"John Norman - Gor 08 - Hunters of Gor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norman John)

I could see the heavy metal collar hammered about the manтАЩs neck, not
uncommon in a male slave. His head would have been placed across the anvil,
and the metal curved about his neck with great blows.
тАЬWhatever you wish,тАЭ said the man, kneeling before us.
тАЬHow came you to be slave?тАЭ I asked.
тАЬAs you can see,тАЭ he said, тАЬI fell to women.тАЭ
тАЬHow came it about?тАЭ I asked.
тАЬThey fell upon me in my sleep,тАЭ he said. тАЬI wakened to a knife at my
throat. I was chained. They much sported with me. When they wearied of me, I
was taken, leashed and manacles, to a lonely beach, at the edge of Thassa,
bordering on the western edge of the forests.тАЭ
тАЬIt is a well-known rendezvous point,тАЭ said Samos. тАЬIt was there one of
my ships picked him up, and others.тАЭ He looked at the man. тАЬDo you recall your
price?тАЭ
тАЬTwo steel knives,тАЭ said the man, тАЬand fifty steel arrow points.тАЭ
тАЬAnd a stone of hard candies, from the kitchens of Ar,тАЭ said Samos.
тАЬYes,тАЭ said the man, through gritted teeth.
The slave girl laughed, and clapped her hands. Samos did not admonish
her.
тАЬWhat is to be your fate?тАЭ said Samos.
тАЬDoubtless to be a galley slave,тАЭ he said.
The great merchant galleys of Port Kar, and Cos, and Tyros, and other
maritime powers, utilized thousands of such miserable wretches, fed on brews
of
peas and black bread, chained in the rowing holds, under the whips of slave
masters, their lives measured by feedings and beatings, and the labor of the
oar.
тАЬWhat were you doing in the northern forests?тАЭ I asked him. тАЬI am an outlawтАЭ,
he said proudly.
тАЬYou are a slave,тАЭ said Samos.
тАЬYes,тАЭ said the man, тАЬI am a slave.тАЭ
The slave girl, in her brief silk, stood, holding the two-handled bronze
paga vessel, that she might look down upon him.
тАЬFew travelers journey through the northern forests,тАЭ I said.
тАЬCommonly,тАЭ said he, тАЬI plundered beyond the forests.тАЭ He looked at the
slave girl. тАЬSometimes,тАЭ said he, тАЬI plundered within them.тАЭ
She reddened.
тАЬAt the time I was captured,тАЭ said he, looking again at Samos, тАЬI was
trying chain luck.тАЭ
Samos smiled.
тАЬI thought that it was I who was hunting women,тАЭ said he. тАЬBut it was
they who were hunting me.тАЭ
The girl laughed.
He looked down, angrily.
Then he lifted his head. тАЬWhen am I to be sent to the galleys?тАЭ he asked.
тАЬYou are strong, and handsome,тАЭ said Samos. тАЬI expect that a rich woman
might pay a good price for you.тАЭ
The man cried out in rage, trying to struggle to his feet, fighting his
chains. The guards, their hands in his hair, forced him back to his knees.
Samos turned to the girl. тАЬWhat should be done with him?тАЭ he asked her.