"John Norman - Gor 23 - Renegades of Gor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norman John)

I was not sure I could protect them. I had not counted on them being well known.
тАЬPut your heads down,тАЭ I encouraged them. тАЬLook as harmless as possible.тАЭ
тАЬChain them and hang them in iron collars at the inn!тАЭ said a fellow. Sometimes a
man lasts two or three days in this fashion.
тАЬChain them on the boards,тАЭ cried another. That is a similar form of punishment.
In it the victim is fastened, by collars and shackles, on structures of parallel,
upright boards, vertical platforms, in effect, mounted on posts. These structures
are most common in harbor cities, near the wharves. The fellow who had made
the suggestion was probably from the river port of ArтАЩs Station. In the country,
impalement is often used, the pole usually being set up near a crossroads.
тАЬLet them be trampled by tharlarion,тАЭ sad a fellow.
тАЬNo, let them be torn apart by them,тАЭ said another. In this fashion ropes are tied
separately to the victimтАЩs wrists and ankles, these ropes then attached to the
harnesses of two different tharlarion, which are, of course, then driven in opposite
directions.
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 23 Renegades of Gor


тАЬYes, that is better,тАЭ agreed the first.
If one shares a Home Stone with the victim, of course, the punishment is often
more humane. A common punishment where this mitigating feature obtains is to
strip the victim, tie him to a post, beat him with rods and then behead him. This,
(pg. 15) like the hanging in chains, the exposure on boards, and such, is a very
ancient modality of execution.
I saw a knife leave a sheath in the driving rain. тАЬThere is no time,тАЭ said a man. тАЬI
will cut their throats now.тАЭ
There were murmurs of assent.
The brigands looked up, bound, from their knees.
тАЬThere is no time to waste,тАЭ said a man. тАЬIf the storm ceases, and the cloud cover
scatters, the tarnsmen of Artemidorus may strike at the columns.тАЭ Artemidorus
was a Cosian, the captain of a band of flighted mercenaries.
тАЬIn a few Ahn it will be morning,тАЭ said a man.
The fellow with the knife stepped forward, but I blocked his path.
тАЬThese prisoners are mine,тАЭ I said.
тАЬThey are known in this area,тАЭ said the man with the knife.
тАЬStep aside,тАЭ said another. тАЬLet justice be done.тАЭ
тАЬMove the wagons!тАЭ called a fellow in the back.
тАЬThere are many of us here,тАЭ said the fellow with the knife, not unpleasantly.
тАЬThe wagon is still off the road,тАЭ I said, indication the left wheels. тАЬLet us move
the column forward.тАЭ
тАЬTo cut three throats will take but three Ihn,тАЭ said the fellow.
тАЬHelp me return the wagon to the road,тАЭ I said.
тАЬYou are clever,тАЭ said the fellow in the rain. тАЬYou would enlist our support, and
thus have us be your fellows, and thus deny us our will.тАЭ
тАЬYou will not help?тАЭ I said.
тАЬGet ten men to help!тАЭ said he. тАЬI will not be deterred.тАЭ
тАЬMove the wagons!тАЭ called a man from behind him. I heard tharlarion snorting
and bellowing, even in the rain. There were some five lanterns where we were. I
could see others lit, farther back in the arrested line.