Kur of Gor (98 page)

She gasped as Cabot, gently, took the goblet from her hands. She looked up at him, lips trembling, tears in her eyes. He took a tiny sip of the drink, and then handed the goblet to a fellow next to him, who seized it gratefully, groggily, drunkenly.

"You stupid girl,” called Corinna to her, laughing, from across the fire. “Hurry to his blankets!"

The slave sped into the darkness.

Cabot rose, and went to his blankets, where the slave, in the darkness, was waiting for him.

He took the slave in his arms.

"Choose me, choose me,” she begged.

"Perhaps,” he said.

She lifted her lips to his.

"What are you?” he asked.

"
Kajira
,” she whispered. “
Kajira
, Master."

"Anything else, or other, or different?” he asked.

"No, Master,” she said. “
Kajira
, only
kajira
."

"Good,” he said. “That is how we want women."

"And that,” she said, “is how men such as you will have us, and how we would be!"

"Speak,” he said, softly.

"
La kajira
,” she said. “
La kajira
!"

"I am a female slave,” she said. “I am a female slave!"

"I am a slave girl,” she said. “I am a slave girl!"

"And whose?” he asked.

"Yours, Master,” she said. “Yours, Master."

Chapter, the Eightieth:

THEY WILL SOON TO THE TABLES

"My dear Cabot,” said Lord Arcesilaus, “it is so good to see you again, here in the habitats. We have missed you. Lord Grendel returned a few days ago. And there you are, Peisistratus! I see you have several of your fellows with you. I take it you know our colleague and ally, Lord Zarendargar. I gather you, with others, and friend Zarendargar himself, and his people, will soon be leaving us, returning to your various duties and destinations. You and your ships, Peisistratus, of course, may continue to wharf upon our shores, as you wish, for purposes of shelter, supplies, repair, the temporary housing of your goods, or whatnot. Many of your men have been anxious about you, and have earnestly inquired as to your whereabouts. You passed a few days, as I understand it, in the quiet of the forests. It is perhaps just as well. I almost envy you. The festival days are now, as you know, drawing to a close, and it will be a good thing, as I see it, to return to some congenial normality, here. Certainly we will welcome some quietude, after the tumult of the festivals. Matters go well in the agricultural cylinders, and in the industrial cylinder. They were little affected, if at all, by our recent difficulties. Arrangements have been made for various transportations and relocations."

"Where is Lord Grendel?” asked Tarl Cabot.

"He will be here, shortly,” said Lord Arcesilaus. “I have asked him to drop by."

This conversation, and meeting, was taking place outside the palace, on its broad porch, to which led a long flight of wide stairs, some fifty yards in width. The palace grounds themselves were within high walls, but the great gate was now opened, and humans, and Kurii, might come and go within the grounds, and gardens, as they wished.

"I would like to do something nice for Lord Grendel,” said Lord Arcesilaus to Cabot. “What would you suggest?"

"He is muchly concerned with administrative duties, and such,” said Cabot. “I fear there is little in which he would be interested, in the way of emoluments."

"His contributions have been richly recognized, and in detail,” said Lord Arcesilaus. “Without him and his services the world would have been much different from what it is. He has been given several rings."

"He deserves much,” agreed Cabot.

"But he seems little impressed with our gratitude,” said Lord Arcesilaus.

"He is mindful, and grateful, I am sure,” said Cabot, “but he has, for some time, been saddened, and much distressed."

"Surely it has nothing to do with the triviality of his small pet's fate, anything so unimportant?” said Lord Arcesilaus.

"She is not his pet,” said Cabot, “though I can see how you might think of such things, in particular, since she was once your pet. She is, to be precise about the matter, if I may, not his pet, but a free woman."

"Very well,” said Lord Arcesilaus, agreeably. “Very different then, from these others?"

"Yes,” said Cabot, “but these others, to whom you refer, these human females, kneeling, tunicked, and collared, are not pets either. They are less than pets. They are slaves."

There were several such amongst the men. Two we are familiar with, one who had been named ‘Corinna', who was the slave of Peisistratus, and one who had been named ‘Cecily', who was the slave of Tarl Cabot. Both were tunicked rather briefly, as human males like to see the legs of their slaves.

Tarl Cabot had been offered as much as three silver tarsks for his Cecily, but he had chosen, as yet, not to sell her. He was perhaps waiting for a better offer, on Gor.

She knelt at his thigh, and occasionally pressed her cheek against it. He shoved her away.

Enamored slaves can sometimes be a nuisance.

How helpless they are, once well mastered.

It might also be mentioned that some Kur females were present, kneeling. They wore harnesses, but, too, metal collars were on their necks. It seemed that several of the suggestions and innovations of Lord Zarendargar, in the matter of handling female Kurii, had been implemented. The bondage of some Kur females was now public. No longer was it a secret, though suspected, thing, found amongst isolated Kurii. Already several had been attacked by enraged free female Kurii, which attacks, as they were slaves, they were not permitted to resist. Having the slaves publicly recognizable, of course, delighted male Kurii, for they might now look lustfully upon them, desire them, make offers for them, and so on. Soon, Cabot had heard, there would be a slave market for such established on the world, and soon thereafter, he supposed, some of these slaves, doubtless in chains, would be carried to others of the steel worlds, and then it would be but a matter of time until the useful and practical, and delicious and prized, institution of female slavery would be as familiar and popular on the steel worlds as on Gor itself.

Male Kurii had chosen to act.

No longer would they content themselves with less than the men of Gor.

"Have some Kurii departed from the world, for Gor, recently?” asked Cabot.

"Yes,” said Lord Arcesilaus. “Some before your return, some afterwards. They were former adherents of Lord Agamemnon, and so it is perhaps just as well for the world, that they take their departure."

"Where is Lord Agamemnon?” asked Cabot.

"He is in the palace,” said Lord Arcesilaus.

"Have no fear,” said a Kur. “He has no body."

"Friend Cabot,” said Zarendargar, “sometime before we part, before we diversely take ship, perhaps this evening, I would enjoy speaking with you."

"That would give me great pleasure,” said Cabot.

"Perhaps we might once again share paga."

"That would give me great pleasure,” said Cabot.

"Look,” said a Kur. “Lord Grendel, I believe, is approaching the gate."

"Excellent,” said Lord Arcesilaus. “We may all go in then, soon, to what I have had prepared, a state breakfast."

"May the slaves come?” asked one of the men of Peisistratus.

"Certainly,” said Lord Arcesilaus. “They may kneel behind you, or to the side, and you may, if you wish, feed them, or throw some food to the floor for them, whatever you wish."

The throwing of food to the floor for an animal, incidentally, is not that unusual. For example, it is commonly done with sleen. Slaves, too, may be fed by hand. Usually they have their food in a dish. Often they may feed from the dish much as a free person would, though their head is usually to be lower than that of their master. For example, if the master sits upon a bench at table, his dish will be upon the table, whereas the slave's dish, as she kneels near him, is likely to be on the bench itself; similarly, if the master reclines on a supper couch, the slave, kneeling, is likely to have her dish upon the couch's step, where footwear may be placed. Sometimes the slave's food and water dish is placed on the floor, and they must partake, heads down, on all fours, without the use of their hands, rather as would a sleen, another form of domestic animal.

This is not uncommon in the training of a new girl.

It helps her to understand that she is a slave.

As the inquiry of the man of Peisistratus might have seemed to some readers somewhat anomalous, it should be mentioned that on Gor slaves are not permitted in many public buildings, rather as other animals would not be permitted in them. Accordingly, public slave rings are frequently available in piazzas, plazas, squares, forums, agorae, and such, and along public streets, for the convenience of masters, to which their slaves may be conveniently chained. One sort of building in which slaves are never permitted, and may be slain if found within, are temples. It is felt by Initiates, the alleged representatives and servants of Priest-Kings, understandably enough, that the presence of a slave in such a place would be a profanation of sacred precincts. Provisions are made for their caging or chaining outside such places, in nearby lots, removed to a decent distance.

"Lord Grendel was somewhat distressed at the disfigurement of his pet, as I understand it,” said Lord Arcesilaus.

"At the gross tearings and multiple mutilations of the free woman, Bina,” said Cabot.

"Yes,” said Lord Arcesilaus, “that is it."

"You are from Earth, are you not?” asked a Kur.

"Yes, once,” said Cabot.

"If those of Earth, or Gor, wished to bother with such things, despite their unimportance,” asked the Kur, “how might they address themselves to the business?"

"What business?” asked Cabot.

"The repair of the pet,” said the Kur.

"They would use knives,” said Cabot, “and various metal implements, to cut tissue, relocate it, and such."

A small, weird sound came from Cabot's small translator, which was not really a word. It was not clear what it was.

Lord Arcesilaus, whose translator had, of course, assisted him in understanding Cabot's response, shuddered.

"That is disgusting,” said the Kur.

"Barbarous,” said another.

"I have looked upon the Lady Bina,” said Cabot, with a shiver. She is beyond even such help."

"Help?” said a nearby Kur.

"Knives?” said another.

"Our science,” said Lord Arcesilaus, “is not public, as is yours, and as is, to some extent, that of Goreans. We recognize the dangers of science, and how it may be misused, and so we reserve its knowledge and techniques to a carefully chosen few."

"The Priest-Kings,” said Zarendargar, “as I understand it, behave similarly, at least where humans are concerned."

"That is true,” said Cabot. “The Priest-Kings prohibit certain areas of science and technology to humans, certain forms of weaponry, and such, for they fear the stupidity and aggression of humans."

"Justifiably,” said Zarendargar.

"Certain other areas,” said Cabot, “are apparently deemed unobjectionable."

"They have not put space flight at the disposal of Gorean humans,” said a Kur.

"No,” said Cabot. “They have not."

"We have,” said another Kur.

"I am aware of that,” said Cabot.

"Even many Kurii,” said Lord Arcesilaus, “are kept ignorant of our science, and what it can accomplish."

"I suppose that is a good idea,” said Cabot.

"Some at hand, indeed, at your elbow,” said Lord Arcesilaus, “are amongst our scientists."

"I am honored,” said Cabot.

Two of the Kurii present inclined their heads, acknowledging this compliment.

"Lord Grendel,” said a Kur, “is within the gate, and at the foot of the stairs."

"Good,” said Lord Arcesilaus, “when he joins us we may soon to breakfast."

"I feel,” said one of the Kurii to Cabot, “that you may not appreciate the nature, extent, and quality of Kur science, as it is often concealed."

"You are a scientist?” said Cabot.

"Yes,” said the Kur.

"Much of it is obvious and impressive,” said Cabot. “There are the steel worlds themselves, the vacuum ships, the power weapons, the translators, even such seemingly simple things as the heat knife, the customized weapon sheath, and such."

"Such things are trivial,” said the scientist. “They are applications of engineering, largely matters of budget, the allocation of resources, and such. Other things are more interesting."

"Doubtless,” said Cabot, uncertainly.

"Biomolecular studies, for example,” said the scientist.

There is, incidentally, no exact equivalent, as far as I can determine, for the Kur expression actually used. As the studies involve levels of life, subtle architectures, hereditary coils, and such, I have chosen, with reservations, and considerable uneasiness, the term ‘biomolecular'. My reservations are largely founded on what, from the Kur point of view, is a false dichotomy or division, between the living and the nonliving, between, say, the living biological and the nonliving molecular. Kurii certainly recognize a distinction between, say, a rock and a sleen, but our science tends to think less of life and nonlife, as of levels, or strata, of energy, of activity, or, as we think of it, life. In this sense, even the stone, properly understood, is a mysterious thing, in its way alive, vibrant with invisible latencies, churning, twisting, in its depths.

"Consider the wombs,” said the scientist. “You are familiar with them?"

"Yes,” said Cabot.

"Welcome, Lord Grendel!” said Lord Arcesilaus.

And he was muchly welcomed by those on the dais.

"Am I late?” inquired Lord Grendel.

"Not at all,” said Lord Arcesilaus.

"Let us repair to the great hall,” said a Kur.

"A state breakfast has been prepared,” said another.

Lord Grendel, with others, including Cabot, turned then toward the large doors, of heavy timber, better than a foot thick, perhaps brought from the northern forests of Gor, adorned with mighty brass studs, doubtless from the industrial cylinder.