cried more than one man.
By the arms he was pulled to the side.
"Ten tarsks," cried another peasant, "that I can best you!"
"Can you fight further, Jason!" anxiously asked the proprietor. Such brawls, supervised, were good for the business of his tavern.
"I will try,” I said.
The second fellow, tearing off his tunic, rushed to the sand and then, scarcely hesitating, rushed upon me, fists pummeling. I think he was startled that he managed to strike home so seldom. Soon his arms were sore. I carried him longer than the first fellow. Then, when some interest seemed to lag in the contest, I finished it. He was dragged by his heels from the sand.
"I do not see how one so clumsy, and who fights so poorly, can win so often," said a fellow near the sand.
"He has not yet met Haskoon," said someone confidently.
"I am Haskoon," said a bargeman, stepping to the sand. Haskoon carried his hands too high.
The next fellow, after Haskoon, was more of a wrestler than one who fights with the fists. But I did not break his back.
The fifth fellow was an oarsman on a grain galley. He was strong, but, like the others, was not trained. That his jaw was broken was an accident.
"Jason is surely now exhausted," said the proprietor cheerily. "Who will next step upon the sand?"
But none more; as I had expected, ventured forth to meet me.
I lifted my hands and then drew on my tunic. I was not breathing heavily. I was in a good mood I bought paga for the five fellows who had helped me earn passage money downriver to the next town. This seemed to assuage their disgruntlement. My financial. resources, the ten silver tarsks, obtained from the sale of my former Mistress, the Lady Florence of Vonda, to the slaver, Tenalion of Ar, had been severely depleted. Normally such a sum would last a man months on Gor. In these times, however, given my requirements and the prices, particularly those in Lara, I had been forced to have recourse to alternative sources of income.
"You are no common brawler," said the first fellow to me, the large peasant. "Do not speak it too loudly," I begged of him. "Very well," he said. "I have not felt like this," said one of the other fellows, "since I was trampled by five bosk."
"I am grateful to you all." I assured them.
Slave girls crowded about me, to pour my paga. The collars were lovely on their throats.
The proprietor approached our table and I stood up, holding my goblet of paga, to welcome him. "You fought well, Jason," he said. "Thank you," I said. I looked down. Kneeling at my right knee, her cheek against my knee, was the red-haired dancing girl. She looked up at me timidly, her eyes shining. As she knelt the slender chains at her collar depended to, the polished floor. "You fought well, Jason." said the proprietor. "She is yours for the night. Use her for your pleasure." "My thanks, Kind Sir," I said. I lifted the page which I held, saluting the proprietor and, too, those at the table. "My thanks to you all," I said. Felicitations were exchanged. I then transferred the paga to my left hand. I then snapped my fingers and held my right hand, open, at my hip. Swiftly the girl rose to her feet and, half crouching, put her head by my hand. I fastened the fingers of my hand deeply and firmly in her red hair. She winced, and kissed at my thigh. I then, the goblet of paga in my left hand, her hair in my right, dragged her beside me, her slender chains rustling, to the nearest empty alcove.
6
I HEAR OF THE MARKETS OF VICTORIA;
I WILL TRAVEL THERE
Women are almost always auctioned naked. That way a man can see what he is buying.
I turned away from the block in the barnlike structure in Fina, one of the many towns on the Vosk. I heard the auctioneer's calls fading behind me. I thought he would get a good price for the pretty brunette. She was one of the last items of the evening. Before she had been dragged to the surface of the block, I had examined the remaining girls in the ready cage. She whom
By the arms he was pulled to the side.
"Ten tarsks," cried another peasant, "that I can best you!"
"Can you fight further, Jason!" anxiously asked the proprietor. Such brawls, supervised, were good for the business of his tavern.
"I will try,” I said.
The second fellow, tearing off his tunic, rushed to the sand and then, scarcely hesitating, rushed upon me, fists pummeling. I think he was startled that he managed to strike home so seldom. Soon his arms were sore. I carried him longer than the first fellow. Then, when some interest seemed to lag in the contest, I finished it. He was dragged by his heels from the sand.
"I do not see how one so clumsy, and who fights so poorly, can win so often," said a fellow near the sand.
"He has not yet met Haskoon," said someone confidently.
"I am Haskoon," said a bargeman, stepping to the sand. Haskoon carried his hands too high.
The next fellow, after Haskoon, was more of a wrestler than one who fights with the fists. But I did not break his back.
The fifth fellow was an oarsman on a grain galley. He was strong, but, like the others, was not trained. That his jaw was broken was an accident.
"Jason is surely now exhausted," said the proprietor cheerily. "Who will next step upon the sand?"
But none more; as I had expected, ventured forth to meet me.
I lifted my hands and then drew on my tunic. I was not breathing heavily. I was in a good mood I bought paga for the five fellows who had helped me earn passage money downriver to the next town. This seemed to assuage their disgruntlement. My financial. resources, the ten silver tarsks, obtained from the sale of my former Mistress, the Lady Florence of Vonda, to the slaver, Tenalion of Ar, had been severely depleted. Normally such a sum would last a man months on Gor. In these times, however, given my requirements and the prices, particularly those in Lara, I had been forced to have recourse to alternative sources of income.
"You are no common brawler," said the first fellow to me, the large peasant. "Do not speak it too loudly," I begged of him. "Very well," he said. "I have not felt like this," said one of the other fellows, "since I was trampled by five bosk."
"I am grateful to you all." I assured them.
Slave girls crowded about me, to pour my paga. The collars were lovely on their throats.
The proprietor approached our table and I stood up, holding my goblet of paga, to welcome him. "You fought well, Jason," he said. "Thank you," I said. I looked down. Kneeling at my right knee, her cheek against my knee, was the red-haired dancing girl. She looked up at me timidly, her eyes shining. As she knelt the slender chains at her collar depended to, the polished floor. "You fought well, Jason." said the proprietor. "She is yours for the night. Use her for your pleasure." "My thanks, Kind Sir," I said. I lifted the page which I held, saluting the proprietor and, too, those at the table. "My thanks to you all," I said. Felicitations were exchanged. I then transferred the paga to my left hand. I then snapped my fingers and held my right hand, open, at my hip. Swiftly the girl rose to her feet and, half crouching, put her head by my hand. I fastened the fingers of my hand deeply and firmly in her red hair. She winced, and kissed at my thigh. I then, the goblet of paga in my left hand, her hair in my right, dragged her beside me, her slender chains rustling, to the nearest empty alcove.
6
I HEAR OF THE MARKETS OF VICTORIA;
I WILL TRAVEL THERE
Women are almost always auctioned naked. That way a man can see what he is buying.
I turned away from the block in the barnlike structure in Fina, one of the many towns on the Vosk. I heard the auctioneer's calls fading behind me. I thought he would get a good price for the pretty brunette. She was one of the last items of the evening. Before she had been dragged to the surface of the block, I had examined the remaining girls in the ready cage. She whom
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