examining one of the knives--a folding knife with abroad single-edged blade, locked open with a spring; the handle was oftortoise shell, bolstered with brass.
"In all my travels," he said, "I never saw a knife of this workmanshipbefore. Tell me, Coru-hin-Irigod, do you know from what country theseoutland slaves of Nebu-hin-Abenoz's come?"
"You think that might have something to do with it?" the Calera asked.
"It could. I think that these people might not have been born slaves,but people taken captive. Suppose, at some time, there had been soldto Nebu-hin-Abenoz, and sold elsewhere by him, one who was a person ofconsequence--the son of a king, or the priest of some god," GathonDard suggested.
"By Safar, yes! And now that nation, wherever it is, is at blood-feudwith us," Cavu-hin-Avoran said. "This must be thought about; it is anill thing to have unknown enemies."
"Look!" a Calera who had begun to strip the three dead men cried."These are not of the Usasu cities, or any other people of this land.See, they are uncircumcised!"
"Many of the slaves whom Nebu-hin-Abenoz brought to Careba from thehills have been uncircumcised," Coru-hin-Irigod said. "Jeseru, I thinkyou have your sights on the heart of it." He frowned. "Now, think you,will those who had this done be satisfied, or will they carry on theirhatred against all of us?"
"A hard question," Antrath Alv said. "You Caleras do not serve ourgods, but you are our friends. Suffer me to go apart and pray; I wouldtake counsel with the gods, that they may aid us all in this."
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