"Build up the fire beneath the oil," said Belnar.
"Yes, Ubar," said a man.
Temenides was white-faced, sitting before the board.
"Capture of Home Stone," announced the player.
"An excellent game," said Belnar.
"Thank you, Ubar," said Scormus of Ar. He rose to his feet.
Temenides did not move. He continued to sit before the board. He seemed transfixed with horror.
I had known, or at least suspected, the identity of the player, incidentally, even from Port Kar, when I had first seen him. His limp was distinctive, as well as his demeanor and manner of speech. I had seen him, too, at close hand, long ago, in the hall of Cernus of Ar. His touchiness on the matters of Scormus of Ar and Centius of Cos, and the great match of 10,125 C.A., had also been revealing. Took of course, his play had been brilliant. Too, how many poor players would have had in their possession a Champion's Cup, and that of Ar, that cup which the brigands had found when they had raided the camp of Boots Tarsk-Bit, that which had so fascinated them and which the player had been so anxious to conceal? Yet he had not sold it nor had he cast it from him. Under his dark robes and grim hood, it seemed, in his heart, he had remained always, and as I had suspected, Scormus, of Ar, and a loyal citizen of that municipality.
"Free the slave," said Belnar. "She belongs to Scormus of Ar. He has well earned her."
"Yes," said a man. "Yes," said another.
The fellow who had stood near to Bina during the match, he who would have cut her throat if she had erred in her behavior, speaking before the conclusion of the game, now cut her wrists free of the thongs. She threw herself to her belly before Scormus of Ar, weeping with joy, covering his feet with kisses. "I am yours!" she cried. "I am yours!"
"That is known to me," said Scormus of Ar.
"I love you!" she wept.
"That, too, is known to me," said Scormus.
She scrambled to her knees, clutching him about the legs, looking up at him, weeping. "You paid a golden tarn disk for me," she said. "I am not worth so much!"
"I will let you know in the morning," said Scormus.
"Take Temenides into custody," said Belnar. "Strip him. Bind him. Put ropes on his neck."
Men seized the moaning Temenides and tore away his robes and tied his hands behind his back. Then heavy ropes, suitable for confining him in the vat of oil, were put on his neck. He looked wildly about himself in terror. "Ubar!" he wept.
"I have had the oil heated," said Belnar. "Doubtless it is now, or soon will be boiling. In this fashion the end will come swiftly. We have not forgotten, in the hospitality of Brundisium, that Temenides is our guest."
"Ubar!" wept Temenides.
"Ubar," said Scormus.
"Yes, Player?" said Belnar. Obviously the player had earned this respect. There are few on Gor who do not stand in awe of the skills of high players.
"As I recall," said Scormus of Ar, "the life of Temenides, my worthy opponent, whom perhaps I treated a bit harshly, being carried somewhat away in the heat of the moment, is forfeit not to you, but to me."
"So it is," said Belnar. "Forgive me, Player. I was thoughtless. I shall have the temperature of the oil reduced, that it may then again be built slowly to boiling. Thus the gradually increasing intensity of your opponent's torments, and their prolonged nature, will be all the more amusing."
"That will not be necessary," said Scormus.
"Player?" asked Belnar.
"Temenides," said Scormus to Temenides, "your life, which was forfeit to me, I return to you, and gladly. Once more it is yours. Take it, and those soldiers with you, mysteriously here from Cos, and depart this night from Brundisium's walls."
"Caste brother!" cried Temenides, gratefully. Some of the men with him then freed him and put his robes about him. He hurried with them from the hall. Belnar looked after them. He spoke words to a menial. The man, too, then left the hall.
"Scormus of Ar is generous," said Belnar.
Scormus inclined his head, briefly. Though Belnar smiled, I do not think he was much pleased with the evening's outcome. He once more looked towards the great exit from the hall, through which, moments before, hurrying, Temenides and some soldiers from Cos had vanished. Clearly Belnar, the ubar of Brundisium, had expected Temenides to best the player, taken then to be a mere low player, a troupe's player, and this had not turned out as he had anticipated. HE was not too pleased with Temenides, I was certain, and, for some reason, he also seemed to find himself uncomfortable, at least at this time, with the presence of Scormus of Ar in his palace. Belnar turned graciously to Scormus. "Player," said he, "honor us by sitting the table of Brundisium's Ubar."
"I thank you, Ubar, but, with your permission, if you see fit graciously to grant it, I would prefer to return to my quarters." He looked down at Bina, at his feet. "There, with chains and a whip, I would like to continue the education of a slave."
"Master," whispered Bina, licking softly at his ankle.
"Of course," said Belnar.
"Ubar, too," said Boots Tarsk-Bit, "we have traveled far to entertain you, and we are now weary. Please permit us also, myself, my fellows, and our girls, our troupe, to withdraw. We have enjoyed performing for you."
"For a sack of gold, I should think so," said Belnar. There was laughter from the courtiers and guests about. Belnar smiled, pleased at this response to his jest. "You may withdraw," he said.
"Thank you, Ubar," said Boots, bowing low. He then, following Scormus and Bina, followed by his troupe, and the troupe's girls, left the hall. They would not be going to their quarters, of course. They, with their documents of departure, earlier prepared, seen to routinely, and unsuspectingly, by the Lady Yanina, upon the request of Boots Tarsk-Bit, who had a knack for such details, would flee the city. I slipped back among the other guests in the hall. I did not think it would be too long before the alarms were sounded.
"Come now, my guests," called Belnar, cheerily, "return to your places. The best of the evening's entertainment is yet to come!" There was then a returning to places among the banquettes. Naked slaves again scurried about, hurrying in their perfume and steel collars, bringing wine, delicacies and assorted exquisite viands, zealous to please masters.
"Where is the Lady Yanina?" inquired Belnar of Flaminius, irritatedly.
"I know not, Ubar," admitted Flaminius.
"She is late, quite late," said Belnar.
"Yes, Ubar," said Flaminius.
"She should have been her by now," said Belnar. "She should have been here long ago."
"Yes, Ubar," granted Flaminius.
"I know you have an eye for her beauty," said Belnar to Flaminius. "I trust you have not had her taken to a villa outside the walls, where she awaits you now in chains and a collar?"
"No, Ubar," said Flaminius.
"She might be quite attractive in such," said Belnar.
"Yes, Ubar," said Flaminius.
"You have not had her enslaved on the evening of her triumph, have you?"
"No, Ubar!" said Flaminius.
"I am joking," said Belnar.
"Yes, Ubar," said Flaminius, uneasily, wiping his brow.
"Citizens of Brundisium, and guests," called Belnar, rising to his feet, "I would have preferred for the Lady Yanina, that distinguished citizens of Brundisium, know to you all, that true servant of our palace and state, that lovely courtier, my trusted agent, my beautiful operative, to conduct the next portion of the evening's entertainment, for the triumph implicit in this moment is in a special sense hers. Yet, alas, she is detained! Unfortunately, as the evening now arrives at its climax, we must proceed without her."
There were some cries of disappointment, of protest.
"Shall we wait longer?" asked Belnar.