第13节

lacquered box, perhaps, decorated with images of her own choosing...?

And once again she had fixed him with that look. So appealing, so

ardent, so full of promise.

Toh-Shiba had been unable to refuse. Those eyes, ah!

Her eyes were like shimmering jewels. At one moment, they were

sharp-edged emeralds, filled with blue fire, and in the next, they

softened, melting into liquid azure pools. Had he been a stone, he

would have plunged willingly into their mysterious depths. He had lost

count of the number of women whose sexual favours he had enjoyed - or

made use of - but none had ever satisfied his physical desires or

darkest fantasies in the way this long-dog had. She was, quite simply,

the most skilled practitioner he had had the good fortune to

encounter.

But she was more than just beautiful, her whole being exuded a

mysterious, vibrant sexuality. She was the embodiment of carnal

desire. And Toh-Shiba was so besotted with her, he was prepared to do

almost anything she asked.

Within reason, of course.

The truth was somewhat different. The Consul-General had, without any

shadow of doubt, penetrated Clearwater's body, but every time he did

so, she penetrated his mind, imposing her will upon the fevered images

within. Fantasy became reality. TohShiba's wildest imaginings took on

physical form as she became whatever he desired; yielding and

submissive at one moment, ravishing and devouring him the next. His

nerve-endings went into overdrive. Sight, sound, touch, smell - every

sensation was magnified, then moulded to marry with his deepest

needs.

His weapon, already nobly proportioned by nature, was expanded by his

mind's eye into an awesome ivory shaft which he wielded with the thrust

and vigour of a stallion and the stamina of a pack-mule. Time became

distorted so that when the climax came the delicious jolt that filled

every fibre of his being was transformed into a flood-tide of exquisite

satisfaction on which his mind and body seemed to float for a joyous

eternity.

In sum, the Consul-General thought he was enjoying himself a great deal

more than he actually was.

Clearwater drew no pleasure from their encounters, but she was obliged

to use her body in order to maintain her hold over his mind. The

Consul-General was totally unaware that, whenever he lay with her, his

eyes, his ears, his tongue, his fingers and his indefatigable dong were

sending back signals that had been generated by his own lascivious

brain.

The power Clearwater had used was the same power that Mr Snow had

employed to cloud the brain of Hartmann, the commander of the first

wagon-train to enter Plainfolk territory. But Mr Snow had no need to

encounter the sand-burrower in person. As a Storm-Bringer he held the

Seventh Ring of Power and this enabled him to make contact through the

mental image of Hartmann that Cadillac had drawn from the

seeing-stone.

Clearwater's abilities were formidable, but they were far below those

of Mr Snow. The powers that flowed through her did so by the will of

Talisman; they were not hers to command. That was why she knew her

present actions had his blessing. She had been driven into the liaison

with the Consul-General by the need to stay close to Cadillac.

Toh-Shiba's estate was not far from the Heron Pool. If Cadillac had a

change of heart and turned his mind back to her and to thoughts of

escape, she would be in a position to help.

The Sky Voices had told her the wrath of the Iron Masters must fall on

the sand-burrowers, not the Plainfolk. That was why her power - if it

had to be used openly - must appear to be that of the Federation. She

had been distressed by Cadillac's apparent indi