"Fetch them," said the leader of the brigands.
The fellow who had seized Chino thrust him back to the dirt. he then made his way to Boots's wagon.
"What else?" demanded the leader of the brigands.
"I know of little else that might be of value to you," said Boots. "You may look about and take what you like. I cannot speak for the others."
"Where is Bort?" asked the leader of the brigands.
"He was keeping watch, at the road," said one of the men.
"We have them now," said the leader of the brigands. "We have called the guards in. Where is he?"
"Doubtless he will be in in a moment," said one of the men. He was mistaken.
"Bort! Bort!" called a fellow.
I had counted, all told, counting the leader, seven brigands. It is important, for obvious reasons, to be as clear as possible on such matters.
"Bort!" the man called out, again, more loudly.
I had mad the acquaintance of Bort, briefly, near the road. He had not had a great deal of time, however, to savor the relationship. His attention had been distracted by a tiny sound, the sound of a falling pebble, to one side. I had then approached him from the opposite direction.
"Bort!" called out the man.
The brigands were now six in number. They did not realize this, as yet.
"Where is he?" said one of the men.
"Sleeping at his post," said a man.
"Lost," said another.
"Let him go," said a fellow. "There will be more loot for us that way."
"Go find him," said the leader of the brigands.
Interestingly enough, only one man, he who had been calling Bort, came forth to locate him.
"Bort?" he inquired, warily, peering into the darkness. "Is that you?" I killed him. "No," I said.
I then circled the camp, approaching from the other side of the wagons. The leader of the brigands, and one other fellow, were near the prisoners. The others were rummaging through the wagons and goods. They were intent on ly on their loot. I caught one from behind and dragged him back into the darkness. I left him there. I used the same quiva I had on the other two.
"Titus!" called one of the brigands, emerging from a wagon, pausing on the steps at the rear. "See what I have found!" He brandished a large inlaid cup. I had seen such cups before. "Titus!" he called. "Titus?"
"Where is Crassius?" called the leader of the brigands to him. "Is he with you?"
"No," said the man. "Has he not yet returned?"
"No," said the leader.
The man lowered his arm with the cup.
"He should be back with Bort by now," said the man on the wagon steps.
"Bort!" called the leader into the darkness. "Crassius!" He then turned about. "Titus!" he called. "Titus!" He regarded the fellow with him. "I do not like it," he said.
"What is wrong?" asked another fellow, emerging form one of the wagons.
"Bort is missing," said the leader. "Crassius had not yet returned. We have called Titus. He does not respond."
The men looked about themselves, apprehensively.
"Sleen," said one of the men.
It is true that sleen sometimes make kills swiftly and silently.
"It could be a panther come from the woods, or a strayed larl," said one of the men. This was less likely than a sleen attack. Though panthers and larls can be extremely dangerous to men they will usually attack men only if they are disturbed or other prey is not available. Sleen, which ten to be fine hunters and splendid trackers, which are swiftly moving, aggressive, serpentine, generally nocturnal animals, particularly in the wild state, are less fastidious about their eating habits.
"It could be urts," said a man. "It is near the time of the year for their movements." Certain species of urts migrate twice a year. At such times, annually, it is usually necessary only to avoid them. People usually remain indoors when pack is in their vicinity. There is little danger from these migrations unless one finds oneself in their direct path. The urt, on the whole, most species of which are quite small, large enough to be lifted in one hand, does not pose much direct threat to human beings. Then can destroy Sa-Tarna fields and force their way into granaries. Similarly urts of the sort which live on garbage cast into the canals will often, unhesitantly, attack swimmers. Certain forms of large, domesticated urt, incidentally, should be excepted from these remarks.They are especially bred for attacking and killing. Such animals, however, are inferior to sleen for such purposes. They also lack the tracking capabilities of the sleen. Similarly they lack its intelligence. There was at least one good additional reason, incidentally, for supposing that whatever might be perplexing the brigands was not urts. The urts do not make their kills neatly and silently. They normally attack in a pack. It is usually a messy business. There is usually much blood and screaming.
"Gather in what you can," said the leader of the brigands. "Then we will be on our way." He looked about himself. Then he threw some more wood on the fire. The fire, of course, would be useful in keeping sleen at bay. It also, from my point of view, was useful in illuminating the camp area.
The two men at the rear doors of the wagons, on the steps, looked across at one another.
"Get busy," said the leader.
"You are near the fire," said one of the men on the wagons.
"We have enough," said the other.
"Cowards," said the brigand near their chief, near the fire.
"Let us be on our way," said the first fellow, holding the cup in his hand.
"Do you dispute me?" asked the leader.
The fellow put down the cup. His hand went to the hilt of his sword. I was pleased that the cup had been put down. I would not have wanted it to be dropped.
"Perhaps you are right," said the leader. "Come here, by the fire."
The fellow descended from the steps of the wagon, warily.
"You are right," said the leader. "We have enough."
"Good," said the fellow.
"Fetch the cup," said the leader.
As soon as the man turned about, however, the leader leaped toward him, seized him from behind, his arm locked about his throat, and plunged a dagger, to the hilt, into his back.
"Teibar!" cried the other fellow on the steps.
The leader, his knife bloody, whirled to face him. "Do you gainsay me on this?" he asked.
"No, no!" said the other fellow, quickly.
"Put leashes on the females," said the leader, straightening up, "and then untie their legs, to make it possible for them to move." This is common Gorean practice, to place one bond before removing another.
"You shall be led as befits slaves, as befits animals, as chattels," said the leader to the girls.
"Yes, Master," said Rowena.
"Yes, Master," said pretty Bina.
"What of the wagons and the men?" asked the fellow who was near the leader.
"We will burn the wagons," said the leader. "We will cut the throats of the men."
"Excellent," said his fellow.
"Fetch the cup," said the leader of the fellow who had now descended from the steps of the wagon.
"I do not want it," said the fellow, shakily, looking at his fallen fellow, near the fire.
"Coward," laughed the leader. he then moved past the fellow, proceeding toward the wagon.
The leader had not noticed, it seemed, that although the fellow's voice had surely suggested uncertainty and fear, his hand had been perfectly steady. The fellow's draw was swift and smooth. The leader had barely time to turn, taking the blade, descending, diagonally across the neck. He fell away from the blade, his head awry. The girls screamed. The assailant turned to face the other brigand.
"Do not strike!" cried the other brigand.
Momentarily the assailant hesitated. For an instant he was indecisive. He had not considered matters, it seemed, beyond the slaying of the leader. That had perhaps been short-sighted on his part. Surely the other man should have been included, in one way or another, in his original plan. Obviously he was going to be there, after the original blow. Obviously, in some fashion, he would have to be dealt with or related to. At any rate he had hesitated for a moment. Such dalliance can be costly. The other fellow now had his own blade free of its sheath.