We came down the trail to avoid a horde of green
men, I replied.
Probably somebody who would love nothing better
than to slit ourthroats, I said. Thistime Nolat did not smile nor sneer, and he had
no nasty remarks to maketo me. Before I was to be taken to the slaves quarters of
the palace, Xaxakquestioned me.
Is this the sword that was issued to the slave,
Dotar Sojat? He admiredmy swordsmanship, and used to brag about it to the other
warriors. If the silly examination they gave us is any criterion, said Llana,they
are all mad. The beast screamed, ran a few feet, staggered and fell, while the
restof the herd galloped off.
I had nothing to miss, I replied, except my harness
and weapons, andI am wearing them now.
Perhaps they wanted to find out if they could scare
us to death,suggested Pan Dan Chee. It is not for that alone, explained Jad-han. You
have nothing to be ashamed of, Ptang, I told him.
Do anyof you think that you could do better than
Ptang did? You can imagine thatalmost any country would wish to possess it. You can
imagine thatalmost any country would wish to possess it.
Many more must have pitched to the foot of the
cliff.
I was quartered in the barracks of hispersonal
guard, where I was treated as an equal.
We saw gameanimals down there, too, and we who had
been so long without good meatwere tempted.
I had nothing to miss, I replied, except my harness
and weapons, andI am wearing them now. Among the blacks, we saw a number ofred men
performing menial tasks.
They took that same examination; that is why they
lie dead out there. Before I was to be taken to the slaves quarters of the palace,
Xaxakquestioned me.
Is this the sword that was issued to the slave,
Dotar Sojat? Did you see the dead men as you enteredthe valley? Hadnt we better
stop, I asked Xaxak, before your man bleeds todeath? The next morning I told Ptang
about my nocturnal visitor. Ptang was one of the most surprised and crestfallen men
I have everseen.
For the girl- He looked sorrowfully at Llana and
shookhis head; he did not need to say more.
We came down the trail to avoid a horde of green
men, I replied. I am sure I havent the slightest idea of what the explanation canbe,
I replied.
Before he realized what was happening, I had
pricked him in theshoulder.
That is all, said the officer in charge; the
examination is over.
Then I shall demandodds; as I did not desire my man
to fight to the death the first timehe fought. That is the only way in which I can
tell whether he is any good atall, or not, replied Xaxak.
I see you survived the examination, I
said.
There is a small colonyof them that has survived in
a deserted Orovar city.