Raiders of Gor Read Online Free PDF Page B

die.
    I shook my head, clearing my eyes, fighting for breath, and looked into his
    eyes.
    “You are of the warriors,” said Ho-Hak.
    “Yes,” I said. “I know, yes.”
    I found I desperately wanted the respect of this calm, strong man, he most of
    all, be once a slave, who sat before me on the throne, that sell of the giant
    Vosk sorp.
    “The teeth of the tharlarion,” said he, “are swift, Warrior.”
    “I know,” I said.
    “If you wish,” said he, “we will slay you first.”
    “I,” I said, “I do not want to die.”
    I lowered my head, burning with shame. Im my eyes in that moment it seemed I had
    lost myself, that my codes had been betrayed, Ko-ra-ba my city dishonored, even
    the lbade I had carried soiled. I could not look Ho-hak again in the eyes. In
    their eyes, and in mine, I could now be nothing, only a slave.
    “I had thought the better of you,” said Ho-Hak. “I had thought you were of the
    warriors.”
    I could not speak to him.
    “I see now,” said Ho-Hak, “you are indeed of Port Kar.”
    I could not raises my head, so shamed I was. It seemed I could never lift my
    head again.
    “Do you beg to be a slave?” asked Ho-hak. The question cruel, but fair.
    I looked at Ho-Hak, tears in my eyes. I saw only contempt on that broad, calm
    face.
    I lowered my head. “Yes,” I said. “I beg to be a slave.”
    There was a great laugh from those gathered about, and, too, in those peals of
    merriment I heard the laugh of he who wore the headband of the pearls of the
    Vosk sorp, and most bitter to me of all, the laugh of contempt of the girl who
    stood beside me, her thigh at my cheek.
    “Slave,” said Ho-Hak.
    “Yes,” said I, “—Master.” The word came bitterly to me. But a Gorean slave
    addresses all free men as Master, all free women as Mistress, though, of course,
    normally but one would own him.
    There was further laughter.
    “Perhaps now,” said Ho-Hak, “we shall throw you to the tharlarion.”
    I put down my head.
    There was more laughter.
    To me, at that moment, it seemed I cared not whether they chose to throw me to
    the tharlarion or not. It seemed to me that I had lost what might be more
    precious than my life itself. How could I face myself, or anyone? I had chosen
    ignominious bondage to the freedom of honorable death.
    I was sick. I was shamed. It was true that they might now throw me to
    tharlarion. According to Gorean custom a slave is an animal, and may be disposed
    of as an animal, in whatever way the master might wish, whenever he might
    please. But I was sick, and I was shamed, and I could not now, somehow, care. I
    had chosen ignominious bondage to the freedom of honorable death.
    “Is there anyone who wants this slave?” I heard Ho-Hak asking.
    “Give him to me, Ho-Hak,” I heard. It was the clear, ringing voice of the girl
    who stood beside
    me.
    There was a great laughter, and rich in that humiliating thunder was the snort
    of the fellow who wore the headband, that formed of the pearls of the Vosk sorp.
    Strangely I felt small and nothing beside the girl, only chattel. How straight
    she stood, each inch of her body alive and splendid in her vigor and freedom.
    And how worthless and miserable was the beast, the slave, that knelt, naked and
    bound, at her feet.
    “He is yours,” I heard Ho-Hak say.
    I burned with shame.
    “Bring the past of rence!” cried the girl. “Unbind his ankles. Take these ropes
    from his neck.”
    A woman left the group to bring some rence paste, and two men removed the marsh
    vine from my neck and ankles. My wrists were still bound behind my back.
    In a moment the woman had returned with a double handful of wet rence paste.
    When fried, on flat stones it makes a kind of cake, sprinkled with rence seeds.
    “Open you mouth, Slave,” said the girl.
    I did so and, to the amusement of those watching, she forced the wet past into
    my mouth.
    “Eat it,” she said. “Swallow it.”
    Painfully, almost retching, I did so.
    “You have