Attack of the Amazons by Gilbert L. Morris Page B

Without waiting for an answer, she turned to him and whispered, “Don’t mind it. I know it’s something you’d rather not do, but we’re all doing things we don’t want to do.” When he still hesitated, she murmured, “Please don’t make trouble. You’ve got to keep yourself whole and unwounded.”
    Suddenly this made sense to Dave, who, in his blind anger, had forgotten that he had a responsibility to the group. Swallowing hard, he looked over Abbey’s head and met the triumphant eyes of Princess Merle and the warrior maiden.
    â€œAll right,” he said, “I’ll do it.” Stooping, he grabbed up the clothes in his arms and walked away toward the laundry pots.
    A group of men was washing clothes in boiling water, and he joined them.
    â€œI’ve never seen you before.” The speaker was a strong young man, at least five ten, which was about as tall as the men of Fedor ever got. He had muscular shoulders, dark auburn hair bound up with a leather thong, and a pair of strangely colored hazel eyes. He didn’t look like any of the Fedorians that Dave had seen. And a spirit of rebellion seemed to leap out of the unusual yellow-brown eyes. “What are you doing here? Where did you come from?”
    â€œFrom a long way off,” Dave said. He began to stir Abbey’s clothes with a stick, casting a curious glance at the man. “My name is Dave. You don’t look like you belong here either.”
    â€œI don’t. I’m a captive. My name is Gaelan. When did they take you?”
    â€œJust a few days ago. Have you been here long?”
    â€œOver a month. I swore I’d never be taken alive. But I got knocked in the head somehow, and they brought me here. When I awoke, I was tied up. No choice. I won’t stay, though.”
    Dave looked at the high fence with its sharp stakes and at the guards constantly monitoring it. “Does anybody ever get away—escape, I mean?”
    â€œNot that I know of, but there’s always a first.” He looked at Dave and said, “You look like a pretty tough fellow—maybe you’ll go with me? Two might have more of a chance.”
    â€œMaybe I will. I can’t stand this place much longer. Where I come from, men are the stronger ones.”
    â€œThat’s the way it is with my people. But I belong to
her
now, or so she says.” Gaelan nodded toward Princess Merle. “She’s tried to break me, but she hasn’t.” He grinned, his white teeth gleaming against his tanned face. “I like it when she tries. She can’t have her way with
me
anyhow, and that makes her angry.”
    Merle saw them talking and came over at once. “You don’t have enough work to do, Gaelan? Maybe I can find something else.”
    â€œOf course, Princess. I can handle anything you can give me.”
    The arrogance of the young man obviously grated on Princess Merle. “Very well,” she snapped, her face reddening. She called to one of the guards. “See that Gaelan here has more work. He apparently has time to gossip with the rest of these men.” She set her eyes on Dave then and said, “Do you need more work too?”
    â€œNo, I think this is enough for me,” Dave said carefully. He had learned that a little humility might go a long way.
    After the Princess moved away, Dave and Gaelancontinued talking quietly. He asked Gaelan about the physical possibilities of escape.
    Gaelan said finally, “You know, there’s another one that I’d like to see come with us.”
    â€œWho’s that?”
    â€œRolf, the son of the queen.”
    â€œWhat’s he like?”
    â€œWell, believe it or not, he’s not a bad fellow. He’s been under the thumb of his mother and his sister and these other women for so long that he hardly knows he’s a man. But if I could get him away, I could teach him some things.” His hazel eyes