Swordsmen of Gor

“And do you possess his skills?” I asked.

“No,” said Tajima.

“Fetch your buckler,” I said to him.

“Yes, Tarl Cabot, tarnsman,” he said.

The edged buckler, of course, as in the arena, is an offensive weapon, as well as a defensive one.

I put Torgus in command.

“We will report to Lord Nishida,” I said to Tajima.

“It is well,” he said.

At that moment, running toward us, then stopping short, was one of the enemy.

“Please, Tarl Cabot, tarnsman,” said Tajima, politely, “may I have him?”

“Yes,” I said. And then I said to Pertinax, “observe.”

It was done very quickly.

“Do not do swords with Tajima,” I said to Pertinax.

“He despises me,” said Pertinax.

“No,” I said, “for as of this afternoon you have ridden together.”

“We are rivals,” said Pertinax.

“Are you interested in Sumomo?” I asked.

“Who is Sumomo?” he asked.

“You are not rivals,” I assured him.

“My skills increase,” said Pertinax.

“Good,” I said. “See that they are employed properly.”

I then, with some dozen or so men, mercenaries, together with Tajima and Pertinax, addressed myself to the path which led to the housing area. We had not been on the track for more than a handful of Ihn, however, moving rapidly but circumspectly, lest crossbowmen be about, when we heard shouts before us, and we saw some dozen or so of the Pani Ashigaru, with their glaives, approaching.

“It seems we will not need our blades,” said Tajima.

“Resistance is at an end,” said one of my fellows.

“The camp is clear,” said another.

“Do not be certain of that,” I said. I conjectured that enclaves of war might linger. More dangerous would be foes who were unseen, who, frenzied, and terrified, might be here and there, in hiding.

Then we had come to the housing area.

“I would see if Sumomo is alive,” said Tajima.

“You are dismissed,” I informed my pantherine associate, and he bowed, briefly, and hurried away, toward the area of Lord Nishida’s still-burning pavilion.

I anticipated no resistance in the open areas.

I saw some Pani about. Some had heads fastened at their belt.

I saw no prisoners.

I heard a scream from within one of the huts about the periphery.

“Should we not concern ourselves with Cecily and Jane?” asked Pertinax.

“You mean Saru, do you not?” I asked.

“With slaves,” said Pertinax.

“War is first,” I told him.

“Duty?” he said.

“Certainly,” I said. “But do not fear for them. Female slaves are not slain, no more than verr or kaiila.”

“They are animals?” said Pertinax.

“Yes,” I said, “and the sooner you learn that then you will relate to them the more appropriately.”

“As animals?”

“Of course,” I said, “as the lovely animals they are.”

“Speaking, feeling animals?” he said.

“Yes,” I said, “the best sort.”

“What if they were free?” he asked.

“Then they would be priceless,” I said.

“Then one might concern oneself?” he asked.

“Eventually,” I said.

“But war, duty, is first,” he said.

“Certainly,” I said. “But remember that even the free woman is only a woman.”

“I see,” he said.

“Do not fear,” I said. “Only the insane would kill a woman. There are better things to do with a woman than kill her.”

“What?” he asked.

“Capture, collar, and master her,” I said.

“I see,” he said.

“In the collar,” I said, “they learn they are women.”

“And what is a woman?” he asked.

“A slave,” I said, “though not all are in collars.”

“All women are slaves?” he said.

“Yes,” I said, “though not all are in collars.”

I thought of a high woman, one who was, or had been, the daughter of a Ubar. I recalled her from the Plaza of Tarns, in conquered Ar, where she, a traitress, had been installed as a puppet Ubara. I had watched her consign woman after woman as booty to the victors, though under the guise of an allegedly reparational bondage, an act of justice, to compensate for the faults and crimes of her city, in this carefully selecting out, amongst others, her critics or enemies, such as the beautiful Claudia Tentia Hinrabia, the daughter of a former administrator of Ar. How imperiously she had reveled in that modicum of power accorded to her by the occupational forces of Tyros and Cos!

To one side a group of Pani were considering a hut. The door had been shut, and, I supposed, blocked from the inside.

In the midst of the Pani before the hut was a figure who wore a large, masklike helmet, whose features could not be discerned. Most of the Pani helmets, on the other hand, were open, though winged, that is, were rimmed to the sides and back, with something like a descending metal brim. They, like Gorean warriors, wore no visible body armor, as this defensive device was contrary to the rulings of Priest-Kings. I have never understood, perfectly, why this was so, but there are two major theories, which I might mention. The first theory would seem to presuppose a historical origin, though perhaps one rather idiosyncratic. In ancient times, on Earth, surely in the Homeric era, at least, it seems the defensive accouterments of the warrior often consisted of a helmet and shield, and the offensive accouterments of a sword and spear. Body armor was rare, and doubtless expensive, and, it seems, many warriors, even by preference, went into battle nude, save for helmet and shield. One gathers this from ancient sculpture, if from no other source. The most likely explanation for this, if it is true, as it seems to be, would presumably be to lighten and free the body to the greatest extent possible for great exertion and quick movement. Even much later Gauls encountered by Caesar’s legions, at least occasionally, seem to have gone into battle with little but a golden neck band, these being prized as loot by victorious legionnaires. One supposes that some warriors might have supposed, as well, that their foes might have been intimidated by their scorn for body armor, or perhaps they regarded, interestingly, body armor as effeminate or unworthy a courageous warrior, who should not fear wounding or death. Perhaps even vanity or preening entered into such matters. It is hard to know. In any event, body armor, in time, became rather general in warfare on Earth. Its use declined with the widely spread utilization of gunpowder, particularly as its quality improved, and advances were made in connection with its packaging and delivery, cartridges, rifled barrels, and such. For example, in two major wars on Earth in the Twentieth Century, body armor was generally unknown, with the exception of the helmet. Later, with new developments in metallurgy, moving toward lightness and strength, it became, once more, rather general, at least where it might be affordable. There are often “arms races,” so to speak, in such matters, in which an improvement in offense spurs an improvement in defense, and so on. In any event, the historical explanation, for what it is worth, is that Priest-Kings