Nomads of Gor (90 page)

 
"Your coming and going with the Wagon Peoples," said

 
Kamchak, "has spanned parts of two of our years."

 
I looked at him, not really understanding. What he said, of

 
course, was true.

 
"The years," said Harold, smiling, "were two the Year in

 
which Tarl Cabot Came to the Wagon Peoples and the Year

 
in which Tarl Cabot Commanded a Thousand."

 
Inwardly I gasped. These were year names which would

 
be remembered by the Year Keepers, whose memories knew

 
the names of thousands of consecutive years.

 
"But," I protested, "there have been many things of much

 
greater importance than those in these years the Siege of

 
Turia, the Taking of the City, the Election of the Ubar San"

 
"We choose most to remember Tarl Cabot," said

 
Kamchak.

  
I said nothing.

 
"If you should ever need the Tuchuks' Tarl Cabot," said

 
Kamchak, "or the Kataii or the Kassar or the Paravaci
        

        
you have only to speak and we will ride. We will ride to

        
your side, be it even to the cities of Earth."

        
"You know of Earth?" I asked. I recalled what I took to

        
be the skepticism of Kamchak and Kutaituchik long ago

        
when they had questioned myself and Elizabeth Cardwell of

        
such matters.

        
Karnchak smiled. "We Tuchuks know of many things," he

        
said, "Of more than we tell." He grinned. "Good fortune

        
attend you, Tart Cabot, Commander of a Thousand Tuchuks,

        
Warrior of Ko-ro-ba!"

        
I lifted my hand to them and then drew on the one-strap

        
and the wings of the great tarn began to strike the resistant

        
air and the Tuchuks on all sides fell back stumbling in the

        
dust and the driven wind smote from beneath the mighty

        
wings of the bird and in that instant we saw the wagons fall

        
away beneath us, extending in their squares for pasangs, and

        
we could see the ribbon of the creek and then the Omen

         
Valley and then the spires of distant Turia, far off. I

        
Elizabeth Cardwell was weeping, and I put my arms about I

        
her, to comfort her, and to protect her from the blasts of the

        
swift air. I noted with irritation that the sting of the air had

        
made my own eyes moist as well.