Kur of Gor (76 page)

"Remove their chains,” said Lord Grendel.

"Madness!” cried Statius. “None will follow you, if you do this!"

"I will follow him,” said Cabot.

"I, too,” said Archon.

"I, too, of course,” said Statius, “but who else would do so?"

"I believe Lord Lucullus commanded the forces of Agamemnon,” said Lord Grendel. “Is he accounted for?"

"He is not among the dead, or the prisoners,” said a Kur.

"Some escaped,” said a Kur.

"What of our scout, Flavion?"

"He, too,” said a Kur, “is not accounted for."

Lord Grendel then turned to a Kur. “Please convey my greetings, and thanks, to Mitonicus, and ask him to attend us at his convenience.” Mitonicus, who had commanded the fleet's survivors, was a minor admiral. He had brought his four ships, damaged as they were, back to the world, that they not be lost to Agamemnon's navy. He was one of the few surviving officers, as most, if they had not perished in the fray itself, their ships destroyed about them, melting and fragmenting in the silent fields of space, had hung themselves in shame, some aboard their returning vessels, others, having made worldfall, in the groves about the small camps.

"I cannot do so, commander,” said a Kur, “as he has returned, with his men, to the gathering."

"The work here is not done,” said Lord Grendel.

"He has departed, commander,” said the Kur.

"Mitonicus has the ring of Arcesilaus now, does he not?” asked Lord Grendel.

"Yes,” said Cabot. “It seemed fitting that he should bear it."

"I agree,” said Lord Grendel.

"The four hundred must now, surely, be killed,” said Statius.

"No, free them,” said Lord Grendel, wearily.

"What are we do to?” asked Archon.

"We will return to the forests,” said Lord Grendel. “A precarious stasis now exists. With the departure of Mitonicus, we are unable to force our war to a favorable resolution, but, too, I think that Agamemnon, as well, now lacks the power to dislodge us from our retreats. Further, he must be wary of Mitonicus and his cohorts."

"Not if Mitonicus and his fellows all hang themselves,” said Cabot.

"I do not think they will do that,” said Lord Grendel.

"Why not?” asked Cabot.

"Because,” said Lord Grendel, “they have now tasted victory."

Chapter, the Fifty-Seventh:

WHAT OCCURRED IN THE CAMP OF LORD GRENDEL

The gate of the forest camp of Lord Grendel swung open, and an astonished, elated Peisistratus, who had governed the camp in the absence of its lord, rushed forward, stumbling, half-speechless, bewildered.

"Dear Grendel!” he cried, “we had report that your plan had failed, and your command destroyed, wiped out, each and every one of our fellows, in the Vale of Destruction! Praise the Priest-Kings! You, and Cabot, and some others, Statius, I see, and some few, have escaped!"

"Praise the Nameless One, if you will,” said Lord Grendel, “if it pleases you to do so, but do not praise Priest-Kings, not in this camp, for they had, I am sure, little influence on the day, nor had they had influence, would it have turned out as it did."

"Forgive me, Lord Grendel,” sobbed Peisistratus, “but I am overcome with joy, that you have escaped the slaughter."

There was, behind him, as well, elated denizens of the camp. His Corinna was eagerly heeling him, Statius’ female hurried forth, to kneel at his feet, rubbing her head against his leg, and other slaves crowded about, kneeling, weeping with joy, and the seven or eight humans and Kurii who had been commanded, to their sorrow, to stay within the camp, to protect and hold it, with its goods and slaves, now pressed forward, jubilantly seizing comrades in arms, and crying out with pleasure, and some of the Kurii bounded about, and turned in the air, and then scratched in the dirt and flung spumes of celebration yards into the air.

"It is true there was slaughter,” said Grendel.

"You are followed, surely,” said Peisistratus.

"I do not think so,” said Grendel.

"But Agamemnon would surely follow up his victory and press a determined, vengeful pursuit."

"I am sure he would do so,” agreed Grendel.

"But you were not followed?"

"I do not think so,” said Grendel.

"How fortunate that you have escaped!” said Peisistratus.

"We have not escaped,” said Grendel. “We have returned."

"But it was reported you did not even reach the palace,” said Peisistratus.

"That is true,” said Grendel.

"The massacre, it is said, took place in the Vale of Destruction,” said Peisistratus.

"That is true,” said Grendel.

"Hundreds must have perished,” said Peisistratus.

"That is true, and even more,” said Grendel.

"You have returned with few,” said Peisistratus.

"And left with few,” said Grendel.

"The others?"

"Returned to our several camps,” said Grendel.

"I do not understand,” said Peisistratus.

"The victory was ours,” said Grendel. “Slaughter befell, but it was upon the minions of Agamemnon."

"I cannot believe it!” said Peisistratus.

"We are hungry,” said Grendel.

"Slaves,” cried Peisistratus. “Prepare a feast!"

The slaves sprang to their feet, scurrying away.

"But it was reported that you perished in the Vale of Destruction,” said Peisistratus.

"And who conveyed this report?” asked Cabot.

"The sole survivor,” said Peisistratus.

"Flavion,” said Cabot.

"Yes,” said Peisistratus.

"Flavion was mistaken,” said Grendel. “As you can see he was not the sole survivor."

"Happily!” said Peisistratus.

"Thanks be to the Nameless One!” cried a voice. “Glory to our cause!"

In the threshold of the camp, startled, and seemingly jubilant, stood Flavion, who then rushed forward to embrace Lord Grendel, Cabot, Statius, Archon, and others, and then he bounded about, leaping into the air, uttering screeches of pleasure, and then, alighting, again and again, he reached down and cast flags of dirt into the air, and then, struggling to govern his emotions, he returned, fawning and cringing, to the presence of the Lord Grendel.

"Joy! Joy!” he cried. “Did I not see you die?"

"It seems not,” said Cabot.

"I waited with you in the Vale of Destruction,” said Flavion, “but grew suspicious, and withdrew to confirm my suspicions. Unnoted, I ascended the rim of the vale, where, to my horror, I saw minions of Agamemnon, countless minions, converging on our position! I was cut off! I could not return to warn you! Discovered, I fought and slew six enemies, but, turning, saw what could only be the initiation of a most complete and grievous slaughter. I saw them descend, our terrible foes, in their thousands, into the vale, heavily armed. Only one outcome could proceed, given a position so untenable, and odds so fearful. So, stricken in heart, anguished, I must return to the camp, that our fellows be apprised at least of the danger in which they must then stand."

"Noble Flavion,” said Grendel, “how brave you are, how well you did."

"I should have fought my way back, to die with you,” said Flavion.

"No,” said Grendel. “Of what avail could you have been? Obviously your duty was to attain and warn the camp."

"Better I had died with the others,” said Flavion.

"Few died,” said Cabot. “Of our forces."

"Many of those of Agamemnon,” said Archon.

"The victory was ours,” said Statius.

"Ours?” said Flavion. It seemed a shudder spread through his fur. “Splendid!” he said, suddenly.

"Mariners intervened, survivors from the fleet's ruin,” said Cabot.

"Afterward,” said Statius, “they withdrew to their place of ignominious gathering, the place of ropes or knives, and we could not follow up our victory."

"How unfortunate,” said Flavion. “How tragic!"

"We are pleased to see you again,” said Grendel.

"Very pleased,” said Cabot.

"But it is clear we were betrayed!” said Flavion.

"Very clear,” said Lord Grendel.

"We were unable to march on the palace,” said Flavion. “We were surprised in the Vale of Destruction! Agamemnon must have had intelligence of our plans."

"Clearly,” said Lord Grendel.

"And the spy, the traitress, is in this very camp!"

"How can that be?” inquired Lord Grendel.

"Come, I will show you!” said Flavion, and led Grendel, and others, about the camp, to a small, low, open shelter, backed against palings. In the center of this tiny shelter two heavy stakes, some four inches in width, had been driven deeply into the ground, and attached to these stakes were heavy chains, one to each stake. The termination of each chain ran to a ring, one on the left side of a heavy iron belt, the other on the right side. This belt, itself, was hammered shut.

"Come out, traitress!” ordered Flavion.

There was the sound of a bell, dangling from a fair throat, locked on a chain about it.

"You see,” said Flavion. “She answers to the name of traitress."

"Come out, traitress,” he said. “Come out, and kneel, head to the dirt, before your superiors and judges."

The Lady Bina crawled slowly, painfully, from the tiny shelter, against the weight of the chains, lifted her head briefly, saw Lord Grendel, cast a look of terror at him, and then knelt shuddering before the group, her head down, to the dirt, as commanded.

Shortly after her capture and return to the camp, Lord Grendel, with a tool, had widened one of the links on her slave bracelets, so that she might separate her hands, but the rings of the bracelets, each with a bit of dangling chain, were still locked upon her wrists. In this fashion, if it were desired, the opened link might be once more closed, and her small wrists might then be confined as wished, either before her body, or behind it. Gorean masters commonly fasten a girl's wrists behind the body not merely that she will be more helpless, but that her beauty will be more conveniently exhibited, and be the more vulnerable to, and the more accessible to, say, the idlest caress of the master.

"It was you, yourself, who captured her!” said Flavion to Lord Grendel.

"Those chains,” said Cabot, “would hold a tharlarion."

"I did not have her so burdened,” said Lord Grendel.

"It was done to assure that she not again escape,” said Flavion.

"Remove them,” said Lord Grendel.

"As you wish,” said Flavion.

"I had her cleaned up,” said Lord Grendel. “Why is she filthy?"

"To clean her, a traitress, would be a waste of water."

"Wash her, brush and comb her,” said Lord Grendel.

"It will be done,” said Flavion.

"She is a free woman,” said Lord Grendel. “Why is she naked?"

"That she may not conceal weapons,” said Flavion.

"Give her a tunic, as before,” said Lord Grendel. “You need not fear, my dear Flavion, that such a tunic will conceal a weapon, lest it be, and surely to no more than a tiny, almost mocking extent, the beauty of the female herself."

"It will be done,” said Flavion.

"She is to have the freedom of the camp,” said Lord Grendel.

"Surely not!” said Flavion. “She betrayed Peisistratus and Lord Arcesilaus, and doubtless others, to Agamemnon, long ago. Then, escaped from the camp, she betrayed the attack on the arsenal, that encompassing the slaughter of so many of our brothers, and then, clearly, returning, spying, she must have somehow become apprised of our plans involving the palace, and the Vale of Destruction, and betrayed those to Agamemnon, as well."

"I see,” said Lord Grendel.

The girl whimpered, negatively, but dared not speak.

"She was brought to the camp, a prisoner,” said Lord Grendel, “before our march to the Vale of Destruction."

"But not before the plans were laid,” said Flavion.

"That is true,” said Lord Grendel.

"We captured her, pinioned, ragged, dirty, and starving, in the vicinity of a womb tunnel,” said Cabot.

"Doubtless she had, in her espionage, perhaps returning from the palace, to do more mischief, inadvertently fallen into the grasp of our peers, whom she later eluded, but found herself unable then either to return to the palace or, braceleted, to secretly frequent again the environs of our camp."

Cabot may have been about to speak, but Lord Grendel put a hand upon him, and then, it seemed, he refrained.

"Excellent, Flavion,” said Lord Grendel. “What you say makes a great deal of sense, and explains much in a satisfactory manner."

"Thank you, Lord,” said Flavion.

The Lady Bina lifted her head, a little, to regard Lord Grendel. There was a tiny sound of the bell. Then she thrust her head down, again.

"Shall we keep the bell on her?” asked Peisistratus.

"Yes,” said Lord Grendel, “as before."

"And when,” said Flavion, anxiously, “shall she be put to death?"

"Do you not think it best that she be interrogated first?” asked Lord Grendel.

"I would think that unnecessary,” said Flavion.

"Might she not, under torture, as she is seemingly a valued and esteemed agent of great Agamemnon,” said Cabot, “be encouraged to betray his secrets?"

"She is human,” said Flavion. “To no secrets would she be privy."

"One might be curious to hear her own account of her treacheries,” said Lord Grendel.

"What could her own words do,” asked Flavion, “other than seal her fate the more securely, other than serve to more fiercely heat the very irons which will burn her?"

"Has she said nothing?” asked Cabot.

"As her guilt is clear,” said Flavion, “she has been forbidden to speak."

"It seems a shame to burn and tear such sweet flesh,” said Cabot. “Might it not be better to auction it off on a slave block?"

"Certainly not, dear Cabot,” said Statius. “Loathsome and despicable as she is, she is a free woman. Surely you would not reduce her to the unutterable shame of bondage. Nothing so shameful for her as chains, a whip, a collar, and a feared master."

"When we captured her,” said Lord Grendel, “she was starving, and I am not sure she is much better off now."