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."With a cry of rage the hooded figure leaped to his feet, quiva raised."Please," said Saphrar, lifting his small fat hand."Let there be no ill willamong friends."Trembling with rage, the hooded figure resumed his place on the dais.The other warrior, a strong, gaunt man, scarred across the left cheekbone,with shrewd, dark eyes, said nothing, but watched us, considering us, as awarrior considers an enemy."I would introduce our hooded friend," explained Saphrar, "but even I do notknow his name nor face only that he stands high among the Paravaci andaccordingly has been of great use to me.""I know him in a way," I said."He followed me in the camp of the Tuchuks andtried to kill me.""I trust," said Saphrar, "that we shall have better fortune."I said nothing."Are you truly of the Clan of Torturers?" asked Harold of the hooded man."You shall find out," he said."Do you think," asked Harold, "you will be able to make me cry for mercy?""If I choose," said the man."Would you care to wager?" asked Harold.The man leaned forward and hissed."Tuchuk sleen!""May I introduce," inquired Saphrar, "Ha-Keel of PortKar, chief of the mercenary tarnsmen.""Is it known to Saphrar," I inquired, "that you have received gold from theTuchuks?""Of course," said Ha-Keel."You think perhaps," said Saphrar, chuckling, "that Imight object and that thus you might sow discord amongst us, your enemies.Butknow, Tarl Cabot, that I am a mer-chant and understand men and the meaning of gold, I no more object to Ha-Keeldealing with Tuchuks than I would to the fact that water freezes and fireburns and that no one ever leaves the Yellow Pool of Turia alive."I did not follow the reference to the Yellow Pool of Turia.I glanced, however, at Harold, and it seemed he had sudden-ly paled."How is it," I asked, "that Ha-Keel of Port Kar wearsfile:///F|/rah/John%20Norman/Chronicles%20of.ounter-Earth%204%20-%20Nomads%20of%20Gor.txt (135 of 238) [1/20/03 3:28:27 AM]file:///F|/rah/John%20Norman/Chronicles%20of%20Counter-Earth%204%20-%20Nomads%20of%20Gor.txt about his neck a tarn disk from the city of Ar?""I was once of Ar," said scarred Ha-Keel."Indeed, I can remember you, thoughas Tarl of Bristol, from the siege ofAr.""It was long ago," I said."Your swordplay with Pa-Kur, Master of the Assassins, was superb."A nod of my head acknowledged his compliment."You may ask," said Ha-Keel, "how it is that I, a tarns-man of Ar, ride for merchants and traitors on the southern plains?""It saddens me," I said, "that a sword that was once raised in defense of Aris raised now only by the beck and call of gold.""About my neck," he said, "you see a golden tarn disk of glorious Ar.I cut athroat for that tarn-disk, to buy silks and perfumes for a woman.But she hadfled with another.I, hunted, also fled.I followed them and in combat slewthe warrior, obtaining my scar.The wench I sold into slavery.Icould not return to Glorious Ar." He fingered the tarn disk."Sometimes," said he, "it seems heavy.""Ha-Keel," said Saphrar, "wisely went to the city of PortPage 131ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlKar, whose hospitality to such as he is well known.It was there we firstmet.""Ha!" cried Ha-Keel."The little urt was trying to pick my pouch!""You were not always a merchant, then?" I asked Saphrar."Among friends," said Saphrar, "perhaps we can speak frankly, particularlyseeing that the tales we tell will not be retold.You see, I know I can trustyou.""How is that?" I asked."Because you are to be slain," he said."I see," I said."I was once," continued Saphrar, "a perfumer of Tyros but I one day left theshop it seems inadvertently with some pounds of the nectar of talendersconcealed beneath my tunic in a bladder and for that my ear was notched and Iwas exiled from the city.I found my way to Port Kar, where Ilived unpleasantly for some time on garbage floating in the canals and suchother tidbits as I could find about.""How then are you a rich merchant?" I asked."A man met me," said Saphrar, "a tall man rather dread-ful actually with a face as gray as stone and eyes like glass."I immediately recalled Elizabeth's description of the man who had examined herfor fitness to wear the message collar on Earth"I have never seen that man," said Ha-Keel."I wish that Imight have."Saphrar shivered."You are just as well off," he said."Your fortunes turned," I said, "when you met that man?""Decidedly," he said."In fact," continued the small mer-chant, "it was he who arranged my fortunes and sent me, some years ago, toTuria.""What is your city?" I demandedHe smiled."I think," he said, "Port Karl"That told me what I wanted to know.Though raised inTyros and successful in Turia, Saphrar the merchant thought of himself as oneof Port Karl Such a city, I thought, could stain the soul of a man.file:///F|/rah/John%20Norman/Chronicles%20of.ounter-Earth%204%20-%20Nomads%20of%20Gor.txt (136 of 238) [1/20/03 3:28:27 AM]file:///F|/rah/John%20Norman/Chronicles%20of%20Counter-Earth%204%20-%20Nomads%20of%20Gor.txt"That explains," I said, "how it is that you, though inTuria, can have a galley in Port Karl""Of course," said he."Also," I cried, suddenly aware, "the rence paper in the message collar, paperfrom Port Kar!""Of course," he said."The message was yours," I said."The collar was sewn on the girl in this very house," said he, "though thepoor thing was anesthetized at the time and unaware of the honor bestowed uponher." Saphrar smiled."In a way," he said, "it was a waste I would not have minded keeping her in myPleasure Gardens as a slave."Saphrar shrugged and spread his hands."But he would not hear of it, it mustbe she!""Who is 'he'?" I demanded."The gray fellow," said Saphrar, "who brought the girl to the city, drugged ontarnback.""What is his name?" I demanded."Always he refused to tell me," said Saphrar."What did you call him?" I asked."Master," said Saphrar."He paid well," he added.Page 132ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Fat little slave," said Harold.Saphrar took no offense but arranged his robes and smiled."He paid very well," he said."Why," I asked, "did he not permit you to keep the girl as a slave?""She spoke a barbarous tongue," said Saphrar, "like your-self apparently.The plan was, it seems, that the message would be read, andthat the Tuchuks would then use the girl to find you and when they had theywould kill you.But they did not do so.""No," I said [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]