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.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAnother fellow was in the street, approaching, but suddenly detected us,shadows among shadows.He whipped free a sword and mine, and that of Marcus,too, left its sheath.He seemed startled, for a moment.I, too, was startled.Then, not sheathing the blade, he hurried on. Are there others? whispered Marcus. Probably, I said, but on other streets, each taking a separate way.Marcus put back his sword.I, too, sheathed mine. Did you recognize the first fellow? I asked. No, he said. I think he was of the peasant levies, I said. I first saw him outside thewalls.He had come from the west, and had survived the final defeat of Ar. Ithought I remembered him.he was a shaggy giant of a man.He had won the gameof standing on the verr skin.He had cut the skin.I remembered the wine,soaking the ground, like blood.He had stood upon the skin and regarded us. Ihave won, he had said.He had been of the peasants.Iwould have expected him to have left the vicinity of the city.To be sure, hisvillage may have been one of several nearby villages put to the torch, itssupplies gathered in by foragers, or burned.Such villages, after all, hadfurnished their quotas for the defensive levies.Indeed, a good portion ofyouth, many not old enough to know how to handle a weapon. You recognized the second fellow? said Marcus. I think so, I said. I think he may have recognized us as well, he said. Perhaps, I said. Plenius, said he, from the delta.Magicians of Gor Yes, I said. I hear cries in the street, said Marcus.(pg.243) There is an alarm bar, as well, I said. Look there! said Marcus. I see it, I said.The sky was red in the east.It was a kind of radiance, flickering andpulsing. That is not the dawn, said Marcus grimly. I think we should return to our quarters, I said.Some men ran past us now, towards the east, toward the light.We could hearmore than one alarm bar now. Surely the curfew is still in effect, said Marcus. It will be hard to enforce now, I said. What is going on? I called to a fellow hurrying past us, carrying a lantern. Have you not heard? he asked. It is the house of records.It is afire! Perhaps we should have gone to a tavern, said Marcus. They close at the eighteenth Ahn now, I said. True, he said, irritatedly.I supposed that the taverners must be much put out by the curfew law, andwould have lost much business.But perhaps they could open earlier.I then, the rope and hook beneath my cloak, accompanied Marcus back toward theMetallan district.I could share his chagrin.Indeed, we might as well havespent the evening in a paga tavern, enjoying the swaying, pleading bodies offormer free women of Ar, and considering on the ankles of which, on the cordthere, wrapped several times about the ankle, and tied, we would consent tothread a pierced metal token, five of which might be purchased for a tarskbit.At the time of the closing of the tavern these women were whipped if theydid not have at least ten such tokens on their ankle cord.They jingled whenthey moved.CHAPTER 16IN THE VICINITY OF THE TEIBAN MARKET Ho! cried the mercenary. Behold! We have captured one of the DeltaPage 166ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlBrigade! One side! One side! cried his fellow, pushing men back. Will no one rescue me? cried the bearded, bound fellow, struggling in thegrasp of the mercenary who had first cried out.Magicians of Gor Are you not men?(pg.244) We were at Teiban and Venaticus, at the southwest corner of theTeiban Sul Market.It was morning, the eight Ahn, on the second day of theweek.Naturally there were many folks about in such a place, at such a time. Careless, said Marcus, that these fellows, not even guardsmen, should soboldly, so publicly, conduct their prisoner to this area, where hostilitytoward Cos might be rampant. Certainly an apparent lack of judgment, I granted him. Release me! cried the bearded fellow to the two mercenaries. I demand to befreed! Silence, despicable sleen! shouted one of the guardsmen, cuffing theprisoner, who reacted as though he might have been struck with great force. Sleen of a traitor to Cos! said the other mercenary, adding a blow, to whichthe bearded prisoner once again reacted. I think I could have struck him harder than that, speculated Marcus. Release him! cried a vendor of tur-pah, pushing through baskets of thevinelike vegetable. Do not interfere! warned one of the mercenaries. Back, you disgusting patriots of Ar! exclaimed the other. Strange, remarked Marcus, that the prisoner has on his sleeve the armbandwith the delka upon it. Doubtless that is how the mercenaries recognized him as a member of the DeltaBrigade, I said. The work of Seremides would be much simpler, to be sure, said Marcus, ifall fellows in the Delta Brigade would be so obliging. Perhaps they could all wear a uniform, I suggested, to make it easier topick them out. There are only two of them! cried the bearded prisoner. Take me from them!Hide me! Glory to the DeltaBrigade!None in the crowd, it seemed, dared echo this sentiment, but there was nomistaking its mood, one of sympathy for the fellow, and of anger toward themercenaries, and there was a very definite possibility, one thing leading toanother, that it might take action. Help! Help, if there be true men of Ar here! cried the prisoner.One of the fellows from the market pushed at a mercenary who thrust him back,angrily. Make way! Make way! cried the mercenary.Magicians of Gor Let him go! cried a man.Men surged about the two mercenaries.(pg.245) It is my only crime that I love Ar and am loyal to her! cried theprisoner. Release him! cried men
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