14 It is a Good Trading; Pimples; I Learn Something of the Waniyanpi; CornStalks; Sign; Grunt and I Will Proceed East
The red-haired girl cried out in pain and fear, struck from her knees back inthe grass by the plump, scornful woman of the red savages, a sturdy-leggedmatron of the Dust Legs. She looked up at her in terror. Slave girls know thatthey have most to fear from free women.
'Wowiyutanye!' hissed the Dust-Leg woman at the frightened girl lying on herside in the grass before her.
'Yes, Mistress,' said the girl in Gorean, uncomprehendingly.
The men at the trading point scarcely paid them any attention.
I sat nearby, a blanket spread out before me, on which I had spread out variousof the trade goods, mostly mirrors, dyes and beads this afternoon, which I hadbrought into the Barrens.
The Dust-Leg woman threw the girl to her right side in the grass and pulled upthe tunic on her left thigh. The girl, terrified, did not resist. 'Inahan!' called the Dust-Leg woman to the others about, pointing to the brand on thegirl's thigh. 'Guyapi!'
'Ho,' said one of the men, agreeably. 'Inahan,' agreed another.
'Winyela!' announced the woman.
'Inahan,' said more than one man.
'Cesli!' said the woman scornfully to the girl.
'Please do not hurt me, Mistress,' said the girl, in Gorean.
'Ahtudan!' cried the woman at her, angrily, and then she spat upon her.
'Yes, Mistress,' said the red-haired girl. 'Yes, Mistress!' She then pulled upher legs and looked down, into the grass.
The Dust-Leg woman turned away from her and came over to where I sat behind theblanket. She beamed at me. The Dust Legs, on the whole, are an affable,openhearted and generous people. They tend to be friendly and outgoing.
'Hou,' said the woman to me, kneeling before the blanket.
'Hou,' said I to her.
It is difficult not to like them. Most trading is done with them. They tend tobe the intermediaries and diplomats of the western Barrens.
The woman opened a rectangular hide envelope, a parfleche, slung on a strap overher shoulder. In it were various samples of beadwork and some small skins. Sheput some of these things on her edge of the blanket.
'Hopa,' I said, admiringly. 'Hopa.'
She beamed, her teeth strong and white in her broad, reddish-brown face.
She pointed to a small mirror, with a red-metal rim. I handed it to her.
I glanced back. Behind us and to the side the red-haired girl, timidly,frightened, had resumed a kneeling position. I do not think that she hadpersonally offended the Dust-Leg woman. I think it was rather that the Dust- Legwoman simply did not entertain any great affection for white female slaves. Manywomen of the red savages, in spite of the wishes of their men, do not approve ofsuch soft, curvaceous, desirable trade goods being brought into the Barrens.
The Dust-Leg woman carefully examined the small mirror. I looked beyond her, toa few yards away; where several kailla of the visiting Dust-Legs, were tethered.
There, with the animals, a two-legged one, and lovely legs they were indeed,doubtless by the paws of her master's beast. She wore a brief garment offringed, tanned skin, rent and stained, doubtless a castoff from some freewoman's shirtdress, shortened to slave length. She was wet with sweat and darkwith dust. Her hair, which was dark, was wet, and tangled and matted. Her legs,bloodied and muchly scratched, were black with dust and sweat. Here and thereone could see where the trickle of perspiration had run through the dust. On herthighs where she had rubbed her hands the dust was streaked in wet smears. Shehad been run beside her master's kaiila and apparently not slowly.
Grunt was engaged in conversation with four or five of the Dust-Leg men. Then herose to his feet, and went to his stores, to bring forth a fine hatchet.
The female slave of the Dust Legs, kneeling by the kaiila, wore a beaded collar,about an inch and a half in height. It was an attractive collar. It was lacedclosed, and tied snugly shut, in front of her throat. The patterns in thebeading were interesting. They indicated her owner. Similar patterns are used bygiven individuals to identify their arrows or other personal belongings. It isparticularly important to identify the arrows, for this can make a difference inthe division of meat. It is death to a slave, incidentally, to remove such acollar without permission. Furthermore the collar is fastened by what is, ineffect, a signature knot, a complex knot, within a given tribal style, whosetying is known only to the individual who has invented it. It is thus, for mostpractical purposes, impossible to remove and replace such a collar without themaster, in his checking of the knot, by untying and retying it, being able totell. Suffice it to say, the slaves of the red savages do not remove theftcollars. The girl kept her head down. She apparently was not being permitted toraise her eyes at the trading point. She might, thus, if the master wished, havecome and gone from the trading point without having seen anything or recognizedanything, unless perhaps the grass between her knees and the paws of hermaster's kaiila. Gorean slaves, incidentally, wherever they may be found, say,in the cities or in the Barrens, are generally kept under an iron discipline. Itis the Gorean way.
'Two,' said the Dust-Leg woman, in Gorean, holding up two fingers. She indicatedthe mirror, now lying before her, and two beaded rectangles, drawn from herparfleche. This type of beadwork is popular in curio shops in certain Goreancities, far from the perimeter; it may also be fashioned by leather workers intovarious crafted articles, such as purses, pouches, wallets, belt decorations;envelopes and sheaths. Interestingly this type of article is more popular awayfrom the perimeter than near it. It is not merely that it is more common nearerthe perimeter but, I think, that it serves as a reminder, near the perimeter, ofthe reality and proximity of the red nations, whereas these same nations, ortribes, far from the perimeter tend to be regarded not only as remote but asalmost mythical peoples. The ear-splitting cry of a Kaiila warrior, for example,has seldom awakened a good burgher of Ar from his slumbers.
'Five,' I suggested to the Dust-Leg woman. I recalled that Grunt had, two daysago, at another trading point, received five such rectangles for a similarmirror. I smiled when I made this suggestion to the Dust-Leg woman. In suchtrading, it is a good idea, on both sides, to smile, a great deal. This makesthe entire exchange, if one takes place, a good deal more pleasant for bothparties. Not only are tensions eased but vanities are less likely to becomeinvolved in the trading. It is easier, if one is smiling, to get a little lessthan one would like, or to give a bit more than one might otherwise choose to.
Concessions, thus, for both sides, are less like defeats and more like favorsbestowed on friends. In the long run, this increases the percentage of mutuallysatisfactory bargains, and the individual who has found dealing with yousatisfactory, of course, is more likely to deal with you again. He becomes, ineffect, a customer. It is better to make less profit on a customer and have himcome back than make a higher profit and not see him again. These, at any rate,were the sentiments of Grunt, who seemed popular with the Dust Legs, and, as faras I can tell, they are substantially sound.
I glanced again to the white female slave of the Dust Legs, kneeling, eyes down,in her beaded collar, by the kaiila. I thought if she were washed and combed shemight not be unattractive. It was easy to see why Dust-Leg men might find suchgoods of interest. It might be pleasant to have such a lovely animal about, tocook one's meat, to keep one's lodge and please one, humbly and obediently, inthe furs. I could also see why Dust-Leg women could view such a commodity withdistaste and contempt. How could they, free, begin I compete with a slave? Howcould they even begin to do it unless they, themselves, also became slaves?
'Two,' said the Dust-Leg woman.
'Five,' I said. My interest in the Barrens, of course, was not in trading. Asfar as I was concerned I might have give the woman the mirror. On the otherhand, I realized, and Grunt had made it clear to me, too, that one must notinsult the red savages nor deal with them unrealistically, particularly in thelight of other traders and
