Renegades of Gor by John Norman Read Free Book Online Page A

The flooring of the court was formed
    largely, leveled and carved, from the natural stone of the plateau. Narrow
    drainage channels had been cut in it. Through these water now flowed under the
    palisade, down the moat. It also flowed, doubtless by design, midway here and
    there, between the palisade’s anchor post wells and bracing recesses, cut in the
    stone, sealed about with tar. Water was running from the long roof of the
    two-part structure, perhaps two hundred feet in length, falling some thirty or
    forty feet down to the court.
    I pressed another tarsk bit into the fellow’s hand. “Thank you, Sir,” said he.
    He had tried to be helpful, though to be sure, I had learned little that I had
    not known before. I had gathered, however, that the siege at Ar’s Station might
    be approaching a critical point. I then picked up the pack and went out again,
    pulling my cloak over my head, to cross the court, in the cold rain. I heard the
    door shut behind me, and the interior bolt thrown. I hurried across the court to
    the side of the nearest part of the two-part structure. I had seen (pg.39)
    something there that interested me. I looked at them, exposed as they were, and
    in the downpour, and then circled about the building. I would consider them in
    greater detail later. I thought it well to reconnoiter a little I suppose it is
    the training of the warrior.
    I examined various of the smaller buildings and sheds, their location and what
    vantages or cover they might provide. There were stables for tharlarion and
    covered shedlike structures beneath which wagons were drawn up. There was a
    place for a tarn beacon, on a platform under a high shed, but it was now not
    lit. There was a tarn gate, too, but it was now closed, wire strung between its
    posts. Tarn wire, too, I was sure, would be strung about, most of it presumably
    from the roof of the inn to the height of the palisade. There was a tarncot,
    too, but now, within it, there was only one tarn. From the condition of the
    bird, and its nature, its apparent ferocity and alertness, I speculated that it
    might be a warrior’s mount. Aside from the bird itself, however, there was no
    indication of this, no emblazoned saddlecloths, no insignia, no particular style
    of harness. As nearly as I could determine there was no barrack here nor
    garrison. This place, for most practical purposes, lacked guardsmen, though
    doubtless it kept a burly fellow or two on hand to deal with possible
    emergencies. I then made my way back to the main building. It had narrow
    openings in it here and there through which it might be defended. The number of
    available defenders, I supposed, might dictate the decision in such a case. Both
    sections, I speculated, would be joined by a narrow, easily blocked underground
    passage cut in stone, one presumably taking its way beneath the covered way
    between them. Contrary to what one might think, incidentally, it is not easy to
    set fire to such structures. This has to do primarily with the verticality of
    the surfaces. The situation is very similar with a palisade. The common fire
    arrow, for example, usually burns itself out in place.
    I was now on the left side of the front of the two-part main building, as one
    would face the building. It was there I had seen something which had seemed
    worthy of some interest.
    “Redeem me!” cried one of the women. “I beg you!”
    (pg.40) “No, me!” cried another.
    “Me! Me!” wept another.
    There were five of them, naked, and lashed by the rain. Their hands were
    shackled high over their heads, this lifting their bodies nicely. The shackles
    were attached to short chains, the latter depending from stout rings. The chains
    were hitched to different heights, depending on the height of the woman.
    “Perhaps you are uncomfortable?” I asked the first woman.
    “Yes,” she said, “yes!”
    “That is not surprising, considering how you are secured,” I said.
    “Please!” she said.
    She jerked at the