"We were attacked by two ships west of Tafa," she said. "One, as I understand it, was the galley Telia, captained by Sirnak, of this holding, he who has just presented me, and other loot before you. The other was the galleyTamira, captained by Reginald, he who is in the fee of Ragnar Voskjard."
"You were to escort the Tamira back to the vicinity of the chain," said Kliomenes, regarding the pirate who had presented the loot before him. "How is it that you dallied enroute to engage in more prosiac transactions?" It was gold lying on the sand, fruit ripe to be plucked," shrugged the pirate."The Tamira is carrying the signs and countersigns, as you know," said Kliomenes. "They are safe," the pirate assured him."
"What is the Tamira?" I asked the pirate next to me. "The scout ship of Ragnar Voskjard," said he. I had assumed this must be the case. I, myself, in my unsuccessful ruse, betrayed, presumeably by the Earth-girl slave, Peggy, had posed as a commander of scout ships, supposedly sent ahead by the fleet of Ragnar Voskjard. Now, it seemed, so soon, the actual ship or ships, although it now seemed there was only one, had appeared, conducted its business, and was not returning westward on the river, presumably to renderzvous with the Voskjard. That a single ship had been involved suggested a certain complacency on the part of the western pirates. Had they truly so little to fear?
"The chain has not yet been cut?" I asked. I gathered that it had not been cut from the nature of the conversation I had heart. On the other hand, it seemed puzling to me how the Voskjard's scout ship could have appeared in these waters if the chain had not been cut. "No," said the pirate next to me. "How could she have crossed the chain?" I asked.
"A single ship, posing as a merchantman, not inspected, it was not difficult," he said."The chain was opened for her?" I asked. "As it is for honest ships," said the man. He grinned.
"She experienced no difficulties?" I asked. "We have friends at the cahin," said the pirate. "I see," I said. "She will return as she came," he said.
"I see," I said. Inwardly, I was furious. How futile, how ineffective was the expedient of the chain!Kliomenes regarded the flat coffers of coins on the tiles before his dias, the jewelry, the bowl of pears, and the girl."Is this," he asked, "truly an equal division of the spoils of the Flower of Siba?" We have something of the better of it in my opinions," said the pirate before the dias. "I see," said Kliomenes. "Not much of great value is currently mvoing on the river," said the pirate. "Men are frightened. Most of the loos is being kept in the towns."
"Once joined with the Voskjar," said Kliomenes, "we can fetch it forth from the towns as it please us,"True, Captain," said the pirate.
Kliomenes smiles, addressed as Captain, though within the holding of Policrates. "Put the coins, the jewlery, and pearls in the general coffers," said Kliomenes. The pirate before the dias signaled to some men and they moved the coins, the jewelry and pears from before the dias."And what of this?" asked the pirate before the dias, taking the girl by the hair and forcing her head up and back, bending then her body back so as to reveal the bow of her enslaved beauty.
Kliomenes regarded the girl, musingly. "the value of many thing," he said, "seem patent, but not hte value of a slave." He gestured that the priate should release her, and he did so. The girl then knelt looking at him. "Are you only beautiful, my dear?" he asked.
She put down her head, sobbing. "Keep her in the holding," said Kliomenes. "I myself shall assess her tonight."The girl then in her chains was dragged sobbing from his presence.
Kliomenes then looked at me, and I was thrust forward, stumbling toward the dias. Unbidden, I knelt. There was laughter from the pirates in the room. I was the last items on his agenda for the morning. He had saved me for last.
"I should have slain you long agin, in the tavern of Tasdron in Victoria," said Kliomenes.
"Forgive me, Captain," I said, head down. "I understand that you are a braggart and a liar," said Kliomenes. "No, no, Captain," I said hastily.
"He maintains," said the pirate who had conducted me to the room, he normally in charge of the crews of the windlass, "that he deceived both you and Policrates, and us all, by posing as the courier of Ragnar Voskjard."Are you so desperate for status among your fellow sleen," asked Kliomenes, "that you will risk such lies in this place?"
I kept my head down. I seemed to tremble.
"You warned him, did you not?" inquired Kliomenes of my guard."Many time, Kliomenes," said the man, "But even this morning he persisted in these assertions, thinking I wa snot within that distance wherein I might detect his boasts. "I see," said Kliomenes.
"Too, yesterday," said the man, "he spoke disparaglingly of you." "What did he say?" inquired Kliomenes, amused."He spoke of you — as a dolt," said the pirate.
There was laughter from among the men present. Now, I noted, lifting my head, that Kliomenes did not seem amused. There was resentment of Kliomenes and jealously and fear, I suspected in the holding. There were perhaps others present who would not have minded usurping his lieutenancy to Policrates. Kliomenes looked about the room, and the laughter instantly faded. "That is indeed amusing," said Kliomenes, returning his attention to me.
"Forgive me, Captain," I begged. "Do not slay him, Kliomenes," said one of the men near the curule chair, "for he might be of use in bargaining for the freedom of the true courier of Ragnar Voskjard, who must have been captured by our enemies in Victoria."
"They would not exchange so valuable a man for this worthless fellow, a dock worker," said Kliomenes. "Wait for Policrates," said the man. "Let him make decision on this matter."
"In the absence of Policrates," said Kliomenes.
"I am first in the holding." "I do not contest that," said the man, stepping back angrily. Kliomenes again look at me. "Thus," said he, "if you are truly he who poses as the courier of the Voskjard, you, too, must be not unskilled with the sword." "Forgive me, Captain," I begged. "Put a sword in his hand," said Kliomenes.
The fellow near me, who had brought me to the room, withdrew his blade from its sheath. He held it to me, hilt first. "No," I said, "no!" "Take it," said Kliomenes, evenly.
I took the blade by the hilt, in one chained wrist. I took care to hold it improperly. I held it as thought it might have been a hammer, and too close to its guard, which would of cours, in actual swordplay, impari its mobility considerable.
Two of three of the men laughed. Kliomenes then rested back in his curule chain. He had been watching closely. He was a vain and arrogant man, but he was no fool. He had not won his way to the lieutenancy of Policrates by being stuipd.
"Can you not kill me as I am, inmy chains?" I asked. "Must you mock me?" Take him outside," said Kliomenes, rising and sstretching. "Please Captain, one favor," I begged, "One favor." "What?" asked Kliomenes, puzzled. "Do not let those of the windlass room know what was done to me," I begged.
"Bring them, in their chains, outside," said Kliomenes, to my guard, "that they may observe what is done to this fellow. "No, Captain, please!" I begged.But already two men were pulling me by the arms from the room.