Rogue of Gor (45 page)

"He is not of my own caste," admitted Callimachus.

"Nor is Tasdron," I said.

"True," said Callimachus.

"Glyco," I pointed out, "has enlisted your aid against the pirates."

"He is not with the fleet," said Callimachus.

"He is now cast on the river, trying to raise support for our cause," I said.

"Perhaps," said Callimachus. "But no ships have been forthcoming."

"I do not think Glyco will be successful," I said. "There is too much distrust among the towns, and they fear the pirates too much. Too, the fleet of Policrates is now east of Victoria, to prevent such ships from reinforcing us. I have told you this. "

Callimachus was silent.

"Why is it not obvious to you that the traitor was the slave, Peggy?" I asked.

"She could not have heard," said Callimachus, uncertainly, angrily.

"She was in the room," I said. "She must have heard. She is not stupid, though she is a slave. She could have understood much of what we planned. Doubtless she revealed our plans to the courier of Ragnar Voskjard, or to a pirate in Tasdron's tavern, perhaps while moaning with pleasure in his arms, hoping to win her freedom by her treachery."

"She would not be freed," said Callimachus. "She would only be plunged into a deeper and crueler slavery."

"She would not know that," I pointed out. "She is from Earth." It can take years to learn Gorean ways, and how Goreans think. They tend not to be patient with slaves.

"Perhaps you were betrayed by one of the men of Callisthenes or of Aemilianus," said Callimachus.

"By trusted warriors," I asked, "who, too, would have had little opportunity to make contact with the enemy?" I looked at him, angrily. "Why can you not see that it was the slave, Peggy, who betrayed us?" I wondered if he cared for her.

"It could have been no other," agreed Callimachus. His voice was grim, and terrible. I did not understand, fully, his tone of voice. It was almost as though he, personally, in some subtle way, had been betrayed.

I looked out, over the bow, into the fog. One could see almost nothing.

"If we should be so fortunate as to survive this engagement," said Callimachus, "I will see that the treacherous slave is dealt with."

"What will be done to her?" I asked.

"She will be dealt with as a female slave is dealt with, who has not been fully pleasing," he said, quietly.

I shuddered.

"Are you cold?" asked Callimachus.

"Yes," I said. I drew the cloak I wore more closely about myself.

"Perhaps there will be no engagement," said Callimachus, "We have been at the chain for two days."

"The Tamira has crossed the chain, has she not?" I asked.

"Yes," said he.

"I anticipate an engagement," I said.

"The Tamira is a merchantman," said Callimachus.

"It is a scout ship of Ragnar Voskjard," I said. "It has already paid call on Kliomenes, in the holding of Policrates.

"I find that hard to believe," said Callimachus.

"Was she inspected at the chain?" I asked

"No," said Callimachus.

"Had she been," I said, "it would have been discovered that she was carrying loot from the Flower of Siba. More importantly, she would doubtless be carrying papers linking her with Policrates, such papers as the signs and countersigns whereby the actions of the joint pirate fleets might be integrated and directed."

"You are mistaken," said Callimachus. "Reginald, her captain, is a known man."

"I learned these things in the court of Kliomenes,” I said.

"You must be mistaken," he said.

"I anticipate an engagement," I said.

"It should have taken place by now," said Callimachus.

"That seems possible," I admitted.

"Perhaps the Voskjard fears the chain," said Callimachus.

"Perhaps," I admitted.

From where we lay to I could hear, from time to time, the restless creak of the mighty links of the chain, suspended on pylons, stretching across the river. The links of the chain were some eighteen inches in length and a foot in width; the metal of the links themselves was as thick a man's forearm. The chain, in places, lay submerged a foot or so below the water; in other places, and near the pylons, it would range from a foot to a yard above the water. It was anchored to great rings on the pylons. At five places in the river the chain could be opened, swung open on huge rafts, at which points there were guard stations. Too, there were guard stations at the terminal pylons, on the north and south shore of the river.

"Where is Callisthenes?" I asked.

"He is at the south guard station," said Callimachus.

This was regarded as a point of maximum danger. Gorean ships, on the whole, even the round ships, are shallowly drafted vessels. It is common, where wharfage is not available, to beach them at night. Thus the chain, theoretically, could be circumvented at these points, the shallowly drafted ships being brought to shore and, on rollers, being moved about the terminal pylons. The south guard station was regarded as more vulnerable than the north guard station, because of its comparatively remote location. The supply lines from Port Cos to the north station are shorter and it is easier to move troops to that point. Also, the barracks for the guardsmen of the chain are at that point. I was pleased to hear that Callisthenes had taken up his post at the south guard station. It was at such a point that we particularly needed good men. Yet we would miss him in the fray, should the Voskjard's fleet dare to approach the chain more directly.

"Perhaps it is there where we, too, should be," mused Callimachus.

"The chain does seem fearfully strong," I said. Neither Callimachus nor myself had seen the chain until we had come westward. We had been unprepared for its impressiveness. It represented an engineering feat of no mean proportions. Although we retained our theoretical reservations about its effectiveness, these reservations, in the very presence of the chain, seemed, to my relief, less alarming, and more tenuous and abstract, than they had in the urgent discussions which had taken place in the tavern of Tasdron. It was easy to understand, now, why those who had seen the chain tended to be more confident of its effectiveness than those who had not. I listened to the creaking of the mighty links, and to the water lapping at the sides of our galley, and to the occasional cries of Vosk gulls.

"Perhaps the Voskjard does fear the chain," I said.

"There is surely enough predation west of the chain for him," said Callimachus.

"I would think so," I 'said.

I looked over the rail, to the great wooden, iron-shod ram, which protruded, in part, from the water. I looked over the starboard rail, and saw the great, curved shearing blade, fixed fn the side of the vessel. Its mate, anchored, too, in the strakes, forward of the oars, reposed on the port side. These blades were seven feet in height, like convex moons of iron. It is said that such blades were an invention of Tersites, a shipwright of Port Kar. I returned to stand beside Calli machus.

"You have not fought on the water before, have you?" he asked.

"No," I said.

I could now scarcely see the Mira and the Talender, so thick was the fog.

"It is cold," said Callimachus.

"Yes," I said. "Callimachus," I said.

"Yes," he said.

"Do you think the Voskjard will come?" I asked.

"I do not think so, now," said Callimachus.

"Why not?" I asked.

"The chain is strong," said Callimachus. "Too, it seems his fleet should have arrived at the chain by now, did it intend to do so."

"Then you do not think he will come?" I asked.

"I do not think so," said Callimachus.

"An engagement upon the water must be a terrible thing, I said.

"I am of the Warriors," said Callimachus. He licked his lips. I shuddered. I wondered what had been his experiences, and what he knew that I did not. I feared him then, in that moment. For an instant I felt I no longer knew him. I felt, in that instant, that he might be a man of a different sort than I.

"Are you frightened?" asked Callimachus.

"Yes," I said.

"That is natural," he said.

"What are the numbers involved?" I asked.

Callimachus grinned. "That is a Warrior's question," he said.

"Surely we have intelligence on this matter," I said.

"It is conjectured," said Callimachus, "that the Voskjard is stronger than Policrates. It is thought he commands some fifty ships and twenty-five hundred men. We have better information on Policrates. He commands forty ships and some two thousand men"

"United, they would become a mighty force," I said.

"To be sure," said Callimachus, "and yet some fifty ships can be brought into the river by Port Cos, and some forty five by Ar's Station. Accordingly in an engagement of fleets Port Cos and Ar's Station, acting together, would bring to bear the superior forces."

"How many ships of Ar's Station support us at the chain?" I asked.

"Ten," said Callimachus. "They would provide no more."

"How many ships of Port Cos?" I asked.

"Ten at the chain, and twenty in the vicinity of the south guard station," said Callimachus.

"Thirty, in all," I said.

"There are another twenty at Port Cos, of course," said Callimachus. "They are, however, held there to defend the town, if need be."

"How many independent ships?" I asked.

"Seven," said Callimachus. "Two from Victoria, two from Jort's Ferry, two from Point Alfred, and one from Fina." Jort's Ferry and Point Alfred lie west of Ar's Station, and tend to follow the lead of Ar's Station, favoring generally the politics of Ar.

"We have, then, forty-seven ships upon the river," I said.

"Yes," said Callimachus.

"And it is estimated that the Voskjard's fleet numbers some fifty ships?"

"Yes," said Callimachus.

"It would seem, then," I said, "that the odds are approximately even."

"Or, with the chain, perhaps in our favor?" said Callimachus.

"It might seem so," I mused.

"But you are skeptical?" he asked.

"Our ships are scattered," I said. "They patrol the chain.”

"And the fleet of the Voskjard can, at will, attack at any given point."

"Cutting the chain," I said, "they could, in one or more successive engagements, outnumber and destroy the defending ships.

"You think like a Warrior," said Callimachus.

"Our hope, of course," I said, "is that they can be held behind the chain long enough to permit the massing of our full forces."

"Of course," said Callimachus.

"You said, earlier," I said, "that you did not think we could stop an attack in force upon the chain."

"That is true," he said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Consider the matter," he said. ""Those from Ar's Station are essentially infantrymen of Ar, put at the oars of galleys. They are unfamiliar with naval warfare. And the independent ships, like the Tina, are not manned by warriors, but by volunteers, stalwart but untrained fellows, mostly of lower castes. Our defensive force, in effect, is the fleet of Port Cos."

"It is then, you feel," I said, apprehensively, "in effect some thirty slugs, those of Port Cos, against the fleet of the Voskjard?"

"Substantially so," agreed Callimachus.

"Why, then, are you here?" I asked.

"I am of the Warriors," said Callimachus.

"I see," I said.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"I do not know," I said.

"You are here," he said, "because you, too, are of the Warriors."

“I am not of the Warriors," I said.

"Not everyone who is of the Warriors knows that he is of the Warriors," said Callimachus.

"I do not understand," I said.

"I have seen it," said Callimachus, "in your eyes, that you are of the Warriors."

"You are mad," I said

“Ten thousand years ago," he said, "in the mixings of bloods, and in the rapings of conquered maids, the caste has chosen you.

"You are mad," I told him.

"We shall see, shortly," said he. He drew his sword.

"Why are you drawing your sword?" I asked.

"Surely you can hear?" he asked.

"What?" I said. "What?"

"I was wrong," he said "I thought there might be no battle."

"I do not understand," I said.

"Yet," said Callimachus, "if the Tamira were truly the scout ship of Ragnar Voskjard, and if she crossed the chain westward four days ago, and a rendezvous was made in the river, in the vicinity of the holding of Ragnar Voskjard, the times involved are not inappropriate."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.