"John Norman - Gor 06 - Raiders of Gor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norman John)

Between SeтАЩKara and the winter solstice, which occurs on the first of
SeтАЩVar, the rence will be sold or bartered, sometimes by taking it to the edge
of
the delta, sometimes by being contacted by rence merchants, who enter the
delta in narrow barges, rowed by slaves, in order to have first pick of the
product.
The first of SeтАЩVar is also a date of festival, it might be mentioned, but
this
time the festival is limited to individual, isolated rence islands. With the
yearтАЩs
rence sold, the communities do not care to lie too closely to one another; the
primary reason is that, in doing so, they would present too inviting a target
for
the тАЬtax collectorsтАЭ of Port Kar. Indeed, I surmised, there was risk enough,
and
great risk, coming together even in SeтАЩKara. The unsold stores of rence paper
on
the islands at this time would, in themselves, be a treasure, though, to be
sure,
a bulky one.
But I felt there was something strange going on, for there must have
been five or six headmen on the island with Ho-Hak at this time. It is seldom,
even in SeтАЩKara, that so many rence islands would gather for festival. Usually
it would be two or three. At such times there is drinking of rence beer,
steeped,
boiled and fremented from crushed seeds and the whitish pith of the plant;
singing; games; contests and courtship, for the young people of the rence
islands too seldom meet those of the other communities. Why should there be so
many rence islands in the same vicinity, even though it was near the first of
SeтАЩKara? Surely the capture of one traveler in the delta did not warrant this
attention, and, of course, the islands must have been gathered together even
before I had entered the area.
тАЬHe is a spy,тАЭ said one of the other men present, who stood beside Ho-
Hak. This man was tall, and strong looking. He carried a marsh spear. On his
forehead there was tied a headband formed of the pearls of the Vosk sorp.
island.
I wondered what in particular there might be to spy about on a rence
Ho-Hak still did not speak, but sat on the shell of the Vosk sorp, looking
down at the weapons, mine, before him.
I squirmed a bit in the marsh vine that contained me.
тАЬDo not move, Slave,тАЭ snapped the girl, who stooo beside me.
Immediately the two loops of marsh vine knotted about my neck
tightened, each taunt, pulling against the other.
The girlтАЩs hands were in my hair and she yanked my head back.
тАЬHe is of Port Kar,тАЭ she said, her hands in my hair, тАЬor intended to be of
Port Kar!тАЭ She glared at Ho-Hak, as though demanding that he speak.
But Ho-Hak did not speak, nor did he seem particularly to notice the girl.
side.
Angrily she removed her hands from my hair, thrusting my head to one
Ho-Hak seemed intent on regarding the leather-wrapped bow of supple