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great- est fighting woman who has ever lived in any era Man has existed! Near by at her side Jon
Richards, her husband and Prince-Consort.
"You Knew! She Told You!" I snapped back, well aware of the relationship between Aurora and this
amazing woman from the past! For an instant I felt an insane "fury" that she too knew of this! "AND I
THOUGHT YOU WERE MY `FRIEND'!" I screamed, half drawing my sword, my azure eyes hot with
frustrated fury that she too KNEW!!
"Drawing on me won't accomplish anything," Lorraine spoke in level tones, motioning back those
with her, their hands on their own weapons. Among them the noticeably pregnant Lady Sanda Ta- len,
Prime Minister of Trelandar, Lorraine's "second in command". The very same woman who had led a
successful REVOLUTION against me only some months before! The woman who had "used" Lorraine
to take Trelandar away from me! Another damn bitch like my mother!
"Sharon doesn't `know', does she?" I breathed softly as the Queen of Trelandar closed the door
behind herself a moment later. The black of her flowing silken dress leaving no doubts that she was truly
"of" the Warrioresses. Sharon is Lorraine's stepdaugh- ter, my own foster daughter, my Imperial
Princess, my "heir" to the throne of Imperial California should anything happen to me. I saw those dark
eyes meet mine, knew that Lorraine "understood" as no other could have "understood" just then the
"PAIN" I suf- fered! Knowing that I was the bastard "brat" of some MARTIAN!!!
"I wouldn't advise keeping it a `secret' from her," Lorraine advised, her midnight hair like a rich
black mane falling to her shoulders. "The `trust' that she now has in you is something very important to
her." I nodded, understanding, accepting the drink that the Queen of Trelandar now poured for me. I
supposed it wouldn't matter to Sharon if I was "ILLEGITIMATE" or not. It might, however, to a number
of others, especially my own enemies! This was certainly the sort of thing the newspapers would enjoy!
Darlanis Marden, Empress of California, the illegitimate daughter of a Woman of Mars. What a field
day they'd have with all that!!
"I suppose Aurora told you all the `lurid' details," I said, sipping at the drink she'd given me, strolling
over to the win- dow, looking out at the city, the harbor there in the distance. Trella is built somewhat to
the south of the ruins of Los Angeles which form its northern borders. The ruins are said to be inhab-
ited by that which is "mu", not "hu" like most life. Lorraine once saw such a creature, a horned, scaly
creature like a cross between a man and reptile. It is the general policy to kill such things whenever they
are found lurking near human habitation. It being commonly believed among the Peasants that they steal
and eat human babies when they can find one untended by its mother. The same belief with some
justification is held by the Nevadas who live on the other side of the Sierras from California, I add. I
tend after my own "experiences" with such creatures to believe that it may be true. Those who captured
me certainly had every intention of gutting me out and roasting me over a fire for food!
"I `suspected' such ever since she seemed so concerned about you there aboard the Ronda when we
rescued you from the pirates," Lorraine answered, joining me there at the window, the silver links of her
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