Kur of Gor

by John Norman

  "I am to be in the keeping of a slave!” she said.

  "Yes,” said Cabot, “now forgive me, for I must gather some things.” He then went back, near the slaughter bench, where Lord Grendel stood.

  "There are no tiny, carnivorous song birds,” said Lord Grendel.

  "I know,” said Cabot, “but she does not."

  "It is a joke?” said Lord Grendel.

  "Of course,” said Cabot. “She is worthless, but we will do our best to protect her."

  "Thank you,” said Lord Grendel.

  "It is nothing,” said Cabot, a scion of Gor's scarlet caste, the Warriors.

  Grendel then went to the trap, where the Lady Bina, and now the slave, Lita, waited.

  "I am blindfolded, bound, and leashed!” said Lady Bina, angrily, when she was sure Lord Grendel was near.

  "Forgive us, my lady,” he said. “But it is for the best."

  He then lifted her to his shoulder.

  "Put her head to the rear,” said Cabot.

  "Why?” asked Lord Grendel.

  "That is the way slaves are carried,” said Cabot.

  "No!” she said.

  "You lack only the collar,” said Cabot.

  Chapter, the Forty-Fourth:

  THE INSURRECTION IS NOT YET QUELLED;

  A KUR FEMALE IS ENCOUNTERED;

  STATIUS

  The world itself shook, and then shook, again.

  "What is it?” cried Cabot.

  "Impact,” said Lord Grendel. “Something from the outside!"

  "Meteors?” said Cabot.

  "I do not know,” said Lord Grendel.

  The gravitation of the world seemed momentarily altered. Cabot stumbled. Then the gravitation seemed again normal.

  "It could be an attack of power weapons,” said Lord Grendel, “a test of such an attack, a warning, one does not know."

  "The world will be destroyed?” said Cabot.

  "It would be difficult to do that from the outside, even if it were intended, with the yards of shielding,” said Lord Grendel. “But with such weapons, it would be easy to accomplish that from within."

  "And such weapons exist within?"

  "Of course, in the arsenals,” said Lord Grendel.

  "It is quiet now,” said Cabot.

  "Yes,” agreed his friend.

  "Would those outside wish to destroy this world?” asked Cabot.

  "Unlikely,” said Lord Grendel. “Why waste a world? Only humans might do that."

  "Some humans,” said Cabot.

  "And perhaps a Kur,” said Grendel.

  "Lord Agamemnon?” said Cabot.

  "Yes,” said Lord Grendel.

  "But something is outside?” said Cabot.

  "Perhaps,” said Lord Grendel. “One does not know."

  * * * *

  "We have hundreds of humans,” said Cabot.

  "But they are largely useless,” said Grendel.

  "At least they can now see,” said Cabot.

  Recently the light in the world had been altered, reduced to a level where only Kurii might see, this intended, presumably, to diminish the effectiveness, such as it was, of the revolution's human allies. Torches had been lit, and, where available, independent electronic lighting had been employed. Some beam devices, too, had proved of value, and flares, particularly in assisting humans to detect Kur patrols, Kur marches, the advance of raiding parties, and such. This intelligence then, usually by runners, would be communicated to rebel positions, from which countermeasures, engagements or withdrawals, might be contrived.

  On the seventh night, however, one of the alternative power stations, designed to act in lieu of the central power source in the case of a failure in that facility, was seized by the rebels. This was utilized in such a way as to restore an approximation to the typical diurnal cycle, the difference being to eliminate those nights on which, in the world, no surrogate moonlight would be provided. The motivation of this departure from normalcy was conceived in order to prevent a periodic disadvantagement of the revolution's human allies.

  The humans at the disposal of the rebels were ill-armed, most with sharpened sticks, and many of the killer humans, bred for the arena games, were not only unspeeched, but dangerous to their Kur allies and to one another, as well.

  No contact had been made, despite the several days of the revolution, with the pleasure cylinder, and the men of Peisistratus.

  It was supposed they were somewhere within the world.

  Certainly they had managed to bring humans from the sport cylinder into Agamemnon's cylinder, the main world, and had released, for better or for worse, the killer humans from their cages and training areas.

  It must be understood, of course, that the value of humans to the revolution was not as minimal or negligible as the hitherto-noted, disparaging assessment of Lord Grendel might suggest. For example, dozens of humans, armed with their stones and pointed sticks, suddenly swarming upon isolated Kurii were something seriously to be reckoned with. More than one shaggy head was brought back to the rebel camps.

  Kurii in the field needed not be supplied, as they could feed, raw or cooked, on the bodies of their enemies. And, it might be mentioned, though with reluctance, that the protein in the diet of the humans, in particular, in that of the killer humans, was not all derived from the processed edibles confiscated from Kur commissaries.

  Such unpleasantries are often associated with the altercations of rational species.

  Needless to say, amongst the allies, it was understood that feeding on one another, Kur upon human, human upon Kur, was not to take place.

  Indeed, interestingly, in the tensions, and the exigencies, and terrors, of war, each species was beginning to see the other in a different light, the one less as monster than colleague, the other less as food than friend.

  Here and there, there were small herds of cattle humans about, rooting in abandoned gardens, gathering up fallen fruit, scavenging on the dead. Several had returned to the ashes of the stock yards, wandering about, making tiny noises, puzzled perhaps at the disappearance of the pens, and the feed troughs.

  One or two of these bands, led by a behemoth of meat, became paramount, driving other groups away, sometimes seizing them, and feeding on them.

  Clumsy wars were fought over patches of vegetables.

  "It seems they are indeed human,” said Lord Grendel once, when he and Cabot had come upon some such scene of bovine carnage.

  Bleary, stupid eyes, tiny in obese bodies, had looked at them.

  "It only that they do not have their feed troughs,” said Cabot.

  "Doubtless,” said Lord Grendel.

  Then they had turned away.

  The cattle humans were largely ignored by the warring parties, save as the loyalists might occasionally cull the herds for meat.

  * * * *

  Lord Grendel, and his human companion, Tarl Cabot, were on patrol.

  "Do you think it wise?” asked Lord Grendel, “to teach the bow to the forest people?"

  "Yes,” said Cabot, “but perhaps not to the killer humans."

  Those from the forest world, it might be noted, were also being taught speech. In this way, their use of signs and certain guttural signals was significantly augmented.

  "The killer humans are not stupid,” said Grendel. “If the humans from the sport cylinder learn the bow, the arena humans will not be far behind."

  "What are you thinking of?” asked Cabot.

  "Of the cattle humans,” said Lord Grendel.

  "They are dangerous only to one another,” said Cabot.

  "Now,” said Lord Grendel.

  Suddenly Grendel lifted his head, and his hand.

  "What is it?” whispered Cabot. His bow was already strung, as was that of Lord Grendel, for they were on patrol.

  "There,” said Lord Grendel, pointing.

  Cabot saw nothing.

  "There,” said Lord Grendel, again, softly, pointing.

  Then Cabot saw the head, which now lifted from th
e tall grass, several feet ahead of them.

  He drew the bow.

  "No,” said Lord Grendel, putting out his paw, and Cabot lowered the bow.

  "See,” said Lord Grendel, “she has no scarf, no purple scarf."

  "She?” said Cabot.

  "Certainly,” said Lord Grendel. “Can you not tell?"

  The creature then approached, to within a few feet, and turned her head to the side, and snarled.

  "Rather unpleasant,” said Cabot. “You are sure it is a female?"

  "Certainly,” said Lord Grendel. “It is not large."

  "I assure you,” said Cabot, “it is large enough."

  "See the pelt,” said Lord Grendel, “the smoothness, the glossiness."

  "Oh, yes, of course,” said Cabot.

  "That is a beautiful Kur female,” said Lord Grendel.

  "I am sure of it,” said Cabot.

  "Note the fangs,” said Lord Grendel.

  "Of course,” said Cabot, uneasily.

  "She is a beauty,” said Lord Grendel.

  "Indisputably,” said Cabot.

  The creature then snarled, again, and lifted a paw, and claws sprang from it. She snarled, again.

  "Lovely claws,” said Lord Grendel. “Sharp, too. One blow could take the face from a human."

  "She is hostile,” said Cabot. “What are those things behind it?"

  There were some shaggy shapes in the background, some yards behind the nearer creature, which was glaring at them.

  "She does not seem much interested in me,” said Cabot.

  "Perhaps she is not hungry,” said Grendel.

  "That is a joke, I trust,” said Cabot.

  "Certainly,” said Grendel. “Most Kurii do not even like human."

  "Probably it is an acquired taste,” said Cabot.

  "Possibly,” said Grendel.

  "She is looking at you,” said Cabot.

  Lord Grendel handed his bow to Cabot, and slipped the quiver from his shoulder.

  The Kur snarled again, viciously.

  "She thinks I am a nondominant,” said Lord Grendel.

  "Why is that?” asked Cabot.

  "Probably because I am with a human, and one not leashed."

  "I see,” said Cabot.

  "She is thinking of adding me to her retinue of nondominants."

  "Her harem?” asked Cabot.

  "No,” said Lord Grendel, “to her retinue, her collection, her flock, her gaggle, her band, her small group of despised servitors. They are nondominants."

  "It is not a harem?” asked Cabot.

  "No,” said Lord Grendel. “It is not a sexual matter, but a social arrangement. You are familiar with pleasure gardens, harems, and such, I take it."

  "Surely,” said Cabot.

  "The females there,” he said, “are used for sport, and sexual pleasure, are they not?"

  "Certainly,” said Cabot. “We use them as we will, frequently, and in a variety of ways, and get much pleasure from them."

  "A Kur dominant,” said Lord Grendel, “similarly, may keep one or more females, but what you see before you is very different. She would die before she would allow a nondominant to touch her, let alone seed her. Indeed, one who had such a thought, she might kill."

  "A pleasant creature,” said Cabot. “She has a rope."

  The creature had unlooped from her harness several loops of soft, and pliant, but stout rope.

  "She thinks to put the rope on my neck,” said Grendel, “and thus add me to her servitors."

  "I see,” said Cabot, uneasily.

  "Surely you recognize her,” said Grendel.

  "No,” said Cabot, puzzled.

  "From the arena,” he said. “There were two females, do you not remember, who were to compete for seeding by the dominant male, he with rings, and she was the one who lost."

  "It is the same one?” said Cabot. “You are sure?"

  "Certainly,” said Lord Grendel.

  "Perhaps her defeat still rankles with her,” said Cabot.

  "I would suppose so,” said Lord Grendel.

  "She was almost killed, as well,” said Cabot.

  "Some are killed,” said Lord Grendel.

  "I would not turn on the translator,” said Lord Grendel. “You might not like this."

  "Very well,” said Cabot.

  "Do not interfere,” said Lord Grendel.

  "Very well,” said Cabot.

  The Kur approached Grendel, snarling, and bared her fangs. Her face was but inches from his, and she suddenly hissed at him, fiercely. Cabot noted the other Kurii behind her, at this sign of rage, or displeasure, or whatever it might be, drew back, timidly.

  Grendel had shown no response to this action on the part of the female.

  She bared her fangs, and hissed again, viciously.

  Again Grendel did not react.

  She backed away, a foot, and regarded Grendel. Perhaps he was terrified into immobility? A grimace, a Kur smile, shown about her jaws. She would add another despised weakling, another despised servitor, to her timorous, obsequious attendants. She stepped forward, and lifted a loop of the rope, to sling it about Lord Grendel's neck, but suddenly, his arms lifted, claws protruding, he uttered a roar that was unexpected, hideous, and terrible, like nothing that Cabot had ever heard, and Cabot fell back, startled.

  It was as though a volcano might have burst forth at his elbow; thundering with rage.

  The entire form of Lord Grendel seemed then to enlarge and become transformed. Fur crackled outward, increasing his already massive stature; his large, pointed ears were flattened back like smooth knives against the sides of his head; his enormous jaws were open, and reaching forward; his fangs were spread in width better than a foot; his eyes were as kindled furnaces.

  The female Kur drew back, frightened, and was then small, crouching before him.

  She began to tremble, uncontrollably.

  She had unwittingly insulted a dominant.

  Grendel seized her in one paw and dragged her to him, and, with his other paw, struck her head upward and back, exposing her throat, and he set his fangs across her throat, and Cabot knew well what might ensue.

  He had seen more than one Kur head torn from its body by that grip.

  Lord Grendel had warned him not to interfere, but that warning, as it turned out, was quite unnecessary. Cabot was no more tempted to interfere than he would have been tempted to leap between enraged, tangled larls.

  Grendel's fangs half in her throat, her body helpless in his grasp, the Kur female, trembling and squirming, began to utter a piteous succession of tiny, urgent, plaintive noises.

  At this point Cabot was much tempted to turn on his translator, but he refrained from doing so.

  Among Kurii a mortal insult, usually followed by one or more deaths, is to accuse another Kur of being a nondominant.

  To be sure, this insult is usually issued by one male Kur to another.

  Grendel's jaws then closed a little more, and Cabot fully expected to see pounding, driven, surging blood, released, suddenly gush and spatter forth, drenching Lord Grendel and the grass for yards about, spurting from the opened throat of a half-severed head.

  Cabot noted that the nondominants hung back, crouching down, save for one who stood half erect, watching, but making no move to interfere.

  Such creatures could always attach themselves, in their parasitic way, to another female.

  But Grendel did not tear her head from her.

  He removed his fangs from her throat. Cabot noted their tips were bright with blood.

  He then arranged the trembling, shaken female before him, held her up with one paw, for she might, in terror and weakness, have fallen, and, with his other paw, lashed her face back and forth, snapping it from side to side. Her eyes were wide, and frightened. Blood was about her mouth, from the blows. Such blows might easily have broken the neck of a human female. He then took her and threw her to the grass, contemptuously, to the side.

  Most of the nondominants
in the background, then began to file away. Their female had been beaten, and was now nothing. She had been reduced to the status of a Kur female in the presence of a dominant.

  Lord Grendel then turned away from her, but she began to whimper, and moan, and whine, and he turned angrily to face her.

  She couched down, whimpering, making herself small before him.

  He went to her and, with one clawed foot, thrust her contemptuously down to the grass. He then, as she lay there at his feet, whimpering, kicked her, twice, and again turned away from her.

  He was a dominant, and he had been displeased by her, a mere female.

  She called out something, softly, urgently, piteously, pleadingly, in Kur. Cabot's translator was not activated.

  Lord Grendel, half crouched down, turned to face her, and she crawled to his feet, and put her head down to his feet, submissively, and with her long, dark tongue, began to lick them.

  "She is making amends, I gather,” said Cabot.

  "Turn on the translator,” said Grendel, and Cabot did so.

  But then she was whimpering, not speaking, her body trembling, her head still down, to Lord Grendel's feet.

  "Speak,” said Lord Grendel to the she-Kur before him.

  "An animal is present,” she said.

  "Speak,” repeated Lord Grendel.

  "Before a human?” came from Cabot's translator.

  "Yes,” said Grendel.

  "You would so shame me?” she said.

  "Speak or not, as you wish,” said Grendel.

  "Are these things not our secret?” she asked.

  "Speak or not, as you wish,” said Grendel.

  She then lifted her head to him. “Be my master,” she said.

  "Why?” asked Grendel. “You are of little interest. You are coarse, gross, and plain."

  Cabot was surprised at this assessment, given Lord Grendel's earlier remarks, though, as a human, he was not disinclined to agree.

  "Many males have sought me,” she said.

  "The world,” said Lord Grendel, “is filled with fools."

  "I will do my best to please you,” she said.

  "Or any male,” said Lord Grendel.

  "Yes,” she said, “I now know they are my masters."

  "Why is that?” asked Lord Grendel.

  "Because I am a female,” she said.