'In your arms,' said Telima, looking down, 'I am a truer slave than Sandra could ever be.'
'Perhaps,' I said, 'I shall let you compete anxiously against one another.' 'Good,' said Telima. 'I will compete. I will win.'
I laughed, and Telima looked at me, puzzled. I reached across and seized her by the arms, and drew her to me. She was so utterly Gorean. Looking down into Telima's eyes I told her, 'In two days, when I free Sandra from the treasure room, I am going to give her her freedom and gold, that she may go where she wishes and do what she pleases.'
Telima looked at me, startled.
'It is Telima,' I said, 'whom I will not free.'
Her eyes were wide. She squirmed in my arms.
'It is Telima,' I told her, 'whom I will keep as a slave.'
She laughed, and lifted her lips eagerly to mine, and it was long that we kissed.
'My former mistress kisses well,' I said.
'Your slave,' said Telima, 'rejoices that master finds her not displeasing.' 'is it not time for some of the slaves to be sent to the kitchens?' asked the young man, Fish.
'Yes,' I said. I then addressed myself to Fish and Vina. 'Go to the kitchens, Slaves,' said I, 'and do not permit me to see you until dawn.'
Fish lifted Vina in his arms and left the table.
At the entryway to that passage leading to the kitchens he stopped, and then, as she laughed and kissed him, he swept her, once the Lady Vivina, who was to have been the Ubara of Cos, now only a young, collared slave girl, in a brief, miserable garment, through the portal and disappeared down the passageway. And I do not doubt that the Lady Vivina would have found the couch Of the LTbar of Cos less joyful than did the slave girl Vina the blanket and the mat of the kitchen boy, Fish, in the house of Bosk, a captain of Port Kar.
'I see,' said Ho-Hak to TeUtna, 'that you still wear the golden armlet.' 'Yes,' said Telima.
'It was by that,' said Ho-Hak, 'that I was to recognize you, when years ago you were to have fled to the marshes.'
Telima looked at him, puzzled.
Samos put down a cup of paga. 'Now do you suppose matters in the city will proceed?' be asked Tab.
Tab looked down at the table. 'The Ubars Eteocles and Sullius Maximus,' he said, 'have already fled with their ships and men. The last holding of Henrius Sevarius has been abandoned. The council hall, though partly burnt, is not destroyed. The city, it seems to me, is safe. The fleet will doubtless return within four or five days.'
'Then,' said Samos, 'it seems that the Home Stone of Port Kar is secure.' He lifted his goblet.
We drank his toast.
'If my captain will permit,' said Tab, 'it is late, and I shall withdraw.' 'Withdraw,' I said.
He bowed his head and took his leave, and Midice slipped to her feet and accompanied him.
'I do not think it wise for Rencers,' said Ho-Hak, 'to be over long in Port Kar. Under the cover of darkness we shall depart.'
'My thanks to you and your people,' said I.
'The rence islands, now confederated,' said Ho-Hak, 'are yours.'
'I thank you,' I said, 'Ho-Hak.'
'We can never repay you,' he said, 'for having once saved many of us from those of Port Kar, and for having taught us the lesson of the great bow.' 'I am already more than paid,' I said.
'Then no longer,' said Ho-Hak, 'are we in one another's debt.'
'No longer,' said I.
'Then,' said Ho-Hak, putting out his hand, 'let us be friends.'
We clasped hands.
'In the marshes,' he said, 'you have friends.'
'Good,' I said.
Ho-Hak turned and I saw the board back of the exgalley-slave move through the door. Outside I heard him summoning his men. They would return to their rence craft tied at the foot of the delta wall.
'With your permission, Captain,' said Thurnock, with a look at Thura, 'it is late.'
I nodded, and lifted my hand, and Thurnock and Clitus, with Thura and Ula, left the table.
'Good-night,' said I, 'my friends.'
'Good-night,' said they.
Now only Telima, and I and Samos, remained at the table, alone in the great hall.
'It must be nearly morning,' said Samos.
'Perhaps an Ahn till dawn,' I said.
'Bring cloaks,' said Samos, 'and let us climb to the height of the keep.' We found cloaks, I that of the admiral, and we followed Samos from the room, across the tiled yard behind the great hall, and into the now-opened keep, and climbed behind him to its height.
From the height of the keep we could see the men of Tab, from the Venna and the Tela, here and there on guard. The great sea gate, leading out into the city, had been closed. The rencers, one by one, were climbing down ropes over the delta wall, returning to their small craft below.
We saw Ho-Hak the last to climb over the wall, and we raised our hands to him. He waved, and then disappeared over the wall.
In the light of the three moons the marshes flickered.
Telima looked at Samos, 'Then,' she said, 'I was permitted to escape your house.'
'Yes,' said Samos, 'and you were permitted to take the golden armlet, that Ho-Hak, with his men, would recognize you in the marshes.'
'They found me within hours,' she said.
'They were waiting for you,' said Samos.
'I do not understand,' said Telima.
'I bought you when you were a girl,' said Samos, 'with these things in mind.' 'You raised me as your daughter,' she said, 'and then, when I became seventeen-'
'Yes,' said Samos, 'you were treated with great cruelty as a slave girl, and then, years later, permitted to escape.'
'But why!' she demanded. 'Why!'
'Samos,' said I, 'was it from you that the message came, months ago, which I received in the Council of Captains, seeking to speak with me?'
'Yes,' said Samos.
'But you denied it,' I said.
'The dungeon of the hall of captains scarcely seemed the place to discuss the business of Priest-Kings.'
'Priest-Kings?' breathed Telima.
I smiled. 'No,' I said, 'I suppose not.' I looked at him. 'But when the message was delivered,' I said, 'you were not even in the city.'
'True,' said Samos. 'I hoped by that ruse to make it easier to deny any connection between myself and the message, should denial seem in order.' 'You never again attempted to contact me,' I said.
'You were not ready,' said Samos. 'And Port Kar needed you.'
'You serve Priest-Kings,' I said.
'Yes,' said Samos.
'And it was for this reason, to protect me, one who once had served them as well, that you came to my holding?'
'Yes,' said Samos, 'but also because you had done much for my city, Port Kar. It was because of you that she now has a Home Stone.'
'Does that mean so much to you?' I asked. Samos was the predator, the cruel, insensitive larl of a man, the hunter, the killer.
'Of course,' he said.
We looked out. Disappearing now in the rence of the marshes, under the three moons, were the many small crafts of the rencers.
Samos, on the height of the keep, regarded me. 'Return to the service of the Priest-Kings,' he said.
I looked away. 'I cannot,' I said. 'I am unworthy.
'All men,' said Samos, 'and all women, have within themselves despicable elements, cruel things and cowardly things, things vicious, and greedy and selfish, things ugly that we hide from others, and most of all from ourselves.' Telima and I regarded him.
Samos put, not without tenderness, a hand on the shoulder of Telima, and another on my own shoulder.
'The human being,' he said, 'is a chaos of cruelties and nobilites, of hatreds and of loves, of resentments and respects, of envies and admirations. He contains within himself, in his ferments, much that is base and much that is worthy. These are old truths, but few men truly understand them.'
I looked out over the marshes. 'It was no accident,' I said, 'that I was intercepted in the marshes.'
'No,' said Samos.
'Does Ho-Hak serve Priest-Kings?' I asked.
'Not to my knowledge,' said Samos. 'But long ago, when was running from the galleys, and hunted, I concealed him in my house. I later helped him get to the marshes. From time to tome he has aided me.'
'What did you tell Ho-Hak?' I asked.
'That I knew of one from Port Kar who would soon be traversing the marshes.' 'Nothing else?' I asked.
'Only,' said he, looking at the girl, 'that the girl Telima be used as the bait to snare you.'
'The Rencers hate those of Port Kar,' I said.
'Yes,' said Samos.
'They might have killed me,' I said.
'It was a risk I took,' said Samos.
