She rose to her feet, and, small gloved hand in the hand of Chenbar, descended the steps of the dais on which sat the thrones of Lurius and Chenbar, and stood before me.

"May I present, Captain," said Chenbar, "the Lady Vivina?"

She dropped her head, and then lifted it.

"I am honored," I said.

"Tharlarion," she said.

The girl turned and was escorted, again by Chenbar, her gloved hand in his, to her seat on the dais.

When she had regained her seat, I said, "You extraordinary beauty, High Lady, which, forgive me, you veil but scarcely conceals, is indeed worthy of a Ubar of Cos-"

Lurius grinned. The girl herself permitted herself the smallest of smiles. "Or," I added, "a collar in Port Kar."

Lurius sprang to his feet, his fists clenched. The girl, eyes flashing, scarlet beneath the white silken veil, too sprang to her feet. She pointed her finger at me. "Slay him!" she cried.

I heard two swords leave their sheaths behind me.

But Chenbar laughed. He motioned the men behind me to resheath their weapons. Lurius, furious, returned to his throne. The girl, enraged, took again her seat on the dais.

"Doubtless, stripped," I said, "you would be even more beautiful."

"Slay him!" she hissed.

"No," said Chenbar, smiling.

"I meant only," I said, "that your beauty reminded me of that of a girls, serving slaves, nude and double chained in the paga taverns of Port Kar. Many of them are very beautiful."

"Slay him! Slay him!" she begged.

"No, no," smiled Chenbar.

"Do not speak of me as though I were a slave girl," said the girl.

"Are you not?" I asked.

"The impudence!" she screamed.

I nodded my head toward Lurius, swollen in the chair of the Ubar of Cos. "I own women," I said, "who are more free than you."

"Tharlarion!" she cried. "I will be Ubara!"

"I wish you happiness, High Lady," I said, dropping my head.

She could not speak, so furious was she.

"Here," I said, "you will be Ubara. In my house you would be Kettle Slave." "Slay him!" she screamed.

"Be silent," said Chenbar.

The girl was silent.

"The Lady Vivina, as you doubtless know, is promised to Lurius, Ubar of Cos, said Chenbar.

"I did not know," I said, "that the promise had be given."

"Yes," said Chenbar, "this morning I gave my word."

Lurius grinned.

The girl looked at me with fury.

There was some polite striking of the left shoulder with the right hand in the room, which is a common Gorean applause, though not of the warriors, who clash weapons.

Chenbar smiled and lifted his hand, silencing the applause.

"This companionship," said Chenbar, "will link our two Ubarates. Following the ceremony of the companionship there will be a conjoining of our fleets, that we may soon thereafter pay Port Kar a visit of state."

"I see," I said.

"Even now our fleets are being outfitted," said Chenbar.

"When will the gathering take place?" I asked.

"In the neighborhood of the sixth passage hand," he said.

"You are free with your information," I said.

"Well," said Chenbar, "we are all friends here."

"Or slaves," said the girl, looking pointedly at me.

"Or slaves," I said, looking at her very directly.

Her eyes flashed over her veil.

"You have had dealings," I asked, "with the Ubar Henrius Sevarius in Port Kar?" Chenbar smiled. "We have dealt with his regent, Claudius," said Chenbar. "What of Henrius Sevarius himself?" I asked "He is only a boy," said Chenbar.

"But what of him?" I asked.

"He is a boy," said Chenbar. "He has no power."

"Whom do his men follow?" I asked.

"Claudius," said Chenbar.

"I see," I said.

"Mark well the name of Claudius, Captain," said Chenbar, "for he is to become Ubar of Port Kar."

"As the agent of Cos and Tyros," I said.

"Assuredly," laughed Chenbar.

"As you may not know," I said, "Claudius and the various forces of Henrius Sevarius are scarcely in command of Port Kar."

"Our information is better than you seem to understand," smiled Chenbar. "Be assured," said he, "that we will free Claudius from his current predicaments." "You seem," I said, "to be well aware of what transpires in Port Kar." "Yes," said Chenbar. "Perhaps you would care to meet our principal courier, he who will, in time, lead our fleets to the harbor of Port Kar?"

"Yes," I said, "I would."

A man stepped from among a group of robed dignitaries, standing to one side of the Ubars' thrones. He had previously been standing in the shadows. He had long black hair, tied behind his neck with a scarlet string. He carried, in the crook of his left arm, a helmet, bearing the crest of sleen hair that marks a captain of Port Kar. The helmet, too, bore two golden slashes. A long cloak swirled behind him.

I had expected it to be Samos.

"I am Lysias," he said. "Bosk, you remember me."

I smiled to myself. He, with a handful of men, had managed to escape from the holding of Henrius Sevarius. It had occurred the night following my rescue of the boy from the canal. The guard had since been increased. I did not think more would escape.

"Yes," I said, "I remember you perhaps better than you know."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Are you not the one who, in the delta of the Vosk, was overcome by vast numbers of rencers, and forced to abandon your barges, and a treasure of rence paper and slaves?"

"This man is dangerous," said Lysias to Chenbar. "I recommend that he be slain." "No, no," said Chenbar. "We will sell him and make a profit on him." The girl, Lady Vivina, threw back her head and laughed merrily.

"He is dangerous," said Lysias.

Chenbar looked at me. "The money that we obtain from your sale," he said, "will be applied to the outfitting of our fleets. It will not be a great deal, but that way you can feel that you have not been left out, that you have done your small bit to augment the glories of Cos and Tyros."

I said nothing.

"I trust, too," said Chenbar, "that you will not be the last of the captains of Port Kar to pull an oar on the round ships of Cos and Tyros."

"Apparently I have business to attend to," I said. "If I may, I request your permission to withdraw."

"One thing more," said Chenbar.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Have you not forgotten," he asked, "to bid the Lady Vivina farewell?" I looked at Chenbar.

"Doubtless," said he, "you will not see her again."

I turned to face her.

"I do not frequent the rowing holds of round ships," she said.

There was laughter in the room.

"Have you ever been in the hold of a round ship?" I asked.

"Of course not," she said.

High born ladies commonly sailed in cabins, located in the stern castle of the galleys.

"Perhaps someday," I said, "you shall have the opportunity."

"What do you mean by that?" said she.

"It is a joke," said Chenbar.

"When," I asked, "High Lady, will you drink the wine of the Free Companionship with Lurius, noble Ubar of Cos?"

"I shall return first to Tyros," she said, "where I shall be made ready. Then, with treasure ships, we shall return in festive voyage to the harbor of Telnus, where I shall take the arm of Lurius and with him drink the cup of the Free Companionship."

"May I wish you, Lady," said I, "a safe and pleasant voyage, and much future happiness."

She nodded her head, and smiled.

"You spoke of treasure ships," I said.

"Of course," said she.

"It seems then," said I, "that your body alone is not enough for noble Lurius." "Tarsk!" she said.

Chenbar laughed.

"Take him away," cried Lurius, leaning forward in the throne, fists clenched upon its arms.

I felt the chains at my wrists.

"Farewell, Lady," said I.

"Farewell," said she, "Slave."