Renegades of Gor (63 page)

been worthy to put at a prow. Seeing her, both Publia and Claudia stood even a

little straighter, though apparently paying her no attention.

(pg. 419) One of the fellows on the bow deck waved to them. “Hail Port Cos!” he

responded.

“We are coming to Port Cos,” said Aemilianus. “That will seem to confirm the

story circulating in Ar, which, I take it, is the official version of what

occurred at Ar’s Station.”

“Speak, Commander,” urged the young warrior, Marcus.

“It will be of interest to you to learn that Ar’s Station was surrendered to Cos

more than two months ago,” he said, dryly, “before the relief forces could reach

it. Lacking siege equipment that is why they did not proceed directly to Ar’s

Station but went into winter quarters.”

“Ar’s Station was never surrendered!” said a man.

“I do not understand,” said another. “She fell but seven days ago this

afternoon.”

“Thousands must know the falsity of such allegations!” cried another man.

“Not officially, not in Ar,” said Aemilianus. “They know, on the whole, except

for rumors, only what they are permitted to know. I suspect it would even be

unwise o speak certain truths to Ar herself.”

“I do not understand,” repeated the fellow who had spoken before.

“The situation is reputed to stand thus,” said Aemilianus. “Supposedly, over two

months ago, I, and my high officers, and the caste officials, and councils of

the city, treasonously, and without a fight, surrendered Ar’s Station to a

delegation of Cosians. In return for this perfidy we received much gold and were

granted safe passage to Port Cos, within whose walls we are to receive domicile

and security.”

“Our arrival here will make it seem so!” cried a man.

“I fear so,” said another.

“Would you rather return to the ashes of Ar’s Station?” asked Aemilianus,

bitterly.

“Surely those of Port Cos do not believe such lies!” cried a man.

“Of course not,” said Aemilianus. “The truth is generally known her. It is in

Ar, and the south, that it will not be known.”

“Where have you learned of such matters?’ asked a man.

“Specifically, from the dispatches,” said Aemilianus. “Cos, it seems, had many

spies. Too, it seems she possesses swift, (pg.420) covert channels of

communication. I do not doubt but what her work on the continent has been long

in preparation. Naturally Cosians are in close contact with those of Port Cos,

whose support to them is important on the river. I would not suppose that there

is complete openness between them, but there seems to be no problem about

sharing information of this sort.”

“Captain Calliodorus takes these reports seriously?” asked a man.

“Yes,” said Aemilianus. “Indeed, he had even anticipated, as I had, given the

abandoning of Ar’s Station by Ar, that matters might be construed in some such

perspective.”

“It seems the spies of Cos are efficient,” said a fellow.

“It is said,” said Aemilianus, “as Calliodorus has told me, that even a whisper

in Ar is heard in Telnus by nightfall.”

We were nearing the harbor.

There were clouds of small sails about us now, as many small boats had come out

to meet us.

“Oh!” said Publia, as one of the fellows of Port Cos lifted her up lightly in

his arms and threw her over the rail of the port side of the bow deck. There was

a sound of chain, pulling against the beam ring, the links suddenly growing

taut, and Publia, suspended from the beam, in her chain-and-leather harness,

hung at the port side, out, about a yard from the rail, her feet now slightly

below the level of the bow deck, over the water. There was a shout of pleasure

from several of the small boats. Although her weight was substantially borne by

the harness her small wrists were pulled high over her head, and held in place

there, close to the chain, by her wrist shackles. Her ankles, too, were closely

shackled. I considered her small hands. How piteous they appeared, so held in

place, so helpless in their inflexible metal bonds. The steel, too, clasped her

fair ankles, closely.

“There is more,” said Aemilianus, bitterly. “We of Ar’s Station, and those who

abetted us, not surprisingly, given the falsified and distorted accounts of our

actions, are held in official dishonor and contempt.”

There were several cries of rage. Hands clasped the hilts of swords.

“The proclamations have been posted,” he said.

One of the fellows of Port Cos then went to Claudia. She (pg.421) looked at me,

wildly. Then she was lifted up, lightly, in the chain-and-leather harness. The

fellow held her for a moment, his left hand behind her knees, his right hand

behind her back. Her eyes were on mine, frightened. Then they widened, suddenly,

and she gasped, and was thrown over the rail. Then, a moment later, her hands

pulled high over her head, suspended in her harness, she hung off the starboard

rail of the bow deck, as Publia did off the port rail. There was a cry of

pleasure, and admiration, from several of the men about in the small boats. I

saw her hands twist in the shackles, high above her head. Her body, suspended in

the harness, swung a bit, and then turned from side to side, over the water. I

glanced from her to Publia, and then back to her. I agreed with the shouts of

pleasure and commendation from the small boats. Both slaves were excellent.

Calliodorus was sure to be congratulated on his display.

“Is that the extend of the dispatches, Commander?” asked a man.

“It is perhaps as much as you should know now,” said Aemilianus, grimly.

“Commander!” protested a man.

“The occasion is festive,” said Aemilianus. “Perhaps it is well that you learn

the rest later.”

“Please, Commander,” said a man.

“The Home Stone has reached Ar,” he said.

“Good,” said a man, overjoyed.

“Better it had never done so,” said Aemilianus.

“Commander!” said a fellow.

“It is under guard near the Central Cylinder, on the Avenue of the Central

Cylinder,” he said. “There it is exposed that the citizens of Ar, and any who

please, may file past it and spit upon it.”

“Vengeance!” cried the young warrior, Marcus.

“And we, of course, and all those who abetted us, have been pronounced

renegades.”

“Vengeance!” wept the young warrior, Marcus. His sword was out of its sheath.

“Vengeance!” cried a man.

“Vengeance!” cried others.

There were cries of rage. Swords were drawn.

“Sheath your swords, beloved friends,” said Aemilianus. (pg. 422) “Let us now,

upon this holiday, to be declared the day of the Topaz, put aside all thoughts

of fury and blood. Rather hasten to brush your garments and put smiles upon your

faces. Consider your mien. Upon your countenances, I beg you, this day, let

there be only the appearance of joy. Let this day rightfully redound to the

glory of Port Cos, our brethren of the river, and let us rejoice with them, and

with ourselves, for our deliverance. Our gratitude has been richly deserved. Let

us not be sparing in its exception. Surely you realize that the fidelity of Port

Cos to the pledge of the Topaz may cost her greatly in the future.”

“Those of Port Cos have proved better friends to us than those of Ar,” said a

man bitterly.

“Perhaps the river is its own place,” said a man.

“Perhaps,” said another.

I could hear music now, coming from the piers of Port Cos. As the bow swung

about to enter the harbor I could see the piers were jammed with crowds in their

holiday finery. It seemed all the caste colors of Gor might be there.

I heard the sudden crack of a long, plaited, single-bladed slave whip on the bow

deck. The whip was in the hand of the fellow from Port Cos who, on the journey

downriver, had acted as the keeper of the two slaves. Slaves are always,

directly or indirectly, in the keeping of one free person or another. He had not

struck anyone with the whip. He had only, so to speak, readied the tool. Publia

had cried out, startled, and in misery. She knew what it was to feel the whip.

Claudia had cried out, startled, but, too, in fear. She knew she was subject to

it.

“Publia,” said the keeper.

“Yes, Master!” she cried.

“Claudia,” said he.

“Yes, Master!” she cried.

He then, gently, lightly, with a small movement of the wrist, little more than a

toss, snaked the whip out to the port side. Its single blade harmlessly but

meaningfully more than encircled Publia. She shuddered. He then repeated this

action to starboard.

“When I speak, you will attend to me,” he said.

“Yes, Master!” said Publia.

“Yes, Master!” said Claudia.

(pg.423) “Beloved friends,” said Aemilianus, “prepare yourselves to be received

by our friends of Port Cos.”

Swords were sheathed.

Most of those about Aemilianus then withdrew from the bow deck. Surilius

remained, and the young warrior, Marcus, and some others. I, too, remained.

“Surely Ar herself will cry out for vengeance,” I said, “for the loss of Ar’s

Station, her pride upon the Vosk.”

“Such seems to be the spirit in the northern camp of Ar,” said Aemilianus.

“This you have, too, from the dispatches?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“The forces of Ar in the north,” I said, should move south with rapidity, before

the spring, to engage the main power of Cos. Were it not for the action of

Dietrich of Tarnburg at Torcadino, she would already be at the gates of Ar.”

“But they will not do so, will they?” asked Aemilianus.

“They must do so,” I said.

“They are apparently intent upon destroying the Cosian expeditionary force in

the north,” said Aemilianus.

“That would seem easy enough to do,” said Marcus, bitterly. “Although the

Cosians outnumbered us ten to one, their numbers would be no match for what, I

gather, is nearly the full might of Ar.”

“Even so, they might not have as easy a time of it as they think,” said

Aemilianus. “They think that force has been in winter quarters, like themselves,

though at Ar’s Station. They do not realize it is battle burdened, that it has

been in action for months.”

“But if you were the Cosian commander in the north,” I said to Aemilianus, “you

would surely, if possible, avoid engaging the main body of Ar.”

“True,” said Aemilianus.

“He will not be able to do so,” said Marcus. “Ar’s northern forces are

interposed between Ar’s Station and Brundisium. They could also cut off a

retreat to Torcadino.”

“It would seem so,” said Aemilianus.

“It would be difficult for them to cross the river, to the north,” said Marcus,

“and, even so, they could be followed. Too, they are unlikely to withdraw to the

terrain of the (pg.424) Salerian Confederation, for it will not wish to risk war

with Ar. If they try to intrude by force into those territories they could well

find themselves between the Salerians and Ar. The fate of the Cosians in the

north is a foregone conclusion.”

“Few conclusions in war, my eager young friend,” said Aemilianus, “are

foregone.”

“With all due respect, Commander,” said Marcus. “Ar’s position in the north is

ideal for destroying the expeditionary force.”

“But they would have to encounter it first,” said Aemilianus.

“It is an army,” said Marcus, “not ten men traveling at night.”

“Cos controls the skies,” said Aemilianus.

“Even so,” protested Marcus.

“It would not surprise me,” said Aemilianus, quietly, “if the expeditionary

force slipped past the men of Ar.”

“Between the winter camp and the southern back of the Vosk,” I said.

“Precisely,” said Aemilianus, grimly.

“That is absurd,” said Marcus. “They would be pinned against the river. It would

be a slaughter.”

“But only if they were caught,” said Aemilianus.

“No sane commander would elect such a route,” said Marcus.

“Unless he knew something which you do not,” said Aemilianus.

“The whole idea is absurd,” said Marcus.

“Is it any the less absurd,” asked Aemilianus, “that Ar should have been digging

latrines in winter camp while the walls of Ar’s Station were crumbling?”

“But Ar might still be apprised of these movements in time to interpose herself

between the expeditionary force and its base at Brundisium,” said Marcus,

slowly. “Thus, to what end west?”

“What lies west of the Vosk,” asked Aemilianus.

“On the southern bank, Ven,” said Marcus. Turmus, which is the last major town

west on the Vosk, is on the northern bank.

“And what beyond Ven?’ asked Aemilianus.

“The delta,” said Marcus.

“Precisely,” said Aemilianus.

(pg.425) “I do not think I understand these things,” said Marcus, slowly.

“I hope that I do not either,” said Aemilianus. “But I am afraid, terribly

afraid.”

“In the fall,” I said, “I spoke with Dietrich of Tarnburg, in Torcadino. He had

similar apprehensions.”

“I understand nothing of this,” said Marcus.

“You are young in the ways of war,” said Aemilianus. “Not everything in war is

nodding plumes and the sun flashing from silvered clouds.”

“If Ar is in danger,” he said, “she must be warned.”

“By renegades?” asked Aemilianus.

“Renegades?” he asked.