The girl was silent.
'The Lady Vivina, as you doubtless know, is promised to Lurius, Ubar of Cos, said Chenbar.
'I did not know,' I said, 'that the promise had be given.'
'Yes,' said Chenbar, 'this morning I gave my word.'
Lurius grinned.
The girl looked at me with fury.
There was some polite striking of the left shoulder with the right hand in the room, which is a common Gorean applause, though not of the warriors, who clash weapons.
Chenbar smiled and lifted his hand, silencing the applause.
'This companionship,' said Chenbar, 'will link our two Ubarates. Following the ceremony of the companionship there will be a conjoining of our fleets, that we may soon thereafter pay Port Kar a visit of state.'
'I see,' I said.
'Even now our fleets are being outfitted,' said Chenbar.
'When will the gathering take place?' I asked.
'In the neighborhood of the sixth passage hand,' he said.
'You are free with your information,' I said.
'Well,' said Chenbar, 'we are all friends here.'
'Or slaves,' said the girl, looking pointedly at me.
'Or slaves,' I said, looking at her very directly.
Her eyes flashed over her veil.
'You have had dealings,' I asked, 'with the Ubar Henrius Sevarius in Port Kar?' Chenbar smiled. 'We have dealt with his regent, Claudius,' said Chenbar. 'What of Henrius Sevarius himself?' I asked 'He is only a boy,' said Chenbar.
'But what of him?' I asked.
'He is a boy,' said Chenbar. 'He has no power.'
'Whom do his men follow?' I asked.
'Claudius,' said Chenbar.
'I see,' I said.
'Mark well the name of Claudius, Captain,' said Chenbar, 'for he is to become Ubar of Port Kar.'
'As the agent of Cos and Tyros,' I said.
'Assuredly,' laughed Chenbar.
'As you may not know,' I said, 'Claudius and the various forces of Henrius Sevarius are scarcely in command of Port Kar.'
'Our information is better than you seem to understand,' smiled Chenbar. 'Be assured,' said he, 'that we will free Claudius from his current predicaments.' 'You seem,' I said, 'to be well aware of what transpires in Port Kar.' 'Yes,' said Chenbar. 'Perhaps you would care to meet our principal courier, he who will, in time, lead our fleets to the harbor of Port Kar?'
'Yes,' I said, 'I would.'
A man stepped from among a group of robed dignitaries, standing to one side of the Ubars' thrones. He had previously been standing in the shadows. He had long black hair, tied behind his neck with a scarlet string. He carried, in the crook of his left arm, a helmet, bearing the crest of sleen hair that marks a captain of Port Kar. The helmet, too, bore two golden slashes. A long cloak swirled behind him.
I had expected it to be Samos.
'I am Lysias,' he said. 'Bosk, you remember me.'
I smiled to myself. He, with a handful of men, had managed to escape from the holding of Henrius Sevarius. It had occurred the night following my rescue of the boy from the canal. The guard had since been increased. I did not think more would escape.
'Yes,' I said, 'I remember you perhaps better than you know.'
'What do you mean?' he asked.
'Are you not the one who, in the delta of the Vosk, was overcome by vast numbers of rencers, and forced to abandon your barges, and a treasure of rence paper and slaves?'
'This man is dangerous,' said Lysias to Chenbar. 'I recommend that he be slain.' 'No, no,' said Chenbar. 'We will sell him and make a profit on him.' The girl, Lady Vivina, threw back her head and laughed merrily.
'He is dangerous,' said Lysias.
Chenbar looked at me. 'The money that we obtain from your sale,' he said, 'will be applied to the outfitting of our fleets. It will not be a great deal, but that way you can feel that you have not been left out, that you have done your small bit to augment the glories of Cos and Tyros.'
I said nothing.
'I trust, too,' said Chenbar, 'that you will not be the last of the captains of Port Kar to pull an oar on the round ships of Cos and Tyros.'
'Apparently I have business to attend to,' I said. 'If I may, I request your permission to withdraw.'
'One thing more,' said Chenbar.
'What is that?' I asked.
'Have you not forgotten,' he asked, 'to bid the Lady Vivina farewell?' I looked at Chenbar.
'Doubtless,' said he, 'you will not see her again.'
I turned to face her.
'I do not frequent the rowing holds of round ships,' she said.
There was laughter in the room.
'Have you ever been in the hold of a round ship?' I asked.
'Of course not,' she said.
High born ladies commonly sailed in cabins, located in the stern castle of the galleys.
'Perhaps someday,' I said, 'you shall have the opportunity.'
'What do you mean by that?' said she.
'It is a joke,' said Chenbar.
'When,' I asked, 'High Lady, will you drink the wine of the Free Companionship with Lurius, noble Ubar of Cos?'
'I shall return first to Tyros,' she said, 'where I shall be made ready. Then, with treasure ships, we shall return in festive voyage to the harbor of Telnus, where I shall take the arm of Lurius and with him drink the cup of the Free Companionship.'
'May I wish you, Lady,' said I, 'a safe and pleasant voyage, and much future happiness.'
She nodded her head, and smiled.
'You spoke of treasure ships,' I said.
'Of course,' said she.
'It seems then,' said I, 'that your body alone is not enough for noble Lurius.' 'Tarsk!' she said.
Chenbar laughed.
'Take him away,' cried Lurius, leaning forward in the throne, fists clenched upon its arms.
I felt the chains at my wrists.
'Farewell, Lady,' said I.
'Farewell,' said she, 'Slave.'
I was spun about and dragged stumbling from the high throne room of Cos. When, early the next morning, chained and under guard, I was taken from the palace of Lurius of Jad, Ubar of Cos, the streets were mostly deserted. It had rained the night before and, here and there, there were puddles among the stones of the street. The shops were shuttered with wood, and the wood was still stained dark from the night's rain. There were few lights in the windows. I recall seeing, crouched against the wall of a building near the postern gate of the palace of Lurius, a coarse-robed figure, foolishly come too early to sell his vegetables, suls and tur-pah, near the palace. He seemed asleep, and doubtless scarcely noticed us. He was a large man in the rough rain robes of the peasant. Near him, leaning against the wall behind him, wrapped in leather to protect it from the dampness, was a yellow bow, the long bow of the peasants. He had shaggy yellow hair. I smiled as I passed him.
On the slaves' wharf I was, with little ceremony, added to the market chain. By the eighth hour various captains of round ships had arrived and begun to haggle with the slave master over the prices of the oarsmen. The slave master, in my opinion, wanted far too much for his merchandise, considering we were merely fodder for the benches of the round ships. Having no particular interest in being struck to silence I refrained from pointing this out to him. Besides, He doubtless had his instructions to receive as much pay as possible. Apparently Cos was outfitting her fleets and her treasury was currently strained. Every copper tarn disk I told myself, in such a situation doubtless assumes greater importance than it normally would. I was a bit irritated at being slapped and punched, and told to exhibit my teeth, but, in all honesty, these indignities were no worse than those heaped upon my chain mates. Besides, I was not, considering that I was about to be sold to the galleys, in a particularly bad mood.
To one side, leaning against a heavy, roped post, supporting part of the structure of the slaves' wharf, crosslegged, there sat a fisherman. He was working carefully on a net spread across his knees, repairing it. Near him there lay a triden. He had long black hair, and gray eyes.
'Let me test your grip,' said one of the captains. 'I use only strong men on my ships.'
He extended his hand.
In an instant he was screaming for mercy.
'Stop, Slave!' cried the slave master, striking me with the butt of his whip. I released the man's hand, not having chosen to break it.
