly. “She’s just a tiny little slip of a girl. She can’t possibly be all that dangerous. He’s trying to hide something.”

“Mr. Mercer, you’ve known me all my life. You of all people should know that I do not bluff. Surely your experience with the Fabreetzi taught you that.”

Mercer flinched slightly.

“I still say you’re bluffing,” he said coldly.

The other judges nodded at last.

“Master Chang-Tsi-Yar, for the last time, I insist that you lower your shields.”

“Only if you agree not to attempt any kind of probe on her mind.”

The judge made a gesture of negation. Doug returned the gesture politely. The judge bristled visibly.

“Very well, then. If you will not remove the shield willingly, we shall do it forcibly,” the judge said angrily.

A glowing psychic bomb erupted from the Judge’s vicinity and flew toward Doug’s head. Instead of striking him, however, the brilliant electric pink spark slowed to a stop just before it reached him, burning to an ember before winking out.

The judge looked at him in amazement. The room grew silent. He threw another. It met the same fate as the first one. He hurled several more. They all met the same fate as the first. The air between them heated up with the dissipated energy; it began to glow a dull orange. She watched in fascinated horror as this continued. Doug showed no signs of tiring, and he still held the shield around her. There was a look of twisted anger on the Judge’s face. The courtroom was silent as a crypt at midnight.

The tension mounted with every missile the judge flung at Doug. People in the audience started nudging one another and whispering amongst themselves. She looked at Doug; he was calm and unruffled. It almost looked as if he was enjoying himself. The judge was purple-faced with impotent fury; he showed no signs of stopping his attacks. Finally Amaranth had had enough.

She faced the bench and shouted, ”NO! ENOUGH!”

Her voice, like a massive peal of rolling thunder, roared and echoed and re-echoed in the great hall. It reverberated throughout the structure until the very walls and ceiling resonated. A crackling sound, like thousands of small dry twigs being broken all at once, seemed to emanate from the structure. A small crack appeared in the ceiling above her, and a thin trickle of dust fell from it, landing at her feet. A spider-web pattern of tiny cracks formed in the ceiling above her head. Dust began to pour from the mortar joints between the stones of the walls. A number of the stones in the walls exploded noisily, sending shards flying through the room, striking a number of people in the audience, though no one was seriously injured. A large number of windows cracked and crazed. The floor rippled and heaved like a stormy sea before settling back into its normal pattern.

The battle stopped. Everyone froze in place. Utter silence descended upon the room. The Judge and Doug stared at her. For that matter, every eye in the room was on her.

“Enough! Stop it!” she shouted, though not as loudly as before.

The trickle of debris from the crack in the ceiling increased slightly. Several windows exploded at the rear of the courtroom. A few more of the stones in the wall exploded, but the audience had moved away from the walls, and the stone shards hurt no one. The cracks in the ceiling grew wider and deeper, and more dust poured down from the ceiling. The floor heaved again, though not as much. Amaranth strode over to Doug.

“If it is that important, let them do it. I am not to be made war over,” she said angrily. Her voice carried to every corner of the courtroom. A last spurt of dust fell from the ceiling and trickled from the joints between the stones. Doug was looking at her with a strange, almost worshipful light in his eyes. He knelt before her then, bowing low. He looked up at her.

“If thou art not the Queen of Heaven I believe thou dost truly deserve to be,” he said simply.

She seized him by the shoulder and pulled him sharply to his feet.

He stood looking into her eyes for a long moment.

“Are you sure?” he asked at last.

“Yes. But one, and only one.”

He looked to the Judges then.

“Will the Judges accept this condition?”

They looked at one another and nodded.

“Yes, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar.”

Doug breathed a sigh of relief. He lowered his shields then. The noise of the whole roomful of excited people returned suddenly, and it shook her mind. She gasped and almost fell. He was expecting it; he caught her easily and held her close in his arms until she stopped shaking and was steady again. There was a ripple of consternation in the audience; the judges looked at one another and at Doug questioningly.

“Master Chang-Tsi-Yar, is there a problem with your wife? Is she ill?” Judge Rankin queried after some moments.

“Well, Your Honor, to be perfectly truthful, yes, and no.”

The judge’s lips flattened into a tight thin line.

“This is a court, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar, not a riddle club. Would you care to explain yourself, or shall I simply cite you for contempt and remand you into custody? I seem to recall from the last time you were our guest that you have an especially intense relationship with Na’Chotlan jail food. I can assure you that it has not changed substantially since the last time you occupied a maximum security cell on Na’Chotle.”

“I can assure you I meant neither contempt nor offense, Your Honor. It’s just that the situation is complex, and a little difficult to explain.”

“Then you’d better start explaining yourself. The patience of the Court grows thin. It will take some time to arrange suitable accommodations for both you and your wife.” He glanced about the shattered room. “Seeing as it will have to be something she cannot destroy easily.”

“Begging the Court’s forgiveness, that won’t be necessary, Your Honors,” Jeb interposed.

The judge gave him a severe look.

“And why is that, Ja’Bora Jihan-jar?”

“Master Chang-Tsi-Yar made me her guardian when he surrendered to me prior to boarding the Ring Ship. If you take him into custody she becomes my ward for the duration.”

“Isn’t he a clever little--,” Mercer began in a nasty tone of voice.

Judge Rankin made a chopping motion with his hand and suddenly Mercer put his hand to his throat as if he were choking.

“Aven!” he barked sternly. “Don’t even think about it. Keep your personal opinions out of this. I’ll not have you using this courtroom for a slanging match. It’s too much of an embarrassment to the court, and beside you’re no match for either Master Shan-ji or Master Chang-Tsi-Yar when it comes to wits, based on prior experiences. Not to mention they outrank you by quite a bit.”

Mercer’s face turned very red. He looked at the floor then.

“Right,” Judge Rankin continued somewhat more calmly, “that takes cares of the lovely lady, then. Now, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar, you were saying?”

Doug had hidden his face in Amaranth’s hair; he was laughing and trying hard not to let it show. He got himself together at last and turned to face the judges once more.

“Well, Your Honors, Amaranth does suffer from a recurrent illness, though at the moment it happens to be in remission.”

A general reaction of alarm met this announcement. He looked around, noting peoples’ consternation.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t brought a plague among you,” he reassured them hastily. “She did have the Progerian Plague when we found her, but that’s been taken care of.”

This was met with another wave of consternation from the audience and the bench.

“She has a brain disorder. It’s not readily contagious, and it is easily curable, although not while she is pregnant. The treatment would be fatal to the twins.” There was a burst of surprise. She heard one person comment,

“Trust him to start out in a hurry. He never did do anything in a small way.” There was a titter of amusement at that.

“But what happened just now has nothing to do with that illness. Amaranth is open; she has next to no shields. The only time she doesn’t hear other people in her mind is when one of us puts up a shield for her. The result is a profound, peaceful silence. When the shields come down, as they eventually must, the effect on her is like an avalanche or tidal wave of sensation, until she gets used to it again.” He paused and looked around the courtroom. “Just being here with all of us, thinking and not shielding our thoughts, causes her great suffering.”

There was a long silence. Gradually the noise and turbulence in her mind began to lessen, until at last it was a soft hum. People were blocking their thoughts, she realized at last, responding to Doug’s unspoken plea. She looked at Doug gratefully.

“Thank you,” she said simply.

He was reminded of the first time she had said those words to him, when he and Jeb had butchered the turkey for her at Thanksgiving.

“You’re welcome,” came his thought whisper to her. He held her close for a moment. “Can you go on, m’dear?” he asked aloud. She nodded.

“Your Honors?” Doug looked toward the bench

The Judges conferred among themselves. Finally Judge Mercer came forward. Doug looked slightly displeased, but said nothing. He stepped back from her a few paces.

Mr. Mercer was an older man, gray haired and erect, stiffly formal as he bowed to Doug slightly. He turned to Amaranth and considered her for some time. He walked around her, studying her from every angle as if she were a commodity he intended purchasing.

“I feel like a slave on an auction block,” she thought to Doug.

He grimaced. “Try to bear it as best you can. And be careful; he can hear you once he’s in your mind.”

She nodded very slightly.

“She seems exceedingly young, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar.” The way he said it made Doug sound like a pedophile. “Other than that, I fail to see what you think is so remarkable about her. She’s just a skinny, scrawny, insignificant little slip of a girl. She seems barely more than a child.” He glanced around the room, noting the damage. He looked thoughtful. “Although I must say her actions are rather spectacular. Somewhat like the excessive actions of an irritated, spoiled child.”

Her hand balled into a fist, and she deliberately calmed herself. She faced him unflinchingly, her gaze calm and serene. He finished his tour of inspection at last and came to a stop directly in front of her.

“What is your name?”

She could feel his presence, at the edge of her mind, looking, but not probing yet.

“Amaranth, Sir.”

“Is that your given name? Your birth name?”

“No, Sir. It is what I choose to be called.”

“Does it have some meaning?”

“Yes.” She hesitated a moment. “It is the scientific name of a flower on Earth. Its common name is ‘Love Lies Bleeding’.”

The humming, inside her mind and outside, increased briefly. There was another trickle of debris from the ceiling above them. Most of it landed on the judge. He glared at Doug and stepped out of its path, brushing the worst of it off of his robes impatiently.

Doug looked at him impassively.

“I did warn you, Your Honor. It’s not her fault you didn’t listen.”

Shan-ji and Jeb both turned their faces away for a moment. Amaranth had the distinct impression they were laughing.

“What is your birth name?”

“Catherine Wyndham, Sir.” She felt somehow that he was toying with her. A game two can play at, she thought to herself.

“Where were you born?”

“In a hospital, Sir.”

He seemed somewhat annoyed.

“Where?”

“Omaha, Nebraska, Sir.”

Mr. Mercer looked decidedly irritated then.

“What planet is that on?” he ground out slowly, enunciating every word sharply.

“Where I come from we call it ‘Earth’.” There was some amused laughter from the audience. Mercer glowered at her.

“Hmm. How old are you?”

“Thirty-four years.” He looked at her sharply then.

“Really? You don’t appear to be much over sixteen,” he said suspiciously.

“I’m well-preserved, Sir.”

A waver of tittering rippled through the courtroom. She sensed she’d scored one. The judge looked annoyed.

“And what is the length of your year compared to a standard year?”

She looked at him blankly.

“I do not know,” she replied. She looked at Doug.

“Their years are a few days longer than a standard year, Mr. Mercer,” Doug said nonchalantly. “For the purpose of approximation you can assume them to be equal.”

“Hmm. Very well. How long have you known Master Chang-Tsi-Yar?”

“About six months. Half a year.”

“What was he doing when you first met him?”

“Sitting in a ditch with Jeb, Sir.”

Another wave of tittering. He gave her a very angry look.

“It’s the literal truth, Sir,” she added.

Doug nodded his agreement. There were a number of amused chortles. The judge fixed her with an angry glare.

“Do you have any idea of the penalty for lying to this court?”

She looked at Doug, gently probing for the answer. His mind readily supplied the information.

“I expect I’d be torn into tiny bits and scattered halfway across the galaxy, Your Honor.” She looked at him levelly.

“Something like that,” he said finally, giving a slight nod. “What sort of work was he engaged in? How did he make his living?”

“He repaired electronic equipment.”

“Hmm. You are married to him?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“Why did you marry him? This man you found sitting in a ditch, as you say?”

She looked warily at him. She sensed this was a test.

“Because when I am with him, my soul feels complete, and when we are apart I feel as if a part of me is missing. With him I have found joy and pleasure in life and its acts. I wish to go where he goes, live as he lives, eat what he eats, and sleep with my head next to his. And because I would rather die with him than live without him.”

A low murmur of approval came from the crowd. Mercer scowled.

“We may grant you that opportunity,” he said darkly. She still faced him calmly. “Do you know what a Knight is?”

“We have Knights and legends of Knights on Earth.” She projected a picture of men on horseback in armor. The whole courtroom must have gotten it. There was some laughter and a lot of giggling.

The Judge looked around, glowering angrily.

“Do you know what a Crystal Matrix Knight is?”

She shook her head. “No, Sir. I know that this is what Doug and Master Shan-ji and Jeb are. But I have no idea what that means.”

He was silent for a while. “Do you know what a Ring Ship is?”

“Yes. We traveled on one from Earth to Craacken.”

“Who is the ruler of the Ring Ships?”

“I do not know, Sir.”

He gave her a surprised look.

“Have you ever met the Ring Ship Emperor?”

“No, Your Honor, not to my knowledge.”

He gave her a look bordering on disbelief.

“Have you ever met the Chief Executive Officer of the Ring Ship Corporation?”

“No, Sir, not to my knowledge.”

Mercer gave Doug a hard look; he merely smiled.

“What do you know about the Queen of Heaven?” He was watching her intently.

“Nothing, Sir, except that is what Doug called me, and it startled Jeb somewhat.”

He stared at her for a long moment.

“I’ll bet it did,” he said dryly at last. “In fact I’ll bet it startled him a great deal.” He considered her for a long moment. “When you left Earth, did your husband tell you where you were going?”

“No, Sir. I didn’t even realize we were leaving Earth until after the shuttle took off.”

“Didn’t he ask you if you wanted to leave Earth?”

“No, Sir. I said I would follow him wherever he went. I meant it. I never questioned him about where we were going.”

He gave her a piercing look. She gazed right back at him. She could feel him winnowing her thoughts. It felt rough, like he’d dumped sand in her mind.

He looked at Doug then.

“She’s telling the truth,” he said, fixing Doug with his gaze. Doug looked back at him serenely. He turned back to her.

“Now I must look into your mind. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“Lower your shields.”

She looked at him silently but made no move to comply with his order.

“Did you hear me?” Mercer asked sharply.

She nodded her head, and looked pointedly at Doug. He was standing, not far away, his arms folded across his chest.

“Amaranth, lower your shields. Please.” She did so.

“Look at me,” Judge Mercer commanded. She flinched slightly when he placed his hand on her temple. Then she met his eyes and she felt his mind slide into hers. It felt rough, almost prickly. Her eyes began to water.

The Judge probed her mind here and there, touching upon recent events mainly. She could feel Doug there, too, quietly supporting her. She managed to control her probe. The effort was costing her dearly, though. Finally he began to withdraw. Suddenly she sensed him change his direction. He’d found the twins. She could see him reaching toward them, and suddenly she knew he meant to harm them. He turned in their direction, and suddenly, impossibly fast, with all the ferocity and speed of a tiger springing in defense of its young, her probe launched at him.

In a fraction of an instant she was inside his mind, bearing down incredibly fast on the central core of his mind, the center of his thoughts, to the very origin of his being. It drove her unerringly, instinctively, to the very center of his existence, a great, coiled knot at the center of the web of his mind. She reached out her mind and struck the knot a ringing blow, and then another.

“Amaranth, NO!” she heard Doug scream in horror. The Judge fell to the floor, unconscious. All was still. His probe disappeared. The twins were still safe. She drew back as if to strike again.

“No, Amaranth! Stop! Please!” Doug’s voice pleaded with her desperately.

She stopped, but still stood poised to strike again.

“He would have harmed the children,” she said slowly.

“I know. He hates my family, and me. He’s hated me all my life.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” His voice held bewilderment and pain. “But please don’t hurt him.” He paused significantly. “Don’t hurt him any more, Amaranth, please. You could damage him permanently, or kill him. You don’t want to do that. Come on out now. Come with me.”

She backed away from the knot at last, and Doug breathed a sigh of relief. Slowly she began to withdraw. She looked around. They had taught her a little about how the mind was structured, and she’d looked at Doug’s, very gently, but this was different. She’d never been this deep in someone’s mind before, and she was curious.

A vast, orderly web of interconnected pathways spread out in every direction. Almost every direction, that is. Her attention was drawn to a dark, tangled knot, and she stopped to look at it. It was as if a powerful, grasping hand had gathered in the fabric of his mind into a black, twisted, snarled bunch. It radiated pain and anger palpably. She drew closer.

“Amaranth? What are you doing?” Doug sounded fearful.

“Wait,” she said quietly. She made her way carefully over to the knot. She held out her hands to it, and they grew warm.

“Amaranth, no.”

She ignored him. Doug was beside himself with anxiety. He didn’t dare risk trying to use force on her, for fear of doing even more damage. He stood helplessly by, watching as she slowly reached out and touched the knot, gently soothing it and working on it, just as she had the filly and the Nifpanharr. Slowly, it began to loosen and untie. She continued until where it had been there was only some warping, and the fabric of his mind began to relax and take on a more normal appearance. At the center of the knot lay a small, shiny jewel-like object, embedded in the fiber of his mind.

“Amaranth, no, don’t! You don’t know what you’re doing. And neither do I!” Doug’s frightened voice pleaded with her.

She hesitated for a moment. Then she touched it, gently. A flash of light burst forth and engulfed her momentarily. A memory flowed into her, a young man, lonely, alienated, the Judge as a young man, she recognized, and a young woman, beautiful and gracious, befriending him; him mistaking her kind regard for love; her telling him she loved another, and his pain, layer upon layer, never overcome, souring his whole life. She saw how he had watched her, angrily, covetously, his heart churning with jealousy, as she married, had children. One of them was Doug, she realized. He had hated her children bitterly because they were not his. Then as she watched, the pent-up pain burst forth like a caustic fluid, overwhelming her before she could defend herself from its onslaught. It flowed away in a rushing deluge; she was borne away upon it toward the borders of his mind like a leaf on a flood. All the energy left in her was drained away in one fell swoop. In the end the pain slowly drained away and was gone. At last only the beauty and joy of the memory remained. She withdrew then, struggling weakly as she made her way back to her own mind. Doug was looking into her eyes.

“Amaranth?” He saw her come back to herself, saw how exhausted she was. She looked him straight in the eyes. Then her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed, unconscious. He caught her on her way down, and eased her gently to the floor.

The courtroom erupted in pandemonium. Jeb and Shan-ji stepped up, standing guard over her. Shan-ji knelt beside her and placed his hand gently on her forehead. He frowned momentarily as he glanced at Doug and shook his head slightly.

Doug hesitated a moment, then began giving orders.

“Quiet!” he shouted; his voice reverberated through the great hall, but it did not rock it to its foundations as she had done. The room shivered into silence. A little more dust trickled down from the ceiling, falling squarely upon Judge Mercer’s inanimate form.

“Serves him right,” Shan-ji muttered sharply. Doug looked at him in surprise. He’d been watching, at the farthest fringes of her mind; he’d seen enough to know what had happened. If Amaranth hadn’t stopped Mercer, he would have.

He pulled out the medical analyzer, and used it on the Judge first.

“Get a medical officer and get him to the hospital.” People sprang to do his bidding. He turned it on her next. His face paled as he read the results. He lifted her limp body in his arms then, and turned to face the two remaining judges.

“I request this hearing be continued until he has either recovered or been replaced.”

Before they made any answer, Doug turned and headed for the entrance, Shan-ji and Jeb before and behind him.

“So ordered,” the Judge said at once. The doors burst open as they approached, as did the outer doors to the building, and they returned with her to their quarters. She was trembling violently. He put her in bed and sat beside her, holding her until she ceased shaking.

A doctor came presently, and Doug allowed him to examine her. The doctor looked up at him at last.

“She’ll be all right,” he said. “She’s exhausted, physically and mentally. She needs to rest. I’ll talk to the court on your behalf. I don’t think she has any business being in a courtroom for at least a week. Whatever took place while she was in his mind has taxed her resources heavily.” He eyed Doug speculatively, noting how weary he looked.

“You look as if you don’t feel much better than she does. I don’t suppose you could tell me what happened?”

Doug told him everything he knew. The doctor’s eyes widened.

“Master Chang-Tsi-Yar, very few healers have ever done what your wife has done this morning, even with years of training. With a little training… ” He shook his head. “It boggles the mind, Master.”

“How is he, do you know?” Doug asked at last.

The doctor shrugged.

“A massive headache; the equivalent of a mild concussion. He’ll be fine in a few days. Your wife came off the worst, really. Mainly because she’s in a somewhat debilitated condition already, what with being pregnant and a bit undernourished.”

“You should have seen her when we got back from the mission the High Council sent us out on. She’d gone from a door to a windowpane and was headed for soap bubble. I was afraid of losing her. She’s gotten a whole lot better since then.”

The doctor looked thoughtful.

“She’s still not out of the woods, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar. But she did the Knighthood a great service, healing him. She could easily have killed him, and no one could have done anything to her. A mother protecting her young is immune from prosecution anyway.” He stood up to leave.

“We should let her rest. I’d just as soon leave her unconscious and let her mind mend itself. Give her something for pain for the next couple of days; she’s likely to need it. If she doesn’t come round by this evening, we may have to give her some stimulants, but I’d prefer not to do that, in her condition.” He gestured to her pregnant belly. Doug nodded. The doctor looked at him curiously.

“I heard a rumor that she healed a sick Nifpanharr on the Ring Ship.”

“It’s not a rumor, Doctor. It’s the truth. I was there. I saw her do it.”

The doctor looked down at her, new respect dawning in his eyes. He looked speculatively at Doug.

“I know. I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Doug said slowly. He sat on the bed beside her and began to pass his hands over her body, feeling out the knots and easing them away. She began to relax and rest more easily. The doctor watched with interest.

“Where did you learn that?”

“She taught it to me.” Doug began to show him what Amaranth had taught him and Cole. When the doctor left, he looked thoughtful.

Shan-ji and Jeb looked at Doug expectantly. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and stretched stiffly.

“He says she’ll be all right. Exhaustion, mostly.” He grimaced. “We worked her far too hard on Craacken, I’m afraid.” He looked at the two of them.

“What I’m wondering is how she learned that trick with her voice that she used in the courtroom? She shook the very walls themselves. I don’t think anyone else has ever done that before but me. Is there anything the three of us know that she doesn’t?”

They looked at one another. Finally Shan-ji spoke.

“I suggest that we all learn how to use the new type of shields that you learned from Shasta. If we don’t, all our secrets will soon be her knowledge base. It would not do for her to accidentally reveal what you found in Idaho, for example.”

Doug nodded at that. They set down to work. After he’d shown them the basics, he left them to practice and sat in a chair beside her bed, her hand in his. When Shan-ji looked in on them later, he’d fallen asleep. He closed the door silently.

When she awoke it was late afternoon. She stirred, and he looked over at her and smiled.

“Welcome back, dear heart.” She smiled weakly. “How do you feel?”

“I feel like I’ve been ridden hard and put away wet.”

He looked sympathetic.

“I’ll bet you do. Would you like some tea?”

She started to nod, and stopped, a pained look crossing her face.

“Yes, I would,” she said carefully.

“Headache?” She nodded. He brought her a cup of tea, liberally laced with sugar and milk. He’d also added some medicine to it. She tasted it and grimaced.

“What did you put in this?”

“Sugar, milk, and something for the pain. Drink it up, now. Unless you really enjoy the pain that much.”

“Uh-uh,” she said, and drank part of it. “Is he going to be all right?”

“Who?”

“The judge. Mr. Mercer.”

“Yes. Which is more than he deserves. Now drink that.” His hands moved slightly as he spoke.

She drank some more. He watched her closely. After a few moments she asked,

“What relation is he to you?”

“A former friend of my family. He knew my mother before she married my father. You’d better drink the rest of that,” he urged quietly, making a slight gesture. She drank a little more. In a little while, she said,

“He was in love with her.”

Doug looked surprised.

“I never knew that.” He was watching her eyes. “Amaranth, please drink all of that. Quickly.”

She looked down at the cup. It seemed to be floating a long way away. He helped her hold it to her lips, and she drained it finally. He set it aside, and held her close until her even breathing told him she was asleep, her head against his shoulder, his hand gently stroking through her bright hair.

“Oh, Amaranth, darling,” he whispered. “Someday I hope I can forgive myself for what I’ve put you through. I hate what this is doing to you, and I can’t bring myself to face the thought of living without you.” He kissed her then, lowered her to the bed, and drew the covers over her gently. Then he went out to check on the progress the other two were making with the shields.

Later in the evening she woke, and he brought her some soup.

“How’s the headache?”

“Better, but not well,” she admitted.

He brought her another cup of tea, not so much tea as previously, but laced with milk, sugar, and medicine as before. He made her drink it fairly quickly. He watched her eyes.

“How do you feel?” he asked her, when he judged that it should have taken effect.

“Much better, thanks.” She smiled then. “Don’t worry, Doug. I’ll be all right. I mean to see you pale with joy, with our children in your arms.”

Her voice trailed off. She was holding his hand, and her grasp gradually loosened while she spoke. He bent and kissed her on the forehead.

“You will, sweet Amaranth. You will, I promise you.” He tucked the covers around her gently.

“Sleep well, m’dear,” he whispered softly in her ear. Then he was gone.

He worked with Shan-ji and Jeb well into the night, teaching them how to produce the new shields. Finally he went to bed himself. He’d slept only a few hours when he woke to hear her whimpering with pain. He made her take some more medicine, and held her close until it took effect.

When she’d finally drifted off to sleep again, he lay beside her, his arms protectively encircling her. What would she do, he wondered, when she found out who he really was? The time was certainly coming on apace. Would she reject him then because he’d deceived her? The uncertainty rattled around in his mind like seeds in a gourd. Finally he succeeded in putting the thought from his mind and slept.

Her head still ached in the morning, though not as badly. He got another cup of tea and dosed it for her. He felt a sense of deja-vu as he thought of Cole on the mountainside. It seemed lately that he was taking care of a lot of people with head injuries. He hoped the trend would not continue. He made her drink the tea, and lay down beside her. She fell asleep peacefully in the circle of his arms.

“Oh, sweet, darling Amaranth. What will you think of me, I wonder, when I have no more secrets to keep from you? What will you think when you meet the ruler of the Ring Ships?” he whispered softly. Then he too slept.

The Queen of Heaven

Chapter

It was two days before she awoke without a headache. Jeb and Shan-ji were out running errands. Doug was at the table, going through a stack of papers when she came out of the bedroom. He looked up and smiled broadly at her.

“So, the dead do return to life,” he chuckled. “Welcome back, m’dear. How do you feel?” He saw her to a seat.

“Better. Much better.”

He brought her a glass of milk, which she sipped gratefully.

“Thank you,” she said. “What are you doing?”

“Paperwork.” He sighed. “A number of years ago, several partners and I acquired a business. I ended up with the major responsibilities of managing it, so now I have all the headaches of running it. I have some excellent managers that run it for the most part, but there are some things that I alone must attend to.” He sighed.

“No matter where I run, the paperwork keeps catching up with me. And it got backed up while we were gone to Earth.”

“What kind of business is it?” she asked.

He hesitated a moment.

“Import-export, retail sales, that sort of thing.” It was the closest he could come to describing the Mirhazh trade without getting into the specifics and having to explain what Mirhazh was, and what a Fabreetzan looked like. Even under the best of circumstances it was hard to describe the Fabreetzi. They were best seen to be believed.

“What do you sell?” she asked.

He considered for a moment. How could he describe a stimulant so invigorating it was reputed to be able to practically raise the dead, and yet could be tolerated by nearly every race in the universe? He sighed.

“Nutritional supplements.”

She thought for a moment.

“Like vitamins?” she queried.

“Something like that, yes.”

She looked at him then, and probed delicately. It had the ring of truth, but she knew he was concealing something. She watched him as he looked at a few more papers, making notes here and there. He seemed tired, and tense.

“Let’s go out to eat,” she said suddenly.

He looked at her questioningly.

“Don’t they have restaurants on Na’Chotle?”

“Yes, of course. I just didn’t think you’d want to go out there....”

She looked at him.

“I’ve noticed we’re shielded in here,” she said calmly. “I’ve noticed it everywhere we’ve been. But I’d like to go out to eat. With my favorite Knight in shining armor.”

He put the papers away. Bowing deeply to her, he said,

“Your wish is my command, My Lady. What sort of restaurant did you have in mind?”

“Something small and not too busy. I’ve a notion to try Malledoran food, if you don’t mind.” He looked at her in surprise.

“I think I know just the place,” he said lightly.

It was small, clean, and not very busy. Everyone seemed to know Doug; evidently he was a regular customer. They were seated in a quiet corner, and the waiter handed her a menpu. She looked at Doug questioningly.

It dawned on him then. They’d taught her to speak their language, but not to read it.

“I’d better not teach you to read right here and now,” he said softly, looking around. He translated.

“It’s delicious,” she said simply. He was watching her eat. “Why are you so worried?”

“I was afraid you wouldn’t like it.”

“Why?”

“Jeb hated Earth food, for the most part, except for what you fixed. The poor boy absolutely detested hamburgers and hot-dogs. French fries made him gag.” He sighed. “I was beginning to worry that he might starve to death by the time we finished our job. Except for that, he was an almost perfect Apprentice.” He smiled then, and she knew he was exaggerating somewhat. He looked at her and saw the question she was forming. He shook his head.

“Don’t ask,” he said quietly. “I can’t tell you now.”

When they left the restaurant, Amaranth looked at him. He still seemed a bit tense. When he turned toward their quarters, she took his hand.

“Let’s look around a bit?” He hesitated. “Please? That paperwork isn’t going to turn into a tiger before we get back, is it?”

He smiled then. “You’re right.”

He led her through the city then, showing her the sights. Watching her, he felt a new appreciation for the majestic glory of the home city of the Knighthood. It was, in truth, a very beautiful place. Broad tree-lined avenues led past the majestic ornate structures that housed the great bureaucracy that created, supported, regulated and maintained the Crystal Matrix Knighthood.

The buildings were constructed in the shapes of various naturally occurring crystals and man-made gem cuts, and faced with sheets of colored material impervious to storm and stone. From the vantage point of some of the tallest buildings, it was like looking down onto a field strewn with crystals and precious gems. He took her up to an observation deck on the top of one very tall hexagonal building and let her look until she had had her fill.

“Oh, Doug! This is fantastic! I never dreamed of anything so beautiful.”

The wind riffled her hair, and the sunlight sparkled though it; her eyes were bright and her cheeks slightly flushed. He felt his breath catch in his chest as he stood watching her. When he finally could breathe again, he took her hand in his.

“I know of something even more beautiful,” he said. “My sweet, precious, darling young wife.”

He bent slowly and kissed her, gathering her close in his arms. Her lips parted invitingly beneath his seeking tongue as she willingly surrendered to him. Her hands slid beneath his jacket, gently caressing tender places. He moaned with desire, crushing her to him as he plundered her riches. She whimpered with ecstasy as he found secret places and teased a response from her willing body.

“Oh, sweet Amaranth,” he whispered, his breath warm on the back of her neck, his cheek against her earlobe, “you are like a drug I can’t get enough of.” He sighed with frustration and wished, not for the first time, that their trials were over. At last they separated, to look out over the city for a while longer. Then they returned to the street and continued on their way.

Further on, they came to the business district. A shop window caught her eye, and she drew closer to look. It held a display of tiny metal figures, exquisitely detailed. One of them was a travel-worn man, in a battered hat and tattered-looking cape, one hand holding down the brim of his hat against the wind, the other clutching a large, heavy staff. For some reason it made her think of Doug. He saw what had caught her eye, and he looked thoughtful.

“He’s a battered old fellow, isn’t he?” he remarked softly.

She nodded. “I like him. He reminds me of someone,” she said. She turned to move on at last. To her surprise, he took her by the arm.

“Come,” he said, and led her into the shop. The shopkeeper seemed to know him.

“Master Chang-Tsi-Yar! It’s good to see you again! Business or pleasure?”

“A little bit of both.” She did not see the warning glance Doug directed at the shopkeeper.

He glanced at her, then looked at her intently.

“Who is this angel?” he said enviously. Doug smiled.

“Chancey, this is my wife, Amaranth. Amaranth, meet Chancey Hammer, an old friend of mine.”

She shook his hand. Chancey looked at her admiringly. She faced his scrutiny calmly.

“So she’s the Queen of Heaven,” he said at last.

“The one and only,” Doug grinned.

“I hear Mercer is still in the hospital,” Chancey remarked. He did not sound regretful.

“Mercer? The Judge?” she asked, looking at Doug. He nodded.

“You know, Master, there’s some that think maybe you shouldn’t have stopped her.”

Doug paled. “I didn’t want that on her conscience,” he said quickly.

“No, you’re right. I’m sorry.” There was an awkward silence. “What brought you in here, anyway?”

Doug indicated the figure in the window, and Chancey brought it to her. Up close, it looked even more uncannily like Doug.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed softly. She held it for a long moment, admiring it. Then she handed it back to Chancey.

He looked at Doug; something passed between them. Then Chancey wrapped it in some tissue paper and handed it back to her.

“It’s yours,” Doug said quietly. “To remember Na’Chotle by.” He paid Chancey, and they thanked him and left the shop.

She asked, “Which way goes back to our quarters?”

He pointed in one direction.

“Let’s go this way, then.” She tugged his arm oppositely.

He resisted for a moment, then smiled. They went in the direction she chose.

“I wonder where they went,” Jeb mused. He felt the teapot; it was stone cold. “They’ve been gone a while.” He and Shan-ji sat down to work on the shields together while they waited for Doug and Amaranth to return.

They found a park, on the banks of a trickling stream that twisted and babbled along until it widened into a pond. They walked along the grassy bank, and he pointed out the little schools of shimmering fish below, and the flocks of butterflies, some as large as a small bird. A few large, very pink birds swam out on the water.

“Duzma,” he told her. “Somewhat like swans.”

“They’re the first swans I’ve ever seen with fuchsia colored feathers.”

“Life is full of surprises,” he said equably, looking at her.

The birds swam over to them. They climbed out of the water and came toward them. One seemed to lag behind the others.

“Look, Doug,” she pointed to the laggard bird. “He’s lame.”

Doug studied the animal. It was a male, and a little smaller than the others. It was limping, keeping its distance from them. She began to coax it gently, calling softly to it. Finally it came close enough to them that his arm moved with a blur of speed and he seized it suddenly, alarming her.

“Don’t hurt him!”

He skillfully avoided its flailing wings and snapping beak.

“Not to worry,” Doug said, and with a touch rendered it unconscious.

She looked at the bird’s leg. A predator had apparently bitten him in the leg, and the bird’s leg, in the process of escaping, had been torn somewhat. She passed her hand over the leg.

“It’s not broken. But it’s infected.”

Doug looked also.

“It looks pretty bad. Perhaps I’d better put him out of his misery,” he said at last. He reached for the long, plain-handled dagger that he always wore at his belt and began to draw it. She looked at him sharply.

“No!” she said swiftly, staying his hand. “He’s still alive. He still has a chance.” Her eyes pleaded with him silently. Behind their plea he sensed something else, a powerful force ready to contest with him if necessary, to save the bird’s life. He was in the balance between it and her love for him. He suspected this might have been what made Jeb back down from her on the Ring Ship when they’d disagreed about the Nifpanharr. He spared a moment of thought to pity Jeb for that.

“All right,” he said after a moment, and lowered his hand, sliding the dagger noiselessly back into its sheath. She sat down beside the unconscious bird and worked over him for some time.

“That’s the best I can do for now,” she said finally. She stood back, and he woke the bird. It looked dazed for a few minutes before it got to its feet. When it walked back to the water, it was still limping, but not nearly as much as before. It swam off slowly as she watched, tired but triumphant.

“Come,” he said, and led her to the shade of a nearby tree.

“I’m tired.” It was a blatant lie, but she was too tired to notice. He sat down in the shade and leaned against the trunk. He beckoned to her.

“Sit with me a while?” She joined him, and he put his arm around her. He smiled when she fell asleep, her hand in his and her head on his shoulder. Soon he too dozed off.

The occasional passersby gave them a knowing look; they were just another couple enjoying the day in the sunlight. Had the passersby known who he was they might have attracted a great deal of attention, but as it was they enjoyed the peace of anonymity.

He woke her at last, and they returned to their quarters, stopping to buy some rolls from a bakery and to look in shop windows leisurely along the way.

Shan-ji was there when they returned. He looked at them both and smiled.

“Welcome back,” he greeted them.

Jeb returned shortly. Doug was doing paperwork, and she was playing a board game with Shan-ji. She was behind. Jeb looked at them for a moment.

“Amaranth, why are you letting him cheat like that?”

She looked at him, not understanding.

“He’s cheating,” Jeb said.

“How?”

“Like this,” and he set the dice rolling without touching them. “The object of having dice in a game is so you can learn to fine tune that ability.” He gave Shan-ji a reproachful look. “Not to take advantage of people from other cultures.”

“I thought she knew,” Shan-ji said abashedly. Jeb snorted and gave him a look that said, ‘yeah, I bet’.

“Well, she does now.” He looked at Amaranth. “Try practicing with one die at first,” he advised her. She’d started to catch on by the end of the game. A die slid over to her hand.

“Go practice, little one,” Shan-ji said. She took the cube and went into the bedroom.

“What else have we forgotten to teach her in our haste?” he asked, looking at Doug and Jeb.

“The food service,” Doug groaned, “and how to read the language, for starters.”

Jeb began to chuckle. “Fine bunch of teachers we are.” They sat down together to figure out how they were going to fill in the gaps they’d left in Amaranth’s education.

The next morning during breakfast there was a knock on their door. Doug answered it, and returned with an official-looking envelope. He looked at it curiously; it bore the crest of the Malledoran government and was addressed to him. He opened it, and read the enclosed sheet of paper, twice. Silently he handed it to Shan-ji. Jeb read over his shoulder and gave a low whistle.

“Interesting,” Shan-ji said. “I wonder who made the petition?”

Doug looked piercingly at them both.

“It wasn’t one of you?” he asked sharply.

They both shook their heads. She looked at them all.

“What is it?” she asked then.

Doug looked at her. “I guess I can tell you that much. Once we have finished with the court here, we will have to go to Malledore, and face more charges there. This letter informs me that there has been a petition made to ask the Malledoran court to forego prosecution, and to instead allow the High Council’s decision to be final in this matter.” She studied his face.

“Somehow you don’t seem too pleased.”

“I’m not,” he said simply. He raked his hand through his graying brown hair.

“Why?”

“Because with the charges they are pressing now, we could both be incarcerated for the rest of our natural lives.”

“Mercer?” Jeb questioned.

Doug shook his head.

“I don’t think so. He’d be risking his judicial position to interfere like this. Besides, he can do far more damage as a judge.”

“What are the chances of the petition being granted?” she asked then.

“Excellent, actually,” he replied.

“Why is that?”

“Because I-...” He stopped himself sharply. “I can’t answer that right now. I’m sorry,” he said, seeing the hurt puzzlement in her eyes. “Please, trust me.”

She looked at him then.

“I have so far. I know of no reason to stop trusting you now,” she said softly.

Doug looked pained, but did not speak.

“You may have no choice but to risk it all,” Shan-ji said quietly.

They all looked at him questioningly.

“Chitsu Na’Aham Na-Loong.”

Jeb drew in his breath sharply. Doug became very pale.

“I know. But it may be the only way you can be together reasonably soon. And I don’t think Amaranth would enjoy being caged for any length of time.” He looked at her then.

“You are a unique woman, Amaranth. If I did not have the highest confidence that you would pass whatever test they would set you, I would not suggest this path. It is not without grave danger to you both. But you have great courage and strength, and I feel you will be able to succeed.”

“What does ‘Chitsu Na’Aham Na-Loong’ mean?”

“It means ‘The Trial of Mortal Peril’,” he told her gently.

She looked at him, a flicker of fear showing in her eyes. The look he gave her then was one of exceeding tenderness.

“Amaranth, I have come to know you, and I love you like a daughter. I would never send you into peril if I thought there was the chance you would come to any harm. You will need all your courage, and wisdom, and strength, but I do not see any other way for the two of you. And you have three others to consider too. Children need both their parents, at any age.”

There was a profound silence. Amaranth looked at Doug for a long time. Then she looked at Shan-ji.

“What will I have to do?”

“No one can say. They will take something from your mind, if tradition holds, and you will have to overcome it. It will be something that it is possible for you to overcome, but they will make it as difficult as possible.”

“What happens if I fail?”

He looked indescribably sad. “Then you will both die. All of you,” he corrected himself, looking down at the life she carried within.

She looked down, struggling to master her feelings. When she looked up again, she looked at Doug.

“Then I had better not fail,” she said simply.

He took her hand then, raised it to his lips, and knelt down before her.

“You humble me,” he said simply.

She looked at Shan-ji and Jeb; they too were kneeling. Doug looked up at her then.

“For she is warm and wondrous kind, with face so fair, so strong of mind; gentler than the breath of air, milder than the trembling hare; braver than a lion’s heart; well knowing of the healer’s art. More radiant than the glowing stars, her touch erases pain and scars. Her heart and hands to Life are given; blessed and rare is the Queen of Heaven.”

“N-no, p-please,” she stuttered.

At last they rose. Shan-ji spoke then.

“No Knight ever showed more courage or grace, Amaranth. If you are not the Queen of Heaven, you deserve to be.”

She looked at them each in turn, finally fixing her gaze on Doug.

“What do I have to learn? Let’s get on with it,” she said resolutely.

“For starters, let me show you how to run the food service,” Doug said.

Three days later they received word that court would reconvene the next morning. They set out as before, Doug and Amaranth followed by Jeb and Shan-ji. At the ornate portals to the great Hall, Amaranth paused to read the inscription.

“A Knight is sworn to uphold the weak, defend the innocent, protect the foolish and balance the strong. A Knight shows valour in conflict, courage in danger, unswerving loyalty, and mercy and compassion to all. A Knight is the custodian of Liberty, Justice and Peace. A Knight behaves with Honor, Truth, Grace and Courtesy at all times. Thus does a Knight bring light and order to the fabric of the Universe.” She looked at the three men accompanying her.

“It fits,” she said calmly.

Doug opened the doors as before and they entered in.

They walked to the courtroom, then. Doug turned to her.

“You look like a cool, elegant lily amongst all us gaudy roses,” he said, and kissed her. “Do the same as before,” he bid her.

Then she was following him down the ramp to the courtroom floor. Doug, Jeb and Shan-ji bowed before the judges. She stood and looked at the Judges. Nothing was said. The center Judge beat the gavel and declared court in session.

“Before we resume these proceedings, I wish to announce that Judge Mercer has recused himself. Judge Campbell is taking his place.”

She noticed a red-haired, freckled younger man who hadn’t been there before. He had a good-natured, pleasant look about him. His friendly manner and cheerful expression were an acute contrast to Judge Mercer’s angry menace. Doug looked at him carefully. Suddenly he spoke.

“You are a Lysaran, aren’t you, Judge Campbell?”

The judge smiled, and held up one hand. Amaranth saw that his hand was very long and narrow, and he had a thumb on each side of his hand.

“Yes, Dou-Gai-Han Chang-Tsi-Yar, I am from Lysara.” He grinned. “I believe you know some of my relatives. Leighton and his father Allman asked me to tender you their regards. They told me to ask you if that pleased you or frightened you.”

Doug chuckled. Leighton Fendahl and his father Allman were both extremely talented Lysaran Mind Melders. Doug had encountered both of them very early in his career as a Crystal Matrix Knight, and to say that he came away from the experience a changed man was putting it mildly.

“Please tell them I am very honored to be remembered by such great men,” Doug said humbly. “Are you as wise a man as they are?”

Judge Campbell looked at him thoughtfully for some time.

“I try to be, Dou-Gai-Han. Why do you ask?”

“On my honor as a Knight, I warn you, do not try to probe my wife’s mind without me along. She nearly killed Judge Mercer. I should hate to be responsible for sending your essence home without you. And she has a strong minor in impromptu architecture.” He glanced at the ceiling, where scaffolding had been erected to effect repairs.

“I understand. I met with Mr. Mercer yesterday, when I agreed to take on this case. You might say he’s somewhat of a changed man of late. You will never guess what he told me when I inquired after the cause.”

Doug grimaced. “I can’t imagine anything changing him. Even Leighton Fendahl said he was hopeless.”

The judge shook his head.

“Leighton did not say Mr. Mercer was hopeless, Dou-Gai-Han. He said it would likely take the Queen of Heaven to help Aven Mercer.”

Doug felt a cold chill slither down his spine. He looked over at Amaranth, who was observing Judge Campbell with sincere interest.

“Do you wish to know what Mr. Mercer said?”

Doug nodded slowly.

“He said he had been touched by the Queen of Heaven, and that he had been changed thereby.” There was silence in the courtroom. “I told him I would have to see for myself.”

Doug looked at him steadily.

“Oh, you will see, Your Honor. You will see plenty.”

“Master Chang-Tsi-Yar, will you accept the substitution?” the center judge asked.

Doug nodded. The judges looked relieved.

“And now, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar, we have some questions to ask of you.”

After a brief conference, Judge Campbell came down to the floor of the courtroom. He looked at Amaranth for a long time. She met his gaze calmly. Then he addressed Doug.

“What is your name?”

“Doug Chandler.”

The judge gave him an admonishing look.

“Do not play games with this court, Master Chang-Tsi-Yar. Can you prove that?”

“Yes, I can.” He handed him two pieces of mail he’d received on Earth, his driver’s license, and their marriage certificate. The Judge examined them and returned them to him.

“Is there another name you are known by in the rest of the Universe?”

“Yes, Sir. I am known as Dou-Gai-Han Chang-Tsi-Yar.”

“I understand you have requested the Right of Secret-keeping with regard to your titles and positions?”

“That is correct.”

“Very well, then, Dou-Gai-Han Chang-Tsi-Yar, I will refrain from asking you about them. What is your age?”

“I am one hundred thirty seven years old, your Honor.”

She gasped.

Doug smiled at her, a twinkle in his eye.

“I told you I was an old man,” he chuckled.

Judge Campbell looked around at her. “This comes as a surprise to your wife, does it?”

Doug shrugged. “Things are somewhat different on her world. Conditions there are much more, er, barbaric. The Progerian Plague is very widespread there.”

This news was met with consternation by the judges and the audience. The Progerian plague caused premature aging in nearly all species; it was dreaded by all races.

“You’ve brought the Plague among us?” Judge Campbell looked askance at Doug.

“No. She and her son were carriers, though they were unaffected by it. We treated them on the Ring Ship when we brought them from Earth.”

“Oh. I see. You’re something of an expert on her world, aren’t you?”

“I know a bit about it.”

“You’ve been there several times, have you not?”

“I suppose, yes.”

“In fact, Master Dou-Gai-Han Chang-Tsi-Yar, you hold the record for the most trips to that world of any of us, do you not?”

Doug shrugged again. “I hadn’t thought about it. It’s possible.”

“It’s a fact.”

“As you like.” Doug shrugged unconcernedly.

“What was the purpose of those trips, Master Dou-Gai-Han?”

Doug looked over at Amaranth for a long moment.

“On all but one of them I was there at the request of the High Council to retrieve one or more individuals who had fled there to avoid being prosecuted by the High Council for criminal activities.”

“Who were these individuals?”

“Knights who had fallen over to the dark side.”

“Why would a fallen Knight choose to go to Earth?”

Doug considered for a moment before he answered.

“It is far from most shipping and patrolled areas of space. It is inhabited by an undeveloped species that has little or no actual reliably reported contact with alien species. As such it is beyond the reach of the Fabreetzi completely. It has no central organized world government, merely a large collection of province-like states that often war with one another. They have little or no means of cooperating with one another to enforce minimal legal standards or coordinate the capture and detainment of criminals.”

“Why did they send you, specifically?”

“They couldn’t send the Fabreetzi. I guess they thought I was the next best thing.”

“Why is that, Dou-Gai-Han?”

Doug shrugged.

“I suppose they wanted to punish me for starting the Fabreetzan war and ending up in the import-export business.”

“The what business?”

“The Mirhazh Trade.”

“Oh, I see. You don’t suppose it might have anything to do with your experiences with Lord Fendahl and his son, do you?”

“It might. That did rather give me a unique advantage over the Knights I was sent after.”

“Unique advantage. That’s one way of putting it. What was the outcome of those trips?”

“I always came back with what I was sent after. Usually intact; nearly always still alive.”

“What were you doing there this last time?”

“I was on an errand for this court.”

“What was the purpose of your mission?”

“I was to find a certain object and destroy it, and bring back anything of value that I found on Earth.”

“Did you find this object?”

“Yes.”

“Destroy it?”

“Yes.”

“Did you find anything of value?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“The Queen of Heaven.”

A low murmur rustled through the room. Judge Campbell smiled.

“I take it that by the Queen of Heaven you are referring to your wife, Amaranth?”

Doug nodded.

“Did you find anything else of value?”

“Seven stones, some jewelry, a black box and a set of shackles.”

“Where are they now?”

“My wife is here in this room. The rest I gave to her for safekeeping upon our arrival.” The package, she realized in a moment.

“Of those items, which do you consider to be the most valuable?”

“My wife, of course.”

An approving murmur passed through the courtroom.

“Did you not find four clear blue-green stones that when properly arranged form the central core of a metahyperuranium power reactor?”

“I did.”

“Those four stones can provide power for an entire small planet when properly utilized. Are they not extremely valuable?”

“They are. But in comparison to Amaranth their worth is utterly trivial, in my opinion.”

There was a murmur of surprise in the courtroom.

“I see. Why is that?”

“She is warm hearted and wondrously kind and giving. She is fair of face and strong-minded. She is the mildest person I know, yet she is also the bravest person by far that I have ever known. She is skilled in the healing arts. She brightens the world by her presence. She takes away pain, and cures long-held emotional scars, with her touch. She will not let any living thing be harmed, even a Duzma, if she can help it. She is utterly unique in my experience.”

“Are you saying that she is very special being?”

“No,” Doug said firmly. There was a ripple of confusion from the audience that mirrored the look on the judge’s face. “I am saying she is the Queen of Heaven.”