Quarry of gor, p.53
Quarry of Gor, page 53
“I do not know,” he said.
“There is bad blood between them?” I asked.
“From long ago,” said Addison Steele, “even from before the war between Ar and the mighty island Ubarates, Cos and Tyros.”
I had heard that Pa-Kur had once led a coalition of forces against Ar, winnowed from cities subservient to, and jealous of, Ar. The city had been effectively overcome, but had somehow rallied and turned out the invader. In the songs, a hero named Tarl of Bristol had supposedly been somehow instrumental in this reversal of fortunes.
“The attempt on the holding of Bosk of Port Kar, led by Pa-Kur,” I said, “failed.”
“It was ostensibly his attempt to seize the slave, Adraste,” said Addison Steele.
“Talena,” I said, “once Ubara of Ar.”
“Traitress, betrayer of her Home Stone, looter of her city, opener of gates to the enemy, sham ruler, puppet of Lurius of Jad, Ubar of Cos, and Chenbar, of Kasra, Ubar of Tyros.”
“I knew her from the Golden Chain,” I said, “as no more than a collared slave.”
“The bounty on her head, the reward for her capture,” said Addison Steele, “set by the vengeful Ubar of Ar, Marlenus, is ten thousand tarns of gold, tarn disks of double weight.”
“That is much, a very great deal, I gather,” I said.
“With such wealth,” said Addison Steele, “you could buy cities, hire armies, build fleets.”
“Perhaps Pa-Kur and his minions perished in the delta, withdrawing from Port Kar,” I said.
“Perhaps,” said Addison Steele.
Surely the delta was dangerous, with beasts, with Rencers, with treacherous, trackless marshes.
“There was a monster in the delta, seemingly of supple metal, powerful and vast, consorting with Pa-Kur,” I said.
“I saw it,” said Addison Steele. “I am not clear on what intelligence informs that beast, or machine. But the technology is surely not Gorean. I suspect that more is involved here than riches, and the fate of cities. I suspect, at times, that the fate of worlds may somehow be involved.”
“Surely not,” I said.
“Let us hope not,” he said.
“Are you in fee, from the house of Bosk?” I asked.
“From the house of Samos, First Slaver of Port Kar, High Captain in the Council of Captains,” said Addison Steele.
“But those two houses are allied?” I said.
“Occasionally they share interests,” he said.
“Captain Bosk is still at sea,” I said.
“In fury,” he said, “investigating piracy wrought in his name.”
“Then he would know nothing of the discovery of the identity of Adraste, the raid on his holding, her removal from the holding by Seremides, and her departure for Cos.”
“Nothing,” said Addison Steele.
“At least,” I said, “Adraste, or Talena, will now be safe.”
“Do you think so?” he said.
“Certainly,” I said. “Now secure, now honored, now cherished by her ally, Lurius of Jad, she need no longer fear recognition and seizure, the relentless pursuit of bounty hunters, the chains of guardsmen, the justice of Ar, the wrath of Marlenus, tortures and impalement.”
“Ten thousand tarns of gold, tarn disks of double weight,” said Addison Steele, “is a considerable sum.”
“I do not understand,” I said.
“Do you believe that Seremides is her friend, and has her best interests at heart?”
“It seems so,” I said.
“Do you not think he would like to rid his own head of the price upon it?” asked Addison Steele.
“Undoubtedly,” I said. I had learned that he, too, was wanted in Ar. He, the leader of the palace guard, the Taurentian guard, had been a confederate of Talena.
“How might that be done?” he asked.
“I do not know,” I said.
“It would be extremely dangerous, would it not,” asked Addison Steele, “for a single person, or a small group, to convey so rich a prize as the apprehended Talena to Ar?”
“I would suppose so,” I said.
“Might not Lurius of Jad have much to fear from a risen, potent Ar, from a restored, irate Ubar, such as Marlenus?” asked Addison Steele.
“He might well be uneasy,” I said.
“How might he both curry favor with a fearful enemy, and obtain riches for himself and his Ubarate?” asked Addison Steele.
“He was her friend and ally,” I said.
“When she comes within the compass of his power,” said Addison Steele, “she will be alone, vulnerable, helpless, and defenseless.”
“Surely he would not betray her,” I said.
“Is Seremides, famed as a killer, and traitor, not his agent?” asked Addison Steele.
“To rescue her,” I said.
“To bring her to Cos,” said Addison Steele.
“Surely she will be safe in Cos,” I said.
“Let us hope so,” said Addison Steele.
“Surely the Ubar of Cos, the noble Lurius of Jad, her friend and ally, will care for her and shelter her, will honor her and protect her,” I said.
“Let us hope so,” said Addison Steele.
“I am afraid,” I said.
“I, too,” he said.
“What will happen?” I asked.
“We must wait and see,” he said.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this book or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by John Norman
978-1-5040-5832-2
Distributed in 2019 by Open Road Distribution
180 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
www.openroadmedia.com
John Norman, Quarry of Gor
