"Yes,” said Cabot.
"But even so you would have her informed?” said Lord Grendel.
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"Even though she is a slave?"
"Yes,” said Cabot.
In order that this may become clearer to a reader, one perhaps unfamiliar with the ways of masters and slaves, it might be kept in mind that the slave is an animal. Would you, for example, stop to explain politics, or the events of the day, to kaiila or verr? To be sure, the female human slave, although an animal, is an extremely intelligent and curious animal, and one much interested in her milieu and its prospects. This is an aspect of her often considerable intelligence. Keeping her in ignorance then is one of many means, perhaps one somewhat cruel, by which she may the better be informed of her bondage. It helps her to feel it, often keenly. She is not a free woman. Let her be kept then in darkness, squirming and frustrated, her eager, high intelligence deliberately left without enlightenment. Often important events are not spoken of before her, even events which might affect her profoundly, raids, excursions, shortages, closings of trade routes, marches on cities, the approach of armies, and such, and even lesser things, as well, for example that offers have been made for her, perhaps by handsome young men of whose presence on the street or in the bazaar she was only dimly aware, or, say, that they are thinking of breeding her, or that her master's companion wishes her sold, or that, according to quotas imposed by the city, she has been selected for a tribute slave, that she and two others are to be exchanged for a kaiila, that one of her master's recent guests was a slaver, unbeknownst to her, by whom she was being appraised, and so on. This ignorance, of course, is also helpful with respect to her control. On the other hand, despite the best efforts by masters, there is often, one fears, slave to slave, one overhearing something here, another hearing something there, and so on, often a rapid transmission of the most exquisite and detailed information amongst them. After all, they traverse the streets, draw water at the fountains, bargain in the markets, kneel at the laundry troughs, and so on. A well-known Gorean saying has it that curiosity is not becoming in a kajira. Nonetheless, it is also commonly understood, often to the surprise, and sometimes chagrin, of masters, that kajirae, in a thousand ways, however mysteriously, are often well informed.
It may be supposed then that the slave in the stable, despite the handicap of her incarceration, was already well aware of certain profound alterations in the world, political, and otherwise.
Nonetheless, as this was not known to Cabot and Lord Grendel, or not known for certain, Lord Grendel, by means of intermediaries, guards, and such, made certain that the slave was well aware of the victory of Lord Arcesilaus, the appearance of Lord Grendel in the capital, that of a human commander, Tarl Cabot, as well, and so on.
"Then she will look for you,” said Lord Grendel. “She will expect to be claimed at the first opportunity."
"That is my supposition,” said Cabot.
"But she will not be?"
"No."
"Excellent,” said Lord Grendel.
"We shall let her wait for a few days,” said Cabot.
"Excellent,” said Lord Grendel. “But she is also to know that you are well aware of where she is, and such?"
"Of course,” said Cabot.
"I thought you were earlier interested in her most swift recovery."
"I have rethought the matter,” said Cabot. “Let her remain in her cage."
"The better to know herself a slave?"
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"I thought she was important to you,” said Lord Grendel.
"How could that be?” said Cabot. “She is only a slave."
"So let her learn that she is without importance?"
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"And a cage is an excellent place for her to learn that?"
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"Shall we meet here, tomorrow, in festive regalia?” asked Lord Grendel.
"Such will be provided, I trust,” said Cabot.
"Of course,” said Lord Grendel. He then turned to leave, but Cabot, a hand on his arm, stayed him, briefly.
"I do not understand the matter of faces of the Nameless One,” said Cabot. “How could both Lord Agamemnon and Lord Arcesilaus be faces of the Nameless One?"
"Why not?” said Lord Grendel. “They are different faces."
"The Nameless One has faces of both evil and good?” asked Cabot.
"The Nameless One has many faces,” said Lord Grendel. “Agamemnon doubtless viewed his face as rightful and just, as good, if you like, and so, too, though the faces are quite different, does Lord Arcesilaus. Perhaps it is you who find the faces good and evil, and not the Nameless One."
"I do not understand,” said Cabot.
"I think,” said Lord Grendel, “the Nameless One is neither good nor evil, as you think of such things, but that he is beyond such things, or other than such things. I do not think he is concerned with such things. They do not interest him. Is the venomous ost good or evil? It is the ost. Is the prowling sleen good or evil? It is the sleen. Is the harmless verr good or evil? It is the verr. I think the Nameless One is indifferent, even to whether or not it shows itself. It is itself, that is all, visible and invisible, public and private, secret and revealed, shown and concealed; it is as it was, and is, and will be."
"I will return to the quarters assigned to me,” said Cabot.
"Let us meet here, tomorrow,” said Lord Grendel.
"At noon, the tenth Ahn?"
"Agreed,” said Lord Grendel.
Chapter, the Seventy-Fourth:
AN EARTH FEMALE FINDS HERSELF KEPT IN A SLAVE CAGE;
FEASTS, FESTIVALS, AND AGONS;
A SLAVE IS TO BE TAKEN INTO THE FOREST
"Tarl! Tarl!” she cried. “Where have you been? My body aches! Free me, immediately!"
She was fetching in the cage, naked and collared, kneeling, bending over, holding to the bars. It was a tiny, shipping cage. It had bars on four sides, that the slave may be conveniently viewed. The ceiling and floor of the cage were of quarter-inch steel. The bars were something like three-eighths of an inch in diameter, quite enough to hold a female. It was something like a yard square, and the slave could not stretch her body within it to her full length, even her small, deliciously curved female body.
She shook the bars, angrily, futilely. “At last you have come for me,” she said. “You should have been here days ago. Release me!"
She did not notice that the other slaves, of which there were several, like herself, naked and collared, were kneeling in their cages, heads to the floor, palms of hands, too, down on the floor, in first obeisance position. They knew themselves to be in the presence of a free man.
Cabot then turned about, and left.
"Come back!” she cried, shaking the bars. “Come back!"
But he was gone.
* * * *
The festival would last several days.
Much of the music was lost on Cabot, as he could hear little of it, and what he heard was little to his liking.
The martial dances were more fascinating, particularly the convolutions of Kurii, which were hitherto unknown to him.
He was familiar with martial dances from Gor, of course, which are used not simply for public displays, and such, but in the training of infantry, the turns, advances, withdrawals, the liftings and lowerings of spears, the rhythmic clash of blades on shields, the stamping of feet, the glittering of light on helmets, and spears. On level ground nothing could stand against the weight of a thousand spears, of different lengths, bristling before the advance, rushed forward with the weight of a thousand running, screaming men behind them. On rough ground other formations were more effective, smaller, coordinated groups of men, groups which, to the movements of standards, the blasts of horns, could break apart from other groups, rejoin, slip to the rear, be replaced with fresh groups, and so on. Such groups, for example, might be tactically divided, to accommodate themselves to the exigencies of terrain and battle, and then seamlessly rejoin, as though by magic, when desired. They were not like a great chain whose links, shattered by rises or defiles, break apart into disjointed segments, with openings, gaps, between them. Commanders choose their ground carefully.