Renegade of Callisto
- Автор: Картер Лин Спрэг
- Серия: Callisto #8
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Renegade of Callisto». Краткое содержание книги:
Far from his adopted home, the Golden City of Shondakor, Koja, self-exiled insectoid of the Yathoon Horde, has blundered into the savage land he had renounced, accompanied only by little Taran, ward of Prince Jandar. Lost in the treacherous scarlet plains, the two are hurled to separate, unnamable fates —Taran forsaken in shackles, along with the lovely Princess Xara, while the renegade Koja is locked on a perilous course of vengeance for the evils done to his clan. All destinies collide at the Great Yathoon Games in the hidden valley of Sargol — the impenetrable citadel girdled by a seething mote of flames.
In the spine-tingling tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Lin Carter again transports us to a strange and sublime landscape pulsating with the flash of swords, secret splendors, and ever-lurking danger.
“Darza” means, literally, “war-game,” and is used in the sense of “tourney,” or “mock-battle.” But now, for the first time since the game was invented aeons ago, it took on every aspect of a genuine tourney.
The sandy floor of the great Arena had already been marked off into a Darza “field,” which closely resembles an earthly chessboard. Alternate squares of dark- and light-colored sand formed a long rectangular playing area composed of nine rows of seven squares each.
At either end of the gigantic chessboard, tall wooden thrones had been set up wherefrom Koja and Kamchan would overlook the field of play and control the movements of the players.
Now swords were solemnly struck against shields, the Yathoon equivalent of the braying of trumpets, and the living chessmen who would fight to the death for victory in this weirdest of all Darza games began to assemble.
They marched upon the field in two rows, and their garments were colored either Red or Black, representing the two sets of Darza pieces customarily used in the game.*
Kamchan and Koja took their positions as Prince on either throne, while their five players arranged themselves before each Prince in an open arrowhead formation. To Koja’s right in the second row, as his Chieftain, Kadar was stationed, and to his left, Borak.
One row ahead of Kadar and to his left, Xara of Ganatol served as Bowman, while to Borak’s right, in the same row, Valkar stood in position as Swordsman.
Spearheading the formation was young Taran, as Scout.
Koja was fully armed, befitting a Prince: he could move the entire length of the field if he chose, but only at right angles. Kadar and Borak, the Red Chieftains, were armed with sword, axe, and spear. They could move at right angles, too, but for only three squares each turn. As Bowman, Xara could move only on the diagonals, the length of the field if she wished. Valkar, the Swordsman, could move with exactly the same ease as a knight in chess―ahead two squares and over one square more, or ahead one square and over two. He, of course, was armed only with sword and shield.
Taran, as Scout, could only move ahead one square at a time. And he bore neither weapons nor shield and was defenseless. But, if he reached “Prince’s Row” ―the last row on the field, currently occupied by Kamchan―he could become a Prince and would receive full weaponry. In effect, then, the Scout in Darza resembles the pawn in chess.
Koja’s team were the Reds, and Kamchan’s were the Blacks.
Kamchan had, perhaps maliciously, or perhaps because he knew how much they lusted for the death of Borak, positioned Hooka and Gorpak as his Chieftains, while for his Bowman and Swordsman he had chosen two renowned and skillful veteran fighters, Norga and Gorn. His Scout was a powerful arthropod called Orad.
And so this strangest of all games of Darza began …
It is customary to open with one’s Bowman, moving him to the fifth square of the farthest row, so that he challenges the opposing Swordsman. Kamchan, however, advanced his Scout, Orad, so that he faced little Taran.
His motives for this unorthodox opening were extremely clever. This was no academic Darza match, but a battle to the death. In an ordinary game, the Red Prince would probably not scruple to sacrifice his Scout since, with his next move, he could take the Black Scout with his Bowman.
But here, of course, Koja would not care to risk the life of his young friend, for Orad was bigger and more powerful than the young boy, and in any struggle―even with bare hands―he could doubtless kill the youth. So Koja advanced his Swordsman, Valkar, two squares forward and one to the right.
As Valkar entered the square, Orad threw himself upon him, obviously determined to defend himself as best he could. A Yathoon, he was of course nearly twice as tall as the Shondakorian, with far greater reach of forelimbs, and the ability to leap high in the air―which is exactly what he did, kicking Valkar in the head as he sprang over him.
Not expecting the blow, Valkar did not block it and fell to his knees, shaking his head dizzily. Landing lightly beyond him, Orad whirled and seized his sword-arm, and strove to wrest the weapon from him. But Valkar struck out with the edge of his shield, catching Orad in the midsection, where the abdomen joined the thorax―a numbing blow. The stalklegged giant staggered, and Valkar tore his sword-arm free and sank his steel into the heart of the Black Scout.
There was no applause. From his wooden throne in Prince’s Row, the Arkon glowered grimly. Valkar stood, shaking his head to clear it and catching his breath, while slaves dragged the corpse of Orad from the field.
It then being Kamchan’s move, he advanced his own Swordsman two rows ahead and one square to his right, so that he entered the square now occupied by Valkar. And a second pitched battle ensued, but this time between two equally armed warriors. Still, however, the advantage lay with the Black Swordsman, Gorn. The clash of steel, the shuffle of sandaled feet in the sand, the grunt and wheeze of effort were the only sounds that broke the stillness of the tense scene.
Xara felt stifled as if she could hardly breathe, and her heart thudded painfully against her ribs as the gallant Prince fought for his life against the towering Gorn, armed with his long, flexible whip-sword, which was nearly half again the length of Valkar’s blade. The two circled, watching for an opening, while Gorn measured his singing needle-like blade against Valkar’s long-sword. Each time he struck, he forced Valkar to raise his left arm, catching the steel lash of the razory blade upon his shield. The fourth time this happened, Gorn kicked out with his long, double-jointed legs, trying to give Valkar a crippling blow in the groin.
Valkar hastily dropped his shield, blocking the kick and then, before the Black Swordsman could bring his whipsword back into play to cut off his exposed head, he risked all on a daring lunge over the top of his shield.
It caught Gorn full in the breast, and, although the tough chitin of his natural armor deflected the stroke, it slashed a long and fairly deep furrow the width of his thorax. Blood welled forth from the footlong wound. Gorn lurched to his knees and fell forward. Valkar bent and cut off his head.
The next move being Koja’s, he commanded Valkar to advance two rows and to occupy the square to the right, which had been Gorn’s original position. This, in effect, put Kamchan, the Black Prince, in check, for Valkar was only one move away from a duel with the Arkon. Glaring and fuming, Kamchan was forced to move to his own right one square, to be out of Valkar’s reach―which wasted him a move.
Koja now enjoyed a definite advantage, having taken Kamchan’s Scout and Swordsman, and, luckily, having lost none of his own “pieces.” As it was now his turn to move, he pressed his advantage and advanced his Chieftain, Borak, three rows, so that he stood directly facing the Black Chieftain, Hooka. Borak’s expressionless visage could not express the grim satisfaction he doubtless felt, but the extreme agitation of Hooka was obvious to all. The Black Chieftain knew that Borak well remembered the trick with the poison he had played, in order to drive Borak into exile and to elevate Gorpak. And he quavered inwardly, hoping against hope that Kamchan would remove him from the reach of Borak’s steel.
Kamchan, however, callously left Hooka where he was and unlimbered his Bowman, rightly determining that it was time he took the initiative again. He advanced his Bowman, Norga, to his left along the diagonal until, after two squares, he again menaced Koja’s Scout, Taran. With the next move, Norga could easily slay the boy. Taran was pale but did not restrain himself from casting an appealing look in Koja’s direction. Norga nocked his bow, and his cold, glittering eyes marked a spot on the boy’s breast beneath which there beat his heart.
Koja had no alternative than to direct Taran to step forward one square, which placed him out of danger.