The Star Kings

Arn Abbas' massive face darkened a little at that cool declaration. But Orth Bodmer, the thin-faced chief Councilor, spoke quickly and soothingly to the cold-eyed Baron.

“All men know the proud independence of the great Barons, Zu Rizal. And all know you'd never acquiesce in an evil tyra

Arn Abbas, a few moments later, leaned to speak frowningly to Gordon.

“Shorr Kan has been tampering with the Barons. I'm going to find out tonight from Zu Rizal just where they stand.”

Finally Arn Abbas arose, and the feasters all rose with him. The whole company began to stream out of the Hall of Stars into the adjoining halls.

Courtiers and nobles made way for Gordon and Lia

Gordon nodded carelessly in answer to the congratulations and greetings.

He knew he was probably making many blunders, but he didn't care by now. For the first time since leaving Earth, he felt perfectly carefree as that warm glow inside him deepened.

That saqua was a cursed good drink! Too bad he couldn't take some of it back with him to his own time. But nothing material could go across time. That was a shameHe found himself with Lia

Gordon was astounded by the dreamlike, floating movements of the immeasurably graceful dance. The dancers seemed to hover half-suspended in the air each step. Then he realized that the room was conditioned somehow by anti-gravity apparatus to reduce their weight.

Lia

“Let's not dance,” Lia

Of course-the retiring, studious real Zarth Arn would be that. Well, so much the better.

“I greatly prefer the gardens,” Gordon laughed. “For believe it or not, I'm an even poorer dancer than I was before.”

Lia

Gordon shrugged. “The fact is that I never drank it before tonight.”

He uttered a low exclamation when they emerged into the gardens. He had not expected such a scene of unreal beauty as this.

These were gardens of glowing light, of luminous color. Trees and shrubs bore masses of blossoms that glowed burning red, cool green, turquoise blue, and every shade between. The soft breeze that brought heavy perfume from them shook them gaily like a forest of shining flame-flowers, transcendently lovely.

Later, Gordon was to learn that these luminous flowers were cultivated on several highly radioactive worlds of the star Achernar, and were brought here and planted in beds of similarly radioactive soil. But now, suddenly coming on them, they were stu

Behind him, the massive terraces of the gigantic oblong palace shouldered the stars. Glowing lights flung boldly in step on climbing step against the sky. And the three clustered moons above poured down their mingled radiance to add a final unreal touch.

“Beautiful, beyond words,” Gordon murmured, enthralled by the scene.

Lia

Her eyes kindled and for the first time he saw emotion conquer the regal composure of her lovely little face.

“Lonely, unpeopled worlds that are like planets of living color, drenched by the wonderful auroras of strange suns. I shall take you to see them when we visit Fomalhaut, Zarth.”

She was looking up at him, her ash gold hair shining like a crown in the soft light.

She expected him to make love to her, Gordon thought. He was-or at least, she thought he was-her fianc? the man she had chosen to marry. He'd have to keep up his imposture, even now.

Gordon put his arm around her and bent to her lips. Lia

“I'm a cursed liar!” Gordon thought, dismayed. “I'm kissing her because I want to, not to keep up my role.”

He abruptly stepped back. Lia

“Zarth, what made you do that?”

Gordon tried to laugh, though that thrillingly sweet contact still seemed trembling through his nerves.

“Is it so remarkable for me to kiss you?” he countered.

“Of course it is-you never did before!” Lia

Truth crashed into Gordon's mind like a blast of icy cold, sweeping the fumes of saqua from his brain.

He had made an abysmal slip in his imposture! He should have guessed that Lia

He had to cover up this blunder as best he could, and quickly. The woman was looking up at him with that expression of utter mystification still on her face.

“I can't understand you doing this when you and I made agreement to be mere friends.”

Gordon desperately voiced the only explanation possible, one perilously close to the truth.

“Lia

Lia

“Murn?” The name rang vaguely familiar in Gordon's ears. Jhal Arn had mentioned “Murn.”

Once more, Gordon felt himself baffled by his ignorance of vital facts. He was cold sober now, and badly worried.

“I-I guess maybe I just had too much saqua at the Feast, after all,” he muttered.

Lia

He felt relief when they were interrupted by a gay throng streaming out into the gardens. In the hours that followed, the presence of others made Gordon's role a little easier to play.

He was conscious of Lia

He mopped his brow as he went on the gliding motowalk to his own chambers. What a night! He had had about as much as one man could bear.

Gordon found his rooms softly lit, but the blue servant was not in evidence. He tiredly opened the door of his bedroom. There was a quick rush of little bare feet. He froze at sight of the woman ru

She seemed of almost childish youthfulness, with her dark hair falling to her bare shoulders and her soft, beautiful little face and dark-blue eyes shining with gladness. A child? It was no child's rounded figure that gleamed whitely through the filmy robe she wore.

Gordon stood, stupefied by this final staggering surprise in an evening of surprises, as the woman ran and threw soft bare arms around his neck.

“Zarth Arn!” she said. “At last you've come. I've been waiting so long.