Witness of Gor (93 page)

The lantern was held up, and the men regarded the sitting figure within.

"He is a big one," said a man.

"So are many of his caste," said another.

The peasant lifted his eyes, blinking, against the lantern.

"Light the lamps in the cell," said the leader of the helmeted men.

The lamps, one by one, were lit. I had usually lit only one, in my attendance here.

Fina and I, and the other girls, as the lamps were being lit, were thrust into the cell and knelt to one side, on the right, as one would look toward the prisoner.

In this fashion, our helplessness was increased, we now being subject to a custody stricter than would have been possible in the open corridor. Certainly we would be less tempted to run. Too, this disposition of us freed more men to enter the cell.

"You have misled us again, have you not?" inquired the leader of the strangers.

"I do not understand," said the pit master.

"You are a brave man," said he, "to trifle with those of the black caste.”

"Perhaps he whom you seek is not here," said the pit master.

"Who are you?" demanded the leader of the strangers of the peasant.

"I do not know," said the peasant.

The leader of the black-tunicked men straightened up, disgustedly.

"Is it time for the planting?" asked the peasant.

The leader of the black-tunicked men turned in fury to the pit master, who stood to one side, to his left.

"You would palm this off upon us," demanded the leader of the blacktunicked men, "for he whom we seek?”

"I do not understand you," said the pit master.

"You understand me only too well!" cried the leader of the strangers.

"You put a madman here, a simpleton, a dolt, one out of his wits, one who does not know his own name, a worthless, meaningless brute, a monster of no consequence, and expect to delude us!”

"We can seek further, if you wish," said the pit master.

"We have it on authority," said the leader of the black-tunicked men, "that he whom we seek is in the depths. Where is he?”

"Who?”

The leader of the black-tunicked men looked about himself, angrily. But he did not respond.

Then he turned back to face the pit master. "You trifle not only with me," he said. "You trifle with Cos, with Lurius of Jad.”

"I shall be pleased to seek further," said the pit master.

"You are clever, pretending reluctance," said the leader of the blacktunicked men. "The matter of the keys was well done. Not knowing where they were, and all.

And this dolt, this garbage, in the lowest corridor, in five chains! So clever!”

"But Captain," said the lieutenant. "Should we not call Gito?”

"For what?" snapped the captain.

"To examine the prisoner.”

"Where is our dear friend Gito?”

"He lingers in the corridor. He fears to enter.”

"Gito!" called the captain, he who was the leader of the black-tunicked men.

"Master?" inquired Gito.

"Enter, look upon the prisoner.”

The small, furtive fellow, with the terribly scarred face, perhaps from scalding, entered the cell.

"Is this he?" asked the leader of the strangers, pointing to the peasant.

"It cannot be," said Gito, squinting.

"Could you recognize him?”

"I could recognize him anywhere," said Gito.

"Look closely upon him," said the leader of the strangers. "Bring the lantern closer," he said to one of his men.

"Do not be afraid," said the lieutenant. "He is chained.”

Gito, the side of his face moving, knelt down before the peasant, looking at him closely.

"Well?" demanded the leader of the strangers.

"There is a resemblance," said Gito, slowly.

"Of course there is a resemblance," said the officer, angrily. "These sleen of Treve would have managed that.”

Gito continued his consideration of the peasant's countenance.

"No," he said, at last. "I do not think it is he.”

He then stood up.

"We must look further," said the leader of the black-tunicked men, turning away.

"Gito?" said the peasant.

The leader of the black-tunicked men turned sharply back, to regard the peasant.

The cell was very quiet.

Gito began to tremble.

"Gito?" said the peasant.

"He knows him!" said the lieutenant.

"Yes?" said Gito, backing away.

"Is it you?" asked the peasant.

"Yes," said Gito.

"He heard the name before. You spoke it yourself," said the pit master.

"Be silent!" said the leader of the black-tunicked men.

The peasant lifted his eyes, seemingly vacant, toward the leader of the strangers.

"You wear black," he said.

"Do you know the meaning of such habiliments?" inquired the leader of the strangers, eagerly.

"No," said the peasant.

"You remember them, such habiliments?" said the leader of the strangers.

"I do not know," said the peasant.

"Think, think!" said the leader of the strangers.

"Perhaps," said the peasant.

"It was long ago," urged the leader of the strangers.

"Perhaps," said the peasant. "Long ago.”

"Where is your holding?" asked the leader of the strangers.

"I do not know," said the peasant.

"Near Ar?”

But the peasant was looking on Gito, who shrank back, among several of the men in black.

"Are you not my friend Gito?" asked the peasant.

"He knows him!" said the lieutenant.

"Is your holding not near Ar?" asked the leader of the strangers.

"Perhaps," said the peasant. "I do not know.”

"Down with Ar!" said the leader of the strangers.

"No," said the peasant, very slowly.

"Yes," said the leader of the strangers, "down with Ar!”

"Down with Ar?" said the peasant.

"Yes, down with her!" said the leader of the strangers.

The peasant seemed puzzled.

"Ar is nothing to you," said the pit master.

"I spit upon the Home Stone of Ar!" said the leader of the strangers.

"Ar is nothing to you," insisted the pit master.

"Be silent!" said the leader of the strangers.

"Is she in danger?" asked the peasant.

"Yes!" said the leader of the strangers.

"Then those who are of Ar must defend her," said the peasant.

"I am sure it is he!" said the lieutenant, delightedly.

"And what of you?" urged the leader of the helmeted men. "Are you not of Ar? Must you, too, not defend her?”

"Is it time for the planting?" asked the peasant.

"Must you not defend Ar?" asked the leader of the black-tunicked men.

"Why?" asked the peasant.

"Are you not of Ar?”

"I do not know.”

The leader of the helmeted men stepped back.

"It is he," insisted the lieutenant.

"I agree," said the leader of the helmeted men. He then, with two hands, removed his helmet.

A gasp escaped me, and several of the other girls, too, for, on the forehead of the leader, fixed there, presumably this morning, was the image of a black dagger. It was such a thing, it seemed, that these men had placed on their foreheads this morning. The leader of the blacktunicked men now handed his helmet to one of the others. He also drew his dagger. "Bring the sack forward," he said to the fellow with the sack. It was brought forward, and opened.

"He is chained!" said the pit master.

The peasant looked out, as he often did, seeming to see nothing.

He called Gito turned his face away.

"You have played a clever game of double Kaissa," said the leader of the black-tunicked men, "leading us to believe, as though falsely, this was he whom we seek, when it was in truth he, but the game has been penetrated.”

"This is not he whom you seek!" said the pit master.

"And whom do we seek?" asked the leader of the black-tunicked men.

The pit master was silent.

"He whom we seek surely could not be confessedly in Treve," laughed the leader of the blacktunicked men.

"That is not he," said the pit master.

"Then it will not matter that he c killed," said the leader of the black-tunicked men.

The lieutenant and several of the others with them laughed. It was the only time I had heard them laugh.

I saw the hand of the pit master steal toward his tunic.

"Someone is coming," said one of the men outside the door.

The pit master drew his hand quickly away from his tunic.

The figure of the officer of Treve appeared in the doorway, he whom I knew well, and he who had, in the manner of these men, known me well, and as a slave.

"We have found he whom we seek," said the leader, "and we will brook no interference.”

"I do not come to offer you any," said the officer. "Your papers are in order.”

"Where have you been?" asked the pit master.

"I have set guards at all exits to the city," he said.

"For what purpose?" asked the leader of the strangers.

"To prevent the possible escape or improper removal of a prisoner," he said.

"You take great pains to guard the honor of your keeping," said the pit master.

"Yes, and of yours," he said.

"I have not betrayed my trust," said the pit master.

"And I am here to see that you do not," said the officer.

"It seems we have different senses of honor," said the pit master.

"Honor has many voices, and many songs," said the officer.

"It would seem so," said the pit master.

"He does not even know what we will do with him," said the leader of the black-tunicked men.

"Your papers are for transfer, for extradition," said the pit master, "only that.”

"They do not specify that the prisoner is to be removed alive, or in his entirety," said the leader.

"I am not fond of those of the black caste," said the officer.

"Nor we of those of the scarlet caste," said the leader.

"At least we have the common sense to go armed," said the lieutenant.

"You do not share our Home Stone," said the pit master. "You should not be armed in our city.”

"We have the authorization of the administration," said the leader of the black-tunicked men.

"Who would disarm us?" asked the lieutenant.

"Stand back," said the leader of the black-tunicked men.

"I am reluctant to permit this," said the officer of Treve. "It is one thing, in the honor of a keeping, your papers in order, to surrender a prisoner. It is another to see this done within our walls. I fear lest the Home Stone be stained.”

"Is it your intention to interfere?" inquired the leader of the blacktunicked men.

"It does not seem that I could," said the officer. "Such would seem to constitute a betrayal of my post.”

"It would, clearly," the leader of the strangers assured him.

The leader of the strangers then returned his attention to the peasant.

"Is it time for the planting?" asked the peasant.

"Perhaps you would have us put more chains on him first?" said the pit master, bitterly.

"That will not be necessary," said the leader of the black-tunicked men.

"You!" cried the pit master, addressing himself to the fellow called Gito. "He is not the one you know. Tell the captain!”

"Where is my friend Gito?" asked the peasant.

"Here," said Gito, from back among those in the black tunics.

"Are you well, Gito?" asked the peasant.

"Yes," said Gito.

"I am pleased to hear this," said the peasant, approvingly, distantly.

"There is no doubt about it," said the lieutenant. "He remembers him.

He knows him.”

"He should," said the leader of the strangers. "He once, on a hunting expedition, saved Gito from brigands who were torturing him. He took him, half dead, burned, defaced, into his own house, showered him with gifts, improved his fortunes, treated him as a kinsman. He loved few and trusted few, as he loved and trusted Gito.”

Gito turned away.

"It is he, is it not?" said the lieutenant.

Gito covered his face with his hands.

"No!" said the pit master.