I lay in the dirt, my hands bound behind my back, the rope on my neck, watching. It was true what Thurnus had said. I could have been loaned to Bran Loort, and would have had to serve him as though he were my own master.
"But you did not ask my permission," said Thurnus.
"No," said Bran Loort, angrily, "I did not."
"Before, too, you have done such things, you, and these others, though not to the degree nor with the intent of this day."
It was true. Sometimes the boys had caught us, Thurnus's girls, or those of others, too, and roped us together and raped us in the furrows of the fields, but it had been done in the bullying rowdyism of their youth, having slave girls at their mercy. There had been no intent of insult, or umbrage, in it. It had been the hot, fierce, innocent sport of strong young men, powerful and excited, who held brief-tunicked, branded girls, in rope collars, in their arms, nothing more. Does a slave girl not expect slave rape? Some masters enjoy having their girls raped occasionally; it serves to remind them that they are slaves. This sort of rape is not uncommon in a peasant village. It is usually taken for granted and ignored, save perhaps by the abused girls, but they are only slaves. Indeed, it is sometimes encouraged, to pacify young men whose natural aggressions otherwise might turn aside into destructive channels. It is also regarded, at times, as an aid in helping young males attain their manhood. "If she pleases you, run her down, and take her, son," is a not uncommon piece of paternal advice in a peasant village. I had heard this twice, though it had not been I on whom the young man had been set. Verr Tail had been caught and raped on her back, struggling, in the stream, once, and Radish had been caught and forced to give pleasure between the sleen cages. Each of these young men had walked differently following their conquest. I had shrunk back when they had approached. I knew they were now men, and I was only a slave. These two young men were not among the cohorts of Bran Loort. But what had been done today to me was clearly different in its intent and gravity from the casual, expected, fierce exhibitions of male aggression to which imbonded girls such as I must become accustomed.
"I have been patient with you, Bran Loort," said Thurnus. "We are grateful for your patience," said Bran Loort. He looked about, at his cohorts, grinning. He set his staff, butt down, in the dirt.
I sensed that the codes were to be invoked. What Bran Loort and his fellows had done exceeded the normal rights of custom, the leniencies and tacit permissions of a peasant community; commonly the codes are invisible; they exist not to control human life, but to make it possible. The rapes of Verr Tail and Radish, interestingly, had not counted as code breaches, though in neither case had explicit permission for their conquest been granted by Thurnus; such permission, in such cases, was implicit in the customs of the community; it did not constitute a "taking from" but a brief use of, an "enjoyment of," without the intent to do injury to the honor of the master; "taking from," in the sense of the code is not, strictly, theft, though theft would be "taking from." "Taking from," in the sense of the codes, implies the feature of being done against the presumed will of the master, of infringing his rights, more significantly, of offending his honor. In what Bran Loort had done, insult had been intended. The Gorean peasant, like Goreans in general, has a fierce sense of honor. Bran Loort had known exactly what he had been doing.
"I am disposed to be merciful, Bran Loort," said Thumus, looking at me. "You may now request my permission for what you have done to this slave."
"But," said Bran Loort, "I do not request your permission."
"I must then call the council," said Thurnus, "that we may consider what is to be done with you."
Bran Loort, throwing his head back, laughed, as did his fellows.
"Why do you laugh, Bran Loort?" inquired Thurnus.
"Only the caste leader may call the council," said Bran Loort. "And I do not choose to summon it into session."
"Are you caste leader in Tabuk's Ford?" asked Thumus.
"I am," said Bran Loort.
"Who has said this?" inquired Thurnus.
"I have said it," said Bran Loort. And he gestured to his fellows. "We have said it," he added.
There were nine of them, including Bran Loort. They were large, strong young men. "Yes," said more than one of them.
"I am sorry," said Thurnus. "I had thought that you had in you the makings of a caste leader."
"I am caste leader," said Bran Loort.
"In what village is that?" asked Thurnus.
"In Tabuk's Ford," said Bran Loort, angrily.
"Have you conveyed this intelligence to Thurnus of Tabuk's Ford?" inquired Thurnus.
"I do so now," said Bran Loort. "I am first in Tabuk's Ford."
"I speak for Thurnus, caste leader in the village of Tabuk's Ford," said Thurnus. "He speaks it not so."
"I am first here," said Bran Loort.
"In the name of Thurnus, he of the peasants, caste leader of the village of Tabuk's Ford," said Thurnus, "I speak. He, Thurnus, is first"
"I am first!" cried Bran Loort.
"No," said Thurnus.
Bran Loort turned white.
"Will it be the test of five arrows?" asked Thurnus.
In this the villagers, with the exception of the two contestants, leave the village and the gate is closed. Each contestant carries in the village his bow, the great bow, the peasant bow, and five arrows. He who opens the gate to readmit the villagers is caste leader.
"No," said Bran Loort, uneasily. He did not care to face the bow of Thurnus. The skill of Thurnus with the great bow was legendary, even among peasants.
"Then," asked Thurnus, "it will be the test of knives?"
In this the two men leave the village and enter, from opposite sides, a darkened wood. He who returns to the village is caste leader.
"No," said Bran Loort. Few men, I thought, would care to meet Thurnus in the darkness of the woods armed with steel. The peasant is a part of the land. He can be like a rock or a tree. Or the lightning that can strike without warning from the dark sky.
Bran Loort lifted his staff. "I am of the peasants," he said.
"Very well," said Thurnus. "We shall subject this matter to grim adjudication. The staff will speak. The wood of our land will decide."
"Good!" said Bran Loort.
I noted that Sandal Thong had slipped from the crowd. None other seemed to note her going.
Slowly, step by step, Thurnus descended the stairs from his hut.
Melina, eyes glittering, stepped back from the foot of the stairs. Men, and villagers all, and slaves, cleared a space near the hut of Thurnus.
"Build up the village fire," said Thurnus. Men hurried to do this. Thurnus opened his tunic, then pulled it down about his waist. He flexed his arms, and hitched up the skirt of the tunic, higher in his belt, until it was high on his thighs. Bran Loort, too, did these things.
Thurnus came to me and lifted me to my feet, his hands on my arms. "Is it because of your beauty, little slave," he asked, "that this has come about?"
I could not answer him, so miserable I was. I could not stand without his holding me.
"No," said Thurnus. 'There is more involved here." He turned me about and untied my wrists, and unknotted the rope from my neck, throwing it away.
I stood in my brand and rope collar before him.
I looked up at him. He had been kind to me.
"Gag her and put her in the rape-rack," he said to a man.
I regarded him, startled, as I was dragged from his presence. I would be secured in the rape-rack, the ready spoils for the victor. I did not know why I would be gagged.
The young men of Bran Loort gathered about him, encouraging him. Thurnus stood to one side, not seeming to pay them attention.