of kailiauk hide I carried. "May I keep this?" I asked.
"Of course," said Samos.
I handed it to one of my men. I thought it might prove useful in the Barrens.
"You are fully determined?" asked Samos.
"Yes," I said.
"Wait," he said. He went back to the door of the enclosed cabin and re-entered it. In a moment he re-emerged, carrying the boxlike translator, which we bad brought from the tam complex. "You may need this," said Samos, handing it to one of my men.
"Thank you, Samos," I said.
"I wish you well," he said.
"I wish you well," I said. I turned away.
"Wait!" he said.
I turned back to face him.
"Be careful," he said.
"I will," I said.
"Tarl," he said, suddenly.
I turned back to face him, again.
"How is it that you could even think of doing this?" he asked.
"Zarendargar may need my assistance," I said. "I may be able to aid him."
"But why, why?" he asked.
How could I explain to Samos the dark affinity I shared with one whom I had met only in the north, and long ago, with one who, clearly, was naught but a beast? I recalled the long evening I had once spent with Zarendargar, and our lengthy, animated conversations, the talk of warriors, the talk of soldiers, of those familiar with arms and martial values, of those who had shared the zest and terrors of conflict, to whom crass materialisms could never be more than the means to worthier victories, who had shared the loneliness of command, who had never forgotten the meanings of words such as discipline, responsibility, courage and honor, who had known perils, and long treks and privations, to whom comfort and the hearth beckoned less than camps and distant horizons.
"Why, why?" he asked.
I looked beyond Samos, to the canal beyond. The urt hunter, with his girl and boat, rowing slowly, was taking his leave. He would try his luck elsewhere.
"Why?" asked Samos.
I shrugged. "Once," I said, "we shared paga."
3 I Receive Information; I Will Travel Northward
"Perhaps this one?" asked the merchant.
"I am trying to locate the whereabouts of a trader, one called Grunt," I said.
The blond-haired girl, nude, kneeling, shrank back against the cement wall. Her small wrists were bound tightly behind her, to an iron ring fastened in the wall.
"She is not without her attractions," said the merchant.
"Do you know where this fellow, Grunt, may be found?" I asked.
Another girl, also blond, a long chain on her neck, also fastened to a ring in the wall, had crept to my feet. She then lowered herself to her belly before me. She held my right ankle in her small hands and began to lick and kiss softly at my feet. I felt her mouth and small, warm tongue between the straps on my sandals. "Please buy me, Master," she whispered. I will serve you helplessly and well." The difference between slave girls are interesting. The first girl was a fresh capture, clearly. She had not yet even been branded. The other girl, clearly, had already known the touch of a master.
"I think he has ventured north, along the perimeter," said the merchant.
"Buy me, I beg you, Master!" whispered, the girl at my feet.
I looked to the girl kneeling at the wall. Swiftly she put down her head, reddening.
"That one," said the man, indicating the girl at the wall, "was, formerly free. She was taken only five days ago. Not yet, as you note, is her thigh even marked."
"Why not?" I asked. Usually a girl is marked within hours of her capture. It is usually felt that, after her capture, there is little point in permitting any possibility that she might be confused with a free woman.
"I want her deeply and cleanly branded," he said. "An iron master travels among several of the smaller border towns. He is good at his business and has an assortment of irons, ranging from lovely and delicate to rude and brutal."
I nodded. It was not unusual for the border towns, along the eastern edge of the Thentis mountains, to be served by itinerant tradesmen and artisans. There was often too little work for them
"Of course," said Samos.
I handed it to one of my men. I thought it might prove useful in the Barrens.
"You are fully determined?" asked Samos.
"Yes," I said.
"Wait," he said. He went back to the door of the enclosed cabin and re-entered it. In a moment he re-emerged, carrying the boxlike translator, which we bad brought from the tam complex. "You may need this," said Samos, handing it to one of my men.
"Thank you, Samos," I said.
"I wish you well," he said.
"I wish you well," I said. I turned away.
"Wait!" he said.
I turned back to face him.
"Be careful," he said.
"I will," I said.
"Tarl," he said, suddenly.
I turned back to face him, again.
"How is it that you could even think of doing this?" he asked.
"Zarendargar may need my assistance," I said. "I may be able to aid him."
"But why, why?" he asked.
How could I explain to Samos the dark affinity I shared with one whom I had met only in the north, and long ago, with one who, clearly, was naught but a beast? I recalled the long evening I had once spent with Zarendargar, and our lengthy, animated conversations, the talk of warriors, the talk of soldiers, of those familiar with arms and martial values, of those who had shared the zest and terrors of conflict, to whom crass materialisms could never be more than the means to worthier victories, who had shared the loneliness of command, who had never forgotten the meanings of words such as discipline, responsibility, courage and honor, who had known perils, and long treks and privations, to whom comfort and the hearth beckoned less than camps and distant horizons.
"Why, why?" he asked.
I looked beyond Samos, to the canal beyond. The urt hunter, with his girl and boat, rowing slowly, was taking his leave. He would try his luck elsewhere.
"Why?" asked Samos.
I shrugged. "Once," I said, "we shared paga."
3 I Receive Information; I Will Travel Northward
"Perhaps this one?" asked the merchant.
"I am trying to locate the whereabouts of a trader, one called Grunt," I said.
The blond-haired girl, nude, kneeling, shrank back against the cement wall. Her small wrists were bound tightly behind her, to an iron ring fastened in the wall.
"She is not without her attractions," said the merchant.
"Do you know where this fellow, Grunt, may be found?" I asked.
Another girl, also blond, a long chain on her neck, also fastened to a ring in the wall, had crept to my feet. She then lowered herself to her belly before me. She held my right ankle in her small hands and began to lick and kiss softly at my feet. I felt her mouth and small, warm tongue between the straps on my sandals. "Please buy me, Master," she whispered. I will serve you helplessly and well." The difference between slave girls are interesting. The first girl was a fresh capture, clearly. She had not yet even been branded. The other girl, clearly, had already known the touch of a master.
"I think he has ventured north, along the perimeter," said the merchant.
"Buy me, I beg you, Master!" whispered, the girl at my feet.
I looked to the girl kneeling at the wall. Swiftly she put down her head, reddening.
"That one," said the man, indicating the girl at the wall, "was, formerly free. She was taken only five days ago. Not yet, as you note, is her thigh even marked."
"Why not?" I asked. Usually a girl is marked within hours of her capture. It is usually felt that, after her capture, there is little point in permitting any possibility that she might be confused with a free woman.
"I want her deeply and cleanly branded," he said. "An iron master travels among several of the smaller border towns. He is good at his business and has an assortment of irons, ranging from lovely and delicate to rude and brutal."
I nodded. It was not unusual for the border towns, along the eastern edge of the Thentis mountains, to be served by itinerant tradesmen and artisans. There was often too little work for them
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