Veneficus
It was dark when Starsky awoke, and for a moment he felt disoriented.
Then he remembered that it would go on being dark for some weeks yet.
He allowed himself to wonder why he had ever come to this Gods-accursed
place.
Outside the cave, someone started singing in a beautiful voice, light,
warm and erotic. The sound went straight to his grievously
neglected groin. Oh, yes. Long nights had their reward, and Starsky
expected to get his before this one was over.
Last night... well, before he went to sleep, anyway... he had tried to
get a little farther than kisses with his host, despite the fact that
he had still been too tired for real love games. Hutchinson had smiled
and brushed off Starsky's amorous advances easily enough. Underneath
it, though, Starsky had sensed a more basic reluctance, coupled with an
even more basic innocence. Where had this man been living?
Hutchinson was a curious combination of sophistication and innocence,
warmth and coolness. At one moment he would smile and Starsky's
temperature would rise. The next, he would turn icy enough to cool
anyone's ardour. Well, anyone's but Starsky's. It took more than a few
frowns to accomplish that.
Starsky poked his head out of the cave, and tried to see something of
what was going on, by the light of the stars and the bonfire. There was
no sign of Hutchinson, but Starsky ventured outside anyway. He could
scarcely cower in this hole forever, expecting Hutchinson to hold his
hand whenever he needed to go outside. He found a place behind a rock
to relieve himself, then looked around to see if his host had made a
reappearance.
'Hutchinson?'
'In here,' was the answer.
'In where?'
'In another cave, behind you and to your right. Just follow my voice.
I'm heating up the sauna. Can you see the light now?'
'Sauna?'
'Yes. I built one as soon as I got here. Can't stand to be dirty. There
were other reasons as well.'
In the centre of the small cave, stood a Greek God come down to earth.
A naked Greek God, poking into a pit with a stick.
'Hel-lo, there!' Starsky ventured. 'You want to poke at me with that
stick? Or paddle me with it?'
Hutchinson looked up, coolly.
'Ah! There you are. Come inside, please, and pull the door closed. Take
your clothes off, and put them on that bench.'
'Sure thing,' said Starsky. There was a rather primitive door, built
with sapling wood. Starsky pulled it closed, then undressed. Hutchinson
was too busy to notice. Starsky came up behind him, and slid his arms
around the firm waist, then let his hands trail down....
Hutchinson gently pushed his hands away and turned to look at Starsky.
'Behave! This is a sauna. In Norway.'
'Yes? So?'
'Not a bathhouse in Babylon.'
'Oh. Sorry.'
Hutchinson looked disgusted by the very concept of Babylonian
bathhouses, so Starsky decided not to entertain him with some of his
adventures in one or two. Perhaps he shouldn't describe his visits to
some of the Babylonian whorehouses either, especially the orgy rooms.
This man would be a big hit in one of those, but looked as if he had
never been in one. He might not even know such places existed.
This was going to be fun.
Starsky looked down into the pit to see what Hutchinson had been poking
at.
'Ooh! Big red rocks.'
Hutchinson frowned.
'Could you just restrain yourself, and sit there.'
'Oh. I see. If you want to be Daddy, I could let you. For now.'
On journey by sea to Norway, the ship had sailed through a pack of
icebergs. It was the chilliest sight Starsky had ever seen. Until
now. 'I don't play games,' said Hutchinson. He bent down, lifted a
water skin and poured the contents over the hot stones. Steam rose from
them. Starsky knew just how they felt. Hutchinson sat on one of the
logs he had arranged around the stone pit.
'If you want to stay,' he said, 'Sit there.' He pointed at the log on
the other side of the pit. Starsky chose the log next to Hutchinson's
instead. Hutchinson pretended not to notice. The light from the stones
and a few candles was enough for him to see that Hutchinson's body was
gloriously beautiful. Blond. All over. Wide shoulders. Flat belly.
Long, long legs. And between them....
Starsky sighed. Hutchinson laughed. Starsky looked up, irritated.
Hutchinson said, 'Don't you ever think about anything else?'
'What do you know about it?'
'I could tell, soon as we met.'
'Tell what?'
'That you were going to be a handful.'
Starsky laughed one of his dirtiest laughs. 'Sweetheart, I'm more than
a handful. Here, have a good, long look. You missed it when I stripped.
But you aren't bad yourself.'
Silence.
'Oh, come on!'
'Hush. The steam is rising. I put some sacred herbs in the water. Let
them relax you.'
'I don't want to relax. I want to fuck!'
'Then leave.'
Hutchinson's voice was icy again. Starsky sighed, and closed his eyes.
It looked as if he'd have better luck with a Vestal Virgin than with
his host in this mood.
The little cave was hot now, filled with smoke and the overpowering
scent of herbs. Starsky felt dizzy. He looked over at Hutchinson, and
the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Hutchinson was sitting
cross-legged, his hands resting on his knees. His eyes were open, but
the pupils had rolled up in his head or something, because his eyes
looked white and glassy. He was swaying in circles where he sat, around
and around, as if in a trance.
A trance! That was it. When they first met, Hutchinson had told him
that he had visions, and called himself something, what was it? Some
Norwegian word. No matter. Like a seer he had said. A seer. A mage. The
smoke and the steam were about to bring on a vision. Starsky had seen
some of the great Seers lost in visions, but always in public
performances in the temples, under controlled conditions. The Magi at
Babylon. The Sibyl. The Oracle at Delphi. These had been terrifying
experiences, but there had been experts around to handle any problems
that arose.
The Otherworld could come through the Gates and attack under conditions
like these, and Starsky had never studied how to fight demons and evil
spirits. He was a good soldier, and knew how to fight with ordinary
weapons. Swords, knives, guns, were his metier, but not spells. He wore
magic charms around his neck, but would they work here and now? Starsky
prayed, fervidly, that they would.
The smoke and steam were rising higher, and Starsky felt dizzier. He
laughed a little to himself. Certainly this was not how he had intended
to spend time with this man. But Hutchinson's body was still beautiful,
and this whole experience was stirring in its own way. There was an
Otherworldy feel to the cave already. Something might come up from the
fire pit, or break down the fragile door. He and Hutchinson must stick
together, to fight any threat. They would be alone, against all the
forces of evil. Partners.
Starsky thought about some of the new ideas that were making the rounds
among the intellectuals of the time. He was no intellectual, but he had
bedded a few, and Starsky liked some conversation along with his sex. A
few of these men and women had remained friends after the affair was
over, and Starsky visited in their homes and had occasionally taken
part in Symposiums.
Among the new ideas discussed, was one that had highly amused Starsky
at the time. But then, he had never considered that answering the
questions raised would have any practical value in his life.
The question was, whether or not the Otherworld existed. Or was it
merely superstition? Many intellectuals were raising the possibility
that something that could not be seen or investigated through
scientific investigation did not really exist.
Starsky had debated, with a certain amount of amused horror, the
possibility that there was no such thing as love, then. For it could
not be proven. The other members of the Symposium had cheered, and he
had been regarded as having made his point.
Love. Starsky had searched for Love in many forms and in many places,
but had found nothing lasting. He was nearly 25 years old now. Would he
spend the rest of his life searching?
Starsky loved men. He loved women. Perhaps that was the problem, as no
lover could be both. Well, except for hermaphrodites, who were rare,
and to whom Starsky did not feel sexually attracted.
When he visited the Oracle at Delphi, that was the question he had
asked. Who would be his ideal lover? Starsky had not known what to make
of the answer he had gotten, but then few did, until it was too late.
The world tilted and swung about them wildly, until Starsky felt ill,
then righted itself. Starsky opened his eyes and looked at Hutchinson.
No, wait, he thought. He closed his eyes, then opened them again,
quickly. What should not be there, still was there.
She was beautiful, as the man who had once occupied the seat next to
Starsky had been beautiful. Blonde hair. Large, firm breasts. Long,
long legs. A face to launch a thousand ships.
Pale blue eyes, that regarded Starsky much as they would have regarded
a bug in her soup. Clearly, Starsky's chances had not changed along
with Hutchinson's gender. Hutchinson's gender... Wait!
Starsky looked down at his own lap, and was relieved to see that he, at
least, was still male. Vibrantly so. Well, at least he was until
Hutchinson decided to geld him.
Hutchinson looked down at his female body and sighed.
'Wonderful! How did this happen?'
'Well, if you don't know....'
Hutchinson looked toward the cave entrance, and Starsky followed his
glance. Sunlight was streaming in through the doorway.
'Yes, I see. We've been kidnapped. Kidnapped and brought to the
Otherworld.'
Starsky reeled. 'How? Why?'
'As to how, the most likely explanation is by the actions of an evil
veneficus.'
'A sorcerer!'
'But why? Good question. This may have been an accident, but perhaps
one of us has an enemy?'
Hutchinson looked at Starsky, the question clear on his, er her, face.
'Oh, quite likely. The list is probably extensive and varied.'
'Injured spouses? People you've insulted in your career in the Vigil
Militarius?'
'For a start.'
'Well, I have enemies too. But we won't get into that right now.'
'Okay, but just tell me why you're a woman now, please?'
'I'm a woman now, because we're in the Otherworld. This is the form I
have here.'
'But....'
'Never mind. It's not important.'
They dressed in the clothes they had left on the bench just inside the
door. Hutchinson said, 'Bring all the water skins with you. I think
there's quite a lot left. We must not eat or drink anything here in the
Otherworld, or we'll never be able to leave. But the water from our own
world is safe. Well, let's get going.'
'Going where?'
'If we were brought here by an evil veneficus, intentionally for some
nefarious purpose, we can't just wait around to be attacked. We need to
find out who did this and why. Perhaps there is some evidence, so that
we can lay charges of evil sorcery against him.'
'Him? You're sure it's a him?'
'Not really. Could be a woman. Makes little difference.'
'Oh, I wouldn't say that.'
It was wonderful to see sunshine again, even under these conditions.
The sunlight in the Otherworld was a little strange, however. Brighter,
perhaps. The sky was also bluer, and the grass greener. The wind
rustled in the trees with an almost feral quality.
A loud caw made Starsky jump, but Hutchinson smiled for the first time
since they had arrived here. A large black bird flew down out of one of
the trees and landed on Hutchinson's shoulder.
'Viggo,' she said, happily.
'Viggo? How'd he get here? And isn't he a wolf?'
'Viggo is my familiar. He follows me everywhere, and can take any form,
in any of the Otherworlds.'
'Otherworlds? There are more than one?'
'Of course. There are many worlds, all connected, like branches, along
the trunk of the World Tree. Yggdrasil.'
'Bless you!'
'What? Oh! No, Yggdrasil is the name of the World Tree. We have moved
along to another of its branches, but I'm not sure which one. I haven't
been to them all yet.'
'And here I thought I was well-travelled. So, which direction do we go?'
'Well, where would you hide if you were a veneficus?'
'In the north. It's less populated.'
'Then north it is.'
******************************************
They could hear the screams and bellows from some distance away. Viggo
flew back from a reconnaissance mission, to land on Hutchinson's
shoulder, and whistle and croak in her ear.
'It's a battle between a mastodon and a saber-toothed tiger,' said
Hutchinson.
They crested the hill and looked down. Below them, the two huge animals
were locked in deadly combat. The mastodon was huge. Its thick hide was
covered with a massive coat, and its tusks were impressive with their
great sweep.
The tiger, on the other hand, was a powerful predator, and its huge
fangs were embedded in the mastodon's throat. The mastodon shook its
head again, dislodging the tiger and lashed out with its tusks. The
tiger lay on the ground for a moment, seemingly defeated. But it leapt
to its feet and launched itself at the throat of its prey once more.
The mastodon fell to its knees, moaning, and died.
The tiger got to its feet and began to tear at the mastodon's hide, but
then it stopped and sniffed the air. Starsky and Hutchinson suddenly
realized that they could become prey themselves and began to move off,
but it was too late.
The tiger whirled and moved to the attack. Viggo had already changed
into the form of a wolf even larger than the one he wore in their own
world. Starsky drew his revolver, but when he tried to fire it, he
found it wouldn't work. Perhaps such a weapon was useless in this
world. He returned the revolver to its holster, and drew his knife
instead.
Hutchinson circled behind the tiger, muttering something, as Viggo
moved to attack. The tiger lashed out at the wolf, which drew back
quickly. Seeing her moment, Hutchinson sprang onto the tiger's back and
pulled back its head, then looked at Starsky, expectantly. Starsky was
so astonished for a second, that he almost didn't react in time, but he
recovered and sprang forward to cut the tiger's throat.
'You idiot,' he bellowed. 'You could have been killed.'
'We both could have been killed. But we weren't. That's the important
thing.'
'Well, what made you so confident we could win the fight, anyway?'
'Watch,' said Hutchinson.
A strange keening sound rose from the body, then a wisp of silvery
light left it and floated away, over the mountains to the north.
Hutchinson turned to Starsky.
'That was a veneficus, using the body of an animal. I could
read the signs that he was from our world, and I knew the spells to
weaken him. There is our evidence of evil sorcery.'
'Don't you shape-change yourself? I mean, you did just change into a
woman. So what makes this evil?'
'This, here, wasn't shape-changing. The veneficus took over the body of
a living animal and used it. I can change my own shape, but I'd never
use the body of another being, living or dead.'
'Why did the veneficus do it? Take over another body, I mean?'
'To gain the animal's power. Some steal the bodies of other humans.
They start out with animals, then move up.'
'Ah. You're right. I can see the evil possibilities.'
Hutchinson was examining the dead bodies of the combatants. She picked
up some chips of mastodon tusk, broken off in the battle. Then she
looked at the body of the tiger. It had shrunk down to skin and bone.
She drew out her knife, and cleaned the skin, then cut the saber teeth
from the skull.
'What are you doing?'
'Making us daggers. Watch.'
It took some time, but soon she had two rough daggers, with tiger-saber
blades, and hilts of mastodon ivory, bound to the blades with the
sinews of the tiger. She bound up the skull of the tiger in its skin.
Then, out of a pouch on her belt, she drew a small box containing
flint. When they had gathered enough wood, they built a fire. They cut
some meat off the remains of the mastodon, and burnt it to ashes in the
flames as a sacrifice to the Gods of this place. The burning meat smelt
good, and Starsky was hungry, but not hungry enough to risk eating any.
He hadn't seen much of this world, but what he had seen didn't tempt
him to stay.
Hutchinson sat down by the fire, and began breathing the smoke.
'Oh, no! Not again,' said Starsky.
'Quiet. I need to do this. What happened here may have something to do
with our being kidnapped to this Otherworld. We need to know what.'
'What if something goes wrong? I know nothing about all this.'
'Watch my back. Don't let anything interfere with my trance, no matter
what. I'm going under much deeper than I did back at the sauna in our
own world. That was inadvertent on my part, but this time it's
intentional. There's a danger to me, if I'm brought out of
a deep trance too quickly.'
'What kind of danger?'
'I could lose my mind, for one thing.'
'You've already lost your mind,' Starsky muttered. But he kept his hand
on his dagger, as he stood nearby, watching for any threat. Hutchinson
had begun that circling, swaying motion again, as she had in the sauna.
This time, it went on much longer, and she began to shake and moan.
Suddenly she fell over and lay on her back, shaking and sweating as if
suffering from malaria.
It must have been an hour later, that she suddenly sat up and looked
around. Starsky handed her one of the water skins, and she took a
swallow, then handed it back.
'That wasn't enough,' Starsky said. 'Take some more.'
'We don't have much, and we don't know how long we'll be here.'
'I can do without. You've been sweating like a pig for an hour. You
need it more than I do.'
'Well, thanks, but no thanks. I'll be fine.'
'Suit yourself. Did you learn anything?'
'Yes. It wasn't the veneficus that brought us here. We were brought
here because of him, though.'
'How's that?'
'I'm not sure. There's a connection though. I saw wagons. A woman in a
trance, like me, reaching out to us, but for help I think. We need to
find her, she can give us the answers.'
'Or kill us.'
'Perhaps. But I don't think so. I felt the connection as a call for
help.'
'Let's go then. Do you have any idea where?'
'North, again. That's where the spirit of the sorcerer went, when it
left the body of the tiger.' 'Right. North it is.'
And so they started walking North, though Starsky wondered how far
North they'd get, with no food and little water. He kept glancing at
his companion, and finally couldn't restrain himself. 'Hutchinson?'
'Yes?'
'What did I do to make you hate me, all of a sudden? We were getting
along fine last night.'
'It's not you. And I don't hate you.'
'Then what is it? You a Lesbian in this world, or
something? I have a few Lesbian friends, and we get along
fine. I'll quit trying to get you into bed, and we'll just be friends.'
'No, I'm not a Lesbian.'
'Do you just hate men, period, for no reason? I mean, that seems a bit
strange considering that back in our own world you are a man, but....'
'Can't you drop it?'
Starsky turned to Hutchinson, and grabbed her arms, turning her to face
him.
'No,' he said. 'I can't just drop it. Like I said, we were getting
along fine, and I liked that. I liked kissing you last night. I wish
I'd had more energy to finish what we started. Maybe we'd be getting
along better now.'
'It wasn't me you kissed. Not me in this body.'
'Oh. Is that it? You don't like this body? You're ashamed of it? You're
so macho, you can't stand to have tits like that? They're nothing to be
ashamed of. Frankly, I'd be thrilled to have them, if I became a woman.'
'I'm sure you would. And no, I'm not ashamed.'
'Then what, for the Gods' sake?'
Hutchinson was silent for a long time. Then she sighed, and commented,
'Well, I guess you won't shut up until I explain. I'm a Seidhrman.'
'Yeah, so you said, already.'
'I'm not supposed to be. It's considered unmanly in Norway. All of
Scandinavia, in fact. Always has been.'
'Why?'
'Because only women are supposed to do those things. Have trances.
Travel between the worlds. If a man does it, it means he's not quite a
man. Because things like this happen, such as changing our gender. I
was married. To a woman, I mean. Then I started having the visions. She
divorced me.'
'Why?'
'I think she just married me because of my family connections, and now
I was the black sheep of the family. No longer such a good catch. But
she said I wasn't man enough for her.'
'Ah. Well, I couldn't care less about your family connections, or
whether or not they've disowned you. Who are they anyway?'
'The Hutchinsons? Related to the Norse Royal Family. Fair number of
family members in the Thing.'
'The Thing?'
'The Norse Parliament.'
'Some of my ancestors were horse thieves. I'm not proud.'
'You don't like politicians?'
'Not so you'd notice.'
'Neither do I.'
'Well now, see, we've got something in common. And I still like your
tits, despite your family connections. Can you forgive me for being a
prick, and then maybe we'll get along better?'
'Are you a prick?'
'Of course. I'm a man. You were a man not long ago, don't you remember
being a prick?'
'I'll be a man again, when we get back to our own world. Not man enough
for my ex wife, though.'
'Man enough for me.'
'Really? You don't mind this manifestation of my inner being.'
'I'm not sure what a manifestation is exactly. I'm just a simple Roman
soldier. But I don't mind anything about you.'
They had been walking for many hours now, and the sun was lower in the
sky, but showed no sign of dipping below the horizon.
'It's summer here. We must be in the same latitude as Norway, because
the sun never sets at home in summer either.'
'That must be tiring. I'd like to get some rest soon. Maybe seal our
new friendship with a little lovemaking. If you have no objections, I
mean?'
'No. No objections. But there's a problem.'
'What?'
Hutchinson was about to answer, when they heard bells, off to the West
and coming nearer. They stopped walking to see what was coming, and
over the hill came a wagon train. Gypsy wagons. Riders on horseback.
'Wagons,' said Hutchinson. 'There were wagons in my vision. I remember
now.'
They moved off the beaten path, and waited for the wagons in the shade
of a small grove of trees. When the train drew up to them, a voice
called out an order and the train stopped. An ancient withered face
appeared at the end of the lead wagon. A hand waved them in.
A very old woman sat on a stool just inside the wagon. She said
something to them in a language neither knew, then tried another. After
several attempts, she said something that Hutchinson recognized.
Soon Hutchinson and the ancient woman were engaged in a stilted
conversation, that nevertheless answered some of their questions.
'She says that they have been looking for us. They've sent
a message to one of their other groups of searchers. That wagon train
should arrive tomorrow. Their chief sorceress is with it, and when she
arrives, she will tell us everything. This lady refuses to say anything
more.'
'Maybe with good reason. You didn't look to be communicating too
easily. She might not be able to make things clear for us, and just
cause more confusion.'
'You're right. Anyway, they're giving us a wagon to ourselves for the
night. I told them we were married, just in case they have conservative
ideas.'
'That's nice. Let's not disappoint them.'
'Mmm?'
'Let's act married.'
'What? Sleep in separate beds?'
'Boy. You have a fine idea of marriage.'
'I was married. Were you?'
'No. But I am now, remember. And I intend to raise your opinion of
marriage. And of me.'
'Humble, aren't you?'
'I have no reason to be.'
********************************************
'So, have you ever had sex with a man? In that beautiful body, I mean?'
'In this body, I've never had sex with anyone.'
'Never? You're a virgin? Why? Don't you? Can't you?'
Hutchinson laughed at Starsky's horrified expression, and near
incoherence.
'I'm not in this body that often, or for that long. So it's not that
much of a sacrifice. And as for why, well, it's the same reason that we
can't eat or drink the food here. We'd be trapped here forever if we
had sex with someone from this dimension.'
'Ah. But you and I could? I mean, if you'd like to, I'd like to.'
Hutchinson smiled. 'Poor baby. It's been a while, has it?'
'Let's see now. I've lost count of time, what with the endless nights
and the shift to the Otherworld, but I'd say about a week. The longest
I've gone since my first time.'
'When was that?'
'Fifteen years ago. I was ten.'
'I see. I guess this has been a terrible deprivation for you.'
'What about you?'
'Me? I was fifteen. He was a friend of mine. We were together for a
while. Then my first girl friend. Then my wife.'
'Then?'
'Then? Then nothing. I've been busy,' she said, coldly.
Starsky was silent, for a long time.
'Do you want to?'
'I'd like to, but maybe I'm neither man enough, nor woman enough for
you.'
'You're plenty of both. Of each. Either one of you is just plenty.'
'What about when we get back to our own dimension? I'll be back in a
man's body then. Maybe you'll miss this body. Be disappointed.'
'Never. I promise.'
****************************************
'Lie back. Like that. That's good. You're so beautiful. There. Open
your legs really wide. It makes it easier.'
'I know, I've done it from the other side.'
'Shh. Don't think about that. Just be here with me, okay?'
'Sorry.'
'Nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart. That's not what I meant. I mean,
this is your first time, in this body. Relax. Don't think about the
other times, in another body, or you'll drive yourself crazy, to say
nothing of me. This is your first time, remember? But I've had more
experience than you can possibly imagine.'
Starsky ran his hands gently up the inside of her thighs and parted the
soft outer lips of her vulva. Inside, were the moist inner folds, the
sweet doorway leading to her vagina, and the tiny bud of her clitoris.
He touched that very softly, trying several different rhythms and
patterns until he found the right one, the one that made her moan, and
strain to open her legs even wider.
When she seemed so lost in pleasure that she scarcely knew what he was
doing, he pushed one finger inside her vagina, then leaned down closer
and kissed the soft folds of her vulva. Hutchinson gasped and tried to
move away. Starsky looked up. She was flushed, and some of that was
with embarrassment. He smiled. 'Sweet. You taste delicious.' He leaned
over her again and licked her clitoris, then drew it into his mouth and
sucked. She cried out and suddenly, she was climaxing, her vagina
tightening around his finger.
While she was still lost in her paroxysms of pleasure, Starsky made his
move. He rose over her, and pushed his cock inside.
She was tight, but moist and ready, and he managed to fit most of
himself inside her. He began to stroke her clitoris again. Within
moments she had her second orgasm, and then Starsky began to thrust.
At his first hard thrust, she lost all control. Whatever language she
spoke it certainly wasn't any form of Latin Starsky knew. Nor did it
bear any resemblance to the Norse Starsky had heard her speak. But
Starsky understood. He went on thrusting, pushing her thighs wider
apart, reaching between their bodies to touch her where their bodies
joined, adding his own obscene commentary to the dialogue between them,
until they climaxed together, and fell back, panting and dripping with
sweat.
'Well,' managed Starsky after a long silence.
'That was worth the wait.'
********************************************
The next morning, the Gypsy sorceress arrived in her wagon. She was
able to communicate in their language, she had a lot of news, and she
wanted to give it to Hutchinson alone.
'No,' said Hutchinson. 'Starsky is with me. He is my partner, and we
share everything.'
'He is a man.'
'So am I, in our own world.'
And so Starsky was allowed in the wagon. Once there, they learned that
it was indeed the sorceress who had brought them to this world.
'I didn't kidnap you intentionally, for reasons of a personal vendetta.
I asked to be sent someone who could handle this problem that came from
your world. Here is what I have learned. There is a sorcerer who has
been travelling from your world to ours. He has been using the bodies
of animals, and now is even taking the bodies of our people. I know of
two such cases. His own form here is that of a man, but with the scales
of a serpent, instead of skin.' 'Ah,' said Hutchinson.
'That's significant?' asked Starsky.
'It may be. There is a kin, a familias, that uses the serpent on their
coat of arms. They have long been rumoured to use the Dark Arts. I'm
speaking of the family of my ex wife. After she divorced me, she took
up with one of my cousins. They're very ambitious.'
'You think they're in this together?'
'For wealth and power? Yes. We should return to our cave and make the
journey home.' 'That's a good idea, but I don't know how much longer I
can go without eating. I'm a soldier, and I'm tough, but an army
marches on its stomach, you know.'
The sorceress spoke up. 'We will lend you horses, and I will ride with
you and reverse that spell which brought you here. You should return to
your own world at nearly the time which you left it. But
there is more which I must tell you. When I was in a trance, tracking
the evil sorcerer, I saw him conjure up a storm. The storm caused a
shipwreck, and many died, but some lived. This man was among them,' she
said, and she looked at Starsky.
**********************************************
'We should start for Oslo now, Starsky. It will take some days, and we
need to be there, before the Thing closes for Yule.'
'The Thing?'
'The Norse Parliament. I told you that before, remember? Quit
laughing. We need to let them know what's going on. The
attack on the delegation from the Empire could lead to war. Who knows
what's going on in the capital, or indeed in Rome.'
'Oh, there's always something going on in Rome. But we need to get
something going on here and now, just you and me.'
'Yes. That's what I'm saying. Get ready. Let's go.'
'Hold on a minute, Hutchinson. We have to settle a few things between
us first.'
'There's no time, Starsky.'
'We have to make time. Look, Hutchinson, as you said, it will take us
days to make the journey, and a few hours won't make much difference.
Out there in the wilderness, on such a long trek, there won't be much
of an opportunity for love. We have to take time, now. Let's get this
settled, Baby.'
'Don't.'
'Don't what?'
'I'm not still a woman, Starsky. Don't call me Baby.'
'Did I say you were?'
'No. But now that you... What my Otherworld persona... I mean if you're
expecting me to....'
'I'm expecting you to get those clothes off again, and to get into that
bed with me, and to return the favour I did you last night. Hey, I
screwed you for hours. Now it's my turn.'
'Starsky?'
'Yes. That's it. Come on. Let me see that beautiful body again.'
'It's not the same body.'
'No. It's another beautiful body. You have two, and I get to fuck two.
I'm the luckiest man alive.' 'I'm not the same person I was there.'
'While we were riding back to the cave, the sorceress told me that the
form you take when you're in one of the Otherworlds reveals a basic
truth. A basic truth. Not the only truth. An important one perhaps.'
'Yes. I'm not all man. But I won't be treated like dirt under your
feet, either,' Hutchinson declared.
'Who said you were going to be?'
'Never mind. Look we really don't have the time for this.'
'Who treated you like dirt under their feet? I want to know,
Hutchinson. I want to know, so that I can cut his heart out and eat it
in the marketplace.'
'I can fight my own battles. I don't need a protector.'
'Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up, here. Did I say 'protector'? You keep
putting words in my mouth, instead of what I want you to put there.
This is why I want us to slow down, stop talking and fuck. Now! Come
on, Baby. Come here to me.'
Starsky lay back on the bed of furs and opened his legs wide in
invitation.
'Look in my pack. There's a flask of oil.'
'You carry oil around with you?'
'All Roman soldiers carry oil. We rub it on our feet to prevent
athletes foot. And we rub it here when we want to be fucked. Just at
the moment, I'm not worried about athletes foot. But I sure am worried
about getting fucked. Jupiter's Balls! That thing's big. Put lots on
it, Stud. That's it. Want me to help?'
'No. I think I can manage.'
'Mmm. Yeah. Manage me. Can you find it? Ooh. Right there. That's enough
stretching, I think.'
'I'll say when there's been enough stretching.'
'Oh. Okay. You're the master.'
'Starsk!'
'What? Oh. That's big. That's really big.'
'Shut up.'
'Yes, Sir.'
'Starsk!'
'Shh. Come on, Baby. Give it to me hard. Like I did to you last night.
Make me yours.'
'Starsky!'
'That's my Hutch.'
*******************************************
The streets of Oslo were brightly lit, so brightly lit that Starsky
wished out loud for his sunglasses, which made Hutch laugh. Hutch
laughed much more easily and often now, Starsky noted. They walked to
the chambers of The Thing, side by side, shoulders touching, thighs
sometimes brushing. Viggo paced beside them, back in the
shape of a wolf.
At the door to the Chambers of the Norse Parliament, Hutch demanded
entrance.
'I am Kenneth Hutchinson, and this is my partner, David Starsky. He was
a member of the Roman Delegation which was shipwrecked off the coast
two weeks ago. We have news about this accident which we must give to
The Thing.'
The Guard refused to let them in.
'It's the last session, before the break for Yule, he announced, 'The
Thing doesn't need to deal with you and your problems.'
Hutch looked around and noticed his mother coming towards them.
'Mother, can you get us inside? We need to make a declaration about a
very important state matter.'
'Kenneth? What are you doing here? You were going to stay away from
Oslo. You promised your father.'
'Mother! There isn't time. This is David, my lover. Say hello to him
nicely, then get us inside the Chambers. It's important. More important
than my father's petty feelings.'
Mrs. Hutchinson sighed, but she greeted Starsky warmly enough, then
vouched for them to enter the Chambers.
'Your family are politicians, aren't they?'
'My family are a pain in the ass for the most part, but yes. You'll
meet more of them soon enough. And some of them won't be too happy to
see me here.'
'Don't worry about that.'
They marched into the Chambers and Starsky took over.
'I am a member of the Roman Delegation sent here by the Emperor
himself. Two weeks ago, we were shipwrecked. The shipwreck was caused
by evil sorcery and witchcraft. The sorcerer who committed this vile,
murderous act is in this very Chamber.'
The uproar was tremendous. Among the shouts and whistles of anger and
surprise, Hutch could hear his father and brother telling him to shut
up and leave. He ignored them.
'Silence!' Starsky bellowed, and in the resulting moment of shock, he
continued.
'I accuse Olaf Hutchinson of being an evil veneficus and of plotting
the deaths of the Emperor's delegation to Norway.'
In the resulting tsunami of rage, Hutch's cousin and his ex wife stood
up and regarded him with loathing and contempt.
'My cousin is a seidhrman and a male whore who uses sex magic to gain
power. Are you going to listen to him and his....'
Olaf Hutchinson never got to finish his sentence, since Starsky dragged
him out of his seat and threw him on the floor at Hutch's feet. Hutch
hadn't even seen his lover move. Neither, apparently, had Olaf, for he
gaped up at Starsky in shock.
'You will take that lie back, or die.'
There were cries for the Parliamentary Guard and some members of the
Thing made a move to stop Starsky, but he drew his saber tooth dagger
and stood his ground.
'In case you didn't hear me the first time, I am a member of the
Emperor's delegation to this country, and thus, I have diplomatic
immunity. I was appointed one of the bodyguards to the delegation, and
thus, I have a warrant to investigate any threat against the
delegation, to make accusations and to serve justice. This man has
insulted me, and my lover and partner, and thus, I have the legal right
to claim restitution or to challenge him to a duel to prove his claims.
I challenge Olaf Hutchinson to a duel to the death.'
For the first time since they had entered the Chambers there was
silence. After a moment, the Prime Minister broke that silence to say
that he believed that Starsky had the right of it on all counts.
Another member raised his voice to question whether or not Starsky was
who he claimed to be.
'He is,' said a voice from the doorway. Everyone turned. At the
entrance to the Chambers stood two bedraggled figures.
'Marcus! Joshua!'
'Hello, David. I see that you survived the shipwreck as well. Mr. Prime
Minister, most of the members of my delegation to your country died
when our ship sank. Captain Starsky was, in fact, one of our
bodyguards, and is not known to make frivolous charges. I will vouch
for his integrity.'
'Be it noted. Olaf Hutchinson, will you withdraw your comments, or face
Captain Starsky in a duel?'
'There is no reason for me to withdraw. My cousin is a male whore, and
this man must be another. I will fight him immediately.'
'So be it. Anyone who wishes to witness the combat may adjourn to the
City Square, outside the Temple of Apollo, in one hour.'
********************************************
'Starsky, I don't know if this is wise or necessary.'
'Be quiet, Hutch.'
'What? Starsky, I....'
'Hutch, I followed you and obeyed you without question in the
Otherworld. Now it's your turn to obey me in this. Give me your hand.
Now, wear this ring, and guard it. If something should happen to me,
anytime in the future, take it to Rome and ask for the head of the
Starsky family. Tell them you are my legal spouse and the heir to all
my possessions. You are a member of my family and they will treat you
well, whatever your own blood kin does. Ah! Marcus, Joshua, come here
and be our witnesses. Kenneth Hutchinson, I swear that you have saved
my life, and shared with me bed and board. We are one soul. Give me
your dagger and take this one. Come on, strap it on my waist. That's
it. Well, it's your turn.'
'Starsky. I love you. There's no need for this. It doesn't matter what
Olaf thinks of me.'
'That will have to do as a vow, I suppose. Have you witnessed our
joining?'
'Fiat,' said the two men.
'Okay. Let's go.'
'Starsky, please.'
Starsky grabbed Hutch and kissed him long and deeply.
'That's better. I need to carry the taste of you with me into battle.'
*****************************************
The square outside the Temple of Apollo was crowded with onlookers. Few
had expected to be treated to such a rare Yule entertainment as a duel
of honour.
'Olaf Hutchinson, I give you one more chance to take back your lying
words. This is a fight to the death and I will show no mercy.'
'My cousin is a male whore. He lay under me like a Babylonian slut, and
begged me to fuck him. He is no man.'
'You will die for those words.'
Duels of honour were not a staple of life in Oslo, as they were in
other parts of the Empire. Perhaps Olaf had not heard of Starsky's
reputation, suggested Marcus and Joshua, who watched in amusement as
their friend toyed with Olaf as a cat with a mouse.
Starsky's agile grace fascinated Hutch, who could almost forget the
reason for this battle to the death, until Starsky had Olaf down on the
ground and without offering another chance for his opponent to recant,
slit the man's throat from ear to ear.
He cut open the man's chest and removed his heart with almost surgical
precision. Next, he cut out Olaf's tongue. Then, he stuck them on the
point of his dagger, and carried them across the Square, to Hutch.
He announced, 'This is what will happen to anyone who insults Kenneth
Hutchinson, the lover of David Starsky.'
He threw the heart and the tongue at Hutch's feet.
*** The End ***
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