There were several cries of rage. Hands clasped the hilts of swords.
"The proclamations have been posted," he said.
One of the fellows of Port Cos then went to Claudia. She looked at me, wildly. Then she was lifted up, lightly, in the chain-and-leather harness. The fellow held her for a moment, his left hand behind her knees, his right hand behind her back. Her eyes were on mine, frightened. Then they widened, suddenly, and she gasped, and was thrown over the rail. Then, a moment later, her hands pulled high over her head, suspended in her harness, she hung off the starboard rail of the bow deck, as Publia did off the port rail. There was a cry of pleasure, and admiration, from several of the men about in the small boats. I saw her hands twist in the shackles, high above her head. Her body, suspended in the harness, swung a bit, and then turned from side to side, over the water. I glanced from her to Publia, and then back to her. I agreed with the shouts of pleasure and commendation from the small boats. Both slaves were excellent. Calliodorus was sure to be congratulated on his display.
"Is that the extend of the dispatches, Commander?" asked a man.
"It is perhaps as much as you should know now," said Aemilianus, grimly. "Commander!" protested a man.
"The occasion is festive," said Aemilianus. "Perhaps it is well that you learn the rest later."
"Please, Commander," said a man.
"The Home Stone has reached Ar," he said.
"Good," said a man, overjoyed.
"Better it had never done so," said Aemilianus.
"Commander!" said a fellow.
"It is under guard near the Central Cylinder, on the Avenue of the Central Cylinder," he said. "There it is exposed that the citizens of Ar, and any who please, may file past it and spit upon it."
"Vengeance!" cried the young warrior, Marcus.
"And we, of course, and all those who abetted us, have been pronounced renegades."
"Vengeance!" wept the young warrior, Marcus. His sword was out of its sheath. "Vengeance!" cried a man.
"Vengeance!" cried others.
There were cries of rage. Swords were drawn.
"Sheath your swords, beloved friends," said Aemilianus. "Let us now, upon this holiday, to be declared the day of the Topaz, put aside all thoughts of fury and blood. Rather hasten to brush your garments and put smiles upon your faces. Consider your mien. Upon your countenances, I beg you, this day, let there be only the appearance of joy. Let this day rightfully redound to the glory of Port Cos, our brethren of the river, and let us rejoice with them, and with ourselves, for our deliverance. Our gratitude has been richly deserved. Let us not be sparing in its exception. Surely you realize that the fidelity of Port Cos to the pledge of the Topaz may cost her greatly in the future."
"Those of Port Cos have proved better friends to us than those of Ar," said a man bitterly.
"Perhaps the river is its own place," said a man.
"Perhaps," said another.
I could hear music now, coming from the piers of Port Cos. As the bow swung about to enter the harbor I could see the piers were jammed with crowds in their holiday finery. It seemed all the caste colors of Gor might be there.
I heard the sudden crack of a long, plaited, single-bladed slave whip on the bow deck. The whip was in the hand of the fellow from Port Cos who, on the journey downriver, had acted as the keeper of the two slaves. Slaves are always, directly or indirectly, in the keeping of one free person or another. He had not struck anyone with the whip. He had only, so to speak, readied the tool. Publia had cried out, startled, and in misery. She knew what it was to feel the whip. Claudia had cried out, startled, but, too, in fear. She knew she was subject to it.
"Publia," said the keeper.
"Yes, Master!" she cried.
"Claudia," said he.
"Yes, Master!" she cried.
He then, gently, lightly, with a small movement of the wrist, little more than a toss, snaked the whip out to the port side. Its single blade harmlessly but meaningfully more than encircled Publia. She shuddered. He then repeated this action to starboard.
"When I speak, you will attend to me," he said.
"Yes, Master!" said Publia.
"Yes, Master!" said Claudia. "Beloved friends," said Aemilianus, "prepare yourselves to be received by our friends of Port Cos."
Swords were sheathed.
Most of those about Aemilianus then withdrew from the bow deck. Surilius remained, and the young warrior, Marcus, and some others. I, too, remained. "Surely Ar herself will cry out for vengeance," I said, "for the loss of Ar's Station, her pride upon the Vosk."
"Such seems to be the spirit in the northern camp of Ar," said Aemilianus. "This you have, too, from the dispatches?" I asked.
"Yes," he said.
"The forces of Ar in the north," I said, should move south with rapidity, before the spring, to engage the main power of Cos. Were it not for the action of Dietrich of Tarnburg at Torcadino, she would already be at the gates of Ar." "But they will not do so, will they?" asked Aemilianus.
"They must do so," I said.
"They are apparently intent upon destroying the Cosian expeditionary force in the north," said Aemilianus.
"That would seem easy enough to do," said Marcus, bitterly. "Although the Cosians outnumbered us ten to one, their numbers would be no match for what, I gather, is nearly the full might of Ar."
"Even so, they might not have as easy a time of it as they think," said Aemilianus. "They think that force has been in winter quarters, like themselves, though at Ar's Station. They do not realize it is battle burdened, that it has been in action for months."
"But if you were the Cosian commander in the north," I said to Aemilianus, "you would surely, if possible, avoid engaging the main body of Ar."
"True," said Aemilianus.
"He will not be able to do so," said Marcus. "Ar's northern forces are interposed between Ar's Station and Brundisium. They could also cut off a retreat to Torcadino."
"It would seem so," said Aemilianus.
"It would be difficult for them to cross the river, to the north," said Marcus, "and, even so, they could be followed. Too, they are unlikely to withdraw to the terrain of the Salerian Confederation, for it will not wish to risk war with Ar. If they try to intrude by force into those territories they could well find themselves between the Salerians and Ar. The fate of the Cosians in the north is a foregone conclusion."
"Few conclusions in war, my eager young friend," said Aemilianus, "are foregone."
"With all due respect, Commander," said Marcus. "Ar's position in the north is ideal for destroying the expeditionary force."
"But they would have to encounter it first," said Aemilianus.
"It is an army," said Marcus, "not ten men traveling at night." "Cos controls the skies," said Aemilianus.
"Even so," protested Marcus.
"It would not surprise me," said Aemilianus, quietly, "if the expeditionary force slipped past the men of Ar."
"Between the winter camp and the southern back of the Vosk," I said. "Precisely," said Aemilianus, grimly.
"That is absurd," said Marcus. "They would be pinned against the river. It would be a slaughter."
"But only if they were caught," said Aemilianus.
"No sane commander would elect such a route," said Marcus.
"Unless he knew something which you do not," said Aemilianus.
"The whole idea is absurd," said Marcus.
"Is it any the less absurd," asked Aemilianus, "that Ar should have been digging latrines in winter camp while the walls of Ar's Station were crumbling?" "But Ar might still be apprised of these movements in time to interpose herself between the expeditionary force and its base at Brundisium," said Marcus, slowly. "Thus, to what end west?"
"What lies west of the Vosk," asked Aemilianus.