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Tarnsman of Gor :: Норман Джон
Страница: 114 из 145"But it is presumed that she is kept inthe tents of Pa-Kur."
For the first time Kazrak spoke. "On the day that Ar falls, she will wed Pa-Kur and rule beside him. He hopes this will encourage the survivors of Ar to accept him as their rightful Ubar. He will proclaim himself their liberator, their deliverer from the despotism of the Initiates, the restorer of the old order, the glory of the empire."
Mintar was idly arranging the pieces on the game board, first in one pattern and then in another. "In large matters, as the pieces are now set," he said, "the girl is unimportant, but only the Priest-Kings can foresee all possible variations. It might be well to remove the girl from the board." So saying, he picked a piece, the Ubar's Consort, or Ubara, from the board and dropped it into the game box.
Marlenus stared down at the board, his fists clenched "Yes," he said, "she must be removed from the board, but not simply for reasons of strategy. She has dishonored. me." He scowled at me. "She has been alone with a warrior — she has submitted herself — she has even pledged to sit at the side of an assassin."
"She has not dishonored you," I said.
"She submitted herself," said Marlenus.
"Only to save her life," I said.
"And rumor has it," said Mintar, not looking up from the board, "that she pledged herself to Pa-Kur only that some tarnsman she loved might be given a small chance of life.»
"She would have brought a bride price of a thousand tarns," said Marlenus bitterly, "and now she is of less value than a trained slave girl."
"She is your daughter," I said, my temper rising.
"If she were here now," said Marlenus, "I would strangle her."
"And I would kill you," I said.
"Well, then," said Marlenus, smiling, "perhaps I would only beat her and throw her naked to my tarnsmen."
"And I would kill you," I repeated.
"Indeed," said Marlenus, looking at me narrowly, "one of us would slay the other."
"Have you no love for her?" I asked.
Marlenus seemed momentarily puzzled. "I am a Ubar," he said. He drew the robes of the Afflicted once more around his gigantic frame and picked up a gnarled staff he carried. He dropped the hood of the yellow robe about his face, ready to go, then turned to me once more. With the staff he poked me good-naturedly in the chest. "May the Priest-Kings favor you," he said, and, inside the folds of the hood, I knew he was chuckling.
Marlenus left the tent, seemingly one of the Afflicted, a bent wreck of humanity pathetically scratching at the earth in front of him with the staff.
For the first time Kazrak spoke. "On the day that Ar falls, she will wed Pa-Kur and rule beside him. He hopes this will encourage the survivors of Ar to accept him as their rightful Ubar. He will proclaim himself their liberator, their deliverer from the despotism of the Initiates, the restorer of the old order, the glory of the empire."
Mintar was idly arranging the pieces on the game board, first in one pattern and then in another. "In large matters, as the pieces are now set," he said, "the girl is unimportant, but only the Priest-Kings can foresee all possible variations. It might be well to remove the girl from the board." So saying, he picked a piece, the Ubar's Consort, or Ubara, from the board and dropped it into the game box.
Marlenus stared down at the board, his fists clenched "Yes," he said, "she must be removed from the board, but not simply for reasons of strategy. She has dishonored. me." He scowled at me. "She has been alone with a warrior — she has submitted herself — she has even pledged to sit at the side of an assassin."
"She has not dishonored you," I said.
"She submitted herself," said Marlenus.
"Only to save her life," I said.
"And rumor has it," said Mintar, not looking up from the board, "that she pledged herself to Pa-Kur only that some tarnsman she loved might be given a small chance of life.»
"She would have brought a bride price of a thousand tarns," said Marlenus bitterly, "and now she is of less value than a trained slave girl."
"She is your daughter," I said, my temper rising.
"If she were here now," said Marlenus, "I would strangle her."
"And I would kill you," I said.
"Well, then," said Marlenus, smiling, "perhaps I would only beat her and throw her naked to my tarnsmen."
"And I would kill you," I repeated.
"Indeed," said Marlenus, looking at me narrowly, "one of us would slay the other."
"Have you no love for her?" I asked.
Marlenus seemed momentarily puzzled. "I am a Ubar," he said. He drew the robes of the Afflicted once more around his gigantic frame and picked up a gnarled staff he carried. He dropped the hood of the yellow robe about his face, ready to go, then turned to me once more. With the staff he poked me good-naturedly in the chest. "May the Priest-Kings favor you," he said, and, inside the folds of the hood, I knew he was chuckling.
Marlenus left the tent, seemingly one of the Afflicted, a bent wreck of humanity pathetically scratching at the earth in front of him with the staff.