The Undesired Princess by L. Sprague deCamp Read Free Book Online Page A

count on him to lie.”
    “Then why does your father employ him?” asked Hobart.
    “Because Father has affability, and no matter what anybody says about Charion, Charion can always talk his way back into Father’s good graces.”
    Hobart mused: “When I tried to pump him—”
    “Excuse me?”
    “To get information out of him about the kingdom, he shut up like a clam.”
    Argimanda thought a while, and explained: “He has some plan afoot; I don’t know what, but connected with his disarmament project, and I think he fears you and would like to frighten you away. The most logical way to do this would be to tell you that the kingdom is nearly bankrupt and is threatened by the barbarians. But this unfortunately is the truth, and Charion could never tell the truth in such a crucial matter. So his only remaining course was to say nothing.”
    Some reward for the champion, thought Hobart. He puffed silently.
    Argimanda’s voice came softly through the smoke: “Rollin, are we not going to discuss—dates and things?”
    “Nope,” said Hobart. “I don’t want to be brutal, but I’m not going to ask you to marry me.” He threw a glance at her widening blue eyes, then looked quickly away. “Sorry as hell if it hurts your feelings, but I’ve got my own plans, and they don’t include a wife.”
    The blue eyes brimmed with tears, but she did not break down or sniffle. The tears rolled slowly and hesitantly, with a decent interval between each.
    “Now, now,” said Hobart, “it’s not as bad as that. Look. I don’t belong in this world. I’ve got my own world and my own life.”
    She said very softly: “I’m sure I could make you happy in any world.”
    “But—good lord, I couldn’t be in love with you; I’ve only known you a few hours!”
    “I love you,” she whispered.
    “For Pete’s sake why? How?”
    “A princess always falls in love with her rescuer. When I knew you were he, I could not help it.” She gave a sigh with a little catch in it. “But, strange man, if you do not want me, I could not force myself upon you, since I love you and would not do anything to make you unhappy. What is it that you wish?”
    Hobart hesitated, then said: “Tell you one reason I couldn’t marry you, Argimanda. You’re beautiful, intelligent, kind, and so on; practically perfect. That’s the trouble; you’re too perfect. You’d give me an inferiority complex a yard wide.”
    “You need not labor the explanations, my love that was to be. What do you wish?”
    “Well, mainly I want to get back to my own world. That means locating Hoimon and arranging an escape from Oroloia for me, and it would have to be fixed so Theiax wouldn’t catch me at it.”
    “Why Theiax?”
    “He practically promised to eat me if I tried it.”
    “Very well, my prince. I will do what I can.”
    “Okay; I’ll appreciate that. And better not say anything to the king about it. Tell him we’re in no hurry, will you?”
    “I will.”
    “Swell. I’ll go, now. Good-night.”
    “Farewell.” The tears were coming faster. Hobart hurried out of the room and almost ran to his own quarters.

5
    At 6:00 a.m. by Hobart’s watch, his bedroom door flew open; the business end of a trumpet was thrust into the room and began a maddening tah-taa-teh-tah-taa-teh-tah-taa-teh. The impact of the sound almost made Hobart bounce out of bed with shock. When his racing heart slowed and his vision cleared enough to become aware of surroundings, he shouted: “Stop that racket!”
    The racket stopped and the trumpeter’s face, red with blowing, appeared. “Your Dignity—”
    “Get out!” yelled Hobart, reaching for a shoe to throw.
    “The hunt, Your Dignity!”
    “Oh,” yawned Hobart. “Excuse me.”
    A phalanx of servants trooped in with breakfast. He was rushed through the meal, shaved, and dressed before he knew it, though he tried fuzzily to do as much for himself as possible.
    The hunting party congregated at the mammoth main entrance to