Authors: John Norman
Tags: #Science Fiction, #Fiction, #General, #Fantasy, #Adventure, #Gor (Imaginary Place), #Cabot; Tarl (Fictitious Character), #Outer Space, #Nomads, #Outlaws
I and all others turned our eyes to a wide, swirling marble
stairway in the back and to the left of the lofty banquet hall
in the house of Saphrar the merchant.
Down the stairway, slowly, in trailing white silk bordered
with gold, the colors of the Merchants, there regally descend-
ed the girl who was Aphris of Turia.
Her sandals were of gold and she wore matching gloves of
gold.
Her face could not be seen, for it was veiled, a white
silken veil trimmed with gold, nor even her hair, for it was
hidden in the folds of the free woman's Robes of Conceal-
ment, in her case, of course, done in the colors of the
merchants.
Aphris of Turia, then, was of the caste of merchants.
I recalled Kamchak had spoken of her once or twice.
As the woman approached I suddenly became aware again
of Saphrar speaking. "Behold my ward," he was saying, indi-
cating the approaching girl.
"The richest woman in all Turia," Kamchak said.
"When she reaches her majority," Saphrar remarked.
Until then, I gathered, her means were in the doubtless
capable hands of Saphrar the merchant.
This supposition was later confirmed by Kamchak. Saphrar
was not related to the girl, but had been appointed by the
Turian merchants, on whom he undoubtedly exercised con-
siderable influence, the guardian of the girl following the
death of her father in a Paravaci caravan raid several years
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before. The father of Aphris of Turia, Tethrar of Turia, had
been the richest merchant in this city, itself one of the richest
cities of Gor. There had been no surviving male heir and the
considerable wealth of Tethrar of Turia was now that of his
daughter, Aphris, who would assume control of these remark-
able fortunes upon attaining her majority, which event was to
occur this spring.
The girl, not unaware I am sure of the eyes upon her,
stopped on the stairway and loftily surveyed the scene of the
banquet. I could sense that she had almost immediately seen
myself and Kamchak, strangers at the tables. Something in
her carriage suggested that she might be amused.
I heard Saphrar whisper to Kamchak, whose eyes glowed
as they rested on the figure in white and gold on the distant
stairway.
"Is she not worth the golden sphere?" asked the mer-
chant.
"It is hard to tell," said Kamchak.
"I have the word of her serving slaves," insisted Saphrar.
"She is said to be marvelous."
Kamchak shrugged, his wily Tuchuk trading shrug. I had
seen him use it several times while discussing the possible sale
of little Tenchika to Albrecht in the wagon.
"The sphere is actually not of much value, Saphrar was
saying, "it is not truly of gold but only appears so."
"Still," Kamchak said, "the Tuchuks are fond of it."
"I would only wish it as a curiosity," Saphrar was saying.
"I must think on the matter," Kamchak was saying, not
taking his eyes from Aphris of Turia.
"I know where it is," Saphrar was saying, his lips pulled
back, revealing the golden canines, "I could send men for it."
Pretending not to listen I was, of course, as attentive as
possible to their conversation. But few in that room would
have noted my interest had I displayed it openly. All eyes, it
seemed, were on the girl on the stairs, slim, said to be
beautiful, veiled, clad in Robes of Concealment of white and
gold. Even I was distracted by her. Even I, in spite of my
preoccupation with the conversation of Kamchak and
Saphrar, would have found it difficult, had I wished, to take
my eyes from her. Now she descended the last three stairs
and, stopping to nod her head and grace an eager fellow here
and there along the tables with a word or gesture, she began
to approach the head of the table. The musicians, at a signal
from the feast steward, took up their instruments again and
NOMADS OF GOR
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APHRIS OF TURIA
93
the acrobats rushed back among the tables, tumbling and
leaping about.
"it is in the wagon of Kutaituchik," Saphrar was saying. "I
could send mercenary tarnsmen from the north, but I would
prefer not to have war."
Kamchak was still watching Aphris of Turia.
My heart was beating with great rapidity. I had learned
now, if Saphrar was correct, that the golden sphere, undoubt-
edly the last egg of Priest-Kings, was in the wagon of
Kutaituchik, said to be Ubar of the Tuchuks. At last, if
Saphrar was correct, I knew its location.
I barely noticed, as Aphris of Turia made her way toward
the head of the table, that she did not speak to nor acknowl-
edge in any way any of the women present, though their
robes suggested they must be of wealth and position. She
gave them no sign that she recognized their existence. To a
man here and there, however, she would nod her head or
exchange a word or two. I thought perhaps Aphris was
unwilling to acknowledge unveiled free women. Her own
veil, of course, had not been lowered. Over the veil I could
now see two black, deep, almond-shaped eyes; her skin, what
I could see of it, was lovely and clear; her complexion was
not so light as that of Miss Cardwell, but was lighter than
that of the girl Hereena, of the First Wagon.
"The golden sphere for Aphris of Turia," Saphrar whis-
pered to Kamchak.
Kamchak turned to the small, fat merchant and his
scarred, furrowed face broke into a grin, bearing down on
the round, pinkish face of the merchant. "The Tuchuks," he
said, "are fond of the golden sphere."
"Very well," snapped Saphrar, "then you will not obtain
the woman, I shall see to that and somehow I shall have
the sphere understand that!"
Kamchak now turned to watch Aphris of Turia.
The girl now approached us, behind the tables, and
Saphrar leaped to his feet and bowed low to her. "Honored
Aphris of Turia, whom I love as my own daughter," he said.
l he girl inclined her head to him, "Honored Saphrar,'? she
said.
Saphrar gestured to two of the camisk-clad girls in the
room, who brought cushions and a silken mat and placed
them between Saphrar and Kamchak.
Aphris nodded her head to the feast steward and he sent
the acrobats running and tumbling from the room and the
musicians began to play soft, honeyed melodies. The guests
at the banquet returned to their conversation and repast.
Aphris looked about her.
She lifted her head, and I could see the lovely line of her
nose beneath the veil of white silk trimmed with gold. She
sniffed twice. Then she clapped her little gloved hands two
times and the feast steward rushed to her side.
"I smell bosk dung," she said.
The feast steward looked startled, then horrified, then
knowledgeable, and then bowed and spread his hands. I He
smiled ingratiatingly, apologetically. "I 'm sorry, Lady
Aphris," said he, "but under the circumstances"
She looked about, and then it seemed she saw Kamchak.
"Ah!" she said, "I see a Tuchuk of course."
Kamchak, though sitting cross-legged, seemed to bounce
twice on the cushions, slapping the small table, rattling dishes
for a dozen feet on either side. He was roaring with laughter.
"Superb!" he cried.
"Please, if you wish, Lady Aphris, join us," wheezed
Saphrar.
Aphris of Turia, pleased with herself, assumed her place
between the merchant and Kamchalc, kneeling back on her
heels in the position of the Gorean free woman.
Her back was very straight and her head high, in the
Gorean fashion.
She turned to Kamchak. "It seems we have met before,"
she said.
"Two years ago," said Kamchak, "in such a place at such a
time you recall it was then you called me a Tuchuk sleen."
"I seem to recall," said Aphris, as though trying very hard
to do so.
"I had brought you a five-belt necklace of diamonds," said
Kamchak, "for I had heard you were beautiful."
"Oh," said Aphris, "yes I gave it to one of my slaves."
Kamchak slapped the table in merriment again.