Witness Of Gor Chapter 31 Part 1

"We have seen a hundred prisoners!" cried the fellow in the black tunic, the leader of the  strangers.
"None is he, I am sure of it, Master," said a furtive, twisted fellow, his face a mass of jerking scar tissue.

"If I knew whom you seek, perhaps," said the pit master.
"Gito will know him," said the fellow in black.
"We can kill every male prisoner in the depths," said one of the fellows in black, a lieutenant.
"You have no authorization for that," said the pit master.
"You know whom we seek," said the leader of the men in black tunics. There were twenty- three in their party, the leader, a lieutenant, the fellow called 'Gito', and twenty men. Each ofthe twenty men carried a sword, a dagger, and a crossbow. Some had their bows set.

"If you have come to take custody of prisoner, as your orders state," said the pit master, "why have you no chains with you?"
I had noted this, too. One of the men carried a leather sack. It was the only unique, orunusual, object they seemed to have with them.
"Are any of these a preferred slave?" asked the leader of the fellows in black.
The ten female slaves kept in the quarters of the pit master, I among them, had been, at the insistence of the leader of the strangers, brought along in thecorridors. Our hands were boundbehind our backs. We were stripped. I had not understood why we were taken along. I now began, uneasily, to suspect why.

"They are only slaves," said the pit master.
"Cut their throats," said the leader of the strangers.
We cried out, and shrank back, and might have run, but there was nowhere to run. Men were all about. One fellow took me by the hair, to hold me in place.

"Hold!" said the pit master. "Know that these women are the property of the state of Treve! You are within the walls of Treve. You are sheltered by her Home Stone.You cannot deal with  the property of Treve with impunity."
"You have delayed us long enough," snarled the leader of the black?tunicked men. "We came yesterday to the pits, and you put us off with some absurd technicality."
"We have our regulations, Master," said the pit master.
"That technicality was cleared this morning," said the leader of the strangers.

The majority of the men in black tunics, incidentally, save for two whoreturned to the surface, to repair the fault in their papers, had remained overnight inthe quarters of the pitmaster. It seemed that, as tenacious and terrible as sleen, they would take their repose on the  very trail they followed. Too, I am sure they did not trust the pitmaster.

The officer of Treve  had left the quarters of the pit master shortly after the arrival ofthe strangers, putatively toensure that new papers would be properly prepared, that there would be no further difficulty inthe documents, supposedly of transfer or extradition. The men in the black tunics who had  remained overnight in the quarters of the pit master, including their leader and his lieutenant,  seemed to me strange fellows.

They were much unlike many, if not most, of the men of this  world. They did not laugh, they did not joke, they did not tellstories. They were silent, frightening, terrible men. I do not think they had Home Stones. If they had some loyalty, and Ido not doubt they did, I think it was rather to some bloody oath, ordark covenant, or even to aleader.

They attended to their equipment, they sharpened their swords. They drank only water. They ate sparingly. The hospitality of the pit master, offering us to them, was declined. Even  the women chained at the wall were not touched. We were, however, denied our blankets, and we must all be chained, even those in the kennels.

One of the girls at the wall, Tissia, I do not know what she had done, was savagely kicked by one of the black? tunicked fellows.  "Temptress!" he denounced her. She wept and crawled away from him, pressing herself against  the wall in her chains.

I supposed we were all temptresses, all women. But I could not understand the meaningless savagery of his rejection of her. How different it was from the  average response of the average man of this world. The men of this world delight in our  femaleness, and in its joyous subjugation, in owning and mastering it.

They prize our softness, our beauty, our desirability. And it does not occur to them, in this natural world, to conceal  their desires to relate to it in the order of nature, as a dominant sexto one whose biologicalcalling it is to delight, to please, and obey. But these men, these menin dark tunics, were so different!

They had us naked in our chains, but then they ignored us. It was no wonder that we drew back in our kennels, and huddled against the wall. Such treatment made us feel small,and ashamed of our beauty. But then perhaps these men had otherconcerns, concerns which  took priority over the curves of chained bond-sluts.

Perhaps when their business was done we,  or such as we, might be recollected. Perhaps we might then, nude, servethem their food and drink, diffidently. I would fear to serve such men. This morning, before they left the quarters ofthe pit master each had, in turn, turned away from us, then being anointed, or something, by one of his fellows. Each, following this ritual, had then donned his helmet.

"This one," said the lieutenant, pulling Fina forward by the hairy "wasnot kenneled."
"Cut her throat," said the leader of the strangers.
"No!" said the pit master, raising his hand.
"Show us the lower corridors," said the leader of the darkly clad men.
"No, Master," wept Fina.
"They are dangerous," said the pit master.
"Show us," said the leader of the strangers.
"I will show you," said the pit master.
"He is a weakling," said the lieutenant.
"Release the slave," said the leader of the strangers, "but keep her, and the others, with us."
The fellow who had brought Fina forward ft her go. She, sobbing, began to back away. But  another fellow sopped her, forcibly. He took her by the upper left arm and thrust her forward. She would remain with us.

"You will recognize him, my good Gito?" inquired the leader of the strangers.
"I am sure of it," said the furtive fellow, the side of his face movingunder the scar tissue. His  face was such that it might once have been thrust into boiling oil.
"Go first," said the leader of the strangers to the pit master.
"Master!" protested Fina, in misery. But she was cuffed to silence.
I had seen nothing of the officer of Treve this morning. He had, I gathered, thought it best toavoid the depths this day. Indeed, the guards of the pits had been dismissed. "We have no need of them," had said the leader of the helmeted, darkly clad brethren.
We followed the pit master, descending toward the lower corridors.
"Cursed Assassins!" cried a fellow from a cell.

In a few minutes we were in the lower corridors. Here and there there was water on the  corridor floor. It was cold to my bare feet. Sometimes it splashed,too, on my ankles, from thetread of the men about me. By myself, or with the pit master, I could avoid the water, keeping  to the higher parts of the floor, but it was not easy to do so now, I muchly in line, with the other girls, the men about. Here and there the ceiling of the corridor was solow that even I must  bend over. Two of the fellows with the leader carried lanterns. The passage was lit, too, here and there, with tiny lamps. Common cord held my wrists behind my back. I was tightly bound.

"Move back the observation panel on that door," said the leader of the helmeted men.
One of the fellows with a lantern undid the panel latch and slid the panel, in its tracks, toone side. He lifted the lantern near the opening and peered within.
"Something is within," he said.
"Open the door," said the leader of the helmeted men.
"There is only a peasant within," said the pit master. "He does noteven know who he is."
"And who is he?"
"41."
"41?"
"Prisoners in this corridor are referred to only by numbers," said the pit master.
"Let us see him," said the leader of the strangers.
"I do not have the key," said the pit master.
"Why do you insist upon obstructing us in the line of our duty?" inquired the leader of the strangers. "Do you think no report will be made of this to the administration, to the adminis?trator, to the high council?"

"I do not have the keys," said the pit master.
"Keys may be fetched," said a man.
"Tools may be brought," said another. "We may then force the door."
"I weary of these hindrances," said the leader of the helmeted men.
"Shall we go back for the keys, for tools?" asked a man.
"Where are the keys?" asked the leader of the helmeted men.
"I do not know," said the pit master.
"Seize him," said the leader of the helmeted men.
The pit master was seized. Four men held him. He did not struggle. I think they did not  know his strength. He did not try to throw them off.
The leader of the helmeted men pulled the pit master's head up, by the hair.
"You are a tarsk, indeed," said the leader of the helmeted men.
The pit master looked up at him, his mouth open, his eyes rolling. He growled, a sound not  human.
"Where are the keys?" asked the leader of the helmeted men.
"I do not know," said the pit master.
"Kill him," said the leader of the helmeted men. The lieutenant removedhis dagger from itssheath.
"No, Masters!" cried Fina, thrusting herself forward, falling to her knees in the damp  corridor. "He has not spoken the truth to you. The keys are here! They are on a cord, about his  neck!"
The leader of the helmeted men reached inside the tunic of the pit master and pulled forthkeys, on a string. He broke the string, jerking it against the back of the neck of the pit master,freeing it.
"Open the door," he said to one of the men.
The pit master looked down at Fina.
"Forgive me, Master," she said, putting down her head.
The door, after a time, was swung open.
One of the men with a lantern entered first. He was followed by theleader of the helmeted men. Then entered the pit master, who had been released by those who had held him. Some other men, too, entered, including the lieutenant.
The lantern was held up, and the men regarded the sitting figure within.
"He is a big one," said a man.
"So are many of his caste," said another.
The peasant lifted his eyes, blinking, against the lantern.
"Light the lamps in the cell," said the leader of the helmeted men.

The lamps, one by one, were lit. I had usually lit only one, in my attendance here.
Fina and I, and the other girls, as the lamps were being lit, were thrust into the cell and  knelt to one side, on the right, as one would look toward the prisoner.In this fashion, our  helplessness was increased, we now being subject to a custody stricter than would have been  possible in the open corridor. Certainly we would be less tempted torun. Too, this disposition of  us freed more men to enter the cell.

"You have misled us again, have you not?" inquired the leader of the strangers.
"I do not understand," said the pit master.
"You are a brave man," said he, "to trifle with those of the black caste."
"Perhaps he whom you seek is not here," said the pit master.
"Who are you?" demanded the leader of the strangers of the peasant.
"I do not know," said the peasant.
The leader of the black-tunicked men straightened up, disgustedly.
"Is it time for the planting?" asked the peasant.

The leader of the black-tunicked men turned in fury to the pit master, who stood to one side, to his left.
"You would palm this off upon us," demanded the leader of the black?tunicked men, "for he  whom we seek?"
"I do not understand you," said the pit master.

"You understand me only too well!" cried the leader of the strangers. "You put a madman  here, a simpleton, a dolt, one out of his wits, one who does not know his own name, a worthless,
meaningless brute, a monster of no consequence, and expect to delude
us!"

"We can seek further, if you wish," said the pit master.
"We have it on authority," said the leader of the black-tunicked men, "that he whom we seek  is in the depths. Where is he?"
"Who?" The leader of the black-tunicked men looked about himself, angrily. Buthe did not respond.Then he turned back to face the pit master.
"You trifle not only with me," he said. "You trifle with Cos, with Lurius of Jad."
"I shall be pleased to seek further," said the pit master.
"You are clever, pretending reluctance," said the leader of the black tunicked men. "The matter of the keys was well done. Not knowing where they were, and all. And this dolt, this garbage, in the lowest corridor, in five chains! So clever!"

"But Captain," said the lieutenant. "Should we not call Gito?"
"For what?" snapped the captain.
"To examine the prisoner."
"Where is our dear friend Gito?"
"He lingers in the corridor. He fears to enter."
"Gito!" called the captain, he who was the leader of the black-tunicked men.
"Master?" inquired Gito.
"Enter, look upon the prisoner." The small, furtive fellow, with the terribly scarred face, perhaps from
scalding, entered the cell.
"Is this he?" asked the leader of the strangers, pointing to the peasant.
"It cannot be," said Gito, squinting.
"Could you recognize him?"
"I could recognize him anywhere," said Gito.
"Look closely upon him," said the leader of the strangers. "Bring the
lantern closer," he said to one of his men.
"Do not be afraid," said the lieutenant. "He is chained." Gito, the side of his face moving, knelt down before the peasant, looking at him closely.
"Well?" demanded the leader of the strangers.
"There is a resemblance," said Gito, slowly.
"Of course there is a resemblance," said the officer, angrily. "These sleen of Treve would have  managed that."

Gito continued his consideration of the peasant's countenance. "No," he said, at last. "I do not think it is he." He then stood up.
"We must look further," said the leader of the black-tunicked men, turning away.
"Gito?" said the peasant.

The leader of the black-tunicked men turned sharply back, to regard the peasant. The cell was very quiet. Gito began to tremble.
"Gito?" said the peasant.
"He knows him!" said the lieutenant.
"Yes?" said Gito, backing away.
"Is it you?" asked the peasant.
"Yes," said Gito.
"He heard the name before. You spoke it yourself," said the pit master.
"Be silent!" said the leader of the black-tunicked men.
The peasant lifted his eyes, seemingly vacant, toward the leader of the strangers. "You wear black," he said.
"Do you know the meaning of such habiliments?" inquired the leader of
the strangers, eagerly.
"No," said the peasant.
"You remember them, such habiliments?" said the leader of the strangers.
"I do not know," said the peasant.
"Think, think!" said the leader of the strangers.
"Perhaps," said the peasant.
"It was long ago," urged the leader of the strangers.
"Perhaps," said the peasant. "Long ago."
"Where is your holding?" asked the leader of the strangers.
"I do not know," said the peasant.
"Near Ar?" But the peasant was looking on Gito, who shrank back, among several of the men in black.
"Are you not my friend Gito?" asked the peasant.
"He knows him!" said the lieutenant.
"Is your holding not near Ar?" asked the leader of the strangers.
"Perhaps," said the peasant. "I do not know."
"Down with Ar!" said the leader of the strangers.
"No," said the peasant, very slowly.
"Yes," said the leader of the strangers, "down with Ar!"
"Down with Ar?" said the peasant.
"Yes, down with her!" said the leader of the strangers.
The peasant seemed puzzled.
"Ar is nothing to you," said the pit master.
"I spit upon the Home Stone of Ar!" said the leader of the strangers.
"Ar is nothing to you," insisted the pit master.
"Be silent!" said the leader of the strangers.
"Is she in danger?" asked the peasant.
"Yes!" said the leader of the strangers.
"Then those who are of Ar must defend her," said the peasant.
"I am sure it is he!" said the lieutenant, delightedly.
"And what of you?" urged the leader of the helmeted men. "Are you not of Ar? Must you, too,  not defend her?"
"Is it time for the planting?" asked the peasant.
"Must you not defend Ar?" asked the leader of the black-tunicked men.
"Why?" asked the peasant.
"Are you not of Ar?"
"I do not know."
The leader of the helmeted men stepped back.
"It is he," insisted the lieutenant.