"Stand," said the keeper of the two slaves, one of the fellows of Port Cos, on the bow deck, to the two slaves. They stood up. He checked the chain and leather of their harnesses. He lifted their shackled wrists over their head, lifting with them part of the chair to which they were attached. Then he let them stand there, with their shackled wrists lowered, before them. He did adjust their posture, rudely, with a slap or two. Then they stood there, softly, beautifully erect, on the bow deck.

"Hail Port Cos!" cried a fellow in a small boat, off the bow to starboard. Behind him there stood a long-legged half-naked slave girl in a bit of a rag. "Hail Port Cos!" she cried, happily, waving. "Hail Port Cos!" She was rather nice. The collar looked well on her neck. I thought that she, too, might have been worthy to put at a prow. Seeing her, both Publia and Claudia stood even a little straighter, though apparently paying her no attention. One of the fellows on the bow deck waved to them. "Hail Port Cos!" he responded.

"We are coming to Port Cos," said Aemilianus. "That will seem to confirm the story circulating in Ar, which, I take it, is the official version of what occurred at Ar's Station."

"Speak, Commander," urged the young warrior, Marcus.

"It will be of interest to you to learn that Ar's Station was surrendered to Cos more than two months ago," he said, dryly, "before the relief forces could reach it. Lacking siege equipment that is why they did not proceed directly to Ar's Station but went into winter quarters."

"Ar's Station was never surrendered!" said a man.

"I do not understand," said another. "She fell but seven days ago this afternoon."

"Thousands must know the falsity of such allegations!" cried another man. "Not officially, not in Ar," said Aemilianus. "They know, on the whole, except for rumors, only what they are permitted to know. I suspect it would even be unwise o speak certain truths to Ar herself."

"I do not understand," repeated the fellow who had spoken before.

"The situation is reputed to stand thus," said Aemilianus. "Supposedly, over two months ago, I, and my high officers, and the caste officials, and councils of the city, treasonously, and without a fight, surrendered Ar's Station to a delegation of Cosians. In return for this perfidy we received much gold and were granted safe passage to Port Cos, within whose walls we are to receive domicile and security."

"Our arrival here will make it seem so!" cried a man.

"I fear so," said another.

"Would you rather return to the ashes of Ar's Station?" asked Aemilianus, bitterly.

"Surely those of Port Cos do not believe such lies!" cried a man.

"Of course not," said Aemilianus. "The truth is generally known her. It is in Ar, and the south, that it will not be known."

"Where have you learned of such matters? asked a man.

"Specifically, from the dispatches," said Aemilianus. "Cos, it seems, had many spies. Too, it seems she possesses swift, covert channels of communication. I do not doubt but what her work on the continent has been long in preparation. Naturally Cosians are in close contact with those of Port Cos, whose support to them is important on the river. I would not suppose that there is complete openness between them, but there seems to be no problem about sharing information of this sort."

"Captain Calliodorus takes these reports seriously?" asked a man.

"Yes," said Aemilianus. "Indeed, he had even anticipated, as I had, given the abandoning of Ar's Station by Ar, that matters might be construed in some such perspective."

"It seems the spies of Cos are efficient," said a fellow.

"It is said," said Aemilianus, "as Calliodorus has told me, that even a whisper in Ar is heard in Telnus by nightfall."

We were nearing the harbor.

There were clouds of small sails about us now, as many small boats had come out to meet us.

"Oh!" said Publia, as one of the fellows of Port Cos lifted her up lightly in his arms and threw her over the rail of the port side of the bow deck. There was a sound of chain, pulling against the beam ring, the links suddenly growing taut, and Publia, suspended from the beam, in her chain-and-leather harness, hung at the port side, out, about a yard from the rail, her feet now slightly below the level of the bow deck, over the water. There was a shout of pleasure from several of the small boats. Although her weight was substantially borne by the harness her small wrists were pulled high over her head, and held in place there, close to the chain, by her wrist shackles. Her ankles, too, were closely shackled. I considered her small hands. How piteous they appeared, so held in place, so helpless in their inflexible metal bonds. The steel, too, clasped her fair ankles, closely.

"There is more," said Aemilianus, bitterly. "We of Ar's Station, and those who abetted us, not surprisingly, given the falsified and distorted accounts of our actions, are held in official dishonor and contempt."

There were several cries of rage. Hands clasped the hilts of swords.

"The proclamations have been posted," he said.

One of the fellows of Port Cos then went to Claudia. She looked at me, wildly. Then she was lifted up, lightly, in the chain-and-leather harness. The fellow held her for a moment, his left hand behind her knees, his right hand behind her back. Her eyes were on mine, frightened. Then they widened, suddenly, and she gasped, and was thrown over the rail. Then, a moment later, her hands pulled high over her head, suspended in her harness, she hung off the starboard rail of the bow deck, as Publia did off the port rail. There was a cry of pleasure, and admiration, from several of the men about in the small boats. I saw her hands twist in the shackles, high above her head. Her body, suspended in the harness, swung a bit, and then turned from side to side, over the water. I glanced from her to Publia, and then back to her. I agreed with the shouts of pleasure and commendation from the small boats. Both slaves were excellent. Calliodorus was sure to be congratulated on his display.

"Is that the extend of the dispatches, Commander?" asked a man.

"It is perhaps as much as you should know now," said Aemilianus, grimly. "Commander!" protested a man.

"The occasion is festive," said Aemilianus. "Perhaps it is well that you learn the rest later."

"Please, Commander," said a man.

"The Home Stone has reached Ar," he said.

"Good," said a man, overjoyed.

"Better it had never done so," said Aemilianus.

"Commander!" said a fellow.

"It is under guard near the Central Cylinder, on the Avenue of the Central Cylinder," he said. "There it is exposed that the citizens of Ar, and any who please, may file past it and spit upon it."

"Vengeance!" cried the young warrior, Marcus.

"And we, of course, and all those who abetted us, have been pronounced renegades."

"Vengeance!" wept the young warrior, Marcus. His sword was out of its sheath. "Vengeance!" cried a man.

"Vengeance!" cried others.

There were cries of rage. Swords were drawn.

"Sheath your swords, beloved friends," said Aemilianus. "Let us now, upon this holiday, to be declared the day of the Topaz, put aside all thoughts of fury and blood. Rather hasten to brush your garments and put smiles upon your faces. Consider your mien. Upon your countenances, I beg you, this day, let there be only the appearance of joy. Let this day rightfully redound to the glory of Port Cos, our brethren of the river, and let us rejoice with them, and with ourselves, for our deliverance. Our gratitude has been richly deserved. Let us not be sparing in its exception. Surely you realize that the fidelity of Port Cos to the pledge of the Topaz may cost her greatly in the future."

"Those of Port Cos have proved better friends to us than those of Ar," said a man bitterly.