"He is right, of course," I said.

"Yes," said Marcus, in anguish.

Both Marcus and I, of course, now that the Home Stone was in our keeping, were anxious for it to be on its way north.

"Perhaps it is just as well," I said. "Then, if all goes well, Marcus and Phoebe can leave with you tomorrow."

"If all goes well?" asked Boots.

"You need not assist me, of course," I said to Marcus.

"I will assist you," he said.

"My thanks," I said.

"What of you?" asked Boots.

"Do not concern yourself with me," I said.

"You are remaining in Ar?" asked Boots.

"For the time," I said.

"If the fraudulent Home Stone is a plausible duplicate," said Marcus, "it should not matter too much. The substitution might never be discovered."

"Ah," said Boots, beaming. "But the substitution will be discovered, and probably quite soon, doubtless within a few days at the most."

"What?" Marcus.

"You do not wish the duplicate to be a plausible duplicate," said Boots. "If it were, Seremides, and the Ubara, and their minions, could pretend it is still the Home Stone of Ar's Station. Indeed, they might challenge the authenticity of the stone which reaches Port Cos, should we make it that far."

Marcus regarded him, astonished.

"It must be clear to everyone," said Boots, "that the true Home Stone of Ar's Station has been snatched from under their very noses."

"Such things would surely weaken the grip of Cos in the city," I said. "Such things would surely give heart to Ar. Indeed, such things have toppled regimes." "I have made certain that there are many small discrepancies between the original and the copy," said Boots, "but mostly they are such as would be noticed only by one quite familiar with the Home Stone of Ar's Station." "And few of Ar's Station are in Ar," said Marcus, "and of those of Ar's Station who might be in Ar, presumably few would approach their Home Stone under these circumstances, when expected to revile it."

"And if they did notice these differences," said Boots, "one might plausibly suppose they would not hasten to bring them to the attention of the guardsmen."

"I would think not," smiled Marcus.

"But then," I said, "if these differences are subtle, might not authenticity be claimed for the fraudulent stone?"

"I can guarantee that it will not be," said Boots.

"How can you guarantee that?" I asked.

"If you have noticed," said Boots, "and I certainly have, for I made it a point to note such things, and over a period of several days, almost no one touches the Home Stone. I was very unusual in picking it up and handling it. It is flat, and it lies on its board."

"Yes?" I said.

"So I took the liberty," he said, "I the fraudulent stone, of cutting a message into its under surface, and, indeed, of even coloring the lettering."

"What is the message?" I asked.

"It is simple," said Boots. "It says "I am not the Home Stone of Ar's Station.""

"That seems clear enough," I said.

"And I took the further liberty," said Boots, "of adding an additional remark."

"What was that?" I asked.

" "Down with Cos, " he said.

"Flee now," said Marcus, in dismay.

"But think," said Boots. "If you were in the guard, and you discovered that the stone was fraudulent, surely you would fear either that the stone had been stolen in your watch, or would be thought to have been stolen in your watch."

"Yes!" I said.

"Accordingly," said Boots. "It seems to me more likely that the guards would manage to overlook the matter, and turn over the stone to the next watch, as though nothing were amiss, thus letting the next watch, or the next, and so on, worry about the matter. Certainly it would be embarrassing, if not absolutely dangerous, to have the substitution discovered during, or at the end, of one's tour of duty."

"You are a clever fellow, Boots," I said.

"Also, the guards are mostly fellows of Ar," said Boots. "Thus I do not think they would take the same offense or manifest the same zeal in these matters as might be expected of Cosians."

"They might even relish the matter," I said.

"Possibly," said Boots. "On the other hand, I do not think they, either, would be eager for the substitution to be discovered on their watch."

"No," I said. "I would not think so."

"Accordingly," said Boots, "I think we need not fear that the substitution will be too promptly discovered."

"Or, at any rate," I said, "too promptly reported."

"Precisely," smiled Boots.

"You will arrange your rendezvous tomorrow evening with Marcus?" I asked. "Of course," said Boots.

I pressed a heavy purse into the hands of Boots Tarsk-Bit.

"The weight of this suggests a great many copper tarsks," said Boots, surprised. "Count it later," I said. "Conceal it now."

"My robe does contain a few interior pockets," he said. The purse disappeared inside the robe.

"I shall not enter the details of this," I said, "but in the north, last summer, in virtue of an unusual combination of circumstances, Marcus came into the possession of a large fortune, one hundred pieces of gold."

"One hundred?" asked Boots, startled.

"Yes," I said, rather pleased that I had, for once, managed to startle the greet Boots Tarsk-Bit, or Renato, the Great, as he now called himself.

"But he gave me the hundred pieces of gold," I said, "for a slave."

Boots regarded Marcus, aghast.

"She is worth ten thousand, and more," said Marcus, defensively.

"It is not that he is really insane," I said. "There are special circumstances involved."

"Too," said Marcus, angrily, "I did not know at the time that she was a Cosian!"

"That does make a great deal of difference," said Boots.

"Else a copper tarsk or two might have been too much," said Marcus.

"Doubtless," said Boots.

"You see," I said, "there are special considerations here. You note the discrepancy between, say, ten thousand pieces of gold, or more, and one or two copper tarsks."

"She is not for sale, anyway, for any price," said Marcus.

"Though I am not of the scribes," said Boots, "I did note the discrepancy."

"And that is how I obtained one hundred pieces of gold in the north," I said. "And you wish to convey this paragon of beauty to the north?" asked Boots.

"You do not object, do you?" I asked.

"Certainly not," said Boots. "After all, that will give us something to do in leisure moments, fighting off armies from all directions, fending away clouds of mercenaries, battling hands of brigands, attempting to turn back innumerable waves of eager, lustful ruffians, and such."

"I do not understand," I said.

"I do," said Marcus, pleased.

"I agreed to transport a Home Stone to Port Cos," said Boots, "not to risk traveling with one of the most fabulously desirable and beautiful women on Gor in my train."

"She is certainly that," agreed Marcus. "You could always keep her in a box, or sack.

"I am certainly eager to see this slave," said Boots.

"Despite the convictions and the enthusiasm of Marcus in this matter," I said, "well warranted though they doubtless are, I should make clear to you that they might not be shared, at least to his extent, by all casual observers."

"I suppose that is possible," said Marcus, reflectively, in a mood of uncommon charity.

"This is not to deny that the girl is an exquisite slave," I said, "and Marcus is training her very well."

"What would she sell for?" asked Boots, bluntly.

"In a common market," I asked, "with nothing specials knows about her?"

"Yes," he said.

"I would guess for something like two or two and a half silver tarsks," I said. "She is quite lovely then," he said.

"Yes, but there are thousands upon thousands like her on Gor," I said, "and it is not like armies of tarnsmen would be launched to acquire her."