In the great hall, surrounded by crossbowmen, stood three men, at bay. Lysias, Claudius and Henrak.

"Greetings, Tab," said I, saluting him as I entered the room.

"Greetings, Captain," said he.

By now the three girls, Telima, Vina and Luma, had been lowered from the height of the keep, and were close behind us.

Lysias, seeing me, flung himself at me. I met his attack The exchange was sharp. Then he fell at my feet, his helmet rolling to the side, blood on the sleen-hair crest, that marking it as that of a captain.

"I am rich," said Claudius. "I can pay for my freedom."

"The Council of Captains of Port Kar," said Samos, "has business with you." "My business is first," said a voice.

We turned to see the slave boy, Fish, his sward in hand.

"You!" cried Claudius. "You!"

Samos looked at the boy, curiously. Then he turned to Claudius. "You seem disturbed," said be, "at the sight of a mere slave boy."

I recalled that there was a price on the head of the young Ubar, Henrius Sevarius.

And he stood there, though branded, though collared, though in the miserable garment of a slave, as a young Ubar. He was no longer a boy. He had loved, and he had fought. He was a man.

Claudius, with a cry of rage, the cloak of white, spotted fur of sea sleen swirling behind him, leaped at the boy, sword high, raining blows upon him. The boy smartly parried them, not striking his own blows.

"Yes," said the boy, "I am not an unskilled swordsman. Now let us fight." Claudius threw aside his swirling cloak and, warily, approached the boy. Claudius was an excellent swordsman, but, in moments, the boy, Fish, had stepped away from him, and wiped his blade on the flung-aside cloak. Claudius stood unsteadily in the center of the great hall, and then, he fell forward, sprawling on the tiles.

"Remarkable," said Samos. "Claudius is dead. And slain only by a slave." The boy, Fish, smiled.

"This one," said Ho-Hak, indicating Henrak, "is a rencer, and he is mine." Henrak regarded him, white-faced.

Ho-Hak regarded him. "Eechius was killed at the rence island," he said to Henrak. "Eechius was my son."

"Do not hurt me!" cried Henrak.

He turned to run, but there was no place to run.

Ho-Hak, solemn and large, removed his weapons, drop- ping them to the floor. About his neck there was still the heavy iron collar he had worn as a galley slave, with its links of heavy, dangling chain. His large ears laid themselves flat against his head.

"He has a knife!" cried Luma.

Ho-Hak, carefully, approached Henrak, who held a knife poised.

When Henrak struck, Ho-Hak caught his wrist. Slowly Ho-Hak's great hand, strengthened from years at the oar, closed on Henrak's wrist, and the knife, as the men sweated and strained, dropped clattering to the floor.

Then Ho-Hak picked up Henrak and, slowly, holding him over his head, carried him screan-ting and struggling from the room.

We went outside, and saw Ho-Hak slowly climb the long, narrow stairs beside the delta wall, until he stood behind the parapet, at its height. Then we saw him, out- lined against the sky, climb to the parapet itself, hold Henrak over his head for a long moment and then fling him screaming from the wall out into the marsh beyond.

At the foot of the delta wall there would be tharlarion.

It was now late at night.

We had supped and drank, on provisions brought from the Venna and the Tela. We were served by Telima and Vina, who wore the garments still of Kettle Slaves. The young man, Fish, sat with us, and was served. Serving us as well, though uncollared, were Midice, and Thura and Ula. When we had been served the girls sat with us, and we ate together.

Midice did not meet my eyes. She was very beautiful. She went and knelt near Tab.

"I never thought," Tab was saying, "that I would find a free woman of interest." He had one arm about Midice.

"On a peasant holding," said Thurnock, defensively, as though he must justify having freed Thura, "one can get much more work from a free woman!" He pounded the table. Thura wore talenders in her hair.

"For my part," said Clitus, chewing, "I am only a poor fisherman, and could scarce afford the costs of a slave."

Ula laughed and thrust her head against his shoulder, holding his arm. "Well," said Samos, chewing on a vulo wing, "I am glad there are still some women slave in Port Kar."

Telima and Vina, in their collars, looked down, smiling.

"Where is the slave Sandra?" I asked Thurnock.

"We found her hiding in your treasure room in the keep," said Thurnock. "That seems appropriate," said Telima, acidly.

"Let us not be unpleasant," I cautioned her.

"So what did you do?" I asked.

"We bolted the door from the outside," said Tburnock. "She screamed and pounded but is well contained within."

"Good," I said.

I would let her remain there for two days without food and water, in among the gold and the jewels.

"When you release her," said Telima, "why don't you sell her?"

Telima was Gorean.

"Would you like me to sell her?" I asked.

"Yes," said Telima.

"Why?" I asked.

"Beast," smiled Telima.

"In my arms," I said, "I have found her a true slave."

"In your arms," said Telima, looking down, "I am a truer slave than Sandra could ever be."

"Perhaps," I said, "I shall let you compete anxiously against one another." "Good," said Telima. "I will compete. I will win."

I laughed, and Telima looked at me, puzzled. I reached across and seized her by the arms, and drew her to me. She was so utterly Gorean. Looking down into Telima's eyes I told her, "In two days, when I free Sandra from the treasure room, I am going to give her her freedom and gold, that she may go where she wishes and do what she pleases."

Telima looked at me, startled.

"It is Telima," I said, "whom I will not free."

Her eyes were wide. She squirmed in my arms.

"It is Telima," I told her, "whom I will keep as a slave."

She laughed, and lifted her lips eagerly to mine, and it was long that we kissed.

"My former mistress kisses well," I said.

"Your slave," said Telima, "rejoices that master finds her not displeasing." "is it not time for some of the slaves to be sent to the kitchens?" asked the young man, Fish.

"Yes," I said. I then addressed myself to Fish and Vina. "Go to the kitchens, Slaves," said I, "and do not permit me to see you until dawn."

Fish lifted Vina in his arms and left the table.

At the entryway to that passage leading to the kitchens he stopped, and then, as she laughed and kissed him, he swept her, once the Lady Vivina, who was to have been the Ubara of Cos, now only a young, collared slave girl, in a brief, miserable garment, through the portal and disappeared down the passageway. And I do not doubt that the Lady Vivina would have found the couch Of the LTbar of Cos less joyful than did the slave girl Vina the blanket and the mat of the kitchen boy, Fish, in the house of Bosk, a captain of Port Kar.

"I see," said Ho-Hak to TeUtna, "that you still wear the golden armlet." "Yes," said Telima.

"It was by that," said Ho-Hak, "that I was to recognize you, when years ago you were to have fled to the marshes."

Telima looked at him, puzzled.

Samos put down a cup of paga. "Now do you suppose matters in the city will proceed?" be asked Tab.

Tab looked down at the table. "The Ubars Eteocles and Sullius Maximus," he said, "have already fled with their ships and men. The last holding of Henrius Sevarius has been abandoned. The council hall, though partly burnt, is not destroyed. The city, it seems to me, is safe. The fleet will doubtless return within four or five days."

"Then," said Samos, "it seems that the Home Stone of Port Kar is secure." He lifted his goblet.

We drank his toast.