by John Norman
"Cuwignaka is a man," I said, "and you do not permit him to wear it."
"It is fortunate for you that you are not a warrior," said Canka.
"Akicita hemaca!" I said angrily, in his own language, striking myself on thechest. "I am a warrior!"
"Be careful," said Grunt. "Do not put yourself within the coup system."
Canka sat back on the kailla. "I do not know if you are a warrior or not," hesaid. "But it is perhaps true. You did free Cuwignaka. You are thus, at least, abrave man.You have the respect of Canka'
I was puzzled. I had not expected this attitude on his part.
"Was it you," I asked the young warrior, "Who staked him out?"
"It was Kaiila," said Canka, carefully.
"It was Hci, with his fellows of the Sleen Soldiers, of the Isbu, the son ofMahpiyasapa, civil chieftain of the Isbu, who did it," said Cuwignaka.
"It was not Canka, then, and the All Comrades, who did it?" I said.
"No," said Cuwignaka. "But it was Canka, and Hci, with the Ali Comrades andSleen Soldiers, who first put me in the dress of a woman and later bound me inthat dress and took me to the country of the Dust Legs, there selling me as aslave. That was on the decision of the council of the Isbu, presided over byMahpiyasapa."
"Canka," I said to Cuwignaka, in Gorean, "does not seem to be displeased thatyou have been freed."
"No," said Cuwignaka.
"You wear the dress of a woman," said Canka to Cuwignaka, suddenly, angrily. Hesaid this, personally, emotionally. It was as though he, somehow, found thispersonally shameful.
"I am Cuwignaka," said Cuwignaka, defiantly.
"You hold to a lance of the Kaiila," said Canka. "Surrender it"
"It was you yourself who, when you found me staked out, placed it unbrokenbeside me. It was you yourself who took the woman's dress which Hci had thrownbeside me and wrapped it about the shaft of the lance."
Canka did not respond to this. Such an action, of course, had served to mark,and conspicuously, the place where the lad had been fastened down. The locationhad been marked, almost as though with a flag. Grunt and I had seen it almostimmediately upon coming to this portion of the field. And even had there beennone to see it, at least none of our common world, that marker, the unbrokenlance, the cloth wrapped about it, might have seemed to have served some purposeto he who had placed it there, perhaps standing for some measure of recollectionand respect. This it might have mutely symbolized, if only to the grass of theBarren, the winds and clouds, and perhaps to those of the Medicine World, shouldthey exist, who might have looked down upon it, and pondered it.
"Surrender the lance," said Canka.
"No," said Cuwignaka. "You put it beside me, and it is unbroken."
"Surrender it," said Canka.
"I will not," said Cuwignaka. "If you want it, you must take it from me."
"I will not do that," said Canka. Then he said, "You were freed. Someone mustpay." He was looking at me.
"He is my friend," said Cuwignaka.
"I am Blotanhunka," said Canka. "Someone must pay."
"I will pay," said Cuwignaka.
"What is owed here," said Canka, "it is not yours to pay."
"I will pay," said Cuwignaka.
"It is not you who must pay," said Canka. "It is another who must pay."
"I am a warrior," I said to Canka. "I demand the right of combat."
"I do not wish to kill you," said Canka.
This startled me. It seemed to me that Canka had shown me unusual solicitude. Hehad protected me with Akihoka Keglezela, in the matter of the trade goods. Now,it seemed, he had no wish to enter into combat with me. He was not afraid of me,of that I was sure. I had little doubt but what he thought he could kill me, ifsuch a combat were joined. As a red savage I had little doubt but what heregarded himself as the superior or equal of any white man in single combat.
White men, on the whole, did not even count as being within the coup system.
Similarly, he had explicitly professed his respect for me. Thus it did not seemthat his disinclination to fight with me was motivated by any supposed indignityor shame in doing so. He was not refusing to fight with me as the larl mightrefuse to fight with the urt.
"I do not understand," said Grunt to me, in Gorean.
"Nor do I," I said.
"He does not seem to bear you any hostility," said Grunt.
"No," I said.
"Someone must pay," said Canka.
"Then we must fight," I said, stepping back.
"I cannot fight you, for a reason which you cannot understand," said Canka, "butthese others, my friends, the All Comrades, do not have this reason." Several ofhis fellows, at these words, grasped their lances more tightly. Their kaiilamoved under them, sensing their excitement.
"Set a champion against me," I said. "I will fight him, and, if successful, eachof the others, in turn."
"I am Blotanhunka," said he. "I will not risk my men in that fashion."
"It is then all or none," I said.
"Yes," said he.
I stepped back, further. "I am ready," I said.
"Do not fight," said Grunt. "These are Isbu Kaiila, All Comrades. There areseventeen of them. They, each of them, are skilled warriors. All have countedcoup. You would be, doomed."
"You would fight, would you not?" asked Canka.
"Yes," I said.
"Tatankasa," said Canka.
"Red Bull'," translated Grunt "It would make my heart heavy to have you killed," said Canka. The kailiauk bullis "Tatanka. The suffix "sa' designates the color red, as in "Mazasa', "RedMetal', "Copper. The expression "Kailiauk' is used by most of the tribes for thekailiauk, which is not an animal native to Earth. The expression "Pte' designates the kailiauk female, or kailiauk cow. It is also used, colloquially,interestingly, for tire kailiauk in general. This is perhaps because the «Pte» is regarded, in a sense, as the mother of the tribes. It is she, in the finalanalysis, which makes possible their hunting, nomadic life. Like any similarpeoples, the red savages have generally a great reverence and affection for theanimals in their environment. This is particularly true of the animals on whichthey depend for their food. The useless or meaningless slaughter of such wouldbe unthinkable" I am ready to fight," I said.
"Do not be a fool," said Grunt.
"I am ready," I said to Canka.
"There is an alternative," said Grunt. "Can't you see? He is waiting."
"What?" I asked.
"The collar," said Grunt.
"Never," I said.
"Please, Tatankasa," said Canka.
"Please," said Cuwignaka.
"Please," said Grunt.
Numbly I unbuckled my sword belt. I wrapped the belt out the sheaths, the swordsheath and the knife sheath, and handed the objects to Grunt. I was disarmed.
Words were spoken. One of the savages, he at the left of Canka, Akihoka, leapedto the ground. Canka threw him a collar. It was tied on my neck.
I regarded Canka. I was his slave.
The hands of Akihoka fastened themselves in the collar of my tunic. I was to bestripped naked before them.
"No," said Canka.
Another warrior approached me, with thongs and a rawhide rope. Another jerked myhands behind me. I was to be bound, and put on a tether, like the mere animal Inow was, only a slave.
"No," said Canka.
The warriors then withdrew from me, puzzled, and remounted their lofty beasts.
Canka then turned his kaiila about. He looked over his shoulder at me. "Followus," he said.
"Very well," I said.
"Howo, Winyela," said Canka to Winyela. He pointed to a place in the grass nearthe left flank of his kaiila.
"Quick," said Pimples to Winyela. "Run to the place he has indicated. It is theplace for you to follow his kaiila, the lace of a slave."
Swiftly Winyela ran to her place beside the kaiila. There she stood with herhead down, submissively.
"Good," said Pimples.
"Winyela,"
said Canka.
She lifted her eyes to his.
"Winyela," said Canka, again. In this context he was not saying her name so muchas reminding her of what she was.
"Say, "Ho, Itancanka, " said Pimples.
"Ho, Itancanka," said Winyela.
"Good," said Pimples.
Canka, then, in good humor, set his heels to the flanks of his kaiila and,slowly, the beast walking, took his way from the place. The girl, stripped andbarefoot in the grass, her throat tied in his beaded collar, hurried alongbeside him, taking care to remain exactly in her place.
"I am ruined," said Grunt.
"You are ruined?" I asked. "I am a disarmed slave."
"There is something strange about that," said Grunt. "You have not beenstripped, or tied. I do not understand it."
"Winyela, too," I said, using her new name, "has not been tied." We looked afterthe retreating warriors. Winyela was hurrying along at the left flank of Canka'skaiila, a girl's running place by the beast of her master.
"Have no fear," said Grunt. "In the collar of Canka the red-haired beauty willlearn her slavery well."
"You still have most of your trade goods," I said.
"And I am among them, Master," said Pimples. "Surely I am worth something."
"Lie on your belly," said Grunt.
"Yes, Master," she said, immediately complying. She had spoken withoutpermission.
"The red-haired girl," said Grunt, looking after the warriors, "was forMahpiyasapa, civil chief of the Isbu. Last year when I was in the country of theKaiila, he put in an order for such a woman. Such a woman was on his want list,so to speak."
"Doubtless when Canka returns to the main camp he will surrender her toMahpiyasapa," I said.
"Do you think so?" asked Grunt.
"No," I said.
"I am thirsty," said Cuwignaka, sitting down in the grass. "And I am faint withhunger."
These were the first signs of weakness which he had showed. How shamed andfoolish I suddenly felt. How little consideration, how little attention, we hadgiven him.
I hurried to the pack kaiila and fetched from it the water bag. Grunt, from hisown stores, brought forth some dried, pressed biscuits, baked in Kailiauk fromSa-Tarna flour. We watched him eat and drink. We did not feel that his stomachwould be ready yet for the meat of kailiauk. We had some from the Dust Legs. Itwas in sheets, cut almost as thin as paper, dried in the prairie sun, layered ina flat, leather envelope, a parfleche, originally scaled with a seam of hardenedfat. By confessing his need for drink and food before us Cuwignaka had, in hisway, honored us. This was the sort of thing that a Kaiila warrior would belikely to do only among those whom he considered his friends and comrades.
"Meat," said Cuwignaka.
Grunt and I exchanged glances but, in the end, we fetched Cuwignaka some of thestrips of dried kailiauk meat.
He sat, cross-legged, in the grass, and ate some. "It is enough," he said. Hethrust back the remainder to Grunt, who inserted it in the opened parfleche.
"I am now ready to go to the camp," said Cuwignaka.
"You are in no condition to travel," I said.
"I am ready," he said.
"You will ride," I said.
"I can walk," he said, rising unsteadily to his feet. He picked up the lance,using it as a staff to maintain his balance.
I began to remove my things from my kaiila, with the exception of the bridle,the saddle and saddle blanket.
"What are you doing?" asked Grunt.
"I am preparing the mount for Cuwignaka," I said.
"Do not be foolish," said Grunt. "This is your opportunity to escape. Ridewestward, like the wind. Flee."
"I do not understand," I said.
"Do you not see, my friend?" asked Cuwignaka. "They have given you this chanceto escape."
"They could doubtless follow me, tracking me, with strings of kaiila, until myown beast played out," I said.
"Doubtless," said Cuwignaka, "but I do not think they will do so."
"They are letting you go," said Grunt.
Go now," said Cuwignaka, "for, later, in the main camp, others may not be solenient."
"Go," said Grunt. "You would then have a fine lead on others, in the main camp,days from here, who might wish to follow you. Make good your escape now. It isdoubtless their intention."
"But why should they permit me this?" I asked.
"I do not know," said Grunt.
"I was told to follow," I said, "and I said that I would do so.»
"It was necessary that such a command be given," said Grunt. "None expects youto follow."
"I said that I would," I said.
"They will not expect a white man to keep his word," said Grunt.
"Your word is respected in the Barren, is it not?" I asked.
"I think so," said Grunt.
"Then so, too, will be mine," I said.
"Run," said Grunt. "Do not be a fool"
"What are you going to do?" I asked.
"I am going to the main camp of the Kaiila," he said. "I come to this country totrade."
"You have business in this place?" I asked.
"Yes," said Grunt "I too, have business in this place," I said.
"You are mad," said Grunt.
"Perhaps," I said. But I had not come to the Barrens to back now.
"Get up," said Grunt, kicking Pimples lightly in the side the side of his foot.
"We have work to do."
"Yes, Master," she said, rising, and smoothing down the skirt of the tiny slavetunic with the palms of her hands. She was the only one of the girls whoseclothing had not been by the red savages. The red-haired girl, Lois, Corinne,Inez, Priscilla, the others, had all been stripped. Canka had permitted her tokeep the garment, such as it was, to draw a distinction between her, who couldspeak Kaiila, and the other who could not.
To be sure, there is a controversy as to whether or not it is humiliating for awoman to be put before masters in garment or merely stark naked, save, perhaps,for a collar. Surely slave tunics leave little to the imagination. Among thegirls, of course, there is little disagreement in practice, though some intheory. The girls, only, treasure even the tiniest rag which can afford themsome shielding, however pathetic, from the imperious gaze of masters. Too, fromthe point of view of the masters, the little that might be left to theimagination, small as it is, by such a garment, is often found to be intriguingand stimulating. It encourages them to her stripping. Too, giving a girl a bitof clothing, tends to give one more control over her. For example, will she betold to remove the garment, or will it be taken from her, and if so, publicly orprivately? It must be understood, of course, that a slave, having no rights,does not have the right even to clothing. That a girl is wearing even a rag isusually a sign that she has pleased her master, and quite significantly, too.
Often the garment of a slave girl does not come easily to her. In private, ofcourse, even rags are often dispensed with. The slave is the property of themaster, and, in the privacy of his quarters, she is done with, totally, as hepleases.
"Take care of the things which were mine," I said, "If you would."
"I shall," said Grunt. Slaves, of course, own nothing. It is they who are owned.
"I think it is time to follow Canka," I said to Cuwignaka.
"Ride from here. Escape," said Grunt "Mount up," I said to Cuwignaka. He stood, unsteadily, clinging to the lance, asthough to a staff.
"I will walk," said Cuwignaka.
"You are weak," I said.
"I am Kaiila," said Cuwignaka. "I will walk."
He took two or three faltering steps, supporting himself with the lance. Butthen, suddenly, his legs buckled. For a moment he held himself up with thelance, but then, heavily, fell to the side. Painfully, with the lance, hand overhand; he pulled himself again to his feet. He took another two or threefaltering steps, supporting himself with the lance, after Canka and the others,but then, again, fell heavily in the grass. I moved to go to him, but Grunt'shand on my arm stopp
ed me. "No," he said. "Do not demean him. He is Kaiila."
Pimples, too, I noted, had not moved to aid him. I nodded.
Cuwignaka struggled to a seated position in the grass. He sat there,cross-legged, angrily, the lance beside him.
"I have decided to rest," he said. "I will sit here for a time. Then I will getup, and go."
"Very well," I said.
"He may not be able to walk for days," said Grunt.
"In a day or two," I said.
"Perhaps," said Grunt.
"He is Kaiila," I said.
"That is true," said Grunt, smiling. Then he turned to Pimples. "Busy yourself,Girl," he said. "Pack our stores. A trail awaits."
"Yes, Master," she said.
I lent my assistance to Grunt and Pimples, and, in a few Ehn, we had secured thegoods about either on the travois attached to Grunt's pack kaiila or on my ownpack beast. Pimples put the discarded coffle chains, and the manacles, which hadbound the Hobarts, on the hides of the travois, fastening them about one of thetie ropes.
"I wish you well," I said to Grunt.
"I wish you well," said he to me.
I watched Grunt and Pimples, with the three kaiila, his mount, the kaiiladrawing the travois and my own pack beast, wending their way away, through thetall grass. They turned and waved, and I waved back. Then, after a time, theywere in the distance, following the trail of Canka and his party. I could seethe smoke of evening fires in the distance. That was presumably the Kaiila camp.
Canka had not tethered Winyela. He had let her run free at the flank of hiskaiila. That seemed an unusual courtesy to be extended to a new girl. I smiledto myself. I suspected the young warrior might already care for the red-hairedslave. I did not think he would be eager to surrender her to Mahpiyasapa, hischieftain.
"What are you thinking of?" asked Cuwignaka.
"Various things," I said.
"If you are not going to flee," said Cuwignaka; "perhaps you should followCanka, now."
"I will wait for you," I told him.
"I may sit here for a little while," he said.
I smiled. "I will wait," I said.
"The lot of a slave among the Kaiila, as among our peoples generally," saidCuwignaka, "is not an easy one."
"I do not suppose so," I said.
"At least you are not a female," said Cuwignaka. "The Kaiila, as others of ourpeoples, do not treat their white beauties with gentleness."