4: Flaming Torches...

"This must be the one," Persephone announced. "I'm certain it is perfect."

We had reviewed and rejected somewhere near twenty missions. Some were rejected because they were simply too remote, some because they were the wrong direction from High Castle, some because they were deemed not sufficiently in distress, and two because they had been captured by dragons. We all wept over those as we saw their names scratched off the list as we were watching the screen. They were dead. As far as Seph knew there had only been one or two successful rescues from a dragon in the history of the program since dragons were a protected species and were not to be killed.

"Tell us the profile and the distress," I said.

"Twins..." Seph started. I moaned. "Bring back either one or both," she continued. "They are located on the eastern border of Lord Chang's lands, so you need to be careful and not incite the owner to battle. You can't just kill him and leave. You'd never be allowed back into the South again. Or at least into Lord Chang's domain."

"The owner?" Cadence said. "What kind of distress are they in?" She'd begun to come to grips with the hard realities of the Damsels' plight on Chaos. Seeing the two captured by dragons listed as killed had saddened her deeply.

"Forgive me, please," Seph said through her laughter. "They are working in a perfume factory."

"Doesn't sound too bad," I ventured.

"I thought this was the dark ages," Cadence said. "How did we get a perfume factory?"

"A little history lesson is needed," Seph responded. "The colonies on Chaos were planted from twelfth and thirteenth century villages on Earth. Asian civilization was considerably more advanced than European civilization at that time. And in the Middle East, while it might seem primitive by your standards today, a very powerful religious movement was pulling nomadic tribes together under one system of justice so there was stability for the first time in centuries. While the religious elements were removed from people's memories when they were moved to Chaos, the civilization structure was not, any more than that of Europe had been. Perfume has been known and manufactured on Earth in those cultures for four thousand years. Even in the large cities of Europe, perfumes were being manufactured in the thirteenth century. Monks were producing various scented oils in Italy. Of course, it wasn't until the sixteenth century that Europe got around to constructing manufactured scents to mask body odor, starting with Catherine de' Medici. But we are most concerned with the Asiatic cultures and the Middle Eastern cultures when we talk about the areas where the Damsels are located."

"How do you know this stuff?" Cadence asked.

"I got a PhD in thirteenth century Earth history while Hero Lincoln was on his last mission," Seph said. Damn! Another one? "I also discovered that the history of Chaos is presented selectively. Since most Europeans and Americans are sent to the North on their missions, little was presented regarding the South. So our history indicated that villages were extracted from Europe during what you call the Dark Ages. But at the same time, entire populations have been transplanted to other areas of Chaos from other parts of Earth. We would never have known about the differences in the South had you not needed to chase the circus south on your last mission. Now, you are considered a hero of the South as well as the North."

"It still doesn't sound like a distressing situation," I said. "What can be so hard about making perfume? Is it toxic?" Seph sighed.

"Hero Lincoln, you have seen how the pheromones of Damsels affect the men of Chaos. They will incite them to rape, even with the promise of the legendary cock burn. What would an upper class woman of Chaos not do to have such allure?" Seph said. "The Damsels are not 'working' in the perfume factory. Their scent is being harvested."

I looked at Cadence and we held eye contact as we puzzled this out. Both of us obviously reached the same conclusion at the same time. We turned to Seph. She nodded.

"They are being ... stimulated ... incessantly. The output of their scent glands is being harvested, blended, bottled, and sold to women to attract the men they want," Persephone said.

"Holy fuck!" Cadence said. "Those poor women. Lincoln, we have to rescue them."

"They might not be in danger of immediate death, but in a very real way, they are being tortured," Seph said.

"Put together a plan," I suggested. "We should start as soon as possible."

"Am I ready, Persephone?" Cadence asked in a small voice. Seph looked her over in her tight black leathers and gave her a hug. She looked like a young, sexy Xena, the Warrior Princess. The hug turned into a long, languorous kiss that started to remind me of Xena and Gabrielle in every man's fantasy.

"You are ready, my Hero's Companion. Be sure you keep all Hero Lincoln's needs tended to, whether they are in battle or in bed. He depends on you and you alone," Seph said. Then she turned to me.

"Be brave, but do not be foolish, Hero Minstrel Lincoln. It is not only the Damsels that depend on you, but our Caretaker Lisa and your Companion Cadence. And me. I depend on you, Lincoln. I could not stand to go back to that place where I would always be without you. I love you, my Hero. Bring us back our loved ones." Persephone kissed me long and hard. I nearly pushed her back into the room to make love one more time before I departed. Instead, I stood straight and looked her in the eye.

"I love you, Persephone," I said. "I have never lied when I said 'I love you'." I glanced at Cadence and she smiled at me. Seph reached up and dabbed her rose scented oil on our noses.

"You'll need this."

The portal activated and Cadence and I stepped into the bank vault.

I'd made a rather hasty retreat from Chaos on my last visit—bleeding from the stab wound Cathy Temp had inflicted. I'd pretty much thrown stuff into my box and slammed the lid shut. I know I lost a few knives and shuriken in the process, but just hoped my sword and purse had made it into the box before I closed it. My recollection of that bit of confusion was less than clear. I'd been in the healing chamber less than a minute later.

The box was a mess. Cadence curiously pointed at things and I handed her my sword belt.

"What are you going to carry?" she asked.

"Well, I need to acquire a new dagger, a couple shuriken, and some throwing knives. You, however, are my new bodyguard, warrior woman. I will be armed with crutches and a cithara." I pulled the instrument from the box. It had a broken string. "And, by the way," I continued, "you look as deadly as I know you are." Persephone had insisted that Cadence wear a silk blouse under her leather vest. It was perfectly tailored to her curves, thanks to computer's programming. And it was as black as the leather she wore over it. The only flaw in her outfit, if any, was that it was too perfectly new and clean. Cadence had last worn it at a board meeting of Pesciano Holdings. She fastened my southern-style sword to her belt—a gently curved saber. "You know, your pretty boots are going to be a mess shortly," I said, looking at my own worn moccasins.

"I know. Seph said that computer would polish them up as good as new when I got back. He took very complete measurements. If I didn't know he was a computer, I'd have been a little offended or have thought he was just a dirty old man. Do you know that my boobs, at the exact point where they join my chest, are 18.39 inches in circumference? I am not going to tell you the circumference of my thighs," she said.

"I'm certain that he can project an exact holographic model of you in every detail," I laughed as I restrung my cithara. I tested the tuning. The strings would stretch as soon as we left the vault into whatever season it was in High Castle. "Well, are you ready to meet the stench of Chaos?"

"Am I okay?" Cadence asked. "I'll do my best to defend you."

I handed her a bow and a quiver of arrows to sling over her back, then closed the lid of my box. It disappeared with a pop. Cadence flinched and her hand went automatically to her sword. Good.

We walked out of the vault.

As soon as we entered the common room of the bank, we were accosted by the general smell of unwashed humanity. I assumed the shit smell would hit us when we left. That, however, was delayed.

"Halt!" a guard snapped as we headed toward the door. Again, Cadence had her sword half drawn before I placed a hand on her arm to slow her down. The guard had not drawn a weapon but positioned himself between us and the door. "Are you the minstrel known as Lincoln?"

"Who wants to know?" I asked.

"The Duke has left instructions that Lincoln Minstrel was to be greeted here and escorted immediately to his audience chamber. If you are that minstrel, I will conduct you to the Duke at once," the guard said. I leaned on my canes and looked him over.

"We accept your escort," I said. "I am Lincoln Minstrel. Lead on."

The guard preceded us through the door and we were met with a blast of cold air. There was a dusting of snow on the frozen ground. That explained the lack of sewage smell. It was less in winter but would be god-awful when the spring thaws came.

"I am privileged to be the one on duty to greet you," our escort said. He cast a curious glance at Cadence who shivered in her leathers. We weren't really dressed for the cold. "There are those who call this the ghost shift," he continued. "They say we are waiting for a specter to appear."

"Well, we are flesh and blood. How fares the Duke?"

"Oh, well, sir. And the citadel prospers under his leadership. We actually have a trading center, though we've had to expand the walls to lower ground so the merchants don't have to make the grade up to the castle." Wow! A lot had been happening since I left and that caused a shiver that was unrelated to the cold. How long had we been gone?

It was scarcely a ten-minute walk to the Duke's private chambers and it was obvious that a runner had been sent ahead of us. The chamberlain and three footmen met us at the door, threw blankets over our shoulders and handed us steaming cups of the chicory-like brew that passed for coffee here. We were led into the audience chamber and the chamberlain explained that the Duke had been summoned from the training grounds and would arrive shortly. He gave us chairs by the fire and made us comfortable. I was happy that the Duke seemed to be expecting us and was providing everything he could to make us at home. We sat and I let Cadence ramble on about what she had experienced in her first fifteen minutes on Chaos.

"Ah. He deigns to return to our humble world. Greetings, Hero Lincoln." I turned in my chair and rose to meet the duke. I noticed his beard was graying, but he looked to be fit and in good health. His beard style, a Balbo with just mustache and goatee, was tightly trimmed and even though graying made him look younger than I knew his age to be. But he had no beard when I was here last. And I was sure his hair was much longer now. He shook my hand and pulled me into a hug that was heartfelt.

"Duke, may I present my Companion and fiancée, Cadence," I said. Cadence shed the blanket she was warming in and stood beside me. The Duke reached out to take her hand but as soon as they touched he was lost in her eyes.

"Mio Dio," he breathed. "It's true. Welcome to High Castle, niece."

"Thank you..." Cadence began. "What?"

"The resemblance is unmistakable. You could only be Cosimo's daughter. When Lisa told me, I was certain it could not be true. Now it is obvious that it is," the duke said. "Your grandfather, Hero Alfonso Pesciano, was my father. I am saddened for your loss and my own."

"Holy shit!" Cadence said. "Did you know him? My father?"

"Very well," Duke Niccolò said. "He was a good bit older than I am—nearly twenty years my senior. But all my childhood, it was as important to see my brother as it was to see my father when the Hero came to call."

"My father was a Hero, too?"

"Ah. This tale requires some refreshment for the telling. Are you sufficiently warmed to accompany me to my private chambers? I will have dinner served and we'll talk of many things: Of shoes—and ships—and sealing wax—of cabbages—and kings."

"I recall that did not end so well for the oysters," I said. "Tell me, Niccolò, how long have I been gone?"

"Somewhat more than five years," the duke said.

Cadence fainted.

"Lisa," I said as soon as we were seated in the Duke's private dining room. The four of us, including Allegra's one-time chaperone Georgia, sat at the table. Cadence had been unable to speak yet, but I knew what she wanted to know. "Is Lisa well?"

"Yes. I would say the last time she was here she was getting a bit aggravated with you for not being back yet, but she has maintained the annual circuit, adding performances here in late summer and then heading back for Mule's Crossing and the South. She is nearly two months ahead of you, but on good horses with no wagons, you should be able to close the distance in three weeks."

"My poor mommy," Cadence cried. "She'll be old."

"We don't age on Chaos, sweetheart," I said. "She'll have five more years of experience, but will be no older than she was the day we left a week ago."

"Only a week?" Niccolò mused. "My father once tried to explain how time worked between our worlds, but it still baffles me. Yet, you are right about one thing. Lisa, or Master Lees, does not seem a day older than when she first arrived."

"Nonetheless, she has lived here through the same time in these five years that you have," I said. "Though I hate to cut our visit short, we will need to acquire horses and gear tomorrow and leave as quickly as we can."

"That will be arranged," Niccolò said. "When you left so abruptly after your last visit, Lisa took charge of making sure I had an appropriate welcome for you when you returned. I have maintained a watch at the bank ever since. I understand the soldiers called it the ghost watch, but that young man who greeted you at the bank today just became a very wealthy man. There has been a sum accumulating since the day you left, like a lottery. The man on duty when you appeared wins it all."

"Well, good for him."

"Lisa also left your two black horses and tack. They have been exercised and trained daily since your departure. They will carry you well. I have two pack horses for you and all the equipment you will need to start tomorrow if you wish. Though I would recommend that you get some better outerwear. You'll shed it in two weeks as you reach the warmer climes, but it will be cold for a while," he said.

"Allegra is going to be so happy to meet her cousin," Georgia said. "And so jealous."

"Cousin? Jealous?" Cadence said.

"Allegra is my sister's, your Aunt Carlotta's, daughter," Niccolò said.

"That makes her your cousin," Georgia continued. "But, I understand that you are Companion and fiancée to the Hero. For that she will be jealous. She so hoped she could find a way to be Lincoln's lover."