"She would have brought a bride price of a thousand tarns," said Marlenus bitterly, "and now she is of less value than a trained slave girl."

"She is your daughter," I said, my temper rising.

"If she were here now," said Marlenus, "I would strangle her."

"And I would kill you," I said.

"Well, then," said Marlenus, smiling, "perhaps I would only beat her and throw her naked to my tarnsmen."

"And I would kill you," I repeated.

"Indeed," said Marlenus, looking at me narrowly, "one of us would slay the other."

"Have you no love for her?" I asked.

Marlenus seemed momentarily puzzled. "I am a Ubar," he said. He drew the robes of the Afflicted once more around his gigantic frame and picked up a gnarled staff he carried. He dropped the hood of the yellow robe about his face, ready to go, then turned to me once more. With the staff he poked me good-naturedly in the chest. "May the Priest-Kings favor you," he said, and, inside the folds of the hood, I knew he was chuckling.

Marlenus left the tent, seemingly one of the Afflicted, a bent wreck of humanity pathetically scratching at the earth in front of him with the staff.

Mintar looked up, and he, too, seemed pleased. "You are the only man who has ever escaped the tarn death," he said, something of wonder in his voice. "Perhaps it is true, as they say, that you are that warrior brought every thousand years to Gor — brought by the Priest-Kings to change a world."

"How did you know I would come to the camp?" I asked.

"Because of the girl," said Mintar. "And it was logical, was it not, to expect you to enlist the aid of your Kazrak, your sword brother?"

"Yes," I said.

Mintar reached into the pouch at his waist and drew forth a golden tarn disk, of double weight. He threw it to Kazrak.

Kazrak caught it.

"I understand you are leaving my service," said Mintar.

"I must," said Kazrak.

"Of course," said Mintar.

"Where are the tents of Pa-Kur?" I asked.

"On the highest ground in camp," said Mintar, "near the second ditch.and across from the great gate of Ar. You will see the black banner of the Caste of Assassins."

"Thank you," I said. "Though you are of the Merchant Caste, you are a brave man."

"A merchant may be as brave as a warrior, young Tarnsman," smiled Mintar. Then he seemed somewhat embarrassed. "Let us look at it this way. Suppose Marlenus regains Ar — will Mintar not receive the monopolies he wishes?"

"Yes," I said, "but Pa-Kur will guarantee those monopolies as freely as Marlenus."

"Even more freely," corrected Mintar, turning his attention again to the board, "but, you see, Pa-Kur does not play the game."