"Perhaps it is just as well," I said. "Then, if all goes well, Marcus and Phoebe can leave with you tomorrow."
"'If all goes well'?" asked Boots.
"You need not assist me, of course," I said to Marcus.
"I will assist you," he said.
"My thanks," I said.
"What of you?" asked Boots.
"Do not concern yourself with me," I said.
"You are remaining in Ar?" asked Boots.
"For the time," I said.
"If the fraudulent Home Stone is a plausible duplicate," said Marcus, "it should not matter too much. The substitution might never be discovered."
"Ah," said Boots, beaming. "But the substitution will be discovered, and probably quite soon, doubtless within a few days at the most."
"What?" Marcus.
"You do not wish the duplicate to be a plausible duplicate," said Boots. "If it were, Seremides, and the Ubara, and their minions, could pretend it is still the Home Stone of Ar's Station. Indeed, they might challenge the authenticity of the stone which reaches Port Cos, should we make it that far."
Marcus regarded him, astonished.
"It must be clear to everyone," said Boots, "that the true Home Stone of Ar's Station has been snatched from under their very noses."
"Such things would surely weaken the grip of Cos in the city," I said. "Such things would surely give heart to Ar. Indeed, such things have toppled regimes."
"I have made certain that there are many small discrepancies between the original and the copy," said Boots, "but mostly they are such as would be noticed only by one quite familiar with the Home Stone of Ar's Station."
"And few of Ar's Station are in Ar," said Marcus, "and of those of Ar's Station who might be in Ar, presumably few would approach their Home Stone under these circumstances, when expected to revile it."
"And if they did notice these differences," said Boots, "one might plausibly suppose they would not hasten to bring them to the attention of the guardsmen."
"I would think not," smiled Marcus.
"But then," I said, "if these differences are subtle, might not authenticity be claimed for the fraudulent stone?"
"I can guarantee that it will not be," said Boots.
"How can you guarantee that?" I asked.
"If you have noticed," said Boots, "and I certainly have, for I made it a point to note such things, and over a period of several days, almost no one touches the Home Stone. I was very unusual in picking it up and handling it. It is flat, and it lies flat on its board."
"Yes?" I said.
"So I took the liberty," he said, "in the fraudulent stone, of cutting a message into its under surface, and, indeed, of even coloring the lettering."
"What is the message?" I asked.
"It is simple," said Boots. "It says 'I am not the Home Stone of Ar's Station.'"
"That seems clear enough," I said.
"And I took the further liberty," said Boots, "of adding an additional remark."
"What was that?" I asked.
"'Down with Cos,'" he said.
"Flee now," said Marcus, in dismay.
"But think," said Boots. "If you were in the guard, and you discovered that the stone was fraudulent, surely you would fear either that the stone had been stolen in your watch, or would be thought to have been stolen in your watch."
"Yes!" I said.
"Accordingly," said Boots, "it seems to me more likely that the guards would manage to overlook the matter, and turn over the stone to the next watch, as though nothing were amiss, thus letting the next watch, or the next, and so on, worry about the matter. Certainly it would be embarrassing, if not absolutely dangerous, to have the substitution discovered during, or at the end of, one's own watch."
"You are a clever fellow, Boots," I said.
"Also, the guards are mostly fellows of Ar," said Boots. "Thus I do not think they would take the same offence or manifest the same zeal in these matters as might be expected of Cosians."
"They might even relish the matter," I said.
"Possibly," said Boots. "On the other hand, I do not think they, either, would be eager for the substitution to be discovered on their watch."
"No," I said. "I would not think so."
"Accordingly," said Boots, "I think we need not fear that the substitution will be too promptly discovered."
"Or, at any rate," I said, "too promptly reported."
"Precisely," smiled Boots.
"You will arrange your rendezvous tomorrow evening with Marcus?" I asked.
"Of course," said Boots.
I pressed a heavy purse into the hands of Boots Tarsk-Bit.
"The weight of this suggests a great many copper tarsks," said Boots, surprised.
"Count it later," I said. "Conceal it now."
"My robe does contain a few interior pockets," he said. The purse disappeared inside the robe.
"I shall not enter into the details of this," I said, "but in the north, last summer, in virtue of an unusual combination of circumstances, Marcus came into the possession of a large fortune, one hundred pieces of gold."
"One hundred?" asked Boots, startled.
"Yes," I said, rather pleased that I had, for once, managed to startle the great Boots Tarsk-Bit, or Renato, the Great, as he now called himself.
"But he gave me the hundred pieces of gold," I said, "for a slave."
Boots regarded Marcus, aghast.
"She is worth ten thousand, and more," said Marcus, defensively.
"It is not that he is really insane," I said. "There are special circumstances involved."
"Too," said Marcus, angrily, "I did not know at the time that she was a Cosian!"
"That does make a great deal of difference," said Boots.
"Else a copper tarsk or two might have been too much," said Marcus.
"Doubtless," said Boots.
"You see," I said, "there are special considerations here. You note the discrepancy between, say, ten thousand pieces of gold, or more, and one or two copper tarsks."
"She is not for sale, anyway, for any price," said Marcus.
"Though I am not of the scribes," said Boots, "I did note the discrepancy."
"And that is how I obtained one hundred pieces of gold in the north," I said.
"And you wish us to convey this paragon of beauty to the north?" asked Boots.
"You do not object, do you?" I asked.
"Certainly not," said Boots. "After all, that will give us something to do in leisure moments, fighting off armies from all directions, fending away clouds of mercenaries, battling bands of brigands, attempting to turn back innumerable waves of eager, lustful ruffians, and such."
"I do not understand," I said.
"I do," said Marcus, pleased.
"I agreed to transport a Home Stone to Port Cos," said Boots, "not to risk traveling with one of the most fabulously desirable and beautiful women on all Gor in my train."
"She is certainly that," agreed Marcus. "You could always keep her in a box, or sack."
"I am certainly eager to see this slave," said Boots.
"Despite the convictions and the enthusiasms of Marcus in this matter," I said, "well warranted though they doubtless are, I should make clear to you that they might not be shared, at least to his extent, at first sight, by all casual observers."
"I suppose that is possible," said Marcus, reflectively, in a mood of uncommon charity.
"This is not to deny that the girl is an exquisite slave," I said, "and Marcus is training her very well."
"What would she sell for?" asked Boots, bluntly.
"In a common market," I asked, "with nothing special known about her?"
"Yes," he said.
"I would guess for something like two or two and a half silver tarsks," I said.
"She is quite lovely then," he said.
"Yes, but there are thousands upon thousands like her on Gor," I said, "and it is not like armies of tarnsmen would be launched to acquire her."
"I see," said Boots, relieved.
"What do you think Telitsia would sell for?" I asked.
"Probably about the same," he said.
"But you would not sell her?"
"No," smiled Boots. "She is not for sale."
"Then it is the same," I said.
"Not really," said Boots. "Telitsia makes an excellent Brigella, and she is excellent about one's feet and thighs. She is devoted, and loving, and it is hardly ever necessary to whip her now."
"It is seldom necessary to whip Phoebe either now," said Marcus.
"Yes, yes," I said. "I am sure they are both excellent slaves."
"I trust," said Boots, "that the purse I have received, which was unusually heavy, contains the equivalent of at least a gold piece."
"Surely you trust me," I said.
"I trust you," said Boots. "It is only that I am wary of your mathematics."
"Have no fear," I said. To be sure, there was more to what Boots was saying than might be evident at first sight. It was not that I had difficulty in adding and subtracting, of course, but rather that I was not always as knowledgeable as I might be about the relative values of various coins, of numerous cities, which, of course, depended on such things as compositions and weights, and exchange rates, which might fluctuate considerably. For example, if a city debases its coinage, openly or secretly, perhaps as an economy measure, to increase the amount of money in circulation, or there is a rumor to that effect, this will be reflected in the exchange rates. Many Gorean bankers, not only the fellows sitting on a rug in their booth on a street, their sleen about, but also those in the palaces and fortresses on the "Streets of Coins," work with scales. Too, sometimes coins are literally chopped into pieces. This is regularly done with copper tarsks, to produce, usually, the eight tarsk bits equivalent in most cities to the copper tarsk. Every year at the Sardar Fair there is a motion before the bankers, literally, the coin merchants, to introduce a standardization of coinage among the major cities. To date, however, this has not been accomplished. I did not feel it was really fair of Boots to call attention to my possible lack of expertise in these matters. I was not, after all, of the merchants, nor, among them, of the coin merchants.
"The purse contains no copper tarsks," I said.
"What?" said Boots.
"Of the hundred gold pieces we acquired in the north, we had only some ninety left," I said. "I am sorry. You must understand, however, we have had expenses, a long journey, that prices in Ar are high, particularly for decent food and rented lodging, that we have needed money for bribes, for example, to obtain information, and such, that we have given some away, and so on. I have put half of those, forty-five pieces of gold, in the purse. They are yours."
"I do not understand," said Boots.
"I have kept the other forty-five," I said, "because I may need them, tomorrow. I do not know."
"That is too much money," said Boots.
"Do not be concerned for us," I said. "We have other moneys, as well, from donations received, so to speak, from a fellow or so here and there, usually met in remote areas in dark places, and from fees taken in service."
"We agreed on two pieces of gold," said Boots, "at most."
"So we now break our agreement," I said.
"You would do that?" he asked.
"We might," I said.
"Scoundrels," he said.
"Simply suppose that we are mad," said Marcus. "Just take them, and with them, our undying gratitude, and that of Ar's Station."
"I cannot take so much," said Boots.
"You are Boots Tarsk-Bit?" I asked.
"I think so," he said. "At least that is what I have suspected for years."
"Then take the money," I said.
"Give me a moment," he said. "Let me collect myself. Let me recall myself to myself. I did not expect this. Give me time. My greed has been taken unawares. It staggers. It reels. Such generosity would give pause to even the most robust avarice."
"We obtained the money with little effort," I said. "It is not as though a village of peasants had hoed suls for it, for a century, or anything."
"I am relieved to hear it," said Boots. "I had been much concerned with that."
"Indeed," I said, "it is, in a sense, purloined treachery money, from traitors in Ar."
"It is my duty to accept it?" asked Boots.
"Certainly your right," I said.
"Perhaps I might be persuaded to accept it," he said, "for the arts."
"Be persuaded then," I said, "for the arts."
"Done!" said he.
"Excellent," I said.
"The arts and I thank you," he said.
"You are welcome," I said, "all of you."
We clasped hands.
"I can double this overnight at the gaming tables," he said.
"But do not do so until after delivering the Home Stone to Port Cos," I said.
He looked at me, stricken.
"Yes," I said, sternly.
"Very well," he said.
We then again clasped hands. In a moment Boots had hurried off.
"The Home Stone must reach Port Cos," said Marcus.
"You can help to assure it," I said. "You will travel with them, as I once did, as a roustabout, leaving tomorrow evening."
"I am pleased," said Marcus, "that we managed to persuade him to accept the money."
"It was difficult," I said. "But we won out."
"Largely," said Marcus, "it was due to your persuasive powers."
"Come now," I said. "You were quite persuasive yourself."
"Do you think so?" he asked.
"Certainly," I said.
"I was afraid for a time he would refuse to accept the fortune we urged upon him."
"Yes," I agreed. "It was nip and tuck for a time."
"But that business about the arts," said Marcus. "That is what did it."
"Yes," I said. "That is his weak spot."
"What now?" he asked.
"I must arrange for a message to be delivered to Appanius," I said, "tomorrow morning."
24
Staffs and Chains
"You understand what to do?" I asked her.
"Yes, Master," said Lavinia, kneeling beside me. She trembled, slightly.
I looked down at her. She was now in a short cloak, held about her neck, and, under it, in a tiny, loose, beltless rep-cloth tunic, fastened only at the left shoulder. The cloak, held as it was, concealed her collar. She was now in the collar that read "RETURN ME TO TARL AT THE INSULA OF TORBON." She was thus now well identified as my slave. The tunic's fastening at her left shoulder was a disrobing loop. That was important. I wished her to be able to disrobe on an instant's notice.
"The timing of these events is extremely important," I said.
"Yes, Master," she whispered.
"If you do not do well," I said, "I will have you fed to sleen."
She looked at me, white-faced.
"I will," I said.
"I will do my best, Master," she said.
I had made certain, in my rehearsals, that she could remove both cloak and tunic expeditiously.
Marcus, sitting to one side, sharpening his sword, lifted his head.
"That is the fifth Ahn," he said.
I nodded. We could hear the bars, even at a distance of over a pasang.
We were in a room in the Metellan district. I had sealed the shutters, and blocked them, on the inside, so that no one might, from the outside, through the cracks, observe what occurred in the room. In the center of the room there was a large couch, a round couch, some seven or eight feet in diameter. It was well cushioned, and covered with furs, and was soft and inviting. At one point, in its side, there was a slave ring. We had set a small table near the couch, bearing a decanter of wine, with glasses, and a small, tasteful array of sweets. The room was lit with a small tharlarion-oil lamp. I had already tested the apparatus. It was activated by a simple wooden lever, from an adjoining room. The weights would do the
rest. I had also brought along some other articles, which I thought might prove useful.
"You informed the slave," I said to Lavinia, "that the plans had been advanced, and that he was now to be here at half past the fifth Ahn?"
"Yes, Master," she said.
"He thinks that is the new time of the assignation?"
"Yes, Master," she said.
"And he has not had time to convey this information to his master, as far as you know."
"I should not think so, Master," she said.
"He will then presumably regard it as his work to keep the free woman, whoever she turns out to be, here until Appanius and the magistrates arrive."
"I would think so, Master," she said.
"Which arrival, as he understands it, will be in the neighborhood of a half past the sixth Ahn?"
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Good," I said. The original time of the assignation, conveyed to the slave, which he, in turn, would have conveyed to his master, was the seventh Ahn. Accordingly the master, and presumably two magistrates, who would act as official witnesses and be officers versed in certain matters, would wish to arrive early, presumably about half past the sixth Ahn, or, at any rate, at a decent interval before the seventh Ahn. The free woman might very well, of course, not appear precisely at the seventh Ahn. She might prefer to let her putative lover wait, perhaps torturing himself with anxieties and doubts as to her intent to appear at all. This is very different from a slave, of course. The slave must be instantly ready to serve the master, and at so little as a whistle, a gesture or a snapping of the fingers.
"But," I said, "I have sent a message to Appanius myself, an anonymous message, on which I think he will act. He should, then, if all goes according to my plans, not arrive at half past the sixth Ahn, as the slave expects, but shortly after the slave himself arrives, which should be shortly."
"I think," said Marcus, "we should consider withdrawing."
"True," I said.
Marcus put away his sharpening stone.
He wiped the blade on the hem of his tunic.
"Do you expect to use that?" I asked.
He sheathed the blade. "I do not know," he said.
"The slave is likely to enter through the main door?" I asked Lavinia.
"I do not know," she said.
Magicians of Gor Page 54