Naturally I inquired of Harold, shortly after entering, the meaning of the guards' salutation. I had expected to be challenged and then perhaps, if all went well, wrangled inside on some stratagem dreamed up by Harold on the spur of, the moment.
"It means," remarked Harold, looking about the court- yard, "that you have the rank of a Commander of a Thou- sand."
"I don't understand," I said.
"It is a gift of Kamchak," said Harold. "I suggested it as appropriate in view of your manly, if somewhat clumsy, efforts at the gate."
"Thank you," I said.
"I of course recommended the same rank for myself," said Harold, "inasmuch as I am the one who really carried the thing off."
"Naturally," I said.
"You do not, of course, have a Thousand to command," pointed out Harold.
"Nonetheless," I said, "there is considerable power in therank itself." "That is true," he said.
Indeed it was true, for the next level beneath a Ubar among the Wagon Peoples is that of the Commander of a Thousand.
"Why did you not tell me?" I asked.
"It did not seem to me important," remarked the young man.
I clenched my fists and considered punching him in the nose, moderately hard.
"Korobans, though," remarked Harold, "are probably more impressed with such things than Tuchuks."
By this time I had followed Harold over to a corner of the courtyard wall, which was heaped high, banked into the, corner, with precious metals, plates, cups; bowls of jewels; necklaces and bracelets; boxes of coins and, in heavy, wood en crates, numerous stacked cubes of silver and gold, each; stamped with its weight, for the palace of a Ubar is also the mint of a city, where its coins are struck one at a time by a hammer pounding on the flat-cap of a die. Incidentally, Gorean coins are not made to be stacked and accordingly, because of the possible depth of the relief and the consequent liberties accorded to the artist, the Gorean coin is almost always more beautiful than the machine-milled, flat, uniform coins of Earth. Some Gorean coins are drilled, incidentally, to allow stringing, the coins of Tharna, for example; Turian coins, and most others, are not.
Further on down the wall there were great piles of cloth, mostly silk; I recognized them as Robes of Concealment. Beyond them, again in a large heap, were numerous weap- ons, saddles and harnesses. Beyond them I saw numerous rugs and tapestries, rolled, for transport from the city. "As n commander," said Harold, "you may take what you want of any of this."
I nodded.
We now entered yet another courtyard, an inner court- yard, between the palace and the inside wall of the outer courtyard.
Here I saw, along one wall, a long line of Turian women, unclothed, who were kneeling, fastened together in various ways, some by chains, some by thongs. The wrists of each, however, were bound, one girl's before her body and the next behind her back, alternately. It was these women whom I had heard outside the wall. Some were sobbing, others wailing, but most were silent, numb with shock, staring at the ground. Two Tuchuk guards stood over them. One carried a slave whip and, occasionally, should the cries of one of the girls grow too obtrusive, he would silence her with the lash. "You are the commander of a Thousand," said Harold. "If one of the girls pleases you, let the guard know and he will mark her for you."
"No," I said. "Let us proceed directly to Kamchak." At that moment there was a scream and commotion at the gate to the inner courtyard and two Tuchuks, one laughing and with a bloody shoulder, were dragging a fiercely resist- ing, unveiled but clothed girl between them.
It was Dina of Turia!
The laughing Tuchuk, he with the bloody shoulder, hauled her before us.
"A beauty," said he, "Commander!" He nodded to his shoulder. "Marvelous! A fighter!" Suddenly Dina stopped pulling and kicking and scratching. , She flung up her head and looked at me, breathing hard, startled. - ~ "Do not add her to the chain," I said. "Neither remove her l clothing nor put her in bonds. Permit her to veil herself if she wishes. She is to be treated in all respects as a free woman. Take her back to her home and while we remain in the city, guard her with your lives."
The two men were startled, but Tuchuk discipline is re- lensless. "Yes, Commander!" they both cried, releasing her. "With our lives!"
Dina of Turia looked at me, gratitude in her eyes. "You will be safe," I assured her.
"But my city burns," she said.
"I am sorry," I said, and turned swiftly away, to enter the I palace of Phanius Turmus.
I knew that while the Tuchuks remained in Turia there would be in all the city no woman more safe than lovely Dina, she only of the Caste of Bakers.
I sprang up the steps, followed by Harold, and we soon found ourselves in the marbled entry hall of the palace. Kaiila were stabled there.
Directed by Tuchuks we soon made our way to the throne room of Phanius Turmus, where, to my surprise, a banquet was in progress. At one end of the room, on the throne of the Ubar, a purple robe thrown over his black leather, sat dour Kamchak of the Tuchuks, his shield and lance leaning against the throne, an unsheathed quiva on the right arm of the throne. At the low tables, perhaps brought from various places in the palace, there sat many Tuchuk officers, and even some men without rank. With them, now freed of collars, were exuberant Tuchuk girls bedecked in the robes of free women. All were laughing and drinking. Only Kamchak seemed solemn. Near him, in places of honor, at a long, low table, above the bowls of yellow and red salt, on each side, sat many of the high men of Turia, clad in their finest robes, their hair oiled, scented and combed for the banquet. I saw among them Kamras, Champion of Turia, and another, on Kamchak's right hand, a heavy, swollen, despondent man, who could only have been Phanius Turmus himself. Behind them stood Tuchuk guards, quivas in their right hands. At a sign from Kamchak, as the men well knew, their throats would be immediately cut.
Kamchak turned to them. "Eat," he said.
Before them had been placed large golden dishes heaped with delicacies prepared by the kitchens of the Ubar, tall precious goblets filled with Turian wines, the small bowls of spices and sugars with their stirring spoons at hand. The tables were served by naked Turian girls, from the highest families of the city.
There were musicians present and they, to the best of their ability under the circumstances, attempted to provide music for the feast.
Sometimes one of the serving girls would be seized by an ankle or arm and dragged screaming to the cushions among the tables, much to the amusement of the men and the Tuchuk girls.
"Eat," ordered Kamchak.
Obediently the captive Turians began to put food in their mouths.
"Welcome, Commanders," said Kamchak, turning and re- garding us, inviting us to sit down.
"I did not expect to see you in Turia," I said.
"Neither did the Turians," remarked Harold, reaching over the shoulder of one of the high council of Turia and taking a candled verr chop.
But Kamchak was looking away disconsolately toward the rug before the throne, now stained with spilled beverages, cluttered with the thrown garbage of the feast. He hardly seemed aware of what was taking place. Though this should have been a night of triumph for him, he did not seem pleased.l "The Ubar of the Tuchuks does not appear happy," observed.
Kamchak turned and looked at me again.
"The city burns," I said.
"Let it burn," said Kamchak.
"It is yours," I said.
"I do not want Turin," he said.
"What is it you seek?" I asked.
"Only the blood of Saphrar," said he.
"All this," I asked, "is only to avenge Kutaituchik?" ` "To avenge Kutaituchik," said Kamchak, "I would burn a | thousand cities."; "How is that?" I asked.