"This is a madness,” said Cabot.
"You are not Kur,” said Lord Grendel.
"Agamemnon was not defending the world,” said Cabot. “His act was one of aggression, or such, one which, I suspect, was unprovoked."
"Do you not understand it?” asked Grendel.
"Speak,” said Cabot.
"Agamemnon is the rival amongst the worlds of a great general, and vies to be first amongst the worlds, the leader of the several worlds."
"There are several such leaders, generals, are there not?” asked Cabot.
"Yes,” said Grendel, “but one was most feared by Agamemnon, one whom he wished to deal with first, one whom he long pretended to befriend, but one whom he suspected well comprehended his ambitions and machinations, one whom he then conveyed from the world, ignominiously, daring to do no more at the time, and then proceeded to lay his plans, and supply and ready his fleet."
"I know the general, I am sure,” said Cabot.
"It could have been any one of a number,” said Grendel.
"But it was not,” said Cabot.
"No,” said Grendel.
"And so the mariners of the camps are to suffer for the miscalculations and mistakes, the reckless, vain ambition, the poorly laid plans, the rash, ill-fated, unjustified, personal adventure of a tyrant?"
"Certainly,” said Lord Grendel.
"I see,” said Cabot.
"It is such things,” said Lord Grendel, “which, particularly when successful, shape the histories of worlds. The sword is the plow which furrows the soil of the future. Those who do not defend themselves die, and fall amongst the litter of their virtues. Without the spear there is no peace. Only blood can slake the thirst for violence."
"You are Kur,” said Cabot, bitterly.
"I do not think you are so different,” said Lord Grendel.
"I would spare these mariners, these soldiers,” said Cabot.
"Interestingly,” mused Lord Grendel, “so, too, would I."
"How then are you Kur?” said Cabot.
"What is Kur?” said Lord Grendel.
Chapter, the Fifty-Third:
RETURN TO CAMP;
A SURPRISE;
A MYSTERY
"Greetings, noble Flavion!” said Lord Grendel.
"Welcome to the camp, noble Grendel,” said Flavion. “We have been concerned with your absence."
Peisistratus hurried forward, and pressed Cabot's hand, and touched Lord Grendel's forearm.
Heeling him was his Corinna.
"Ho!” said Statius, rushing forward. “We feared for you."
"We have brought arrow points,” said Cabot, “a great many of them."
"Excellent,” said Statius.
"Excellent,” said Flavion.
Archon, once of the forest humans, cried out with pleasure.
Cabot and Grendel lowered the weighty sacks to the ground.
"How many charges have we left in your rifle?” Grendel asked Flavion.
"As before,” said Flavion, “five. I have been sparing in their use, preferring to elude encroaching enemies, rather than reveal the nature and location of the weapon."
"Wise,” said Grendel.
"There are seven others, are there not, somewhere?” asked Flavion.
"I believe so,” said Lord Grendel.
"Little has taken place since your departure,” said Flavion.
"We needed weapon points,” said Lord Grendel.
Statius’ Kur female crouched behind him, in his shadow.
Cabot looked about. “Where is my slut, Lita?” he asked. “Why is she not here, at my feet?"
The eyes of Peisistratus clouded. He looked down.
"What is it?” asked Cabot, quickly, narrowly.
"She fled,” said Peisistratus. “Muchly was she distressed at your departure, that you had left her behind. Long she wept, and cried out, and then she became sullen, then angry, then seemingly resigned, and then, one night, when she had not yet been chained, she slipped away."
"She did not have the permission of a male to leave the camp?” asked Cabot.
"No,” said Peisistratus.
"She was not set upon an errand?"
"No."
"Clearly, then, she fled?"
"Clearly,” said Peisistratus.
"It seems,” said Statius, “she does not know what it is to be a slave."
"She is naive,” said Cabot. “She is new to her collar. It seems there is something of Earth left in her."
"It seems clearly she does not understand her collar, the penalties,” said Peisistratus. “If she had learned her slavery in the pens, and on Gor, she would not have dared to think of such a thing."
"True,” said Cabot.
The Gorean slave girl is terrified to even think of escaping. She knows she is a slave, and, as far as her own efforts are concerned, will remain a slave. She is distinctively clad, she is branded, she is collared. She is utterly helpless in her bondage. It is categorical and inalterable. She has nowhere to run. The entire society accepts and demands her bondage. It will go to great lengths to search for her, and return her to her master. The best she might hope for would be to exchange one bondage for another, and doubtless for one far worse than that from which she fled, for she would be recognized as a runaway, and, quite possibly, would be prominently branded as such, the mark seared into her forehead. She might be taken in the fields, and find herself owned by peasants, which is a quite unpleasant slavery; she might find herself placed in the mills, the laundries, or the mines, closely shackled, heavily burdened, half starved, and muchly whipped, or such. It is not enviable, for example, to be a slave illicitly, secretly vended on the black market.
"She is not on Gor,” said Cabot.
"It makes no difference, at all,” said Peisistratus. “She is slave."
"True,” said Cabot.
"It seems she does not understand her bondage,” said Statius.
"Perhaps it should have been better taught to her,” said Lord Grendel.
"Doubtless,” said Cabot.
"I have little doubt,” said Peisistratus, “it would be easy to teach it to her."
"That is true,” said Cabot.
"We could probably trail her,” said Flavion.
"I do not understand why she would flee,” said Lord Grendel. “How would she live? She could starve, or thirst, unable to approach water. Animals would hunt her, and feed on her. If she approaches the Kurii of Agamemnon they have no interest in her as a slave. They would simply fire upon her, to destroy her on sight."
Cabot was silent.
"It was very foolish of her to flee,” said Lord Grendel. “Why would she do so?"
"She is a female,” said Peisistratus, “and does not fully realize that she is also a slave."
"I think we could trail her,” said Flavion.
"When did she flee?” asked Cabot.
"Four days ago,” said Statius.
"The trail would now be cold,” said Cabot, “particularly so, given the periodic, refreshing rains."
"Not for sleen,” said Lord Grendel.
"But, dear friend,” said Cabot, “we do not have sleen."
Flavion shrugged, a movement which, in the Kur, seems to course the entire body.
"Yes,” Cabot thought to himself, “I think Flavion might be able to find her."
"We have formed a plan,” said Lord Grendel, “to unite the rebel bands, to pool our weapons of power, and to strike at the palace itself."