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."Kazrak smiled."That is true.Where will you find the army?"I hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Ko-ro-ba, perhaps Thentis."Kazrak looked at me in disbelief."Are you rid of your senses?" he asked."Thefall of Ar will beKa-la-na wine to the free cities of Gor.When At falls, there will berejoicing in the streets.When Ar falls, the bridges will be hung with garlands, there will be freePaga, slaves will be freed, enemies will pledge friendship.""How long will it last," I queried, "with Pa-Kur on the throne of Ar?"Kazrak seemed suddenly to darken with thought."Pa-Kur will not destroy the city," I said, "and he will keep as much of hishorde as he can.""Yes," said Kazrak."There will be little cause for rejoicing.""Marlenus had a dream of empire," I said, "but the ambition of Pa-Kur willyield only a nightmare of oppression and tyranny.""It is unlikely that Marlenus will ever again be a danger," said Kazrak."Evenshould he survive, he is outlawed in his own city.""But Pa-Kur," I said, "as Ubar of Ar, will threaten all Gor.""True," said Kazrak, looking at me questioningly."Why should not the free cities of Gor unite to defeat Pa-Kur?""The cities never unite," responded Kazrak."They never have," I said."But surely, if Pa-Kur is to be stopped, this isthe time, not after he is master of Ar.""The cities never unite," repeated Kazrak, shaking his head."Take this ring," I said, giving him the ring that bore the crest of Cabot."Show it to theAdministrator of Koro-ba and to the Administrator of Thentis and to the UbarsPage 86 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlor Administrators of whatever cities you can.Tell them to raise the siege.Tell them they must strike now, and that you come with this message from TarlCabot, Warrior of Ko-ro-ba.""I will probably be impaled," said Kazrak, rising to his feet, "but I willgo."With a heavy heart I watched Kazrak loop his sword belt over his shoulder andpick up his helmet."Good bye, Sword Brother," he said, and turned and left the tent, as if hemight have been merely going to the tharlarion corrals or to take his post forguard duty, as in our caravan days.I felt a choking sensation in my throatand asked myself if I had sent my friend to his death.In a few minutes I gathered together my own gear and put on the heavy blackhelmet of theAssassin, left the tent, and turned my steps in the direction of the tents ofPa-Kur.I made my way to the interior perimeter of the second ditch, oppositethe great gate of Ar in the distance.There, on a hillock overlooking the palisades that rimmed the rampart to theditch, I saw the wall file:///F|/rah/John%20Norman/Tarnsman%20of%20Gor.txt (81of 98) [1/20/03 3:36:22 AM]file:///F|/rah/John%20Norman/Tarnsman%20of%20Gor.txt of black silk thatsurrounded the compound of Pa-Kur.Inside were the dozens of tents that formedthe quarters for his personal retinue and bodyguard.Above them, at severalplaces, flew the black banner of the Caste of Assassins.I had neared the compound a hundred times before, but this time I wasdetermined to enter.I began to walk with a quickened pace, my heart began tobeat powerfully, and I felt the elation of decision.I would act.It would besuicide to attempt to cut my way in, but PaKur was in the environs of Ar,directing the siege operations, and I might, with luck, pass myself off as hismessenger; who would be bold enough to deny entrance to one whose helmet borethe golden slash of the courier?Without hesitation I climbed the hillock and presented myself impatiently tothe guards."A message from Pa-Kur," I said, "for the ears of Talena, his Ubara-tobe.""I will carry the message," said one of the guards, a large man, his eyessuspicious.He regarded me closely.Obviously, I was not anyone he knew."The message is for the Ubara to-be, and for her alone," I said angrily."Doyou deny admittance to the messenger of Pa-Kur?""I do not know you," he growled."Give me your name," I demanded, "so that I may report to Pa-Kur who it isthat denies his message to his future Ubara.There was an agonized silence, and then the guard stepped aside.I entered thecompound, not having a settled plan, but feeling that I must contact Talena.Perhaps together we could arrange an escape at some later time.For the momentI did not even know where in the compound she might be kept.Within the first wall of black silk, there was a second wall, but this time ofiron bars.Pa-Kur was not as careless about his own safety as I hadconjectured [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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