by John Norman
"Let them alone," said Grunt to me, quickly, putting his hand on my arm. Two ofthe Kaiila were beginning to rummage through our trade goods.
"Very well," I said.
"The Yellow-Kaiila Rider," said Grant, "is Kahintokapa, One-Who-Walks-Before, ofthe Casmu, or Sand, Band."
"He is the leader?" I asked.
"It is not likely," he said, "not of a group of All Comrades like this. I thinkhe is more in the nature of an observer, probably sent along to advise and tutorthe younger men."
I nodded.
"He is not in the forefront, as you note," said Grunt "The leader is the young man, he regarding the red-haired girl?" I asked.
"That, I gather, is the case," said Grunt. "I do not know him. He is of the IsbuBand, the Little Stones"
"You knew the other fellow," I said.
"Yes," said Grunt, "when last I was in the land of the Kaiila, I met him ingeneral council, with Black Clouds, Mahpiyasapa, civil chief of the Isbu."
"You do not anticipate great difficulty with the Kaiila, then, ' I asked.
"I do not think so," said Grunt. "It is for Black Clouds, Mahpiyasapa, that Ihave brought the red-haired girl into the Barrens. For such a woman,sufficiently pleasing to him, he has promised me five hides of the yellowkailiauk."
"I had wondered what disposition you had in mind for her," I said.
"That is it," he said.
"She is to be sold to a chieftain," I said.
"Yes," he said.
Did you make that clear to our young friend?" I asked.
"Yes," said Grunt.
"Why, then, is she at the paws of his kaiila?" I asked.
"No!" cried Grunt. He then hurried toward the young mounted savage, and theother Kaiila gathered about. Two of them, seeing his angered approach, seizedhim. Grunt struggled futilely in their grasp. The girl, frightened, on herbelly, continued her work, with her lips, her teeth and tongue, biting, andlicking and sucking, at the paws and nails of the kaiila.
Words, heated and proud, were exchanged between the two men. Grunt's resolve toconciliate and pacify the savages seemed, in the heat of the moment, to havebeen abandoned. Then he was thrown backward. Two of the Kaiila drew theirknives. I tensed. Grunt, however, had the good sense not to charge them.
Suddenly, even in his anger, he realized he might be killed.
The young warrior then spoke to the girl at the paws of his kaiila. "Quick," said Pimples, "stand up. Stand straight. Put your hands at your sides. Pressyour hands to your thighs. Put your head up. Whatever happens, do not resist."
Quickly the red-haired girl obeyed.
The young savage threw a beaded collar to one of the warriors near the girl.
He approached the girl.
Grunt, at this point, in an excited medley of Dust Leg, Kaiila and Gorean,distraught and angry, entered again into remonstrance with the young warrior.
"Kaiila," I said, to Grunt. "Kaiila!"
Grunt then shook his head, gathering his thoughts, and addressed himself,clearly and calmly, in Kaiila, to the youth.
But the young man, clearly, the lance grasped in his hand, high on the loftykaiila, in his breechclout and paint, was not moved.
The more mature warrior, then, he who was of the Yellow-Kaiila Riders, moved hisbeast forward. He, too, spoke to the young man. The young man shook his head,angrily. The Yellow-Kaiila Rider then said something to Grunt, and then pulledback his beast, retiring again to the background. I saw that he was not pleased,but he gave little sign of it. It was not seemly, I gathered, for one such as heto enter into dispute with a younger warrior, one of another society and who hadfewer coups than himself. Too, it was the young man, and not he, who wasBlotanhunka, war-party leader, of this group of All Comrades.
The young man then said something to his fellow near the red-haired girl. Thenhe gestured to the helpless female, standing naked and straight before him, herhead up, her hands pressed tightly to her thighs.
Grunt and I watched as the young man's collar was tied on her throat. She wascollared.
Grunt's fists were clenched, futilely.
The red-haired girl looked at her new master in awe. He was tall, and strong,and savagely handsome. Her entire body seemed transfused with "fear, and emotionand excitement. It was such a brute who owned her. Too, she realized thattension had been involved in her claimancy. In spite of countervailingconsiderations, perhaps serious ones, he had decided that it would be he, and noother, who would own her. She knew then that she, a mere slave, was the objectof strong desire.
"I do not like it," said Grunt. "It will mean trouble."
"Perhaps," I said.
The young man regarded his new slave, pleasurably, approvingly. She blushedhotly under his inspection, but did no flinch nor turn her eyes from his. Thenhis eyes grew stem and she shrank back. She saw then that she could be only hislave, and that she would be uncompromisingly mastered. But even this, I saw,pleased her.
"You have one slim chance for life," said Pimples. "That is to serve him, in allthings, and to be pleasing to him, fully, and in all ways."
"I will," she whispered. "I will."
Then the eyes of the young master and the new slave again met. This time, againunable to meet his gaze, she lowered her head. She was very beautiful, her headbowed before her master.
She trembled.
I saw that she was as excited by, and enamored of, her master, as he of her.
"Do not simply stand there, you little fool," said Pimples. "Kneel down beforehim, and put your head to the grass."
Quickly the red-haired girl obeyed.
I looked at her, kneeling before her master. Doubtless she would be worked hardand used much. She would not be in any doubt as to her slavery, either in hiscamp or in his lodge.
The young man said something.
"Get up," said Pimples. "Go to him. You may kiss his foot and ankle."
The red-haired girl got up and went to the young warrior. He looked verysplendid in his paint and feathers, with the lance, astride the kaiila. Shepressed her lips to his moccasin and then to his ankle, kissing him softly. Thenshe looked up at him, and backed away, his, stripped save for the beaded collarknotted at her throat.
"You have been highly honored," said Pimples to the red-haired girl. "Althoughyou are only a white slave, already you have been permitted to put your lips tohis body."
The young man then lowered his lance, until the long point of the narrow,tapering, bluish flint was but inches from her bared breasts. He gestured at herwith the lance. "Winyela," he said.
"You have been named," said Pimples. "Put down your head. Put your fingers toyour breasts. Say, "Ho, Itancanka, Winyela'.
The red-haired girl did this. She then lifted her head again, to her master.
"Winyela," he said.
"Winyela," she repeated.
He then turned his attention elsewhere, to the trade goods, mostly Grunt's,through which two of his warriors had been rummaging. Hatchets, mirrors, knivesand cloths, and such, were now much scattered about, on the grass. He urged hiskaiila to the place. Such concern might seem out of place in a loftyBlotanhunka. Too, the girl must understand that she is nothing.
"I have been named," said the red-haired girl.
"Yes, Winyela," said Pimples. I smiled to myself. At last the red-haired girlhad a name.
"It is a beautiful name," said the red-haired girl.
"It means "Female Animal'," said Pimples.
"Oh," said the red-haired girl, taken aback.
"It is quite a good name, considering that you are a slave," said Pimples.
"Female slaves are often given names such as Wasna, Grease, or Cespu, Scab orWart, until they prove themselves sufficiently pleasing to have earned a better.
I myself was called Wasnapohdi, which means "Pimples."
"You are still called "Pimples'," said the red-haired girl.
"Apparently I have not yet earned a better," smiled Pimples.
"Winyela," said the red-haired girl. "I
t is a beautiful sound."
"Do not forget its meaning," said Pimples. "She-animal. Female animal."
"No," said the red-haired girl.
"And see that you prove to be a perfect she-animal to him, obedient, shamelessand devoted, in all things."
"A slave," said the girl.
"Yes," said Pimples.
"Do you think he would let me be less," she asked, smiling, timidly, "such aman?"
"No," said Pimples. "I, too, was once slave among the Kaiila. I know such men.
They will accept nothing less than abject, perfect service from a woman."
"Even if he would permit me less," said the red-haired girl, "I would not want,even of my own free will, to give him less."
I envied the young warrior his lovely, red-haired slave, Winyela. What man,truly, honestly, red or white, would not? But perhaps one must have had a slave,or least once in ones life, to understand this.
"Look at the happy, shameless slave," I said. "She may have been born for thatcollar."
"Perhaps," said Grunt.
"It may be just as well that your remonstrances proved ineffective."
"She was meant for Mahpiyasapa, Black Clouds," said Grant. "That lad andMahpiyasapa are both of the Isbu Band. There is sure to be trouble. Too, I amnot getting paid for her."
"That is true," I granted him. "What did the Yellow-Kailla Rider say to you," Iasked, "after he had spoken to the youth, before he had returned to his place?"
That the youth was within his rights," said Grunt, "that he could claim her,under the circumstances, by right of slave capture."
"Which he did?" I asked.
"Of course," said Grunt. "Would you not have done the same?"
"Perhaps," I smiled.
"At any rate, it is done now," said Grunt. "She is in his collar."
That was true. The collar had now been tied on her neck. She was now,completely, the young man's property.
I looked at her. I saw that she was prepared to serve him well.
I noted, suddenly, looking about, that one of the two warriors who had beenbusying himself in the trade goods was now reaching for a certain bundle on myown kailla. It was that in which, rolled, was the story bide and, also, thetranslator I had brought from Port Kar, that acquired from Kog and Sardak, theKurii, in the abandoned tam complex, in the delta.
"Do not," said Grunt to me.
But I was the side of the kaiila and firmly, I took the hand of the warrior fromthe bundle, and put it to the side. He looked at me, startled.
Our hands darted to our knife sheaths.
The lance of the young warrior interposed itself between us. We stepped apart.
I pointed to the goods on my pack kaiila. "Mine!" I said, in Gorean. Too, Ijerked my thumb toward my body. This, in sign, signifies "I," "Me," or "Mine," depending on the context.
"Howo, Akiboka," said the young man to the fellow squared off against me, bewhose hand I had taken from the packing on the kaiila. "Howo, Keglezela," saidhe then to the other fellow. He then slowly brought his kaiila about and walkedit slowly, to where the red youth, Cuwignaka, Woman's Dress, whom I had freedfrom the stakes, clung, supporting himself, to the Kaiila lance. He had donnedthe white dress of his own accord. He had shortened it earlier, and torn it atthe side, to permit himself more freedom of movement in it. The lad seemed weak,clinging to the lance. He had not, however, in the presence of the othersavages, deigned to eat or drink. They must be aware, I supposed, of thisgesture on his part. They would doubtless respect that. He, in spite of hisgarb, was showing them that he, in this at least, could be Kaiila. The twofellows, Akiboka and Keglezela, followed the young warrior. I adjusted thepacking ropes on the kaiila, securing the goods firmly in place. It interestedme that the young warrior had interposed his will as he had. In this, for somereason, he had protected me. I did not know him, however. I had never seen himbefore. It made no sense to me that he had acted as he had. I was puzzled. Whyhad be done this?
The young warrior had now ridden his kaiila about until he faced Woman's Dress.
I noted that his men, too, took up positions either at his sides, in lines, orrather behind him. They were drawn up, a few feet from Woman's Dress, fannedout, almost as if readying themselves for the charge. Woman's Dress looked up atthem, still holding to the lance, that he not fall. He showed not the least fearbefore him. I went to stand near Woman's Dress. Grunt, too, was near to us.
Winyela and Pimples stood to one side.
The young warrior, very clearly, began to speak. This language, to thoseunfamiliar with it, seems fraught with unfamiliar husky and guttural sounds init, rasping and sibilant. It is very fluent and expressive. Sometimes it seemsalmost as though it were exploding into sound, particularly when the speakerspeaks rapidly or is excited.
"Who has freed you?" translated Grunt. "I am free. It does not matter."
The young warrior spoke rapidly to Woman's Dress who, boldly, and in an almostfiery fashion, responded to him. It seemed to me incongruous that Woman's Dress,weakened, in the remains of the dress of a white female, should carry on sostoutly and resolutely with the young warrior. Both, of course, were Kaiila. Iwondered if both knew one another, from somewhere before. Woman's Dress, I saw,was a man.
"What is going on?" I asked Grunt.
"The young fellow wants to know who freed him, and Woman's Dress is protectingyou."
"I freed him," I said to the young warrior, stepping forward. "Translate that,"
I told Grunt.
"I do not think that would be in your best interest," said Grunt.
"Translate it," I said.
Reluctantly, Grunt complied.
The young warrior regarded me.
"He is not surprised, of course," said Grunt. "It is what he would havesuspected."
I nodded. I would surely have been the prime suspect in this matter. I wasobviously not one familiar with the Barrens. I could speak only a smattering ofDust Leg and Kaiila. Presumably, then, it would have been I who, in foolishness,or not knowing any better, would have had the temerity to cut the thongs.
"Canka, ' said the young warrior, striking himself on the chest with his fist.
"Akicita hemaca. Isbu hemaca. Kaiila hemaca!"
"I am Canka, Fire-Steel," said Grunt. "I am a warrior. I am of the LittleStones. I am of the Kaiila. "
"Tal" said I, "I am Tarl Cabot."
"Wopeton," said Grunt, pointing to me. "Hou, Hou, Kola." Then he turned to me.
"Your name would be meaningless to them," he said. "I have called you "Wopeton,or "Trader' or "Merchant'. That may serve as a name for you, you want another. Ihave also conveyed your greeting" I understand," I said.
In the following I will give the gist of the conversation that then ensued.
Understand that Grunt, or Woman's Dress, upon occasion, acted as interpreter.
Understand, too, that more than this was said. Certain points only are hereconveyed. There were additional exchanges, which took place between Canka andCuwignaka, between Fire-Steel and Woman's Dress.
"It is as I thought," sad Canka to me, "it was you who freed this callowprisoner."
"He has survived, and he is strong," I said. "He, like yourself, is Kaiila.
Respect him."
"He was the slave of white men."
"Now he is free," I said.
"He would not carry arms," said Canka. "He would not take the warpath."
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"We put him in the dress of a woman and called him Cuwignaka," said Canka.
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"You shamed the Isbu," said Canka.
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"When again we went against the Fleer we gave him the opportunity to join us,the right to wear the breechclout and be a man. Again he refused. We then boundhim in his women's dress and sold him to the Dust Legs."
"I had no quarrel with the Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
&
nbsp; "The Kaiila have a quarrel with the Fleer, and you are Kaiila' said Canka.
"The Fleer have not injured me," said Cuwignaka.
"Your grandfather was killed by Fleer," said Canka.
"And we, too, killed Fleer," said Cuwignaka.
"How is it that you have dared to return to the Barrens?" asked Canka.
"He was brought," I said. "The white soldiers brought him. He could not help it.
"They brought me," said Cuwignaka, "but I would have returned anyway."
"Why?" demanded Canka.
"Because I am Kaiila," said Cuwignaka, "no less than you! ' "Do you think you are a man?" asked Canka.
"I am a man," said Cuwignaka.
"You do not wear the breechclout," said Canka.
"It is not permitted to me," said Cuwignaka.
"Because you are a woman," said Canka.
"I am not a woman, " said Cuwignaka.
"If you return to camp," said Canka, "you will live as woman. You will wear thedress of a woman and do the work of a woman. You will scrape hides and cook. Youwill gather kailiauk chips for the fires. You will tend lodges. You will pleasewarriors."
"I will not please warriors," said Cuwignaka.
"I think that I will give you as a female slave to Akihoka," said Canka.
"I will not please warriors," said Cuwignaka.
"That is the first duty of a woman," said Canka, "to obey men, and be pleasingto them."
"I am not a woman," said Cuwignaka.
"You do not wear the breechclout," said Canka. "And these others, too, do not," he said, surveying Grunt and myself.
"A yard or two of cloth," I said, "does not determine manhood in my country."
"In his country, and in mine," said Grunt, "one might wear the breechclout andnot be a man, and one might be a man and not wear it."
"That is apparently not the way of the Barrens," I said. "Here, in your country,it seems all that matters is whether a certain garment is worn. If that is thecase, in your country, manhood is cheap, costing no more than the price of astrip of cloth."
"That is not true! ' said Canka.
"Be careful," said Grunt to me. "Be careful, my friend."
"The breechclout does not make manhood," said Canka. "It is only a sign ofmanhood. That is why we do not permit those to wear it who are not men."