As Marjorie approached the walls of the great city a guard called out to her "Halt! Identify yourself...Princess Mar Jari? Princess Mar Jari, is that realy you?"
The doors oppened and a small army of men dressed in harnesses and weilding longswords rushed out and surrounded her! Just when she began to fear that they might attack her, they dropped to their knees and the leader clasped her hand and kissed it with reverence.
"Oh my princess! All the city of Mandel shall rejoice that you are returned to us!"
Marjorie, not knowing what to say but being genuinely touched by the guards words, said "Thank-you, my loyal friend. It is good to be home."
If the splendor of the city was impressive from a distance that it's majesty upclose could only be described as awesome! It was like a fairytale vision of Oz with it's golden towers and emerald-bejeweled spires. The army and what she guessed to be the cavelry (hundreds of mem in guilded harnesses set with emeralds and ornate, green-plumed headdresses riding on huge, eight-legged, grey creatures called Thoats) paraded her through the streets to the delight of what she assumed to be her people. They cried-out to her and sang songs of gratitude to their gods that their beloved princess Mar Jari! Soon, the sky overhead was dark with a hundred flying crafts of alien design. Most of them looked more like huge, metal torpidos - exageratedly finned and flying green flags and pinnances.
The parade took Marjorie through the streets of Mandal, down the Way of Heros (which was lined with statues) through the Arch of Ancesters (Which, she was latter told, was inscribed with the military victories of the "Jeds", or "Kings" of the city of Mandel) and finaly to the great gates of the Palace of the Jeds, where the parents of Princess Mar Jari waited with open arms to recieve her.
At first, she was worried and embarrassed. After all, she was not realy the woman that these people thought she was.
"My daughter!" cried a large, handsome man in middle-age. His body was impressively muscled and the weapons at his side were obviously as functional as they were beautiful. "I should have known that you would have found a way to escape from your captors! You always were the cleverest of my children."
"Captors?" She thought as she was swept into her "fathers" arms. He kissed her cheek and hugged her with affection. Not knowing what to do, she did the same and said "Oh father, I was so frightened. But...I can hardly remember anything at all! I awoke in the desert, alone and afraid, and I walked to...to our city. I...I'm so glad to be home!"
The Jed (who's name was Xodak Arn) guided her to the palace and said "Hush, little flower. Your trials have been great, but now you are home."
"Home." thought Marjorie, with a little smile. "I guess there are worse fates than being a beautiful princess in a powerful, wealthy city."
"But was this a dream? Her name was Marjorie Mandelberg - and her name here was Mar Jari of the city of Mandel."
Berg=City
City of Mandel
What was going on here?
That night, as she cuddled her new, sensitive body into her sleeping furs and silks, she fondled her huge breasts and mulled her dilemma over. She had no idea as to how this had happend to her, but it was far from the most awful thing that could have happend to her. Still...the coincidence of her name and the name of this princess and this city was disturbing.
The next day, Marjorie learned that Princess Mar Jari had been kidnaped in the night five days ago. She couldn't have been laying out in the desert for five days. Who had kidnaped her, and what had they been doing with her for five whole days?
The next day, Marjorie learned that she was betrothed to a southern prince named Gharon Reg. She also learned that she had been in love with a man her father hadn't approved of. An assassin-prince of the city of Zodanga named Evad. The coincidence of names with her boy-friend Dave was uncanny.
The next day, she found a note on her bed reading "I know who you are, Marjorie!"
Something Else
Wed May 30 01:07:51 2001