Swordsmen of Gor cog[oc-29

by John Norman

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Truly?” I asked, regarding him closely.

  “I think so,” he said.

  “Bucklers and blades,” I said to the mercenaries.

  I secured my own buckler from the saddle.

  “You, too, buckler and blade,” I said to Tajima and Pertinax. It is true the blade may be used for both offense and defense, but I would not trust it against a flighted quarrel.

  “Nodachi,” said Tajima, “could deflect a quarrel with the blade of even a companion sword.”

  “And do you possess his skills?” I asked.

  “No,” said Tajima.

  “Fetch your buckler,” I said to him.

  “Yes, Tarl Cabot, tarnsman,” he said.

  The edged buckler, of course, as in the arena, is an offensive weapon, as well as a defensive one.

  I put Torgus in command.

  “We will report to Lord Nishida,” I said to Tajima.

  “It is well,” he said.

  At that moment, running toward us, then stopping short, was one of the enemy.

  “Please, Tarl Cabot, tarnsman,” said Tajima, politely, “may I have him?”

  “Yes,” I said. And then I said to Pertinax, “observe.”

  It was done very quickly.

  “Do not do swords with Tajima,” I said to Pertinax.

  “He despises me,” said Pertinax.

  “No,” I said, “for as of this afternoon you have ridden together.”

  “We are rivals,” said Pertinax.

  “Are you interested in Sumomo?” I asked.

  “Who is Sumomo?” he asked.

  “You are not rivals,” I assured him.

  “My skills increase,” said Pertinax.

  “Good,” I said. “See that they are employed properly.”

  I then, with some dozen or so men, mercenaries, together with Tajima and Pertinax, addressed myself to the path which led to the housing area. We had not been on the track for more than a handful of Ihn, however, moving rapidly but circumspectly, lest crossbowmen be about, when we heard shouts before us, and we saw some dozen or so of the Pani Ashigaru, with their glaives, approaching.

  “It seems we will not need our blades,” said Tajima.

  “Resistance is at an end,” said one of my fellows.

  “The camp is clear,” said another.

  “Do not be certain of that,” I said. I conjectured that enclaves of war might linger. More dangerous would be foes who were unseen, who, frenzied, and terrified, might be here and there, in hiding.

  Then we had come to the housing area.

  “I would see if Sumomo is alive,” said Tajima.

  “You are dismissed,” I informed my pantherine associate, and he bowed, briefly, and hurried away, toward the area of Lord Nishida’s still-burning pavilion.

  I anticipated no resistance in the open areas.

  I saw some Pani about. Some had heads fastened at their belt.

  I saw no prisoners.

  I heard a scream from within one of the huts about the periphery.

  “Should we not concern ourselves with Cecily and Jane?” asked Pertinax.

  “You mean Saru, do you not?” I asked.

  “With slaves,” said Pertinax.

  “War is first,” I told him.

  “Duty?” he said.

  “Certainly,” I said. “But do not fear for them. Female slaves are not slain, no more than verr or kaiila.”

  “They are animals?” said Pertinax.

  “Yes,” I said, “and the sooner you learn that then you will relate to them the more appropriately.”

  “As animals?”

  “Of course,” I said, “as the lovely animals they are.”

  “Speaking, feeling animals?” he said.

  “Yes,” I said, “the best sort.”

  “What if they were free?” he asked.

  “Then they would be priceless,” I said.

  “Then one might concern oneself?” he asked.

  “Eventually,” I said.

  “But war, duty, is first,” he said.

  “Certainly,” I said. “But remember that even the free woman is only a woman.”

  “I see,” he said.

  “Do not fear,” I said. “Only the insane would kill a woman. There are better things to do with a woman than kill her.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Capture, collar, and master her,” I said.

  “I see,” he said.

  “In the collar,” I said, “they learn they are women.”

  “And what is a woman?” he asked.

  “A slave,” I said, “though not all are in collars.”

  “All women are slaves?” he said.

  “Yes,” I said, “though not all are in collars.”

  I thought of a high woman, one who was, or had been, the daughter of a Ubar. I recalled her from the Plaza of Tarns, in conquered Ar, where she, a traitress, had been installed as a puppet Ubara. I had watched her consign woman after woman as booty to the victors, though under the guise of an allegedly reparational bondage, an act of justice, to compensate for the faults and crimes of her city, in this carefully selecting out, amongst others, her critics or enemies, such as the beautiful Claudia Tentia Hinrabia, the daughter of a former administrator of Ar. How imperiously she had reveled in that modicum of power accorded to her by the occupational forces of Tyros and Cos!

  To one side a group of Pani were considering a hut. The door had been shut, and, I supposed, blocked from the inside.

  In the midst of the Pani before the hut was a figure who wore a large, masklike helmet, whose features could not be discerned. Most of the Pani helmets, on the other hand, were open, though winged, that is, were rimmed to the sides and back, with something like a descending metal brim. They, like Gorean warriors, wore no visible body armor, as this defensive device was contrary to the rulings of Priest-Kings. I have never understood, perfectly, why this was so, but there are two major theories, which I might mention. The first theory would seem to presuppose a historical origin, though perhaps one rather idiosyncratic. In ancient times, on Earth, surely in the Homeric era, at least, it seems the defensive accouterments of the warrior often consisted of a helmet and shield, and the offensive accouterments of a sword and spear. Body armor was rare, and doubtless expensive, and, it seems, many warriors, even by preference, went into battle nude, save for helmet and shield. One gathers this from ancient sculpture, if from no other source. The most likely explanation for this, if it is true, as it seems to be, would presumably be to lighten and free the body to the greatest extent possible for great exertion and quick movement. Even much later Gauls encountered by Caesar’s legions, at least occasionally, seem to have gone into battle with little but a golden neck band, these being prized as loot by victorious legionnaires. One supposes that some warriors might have supposed, as well, that their foes might have been intimidated by their scorn for body armor, or perhaps they regarded, interestingly, body armor as effeminate or unworthy a courageous warrior, who should not fear wounding or death. Perhaps even vanity or preening entered into such matters. It is hard to know. In any event, body armor, in time, became rather general in warfare on Earth. Its use declined with the widely spread utilization of gunpowder, particularly as its quality improved, and advances were made in connection with its packaging and delivery, cartridges, rifled barrels, and such. For example, in two major wars on Earth in the Twentieth Century, body armor was generally unknown, with the exception of the helmet. Later, with new developments in metallurgy, moving toward lightness and strength, it became, once more, rather general, at least where it might be affordable. There are often “arms races,” so to speak, in such matters, in which an improvement in offense spurs an improvement in defense, and so on. In any event, the historical explanation, for what it is worth, is that Priest-Kings arranged their laws in such matters based on indulgently codifying what they took to be current human practices in such matters. Few Gorean warr
iors, incidentally, go into battle nude, but male nudity is not as uncommon on Gor as it is on Earth. For example, it is not unknown for Gorean laborers, if engaged in heavy work on hot days, and so on, to work nude. Most people do not think much about this, one way or another. The human body, on Gor, is not regarded as shameful. Even Gorean women of high caste, who are commonly robed and veiled in public, do not regard bodies as shameful. That would be absurd for a Gorean. They do, however, usually, regard their bodies as special and provocative, and exquisitely private, and certainly not for public viewing. The Gorean free woman then does not think of her body as something to be hidden for reasons of shame but as something to be hidden for reasons of propriety. As is well known the usual Gorean free woman is more concerned with the concealment of her facial features than her body. Her face is much more revealing of herself than her body. It might be noted, in passing, that the face of the female slave must be bared publicly. This is a difference between her and the free woman. Anyone may look upon the face of a female slave with impunity, as much as upon a verr or kaiila. She is, of course, enslaved, an animal. Also, she is usually garbed briefly and provocatively. This is, I suppose, not only to distinguish her, and dramatically, from the free woman, with whom she must not be confused, but because she is usually owned by men, and men enjoy seeing the beauty of women. Also, it is difficult to conceal weapons in a slave tunic. Indeed, the slave herself is scarcely concealed.

  The second major theory proposed to explain the ban of Priest-Kings on body armor is that the Priest-Kings, in their benign concern for human beings, one of the diverse life forms with which they stocked the planet, thought the banning of body armor would reduce injury and conflict, that it would lead humans to abandon war as too dangerous and perilous of pursuit by a rational organism. If this is the case, it seemed they may have overestimated the rationality of the human species, or underestimated the lengths to which it might go to acquire land, wealth, women, and other valuables. A variant on this theory, though one less benign, or misguided, is that the regulation from the Sardar was intended to help keep the numbers of human beings on the planet in check, that it functioned, in a sense, as a populational control device. They might have been less inclined to use other devices, say, disease, because of the danger of a mutation which might affect the denizens of the Sardar, sooner or later, as well. To be sure, other theories might be proposed, too, for example that warfare conducted under such conditions might tend to improve the species, selecting for, say, intelligence, quickness, agility, and so on. It might be noted that on the planet Earth war would seem to be counterproductive along these lines, as, on the whole, the healthy and robust do the fighting and the sickly, weak, and frail remain behind to replicate their genes.

  Whatever the truth may be in these matters the Priest-Kings, as is their wont, did not explain the rationale for their rulings. They do enforce them, however, mercilessly, with the Flame Death. Perhaps the rulings on body armor were not even particularly rationally motivated, at all; perhaps they were the result of a random notion or an idiosyncratic whim on the part of one or more Priest-Kings. Whatever the case may be the rulings, as in the case of certain forbidden developments or innovations in weaponry and communication, and such, are in place.

  You may recall that I had heard a scream issuing from one of the huts. I now saw one of the Pani emerging from the hut, carrying a head.

  These heads were clearly trophies of a sort. For example, a warrior might win favor from his daimyo or shogun by garnering heads, this understood as a proof of prowess in war. In such a way one might earn promotion, land, gifts, preferments, and such. I would also later learn that these heads, particularly if one of a celebrated foe, might be treasured, and kept indefinitely, the hair being carefully combed and dressed, the head being perfumed, the teeth painted black, and so on. The blackness of teeth was apparently regarded as cosmetically appealing. Indeed, certain beauties of the Pani, I would learn, blackened their teeth to enhance their charms. To be sure, neither of the contract women of Lord Nishida, one of whom was Sumomo, who was apparently of interest to Tajima, and the other of whom was Hana, as I later discovered, I was pleased to note, had adopted this practice.

  He in the helmet mask turned toward me, and I saw that the mask, in design and color, was garish. Too, it was horned. The entire effect was that of a hideous face, as of some frightful creature, or monster of sorts, surely not even a human face.

  “That is Nodachi,” I speculated. Pertinax was at my side, and would presumably be familiar with that individual. I myself had never seen this mysterious and, it seemed, almost legendary, figure.

  “No,” said Pertinax.

  Although the gaze of the figure was upon me, it gave no sign of recognition.

  “Bow,” whispered Pertinax.

  “Of course,” I thought to myself. There are understandings in such things. I am not even of the Pani. I understand very little of this. Pertinax may be more informed than I, having profited from the tutelage of Nodachi. It did seem to me that the fellow in the helmet mask, as it was the only contrivance of its sort in view, might be important. I am not of the Pani, I reminded myself. I will be expected to bow first. There is a complex order in such matters.

  And so I bowed, and lifted my sword, in a warrior’s salute.

  This business on my part was accepted, it seemed, for the individual returned my bow, though less deeply, and then turned away.

  I did note that his sword, the long sword, with its beautifully curved blade, and its tasseled hilt, suitable for a two-handed grasp, was bloodied.

  I took him to be a high officer, of which there were several in camp. From the mask, the stature, the carriage, the nature of his garments, the tone of the skin, I took him to be Pani.

  I looked about, wondering on the whereabouts of Lord Nishida.

  Even as I did so, to my right, his pavilion collapsed, crashing downward in a sudden flurry of sparks and smoke, then settling into a mass of flaming planks, timbers, and panels.

  I regretted the loss of the pavilion.

  It had been a small, but a beautiful, and exotic, building, and might have been more suitably situated not in a rude camp, but, withdrawn, in a sheltered garden.

  I trusted Lord Nishida had escaped the firing of his pavilion. I supposed he would not have been personally sought, as the archer who had attacked him may well have reported him slain. Lord Nishida had impressed me as being politically astute, and coldly subtle, but also as constituting an epitome of a civilized gentleman, at least relative to his own background, or lights. Certainly I recalled his interest, manifested in his interviewing of the former Miss Margaret Wentworth, in the delicacies of flower arrangements, tea ceremonials, and such. Such a sensitive and delicate gentleman, and particularly one so important, I hoped, at the first sign of trouble, would have been hurried to a location of safety, and a guard set about him to protect his person. One such as he was not to be risked. I did assume him safe. If he had come to harm I had little doubt that that would have been broadcast in the camp, and a new leader made known.

  The Pani made no effort to save the pavilion. It was lost. It burned lower now. The smoke filled the air.

  To one side I saw two women in their kimonos, with their small steps, being ushered forward by one of the Ashigaru. I supposed they had been concealed somewhere. I took them to be Sumomo and Hana. They were being brought into the open, I supposed, for their security. We controlled this area. Buildings might be especially dangerous. Fugitives might take shelter within them, turning them into small fortresses. One would not wish them to be seized as hostages, though I did not think the Pani would be excessively concerned with them, as they might be replaced, I supposed, with others. On the other hand, I was sure they would be taken as of greater value than, say, a common collar girl.

  I caught sight of Tajima, now, again, in the clearing. He approached Sumomo. She turned away. Though she was a female, and he a male, and though she was a contract woman, and he free, she had
not bowed to him.

  I understood this to be an insult of some sort, and I noted that Tajima’s body, briefly, stiffened with rage. He then remained standing, where he was, where he had been rebuffed, looking after Sumomo, who was now with Hana, facing away from him, several feet from him, not far from the smoldering embers of Lord Nishida’s collapsed, blackened pavilion.

  “I fear the contract woman,” I said, “did not treat Tajima well.”

  “She has nothing to fear,” said Pertinax.

  “She may have more to fear than she understands,” I said.

  “I do not understand,” said Pertinax.

  “It is nothing,” I said.

  “Her contract is held by Lord Nishida,” said Pertinax.

  “Contracts may change hands, be purchased, and such,” I said.

  “Doubtless,” said Pertinax.

  “Why should she treat Tajima badly?” I asked.

  “Doubtless for the same reason that the Lady Portia Lia Serisia of Sun Gate Towers would, if she dared, not treat Pertinax well,” said Pertinax.

  “You are referring, incorrectly, I take it,” I said, “to a meaningless slave, your Jane, in her collar, who must now obey, fetch, and serve, unquestioningly.”

  “Yes,” he said, “to my slave, Jane.”

  “Your insolent slave,” I said.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “No slave is insolent,” I said, “whom you do not permit to be insolent.”

  “Perhaps,” he said.

  “That lovely brat still has to learn her collar,” I said.

  “Perhaps,” he said.

  “Do not fear to use the switch, or whip,” I said. “The slave learns quickly to respond to its discipline, to its swift, informative, lashing sting, its sudden monitory caress on her soft, smooth skin.”

  “Perhaps,” he said.

  “Certainly,” I said. “The next time your Jane’s behavior, in any way, whether verbal, physical, or attitudinal, asks for such a stroke, or even seems that it might ask for such a stroke, see that she receives it. You will learn shortly thereafter that her behavior will then seldom ask for such a stroke, or even seem to ask for such a stroke.”