Little was to be seen when we had reached the top of the steps, and that little was easily and quickly attended to. A wide corridor stretched away before us directly ahead, showing the doors to many rooms to either side of the area. In the midst of the corridor was a round, high wooden platform, similar to the sort found in the palace of the High Seat of Ranistard, about which knelt three slave-females set to the task of seeing to the needs of the guests of the High Seat. So quietly had my warriors and myself mounted the steps that they knew naught of our presence till we were upon them, the points of swords to their throats to insure their silence. Wildly and fearfully did they look upon us, their eyes wide, their skin pale, their scantily clad bodies frozen in mid tremble lest they move wrongly and precipitate the points of those swords into their throats. One, a light-haired wench of full figure and pretty face, found the threat too great for her senses to allow. Her light eyes rolled up as her body slumped to the floor cloth, and then there were but two who remained to be questioned.
“Which of these rooms contain males with weapons, girl?” I asked very softly, looking down upon the darker haired of the two slaves. She, slender of body within the short blue slave-covering, stared up at me with great fear and trembling upon her, then forced words from a dry and tightened throat.
“Do not slay us, Mistress!” she quavered, her voice held low through effort, her eyes widened yet further. “We are poor, miserable slaves, ignorant of the goings-on about us! I beg you, do not slay us!”
“What ails them, Jalav?” asked a voice at my elbow as I frowned in displeasure at the slave. A glance showed me the pale-haired Hitta warrior who had stood with me against the Silla, she who had been spoken of as Ilvin by others. This Ilvin was known as an excellent warrior among the clans, yet was she ignorant of the ways of city folk.
“See the metal bands about their throats,” said I to Ilvin, nodding toward the females who knelt before us. “These females are slaves among slaves, preferring a life of dishonor and abuse to the swift death refusal to serve would bring them. They are bound to give pleasure to any male who seeks their use, for they have no worth other than that.” Then did I return my gaze to the dark-haired slave-female, and show her something of my impatience. “What life you retain is of little interest to me, girl. I seek the lives of the males of this place, and will have an answer to the question I have put to you. Speak quickly and truthfully, lest I grow angry at your lack of aid and allow you to share their fate. ”
“I will speak, Mistress, I will speak!” choked the slave, squirming her body about somewhat before recalling that she knelt at the feet of those who had no interest in her use. “Four masters are in residence in these rooms as guests, yet are they now in the apartments of the Blessed One, sharing a meal and diversion. Should you spare my life I will serve you, Mistress, as loyally as I now serve the High Seat!”
“I have no use for a slave,” said I, gesturing my warriors to the doors along the corridors, intent upon testing the truthfulness of the words the slave had spoken. With all in position my warriors burst within at the same moment, yet emptiness greeted their efforts, no males appearing before their drawn swords. A rapid examination of each of the rooms showed no more than the four spoken of to contain belongings and other evidence of occupation, and soon were my warriors returned to the center of the corridor, to assist in seeing to the slave females. Wisest is to leave no living enemy behind one’s back, yet slaves are far from the honor of being considered enemies to warriors. The three females, after being briefly questioned as to the whereabouts of the High Seat, were placed within a room, their wrists and ankles bound in leather, their voices silenced by the presence of cloth in their mouths. Then were we able to leave the corridor of rooms return to the steps of smoothened stone, and turn left, toward the area described to us as that belonging to the High Seat.
This left-hand corridor took us a distance from the steps, yet were we, when turning a corner, at last rewarded with the sight of males in leather and metal, astand before large carved double doors draped in blue silk. Two hands of males were there before us, more than eight paces from the corner we turned, and yet, rather than give the alarm, all but two of the males advanced toward us with grins upon their faces, slowly drawing their weapons. The warriors in my wake murmured in astonishment, failing to understand this foolish lack of proper defense, yet the actions of the males were scarcely a surprise to one familiar with their ways. They saw before them no more than lowly females, prancing about in little clothing, carrying the weapons of males. Surely would these males before us soon teach us the error of our presumptions, taking our swords and then taking their pick among us for their pleasure. That they thought in such a manner was clearly to be seen upon their faces and in their eyes, yet those obvious desires were not meant to be satisfied.
A number of my warriors stepped out from the others, a number sufficient, with myself, to match the number of the males. This the males found vastly amusing, and yet, when their swords crossed ours, the amusement was not long in duration. Large were these males, appearing larger yet in the leather and metal protection they wore, yet they, though somewhat abler with their weapons than those of the small dwellings beside the gate, knew vastly less of the use of a sword than warriors. One does not when facing an opponent, keep one’s guard down till the very last instant, and yet such was the doing of him whom I faced. Filled full with confidence was this male, his eyes moving about my body rather than seeking the movement of my sword, his grin comprising every insult ever offered me in the lands of males. Anger touched me, and grim pleasure as well, and then the sword that had so long been withheld from my grip flamed toward him, impelled equally by the anger and pleasure combined. Startled, the male lost his grin as his weapon flew up in defense, yet his movements proved too slow to prolong his life. A feint at his face raised his sword, a slash at his legs lowered it, and then was my point deep within his throat, above the piece of leather set there to guard it, spilling out his life blood upon the blue floor cloth beneath our feet. No more than a gurgle came from the male as he staggered then collapsed, no more than the sounds from the other males as they joined him by ones and twos. Scant moments passed before all were done so, and then did I turn from this mockery of battle to see the remaining two, before the large double doors, also asprawl upon the floor cloth, one with a dagger in his eye, the other wearing it in his throat. Their positions upon the floor cloth said they had begun to turn toward the double doors when the daggers caught them, thrown by warriors who had not been engaged with swords. It seemed the males had at last been prepared to sound a warning; a pity for them the thought had come too late.
Leaving the dead where they had fallen, we advanced to the large double doors. Deeply carved were these doors, bearing likenesses of males and females and kand and nilnod and all manner of creatures. From within came faint sounds, mainly comprised of laughter above the rhythmic noises I had once heard produced by males with strange devices in their hands. One device was tapped on by fingers, two others were put to one’s lips, and it was now no wonder that naught had been heard within the room of the scuffle produced in the corridor by our arrival. The two males at the threshold had been about to push within the chamber; now we, after leaving four of our number to see to our backs, completed the action for them.
Easily did the doors push aside, bringing to view an unexpected sight. Where the balance of the dwelling seemed nearly stark with no more than silks upon the walls, cloths upon the floors, and platforms stood here and there, the chamber we looked upon was more than cluttered. Blue silk hung everywhere in vast amounts about the large chamber, dim in the edge of the glow from countless numbers of candles in silver holders circling the center of the chamber. Deep-piled and incredibly soft was the blue floor cloth beneath our feet, platforms large and small standing in many places upon it, slaves both male and female astand beside and about them, in the shadows, poised ever ready to be commanded to their tasks. Upon these platforms were metal eating boards, golden and bedecked with many-colored glittering stones, tall pots called goblets astand beside them, also of golden metal and cluttered with stones. Four large, carved seats of wood covered with many-colored silks were filled by four males asprawl in them, goblets held in their fists, laughter flushing their faces, naked slave-females in the laps of three. Perhaps seven paces from these males, facing them and looking down upon them, was the fat, bloated creature males called High Seat and Blessed One. Gross was this male in his draping of blue silk, light-haired and light-eyed and thick in the lips, skin of the apparent softness of a city slave-woman. The seat he sat upon was of the sort called throne, seemingly made of golden metal picked out in glittering stones, wide enough for his massive girth, draped in blue silk, astand upon a platform which raised the seat above the level of the others in the chamber. Two naked slave females waved feather fans to cool the male, two others held metal platters with provender for his selection, yet he, like the others of the males, had eyes for naught save that which occurred in the center of the chamber.