Surprise Party

 Today is another teaser for the Morian Trilogy. All three books of the series are available online at iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Lulu.

"I want to give you the honor of being one of the first persons to see my new invention," the emperor said with giddiness creeping into his voice.

Uslum feared that he was going to do more than see this new invention. From the look of the other devices within the room he was in for an exceedingly unpleasant evening.

"Out of due respect," Uslum weakly replied, "I would just like to return to Siam and tell my king anything you would like."

With catlike reflexes the emperor was suddenly on him, pressing a hand over Uslum's mouth at the same time pinning him up against a stone column. Uslum hit with such force it knocked the air from his lungs. Wu had incredible strength and struggle as he may Uslum had no chance of breaking free.

The emperor moved in close staring right into the unfortunate Siamese man's face. Even as his mind raced trying to plan an escape he could not help but to marvel at how blue the emperor’s
eyes were. Wang Wu moved his mouth to Uslum’s ear and whispered so quietly the words were barely audible.

"I want you to beg for your life."

The emperor backed away so inhumanly fast all Uslum saw was a blur.

He immediately crumpled to the floor gasping for breath. Suddenly Wu’s fist hit him on the back of the head and he was face down upon the cold hard stone floor.

"Now that is how someone should bow down before me." Wang Wu placed a sandaled foot on the back of his head and ground his face into the hard floor."Now beg Son of Siam."

Uslum rolled to one side up onto his knees. He looked up into the eyes of the most powerful man in the known world and spat at his feet.

"Never!" he shouted defiantly.

The emperor laughed and within its echo Uslum found validation for every black story he had ever heard about the deeds this evil man had ever committed.

He attempted to bolt for the spiral staircase corridor but his way was instantly blocked. The Chinese nobleman had supernatural quickness.

"Where are you going son of Siam?" Emperor Wu toyed. "This party is for you."

The emperor roughly turned him round and shoved him forward toward the opposite end of the room. Uslum stumbled and fell at the foot of a heavy wooden door. It slowly swung open and there stood Feing.

"Is everything prepared for our guest of honor?" the emperor asked the Overseer.

"All is ready Highness," Feing hissed. "Our lady friend is just about done."

"Excellent."

The emperor grabbed Uslum by the arm and shoved him across the room where there stood a metal statue about seven and a half feet high. It had the face of a woman and two halves of a door that apparently opened outward from the length of its body. On the right side near the bottom a spout emptied into a large clay bowl filled with what appeared to be blood. He noticed there was still some dripping from the spout's end.

Uslum turned and defiantly stared the Chinese leader in the eyes without saying a word.

"How do you like my new invention?" Wu circled Uslum.

"Favored Son of Siam," the emperor said with a smug look upon his face, "I am sad to say you will not be the first to test the device even though I had intended the honor to be yours."

"But you did do us the honor of choosing the initial subject yourself," Feing hissed at the captive. Immediately his heart sank for he realized who the Overseer was talking about. Feing reached up above the split door and grabbed a small knob pulling back a small sliding door revealing a small window.

Uslum peered inside and his fears were confirmed. All he could see were the green eyes but that is all he needed to know that this was his beloved Meeka.

"You bastards!!!" he shouted and banged on the statue with tightly clinched fists.

Upon rattling the steal statue he saw recognition in Meekas eyes and came to the horrific realization she was still alive. Upon seeing his face a brief look of relief flared within her eyes before they glazed over and the life suddenly left her body.

Rage welled up inside him as he turned to face the two Chinese men, but Feing suddenly had his arms behind his back and bound his hands tightly. He struggled against the bonds to no avail.

"You are nothing but barbarians!!" Uslum shouted his voice filled with inner rage.

 "Correction," the emperor smiled while unlocking statue’s doors, "We were barbarians, now we are Chinese noblemen."

As Wu yanked opened the statue there was an audible ripping sound as spikes that were attached to the inner side of the door freed themselves from Meeka’s lifeless body still dripping with her blood.

Uslum winched with imagined pain. Meeka’s body still stood upright in the back of the morbid statue. Even in death her loveliness was stunning.

"Beautiful is it not?" The emperor reverently admired. "You see the spikes in the back and front are hollow. When the captive is placed inside the spikes in the back hold them in place as the doors are closed thus placing spikes into the front of the body holding them completely still."

 "You cold-blooded bastard!!!" Uslum screamed his voice hoarse and racked with pain. He watched as the emperor roughly grabbed Meeka’s body and unceremoniously yanked her free of the spikes and threw her to the floor. Uslum broke down into a fit of soft sobbing.