Nomads of Gor (37 page)

     
"You," said Kamchak, glaring at Elizabeth, "you stupid

     
little barbarian you cannot even dance!"

     
Elizabeth looked down, confused, rather shamed. It was

     
true, what Kamchak had said.

     
The voice of Aphris was timid and quiet. "I can't either,"

     
she said.

     
"What!" howled Kamchak.

     
"No," cried Aphris, "I never learned!"

     
"Kaiila feed!" cried Kamchak.

     
"I'm sorry," said Aphris, now a bit irritated, "I just never

     
planned on becoming a slave."

     
"You should have learned anyway," cried the disappointed

     
Kamchak.

     
"Nonsense," said Aphris.

     
"It will cost money," grumbled Kamchak, "but you will

     
learn, I will have you taught."

     
Aphris sniffed and looked away.

     
Elizabeth was looking at me. Then she turned to

     
Kamchak. To my astonishment, she asked, "Could I, too, be

     
taught?"

     
"Why?" he asked.

     
She looked down, blushing.

     
"She is only a barbarian," said Aphris, "All knees and

     
elbows she could never learn."

     
"Hah!" laughed Kamchak. "The Little Barbarian does not

     
wish to become second girl in the wagon!" He gave Eliza-

     
beth's head a rough, affectionate shake. "You will fight for

     
your place! Excellent!"

 
"She can be first girl if she wishes," sniffed Aphris. "I shall

 
escape at the first opportunity and return to Turia."

 
"Beware of the herd sleep," said Kamchak.

 
Aphris turned white.

 
"If you attempt to leave the wagons at night they will

 
sense you out and rip my pretty little slave girl in pieces."

 
"It is true," I warned Aphris of Turia.

 
"Nonetheless," said Aphris, "I will escape."

 
"But not tonight!" guffawed Kamchak.

 
"No," said Aphris acidly, "not tonight." Then she looked

 
about herself, disdainfully at the interior of the wagon. Her

 
gaze rested for a moment on the kaiila saddle which had

 
been part of the spoils which Kamchak had acquired for

 
Tenchika. In the saddle, in their sheaths, were seven quivas.

 
Aphris turned again to face Kamchak. "This slave," she said,

 
indicating Elizabeth, "would not give me anything to eat."

 
"Kamchak must eat first, Slave," responded Elizabeth.

 
"Well," said Aphris, "he has eaten."

 
Kamchak then took a bit of meat that was left over from

 
the fresh-roasted meat that Miss Cardwell had prepared. He

 
held it out in his hand. "Eat," he said to Aphris, "but do not

 
touch it with your hands."

 
Aphris looked at him in fury,- but then smiled. "Certainly,"

 
she said and the proud Aphris of Turia, kneeling, bent for-

 
ward, to eat the meat held in the hand of her master.

 
Kamchak's laugh was cut short when she sank her fine white

 
teeth into his hand with a savage bite.

 
"Aiii!" he howled, jumping up and sticking his bleeding

 
hand into his mouth, sucking the blood from the wound.

 
Elizabeth had leaped up and so had I.

 
Aphris had sprung to her feet and ran to the side of the

 
wagon where there lay the kaiila saddle with its seven

 
sheathed quivas. She jerked one of the quivas from its saddle

 
sheath and stood with the blade facing us. She was bent over

 
with rage.

 
Kamchak sat down again, still sucking his hand. I also sat

 
down, and so, too, did Elizabeth Cardwell.

 
We left Aphris standing there, clutching the knife, breath-

 
ing deeply.

 
"Sleep!" cried the girl. "I have a knife!"

 
Kamchak paid her no attention now but was looking at his

 
hand. He seemed satisfied that the wound was not serious,

 
and picked up the piece of meat which he had dropped,

 
which he tossed to Elizabeth, who, in silence, ate it. He then

 
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pointed at the remains of the overdone roast, indicating that

      
she might eat it.

      
"I have a knife!" cried Aphris in fury.

      
Karochak was now picking his teeth with a fingernail.

      
"Bring wine," he said to Elizabeth, who, her mouth filled with

      
meat; went and fetched a small skin of wine and a cup, which

      
she filled for him. When Kamchak had drunk the cup of wine

      
he looked again at Aphris. "For what you have done," he said,

      
"it is common to call for one of the Clan of Torturers."

      
"I will kill myself first," cried Aphris, posing the quiva over

      
her heart.

      
Kamchak shrugged.

      
The girl did not slay herself. "NO," she cried, "I will slay

      
you."

      
"Much better," said Kamchak, nodding. "Much better."

      
"I have a knife!" cried out Aphris.

      
"Obviously," said Kamchak. He then got up and walked

      
rather heavily over to one wall of the wagon and took a slave

      
whip from the wall.

      
He faced Aphris of Turia.

      
"Sleep!" she wept. She threw back her hand with the knife

      
to rush forward and thrust it into the heart of Karnchak but

      
the coil of the whip lashed forth and I saw its stinging tip

      
wrap four times about the wrist and forearm of the Turian

      
girl who cried out in sudden pain and Kamchak had stepped

      
to the side and with a motion of his hand had thrown her off

      
balance and then by the whip dragged her rudely over the

      
rug to his feet. There he stepped on her wrist and removed

      
the knife from her open hand. He thrust it in his belt.

      
"Slay me!" wept the girl. "I will not be your slave!"

      
But Kamchak had hauled her to her feet and then flung

      
her back to where she had stood before. Dazed, holding her

      
right arm, on which could be seen four encircling blazes of

      
scarlet, she regarded him. Kamchak then removed the quiva

      
from his belt and hurled it across the room until it struck in

      
one of the poles of the frame supporting the wagon hides,

      
two inches in the wood, beside the throat of the girl.

      
"Take the quiva," said Kamchak.

      
The girl shook with fear.

      
"Take it," ordered Kamchak.

      
She did so.

      
"Now," he said, "replace it."

      
Trembling, she did so.

       
"Now approach me and eat," said Kamchak. Aphris of

 
Turia did so, defeated, kneeling before him and turning her

 
head delicately to take the meat from his hand. "Tomor-

 
row," said Kamchak, "you will be permitted after I have

 
eaten to feed yourself."

 
Suddenly Elizabeth Cardwell said, perhaps unwisely. "You

 
are cruel"

 
Kamchak looked at her in surprise. "I am kind," he said.

 
"How is that?" I asked.

 
"I am permitting her to live," he said.

 
"I think," I said, "that you have won this night but I warn

 
you that the girl from Turia will think again of the quiva and

 
the heart of a Tuchuk warrior."

 
"Of course," smiled Kamchak, feeding Aphris, "she is

 
superb."

 
The girl looked at him with wonder.

 
"For a Turian slave," he added. He fed her another piece

 
of meat. "Tomorrow, Little Aphris," said he, "I will give you

 
something to wear."

 
She looked at him gratefully.

 
"Bells and collar," said he.

 
Tears appeared in her eyes.

 
"Can I trust you?" he asked.

 
"No," she said.

 
"Bells and collar," said he. "But I shall wind them about

 
with strings of diamonds that those who see will know that

 
your master can well afford the goods you will do without."

 
"I hate you," she said.

 
"Excellent," said Kamchak. "Excellent."

 
When the girl had finished and Elizabeth had given her a

 
dipper of water from the leather bucket that hung near the

 
door, Aphris extended her wrists to Kamchak.

 
The Tuchuk looked puzzled.

 
"Surely," she said, "you will lock me in slave bracelets and

 
chain me tonight?"

 
"But it is rather early," pointed out Kamchak.

 
The girl's eyes showed a moment of fear but then she

 
seemed resolved. "You have made me your slave," she said,

 
"but I am still Aphris of Turia. You may, Tuchuk, slay

 
Aphris of Turia if it pleases you, but know that she will never

 
serve your pleasure never."

 
"Well," said the Tuchuk, "tonight I am pretty drunk."

 
"Never," said Aphris of Turia.

 
"I note," said Kamchak, "that you have never called me

 
Master."

      
"I call no man Master," said the girl.

 
     
"I am tired tonight," said Kamchak, yawning. "I have had

      
a hard day."

      
Aphris trembled in anger, her wrists still forward.