Part 13 (2/2)

”I'll attend to the costume,” said the Lady Fani vengefully. ”You cut his throat while I'm getting dressed.”

She nodded at the unconscious Lord Ghek on the pavement. She disappeared through a door nearby. Hoddan could guess that Ghek would have prepared something elaborate in the way of a trousseau for the bride he was to carry screaming from her home. Somehow it was the sort of thing a Darthian would do. Now Fani would enjoyably attire herself in the best of it while--

”Thal,” said Hoddan, ”help me get this character into a closet somewhere. He's not to be killed. I don't like him, but at this moment I don't like anybody very much, and I won't play favorites.”

Thal dragged the insensible young n.o.bleman into the next room. Hoddan locked the door and pocketed the key as Fani came into view again. She was splendidly attired, now, in brocade and jewels. Ghek had evidently hoped to placate her after marriage by things of that sort and had spent lavishly for them.

Now, throughout the castle there were many and diverse noises.

Sometimes--not often--there was still the crackling hum of a stun-pistol. There were many more exuberant shoutings. They apparently had to do with loot. There were some squealings in female voices, but many more gigglings.

”I need not say,” said the Lady Fani with dignity, ”that I thank you very much. But I do say so.”

”You're quite welcome,” said Hoddan politely.

”And what are you going to do now?”

”I imagine,” said Hoddan, ”that we'll go down into the courtyard where our horses are. I gave my men half an hour to loot in. During that half hour I shall sit down on something which will, I hope, remain perfectly still. And I may,” he added morbidly, ”eat an apple. I've had nothing to eat since I landed on Darth. People don't want to commit themselves to not cutting my throat. But after half an hour we'll leave.”

The Lady Fani looked sympathetic.

”But the castle's surrendered to you,” she protested. ”You hold it!

Aren't you going to try to keep it?”

”There are a good many unpleasant characters out yonder,” said Hoddan, waving his hand at the great outdoors, ”who've reason to dislike me very much. They'll be anxious to express their emotions, when they feel up to it. I want to dodge them. And presently the people in this castle will realize that even stun-pistols can't keep on shooting indefinitely here.

I don't want to be around when it occurs to them.”

He offered his arm with a reasonably grand air and went limping with her down to the courtyard just inside the gate. Two of Don Loris' retainers staggered into view as they arrived, piling up plunder which ranged from a quarter keg of wine to a ma.s.s of frothy stuff which must be female garments. They went away and other men arrived loaded down with their own acc.u.mulations of loot. Some of the local inhabitants looked on with uneasy indignation.

Hoddan found a bench and sat down. He conspicuously displayed one of the weapons which had captured the castle. Ghek's defeated retainers looked at him darkly.

”Bring me something to eat,” commanded Hoddan. ”Then if you bring fresh horses for my men, and one extra for each to carry his plunder on, I'll take them away. I'll even throw in the Lord Ghek, who is now unharmed but with his life in the balance. Otherwise--”

He moved the pistol suggestively. The normal inhabitants of Ghek's castle moved away, discussing the situation in subdued voices.

The Lady Fani sat down proudly on the bench beside him.

”You are wonderful!” she said with conviction.

”I used to cherish that illusion myself,” said Hoddan.

”But n.o.body before in all Darthian history has ever fought twenty men, and then thirty men, and destroyed an ambush, and captured a castle, all in one day!”

”And without a meal,” said Hoddan darkly, ”and with a lot of blisters!”

He considered. Somebody came running with bread and cheese and wine. He bit into the bread and cheese. After a moment he said, his mouth full:

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