Ali Sam: Barbaralba part 3

random cut ...Barbaralba closed the book in Namor's hands and kissed him."King Namor, we must start our crossing."The tide was going down again. They were on their way back to Castle City to explain about a space ship. A neighboring island. A larger nation not far over the ocean. On a planet that no one knew.At Namor's request, Karnalana had brought engineers and city planners.Namor had made it clear that war had been the pivot point of their visit and new city planning. He attempted to prepare his visitors for Castle City. There was no satisfactory way to explain the mountain. Even in it, it was a mystery.He was bringing people from an island that entertained one another with music and stage performance. From the streets to great halls. They were being taken to a city that used their great halls to watch Draves slaughter one another."King Namor, tell me of your castle.""It is splendid beyond belief. Grander than any structure I could imagine. And it is a brutal disgrace. It reaches to the sky with polished stone and gleaming metal and glass. It reaches into the pits of darkness of slavery, rape and murder for entertainment.""I am curious to see it.""Now is the time for it is soon coming down. The age of the castle has come to an end."They walked and they ran under the light of two full moons. Talking little and watching the shadows that reached out at them.Near the end of their first run, the sky turned black with clouds and brought with it wind and rain. Lightning and thunder. The lightning showed through the darkness that the tower was not far from them."Namor, let them go ahead. I feel lucky.""Barbaralba, it will be too dangerous here to make love."She kissed him, took her fish knife and cut into her leg just enough to draw blood."Lover King, I also have my stomach and the stomachs of our company to think about. And I think we are being followed by my favorite competitor."In the next lightning flash, Namor looked to the tower to see all had arrived to the stairs. They saw Namor looking at them and Barbaralba looking at the water.In the next flash, Namor, and everyone watching, saw Barbaralba jab her sword down with two hands. Namor and Barbaralba saw it go through a shark's head."You baited it with your blood. Are you mad.""Have you met someone who isn't. Drave King. Now we have a shark for our feast in the tower. Hospitality is a big part of protocol."Namor laughed.