flickering against the tarn beacons, I could see the return of tarnsmen.
I looked to the west. Out there, somewhere, were the forces of Cos, their
appetites whetted by victory. Within a week, surely, they would be within sight
of Ar, eager for war, zestful for loot. I listened to the alarm bars in the
distance, from within the city. I wondered how well, tonight, would sleep her
free women. Would they squirm and toss in fear in their silken sheets? I
wondered if they better understood, this night, perhaps better than other
nights, their dependence on men. surely they knew in the bottoms of their lovely
bellies that they, too, as much as the slaves in their kennels, were spoils.
“Pray to the Priest-Kings! “Pray to the Priest-Kings!†wept a man.
I thrust him aside, moving through the press, the throng, the carts and wagons,
the tharlarion. In a few Ehn I had come to our tent.
4 Within Ar
“Revile the Home Stone of Ar’s Station while you may,†said the guard to a
tradesman. “We do not know what the future may hold.â€
“No,†said the tradesman, looking about. He knew not who might be in the crowd,
nor what their sympathies might be. He did not enter between the velvet ropes,
forming their corridor to the roped enclosure within which rested the stone.
“I do not fear to do so, even now,†said a brawny fellow of the caste of metal
workers.
“Steady,†I said to Marcus, beside me.
“Nor do I fear,†said the brawny fellow, “the legions of Cos, nor her adherents
or spies! I am of Ar!†He then strode between the ropes of the stone, which
rested upon a plank, itself resting on tow huge terra-cotta vats, of the sort
into which slop pots in insulae are dumped. Such vats are usually removed once
or twice a week, emptied in one carnarium or another, outside the walls, rinsed
out and returned to the insulae. Companies have been organized for this purpose.
“Curses upon Ar’s Station,†he cried, “city faithless and without honor,
subornedally, taker of bribes, refuge of scoundrels, home of cowards, (pg. 67)
betrayer of the mother city! Down with Ar’s Station. Curses upon her!†He then
spat vigorously upon the stone.
“Steady,†I whispered to Marcus. “Steady.â€
The fellow then, not looking about, exited between the velvet ropes on the other
side.
Only yesterday there had been lines, though smaller than when we had first come
to Ar, to revile the stone. Today almost no one approached it. The enclosure was
within sight of the Central Cylinder, on the Avenue of the Central Cylinder.
I put my hand on Marcus’ wrist, not permitting him to draw his sword.
“Remember,†I said. “They think that Ar’s Station opened her gates to Cos.â€
“Cursed lie!†said he.
“Yes, indeed,†I said, rather loudly, for I saw some fellows look about at
Marcus, “it is a cursed lie for any to suggest that the men of Ar might lack
courage. Surely they are among the bravest on all Gor!â€
“True, true,†said more than one fellow, returning his attention to his own
business.â€
“Come away from her,†I said to Marcus.
Phoebe was not with us. We had stopped at one of the depots for fee carts on
Wagon Street, in southeast Ar. There we had backed her into a slave locker,
reached by a catwalk, on all fours, inserted the coin, a tarsk bit, turned and
removed the key. It is a simple device, not unlike the slave boxes used in
certain storage areas. Unlike the slave boxes, they do not require the immediate
services of an attendant. The lockers open outward, as opposed to the slave
boxes, which open upward. The lockers, thus, like slave cages, may be tiered.
The gate of the locker, like the lid of the slave box, is perforated for the
passage of air, usually, like the slave box, with a design in the form of the
cursive ‘Kef,’ the first letter of “Kajira,†the most common Gorean expression,
among several, for a female slave. The usual, and almost universal, temporary
holding arrangement is a simple slave ring, mounted in the wall. These are
conveniently available in most public places. The slave is usually chained to
them. Marcus had decided to keep Phoebe today in a box or locker, rather than at
an open ring. “Down on all fours, crawl within, backward!†Marcus had ordered
the slim beauty. She had obeyed, instantly. Gorean slave girls swiftly learn not
to demur at the orders of masters. I recalled her face, looking up at Marcus.
“Let this help you to keep in mind that you are a slave,†said Marcus. “Yes,
Master,†she had said. He had then closed the door, turning the key, removing
it, placing it in his pouch. I did not object to this incarceration (pg. 68) of
his beauteous slave as such things are excellent for their discipline. Also, it
seemed to me, aside from the value of its effect of Phoebe, an excellent idea.
If her were successful in his mad attempt to obtain the Home Stone of his city
he would doubtless be a recognized wanted man. Some might recall that Phoebe was
his slave, and thus attempt to trace him through her. In the locker she would
not be as easily recognized, surely not as easily as if she were kneeling at a
wall, braceleted to a ring. The keeping her in a box or locker seemed to me
superior, too, incidentally, to renting a tenement room, even though these were
now cheaper and more available than when I had been last in Ar, because of the
new egress of refugees, now from Ar herself. We might be remembered by the
proprietor or other tenants in such a place. Had we used such a room we could
have left her there, chained to a slave ring. In such a room, assuming slaves
are allowed in the building, there are usually two of these, one at the wall and
one at the foot of a straw-filled pallet. The depot, incidentally, had been
muchly crowded, thought not with fee carts. Most of the wagons, coaches, fee
carts, and such were gone. No longer were the schedules within and outside of
the city, being kept. Tharlarion, and such transportation, were now said to be
worth their weight in gold. I had heard that certain rich men had exchanged as
many as fifteen high slaves, choice “flowers†from their pleasure gardens,
trained even to Curulean quality, for a single tharlarion and wagon. But I did
not know, even then, how far they might get, with the need of such conveyances,
brigands on the road, advanced scouts of Cos, and such. Some, I had had heard,
had been turned back even by guardsmen of Ar, outside the city. That seemed hard
to understand. In any event, most of those in the city, surely the largest part,
by far, of its population, had no practical way to leave the city, lest it be on
foot. Even then they would have surely, most of them, nowhere to go, or stay.
Who knew what dangers might lie outside the walls? Too, they could always be
overtaken by tharlarion cavalry or Cosian tarnsmen. The citizenry of Ar, for the
most part, was trapped in the city. Indeed, there were even rumors circulating
/>
that the gates of the city would soon be closed, and even sealed, reinforced
against siege weapons. There was much talk, too, of course, about defending the
city. Indeed, it was with this in mind, that I had come this morning to the
city, to lend my sword, a modicum of mercenary iron, to her defense. On the
other hand, this cause, I suspected, was doomed. It was not that I doubted that
those of Ar, suitably rallied and led, might effect a stout and fierce
resistance, but that I had some (pg. 69) concept, as many did not, Marcus, for
example, of the arithmetic of war. In any normalcy of combat, assuming the
equivalence of the units, the comparability of weaponry, the competence of the
commanders, and such, Ar would be doomed. The army of Cos was the largest ever
brought to the field of Gor, and it was now, after the fall of Ar’s Station,
abetted by numerous reinforcements from the north. Furthermore, it had had the
winter to restore its siege train, the original train burned in Torcadino, fired
by Dietrich of Tarnburg, and, because of its recent success in the field, west
of Ar, it could draw on thousands of square pasangs for its logistical support.
Further, its lines of communication, from the palace at Telnus, in Cos, to the
tent of Myron, the polemarkos, were swift and reliable. I doubted that Ar, even
if rallied by a Marlenus of Ar, could hold out for more than a few weeks. And,
once one added to the reckoning of these dismal tables, the skewing factor of
treachery in Ar, and that her high general, Seremides, of Tyros, was traitorous
to his oaths, as I had learned at Holmesk, in the north, Ar, I was sure, was
doomed.
“Look!†said a man, pointing upward. “Tarnsmen!â€
“They are clad in blue,†cried a man.
“Cosian tarnsmen over the city!†cried another.
“The tarn wire will protect us!†said another.
“Where are our lads?†asked a man.
“They cannot be everywhere,†said another, angrily.
Yet the appearance of Cosian tarnsmen over Ar indicated to me that Cos must now
control the skies, as she had in the north.
“The tarn wire will protect us,†repeated the fellow.
“Wire can be cut,†said a man.
“No one must be permitted to again revile the Home Stone of Ar’s Station!†said
Marcus.
“Come away from here,†I said. I pulled him from the knot of men, to the side.
I looked back to the enclosure within which was the Home Stone of Ar’s Station,
it resting on the plank, supported by the two terra-cotta vats. There were at
least ten guards in the vicinity, as well as perhaps fifty to a hundred men.
“I do not think you are likely, at this time,†I said, “to seize the Home Stone
by force. Even if you could cut your way to it, you would not be likely to get
more than a few feet with it, before you were brought down, by spear or quarrel,
if not by blade.â€
“I can die in the attempt of its rescue,†he said, grimly.
“Yes, I suppose you could,†I said, “and probably without much difficulty, but
if your intent is its rescue, and not your death in its attempted rescue, this
is not the time to strike.â€
“You have many of the virtues of the warrior,†I said, “but there is yet one you
must learn-patience.â€
“It is not your Home Stone,†he said.
“And that,†I said, “is perhaps why it is easier for me to consider these
matters with more objectivity than you.â€
“The Stone may be moved, or hidden,†he said.
“That is a possibility,†I said.
“We must strike now,†he said.
“We must wait,†I said.
“I do not want to wait,†he said.
“I have an idea,†I said. This had occurred to me as I had considered the Stone,
its placement, the arrangement of guardsmen and such.
“What is your idea?†he asked.
“You would not approve of it,†I said, “as it involves something other than a
bloody frontal assault.â€
“What is it?†he asked.
“It is really only a possibility,†I said. “I shall discuss it with you later.â€
I then turned back toward Wagon Street, and Marcus, reluctantly, joined me.
“Our permits to be within the city expire at sundown,†he said. “And the camp
outside is largely struck. Indeed, there may well be scouts and skirmishers of
Cos under the walls tonight. The gates will be closed, we will be outside. We
may not even be able to regain entrance to the city.â€
“It is my intention,†I said, “to remain within the city, putting my sword at
its service.â€
“You owe Ar nothing,†he said.
“True,†I said.
“She is doomed,†he said.
“Perhaps,†I said.
“Why would you wish to remain here then?†he asked.
“I have a reason,†I said.
“Shall we discuss it,†he asked, “its rationality, and such, with objectivity.â€
“Certainly not,†I said.
“I thought not,†he said.
We clasped hands, and then continued on our way, to fetch Phoebe.
5 Outside the Gate
“And so, tonight,†said Marcus, huddling beside me, in a blanket, Phoebe covered
in another, completely, so that she could not see, beside him, in the darkness
and cold outside the sun gate, with perhaps two or three hundred others, “I
thought you were to be warm and snug in Ar.â€
“There were no recruiting tables,†I admitted.
“The services of your sword were not accepted,†he said.
“No,†I said.
“Interesting,’ he said.
“They did ask for my permit and told me I should be out of the city by sundown.â€
“Cos may be hiring,†said a fellow.
“They did not need any more,†said another.
I supposed that was true.
“It is strange,†said Marcus. “I would have thought they might even free and arm
male slaves.â€
I shrugged.
“But then,†he said, “I suppose there are not too many male slaves in the city
who might serve in that capacity.â€
“Perhaps not,†I said. It was not like the city contained large numbers of
dangerous, powerful, virile male slaves, such as might be found on the galleys,
in the quarries, on the great farms, and so on. Such, in numbers, would be
dangerous in the city. Most male slaves in the city were pampered silk slaves,
owned by Gorean women who had not yet learned their sex. Such slaves, when
captured, if not slain in disgust by the victors, were usually herded together
like slave girls, and chained for disposition in markets catering to their form
of merchandise, markets patronized largely by free women. To be sure, there were
virile male slaves in Ar. For example, many of the fellows who attended to the
/> great refuse vats usually kept at the foot of the stairs in insulae were male
slaves. Usually they worked under the direct or indirect supervision of free
men. occasionally they would be treated to a dram of paga or thrown a kettle
girl for the evening.
“I would have thought,†said Marcus, “that Ar might have rejoiced these days to
obtain even the services of a lad with a beanshooter.â€
(pg. 72) “Apparently not,†I said.
“You understand what this means?†asked Marcus.
“Yes,†I said. “I think I understand what it means.â€
“Do you think they will open the gate in the morning?†asked a man.
“Yes,†said another.
“How far is Cos?†Marcus asked a fellow stirring around in his blankets.
“Two days,†said the fellow.
“Ar will be defended to the death,†said a man.
“Perhaps,†said another.
“You are not sure of it?†asked the first.
“No,†said the second.
“Have you heard the latest news?†asked a fellow.
“What?†inquired another.
“It was suddenly in Ar,†said the fellow. “I heard it just before I was expelled
from the city, the gate then closed.â€
“What?†asked a man.
“Talena, the daughter of Marlenus, has offered to sacrifice herself for the
safety of the city.â€
“I do not understand,†said a fellow.
“Tell me of this!†I said.
“Talena has agreed to deliver herself naked, and in the chains of a slave, to
the Cosians, if they will but spare Ar!â€
“She must never be permitted to do so!†cried a man.
“No!†said another.
“Noble woman!†cried a man.
“Noble Talena!†cried another.
“It is absurd,†said another fellow. “She is not the daughter of Marlenus. She
was disowned by him.â€
“And thus,†I said, “her offer is of no more import than would be the similar
offer of any other free woman of Ar.â€
“Treason!†said a fellow.
“It is said,†said a fellow,†that she has been a slave.â€
Norman, John - Gor 25 - Magicians of Gor.txt Page 10
