Chapter Four

     Candy's mind was so full of questions, she hardly knew where to
start.  She wondered if she could trust him, if he would tell her the truth. 
Since he was the only port in her storm of ignorance, she didn't have much
choice but to ask and take her chances.  Where to start?
      Dolph sat on the edge of the bed and arched his brow at Candy in
question.  Her eyes were drawn to Silky, sleeping soundly in his safe little
circle of silver.  She returned her eyes to Dolph, deciding that looking into
his eyes would help her determine if he were lying.  His eyes were so
beautiful.  Shaking her head to get her mind back to the subject at hand, she
started her questioning.
     "Even the things that seem obvious around here, aren't.  Like, I can
see that Silky is a cat.  I mean, he looks like a cat.  But he must have gone
on one heck of a diet."
     Dolph grinned, making him look boyish and very handsome.  He
obviously loved the little critter.
     "Silky comes from a planet several galaxies away from your home. 
The gravity on his home world is very heavy, the land masses quite small. 
Things do not grow so large there.  Other than his size, he is physically the
same as your domestic cat.  The natives of his planet harness his species as
pets.  As you have seen, they are very entertaining.  When his owner was
killed, I took him."
     It was Candy's turn to arch a brow.
     "Did you kill him?"
     "Nooo."
     Dolph shifted his gaze to Silky's perch.  His answer had the sound
of avoidance.  Candy leaned forward in her chair, wanting the truth.
     "Convince me."
     Dolph brought flaring green eyes back to join with light blue.  He
was not used to having his word questioned!  He tossed his golden blonde
mane like an angry stallion.
     "I did not kill him.  He was killed by one of my men, Bjorn One-
eye, in a raid.  When Silky attempted to claw out Bjorn's one good eye, I
intervened and kept my friend from killing him.  After all, the little beast
was merely trying to defend himself.  I admired that."
     His affectionate gaze found Silky, who seemed to sense that he was
being talked about.  He sat up and gave them both a disgruntled look, then
started bathing himself.  Dolph laughed and winked at Candy.  She couldn't
imagine why, but she felt herself instantly blush, the warmth spreading all
the way to her toes.
     "I guess we're being too noisy for his highness, poor little fellow
can't get a decent day's sleep.  When taken from their natural habitat and
brought into that of larger creatures such as man, they become very
vulnerable," he dropped his voice in mock conspiracy, "not that he would
appreciate that term."
     Candy's open smile warmed him like a ray of sunshine.
     "I take him along with me when I leave the ship so that I will know
where he is.  He tends to get into mischief."
     Candy giggled.  Dolph relaxed with the soft, feminine sound.  He
liked to watch the light dance about on her fiery hair.  When friendly, as
now, this woman made him feel comfortable.  He liked that, liked her.  He
had made a good choice.  Her words, full of laughter, were a balm for his
heavy heart.
     "I'll bet he does.  Cats can be a real pain, but I love them.  They're
so soft and cuddly.  Petting them makes me feel like all is right with the
world, you know?"
     Dolph nodded, thinking that laying with her now would surely make
him feel that way.  But he had said that he would answer her questions and
he would honor his word, no matter how much pain it caused him.
     "Where are you from?"
     Candy sighed and looked at her feet.
     "I ask that like you're going to say Cleveland or something.  I know
you're not from Earth, that much is obvious, but," a sudden thought brought
her eyes back to his,  "you said that English was your second language."
     Dolph nodded again and smiled.
     "My mother was American.  She came from Arizona.  She liked to
take long drives in the desert.  My father found her on one of her outings
and liked what he saw.  She taught me to speak English as my father taught
me Norse.  I guess I really learned them simultaneously."  He laughed.  "I
believe it was somewhat of a contest between them which I would speak.  I
didn't wish to hurt either of them so I learned both.
     "As for where I come from, if you mean where was I born--on a
ship much like this one.  My father was a raider, as am I. I believe you
would call us 'Vikings'."
     Candy stared at him with wide eyes.  Now she realized what he
reminded her of.  She had read stories of Vikings, the great blonde raiders
from the North that had descended upon Europe in the tenth century.  They
had been ruthless, stealing anything, and anyone, that caught their eye,
destroying almost everything in their path.  Looking at Dolph, she could
easily believe that he was descended from those thundering hordes, but how
could that be?
     "How?  I mean, Vikings come from Earth, from a long time ago. 
They used wooden ships.  They surely didn't have the technology to fly, let
alone get to space.  And nobody else was that developed, so they couldn't
even have stolen it."
     Dolph grinned.  Candy narrowed her eyes, her expression one of
trying to understand a great dilemma.
     "How could you be a Viking?"
     Dolph smiled somewhat apologetically and shrugged.
     "I can only tell you the story that has been handed down among my
people.  I can't vouch for its truthfulness, since the old ones sometimes tend
to exaggerate a bit, but I'm sure it's basically true."
     Dolph leaned back on his hands, enjoying the tale.  All Vikings
loved a good story, especially if they were the ones telling it.
     "A very long time ago, as you mentioned, my people were sea
raiders from Earth.  We were proud and strong, the greatest race ever to
grace that beautiful planet.  We preyed on all who were weaker than us,
respected those who could outsmart us, few as they were."
     Candy gave him an exasperated look, a grin lifting the corners of her
mouth.  He returned her smile.
     "Anyway, so the story goes, a fleet of Viking ships was on its way to
drop in on our old friends the English and see what gifts they might have
for us.  Suddenly, the sky was bright with strange lights.  A man appeared
on one of the Dragon ships.  The Captain of that ship asked him what he
wanted.  The man from the sky said that his people had been looking for
specimens good enough to take as slaves.  They found us to be the best this
planet had to offer so they were going to enslave the whole fleet.  The
Viking Captain, my distant relative," Candy gave him a dubious look. 
Dolph shrugged, "Tis true!  We're all related in some way."
     Candy's eyes flashed mischief.
     "Inbred, huh?"
     Dolph straightened indignantly, then relaxed as he realized that she
was joking with him.  He laughed.
     "Perhaps, but we try to avoid that by taking beautiful captives to
marry and breed with.  Of course, since we are so perfect, they fall in love
with us and eventually thank us for rescuing them from their hum-drum
existence."
     He looked sideways at Candy, a comical, somewhat hopeful
expression lighting his face.  Candy felt that damnable blush start again.
     "Do they indeed?"  Under her breath she mumbled, "I'll bet none of
them were Scottish."  To him, she said, "So what did your 'distant relative'
do?"
     Dolph was pleased that she had accepted the fact that he was related
to the Viking hero, and that she was interested in his story.  Storytelling was
one of his people's greatest joys.
     "The Viking Captain, Victor the Red, asked the man from the sky if
he would be so kind as to have a drink with him.  There was mead on
board, of course."
     Candy snorted.
     "Of course."
     Dolph ignored her interruption.  This was his favorite part of the
story.
     "Victor asked what their duties would be, where they would live,
anything to keep the man drinking.  He found out that there were women
on board the flying machines, that they were equal with their men, helping
them to run the ships."
     The incredulity with which he said this brought a sarcastic sound
from Candy.
     "Will wonders never cease?  Women actually using their brains,
running machinery.  What is this galaxy coming to?"
     Dolph frowned at her.  She smiled and narrowed her eyes, making
sure he knew her opinion of his chauvinism.  He continued.
     "Once his victim was near senseless with drink, Victor the Red told
him that his men would be honored to be the slaves of these great men from
the sky.  However, he said that to his great embarrassment, he could not
trust his men near women of any kind.  They would go mad with lust.  He
suggested to his very inebriated guest that he move all of the women to one
ship so that there would be no difficulties.  Using his wrist radio, the sky
man did so.
     "After a few more drinks, the man from the sky passed out, as
Victor had known he would.  He took the sky man's radio -  he had
watched carefully how it was operated - and, imitating the spaceman,
ordered that the Vikings be taken to the women's ship.  Once there, they
had little difficulty convincing the women to do as they wanted.  No woman
can resist a Viking."
     Another snort from Candy.
     "They had the women instruct them in the basics of running the
ships, then they sent raiding parties to the other ships to take over.  There
was a great battle, many lives were lost, but in the end the Vikings
triumphed. They took the spacecraft that had survived home, gathered their
families, and headed out to find new places to raid.
     "As had always been Viking custom, they settled their families
wherever they took a liking to the area.  There are few planets today that do
not have at least one Viking settlement."
     Dolph tossed his golden mane, his chest puffing with pride.
     "We are considered the most fierce warriors in existence, feared and
respected throughout the Universe.  We go wherever we please, take
whatever or," he glanced slyly at her, "whoever we desire.  Those who
would make war hire us if they wish to win.  And women secretly hope that
a great Viking warrior will take them and make them his own.  As I have
done with you."
     Candy stiffened.  Tiny flecks of dark blue appeared in her eyes as
her temper started to rear its ugly, and pretty much uncontrollable, head. 
Her tone was polite, her attitude icy.
     "Please, forgive me.  I guess I didn't realize what a great honor you
have bestowed upon me."
     She stood, her fists clenching at her side. Always the proud, and
cautious, warrior, Dolph stood to face her, not caring to give her the
advantage of height.  Her growing anger was reflected in the slow raising of
her voice as she spoke.
     "Excuse me if I don't consider being wrenched from my home and
family to be a great honor, you low-life Viking!  And if you really expect
me to fall in love with you, you must be severely inbred.  I wouldn't fall in
love with you if you were the last man on Earth.  Or anywhere else, for that
matter!  I think you have an extremely elevated opinion of yourself. 
Vikings are nothing but thieves who steal from others because they're too
lazy or stupid to..."
     His hand lashed out, the palm catching Candy painfully across the
left cheek and sending her crashing into the chair.  He stood glowering at
her, his whole body shaking with barely restrained fury.  Candy raised her
hand to her injured cheek, anger, fear and hurt warring for space in her
mind and eyes.  He shoved his index finger toward her face, causing her to
strain back against the chair so as not to be touched by him.  His anger
hissed in his words.
     "You are the stupid one, bitch!  You haven't the intelligence not to
anger the man who holds your very life in his hands.  You speak of things
of which you know nothing.  You dare to insult my people?  We were
sailing the seas, masters of all we came upon, while your ancestors were still
crawling out of caves!"
     Candy made a move to speak.  His yell was truly terrifying, she
could actually feel the chair beneath her vibrate with it.
     "Hold your tongue or I swear to the gods that I will remove it!  Your
best course of action if you wish to remain alive and unbroken is to keep
your legs open and your mouth shut!"
     He looked at the sheet that she had kept wrapped about her body
through their conversation.  Grabbing the ends of the sheet where they
came together in front of her, he lifted her to her feet, then leaned over to
speak directly into her face.
     "You are mine, I have chosen you to be my bride.  I care not if you
approve.  I promised my father as he lay dying in my arms that I would
produce a son to carry on his name within the year, and by all the gods, I
will keep my word!  Hate me if you want, girl, but understand this: I am
master here, and you will do as I say or suffer the consequences!"
     He tossed her onto the bed.  Fearing a repeat of his earlier
performance, Candy tried desperately to get herself untangled from the
sheet so that she could fight him.  When she was finally free she came to
her knees in the middle of the bed, ready to battle to the death rather than
be ravaged again.  He was gone, the aura of his fierce anger the only
remnant of his presence in the room.
     Candy threw back her head and screamed at the ceiling, tossing the
pillows from the bed to the floor, then tearing the bottom sheet off of the
bed in her anger.  Jumping from the bed, she tripped on one of the pillows
and fell headlong to the floor.  She lay panting, her silver hair wrapped
around her pale body, looking for something else to decimate.
     A small sound came from the floor beside her.  Turning, she saw
Silky cautiously approaching her.  Deciding her temporary insanity had
past, he wriggled under a piece of her hair, then peeked out to see if she
were still watching him.  Candy laughed at his cute little face, then laid her
head next to his furry body as her tears started.  Sobs tore through her
young body as though her heart were surely breaking.
     With quiet meows, purrs, and the rubbing of his body against her
face, Silky tried to comfort Candy.  Having no luck, he curled up under a
piece of her soft hair and waited for Dolph.  He knew Dolph would know
what to do with this wailing woman.  Till then, Silky would conserve his
strength and rest.