"I see," I said, reading the boards.
"I have heard," said a man, near me, speaking to another, "that many other free women, like Talena herself, have offered themselves as slaves, that the city be spared."
"There is nothing to that effect here on the public boards," said the other fellow.
"True," said the first.
"Read to me," begged a fellow looking up at the boards. "I cannot read. What does it say?"
"Greetings from Lurius of Jad, Ubar of Cos, to the people of Glorious Ar," read a man, rather slowly, pointing to letters with his fingers, which led me to believe that his literacy was not likely to be much advanced over that of the other. To be sure, I myself did not read Gorean fluently, as the alternate lines changed direction. The first line is commonly written left to right, the second from right to left, and so on. Cursive script is, of course, at least for me, even more difficult. In particular I find it difficult to write. In defense I might point out that I can print Gorean fairly well, and can sign my name with a deftness which actually suggests to those who do not know better that I am fully literate in the language. In further defense I might point out that many warriors, for no reason that is clear to me, seem to take pride in a putative lack of literacy. Indeed, several fellows I have known, of the scarlet caste, take pains to conceal their literacy, seemingly ashamed of an expertise in such matters, regarding such as befitting scribes rather than warriors. Thus, somewhat to my embarrassment, I found I fitted in well with such fellows. I have known, incidentally, on the other hand, several warriors who were quite unapologetic about literacy interests and capacities, men who were, for example, gifted historians, essayists and poets.
"Know, people of Glorious Ar," the man continued to read, "that Cos is your friend."
"Does it say that?" asked a man.
"Yes," said the fellow, determinedly. He then continued to read. "Cos has no quarrel with the people of Ar, whom it reveres and respects. The quarrel of Cos is rather with the wicked and corrupt regime, and the dishonest and ruthless policies, of Gnieus Lelius, subverter of peace, enemy of amity between our states. It was only with the greatest reluctance and most profound regret that Cos found herself, after all avenues of conciliation and negotiation were exhausted, forced to take up arms, in the name of free peoples everywhere, to resist, and call to account, the actions and policies of the tyrant, Gnieus Lelius, enemy to both our states."
"I did not know Gnieus Lelius was a tyrant," said a fellow.
"That is absurd," said another.
"But it is on the public boards!" said another.
"It must be true," said another.
"Who made these postings?" asked a man.
"The members of the palace guard, the Taurentians themselves," said another. "They must then be true," said another.
"No," said a fellow. "All that is being done here is to inform us of the message of Lurius of Jad."
"True," said another, relievedly.
"Read on," said a man.
"Now, with sadness, given no choice, with the support and encouragement of all the world, now allied with me, I, Lurius of Jad, who would be your friend and brother, have been forced to come before your gates. The Priest-Kings are with me. My arms are invincible. I have conquered in the delta. I have conquered in Torcadino. I have conquered but three day's march from your very gates.
Resistance to me is useless. Yet, although Ar, under the tyranny of Gnieus Lelius, has been guilty of many crimes and my patience had been sorely tried. I am prepared to be merciful. I offer you the alternatives of annihilation or friendship, of devastation or prosperity. Make your decision not rashly, but with care. Do not force me to give Ar to the flames. Rather let us live in peace and brotherhood."
"Is there more?" asked a man.
"A little," said the fellow who was reading.
"What?" he was asked by several about.
"If Ar desires peace, and would survive, if she desires peace, and would be freed of the onerous yoke of a tyrant, let her deliver to my plenipotentiary, Myron, polemarkos of the continental forces of the Cosian ubarate, some sign of her desire for peace, some evidence of her hope for reconciliation, some token of her good will."
"What does he want?" asked a man.
"Is Gnieus Lelius a tyrant?" asked a fellow.
"There is the matter of the ostraka," said a man.
"And the permits!" said another.
"Tyrannical actions!" said another.
"Gnieus Lelius is a tyrant," said another.
"Absurd," said a fellow.
"He is soft, weak, vacillating," said a man.
"He is not a Ubar," said another, "but, too, he is surely not a tyrant."
"He is a weak fool," said another.
"But not a tyrant," said a man.
"No," said another.
"There is the matter of the ostraka, the permits, the restrictions," said another.
"That is true," said another.
"Perhaps he is a tyrant," said a man.
"Perhaps," said another.
"Yes," said another. "He is a tyrant!"
From the public postings, I had now gathered that Gnieus Lelius was not likely to have been of the party of treachery in Ar, which I was pleased to learn. To be sure, he might have been of that party, and might have been, in the development within that party, outmaneuvered, to find himself suddenly cast in the role of the scapegoat, something to be thrown to the crowd, to satisfy it and protect others. On the other hand, from what I knew of Gnieus Lelius, whom I had met, I guessed he was an honest man. Indeed, in another time and place, it was my speculation that he might have served as an efficient, beloved administrator. I suspected that he was at worst a dupe, a trusting man, perhaps even one of considerable talent, who had found himself, through no real fault of his own, a pawn in games of state, games in which there seemed to be no rules other than survival and victory.
"Read further," demanded a man.
"That is the message," said the fellow who had been reading it. "There is no more."
"No more?" asked a man.
"Only "I wish you well. Lurius of Jad, Ubar of Cos, " said the fellow "But what does Cos want?" asked a man.
"Apparently she wants some sign of our desire for peace," said a fellow, looking up at the posting.
"Tell them to go back to Cos," said a fellow, angrily, "and we shall consider the matter."
"The posting refers to some evidence of our hope for reconciliation," said the first fellow, "some token of our good will."
"Give them our steel in their neck!" said a fellow.
"And with good will!" said another, a fellow of the potters.