Conspirators of Gor Read Online Free PDF

said Mrs. Rawlinson. “Goreans do not always wear their caste’s colors.”
    “I did not know that,” said Jane.
    Mrs. Rawlinson looked at me. “And you?” she said. “Perhaps you would care for the robes of the Scribes?”
    “No,” I said. “They are poor. I do not know why they are a high caste.”
    “Perhaps then,” said Mrs. Rawlinson, “the green of the Physicians. They are a high caste.”
    “No,” I said. “They, too, are not rich enough. I gather their pleasure is in their healings, and not in their fees. They are too devoted to their work, to their research, serums, and medicines, and distributing the benefits of their administrations and learnings indiscriminately, denying such to no one.”
    “That is in their caste codes,” said Mrs. Rawlinson.
    “They are fools,” I said. “People sometimes need their skills and knowledge, even desperately. That is when they could make others pay, and well.”
    “Yet they seldom do so,” said Mrs. Rawlinson.
    “To neglect such opportunities seems to me unwise, and scarcely comprehensible.”
    “The caste has its traditions, and codes,” she said.
    “Such practices, and refrainings,” I said, “seem an unlikely route to the prestige of a high caste.”
    “Perhaps,” said Mrs. Rawlinson.
    “Where is their wealth, their power?”
    “The personal physicians of Ubars do well,” said Mrs. Rawlinson.
    “But the others?” I said.
    “There are the traditions, the codes,” said Mrs. Rawlinson.
    “Wealth is power,” I said.
    “Only if it can purchase steel,” she said.
    “In any event,” I said, “I would like, like Eve, to be of the Merchants. Surely there could be more than one.”
    “Of course,” said Mrs. Rawlinson.
    I, too, had dark hair. I thought it would look well against white and yellow, or white and gold.
    I had little doubt that the Merchants was the wealthiest caste. It seemed to me, then, that it should be the highest caste. Of what value, for example, was the Scarlet Caste, the caste of Warriors, if not to protect the gold, the wealth, of the Merchants?
    “None of you,” said Mrs. Rawlinson, “will be of high caste.”
    “But,” said Eve, “if we are of low caste, of the Metal Workers, the Cloth Workers, the Workers in Wood, the Leather Workers, the Bakers, the Tarnsters, or such, we would have to be placed lower at the tables.”
    “But,” said Mrs. Rawlinson, “you will not be placed at the tables, at all. As mentioned, the lots will be arranged. It will seem that it was merely your fortune, a matter of chance, that the lots fell as they did.”
    “No!” said Eve.
    “Never!” said Jane.
    “Certainly not!” I said.
    “Yes,” said Mrs. Rawlinson. “It will be your role to serve the feast. You will serve attentively, efficiently, and humbly. You will be alert to the needs of the guests, an empty plate, a glass in need of refilling. You will be swift to respond to summoning, of any sort, for example, to bring a laver of scented water to a place, that the guest may rinse his hands, or to lend your body, clothing, or hair, if a guest wishes, to wipe grease from his fingers. You will not speak unless you are spoken to. If spoken to, you will respond softly, with deference. Your head is to be lowered, unless you are ordered to raise it; you are not to meet the eyes of a guest, unless commanded to do so. You are to be self-effacing. You are prohibited from participating in the feast, in any way, either by eating or drinking, unless commanded by a guest. One may wish to feed you by hand, or cast scraps to the floor, which you are to retrieve on all fours, without the use of your hands. If a pan of water is set on the floor for you, you are to approach it on all fours, bow your head, and drink from it, humbly, as an animal. Each guest will be furnished with a switch, which he may use on you, if he is in any way dissatisfied with your service, or, if he wishes, for no reason at all.”
    “Never!” said Eve.
    “This is