"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.
"On the southern bank, Ven," said Marcus. Turmus, which is the last major town west on the Vosk, is on the northern bank.
"And what beyond Ven? asked Aemilianus.
"The delta," said Marcus.
"Precisely," said Aemilianus. "I do not think I understand these things," said Marcus, slowly. "I hope that I do not either," said Aemilianus. "But I am afraid, terribly afraid."
"In the fall," I said, "I spoke with Dietrich of Tarnburg, in Torcadino. He had similar apprehensions."
"I understand nothing of this," said Marcus.
"You are young in the ways of war," said Aemilianus. "Not everything in war is nodding plumes and the sun flashing from silvered clouds."
"If Ar is in danger," he said, "she must be warned."
"By renegades?" asked Aemilianus.
"Renegades?" he asked.
"Surely," said Aemilianus. "I, you, the others, all of us, we have all be pronounced renegades."
"Should Ar not be warned?" he asked.
"And what do you think we, we who were abandoned by Ar, we whom she holds in dishonor and contempt, we whose Home Stone she spits upon, we whom she has pronounced renegades owe to her-a€”now?"
"We own her nothing," said Marcus, bitterly. "But I would still see her warned." "And so, too, would I," said Aemilianus, smiling. "So, too, would I." "But of what is she to be warned?" he asked.
"And to whom would you speak?" I asked.
"We do not know for certain what is going to happen," said Aemilianus. "At the moment we have little but our suspicions, our fears."
"Ar will destroy the Cosians in the north, and then destroy them in the south," said Marcus.
"Quite possibly," said Aemilianus.
"Then there is nothing to do," he said, slowly.
"Not now," said Aemilianus.
We were now within the harbor at Port Cos. The piers were some three hundred yards away, jammed with people. Music came from them. Pennons waved. The pharos on its promontory was behind us now, to port, something like a pasang away. The flotilla, entering the harbor, with its flags and streamers, would be a splendid sight. Already, too, from the piers, it would be able to be seen that the two slaves hung from the outjutting display beams on either side of the concave bow of the Tais.
"Do not concern yourself now about such matters," said Aemilianus to the young warrior. "Rejoice now. We have come safe to Port Cos."
The slave whip snapped again, loudly, sharply, unmistakable in its definition and authority. The two girls cried out again, startled. Publia jerked in her harness as though she might have been struck, but it had not touched her. Claudia, too, winced, but, too, it had not touched her.
"Publia, Claudia!" said the keeper.
"Yes, Master!" said Publia.
"Yes, Master!" said Claudia.
"You, Publia," he said, "prepared well to surrender yourself to Cosians." "Yes, Master," she wept.