The Warehouse; The Encounter with Cineas, the Agent of Tyrtaios; The Gift of Lord Nishida and Tarl Cabot, Tarnsman It was now four days following the docking of the Pani ship, the River Dragon, and the stranger and I, invited by Captain Nakamura and the harbor master, Demetrion, who now seemed on splendid terms with the captain, perhaps because commerce fosters affability, were in one of the great warehouses adjacent to the high piers. Its light was dim, but it was natural light, flowing in through a large number of high, narrow, barred windows. Slaves in transit are often kept in places with such windows, that they cannot see outside. Such windows, too, of course, are more difficult of access, both from the inside and outside. In the warehouse, on several long tables, set in rows, stretching back, toward the rear of the room, were spread varieties of goods, and such goods, indeed, overflowing, found their way to mats and cloths spread on the floor, amongst the tables. The Pani had brought much with them, for selling and trading, taken from the many officially sealed, watertight compartments of the River Dragon, and local Merchants, who swarmed about, within, moving from table to table, and to the floor displays, were interested, as well, in buying and selling. I had gathered that the movements of the forces of Lord Temmu were much restricted in the islands, with the result that an overseas trade, as it might slip through the blockades of Lord Yamada, might provide an access to goods otherwise less available, in particular, weaponry, missiles, cloth, leather, hemp, siege stores, tarn tackle, and such. For example, exquisite Pani ceramics, intricate carvings, and dyed silks, produced in the castle shops of Lord Temmu might bring silver in Brundisium, and be sold for gold in Ar and Turia, and the silver from Brundisium, in Brundisium, of course, might be exchanged for sinew, arrow points, fletching, larmas, tospits, sa-tarna, and such. The voyage of the River Dragon then, I took it, was a pioneer voyage, which might inaugurate routes of trade and perhaps open conduits of diplomacy. When land roads are closed, Thassa’s roads beckon. What cannot be secured locally may be fetched from abroad. It was a small thing, of course, a single voyage, but it is not unusual that the explorer is followed by the Merchant, just as it is not impossible that the Merchant might be followed by the soldier. Such a voyage may take several months for a single ship, but if a hundred ships are making such voyages day by day, one may well arrive daily in one port or another. One supposed that Lord Yamada, in his less- straitened circumstances, would be less motivated to seek foreign goods, but, too, one supposed, if he were once apprised of tarns, as presumably he soon would be, and might now be, he would be eager to supply himself with so valuable a military arm. One could conceive then, eventually, of the navies of warring shoguns extending their concerns beyond their embattled local waters, and beginning to compete for trade routes and access to distant ports.
Another commodity the Pani were interested in buying, I learned, was women. Apparently fair-skinned female slaves were rare in the islands, and often figured, amongst other gifts, in the attempts to woo political alliances. Too, one supposed they would not do badly off the block, as well. For example, a girl who might go for less than a silver tarsk in Brundisium might, presumably as something rather in the nature of an exotic slave, certainly a rare one, bring the equivalent in local currency of two or three such tarsks in the islands.
“The most beautiful of all female slaves on all Gor are sold in Brundisium,” Demetrion assured Nakamura, the captain of the River Dragon. Certainly this was false, as the captain doubtless surmised, but that is not to deny that some very fine slaves, the equals of any anywhere, are occasionally purchased from Brundisium blocks.
“Ahh,” said Captain Nakamura, politely.
This boast of Demetrion, on behalf of shapely, quality merchandise available in Brundisium, brought to my mind, naturally enough, a particular slave, one whom I would have liked to purchase, but could not afford. To be sure, she had not been bought in Brundisium, but in Market of Semris. On the other hand, the sales barns of Market of Semris are not far from Brundisium, and some fellows from Brundisium like to frequent them, looking for bargains, in particular, paga girls, dancers, and such.
The stranger and I, it may be recalled, had been invited to the warehouse by Demetrion, the harbor master, and Captain Nakamura, captain of the River Dragon, now wharfed nearby. I have little doubt that this invitation, though issued in the name of both the harbor master and the Pani captain, came about as a result of the captain’s request. Demetrion knew little more of the stranger, the Cosian, Callias of Jad, than the fact that he may have cost the harbor, or, better, its administration, a number of golden tarn disks, of double weight. But, even so, a single such disk had been welcome. Demetrion knew me by sight, but by little more, from the registry. The captain, for some reason, had wished for the stranger to stay on board the River Dragon, but, as I would not be allowed to do so, as well, the stranger declined the offer.
“He offered me money, when I had no money,” he told the captain, “he offered me lodging, when I had no lodging.”
“He is not Pani,” said the captain.
“Neither am I,” said the stranger.
“But,” said the captain, “you were of the ship.”
“He has been seen with me,” said the stranger. “If I am in danger, so, too, is he.”
“That is possible,” said the captain.
“Give me a sword,” said the stranger.
A blade was brought, with its shoulder strap and sheath. It was not a Pani sword, but a gladius, a weapon with which, I took it, the stranger would be familiar.
“Do not sell it,” said the captain.
The stranger smiled, and turned to me, who stood at the foot of the gangway. “Would you have a guest?” he asked.
“Welcome,” I said.
My name was given to the captain. “The harbor office will know his residence,” said the stranger.
“Stay on board,” said the captain.
But the stranger had already descended the gangplank.
“My quarters are near,” I told him.
“Excellent,” he said, looking about himself.
Demetrion, the harbor master, had been with the captain, the stranger and myself, on the floor of the large, crowded warehouse, but Demetrion now excused himself, being anxious, one supposed, to do some looking about, and trading himself.
“You wished to see me?” said the stranger to Nakamura, captain of the River Dragon.
Captain Nakamura glanced to me, politely, but the stranger encouraged him, saying that he might speak in my presence.
“I am pleased that you are armed,” said the captain.
“I have not sold the blade yet,” said the stranger.
“I would not do so, if I were you,” said the captain.
“I have remained in seclusion for four days,” said the stranger, “and am now invited to the warehouse.”
“We cannot remain indefinitely in Brundisium,” said the captain. “Each day may be important in the islands. The first day we docked, I sent four men forth to locate the oarsman, Cineas. Unfortunately, he has eluded them.”
“Eluded?” asked the stranger.
“Yes,” said the captain. “They were sent to kill him.”
“Why?” asked the stranger.
“You will recall the attempted desertion, which you did something to delay, and may have fatally impaired, at
