There is no antidote, he had informed me.

The refrain ran through my mind: “Do not ask how to live, but, instead, proceed to do so”

I laughed bitterly.

“Captain!” I heard. “Captain!” It was Thurnock. I could hear running feet behind him, the gathering of members of the household.

“What is it?” I heard Luma ask.

“Captain!” cried Thurnock.

I”I must see him m immediately!” said another voice. I was startled. It was the voice of Samos, first slaver of Port Kar.

They entered, carrying torches.

“Put torches in the rings,” said Samos.

The hall was lit. Members of the house came forward. Samos appeared before the table. At his side was Thurnock, a torch still uplifted inhis hand. Luma was present. I saw, too, Tab, who was captain of the Venna. Clitus, too, was present, and young Henrius.

“What is wrong?” I Asked.

Then one other stepped forward. It was Ho-Hak, from the marshes, the rencer. His face was white. No longer about his throat was clasped the collar of the galley slave, with short dangling chain. He had been a bred slave, an exotic.His ears were large, bred so as a collector’s fancy. But he had killed his master, breaking his neck and escaped. Recaptured, he had been sentenced to the galleys, but had escaped, too, killing six men in his flight. He had, finally, succeeded in making his way into the marshes, in the Vosk’s vast delta, where he had been taken in by rencers, who live on islands, woven of rence reeds, in the delta. He had become chief of one such group, and was much respected in the delta. He had been instrumental in bringing the great bow to the rencers, which put them on a military parwith those of Port Kar, who had hitherto victimized and exploited them. Rencerbowmen were now used by certain captains of Port Kar as auxilaries.

Ho-Hak did not speak but cast on the table an armlet of gold.

It was bloodied.

I knew the armlet well. It had been that of Telima, who had fled to the marshes, when I had determined to seek Talina in the northern forests.

“Telima,” said Ho-Hak.

“When did this happen?” I asked.

“Within four Ahn,” said Ho-Hak. Then he turned to another rencer, one who stood with him. “Speak,” said Ho-Hak.

“ I saw little,” he said. “there was a tarn and a beast. I heard the scream of the woman. I poled my rence craft toward them, my bow ready. I heard another scream. The tarn took flight, low, over the rence, the beast upon it, hunched, shaggy. I found her rence craft, the pole floating nearby. It was much bloodied. I found there, too, the armlet.”

“The body?” I asked.

“Tharlarion were about.” Said the rencer.

I nodded.

I wondered if the beast had struck for hunger. Such a beast in the house of Cernus had fed on human flesh. Doubtless it was little other to them than venison would be to us.

“Why did you not kill thebeast, or strike the tarn? I asked.

The great bow was capable of such matters.

“I had no opportunity,” said the rencer.

“Which way did the tarn take flight?” I asked.

“To the northwest,” said the rencer.

I was certain the taern would follow the coast. It was extremely difficut, if not impossible, to fly a tarn from the sight of land. It is counterinstinctual for them. In the engagement of the 25^th of Se’Kara we had used tarns at sea, but they had been kept below decks in cargo ships until beyond ther sight of land. Interestingly, once released, there had been no difficulty inmanaging them. They had performed effectively in the engagement.

I looked at Samos. “What do you know of this matter?” I asked.

“I know only what I am told,” said Samos.

“Describe the beast,” I said to the rencer.

“I did not see it well,” he said.

“It could only have been one of the Kurii,” said Samos.

“The Kurii?” I asked.

“The word is a Gorean corruption of their name for themselves, for their kind,” said Samos.

“In Torvaldsland.” Said Tab, “ that means “beasts’.”

“That is interesting,” I said. If Samos were correct that “Kurii” was a Goprean corruption of the name of such animals for themselves, and that the word was used in Torvaldsland as a designation for beasts, then it seemed not unlikely that such animals were not unknown in Torvaldsland, at least in certain areas, perhaps remote ones.

The tarn had flown northwest. It would, presumably, follow the coast north, perhaps above the forests, perhaps to the bleakcoasts of forbiddingTorvaldsland itself.

“Do you surmise, Samos,” I asked, “that the beast killed for hunger?”

“Speak,” said Samos to the rencer.

“The beast,” he said, “ had been seen earlier, twice, on abandoned, half-rotted rence islands, lurking.”

“Did it feed?” I asked.

“Not on those of the marshes,” said the man.

“It had opportunity?” I asked.

“As much or more as when it made its strike,” said the man.

“The beast struck once, and once only?” I asked.

“Yes,” said the man.

“ Samos?” I asked.

“The strike,” said Samos,” seems deliberate. Who else in the marshes wore a golden armlet?”

“But why?” I asked. “Why?”

He looked at me. “The affairs of worlds,” said Samos, “apparently still touch you.”

“He is crippled!” cried Luma. “ You speak strangely! He can do nothing! Go away!”

I put down my head.

On the table I felt my fists clenched. I suddenly felt a hideous exhilaration.

“Bring me a goblet,” I said.

A goblet was fetched. It was of heavy gold. I took it in my left hand. Slowly I crushed it.

I threw it from me.

Those of my house stood back, frightened.

“I will go,” said Samos./ “ There is work to be done in the north. I will seek the vengeance.”

“No, Samos,” I said. “ I will go.”

There were gasps from those about.

“You cannot go,” whispered Luma.

“Telima was once my woman,” I said. “It is mine to seek the vengeance.”

“You are crippled! You vannot move!” cried Luma.

“There are two swords over my couch,” said I to Thurnock. “One is plain, with a worn hilt; the other is rich, with a jewel-encrusted hilt.”

“I know them,” whispered Thurnock.

“Bring me the blade of Port Kar, swiftm fit with inhilted jewels.”

He sped from the room.

“I would have paga,” I said. “ And bring me the red meat of bosk.”

Henrius and Clitus left the table.

The sword was brought. It was a fine blade. It had been carried on the 25^th of Se’Kara. Its blade was figured, its hilt encrusted with jewels.

I took the goblet, filled with burning paga. I had not had paga since returning frm the northern forests.

“Ta-Sardar-Gor,” said I, pouring a libation to the table. Then I stood.

“he is standing!” cried Luma. “ He is standing!”

I threw back my head and swilled down the paga. The meat, red and hot, was brought, and I tore it in my teeth, the juices running at the side of my mouth.

The blood and the paga were hot and dark within me. I felt the heat of the meat.

I threw from me the goblet of gold. I tore the meat and finished it.

I put over my left shoulder the scabbard strap.

“Saddle a tarn,” said I to Thurnock.

“Yes, Captain,” he whispered.

I stood before the captain’s chair. “More paga,”I said. Another vessel was brought. “ I drink,” said I, “ to the blood of beasts.”

Then I drained the goblet and flung it from me.

With a howl of rage I struck the table with the side of my fists, shattering the boards. I flung asidethe blanket and the captain’s chair.

“Do not go,” said Samos. “ It may be a trick to lure you to a trap.”

I smiled at him. “Of course,” I said. “To those with whom we deal Telima is of no importance.” I regarded him. “It is me they want,” I said. “They shall not fail to have their opportunity.”

“Do not go,” said Samos.

“There is work to be done in the north,” I said.