I told them.
They looked at the fallen man. He was sitting face down, his head between his legs.
“He's dead,” I told them.
The Emperor told one of the archaeologists to check him. “If he is still alive we will carry him.” The man moved forward and pulled the fallen archaeologist to a sitting straight position. The head fell back between the body’s shoulder blades, being held on only by the muscle and skin at the back of its neck. The men sprang back in horror.
At the top of my lungs I screamed, “I know dead! When I say something or someone is dead, they're dead! Now move it!”
The six of them started out with more speed than I thought they were still capable of.
The hours went by. The ghoul killing became easier the more exhausted I became, as though my conscious mind only got in the way. My body would kill one in front and they would wait for me to finish, then they would follow me around it. If one would attack from the back or the side, they would move a few feet away. Wait for me to kill it. Then we would all start out again.
We were about one hour from the opening when the ghouls stopped coming. I didn't know if I had killed them all or if they simply didn't want to hunt anymore because their larders were full. Finally we reached the entrance. There were lines of Imperial Troopers holding back a huge mob of event recorders. The Emperor and each of the archaeologists were surrounded by a group of men who helped them back into the transport.
I was only a few feet into the sunlight when a ghoul came hurtling out of the mine. I turned to meet it. One more to kill I thought. The creature was shot to pieces by the force rifles of the Imperial Troopers before it ever could have touched me.
A group of men surrounded me and helped me into the ship. I handed one of them the identification tag of the fallen archaeologist.
“He’s the real hero. He gave his life so the Emperor could get out,” I told them.
Inside I was sat on a table in a huge spotlessly white room. I could see the archaeologists being treated in various corners of the room. Even the Emperor was being cared for not too far from where I was sitting.
There was a clear wall separation between this room and the adjacent room. The adjacent room was filled with people staring at us, mostly young girls. A very attractive girl on the other side of the wall was looking at me with the strangest expression. I couldn't place that expression. I finally caught her eye and gave her a smile. She looked startled and then gave me back a smile that was the most heartwarming, biggest, brightest smile I had ever seen. I wasn't tired anymore and my head didn't hurt. All I wanted was to be closer to that woman, just to hold her hand and bask in the warmth of that smile.
One of the Emperor's aides came to get me and I reluctantly let myself be led away. I stood there with my head bowed and waited to be acknowledged. “Mr. Nesslun” the Emperor said.
“Yes, your majesty,” I said, my eyes firmly fixed on the point of his chin as I had been told to do. You never look a monarch in the eye. It's disrespectful. He still wasn't my Emperor, but all these eager young men with the force rifles, he was their Emperor. It didn't hurt to show respect.
“I understand you refused payment to come,” the Emperor said.
“Your majesty, I didn't come for the money. I came because my friend Dr Carroll has wanted to visit Lindle 4 since she was a little girl. I was almost here before I found out you needed me here. If I could stop a war from starting by saving the lives of some men I was uniquely qualified to save, I had to try. I didn’t come for a reward.”
“And yet if I ever saw a man who wanted something from me, it's you. Ask me anything. If I can grant it I will,” the Emperor told me.
“Sir, when I came on this transport, all I wanted was to get my head looked at, clean up, and find a bed where I could sleep for a couple of years. A few moments ago I saw this beautiful girl on the other side of the clear wall and she smiled at me. Now I'm not tired anymore and my head doesn't hurt. If you could arrange for me to meet her, I would be very grateful.”
“Meet her, or have her come to your bed?” the Emperor asked me with a grin.
I couldn't help but smile. The thought overwhelmed me. To go to sleep with my arms around that beautiful creature, my face buried in that gorgeous shiny black hair.
“Your majesty, I would like to meet her so that I could ask her myself.”
“Which one is she?” the Emperor asked.
“She is that exquisitely beautiful woman with the incredible shiny black hair. The girl that's...waving at you…”
“That is my daughter Lindwella,” the Emperor said as he gently waved back.
“Am I in trouble?”
“You smash the most beautiful piece of Lindle sculpture I have ever seen. You are disrespectful with your tone and with your words and are very close to being physically disrespectful, and you want to know if you are in trouble because you tell me you think my daughter is beautiful and you want to meet her.”
“I had to get your attention.”
He ignored me.
“I am glad you didn't take me up on my offer to send her to your bed. That would have been awkward. Why don't you come with me now? I am certain she would like to meet you.”
“I really should clean up and put on some clean clothes first.”
“I am certain she would not mind,” the Emperor said with a smile.
“Sir, the last couple of ghouls I killed, I didn't have to touch them. They just got close enough to smell me and they dropped dead.”
He laughed. “Alright, let's get you cleaned up and a change of clothes. Then you can join us for dinner.”
“I would be honored sir.” The Emperor motioned with his hand and men came for me.
◊◊◊
The Emperor walked through the door and Linda grabbed him. “Daddy you came back to me.”
“Was there every any doubt?” the Emperor said.
“Yes there was. I was preparing myself to never see you again. What that man did doesn't seem possible.”
“I was in there with him and it doesn't seem possible. I offered to give him anything. All he wanted was to be introduced to a girl he had seen. I offered to send that girl to his bed. Then I found out the girl he was talking about was you.”
Linda smiled. “I assume that his bed, the one you are going to send me to, will be in my quarters.”
“He told me he just wanted to be introduced to you so he could ask you himself.”
“Why didn't you bring him in with you Father?”
“He wanted a chance to clean up before he met you.”
“Maybe I should go help him clean up.”
