Swordsmen of Gor

“I think this is the last of the signs,” I said.

“No!” said Pertinax, alarmed.

“They seem not to continue,” I said.

“They must!” insisted Pertinax.

We looked about. Each sign had been reasonably obvious from the vantage point of the preceding sign. This pattern, however, clearly, no longer held.

“I do not understand,” said Pertinax, obviously concerned.

“What is wrong!” demanded Constantina.

“Was your slave given permission to speak?” I asked.

“She has a standing permission to speak,” said Pertinax, uneasily.

“Surely not when hooded,” I said.

“Oh?” said Pertinax.

“No,” I said.

“May I speak?” said Constantina, quickly.

Pertinax looked at me, and I nodded.

“Yes,” he said.

“Something is wrong!” she said. “What is going on? What is wrong?”

I smiled.

Women are so much at one’s mercy, so helpless, when bound, and hooded.

I went behind her and took her by the upper arms and held her. “Nothing is wrong,” I told her. “And, besides, curiosity is not becoming in a kajira.”

“Something is wrong, is it not?” asked Pertinax.

“I do not think so,” I said.

“What are we to do?” he asked.

“Wait,” I said.

“We have long trekked,” he said. “It will soon be dark.”

“We have some food, a bota of water,” I said.

“It is dangerous here,” he said. “There may be animals.”

“That is possible,” I said, “but I do not think there is much to fear in the reserve. The oddity of the ditch discourages the entrance of animals, and, as there is little grazing here, there would be few herbivores, and there being few herbivores, there will be few carnivores. Too, the human is unfamiliar prey to most carnivores, the panther, the sleen, the larl, and such. They will certainly attack humans, and humans are surely within their prey range, but, given a choice, they will usually choose prey to which they are accustomed, wild tarsk, wild verr, tabuk, and such.”

“There are no larls this far north,” said Pertinax.

“Yesterday, on the beach,” I said, “I heard one.”

Pertinax paled.

“We are probably too far north for panthers,” I said. “One is more likely to encounter them in the forests to the south.”

“Good,” said Pertinax.

“Unless, of course, some range this far north, but that is unusual. There should, however, be sleen about.”

I recalled one had been in the vicinity of Pertinax’s hut, when Constantina, who had annoyed me, had been put outside, gagged and bound, hands tied behind her, feet crossed, pulled up, and fastened closely to her hands, on the leaves.

It is an unpleasant tie.

I hoped she had found it instructive.

The common sleen burrows, and would have its den below the frost line. To be sure it is an adaptive, successful life form. In the vicinity of the Red Hunters, there are snow sleen. In certain waters, there are sea sleen, and so on.

“I wish I had a rifle,” said Pertinax.

“It is better that you do not,” I said. “If you possessed such a weapon, you would be in violation of the weapon laws of Priest-Kings, and liable to the flame death.”

“Surely there would be an inquiry, a trial, or such,” he said.

“No,” I said.

“At least you have a sword, a knife,” he said.

“Such tools would be of little help against large predators,” I said. “A spear would be better, or, if one had time, time for several arrows, the great bow.”

“I do not like this,” said Pertinax.

“Nor I,” I said. “Let us unhood the slaves. They know they are in the reserve. Thus, no security will be compromised.”

Both girls were then freed of their hoods.

I then sat them down, facing one another. We left the leashes on their necks.

“What are you doing?” asked Pertinax.

“I am tying their ankles together,” I said. “Now let us eat. We can feed them later.”

After Pertinax and I had fed, I went to Cecily, and knelt down, and she leaned forward, her hands tied behind her. I had some bread for her. She looked at me. I extended my hand. She kissed it, and licked it, the hand of her master. I then, bit by bit, fed her by hand, and then, when I thought she had had enough, I gave her of the bota. I then stood up, my shapely beast having been fed and watered.

“What of me?” demanded Constantina.

“What is done with you is up to your master,” I said. “Surely you know that, slave.”

“Untie me,” she said to Pertinax.

“Do not,” I said.

“I am hungry!” she said.

“Then you will take food from your master’s hand,” I said.

“Never!” she said.

“Then you will go hungry,” I said.

She tried to rise, but, as her feet, crossed, were bound to those of Cecily, crossed, she fell, and heavily, to her side. She struggled again, then, to her seated position. She realized then she could not rise.

Constantina cast me a look of fury, but, I fear, it was a mild thing compared to that with which she regaled Pertinax, who looked hastily away.

It was then an Ahn later.

Night, by then, was well fallen.

“I am hungry,” said Constantina. “Please feed me.”

“Are you ready to take food from your master’s hand?” I asked.

“Yes!” she said, angrily.

Pertinax, obligingly, approached her, and knelt down beside her.

“Not yet,” I told him. “You may beg to be fed,” I informed Constantina.

“I beg to be fed,” she said.

“Have you not forgotten something?” I asked.

“- Master,” she said.

Pertinax leaned forward.

“Not yet,” I told him. Then I addressed myself to the Lady Constantina. “You should be grateful that your master consents to feed you,” I told her.

She looked at me, angrily.

“Extend your hand to your slave,” I said to Pertinax. “Good,” I said, as he had done so. “Now,” I said to the Lady Constantina, “lick, and kiss, his hand, softly, tenderly, gratefully.”

“Ai!” said Pertinax.